Ajaw
Last updated 2026-09-10
K'uhul Ajaw is Kinich's companion and one of the Thirteen Sovereign Lords.[5]
He is an NPC exclusive to quests and events who first appears in the Archon Quest Natlan! A New Adventure in Chapter V: Act I - Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn.
In combat, Ajaw assists Kinich when called upon by Kinich's Elemental Skill, Canopy Hunter: Riding High and Elemental Burst, Hail to the Almighty Dragonlord. Ajaw's assistance includes firing Loop Shots, transforming into a Scalespiker Cannon, serving as an intermediary grappling hook, and directly attacking enemies alongside Kinich during the latter's Elemental Burst.
In ancient times, Ajaw was likely Aj Imuch' Paxlaq Lahun, the Tenth Lord and also known by the title "Undying Wings of Lofty Isolation."[Note 1]
Profile
According to the Saurian Relics Association, Ajaw is a bona fide relic from the era of dragons dating back several millennia. In reality, Ajaw was the Tenth of the Thirteen Sovereign Lords who presided over one of the thirteen regions of Natlantea.[6][Note 1] Even in his present state, Ajaw still regards himself as a sovereign ruler and declares as such to anyone he talks to. However, he has refused to divulge his precise identity among the Thirteen Lords, and Citlali speculates that he himself no longer remembers due to having been weakened over the millennia.[5]
Personality
Ajaw is childishly cruel, short-tempered and arrogant to an exaggerated degree. He makes a habit of selfishly mocking and insulting everyone he meets, though in a manner closer to an angry, bratty child than true sadism and his threats have very little merit due to being unable to take any actions without Kinich's command. His constant belittling of others and outright profanity has led to most of Natlan having an intensely negative view of him, describing him as "vulgar" and in some cases viewing it as a problem with Kinich himself. He also is very mischievous such as attempting to get Kinich killed so he can take his body, and once attempting to prank Paimon into jumping off a cliff. Despite his abrasive personality, though, many have simply learned to ignore him and few take his insults too seriously, as his general immaturity and inability to act on his own render him little more than a nuisance to most.
However he has a few somewhat positive interactions; he possesses a begrudging respect for Kinich and seems to view him as something akin to a friend, he came as close as he's ever come to complimenting someone when speaking to the Traveler before they set out to fight Gosoythoth, and is frightened enough by Mavuika to keep quiet when she tells him off. And, like most of Natlan and his fellow dragons, Ajaw despises the Abyss and gladly eradicates any of its spawn whenever given the chance.
Cacucu, Ifa's Saurian companion, has perhaps the most positive opinion of him, calling him a "funny one" who chokes half to death on his own anger after a few words. Furthermore, he states that despite his desire to be free of the contract, Ajaw wouldn't survive a day by himself and needs Kinich.
Appearance
As Ajaw is a digital lifeform, he has a flat, pixelated body that can be reshaped at will. As Natlantea's history has been lost to time, many people are unaware of his true origins and believe he is a special type of Saurian.
Ajaw has a small yellow body with detached yellow hands, a white stomach, and a striped yellow and green tail that can curl into itself. He also has green hair and back scales. He wears a pair of black sunglasses, through which his green eyes are assumed to be seen.[7] This form is maintained through Phlogiston.
When angered, Ajaw's glasses become larger, his hair and back scales spike up, his tail erects and straightens and both his head and hands turn a red-orange hue.
During Kinich's Elemental Burst, Hail to the Almighty Dragonlord, Ajaw appears in his true form as a more intimidating, noticeably three-dimensional pixelated dragon: his body becomes completely black, while also sporting green wings and claws. His eyes also become red as he launches Dendro-based fire at enemies. This form is sealed within an engraved wristband that Kinich wears on his left wrist due to their contract.
Quests and Events
Archon Quests
- Chapter V
- Act I: Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn
- Act IV: The Rainbow Destined to Burn
- Interlude: All Fires Fuel the Flame
- Act V: Incandescent Ode of Resurrection
- Song of the Welkin Moon
Story Quests
Tribal Chronicles
Anecdotes
Events
- Emblem of Steadfast Valor
- Tournament of Glory in Bloom
- Act I: For Our Saurian Companion
- Act III: Spell of Unity
- Whirling Waltz
- Act I: An Overnight Fantasyland
- Act II: A Series of Twists and Turns
- Act III: The Price of Every Price
Web Events
Story
Aj Imuch' Paxlaq Lahun Ch'ule-L was the Tenth of the Thirteen Sovereign Lords,[6][Note 1] forms of artificial intelligence created by the Pyro Dragon Xiuhcoatl, that ruled Natlantea when dragons roamed the land.[5]
After the invasion of Teyvat by the Heavenly Principles and the defeat of the Seven Sovereigns, with Xiuhcoatl imprisoned within lava he, alongside his fellow Sovereign Lords and Kukulkan, attempted to replicate the miracle of moon forging and reach the worlds beyond Teyvat. However, upon Nibelung's return, Xiuhcoatl awoke from his feigned death and stopped the Thirteen Lords and Kukulkan from continuing their attempt.[8]
After the War of Funerary Flame, Xiuhcoatl and the Thirteen Lords managed to take back control over the region of Natlantea. The Thirteen Lords actively oppressed the human tribes, leading to rebellion. Eventually, the human twins Ixquieh and Ahpub, who lived within Imuch's domain, decided to take action. The twins manipulated his conceited nature to distract him, and shot him from the sky with a blowdart. The twins imitated the jade token of Ix Je'lal K'ua'l Ka', the Second Lord, to trick Imuch' into letting down his guard; Imuch' was made to drink an elixir which stripped him of his power, and then sealed within a wristband. The wristband was buried in a ruin beneath the mountains with Imuch' alive inside it, and would remain there for over 2,000 years.[9][6][Note 1]
The ruin was unearthed during an earthquake, but many people perished trying to reach him. Kinich, who had been invited on one of these teams, managed to reach the end of the ruin and discovered Imuch', who then introduced himself to him as "K'uhul Ajaw". In his conversations with him, Kinich realized that Ajaw was not only evil and powerful, but also clear-minded and would pose a threat if not controlled. Kinich decided to negotiate with Ajaw over the course of several days — Ajaw, wishing to leave and see the outside world, agreed to do so under the condition that he would take Kinich's body once he had passed away. In return, he would be Kinich's companion and would lend his powers to him on a limited, restricted basis. Nonetheless, Ajaw did not like the contract, and would often try to get Kinich killed in order to be free of it, though Kinich paid his attempts little mind.[10]
During one Night Warden War, Kinich and Ajaw fought against the Abyss, and his party fell to the monsters, who had devised new tactics. As Kinich was surrounded by monsters and badly wounded, Ajaw gave dignified solemnity, something which he had never given him before and promised to avenge his death. Kinich continued to fight until a claw tore through his chest, after which he collapsed and seemingly died. Ajaw closed his eyes in respect, but soon saw a Dendro Vision appear from his wound. When Kinich came to afterwards, Ajaw vented his anger on him, upset that his chance to acquire Kinich's body had narrowly slipped him.[11]
When Kachina arrived at the Stadium of the Sacred Flame with the Traveler and Paimon, Ajaw began to yell at Kachina, claiming that she was wasting his, Mualani and Kinich's time with her late arrival despite the fact that she had arrived with complete strangers. This prompted Kinich to throw him into "timeout" when he arrived, slapping him all the way to the sky, though it did little for him. The following day, Kinich, who was leading Mualani's team in her place, was eliminated from the Pilgrimage of the Return of the Sacred Flame. Ajaw laughed at his failure, claiming that it was the taste of karma with more to come, prompting Kinich to throw him back into timeout again.[12]
Later on, the Traveler and Paimon would seek several Yumkasaur Whelps under Huni and Toba's request, running into one of the whelps with Ajaw. Ajaw revealed that their mother had succumbed to an Abyss influence and could confirm that there was an incident related with it.[13] Later on, when Kinich confronted Enjou (under his alias Sanka), Ajaw began to insult the Abyss Lector, though Enjou paid little heed to his insults.[14]
As part of a deal with Enjou, Ajaw would spend a few days with the Lector for "behavior" lessons, being fairly uninterested until Enjou remarked on how those who had the Turnfire name suffered a horrible death. He would make a deal with Enjou to claim Kinich's body after his deal with him was done, but this was later revealed to be a ruse planned by Kinich and Ajaw in order to draw Enjou out, so the Traveler could interrogate him about the Abyss Order, since Ajaw despised the Abyss.[15]
In the aftermath of the Abyss invasion, Ajaw accompanied Kinich to the Stadium of Sacred Flame to help out with the Traveler's own Ancient Name. Upon arrival, Ajaw scolded both the Traveler and Paimon for taking their time, prompting Kinich to fling him into timeout, much to their amusement. Kinich told them that the two had arrived shortly before they did.[16]
Ajaw later accompanied Kinich to a feast in the People of the Springs, though he caused havoc, claiming that he was too hot and rested in a bucket of ice meant for it.[17] He tried to run away from Mualani and Kachina, but Mavuika put an end to his antics and forced him to assist.[17] At the end of the feast, he was trapped in a box.[17] When the Traveler entered the Night Kingdom to eliminate the threat within, Ajaw told them that if they were to die, they would do so with no regrets, which Kinich said was the best he was going to give as a compliment.[18] When they returned victorious, Ajaw wondered why everyone was focused on the Traveler and not him.[19]
When Ororon was delivering vegetables to the People of the Springs, he was accompanied by Cacucu. They ran into Ajaw, and the two Saurians quickly got into an argument, lasting for an entire afternoon, with Ajaw resorting to shouting "no you!" in response to anything Cacucu said.
Ajaw would later accompany Kinich to Fontaine to investigate an international smuggling case. Because they had arrived on the first few days of the new month with Fontainian law prohibiting flying objects in said days, Ajaw, who classified as one, was forced to hide to avoid getting in trouble. He would later meet Navia, who offered to shake hands with him, much to his surprise, though he recomposed himself and was pleased with her mannerisms, telling Kinich that he needed to act better. Later on, when they confronted the mastermind behind the case, Angoulvant, Kinich recognized him as an impulsive gambler and became angered at his attempts to deflect responsibility. He allowed Ajaw to "shut him up," and Ajaw began thrashing Angoulvant with glee before the man was taken away by the Maison Gardiennage.
After Kinich was commissioned by a group of merchants from Nod-Krai to look for Ineffa, he eventually ran into the automaton by chance at Xilonen's workshop. Ajaw became unusually quiet upon seeing Ineffa, having sensed the presence of a Sovereign Lord within her. Kinich confronted him over it after leaving the group, but Ajaw instead claimed that he was stupefied from his actions. Privately, he wondered if she was actually who he thought it was before shrugging it off, believing that it wasn't his problem. Due to his quietness, Kinich had him placed in timeout for three days before attempting to interrogate him with Ifa. Out of frustration, Ajaw mentioned the phrase "sovereign ruler", which Citlali relayed to the Traveler at the Flower-Feather Clan. She was also curious as to which Dragonlord he was, but Ajaw refused to share, and she remarked that he was not in his prime and likely forgot too.[20][5]
Character Mentions
Character Stories
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Character Voice-Overs
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Mails
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Trivia
- In-game, K'uhul Ajaw means "Divine Lord."[10]
- During the World Quest Open Your Heart to Me, Ixlel remarks that the other Sovereign Lords would say "destruction is our destined path," with the ruby text glossing 'destined' as "K'uhul." It is possible that this is the basis of Ajaw's current name.
- Ajaw enjoys fruit juice.
- Kinich is a regular supplier of high quality fruit for Iansan, and he routinely turns fruit that do not make the grade into juice for Ajaw.[21]
- When Kinich offers Quenepa and Cacahuatl Juice to the Traveler, Ajaw immediately becomes excited and is enraged when Kinich deliberately delays the making of the juice by telling the Traveler its backstory.[22]
- During Kinich's Character Teaser, Ajaw can be seen enjoying a pixelated glass of unidentified liquid with what appears to be a slice of citrus fruit on the edge of the glass.
- Once, the Sacred Seat of Judgment states that ten of the Thirteen Lords fell during Xbalanque's attack on the Sacred City of Tollan, and confirms that only one other than the Ninth Lord was left alive in the present day. According to the Sovereign Rulers' Council Records, No.: B-CL-13097, the Sixth and Tenth Lords had already fallen prior, with the former having been killed, and the latter imprisoned alive in the mountains by humans, matching the narrative in Ring of Yaxche. With the description for the Tenth Lord's fall matching the circumstances under which K'uhul Ajaw was found in Kinich's Character Story 5, in addition to all other Lords being stated as having fallen and presumably deceased, this strongly implies that Ajaw's true identity is that of the Tenth Lord.
- The Fourth Lord may be an alternate potential candidate for Ajaw's identity. According to the Sovereign Rulers' Council Records, No.: B-CL-13097, the Fourth Lord lived on a citadel atop the high cliffs. According to Kinich's Companion Dialogue, Ajaw also lived in a castle at the highest point in the nation. Additionally, Aj Awaj K'umilal Kan (Chinese: 阿·阿瓦乔·库穆勒坎)'s name is similar to Ajaw; now, while it is stated in Smoldering that Ajaw no longer remembers his true identity, and as such it is probable that "Ajaw" is not his real name, making it "unlikely" that there are any ties between this name and the Fourth Lord's name of "Awaj", it is most probably his lack of memory is a lie told by Ajaw, which is backed up by Kinich punishing Ajaw at the end of Searing and saying "...Seems like Ajaw's forgotten quite a lot" with "Forgotten" in quotation marks in other languages except English for unknown reasons.
- The Chinese transcription of "Awaj" in the name Aj Awaj K'umilal Kan has certain peculiarities that most of the other lords' names do not have:
- Based on the other lords' names, final consonants in their names that cannot be final consonants in Chinese are generally carried over to the next word if it begins with a vowel. For example, Aj Imuch' is transcribed as if it were A Jimuch'. As such, Aj Awaj should have been transcribed as if it were A Jawaj. Instead, it is transcribed as if it were A Awaj.
- However, Ajkotz'i'j Iq'ismal (from the name of the Eighth Lord) shares this discrepancy, as it is transcribed as if it were Ajkotz'i Iq'ismal instead of Ajkotz'i' Jiq'ismal.
- The phoneme /x/, represented by the letter j, is inconsistently transcribed into Chinese using pinyin j, q, x, and h for no clear reason. Word-final /x/ in particular has been transcribed for the other lords' names using not only 乔 qiáo but also 加 jiā (Nimalaj) and 赫 hè (Raq'lapuj). As such, the usage of 乔 qiáo has a chance of being a deliberate choice.
- Based on the other lords' names, final consonants in their names that cannot be final consonants in Chinese are generally carried over to the next word if it begins with a vowel. For example, Aj Imuch' is transcribed as if it were A Jimuch'. As such, Aj Awaj should have been transcribed as if it were A Jawaj. Instead, it is transcribed as if it were A Awaj.
- The Chinese transcription of "Awaj" in the name Aj Awaj K'umilal Kan has certain peculiarities that most of the other lords' names do not have:
- The Fourth Lord may be an alternate potential candidate for Ajaw's identity. According to the Sovereign Rulers' Council Records, No.: B-CL-13097, the Fourth Lord lived on a citadel atop the high cliffs. According to Kinich's Companion Dialogue, Ajaw also lived in a castle at the highest point in the nation. Additionally, Aj Awaj K'umilal Kan (Chinese: 阿·阿瓦乔·库穆勒坎)'s name is similar to Ajaw; now, while it is stated in Smoldering that Ajaw no longer remembers his true identity, and as such it is probable that "Ajaw" is not his real name, making it "unlikely" that there are any ties between this name and the Fourth Lord's name of "Awaj", it is most probably his lack of memory is a lie told by Ajaw, which is backed up by Kinich punishing Ajaw at the end of Searing and saying "...Seems like Ajaw's forgotten quite a lot" with "Forgotten" in quotation marks in other languages except English for unknown reasons.
Etymology
- K'uhul Ajaw means "divine lord" in several Mayan languages. It is a variant of the Maya title Ajaw.
- Ajaw is also part of the Yucatecan naming system for part of the Mayan calendar.
- 4 Ajaw 8 Cumku is considered to be the date of the universe's creation, according to the Mayan calendar's "long count" system (the Gregorian equivalent being August 11th, 3114 BC).
- Ajaw is also part of the Yucatecan naming system for part of the Mayan calendar.
- Aj Imuch' Paxlaq Lahun Ch'ule-L also comes from the Mayan languages.
- Aj (Mayan: aj) means "man." It is the "male prefix" used to form male titles. It is related to the title Ajaw (Mayan: ajaw).
- Imuch' (Kʼicheʼ: imuchʼ) means "darkness."
- Paxlaq (Kʼicheʼ: paxlaq) means "immortal," and is also a name for the ever-living tree, as well as Helichrysum italicum.
- Lahun (Yucatec: lahun) means "ten."
- Chu'ule-L (Mayan Tzeltal: Chʼulel) means "essence" or "soul." It is the inner, individual soul which has thirteen parts and is centered in the heart.
Notes
Other Languages
K'uhul Ajaw
| Language | Official Name |
|---|---|
| English | K'uhul Ajaw |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 库胡勒阿乔 Kùhúlè Āqiáo |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 庫胡勒阿喬 Kùhúlè Āqiáo |
| Japanese | クフル・アハウ Kufuru Ahau |
| Korean | 쿠훌 아쥬 Kuhul Ajyu |
| Spanish | K'uhul Ahau |
| French | K'uhul Ajaw |
| Russian | Кухул Ахав Kukhul Akhav |
| Thai | K'uhul Ajaw |
| Vietnamese | K'uhul Ajaw |
| German | K’uhul Ajaw |
| Indonesian | K'uhul Ajaw |
| Portuguese | K'uhul Ajaw |
| Turkish | K'uhul Ajaw |
| Italian | K'uhul Ajaw |
Aj Imuch' Paxlaq Lahun
| Language | Official Name |
|---|---|
| English | Aj Imuch' Paxlaq Lahun |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 阿・希穆赫・帕卡拉浑 Ā Xīmùhè Pàkǎlāhún |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 阿・希穆赫・帕卡拉渾 Ā Xīmùhè Pàkǎlāhún |
| Japanese | ア・イムチ・パクラフン A Imuchi Pakurafun |
| Korean | 아흐・이무치・팍슬라크라훈 Aheu Imuchi Pakseullakeurahun |
| Spanish | Aj Imuch' Paxlaq Lahun |
| French | Aj Imuch' Paxlaq Lahun |
| Russian | Ах Имуч Пашлак Лахун Akh Imuch Pashlak Lakhun |
| Thai | Aj Imuch' Paxlaq Lahun |
| Vietnamese | Aj Imuch' Paxlaq Lahun |
| German | Aj Imuch’ Paxlaq Lahun |
| Indonesian | Aj Imuch' Paxlaq Lahun |
| Portuguese | Aj Imuch' Paxlaq Lahun |
| Turkish | Aj Imuch' Paxlaq Lahun |
| Italian | Aj Imuch' Paxlaq Lahun |
Undying Wings of Lofty Isolation
| Language | Official Name | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English | Undying Wings of Lofty Isolation | — |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 不凋的孤高之翼 Bùdiāo de Gūgāo zhī Yì | Unwithering Solitary Wings |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 不凋的孤高之翼 Bùdiāo de Gūgāo zhī Yì | |
| Japanese | 不滅なる孤高の翼 Fumetsu-naru Kokou no Tsubasa | Immortalized Solitary Wings |
| Korean | 시들지 않는 고고한 날개 Sideulji Anneun Gogohan Nalgae | Unwithering Solitary Wings |
| Spanish | Alas Imperecederas del Aislamiento Elevado | Imperishable Wings of Lofty Isolation |
| French | Ailes éternelles de l'isolement sublime | Undying Wings of Sublime Isolation |
| Russian | Нетленные Крылья Одиночества Netlennyye Kryl'ya Odinochestva | Imperishable Wings of Solitude |
| Thai | ปีกแห่งความทระนงที่ไม่มีวันโรย Pik haeng Khwam-thra-nong thi Mai-mi Wan-roi | Wings of Pride That Never Withers |
| Vietnamese | Đôi Cánh Cô Độc Bất Khuất | Unyielding Solitary Wings |
| German | Der unsterbliche einsame Flügel | The Undying Lonely Wing |
| Indonesian | Sayap Abadi Isolasi Tak Gugur | Eternal Wings of Unfalling Isolation |
| Portuguese | As Asas Solitárias e Eternas | The Solitary and Eternal wings |
| Turkish | Yüce Yalnızlığın Ölümsüz Kanatları | Undying Wings of LOfty Loneliness |
| Italian | Ali immortali dell'isolamento eccelso | Undying Wings of Lofty Isolation |
Change History
References
- ↑ YouTube: Ignition Teaser: A Name Forged in Flames (Video Description)
- ↑ Bilibili: 《原神》引燃PV——「以燔燎铸名」 (Video Description)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Twitter: KR & JP VA Announcement
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Archon Quest, Song of the Welkin Moon, Prelude - The Journey Home, Part 2: Smoldering
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Archon Quest, Song of the Welkin Moon, Prelude - The Journey Home, Part 2: Smoldering
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Interactable, Chamber of Deliberation: Sovereign Rulers' Council Records No.: B-CL-13097
- ↑ Ororon's Character Story: Snack Box
Ororon would generally ignore the things he said, dangling food in front of him and watching Ajaw's eyes follow its motion from behind his sunglasses (...That pair of shiny dots must be his eyes? Right?). - ↑ Weapon: Fractured Halo
- ↑ Weapon: Ring of Yaxche
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Kinich's Character Story: Character Story 5
- ↑ Kinich's Character Story: Vision
- ↑ Archon Quest, Chapter V, Act I - Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn, Part 3: Home of the Hot Springs
- ↑ Tribal Chronicles, Yupanqui's Turnfire, Act I: A Mysterious Visitor From Huitztlan
- ↑ Tribal Chronicles, Yupanqui's Turnfire, Act II: A Hero's Rite
- ↑ Tribal Chronicles, Yupanqui's Turnfire, Act III - Kinich's Deal, Part 2: I, Flame Bearer
- ↑ Archon Quest, Chapter V, Interlude - All Fires Fuel the Flame, Part 1: For the Same Land
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Archon Quest, Chapter V, Act V - Incandescent Ode of Resurrection, Part 2: As the Sun Rises and Sets
- ↑ Archon Quest, Chapter V, Act V - Incandescent Ode of Resurrection, Part 3: Journey of Stars and Flames
- ↑ Archon Quest, Chapter V, Act V - Incandescent Ode of Resurrection, Part 5: When All Becomes a Monument
- ↑ Archon Quest, Song of the Welkin Moon, Prelude - The Journey Home, Part 1: Flamelets
- ↑ Kinich's Voice-Over: About Iansan
- ↑ Serenitea Pot, Companion Dialogue: Kinich