zinnia

diluc’s default skin is his chosen outfit for his nobleman duties, for when he’s out to do his obligations and responsibilities as the current head of the ragnvindr family, the master of the dawn winery. on the other hand, his alternate skin “red dead of night” is a modified version of his uniform from when he was still under the knights of favonius. he wears this mainly during his vigilante work.

both skins represent the two current and main sides of diluc’s identity: diluc as the ragnvindr heir, and diluc as the darknight hero.

the bases of his clothes are quite similar (a coat, vest and shirt, pants, and boots), just in different colors. but what stood the most for me is the detail of his gloves.

diluc’s glove for his red dead of night skin is fully black. on the other hand, on his default skin, the top side of the glove is black while the palm side of the glove is fully red.

this made me wonder since plain colored gloves are most common to use when it comes to formal attires and yet diluc chose at two-colored pair instead of a plain black or red one. i began to revisit some of diluc’s lore from events and voicelines out of sheer curiousity.

during the hidden strife event, diluc has stated that he only kept letters from the past in case they prove to be useful in the future, and yet he has kept (and have recently read) kaeya’s letters from the said past, even when some of those letters were only out of kaeya’s concern for him.

diluc also kept kaeya’s compensation gift even if it doesn’t match the mansion’s interior.

during the weinlesefest, the traveler asked him regarding the voice from the wine bottle, that of which he responded with the following statement [regarding his late father].

connecting all of these together, one could conclude that diluc knows the definition of the past and lives it through, but that doesn’t stop him from being sentimental about it.

diluc has a complex character which is sometimes (or maybe often) left unnoticed with all the running gags about his deadpan stare and remarks about kaeya and the knights of favonius.

he got his old uniform re-modeled for the sake of nostalgia but using it instead in accomplishing his newfound resolve after three years of solitary sojourn in search for the truth.

in his vision story, it was explicitly stated that as much as he doesn’t talk about his past, he also doesn’t deny it. he acknowledges that his past is a part of his present.

in this sense, i’m inclined to think that diluc’s gloves could’ve been his own way of remembering what his hands have committed during those years of his raging anger and loss, that his hands are both stained and that cannot be changed even under the guise of nobility and fame; it could be his way of admitting that his persona as the master of the dawn winery and the vigilante darknight hero aren’t two separate entities, but rather his acceptance that both personas, as well as his past self and deeds, are all part of the diluc ragnvindr that he is today.

i’ve watched aster’s analysis on childe’s persona, and it couldn’t have been worded better. childe’s big brother side isn’t childe’s redemption arc and/or full personality, rather it is an extension to his overall character.

childe’s personality is very complex to the point that even the traveler has some mixed thoughts on his actions. if there is one thing that the traveler understands most about childe, it’s his love for his family, and the rest is in sort of a blur.

i think one thing the people often forget about childe is that he is as power-hungry as the other harbingers. it’s just that childe chooses to be upfront and honest about it rather than be scheme-y. he likes the idea of showing his full potential in a fair fight rather than using underhanded tactics. but all this honesty doesn’t mean that he can’t be hostile when he has to.

during the event, even yoimiya has stated that while she acknowledges his goodness by standing as a big brother in front of the kids, she still remains vigilant in case childe tries to pull something. what more with traveler who has personally witnessed childe in action? especially when childe has never showed any signs of regret about his actions as a harbinger. during the liyue archon, childe himself admitted that there is no way someone like him is to be trusted since he is a harbinger. he knows full well what his duty as a harbinger entails.

in conclusion, childe’s personality isn’t a choice between a good brother or a power-seeking harbinger but rather a mixture of both. he is both of these two. while the traveler can trust childe’s instincts as a good brother who wants what’s best for his siblings, the traveler can also be wary about childe if we’re talking about his work as a harbinger.