It’s 2026 now, and I still remember that sultry August night in 2021 like it was yesterday. I was just a fledgling Traveler barely out of Mondstadt, scrolling through forums when the leak dropped. A blurry, watermarked video showing a character I’d only heard whispers about: the Raiden Shogun, the Electro Archon of Inazuma. She moved with a divine, magnetic grace – a mix of lightning-swift slashes and an otherworldly plunge from the heavens that made my jaw drop.

The footage was raw, captured from a test build, but it ignited a fire in me. I watched the Raiden Shogun execute her Burst Plunge Attack, followed by the ethereal Transcendence: Baleful Light effect – a burst of electro energy that seemed to rip reality itself. Community leakers like Dimbreath had unearthed gold, and every frame screamed "must-pull." I immediately began hoarding Primogems, mapping out every chest and achievement I could find.

Back then, miHoYo was dropping massive updates every six weeks, and the 2.0 expansion had just unveiled Inazuma with Ayaka, Sayu, and Yoimiya. But 2.1 promised to be even more explosive. The chatter wasn't just about Raiden Shogun; whispers of new four-stars like Kujou Sara and the hydro catalyst Kokomi buzzed through servers. However, for me, it was all about the vessel of Baal herself.

Preparing for her arrival became my religion. I pored over leaked talent ascension tables, often staying up until 3 a.m. to crunch numbers. The grind was real, but it gave my adventures purpose. My friends and I turned farming into a ritual. We’d meet in co-op, splitting up to harvest handguards from wandering Nobushi before the daily reset. The materials list became etched in my brain:

• To go from talent level 1 to 2, it took 3 Teachings of Light and 6 Old Handguards – entry-level stuff from the Violet Court domain on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

• Climbing to level 6 required a cascade of Guides to Light and Kageuchi Handguards (a total of 21 Guides and 22 Kageuchi).

• But the real battle began from talent level 7 onward. 4 Philosophies of Light, 4 Famed Handguards, and a boss material that had me farming the Thunder Manifestation dozens of times. The first crown came at level 10, alongside a princely tribute of 16 Philosophies, 12 Famed Handguards, and 2 more boss drops – not to mention the Crown of Insight, which felt like spending a piece of my soul.

I still chuckle when I think about my desperate, sleep-deprived math: “If I get two Famed Handguards per run, I’ll need 34 runs… but the drop rate is a lie!”

The leaked video also teased her animations in a way that static images never could. The way her tachi sliced through air when she unleashed her Elemental Burst, the fabric of her kimono billowing with the force of a thousand storms – it all promised a playstyle that would redefine my team comps. I had been maining Keqing, but the Raiden Shogun’s ability to battery the entire party while dealing off-field damage was on another level. Her “Transcendence: Baleful Light” infused normal attacks with electro, turning her into a relentless DPS during her burst window. That plunge, where she descends like a deity passing judgment, is still my favorite finishing move.

By the time September 1st, 2021 rolled around, I was ready. I pulled her within my first eighty wishes – the soft pity gods smiled upon me. The moment I marched her into the open fields of Narukami Island, I activated her skill to see the Baleful Light effect illuminate the night, and tears welled up. It wasn’t just a character; it was the culmination of weeks of anticipation, fueled by that one leaked video.

Now, five years later, my Raiden Shogun is triple-crowned and still anchors my Abyss team. I’ve witnessed the game evolve from Inazuma’s shores to the crystalline caves of Snezhnaya. But whenever I recharge my energy with her Musou Isshin, I’m transported back to my cramped dorm room, giddy over a 30-second leak, a detailed list of handguards and light philosophies, and a dream of wielding the power of an Archon.

The community may have moved on, and leaks are now a regulated trickle, but for me, that 2.1 reveal was the moment Genshin Impact stopped being a game and became a lifelong obsession.