Our Genshin Impact tier list ranks each character so you know who to roll for. There are also always rumors of new characters on the way, and we plan to update this guide with them as soon as they're available. So, as a result, we recommend that you bookmark this list and keep checking back to keep on top of the latest changes.
To help you get that shiny new five-star character, get the latest Genshin Impact codes from our list, and then check out our Genshin Impact banner guide to see who's rerunning.
Genshin Impact tier list - update Lunar VIII
To help us decide our rankings, we take into account our own experience with each character and look at opinions from the community. We also look at the latest region and any mechanics that were introduced, and how well characters (especially new ones) can deal with them. However, tier lists are entirely subjective, so if you love a character in a lower tier, feel free to use them!
Recent changes:
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- We added Odette to S-tier
- While Odette is the support for Stellar Swirl and Conduct, we're still testing her outside of that. She may go up to SS-tier; time will tell
- We added Alyosha to A-tier
- As a support we can get for free during the story, Alyosha is helpful, but not on the same level as Odette, mostly due to him only buffing Stellar-Conduct
- We added Traveler (cryo) to A-tier
- Finally - a usable Traveler. Making use of the Stellar reactions is what the meta wants right now, and that's what they do
- We moved Cyno to S-tier
- Our Sumeru friend is back on top due to Stellar-Conduct
- We added Odette to S-tier
Here are the best Genshin Impact characters:
| Tier | Genshin Impact character |
| SS | Alhaitham, Arlecchino, Baizhu, Bennett, Columbina, Furina, Ineffa, Kazuha, Lauma, Mavuika, Nahida, Navia, Neuvillette, Skirk, Xilonen, Yelan, Flins, Durin, Nicole, Sandrone |
| S | Albedo, Chasca, Chevreuse, Citlali, Emilie, Escoffier, Fischl, Gaming, Iansan, Kinich, Kuki Shinobu, Linnea, Mona, Mualani, Nefer, Nilou, Raiden Shogun, Sucrose, Varesa, Venti, Wanderer, Wriothesley, Xiangling, Xianyun, Xiao, Xingqiu, Yae Miko, Jean, Zibai, Varka, Zhongli, Lohen, Odette, Cyno |
| A | Aino, Charlotte, Childe, Chiori, Clorinde, Diluc, Diona, Eula, Faruzan, Ganyu, Gorou, Hu Tao, Ifa, Itto, Jahoda, Kamisato Ayaka, Kamisato Ayato, Keqing, Klee, Kokomi, Lan Yan, Lyney, Ororon, Rosaria, Shenhe, Thoma, Tighnari, Traveler (dendro), Yaoyao, Yoimiya, Prune, Qiqi, Alyosha, Traveler (cryo) |
| B | Barbara, Beidou, Candace, Collei, Dehya, Freminet, Heizou, Kachina, Kaeya, Kaveh, Kirara, Kujou Sara, Layla, Lynette, Manekin, Mika, Mizuki, Noelle, Sethos, Traveler (anemo, electro), Yanfei, Yun Jin |
| C | Chongyun, Dahlia, Dori, Lisa, Ningguang, Razor, Sayu, Sigewinne, Traveler (geo, pyro) |
| D | Aloy, Amber, Traveler (hydro), Xinyan |
Genshin Impact SS-tier characters
Alhaitham
If you like a dendro team comp, we recommend Genshin Impact's Alhaitham. He's a five-star, sword-wielding DPS character from Sumeru and has massive success in electro-based teams. Using him alongside characters like Kuki, Raiden, and Fischl pays massive dividends with quicken and aggravate reactions. You can safely use him in a hyperbloom comp as well, to really bump up the numbers. For a 'feeble scholar', he really packs a punch.
Arlecchino
Hoyo's game isn't short of pyro DPS characters, but Genshin Impact's Arlecchino is the best of them all. The Fatui Harbinger is a five-star character who uses a polearm and can deal some eye-wateringly high damage numbers. She excels with buffers like Bennett, Kazuha, and Xilonen. You can use her safely in mono-pyro or reaction-based teams.
Baizhu
To keep your DPS safe, you're gonna need a healer. We recommend Genshin Impact's Baizhu. He's a five-star dendro character who uses a catalyst and heals with his elemental skill and burst. Though he fits best in a support role, his dendro application is very appreciated in aggravate, bloom, and hyperbloom teams. Also, while in the overworld, picking up plants provides a little extra dose of healing for your active character, thanks to Baizhu's passive talent.
Bennett
Now for a four-star option - Genshin Impact's Bennett. Clumsy as he is adorable, Bennett is a great choice for a support character with some handy attack buffs. He wields a sword, and his element is pyro, but he works in almost any team that requires firing up. While in his circle, active characters gain an attack boost, and if he's at C6, he applies pyro infusion, as well.
Columbina
It's no surprise that Genshin Impact's Columbina, the Moon Maiden, one of the Fatui Harbingers, is right up at the top of our tier list. She's the best Lunar enabler in the game, but is also an excellent hydro and off-field unit to boot. She's easy to build - only really relying on HP for a good, solid foundation.
Flins
Another Nod-Krai character very deserving of SS-tier ranking is Genshin Impact's Flins. While he's certainly got the cool factor, he's also capable of putting out some excellent numbers against Nod-Krai's enemies thanks to the lunar-charged reaction. With releases like Columbina, Ineffa, and Aino, he has plenty of teammate options to help pop off the reactions, and doesn't need his signature weapon. We highly recommend the gothy guy.
Furina
Genshin Impact's Furina is a truly amazing five-star character, introduced in Fontaine. She's the hydro archon, who wields a sword and fits well into a support role thanks to her burst attack and heals. She can swap between pneuma and ousia-aligned skills - one of which deploys three hydro critters onto the field to deal constant damage, the other deploys a single creature that heals your entire team.
Ineffa
Since her release, Ineffa has gone from strength to strength in different team comps. While she's technically made for the lunar-charge reaction in teams alongside Flins, she can pull her weight in any electro-themed team. Plus, her addition of lunar-charge reactions means she's great for any Nod-Krai fight.
Kazuha
Genshin Impact's Kazuha is a five-star anemo character who has the best grouping abilities in the game. His elemental skill launches him into the air, then, using his plunge attack, will group nearby enemies. His burst, on the other hand, creates a vortex that swirls the first element it comes into contact with, providing application for your main DPS to work with.
Lauma
Welcoming us into Nod-Krai is Lauma, a five-star dendro character who really bumps up the power of bloom and hyperbloom teams. She's also really good for exploring the latest area, and has a super fun design.
Using her in a team with electro, dendro, and hydro teammates is key, as she's a support character, so while she provides buffs, she's not a DPS.
Mavuika
Finally, we have more off-field pyro application. Genshin Impact's Mavuika, the pryo archon hailing from Natlan, has both on and off-field capabilities with her kit. She summons a ring similar to Raiden Shogun's, which attacks with pyro at set intervals. On top of that, Mavuika's ultimate does a very big hit at first, which can easily take down smaller enemies and make a dent in bosses' health bars.
Nahida
This pint-sized dendro support unit is a five-star character who wields a catalyst. Genshin Impact's Nahida does a truly great job at buffing your team and dealing damage through dendro reactions. Using her with characters like Klee, Furina, and Raiden to drive reactions is really good fun, but you can use her in a cryo-reaction team with the likes of Wriothesley as well.
Navia
Fontaine also introduces us to Genshin Impact's Navia, a claymore-wielding geo character who is a fantastic DPS, overshadowing Itto at his own game. Her elemental skill is her main source of damage and is boosted through her Crystal Shrapnel Charges, and can do some seriously heavy damage in a single hit. She doesn't really rely on a specific build or team comp, so you can use her in plenty of different rosters.
Neuvillette
Genshin Impact's Neuvillette is a five-star, pneuma-aligned, hydro character from Fontaine. He's currently one of, if not the best, DPS unit in the game. Paired with the likes of Furina, Kazuha, and/or Xilonen will provide some of the highest damage output in the game, even at C0 and without his signature weapon. His elemental skill may need a little getting used to, but once you figure it out, he'll wash away the competition.
Sandrone
Immediately upon release, Genshin Impact's Sandrone slips straight into the top tier. She's the game's first Stellar Conduct-based DPS, providing the cryo for the team. Making teams with her is super easy, even without other Stellar-specific characters.
Skirk
If you have Escoffier, Skirk absolutely demolishes enemies. If you don't have Escoffier, she can still deal some really impressive damage as a DPS. We expected nothing less from this abyssal gal, and she's easy to use and easy to equip. She relies on crit and attack stats, and that's all you really need to worry about.
Xilonen
Genshin Impact's Xilonen is an excellent addition to hydro, pyro, electro, cryo, and geo teams - really, the only team she doesn't work in is an anemo team. Xilonen provides resistance shred for the elements listed above and can heal teammates in a comp with other elements than geo. Her kit can seem a little daunting, but she is absolutely worth a slot in your teams.
Yelan
Genshin Impact's Yelan is a five-star hydro bow-wielder who we recommend using in a sub-DPS role. Her talents help fill in the downtime between main DPS attacks and can pop off plenty of hydro-based reactions. She's an upgrade to Xingqiu, as a lot of her kit works off-field like his does, meaning you can get on with other things without worrying about applying the wet status to enemies.
That's it for our Genshin Impact tier list. We recommend that you check out our Genshin Impact reroll instructions to learn how to get your favorite character from day one.