Genshin Impact Tier List - Best 5-Star Characters (April 2024)
Genshin Impact is the hit open-world action RPG title where can pull for a variety of interesting characters from the different nations of Teyvat, each with their unique set of skills and abilities. Welcome to Appgamer's tier list of the currently-available top 5-star characters in this popular title. We will present valuable insights and descriptions about some of the top tier characters in the game.
Genshin Impact Limited vs Permanent Banner Characters
Genshin Impact offers two types of banners: limited-time and permanent. Limited-time banners are available for a limited period and feature powerful characters that are not available in permanent banners. Limited characters typically have re-runs but that usually occurs after few update patches which can take months, even years.
On the contrary, permanent banners consist of characters that are constantly accessible. If you fail to obtain a limited character when making a wish, you will obtain one of the seven (at present) permanent characters instead. In the event that you lose the 50/50 chance in a limited wish, you need not worry because you will receive a limited character the next time you trigger the appearance of a 5-star character under the limited banner.
Genshin Impact 5-star Tier List
Our tier list covers all currently available 5-star characters in Genshin Impact at their Constellation 0 status, including both limited and permanent ones. Comparing characters directly can be challenging due to their distinct strengths, specialties, and roles. For instance, a DPS unit may have a higher tier in terms of damage output, but a healer character may be superior in terms of survivability.
We aim to evaluate the characters' performance based on their kit's design and intended role in the game. Our tier list is subjective, so there is no need to worry if it differs from your own. To learn more about our choices, please scroll down for further descriptions.
It is worth noting that every character in Genshin Impact is usable and can be enjoyable, although the amount of resources required may differ. Top tier characters are often potent right from the start, whereas lower tier characters may require significant investment to perform satisfactorily. Ultimately, your own satisfaction and experience are the most important aspects, so feel free to build and use your characters as you desire.
S Tier
- DPS: Ayaka, Hu Tao, Alhaitham
- Sub-DPS: Raiden, Yelan
- Support: Kazuha, Kokomi, Nahida, Zhongli
A Tier
- DPS: Ayato, Childe, Ganyu, Tighnari, Itto
- Sub-DPS: Albedo, Nilou, Yae Miko
- Support: Shenhe, Mona, Venti
B Tier
- DPS: Cyno, Eula, Yoimiya, Keqing, Wanderer, Xiao
- Sub-DPS:
- Support: Jean, Qiqi, Traveler (Dendro)
C Tier
- DPS:Diluc, Klee
- Sub-DPS: Aloy, Traveler (Anemo), Traveler (Geo)
- Support: Dehya
Genshin Impact Best 5-star Character Descriptions
In this section, we will describe our top picks for
Best 5-star DPS
Ayaka
Element: Cryo
Weapon: Sword
Ayaka is a highly consistent DPS character in Genshin Impact, with a unique Cryo infusion tied to her dodge. She has one of the game's strongest elemental bursts and can imbue her sword with Cryo every time she sprints, ensuring almost constant Cryo application. Her Cryo skills make her perfect for triggering Melt reactions with Pyro characters or freezing enemies in a Freeze team composition. Additionally, she can also serve as a sub-DPS if you want, making her quite a versatile character.
Hu Tao
Element: Pyro
Weapon: Polearm
Hu Tao is a top-tier DPS character in Genshin Impact, known for her unmatched Pyro damage and massive Elemental Burst AOE that can take down even the strongest enemies. She works incredibly well with Xingqiu and/or with Yelan, who can help her easily Vaporize her attacks, resulting in tremendous damage output.
Hu Tao's charged attack, combined with her elemental skill, Guide to Afterlife, contributes significantly to her DPS potential. Her Paramita Papilo state converts all physical damage sources to Pyro damage, including her normal charged attack, making her a force to be reckoned with. With the right weapons and artifacts, Hu Tao can easily overcome wreck any opponent in her path.
Alhaitham
Element: Dendro
Weapon: Sword
Alhaitham is a powerful Dendro DPS character in Genshin Impact who can deal massive damage with his Elemental Skill and Burst. He is best suited as the on-field main DPS, providing a range of Dendro Reactions to increase both his and the team's damage output. His kit, including his constellation and passives, allows him to provide significant self-DPS on-field. Alhaitham works well with characters such as Yae Miko and Kuki Shinobu, making him a valuable addition to team compositions heavily relying on dendro reactions.
Best 5-star Sub-DPS
Raiden
Element: Electro
Weapon: Polearm
Raiden Shogun is a top-tier character in Genshin Impact due to her high damage output and ability to fill up the Burst Energy of the whole party, reducing everyone's Energy Recharge requirements and allowing them to unleash their own bursts. Her Elemental Skill and Burst also deal significant damage, making her a valuable sub-DPS who can step up as the main DPS if necessary. Her Skill inflicts electro damage and inflicts electro application whenever she or her party members attack, even while she's off-field - making her an outstanding electro applicator or reaction primer/trigger as well.
Yelan
Element: Hydro
Weapon: Bow
Yelan is known for her exceptional damage output and hydro application through her Burst, even while off-field. Her Elemental Burst works well with the active character's normal attacks, making her an ideal party member for characters with quick normal attacks like Ayato or those who can trigger reactions like Vaporize such as Hu Tao and Yoimiya. She's also an excellent character for exploration since her Skill can also be used for fast-sprinting without any stamina cost.
Best 5-star Supports
Kazuha
Element: Anemo
Weapon: Sword
Kazuha is an Anemo sword user in Genshin Impact who is excellent at creating elemental reactions while buffing the entire party with his Elemental Skill and Burst. His skill can pull light enemies towards the center, while also giving him a boost upwards, making him ideal for exploring or traversing distances while gliding. His Burst has a wide area of effect and can infuse any element that gets caught in its activation. Equipped with the Viridescent Venerer artifact set, Kazuha can shred the resistance of enemies to the elements he swirls, significantly increasing the party's damage output.
Kokomi
Element: Hydro
Weapon: Catalyst
Kokomi is a HP-scaling, hydro catalyst character in the Genshin Impact game who can heal huge amounts of HP using a stationary jellyfish she can summon, while also applying hydro in a small area of effect. Her skill (jellyfish) remains active even when Kokomi is switched out. Her burst ability acts as an emergency heal and resets the jellyfish's uptime (if it's deployed on the field upon burst activation) while healing all party members for each of her ranged projectiles that hit the enemy.
Although Kokomi has low damage output (and the only character with a default negative value in her Crit stat), her role is primarily as a reliable and tanky healer which she does excel at, especially when her healing also gets stronger as her HP increases. She is a crucial component of powerful team compositions like hyperbloom and Nilou's Bountiful Core team, thanks to her reliable healing and hydro application.
Nahida
Element: Dendro
Weapon: Catalyst
Nahida can be a very powerful support and sub-dps character for dendro reaction-based team compositions. Her skill can be used to "snapshot" and mark enemies by the "Seed of Skandha", inflicting damage whenever the marked enemies take damage from dendro cores or when you trigger elemental reactions with them. The same "finger camera pose" skill can be used for marking various fruits and plants on the field, allowing you to gather up to five of them at a time even from a distance, making her a very convenient exploration character especially when collecting materials on steep, elevated locations.
She has high Dendro application to enemies and great off-field damage. Her Elemental Burst has a wide area of effect, providing a large Elemental Mastery Bonus to the active character within it, at a low cost. Her Elemental Burst lasts a long time and has a fast cooldown, ensuring an almost 100% uptime.
Element: Geo
Weapon: Polearm
Zhongli is a formidable defensive support character in Genshin Impact with a range of invaluable strengths and abilities. His skill can produce a very robust shield capable of withstanding most enemy attacks. His shield also scales with his HP so building him entirely around that stat will both increase his max HP and shield, turning him almost into an immortal or at least incredibly sturdy. Not only that, characters protected by his shield will help decrease the Elemental and Physical resistance of the enemies in a small AoE
Zhongli's Elemental Burst can petrify enemies, providing an additional advantage in combat. His Stone Stele (Geo Construct) can also resonate without other Geo Constructs, allowing him to deal damage in a broad area. Aside from Razor, Zhongli is the only other character that can instantly destroy ore formations with a wider radius, making ore farming a whole lot faster and convenient.
Summary
As we have mentioned above, it is important to remember that tier lists like ours are subjective and not an absolute measure of a character's worth. Tier lists can provide a general idea of a character's strengths and weaknesses. In the end of the day, it's always best to them out to see if you'll like their combat style or not. Take advantage of the trial battles that are available during a limited character's run. Genshin Impact has constantly growing roster of characters so we will need to update this tier list eventually.