DIRECT TOP-UP
CARDIdentity V x The Lost Tomb Crossover Character Popularity Ranking: Zhang Qiling Dominates, Wu Xie at the Bottom?
Same Rare Quality, Worlds Apart in Treatment
The first batch of Identity V x The Lost Tomb collaboration skins has been live for almost a week now. Four rare outfits, four corresponding characters, yet the gap in reputation is so huge it hardly feels like the same event. Zhang Qiling is getting nonstop praise, while Wu Xie is being criticized from every direction — same collab, same rarity, so why is the difference this big?
Let’s start with the ranking, then look at the mechanics, and finally break down the skin treatment.
[T0] Mercenary - Zhang Qiling: God-tier in every way, with mechanics that fit naturally
The Zhang Qiling and Mercenary pairing is the biggest winner of this collaboration. From character fit to skin craftsmanship, it is almost flawless, and it was one of the most anticipated releases before launch.
Why Mercenary?
Start with Mercenary's core skill, 'Steel Dash': he carries steel elbow pads, and when he runs past a wall, he can press the wall to trigger a speed burst, up to 3 uses. Cooldown is reduced by 2 seconds, board-window interaction speed is increased by 10%, and time spent on the Rocket Chair is increased by 30%.
This kit lines up extremely well with Zhang Qiling's character — silent, agile, and able to explode with astonishing speed at critical moments. The elbow-pad dash matches Zhang Qiling's 'shrinking the earth to a step,' the board-window boost matches his 'Qilin stepping through fire,' and the longer chair time reflects the resilience of the one who guards the ultimate secret alone beyond the Bronze Gate.
Even more important, Mercenary's 'Bravery' trait means he won't go down immediately after being hurt — each increase in Fear Value is delayed by 15 seconds before taking effect, and he only falls once the limit is exceeded. That makes Mercenary extremely stable in a rescue role, and when paired with Zhang Qiling's loyal-guardian logic, it feels like a match made in heaven.
Skin treatment: chair special effects, hat-off dual forms, and excellent craftsmanship. Some players even gave it a 99/100. During the teaser phase, the official account separately released a preview for Zhang Qiling, captioned 'the lone traveler who guards the ultimate secret behind the Bronze Gate, the returner who has forgotten the past atop the snowy mountain' — a level of promotion the other skins simply didn't get.
[T1] Aeronaut - Wang Pangzi: Free reward, and the flight mechanic fits the 'fly' in his name
Wang Pangzi's corresponding character is Aeronaut, and the skin can be claimed for free through a login event.
Aeronaut's skill kit: he carries an unstable flight device, which lets him sprint forward three times after use, with a 15-second cooldown. He can also use 'Hover' to float in the air for 2 seconds, and the air current pushes all nearby characters outward.
The 'flight' element in Aeronaut naturally matches Wang Pangzi's nimble build. Although Aeronaut leans more toward kiting and rescue, which does not perfectly fit Wang Pangzi's bold and loyal personality, the free-gift strategy greatly lowers the cost of completing the full Iron Triangle.
While the craftsmanship is not as refined as Zhang Qiling's, players are far more forgiving when it is free. One user joked, 'It's a free skin — what more do you want?'
[T2] The Naiad - Jinpo: Atmosphere is maxed out, but the mechanics have little to do with the character
Jinpo corresponds to The Naiad and can be obtained by exchanging event tokens in the collaboration event.
The Naiad's skill kit: The Naiad is a Hunter, and her core mechanic is 'Water Traces' — wherever she walks, she leaves behind a water trail. When the trail closes into a sealed shape, survivors inside the area gain moisture. Once moisture is maxed out, it deals one normal attack worth of damage. The Naiad can enter a 'Tidal' state, increasing her speed by 30%, and use 'Splash' to dash and stack moisture.
In The Lost Tomb, Jinpo is a monster from the water, so the Naiad's water-trail and moisture mechanics do fit the 'water' imagery. But the problem is obvious: Jinpo is a monster, while The Naiad is a Hunter, and the collaboration skin is meant for a Survivor to wear. When players put on the Jinpo skin, they are using the Naiad's kit — fishing, laying water rings, and stacking moisture — a set of mechanics that has very little to do with Jinpo's image, with the eerie atmosphere mostly coming from the skin effects.
That said, the skin's atmosphere is excellent, with tangled strands of hair and a chilly aura that capture Jinpo's ghostly, elusive nature. But the character itself is relatively unpopular (at least compared with the others), and with the kit so disconnected from the IP image, it's no surprise the ranking doesn't go any higher.
[T3] Novelist - Wu Xie: The mechanics could have been a perfect recreation, but the model ruins everything
As the main male lead of The Lost Tomb, Wu Xie corresponds to Novelist and was originally one of the most talked-about characters in the collab, yet he ended up with the weakest reception.
Novelist's skill kit: he carries a writing notebook and can 'Outline' other Survivors, controlling their movement for 60 seconds. He can also 'Metaphorize' the Hunter, and after collecting enough information, he can control the Hunter's movement for 5 seconds, though both sides can only move and cannot interact or use skills.
This kit actually fits Wu Xie's character very well — in the novel, he is both a 'recorder' and a 'puzzle solver,' and using a notebook to record and analyze information is one of his core abilities. 'Outline' matches the way he observes and records teammates, while 'Metaphorize' matches his deductions and his fight against danger. Mechanically, the Novelist x Wu Xie pairing is actually quite compatible.
But the problem lies in the model... Players widely said Wu Xie's in-game model looked nothing like the promotional poster — sharp chin, tiny mouth, and an unusual fringe, with no trace of Wu Xie's temperament. Worse still, among rare skins of the same quality, Zhang Qiling has chair effects and a dual form, while Wu Xie has no special effects at all, and the pendant effects were described as 'faint as water.' The frustration among book fans has continued to build in the community.
Buying Advice
Zhang Qiling (Mercenary): The undisputed best of the collaboration, with both the skill kit and the IP persona fitting perfectly. Worth getting for either nostalgia or strength;
Wang Pangzi (Aeronaut): Free to claim directly, so don't miss it;
Jinpo (The Naiad): If you like eerie styles, you can exchange for it with event tokens, but be prepared for the skill/IP disconnect;
Wu Xie (Novelist): Unless you're a pure fan of the series, the current reception is still pretty controversial, so it's better to wait and see whether a model optimization will arrive (but since it is already live, no one knows how long that will take).
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