Funny how the poem also rationalises why you can choose Aether or Lumine at the start and either way ends up the same Edit: HOLY MY FIRST PIN THANK YOU

For the Traveler, The Road not Taken was the Road that Paimon suggest we explore later.

Interestingly, it looks like Dain is often looking at Lumine. Like he wants to get close, but due to his grief and mental state *doesn't* except for that single moment in the trailer where it's implied he put his hand on her shoulder....a moment that was likely too late.

So that is why Dainsleif said in the Travail trailer to "rescue her". She's the slave of fate, that no matter what she have done, would ended the same, and we, the traveler who can change that fate, can rescue our sibling from the fate. This also means that Dain still cares about the sibling.

"met by a blade"... dainsleif the twilight sword

Players: Venti speak tf up Venti: Best I can do is a poem

After Nahida reveal that Lumine is from this world. My theory is that Lumine change her life in Irminsul to be part of Teyvat.

I see a lack of Fontaine in this animation. Most likely because the turning point of Lumine's downfall happens in Sumeru (the part where Lumine stops walking and Aether goes on happens in Sumeru, judging by the NPCs). Otherwise the twins walking into the desert could either mean they're going to Fontaine... Or to Natlan, now that we know for sure it's past the desert

"i hope they are still together at the end journey" Hoyo: Ok guys let us introduce shaoji as the lead writer for genshin impact

I never realized that the "The Road Not Taken" is actually a real poem. Written by Robert Frost. I suggest that everyone check it out because in the poem it explains about a person will stand in a fork in the road will have to make a permanent decision. If we are to take the title at face value. I think that the Traveler will have to make a huge decision at the end of their journey that will affect both themselves and Teyvat as a whole since Traveler is a Descender who will most likely to became a powerful individual

Venti and Zhongli Clearly know something about the abyss siblings... Zhongli reason is clear because the contract while venti still hope for the best.... Sadly both indicate that whatever they know about the abyss siblings is not a good news at all... In fact it may devastated the other twins

1:59 and still, lots of people still hating paimon just because she talk much, if not because of paimon that always be there with us as the traveler, the traveler could be ended up just like the sibling I feel that "lonely" without paimon around when doing carribert quest Edit: noooo, not that "not happy ending" at the end 😭, i hope they can reunite happily 🥲

Moral of the story don't choose a depressed person as your companion cuz you'll end up depressed and become a villain

There's a really good point taken here. Since the twins had such different traveling partners, they also ended with different mental states as well. No matter how much some people may dislike Paimon, you can't write off how her traveling with the Traveler is extremely beneficial for their mental state. Then, as opposed to their sibling, the "Abyss twin" had Dainsleif, which is unfortunate because neither of them could really console the other. They did just go through a tragic point in their life, mental state only goes down from there. Glad you covered this. ♡

Aether: i need to see my sister (Meets his sister in one chapter) Lumine : i need to see my brother (No news of his whereabouts for 500+ years, no news if he's even alive or not) I'm especially concerned as aether is still alone at the end of travail video.

It's even sadder when you remember that at the end of the teyvat chapter, Aether is all alone, in the same flower field where he stood with Lumine. Edit: if anyone will be confused I mean the Teyvat Chapter Storyline preview trailer

Again, again and again, those drunkard bard knows everything with his poem but still keep pretending in the dark knows nothing. This is why there will be no venti story quest part 2 untill we enter chapter celestia/khaenriah.

Being a Lumine main its weird seeing everything flip flopped

Probably the only thing slightly missed (or kinda being vague about in this video) is that Abyss Sibling started their travel with Dain right after the events in Vourukasha Oasis during cataclysm (as told by Zurvan at the end of the WQ). I had a little suspicion the abyss sibling's travel were not in order, but it's just animated that way to match Traveler sibling's journey for the sake of animation continuity.

Dain keep a distance from lumine because he know who is she. Lumine and Aether like a respected person for Khaenriah, and Dain, who is a soldier, of course only acts as a guard.

nobody: cat's brain: oh this video related to that random poem from 1.0 4 years ago

Lumine met and started her journey with Dain from Vorukasha Oasis as was told to us by Zurvan.

It’s a long patience. Although Paimon told us to explore later, she actually meant we must wait for new regions every year.

_"That day, if our positions were switched... Would our fates be different? Would I have your life, and you mine?"_

"...met by a blade" hits true and is particularly interesting to me. Dainsleif (Dáinsleif) is a name of a sword owned by a King Högni, according to a historian named Snorri Sturluson. Translated from _Skáldskaparmál_, the second part of _Prose Edda_, when Heðinn offers Högni compensation for the abduction of his daughter, Högni replied: _Thou hast made this offer over-late, if thou wouldst make peace: for now I have drawn Dáinsleif, which the dwarves made, and which must cause a man's death every time it is bared, nor ever fails in its stroke; moreover, the wound heals not if one be scratched with it._ Interestingly, there is another sword that has a similar property as the Dainsleif called Tyrfing. In the Norse mythology, Tyrfing is a magic sword owned by the king of Gardariki named Svarflami, Odin's grandson. Svarflami once trapped the dwarfs Dvalinn and Durinn and forced them to forge a "sword with a golden hilt that would never miss a stroke, would never rust, and would cut through stone and iron as easily as through clothes." The dwarfs forged Tyrfing, but not without cursing it so that it eventually kill Svarflami. P.S. My fascination to mythical swords is because I played Castlevania too much.

I hope they reunited

Hoyoverse workers are too smart and cultured I feel sorry for breathing the same air as them

I always thought the part of both of them enjoying themselves is a real memories. In the video there is a scene where Traveler placing Inteyvat flowers to Lumine, when they're stopped by the unknown god the flower was still there and both of them were separated. The reason why they were stopped still a mystery to me.

0:01 i believe this part is not about the "what if" situation, since we know that they did spend some times together before they got seperate. The inteyvat flower that aether put on lumine in this video is real, as well as the braid that lumine tied for aether. which bring us to the question: which part of the world did the siblings traveled before they got seperated? Since the start of the game is when the traveler woke up, does this means there still lands "before" the start of the game that we havent seen? Since they already visit the khaenriah, does this means contradict to people's believe, khaenriah is actually to the west of the starting line?

0:28 I don't know if anyone mentioned this, But maybe we can guess this location. since we know that paimon and Aether met months after he woke up + what we currently know about mondstadt + the new information this short is giving, there's a chance this location is Mondstdt's Dandelion sea, also, in "we will be reunited" quest they sense their sibling in a Dandelion as well, probably the dandelion Sea is the real Starting point of their journeys, where they woke up after their encounter with The sustainer of Heavenly principles. It also matches with all the Celestia Symbolism in mondstadt. It's actually a smart choice from hoyo, since Dandelion seeds take the wind currents to float and place themselves in a new location, like traveling or going on a journey to find their new home (let's also not forget venti's quote wen he bid farewell to us: "may the winds bless your travels")

make sense why we see genshin MAIN STORY / archon quest as a happy go bullshit comparing to games like honkai (no characters death etc, no we don't talk about the ash lady), we see genshin from the perspective of aether/light anyway, if we see it from the perspective of lumine/shade, it'll be a whole different case

As someone with Lumine as The Traveler (and likes her a lot), that line you gave about the two switching places and ending up the same means a lot. Every trailer and especially this animation feels like a gut punch: like my decision to go with Lumine was somehow the "wrong" choice; At the very least that the Lumine path is being ignored. Any reminder that both options are viable is a comfort.

Apart from a hypothetical, we can say a part of this did happen, as the flower in Lumine's hair (Inteyvat) was remembered by both of them in one of the quests where they meet and the Traveler remembers Aether putting it in her hair. More so, certain memories at the end are truthful, and that montage is possibly speculated to be when they were both awake before the fall of Khanriah / the battle with the Heavenly Principles. Same with the whole short really. I believe it will be explored in 4.7

I'm really curious about the Aether's location at the time of Lumine searching for her brother . If she didn't able to find him during her journey then that means Aether is totally a non-existence entity at that time..!?

I agree with everything except the suggestion that the memories of each other while they were together are a "what if". We already know that they spent a period of time in Teyvat before running into The Sustainer and I believe those memories are a reflection of that.

I feel like Genshin will slowly dive into the serious depth in main quests soon, it's true that paimon changes your perception a lot. Everything seems cheery, bright and wonderful and gives a hope to never give up. I still remember that first lantern rite cutscene

It's really interesting to me how we're having similar conversations to the interpretation of this video to the (highly likely) reference of this video's title: the poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost

It's unfortunate and tragic but stay in the darkness too long changes a person. While the twin you pick like the sun walks in the light and that too has molded us. We're at a crossroads for the twins, it's pretty clear and sad. 😢

The scene which shows the reflection of lumine stopping while Aether continues to move on might hint to a very crucial part of the story which we do not know yet.

Aether is fine because he has an emergency food whenever he needs it

i am in tears whenever i see this animation. i couldn't control my tears, this is the hardest I ever cried. i just want them both to get reunited and be happy as they was in the past

The end scene could also symbolize how they are still always moving towards each other. Aether woke during dusk at the beginning of the animation, Lumine at dawn, so maybe they switched the times of day in the end to allude to the other twin.

This just makes me even more nervous for 4.7! Now I finally understand the dynamic of Aether and Lumine's relationship - someone is going to end up getting hurt real bad.

The fact that the twins did get reunited in the recent Archon Quest but neither remembers it...agh it got me crying when i played it. 😢

honestly biggest moment for me is finding out the feathers in lumine's hair is actually a super sick cuff piercing (she is so cool forever glad i chose her)

This is a gorgeous analysis of the video, and it pointed out many details that I missed when I watched through it.

man i love coming to this channel to find things i missed in the teasers, especially the way you connect the possibilities of what the scenes shown mean

My soul left my body for a second after reading the title because we just did a poem presentation about "The road not taken" a few months back and won the competition

0:30 at this part I think Lumine saw which path Aether would go 0:43 while Aether saw which path Lumine goes

Haven’t played genshin for 2 years now cause I’ve been caught up with work and life yet I still watch ur videos to sorta understand what’s going on in the game so thank u 🙏

Theory: What if Dainslef is trying to convince us that our sibiling is doing the wrong thing so that we help him get revenge on our twin without us knowing he is just using us?

Looks like Lumine feels the "Genshin" impact😭😭💀

Ofc venti knows something that lil rascal

Thanks for your work... I just love it.

as a literature student i just feel like this is such in depth reading into all variables possible and am honestly impressed. 👏🏻

Thank you for the video :)

Who wants a happy ending for the twins like i want them to get reunited and enjoy teyvat together

Thank you for the explanation , it means a lot 😢

Probably the reason why abyss twin has records in ley lines....maybe they thought if they imprint some records in ley lines their twin will notice

4:49 he's so suspicious and once you take your time to dig his lore there's always something mysterious going on. this is why i strongly believe we'll be returning to mondstadt near the end Also leak warning? take it with a grain of salt i saw some leaks that venti's gonna guide us to celestia. but im not sure if it's true since celestia arc is very far from now

I thank Paimon for not leaving Aether alone from the beginning of this path.

Great video. I was waiting for this one for so long. I knew i missed some but damn i missed a lot of

It is really amazing that Hoyo put importance in small details. ❤

Well it is a tragic story, but I dont think the anime will touch upon the real end of Genshin. It is supposed be about what went on 500 years ago. So yea the anime might "end" sadly, but that is our "beginning" in the game. And we will try to make it end happily, even if it will be bittersweet.

i got an ad of the road not taken before watching this 💀

I think I might have a good idea of the storyline now, so basically it goes like this -Lumine wakes up alone in tevyat following the siblings arrival in the world and sets out to search for her sibling -she meets dainslef and they travel together until her journey reaches a turning point in sumeru -They split at the end of her journey maybe because she joins the abyss and attempts something to revive kheanriah? -her attempt fails and she finally finds her sibling sleeping somewhere and wakes him up attempting to run from the world -they attempt to flee only to come across the sustainer who stops them or mainly Lumine from leaving to punish -the sustainer separates them once again and immediately after the traveler wakes up alone on a beach, wanders for a while and fishes out paimon to start his journey -while Lumine goes back to the abyss and starts with her plan of the ‘loom of fate’ The only thing that doesn’t click with me in this is how and why the siblings are so important to kheanriah although some other people might have better theories for that

Love your videos! Good job!

Amazing analysis

i love how you explain it alll

Its always best of the BEST, when you post something about genshin and not other games. THE BEST I SAID

It makes me cry... It was really amazing ❤

I honestly like the comparison, how wholesome and sad it is....

Damn this explanation makes a lot of sense and made me even more emotional than the original animation

you just made my anxiety rise like a 100 fold. im so hoping for a happy ending. im too invested

How many more times will this animation make me teary eyed... And Paimon.. Thank you.🥲

I think you overexaggerate the meaning of Dainsleif. He is a silent soldier type, doesn't mean he has no heart he knows that the only way for her to survive is to keep pushing on and he tries to tell Lumine that without words. The reason why Lumine is different is because she knows much more about Theyvat than the other sibling. From her point of view she hates Dainsleif because he was eventually the reason that they got separated doesn't mean it was the wrong choice. Hoyo's stories are always more complicated than this. As to what connection the siblings have with Khaenri'ah is difficult to deduce. But I think they function as a sort of collective will. It is stated in game that all the archons were summoned to Khaenri'ah it is also possible that khaenriahns succeeded in making a Descender that would be the other sibling. This is the final straw for Celestia and is the point were they directly start to attack Theyvat with Celestial nails the arrogation of mankind therefore refers directly to the other sibling. This is were things become interesting because Khaenri'ah made a Descender to rival the will of the world effectively what the Fatui are trying to do so basically taking up the baton of that nation. They did that so their fate would not be subjected to the will of gods but to themselves. The problems this created must be weighted by keeping humanity enslaved to harness power and will from humans. Now I think Dainsleif chose the Gods point of view of this the natural order, and Lumine is very much more inclined to agree with Tsaritsa that is the archon that loved the humans the most. Curiously enough this is what many have tried to do in the past, Deshret, Fobos, even Alhaitham. The closest analogy I have is a genie . The traveller is almost certainly getting his powers from Paimon. Now why did Paimon only appear for one sibling well if the other one is artificially made by the blood of gods well you can see the issue there. And I think as many think that Paimon is the Sustainer of Principles. I also highly suspect that Paimon is starting to get her memories back as we are changing fate of Theyvat. Her motives therefore becomes interesting is she prepared to reveal to the traveller that she is the reason they were separated she has even started to mention running away together like Bonnie and Clyde. See Paimon don't want to be some all controlling god she wants to be Paimon now and she probably don't want to deal with whatever Sustainer did in her previous life. Her casual attitude to anything that happens in Theyvat has always been suspicious to me. See in Theyvat it's just part of life to go from lifeform to another and I think Paimon knows and understand that. Maybe the sibling story is all fake planted by Irminsul it could even be possible that it planted memories of them travelling outside of Theyvat as well. The fact that it says so in game means nothing Hoyo has already proven that they can change in game texts when Irminsul updates. Please don't draw to many conclusions from what is written in game about almost anything. I think that tree is what King Irmin became after the Khaenri'ah dynasty and his last attempt to defy fate. What is reality is determined by that tree and I think Zhongli has started to suspect that. Sustainers attempt to separate them therefore is an attempt to mend the damage that has been done.

As a Lumine main, "The Path Not Taken" broke my heart. She's always so sunny and cheerful in the game. Seeing her so despondent, frustrated, miserable, and alone broke my heart in a million pieces. Even Aether didn't look that distraught when we see glimpses of him and his past in a Lumine game.

I feel like venti is a big part of story just overlooked for drinking and having not a big impression as a character good thing they made events like that poem one and featured venti in it hopefully qe come across more of those

"I just hope the twins are reunited as they were when they first arrived in Teyvat." Something tells me that once they reunite the world will collapse, unless Aether explores all 7 regions at 100%

I appreciate this animation, because it helped me understand that Sibling also missed Traveler, and wanted to meet them again immediately. Sibling couldn't stop thinking about what their adventure would be like if they were together, just like Traveler. Now knowing that Sibling's love for Traveler is the same as Traveler's love for Sibling, it makes me wonder what makes Sibling become the Princess/Prince of the Abyss and continue with their Abyss Plans, instead of immediately going with Traveler, because we have already seen that they could go with them whenever they wanted, they aren´t being kidnapped, but they have decided to let Traveler travel freely so that Traveler can decide freely without their family influence (Because Sibling knows that Traveler would take their side without hesitation, even if Sibling is the enemy of the entire world) to decide what to do in the end. Men, they really have all the signs for a tragic ending (T_T)

Even though this is probably the most obvious thing about these two, their names foreshadow the thigns they go through, Luminiferous aether or ether was literally theorized to be the thing that transmitted light back when photons werent discovered yet, he is destined to happiness, while lumine is pretty obvious, illuminate which means, make (something) visible or bright by shining light on it; light up. I think in this scenario it means live in the dark while casting light onto something, her brother, i guess it also explains her being ignored😂

3:20 and then she just leaves 10 seconds after finally finding him

You talking about how Lumine must have felt during her journey makes me like her more I chose Aether and when I first met her during that Dain quest, her turning her back on her brother made me feel betrayed, as if she didnt care about him in the end and I still felt a bit of resentment But now I understand better what happened to her as I had never thought abt it, and can empathize with her at last

Quite well explained. Admirations. I think this adds to the lore in a very good way. Even if it's "If"

You see 500 years and dont think much of it until you count each second and realize you have to count to 15778800000. Lumine mustve seen so much and given up hope so long ago to see her brother again. "You die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a Villian."

Beautiful as usual☘️

I haven't played genshin impact yet so once i start making my own theories by watching the videos. But after this I can say that yes genshin is a real game i need as an rpg😊

Not convinced the road not traveled refers to the picturesque moments, but the diverging paths of the traveler and their sibling. The moments are most likely memories of the same happy times from opposite perspectives, because it shows Lumine getting her flower in her hair and Aether getting his braid.

Everyone that doesnt know Genshin: Ooh look.. a bright childish game Everyone that knows: this is dark as hell

I legit cried when I saw them together in the video, what could have been.

Very well interpreted. I've seen a lot of people misunderstand the scenes of the two of them together.

Parallel lines, even when they're going in the same journey. They will never meet.

This hits deep emotionally for more lore drops as always

No, you make me cry 😭

Can someone explain why the abyss sibling acts the way they act when they first meet the traveller? Like they don't care about their sibling that they were looking for for 500 years

As someone who reads every line of dialogue, this video made the sadness im keeping under my bed creep out

damn, the animated MV hits me. This breakdown hits me even harder (T^T)

When it come to these twins, i can't really hold to tear up...

I knew Venti was sus abt knowing our twin when the moment I read his "Good morning" voice line

Now remember guys, always appreciate your Paimon!