HoYoverse reveals Skirk for Genshin Impact 5.7

It’s finally time: HoYoverse has officially revealed Skirk as a playable character joining the Genshin Impact banners in Version 5.7. She’ll deal Cryo DMG and likely wield a Sword, depending on how accurate the reveal artwork is.

Speaking of Skirk’s reveal artwork: It’s dark. Similar to how Natlan’s characters got a more vibrant and colorful version of the standard announcement posters, Skirk’s looks like the developers turned on dark mode — perhaps to show her connection to the Abyss.

We don’t have a massive amount of knowledge concerning Skirk, as she hasn’t appeared in the game apart from her spectacular drop-by during the finale of the Fontaine Archon Quest. We do know that she’s been fighting in the Abyss for many years, mentored by her master Surtalogi the Foul — one of the original “Sinners” from the fallen nation of Khaenri'ah. For her part, she’s the master of Fatui Harbinger Tartaglia, whom we know better as Childe.

Skirk also appears to be the first playable character apart from the Traveler who isn’t originally from Teyvat. Though we’ve gotten some hints pointing to that already, a very clear one is the fact that her announcement post doesn’t specify that her Cryo powers come from a Vision. Instead, it says “The Seven-Shifting Serpent: Cryo” — whatever that means.

One lore snipped accompanying her announcement tells the story of Surtalogi picking up Skirk after the fall of Khaenri'ah and of Skirk picking up Tartaglia later:

“The stars hang above in their night-veiled skies. The Abyss lies beneath in chthonic depths. None can know what lies beyond the bespangled heights, just as none can perceive that which dwells in lightless depths. As the ancient Khaenri'ahn augur once said: ‘Venturing out into the universe and down into the abyss are the same—’ ‘In that both are braving the dark unknown.’ In the days after the underground civilization collapsed, upon a patch of unremembered, scorched earth — The one who despised destiny plucked a young girl from the hand of fate. Once she had grown up, she too saved a child ensnared by providence. How good it would be, if warmth could be the measure of all things, if all tales could end in joy... Yet the road ahead is uncertain, the sights beyond unknown.”

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There is also a short dialog scene between two of the “Sinners” — Vedrfolnir the Visionary and Surtalogi. Vedrfolnir – presumably – says: “Sin infests the firmament, calamity unfurls across the universe. You are free, and none now may proscribe you — yet your destiny remains bound to that of this world. Indeed, you shall send your disciple here in the near future.” 

Surtalogi responds: “What? Me, a student? Such misfortune — for them, I mean... whenever they show up.”

Genshin Impact 5.7 is set to be released in June 2025.