Tartaglia (), real name Ajax (), is a character from the video game Genshin Impact, developed by miHoYo. He first appears in the Liyue chapter of the main story after the game's release in 2020, and became a playable character that year. He is a member of the Fatui, the diplomatic organization of the fictional nation of Snezhnaya and one of the game's main antagonistic factions. He is the Eleventh of the Fatui Harbingers, with the codename "Childe" (). He is voiced in English by Griffin Burns, in Chinese by Li Chunyin, in Japanese by Ryōhei Kimura, and in Korean by Nam Doh-hyeong.
Born in Snezhnaya, he is a brave and battle-loving warrior who is loyal, passionate, and values his family. He has short, messy orange hair and dark blue eyes, wears a grey jacket, and has an earring set with a red gemstone as well as a Fatui mask. In terms of gameplay, he is a Hydro bow user who can freely switch between ranged and melee attack modes. He has a unique mechanic known as Riptide and can deal high amounts of area-of-effect damage. Since his release, Tartaglia has been widely liked by players for his complex personality, sex appeal, and high skill ceiling in combat, and is regarded as one of the most popular antagonists in the game.
Design and voice acting Tartaglia is the Eleventh of the Fatui Harbingers, with the codename "Childe". He is one of the most dangerous of said group: a brave and battle-loving fighter, but also loyal and passionate. He has messy but neatly trimmed short orange hair and dark blue eyes. He wears an open grey jacket, grey pants, black boots and black gloves. He also wears an earring set with a red gemstone and a red Fatui mask on his head. Tartaglia's name is based on the stock character of the same name in Italian commedia dell'arte.
Tartaglia is voiced in English by Griffin Burns, in Chinese by Li Chunyin, in Japanese by Ryōhei Kimura, and in Korean by Nam Doh-hyeong. In an interview, Kimura said that when he first saw Tartaglia's lines, he felt that he was "quite a difficult character to handle". At first glance, Tartaglia gives off an "airy and composed" impression, but in reality he likes to fight. When Kimura realized this, he thought Tartaglia to be scary. However, Tartaglia's backstory includes an important detail in that he values his family very much. Kimura had originally assumed that a battle maniac like him might not be very gentle toward his family, so he was surprised to find out the opposite was true. He felt that Tartaglia "dotes on" his family, which made him think Tartaglia was "a little unfair", because that contradiction makes it difficult to dislike him completely. Kimura describes himself as a pacifist who tries to avoid conflict as much as possible, and said that the only thing he has in common with Tartaglia is that they both value their families. Regarding his relationship with the protagonist Traveler, Kimura said that Tartaglia is "kind of like a friend, and kind of like an ally" to them, but that they are not completely on the same side. As a member of the Fatui Harbingers, the fact that Tartaglia can become part of the player's party is already something rare and special. Kimura admitted that if Tartaglia were to "completely become a good friend and good companion", he would instead find that "a little lonely". For that reason, he thinks Tartaglia is at his best when he remains "airy and composed, [...] but still sharp when he needs to be". That sort of distance, where he is neither too close nor too distant, is what makes Tartaglia interesting as a character. Kimura also quoted one of Tartaglia's lines in which he indicates that battle scars are a high form of praise for warriors. He praised this attitude of not hiding one's own scars, arguing that it reflects Tartaglia's pride and honor as a warrior. He also mentioned that Tartaglia seems familiar with the concept of acting; although Tartaglia is not a professional actor, he thinks highly of his skills. Kimura felt that this showed Tartaglia as not only a battle maniac, but that he also has a performer side to him.
Appearances Tartaglia's real name is Ajax. He was born in Morepesok, a town in Snezhnaya, and was named after an adventure hero from his father's favorite stories. At age 14, he ran away from home and accidentally fell into the Abyss. There, he awakened the sleeping monster "All-Devouring Narwhal" and met a swordswoman named Skirk. Ajax became Skirk's disciple and, over three months in the Abyss, learned the techniques for traversing the Abyss. It is here he acquired the Foul Legacy transformation skill he would later use. Due to the difference in the flow of time in the Abyss compared to the outside world, only three days had passed in the outside world. After returning home, Ajax's personality changed drastically: he became frivolous, self-confident, and fond of conflict. He joined the Fatui and earned the appreciation of one of their Harbingers, Pulcinella, who promoted him to the rank of Harbinger himself, where he received his codename. Around that time, the Tsaritsa, Snezhnaya's ruler, gave him his Delusion.
In the game's main story, Tartaglia rescues the protagonist Traveler in Liyue after they are surrounded by the Millelith (local security forces) and are falsely accused of causing the death of the Geo Archon, Rex Lapis (also known as Morax). He then directs the Traveler to seek out the adepti, illuminated beasts, in order to clear their name. After the Traveler is cleared of suspicion, they hope to find a way to approach the Exuvia, Rex Lapis' body. Tartaglia therefore introduces the Traveler to Zhongli, an employee at a local funeral parlor. While the Traveler and Zhongli prepare the Rite of Parting, Tartaglia secretly monitors them and learns that the Exuvia has been taken to the Golden House. His purpose in plotting in Liyue is to obtain Morax's Gnosis which he believes is inside the Exuvia. Tartaglia goes there to seize it, but the Traveler stops him, and the two do battle there. After discovering that the Exuvia does not contain the Gnosis, Tartaglia realizes that there is more to both the Exuvia and the death of the Geo Archon. He decides to summon Osial, a sealed god, in order to force the Geo Archon to reveal themselves. Osial is ultimately defeated through the combined efforts of the Liyue Qixing (the local government) and adepti. Only after returning to the Northland Bank does Tartaglia learn that the entire affair was a setup by Zhongli (who is revealed to in fact be the Geo Archon, and who faked his death) and Signora (another Fatui Harbinger), and that the latter has already obtained the Gnosis.
Later, in Fontaine, Tartaglia is on vacation there and meets the Traveler again. After his Vision suddenly stops working, he tells them about his current situation and what happened to him in childhood. Tartaglia decides to entrust his Vision to the Traveler for the time being for safekeeping. Some time later, Tartaglia is accused of being the mastermind behind several women's disappearances in the area. Although the Traveler and investigator Navia identify the real culprit and clear Tartaglia of suspicion, Tartaglia is still found guilty, and he is sent to the Fortress of Meropide, Fontaine's prison. Arlecchino, another Fatui Harbinger, uses this opportunity to pressure Furina (who claims to be the Hydro Archon; this is later proven false) and Neuvillette (Fontaine's chief justice, or Iudex), leading the latter to send the Traveler to investigate Tartaglia's whereabouts in the Fortress of Meropide, using false charges as an excuse to send the Traveler there without suspicion. During the investigation, the Traveler uses Tartaglia's Vision to learn that Tartaglia has been fighting the All-Devouring Narwhal in the Primordial Sea for quite some time. The monster later attacks the Opera Epiclese (Fontaine's courthouse), and Tartaglia works together with Neuvillette to drive it back into the Primordial Sea. The Traveler and Neuvillette enter the Primordial Sea and do battle against it; finally, Skirk arrives and transfers both the Narwhal and Tartaglia away. He later reappears in Nod-Krai and Snezhnaya.
In Tartaglia's Story Quest, his younger brother Teucer secretly comes to Liyue, and the Traveler, Paimon, and Tartaglia take turns looking after him. Ultimately, in an abandoned research facility, the Traveler is moved by Tartaglia's sense of family, and the two make a promise to meet again in Snezhnaya.
Gameplay Tartaglia is a five-star Hydro bow character. His Elemental Skill allows him to switch between two different combat modes: ranged bow attacks and melee attacks using Hydro blades. His Elemental Burst changes depending on the current combat mode: in ranged mode, it unleashes water-like arrows over a large area, while in melee mode, it performs a sweeping slash with a Hydro polearm. Tartaglia also appears as a boss character, during the second phase of which he transforms using a technique called "Foul Legacy - The Devouring Deep".
Promotion Tartaglia first appeared as a non-player character in version 1.0 of Genshin Impact in the first act of chapter 1 of the game's main story. miHoYo announced in the preview trailer for version 1.1 that he would become a playable character. In November 2020, miHoYo released Tartaglia's character demo, "A Letter to Snezhnaya", and his story teaser "Childe: Sigil of Permission", which demonstrated his gameplay. Tartaglia became playable in version 1.1 of the game, during which his Story Quest was also released. In version 2.2, miHoYo released Tartaglia's signature weapon, Polar Star.
In 2023, miHoYo collaborated with Chinese tech company Xiaomi to create a limited-edition version of the Smart Band 8 Pro watch featuring Tartaglia. Writer Daz Skubich of Pocket Tactics said that the partnership suited miHoYo's slogan, "Tech Otakus Save the World", perfectly. The watch included a 1.74-inch OLED screen, which combined with an improved user interface and battery as well as an affordable price. These factors, Skubich argued, made the watch "more than capable of competing with the best smartwatches on the market."
Reception
Since Tartaglia was released as a playable character, players have generally been very fond of him, and he has become one of the game's most popular antagonists. Some players express their love for the character by cosplaying as him, including Susan Tse, a 71-year-old actress, who did so at the 2023 Animation-Comic-Game Hong Kong, which earned her praise from fans.
Characterization