Genshin Impact Best Characters Tier List (Last Updated September 2022)

S-Tier

These are the most overpowered characters in Genshin Impact. They’ll go above and beyond to perform the best they can in a team. These characters can quite easily become core party members and deal massive damage in almost all types of scenarios.

Ayaka

Ayaka is unequivocally one of the prime DPS units in the game, which essentially means that she has a very high damage output and will act as the main damage dealer of the team. The Cryo Sword user is the top choice for many new as well as experienced players.

Her style revolves around her powerful burst which inflicts massive damage. Moreover, her sprint makes her a safe and reliable choice. She is, in more ways than one, a force to be reckoned with. She works well in a sub-DPS role as well.

Hu Tao

Probably the most powerful Pyro element DPS unit in the game, Hu Tao will smoke her enemies before they know how to react. Her single target damage output is very impressive, to say the least.

In fact, this is her main selling point, she can inflict unbelievable amounts of damage on singular targets, especially while animation canceling. Pairing her up with shields and using her as the main DPS will prove to be quite effective.

Kazuha

An extremely powerful and effective support, Kazuha will strengthen your team with a plethora of skills. Like most Anemo supports, he is highly functional during combat.

Kazuha will provide some solid Swirl damage, in addition to Elemental Mastery and grouping. What most ignore is that Kazuha, even when used on his own, can pack quite the punch with regards to damage. But of course, his real power is witnessed when used in a team.

Bennet

Bennet has been considered by many to be the best support character in the game. We can best describe the Pyro by referring to him as a jack of all trades.

Bennet will provide the team with damage boosts in addition to an extremely powerful ATK buff, all the while healing the team as well. All in all, he’d fit in almost any team setting and is very well-versed in a lot of stuff.

Raiden

Once an underdog, Raiden is now one of the most dominant Electro support in the game. Her support build essentially allows her to turn into a battery for the team.

Her energy supply will build up staggering amounts of damage, and that is the reason she can be fitted into most teams quite easily. In fact, her burst damage is so high that with the proper build, she could possibly be used as a main as well.

Kokomi

When it comes to Hydro supports, you can’t get much better than Kokomi. She’s basically a healer that can also inflict some damage.

Overall, her Hydro application off the field is quite impressive and she proves to be a valuable asset to many different types of teams. With the right build, you might also be able to negate certain damage effects such as bleed.

Xiangling

One of the best sub-DPS characters from the Pyro element, Xiangling will deal the damage you need to win the fight. Sub-DPS are characters that support the main DPS using their bursts or powerful elemental skills.

She will inflict some solid damage using her burst, enabling several elemental reactions. You cannot skip her if your team focuses on Pyro damage. Her damage output is great both on and off-field.

Fischl

If you’re looking for powerful support based on Electro, Fischl is the way to go. She has proven to be an excellent damage source for Electro-based teams due to her flexibility.

Her unique ability to conjure up a familiar on the field is one of the reasons she gives great damage. Her off-field presence can be beneficial for almost any team you can think of.

Sucrose

No one ever contests the effectiveness of Anemo supports, especially not the ones in this tier. Sucrose proves to be an excellent support blessing the team with Elemental Mastery.

So, she’s able to absorb almost all elemental damage with the use of her burst, converting it all to damage output. She also works very well with Electro teams and fulfills her utility.

Eula

A top-notch DPS damage dealer, she can produce powerful AoE damage with her burst. She’s a fast-attacking Cryo whose main selling point is her incredible damage output. Her cryo-based reactions can even weaken the enemy's resistance, inflicting added damage.

Arguably the strongest physical main in the game, Eula doesn’t possess a lot of flamboyant elemental reactions. Nonetheless, her effectiveness in combat makes her a top pick for many players.

Tartaglia

Considered by many to be the most powerful Hydro unit in-game, Tartaglia serves as an amazing main DPS. Not only can he swap his bow for a dagger, but his on-field hydro usage is also second to none.

He is able to deal massive amounts of elemental damage and when in combat with multiple enemies, we can really see his true potential. His combo set-up is also very useful, making him a good addition to any team. Moreover, he can serve quite skillfully as a sub-DPS as well.

Yelan

A powerful Hydro-based sub-DPS character, Yelan has a variety of tricks up her sleeves. She is very similar in action to another S-tier character i.e. Xingqiu.

She can empower her team because of her high damage output and buffs. She’s also very good with off-field hydro applications. All in all, she works best when used as an off-field DPS.

Xinqiu

Xinqiu is quite similar in action to Yelan. His hydro application off-field makes him a very valuable support.

He is able to deal massive amounts of elemental damage and when in combat with multiple enemies, we can really see his true potential. His combo set-up is also very useful, making him a good addition to any team. Moreover, he can serve quite skillfully as a sub-DPS as well.

Putting Xinqiu in the same team as Yelan will work wonders if you know how to use them.

A-Tier

Characters included in this tier have displayed high performance in their own roles but they’re not extremely overpowering in the sense that they’re not pushing any limits. Nonetheless, they have proved themselves on the battlefield and are good options for any team.

Albedo

A powerful geo-character, Albedo is well-known for his sub-DPS action. He’s able to bring forth incredibly damaging elemental reactions using his Geo-based abilities.

His area-of-effect geo-explosions are also quite effective in combat. Moreover, his elemental skill recharges quite fast. Paired with the right main, Albedo can cause massive destruction.

Zhongli

The most powerful character by lore, Zhongli the Geo Archon, proves to be a great support for a variety of reasons. His solid burst makes him very convenient to use against enemies.

In addition to that, his powerful shields provide great help to the main, especially if he easily gets interrupted. His abilities make him a great fit for many a team.

Ganyu

Undoubtedly, a top-notch main DPS that is sometimes compared to the likes of Ayaka in the Cryo element. She is a very strong unit that can inflict a ton of damage with her charged attacks.

These enable her to shoot a variety of arrows, some of which have AoE damage as well. Moreover, her strong elemental abilities allow her to freeze her opponents. A strong main overall.

Diona

Diona is a cryo-based support character that can shield her team. She can use her cryo abilities to freeze multiple enemies. Moreover, She will create protective shields and also provide healing.

When paired up with strong cryo mains, Diona can be really effective. Overall, she gives a good defensive touch to her team.

Itto

Being a Geo DPS main, Itto is obnoxiously strong. With most Geo mains, you won’t ever really have to be on the lookout for elemental reactions and rotations.

Itto’s abilities are scaled based on his defense but he packs a real powerful punch overall. Itto can cause tremendous amounts of damage but he needs a Geo-centered team to work at his best.

Heizou

Another Anemo support catalyst user, Heizou is similar to Sucrose in many regards but definitely not as effective.  Surprisingly, Heizou prefers melee attacks over anything else and is quite good at them.

Although lacking the completeness of sucrose, Heizou still manages to stand his ground provided he’s paired up with the right team. He does have enough flexibility to be slotted into a couple of different teams.  

Diluc

Once known as the game’s most powerful character, Diluc is the Pyro-based main that started it all. Eventually, with constant updates and patches, tougher characters took his place.

Still, he boasts some solid base attack power, and his elemental Pyro abilities cause a decent amount of damage. He is a very strong character by all means and would thrive with the correct team. But more viable characters are definitely present in the roster.

Ayato

A very flexible Hydro that can act as the main DPS unit in a variety of different team settings. Ayato’s versatility has enabled him to perform well in Electro, Freeze, and even Vaporize-focused teams.

Moreover, his formidable Hydro attacks trigger strong reactions that can result in freezing certain types of enemies. His damage output and dynamic nature allow him to become a dominant presence on the field.

Gorou

Gorou is built to act as proper support for Geo characters. Therefore, he won’t be as good with any other team setting but that’s beside the point.

When you do pair him up with other Geo team members, Gorou’s abilities really shine through. He serves as an excellent support for characters like Itto and Albedo. In fact, we highly recommend using him if you’re aiming for a Geo team.

Jean

Yet another Anemo support character, though not as effective as the previous ones mentioned in this list due to her limited abilities. Jean’s base damage might not be very high but she can still get the job done with her crowd control and melee attacks.

In addition to that, she also provides HP regeneration and you can’t really go wrong with that. She can still provide value to her team even though she may just be a shadow of the other supports in the element.

Shenhe

As of now, Shenhe is the prime support character in the Cryo element. She can give buffs to the main character from off-field.

But realistically speaking, most of the more powerful cryo characters don’t require her buffs to function properly. Her support does work for lesser cryo characters but that’s about it. Nonetheless, her buffs are powerful and useful if you’re going for a full cryo team.

Tighnari

A relatively new addition to the roster, Tighnari appears to be a strong main DPS Dendro. It is still a bit early to comment on his overall utility but so far, he has displayed potential.

As Dendro Elementals sit well with Electro, Tighnari could be the harbinger of newer, more powerful teams. Although a lot is to be learned about Tighnari, yet the potential for him to come out as a strong character is very high.

Mona

Mona is a formidable Hydro support that is very popular for a variety of abilities. Her elemental burst will debuff your enemies, potentially freezing them. That is one of the reasons Mona is the primary support in freeze-focused teams.

Moreover, she’ll protect your DPS from taking damage and being a catalyst, she can also deploy TTDS, an extremely powerful buff on your main. Overall, her abilities are extremely useful, especially when used alongside a Cryo teammate.

Venti

We’ve been constantly referencing the utility of Anemo support characters and for good reason too. Venti is extremely proficient at doing his job.

Venti’s powerful elemental burst can put enemies in quite the pickle, making things trivial for the team. Not only this, but the burst can also absorb several types of elemental attacks and release them back as added damage output. AN excellent support character overall.

Rosaria

A highly practical four-star Cryo character, Rosaria can be used in a variety of different positions. For the most part, she’s generally placed as a sub-DPS or support. In fact, her versatile arsenal of abilities could potentially allow her to be used as the main as well.

She’s simple to use, but very powerful and effective. Even though her damage output might not be very high, she still excels in almost any team setting due to her flexible nature.

Traveler(Dendro)

The Traveler is a unique character that can change elements at will. But so far, the most useful of the Traveler variants has been its Dendro version.

Almost all Dendro-centric teams would equip the Dendro Traveler. He has a good set of off-field Dendro abilities, which make him a solid choice for teaming up with.

Yae Miko

Yae Miko is mostly used as a sub-DPS Electro unit. She can pair up well with Dendro characters but her tool kit sometimes does feel a bit outdated.

Most of the things she does can be achieved with stronger characters. Nonetheless, she does provide good damage output when fitted into the right team.

Kuki Shinobu

Shinobu works well as an Electro support character but lacks in certain areas. Her healing abilities might not be the best but they do work out in the end.

She does gain a buff when she’s below 50% health, this can be useful depending on the type of team selected but sometimes doesn’t work as intended. Ultimately, her utility depends on the team she’s a part of, though she is still better than a lot of other supports.

B-Tier

The characters in this tier perform well in their own roles but the team composition has to be somewhat specific. These characters need some attention in order to unlock their best potential.

Yun Jin

Yun jin is a great Geo-based support character. She’s a bit different in the sense that he can team up with several different elements, something not typically observed in Geo elements.

Yun jin will basically work best with characters that use their normal attacks. Overall, she’s a good support viable for a variety of diverse teams.

Yoimiya

The main DPS from Pyro, Yoimiya isn’t necessarily the best pick in her element. Her arsenal is devoid of Area-of-Effect attacks and she is highly prone to be interrupted.

Her targeting issues along with several others can [potentially be fixed provided you select the correct team around her. A nice shielder to prevent interruption and a good team will enable her to perform much better.

Xiao

An Anemo character built as the main DPS, Xiao isn’t something you see very often. He doesn’t have a lot of buffs but he’s good at damaging multiple enemies at the same time.

You would think that it would be difficult for an Anemo main to find a good team, but that’s not the case here. Xiao can be fixed with much of the roster due to his elemental reaction triggers but if you want to use him to the fullest, a dedicated team around him would do good.

Barbara

Barbara is a Hydro support catalyst that specializes in healing.  She can heal all the characters together using her elemental burst. Practically speaking though, you generally won’t need the amount of healing Barbara has to offer.

Moreover, she invokes the wet status effect which is a clear disadvantage against certain types of enemies. Overall, she isn’t absolutely ridiculous but isn’t necessarily useful either.  

Beidou

Beidou is a strong Electro character that can be used as the main DPS. Her counters are very effective against enemies. Moreover, she can be a great asset to Taser teams.

What hinders her is the high energy cost for her burst and her limited use-case in Electro teams.

Qiqi

Qiqi could’ve been a good Cryo support but her inability to generate particles and obsession with healing limit her usage. Much like Barbara, Qiqi’s healing abilities are somewhat redundant.

She does have high attack stats but her use-case is quite limited. Qiqi isn’t usually the preferred Cryo support for most teams.

Sayu

Now most of the Anemo supports we’ve talked about are really good, Sayu does change that perception a bit. He’s not objectively bad but his tool kit is built around damaging and more absurdly, healing.

Her Anemo application is not even close to some of the other units in the element. Nonetheless, you might find some good use for her if you manage to create a proper team around her.

Collei

Collei is a relatively novel Dendro applicator best working on the off-field. She isn’t too bad at her job but its nothing too useful either. The Dendro traveler beats collie in almost all regards by miles.

She struggles to carry her team forward and is just average. She can do good in a particularly comfortable team but she’ll almost always be skipped for the Traveler.

Yanfei

A Pyro-based main DPS, but slightly underwhelming in more ways than one. Pyro characters including Yanfei do trigger strong elemental reactions but the character leaves much to be desired.

Yanfei would probably require a team specifically built around him to function well.

Keqing

Even though a 5-star Electro main DPS, Keqing still faces a lot of problems that restrict it to this tier. With regards to reactions, she is not that good. Plus, some of her best attacks consume a lot of stamina.

She does have high base stats, along with good hp and defense. But pairing her with others is a nightmare and she doesn’t reach her potential this way.

Sara

Sara is an Electro-type mostly seen as a support, but she’s not too good with that either. Her move set is quite odd and appears almost outdated. In the proper team, she would serve as an okay Electro battery.

A very popular Sara build is focused on buffing up Raiden serving as the main. In most teams, you’ll probably need more Electro characters to make something work out with Sara.

Lisa

Lisa can serve you well as a main when you start out with the game. But once you get ahead, her moveset starts getting repetitive and awkward.

She can deal some pretty solid damage and her Electro attacks are powerful and effective. Overall, Lisa is a good character to start the game with but ultimately becomes outdated.

Noelle

A decent Geo main DPS, Noelle is quite impressive for what she is. Her kit might not be exceedingly huge but she still has a lot to offer. She can deal a good amount of damage with a proper build.

Moreover, some of her abilities like healing and shield, make her a good candidate for a  beginner. All in all, Noelle might not be overpowered but she can do a lot of good with the right team and investments.

Ningguang

Ningguang is a solid Geo main DPS character that can deal some decent amount of damage. Her unique move where she can place a wall between herself and her enemies is quite useful.

The only real problem with Ningguang is that she doesn’t get very good until she reaches constellation 6, which of course requires investment on the player’s part. Overall, not an entirely bad main.

Kaeya

Kaeya is used mostly as a sub-DPS and he’s not really that bad either. Some of his stats give him a relatively fast recharge, therefore, he’s a good option for most beginners.

But most of his abilities don’t hold a candle in front of some of the more advanced Cryos, so he will eventually get dumped. He lacks somewhat in defense as well, but nonetheless, is a relatively strong beginner unit.

C-Tier

These are mostly below-average characters with little to offer in the way of functionality. Some of these characters might be used for a while but will ultimately be replaced due to a lack of proper stats.

Razor

There definitely was a time when Razor was used as a prime main DPS character, probably would’ve made it higher on the list back then. But the Electro element isn’t really in his best form right now.

Razor’s damage scaling is messed up and quite hard to do. He does have some good melee attacks in his arsenal but honestly, his physical damage isn’t the best either.

Klee

A relatively decent Pyro character, Klee had a lot of potential. She has a good base attack, and with the right build, she can definitely inflict some excellent Pyro damage.

But like many other potentially strong characters, she got obscured due to some of the larger players in the game. Moreover, it’s not very easy to create a relevant build around her.

Aloy

Being a free character, not a lot is expected from Aloy, and neither does she tend to give it. She’s a type of Cryo crossover character and doesn’t have to offer much of anything.

Maybe she could perform well in a highly-centered team but that would be difficult to achieve.

Xinyan

An underwhelming main DPS, Xinyan is the type of Pyro that gets overlooked by players due to other very similar yet more powerful characters present in the same element. She isn’t too good of a main but still has a few tricks that could help put up a good fight.

Overall, a character that you probably would not want to play with.

Thoma

Another pyro support character that just can’t seem to work properly in most settings. Thoma’s damage output is almost non-existent. The only benefit he provides is shielding, which could become useful with some very specific build, but for the most part, is nothing special.

Dori

Basically, another Electro support character that just doesn’t cut it anymore. Dori can provide some healing and energy to the team, but for the most part, it’s ineffective.

An Electro-focused team might benefit from her, but there are much better options available.

D-tier

These are characters with little to no combat usage. They aren’t used by the majority of the player base anymore and will not be able to handle the contents of the game properly.

Chongyun

A piece of Genshin antiquity, Chongyun was quite popular in the initial days of the game but has since gone into obscurity. The reason is quite simple, it couldn’t compete with the more advanced Cryo units introduced in later updates.

Amber

There was a time when Amber was very popular among the player base, she had been used for different types of puzzles and activities. But as the game progressed, she slowly went into obscurity.

Moreover, she is completely outdated by today’s standards with extremely low damage output and obnoxiously long cooldowns.

Traveler(Anemo/Geo/Electro)

It really doesn’t matter what variation it is, with the exception of Dendro, all other travelers seem to be there just to fill the space. They have low damage output and a basic kit.

Yes, Electro can be fitted into some niche team, but that doesn’t really change a lot.

And that brings our Genshin Impact Tier List to a conclusion. The details given here are accurate to the best of our knowledge and experience, some people might disagree with the rankings. But that’s the beauty of the game, different people enjoy it differently. That’s the reason why we encourage you to try out and experiment with different characters. Hope this list serves you well!