Genshin Impact players are always on the lookout for crumbs of new characters developer miHoYo is cooking up behind-the-scenes for its increasingly popular open-world gacha game. Following conflict over Genshin's beta expectations and lawsuit threats over leaked content, leakers are now more close-lipped than ever. But the fanbase is hungry, and some are willing to deliver fresh content despite the risks.

The latest Genshin Impact character to receive a model leak is Arataki Itto. Arataki Itto is an upcoming Geo Claymore-user from Inazuma, now confirmed to be playable. He’s the leader of the “Arataki Gang” and referred to as “The Oni of Inazuma.” The oni is another figure, like the kitsune, borrowed from the Japanese folklore present throughout the Electro region it inspired. Onis are horned, hulking, demon-esque creatures whose historical malevolence has softened to a contemporary reputation for mischief. They are often illustrated with red or blue skin.

RELATED: Genshin Impact Developer Announces Sci-Fi RPG Honkai: Star Rail

The leaked model of Itto shows his back in culturally-intricate Inazuma dress, notably red with purple and black details. The large tie on his back seems similar to Yoimiya’s shimenawa, ropes associated with warding off evil spirits in the Shinto religion. Itto has choppy, silvery hair with the suggestion of purple horns on the crown of his head. There’s no side-by-side comparison, but he is supposedly taller than the “tall male” model due to his oni heritage – though players should take this information with a grain of salt. Fans quickly identified his gold and green weapon as the previously leaked Claymore, “The Other Side” – a 5 star weapon with unknown stats.

Another Itto image speculated to be overlayed shows an open midriff and sizeable belt buckle possibly carved to resemble an oni head. Most notably, this image shows Itto wielding a rocky club – unlike the first image, this weapon is unrecognizable and may be an attribute unique to Itto’s kit. Other sources have stated that new artifact sets geared towards Itto are planned to coincide with his introduction, and his combat abilities were re-worked after negative feedback regarding recent banner-holder Kokomi. No images of his face have been confirmed, though the original leaker likened his appearance to Jin from Xenoblade 2.

Arataki Itto definitely exists in-game: he’s already left incendiary messages on the Inazuma bulletin board challenging rivals to battle. One mentions retribution for the loss of his Vision, and multiple describe conflict with Kujou Tengu. Yoimiya mentions Itto in About Arataki Itto: Duels and About Arataki Itto: Arataki’s Gang, painting him as a scary-looking man who’s unexpectedly outgoing and popular with children.

Genshin Impact leakers expect Arataki Itto to debut in Version 2.3, scheduled to arrive within the next couple of months if miHoYo sticks to their six-week update routine. Players should keep in mind that these leaks are not guaranteed, and content is always subject to change prior to launch. For those eager for more Arataki Itto content, miHoYo frequently updates the Genshin Impact twitter with official gacha art shortly before the next version drops: hopefully, Itto fans will be treated to a clearer picture of his energetic persona relatively soon.

Genshin Impact is available for mobile devices, PC, PS4, and PS5.

MORE: Everything Announced in Genshin Impact's 2.2 Update Livestream

Source: Sportskeeda