Genshin Impact: Neuvillette / Characters

Chief Justice Neuvillette / The Hydro Sovereign

Introduced: September 27, 2023 (v4.1 "To the Stars Shining in the Depths" [first half])
Voiced By: Sang Yuze (Chinese), Hiroshi Kamiya (Japanese), Kwak Yoon-sang (Korean), Ray Chase (English)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/neuvillette.png

Ordainer of Inexorable Judgement

"I usually do my best to avoid forming personal relationships, or even collaborating with others outside of established procedures. But you have shown yourself to be trustworthy, and you have no problematic entanglements with Fontaine's local factions. Therefore, I would be pleased to journey with you."

Rarity: 5★
Element: Hydro
Arkhe Alignment: Pneuma
Weapon: Catalyst
Constellation: Leviathan Judicator, The Sea Dragon Judge / True Name: Neuvillette

The Iudex, or Chief Justice, of Fontaine as well as the head of the Marechaussee Phantom detective agency. Calm and unbiased, Neuvillette always keeps a composed, authoritative demeanor that's equal parts imposing and worthy of respect of the people in Fontaine, and which keeps his own Archon, Focalors, at bay from causing further tumult within the trials. Regardless, he's equal parts accomodating, helping the Traveler during the Archon Quest as much as it's possible within his hands, even as they slowly discover some secrets about him that lead all the way back to the earliest days of Teyvat.

Neuvillette imposes order with his unique form of charged attack, wherein he enters a lengthy "Legal Evaluation" state that nevertheless allows him to move; once fully charged, he unleashes Equitable Judgment, a powerful spray of water that slowly eats away at his HP in exchange for enhancing its damage potency and a negated stamina cost. Said HP loss is mitigated by absorbing Sourcewater Droplets during Legal Evaluation, which heal him and accelerate its charging, generated by both his Elemental Talents—his Skill, O Tears, I Shall Repay, where he bombards a group of foes with a splash of water, and his Burst, O Waters, I Have Returned, where he unleashes three waves.^note

open/close all folders

A-L

Accidental Truth: No one knows where the phrase, "Hydro Dragon, Hydro Dragon, don't cry" came from, not even Neuvillette, the Hydro Dragon himself. As the Hydro Dragon was an enemy of Celestia's order and thus had no reason to care about the humans who arose under Celestia's rule, Neuvillette thinks that whoever came up with the phrase didn't understand the Hydro Dragon very well. The fact that the Hydro Dragon actually has come to deeply care about humanity to the point where the skies rain in response to his sorrow is, apparently, a complete coincidence.
Achilles' Heel: Neuvillette has tremendous damage potential, but that's tied with his ability to keep his Charged Attack up. He's probably second most sensitive character after The Wanderer in regards to interruption; very small projectiles won't bother him, but a smack from a Hilichurl would interrupt his Charged Attack and reduce his overall DPS, even if he has the HP to tank the damage. Subverted if you get him to C1, as that grants him massive interruption resistance, to the point of Immune to Flinching.
Actually Pretty Funny: The information that some of the other Archons don counterfeit Visions to mingle with their people anonymously causes him to wheeze for a second.
Aloof Ally: While he is kind to the Traveler and eager to assist them in any way he can, he has no desire to become close to anyone else because he believes it is his duty to be an absolute symbol of justice in Fontaine.
Always a Bigger Fish: He curbstomps Tartaglia while in the midst of transforming into his Foul Legacy mode.
Always Accurate Attack: Like Barbara, Mona, and Sucrose before him, Neuvillette's normal attacks are instantaneously placed at the position of the enemy, rather than create a flying projectile.
Ambiguously Related:
- His character design calls to mind the appearance of the Primordial Bathysmal Vishap, suggesting a connection. This confirms his status as a member of the Seven Sovereigns and the current Hydro Dragon.
- Local tabloids also speculate that he may be the sole male Melusine due to his connection to them.
Apologetic Attacker: He apologizes to Tartaglia for incapacitating him when the latter begins to activate his Foul Legacy in response to the Oratrice giving him a guilty verdict even after the true culprit in the serial disappearances cases has been outed, citing his failure to follow the rules of the court trial as the reason. He then sends him to the Fortress of Meropide to be imprisoned, but assures him and the Traveler that he will be released and compensated after investigation proving he's wrongly accused.
Apologizes a Lot:
- His first words to the Traveler are an apology for creating an awkward first encounter.
- He apologizes to Navia for paying his respects to her father's grave without her permission, and then apologizes for apologizing when she asks him not to. He also apologizes for being poor at self-expression, much to Navia's frustration.
- As seen in Apologetic Attacker above, he also apologizes to Tartaglia for attacking him in response to activating his Foul Legacy after the Oratrice's deliberation.
Arch-Enemy: As the Hydro Sovereign who was defeated by the Primordial One and stripped of his authority, Neuvillette has a grudge to settle with Celestia and now that he has his full power back, he intends to act on his desire to enact judgement over the usurpers and the Archons who won the authorities of his fellow dragons.
Armor-Piercing Attack: His Equitable Judgement charged attack pierces through enemy shields, but not shells and barriers. Hilichurls and Mitachurls wielding shields are fair game, but Slimes with Cryo or Geo shells, or Fatui Skirmishers with their elemental barrier up are not affected.
Authority in Name Only: While he is the Chief of Justice in Fontaine, he has little influence over the final verdict of a trial, which is made by the Oratrice. This is evident in the second act of the Fontaine Archon Quest, when Neuvillette finds Tartaglia not guilty in the serial disappearance cases after the real criminal has been identified, but the Oratrice disagrees, resulting in him being taken into custody per Fontaine law. Fortunately, the end of the Fontaine Archon Quest, subverts this, as he becomes the sole judge of any given trial and the main ruler of Fontaine and the Hydro Element as a whole.
Authority Sounds Deep: He is the Chief Justice of Fontaine, and with the exception of the Japanese dub, in which his voice is softer and more youthful, his voice is quite deep.
Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: During Neuvillette's character quest, he pens a note to Furina explaining he'll be away for a day. While up to that point we'd seen Furina either at odds with Neuvillette due to her theatrics or begging him to remain with her in fear, Furina's response to it is warm, with her happily remarking that it's rare that Neuvillette goes out and that she hopes he meets lots of interesting people while he's away from his desk. Neuvillette, for his part, is fondly exasperated by this note, wondering what she thought he was getting up to.
- As for their dynamic after the prophecy had come to pass and Furina departed from deityhood, Furina relays that she's grateful for Neuvillette's help in the past 500 years, but hesitantly states that perhaps they're better off not seeing each other as often as they did before. Neuvillette, on the other hand, has a different opinion on the matter, saying instead that he is looking forward to the next time Furina makes a return to the stage. Notably, as compared to before, Neuvillette speaks of her more fondly now, praising her skills and openly expressing his desire to see her perform once more, admitting that he and the people of Fontaine had been sincerely enthralled by her since long before.
Badass Fingersnap: The 2nd hit animation of his normal attack sequence is a finger snap.
Badass in a Nice Suit: Much like Zhongli (and for the same reason), he's got one hell of a fashionable suit, which only emphasizes his badassery as an authority of Fontaine.
Baritone of Strength: He's the Iudex of Fontaine and the reborn Hydro Sovereign and has an imposing, deep voice to match; this is especially prevalent in the English dub, courtesy of Ray Chase.
Become a Real Boy: After regaining full authority over Hydro, he enables this for Fontaine's people, transforming them from Oceanids with advanced humanoid forms to humans fully identical to residents of Teyvat's other nations.
Beleaguered Assistant: Despite being one seat below the Archon, the people of Fontaine acknowledge him as the true authority figure in Fontaine, while Furina, the actual Archon, is only seen on the same level as a mascot. He is even more powerful and wise than Furina, who has to rely on him to handle meetings, make government decisions, and even keep her safe when she is around the Fatui diplomats. After the real Focalors executes herself and restores Neuvillette's full powers in order to stop the prophecy, he officially becomes the leader of Fontaine at the end of the Archon Quest.
Better with Non-Human Company: According to Lyney and Lynette's accounts of him, he is aloof and humble yet secretive, speculated to be because he dislikes dealing with humans, and even Lynette, despite her perceptiveness, has a difficult time getting a read on him. He is said to get along better with the Melusine, however, who consider him to be their ideal figurative "father."
Blue-and-Orange Morality: Suggested to have this to some extent. Neuvillette admits that some aspects of human nature puzzle him, with a notable point being that which outweighs even one's own life. He once believed that even humans would back down on their principles and beliefs if their lives were on the line, which is why he didn't stop Navia's father's duel with Clorinde. He honestly thought that Callas would give up and allow the trial to proceed, and it never occurred to him that the man would actually choose to die. This error in judgment haunted him for years before the case was properly closed, and he finally understood all that Callas had died for. This also makes sense considering his status as the Hydro Sovereign.
Blue Is Calm: Wears numerous shades of blue and acts as the Unflappable Guardian to the entirety of Fontaine.
Breaking Old Trends: Other than the Traveler, he's the first playable non-Archon unit without a Vision. Or rather, the first playable Sovereign.
Brick Joke: During the crisis in the Fortress of Meropede, he overhears Clorinde quip about gifting Wriothesley a set of legal codices. Though this was obviously a joke, Neuvillette still looked pensive. During his half-day excursion to Liyue, he actually hand-carves a legal codex out of clay and presents it to Wriothesley upon his return.
Cast from Hit Points: His unique charged attack costs no stamina, but in exchange consumes HP equivalent to 8% of its maximum value per half second as long as he has at least half his HP. This is mitigated by both his Elemental Talents generating Sourcewater Droplets (three with his Skill, six with his Burst) that heal him for 16% of his max HP apiece while charging up his attack, as well as accelerates it.
Character Development: A minor bit in his Character Quest. When explaining why his involvement during the investigation of Kiara's case should be acceptable, he mentions how he intentionally closes himself off from Fontaine society and chooses not to get too close to anyone to maintain his impartiality as the Chief Justice. This is shown when you go to meet Kiara with him, as many passers-by take immediate note of his presence, and a spying Charlotte reveals that he's rarely seen out in public, making it hard to get an interview with him. However, the events of the quest go to show that this probably isn't the best approach, as it led to him being Locked Out of the Loop about how Fontaine has long since moved on from the Fantastic Racism that led to Carole's Frame-Up and suicide, with many citizens even taking on a Big Sibling Instinct when word of a Melusine being threatened comes out, making his actions come off as him being Improperly Paranoid. Then, after confronting the culprit, Wriostheley outright tells Neuvillette that he was overthinking the entire thing, saying that in the 400 years since the incident, the attitudes towards Melusines and Neuvillette himself have changed dramatically thanks to his exemplary work as Chief Justice, saying that he longer has to be an outsider, which the Traveler and Paimon further reassure him of. He takes these words to heart, as shown when he agrees to be interviewed by Charlotte the following month.
Character Tics: Shares one with Wriothesley — at the end of their normal attack chains, Neuvillette adjusts his cravat and Wriothesley adjusts his tie.
Charged Attack: Neuvillette's playstyle revolves around firing a devastating stream of water at his enemies, which takes time to charge up unless he collects his Sourcewater Droplets.
Classy Cane: Uses a cane in place of a gavel to maintain order during trials. As a playable character, he uses this to cast Hydro attacks.
Classy Cravat: Wears one as befitting his high status in Fontaine's society.
Cloudcuckoolander's Minder: He serves as this to Furina's antics, both during trials and how to handle diplomatic meetings with other Nation representatives like the Fatui.
Cold Ham: Much like Zhongli, Neuvillette isn't loud or boisterous, but makes up for it with a booming, deep voice befitting the Hydro Sovereign reborn and an imposing presence as the Iudex, all the while drowning any poor enemy's soul with the raging tides.
(Elemental Burst) "Let the mighty be humbled."
Color-Coded Elements: He has control over Hydro, and his color scheme is comprised of various shades of blue.
Comically Missing the Point: During his introduction, he misinterprets what Paimon is asking him, making their already awkward encounter even more awkward.
Paimon: Uh... Oh, Paimon's got it! You're also here early and sitting in the front. Are you a friend of Lyney's, too?
Neuvillette: A... friend, you say? Well, if Mr. Lyney would like to be my friend, I would be more than happy to reciprocate.
Paimon: Oh, so you're not friends with Lyney, then... Whew, this is getting more awkward by the second.
Company Cross References: Both Neuvillette and Imbibitor Lunae from Honkai: Star Rail are Lord of the Ocean Draconic Humanoid Reincarnations who were reborn with little memory of their previous lives and face issues in dealing with a great sin that was committed in the past. It's made even more significant that they had their debut banners within a month of each other. HoYo loves paralleling the stories across their games.
Consummate Professional: As the Iudex, or Chief Justice, of Fontaine, it's his job to be completely impartial during trials, especially when the Oratrice delivers its veredict.
Curb-Stomp Battle: He effortlessly knocks Childe out mid-Foul Legacy transformation with a single strike and only a scratch to show for it!
Death of the Old Gods: For once, inverted. At the end of Fontaine's Archon Quest, Neuvillette, one of the original Dragon Sovereigns, is restored to full power and rules over Fontaine as Focalors abdicates her throne with extreme prejudice.
Divine Intervention: Neuvillette's first action after regaining his full authority from Focalors was to turn all Fontainians into true humans, thus saving them from the threat of dissolution.
Does Not Like Spam: When talking about food he doesn't like, he says that he can't stand dry food without any kind of sauce or moisture, and mentions specifically Charcoal-Baked Ajilenakh Cakes from Sumeru, which he compares to a dehumidifying agent.
Draconic Humanoid: He appears generally humanoid, with only his Pointy Ears, slit pupils and blue horn-like things on his head hinting at his true identity as a Dragon Sovereign.
Dragon-in-Chief: To Furina. Literally.
Dragons Are Divine: Behold Neuvillette, the Dragon of Water, the Hydro Sovereign!
Drama-Preserving Handicap: When Paimon asks him why he can't use his powers as the Hydro Sovereign to permanently seal off the Primordial Sea, he reveals that he actually can't. None of the Sovereigns currently possess the full scope of their abilities, as the "Usurper" stole a portion of their rightful power and transformed it into the Archons' Authorities. He theorizes that it might be possible for a Sovereign to regain their lost strength if the corresponding Archon were to die, but given what that would entail it's probably out of the question as far as actual solutions go. By the end of Act V, with Focalors' death, he reclaims these powers.
Early-Bird Cameo: A quote from him appears in Nahida's official introduction.
Elemental Fusion: He gains massive damage bonuses to his Equitable Judgment from up to 3 individual types of elemental reactions, a team with 4 different elements making it slightly more powerful than one with a Hydro Resonance at the cost of lost damage from his Skill and Burst. You can, however, have your cake and eat it too if you know you're going against an enemy who semi-regularly applies a non-Hydro element on themselves or if you invest in his first Constellation.
Elemental Personalities: Like water, he is calm, collected, very accommodating, and has a surprisingly soft personality. Also like water, mistaking it for weakness will end very badly for you. Just ask Childe, a powerful Hydro user in his own right who makes the mistake of challenging the figurative tidal wave, and gets crushed and drowned for it.
Everyone Has Standards:
- Even with his disdain towards Archons for having the stolen Sovereign Dragons' authorities, and having an intent to give them a judgment. He's genuinely horrified upon learning that, Focalors already sentenced herself along with the throne of Hydro Archon to the death sentence, along with Oratrice's true purpose, so Focalors could return his stolen authority. And has been seen visibly saddened, when the execution has been done.
- Even with his disdain for most of the other archons, even he can't help but express sympathy toward Nahida for everything she went through. While he still intends to pass judgement, Nahida is the only Archon aside from Focalors whom has shows no contempt toward and instead acknowledges that the abuse she had suffered was cruel along with recognizing the responsibility she displays.
Exotic Eye Designs: His pupils are slit because of his Draconic Humanoid nature.
Face of a Thug: As if his reputation as Iudex wasn't enough to give him an intimidating presence, Neuvillette is a Perpetual Frowner with a stern-looking face. However, as the Traveler and Paimon quickly figure out upon meeting him at Lyney's magic show, he's actually a Nice Guy with No Social Skills.
Fertility God: Due to their mastery over the Primordial Sea that was the source of life before the appearance of outside life forms, the Hydro Dragon could be regarded as Teyvat’s original "God of Life". As such, when Neuvillette regains his Hydro Sovereign authority, he can ascend the incomplete human race that Egeria created from the Oceanids into true humans, and the Traveler comments that the Fontainians were finally truly "born" in that moment.
Fisher King: He's the Chief Justice of Fontaine (who becomes its leader at the end of Fontaine's Archon Quest), as well as the Hydro Sovereign, and as a result, the skies tend to start raining in response to his sorrow.
Foil:
- Wriothesley and Neuvillette are both intimidating and stoic-looking leaders of a branch of Fontaine's justice system that are catalyst users with Tall Male models who have undergone "rebirth" and distanced themselves from society. However, their Noble Male, Roguish Male differences manifest in the following ways:
  - Wriothesley's short hair, visibly muscular and battle-scarred body, along with a black/grey/silver and red color scheme and a fur coat gives him a wilder appearance that contrasts with Long-Haired Pretty Boy Neuvillette's white hair and gilded deep blue judge's robes that emphasize his aristocratic look.
  - Wriothesley is the Duke of the "underworld" Fortress of Meropide, which is autonomous from the "overworld" territory of Fontaine that Neuvillette presides over as Chief Justice.
  - In gameplay, Wriothesley boxes his enemies at close range with his gauntlets, while Neuvillette attacks from a distance using his Classy Cane as a Magic Wand.
  - Wriothesley had a symbolic "rebirth" from his Dark and Troubled Past, while Neuvillette is the reborn Hydro Sovereign.
  - Both men are co-leaders of their communities with a woman with Hydro abilities, though Neuvillette is Furina's non-human Hypercompetent Sidekick while Wriothesley is the Melusine Sigewinne's superior.
  - Since Fontaine has inspiration from countries such as France, Italy, United Kingdom and Spain, both have different origins for their given names. Wriothesley’s name is British, while Neuvillette has a French name.
  - Their Specialty dishes also are very contrasting. Wriothesley’s barbecue ribs are meaty, heavy and full of flavor from the mystery BBQ sauce. Neuvillette’s consommé, on the other hand, is light, refined and doesn’t have a notable flavor profile because Neuvillette prioritizes the purity of the water used (which taste exactly the same for regular people).
  - Their Leitmotif's in their teaser trailers have contrasting styles as well. Wriothesley’s theme has a lot of electronic bass drops that compliment his underground fighting background, while Neuvillette’s theme, which uses classical orchestra and some classical rock remix, goes according to his mysterious and solemn aura.
- Sigewinne and Neuvillette are both the region's unusually humanoid non-human Hydro wielders with draconic origins and a personal relationship with Wriothesley who can use long ranged attacks. However, as the Hydro Soveriegn, Neuvillette is native to Teyvat, while Sigewinne is a Melusine, a race that was created due to man-made intervention.
Foreshadowing:
- The reincarnation of the Hydro Sovereign in a human form was first teased in version 2.4 through Vol. 4 of Byakuyakouku Collection. The answer to the first riddle in Vol 5 even accurately predicts him wielding a cane.
- The title of his Character Introduction, "He who looks down on all that are haughty", is likely a reference to the verse "It looks down on all that are haughty; it is king over all that are proud” in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, which speaks about the Leviathan. As the incumbent Hydro Dragon Sovereign, he would fit the role of “Leviathan” in the Genshin universe better than anyone else, and his constellation is literally named “Leviathan Judicator”.
- While explaining his Drama-Preserving Handicap, he explains that he could not regain his full Authority without killing the Hydro Archon to reclaim it. This turns out to be exactly what Focalors intends, inviting him to Fontaine so that he would come to empathize with its people and could save them once his Authority was returned to him.
Full Health Bonus: Played with. His fourth-ascension passive, Discipline of the Supreme Arbitration, provides a 0.6% boost to his Hydro Damage Bonus for every 1% of his HP above 30% (to a maximum of 30%, meaning he can maximize its effects as long has he has over 80% HP).
Gameplay and Story Segregation:
- Despite his Hydro powers being something he has innately and not derived from a Vision, he is not immune to Raiden Shogun's Vision Hunt Decree ability, and will have his Skill and Burst disabled like every other playable character except the Traveler. Though as a Hydro Catalyst, he still does Hydro damage with his regular attacks, allowing him to enable Hydro-related reactions, not to mention his powerful Charged Attack.
- You would also think that as a being whose Hydro power is arguably more innate than the Archon's he would benefit from being surrounded by those of his element, but his kit actually encourages an elementally diverse team. Downplayed in that he still benefits from Hydro Resonance's HP increase since his damage scales off HP.
- In the end of Act V of the Archon Quest, he gains the ability to command both Pneuma and Ousia (to the degree of becoming the nation's main source of power!), but as a playable character he can only make Pneuma attacks.
Gathering Steam:
- His unique charged attack takes much longer than a regular charged attack to unleash, leaving him even more vulnerable to attacks while charging up compared to his other Catalyst peers. Once the wind-up finishes, however, he will unleash a powerful torrent of water.
- His first-ascension passive, Heir to the Ancient Seas' Authority, allows him to gather up to three stacks of Past Draconic Glories, each of which last half a minute and provide provide a 110/125/160% power boost to his unique charged attack, whenever the party triggers Vaporize, Freeze, Electro-charge, Bloom, Hydro Swirl, or Hydro Crystallize reactions. Each stack generated is treated separately according to the source reaction. In addition, his first Constellation upgrade, Venerable Institution, allows him to gather one stack whenever he is switched in (with no interval times), in addition to increasing the flinching resistance of his unique charged attacks, while his second, Juridical Exhortation, adds a 14% Critical Damage buff to each stack (hence a maximum of 42%).
God-Emperor: By the end of the Fontaine Archon Chapter, he's the official ruler of Fontaine.
God in Human Form: The Hydro Dragon Sovereign, reborn as a human as per The Prophecy
God Is Flawed: As much as Neuvillette's impartiality allows him to serve Fontaine well as its Iudex in court and is extremely overpowered due to being the Hydro Sovereign, he is too much of a stickler for the law in some cases where a different choice would have led to a more just outcome, such as when he had suspicions about Callas' case but permitted his Trial by Combat, letting an innocent man commit Suicide by Cop. Fontaine is also a terrible place to live for the disadvantaged, who are not only segregated from the glamorous upper-class areas of the Court of Fontaine in dark and damp living conditions, but also easily exploited by loopholes in the very law that Neuvillette has upheld throughout the 500 years of his rule. Furthermore, breaking any of Fontaine's numerous Loony Laws may result in imprisonment, and his choice to distance himself from society to maintain impartially has made him insular from what is truly happening on the ground. It is no wonder that when Arlecchino (who hates sheltered aristocrats and is "Father" to at least three orphans who have suffered greatly due to the brokenness of Fontaine's institutions) first meets Neuvillette and Furina in Act III, though she acts with a veneer of politeness, her "praises" of their leadership are insincere, even sarcastic and provocative.
Arlecchino: First, I would like to thank the two of you. I'm often away on business outside of Fontaine and I'm told that the children of the House of the Hearth have been well taken care of by you... Oh, I'm not referring to when my children Lyney and Lynette were falsely accused by you, please don't misunderstand. All I meant to say is that Fontaine has been stable in recent years. The people are well off and the children lead happy, fulfilled lives... I respect all the rules of Fontaine's courts, just as I respect you as Chief Justice.
God Is Good: Neuvillette is the noble reborn Hydro Sovereign who tirelessly works for his people to ensure justice is served and prevails.
God of Order: In a sense. He is the Hydro Archon’s second-in-command who serves as the head of Fontaine's justice system, and his ultimate aim is to bring judgement towards the Primordial One and other gods as the Dragon Sovereign of Water. In Act V, he’s the one who gets the final say in whether or not the people of Fontaine can be pardoned for their and Egeria’s sin of appropriating the Primordial Sea’s authority, and thanks to Focalors’ 500-year gambit, he finally declares that they’re forgiven, saving them from the prophecy.
Gold and White Are Divine: His white hair and gold accents on his attire signal he's one of the Seven Sovereigns.
Gray Rain of Depression: It is said that whenever the Hydro Dragon cries, it rains. This is what allows the Traveler to deduce that Neuvillette is the aforementioned Dragon, since it suddenly began raining when he expressed sadness over an upcoming catastrophe.
Guilt by Association: Following his reinstatement as the Hydro Dragon, Neuvillette plans to lay judgement to the rest of the Seven Archons due to their ties to Celestia even though most of them aren't accountable for the defeat of the Sovereignty and even befriended his fellow dragons. Notably, Zhongli makes especially sure that the two of them don't meet each other in Chenyu Vale after the version 4.4 Lantern Rite is over.
Handicapped Badass: Downplayed. He uses a walking cane as a support as it's implied that he has a limp^note yet, gameplay limitations aside, he has no problems fighting enemies and even uses his cane as a medium to channel his power.
Heavenly Blue: His blue and white ensemble denotes him as the reincarnated Hydro Sovereign, one of the former gods of Teyvat.
Hidden Depths: Despite his stone-face and social awkwardness, it's suggested that Neuvillette has something of a sense of humor. He finds the fact that some of the other Archons don counterfeit Visions to mingle with their people anonymously Actually Pretty Funny, and the crime he set up to get the Traveler and Paimon into the Fortress of Meropide was giving them the cake Arlecchino brought to her negotiations with them that was ultimately left untouched, as it technically violates a very specific law.
Holy Water: After regaining his full powers in Act V, Neuvillette imbues the ongoing pouring rain with his power to "baptise" Fontaine and turn its citizens into true humans, saving them from the threat of nationwide extinction as foretold in The Prophecy.
Honor Before Reason: In the question of whether To Be Lawful or Good, Neuvillette will often lean towards the former, respecting the laws and rules of the court even in the most unusual circumstances. This, combined with his self-admitted difficulty in understanding human emotions, can lead to some problems.
- In the past he admitted to having held suspicions towards the validity of Callas accusation of murdering his friend. However, believing that his request to duel should be honored, that he'd be cleared of the charges when he lost and the case went to trial, and that he would put his life before his honor, he allowed the duel to go ahead and was caught completely off-guard by him committing Suicide by Cop.
- In the present, he ordered for the arrest of Tartaglia, one of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers, based on the Oratrice's verdict despite the trial proceedings proving him innocent of the Serial Disappearances, especially with the true culprit having confessed. Naturally, Snezhnaya is none too pleased and sends Arlecchino to negotiate for his release. Neuvillette even lampshades that arresting Childe is a significant advantage for Snezhnaya in negotiations, as he tries to warn Furina when she opts to agree to the meeting.
- Neuvillette's ultimate purpose is to one day bring judgment on the Archons and Primordial One himself; that said, he is aware of the horrible past Nahida had to suffer, and accordingly tones it down on her.
Humanity Is Infectious: A keystone of Focalors's grand plan. In order to save the people of Fontaine, Neuvillette would have to be not only able, but willing to turn them into true humans, "forgiving their sins". And, just like she planned, during his centuries as the Chief Justice he saw humanity from many sides, learned the depth of human emotion and dedication and ultimately did not allow the "guilt" to be punished.
Hypercompetent Sidekick: Serves as this to Furina because, if the words of the Fontaine citizens are any indication, he is the one in charge of the legal system and keeping everything in line, and as such they appear to hold him higher regard than they do their own Archon. He's also the one who keeps Furina in check during trials, making sure she doesn't overreact with her statements and accusations. He also takes down Childe in one blow, right before Childe could finish his Foul Legacy transformation. By the end of Chapter IV, Act V after the real Focalors executes herself to stop the prophecy, Neuvillette regains his full powers and officially becomes the new leader of Fontaine as a result.
Improperly Paranoid: His Character Quest sees Neuvillette decide to personally investigate a case of a Melusine from the Phantom, Kiara, receiving a threatening letter. This is born out of guilt from an incident from his past where a Melusine subordinate he was close to ended up committing suicide after getting framed for murder by a hate group, which prompted a mutual friend to murder the suspects and be subsequently convicted. The Quest, however, is dedicated to showing that his absolute dedication to impartiality as the Chief Justice, which includes remaining as an "Outsider" among the people of Fontaine and hardy interreacting with them, has made him miss how much Fontainian society has progressed since those days. Case in point; when word gets out about Kiara receiving a threatening letter, pretty much everyone goes Big Brother Instinct towards the Melusines despite his worries that people would attempt to ostracise them again. The letter itself wasn’t even sent with genuine racist intent; it was just a poor attempt at revenge against Neuvillette and Kiara by a smuggler they put away.
Immune to Flinching: His C1 upgrade grants him super armor while using his Charged Attack, essentially removing his one weakness.
Inconsistent Dub: When it comes to pronunciations of his name in the English dub, nearly every character pronounces it differently, going from "Nerv-illette" or "Neu-villette."
Innocently Insensitive: While it's revealed at the end of Act II that he had good intentions despite Navia's interpretation, his choice to abruptly apologize to Navia for her father's passing when she approached him for a different matter backfired, upsetting her and only serving to increase her disdain toward him.
Interface Spoiler: Zig-zagged. Much like Zhongli, before completing Chapter IV Act IV, his profile and story entry list the source of his Hydro power as "???" (instead of "Vision") and his Constellation as "???". His Story Quest is also named "Diluvies" rather than his constellation's name. After completing the Archon Quest, his profile and story entry now list his Hydro power as "Ancient Dragon's Authority" and his Constellation as "Leviathan Judicator". However, his "Feelings About Ascension: Conclusion" voiceline, in which he openly talks about his identity as the Hydro Sovereign and his plans to judge the Archons and the Primordial one is not locked behind quest completion (while several other voicelines and stories are), and his 1st Ascension Passive's stacking effect is named Past Draconic Glories.
Irony: As the Dragon Sovereign of Water, he has every intention of judging Celestia and its gods, and taking back the Dragons' authority over Teyvat. By the end of Fontaine's Archon Quest, one of those gods, Focalors, returns his authority to him and confesses that she feels the same way as he does, at least as far as Celestia itself is concerned. Thus does he find himself in charge of Fontaine, not in opposition to humans like some of his brethren in other lands but as their leader and guardian deity. In addition, he now knows that Fontaine's humans at least owe Celestia nothing, having been created against its divine will and so slapped with a prophecy that foretells their destruction, so in a way keeping them safe is one of the biggest ways he can stick it to the throne in the sky.
It Only Works Once: Though he manages to stop the initial surge of Primordial Seawater using his authority as the Hydro Sovereign, he makes clear that this is a stopgap measure, and the Primordial Sea will eventually overcome it.
Jerkass to One:
- Downplayed. He treats Furina more harshly than any other character he's shown interacting with, openly displaying annoyance at her antics and personality. He even treats Tartaglia with more patience and kindness than Furina despite the fact that he actively poses a threat and refuses to take their country's laws seriously. That said, it's clear from his tone of voice and how he speaks of her outside the courtroom that this comes more from exasperation at her Courtroom Antics and less from any actual dislike. Averted altogether following Act V of Fontaine's Archon Quest, where after learning the truth of what Furina endured to save the people of Fontaine he has nothing but fondness for her, refusing to press charges against her for deceiving her people and freely providing financial support for her after she abdicates the throne.
- Inverted in regards to the other Archons after he regains his full power. When discussing the Archons, Neuvillette displays near uncharacteristic levels of resentment towards them, speaking with a noticeable edge in his voice and remaining undeterred in his desire to judge them for being usurpers of his fellow Sovereigns' authority, willing or otherwise, despite the Traveler's evident attempts to placate him. However, while he still expresses a desire to judge her, he's noticeably gentler when discussing Nahida, praising her responsibility and benevolence, and expressing sympathy over what the Sages put her through. This actually goes as far back as when Nahida's drip marketing dropped, where he makes something of an Early-Bird Cameo by providing the quote for her, commending the sense of responsibility she displays as Sumeru's Archon, and bemoaning that Furina doesn't take a page out of her book.
Kamehame Hadoken: His unique charged attack fires a blast of water that can be maintained continuously for three seconds and costs no Stamina, albeit in exchange for slowly eating away at his HP. His sixth Constellation upgrade, Wrathful Recompense, allows him to absorb additional Sourcewater Droplets while using the attacks, extends his attack by one second per Droplet absorbed, and augments it with a couple of smaller water blasts (with at least two-second intervals) that deal damage equivalent to 10% of his Max HP.
Karmic Jackpot: In accepting the Hydro Archon's invitation to become Fontaine's Iudex, he ends up regaining his lost authority after Focalors destroys her own divinity to return it to him, as well as sovereignty over Fontaine itself.
Know When to Fold 'Em: He's quite properly mindful of the Fatui, to the point that, when Arlecchino is sent to negotiate Tartaglia and the Hydro Gnosis, he relinquishes it before any further trouble is caused (though it helped that he has already been put up to speed by Skirk as to the true nature of the Gnoses).
Last-Name Basis: "Neuvillette" is his last name, which he has requested everyone refer to him as; his first name remains unknown.
Leg Focus: Rare male example. Though he doesn't show any skin, the side slits of his robes provide a full view of his form-fitting thigh-high riding chaps that streamline the shape of his legs. His tendency to cross his legs while sitting and his robes flapping upwards whenever he uses a lot of power also puts them front and center.
Literal-Minded: He tends to take figures of speeches, jokes, and metaphors at face value, causing a lot of awkward moments before others have to explain what they meant to say. Justified because he is socially awkward and way behind the times due to isolating himself from society.
Lightning Bruiser: Downplayed. Unlike most characters, Neuvillette can move during his charged attacks and doesn't consume any stamina while doing so. Though this doesn't match up to the top speed of characters with dedicated movement abilities like Yelan, in practice he moves quickly enough that he rarely has trouble steadily chasing down nimble enemies and keeping them in the line of fire for his powerful and long-ranged charged attacks. Between his massive HP pool and the self-healing from his Sourcewater Droplets, he should have no trouble staying alive, and so long as he can keep absorbing Sourcewater Droplets, he can continuously maintain offensive pressure on enemies with no respite, all while being able to maintain a desirable range of engagement from enemies.
Living Battery: At the end of the Fontaine Archon Quest, with the Oratrice no longer functioning to produce Indemnitium, Fontaine should've faced an energy crisis; however, Neuvillette reveals that with his full power returned to him, he has full control over Pneuma and Ousia energies, enough to completely replace the previous energy source. While he states that this means he can't leave Fontaine often, he's still able at least travel to Liyue for a day.
Long-Haired Pretty Boy: He has the longest hair of any Tall Male character introduced as of his debut, and he has a handsome appearance with very prominent eyelashes.
Loot-Making Attack: Both his Elemental Talents generate Sourcewater Droplets that are absorbed whenever he is charging up his attacks, both to heal him and accelerate said charging. In addition, his fourth Constellation upgrade, Crown of Commiseration, allows him to gather one Droplet (with at least four-second intervals) whenever he is healed.
Lord of the Ocean: He is the reincarnation of the Hydro Sovereign.

M-Y

Magic Wand: In combat, he utilizes his cane in this manner to cast Hydro attacks.
Making a Splash: He has control over the Hydro element, but unlike the majority of the playable cast, he lacks a Vision, implying that his power is innate. Given he's the Hydro Sovereign, his powers are indeed innate to him.
Manly Tears: One of the defining characteristics of the trope is crying that is both justified and dignified. On the latter part, it doesn't get any more dignified than Neuvillette not directly weeping but the very skies of Fontaine starting to rain in response to his sorrow. This is especially justified when Focalors sacrifices herself to give Neuvillette back his full power as the Hydro Sovereign in the hopes that he will save Fontaine from the prophecy, an act so selfless that Neuvillette is struggling not to physically weep as he fulfills Focalors's last request.
Mechanically Unusual Fighter: Despite being a Catalyst user, the way Neuvillette operates makes him seem more akin to a bow using, Charged Shot DPS, with his main source of damage being a ranged Charged Attack he can freely aim and move around while using. Adding to this, if you’re playing as him using a controller, you can use his Normal Attacks and, more importantly, his Charged Attack using the trigger buttons, a right normally reserved for bow users.
Mighty Glacier: Neuvillette dishes out immense damage with his unique charged attack, but it is slow to charge unless he has Sourcewater Droplets nearby. As his damage scales entirely off HP, he's also quite bulky for it.
Mirror Character:
- He bears some similarities to Zhongli:
  - Both are ancient beings who have existed for centuries but take on the appearance of handsome men with long hair and Tall Male models who visually appear to be in their 30s and dress in formal attire befitting their occupations. Both carry the demeanor of older gentlemen who are a little eccentric and don't fully comprehend the nuances of human emotion, but are otherwise amicable and accommodating. Both have deep voices that further emphasize not only their age but also their authority in their respective realms.
  - Both are associates of boisterous women who use the Medium Female model, and somewhat immature personalities that exasperate them.
  - In battle, both of them tend to remain stoic and stentorian, yet no less imposing.
  - Both had their Constellations censored in their bios during their introductions.
  - Their true natures are related to powerful dragons, unknown to the rest of the people. The difference between them is that Zhongli's Exuvia is a dragon-qilin hybrid, and his human form is a disguise in plain sight, while Neuvillette is the reborn Hydro Sovereign dragon and walks around people, who are aware that he is not human.
  - Both co-ruled their people with a goddess dressed in white and blue with dominion over a similar element who ended up passing away.
- There are also some similarities between him and Ayato. Both are male Hydro users who hold high-ranking positions in their respective nations' governments, as Chief Justice and head of the Yashiro Commission within the Shogunate respectively, but carry airs of mystery regarding their personal lives and often work behind the scenes with a female individual being their respective organizations' figureheads.
- He also has a few similarities to Yae Miko, both being well-known figures in their respective regions who have been around for a long time, act as minders to their respective Archons, wield Catalysts as their go-to weapon in combat, as well as being the ones the Traveler asks questions at the end of their respective Archon Quests instead of Furina and Ei. Though unlike Miko, while Ei remains the Electro Archon, Focalors' death and relinquishing of her powers to Neuvillette, as well as Furina's reign end, essentially leaves him as the current authority of Fontaine.
- He and Alhaitham are both stoic men who work as civil servants who have held the highest authority in their governments, second to their Archon, for some time and are renowned for their deliberate avoidance of social interactions and interpersonal relationships. They are also closely tied with a more expressive character with whom they act more sarcastically than anyone else they interact with. Though while Alhaitham is rather stern and sour out of choice, Neuvillette has No Social Skills and is otherwise a Nice Guy.
- Furina acts similarly grandiose and theatrical as Fischl. Neuvillette is effectively her Oz; where the latter ensures Fischl's delusions to be kept at bay, Neuvillette ensures Furina's ego doesn't get in the way.
Modernized God: Downplayed. One of the Old Gods of Teyvat who in the present has completely integrated himself into Fontaine's current society, serving as the chief justice of Fontaine and working in an office with numerous other workers. Though that said, he still has trouble expressing the emotions he's feeling.
Money Dumb: Downplayed. While visiting Chenyu Vale, Neuvillette is suckered by the same tea deal that Xianyun fell for and buys ten boxes of tea due to thinking it'd be cheaper. He ends up giving a large portion of it to Wriothesley.
My Greatest Failure: For a seemingly stoic Supreme Judge who has run a nation without fault for hundreds of years, he still has his mistakes and regrets.
- In Chapter IV Act II, he knew that Callas was innocent of Jacques' murder, and even hoped that the latter wouldn't challenge Clorinde in a Suicide by Cop stunt, but since there was much evidence against him, he was forced to follow the law. Additionally, he regrets having misread Callas' intentions, believing that he would buckle on his principles rather than fight to the death, so he didn't put a stop to the duel until it was too late.
- In his Story Quest, he feels he failed his most loyal colleagues, Carole (a Melusine) and Vautrin (a human), as the former was Driven to Suicide after being framed in a murder case by a hateful group who conspired against her for Fantastic Racism, while the latter decided to take matters in his own hands (a.k.a. slaughtering them as revenge) and pull a Zero-Approval Gambit for Neuvillette's sake, knowing full well that Neuvillette would judge him as guilty and exile him to the Fortress of Meropide for the rest of his life.
- In the Archon Quest "Masquerade of the Guilty," he has a conflicted reaction to realizing just how much Furina had been suffering alone in the past 500 years, even expressing disbelief and what-might-have-been anger when Focalors told him about how she cursed her human counterpart for the sake of deceiving the Heavenly Principles. This takes place directly after the Traveler, Neuvillette, and the rest of the cast orchestrated a trial in order to force out Furina's secrets, ignorant of her struggles as an ordinary human tasked with impersonating a god. When relaying the events to the Traveler at the conclusion of the quest, he admits that it's much more bitter for him to say these things out loud, and he later reveals that he still seeks to support Furina by providing for her needs and respecting her desire for personal space.
Mysterious Past: According to Furina, Neuvillette is several thousands years old, which means he's lived through the Cataclysm, and his current 500 years of tenure as Iudex is relatively short in comparison. As of v4.4, there is very little concrete information about his pre-Iudex life - he has likely been around since the establishment of Fontaine by Egeria, but he has never met her, and by most accounts seemed to have lived alone somewhere before being invited to the Court of Fontaine.
Mystical White Hair: He has long white hair with blue accents, has non-human traits and generally doesn't act human, with there being in-universe speculation that he is a water-related being such as a Melusine.
Nice Guy: Though he initially gives off the impression of being aloof and unfeeling, Act II goes into great strides to show that this is absolutely not the case. He's quite kindhearted and a bit more empathetic towards the people who stand trial before him than the Traveler or Navia were expecting, is unfailingly polite, and keeps an open mind when dealing with persons of interest.
No Social Skills: Outside of trials, where he maintains a professional demeanor, he comes across as awkward and eccentric in his interactions, owing to his difficulty understanding human emotions and struggle with self expression. His decision to express his condolences to Navia about her father's death, three years late and yet still abrupt and at an incredibly inappropriate time, serves as a good example of this, as it only increased Navia's enmity toward him until she realized later that he is simply socially awkward.
Noble Male, Roguish Male: The noble to Wriothesley's roguish. Neuvillette is an elegant Long-Haired Pretty Boy with a strong sense of justice and equity, but behind his stoic demeanor he's actually very sensitive considering how often he makes it rain in Fontaine with his Hydro Dragon abilities whenever he is sad. In comparison to Wriothesley, they are both catalyst users but Neuvillette uses his weapon together with his cane for ranged attacks, making the Chief Justice look classy while defeating his foes. They are also both protective of Sigewinne with Neuvillette being like a busy father who dotes on his daughter during times he can see her. Like Wriothesley, Neuvillette stands firm in his principles but follows to the rules of Fontaine and the Oratrice's judgement, only raising his hand during dire situations such as with Childe and the Primordial Seawater nearly breaking loose.
Not So Above It All:
- Neuvillette's voice lines showcase how goofy he can be when off the clock, such as being defensive about the local legend that the rainstorms in Fontaine are the Hydro Dragon's tears, letting out a chuckle when he finds out that some of the Archons use counterfeit Visions, and even failing to curb his pride of being a water connosieur.
(More about Neuvillette: IV) "For a number of reasons, I rarely leave Fontaine. As a result, though I enjoy tasting spring water from all over the world, I always have it delivered to me here, rather than collecting it myself. And yes, subtle as the flavor differences between samples of different regions may be, I am perfectly capable of distinguishing between them. Do you still doubt me? I am the Iudex. I do not lie."
- The 4.4 Lantern Rite quest showed that he spent his half-day vacation in Liyue taking a ceramics class and not only did he make a ceramic tablet with a legal codex for Wriothesley in an attempt to socialize, but he also made a ridiculously cute dragon-shaped soup ladle. He gifts the ladle to the Traveler and is quite happy to learn that they like it. He was also very excited to drink Liyue's water directly from the source.
Not So Stoic: Despite generally keeping his emotions under wraps, his voice will crack when he experiences great sorrow as he struggles to keep his composure, such as while having a heart-to-heart with Navia over her father's grave and pronouncing his most loyal human colleague guilty. The first time we see him outwardly express strong emotions is during Focalors’ execution, where he’s shown to be distraught and horrified by the ordeal.
Older Than They Look: According to Aeife and his introduction, he predates the Melusine and has lived for at least a few centuries. Despite this, while his chiseled features and white hair make him appear slightly older than some of the other characters in the cast, he still looks relatively young for a man of his age. Being an elemental dragon may have something to do with that.
One-Man Army: As a Purposely Overpowered Mighty Glacier, Neuvillette can take on some of the harder fights in the Spiral Abyss all by himself. Justified, because as the reborn Hydro Sovereign, he's one of the most powerful beings in all of Teyvat.
Only Friend: Neuvillette admits that he doesn't think he can become friends with anyone from Fontaine as he wants to avoid conflicts of interest. However, the Traveler is not from Fontaine, and in his friendship lines he is glad to finally have a friend in which he can confide.
Our Dragons Are Different: The Sovereigns are dragons that can manipulate one of the seven elements depending on their choice, and were the rulers of the old Teyvat before the appearance of the Primordial One. A new generation of Sovereigns had, in recent years, been born, though to retain their dragon form, they must remain pure, lest they be "born in a human form", much like Neuvillette. Notably, he is the reincarnation of the previous Hydro Sovereign, already displaying excellent dominion over Hydro with only his innate powers, which are even fully restored once Focalors abjudicates the throne to Neuvillette at the end of the Archon Quest. He also still possesses some draconic traits, such as slit eyes.
Papa Wolf:
- Neuvillette is overprotective of the Melusines under his care, having constant concerns over Sigewinne's wellbeing and launching a personal investigation when he hears that Kiara has received a threatening letter. One of his reasons is that he doesn’t want the tragedy of Carole, a Melusine who was Driven to Suicide in a conspiracy against him 400 years ago, to repeat again. He's also literally made it illegal to engage in Fantastic Racism against them, and in one of his idle voicelines will warn the Traveler to cause them no harm with a noticeable edge in his voice.
- There are also hints that he's protective of Furina to some extent, despite generally expressing weariness at her antics and not being afraid to undermine her attempts at appearing dramatic. When it comes to dealing with Arlecchino, he advises her not to engage in a meeting with her, and despite not knowing that she made an attempt on Furina's life he notices that his Archon is behaving strangely and surmises that Arlecchino is somehow coercing her. Later, he requests that the Traveler go and serve as Furina's bodyguard during another meeting between the two with a good deal of urgency in his voice while he goes to suppress the Primordial Seawater in the Fortress of Meropide. Afterwards, when he spots Furina outside Palais Mermonia with a troubled expression in the middle of a conversation with the Traveler and Paimon, Paimon has to call his name a few times in order to redirect his focus back to them. And while in Act V he agreed to the plan to bring her to trial to get her secret out of her, under the belief it would avert the prophecy, he's shocked when Oratrice seemingly calls for her execution, briefly expresses outrage at Focalors when she reveals what she made Furina do for the sake of her plan to save Fontaine, and decides after the fact to press no charges against for her centuries long deception, realizing it was done with the best of intentions, allowing her to retire in peace while providing financial support as she picks herself back up.
Parental Substitute: The Melusines, who can be quite childish at times, regard him as an "ideal father" for guiding them to the Court of Fontaine hundreds of years before Chapter IV to live and work for him under the Marechaussee Phantom. He is also generally nice to them and takes care of them. Given their inability to hear and communicate with their true "Father" Elynas, he has most likely assumed this role in the eyes of the Melusine.
Perpetual Frowner: He rarely smiles, and usually keeps a neutral, frowning expression. Justified given his lack of social skills, both from his professionalism and from being the reincarnation of the Hydro Sovereign.
Pet the Dog:
- He's not happy with ordering Tartaglia's arrest even after the true culprit in the trial admits to his wrongdoings, no thanks to the Oratrice's final deliberation, but still lets the Harbinger know he'll investigate the truth despite having to uphold to the rules.
- Though he still intends to bring judgement to each of the Archons, he ultimately significantly tones it down on Nahida, accounting for her Incorruptible Pure Pureness and sense of responsibility even while she was locked away, and ultimately expressing deep regret for the abuse she suffered the past 500 years as a result of the Akademiya's Sages.
  (About the Dendro Archon) "Though the day will come when I put her on trial, I must commend the God of Verdure on her sense of responsibility. Few things are without flaws in this world, but the devotion and benevolence she displays are a testament to her commitment to continued progress. I felt enormous regret when I learned of the mistreatment she has endured over the past five hundred years."
- Though he considers Celestia his enemy, and takes umbrage with the Archons' possession of the Sovereigns' stolen authorities, after 500 years of living with humanity, he considers them a separate matter even though they are the life that Celestia seeded onto the planet. Though he doesn't have any loyalty to Celestia's decrees, after Focalors's death he takes up her role in granting power to the Visions of humans whose wishes reach him, choosing to respect their valor of his own volition.
Pointy Ears: His ears have a slight point, far more subtle than the large ears seen on the likes of Klee and Nahida.
Power Floats: He levitates during his charge attack Equitable Judgment. It's Not Quite Flight as while it allows him to glide across water bodies, it does not allow him to actually fly off ledges, unlike The Wanderer's Elemental Skill.
Power Palms: He has eye-shaped organs on his palms that can be used to manifest and absorb Hydro as shown by Focalors' execution scene.
Prone to Tears: In an interesting case, we don’t see him cry directly, but since he’s the recent reincarnation of the Hydro Dragon who expresses sorrow by summoning rain, it still counts. Lyney mentions that it often rains on trial days, and it rains multiple times over the course of the Fontaine Archon Quests.
Purple Is Powerful: He has purple eyes that look extremely similar to those of the Primordial Bathysmal Vishap, is the highest authority in Fontaine after the Hydro Archon, and was able to interrupt Tartaglia's transformation into Foul Legacy mode and knock him unconscious in one hit.
Purposely Overpowered: Neuvillette is a bit above the curve in terms of raw power, but unlike the Archons, whose most powerful abilities are support-oriented, Neuvillette's strength is in the raw damage of his empowered Charged Attacks. After he was introduced, there was half of one floor in the Spiral Abyss where the most commonly used team was Neuvillette. Just Neuvillette, no team support. It's difficult to imagine that happening with any other character. Narratively, he has the power to match, as he's the reborn Hydro Sovereign.
Rage Against the Heavens: Downplayed. After recovering his full powers as the Hydro Sovereign, he says in his playable voice-overs for his fellow nation leaders, the Archons, that he would still intend to bring judgement on each of the Seven, intending them to be accountable for justice over the Primordial One slaying the other Sovereigns and them filling in the power vacuum that the other supposed "rightful rulers" had. However, he is still very patient about this goal, hopes that it doesn't end up in violence (as he expresses in his voice-over for Morax) and is willing to wait hundreds of years to see his purpose through. He also tones it down on Nahida, accounting for Sumeru's story with her.
Rank Scales with Asskicking: The Iudex of Fontaine and an equally powerful badass with expert dominion over Hydro. The logical conclusion of this comes when he knocks out Childe out of his Foul Legacy mode in one hit.
Reasonable Authority Figure:
- Despite his stoic and serious expression and position as Chief Justice, he comes across as fairly approachable, polite, and accommodating when it comes to helping the Traveler and Paimon in their gathering information, which comes as a surprise to them.
  Paimon: Um... Sorry to barge in, Monsieur Neuvillette. We only lied to get in because we didn't know any other way...
  Neuvillette: It's alright. Please let me know how I may be of assistance to you.
  Paimon: Uhh, so you're not mad at us?
- He clearly doesn't want to order Tartaglia's arrest since he knows something strange is going on with the Oratrice, but still assures him that he'll investigate on his terms despite having to abide by the law of the land.
- Furina's playable voice-overs have her express that, following the end of the Archon Quest, Neuvillette would not investigate her crimes for deceiving the people for the past years. Neuvillette's voice-over kind of confirms the sentiment, as he says he is proud of her development and acknowledges the pains she went through when fulfilling her duty. Having learned the truth from Focalors herself helps in this regard: he already knows that everything suspect that Furina did was part of her role, so there would be almost nothing to investigate.
- In Furina's story quest, when she approaches him to request that Aurile's theatre troupe can use the Opera Epiclipse to put on their final show, he agrees to the request as a favour to her and out of the interest in the "The Little Oceanid", believing that it has the potential to become one of Fontaine's great operas.
- In Arlecchino's story quest, he agrees to allow any "children" she expels from the House of the Hearth after inflicting them with Laser-Guided Amnesia go unpunished for any crimes they may have committed as members, in exchange for her progressively pulling her forces out of Fontaine and ceasing to perform any special operations unless they prove absolutely necessary.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The blue to Furina's red during trials in the Opera Epiclese, tempering her expressive outbursts with his calm and orderly presence.
Reduced Mana Cost: To mitigate the long start-up time of Charged Attack: Equitable Judgement, Neuvillette can absorb Sourcewater Droplets to speed up the charge time. Said Droplets will be generated for absorption when Neuvillette hits an enemy with his skill or burst.
Rightful King Returns: Neuvillette is the reincarnation of the Hydro Sovereign that originally ruled the region of Fontaine and presided over the Bathysmal Vishaps before the Primordial One arrived in Teyvat and defeated the Seven Sovereigns, stripping them of their rightful authority in the process. While Neuvillette is way more competent at his job than Furina to the point that the people see him as the real authority in charge, he still serves Furina throughout the Fontaine Archon Quest. Near the end of the quest however, the real Focalors decides to execute herself in order to stop the prophecy and helps Neuvillette regain his full powers, returning his original position of power to him as a result. Afterwards, he officially becomes Fontaine's new ruler and the Bathysmal Vishaps start returning to Fontaine where they aren't hostile to the player unless they intentionally attack them.
Servile Snarker: Being subordinate to Furina doesn't stop him from reprimanding her when she's being her usual overdramatic self during a court trial. By warning her to "refrain from levity in the court," he's essentially telling his Archon to shut up. He also doesn't care about her attempts to save face, calling out her attempt to leave the trial once Lyney is proven innocent and, in Paimon's own words, pulling the rug out from under her when she tries to play off her disbelief at the Oratrice giving a contradicting verdict to his own as part of her "script".
Shaped Like Itself: His constellation is a rather unique case. As a Sovereign, Neuvillette has no patron stars watching over him. Rather, his constellation is nothing but another avatar of his divine self. In fact, "Leviathan Judicator" isn't even its real name, but one he came up with to avoid confusion. Its true name, like his own, is "Neuvillette".
Sharp-Dressed Man: Neuvillette wears one of the most fashionable wardrobes among the playable roster, with his collared suit, pants and boots being reminiscent of early and late Modern European formal wear.
Sheltered Aristocrat: As the second-highest authority of Fontaine and eventual God-Emperor after Act V, Neuvillette's heavy round-the-clock workload of government administration and judge duties as well as his choice to distance himself from society to maintain impartiality doesn't leave him much opportunities to actually interact with his people, which left him with a skewed understanding of the state of modern Fontaine's attitudes towards him and the Melusines prior to his Story Quest.
Silence, You Fool!: A heroic version. One of his Elemental Skill lines is a dignified, yet booming "Silence!".
Single Tear: It can be confused for raindrops and difficult to see since his hair covers that side of his face, but he physically sheds a single line of tears as he declares that the people of Fontaine are forgiven for their sins, after witnessing Focalors' sacrifice.
Sliding Scale of Gameplay and Story Integration:
- One of his idle animations has raindrops falling on him. In the overworld, said animation places the Wet status onto him.
- As Chief Justice, he's Furina's Number Two who supports her in her rule of Fontaine, and despite being a Servile Snarker who can become weary from her eccentricities, is nonetheless loyal and protective of her. And after the Fontaine Archon quest, where Furina has abdicated the throne and allows him to take over, Neuvillette still does his best to support her for her service to Fontaine and doesn't press charge over the fraud she committed in the process, which she herself is grateful for. Fittingly, the two have amazing synergy in gameplay; not only does putting them on the same team grant the team Hydro Resonance, giving the two a boost to their HP and in turn their personal damage, but Neuvillette's constantly draining and replenishing of his own HP allows Furina to easily accumulate "Fanfare" stacks from her Elemental Burst, boosting the damage of both Neuvillette's Charged Attack and Furina's Salon Solitaire.
Stating the Simple Solution: Paimon brings up whether he couldn't just stop Fontaine's flooding if he's the Hydro Sovereign. Neuvillette explains that he lacks his full power as said power was stolen by the Primordial One and the only way to regain that power would be to forcibly take it from the Hydro Archon, which he's reluctant to do. Sure enough, Focalors’ ultimate endgame revolves around dying and returning her Hydro authority to Neuvillette, who proceeds to use his complete power to take down the All Devouring Narwhal and made it so that Fontaine civilians could no longer dissolve in the Primordial Sea.
Stern Old Judge: He has been Chief Justice for centuries and maintains a firm but never overreaching order of the court during trials with an ever stoic expression. Befitting Fontaine's theme of "justice", he remains impartial to any trial, no matter the deliberation.
The Stoic: Regardless of how he actually feels, he tends to maintain a neutral expression at all times. As Navia points out in the second act of the Archon Quest after learning of his actual feelings and thought process, he's one of those types with a cold exterior but thoughtful on the inside, and he apologetically admits that self-expression isn't one of his strong suits.
The Summation: He is the one that summarises the sequence of events behind the court cases in Acts I and II.
Subverted Catchphrase: Played with, since he never actually use the phrase himself, but it is a very common saying across the legal profession (i.e., his field). When he gets a sufficiently strong hit from an enemy, he would at times say "Justice is blindsided!"
Superior Successor: Fontaine's government under his predecessors, the "old regime", is said to have been corrupt. A note from Dwight Lasker from the ruins of the Institute of Natural Philosophy comments that the new Iudex is certainly more reliable than the previous one, Leon, and his supporters "those other clowns".
Symbol Motif Clothing: While not as many as Furina, Neuvillette also has various teardrop-shaped gems on his outfit, such as on his cravat and the heels of his shoes.
Theme Music Power-Up: Notably, a slow, solemn and holy-sounding choir version of his Leitmotif is sung when having regained his true power, he rises above the Opera Epiclese and turns all Fontainians into true humans, signifying the transition of authority from Focalors to Neuvillette and his ascension to full dragonhood.
To Be Lawful or Good: As the Chief Justice, Neuvillette will more often lean towards Lawful, abiding by the rules of the court even if he finds the circumstances involved to be suspicious.
- He honored Callas's request to duel Clorinde and effectively allowed the resulting Suicide by Cop despite holding his own suspicions about his conviction.
- In Tartaglia's trial, despite Marcel, really Vacher, being convicted of the serial disappearances and in turn upturning the charges against the Stutterer, when the Oratrice instead pronounces him guilty in contradiction to Neuvillette's own verdict, he still calls for the Harbinger's arrest, albeit with leanings towards Good by promising him to investigate the matter after incapacitating him.
  Neuvillette: I am sorry. If you have been wronged, we will find the truth. But the rules of the court must be upheld.
- Around the time he became Chief Justice, a Marechaussee Phanton Melusine Neuvillette was close with, Carole, was framed for a murder to further drive the Fantastic Racism levied against Melusines, and she chose to commit a Heroic Suicide to end the conflict between the racists and the Melusine sympathisers. Some time after, Vautrin, a member of Special Security and Surveillance Patrol and a mutual friend, went on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge and killed the instigators. Despite many thinking that Neuvillette would let him off the hook on account of their relationship, with many even calling for him to be let off, Neuvillette followed the laws and convicted Vautrin for his crime.
- He ends up choosing "Good" in Act V of the Fontaine Archon quest. Despite the The Prophecy being the punishment imposed on Fontaine by the Celestia, due to the newfound connection he feels with Fontaine's populace and out of respect of both Focalors and Furina's sacrifices, he uses his fully realized powers to turn all of the Fontainians into true humans so they can survive the flood of Primordial Seawater without being dissolved. Granted, his dislike of the Celestia may have also played a part.
- He also chooses "Good" in regards to Furina, choosing to not punish her for effectively committing fraud for centuries under the realization that it was for the good of Fontaine, and that she already suffered enough in fulfilling the role Focalors gave her.
Trademark Favorite Food: Water. No, really; not just "drink", "food". He notes that animals can survive weeks without food but only days without water, and claims that pure water is the best dish in the world, with dishes with high water content as the next best thing. In addition, Neuvillette is an avid water connoisseur, able to perceive and enjoy the minute differences between water samples including place of origin and preparation method in the same way worldly individuals like Zhongli would be able to enjoy tea. Although, he doesn’t mind eating normal food as long as it's rich in liquids. He also can't stand dry . Would anyone really expect anything less of the Sovereign of Water?
Tragic Keepsake: Played with. Even though it belonged to him in the first place, the returned authority as the Hydro Sovereign ends up like this, due to Focalors sentencing herself to the death sentence, as he's the only person who witnessed her execution.
Universally Beloved Leader: While officially he's Furina's subordinate, as the Iudex of Fontaine Neuvillette is held in much higher regard and is often seen as the de facto leader of the nation. His Story Quest deals with how his isolation from society has blinded him to the fact that after centuries of holding his position, he's no longer seen as an outsider and is both respected and revered as an authority figure. By the end of the Fontaine Archon Quests, he officially becomes the ruler of Fontaine.
Unusually Uninteresting Sight: In much the same way no one ever comments on Paimon being a unique peculiarity in Teyvat, the people of Fontaine don't know and don't wonder what Neuvillette is or question how he has served as Iudex for roughly 500 years. At most they treat him as something other than human without ever outright acknowledging it.
Unwitting Pawn: To Focalors, the God of Justice, as he's the key - the lynchpin, even - of her plan of Twisting the Prophecy. She needed his potential ability to grant Fontainians "true life" and pardon their "original sins", thus making them immune to the Primordial Sea's flooding as part of the prophecy. However, for this to happen, she had to set things up for almost 500 years: 1) she invited him to become Chief Justice so he can understand her people and eventually sympathize with them, 2) she gathered energy through the Oratrice to forge a weapon powerful enough to execute her and the "throne of the Hydro Archon" so the authority of Hydro would be returned to him, while also having her Body Double Furina act as the Archon in her stead. By the time the prophecy is in full swing and all parts of her plans are ready, she confesses everything to him before she executes herself. Neuvillette calls her "a devious one" for this, but her faith in him eventually pays off, as he indeed decides to save the Fontainians with his restored power.
Upgrade Artifact: A variant—his third and fifth Constellation upgrades, Ancient Postulation and Axiomatic Judgment, add three levels to, respectively, his Normal Attack and Burst.
Vocal Dissonance: In the Japanese dub, Hiroshi Kamiya gives Neuvillette a more youthful tone that contrasts his mature appearance.
Weapon Specialization: Neuvillette's debut Wish banner ran concurrent with that for the Tome of the Eternal Flow (5★), whose Ascension substat is Critical Damage (19.2–88.2%), and whose "Aeon Wave" passive provides a 16–32% boost to its wielder's Max HP, as well as allows them to gather up to three stacks of a 14–30% boost to their charged attacks for four seconds (hence a maximum of 42–90%), in addition to regenerating 8–12 Energy whenever they have a full stack (with at least 12-second intervals). This helps further supercharge Neuvillette's unique charged attack, which does expend HP in exchange for heightened power, as well as accelerates the charging of his Burst to provide him more Sourcewater Droplets to heal himself (and indirectly give him another trigger for the weapon's stacks).
What Is This Feeling?: People often mistake Fontaine's Iudex as being cold or stoic. In reality, Neuvillette actually feels emotions quite deeply, both his own and those of others. The problem is that due to his inhuman nature as the Hydro Sovereign, reborn in human form, he doesn't always understand what it is he's feeling. Because of this, he often has trouble expressing himself properly, and needs to sort out his thoughts at length to convey what he truly means.
What the Hell, Hero?: Downplayed. While he realizes that Focalors had no choice in the matter, he briefly expresses outrage against her at what she put Furina through for the sake of her plan.
When He Smiles: He usually has a stern expression due to his lack of social skills, but there are a few moments when he does give out a warm smile, especially when he is around the Melusines as seen here in his character teaser.
Workaholic: At the end of the Act II of the Fontaine Archon Quest, he takes a very brief time off from his duties at the Palais Mermonia to pay his respects before Callas's grave, reminding Paimon that because crime and villainy do not have days off, so should justice. In the 2024 Lantern Rite, he's convinced to take a vacation which lasts about half a day.
You Are in Command Now: By the conclusion of Act V, with Focalors executing herself and with her, the throne of the Hydro Archon, she returns Neuvillette's full authority to him, effectively becoming the new ruler of Fontaine in her place. He also replaces the Oratrice as both the judge in the Opera Epiclese and provider of Fontaine’s energy source, so it can be said that Fontaine now runs on him.

Characters / Genshin Impact: Neuvillette

Chief Justice Neuvillette / The Hydro Sovereign

Introduced: September 27, 2023 (v4.1 "To the Stars Shining in the Depths" [first half])
Voiced By: Sang Yuze (Chinese), Hiroshi Kamiya (Japanese), Kwak Yoon-sang (Korean), Ray Chase (English)

Previous

Index

Next

Characters / Genshin Impact: Neuvillette

Edit Locked

Chief Justice Neuvillette / The Hydro Sovereign

Introduced: September 27, 2023 (v4.1 "To the Stars Shining in the Depths" [first half])Voiced By: Sang Yuze (Chinese), Hiroshi Kamiya (Japanese), Kwak Yoon-sang (Korean), Ray Chase (English)

Previous

Index

Next

Introduced: September 27, 2023 (v4.1 "To the Stars Shining in the Depths" [first half])
Voiced By: Sang Yuze (Chinese), Hiroshi Kamiya (Japanese), Kwak Yoon-sang (Korean), Ray Chase (English)