Vol.07: Raiden Shogun (Ei / Beelzebul) - "Eternity" and Loss. The Sorrow of a God Who Sought Stagnation, and the End of the Dream Entrusted to a Puppet

In the unique cosmological space of the continent of Teyvat, the “ideals” upheld by The Seven are not merely political governing policies, but are intimately connected to the physical and metaphysical laws of their respective regions, as well as the very foundation of the worldview. The ideal of “Eternity” upheld by the Electro Archon of Inazuma, the Raiden Shogun (True Name: Ei / Beelzebul), who is the subject of the 7th installment of this project, has undergone the most extreme and existential evolution among the gods of the seven nations.

In this article, we will systematically unravel the cosmological terror harbored by the immensely powerful divine entity known as the Raiden Shogun, the Gnostic and demonological contexts lying in the depths of the worldview, and her heartbreakingly tragic rebellion against Teyvat’s absolute laws of “Erosion” and “loss.” We will achieve this by integrating fragmented lore from Archon Quests, weapon texts, artifact sets, and various boss drop materials.

1. Divine Names and Demonology: A Religious Studies Perspective on the Duality of Baal and Beelzebul

To unravel the truth of the Electro Archon, the first thing to note is the origin and duality of her “divine name.” The people of Inazuma have long worshipped their god as “Baal (Raiden Shogun).” However, as explicitly stated as an in-game fact, behind this name existed twin Archons: the previous Electro Archon, “Makoto (Baal),” and her kagemusha (shadow warrior) who handled martial affairs, “Ei (Beelzebul).” This twin-like divine structure is an exquisitely precise adaptation of the complex history of syncretism and separation found in real-world mythologies and demonology into the history of Teyvat.

The true names of the Archons in Teyvat are generally derived from the first section of the 17th-century grimoire The Lesser Key of Solomon, the “Goetia” (the 72 demons of Solomon). However, the Electro Archon sisters alone exhibit an intentional deviation and expansion from this naming convention. While Baal is the foremost king of the 72 pillars, Beelzebul or Beelzebub is not directly included within the framework of the Goetia, but is often treated in other systems as a higher-ranking demon or as an alternate name equated with Baal.

Organizing the facts from a historical and religious perspective, “Baal” was the supreme god of storms and fertility in ancient Canaanite mythology, holding the honorific title “Baal Zebul” (Exalted Lord, Lord of the Heavenly Dwelling). However, in the process of pagan gods being degraded due to religious conflicts in later eras, he came to be called by the mocking name “Baal Zebub” (Lord of the Flies), and was ultimately transformed in the Christian world into the highest-ranking demon second only to Lucifer.

This evolution of mythological background shows an astonishing correspondence with the fate of the twin gods of Inazuma. The correlations are summarized below.

The fact that Beelzebul (Ei) never stood on the public stage and bore the entirety of the blood-stained acts of slaughter indicates that she was assigned the narrative role of the “demonized Baal.” She positioned herself as Baal’s “shadow” (Kagemusha), and together as twins, they ruled Inazuma as a single god.

Furthermore, entering the realm of community theories, it is highly likely that this duality functions as a metaphor for the Gnostic concepts of the “Supreme God (Monad / True Light)” and the “False God (Demiurge)” who creates and rules the material world. In Gnosticism, the Demiurge, having fallen from Sophia (Wisdom), is unaware of the existence of higher gods and mistakenly believes himself to be the absolute being, creating an imperfect material world (a labyrinth). The “stagnant Inazuma” created by Ei after Makoto’s death, along with the barrier of thunderstorms that blocked external influences, can be interpreted as a kind of Demiurgic miniature garden (a false world) constructed to protect her people from destruction by The Heavenly Principles (the higher laws). While her intentions stemmed from a benevolent desire to protect, her methods of governance resulted in extreme oppression.

2. The Clash of Ideals: The Opposing Philosophies of “Transience” and “Stagnation”

The difference in how the Electro Archon sisters interpreted “Eternity” was not merely a political disagreement. It was a decisive difference in their metaphysical approaches to the “historical continuity” and “nature of time” of the world of Teyvat.

The “Eternity” upheld by the previous Electro Archon, Makoto, was paradoxically a complete affirmation of “Transience” (a fleeting brilliance, impermanence). She deeply understood the Buddhist principle of “impermanence of all things”—that all things are in a state of flux and constant change—and believed that true “Eternity” existed precisely within that continuity of ceaseless change. In fact, in-game dialogue reveals that Makoto viewed the dreams and ambitions harbored by humans as the precious driving force that propels the world forward.

In contrast, for Ei, “Eternity”—at least immediately after losing Makoto—was synonymous with “absolute stagnation.” Ei possessed an extreme fear of change, viewing it as synonymous with “Erosion,” which mercilessly snatches away precious things. Particularly after The Cataclysm in Khaenri’ah 500 years ago, Ei’s mind became trapped in a deterministic terror: “If the world advances culturally, it will eventually be targeted by The Heavenly Principles (the absolute laws of Celestia) and brought to ruin.”

The weapon text of the polearm Engulfing Lightning depicts Ei’s extreme philosophy with cruel beauty. In the text, she declares that “no impurities (dust) can be permitted in an eternal paradise.” She rationalized the maintenance of the world by comparing it to agricultural pruning, stating that “to improve the quality of the fruit, one must thin out the crop, and to keep dyes vibrant, one must pluck the flowers,” thereby considering human’s excessive ambitions and dreams as targets to be cut away. A world of silence with no conflict, no acquisition, and no loss. However, as the text itself self-deprecatingly describes it as “an amnesiac world, lost to itself,” it meant the death of culture. Using her massive blade of light, she sought to sever human delusions and eliminate even the possibility of dreams taking root.

2.1 Linguistic Contrast and Buddhist Interpretation of Musou (無想) and Musou (夢想)

This philosophical evolution is magnificently and literarily expressed through a pun (homophones) hidden in the names of Ei’s sword techniques and her divine sword.

The “Musou no Hitotachi” used by the early Ei was literally a blade of “no thoughts, no desires (Void)” meant to sever impurities. However, the name of the divine sword she inherited from her late sister Makoto is Musou Isshin. As a matter of lore, while Makoto was alive, this sword was treated as a “symbol of peace,” its blade never sharpened and never tasting blood. Having to wield the sword imbued with the “dreams” of the peace-loving Makoto with the mind of “no thoughts (Void)” as a martial artist for hundreds of years, Ei’s mental state can be said to have been in a state of extreme self-contradiction and despair.

3. The Cataclysm and “Hatred for Destiny”: The Chain of Loss Told by the Artifact Set Emblem of Severed Fate

The decisive reason why Ei clung to the extreme ideal of “stagnation” and decided to sever Inazuma from the natural flow of time in Teyvat was the unbearable series of losses during “The Cataclysm” that struck the entire land 500 years ago. As stated in the text of the weapon Engulfing Lightning, she referred to this disaster as “pitch-dark annihilation” and came to view the absurdity of life and death, and the “incomprehensible destiny itself,” as her mortal enemies.

What Ei lost in this calamity was not only her twin sister, Makoto. The close friends who had surrounded her and protected Inazuma alongside her were successively tossed about by cruel fate, either passing away or falling into madness. The full picture of this tragedy is recorded in detail in the flavor text of the artifact set Emblem of Severed Fate and related weapon ascension materials.

3.1 The Rebellion of Mikoshi Chiyo and the Curse of the Oni (Magnificent Tsuba)

The “mother” mentioned in the “Magnificent Tsuba,” the flower piece of the Emblem of Severed Fate, refers to Ei’s close friend, the Oni maiden Mikoshi Chiyo (Torachiyo). As explicitly stated, she was swallowed by a “beast of sin” that emerged from The Abyss during The Cataclysm. Although she survived by tearing its belly open from the inside, her mind was corrupted by the forbidden knowledge and defilement of The Abyss, driving her to madness. The peerless friend who once performed a beautiful sword dance before the Electro Archon bared her fangs at her own lord, Ei. As a result, Ei was forced to sever one of Chiyo’s horns and her sword-wielding arm with her own hands, banishing her to the forest. For Ei, this incident became a profound trauma that cemented her fear of “Erosion” and “The Abyss,” where loved ones break down from the inside.

3.2 The Iwakura Art and Severed Karma (Severed Feather / Ornate Kabuto)

Chiyo’s madness and rebellion also left deep scars on her remaining bloodline. The feather piece “Severed Feather” and the circlet piece “Ornate Kabuto” tell the story of the harsh fate of Chiyo’s biological son, Mikoshi Doukei (later Iwakura Doukei). To escape the stigma and curse of being the “child of an Oni” due to his mother’s sins, he voluntarily left society and secluded himself in the mountains. There, he engaged in a 13-year-long duel with the Tengu maiden Mitsuyo (Teruyo), ultimately severing his past and founding a new school of swordsmanship called the “Iwakura Art.” However, even this Iwakura Art, through ironic causality, would be scattered and ultimately meet its demise in a later era (the era when the Traveler visits Inazuma) due to the ripples of the “Vision Hunt Decree” issued by the puppet (Raiden Shogun) created by Ei. This demonstrates the cruelty of Teyvat’s determinism, which cannot be resisted by individual Free Will.

3.3 The Sorrow of Kitsune Saiguu and Asase Hibiki (Storm Cage / Hakushin Ring)

The timepiece “Storm Cage” and the forgeable catalyst “Hakushin Ring” recount the memories of another close friend, the Hakushin bloodline Kitsune Saiguu, and the shrine maiden who adored her, Asase Hibiki. Kitsune Saiguu also sacrificed herself to protect the people during the calamity, being swallowed by the darkness of The Abyss and vanishing. The left-behind Asase Hibiki later crossed over to Seirai Island, but out of despair and mad love from losing her loved ones in succession, she ultimately caused a massive incident by unsealing the Thunder Manifestation (the resentment of the Thunderbird that Ei had once slain) in order to rebel against the Shogunate forces.

Witnessing these cascading, gruesome tragedies from a front-row seat, Ei reached the pessimistic conclusion that “the pain of loss is born precisely because people excessively crave something and try to move forward.” What she harbored toward The Heavenly Principles and destiny was a “quiet, cold-hearted anger” that went beyond resignation. Therefore, she attempted to eternally isolate her people from the cruel hands of fate by remaking the nation of Inazuma itself into an unchanging miniature garden (the manifestation of the Plane of Euthymia) and bringing all things to a stagnation.

4. Alchemical Creation and the Defiance of Erosion: The Puppet and the Structure of the Plane of Euthymia

In order to physically and mentally realize the ideal of “Eternity,” there was an unavoidable metaphysical obstacle. That was Teyvat’s fundamental law of “Erosion.” No matter how mighty The Seven may be, with the passage of time, their physical bodies deteriorate, their minds and memories wear down, and they ultimately succumb to madness. Against this absolute law that not even the Geo Archon Morax could escape, Ei resorted to the extreme measures of abandoning her physical body and dismantling herself through a “mechanistic approach.”

4.1 The Sin of Creation and Unconscious Projection (The Prototype and the Shogun)

As explicitly stated in Character Stories and other sources, to prevent the collapse of her own body, Ei utilized lost “unknown technology” to begin creating an “exquisite puppet indistinguishable from true life.” According to community theories, the origin of this technology lies in the alchemy of Khaenri’ah (Gold / Rhinedottir’s Khemia). After countless experiments and failures, expending vast amounts of time and resources, she produced two significant creations.

One was the prototype who was unintentionally born with a “heart that sheds tears,” later known as “The Balladeer (Scaramouche / Wanderer).” To use an alchemical analogy, this corresponds to the stage of “Nigredo” (blackening). This prototype unconsciously reflected the “sorrow and loneliness toward loss” that remained in Ei’s deep psyche, serving as a manifestation of the remnants of Ei’s humanity (her shadow) that prevented her from becoming a completely cold-hearted god. The fact that she did not destroy this failed creation, but instead sealed his power and let him slumber in the Shakkei Pavilion, is proof of her underlying kindness and weakness.

The other was the completed form of the “Raiden Shogun” as the perfect enforcer of laws. This is “Albedo” (whitening) in alchemy, a state where all impurities and emotions have been bleached away. The Shogun possesses absolutely no personal emotions, likes or dislikes, or desire for entertainment; she is a ruthlessly cold autonomous weapon that strictly follows the “maintenance of Eternity” program initially inputted by Ei. With the completion of this puppet, Ei transferred her consciousness into the internal space of the divine sword Musou Isshin, the “Plane of Euthymia,” and entered an eternal meditation.

4.2 The Plane of Euthymia and the Existential Struggle of Mirrors

The “Plane of Euthymia” is Ei’s inner universe, a “static realm of Ideas” completely isolated from time and Erosion. However, this seemingly perfect isolation system breaks down from the outside due to the intervention of the Traveler (a Descender) and the “wishes” of the people of Inazuma.

The endless duel between Ei and the Shogun (the puppet) in the mental world, which unfolds in Raiden Shogun’s Story Quest: Act II, brilliantly expresses a philosophical existential crisis. As a matter of fact, the puppet declares to Ei, “Your heart has been swayed by the wishes of the people. The one who has become a threat to Eternity is you, the creator,” and points her blade at her. The puppet is the cold-hearted embodiment of Ei’s own past “resolve to never change,” and Ei was forced to fight the very “curse of the past she herself established.” This struggle in the mental world, spanning hundreds of years, can be said to have been a grueling rite of passage (initiation) to overcome her own trauma, destroy her stagnated self, and be reborn.

5. Deification of Calamity: The “Crimson Moon” and The Meaning of Aeons

In delving deeper into the story of the Electro Archon from a more macro perspective, namely the cosmological context of Teyvat, there is a hidden theme that cannot be ignored. It is the implication that the Raiden Shogun is not merely the “Ruler of Electro,” but is deeply connected to the “Calamity” of Teyvat itself. This fact is strongly reflected in the text of the drop materials from the weekly boss “Magatsu Mitake Narukami no Mikoto” and the visual motifs scattered throughout the game.

5.1 The Trajectory of the Electro Archon as a “Magatsu-kami” (God of Calamity)

The text of the material Tears of the Calamitous God states: “This hand-eye takes the form of the Baleful Shadow’s eye of judgment. Since a single glance can bring down curses and calamity, it seems only natural to blame life’s misfortunes on a Magatsu-kami.” Indeed, the traces of Ei’s past battles—the “Musoujin Gorge” that cleaved Yashiori Island in two, “Mt. Yougou” which was shattered during her death match with Mikoshi Chiyo, and “Seirai Island” where she slew the Thunderbird and left behind an eternal thunderstorm—are all carved across Inazuma as scars of “calamities brought about by a god” upon the terrain itself.

Furthermore, as seen in the name of Ei’s innate skill “Secret Art: Musou Shinsetsu” (which involves the “Baleful Omen”), her martial prowess is a symbol of an “inauspicious star (baleful omen)” in the movement of the stars. What should be noted here is the eerie “Crimson Moon” floating in the sky of the Plane of Euthymia, and the giant “red single eye” deployed behind her weekly boss form. These visual motifs closely resemble the symbols of the “Crimson Moon Dynasty” of Khaenri’ah and the abyssal disasters (The Cataclysm) that periodically rain down upon Teyvat. While this remains in the realm of theory, it strongly suggests the possibility that as Ei continuously eliminated “abyssal magical beasts” and the “unreasonable violence of The Heavenly Principles,” she unconsciously synchronized with that violent aspect, taking on the nature of a divine entity that brings about calamity (Magatsu-kami) herself.

5.2 The Transcendence of Time and the Philosophy of “Kalpa” (Aeons)

Furthermore, the text of another drop material, The Meaning of Aeons, contains the following profound words: “One thought may end all calamity, and there will always be thoughts that may transcend time.” This “Aeon” (Kalpa) is a concept referring to an unfathomably long unit of time in Buddhist cosmology, encompassing the formation, existence, destruction, and emptiness of the universe.

Additionally, the Mudra of the Malefic General states: “Because countless calamities had dragged on for far too long, the malefic general’s empty shell had to embrace a new spring.” These indicate that the struggle between Ei and the Shogun was not merely a mental conflict, but took place in a realm that transcended the physical framework of time and even distorted causality.

In fact, the story of the Electro Archon ultimately leads to a cosmological miracle: the transcendence of space and time. The moment Ei wins the duel against her past self (the puppet) in the Plane of Euthymia and truly unleashes the power of the Musou Isshin left by her sister, the remnants of her sister Makoto’s consciousness slumbering in the depths of the blade manifest and entrust her with a single “seed.” By planting that seed in the “present” space, the Sacred Sakura tree sprouts in the Inazuma of the past (during The Cataclysm 500 years ago), resulting in an alteration of history (or a re-determination of fate) where “the Sacred Sakura has always existed since the past.”

In community theories, it is speculated that the power of Istaroth, the god who governs the “Thousand Winds of Time,” intervened in this event. Bound by the past and fearing the ruin of the future, Ei had tried to bring time to a “stagnation.” The conclusion where she ultimately affirms the continuity of time—past, present, and future (i.e., the chain of “Transience”)—and transcends time to save Inazuma, depicts the complete victory of Free Will over deterministic fate.

Conclusion: From the “Musou” (Void) of Nothingness to the “Musou” (Dreams) of the People

The story of the Electro Archon, Beelzebul (Ei), is an existential drama, extremely human yet accompanied by a cosmic-scale tragedy, in which a god with absolute power locks herself and her nation in a “timeless cage” to escape the grueling PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) of losing her loved ones one after another.

Her actions of stripping ambitions (Visions) from the people through the Vision Hunt Decree and enforcing stagnation through the Sakoku Decree, much like the “False God (Demiurge)” in Gnosticism, did not stem from dictatorial malice. Rather, it was the flip side of a “twisted overprotectiveness” meant to shield fragile humans from the incomprehensible and cruel laws of The Heavenly Principles. However, her rigid theory of eternity ultimately amplified her own inner fear of “Erosion,” and by creating an emotionless puppet—an autonomous weapon of perfect law—she ended up strangling herself.

What finally rescued her from this solipsistic miniature garden was the philosophy of “Transience” that her sister Makoto once spoke of, the sword strikes of the Traveler (a Descender) who embodied it and stepped into the Plane of Euthymia, and the brilliance of the countless “wishes” of the people of Inazuma who, even after having their Visions taken, still tried to resist fate.

After hundreds of years of struggling with herself, Ei realizes the truth. Eternity does not lie in a miniature garden of “stagnation” that stops everything to escape Erosion, but rather exists precisely within the historical continuity where countless moments of “Transience” (moment-to-moment changes, losses, and new dreams) are passed down.

The divine sword Musou Isshin in her hand is no longer a blade of “Musou” (Void) meant to sever delusions and eliminate impurities. It has been sublimated into a true flash of lightning to sever past traumas and carve a path toward an unknown future, while shouldering the myriad “Musou” (ambitions and wishes) of all people. The sorrow of the god who sought stagnation has finally come to an end after 500 years of solitary meditation, and Inazuma has once again stepped forward into the rough yet beautiful flux of “life.”