After almost two years of release, Genshin Impact still stands as one of the most famous Gacha games out there right now. With regular updates flooding in and the addition of new characters, it’s hard to determine what your four-player team should be considering your playstyle. And also in what character banner you should spend your wishes on.
But worry not, as we’ve compiled our list based on the latest patch of 2.8. Don’t feel bad if you don’t see your favorite 5-star character on the top of our tier list. That means they are not feasible for the new players and are not as strong early on. But surely you can find a good build for your own 5-star character and enjoy playing with it accordingly.
Spending wishes for good weapons and character in Genshin Impact can be very tough as you have to work hard to earn those wishes. So this tier list is basically a guideline for the players who want to use their character and weapon wishes very carefully so that they don’t eventually pull the characters they don’t want.
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Genshin Impact 5 Star Character Tier List
We’ve listed these characters mainly based on their strength, their usability in the team, their abilities, and of course, their functionality. The characters listed in higher tiers don’t mean they are stronger than their later counterparts. It’s just they are easy to use and don’t need much to master. But mainly, a character in Genshin can always be stronger if you have the right artifacts, higher constellations, and the right weapon for them. With that out of the way, here is our list.
Tier S – The characters of this tier are some of the best characters in the game, with good early game stats, and they also need very little investment. They are mostly beginner friendly and can dish out a ton of damage.
Tier A – Tier A characters are good from their own perspective but not as good as their S-tier brethren. They also provide good starts, and if one can master them, they can be pretty viable characters in the game.
Tier B – The characters of this tier are pretty balanced. They are mostly jack of all but master of done. They can range from a moderate healer to a DPS. But they aren’t the best in any class.
Tier C – These characters are mostly the leftovers. The ones who are not particularly good at anything. It’s wise not to invest good resources in them and wait for a good pull from your banners.
Tier | Characters |
S | Ayaka, Hu Tao , Ganyu , Arataki Itto, Ayato, Raiden Shogun, Kazuha, Yelan, Zhongli, Kokomi , Mona |
A | Eula, Xiao, Tartaglia, Yoimiya, Yae Miko, Venti, Albedo, Jean, Shenhe |
B | Klee, Diluc, Qiqi, Traveler(Electro) |
C | Keqing, Aloy, Traveler(Geo), Traveler(Anemo) |
S- Tier
Ayaka

Ayaka is a Sword-wielding Cryo type character. And probably one of the most potent damage-dealing characters of the game currently. She relies on her Elemental Burst to do a ton of damage and also wields a sword, which means she will normally attack faster. In-game, she’s the oldest daughter of the Kamisato Clan and the younger sister of Kamisato Ayato. She is seen as a model of beauty, grace, and elegance.
Hu Tao

Hu Tao is a pyro polearm-wielding character. She is one of the best damage-dealing characters in the game who also boots the crit rate for other characters in the party. Her charged attack and elemental Burst do a ton of damage, and her base crit is super good. Her elemental Skill also boosts her damage but at the cost of her health. She is a good choice for the main DPS of a team. In-game, she is the 77th director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, located in Liyue Harbor.
Ganyu

Ganyu is a Cryo and Bow-wielding character. She is an excellent character for any team’s main DPS role because of her high base crit rate. And she also does massive amounts of damage, also at C0. She has multiple AoE skills at her disposal. Both her Elemental Skill and Burst are AoE and do a ton of damage. She also provides Cryo support for the whole team. In the game, she is an Adeptus and serves as the general secretary of the Liyue Qixing.
Arataki Itto

Arataki Itto is one of the best damage-dealing characters who use a claymore and a geo-type character. He is a very beginner-friendly character as he boasts a very high base damage rating and also boasts a good amount of crit rating. His elemental Skill taunts the enemies around him, and his Burst increases his overall DPS. His charged attacks also have a high damage rating. In the game, he is a descendant of the crimson oni. Itto is also the leader and founder of the Arataki Gang.
Ayato

Ayato is a sword-wielding Hydro-based character. He can play a vital role for any team’s main DPS or damage dealer. His main selling point is that he is the only Hydro character in-game who can deal massive Hydro damage over an area for a long time. His elemental Burst also supports his whole team. He can also deal major damage to single or multiple targets. In the game, He is the current head of the Kamisato Clan, the older brother of Kamisato Ayaka.
Raiden Shogun

Raiden Shogun is a polearm-wielding Electro-type character. She mainly focuses on her elemental damages. She has massive active and passive electro elemental damage. Her high energy recharge rate and also being able to recharge the team’s energy make her an excellent pick for any team. In the game, she is the vessel of Beelzebul, the current Electro Archon of Inazuma.
Kazuha

Kazuha is a sword-wielding Anemo-type character in the game. He is one of the unique characters in the game because he can double jump, which is very helpful for any type of exploration. Also, his elemental Skill can group up enemies to do massive damage, and he can also use swirl to do elemental fusion damage. His swirls can buff other players’ damage rating. In the game, he is a wandering samurai of the once-famed Kaedehara Clan.
Yelan

Yelan is a bow-wielding Hydro-type character in the game. She is an amazing sub-DPS character and a Support. Her talents help fill in the downtime of other characters. And her elemental Burst increases the attack damage of the active character. Not to mention she herself boasts a good amount of damage also. In the game, she is a mysterious person who claims to work for the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
Zhongli

Zhongli is a Ploearm using Geo type character. He is one of the if not the best support characters in the game. Zhongli’s whole kit is built around helping his whole team. From huge shields that block off enemy attacks to resonating geo damage in a huge area and petrifying or stunning enemies with his elemental Burst. His skills also have a large AoE geo damage. In the game, he is the current vessel of the Geo Archon, Morax.
Kokomi

Kokomi is a Catalyst using Hydro type character who is one of the if not the best healers of the entire game. Also, having a good chunk of damage while in her Elemental Burst mode can really ramp up her game. She can heal the whole team at the same time in her Elemental Burst form. Also, her elemental Skill can easily cover a large area and apply Hydro. In the game, she is The young Divine Priestess of Watatsumi Island and a descendant of the Sangonomiya Clan.
Mona

Mona is another Catalyst-wielding Hydro-based character. She is a unique character in the game because her movement mechanics are very different, and that opens up a lot of other ways to maneuver through the land. But she is also an excellent damage dealer. Her Elemental Skill creates a decoy of herself. And her elemental Burst does a lot of damage and buffs other characters’ DPS. In the game, she is an astrologist of knowledgeable Skill and great pride.
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A- Tier
Eula

Eula is a Claymore-wielding Cryo-based character in the game. She is one of the fastest Claymore users in the game by far. Her base attack damage is moderately good. Her Gimrheart prevents her from getting disrupted after getting attacked. Her elemental Skill reduces enemies’ Cryo and Physical armor. Her Elemental Burst does huge area damage. She is viable as a secondary DPS for a team.
Xiao

Xiao is a Polearm using Anemo character in the game. He has one of the best attack and skill sets in the game, which revolves around doing elemental fusions and huge area damage simultaneously. His normal attacks can do a lot of damage without any constellation unlocked. And the unique part about him is that plunging from any height with him won’t result in any damage.
Tartaglia

Tartaglia or Childe is a Bow wielding Hydro-type character in-game. He has unique skills as his elemental Skill changes his attacks from Ranged attacks to Melee attacks. And his attacks always apply hydro on contact. And his passive allows him to stack up damage if he fights multiple enemies. He has two elemental bursts depending on his attack stance, and all of them do massive damage overall.
Yoimiya

Yoimiya is a Bow using Pyro type character in the game. She is a very good choice for the main DPS of the team. Her elemental Burst buffs all the party member’s attack damage. She is also very good against single targets. And materials are also refunded if her crafted items are furnished. She can be an excellent choice for any party.
Yae Miko

Yae Miko is a Catalyst using Electro type character who excels as a sub DPS for the team. Her charged attack damage is great and deals AoE Electro damage in a wide area. Her Elemental Skill also does a good chunk of damage and can be used to dodge enemies easily. Her elemental Burst has a high area of Electro damage. And the best part is all her abilities have a really low cooldown.
Venti

Venti is a bow-wielding Anemo-type character in the game. He is one of the best crowd control characters in the game. His high energy regeneration and massive damage potential make him a very good choice for any team. His Elemental Burst is probably the best crowd control ability in the game, doing massive area damage and elemental Fusion. His Elemental Skill is also very handy for exploration.
Albedo

Albedo is a sword-wielding Geo-type character who is mostly used as a secondary DPS for the team. His abilities provide a large area of Supplementary Geo AoE damage, and combining that with any other elemental damage can deal significant damage quickly. His Elemental Skill cooldown is the lowest in the game, starting at 4s. And he can equip defensive artifacts making his build easier than other 5 star characters.
Jean

Jean is a Sword-wielding Anemo-based character in the game. She was one of the earliest 5-star characters in the game and also one of the best characters. Her elemental Skill can be a very good crowd control tool. Her normal attacks heal the whole party, which is a very good perk for the party. Her elemental Burst can do AoE burst and also heal the party. So she is very good as a damage dealer and also as a healer.
Shenhe

Shenhe is a Cryo-based character who uses a Polearm. She is one of the finest Cryo utility characters in the game. Her kit is built around Cryo and Physical armor shredding, and she is very useful for a mono Cryo team. Her Elemental Burst covers a wide area and does a good chunk of damage. She is very effective for a Cryo-heavy team.
B- Tier
Klee

Klee is a Catalyst using Pyro-type character. She was one of the best pyro damage dealers during her initial release. But as time went on, she became more and more like a sub-damage dealer on her accords. That said, she has good elemental chain skills with her pyro explosions. Her Elemental skill explosions knock back small enemies. She also has a good amount of base pyro damage.
Diluc

Diluc is a Claymore using Pyro type character. And probably the most sought-after character at the beginning of the game. He was the best damage-dealing character for a long time in the game. His elemental Skill imbues his weapon with Pyro, which constantly helps to do elemental Reaction damage. His Elemental Burst has a huge area coverage. But as other characters were introduced and updates rolled on, Diluc just lost his charm, and his damage dealing also felt very little compared to others.
Qiqi

Qiqi is a Sword using Cryo type character. She was the best healer in the game for a very long time. Her kit revolves around overall dealing damage and healing her whole party. Her elemental Skill does a good amount of healing, and her Elemental Burst heals the whole party simultaneously. But as new characters and healers were introduced, Qiqi was just not viable overall as a DPS and healer of the team.
Traveler (Electro)

The Traveler is the main character or the default character of the game who can imbue with different elements, and their skillset changes according to that. When Traveler imbues with Electro, their Skill becomes imbued with Electro. Elemental Skill and Burst provide a good amount of energy rechange, and burst also provides continuous off-field Electro damage.
C- Tier
Keqing

Keqing is a Sword-wielding Electro type character. She was one of the best 5-star characters in-game for a long time. Her movement is unique because she can teleport using her Elemental Skill. It can also hit the weak points of the enemies. Her charge attacks are also very powerful and also can do high Multipliers.
Aloy

Aloy is a Cryo-type character who is wielding a Bow. She is the main character of the game “Horizon.” But in Genshin, she is a 5-star character who can do High Cryo damage with her Burst at a low energy cost. She can convert her normal attacks into Cryo attacks. She can debuff enemy attacks while buffing party members’ attacks.
Traveler (Geo/Anemo)

The Traveler is the main character or the default character of the game who can imbue with different elements, and his/her skillset changes according to that. When Traveler imbues with Geo/Anemo, his/her Skill becomes imbued with Geo/Anemo. For Geo, the Traveler can provide a moderate amount of shield, and burst also does moderate damage. Anemo traveler does a little Crowd Control skill, and Burst is almost alike. Not very viable for late-game farming and Spiral Abyss floors.
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Upcoming 5-Star Genshin Impact Characters?
Nilou

Nilou is said to be released in patch 3.1. She is going to be a Dendro-using character. As the leaks have stated, she might be a Dendro healer of some sort. She is going to have an Egyptian vibe, resembling queen Cleopatra.
Cyno

Cyno is another leaked character that will be available later on in the game. He will be a Polearm Wielding Electro-type character. He is expected to be a main DPS for the team as per most Polearm-wielding characters. He also resembles somewhat of an Egyptian vibe.
Candace

Candace is an upcoming character who also shares the Egyptian vibe. Hailing from the desert city of Sumeru, She is expected to be a utility member of any team. Providing shield, heal, and damage reduction for the enemies.
Scaramouche

Scaramouche is sixth of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers. He is expected to be a Pyro-type character and is expected to wield a Polearm. He is also expected to be the main DPS for the team.