Aether and Lumine shouldn't be player self-inserts (GIANT RANT INCOMING)
So, this is gonna be a bit long, so strap in. I have a lot to yap.
I've started playing Genshin a little before Inazuma dropped (it was the update before or during the introduction of Azhdaha I don't remember), and I've been ACTIVE within this community and the game for YEARS. I loved its world building, I loved the sense of adventure it felt the moment I stepped onto the beaches of Mondstadt. I liked the characters at the time, as I found them charming and likable enough for the fanfiction part of my brain that laid dormant for years to light ablaze with so many funny scenarios. I even liked its story at the time. It wasn't anything special, but it was a fun vehicle for fun characterization and spending time with these people (I adore to this day how Venti liked to mimmic Paimon just tease or troll her lol). There were still issues, like the fact I missed out on the first Golden Apple Archipelago, or how...confused I was when I saw Scaramouche and the game sort of expected me to know him when I was like "Who the fuck are you?"
But my MAIN issue with this game's narrative is with the main character. I'll be using Aether as an example since I mained him, as this can easily be applied to Lumine.
Despite what much of the Internet would have you believe, Aether does have a personality. You can see it in his voicelines in how much he looks back on the adventures he's had with Paimon as his bumbling confidant. You can see it in how he got into a lil argument with Paimon on whether Jean or Diluc is stronger. I like how snarky he is about Venti, unaware that he's the anemo archon at first, with Paimon going "What does he know about the wind?" You can even see it in how contemplative he is about this adventure at certain regions. But it doesn't show in gameplay.
And I don't mind if Aether would've been an actual Silent Protagonist like his inspiration, Link. I'm not above people using a main character to insert themselves or their personality, and unlike some mains, I think the ladies deserve power fantasies too! My main issue is how he's stuck in this valley between being a player self insert and an actual character.
They gave him the Amnesia excuse so that the player can be introduced to this world since its implied he's been here for a long time, so it makes enough sense why he seems reactive more than active. But what makes these stories special is that overtime our character can develop a new identity and start having agency over their choices, be a more active player (haha) in the world, having more interesting conversations beyond just two pieces of dialogue that hint at their character (and who's choice of dialogue doesn't matter anyhow). Imagine if Aether actually came up with a sound battle stratedgy to help Kokomi during the Civil War with the Shogun. Imagine if instead of Lyney coming to save our skins from Furina trying to imprison us on the first day of being here, Aether actually came up with a legal defense by drawing in his experience reading legal literature with Yanfei all those ways ago. Or for a made up scenario, imagine if Aether is with another character who's a rookie adventurer and they gotta infiltrate a Fatui base, and Aether is whispering:
Aether: "Watch, next he's gonna say 'You have five days to get this project complete'".
Fatui boss: "You have FIVE DAYS to get this project complete!"
And that could actually be a cool moment for him since it shows him being an experienced adventurer, something the player got to participate in because they're an experienced adventurer, especially for people who've been playing the game for years now! (Yes I know I took this segment from a scene from Into The Spider-Verse but it was such a fitting moment to demonstrate my point! Plus it would give us something!)
And it would give his voice actor something to do, since I remember he started an initiative of some sort where gets to voice multiple characters. I don't remember if it was characters in genshin or other media since this was forever ago (and there is a chance I'm misremebering so I don't mind being corrected), but that only happened because Aether spoke SO RARELY his voice actor felt like he had nothing to do most of time!
Because there are moments in which these two sides of Aether come into conflict, with the clearest example being our interaction with Furina during her storyquest. We meet her after Paimon was talking shit about her abode, then Furina pops in to reprimand us a bit about that, and after explaining that she's been getting used to her limited options in food, Paimon said "Oh, sounds like you're really struggling to cope..."
My first gut reaction was "Paimon! What the fuck?!" Because obviously that was insensitive as shit, and if I were to imagine myself as Aether in that moment I would've given her an elbow to check her a bit. But Aether makes no comment on this. To be fair, that whole storyquest, while having a great narrative idea, Furina having take on a duty she loathed to help the people around her (in this case acting), it felt like everyone around her, including US, were just ignoring her boundaries and it was pushing her to a point, which was understandable given her trauma around acting, and her VA did such a good job in portraying this cause she sounded so tired. And, to me at least, Hoyo completely fumbled the bag on that moment because it showed our character was just a tool for the plot to move on, and so we can have are mandated romantic moment with Furina, which would've worked better if we were instead her shield that helped prevent other people from being so pushy around her.
But if Aether was an actual character with a distinct personality and motivations of his own, that could've been an interesting point of narrative conflict and friction. It would still be insensitive the way we treated her, but it could characterize Aether as someone who, because of their grand role in the fate of Teyvat, is only seeing the bigger picture, sometimes unable to see the little things that matter, and it could characterize him as someone who viewed everyone around him at that point as players in a cosmic game of chess, rather than human beings (or people if you wanna include non humans like Melusines) with their own insecurities and baggage. I wouldn't have liked it, but it would have been actually interesting as...you know, a story?
And even if Aether has shown some of this in the recent quests, it certainly didn't feel this way, because the stars of the show are ALWAYS the regional characters with a VASTLY more interesting and complex character design and role in the story. It was Zhongli and Tartaglia in Liyue, it was Yae Miko and Ei in Inazuma, in Sumeru it was so many stars but it was Nahida and perhaps Alhaitham too, with Scaramouche as the runaway success, in Fontaine SO MANY characters stood out to me much like Sumeru but Furina and Neuvillette were the STARS of the show. And this came to a point with Natlan, and while it had its good moments, I have never felt more like the NPC or passenger to a story about a group of friends who actually get to have a hand on the wheel. It might be different in Nod Krai or even Snezhnaya, but I won't be surprised if it isn't.
And maybe you're not convinced. Maybe you're one of those people who think "Aether NEEDS to player insert for Hoyo's bottom line and so the players can easily identify and develop parasocial feelings with their waifus." Or perhaps you're the type of person who's concerned with Ludonarrative dissonance or whatever other reason you believe makes it necessary for Aether to be a self insert.
And okay, I'll play ball.
I STILL think Aether should not be a player insert.
Because would it not be a better power fantasy if the character you're playing was this amazing person that people can fall in love with?
Would it not be a better power fantasy if Aether was actually an active participant in the story who was kind, selfless, considerate, maybe even a giant dork who's a huge fan of literature or art or something, than a guy who listens to his girl vent about her problems and feelings while he says either nothing of maybe a few words? (Besides, knowing the crowd who want to project themselves onto Aether, to me this would be a respectful form of pandering since it shows these nerds the kind of guy they CAN BE if they're willing to change and be vulnerable to people like the Aether I'm describing is).
Would it not be a better power fantasy if Aether was this charismatic leader who could actually be someone you can put your faith in? Would it not be better romantic fuel if Aether tried to offer words of comfort to Ayaka, Keqing, Venti, Citlali, Yun Jin, Furina, Kazuha, Yumemizuki, etc, instead of leaving the conversation one sided? Maybe showing that he's growing numb a little to these relationships because they are so fleeting?
Would it, and stay with me for a moment, not have been a better fantasy if Aether say had a quirky habit of constantly taking photos with the Kamera...so that he could cherish the memories he made along the way? Just like how I, and many people, feel towards this game?
Okay, I think that I might've been a bit sentimental there, but the reason I care so much isn't just because I found Genshin at a very low point in my life and thus have this burning desire to see the game be better, but because this has clear ripples all across the industry and the consequences are plain to see.
Wuwa has a story that seems to orbit almost entirely around the Rover like he's the center of a fucking solar system, and it shows with him having some deeply unsavory fans (Look at this server for proof of that). Arknights Endfield's CONSTANT glaze over the MC being the most important person in the universe felt both insanely unearned and deeply concerning, both because we play as an MC who's only contribution is being the muscle needed for every mission while having a nearly nonexistent personality, and for the deteriorating mental state of the fans who eat up this kind of pandering. Ananta where you play as Spiderman in GTA, same shit. And I'm willing to bet its a similar story in Everness to Neverness or whatever the fuck its called. And of course, this subreddit exists because so many of his fans project their desires onto him, and look how that turns out.
I care because if Aether or Lumine were a fleshed out MC with a distinct personality and feelings about their role in the world, I get the feeling it probably would've affected his mains and the fandom differently, even if by a little. Because now you'd have someone you can root for, rather than someone you can wear like a costume.
And I'll take former over the latter in this game any day.
(Edit: Spelling and Grammer)