Genshin Impact: Wriothesley / Characters

Duke Wriothesley

Introduced: October 17, 2023 (v4.1 "To the Stars Shining in the Depths" [second half])
Voiced By: Liu Beichen (Chinese), Daisuke Ono (Japanese), Kwon Chang-wook (Korean), Joe Zieja (English)

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

Emissary of Solitary Iniquity

"Word of advice: Don't break the law. Hmm, is there anything else? Oh, yeah... Seriously, don't break the law."

Rarity: 5★
Element: Cryo
Arkhe Alignment: Ousia
Weapon: Catalyst
Constellation: Cerberus, The Guard Dog of the Underworld

Inmate-turned-warden of the Fortress of Meropide. Having rose to power, Wriothesley uses his uniquely earned authority to introduce numerous reforms to a better life for the inmates, to the point that many choose to stay even after their sentences are served. The Traveler and Paimon arrive to the Fortress of Meropide under false charges to investigate the case of Childe, learning from Wriothesley himself about the Fortress' true purpose during their stay.

Wriothesley metes out his brand of justice with relentless Cryo-imbued punches, able to maintain his poise even while sprinting or using his Elemental Skill, Icefang Rush, wherein he enters the Chilling Penalty state that, apart from boosting his flinching resistance, powers up his punches at the cost of losing some HP so long as it is over half its maximum value, while his Elemental Burst, Darkgold Wolfbite, activates his mechanical gauntlets to deliver a devastating haymaker that additionally unleashes an Ousia-aligned Surging Blade strike.^note

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A-L

Actor Allusion: In the Japanese dub, Wriothesley lets out an "ORA-ORA-ORA!" as one of his Skill's voice lines. Daisuke Ono, his voice actor there, previously voiced Jotaro Kujo, whose Stand emits the same cry. In addition, Ono has also voiced Snow Villiers, another pugilist associated with ice.
Actually Pretty Funny: When Neuvillette asks Clorinde what she has to gift Wriothesley for losing their Side Bet, she responds that a set of legal codices would serve him more than another bag of tea. Wriothesley just laughs at the light jab and continues the banter.
Animal Motifs: Wolves. He has a large fur cloak that resembles raised hackles, pale blue eyes, and several wolf-head emblems on his clothing. His hair spikes up in two points, almost giving him the appearance of a pair of perked ears.
- The Melusines usually draw him as a shark with his black hair and eye color and put those stickers of him on his belongings to his annoyance.
Anonymous Benefactor: He usually avoids giving interviews because of his Dark and Troubled Past, rejecting Charlotte's constant requests. In the aftermath of the Archon Quest, he finally agrees as long as the interview gives the spotlight to Jurieu and Lourvine since they were the ones who designed the floating ship. He even refuses to have his photo taken, despite Sigewinne telling him it's a memento between them.
The Ark: Towards the end of the fourth act of the Fontaine Archon Quest, he reveals to the Traveler that the sealed gate in the Fortress's "Forbidden Zone" contains Primordial Seawater that will eventually break out and engulf Fontaine; in response, he started a secret project to build a ship that could hold Fontaine's populace.
The Atoner: Though the motivations behind the crime he did could be justified, Wriothesley still felt guilt for doing so, and confessed all details of the crime in order to obtain a just conviction.
Badass in a Nice Suit: His regular outfit consists of a dark grey three-piece suit with a vest, a black dress shirt underneath, a loose red necktie, and a fur black coat draped over his shoulders. The accessories that give his attire a badass style are the black straps around his arms and neck, the tight high boots with metal knee pads, the piercings in his ears, fingerless gloves, and the handcuffs.
Berserk Button: As seen in his Story Quest, people who abuse their power over others through fear while hiding it with a fake smile are a huge sore spot for him, so much so that he completely loses his cool and barely able to keep himself from killing them. Given his backstory, it’s not surprising.
Big Damn Heroes: He takes a back seat after the prison arc is completed, and arrives to the surface with the ship to rescue the citizens from the flood.
Boxing Battler: He fights using boxing moves and a pair of gauntlets.
Breaking Old Trends: Nearly three years into the game's lifespan (and on a threefold level, no less), Wriothesley is both the very first Cryo Vision holder to wield a catalyst and the very first male 5★ of that element (hence giving all seven elements a playable character on both fronts), as well as the first of that element with a Tall Male model since Kaeya (from all the way back at game launch).
Bring It: After defeating Dougier's Gardemeks, Wriothesley has this to say to him:
"If you think fear can control everything... Well then, terrify me."
Cast from Hit Points: Wriothesley's kit focuses on manipulating his HP to increase his strength, comparable to the tactic of enduring attacks to lure the opponent into lowering their guard (or in boxing terminology, the Rope-A-Dope), in particular through his Skill consuming HP worth 4.5% of its maximum value (so long as it is over half) to enhance his punches. His first-ascension passive partially mitigate this by giving him a healing option (see "Situational Sword" below).
Casual Danger Dialogue: Even when being threatened by Lyney after his siblings go missing in the Fortress of Meropide, Wriothesley maintains his nonchalant demeanor and occasionally drops deadpan statements in contrast to an agitated Lyney, and he casually intends to leave for a cup of tea right after Sigewinne tranquilized Lyney by shooting him. He also has these interactions with Clorinde, making a Side Bet while dealing with a tense situation.
Character Tics: Shares one with Neuvillette: at the end of their normal attack chains Wriothesley adjusts his tie and Neuvillette adjusts his jabot.
The Chessmaster: It's revealed that he always knew about the Fortress of Meropide having Fatui infiltrators based on their behavior and promptly disposed of them. When Lyney and his siblings arrived to continue investigating, he decided to monitor them but otherwise leave them to their devices under the assumption they were searching for Childe and that they'd be able to lead him to the missing Harbinger. Once they start digging into the "forbidden zone" however, he lays bait for him and the Traveler and effectively takes Lynette and Freminet hostage, having Sigewinne tranquilize the former and locking the latter out of the fortress when he tries investigating Childe's escape route... or so he claims. Unbeknownst to the Hotel Bouffes d'ete trio, the water around the Fortress of Meropide has started mixing with Primordial Seawater, and Freminet had unknowingly dived straight into it. Knowing Lyney would desperately chase after his sibling if he knew the danger, Wriothesley instead baits him into a confrontation to keep him from becoming another rescuee while sending Clorinde to save Freminet. Though these methods seem extreme, it's a good thing he was so thorough; Clorinde only barely saves Freminet and notes she wouldn't have been able to save two people.
Coat Cape: Like Yelan, he "wears" his coat over his shoulders.
Color-Coded Elements: Subverted; he has a Cryo Vision, but his color palette is predominantly red, gray, and black, giving him the appearance of a Pyro or Electro Vision user. Like Clorinde, the real hint of his Vision is his Icy Blue Eyes.
Covered with Scars: He has numerous prominent scars of unknown origin, most notably one under his eye, three vertical ones down his throat that look like claw marks from a large animal, and across his forearms. He never tells where he got most of them as he just brushes the question off with a joke.
"Hmm? Oh, the scar on my body? It's from a gash I got while battling a gigantic undersea monster that tried to take over the Fortress of Meropide... Hah, just kidding."
Crazy-Prepared: In case the prophecy ever comes true and the Primordial Sea does rise to consume all of Fontaine, Wriothesley's been working on a gigantic ship hidden beneath the Fortress of Meropide to ferry all of Fontaine's populace to safety. While the prophecy is successfully prevented, Fontaine is still flooded so the ship comes in useful during rescue operations shown in a cutscene.
Cruel Mercy: At the end of his Story Quest, Wriothesley decides to punish Dougier by not punishing him. This is actually worse because he will live the rest of his life in prison fearing a punishment or an attack at any moment, so he will have to live in constant fear for his safety, which is a poetic retribution for all the suffering he caused to his fellow inmates.
Cultured Badass: He is a seasoned underground fighter who landed in the Fortress of Meropide and assumed leadership of it. He also always has a soft spot for his tea time, which he serves in fancy porcelain, as seen in his office.
Custom Uniform: His outfit follows the same color scheme as the prison guards, but has significant alterations that distinguish him as the leader of the Fortress. He is the only prison staff who wears a fur-trimmed coat with red lining draped over his shoulders, a vest, a loose red necktie, wolf silver badges, and many belts and black bandages around his arms.
Cutscene Power to the Max: During the climax to the fourth act of the Fontaine Archon Quest, he stops the initial torrent of Primordial Seawater by freezing it with his punch, and when that doesn't last, he fires icicles to seal the isolation gate that holds the Seawater in the room and buy time until Neuvillette arrives. While he'd likely be able to do this if he was a normal Catalyst user, Wriothesley in gameplay is a Kung-Fu Wizard Close-Range Combatant with no ranged abilities.
Dark and Troubled Past: As a child, he was an orphan who was adopted by a couple who had many adopted children in an orphanage-like environment. Once those children were older, the couple would take them to the market to “sell them” to other people with no idea of what became of them, and those who weren't bought or found out the truth were “disposed of”. Once he discovered their activities as a teen, he murdered the couple to free the children, even though this caused him to be exiled in the Fortress in the process.
Dark Is Not Evil: His palette is dominantly red and black and he’s the administrator of an underwater prison, so before he's introduced one would probably think he would likely have a personality more like Diluc, but Wriothesley himself is an affable Reasonable Authority Figure who has made various reforms to the Fortress and turned it into a better place to live. His introduction during the main story demonstrates how respected he is in the Fortress and how his affable personality very much contrasts with his appearance. That doesn’t mean he can’t be ruthless when eliminating threats to the Fortress though, as Lyney would find out. And even then, as long as you don't genuinely piss him off, he's still relatively polite and affable, even inviting Lyney to tea to talk things over.
Deadpan Snarker: Wriothesley's rugged appearance belies his wry sense of humor. When Paimon asks if he plans to blow up the Fortress of Meropide to save Fontaine from the deluge of Primordial Seawater threatening to breach the Forbidden Zone, he jokingly agrees.
Difficult, but Awesome: Compared to Lyney and Neuvillette before him, Wriothesley's survivability is a bit harder to maintain due to his Close-Range Combatant nature, forcing players to keep an eye on his health so they'll know when to heal him, either through his "Vaunting Fist" or other means. However, provided you're careful, his nature as a Cryo Catalyst allows him to cause powerful Element Reactions like Melt and Freeze, with the high damage his Skill and passives allow him to deal personally further adding to his offensive potential.
Early-Bird Cameo: Appeared in the Overture Teaser: The Final Feast alongside the other members of the Fontaine cast before the release of the Fontaine Archon Quests.
Enemy Mine: It's suggested that he'd be willing to work with Arlecchino for his plan to save Fontaine's people if him demanding a meeting with her from Lyney in exchange for his siblings' safety is anything to go by.
Exotic Eye Designs: He has pale blue eyes with solid black pupils, as opposed to most characters' pupils, which are often the same color as their irises but in a darker shade. His pupils are also highlighted in yellow.
Extremity Extremist: Unlike fellow Kung-Fu Wizard Heizou, Wriothesley relies entirely on his fists without any kicks in his arsenal, owing to being a Boxing Battler.
Fight Clubbing: Wriothesley honed his skills in underground fights, but has since left that less-than-legal life behind. Those abilities are now one of many tools at his disposal for keeping order as the administrator of the Fortress of Meropide.
Foil:
- Wriothesley is what Lyney could have been without Arlecchino's intervention. Both are male Fontainians who dress in black and red, were orphans who were exploited by guardians connected to child traffickers, and have risen to become capable leaders in their respective organizations. However:
  - Lyney is a Pyro user while Wriothesley is An Ice Person.
  - In terms of appearance, Lyney is a slim youth who dresses somewhat femininely while Wriothesley is a rugged Hunk.
  - In gameplay, Lyney is a bow user while Wriothesley fights at close range with his boxing gloves.
  - Lyney has feline Animal Motifs while Wriothesley has a canine one.
  - Lyney is practically inseparable from his siblings while Wriothesley consciously decided not to reunite with his foster siblings after his incarceration to start afresh.
  - Their Arkhe alignments are the opposites. Lyney's is Pneuma, while Wriothesley is aligned to Ousia.
- 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/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 that 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.
  - Since Fontaine has inspiration from countries such as France, Italy, the 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 consomé, 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 tastes 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.
  - Their Arkhe alignments are the opposites. Neuvillette's is Pneuma, while Wriothesley is aligned to Ousia.
- As both Vison-holding staff of the Fortress of Meropide, Wriothesley couldn't be more different from Sigewinne.
  - Sigewinne's short stature, red eyes, and majorly green and white nurse's uniform contrasts with Wriothesley's Tall male model, Icy Blue Eyes, and black, dark grey, and red three-piece suit. Sigewinne's design is also very colorful, consisting of green, red, light blue, white and minor touches of purple and pink while Wriothesley has dark neutral shades and red.
  - Wriothesley fights with his gauntlets, while Sigewinne has her tranquilizer gun.
  - Wriothesley's imposing presence as the Duke belies a playful personality, while Sigewinne's childlike demeanor hides her cunning mind.
  - Their Animal Motifs are based on prey-predator animals. Sigewinne's rhinophores and curled tail resemble rabbit features, while Wriothesley has wolf motifs. Similarly, as a Melusine, Sigewinne has the characteristics of a sea slug while she and her kin make stickers depicting Wriothesley as a shark.
Full-Contact Magic: Similar to Heizou, he's technically a Catalyst user but fights using fisticuffs.
Gathering Steam: His fourth-ascension passive, There Shall Be a Reckoning for Sin, allows the Chilling Penalty state to gather up to five stacks of Prosecution Edict whenever his HP rises or falls, which provides a 6% Attack boost each (hence a maximum of 30%). In addition, his second Constellation upgrade, Shackles for the Arrogant, allows each stack to increase the power of his Burst by 40% (hence a maximum of 200%).
Genius Bruiser: Wriothesley is one of the more muscular characters, known for his incredible strength and talent as a boxer. It would be easy to underestimate his brilliance as the administrator of the Fortress of Meropide, which functions as an independent political entity and is responsible for much of Fontaine's meka production. But he quickly proves to be quite The Chessmaster, establishing himself as capable of outwitting the Fatui and having numerous plans of his own in motion.
Glass Cannon: Wriothesley dishes out some serious damage with his punches, and can empower them with his skill to hit even harder. In return, however, said empowerment consumes a percentage of his HP with every punch he lands, which can leave him vulnerable in a tight spot.
The Good King: He's chief warden of the Fortresss, but he has Duke as a title, his subjects refer to him as 'His Grace', and in practice he's the absolute monarch of the place. During his story quest, when the villain tries to appeal to the law against extrajudicial torture and killing, he makes it clear that as Duke, law is what he decides. Thankfully he's a Reasonable Authority Figure, otherwise the Fortress would be a hellhole on par with any Dystopia stories out there.
Good Is Not Soft:
- As mentioned under Dark Is Not Evil, Wriothesley is firmly on the side of good as seen with him taking active action against the Primordial Seawater threat. However, fitting a former criminal turned warden, he can resort to some pretty brutal methods to protect the integrity of the fortress as shown when he put the squeeze on Lyney by holding his siblings hostage and threatening their lives, shocking even The Traveler. However, it's later revealed Lynette was simply tranquilized and kept in a safe room by Sigewinne and Wriothesley sent Clorinde to rescue Freminet. Wriothesley was effectively distracting Lyney so he wouldn't try to go after Freminet and put himself in danger, albeit causing Lyney a lot of anguish.
- In his Story Quest, Wriothesley himself explains that he usually prefers to act as a Reasonable Authority Figure despite his near-limitless authority as the Duke of the Fortress of Meropide to positively influence the behavior of the Fortress as a whole. Nevertheless, Dougier's actions and cruelty cause him to hit his Rage Breaking Point, due to the circumstances mirroring elements of his own Dark and Troubled Past. After swiftly choke slamming him, Wriothesley coldly reminds Dougier that he has the power to dispose of him without answering to anyone if he decides so.
Ground Punch: He is the only Catalyst user who strikes the ground with his gauntlet fist for his landing animation upon making contact with the ground from a plunging attack.
Guys Smash, Girls Shoot: He has this dynamic with both Sigewinne and Clorinde. Wriothesley attacks mainly with his fists infused with Cryo energy, while both Clorinde and Sigewinne have guns in their arsenals. In Sigewinne's case, she has a tranquilizer gun, while Clorinde's main weapon is a gun that shoots Electro-infused bullets.
Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: He and Sigewinne are the two main leadership figures in Fortress of Meropide, with Sigewinne earning the inmates' trust by acting clueless, and Wriothesley imposing his authority from day 1. They are also very close friends.
Hunk: Though he does have a few shades of Pretty Boy due to his face, Wriothesley remains one of the more muscular male characters, and has some scars that emphasize his rugged look. Alongside Alhaitham and Itto, this especially puts him at odds with most of the playable male cast.
Icy Blue Eyes: Has pale blue eyes that fit his Cryo Vision.
Indy Hat Roll: After Clorinde blasted the gate controls to shut down the three isolation gates and stop the Primordial Seawater from leaking through, Wriothesley, who is being chased by the torrent, makes it through the final closing gate in this style.
Internal Reformist: He used to be a prisoner in the Fortress of Meropide and he made reforms to it by becoming its administrator. The current conditions in the Fortress are said to have improved so much that some of the convicted prefer remaining in prison rather than returning to the outside world.
"Kick Me" Prank: As a prank from Sigewinne and the Melusines, Wriothesley often finds cute hand-drawn stickers all over his belongings. In one of his voice lines, he asks the Traveler to take off the stickers if he happens to find some over himself, and in his idle animations, he is seen removing different stickers from his boxing gauntlets.
Klingon Promotion: Subverted. Wriothesley challenged the previous warden after the warden attempted to steal his fairly-earned credit coupons, but the previous warden fled rather than dare fight him, leaving Wriothesley to take over the Fortress anyway.
The Leader: He is in charge of Fortress of Meropide after just taking the position from the previous warden, and later takes it upon himself to gather resources and experts in different areas to solve problems under his command, making him a Levelheaded type who excels at tackling practical problems.
Honestly, my personal abilities are pretty limited. I got no talent in medicine, inventions, or ship-making. But what I do know how to do is find those people with those talents, and get 'em to come work for me.
Look Behind You: Defied. In Act 4, Wriothesley messes with Lyney during their confrontation by telling him that his sister, whom he had previously kidnapped, might just appear behind him if he looked. Lyney takes a moment to assess Wriothesley's potential intentions and correctly concludes that he is simply trying to bait him and Lynette is still alive.

M-Y

Man of Kryptonite: He’s a cryo catalyst user, meaning that all of his attacks will deal Cryo Damage. For this reason, he can keep Hydro Slimes, Hydro Abyss Mages, and other normal adversaries who are permanently shrouded in a hydro aura permanently frozen as he punches out their health.
Meaningful Rename: "Wriothesley" is the name he gave himself to cut himself off from his Dark and Troubled Past, which he found by chance upon an obituary of a successful old man.
Messy Hair: His hair is black and grey and full of spikes, more notably two in the shape of wolf ears.
Mirror Character:
- To Arlecchino. Both Fontainians have a red and black color scheme, murdered their abusive and exploitative foster parents, took over leadership of their respective organizations to become InternalReformist, and are spearheading their own initiative to save Fontaine from The Prophecy (Wriothesley is overseeing the construction of an ark while Arlecchino attempted to steal Focalors's Gnosis). However, Arlecchino has a Pyro vision while Wriothesley is a Cryo vision holder, and while Wriothesley seems suspicious but is ultimately a morally upright character, Arlecchino has been implied by both Childe and Scaramouche to be manipulative and completely insane behind her affable exterior. Their subordinates' (Lyney and Sigewinne) vision abilities also create a Fire/Water Juxtaposition.
- To Kaeya, as both are Cryo users with a playful sense of humor in front of the people close to them, and both have shady backgrounds before working for their Nation's Law Enforcement. Kaeya hails as a descent from Khaenri'ah and later joins the Knights of Favonius as Cavalry Captain and Wriothesley was a prisoner in the Fortress of Meropide before becoming its Chief Administrator, which despite being an autonomous territory, serves as the National Prison. Unlike Kaeya, who is fond of alcoholic beverages, Wriothesley prefers tea. As for their backstories, Kaeya was Happily Adopted and wasn't responsible for Crepus Ragnvindr's death, while Wriothesley discovered that his foster parents were selling children away or disposing of them, so he decided to kill them.
- To Heizou as both are Catalyst users with a fighting style based on physical contact, their clothes don't follow the usual Color-Coded Elements aesthetic, and both of them need the local beetles as Ascension Materials. Both work with the Law Enforcement of their respective Nations and have a witty sense of humor.
- He also shares some similarities with Kamisato Ayato. Both have nobility titles (Ayato is the Head of the Kamisato clan, and representative of the Yashiro Commission, while Wriothesley has recently been given the title of “Duke” in the Court of Fontaine in honor of his work at Fortress of Meropide), both have an eccentric sense of humor, and like drinking tea (Ayato is always seen with bubble tea, while Wriothesley loves tea). They both operate with hidden agendas for the benefit of their people, and manage to gather information through their subordinates or by themselves. However, Wriothesley would avoid Sigewinne’s weird smoothies in favor of his classic old teas, while Ayato would relish them the weirder they get.
- He also contrasts with Itto's archetype as the tall, muscular guys who are Reformed Criminals, are natural leaders of their respective groups, their combat styles are based on direct contact with their enemies, and their Ascension Materials include the local beetles from their Nations. Regarding their differences, Itto wields a Geo Vision and a claymore, while Wriothesley has a Cryo Vision and a catalyst. Despite both being orphans, Itto's past and antics are portrayed in a comedic light, and he was Happily Adopted by Granny Oni, while Wriothesley's past is serious and dramatic, was forced to murder his adoptive parents, and he tries to bury it the deepest. Itto is the leader of the Arataki Gang despite not being the most intelligent so he depends on Kuki Shinobu to keep them functioning, while Wriothesley uses his leadership skills to get talented people to work for him. Itto is clueless, immature, and a goofball, while Wriothesley is cunning, smart, and always focused on multitasking his duties.
Moveset Clone:
- Gameplay-wise, Wriothesley's skillset is fairly similar to the Wanderer's, minus the latter's ranged normal attacks. Both are catalyst wielders whose Elemental Skill is a stance that empowers their basic attacks for a duration and should they have their second Constellation unlocked, have an Elemental Burst that scales in potency based on the state of their Skill's stance.
- His Elemental Burst has a notable resemblance to Luka's from Honkai: Star Rail, as both shoot a powerful blast through a metal fist full of energy. Unlike Luka, whose arm is mechanical and powered by built-in rockets, Wriothesley's gauntlet only appears when he is about to shoot and is launched by his own Cryo energy.
Mr. Fanservice: A Hunk with very visible muscles and a pretty, yet scarred face. A lot of focus is also made on his big chest, arms, and butt.
Must Have Lots of Free Time: As noted by Paimon, Wriothesley is unusual in that they never seem to interrupt him while he's working. He is always available for a tour, lunch, or chat over tea. In response, he jokes that he hardly ever works. In reality, he is always on the clock, but has extremely flexible duties and enough skill at Xanatos Speed Chess to accommodate for distractions. He obscured this using humor, as it was too early to confess that he had worked the Traveler into his plans at the time.
Mundane Utility: As a Cryo Catalyst user whose normal attacks innately apply Cryo right in front of him, he can make effective use of "ice-bridging", being able to navigate bodies of water by repeatedly throwing hands.
Mythical Motifs: His Constellation is named and patterned after the three-headed guard dog of the Underworld in Classical Mythology. This perfectly matches his canine motif, and role as the head of the underwater prison where the (con)damned go. He and the other prisoners even refer to the Fortress of Meropide as the "underworld" and the surface of Fontaine as the "overworld."
Noble Male, Roguish Male: The Roguish to Neuvillette's Noble. Both are catalyst users who differ in how they use them in their combat styles. Wriothesley fights in close range and uses his elemental powers to enhance his punches, while Neuvillette keeps his distance to launch his elemental attacks. Both are good at keeping their real emotions under wraps, but while Neuvillette is mostly stoic and his sadness manifests through rain, Wriothesley keeps his cool with an affable personality and some dry humor, even in the middle of a tough situation.
Nonchalant Dodge: During the climax of Wriothesley's story quest, Dougier pulls out a pistol and fires multiple times while Wriothesley casually saunters towards him. He casually tilts his head to avoid one lucky bullet with a confident smirk before creating an ice shield to block the rest.
Not So Above It All: Around those Wriothesley trusts, he displays a more playful side, teasing a pair of researchers who act Like an Old Married Couple about their relationship status and making a Side Bet with Clorinde while at risk of being dissolved should they fail to contain the Primordial Seawater before Neuvillette arrives.
Odd Friendship: His dry sense of humor oddly makes him friends with deadpan people who get along with him.
- In a minor level, Sigewinne and him are on the same page when it comes to keep their keen natures under wraps, but Sigewinne is naturally kind and perky, while Wriothesley keeps an affable but stern front, which creates a notable contrast at first glance.
- He is shown to be good friends with Clorinde. Despite her almost emotionless personality, Wriothesley can work in perfect coordination with her and she gets on with his quips, even humoring him on Side Bets and playful banter.
- Despite his difficulty with social behavior, Neuvillette trusts him a big deal, having met him during Wriothesley's trial. Wriothesley has enough closeness with him to joke during the Primordial Seawater crisis and makes a habit of sending him tea baskets. In the epilogue of the 2024 Lantern Rite, Wriothesley is surprised when Neuvillette makes him a gift as a reference to the Legal Codices joke, especially because it was Neuvillette trying to be funny and nice at the same time, despite his awkwardness.
Power Fist: He fights using giant metal gauntlets powered by his Catalyst.
The Prankster: He tends to respond with some dry-humor jokes, and in one of his voice lines, he thinks that he might have been a bad influence on Sigewinne as she and some Melusines have taken the habit of leaving stickers on his clothes as a prank.
Punched Across the Room: His Burst is a powerful right-handed punch enhanced with the mechanical gauntlet that launches icicles on foes in front of him, as well as launches a follow-up Ousia-aligned strike.
Rank Scales with Asskicking: According to the other inmates, Wriothesley used to be another prisoner who slowly started to climb his way up as the leader of the Fortress of Meropide.
Rags to Riches: Zig-zagged. As an inmate, Wriothesley steadily accumulated enough Credit Coupons to become the richest within the Fortress... until the previous administrator confiscated all of his wealth. Wriothesley responded by challenging the administrator to a duel to get it back, and when the latter fled he simply took over as the Fortress' new head.
Real Men Eat Meat: His Specialty Dish "Secret Sauce BBQ Ribs" is a spin on Barbeque Ribs. If the dish's description is to go by, he is quite good at cooking meat and making it sound extreme.
"Soon after kicking out his subordinates with the excuse, 'Feel free to leave, but I'm staying! Things are heating up in here, and it could blow!', a meatastic delicacy greets your eyes. A full-bodied sauce slathered over flaky skin brings an extraordinary double blast of deliciousness, though as you taste it, it does seem to be practically identical to a condiment that has become awfully popular recently..."
Reasonable Authority Figure:
- He rules the Fortress of Meropide with a strict set of rules (including the "secret rules") and is ruthless in dealing with the Fortress’ enemies, but he is willing to bend and give some extra courtesy to the Traveler and Paimon because they were sent by Neuvillette. He can also jump protocols if the safety of everyone inside is at risk.
- In his Teaser Trailer, Wriothesley goes personally to take a prisoner to the Fortress and pretends to be a colleague in front of his daughter before social services take her. After she leaves, the man cries and thanks him for letting him say goodbye to his daughter one last time, Wriothesley clarifies that his empathy is for the little girl since he knows that learning that her father is a criminal would break her.
- In his Story Quest, he says that the easiest way to keep order in the Fortress would be to impose his authority with an iron fist, but he prefers to set an example amongst the inmates and guards by being fair himself. Then he makes it clear to Dougier that if he wanted to dispose of anyone, he wouldn’t need to justify his actions or respond to nobody, knowing well that people like him can’t be swayed by reason.
Reduced Mana Cost: Played with. If he has unlocked his first-ascension passive (see "Situational Sword" below), his charged attacks see a negated Stamina cost if he has the Gracious Rebuke effect.
Reformed Criminal: In the past, he was exiled to the Fortress of Meropide after his murder of his foster parents, but rose to the leadership of the Fortress. He’s now collaborating with Fontaine’s authority to maintain order and peace.
The Runaway: As a child, Wriothesley escaped from his foster home for his survival after finding out that his guardians were Human Traffickers who wouldn't hesitate to dispose of him if they ever caught him for finding out the truth.
Running Gag: Most of the jokes around Wriothesley have him offering anyone a cup of tea, to the point that Neuvillette and Clorinde often try to guess if he is going to have something related to tea.
Screw the Rules, I Make Them!: Wriothesley prefers to abide by the rules as a Reasonable Authority Figure who treats everyone justly and fairly, but he makes it clear to Dougier if he personally wants someone dead, he doesn't need to justify it.
Secretly Selfish: A downplayed, comedic case. Wriothesley is very quick to offer people tea, ostensibly to be nice and show his hospitality. When he extends such an offer to Clorinde, she calls him on how he really just wants to have tea himself and is only offering her some to give himself an excuse to break out a fresh pot. He's somewhat amused that she's on to him.
Self-Made Orphan: Wriothesley never knew his biological parents and he ended up killing his foster parents after learning of their involvement with a human trafficking ring.
Self-Made Man: His character's journey through prison wasn't an easy one. He had to work hard to get his first coupons, then got in a lot of fights with other inmates, gaining a lot of scars. When he finally challenges the prison warden and wins, he takes the position and starts to reinforce his authority among the Fortress' population.
Shipper on Deck: Repeatedly teases Jurieu and Lourvine, the two technicians working on his flying ship, that they are "using their work as a cover for their relationship". Both insist every time they are not a couple. Wriothesley's teasing is soon joined by other characters like Paimon, the Traveler and Charlotte.
Side Bet: With Clorinde from all people. While waiting for Neuvillette to arrive, they made a bet on whether Neuvillette would arrive with an entourage or alone. Wriothesley won.
Significant Birth Date: His listed birthday is not his biological birthday, but rather the day he was put on trial and sentenced to the Fortress of Meropide to symbolize his rebirth from his Dark and Troubled Past.
Situational Sword: His first-ascension passive, There Shall Be a Plea for Justice, grants him a stack of Gracious Rebuke whenever his HP falls to no more than 60% (with at least 5-second intervals), which upgrade his next charged attack into Rebuke: Vaulting Fist, negating its Stamina cost, providing a 50% boost to its damage output, and healing him for worth 30% of his Max HP. In addition, his first Constellation upgrade, Terror for the Evildoers, allows him to obtain a stack after five Chilling Penalty-enhanced punches, halves its activation interval to 2.5 seconds, quadruples the damage multipler to 200%, and adds four seconds to the duration of Chilling Penalty should his strikes connect at least once, while his fourth enhances the healing to 50%.
Starting a New Life: Wriothesley saw his exile to the Fortress of Meropide as an opportunity to be "reborn" from his Dark and Troubled Past, going so far as to change his original name and birthday on official documentation during the process of his sentencing.
Status Buff: Apart from enhancing the healing potency of his enhanced charged attack (see "Situational Sword" above), his fourth Constellation upgrade, Redemption for the Suffering, provides a boost to attacking speed whenever his healing surpasses his Max HP—either 20% for himself for four seconds if he is on-field, or 10% to the party for six seconds otherwise.
Stealth Pun: Wriothesley is the Duke of the Fortress of Meropide who fights with his fists and was formerly an underground pugilist. 'Dukes' can refer to fists and to 'duke it out' means to get into a fight.
Super Mode: His Skill puts Wriothesley in the Chilling Penalty state, where for ten seconds he gains heightened flinching resistance as well as powers up his punches in exchange for consuming some HP (see "Cast from Hit Points" above).
Sympathetic Murder Backstory: In his story quest, Wriothesley's crime is finally revealed. He explains that he was one of many orphans adopted by a couple, who would eventually arrange for the children to be adopted by more affluent families. But as a teenager, Wriothesley discovered that his foster parents were actually part of a human trafficking operation, responsible for preparing children to be sold to the highest bidder. Those that didn't sell or otherwise caused problems were killed, a fate Wriothesley escaped by killing them and setting all the children free. While he admits that his actions were extreme, his actions are presented as perhaps illegal but not necessarily wrong. According to Neuvillette's documents of his case, Wriothesley immediately declared himself guilty before a proper trial since he was conscious of his actions and the consequences.
Tall, Dark, and Snarky: He is the tallest of the Fontaine cast, prominently dresses in dark colors, and peppers his speech with quips.
Tea Is Classy: He has a fondness for tea and holds the title of "Duke".
Toxic Friend Influence: Played for Laughs. In his voice lines, Wriothesley worries that he might have been a bad influence on Sigewinne and the other Melusines by teaching them how to make pranks, which resulted in them putting hand-drawn stickers all over his belongings.
Trademark Favorite Food: Tea. Wriothesley is constantly asking others if they'd like to share tea with him and sends people he wants to gain favor with tea baskets.
- In his teaser scene in "Final Feast", he grabs his teacup despite Sigewinne trying to make him take her smoothie.
- In the Archon Quest aftermath, Navia tells Clorinde that Wriothesley also invited her for a cup of tea and they ended up drinking two entire teapots.
- In his voice-over lines, Wriothesley specifically mentions that he likes his coffee with milk, and drinks his tea with two cubes of sugar.
Upgrade Artifact: A pair of variants.
- His third and fifth Constellation upgrades, Punishment for the Frauds and Mercy for the Wronged, add three levels to, respectively, his Skill and Burst.
- His sixth, Esteem for the Innocent, boosts the Critical Rate and Damage of his enhanced charged attack by, respectively, 10% and 80%, as well as augments it with an extra icicle with damage equivalent to said attack.
Vague Age: Wriothesley is implied to be somewhere in his late 20s to early 40s. He was incarcerated as a teenager, and received the title of Duke when "his age had nearly doubled". His introductory post then indicates he met Callas in person as the Duke before the latter's death three years before the events of Chapter IV.
Weapon Specialization: Wriothesley's debut banner ran concurrent with that for Cashflow Supervision (5★), whose Ascension substat is Critical Rate (4.8–22.1%), and whose "Golden Blood-Tide" passive boosts its wielder's Attack stat by 16–32% and grants up to three stacks of a four-second-long damage boost to their normal and charged attacks whenever their HP rises or falls (by, respectively, 16–32% and 14–28%, hence a maximum of 48–96% and 42–84%), in addition to attacking speed by 8–16% if they have three stacks. This further powers up his Skill, which already increases his damage output at the cost of some HP, as well as complements his fourth-ascension passive (and, to some extent, his first, which gives him a self-healing option).
Wouldn't Hurt a Child: Discussed. In Wriothesley's character lines, he suspects Arlecchino sent Lyney and Lynette to the Fortress of Meropide knowing he'd be less inclined to deal with them in the same way he'd formerly dealt with her agents due to their age. Given his backstory where he was forced to kill his foster parents as a teenager to protect himself as well as free the other foster children, this makes sense. While he threatens Lyney with the safety of his siblings to force him to bring Arlecchino to him, he otherwise never causes any actual harm to befall them and even actively collaborates with Clorinde to rescue Freminet from the contaminated seawater surrounding the Fortress.
Xanatos Speed Chess: While he is no doubt a brilliant strategist all around, Wriothesley admits that he is not omnipotent. Nevertheless, he makes up for it with keen and constant observation and quickly formulates a new plan whenever his Plan A falls through.
- He only realized the Hotel Bouffes d'ete trio's true objectives later on in the Archon Quest. When it became apparent that they were not only investigating Tartaglia's disappearance but also the secret behind the Fortress of Meropide, he baited Lyney and Lynette into a trap to distract them.
- The Traveler interrupted Wriothesley during an operation by finding a replacement for a hat that Wriothesley had taken from a Beret Society member. He had been examining the hat due to suspicions that their leader was coercing members of the society into obedience. The Traveler's good deed blew any hope of remaining covert under the water, as the owner of the hat would no longer be able to hide. In response, Wriothesley gave back the hat and took the Traveler on a tour of the Beret Society's supposed base, exploiting the Traveler's 100% Heroism Rating to convince Beret Society members of the honest intentions of his investigation. This allowed the Duke to operate openly when he wasn't able to beforehand.
You Are in Command Now: He became the Fortress of Meropide's Administrator by challenging the previous administrator to a duel after the latter cruelly stripped away a small fortune Wriothesley had amassed in the fighting ring. Rather than face him down, the previous administrator fled. As it so happens, that was the day Wriothesley was scheduled to be released. Wriothesley simply walked into an empty office and assumed the relevant responsibilities. Given the previous administrator was pointedly callous to everyone from prisoners to guards, no one complained.

Characters / Genshin Impact: Wriothesley

Duke Wriothesley

Introduced: October 17, 2023 (v4.1 "To the Stars Shining in the Depths" [second half])
Voiced By: Liu Beichen (Chinese), Daisuke Ono (Japanese), Kwon Chang-wook (Korean), Joe Zieja (English)

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Characters / Genshin Impact: Wriothesley

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Duke Wriothesley

Introduced: October 17, 2023 (v4.1 "To the Stars Shining in the Depths" [second half])Voiced By: Liu Beichen (Chinese), Daisuke Ono (Japanese), Kwon Chang-wook (Korean), Joe Zieja (English)

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Index

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Introduced: October 17, 2023 (v4.1 "To the Stars Shining in the Depths" [second half])
Voiced By: Liu Beichen (Chinese), Daisuke Ono (Japanese), Kwon Chang-wook (Korean), Joe Zieja (English)