Best Genshin Impact Best Characters

Genshin Impact Version 4.8 Character Tier List (August 2024): A comprehensive evaluation of the top 5-star and 4-star characters, categorized by their primary roles as Main DPS, Sub-DPS, and Support.

All rankings are based on characters at C0 constellation level.

Our latest characters have brought fresh mechanics that have added excitement to the combat system!

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Top DPS Characters in Genshin

SS-Tier Main DPS Characters

Neuvillette

• Exceptional and consistent damage from his Charged Attacks.

• Highly self-reliant, allowing him to function as a one-man army.

• C1 constellation eliminates his primary vulnerabilities.

Arlecchino

• Delivers strong Pyro damage even outside of Vaporize or Overloaded setups when paired with Chevreuse.

• Normal Attacks are fast, cover a large area, and deal solid damage, making her effective in single-target, AoE, and overworld content once her rotations are mastered.

• The high-risk gameplay might be daunting for players in the early stages of the game.

Alhaitham

• Dendro application is excellent for initiating and triggering powerful reactions such as Hyperbloom, Burgeon, and Spread.

• Offers strong AoE coverage and top-tier team damage while requiring minimal investment.

Hu Tao

• Delivers significant single-target Pyro damage through her Elemental Skill and Charged Attacks.

• Elemental Skill infuses Normal and Charged Attacks with Pyro, boosting damage at the cost of some HP.

• C1 allows you to use Charged Attacks repeatedly without draining Stamina.

S-Tier Main DPS Characters

Raiden

• Her Burst ability allows her to stay on the field and inflict massive damage over 7 seconds.

• Her C2 constellation provides a DEF-ignoring buff, making her a top-tier DPS capable of decimating enemies in moments.

Navia

• Her Elemental Skill delivers significant frontloaded damage, capable of quickly eliminating medium-level foes and dealing substantial damage to bosses each rotation.

• Her team composition offers great flexibility, as she isn’t limited to mono-Geo setups.

• While her initial damage is impressive, it may be less effective when considering damage over time.

Lyney

• Her passive talent significantly offsets the absence of Elemental Reactions in a Mono-Pyro team.

• Deals substantial damage in both single-target and AoE scenarios.

• Prone to interruptions during combat.

Gaming

• As a 4-star character, he excels at C6 with impressive plunging damage when paired with his optimal teams.

• His damage output depends on using his Elemental Burst off-cooldown to maintain effectiveness.

Wriothesley

• A top-tier close-combat damage dealer who excels at triggering elemental reactions like Melt and Freeze.

• His kit is significantly enhanced by C1, which also resolves his compatibility issues with certain healers.

• Has difficulty dealing with dispersed groups of enemies.

Ayaka

• Applies the Cryo element to Normal and Charged Attacks after sprinting, allowing for nearly constant infusion.

• Her Elemental Burst offers significant scaling and is a key feature of her damage potential. With optimal support, she can compete with top-tier DPS, though it requires substantial investment.

A-Tier Main DPS Characters

Tartaglia

• Riptide provides powerful Hydro application, particularly effective against multiple enemies.

• Currently the top choice for driving Vaporize reactions.

Xiao

• His Elemental Burst boosts overall DPS, but at the expense of his HP.

• Normal Attacks and Elemental Skill facilitate high-damage combos.

• Optimal performance relies on support for both offense and healing.

Clorinde

• Offers versatile team-building options and a fast-paced playstyle with dependable self-healing in the Overworld.

• Her personal damage is relatively low, making her reliant on the team’s composition for effectiveness.

• Lacks resistance to interruptions at C0.

Diluc

• His combat mechanics involve seamlessly combining Normal Attacks and Elemental Skill, allowing him to utilize top supports like Xingqiu for Vaporize.

• His Elemental Burst has a low energy cost and covers a broad area, though it can push back lighter enemies.

Ayato

• Provides extensive coverage and consistent damage with Hydro-infused Normal Attacks after activating his Elemental Skill.

• Can self-buff through his Elemental Burst, which enhances Normal Attack damage.

• Serves as a driver for Hydro-based Elemental Reactions with both on-field and off-field Hydro application.

Tighnari

• Damage is mainly derived from Charged Attacks and Elemental Bursts.

• Inflicts substantial damage by utilizing the Spread Dendro Elemental Reaction.

• Can draw the attention of most enemies with his taunt.

Wanderer

• Normal Attacks feature a broad AoE and can lock onto enemies.

• Needs specialized supports to be effective at low constellations.

• Elemental Skill lets him hover in mid-air, facilitating easier exploration.

Ganyu

• Her Level 2 Charged Shot excels against groups of enemies, delivering high damage potential with Melt, though it requires a long charge time and she is prone to interruptions.

• When used with ally pull-in effects, her Elemental Burst can efficiently target and attack enemies concentrated in one spot.

B-Tier Main DPS Characters

Yoimiya

• Her Elemental Skill infuses Normal Attacks with Pyro, offering strong base scaling.

• To enhance her overall performance, she requires supports that boost her resistance to interruptions and increase her attack speed.

Itto

• His Charged Attacks and Elemental Skill have high base scaling, particularly during Burst.

• He needs his high-energy Elemental Burst to begin dealing damage, and switching out will halt his damage output.

• Achieving top-tier damage demands significant investment in his artifacts, weapons, and team composition.

Cyno

• Effective as an Electro hypercarry for Dendro reactions like Aggravate and Hyperbloom.

• Relies on his high-energy Elemental Burst to deal damage, with switching out interrupting this process.

• Lacks resistance to interruptions, impacting the recommended timing for his rotations.

Keqing

• Performs well with either an Aggravate or Physical build. The recent addition of the element has boosted her performance, making her competitive with other Quicken DPS characters.

Noelle

• Balances ATK and DEF stats for excellent sustained damage, with a notable power spike at C6.

• Also self-sufficient due to her shields and healing abilities.

Eula

• Her Elemental Burst contributes a substantial portion to Eula’s total damage over a wide area, particularly effective against Superconducted enemies.

• Using 2 stacks from her Elemental Skill debuffs enemies and boosts DPS.

• If her Elemental Burst misses or fails to crit, a significant amount of Eula’s damage potential is lost.

Sethos

• Offers flexible playstyles, allowing him to either spam Charged Attacks or Normal Attacks through his Elemental Burst, based on his current Energy levels.

• Using Charged Attacks makes him stationary and vulnerable to interruptions.

• As a 4-star character, his stats are inherently lower.

C-Tier Main DPS Characters

Yanfei

• Effectively utilizes Pyro Normal and Charged Attacks, though her damage scaling is typical for a standard 4-star character.

• High stamina consumption is a factor, but is alleviated by her C1 constellation.

Heizou

• Specializes in Swirl damage or CRIT-based DPS. Can function as a driver for Viridescent Venerer or as a quick-swap burst damage dealer.

• His Elemental Skill can deliver maximum damage with Swirls as a Catalyst user, although his other damage sources may fall short.

Klee

• Primarily engages with Normal and Charged Attacks to clear large groups of enemies.

• Her somewhat cumbersome playstyle may not suit everyone and demands precise optimization of her rotations for optimal performance.

Kaveh

• A solid Dendro driver for Bloom-focused teams and buffs.

• Has relatively low personal damage output.

Kokomi

• Effective as a Hydro driver for Bloom and Electro-Charged reactions, with self-sufficiency due to her ability to heal herself.

• Her kit lacks crit capability, necessitating the use of teams and artifacts to boost her damage.

Freminet

• Can function as either a Cryo or Physical DPS, depending on your preferred playstyle and team composition.

• As a 4-star character, his stats are less competitive compared to other Main DPS options.

Ningguang

• Provides solid Geo DPS through a mix of Normal and Charged Attacks.

• Needs substantial investment in her constellations to perform at her best.

D-Tier Main DPS Characters

Razor

• His Elemental Burst provides reliable Superconduct coverage through a combination of Electro and Physical damage.

Dehya

• Her Elemental Skill and Burst damage is low without additional buffs, and she needs a significant amount of Energy to recharge her Burst.

• Needs additional constellations to reach optimal performance.

Xinyan

• Her Elemental Burst can deliver high burst damage for Physical Builds.

• As a Main DPS, her scaling for Physical damage is divided, requiring a focus on either ATK or DEF, which significantly affects her performance.

Aloy

• Can boost her Normal ATK damage with her Elemental Skill, but needs bomblets to be struck by the pellets to achieve infusion.

• Lacks constellations, which limits her performance to a certain level indefinitely.

Top Sub-DPS Characters

SS-Tier Sub-DPS Characters

Nahida

• Essential for any Dendro-centric team, especially with her C2 constellation.

• Her Elemental Skill delivers impressive off-field damage and can apply Dendro multiple times over an extended duration.

Furina

• Her Elemental Skill provides off-field Hydro application with a nearly continuous effect due to its cooldown times.

• Features strong damage scaling.

• May not surpass characters like Xingqiu or Yelan in Hydro application efficiency.

Xingqiu

• His Elemental Burst and Skill offer damage reduction, interruption resistance, off-field Hydro application, and some healing after the duration. He is currently one of the top two characters who can consistently set up reactions like Vaporize and Bloom for your Main DPS.

Yelan

• A versatile Sub-DPS capable of triggering Hydro reactions and enhancing the damage of active characters with her powerful Elemental Burst.

• Her Elemental Skill delivers competitive damage and provides substantial energy for her Burst. Additionally, it can pull enemies closer together.

Xiangling

• Her Elemental Burst captures all buffs before activation, delivering frequent and consistent damage ticks. This makes her the top Pyro DPS for AoE damage.

• Works best with other Pyro units who can help recharge her Burst.

Kazuha

• His Swirls allow him to infuse elements and drive multiple reactions simultaneously across a wide area. He can also use Swirl to trigger Hyperbloom and Burgeon, especially when equipped with full EM.

• Excels in AoE combat and can quickly deal significant damage to multiple enemies using his Swirl.

Raiden

• As a Sub-DPS, she can easily trigger Hyperbloom cores with her Elemental Skill. Her Skill is also versatile for other reactions like Superconduct, Electro-Charged, and Overloaded.

S-Tier Sub-DPS Characters

Nilou

• Specializes in Dendro Core reactions with Bloom, excelling in AoE damage.

• Her talents are tailored specifically for Dendro + Hydro team compositions, making her effective only within this niche setup.

Fischl

• Oz provides continuous Electro damage while on the field, but requires full constellations to reach peak performance.

• Alternating between his Elemental Skill and Burst allows Oz to maintain constant presence on the field.

Yae Miko

• Her Elemental Skill is user-friendly with a short cooldown and delivers significant damage, though it requires a lengthy setup.

• When paired with a Dendro team for Aggravate, her damage output is highly competitive.

Shinobu

• She is currently one of the top choices for triggering Hyperbloom, essential for teams needing her mobile Electro application and healing for this reaction.

• Her kit also benefits from Elemental Mastery scaling for healing, allowing her to free up a slot for another DPS that would otherwise be used by a healer.

Emilie

• A specialized Sub-DPS for Burning teams when paired with a Pyro character, delivering high damage and maintaining over 100% uptime on her Elemental Skill.

• Ensures continuous Burning and Pyro application on enemies as long as her Elemental Skill is active.

Navia

• Excellent for quick swaps, as she can gather charges with her Elemental Burst before switching to deal damage with her Elemental Skill.

• Her abilities are geared solely towards damage, limiting her utility to pure damage-focused teams.

A-Tier Sub-DPS Characters

Chiori

• Effective Geo applicator for Crystallize, providing strong off-field damage, especially in teams featuring Navia or Itto.

• Facilitates quick transitions to the next party member with her Elemental Skill.

Venti

• Delivers strong crowd control and concentrated Swirl damage from her Elemental Burst.

• Boasts a high energy recharge rate.

• Has difficulty with enemies that are less susceptible to being pulled in.

• Constellations lower the elemental resistances of enemies.

Ganyu

• Her Elemental Burst effectively initiates Cryo reactions, particularly Freeze.

• The Burst can be used frequently, as long as you have sufficient Energy Recharge with another Cryo character.

Mona

• Her Elemental Skill applies Hydro off-field, though it covers a limited area.

• Her Elemental Burst significantly boosts reaction damage.

Beidou

• Functions effectively as an off-field Electro Sub-DPS, with attacks that arc and spread between enemies.

• Has a high energy cost, necessitating either high energy recharge or Electro battery support.

Collei

• Delivers off-field Dendro damage, ideal for setting off Elemental Reactions.

• The AoE of her Elemental Burst is limited, making it easy for enemies to move outside its range.

Rosaria

• Utilizes her Elemental Burst to apply off-field Cryo, making her effective for Freeze and suitable for Melt teams.

• At C2, the duration of her Elemental Burst is extended.

Sucrose

• Excellent at driving multiple elemental reactions by Swirling various elements, allowing for consistent and persistent damage.

B-Tier Sub-DPS Characters

Albedo

• His Elemental Skill generates a persistent damage-dealing field, though it can be disrupted by boss attacks or environmental hazards. 

• His top-performing weapon is no longer available for acquisition.

Ayato

• His Elemental Burst offers broad coverage with its quadratic effects, providing substantial Hydro application.

• The Elemental Burst has a long duration, making it an excellent choice for initiating rotations.

Kokomi

• Her Elemental Skill provides consistent off-field Hydro application, which can be refreshed by her Elemental Burst.

• With the Clam artifact set, her healing also contributes significant off-field damage.

Thoma

• His Elemental Burst inflicts Pyro, making it the optimal trigger for Burgeon reactions at the moment.

• His second constellation extends the duration of his Elemental Burst, while his fourth constellation addresses his energy needs.

Traveler (Dendro)

• The Electro Lotus Lamp transformations deliver rapid Dendro damage.

• The Elemental Skill scales with Elemental Mastery, making it highly effective when optimized for triggering Dendro Elemental Reactions.

Lynette

• A capable off-field Viridescent Venerer debuffer, though there are stronger alternatives.

• Needs additional constellations to perform well.

• Has a useful skill for exploration.

Zhongli

• The Elemental Burst has high damage scaling, making it effective for dealing heavy damage and petrifying enemies.

• His Geo Pillar has low scaling and is vulnerable to being destroyed by boss attacks or environmental mechanics.

C-Tier Sub-DPS Characters

Kaeya

• Short Elemental Skill cooldown and solid Cryo application make him effective for Freeze, Melt, or Superconduct reactions.

• The Elemental Skill remains active on the Main DPS, especially with his second constellation, though his damage scaling is relatively modest.

Dehya

• Delivers reliable off-field Pyro damage, ideal for triggering reactions like Burgeon.

• Requires additional constellations as a 5-star character to reach peak performance.

Lisa

• The Elemental Burst offers strong off-field Electro application within an AoE.

• The second constellation grants a DEF buff and makes her debuff easier to apply.

Chongyun

• The Elemental Burst is a quick-swap nuke capable of dealing significant damage, especially given its low energy cost.

Sayu

• Her Elemental Skill lets her trigger Swirl-related reactions, but she needs to be on-field to do so.

• Her Elemental Burst, particularly at higher constellations, allows her to apply Viridescent Venerer to enemies, though it comes with a high energy cost.

D-Tier Sub-DPS Characters

Xinyan

• The Elemental Skill offers a modest off-field Pyro damage over time, which is decent but inconsistent for Burgeon or other Pyro-related reactions.

• The second constellation ensures a CRIT Hit with Xinyan’s Elemental Burst, making it useful for quick-swap builds.

Traveler (Geo)

• Delivers great damage with the Elemental Skill.

• Can block enemies using both the Elemental Skill and Burst.

• The fourth constellation boosts the Elemental Burst’s recharge rate.

Amber

• The Burst ability can apply Pyro in an AoE.

• The Elemental Skill can draw enemies away from the Main DPS.

• The sixth constellation grants party-wide buffs through the Elemental Burst.

Traveler (Anemo)

• Offers AoE crowd control through both the Elemental Skill and Burst.

Traveler (Hydro)

• Has a cumbersome playstyle and an underwhelming Elemental Burst.

• Struggles to apply Hydro consistently.

Top Support Characters in Genshin

SS-Tier Support Characters

Furina

• Provides universal buffs for any team composition, provided you have a healer.

• HP Drain introduces new playstyles for characters that don’t have HP fluctuations in their abilities.

• Her Pneuma form’s healing mode helps make overworld exploration more manageable.

Kazuha

• Swirling boosts your party’s Elemental DMG based on the element affected and can enhance two elements simultaneously.

• His Skill is effective for crowd control by pulling enemies.

• His Burst increases Elemental Mastery within a designated area.

Bennett

• The Elemental Burst offers healing, ATK buffs, and Pyro infusion at C6.

• Features a high Elemental Recharge rate, allowing for frequent use of his skill.

Nahida

• Her low-energy cost Elemental Burst can grant the active character up to 250 Elemental Mastery.

• The second constellation unlocks various buffs based on Dendro reactions.

Zhongli

• Can generate the game’s most powerful and resilient shield while also providing unconditional Elemental RES reduction.

Baizhu

• Excellent comfort healer suitable for all types of content.

• Offers effective shielding that can help resist interruptions.

• Delivers solid off-field Dendro application for triggering reactions.

Kokomi

• Provides exceptionally strong and dependable healing while also applying Hydro off-field.

• Essential for Freeze and specific Bloom team compositions.

S-Tier Support Characters

Raiden

• Boosts the team’s Elemental Burst DMG and replenishes their Energy, enabling skill rotations close to off-cooldown.

Mona

• The Elemental Burst debuffs enemies, enhancing damage dealt by your Main DPS.

• It also offers minor crowd control for smaller enemies.

Xianyun

• Supports a plunging playstyle with healing and provides excellent buffs for her specialized teams.

Shenhe

• The top buffer for Cryo teams with her Elemental Skill; her Burst also reduces enemies’ Physical and Cryo resistance.

• Her Quills are restricted unless you unlock her constellations.

Jean

• The Elemental Skill and Charge attack can control enemy movement effectively.

• The Elemental Burst delivers a strong AoE heal for the entire party and creates a field with continuous healing.

• The fourth constellation grants Anemo RES reduction for Anemo DPS characters.

Chevreuse

• At C6, she offers a potent RES Shred debuff, ATK buffs, and healing, making her an excellent support for Overloaded team compositions.

• Her team compositions are quite specialized, and she doesn’t fully address the issue of Overloaded reactions pushing enemies away, so she is generally more effective against bosses compared to other similar supports.

Sucrose

• The Elemental Skill and Burst offer crowd control capabilities.

• Swirling significantly boosts your party’s Elemental Mastery, enhancing reaction damage across the team.

Faruzan

• Increases Anemo DMG and reduces enemy Anemo RES.

• She has a very high energy cost without her C6 constellation, making her a high-investment character.

A-Tier Support Characters

Gorou

• The premier Geo Support for DEF-focused Geo teams, offering Geo DMG, DEF buffs, and interruption resistance.

• Becomes a versatile offensive support and healer with C4 and reaches top-tier support status at C6.

Venti

• Delivers reliable crowd control and applies Viridescent Venerer.

• Faces challenges with enemies that are difficult to pull in.

Diona

• Offers shields, healing, and off-field Cryo application.

• At C6, also provides a boost to Elemental Mastery.

Yun Jin

• Enhances normal attack damage through the Elemental Burst.

• The normal attack damage buff improves when paired with characters of different elements.

• C6 additionally grants Normal ATK SPD buffs, benefiting Normal Attack-focused team compositions.

Sara

• Boosts the ATK of party members.

• At C6, becomes the top Electro Support buffer but is cumbersome and energy-intensive at lower constellations.

Yaoyao

• Applies Dendro to enemies and provides off-field healing with her Elemental Skill.

• The Elemental Burst offers strong party healing but requires Yaoyao to be on-field for effective use.

Charlotte

• Provides useful emergency healing in tight situations, though the AoE is limited.

• Constellations enhance her healing efficiency.

Shinobu

• The Elemental Skill heals in intervals and has a short cooldown but is only active for the character on-field.

B-Tier Support Characters

Kirara

• Provides effective shielding against Bloom Cores and for general purposes.

Mika

• Offers decent Physical DMG or ATK Speed buffs, but only a few characters can fully utilize these buffs.

• Delivers good burst healing for the entire party but has slow, sustained healing for the active character.

Sigewinne

• Provides reliable healing in the overworld.

• Has low uptime on her heals and Elemental Skill ticks.

• Buffs for off-field Elemental Skills have low uptime.

• Lacks significant utility with her Elemental Burst or Special Charged Attacks.

Layla

• Delivers very strong shields.

• Her consistent off-field DMG from the Elemental Skill pairs well with the Tenacity of the Millelith Artifact set for a permanent buff.

• Breaking her shield halts her off-field DMG and ends the Artifact buff.

Sayu

• Offers broad off-field healing coverage, especially at C2, with strong party-wide healing from the initial trigger of her Elemental Burst.

• The amount of HP recovered can be increased by Elemental Mastery.

• Her Elemental Burst healing improves with her constellations.

Thoma

• Provides decent Pyro shields that refresh whenever the active character performs Normal Attacks.

• He becomes a strong offensive support at C6, enhancing Normal, Charged, and Plunged Attack damage when shielded by his Elemental Skill.

C-Tier Support Characters

Dehya

• Offers robust interruption resistance and damage mitigation with her pseudo-shield.

• Cannot provide healing if your active characters are in need.

Qiqi

• Her healing is very effective for keeping the party alive, despite her high cooldowns.

• Struggles to regenerate enough energy on her own to maintain her Elemental Burst uptime.

Barbara

• She provides burst healing and an aura to support the party, but her Elemental Skill cooldown and Burst cost are high.

• At Constellation Level 6, he gains the ability to revive fallen teammates to total health.

Traveler (Electro)

• The Elemental Skill aids in replenishing the active character’s energy and boosts their Energy Recharge.

• The Electro Traveler’s effectiveness is highly situational, with other characters offering more utility in the same role.

Rosaria

• Her Burst boosts the CRIT Rate of all party members by 15% of Rosaria’s CRIT Rate.

• Aim to achieve a 100% CRIT Rate for Rosaria.

• At C6, she reduces enemy Physical RES by 20%, making her a strong debuff for Physical DMG-focused characters.

Candace

• Enhances Elemental Normal Attack Damage.

• Infuses Sword, Claymore, and Polearm weapons with Hydro, enabling characters to trigger Hydro reactions independently, though this is highly situational.

Dori

• Provides a flat Energy Recharge boost for any character.

• Offers decent single-target healing, but it is limited to her Burst.

• Can apply Electro if a tether is placed near enemies, allowing for reaction setups when an Electro applicator is needed.

D-Tier Support Characters

Noelle

• Heals with her Normal and Charged Attacks but requires being on-field and having her shield active.

• The Elemental Skill has a long cooldown.

Chongyun

• The Elemental Skill boosts ATK Speed and infuses melee characters with Cryo DMG.

• A high Recharge Rate ensures frequent application of the Elemental Skill.

Lisa

• Reduces enemy DEF by 15% through a passive talent.

Xinyan

• Provides a solid shield that scales with the number of enemies hit.