You’ve been there. Floating across the waters of Liyue, the music swells, and suddenly you’re hit with a wave of genuine, unbridled sadness over a bunch of digital pixels. It’s the Lantern Rite. Specifically, it’s that moment involving the Lantern of Lost Memories.
Honestly, HoYoverse has a weird knack for making us care about inanimate objects. Most games give you a quest item, you click "use," and you move on to the next boss fight. But this specific lantern? It’s different. It carries the weight of 2,000 years of history, grief, and the kind of quiet heroism that usually gets buried in history books.
What is the Lantern of Lost Memories, really?
To understand why players get so worked up about this, we have to look at the lore of the Xiao Lanterns. In Genshin Impact, these aren't just pretty lights for a festival. They are vessels. During the Lantern Rite—the game's annual celebration of the Chinese New Year—the people of Liyue release these to guide the souls of fallen heroes back home.
The Lantern of Lost Memories specifically refers to the commemorative lanterns and the sentiment surrounding the fallen Yakshas. While "Lantern of Lost Memories" is often the colloquial term fans use to describe the quest items or the themed furnishings associated with these bittersweet memories, it represents the specific act of remembering those who can no longer remember themselves.
Think about Xiao. He’s the last one left. When you hold a lantern meant for his fallen brothers and sisters, you aren't just completing a task for Primogems. You are acknowledging a debt that the city of Liyue has forgotten.
The weight of the Yakshas
The game’s lore is dense. It’s messy.
There were five Great Yakshas: Bosacius, Indarias, Bonanus, Menogias, and Alatus (who we know as Xiao). They were the "Guardian Yakshas" tasked by Morax to purge the lingering bitterness of defeated gods.
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It was brutal work.
The "lost memories" part comes from the fact that these warriors were slowly driven mad by the very darkness they were fighting. They killed each other. They disappeared into the void. Bosacius, the leader, wandered into the Chasm, his mind a fractured mess, barely remembering his own name until his final moments.
When we talk about the Lantern of Lost Memories, we are talking about that specific tragedy. In the Perilous Labyrinth questline, we actually see what happens when those memories are recovered. It’s not a happy ending. It’s a closure that hurts.
Why players are still obsessed with this item
Maybe it’s the design. The soft glow against the dark sky of Liyue Harbor is objectively beautiful.
But I think it’s deeper.
Players have spent years—since 2020—watching Xiao struggle with his "karmic debt." Every time the Lantern Rite rolls around, the community expects a payoff. We want to see those lost memories honored. In a world where everything is "flashy" and "new," this specific narrative thread feels grounded. It’s about not letting the sacrifices of the past fade into nothingness.
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Specifics you might have missed:
- The materials used to craft these lanterns in the early versions of the game (Plaustrite Shards) are literally "floating rocks" that symbolize the ascent of the soul.
- The patterns on the specialized lanterns often mimic the masks of the Yakshas, a detail that many casual players breeze right past.
- The music shift. Listen closely when you’re dealing with these items. The leitmotif of the Yakshas often blends into the festival theme, creating a haunting discordance.
The Chasm connection
You can't talk about the Lantern of Lost Memories without mentioning the 2.7 update. That was the "real" deep dive.
We went into the depths of the Chasm and found the truth about Bosacius. It wasn't just a story anymore; we saw the spectral images of what happened. The lantern becomes a symbol of that discovery. It represents the light we brought into the darkest place in Liyue to find someone who had been forgotten for centuries.
It’s heavy stuff for a "waifu collector" game, right?
The technical side: Why it works for SEO and Discover
People search for this because they get stuck on the lore. Or they’re looking for the furniture item to put in their Serenitea Pot.
But Google picks it up because of the emotional resonance.
The "Lantern of Lost Memories" isn't just a keyword; it’s an emotional touchstone for millions of players. When you write about it, you have to acknowledge that it's more than a 3D model. It's the intersection of Chinese culture (the Kongming lantern tradition) and high-fantasy tragedy.
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What most people get wrong about the lore
A lot of people think Xiao wants to be alone.
They think the Lantern of Lost Memories is something he hates because it reminds him of his pain.
That’s actually not it at all.
If you read his character stories and listen to his voiced lines during the festivals, he’s terrified of forgetting. The lantern isn't his enemy; it’s his tether. It’s the proof that his family existed. He’s the witness. He’s the one who carries the lantern so the others don't have to wander in the dark.
How to actually "use" this information in-game
If you're a player looking to maximize your experience with this part of the story, don't just rush the text.
- Re-watch the "Only Old Memories Remain" cinematic. It is arguably the best piece of storytelling HoYoverse has ever produced.
- Check your inventory. Sometimes we carry quest items that have flavor text we never read. The descriptions of these lanterns often contain the most poignant writing in the game.
- Visit the Pervases temple. It’s a small, missable location that ties directly into the theme of honoring those lost to time.
Actionable steps for the lore-hungry
To truly appreciate the Lantern of Lost Memories, you need to engage with the world-building beyond the main quest markers.
- Read the "Yakshas: The Guardian Adepti" book in-game. You can find it in the Wangshu Inn. It provides the academic context that makes the emotional beats land harder.
- Pay attention to the NPC "Starsnatcher" questline. It’s a fake-adeptus story, but it contrasts beautifully with the real sacrifice of the Yakshas. It shows how the "lost memories" can be exploited by the living.
- Craft the commemorative furniture. If you have the blueprint for the lanterns in your Teapot, place them near Xiao’s favorite spots. It changes the vibe of your build from "random garden" to "memorial site."
The Lantern of Lost Memories is a reminder that in Liyue, "contracts" aren't just about business. They are about the debt the living owe to the dead. Every time you release a lantern, you’re fulfilling a part of that contract. It’s a small gesture, but in the grand, sweeping history of Teyvat, it’s the only thing that keeps the darkness at bay.
Next time the Lantern Rite comes around, don't just look at the fireworks. Look at the small, flickering lights drifting toward the horizon. Those are the memories. Don't let them be lost.