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Genshin Impact Tier List (Best Characters)

Character Notes & Explanations

Updated tier rankings and character notes from SS to D. Find role-specific advice, constellation tips, and recommended weapons and artifacts.

Tier SS

Zibai
Geo
C0
Lightbearing Moonshard
Night of the Sky's Unveiling
Lunar-Crystallize DPS that deals a mix of sustained and frontloaded damage with her empowered Elemental Skill, along with an ease of use that lets her clear most endgame content quickly.
Restricted to Geo and Hydro teammates.
Mavuika
Pyro
C0
A Thousand Blazing Suns
Obsidian Codex
Absurdly high-scalings from her burst damage that can flex as either on-field, off-field or quick-swap.
Strong in both Vaporize and Melt, which are the best reactions for damage as a Pyro character.
Exploration ability combines most of the Natlan characters' strengths all in one character.
Nefer
Dendro
C0
Reliquary of Truth
Night of the Sky's Unveiling
Lunar-Bloom DPS that interacts with Bloom in a unique way, providing a consistent way to operate in Lunar-Bloom teams without dedicated Bloom triggers.
When placed in a team that can activate Ascendant Gleam, gains access to Seeds of Deceit, which are specialized cores that increase Nefer's damage when consumed.
Her current best teams are locked to Lunar-Bloom teammates like Lauma and Aino.
Flins
Electro
C0
Bloodsoaked Ruins
Night of the Sky's Unveiling
Lunar-Charged on-field DPS who only requires a Hydro to function at his base, in which Aino is the free-to-play option.
Burst-reliant DPS but it's mitigated by his low Special Burst cost, although he's also reliant on another Electro off-fielder for Energy for his optimal rotation.
Not much choices in supports as he's locked to Lunar-Charged units.
Skirk
Cryo
C0
Azurelight
Finale of the Deep Galleries
Dual Ranking of SS-tier with Escoffier, and S-tier without. Reliant to Escoffier to deal the damage required for a character released in 5.X.
Extremely strong on her best teams in Freeze, but not without.
Very fluid combat and easy-to-use controls, strong in the overworld while also having an Exploration quirk.
Varka
Anemo
C0
Gest of the Mighty Wolf
A Day Carved From Rising Winds
Elemental Skill-based DPS that wields both Anemo and another PHEC element at the same time, allowing him to cleave through opponents in Mono-Element teams.
Contributes to Hexerei teams, meaning his damage with Hexerei allies increases greatly.

Tier S

Varesa
Electro
C0
Vivid Notions
Long Night's Oath
Plunge Attacker who has high base DMG to compensate the fact that she cannot do amplifying reactions unlike Gaming, but still stronger enough especially as she doesn't need that much investment with support of buffers who are relatively easy to access like Iansan or Chevreuse.
Easy-to-use and smoother than most Plunge Attackers, which means her base potential is easily reached by any casual players.
Kinich
Dendro
C0
Fang of the Mountain King
Obsidian Codex
Specializes in Burning or Burgeon teams, and excels on single-target situations.
Extremely mobile playstyle and grappling hook is great for exploration, although it can be a struggle to use in combat on uneven surfaces.
If Kinich is not on Burning or Burgeon teams, he gains Nightsoul points slower, which means you won't have enough Scalespiker Cannon to use.
Arlecchino
Pyro
C0
Crimson Moon's Semblance
Fragment of Harmonic Whimsy
High raw Pyro damage even in non-Vaporize situations or Overloaded teams with Chevreuse.
Normal Attacks are swift, have a wide AoE, while also having good damage to boot and simple to activate once you learn her rotations, which makes her viable in single target, AoE, and overworld content.
Extremely high risk gameplay may be off-putting for some early-game players.
Mualani
Hydro
C0
Surf's Up
Obsidian Codex
Frontloaded damage which is good on both single target and AoE, but will need proper setup.
Playstyle performs best in Vaporize, with extremely good exploration abilities.
Sharky's Bite can miss.
Venti
Anemo
C0
The Daybreak Chronicles
A Day Carved From Rising Winds
On Hexerei teams, Venti becomes an on-fielder powerhouse for Pure Anemo DMG mixed with Swirl.
Klee
Pyro
C0
Lost Prayer to the Sacred Winds
A Day Carved From Rising Winds
Attacks primarily with Normal and Charged Attacks, cleaning up swaths of foes.
Her clunky playstyle isn't for everyone and requires min-maxing her rotations to play optimally.
Neuvillette
Hydro
C0
Tome of the Eternal Flow
Marechaussee Hunter
Outstanding and constant damage on his Charged Attack damage.
Self-sufficiency lets him be a one-man army.
C1 constellation removes his major weaknesses.
Chasca
Anemo
C0
Astral Vulture's Crimson Plumage
Obsidian Codex
Specializes in Rainbow teams where she can convert her damage into other elements that is Pyro, Hydro, Electro, or Cryo, making her versatile in team-building.
Flying is extremely useful in overworld exploration especially in Natlan.
Bullets in AoE situations are split between enemies, essentially making her a single-target damage dealer.

Tier A

Clorinde
Electro
C0
Absolution
Fragment of Harmonic Whimsy
Flexible team-building and snappy playstyle with reliable self-healing in the Overworld.
Personal damage dependent on the team you are building.
No resistance to interruption at C0.
Gaming
Pyro
C6
Serpent Spine
Marechaussee Hunter
Overperforming as a 4-star character at C6 with high plunging damage with his best teams.
Reliant on his Elemental Burst to be used off-cooldown to deal damage.
Razor
Electro
C6
A Thousand Blazing Suns
A Day Carved From Rising Winds
Elemental Burst enables consistent Superconduct coverage with his mix of Electro and Physical damage.
On Hexerei teams, becomes one of the best Electro DMG dealers especially in Overloaded teams at C6.
Navia
Geo
C0
Verdict
Nighttime Whispers in the Echoing Woods
High frontloaded Elemental Skill damage that can instantly one-shot medium level opponents and chunk bosses per rotation.
Her team allows high flexibility because she's not constricted by mono-Geo.
Frontloaded damage has downsides when looking at damage over time.
Alhaitham
Dendro
C0
Light of Foliar Incision
Gilded Dreams
Dendro application is superb to set up and trigger powerful reactions like Hyperbloom, Burgeon, and Spread.
Good AoE coverage and overall team damage is top-tier. He also requires minimal investment.
Kamisato Ayaka
Cryo
C0
Mistsplitter Reforged
Blizzard Strayer
Infuses Cryo element in Normal and Charged Attacks after sprinting, which makes her infusion near-permanent.
Elemental Burst has high scaling and its damage potential is her defining trait. With her best supports, she can rival the top-tier DPS, but needs high investment.
Wriothesley
Cryo
C1
Cashflow Supervision
Marechaussee Hunter
Good single-target focused Main DPS who specializes in triggering melt or freeze reactions in close-combat.
Kit is incomplete without his C1. This constellation also fixes his anti-synergy with certain healers.
Struggles against spread-out packs of mobs.
Lyney
Pyro
C0
The First Great Magic
Marechaussee Hunter
Passive talent greatly compensates the lack of Elemental Reactions in a Mono-Pyro team.
High damage on both single target and AoE.
Susceptible to interruptions.
Hu Tao
Pyro
C1
Staff of Homa
Crimson Witch of Flames
Deals large amounts of single-target Pyro DMG with her Elemental Skill and Charged Attacks.
Elemental Skill infused Normal and Charged Attacks with Pyro and increase damage at the cost of sacrificing some of her HP.
C1 lets you spam Charged Attacks without consuming Stamina.
Xiao
Anemo
C0
Primordial Jade Winged-Spear
Vermillion Hereafter
Elemental Burst increases overall DPS at the cost of his HP.
Normal Attacks and Elemental Skill set up high DMG combos.
Requires supports for offensive and healing to perform optimally.
Raiden Shogun
Electro
C2
Engulfing Lightning
Emblem of Severed Fate
Burst enables her to be on-field, which also deals obscene amounts of damage within 7 seconds.
DEF ignore is an extremely powerful buff from her C2, which makes her a top-tier DPS that can obliterate her enemies within seconds.

Tier B

Tartaglia
Hydro
C0
Polar Star
Nymph's Dream
Riptide applies strong Hydro application especially against multiple opponents.
Currently the best driver for Vaporize.
Wanderer
Anemo
C0
Tulaytullah's Remembrance
Desert Pavilion Chronicle
Normal Attacks have a wide AoE and can home in on enemies.
Requires proper dedicated supports to perform well at low constellations.
Elemental Skill allows him to float mid-air, making exploration easy.
Yoimiya
Pyro
C0
Thundering Pulse
Shimenawa's Reminiscence
Elemental Skill infuses Normal Attacks with Pyro, which has a high base scaling.
Supports that can improve her resistance to interruption and ATK SPD are needed to improve her overall performance.
Diluc
Pyro
C0
Beacon of the Reed Sea
Crimson Witch of Flames
Weaves Normal Attacks and Elemental Skill together as his combat mechanic, which enables him to use the best supports like Xingqiu for Vaporize.
Low energy cost for his Elemental Burst, which also covers a wide range. However, this burst pushes back lighter enemies.
Arataki Itto
Geo
C0
Redhorn Stonethresher
Husk of Opulent Dreams
High base scaling on his Charged Attacks and Elemental Skill, especially during Burst.
Requires his high-energy Elemental Burst to start dealing damage, and switching out ends it.
Requires high investment from his artifacts, weapons, and team comps to deal top-tier damage.
Kamisato Ayato
Hydro
C0
Haran Geppaku Futsu
Echoes of an Offering
Wide range and continuous damage for his Hydro-infused Normal Attacks after using Elemental Skill.
Can self-buff with his Normal Attack-increasing Elemental Burst.
Can act as a driver for Hydro-related Elemental Reactions with his on-field and off-field Hydro application.
Ganyu
Cryo
C0
Hunter's Path
Shimenawa's Reminiscence
Level 2 Charged Shot is great vs mobs of enemies, with high damage potential with Melt. However, it takes a long time to charge, and she's susceptible to interruptions.
Elemental Burst, in-combination with ally pull-in effects, can quadratically target and attack enemies in one location.
Tighnari
Dendro
C0
Hunter's Path
Gilded Dreams
Damage primarily comes from Charged Attacks and Elemental Bursts.
Deals big damage by using the Spread Dendro Elemental Reaction.
Can distract most enemies with his taunt.
Sethos
Electro
C6
Hunter's Path
Wanderer's Troupe
Versatile playstyles as he can choose either Charged Attack spamming, or Normal Attack spamming through his Elemental Burst, depending on his current Energy.
Charged Attack form makes him stationary and susceptible to interruptions.
Stats is inherently on the low-side due to him being a 4-star.
Cyno
Electro
C0
Staff of the Scarlet Sands
Gilded Dreams
Decent Electro hypercarry for Dendro reactions such as Aggravate and Hyperbloom.
Requires his high-energy Elemental Burst to deal damage, and switching out ends it.
Poor resistance to interruptions, which affects his recommended tempo for his rotations.
Ifa
Anemo
C6
Sunny Morning Sleep-In
Viridescent Venerer
Comparable to Sucrose and C2 Mizuki as an on-field Swirl Driver but focuses more on Electro-Charged, but he can heal and also use normal attack.
Tied to a specific character and archetype but otherwise free-to-play friendly.
Yumemizuki Mizuki
Anemo
C2
Sunny Morning Sleep-In
Viridescent Venerer
On-field Anemo driver for Swirl comps, who also buffs Swirl Damage dealt to opponents and can also sustain characters.
Some off-field presence albeit limiting due to her Elemental Burst limitations.
Cannot use her Normal Attacks while on her Elemental Skill.
Great constellations as a Standard Character.

Tier C

Keqing
Electro
C4
Mistsplitter Reforged
Thundering Fury
Good with either Aggravate or Physical build. Recent introduction of the element bumped up her performance and became competitive with other Quicken DPS.
Noelle
Geo
C6
Redhorn Stonethresher
Husk of Opulent Dreams
Balances ATK and DEF stats for great sustain DMG, with her power spike increasing further with her C6.
Self-sufficient as well with her shields and healing.
Eula
Cryo
C0
Song of Broken Pines
Pale Flame
Elemental Burst covers a significant amount of Eula's overall DMG to a wide range, especially if the enemy is Superconducted.
Consuming 2 stacks from Elemental Skill debuffs enemies and raises DPS output.
If Elemental Burst doesn't hit or crit, the bulk of Eula's damage is lost.
Yumemizuki Mizuki
Anemo
C0
Sunny Morning Sleep-In
Viridescent Venerer
On-field Anemo driver for Swirl comps, who also buffs Swirl Damage dealt to opponents and can also sustain characters.
Some off-field presence albeit limiting due to her Elemental Burst limitations.
Cannot use her Normal Attacks while on her Elemental Skill.
Great constellations as a Standard Character.
Yanfei
Pyro
C1
Lost Prayer to the Sacred Winds
Crimson Witch of Flames
Good Pyro Normal and Charged attacks user, but scaling for damage is to be expected for a regular 4-star character like her.
Stamina consumption is big but made easier with C1.
Shikanoin Heizou
Anemo
C6
Tulaytullah's Remembrance
Viridescent Venerer
Focuses on Swirl DMG or CRIT to do DPS. Can be used as either a driver for Viridescent Venerer, or as a quick-swap burst damage dealer.
Elemental Skill can easily deal max DMG easily with Swirls as a Catalyst user, although his other damage sources aren't up to par.
Kaveh
Dendro
C6
Mailed Flower
Flower of Paradise Lost
Decent Dendro driver for Bloom-specific teams and buffs.
Low personal DMG.

Tier D

Freminet
Cryo
C6
Song of Broken Pines
Pale Flame
Can work as both a Cryo DPS and/or a Physical DPS, depending on the preferred playstyle and teamcomps.
4-Star rarity weights down his stats to compete with other Main DPS.
Ningguang
Geo
C6
Lost Prayer to the Sacred Winds
Nighttime Whispers in the Echoing Woods
Decent Geo DPS damage with a combination of her Normal and Charged Attacks.
Requires high investment on her constellations to play optimally.
Xinyan
Pyro
C6
Redhorn Stonethresher
Pale Flame
Bloodstained Chivalry
Elemental Burst can be used as a nuke damage for Physical Builds.
Scaling as a Main DPS, especially with Physical, is split. She will either need to focus on ATK or DEF, which severely impacts her performance.
Aloy
Cryo
C0
Thundering Pulse
Blizzard Strayer
Can increase own Normal ATK DMG with Elemental Skill, but requires bomblets to be hit by the pellets to gain access to infusion.
No access to constellations means that her performance is only limited to a point forever.
Noelle
Geo
C1
Redhorn Stonethresher
Husk of Opulent Dreams
Balances ATK and DEF stats for great sustain DMG, with her power spike increasing further with her C6.
Self-sufficient as well with her shields and healing.