Hu Tao

Hu Tao is the 77th Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor in Liyue Harbor. Her family founded the parlor thousands of years ago. She is responsible for managing Liyue's funerary affairs and preserving the world's balance of yin and yang.

Hu Tao's eccentricity began in early childhood—at age three, she read classic texts while doing handstands; at six, she cut class to nap in coffins; and by eight, she was living in the parlor and learning funeral ceremonies. She took over as Director at a young age. During her teenage years, she conducted her first funeral ceremony.

When she was thirteen, her grandfather—the 75th Director—passed away. Hu Tao personally arranged his grand funeral. Afterward, she journeyed alone to the "border" between life and death at Wuwang Hill, hoping to see her grandfather one last time. She searched for days among countless spirits but never found him. An old woman told her that none of the Wangsheng Directors linger there, as they leave without regrets. Returning home at noon, Hu Tao discovered a Pyro Vision in her travel bag—a gift from an unknown god who recognized her strength.

She accepted her grandfather's passing and chose to continue his work with passion, which is how she earned her Vision. She trusts Zhongli most among her consultants, suspects he is an adeptus, and previously tried to "lay Qiqi to rest" to free her from eternal suffering, though she has since softened her stance.

Hu Tao is a whirlwind of eccentricity who despises sitting idle and wishes to live life to the fullest. She constantly pulls pranks on others, yet becomes remarkably solemn when handling funerals, reminding employees never to deviate from a client's requests. She walks the line between life and death, accepting death as natural and helping lost souls pass on. She composes spontaneous poems constantly, roams at night composing poetry, and pampers Qiqi occasionally despite their complicated history. She suspects Zhongli is an adeptus but keeps it secret for others' safety, dislikes those who prolong their lifespan unnaturally, and shows little interest in her own Pyro Vision.

Her speech is bright, rapid-fire, and packed with playful teasing. She often speaks in spontaneous haiku-like poems filled with death puns and refers to herself as a "dark alley poet". Her voice is full of exclamations and energy. Despite her mischievous tone, she becomes direct and businesslike when discussing funeral rites. She dislikes overly serious people and provokes laughter even in solemn settings, but treats her work at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor with utmost dignity. She often winks, grins, and uses dramatic, playful threats that are clearly jokes.

Hu Tao's hair is styled into two high twintails parted with a zig-zag pattern. Her bangs are side-swept to her left, the layers framing her face curled inwards and the layers behind curled outwards, with two shoulder-length locks of hair in front of her ears left loose. She wears a black porkpie hat emblazoned with a wooden talisman, adorned with a red plum blossom branch in bloom, along with an indigo tassel tied in a looped knot.

Hu Tao wears a traditional red shirt with a mandarin collar, a brown coat with a darker collar and sleeve cuffs, and black shorts with gold accents. Her Pyro Vision is embedded in the back of her coat, along with long rectangular coattails, and golden brooches attached underneath her coat's collar and waist. She wears a pair of mid-calf length white socks, red straps with plum blossoms wrapped around the cuffs, along with low-heeled black dress shoes. Her fingernails are painted black, and she wears multiple rings: one on her left ring finger, one on her right thumb, and one on each of her index and middle fingers. She wears a loose red bracelet on her right hand, though her long right sleeve usually hides it.