TomoKazu

TomoKazu is the slash ship between Kaedehara Kazuha and his friend from the Genshin Impact fandom.

Backstory
Kazuha and Tomo were good friends and close traveling companions for a period of time. One day, Kazuha's friend asked him about a sword art of which he had heard, the Musou no Hitotachi. Kazuha told his friend that it could only be witnessed when "divine punishment" is administered and that it was the pinnacle of the Raiden Shogun's skill, a symbol of ultimate power. Kazuha's friend replied that there must be someone who could withstand it, and that "there will always be those who dare to brave the lightning's glow."

When the Vision Hunt Decree was enacted, Kazuha had to go into hiding. While on the run, he had heard that his friend had challenged the Vision Hunters to a duel before the throne. Kazuha's friend dueled with Kujou Sara, who had accepted the duel on the Raiden Shogun's behalf, in Tenshukaku. The defeated would face punishment from her.

Although usually a calm person, Kazuha drew his sword and stormed into Tenshukaku when he had heard of this duel, but he arrived too late. The duel was over and he had seen his friend had lost, his blade broken into pieces. Kazuha ran away with his friend's dying vision in his hand, not wanting his friend's ambitions to be engraved into the Omnipresent Statue. The dying vision possibly burned his right hand and would thus be the reason for the bandages on his hand in the present.

He didn't regret coming out of hiding for his friend or begrudge his friend for leaving him, but he did ask himself if conflict was the only way to assert one's ideals. Kazuha also wondered what expression was on his friend's face during his friend's last moments.

Kazuha would remain silent when any of the Crux's sailors spoke to him, likely because he was mourning his friend's death. While Kazuha eventually started talking to the sailors, he still thought of the death of his friend.

Chapter II: Prologue
Kazuha made his friend's masterless Vision the grand prize of the Crux Clash, hoping to find someone who could reawaken it and carry on his friend's ambitions.

After it was stolen, Kazuha thought of a plan to have the thief reawaken the Vision, which didn't work. The Traveler also could not rekindle the Vision upon Kazuha's request.

Chapter II: Act III
Later on, when the Traveler is about to be defeated by the Raiden Shogun, Kazuha reawakens his friend's Vision and uses the power of Electro to save the Traveler and block the Raiden Shogun's sword. Just before the Vision is reawakened, Kazuha's friend can be heard saying "There will always be those who dare to brave the lightning's glow." When Kazuha is knocked away by the Raiden Shogun, the Vision once again becomes unlit.

At the end of the quest, Kazuha leaves the Vision at his friend's grave and pays respects to him. The Vision can be seen slightly lighting up while Kazuha walks away.

Summertime Odyssey
In the third domain of Kazuha's mirage, the group experiences Kazuha's memory of wandering through Inazuma and escaping the Vision Hunt Decree.

Upon reaching the fourth floating building, Kazuha and Tomo can be heard talking. Kazuha mentions that Visions represent the Archon's gaze, but Tomo questions if that's really a good thing. Kazuha doesn't know the answer to that.

Upon reaching the fifth floating building, the Shogunate Infantry can be heard demanding that Kazuha and Tomo hand over their Visions. Tomo tells Kazuha the way to go and that he should hurry. Following this, an Electro seelie waits for the player. This seelie is presumed to be Tomo since he is Electro and appeared during that moment.

The Electro Seelie guides the player through the rest of the domain and through various puzzles. During a certain part, the Electro Seelie and an Anemo Seelie can even be seen flying together, further indicating the Kazuha and Tomo were escaping together.

When approaching and then fighting off soldiers of the Shogunate Infantry, they can be heard saying that the Raiden Shogun is holding a duel before the throne. This part reflects Kazuha's memory of rushing to the duel between Tomo and Sara right before his death, presumably fending off soldiers while trying to get there.

The Electro Seelie only stops following when the player reaches the boat that brought Kazuha to safety and out of Inazuma.

At the end of the quest, a short cutscene plays, showing Kazuha traveling and expressing some thoughts about his journey. The second to last line he says is: "We will meet again, no matter how far along the road." Many believe that this line spoken by Kazuha as well as the many mentions of them being a fated pair is foreshadowing that they will have a reunion later in the game.

Kazuha's Story Quest
In Act I of Kazuha's Story Quest, he states "...I've always been captivated by grand aspirations. Hearing his (Kagotsurube Isshin's) wish to rival the divine light touched something inside of me, just as the sight of those who fought to repeal the Vision Hunt Decree did. After everything I've seen, perhaps these pursuits fascinate me a little more than they should." He may be referring to Tomo and his ambition to oppose the Vision Hunt Decree and withstand Raiden's sword. Kazuha speaks highly of Tomo's aspirations, and they have influence on him as seen in his lines 'About the Raiden Shogun' and his thoughts on Visions. This implies that Tomo is Kazuha's ideal type who he finds admirable. Further more, parallels can be seen between 'these pursuits' and his cinematic trailer with Tomo 'The Solitary Pursuit of Lightning'.

Quest Voicelines
"In his last moments, what expression was on his face?"

- Kazuha

"All I knew was that I mustn't let his hope which burned so brightly become buried among the ice-cold statue of a god."

- Kazuha after escaping with his friend's vision

"There will always be those who dare to brave the lightning's glow."

- Kazuha's friend to Kazuha

Kazuha's Profile Stories
"To have met merely by chance and then form such a strong bond, there must be a fated connection between them... so, although they would part ways for now, surely they would meet again. Or so Kazuha thought."

- Kazuha's Story IV

"His friend's sword lay shattered in pieces, his Vision now an empty husk. Now a wanted man himself, Kazuha fled with grief in his heart."

- Kazuha's Story IV

Kazuha's Profile Voicelines

 * Something to Share: Maple Leaves — "On this mountain path, where the red leaves lifeless lie... My heart calls for a companion, echoing the deer's cry... " Hm... I do love maple leaves, but it is a shame that so many goodbyes seem to happen when they turn red."
 * This quote comes from an iconic poem written by Hyakunin Isshu about Autumn. According to Tanka commentary, a deer cries out when missing their wife/spouse/mate. '

Fanon
While TomoKazu is popular within its fandom, despite that some would also argue that Kazuha's friend is dead. Despite these reasons, there are 1000+ works on AO3 of the pairing and it is popular especially within the CN/JPN community. Many TomoKazu shippers started shipping it after seeing the cinematic showing Kazuha's backstory. Others only shipped it after Kazuha briefly reawakened his friend's vision, and others began to ship it after Summertime Oddessy.

Kazuha's friend's name has not yet been revealed. Because of this, fans use the name "Tomo" for Kazuha's friend, which is short for tomodachi, meaning friend in Japanese. Tomo's voice actor has referred to Kazuha's friend as Tomo before.

There are many that wish for a reunion between them, either hoping that Kazuha's friend is still alive or theorizing that Kazuha may die at some point. This was most prominent when the 2.1 Version Trailer was released, as it showed Kazuha fighting the Raiden Shogun. Many feared Kazuha would lose that battle, and thus be reunited with Tomo in death.

On Twitter, a Tomo x Kazuha week took place from October 26 to November 1, though people can still take part in it after the week ends. Participants are given prompts for each day of the week and they can make fan content based on those prompts. Tomo x Kazuha week happens yearly usually between the months of July - November.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

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Trivia

 * Additionally, the first act of his quest is called "A Strange and Friendless Road". Since Tomo has only been called "Kazuha's friend" in canon, the title may refer to Kazuha's loss.
 * Kazuha was able to use Tomo's vision because their ambitions aligned. In his Story "Vision Shell", Kazuha also expresses that it felt like his friend was lending him aid.
 * During the clash between Kazuha (with Anemo and Electro) and Ei, Kazuha and Tomo's attack together forms something akin to a sakura blossom.
 * During the Irodori Festival event "The Moon and Stars Inscribe", Lenne states that "connecting a flower to a lover is common to all nations" - the glowing blue flowers that surround Tomo's grave, known as "Of Promises Unkept the Night Flowers Speak", can also be found in Kazuha's preferred furnishing set, "Jade Wilds". Kazuha also originally returned to Inazuma to visit Tomo.
 * The teapot description for the flower reads: "[...] Under the moonlight, these sky-blue blooms flow in silence, as if in agonized waiting for one who left all too suddenly. "Promises" are a powerful force, so powerful that they can slow the senses, even until the passage of time itself might be dulled. Mortals ensnared by such forces may be suddenly surprised to find, while looking in a mirror, that they have suddenly sprouted white hair, but for certain beings that shall never grow old, perhaps such endless waiting is an incalculable sorrow."
 * Kazuha's Elemental Burst Voiceline "Clouds hide..the birds call!" was originally quoted from a Japanese poem written by a poet to a prince who passed away 10 years ago; the poem expresses yearning of reunion.
 * The poem on Tomo's sword at his grave reads「春雷率いて、我を斬り、灰になろうとも、万の世の為. 」This roughly translates to "even if the spring thunder leads, slashes me, turns me into ashes, it's for the sake of the world of all. He uses Kazuha's name kanji (万, kazu) in one of the lines ( 万の世の為 ) which could translate to both "for the sake of the world of all" and "for the sake of kazu's world."
 * Kazuha's fifth constellation in JP includes both “万” and “世”. That's because Kazuha's name（万葉）relates much to Manyoshu（万葉集）which is considered to have the same meaning and pronunciation as “万世集”, and the end of the poem could be translated as “for Kazuha's world" or "for Kazuha".
 * Animation by 喵太Miota; Kazuha was willing to drown himself, seemingly giving up on every hope he once had after Tomo's death. Another animation by 喵太Miota featuring Kazuha's and Tomo's story was also featured in the Genshin Impact Fanart livestream.
 * Tomokazu are featured in both 2022 and 2023 Hoyofairs with fan animations, fan art, and cosplay.
 * Most recently, a TomoKazu art piece was featured in Hoyoverse's 2023 Fontaine Expo.

Variations

 * TomoKazuGorou refers to the ship between the two and Gorou
 * TomoKazuScara refers to the ship between the two and Scaramouche