Genshin Impact has introduced many villainous figures over its last 5 years of storytelling. However, none of them has produced a stronger reaction from the community than Il Dottore. A community of players who actively want every appearing character to become playable has entirely different opinions for the 2nd-ranked Fatui Harbinger. Il Dottore is one of the most menacing villains in Genshin Impact, and he may become the true villain in the end.
What Makes A True Villain?
A story is incomplete without a good villain, but not every villain needs to be truly horrifying. The role of the villain is to simply be a deterrent for the protagonist. This has led to the modern-day villains who have their own morals that cannot be considered completely good or bad, but only appear in contrast to the main hero. When done correctly, we all enjoy such villains.
However, there is something innately attractive about having a purely evil villain. These villains fit more into the old-fashioned category, where a simple appearance of them can make your blood curdle. Villains like these are often more memorable, and Il Dottore appears to fit that category in Genshin Impact.
Although the Genshin Impact story is currently hinting at an eventual showdown between the Traveler and the Heavenly Principles or the Four Shades in Celestia, the story is not limited to one villainous figure. The Heavenly Principles control Teyvat for a ‘purpose’ yet unknown to us, while the Abyss appears as a wild, uncontrollable beast without any will behind it.
But then comes a figure like The Doctor, or Il Dottore, who is not driven by instincts or trying to fulfill a grand purpose. He is only seeking to fulfill his selfish desires of gaining power to become a god of Teyvat. And for that, he is willing to sacrifice anything and everything without a moment’s thought. This, for me, is a more terrifying aspect of a villain.
Il Dottore is Teyvat’s True Nightmare in Genshin Impact
The Doctor was born sometime after the cataclysm, named as Darshan, and was a student of the Sumeru Akademiya. From the very beginning, he only cared about his self-serving schemes and started making plans to create a god or elevate another human to a god. But that’s not where his foolish ambitions ended; instead, he also orchestrated various projects to gauge human reactions and emotions by sowing suspicion and betrayal among friends and families. The example of the murder and betrayal of Scaramouche at Tatarasuna is a clear indication of Il Dottore’s twisted mind.
He then used Scaramouche, now the Wanderer, to research puppets to split himself into different segments to prolong his life. By then, Scaramouche was already brainwashed by Il Dottore to believe everything he said as the truth. This eventually led to Scaramouche following his orders to become a living god by absorbing the Lesser Lord Kusanali, or Nahida. The Doctor completely disregarded the life of Scaramouche, giving him false promises based on a lie he created, to eventually toss him aside when he was finally defeated by the Traveler.
There are countless more examples of Il Dottore performing experiments with complete disregard for other beings all over Teyvat. He might be the only character in the game that is partaking in such evil deeds on a regular basis. Even among the Fatui Harbinger, The Doctor is hated by many, including Arlecchino and Sandrone. Arlecchino even considered killing The Doctor, which says a lot about his misdeeds.
Il Dottore May Become the Final Villain of Genshin Impact
Il Dottore is the 2nd-ranked Fatui Harbinger, which already makes him one of the strongest beings on Teyvat. Combined with his intellect and terrifying lack of moral compass, Il Dottore is more than capable of becoming the final challenge for the Traveller. He has already tried to grab the power of the three moons in the Nod-Krai archon quests, something that no one expected him to do.
With the power of all three moons, it wouldn’t be too far off to say that The Doctor would be equal to the Four Shades or become even stronger. Although Columbina’s last-minute escape prevented this from happening, it may only act as a delay for Il Dottore’s ascension. With him fooling three Fatui Harbingers, alongside Varka, the Grandmaster of Knights of the Favonius, and Alice, the founder of Hexenzirkel, Il Dottore may eventually become the final villain of Genshin Impact.
Alongside his cunningness and strength, it has also become a fact that Il Dottore is truly despised in the Genshin Impact community. With such strong emotions towards him, this may be the perfect opportunity to make him the final act for the Traveler, even after taking on Celestia and the Primordial One to free Teyvat from its control.
So, what’s your opinion on Il Dottore? Do you also feel that he can be the true villain of Genshin Impact? Let us know in the comments.
Sanmay Chakrabarti
