The character banners for Genshin Impact’s 2.2 update have possibly hinted that something bad may happen to the eleventh Fatui Harbinger, Tartaglia. It was announced during the 2.2 livestream that the two limited-time character Banners for the update will feature Tartaglia and Hu Tao. It has been a while since a limited character has gotten a rerun, so this doesn’t seem unusual at first glance, but the fact that Tartaglia is getting a second rerun - when so many 5-star characters haven’t gotten one at all - suggests that something big may be coming for his character.
There are quite a few limited 5-star characters in Genshin Impact at this point. After their initial release, these characters can get reruns where their Banner is brought back, so players who missed out or want more Constellations can pull for them. Because of how many limited 5-stars there are, along with all the new characters that are consistently added via updates, not many of them have gotten a rerun yet. However, with his upcoming 2.2 Banner, Tartaglia is getting a second rerun, meaning that he will have been featured on a limited Banner three times.
This is a bit odd considering there are characters who have been out since early 2021, like Albedo and Ganyu, that haven’t returned since, and Tartaglia isn’t even a best-selling character, according to GenshinLab. Tartaglia is returning for the 2.2 event called “Labyrinth Warriors,” so it is sort of understandable that he could make a return, but Kazuha is also starring in an event for this update, and he isn’t getting a Banner. Bringing Tartaglia’s Banner back for a third time in Genshin Impact just because he is featuring in the story of the game for a brief moment doesn’t really add up.
Genshin Impact: Is This Tartaglia’s Last Banner?
Tartaglia's Banner Wish is also called “Farewell of Snezhnaya,” which may hint at his eventual death. Of the three Fatui Harbingers that are currently in the game, Tartaglia is the only playable character. After Signora’s demise in the 2.1 Archon Quest, it's probably safe to say that not all of the Harbingers will be playable. In fact, Signora’s death, combined with Tartaglia’s ominous Banner title, may suggest that all of the Fatui Harbingers in Genshin Impact will eventually meet their end. These characters are, after all, the current villains of the game, and Tartaglia’s position as a friendly rival to the Traveler is an outlier.
If Tartaglia were to die somehow in the new update, bringing his Banner back would make perfect sense. None of the playable characters in Genshin Impact have been killed so far, so there isn’t exactly a precedent for this situation, but something similar has happened in another of miHoYo’s games, Honkai Impact. Tartaglia's Banner title may just suggest that he will be leaving the Fatui for good. From what players have seen of the organization so far, Tartaglia is certainly the most friendly and easy-going member, especially for a Harbinger. He even says that he considers the Traveler a friend at the end of the Liyue Archon Quest, while the other Harbingers either openly hate the Traveler or simply mock them. Perhaps this camaraderie will grow even stronger over the course of the Labyrinth Warriors event and lead to Tartaglia officially switching sides, thus he would be saying “farewell” to Snezhnaya.
All of this is speculation at this point and may result in absolutely nothing significant happening, but the signs are hinting, at the very least, at a major change for Tartaglia in 2.2. One last point that suggests this, though mostly a joke, is that Hu Tao, the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor director, is immediately following Tartaglia’s Banner, which would be incredibly ironic should he die. That kind of humor suits Genshin Impact (and Hu Tao) perfectly, though, so it makes sense. However, fans will just have to wait until 2.2 releases to see how it all plays out.