Freminet’s birthday is September 24th, and at first glance, it looks like an ordinary number in Genshin Impact ‘s massive character birthday chart . I dug into the history of Freminet’s name, French culture, and old inventions—and discovered such a beautiful chain of coincidences that it’s hard to call it a coincidence. Lesho, mechanical penguins, and an antique diving suit also pop up.
Why is Freminet’s birthday on September 24th?
On September 24, 1567, the French artist Martin Fréminet was born. He was a member of the Second School of Fontainebleau, worked at the French court, and one of his major projects was the frescoes of the Chapel of the Holy Trinity in the Château de Fontainebleau. And here’s where Genshin begins to wink with more than one eye. Martin Fréminet was associated with Fontainebleau, and our Fréminet lives in Fontainebleau—a region built on French aesthetics, culture, and architecture.
The real Freminet was also connected with the underwater world.
There’s another historical Freminet—and this one fits the game character almost literally. Sieur Fréminet, a French inventor of the 18th century, was involved in the creation of early diving equipment. In the 1770s, he developed the so-called machine hydrostatergatique—a design with a sealed suit, helmet, and air supply that allowed a person to remain underwater without a constant air supply from the surface.
Now let’s look at the character himself. Freminet is a professional diver, spending most of his time underwater and practically never parting with his diving suit. Even after receiving the Cryo Eye of God, he continues to wear it, even though he technically no longer needs it. I think this is one of those cases where HoYoverse took a historical name, found several suitable associations, and carefully assembled them into a single character.
What does Lesho’s mechanical toys have to do with this?
In Fontaine, there’s a workshop called Leschot, where mechanical toys are made. Freminet collaborates with them for a while, creating his own designs, including mechanical penguins. In Freminet’s first holiday story, Paimon and the Traveler visit the workshop, where they’re informed that his wind-up penguins are selling well.
The Leschot family name could also very well be a historical reference. Jean-Frédéric Leschot was a Swiss watchmaker and mechanic who worked with the Jaquet-Droz family on the famous 18th-century automatons. It was Leschot who participated in the creation of mechanical figures that could write, draw, and play music. Moreover, the creators of Genshin didn’t even try to hide this: the Freminet constellation is called Automaton, meaning “Automaton,” and visually resembles his mechanical penguin.
Persian is not just a cute penguin either.
The Persian deserves a separate investigation. Fréminet created him as a mechanical companion to keep him company when he felt lonely. At the same time, the Persian himself exists within the story of “The Tale of the Snowy Goose”—a fictional book Fréminet devoured as a child.
In the tale, Perse dreams of learning to fly. He tries to understand how birds rise into the sky, and then discovers he can fly underwater, swimming in the sea. Therefore, for Freminet, Perse becomes a near-perfect reflection of his own dream: a creature who feels different from everyone else, but finds his own way to move forward.
September 24th seems to be no coincidence at all
Fréminet’s work weaves together several historical and literary layers. September 24th coincides with the birthday of Martin Fréminet, a French artist associated with Fontainebleau. The surname Fréminet, however, recalls another 18th-century Frenchman who developed early diving equipment.
Fréminet himself combines both associations: he represents a French cultural archetype, an engineer and inventor, but also a professional diver. Apparently, the developers truly approached the character’s design with sensitivity, creating him almost based on historical drawings.