Genshin Impact is steeped in an amazing amount of lore, with an entire history behind the seven nations of Teyvat. It’s truly impressive just how much care is put into every corner of the game, and there’s always something new to learn about this wonderful, magical world.
While diving through the story of Enkanomiya, Mondstadt, and even Inazuma, a certain name keeps cropping up, leading to many of you asking the question – who is Genshin Impact’s Istaroth? And, of course, the next thing we always ask when digging up any new names in the world of Genshin is ‘will she be a playable character?’ Well, here’s everything we know so far, from her place in the vastly rich lore, to whether we think we’ll get our hands on her any time soon.
If you’re looking for more info on the top Genshin characters, be sure to check out our Genshin Impact tier list. We’ve also got a guide to the Genshin Impact next banner, so you can keep your eyes on who’s on the horizon, and our Genshin Impact codes guide to help you pull when your next main pops up.
Who is Genshin Impact’s Istaroth?
Istaroth is a God who controls time and wind, and is suspected to be one of the four shining shades of the Primordial Ones. She’s been worshipped in both Mondstadt and Enkanomiya since long before the rise of The Seven, but has since been almost entirely forgotten in Mondstadt, despite her legacy being preserved through locations like the Thousand Winds Temple, and phrases referencing ‘the winds of time’.
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She’s still worshipped in Enkanomiya, even long after it separated from the surface world, as its people see her as the only one who has not forsaken them, though their devotion to her seems to have dwindled after the appearance and subsequent departure of the serpent god, Orobashi.
Like many of the gods in Genshin Impact, Istaroth is known by many names. These include:
- The God of Time (or the Master or Ruler of Time)
- Kairos
- The God of Moments
- The Thousand Winds of Time
- The Thousand Winds
- Tokoyo Ookami
- The Undying Wind
- Htoratsi
Genshin Impact’s Istaroth is deeply enshrined in the lore of Teyvat, with references to her present in the texts ‘Collection of Dragons and Snakes’ found scattered throughout the world, and in the descriptions of the Sacrificial Weapons.
More recently, in Genshin Impact Raiden Shogun’s story quest, Ei states that she believes Istaroth helped her sister, Makoto, when she manipulated time to allow Ei to plant the Sacred Sakura tree.
Will Genshin Impact’s Istaroth be a playable character?
While it’s perfectly possible that we’ll get a playable version of Genshin Impact’s Istaroth at some point in the future, we’ll likely have to wait for quite some time. While she’s clearly an important figure in Teyvat’s history who has been referenced multiple times throughout the game, we don’t know her place in the main story at the moment, and have yet to see her make an appearance.
Of course, it’s likely she’ll wield the element of anemo if Mihoyo ever does decide to release her as a playable character, and is bound to be very strong, as she predates even the archons. There are currently no leaks or skeleton code in the game, though, so we’ll have to keep our eyes and ears open to the winds if we want her to join our teams.
We’ll be sure to update this page if any Genshin Impact leaks come out regarding Istaroth, or if Mihoyo announces any new information.
That’s it for our Genshin Impact Istaroth guide. Hopefully, we’ll be hearing more about this divine being in the future. In the meantime, check out our list of the best games like Genshin Impact to find something fresh to play.