Hu Tao

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Weapon: Spear Element: Pyro Species: Human Gender: Female Birthday: July 15th Constellation: Papilio Charontis (Chaos Paper/Chaos Butterfly) Home region: Liyue Affiliation: El Camino Funeral Home Special dish: Solemn march. Hu Tao (Chinese: 胡桃 Hú Táo, "Walnut") is a playable 5-star character in Genshin Impact. She is the 77th director of El Camino Funeral Home.

Profile

77. Director of El Camino Funeral Home. Despite her young age, she is already the main person in charge of all funeral matters in Liyue. ~ In-Game Attribute Text Hu Tao is the 77th director of El Camino Funeral Home, in charge of all funeral matters in Liyue. She puts all her energy into making the client's final farewell as solemn as possible and protecting the balance between yin and yang. In addition, she is a peculiar poetess whose masterpieces have been passed down by word of mouth among the people of Liyue.

Appearance

Hu Tao is a slender and thin young woman with fair skin and scarlet eyes with floral patterns. She has long, brown hair that is parted into twin tails, with the ends dipped in light crimson. His Pyro Vision is embedded in the back of his coat. She wears a dark brown hat with red flowers, branches, and a wooden talisman attached to the front. He wears a traditional red shirt under his dark coat, with a tangerine collar. It has gold brooches attached under the collar and to the waist of his coat, it has long rectangular capes. Additionally, she is wearing a pair of white socks with matching red flowers and brown high-heeled dress shoes.

Personality

At first glance, Hu Tao seems to be a quirky and cheerful girl. She likes to play pranks on people and hates sitting around doing nothing as she wants to live her life to the fullest. Her eccentric and flamboyant personality often leaves people with a negative impression of her, especially Qiqi, who claims that she has a "punchable face" due to Hu Tao's insistence on burying her. In contrast, Xiao likes his humor, finding it somewhat irritating yet interesting. On the other hand, when handling funerals and last rites, he becomes more solemn and constantly reminds his employees to never deviate from the client's requests. Due to the importance and traditions of hall duties, she expresses her displeasure towards people who treat her or her employees with suspicion whenever they go to work at night. Despite his negative impressions, he learns of Liyue's hidden secrets and past and suspects Zhongli's true identity. Hu Tao accepts death as a natural part of life and tells others to enjoy their short lives, although she appears to be a bit eccentric in this regard by putting the success of her business first. He also detests those who try to prolong his natural lifespan, such as Baizhu. He also seems to show a lack of interest in his Pyro Vision.

Agent Details

Young Hu Tao is the 77th director of El Camino Funeral Home and the person in charge of all matters related to it. However, despite her position, she does not always know how to behave properly. He has more evil ideas than there are grains of sand on the Yaoguang Coast, and his ideas always catch people off guard. Normally, Hu Tao is a girl who loves to play pranks. As soon as she has some free time, she is off to run around everywhere, so those who know her see her as someone who commands a lot and does little. The only moments in which he shows his more serious and solemn side is when he personally leads a funeral march through a dimly lit street.

History

Funerals are the last rite of passage in the lives of mortals, and El Camino Funeral Home has the honor of being the one that draws the last stroke on the canvas of those lives. Traditional Liyue funeral rites are extremely rich, with practices such as keeping the deceased's coffin in a safe place for loved ones to make offerings, spending time by the coffin to protect it, the actual burial, deciding which funeral stele to use and what items to bury with the deceased... There are a huge number of strict rules for each and every step of the funeral. Regardless of the wealth of the deceased, or whether he or she was of noble or humble origin, the golden rule of El Camino Funeral Home is to organize a funeral in keeping with his or her status. So it would be logical to think that the person in charge of running an institution of such importance must be someone wise and meticulous. However, the arduous task of being the 77th funeral director fell to none other than the young Hu Tao. Hu Tao has a certain reputation in Liyue. When asked for their opinion of her, most people always say, "It's hard to explain..." Everyone praises his intelligence and cunning, but they are greatly afraid of his increasingly creative pranks and jokes. At the age of three, she was forced to keep her head on the ground and her legs up while studying and reading classical texts. At six, she skipped class one day to crawl into a coffin and sleep in it. And at eight, she began working in the family business and studying funeral rites. No matter how you look at it, Hu Tao is not a serious person at all. She conducted and organized her first major funeral when she was just over ten years old. At that time, the rest of the workers and advisors at the funeral home were on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Story part 2

Fortunately, business is very important to Hu Tao, so it is the only thing he does with complete seriousness. She often says, "At El Camino Funeral Home, we charge money from the living to bury the dead, so we have a responsibility to satisfy both parties." Hu Tao is very clear and orderly about the rules and protocols of the funeral home. When the funeral home is closed for the day, she invites consultants from all over to instruct the younger workers at the funeral home. "Traditional funeral rites are a whole branch of study independent of customs and habits." Of all the instructors, Zhongli is the most respected. His way of teaching is the most successful, as thanks to him the training of the workers at El Camino Funeral Home has been greatly improved. Although Hu Tao often makes fun of Zhongli's old-fashioned style, Zhongli is still the person she trusts the most. In addition, she always asks other workers to adapt to the needs of the clients, and not to stick to one type of funeral ceremony. "Each client has his or her own demands. Some want the deceased to go away sin-free and in peace; others like a more cheerful funeral; and the wealthiest clients only care about the ostentation and luxury of the ceremony. What we do and how we do it depends fundamentally on what they want." Since Hu Tao took over this job, the business of El Camino Funeral Home has gained stability, the ceremonies are always done properly and there are even people whose views on funerals, a somewhat taboo subject in Liyue, have changed. But when the other workers are studying, Hu Tao disappears without a trace. His interests and hobbies are extremely eccentric, although they cannot really be considered leisure activities.

History part 2.5

If you see the silhouette of a person under the moonlight on the docks and among the tall buildings of Liyue, with his arms crossed behind his head and reciting poetry, it is most likely Hu Tao. He loves to wander around at night and, if he feels like it at that moment, he will not be able to resist the temptation to compose a poem, no matter where he is. If any merchant is resting in one of the pavilions of the Huaguang Stone Forest, he might have the honor of seeing a mysterious young girl sitting and enjoying herself by herself. What's more, Hu Tao even entertains herself with gambling and board games, which usually require four people. What does she find funny about all this? Only Hu Tao herself knows.

Story part 3

At the gate of the Ministry of Civil Affairs there are two very realistic stone lion statues representing majesty and authority. But Hu Tao doesn't think so. Once he looked at them carefully for a long time and, after thinking for a moment, he started laughing out loud and tapping the lions' front paws. Since then, he has visited them frequently, stroking their heads while mumbling to himself. He not only chats with them, but even gave them proper names: the left lion is called "Grrr" and the right one is called "Meow." Sometimes she even carries a bucket of hot water and a very large brush to wash them, which she does with graceful movements and great concentration, as if they were her pets. In front of the Xinyue Kiosk, there is a tricolor cat that eats food given to it by the people of Liyue. One day, a citizen was playing with this cat just as Hu Tao was with his lions. It was a rather peculiar situation. Faced with the perplexed gaze of that citizen, Hu Tao said in a very blunt tone: "What do you think? That this cat is cute, but my Grrr and Meow aren't? I know their fur is a little coarser, but they're still soft! Any animal that makes you happy can be a pet. Besides, no cat beats my Grrr and Meow when it comes to majesty!" This explanation left the man even more perplexed than he was. Hu Tao has also scared the guards at the Ministry of Civil Affairs many times, where the light sound of footsteps can always be heard at midnight. At first, the guards thought it was a burglar, until they discovered a young girl playing with the lion statues in front of the door. When they had finally gotten used to witnessing this strange scene, Hu Tao did not appear in the Ministry again. This was a cause for concern for the guards: without her, they would have to take turns cleaning the lions.

History 3.5

In fact, they did so for many days, until the eccentric young woman finally reappeared. When asked why he hadn't gone back, the answer they got was even more bizarre: "Grrr and Meow have grown up and are now independent. They don't need me to take care of them anymore, so now I spend my time talking to statues of gods."

Story part 4

Soon after they met, Hu Tao already regarded Qiqi as a good friend of his, whom he wanted to personally bury. On many occasions he has made preparations, thought about the best moment to kidnap her and even tried to cremate her and put her ashes in the grave that has already been assigned to her on the outskirts of the city. If it weren't for Baizhu from Bubu Pharmacy, Hu Tao would have already gotten away with it. Every time he catches her red-handed, he finds Qiqi's tiny head sticking out of a sack that Hu Tao has stuffed her in. At such times, all Qiqi can do is watch in bewilderment as the eccentric young woman eagerly digs the pit in which to cremate her. After these failed attempts, Hu Tao writes Qiqi a letter of apology, in which she regrets several times for not having been quicker in burying her so that she can rest in peace. For Hu Tao, Qiqi died a long time ago and is trapped in the mortal world, from which she cannot escape. Therefore, she feels that she is in great pain. However, ever since Baizhu met Qiqi, his wish for her to live forever without aging has become stronger and stronger. However, Hu Tao can never agree to the idea of ​​going against the cycle of life and death. He insists on burying Qiqi not only because he takes into account Qiqi's needs, but also to balance the natural order of things. However, Qiqi does not want to be buried, as she is afraid of dying and hates Hu Tao. This is how an endless vicious circle is formed during which the poor zombie girl has her moments of lucidity and remembers when she must hide so as not to be caught by Hu Tao.

History part 4.5

Qiqi's determination to live moved the eccentric young woman, so she momentarily put aside her desire to bury her and investigated Qiqi's past: an unexpected accident, a dark secret of the Adeptus, many coincidences together... Hu Tao began to doubt whether she had misbehaved with Qiqi. Because of his great desire to live, he could not bury her by force, so he began to see her as the most special person in the world. Since then, Hu Tao's attitude towards Qiqi has changed dramatically. He has gone from wanting to kidnap her to becoming interested in her well-being. Unfortunately, Qiqi has been afraid of Hu Tao for much longer, and it will take her a few more years to forgive her.

Story part 5

In fact, Hu Tao is not so well known for being the director of The Way, but for another of her achievements: her poetry. She calls herself the "poetess of darkness" because, whenever she walks through the streets of Liyue, she improvises poems everywhere. His most famous work is "Ballad of the Hilichurls", which was very well received by the city's inhabitants and sung by the children of Chingtse Village. The style and profound meaning of this work so impressed poetry lovers and storytellers that they quickly went to Wanwen Book House to look for more works by this great poetess. It is a pity that the collections of poems "Gossip in Liyue" and "Everyday Life" had not yet been published... Xingchiu, who spends so much time among books, noticed the eccentric Hu Tao and chose an appropriate day to visit her and extend his courtesy. The two got along very well, so they decided to go to the courtyard of the El Camino Funeral Home to compose some verses and discuss lyrical skills. Hu Tao came up with all kinds of strange ideas and words to alter the tone of Xingqiu's poems, which he wrote in a neat classical style with abundant antitheses. However, the result was poems with deep meaning, a few rhymes among the many eccentricities, and verses that were easier to understand and read than the most orthodox poetry. One could say that Hu Tao gave the well-versed Xingqiu a lyrical beating, who at that moment did not know whether to laugh or cry. However, their poetry competition ended amicably and peacefully. Since then, the two have become great friends who are fond of poetry and, whenever they have time, they meet to recite a few verses.

History part 5.5

After a few times, they eventually even dragged Chongyun along to act as a judge. Every time they got together, revelry filled the streets of Liyue like a shower of autumn leaves falling from the trees. Curious onlookers would stop to listen and even write down their poems. So if you ever walk around Liyue and hear a solemn and elegant poem followed by some eccentric and witty verses, it is most likely Hu Tao and Xingchiu reciting poetry.

Heavenly Harmony Cap

Hu Tao's cap is made of a hard material, and the symbol of El Camino Funeral Home is engraved on the front. This accessory is apparently inherited from its 75th director, who was rather robust in build and whose head was twice as large as Hu Tao's. So the young woman spent a whole day and night adjusting it to fit her size. Whenever someone asks her, she says: "This hat is magic. It protects me because it attracts positive energies and drives away evil spirits." Hearing this, the funeral home workers laughed, as if mocking what Hu Tao had said. But the 77th director clearly has a fondness for her hat. Rain or wind, she always tries her best to keep it from getting dirty. On the side of the hat is a cherry blossom plucked from a tree she planted herself. He let the flower dry in the wind, bleached it, soaked it in oil, drew its outline and placed it in the sun for three days. The result is an exquisite decorative object as fluffy as clouds and with a subtle fragrance.

vision

It all started with Hu Tao's grandfather's funeral. Ten days before that, Mr. Hu, the 75th director of El Camino Funeral Home, fell ill and died at home. The funeral home held a ceremony for him that followed all protocols, as his grandfather had arranged in his will, and which was conducted by Hu Tao. She, who was only thirteen years old at the time, was not yet a funeral director, and although she had to take care of the entire ceremony alone, she did so without forgetting a single detail, which greatly pleased the other masters of ceremony. After the funeral, little Hu Tao ran away at night carrying a backpack, in which she carried some food, water and tools to light the way. With all this, she headed to one of the most mysterious places in this world. If you continue walking straight on, you will reach a border: the line that divides the world of the living from the world of the dead; an enigmatic place that has been overseen by the El Camino Funeral Home for generations. It is said that there you can see deceased relatives and the souls of those who were unable to fulfill their greatest wishes while they were alive. The reason Hu Tao wanted to go there was to see his grandfather one last time before he left completely. After two full days of non-stop walking, Hu Tao arrived at the border. However, he did not find his grandfather. There were countless souls coming and going, some in a hurry, some resentful... but none of them looked like his grandfather. After waiting for a whole day, she eventually fell asleep. When she woke up, it was late at night, and she found a few souls mocking her while clapping sarcastically. “Young lady, do you really think that Old Man Hu is here? What a crazy idea to come all the way here to look for a relative!”

Vision part 2

Hu Tao, who was not an easy person to persuade, continued to wait. He had less and less food and less water, but his grandfather still did not appear. In the end, the only one who appeared was an elderly woman he had never seen before. Seeing how exhausted Hu Tao was, the old woman, whose height had obviously decreased over the years, said with a laugh: "How stubborn you are, just like your grandfather! I'm sorry to tell you that no director of the El Camino Funeral Home wanders around These places. All your ancestors lived frank and honest lives, and that's how they left this world. Come on, go back to the place you came from. Then, the mysterious old woman bid farewell to Hu Tao and crossed the border. The young girl could watch her figure disappear into the distance and, despite how confused she was, she had a strange feeling of relief. She had realized something: if her grandfather had not been seen it was because she had long since crossed the border and arrived at her rightful place. She had lived an honest life with nothing to regret, so why would she be so sad about her death? Finally, Hu Tao headed home while she laughed at the situation. The moonlight had lost its brightness and the first rays of dawn were already visible. On the way, she remembered a phrase that her grandfather used to say: "Live in the present and don't worry about when you are going to die. Be true to yourself and live and let live." When she got home, it was already noon. Hu Tao jumped over the courtyard wall and went into her room to take the things out of her backpack. Although she had used up all the food and water she carried, from her backpack she took out something very bright and luminous that must have sneaked into her at some point: it was a Vision. As one of the few alive who had dared to reach the border, Hu Tao's behavior must have moved some deity. For this reason, she obtained a gift from heaven: the recognition of her great strength.

Curiosities

Hu Tao's Chinese voice actress, Dian Tao (陶典), is the same voice actress as Kiana Kaslana, the main character of all previous miHoYo games. Hu Tao is the first playable character as of global release to bear her full name in official media and the in-game interface; Kamisato Ayaka was the first, introduced in the Third Closed Beta Test but then unavailable until Version 2.0. While other characters before them have known surnames, such as Jean (Jean Gunnhildr), Kaeya (Kaeya Alberich), and Diluc (Diluc Ragnvindr), they use their given names in official material. Yun Jin is the second playable character in Liyue to bear her full name. Hu Tao is associated with butterflies because Chinese traditions commonly associate them with life, death, and the dead. She wears plum blossoms on her hat, which are associated with the end of winter. This fits with her title, Fragrance in Thaw, which also refers to the transition from winter to spring. Hu Tao is the last character (before World Adventures) whose character introduction illustration differs from her wish artwork. On April 1, 2021, HoYoverse made Hu Tao its official mascot for April Fool's Day, replacing Paimon. Their social media accounts changed their profile pictures to images of her, and the official Discord server for Genshin Impact had a Hu Tao theme. This most likely refers to Hu Tao's reputation as a prankster within Liyue, which fits the April Fool's Day theme. Hu Tao is the first and only 5-star character not to be revealed during a release trailer, most likely due to her ties to death, which was a taboo during the Lunar New Year, the time before her release.

Etymology

While the characters for Hu Tao's name (胡桃) together mean "walnut", they are written as two separate words: her surname (Chinese: 胡 Hú) and her given name (Chinese: 桃 Táo, "peach"). The English version reflects this by separating the two characters with a space, unlike most other Liyue characters whose names are written as one word. Its constellation, Papilio Charontis, means "Charon's butterfly" in Latin. Her name "Hu Tao" sounds similar to the word for "butterfly" in Chinese (蝴蝶 húdié). In the Chinese and Korean trailers, Hu Tao jokingly refers to herself and butterflies as having the same surname.

IMPORTANT

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