Genshin Impact’s Bennett is great. But when people talk about him, it mainly has to do with his kit. While most of the healers in the game are Cryo or Hydro units, he’s a Pyro one. Not to mention the Elemental Burst’s effect both restores health and buffs a character’s attack. He’s an easy-to-use sword-wielder. Even his normal Elemental Skill deals helpful Pyro damage. But what people might not also realize is what a genuinely fun and lovable underdog he is.
Bennett is an orphan who always had a passion for adventure. Even though, well, the world isn’t kind to him or people who explore with him. His luck is the absolute worst, but he never lets it get him down. People on his team can abandon him. He can get hit by lightning. But it never discourages him. And it never keeps him from caring about the people around him and trying to help them. Misfortunes shaped him, but never discouraged him. As a result, you get this incredibly optimistic ally who’s passionate about the world, finding new treasures, and seeing new sights. It’s refreshing, like you have a classic RPG protagonist as your virtual best friend.
There is nothing more appropriate than inadvertently getting the achievement for being hit by lightning while trying to get a dramatic picture of Benny using his Elemental Skill.
Bennett has some of the best idle and voiced lines in Genshin Impact. This is because, well, he’s well aware of how unlucky he is and some of them play with the idea that fate placed a target on his back. I mean, he choke son his own sandwich in the midst of offering you some! But even though many of them point out how susceptible he is to… um, being hit by lightning or falling into a trap, there’s this perpetual hope.
Bennett is surrounded by people who love him, and I’m not just talking about players who realize how useful he is. We see that he has dads, adventurers in the guild who took him under their wing and love him. We know Katheryne still keeps a record of his team, even though it’s down to one member. He references being a fan of Barbara and his story mentions how she cares for him when he returns from treks banged up. There’s a comfort in knowing that even though people know he’s a magnet for disaster, they love him nonetheless.
Which makes it all the more ironic that, as perfectly suited as Genshin Impact’s Bennett is for being a protagonist, he isn’t one. I like to think it’s another example of miHoYo showing exactly how bad his luck is. Here we have the ideal sort of hero, someone who perfectly fits the mold, and he gets shuffled to the side because he’s in a game with so many other notable characters. He isn’t even prominently featured in any campaign or event quests as of 1.2!
Genshin Impact’s Bennett is an amazing guy. He has an interesting backstory that plays with all of the concepts we expect from our typical RPG heroes. He’s a practical character who can fit well into any party. I also love that miHoYo created someone you can really identify with and root for. Especially since the poor dude doesn’t get the limelight just yet. And, given that he’s a four-star who’s always available, everyone has a chance to add this great ally to their roster.
Genshin Impact is available for the PlayStation 4, PC, and both Android and Apple iOS devices. The Albedo banner, which also features Bennett, Fischl, and Sucrose, will be available until January 12, 2021. The Ganyu banner will appear after that.
