The third installment of Fontaine's archon quest is a rollercoaster ride. If you haven't played it, we suggest you stop reading this guide about Genshin Impact's Skirk, as it holds some spoilers for the main story. However, for those of you who do want to know more, here's some key information about the abyss-dweller, including her relation to the All-Devouring Narwhal and Childe.
If you need a hand building some of your five-stars, look no further than our build guides for Genshin Impact's Furina, Genshin Impact's Neuvillette, and Genshin Impact's Lyney.
Here's everything you need to know about Genshin Impact's Skirk:
Genshin Impact Skirk release date
Skirk was released in Genshin Impact's version 5.7 update on June 18, 2025. She's a five-star character and runs in the first half, alongside the new four-star character, Genshin Impact Dahlia, and a Shenhe rerun.
What's the best Skirk's build?
Skirk is a five-star character who uses the cryo element and a sword weapon. The best weapon for her is her signature five-star, Azurelight. You can also use the Haran Geppaku Futsu (Ayato's signature), The Black Sword, or Mistsplitter Reforged.
As for artifacts, you should aim for the Finale of the Deep Galleries set and nothing else. This is tailored to her kit and so fits perfectly. Stats-wise, you're going to want cryo damage bonus, attack, and crit. You don't need energy recharge or elemental mastery at all.
Skirk's best teammates include Shenhe, Citlali, Furina, and Escoffier - keep it hydro and cryo for best results.
Who is Genshin Impact's Skirk?
We first heard of Skirk quite a while ago, when Genshin Impact's Childe came out. His story is that he fell into the abyss when he was young, and met Skirk, who acted as his master and trained him - this includes teaching him how to use the Foul Legacy.
Childe's character story tells us she can beat him up easily, so she must be incredibly powerful. We now see this in the game, too - she just eliminates a wild, huge, intergalactic beast that was about to devour the entirety of Fontaine with one fell swoop and also throws Childe through the air with a flick of her wrist.
After speaking to Neuvillette and the Traveler in the Primordial Sea, Skirk promises to find new information about the Descenders and their part in Teyvat's future and pass any discoveries on through Childe. This may mean that he's to be held in the abyss again until Skirk sends him back.
Who is Surtalogi?
As it turns out, even masters need masters, and Skirk is a disciple of Surtalogi, also known as The Foul. He is a being similar to the Genshin Impact Hexenzirkel's Rhinedottir - Albedo's creator - who pursues perfection. That pesky All-Devouring Narwhal? It's his pet.
Surtalogi is another Norse name brought into Genshin - it's the name of the sword held by Surtr. What this could mean in terms of the character, we're not quite sure yet, as both Mondstadt and Khaenri'ah use Norse names as well, so there doesn't seem to be a specific link.
Well, that's today's Genshin Impact lore dump for you. If you're a big fan of Hoyoverse games, check out what we know about the upcoming Zenless Zone Zero characters and the new Honkai Star Rail codes.