Genshin Impact: Best Characters

While the maximum party size in Genshin Impact is five, there are actually 54 playable characters in the game. Each of these characters has their own unique combination of attributes and attack styles, and they all draw on a certain elemental type. But which are the best characters in Genshin Impact? Well, we’re here to run you through a tier of who we consider the best based on the current meta.

Best Characters in Genshin Impact

Before we jump into our tier ranking, it’s worth noting that although the five-star characters are obviously the best, they aren’t necessarily vital for completing the game and having fun along the way.

Ultimately, who you enjoy playing as is really the best character to use. If you like a certain character for their appearance, attack style, and special attributes then don’t worry yourself too much about whether they appear at the very top of this list. Just have fun, level your character, and experiment with builds.

Most characters are viable for the end game and Spiral Abyss. In our experience, Genshin Impact is more about finding the best party set-up than getting the most powerful individual characters.

Finally, do make sure that whoever you go for as your main characters suit both the device you’re playing on and the type of attack style you are good at. For example, maybe choosing a ranged character isn’t such a good idea if you’re a mobile player since aiming is much harder on a touchscreen.

Now, with that all being said, here’s a list of best characters in Genshin Impact:

Zhongli- 5 Star, Polearm

It took a few updates for Zhongli to reach his full potential as a character, but it’s safe to say that he’s now one of the best teammates you could hope to add to your party in either an offensive or supporting role.

Host to long-reaching polearm weapons and the Geo elemental affinity, he’s great for taking care of enemies that would otherwise give more traditional characters trouble. You can easily pummel enemies with his combos, let off a Geo elemental attack, and then use the pillar of earth to hinder your enemy and gain a better position for your next combo.

His Jade Shield ability also allows him to tank hits with increasing effectiveness, allowing him to weather assaults from foes that other characters would otherwise struggle to overcome.

Kazuha – 5 Star, Sword

Kazuha served as the first Inazuma character players could get their hands on, and has continued to be one of the better characters players can have in their party ever since.

Host to the Anemo elemental affinity, he’s perfect for unleashing huge amounts of damage in short bursts. This is largely thanks to the fact that you can imbue his basic attacks with Elemental Infusion after the use of his Elemental Skill or Elemental Burst Attacks. This is made all the more potent after you’ve upgraded his elemental mastery, and when combined with characters that can trigger elemental reactions, he’s perfect as either your primary damage dealer or a setup character for DPS.

Venti – 5 Star, Bow

Venti is a wind elemental DPS character who hits for significant damage. One of his best attributes is his brilliant AOE Anemo attack that strikes all enemies and propels both them and Venti upward. From there, he can then reign down punishment on any enemies left over. Obviously, having the ability to propel himself upwards also makes exploration much easier, since you don’t have to climb and worry about stamina.

Venti can also use his bow to create a vortex effect that sucks enemies into its core, which is useful for grouping enemies together to strike them with AOE attacks.

Related: Best Genshin Impact Characters on Attack of the Fanboy

Mona – 5 Star, Catalyst

Mona is a ranged caster that suits anyone who likes to pop off attacks from distance and move around quickly.

Thanks to her evasive abilities, she can quickly move around the field and unleash ranged Hydro attacks from optimal positions. Her Elemental Burst ability can also leave several enemies incapacitated at once while also setting them up for heavy damage from Cryo attacks by your other teammates.

And those are just her offensive capabilities. She’s also great for taking the pressure off of your team through her Phantom ability, which spawns a decoy that will draw enemy aggro for a decent amount of time.

It should be noted, though, that mobile players might struggle to get the best out of her using a touch screen.

Raiden Shogun – 5 Star, Polearm

Raiden Shogun is an interesting enough character thanks to her backstory, but her abilities also set her apart as one of the best supporters and sub-DPS characters in the game.

Through the use of her Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst, she can set up other characters for high-damage opportunities and keep large groups of enemies at bay. She can also generate an exceptional amount of energy when tailored entirely toward a support role, allowing for further options in combat and making her viable in a wide array of party layouts.

This is to say nothing of her DPS potential. Thanks to her skillset and her less-common Electro Elemental Affinity, she’s great for taking on enemies that might otherwise be difficult for more traditional characters to take on.

Bennett – 4 Star, Sword

It may be a bit of a shock considering how easy it is to get this four star character, but Bennett continues to be regarded as one of the best characters in the game.

This is largely thanks to his versatility and usefulness across most every role. Whether he’s in the lead as a DPS or sub-DPS, or acting as a Support, he can excel and keep your party running through dungeons smoothly thanks to his wide array of abilities.

However, it is worth noting that he can and does excel as a Support character. He can buff, heal and otherwise maintain the party’s effectiveness through his skills, and is a perfect fit even when delving into the most punishing dungeons the game has to offer.

Xiangling – 4 Star, Polearm

Xiangling is just a four-star, but if you get some duplicates of her then she can become very powerful. We’ve included her in this tier more because she’s quite gettable as a F2P character, rather than her being strictly “better” than other characters who arguably offer higher damage, better support capabilities, etc.

Xiangling’s strength is that she’s super powerful once you upgrade her Constellations, so we encourage you to stick with her and not be disheartened by continual duplicates. Her Pyro upgrades are great because they buff both her attack and any other Pyros you have, as well as offering a great Pyro debuff. This is to say nothing of her actual abilities, which can summon a fire-spewing ally that keeps enemies distracted and surround her with a damaging corona of flame

If you manage to score some duplicates and can upgrade her in this way then she’s highly useful as a DPS sub-DPS.

Ganyu – 5 Star, Bow

Bow users can be exceptionally useful in Genshin Impact, and few are as powerful as Ganyu.

Host to the Cryo Elemental Affinity, her basic attacks are already a force to be reckoned with thanks to the fact that they can apply Cryo to enemies all on their own and have AOE capabilities. This allows Ganyu to set up most any enemy you come across for Elemental Reactions, making her perfect for a sub-DPS or support role.

When you factor in her Elemental Skill and Burst though, she can also be used effectively in a DPS role. Enemies will fall before her blows while she stays at a safe distance, resulting in fights that are exceptionally easier than if you were forced to get in close to them and risk taking unnecessary damage.

Nahida – 5 Star, Catalyst

Nahida fills a unique role in most every party she’s added to, and this is largely thanks to her Dendro Elemental Affinity.

Because Dendro is highly synergistic with other Elements, most all of Nahida’s attacks can be utilized alongside other characters’ moves to deal massive damage to enemies via Elemental Reactions. This makes her perfect as a Support character, wherein she helps set up other characters for success in battle while you have minimal headaches.

At the same time though, she can be a highly potent Sub-DPS character. For proof, look no further than the fact that she’s the first Dendro catalyst user, allowing her to deal Dendro damage from a distance and take advantage of Reaction opportunities set up by other characters.

Hu Tao – 5 Star, Pole Arm

Characters who can deal decent damage to a large number of enemies are all well and good, but there’s definitely a place for those that can tear apart a single enemy with massive amounts of damage.

Case in point: Hu Tao, a Pyro Polearm user who can decimate enemies in no time flat through her basic attacks, Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst. So long as you’re only picking off one enemy at a time, she’s one of the strongest characters in the game and can go toe to toe with even the nastiest of opponents.

This is also before factoring in her potential for Elemental Reaction damage against enemies, which send her damage output potential through the roof. as such, she’s a perfect fit for a DPS or sub-DPS role in your party and can lead the charge in most any situation.

That does it for our list of best characters in Genshin Impact. For more useful tips and guides on the game, search Twinfinite.