Genshin Impact: Best Characters To Choose

Oct 23, 2025 by Jhon Lennon 42 views

Hey guys! So, you've just dipped your toes into the massive and gorgeous world of Teyvat in Genshin Impact, and you're probably staring at your roster of characters, wondering, "Who the heck should I be focusing on?" It's a totally valid question, especially when you're just starting out. This game throws a ton of awesome characters at you, each with their own unique skills, elemental powers, and backstories. Picking the right ones early on can make your journey through the early game so much smoother, and honestly, a lot more fun. We're going to dive deep into who's worth your precious resources, focusing on characters that are generally considered strong, versatile, and relatively easy to build. Whether you're a free-to-play adventurer or someone who's willing to spend a bit, understanding the meta and the strengths of different characters is key to conquering those challenging domains and bosses. So, grab your favorite snack, settle in, and let's figure out who's going to be your main squeeze in Genshin Impact!

Understanding Genshin Impact's Character System

Alright, let's break down how characters work in Genshin Impact, because understanding this is crucial for making those smart choices. At its core, Genshin Impact is an action RPG, and your characters are your primary tools for dealing damage, providing support, and exploring the vast world. Each character is tied to one of seven elements: Anemo (wind), Geo (earth), Electro (lightning), Dendro (nature), Hydro (water), Pyro (fire), and Cryo (ice). These elements aren't just for show; they interact with each other in what we call Elemental Reactions. These reactions are super important. For example, hitting an enemy with Pyro and then Hydro creates a Vaporize reaction, which deals significant bonus damage. Mastering these reactions is like unlocking a cheat code for combat. Beyond elements, characters also fall into different weapon types: swords, claymores, polearms, bows, and catalysts. Each weapon type has its own attack style and speed. Finally, characters have distinct roles: DPS (Damage Per Second), who are your main damage dealers; Sub-DPS, who can deal good damage while off-field or during short bursts; Support, who focus on healing, shielding, or buffing the team; and Enablers, who apply elements reliably for reactions.

When you're choosing who to invest in, you need to think about how they fit into a team. A balanced team usually has a main DPS, a sub-DPS or two, and a support or two. Don't just pick characters because they look cool (though that's important too, let's be real!). Think about their element, their role, and how they might synergize with other characters you have or plan to get. For example, a character like Xiangling is a fantastic Pyro Sub-DPS who can apply fire even when she's not actively on the field, making her incredibly valuable for triggering reactions with Hydro or Cryo characters. Similarly, Bennett, a Pyro Sword user, is one of the best support characters in the game due to his incredible healing and ATK buffing ability. Understanding these synergies is what separates a good team from a great team. You'll also want to consider how easy or difficult a character is to build. Some characters require very specific and rare artifacts or materials to shine, while others are strong right out of the box with minimal investment. For new players, focusing on characters that are strong with accessible builds is usually the smartest play. We'll get into some specific recommendations shortly, but keep this framework in mind as we go!

Top Tier Characters for New and Experienced Players

Alright, let's get down to the nitty-gritty: who are the absolute powerhouses you should be looking out for in Genshin Impact? Whether you're just starting your adventure or you've been grinding for a while, some characters consistently perform exceptionally well and offer incredible value. We're going to cover a mix of free characters and those you might pull from the gacha, focusing on versatility and ease of use. These picks are generally considered strong across various stages of the game, from tackling early-game quests to conquering the Spiral Abyss.

4-Star Standouts (Easy to Get, High Impact)

Let's start with the 4-star characters because, honestly, they are the backbone of many amazing teams, and you're way more likely to get duplicates of them, making them easier to level up (Constellations!).

Xiangling: This fiery chef from Liyue is an absolute must-have. Seriously, if you can get her (she's often available in the Spiral Abyss shop or through event banners), get her. Her Elemental Skill, Guoba, is decent, but her Elemental Burst, Pyronado, is where the magic happens. It's a spinning vortex of fire that follows your active character, dealing massive Pyro damage even when Xiangling is off the field. This makes her an incredible Sub-DPS and a top-tier enabler for Vaporize and Melt reactions. Pair her with a Hydro character like Xingqiu or a Cryo character like Kaeya, and watch the damage numbers explode. Her Ascension 4 passive talent, "Cross-Spangled Art," makes her Pyronado last longer, which is insane. Even at lower Constellations, she's a game-changer.
Bennett: If there's one 4-star character everyone should build, it's Bennett. He's a Support character who brings incredible healing and a massive ATK buff to the party with his Elemental Burst, "Fantastic Voyage." The ATK buff scales with his base ATK, meaning you want to equip him with a high base ATK weapon. What's even better? His Burst also provides healing based on Bennett's HP, making him a fantastic emergency healer. He's Pyro, which means he can also enable Pyro reactions, but his primary role is buffing and healing. His C1 (Constellation 1) removes the HP restriction on his ATK buff, making him even more powerful. Honestly, Bennett is so good that he's often considered one of the best characters in the game, period, regardless of rarity. He slots into almost any team and makes it significantly better.
Xingqiu: This Hydro swordsman is another cornerstone of many top-tier teams. As a Sub-DPS and Enabler, Xingqiu's Elemental Skill and Burst are phenomenal. His Burst, "Guhua Sword: Raincutter," creates sword rain that attacks enemies alongside your active character's attacks. This is huge for applying Hydro consistently, which is essential for triggering Vaporize reactions with Pyro characters like Xiangling or Hu Tao. He also provides a small amount of damage reduction and increases resistance to interruption. While he's a 4-star, he often performs like a 5-star. Getting his Constellations, especially C6, makes him even more potent. He's the perfect partner for many Pyro DPS characters and is invaluable for dealing with elemental shields and enabling powerful reaction-based damage.
Sucrose: If you're looking for crowd control and elemental mastery buffs, Sucrose is your Anemo catalyst user. She's a fantastic Support and Enabler. Her Elemental Skill, "Aetheric Burst," pulls enemies in, and her Elemental Burst, "Forbidden Creation - Isomer 75 / Type II," creates a large Anemo vortex that deals continuous Anemo damage and pulls enemies. More importantly, her A4 passive talent, "Nourishing Myrrh, Blooming Herbs," grants Elemental Mastery to other party members based on how many enemies she hits with her abilities. This is amazing for reaction-focused teams. She's a great budget alternative to Jean or Venti for Anemo support and crowd control. Plus, she's relatively easy to build with items that boost Elemental Mastery.

5-Star Powerhouses (Game-Changers)

Now, for the sparkly 5-stars! While they are harder to get, these characters often define the meta and can carry you through almost any content.

Raiden Shogun: As the Electro Archon, Raiden Shogun is a premier DPS and Battery (she helps other Electro characters recharge their Energy). Her Elemental Burst, "Secret Art: Musou Shinsetsu," unleashes devastating Electro damage and buffs her Normal Attacks. She's incredibly potent, especially in the "National" team variants and the "Raiden Shogun National" team. Her ability to deal burst damage while also providing energy recharge for the team makes her incredibly valuable. She synergizes exceptionally well with Xiangling and Bennett, forming a core of many powerful teams. Her kit is designed for high damage output and team utility, making her a top-tier pick for almost any player who manages to pull her.
Hu Tao: If you love high-risk, high-reward gameplay, Hu Tao is your girl. She's a Pyro Polearm DPS who specializes in dealing massive single-target damage. Her playstyle involves consuming HP to boost her attacks, making her incredibly powerful when below 50% HP. She pairs exceptionally well with Hydro characters like Xingqiu to trigger constant Vaporize reactions, which amplify her already formidable damage. She requires careful HP management and often works best with a shielder to protect her fragile state. Hu Tao is one of the strongest Pyro DPS characters in the game, capable of melting bosses in seconds.
Kamisato Ayaka: For Cryo damage enthusiasts, Ayaka is king. She's a Cryo Polearm DPS who excels in Freeze teams. Her Elemental Burst unleashes a massive wave of Cryo damage that can decimate groups of enemies. When paired with Hydro applicators like Kokomi or Mona, and an Anemo character like Kazuha or Venti for crowd control, Ayaka can freeze enemies solid and shatter them with her powerful burst. Her alternate sprint allows her to infuse her attacks with Cryo, making her versatile in combat. She's a premier choice for anyone looking to build a strong Freeze or Melt team.
Nahida: The Dendro Archon is a revolutionary character for the Dendro element. As a Sub-DPS and Enabler, Nahida's ability to apply Dendro and buff the team is unmatched. Her Elemental Skill, "All Schemes to Know," marks enemies, and when triggered by Elemental Reactions, she unleashes coordinated attacks. Her Elemental Burst buffs the active character's damage based on the number of Dendro, Electro, and Hydro characters in the party. She is absolutely essential for making Bloom, Hyperbloom, and Burgeon teams work effectively. If you're interested in exploring the powerful Dendro reactions, Nahida is the character you absolutely need.

Building a Balanced Team

Now that we've talked about some amazing individual characters, let's chat about how to actually put them together into a team. A well-balanced team isn't just about cramming your strongest characters together; it's about synergy. Think of it like a band: you need a lead singer, a guitarist, a bassist, and a drummer. Everyone has their role, and when they play together, they make beautiful music (or in this case, deal devastating damage).

Generally, you'll want a team composition that looks something like this: Main DPS + Sub-DPS/Support + Support/Utility + Flex Slot. Let's break that down.

Main DPS: This is your star player, the character who will spend most of their time on the field dealing damage. Examples include Hu Tao, Ayaka, Raiden Shogun (in some teams), and Ganyu. You want to invest heavily in their talents, artifacts, and weapons.
Sub-DPS/Support: These characters provide additional damage, elemental application, buffs, or debuffs, often while they are off the field. Xiangling, Xingqiu, Fischl, and Yae Miko are great examples. They contribute significantly to your team's overall damage output and enable reactions.
Support/Utility: This slot is for characters who provide crucial utility like healing, shielding, crowd control, or major buffs. Bennett is the king here for his ATK buff and healing. Zhongli provides an unbreakable shield and RES shred. Kazuha or Venti excel at grouping enemies and providing Elemental DMG buffs. Sucrose offers crowd control and EM buffs. These characters keep your team alive and make your DPS characters even more effective.
Flex Slot: This last slot can be used to round out your team. You might add another Sub-DPS for more damage, a healer if you're struggling with survivability, or another utility character that complements your main DPS. For example, if you have Hu Tao and Xingqiu, your flex slot might be a shielder like Zhongli or a Pyro support like Thoma. If you're running Raiden Shogun, your flex might be another Electro character for resonance or a strong Sub-DPS like Xiangling.

Let's look at a few example team compositions:

Vaporize Core: Hu Tao (Main DPS), Xingqiu (Hydro Sub-DPS/Enabler), Zhongli (Shielder/Support), Xiangling (Pyro Sub-DPS). This team is designed for Hu Tao to constantly Vaporize her hits. Xingqiu provides consistent Hydro application, Zhongli protects Hu Tao and reduces enemy RES, and Xiangling adds significant off-field Pyro damage.
Raiden National: Raiden Shogun (DPS/Battery), Xiangling (Pyro Sub-DPS), Bennett (Support/Buffer), Xingqiu (Hydro Sub-DPS/Enabler). This is an incredibly strong and F2P-friendly team. Raiden's Burst synergizes well with Xiangling and Bennett's abilities, and Xingqiu enables Vaporize. The constant energy recharge from Raiden and Bennett ensures everyone's Bursts are up.
Freeze Comp: Kamisato Ayaka (Main DPS), Kokomi/Mona (Hydro Enabler/Healer), Kazuha/Venti (Anemo Crowd Control/Buffer), Ganyu/Shenhe (Cryo Support/Sub-DPS). This team focuses on freezing enemies indefinitely, allowing Ayaka to unleash her powerful Burst without interruption. The Anemo support groups enemies and shreds resistances, while the second Cryo character buffs Ayaka further.
Hyperbloom/Quickbloom: Nahida (Dendro Enabler/Sub-DPS), Raiden Shogun (Electro DPS/Trigger), Xingqiu (Hydro Enabler), Kuki Shinobu (Healer/Hyperbloom Trigger). This team leverages Dendro reactions. Nahida applies Dendro, Xingqiu applies Hydro, creating Dendro Cores. Raiden (or Kuki) then triggers Hyperbloom by hitting these cores with Electro, dealing massive homing damage. Kuki also provides healing.

Remember, these are just examples! The best team for you will depend on the characters you have, the enemies you're fighting, and your preferred playstyle. Don't be afraid to experiment and find what works best. The beauty of Genshin Impact is the sheer variety of ways you can approach combat.

Final Thoughts on Character Selection

So there you have it, guys! Choosing the right characters in Genshin Impact is a mix of understanding game mechanics, identifying strong synergies, and, let's be honest, picking characters you genuinely enjoy playing. We've covered some of the most impactful 4-star and 5-star characters, from the indispensable Xiangling and Bennett to the powerhouse DPS units like Hu Tao and Ayaka, and game-changing supports like Nahida and Raiden Shogun. The key takeaway is that synergy and roles are paramount. Don't just collect a bunch of characters; think about how they fit together to form a cohesive and powerful team.

For new players, I highly recommend focusing your initial resources on building characters like Xiangling, Bennett, and Xingqiu. These three are incredibly versatile, relatively easy to acquire and build, and form the core of many powerful teams. Even if you pull a top-tier 5-star DPS, having a strong support core will make them shine even brighter. As you progress and acquire more characters, you can start diversifying and building specialized teams for different challenges, like Freeze teams for Cryo-immune enemies or Dendro teams for specific bosses.

Ultimately, Genshin Impact is a game, and the most important thing is to have fun! If you absolutely adore a character who isn't considered 'meta,' don't let that stop you. With enough investment and clever team building, you can make almost any character work. However, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of characters, and knowing who provides the best value for your investment, will undoubtedly make your journey through Teyvat a much more rewarding and less frustrating experience. Keep experimenting, keep learning, and most importantly, keep adventuring!