The lore and history of Liyue is deep and complex, with many victories, tragedies, and notable figures set in the stones of the region of geo. And one of the most notable figures is Genshin Impact’s Guizhong. The benevolent Lord of Dust, one of the founders of the Guili Assembly, and a close friend to Morax, the geo archon himself, Liyue would not be the lantern-lit marvel that it is today if it weren’t for her sacrifice. So let’s take a moment to pay homage to the memory of dust as we look at her history, appearance, and more.
If you would rather look to the future than the past, check out our Genshin Impact banners, Genshin Impact events, and Genshin Impact update guide. You can also take a look at how Guizhong’s BFF Zhongli is ranking in our Genshin Impact tier list.
Who is Genshin Impact Guizhong?
Genshin Impact Guizhong is the former Lord of Dust, and one of the gods who presided over the Guili Assembly, which she established alongside Morax (Genshin Impact’s Zhongli) and Marchosius. Kind-hearted and extremely wise, Guizhong was not known for her physical strength, but excelled in her knowledge of mechanics and engineering, through which she designed and built the famous Guizhong Ballista. She was also known to collect Khaenri’ahn technology, such as ruin machines in the name of research.
Guizhong was a benevolent and good-natured goddess, who sympathised deeply with humans due to both their knowledge of their own fragility and their fear of their own mortality. Though she was physically inferior to Morax, she was superior in her strategic and tactical power, and playfully referred to herself as the brain to Morax’s brawn.
Guizhong and Morax grew extremely close, with her gifting him a stone dumbbell as a symbol of their pledge – the same stone dumbbell that now takes the form of the ‘Memory of Dust’ catalyst.
Due to her love for humanity, Guizhong strived towards helping her people grow wise and strong, encouraging them to abide by a strong moral code and take good care of their home in the Guili Assembly. She taught them engineering, and how to till the soil so they could nurture both their bodies and their minds, and was particularly fond of glaze lilies, which are still seen as a symbol of her people’s adoration for her.
Unfortunately, Guizhong perished during the Archon War, while trying to protect the people of Guili from the wrath of the gods and monsters that sought to tear Liyue and Mondstadt apart. As such, 3,700 years ago, she lost her life during a fierce battle where ‘black dust choked the heavens and a thousand rocks splintered’. She passed in a beautiful field of glaze lilies, smiling as she asked Morax to forget about the stone dumbbell she gave him, and mourned the end of their journey together.
Shortly after, a treacherous flood swept through Dihua Marsh and Guili Plains, destroying the Guili Assembly. Its inhabitants fled south for ten days with the help of Marchosius and the adepti, eventually coming across the land, which later became Liyue Harbor.
Genshin Impact Guizhong’s appearance
For a long time we knew little of Guizhong’s appearance, other than she took the form of a beautiful young woman with billowing sleeves.
After two years of lore and speculations, we learnt more about Guizhong during the Genshin Impact Lantern Rite of 2023, and even saw a glimpse of her during the Echoes of the Heart story teaser, as seen above.
Genshin Impact Guizhong quest
Guizhong plays a major part in the narrative in several Liyue quests – with Genshin Impact’s Zhongli speaking of her fondly in Archon Quest Chapter I: Act II – Farewell, Archaic Lord, in which you must repair the Guizhong Ballista and defeat the treasure hoarders that attempt to destroy it.
Will Genshin Impact Guizhong ever be playable?
As mentioned above, unfortunately, Guizhong died during the archon war, so it’s highly unlikely that we’ll ever see her make a physical appearance in the game, and even less likely that we’ll get a playable version of her. However, anything is possible, and if Hoyoverse ever decides to resurrect her and have her join the battle once again, we’ll be sure to update this guide. In the meantime, at least you can hold the Memory of Dust catalyst close to your heart and tend to the glaze lilies in your Serenitea pot to pay her respects.
That’s all we’ve got on the benevolent god of dust, Genshin Impact’s Guizhong. If you want to dive into a fresh adventure to take a breather from this bittersweet tale, check out our lists of the best games like Genshin Impact, the best mobile RPGs, or the best Switch RPGs.