The Genius of Navia in the Archon Quest

Alright, if you don't know why I like Navia, or if you don't know why *you* like Navia, well maybe you do now.

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[syrc]

Navia so far my favorite character as well.

I love how Navia's characterisation is indirect. Unlike with most of the other Genshin cast, we don't have characters and npcs telling the traveler that Navia is brave, bold, emotional, smart, confrontational, etc. We get none of that. We just naturally learn these things while playing through the Archon Quest.
She also had a great balance of being cool while also having strong emotional scenes.

The only thing I wished we got more for was the dinner between Navia and Clorinde. It feels kinda lame that a major character point for both of them was handled off-scene. Like I know, Clorinde helped Navia during the case, but I still don't like how the dinner scene was just told to the traveler. (Granted it would've been low-key awkward if the traveler was there but we've had scenes before through flashbacks where the traveler wasn't present)

Overall, I love how realistic Navia is. She genuinely feels like a character and not a gacha selling device.

Also, love your analysis videos btw.

[avocadoperson]

I think what makes Navia work so well in particular is the way her story feels very show don't tell, which hoyo has a tendency of not doing very well, especially with characters like Kokomi

[Skyrem]

2:47 I love how paimon saw us not able to stand and immediately got concerned, melts me.

[olgabutorina]

Navia is what "alive character" looks like: a character who has and use her right to express every emotion

But that's a big "thank you" to her character arc. What if she didn't have this drama-situation with her father? What if she didn't have any reason to be sad to begin with? - That's the problem with other characters. How will we see "sad" Nilou if she didn't have any reasons to be sad?
When writer needs to show character's personality in a wide range and variety, he needs to give this character situations where these emotions will make sense. But sadly it seems that until Fontaine Genshin's writers knew only how to write a "gag"-stories: the stories where character should always have his "gag" personality and do the same joke again and again and there's no room for changing throughout the story, your character should always be the same. It always bothered me because the story itself doesn't seem to be built this way - it's a "progress" story where each episode should add development to the plot or character. Yet it never happened! Even the main plot barely had any progress until Sumeru (and the progress in Sumeru is... kinda small for everything we've done to get there)

I sure hope Fontaine will give us something good, not only Navia, but other characters and the plot itself... Please, give us another meeting with sibling! And it would be cool if we met her/him in the Fontaine story, not in the Dainsleif chapter. That would be a "plot twist" indeed (as Furina wanted)

[Raudent]

Navia is what Teppei should've been

[Ravenna.E.Blackbird]

...It was only at the end of your splendid video that I realised it was created prior to the devastating events of Act V. I miss them everyday 😭
Your analysis was spot-on, I felt so happy and validated that someone else had almost the exact same experience with Navia's introduction and development. Her character writing and voice were so phenomenal, it...ended up changing my lifelong opinion of *an entire colour* (yellow, which I had always highly disliked before).
#1 character & best friend, no competition ♫ ♪

[luisreynamboarcos]

Even if she doesn't have an important roll in the rest of the archon quest it's ok for me. She was absoluterly the protagonist of the second part of this patch story, just like Lyney was of the first. I would be happy to see this too with Neuvillette in the next patch and, of course, with Furina. That said, Navia is by far my greatest priority after this patch. If I have to chose between Furina and Navia, i'm going all in on Navia.

[fiftychan]

About the archetype, Navia is actually the Ojou-sama Shoujo Protagonist Archetype.

From her entire character arc, she does feel a lot like a Shoujo Protagonist. Which is probably why people feel like she doesn't fit into any archetype, because she's the protagonist.

The protagonist in Shoujo stories most likely than not would have a happy and fortunate childhood before suddenly being thrust into an unfortunate situation where she would feel like she's being pressed against a wall (in this case, the death of her father and how nobody would believe her father's innocence). She has trusted companions who will help her (usually from her father, mother or the trusted guardian from her happy childhood), and slowly rise to the top with that.

In Navia's case, her 'top' is proving her father's innocence (which is achieved once they convicted Marcel).

She has the people who are trying to push her down (Marcel) by behaving as if they're doing it for her own good. She also has a misunderstood rival who ended up being by her side (Chlorinde). She doesn't have to have a Male Lead, but she has good emotional lines with the males in the story (Neuvillette). She's strong and stood her ground on what she believed in.

This is why the entire time I play the Archon Quest, I feel like Navia is like a Shoujo Protagonist, and any story pertaining Navia and scenes with Navia makes me feel like reading a shoujo manga starring Navia. Which is like a breath of fresh air because the previous stories star the Traveler... and everybody have to admit that the Traveler is not that strong of a protagonist character wise.

This is also because of her Shoujo Protagonist Archetype. She doesn't feel like just a character. She's the protagonist. In fact she's the first character that is a protagonist in her own archetype. I'd say even the travelers don't feel anything like a protagonist like Navia does.

[shaine]

Let's see how fast hoyo can ruin her kit

[dorin]

She is blessed with character development in the story too having resolved her father’s case she has changed perspectives and amended relationships.

[brennanwn]

5:52 - 6:31 Reason Navia is my favorite

[pepita]

Alhaitham always act within his objective genius personality. This is not really true Kaveh is the testament of this. Kaveh's and Alhaitham's backstories are very interconnected. And Kaveh's character stories shed more light to Alhaitham's character.
While Alhaitham is an objective genius, he values life, individuality, and knows that he can't be that objective. This is why (partially) he keeps Kaveh around. What happened with Kaveh, and Alhaitham, why/how their fallout happened are the testament of Alhaitham not just being an objective genius. You just have to dig a little. ;P
I just really think most people put Genshin characters into boxes.
Kaveh is a naiv idealistic guy who is always unhappy and annoyed with the state of his life. Kaveh is so much more than that, and he has a surprisingly deep character considering the fact that he is a 4*.

[EthanTsang-pm]

Have you considered voice acting? You speak with so much personality and intonation, I feel like its worth a shot if you feel like it.

[xJannah]

No, I disagree Navia have a very ojousama personality archtype.

[ognlmtb]

I skipped all her lines . Because i dont like her design. She looks like a typical waifu bait to me .
Blonde, tall big boobs, blue eyes . Asians love this kinda of girls .
And she is geo .
Plus i also dont like how she is just out there ready to help us all of a sudden, just doesn't feel natural to me .
I feel like she is been forced into the story just to sell her banner

[gargoyle]

I loved how Navia always gave us(the Traveler) credit for our contributions to the investigation, always treating us as an equal and never stealing the glory for herself. If this was an anime, Navia would be best girl!