Genshin Impact: Best 5-Star Characters, Ranked (2024) | High Ground Gaming (2024)

There are a lot of characters in Genshin Impact, and even more on the way. That can make it tricky to find the characters actually worth spending primogems on! We took the hard work out of it for you with our list of the best 5-star characters in Genshin Impact.

We’ve ranked the characters from good to great, including short artifact tips to help you get started with your build. With our guide, you’ll know who is worth pulling for and who is okay to skip.

Looking for more Genshin Impact tips and tricks? View all our Genshin Impact guides.

Best 5-Star Characters, Ranked Great to Best Overall

Different characters have different roles to play in your party and they all have different abilities and strengths. While we did some digging to rank each of them, it’s important to remember that you can and should use the characters who are the most fun for you. Don’t worry too much about the meta.

In general, we ranked characters in terms of overall ability, versatility, and strength. Basically, if you made a team centered around each character in Genshin Impact, these characters were the strongest and most fun to play.

Let’s get into the ranks!

10. Arataki Itto (DPS)

Starting off our list of the best 5-star characters in Genshin Impact is Arataki “Numero Uno” Itto. While Itto is a phenomenal character, he sadly isn’t Numero Uno on this list (don’t tell him that, though!).

Why Itto is so good

Itto is a very strong Geo Claymore character with loads of damage potential. His high base CRIT Rate also makes it easy for his hits to land even more heavily on his enemies.

The first thing to note about Itto is that his strength lies in his Charged Attacks. When using his Normal Attacks or even his Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst, Itto will periodically gain Superlative Superstrength stacks. These Superstrength stacks are consumed during his Charged Attacks and increase his attack DMG by nearly 200%.

Not only are his Charged Attacks good, his Elemental Skill, Masatsu Zetsugi: Akaushi Burst!, summons Ushi, the auxiliary member of the Arataki Gang. Players may think Ushi is just a dancing cow, but he has more than earned his place in the gang.

When summoned, Ushi deals an astounding 552% DMG and also draws enemy aggro for six seconds. If that wasn’t enough to make Itto an asset to his team, his Elemental Burst, Royal Descent: Behold, Itto the Evil!, increases his ATK based on up to 108% of his DEF. His Normal Attack SPD is increased and the damage is also converted to Geo DMG.

Basically, in terms of pure strength, it’s hard to beat Itto.

Drawbacks

Unfortunately, Itto isn’t without his drawbacks. He has a lot of damage potential, but it takes time to set up that potential properly. Unlike other characters in Genshin Impact, Itto can’t really pop off big damage hits. You have to spend time investing in his Superlative Superstrength stacks.

The floating icon that lights up to indicate how many stacks of Superlative Superstrength he has is helpful, but it doesn’t do anything to speed up the process. Needing to put so much time into setting up his Charged Attacks means losing out on quickly changing party members to trigger Elemental Reactions.

If you need a strong Geo DPS character, we highly recommend Itto. If you need a character for much else, there are better options out there.

Artifacts

Artifact sets for Itto should increase his DEF stat when possible in order to increase the damage dealt while in his Elemental Burst state. In general, prioritize artifacts with the following stats:

• DEF%
• Geo DMG Bonus
• CRIT DMG

Itto’s high natural CRIT Rate means players can focus on artifact pieces with more CRIT DMG, though they shouldn’t neglect CRIT Rate entirely.

The best artifact sets for Itto are the 5-star Husk of Opulent Dreams set and the 5-star Retracing Bolide set. Unless Itto is on a party where he can consistently and quickly gain a shield, though, the Husk of Opulent Dreams set has a more consistent effect.

For players wanting a 4-star artifact set alternative, it should come as no surprise we recommend the Defender’s Will set, which increases DEF by 30%.

9. Zhongli (Support)

Coming in at number nine on our list of the best 5-star characters in Genshin Impact is the Geo Archon himself, Zhongli! Zhongli is a Geo Polearm character who just happens to have the strongest shield in the game. Having this shield makes him a perfect fit on pretty much any team. With the right build, his shield can even withstand hits from weekly bosses like Azhdaha.

Why Zhongli is so good

The best things about Zhongli are definitely his Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst. They’re both fantastic Support talents that will help the rest of your party face tough enemies without taking a single hit.

His Elemental Skill, Dominus Lapidis, creates a Stone Stele. While on the field, Zholngli’s Stone Stele periodically sends out pulses that deal AOE Geo DMG to nearby enemies. It can also resonate with other Geo Constructs, which will deal more Geo DMG.

The most important part of Zhongli’s Elemental Skill is that when held, it creates a jade shield around your active character. The shield can absorb up to 2506 DMG plus 23% of Zhongli’s Max HP. 23% may not sound like a lot, but if Zhongli’s HP is above 35K, your team can ignore 10,000+ DMG. Which is pretty impressive!

Zhongli doesn’t just shield your party, though. His Elemental Burst, Planet Befall, summons a giant meteor and deals massive AOE Geo DMG to enemies. Enemies hit by this attack also have the Petrification status applied to them. The damage dealt by Zhongli’s Elemental Burst can reach almost 900% of his ATK.

Drawbacks

Zhongli may be good at both protecting your team and dealing damage, but those are in ideal conditions. His Energy Recharge is pretty low and his Talents unfortunately don’t do much to help him regain expended Energy, either.

That means he can’t actually use his Elemental Burst very frequently without getting another Support character to generate Elemental Particles for him.

On top of that, his Normal Attacks are very weak, so he doesn’t do very well if he has to stay on the field for extended periods of time. The best way to play him is to bring him out, create a shield, and immediately switch to another character. While his Talents are pretty helpful, things can get sticky if party members start going down.

Artifacts

Since Zhongli’s shield scales with his HP, it shouldn’t be a surprise that players will want to focus on:

• HP%
• Energy Recharge

To further increase his HP and shield strength, the 5-star Tenacity of the Millelith artifact set is the best option hands down. Not only does it increase Zhongli’s abilities, it also buffs party members.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any 4-star artifact sets that actually work well for Zhongli. We really recommend taking the time to get 5-star artifacts for him.

8. Mona (Support)

In our number eight spot is the penny-pinching genius astrologist, Mona Magistus! Mona is one of the best Support characters in the game, as she excels at not only buffing her party members, but helping players explore Teyvat to boot.

Why Mona is so good

Out of over fifty playable characters in Genshin Impact, only a select few have an alternate sprint Talent. Mona just so happens to be one of them, which makes her a fantastic character to have on your team.

For those unfamiliar with alternate sprints, they are Talents some characters possess that allow them to hide in a moving flow of their respective elements. While sprinting, being in this state allows them to walk on water. Exiting this state also applies that character’s element to nearby enemies. This can apply status effects to enemies without attacking them or causing any damage.

Being able to apply an element to enemies on command without even needing to attack is incredibly helpful in combat.

Alternate sprint aside, Mona’s Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst Talents are also really handy for combat. Her Elemental Skill, Mirror Reflection of Doom, creates an illusory Phantom of Fate that taunts enemies and deals continuous Hydro DMG to enemies within its AOE.

After taunting enemies with her Elemental Skill, Mona can use her Elemental Bust, Stellaris Phantasm, to apply the Illusory Bubble status to enemies within a wide AOE. Weak enemies affected by this status will be immobilized. Any enemy that takes DMG while under the Illusory Bubble effect will sustain additional Hydro DMG and a DMG Bonus to attacks made against them.

The Illusory Bubble effect is what really makes Mona a valuable support, since it applies Hydro to a large area of enemies and increases the DMG dealt to said enemies. It’s the perfect recipe for a DPS showcase.

Drawbacks

While Mona can do some amazing things and is a great character to have on your team, there are some things she can’t do. Namely, she can’t deal much damage on her own. Her stats are inherently pretty low, so the Hydro DMG dealt to enemies is also pretty low.

She is great at applying Hydro, but without an Elemental Reaction, it’s hard for her to deal much damage. The best way to use her is to have other characters take advantage of the status effects she applies to enemies and trigger Elemental Reactions. Without other characters to build off of, Mona on her own is actually really weak.

Artifacts

Players should prioritize the following stats for Mona:

• Energy Recharge
• Hydro DMG Bonus
• CRIT Rate or DMG

The best artifact set for Mona is the 5-star Noblesse Oblige set. It increases her Elemental Burst DMG while also buffing her party members after using her Elemental Burst too.

As a 4-star alternative artifact set, we recommend The Exile set. It doesn’t increase Elemental Burst DMG, but it does increase Energy Recharge and generates Energy Particles for Mona’s party members, too.

7. Yelan (Sub-DPS)

Next on our list of the best 5-star characters in Genshin Impact list is Yelan! She’s a Hydro Bow character with close ties to the Liyue Chasm and the Liyue Qixing. While we may not know that much about what she does, from what we do know, she is not someone to be taken lightly.

Why Yelan is so good

There are few other characters in Genshin Impact who are as versatile as Yelan. She works well as a DPS, Sub-DPS, and a Support thanks to the powerful potential of her Elemental Burst.

Yelan’s Elemental Burst, Depth-Clarion Dice, deals AOE Hydro DMG and creates an Exquisite Throw construct. This construct follows your active character and will fire off Hydro DMG attacks based on Yelan’s Max HP. Attacks from Yelan’s Exquisite Throw can occur up to once every second when active characters use their Normal Attacks.The added damage and Hydro application from Yelan’s Exquisite Throw are fantastic for dealing DMG and increasing Elemental Reaction DMG triggered by other characters.

While her Elemental Burst may be the best part of her kit, Yelan’s Normal Attack and Elemental Skill are both very strong in their own rights, as well.

After spending five seconds out of combat, Yelan will enter a Breakthrough state that will decrease her next Aimed Shot charge time by 80%. Firing a Charged Attack in this state will also fire a Breakthrough Barb that deals AOE Hydro DMG based on Yelan’s Max HP. Yelan can also enter a Breakthrough state after using her Elemental Skill too.

Her Elemental Skill, Lingering Lifeline, lets her run more quickly than regular sprinting while trailing a glowing blue lifeline behind her. Enemies entangled in this lifeline when it explodes will be dealt Hydro DMG based on her Max HP. Yelan’s lifeline explodes as soon as she stops running.

Drawbacks

While Yelan is a very versatile character, players should be careful when choosing her party members. Yelan’s Passive Talent, Turn Control, increases her HP based on the number of Elemental Types in her party. The more diverse the party is, the more HP Yelan will have, which will make her all the stronger.

Yelan’s Elemental Burst also has a pretty high Energy cost, which makes it tough to create her Exquisite Throw construct frequently. Not being able to use her Elemental Burst often really limits her abilities as a Sub-DPS and Support.

Artifacts

The artifacts chosen for Yelan can differ depending on her intended party role. DPS and Support characters may have slightly different builds, but in general, players will want to prioritize the following artifact stats:

• HP%
• Hydro DMG Bonus
• CRIT Rate or DMG

Yelan’s best artifact sets are going to be the 5-star Emblem of Severed Fate artifact set or the 5-star Noblesse Oblige artifact set. Both are geared towards Elemental Burst Support, but are still helpful for DPS or Sub-DPS roles as well.

A viable 4-star artifact set alternative is The Exile artifact set. It will increase Yelan’s Energy Recharge while also increasing Energy Regeneration for the whole party.

6. Kamisato Ayato (DPS)

Coming in at number six is Kamisato Ayato! He’s the young Yashiro Commissioner who pulled his family back from the brink of destruction.As a Hydro Sword character, Ayato is a powerful DPS and one of the few Hydro characters with wide range attacks.

Why Ayato is so good

Ayato is adept at taking out both single-target enemies and enemy mobs with his Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst. While he may not be able to deal as much damage in a single strike as some of the other 5-star characters in Genshin Impact, he is still able to go toe to toe with them over time.

His Elemental Skill, Kamisato Art: Kyouka, allows him to enter a Takimeguri Kanka state. In this state, he creates a single watery illusion that explodes on contact with enemies and deals AOE Hydro DMG.

It also increases his ATK SPD. Attacks made in this state swiftly slash at enemies and deal AOE Hydro DMG. Hitting enemies while in the Takimeguri Kanka state grants Ayato Namisen stacks that increase his DMG output depending on his Max HP.

Ayato’s Elemental Burst, Kamisato Art: Suiyuu, creates a large water field. In the AOE of this field, Bloomwater Blades rain down on enemies continuously and deal Hydro DMG. Allies in the field will also have their Normal Attack DMG increased.

Between his Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst, Ayato can easily and consistently apply Hydro to large numbers of enemies. This makes mobs ripe for triggering Elemental Reactions and dealing tons of damage.

Drawbacks

Compared to other characters on our list, Ayato is more of the slow and steady type. Both his Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst do deal a lot of damage, it’s just spread out over a longer period of time.That means players wanting to see high damage attacks will be a bit disappointed with Ayato. They also won’t be able to see his buffing ability very often due to the high Energy cost of his Elemental Burst.

Artifacts

The best artifacts for Ayato will have the following stats:

• ATK%
• Hydro DMG Bonus
• CRIT Rate or DMG

There are a couple of options for artifact sets for Ayato, but we recommend the 5-star Echoes of an Offering set. It will increase his Normal Attack DMG and give him some pretty impressive regular attacks.

His best 4-star artifact set is the Martial Artist set. It also increases his Normal Attack, though not by as much.

5. Kaedehara Kazuha (Support/Sub-DPS)

Our number five spot goes to the wanderer of Inazuma, and the only Anemo character on our list of the best 5-star characters in Genshin Impact. Kaedehara Kazuha is a Sword character who currently travels the world of Teyvat aboard the Crux along with Captain Beidou and her crew.

While he may not seem like the most powerful character, his Sub-DPS capabilities just may surprise you.

Why Kazuha is so good

Kazuha’s strengths are definitely in his abilities to trigger Swirl Reactions. Increasing his Elemental Mastery allows him to do some heavy damage all on his own in the right circ*mstances, too.

His Elemental Skill, Chihayaburu, pulls objects toward him before launching them within an AOE and dealing Anemo DMG. This same action also lifts Kazuha into the air on a gust of wind.

While still airborne after using his Elemental Skill, Kazuha can make a powerful Plunging Attack. This attack, a Midare Ranzan, deals Anemo DMG and creates a wind tunnel that pulls in nearby enemies and objects. The damage dealt by this Elemental Skill ranges between 345% and 469%, depending on whether it was pressed or held.

Kazuha’s Elemental Burst, Kazuha Slash, deals a single strike that creates a wide Autumn Whirlwind field. Within the field, Anemo energy swirls and periodically deals AOE Anemo DMG. If Hydro, Pyro, Cryo, or Electro comes into the field, the Autumn Whirlwind will deal extra DMG.

Kazuha’s 4th Ascension Passive Talent, Poetics of Fuubutsu, increases all party members’ Elemental DMG Bonus by 0.04% of Kazuha’s Elemental Mastery. This Elemental DMG Bonus is given when Kazuha triggers a Swirl reaction and is specific to whichever element other than Anemo was involved in the reaction.

0.04% may not sound like a lot, but the additional Elemental DMG Bonus can actually increase your main DPS’s DMG by quite a lot — especially if Kazuha has high Elemental Mastery. The DMG Bonus added to the Swirl DMG dealt by his Elemental Burst makes Kazuha a really good Sub-DPS and Support character.

Drawbacks

Kazuha’s Talents all revolve around Swirl reactions. They’re what make him so good, but it also mean that he’s not nearly as useful on teams that don’t make these reactions. There are also limitations to his Swirl capabilities.

Enemies who are always affected by specific elements, like slimes (who are always affected by Hydro), won’t trigger Kazuha’s Swirl buffs. Most players can work around that with slimes, but it does make him much less useful against boss enemies like the Thunder Manifestation.

Artifacts

Players will want to focus on the following artifacts for Kazuha:

• Elemental Mastery
• Anemo DMG Bonus
• CRIT Rate or DMG

The best artifact set for Kazuha is the 5-star Viridescent Venerer set. It increases Anemo DMG and Swirl DMG while decreasing enemies’ Elemental RES to the Element infused in the Swirl.

A good 4-star alternative artifact set is the Instructor set. It increases Elemental Mastery, which works well with his Passive Talents and increases the Elemental DMG Bonus given to the whole party.

4. Raiden Shogun (Sub-DPS)

Taking fourth place on our list of best 5-star characters in Genshin Impact is the Electro archon of Inazuma, the Raiden Shogun.

The Raiden Shogun is an immensely powerful character who has only recently decided to rejoin the world after a long seclusion. Her long time away from the public didn’t make any of her skills rusty, though, and she’s still a very strong character we wouldn’t want to mess with.

Why Raiden Shogun is so good

The Raiden Shogun is a very versatile Electro Polearm character who can work well in a variety of roles on any team. Her best role is as a Sub-DPS, but she still makes for a great DPS and even Support character, too.

Her Elemental Skill, Transcendence: Baleful Omen, is what gives her such flexibility in roles. When used, it grants all party members the Eye of Stormy Judgment buff. Characters with this buff will deal AOE Electro DMG upon dealing DMG to enemies, and have their Elemental Burst DMG increased based on the Energy Cost of their Elemental Burst.AOE Electro attacks from this buff can be dealt up to once per 0.9 seconds.

This buff even applies to other active characters in co-op mode, though the DMG is reduced to just 20% of what it normally would deal. The DMG reduction isn’t ideal, but it’s still pretty good for triggering Elemental Reactions.

Raiden Shogun’s Elemental Burst, Secret Art: Musou Shinsetsu, unleashes the Musou no Hitotachi and deals massive AOE Electro DMG. For a short duration afterwards, Raiden Shogun continues wielding the Musou No Hitotachi, which takes the form of a glowing purple sword. While wielding it, her attacks are infused with Electro DMG and regenerate Energy for party members. Raiden Shogun is also immune to Electro-Charged reaction DMG while wielding the Musou no Hitotachi.

The damage dealt by the Raiden Shogun’s Elemental Burst is one of the strongest attacks in the game. Even characters who can deal more damage don’t typically have as many party buffs as the Raiden Shogun, which is why she’s so high on our list.

Drawbacks

While not a real drawback, it is interesting to note that the Raiden Shogun cannot be used to cook food. At all. It’s not just that she doesn’t grant any bonuses. She cannot even be chosen as the character to cook food.

Other than the strange inability to cook, the biggest drawback to the Raiden Shogun is that players will have to spend some time to fully understand how her Talents work. We went over them briefly, but there’s a lot more to it than what we summarized above.

For players who don’t want to put the time in to study up on her talents, she’s still a strong character, but they won’t be getting as much out of her as they could.

Artifacts

The best artifact stats for the Raiden Shogun are the following:

• Energy Recharge
• Electro DMG Bonus
• CRIT Rate or DMG

The top artifact set for her is the 5-star Emblem of Severed Fate set, which increases her Energy Recharge. The Noblesse Oblige artifact set is also a good choice, though it doesn’t increase her Energy Recharge. It does increase her Elemental Burst DMG, though.

Players wanting a 4-star artifact set alternative should choose The Exile set.It also gives Energy Recharge and increases Energy Recharge for the whole party.

3. Kamisato Ayaka (DPS)

In third place for the best 5-star characters in Genshin Impact is the Shirasagi Himegimi and oldest daughter of the Kamisato Clan. Kamisato Ayaka is a Cryo Sword character who seems to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders. From a young age, she had only her elder brother to rely on. Unfortunately, running a family on the brink of collapse all on his own meant he had little time for his younger sister. That didn’t stop her from becoming one of the strongest playable characters in the game, though!

Why Ayaka is so good

Just like Mona from lower on our list, Ayaka also has an alternate sprint talent. Her talent, Kamisato Art: Senho, creates a small frozen fog that she disappears into while running. Similarly to Mona’s sprint, Ayaka’s also allows her to run over water and apply her element to nearby enemies when she stops running.Unlike Mona’s alternate sprint Talent, though, Ayaka’s infuses her Normal Attacks with Cryo for a short period after running.

Her alternate sprint isn’t the only thing she has going for her. Ayaka’s base CRIT DMG is a whopping 88.4%, which naturally makes her attacks pack quite a punch. Her high CRIT DMG along with her 1st Ascension Passive Talent, Amatsumi Kunisumi Sanctification (which increases her Normal and Charged Attack DMG by 30% after using her Elemental Skill), means even novice players can use Ayaka to deal a lot of damage.

Ayaka’s Elemental Skill, Kamisato Art: Hyouka, is simple enough to use and quite effective at both applying Cryo to enemies and launching them into the air. The blooming ice created in this attack deals AOE Cryo DMG of up to 430% of Ayaka’s ATK.

Her Elemental Burst, Kamisato Art: Soumetsu, summons a snowstorm, within which is a Frostflake Seki no To. This snowstorm deals Cryo DMG to enemies within it before exploding and dealing AOE Cryo DMG. The Frostflake Seki no To deals up to 202% DMG normally, and its explosion deals up to 303% DMG.

Drawbacks

Ayaka’s biggest downside is that, as a DPS character with an alternate sprint, players will need to monitor her stamina much more closely than Support characters with an alternate sprint.

She will be on the field much more, so if you aren’t careful, you can find yourself suddenly unable to dodge and left vulnerable to attacks. Or, worst case scenario, she’ll suddenly drown the whole party in shallow waters because she ran out of stamina at precisely the wrong moment.

Artifacts

Players will want to prioritize the following artifact stats for Ayaka:

• ATK%
• Cryo DMG Bonus
• CRIT Rate or DMG

Ayaka does have naturally high CRIT DMG, but it never hurts to get more. The best artifact set to work with her kit is the 5-star Blizzard Strayer set. This specific set will also help to increase her CRIT Rate so all her CRIT DMG doesn’t go to waste.

A good 4-star alternative set is the Martial Artist set. It increases Normal and Charged Attacks after using an Elemental Skill.

2. Hu Tao (DPS)

At number two on the best 5-star characters in Genshin Impact list is the director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Hu Tao! She may be a little bit creepy, but she’s an incredibly strong Pyro polearm character. She definitely earned her place on our list.

Why Hu Tao is so good

Hu Tao’s base stats are some of the highest overall in the game. Not only does she have high CRIT DMG, she also has high HP and DEF, too. On top of that, her 1st Ascension Passive Talent, Flutter By, increases party members’ CRIT Rate by 12% for eight seconds after using her Elemental Skill.

Before even getting into any of her attacks, Hu Tao is a great character from stats and team buffs alone. The DMG dealt by her Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst are still worth talking about, though.

Her Elemental Skill, Guide to Afterlife, consumes a portion of her HP to enter the Paramita Papilio state. In this state, Hu Tao’s ATK increases up to 400% based on her Max HP. Her attack DMG is also converted to Pyro DMG and her Charged Attacks apply the Blood Blossom effect to enemies.Enemies with the Blood Blossom effect take up to 115% Pyro DMG every four seconds for eight seconds.

Hu Tao’s Elemental Burst, Spirit Soother, summons a blazing spirit to attack and deal Pyro DMG in a large AOE. Enemies hit by this attack will regenerate Hu Tao’s HP up to five times. When Hu Tao’s HP is below 50%, DMG and HP Regeneration are both increased.

If all of that wasn’t enough of a reason for Hu Tao to be our number two, her second unlocked Passive Talent, Sanguine Rouge, increases her Pyro DMG by 33% whenever her HP is less than 50%.

Drawbacks

Hu Tao’s biggest strength is also her biggest weakness. Many of Hu Tao’s attacks are increased when her HP is at or below 50%, which is great. Unless she gets hit. Only being able to work with 50% of her HP can make it a struggle to keep her up and active on the field without going down.

Players will need to get used to having her HP in the red and have food on hand to heal her as needed without healing her too much.

Hu Tao also has a tough time with range. As a DPS character, that isn’t great for two reasons. Firstly, floating characters like Specters can stay out of reach and shoot attacks from afar, which is just asking to be knocked out. Secondly, enemy mobs can easily overwhelm you if you’re unable to use her Elemental Burst.

Artifacts

Artifacts for Hu Tao should prioritize:

• HP%
• Pyro DMG Bonus
• CRIT Rate or DMG

For artifact sets, we recommend the 5-star Crimson Witch of Flames set. It’s the best way to take advantage of her high Pyro DMG attacks while also increasing Elemental Reaction DMG.

If you want a 4-star alternative, the Berserker artifact set is a good option. It will also take advantage of low HP while increasing Hu Tao’s CRIT Rate.

1. Ganyu (DPS)

Taking the number one spot in our list of the best 5-star characters in Genshin Impact is Ganyu! She’s a Cryo Bow character and half-qilin Adeptus who works with the Liyue Qixing. Not to mention she’s pretty much the most powerful playable character in the game. She kind of has it all as a DPS character with range, power, taunts, and Elemental application.

Why Ganyu is so good

Ganyu’s speciality is pretty much everything. She may not be able to heal or shield your party, but with her ability to deal damage from a distance, you won’t even need healing or a shield in the first place.

Her Charged Attacks have two Charge Levels. At Level 1, she fires off an arrow that deals Cryo DMG to a single enemy. At Level 2, she fires a Frostflake Arrow, which also deals Cryo DMG to a single enemy. Upon hitting its target, though, the Frostflake Arrow splits apart and deals AOE Cryo DMG.

Her 1st Ascension Passive Talent, Undivided Heart, increases the CRIT Rate of subsequent Frostflake Arrows by 20% for five seconds after firing one. This basically gives Ganyu’s best attacks an increased 20% CRIT Rate on top of having a high base CRIT DMG stat. Both of which are insanely helpful for taking out tough enemies.

Ganyu’s Elemental Skill, Trail of the Qilin, creates an Ice Lotus that deals AOE Cryo DMG. The Ice Lotus continuously taunts enemies while on the field before exploding and dealing even more AOE Cryo DMG. Being able to taunt enemies works perfectly in distracting them and giving Ganyu time to charge up a Frostflake Arrow or two.

Ganyu’s final attack talent, her Elemental Burst, Celestial Shower, creates a large AOE field. Above this field is a Sacred Cryo Pearl rains down shards of ice for fifteen seconds. Enemies within the AOE will take Cryo DMG for each ice shard they are hit by.

Drawbacks

The toughest part about Ganyu’s kit is that she can be left vulnerable for long stretches of time while she charges up her Frostflake Arrows. While charging her attacks, she has limited movement and players are typically more focused on their target than her surroundings, which can leave her open to attacks.

Enemies not drawn in by her Ice Lotus taunts can easily sneak up behind Ganyu and take out big chunks of her HP, which is typically one of her lowest stats.

If players can be careful of that, or pair Ganyu with a character who can create shields, it’s only a matter of time before every enemy in range falls.

Artifacts

For Ganyu, we recommend artifacts with the following stats:

• ATK%
• Cryo DMG Bonus
• CRIT Rate or DMG

While Ganyu does get high CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG on her own without artifacts, increasing them will only hurt her enemies.

For artifact sets, we recommend either the 5-star Blizzard Strayer artifact set or the 5-star Shimanawa’s Reminiscence. Both will work very well with her. It mostly depends on personal playstyle and what kind of team she is on.Players wanting to capitalize on Ganyu’s Charged Attacks should go with Shimanawa’s Reminiscence, while those who want to increase Elemental Reaction damage should choose the Blizzard Strayer set.

The best 4-star alternative set is definitely the Martial Artist artifact set. It will grant a lesser buff to Charged Attacks than the 5-star Shimanawa set, but is easier to attain.

Join the High Ground

That’s our list of the best 5-star characters in Genshin Impact! Do you agree with our ranking or did we miss the mark? Let us know your rankings in the comments below, and be sure to check out our Top 10 DPS Character ranking, too!

Happy gaming!

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