Kaedehara Kazuha/Storyline

Kaedehara Kazuha, or generally referred to as Kazuha by his friends, is a member of the formerly prestigious Kaedehara Clan. He has given up his family fortunes to live a nomadic life as a crewmember of the Alcor.

Profile

Personality

A wandering samurai from Inazuma who is currently with Liyue's Crux Fleet. A gentle and carefree soul whose heart hides a great many burdens from the past.

—In-game character attributes and profile page text

Kazuha is a polite and well-spoken person. Unlike other noble Inazuman clan members, he prefers going out and traveling rather than staying put indoors, something that he is able to do due to the seizure of his clan home. He once roamed Inazuma peacefully as a modest wanderer for a good portion of his life, teaching himself bladework and picking up other skills. Never seeking luxury, he is instead easily pleased just by sleeping on a sun-warmed rock. The time he has spent outdoors makes him attuned to nature and the wind, being able to "hear" and "smell" everything around him with absolute clarity. He can sense dangers, read people and track them down in an instant no matter how well they try to conceal it. Due to this sensitivity he prefers calm weather and never stays in one place for too long, having trouble sleeping for the former^[7][8] and having his skills stagnate for the latter.

Kazuha firmly believes that everyone is entitled to their hopes and dreams and that no one has the right to take them, not even a god. For this reason, he opposes the Raiden Shogun and those who support her. Despite his values, he isn't prideful and can acknowledge the strong fighting prowess and honorable conduct of those he personally disagrees with. He sees his friend's duel as honorable and noble, but also considers his subsequent execution by the Shogun to be both fair and justified.^[9] Kazuha is determined in his goals, pursuing them with thoroughness and cunning, but he also takes his time and is easygoing. He is very reflective and thoughtful about all matters, frequently pondering about various topics in his travels. He holds his relationships in high regard, immediately coming out of hiding for his friend and forever grateful to Beidou and Gorou for taking him in when he needed shelter. Kazuha frequently warns others of coming storms and possible trouble. He happily does simple errands, offers advice, and is willing to help others.

After the death of his friend and joining the Crux he was quiet and wouldn't speak to any of his crewmates, but he eventually warmed up to them and according to Beidou is fairly chatty. Kazuha has a poetic side and enjoys penning haikus, though he claims to not be especially talented at it. As a result of both traveling many places and sailing for long periods of time, Kazuha has grown particularly fond of readily available grilled fish and takes the time to prepare and finish his food slowly. While he is not picky about what he eats, he does not appreciate rushed meals or lazy cooking methods. His most prized possession is his sword that he keeps with him at all times, a source of pride for Kazuha as both an Inazuman and a samurai. He is also incredibly fond of red maple leaves, finding them beautiful and enjoys seeing them rain during autumn. When unable to view such sights, he frequently collects and carries them as a memento to ease any homesickness.^[8]

Appearance

Kazuha uses the medium male model. He has platinum blond hair with a single orange-red streak on his right. He has red eyes with a yellow hue at the bottom.

History

Past

Kazuha is the son of Kaedehara Kageharu. The Kaedehara Clan was a well known clan in Inazuma, being a subordinate to the Kamisato Clan. A hundred years prior to the Traveler's arrival in Teyvat, Kazuha's grandfather, Kaedehara Yoshinori was sent to bring back the swordsmiths who failed to create an important Goshintou blade for the Shogun. When he and the Kamisato head confronted the blacksmiths at a beach northwest of Byakko Plain, they instead found a wanderer who claimed to be responsible for the crime. The authorities were quickly defeated by the wanderer, who spared them after learning that Hisamichi was part of the Niwa Clan. Calling himself Kunikuzushi, he threatened the destruction of the Isshin Art. Since he had already destroyed the other schools, the Kamisato head ordered Yoshinori to cover up the incident, taking blame for their failures to stop the renegade smiths. Yoshinori also stopped the family business and refused to pass down the art.^[10]

The refusal resulted in the clan's gradual decline, and by the time Kazuha was born, he had no fortunes to inherit. He saw this as a liability and allowed the law to take its course, with the family home being seized and last attendant dismissed. With no monetary value to tie him down, Kazuha sighed a breath of relief and decided to travel across the nation.^[11] Living in the Inazuman wilds gave Kazuha a greater sense of freedom and the ability to listen to the wind, and he made many friends during his travels. One of these companions would share a particularly strong bond with him. Unfortunately, this bond would be shattered when The Shogun enacted the Vision Hunt Decree, with Kazuha's friend demanding a duel before the throne. Kazuha rushed to Tenshukaku, only to find his friend killed after losing to Kujou Sara.^[12] Kazuha took his friend's Vision and fled with it, leading to the authorities labelling him a criminal. He showed no anger towards Sara for killing his friend, though he did not like her willingness to enforce the Shogun's unjust rule.^[13] He also met Shikanoin Heizou, who enjoyed his perspectives while on tough cases.^[14]

Kazhua briefly joined the Watatsumi Army, where he got along well with Gorou before ultimately parting with them on good terms.

As a wanderer, Kazuha was able to avoid the authorities and soon met with Beidou, who had him figured out and agreed to let him aboard her ship, leaving Inazuma for distant lands. The ship would eventually arrive in Liyue, where Beidou planned to host The Crux Clash. Kazuha, wanting to pass his friend's Vision to someone who could resonate with it, offered it as a reward.^[15]

Present

The Traveler first meets Kazuha while approaching Beidou to ask if she could help bring them into Inazuma. Kazuha takes an interest in both them and Paimon before explaining the reward was provided by him. He was surprised when the Traveler wanted to go to Inazuma.^[15] After their bout against Rongshi, Kazuha asked the Traveler to accompany him to a spot away from the venue. He told them he could sense their elemental capabilities without using a Vision and asked them to demonstrate their power.^[16] In the final match, Kazuha realized the Vision had been stolen and asked the Traveler to help him reclaim it. They caught up with the thief, Fei the Flyer, and Kazuha chided him for his inability to conceal his guilt, having heard his boasting through the wind. The two quickly pummeled the Treasure Hoarder, but to his dismay, found the Vision did not resonate with him and ordered him to leave. He explained to the Traveler how the gods could bestow Visions in life-or-death scenarios. Seeing no other choice, Kazuha asked the Traveler to try and resonate with it, but they were unable to.^[17] Kazuha then spent a few days traversing Liyue's wilds before returning to the Alcor for their return to Inazuma.

Due to his wanted status, Kazuha had to remain hidden until the coast was clear. He made his way to Watatsumi Island, catching up with his friends in the Watatsumi Army and accompanying them in an ambush against the Shogunate forces on Nazuchi Beach.^[18] The Traveler later walked out of Tenshukaku after defeating La Signora in a duel before the throne, where the resistance had been smuggled in by Kamisato Ayato. As the Shogun tried to strike the Traveler down with the Musou no Hitotachi, Kazuha, realizing the danger his friends were in, recalled his companion's words. He activated his friend's Electro Vision and repelled the attack, becoming the first person to survive it.^[19] This feat quickly spread across Inazuma, with some people believing he had used a Delusion due to the Electro powers he had used, while others dismissed it as nonsense.^[20] Now realizing the Masterless Vision belonged to no one, Kazuha went to his friend's grave and placed it there.

With the Traveler and Miko's words, the Shogun revoked the Vision Hunt Decree, the Sakoku Decree and Kazuha's arrest warrant. Kazuha spent his newfound freedom attending the Five Kasien festival, where he helped his friends uncover the truth behind the decline of the Isshin Art. He also asked Sara to donate his clan's seized assets to the poor, having no need for material wealth.^[21]

Learning of Kazuha's feat, a cursed sword made its way back to Inazuma by possessing various people, hoping to possess him in order to prove to the Shogun the power of the Isshin Art. When Kazuha learned of the incidents from the Traveler and finally met the sword himself, he concluded that the sword had fallen astray from the Isshin Art's true nature. Kazuha offered to let the sword possess him in order to test its true value by fighting ronin that had occupied the former hideout of the Takatsukasa Clan. As they fought the ronin, the sword began to strain from its significant wear and tear, leading it to conclude he was right. Wishing to atone and be reborn, Kazuha agreed to the sword's request and reforged it into the Kagotsurube Isshin. He then returned to Kamaji, declining his offer to live in Inazuma, not wanting to find himself embroiled in any potential conflicts between the Shogunate and Watatsumi Island.^[22]

While travelling across Liyue, Kazuha met Xinyan and they travelled to Mondstadt, where they met with Venti. Venti offered drinks, but ended up mixing the non-alcoholic drinks with alcoholic cocktails, which Kazuha ended up drinking and quickly became drunk due to a lack of alcohol tolerance. In his ramblings, he agreed to join the group for a trip to the Golden Apple Archipelago with Mona and Fischl. As the girls set up camp, Kazuha took the Traveler with him to scout the islands, discovering the Fatui in the area. The trip concluded with each person experiencing their past, in which Kazuha's was his worry over reliving what he had given up and a desire to continue the clan's legacy before they returned to the mainland.^[23]

As the Alcor returned to Inazuma, Kazuha partook in the newly created "Test of Courage" event, where he caught up on recent events with his friends.

Kazuha's travels would bring him across the nations such as Sumeru and Fontaine, and he later heard of the Traveler's adventures in Nod-Krai.

Trivia

• Kazuha is the first playable Inazuman character. Like Tartaglia, he was temporarily listed under Liyue Harbor on the official website, which is the region where the player first meets him, and was then moved to the newly added Inazuma section of the website on the Version 2.0 release.
• Kazuha wields the Fillet Blade in the cutscenes of the Archon Quest In the Name of the Resistance in Chapter II: Act II - Stillness, the Sublimation of Shadow and the Archon Quest The Omnipresent God in Chapter II: Act III - Omnipresence Over Mortals.
  • As of Ere the End, a Glance Back, Kazuha also owns Kagotsurube Isshin as a practical reference material of the Isshin Art.
• Kazuha is the first playable character since the game's global release who did not get a special dish or a Teyvat Food Notes entry on his release.
  • However, after Version 2.0 was released, his special dish All-Weather Beauty was added, alongside the addition of its base dish Dry-Braised Salted Fish.
  • Similarly to Kazuha, Ineffa did not receive a special dish upon release, which was then added in Luna I.
• Despite hailing from Inazuma, because Kazuha was released before Inazuma was and his affiliation with the Crux, he uses Liyue talent books instead of Inazuman ones. He still uses Inazuman items for his ascension, although this is due to the fact that they released earlier with the Golden Apple Archipelago.
• In the Japanese voice-over, Kazuha speaks in an archaic register that is stereotypical of samurai in Japanese-language fiction, an example of yakuwarigo (Japanese: 役割語 "role language"). It includes, among other features, the humble first-person pronoun 拙者 sessha and regular use of でござる de gozaru as the copula.
• Kazuha is familiar with the Watatsumi Army and the resistance led by Kamisato Ayaka, Thoma and Yoimiya, as outright stated and/or implied in the Archon Quest Chapter II: Act II - Stillness, the Sublimation of Shadow and the Archon Quest Chapter II: Act I - The Immovable God and the Eternal Euthymia respectively.
  • Kamisato Ayaka references Kazuha's friend, and implies that she knows Kazuha when the Traveler notes that they are aware of Kazuha's friend.
  • After Kazuha and Beidou fight at the front line alongside the Watatsumi Army, Sangonomiya Kokomi welcomes him back to their group.
    • Additionally, Kazuha has worked with Gorou before, as Kokomi remarks that they had gotten along well while he was with the resistance.
• Kazuha is seemingly able to perceive that the Traveler is from another world, as is suggested by his dialogue in the Archon Quest A Path Through the Storm in Chapter II: Prologue - Autumn Winds, Scarlet Leaves, making him one of the few characters who found out without being directly told.
• Kazuha, along with Xiao, Xianyun and Kinich, are the only characters who can perform an Elemental Skill midair.
• Kazuha's return animation after casting his Elemental Skill and after performing his fifth sword strike and Charged Attack differs from his normal return animation. Instead of throwing the sword away, Kazuha seals the sword in a scabbard as a mitsudomoe glows at his sheath hand.
• Kazuha is one of the three event-exclusive 5-Star characters to not receive a Story Quest on release, the others being Shenhe and the Wanderer.
  • Of the three however, he eventually received a Story Quest with Version 2.8.
• Most Inazuma trees that can be bought from Realm Depot are hinted to be named by Kazuha (see Furnishing Mentions).^[24]
• Kazuha is one of only a few characters who have been seen wielding more than one element, though it was temporary for him. During the Archon Quest The Omnipresent God in Chapter II: Act III - Omnipresence Over Mortals, Kazuha wielded both Anemo from his own Vision and Electro from the Masterless Vision that belonged to his friend.
• Kaedehara Kazuha is known by these aliases or titles:
  • Kaedehara Kid (by Juza)
  • Captain of the Royal Guard of the Immernachtreich (by Fischl)^[25]
• Kaedehara Kazuha is mentioned in the descriptions of the following 3 Furnishings:
  • Doves the World Over, Repose Seeking
  • Flower's First Blushing Bloom
  • Of Maple and Tea Scents Entwined

Etymology

• Kaedehara (楓原) means "maple grove" (lit. "maple field") and Kazuha (万葉) means "a myriad of leaves."
  • The character 万 literally means "ten thousand," but it is often used to more broadly mean "a number which is vast and difficult to fathom."
  • Kaedehara can also more broadly mean "original maple". The word 原 hara, meaning "original" is the same as in 原神 Genshin.
• Kazuha could be named after the Man'youshuu (万葉集) — the oldest collection of Japanese poetry. All of Kazuha's Elemental Burst voice-overs are snippets of poems from the Man'youshuu.
• In Chinese, the first word of Kaedehara Kazuha's name 枫/楓 meaning "maple" is a homonym of the word 风/風 fēng, which means "wind". Furthermore, 枫 contains the word 风 in it. The same wordplay is found in Japanese, although only in written form.
• His constellation, Acer Palmatum, is the scientific name of the Japanese maple, which his character design revolves around.
• In his Vision Story, Kazuha contemplates a mantra: "If one's heart is empty, all under heaven is empty. But if one's heart is pure, all under heaven is pure." This mantra is likely a reference to mantras from the Heart Sutra, a popular sacred text in many schools of Mahayana Buddhism, including Japanese Zen schools, which were the standard religion for samurai. In this context, realizing one's heart is empty is equivalent to achieving nirvana (perfect happiness and quietude), the ultimate goal of Buddhism.
  • Chinese and Japanese equivalents for the in-game mantra roughly translate to "If one's heart is empty, all things in heaven and earth are empty; if one's heart is pure, all things in heaven and earth are pure." A subtle but important difference from the English translation is not only all things under heaven but also those in/of heaven are essentially empty. It is a typical Buddhist tenet against Eternity, which is the theme of Inazuman chapters.

Haiku

In his Character Demo, Kazuha recites the following haiku. In the English, Chinese, and Japanese versions, the poem follows the 5-7-5 syllabic structure.^[26]

• In the Chinese version, the "Solitary Cloud" or "Guyun" (Chinese: 孤云) could refer to the Guyun Stone Forest, where Kazuha appears to be in during the start of the trailer. The Guyun Stone Forest is also where Beidou's fleet The Crux can be found.

Other Poetry

• Kazuha's Elemental Burst voice-overs are excerpts of poems in the Man'youshuu, a legendary poetic collection compiled in 759 AD by Ootomo no Yakamochi:
  • "Fallen leaves... adorn my night!" is from Book 8, Poem 1586 (Old Japanese: 黄葉もみぢば乎を落ちら巻まく惜をし見み手た折をり來き而て今夜こよひ挿頭かざし津つ何物なに可か将念おもはむ MomyiNdiNba wo tiramaku wosimyi tawori kyite kəyəpyi kaNzasitu nani ka əməpamu).
  • "Clouds hide... the birds call!" is from Book 9, Poem 1703 (Old Japanese: 雲くも隠がくり鴈かり鳴なく時とき秋あき山やまの黄葉もみち片かた待まつ時とき者は雖過すぐれど Kumwo-Ngakuri kari naku təkyi akyiyama nə momyiti katamatu təkyi pa suguryeNdə).
  • "As one with wind and cloud!" is from Book 12, Poem 3178 (Old Japanese: 國くに遠とほ見み念おもひ勿な和わ備び曾そ風かぜ之の共むた雲くも之の行ゆく如ごと言こと者は將通かよはむ Kuni təpomyi əməpi na-waNbwi-sə kaNze nə muta kumo nə yuku Ngətə kətə pa kayəpamu).
• In the Japanese voice-over for Something to Share: Maple Leaves, he recites a tanka-type poem (with the rule of 5-7-5-7-7 syllables): (Old Japanese: 奧山おくやまに、紅葉もみぢ踏ふみ分わけ、鳴なく鹿しかの、聲こゑ聞きくときぞ、秋あきは悲かなしき əkuyama ni, momyiNdi pumyiwake, naku sika nə, kəwe kyiku təkyi Nzə, akyi pa kanasikyi).
  • The work was composed by Sarumaru Dayuu, one of the Thirty Six Poetic Sages of Japan. It was incorporated in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, a classical anthology of one hundred famous Japanese poems.
  • An English translation (with 5-7-5-7-7 syllables) by Clay MacCauley is:
    In the mountain depths,
    Treading through the crimson leaves,
    The wandering stag calls.
    When I hear the lonely cry,
    Sad (how sad!) the autumn is.^[27]
• The above quotations are one of rare instances where a character in the game quotes texts from real-life books. Similarly, Zhongli and Ganyu quote real-life Chinese texts in their Chinese voice-overs.

References

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Characters (Lore) Player Characters Mondstadt Liyue Inazuma Sumeru Fontaine Natlan Nod-Krai Snezhnaya (excluding Nod-Krai) Other Upcoming Characters announced by HoYoverse.