If you’ve spent any time in Sumeru, you know Collei is basically the heart of Gandharva Ville. She’s hardworking, a bit awkward, and fiercely loyal to Tighnari and Amber. But there’s a question that keeps popping up in every Discord server and Reddit thread: how old is Collei Genshin Impact actually?
Most people look at her and see a kid. Others look at her job as a Forest Ranger and see an adult. The truth? It’s complicated. HoYoverse almost never gives us concrete numbers for ages—unless you’re an ancient Archon like Zhongli—so we have to play detective with the lore, the manga, and some very tragic medical history.
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The Manga Gap: Where the Mystery Starts
To understand Collei’s age, you have to look at the Genshin Impact prequel manga.
When Collei first showed up in Mondstadt, she was a mess. Literally. She was covered in bandages, traumatized by Fatui experiments, and looked significantly younger than she does now. In the manga, she’s clearly a child—probably somewhere between 10 and 12 years old.
She was small. Scrawny. Scared of the world.
The timeline between the manga and the start of the game is usually estimated to be about one to two years. However, by the time the Traveler reaches Sumeru, even more time has passed. Most lore enthusiasts agree that there’s a gap of roughly two to four years from her first appearance in Mondstadt to her role as a Trainee Forest Ranger.
If she was 12 in the manga, that puts her right around 15 or 16 during the Sumeru Archon Quest. This matches her "medium" female character model, which she shares with other teenagers like Ayaka, Fischl, and Noelle.
Why Eleazar Makes It Hard to Tell
Honestly, Collei’s health plays a huge role in why her age feels so "off" to some players.
Collei has Eleazar. It’s a brutal, chronic condition caused by the Forbidden Knowledge in Irminsul. It causes scales on the skin, numbness, and eventually, complete paralysis. Because she spent her "growth spurts" being experimented on by Dottore and Barnabas, her physical development was likely stunted.
You’ve probably noticed she’s a bit clumsy. That’s not just a personality quirk; it’s a symptom of her nerves failing.
When a person spends their entire childhood in survival mode, they often appear "stuck" in a certain developmental stage. This leads to the "infantilization" of Collei that some fans complain about. She feels like a child because she’s still learning things most people learn at six—like reading and basic social cues—due to her time in the Fatui labs.
Is Collei a Minor or an Adult?
This is the big debate.
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In the game, Collei is a Trainee Forest Ranger. In Sumeru, the "Trainee" status suggests she’s still in a learning phase, similar to an apprenticeship. If she were a full-fledged adult, she’d likely have finished her training under Tighnari already.
- Evidence for being a minor: She can’t drink (the "Death After Noon" dialogue in Mondstadt events usually implies she's underage).
- Evidence for being a "young adult": She holds a professional position and manages her own life in Gandharva Ville.
Most of the community lands on the 16-year-old mark. She’s old enough to have a job and a Vision, but young enough that Tighnari still acts as a legal guardian/mentor figure. She isn't quite at the "adult" level of characters like Jean or Ningguang, but she’s definitely stepped out of the "child" category occupied by Klee or Diona.
The Tighnari and Amber Connection
Relationships tell us a lot about age in Teyvat.
Collei views Amber as a "big sister" figure. In the manga, Amber was roughly 17 or 18. If we add the time skip, Amber is now in her early 20s. For Collei to still treat her with that level of "mentor" reverence, a 4-5 year age gap makes perfect sense.
Then there's Tighnari. He treats her like a student, but also with a degree of protective care that suggests she’s not yet ready to be on her own. He worries about her health and her education constantly.
A Quick Breakdown of the Estimated Timeline:
- Early Childhood: Afflicted with Eleazar, handed over to the Fatui.
- Manga Era (Approx. age 11-13): Arrives in Mondstadt, meets Amber, gets her power sealed by Cyno.
- The Move: Travels to Sumeru with Cyno to study and recover.
- Current Game Time (Approx. age 15-17): Becomes a Trainee Forest Ranger and meets the Traveler.
Why Does Her Age Actually Matter?
It matters because Collei is one of the few characters we’ve actually seen "grow up" in the Genshin universe.
Most characters are static. They look the same in every flashback. But with Collei, we see the transition from a "thing" (how she described herself in the manga) to a person with a future. Knowing she’s likely a mid-teen makes her recovery more impactful. She’s at that age where she’s trying to reclaim the childhood she lost while also staring down the responsibilities of being a Vision holder.
What to Do Now
If you want to see the "younger" Collei for yourself, you absolutely have to read the official Genshin Impact manga on the HoYoverse website. It puts her current behavior in a totally different light.
When you play her in your team, remember that her "clumsiness" in her animations is a lore-accurate detail of her Eleazar. To get the most out of her character, try pairing her with Amber in your party—their unique "Gliding Champion" synergy is a nice nod to their history, even if it's not the "meta" way to play.
Focus on her character stories in the "Profile" tab once you reach Friendship Level 6. It goes deep into her struggles with literacy and her relationship with Tighnari, which clarifies her "trainee" status more than any fan theory ever could.