Phanes

Biodata

Character Overview

Phanes is depicted as the First Throne and King of the Sky, a supreme deity who embodies absolute Order and creation 30 39. He is a world conqueror, having invaded and conquered Teyvat, becoming its Supreme Heavenly Principles 13. Despite his immense power, Phanes is portrayed as a tragic and self-sacrificing figure. He won a devastating "Throne War" against the Nibelungen, a primordial entity representing destruction and the Abyss, but at the cost of his own near-destruction 26 30 34 35 39. His divine body is severely injured, cracked, and decaying, covered in Abyss marks, and his Light Wings are extinguished 34 35.

After his victory, Phanes was cursed by the dying Nibelungen with an "Undying Curse," prophesying betrayal from his own creations and the collapse of his order 30 31. To protect the world from a deeper Abyss threat and a "Devourer" who stole Nibelungen's power, Phanes undertook a "crazy operation" 39 40 44. He used Nibelungen's dragon bone and a portion of his own Source Power to create hundreds of "Demon Gods" 40 41 45. These Demon Gods were not given free will but were bound by an "absolute foundational directive" and an "iron law" to "love humanity" and protect the world, effectively making them extensions of Phanes' will and "humanized embodiments of that Law" 41 42 43 45. This act is seen as a strategic brilliance, ensuring the world's protection even if it meant the Demon Gods lacked true power or freedom 42 45. After making these final arrangements, Phanes ascended to the Sky Throne, using himself as a cage to eternally suppress the Abyss curse, a decision born of deep loneliness and sacrifice 43 44. His actions reveal him as a selfless, far-sighted guardian, willing to make immense personal sacrifices for the world's future 41 44.

Power Progression

• First Throne, King of the Sky, Supreme Heavenly Principles: Phanes is identified as the First Throne and Supreme Heavenly Principles, a world conqueror who crushed Teyvat and made it his own possession 13 39. His title alone causes immense fear and submission in powerful beings like Gu Yuena 13.
• Demonbilization of Laws: Phanes can mobilize all "Laws" established by him throughout Teyvat 26 27.
• Spear of Heavenly Principles: He fuses the power of four great authorities to transform it into the Spear of Heavenly Principles, composed of pure "Order." Its core power is to "correct" anything that does not conform to Order, treating them as "errors" 26 27.
• Four Great Law Runes: Phanes uses four Great Law Runes (Time, Space, Life, Death) to reform the world, representing the root authorities and cornerstones of Teyvat 29.
• Creation of Demon Gods: Phanes created hundreds of Demon Gods using the dragon bone of the Second Throne Nibelungen as a container, a fragment of his own Source Power as the core, and Earth Vein power as the "flesh and blood" 40 41. These Demon Gods are extensions of his will, designed to protect the world and resist the Abyss's erosion 41.
• Imposing "Love for Humanity" Law: He wove absolute foundational directives for the Demon Gods, including possessing great power and eternal life, and an absolute Law to "love and protect humanity" 42 43. This law prevents them from hating or choosing otherwise, making them humanized embodiments of this law 42.
• Self-Imprisonment and Abyss Suppression: After his final arrangements for the mortal world, Phanes returned his divine body to the broken Sky Throne. He uses himself as a cage to eternally suppress the curse from the Abyss, acting as the world's first and last line of defense 43 44. This transformation into "Heavenly Principles" means he hides behind the scenes while the Demon Gods govern Teyvat 43 45.
• Divine Body and Injuries: After winning the Throne War against the Dragon King Apep, Phanes' divine body was severely injured, cracked like broken porcelain, and covered in Abyss marks. His four pairs of Light Wings were extinguished, and he was described as a dying god 34 35. He also suffered the "Undying Curse" from Nibelungen, prophesying betrayal by his own people 30 31.

Major Events

1. Conquest of Teyvat (Chapter 13): Phanes, identified as the First Throne and Supreme Heavenly Principles, invades and conquers the world of Teyvat, turning it into his possession. This act reveals him as a "conqueror" of worlds.
2. Teyvat "Reset" and Clash with Nibelungen (Chapter 29): Phanes prepares to "reset" Teyvat using four Great Law Runes (Time, Space, Life, Death) to reform the world. This triggers Nibelungen, a primordial entity from the Abyss, to condense its power into an 'Abyssal Singularity' to destroy all existence. The two entities clash in a "Throne War" that involves the fundamental Laws of "existence" and "non-existence" 29 26 27.
3. The "Undying Curse" (Chapter 30): After defeating Nibelungen in the Throne War, Phanes is severely weakened. Before Nibelungen is conceptually erased, it inflicts Phanes with the "Undying Curse," prophesying that his people will rebel against him and his established order will collapse 30.
4. Post-War State and Injury (Chapter 34, 35): Phanes wins the Throne War but is critically injured and dying, with his divine body cracked and covered in Abyss marks. His Divine Kingdom, Sky Island, is in ruins. He nails the Dragon King, Apep, to the ground using a giant Heavenly Nail 34 35.
5. Discovery of Nibelungen's Remains and the "Devourer" (Chapter 39, 40): Phanes finds the dragon skeleton of the Second Throne Nibelungen on the scorched earth of the final battlefield. It is revealed that a "Devourer" stole Nibelungen's power and status, turning the world into its "pasture" and spreading pain and disaster. Phanes is later seen using Nibelungen's dragon bone as a container 39 40.
6. Creation of Demon Gods (Chapter 41, 42): Phanes uses his Source Power as a core and the remains of the enemy (Nibelungen's bones) to create new Demon Gods. These Demon Gods are designed to be extensions of his will, bound by an absolute "Law" to love and protect humanity, serving as guardians for the world after his anticipated fall 41 42.
7. Ascension to Sky Throne and Suppression of Abyss (Chapter 43, 44): Phanes makes his final arrangements for the mortal world, then ascends to the damaged Sky Throne. He transforms into Heavenly Principles, using himself as a cage to eternally suppress the Abyss curse and the deeper threat he was fighting 43 44.
8. Demon Gods Rule Teyvat (Chapter 45): With Phanes retreating behind the scenes as Heavenly Principles, hundreds of Demon Gods appear across Teyvat, each ruling a domain. They are bound by a "Law" to love humans, ensuring the system operates on its own for eternity 43 44 45.

Themes and Demontifs

• Sacrifice: Phanes demonstrates a willingness to make immense personal sacrifices for the greater good, permanently weakening himself to create Demon Gods and using his own body to suppress the Abyss curse 41 43 44. This is seen in his near-destruction after the Throne War, with his divine body cracked and his light wings extinguished 30 34 35.
• Protection: Phanes acts as a guardian for the world, creating the Demon Gods specifically to protect humanity and the world after his fall 41 42. His ultimate act is to imprison himself in the Sky Throne to eternally suppress the Abyss curse, becoming the world's first and last line of defense 43 44.
• Power vs. Rules/Control: Phanes' scheme highlights the power of rules over raw power. He binds the Demon Gods by a "Law" to love humans, demonstrating that rules can dictate the actions of even immensely powerful beings 45. This creates a system where power is controlled by an absolute "Law" that prioritizes humanity 42.
• Freedom vs. Control: The Demon Gods, despite their power, lack freedom of thought and action, being bound by the "Law" of loving humans. This raises questions about individual freedom versus absolute control 45. Phanes' methods are described as solving the problem of betrayal from the root, but at the cost of the Demon Gods' freedom 42.
• Loneliness of Gods: Phanes' actions, particularly his self-imprisonment to suppress the Abyss, are depicted as stemming from endless loneliness and battle, a "destiny of gods" 43 44.
• Order vs. Chaos: The conflict between Phanes (representing Order) and Nibelungen (representing Chaos) is central, with Phanes seeking to impose his design on the world 29. Even after Phanes' victory, the curse from Nibelungen represents the lingering effects of chaos, staining Phanes' "absolute Order" 30.
• Consequences of Absolute Power: The narrative explores the terrifying consequences of ultimate power, as seen in Phanes' ability to "reset" Teyvat and the devastating impact of the Throne War 13 29. It also highlights the brutality and divisiveness that can arise from such power 32.
• Eternity: Phanes' plan is described as a "game of chess played across eternity," emphasizing the long-term, far-sighted nature of his actions 41. The system he establishes with the Demon Gods is designed to operate on its own for eternity 44 45.
• Betrayal and Curses: Phanes is afflicted with the "Undying Curse" by Nibelungen, prophesying that his own people will rebel against him and his established "Order" will face betrayal 30 31. This curse represents a "backdoor" or "bomb" that could be detonated when Phanes is weakest 30.

Character Relationships

Legacy

Phanes' legacy profoundly shapes the world of Teyvat and its inhabitants, even after his apparent retreat. As the First Throne and Supreme Heavenly Principles, he conquered Teyvat, transforming it into his Divine Kingdom 13 23. His actions, though often brutal, were driven by a desire to establish absolute order and protect the world from deeper threats like the Abyss 29 43. The decades-long "Throne War" against Nibelungen and the Dragon Tribe left indelible scars on Teyvat's topography, including the "Scar of Heaven" and the "Abyssal Rift" 28.

Despite winning the war, Phanes was severely wounded and cursed, his divine body cracked and decaying 30 34. This vulnerability led him to make "final arrangements" for the mortal world 43 44. He "reset" Teyvat using four Great Law Runes (Time, Space, Life, Death) to reform it according to his original design, viewing existing life and civilization as "errors" 29. Phanes then created hundreds of Demon Gods from the remains of his enemies, imbuing them with a "Law" to "love humanity" and act as new monarchs and deities 41 42 45. These Demon Gods, though powerful, are essentially puppets, bound by this "iron law" and lacking true freedom 44 45.

Phanes ultimately returned to the Sky Throne, using himself as a cage to eternally suppress the Abyss curse, leaving the stage to the Demon Gods 43 44. This act, though a sacrifice, also represents a "strategic retreat" and a self-imprisonment 43 44. His legacy is thus one of immense power, ruthless order, profound sacrifice, and an enduring, albeit controlled, protection of humanity, all while battling a deeper, unseen threat from the Abyss 41 44. The characters in the story react with a mix of awe, shock, and unease to Phanes' methods, recognizing his strategic brilliance and selflessness, but also the tragic implications of his absolute control and the loneliness of his burden 41 42 44.