In Genshin Impact, players are constantly questioning what the best elemental reactions are in the game. Pyro and Cryo, for example, are fan favorites due to their easy usage. Yet, no element is more well-known than that of the City of Freedom, Anemo.
Despite being the first element that the player will use in the game, there are a lot of holes in the way Anemo works. From biological issues to questions about physics and reactions, Anemo has a lot of traits that make no sense. Some of these issues work to make the game more enjoyable, yet some do force the player to question the way Teyvat works.
6 Anemo Vs Wind
Anemo may be the "element of wind", but what exactly is Anemo when it comes down to it? There seems to be a distinction between normal wind and Anemo wind, with the latter being tinted green. As players see in the commission "Leaves on the Wind", Anemo energy can accumulate in leaves, meaning there is a distinction between air and Anemo. The player can distinguish between an Anemo leaf and a non-Anemo leaf, suggesting that there must at least be a difference between normal air and Anemo.
However, when does Anemo become distinct from air and normal wind? From the look of Anemo skills, Anemo has a distinct green tint and features faster, more violent gusts of wind. Outside of that, though, there is very little information on the topic.
5 Status Removal
The players will find a lot of peculiar traits when using Anemo. One of these is the swirl reaction, which passes elemental statuses from one opponent to others in the area. While this spreading does make sense, the physics of these attacks are a little bit off. By pushing one elemental to another area, it must leave its current location. When somebody spills water from a cup, there is less water in the cup: ideally, it should work this way with elements like Hydro.
Another way to look at it is in the case of blowing out a candle. Yes, one could light another candle with another lit candle, however, blowing at a candle has a chance of extinguishing it. The same could be implemented in Genshin Impact, with the targeted burning foe either losing their status entirely or having a chance to lose it. Either way, this is some food for thought.
4 How Do Anemo Creatures Work?
Elemental creatures play a major part in Genshin Impact, from Anemo Slimes to the Anemo Hypostasis. The Anemo Hypostasis in particular is interesting because it is composed purely of Anemo energy. This should make players wonder about how creatures in the universe work.
It doesn't make much sense from a biological point of view. Granted, magic is commonplace in Genshin Impact, but this does still come off as strange. If a creature is purely made of energy, then organs and life-sustaining body parts do not exist. Technically, this disqualifies the Hypostasis as an organism. Without any type of nervous system, these creatures are more like natural phenomena than sentient creatures.
3 Could Pressure Actually Hurt Somebody?
How much potential is there for Anemo abilities to actually hurt opponents? Many Anemo skills and bursts aren't too harmful in terms of pure Anemo damage. Instead, damage results from impact and fall damage with the Anemo Traveler and the Lion of the South, Jean. Nonetheless, Anemo damage is a real concern for gameplay, with plenty of characters utilizing it in their elemental bursts and skills.
Yet, wind damage is also a concept that doesn't make a lot of sense. According to CDC reports, it takes around 3 psi, equivalent to winds of 102 mph, to cause serious injury to humans. Only minor discomfort occurs before then.
While players aren't given pressure measurements for in-game abilities, it is safe to say that it doesn't go up this high. 102 miles per hour is more common in hurricane-level winds. Certainly, characters like Venti or Jean (with her constellations) may be in this range, but most are not. The attacks from an Anemo slime don't even make it close just from observing their attacks.
2 Why Can It Create Illusions?
One of the pivotal moments in the Mondstadt portions of the plot is the lyre scene. Venti and the team go to return the (now broken) Lyre of Himmel. Just when all seems lost, Venti repairs the Lyre with Anemo energy.
There are quite a few issues with this illusion in particular. Why is it able to hold up like a normal lyre (at least enough to fool Barbara) when Anemo represents fluidity and wind? Even more confusing, how is it that Anemo can make illusions in the first place? Certainly, light needs to travel through the air, but this doesn't explain how Anemo can make such detailed replicas.
1 Why Isn't There A Character That Can Extend Glider Flight?
Gliders are one of the most-used items in Genshin Impact and one of the many symbols of the Mondstadt. Nonetheless, one interesting ability that hasn't been considered yet is a character that can create wind channels mid-air.
For one, these types of channels already have in-game references. When gliding in certain places, most commonly in Jueyun Karst, gusts of wind naturally occur increasing overall gliding distance. This would make for an easily S-rank explorer, so it's a wonder that none of the Anemo characters in the game have even thought about the possibility.