Everybody wants a collection of strong characters that can rack up damage numbers like nobody’s business. While DPS characters are the face of the party, they’re pushed from behind by support characters. In reality, you only need 2-3 DPS and a whole team of support ones.
With that in mind, here are the best Genshin Impact characters you can wish for. Note that some of them will be from limited banners, and you must wait for a rerun before you can get them.
Best DPS (and Sub-DPS) Characters in Genshin Impact
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Raiden Shogun (5-Star Limited)
Raiden Shogun tops the list because she’s a Burst charger and a supreme DPS. Those facts create a sustainable loop that increases her damage output and those of her party members. Her Burst charges up other party members’ own, and using those before hers buffs it. Players usually put the Shogun with Bennet, Xiangling, and Xingqiu (called the ‘Rational Team’).
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Hu Tao (5-Star Limited)
Hu Tao is a character for those who like taking risks. Her E skill gives her a Pyro infusion but also drains her HP. While she does have incredible bonuses when her health is low, you’ll need good support (and reflexes) to keep her in play without a shield. Still, her damage output can go through the roof, especially when paired with Xingqiu for Vaporize.
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Kamisato Ayaka (5-Star Limited)
Kamisato Ayaka was a character beta players eagerly awaited. Their wait paid off, and Ayaka became one of the most sought-after characters in the game. She’s an absolute powerhouse and is the Cryo DPS everyone needed. Plus, she has an alternate sprint that lets her glide across bodies of water and creates a platform of ice when she gets tired.
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Kamisato Ayato (5-Star Limited)
The elder brother of Ayaka won’t let his sister steal the spotlight! He might be busy as the Yashiro Commission’s head, but his fighting prowess isn’t any worse than his sister’s. Of course, he has a different skill set, but the potential for high damage numbers is the same.
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Yelan (5-Star Limited)
Although some players might’ve skipped her because her Burst works like Xingqiu’s, she’s a strong DPS. HP scaling makes her easy to build and boosts her damage exponentially. Also, she buffs the active character if her Burst is up, making a powerful DPS even more powerful. It has another benefit of creating Elemental Reactions, so there’s no reason to miss her next rerun.
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Albedo (5-Star Limited)
This Alchemist is a powerful sub-DPS. His DEF scaling means he can also take a hit while dishing it out. His primary claim to fame, though, is being a ‘Geo Fischl,’ where he would leave his flower on the ground and let it do the work. It’s also a Geo Construct, meaning it would resonate with Zhongli’s pillars and the flower can be an elevator to facilitate plunging attacks.
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Xingqiu (4-Star)
As part of the R/National Team, Xingqiu is indispensable to many teams. Mostly, it’s to facilitate Elemental Reactions with his Rain Swords, but he also provides damage reduction and healing (to a lesser extent). His Rain Swords can also deal massive damage with the right builds.
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Xiangling (4-Star)
Xiangling is another integral part of the R/National Team. She brings the heat with her Pyronado, which either Vaporizes Xingqiu’s Rain Swords or activates another Elemental Reaction. As a Pyro user, putting another one (usually Bennett) provides the party with an ATK boost that ups the damage even more.
Best Support Characters in Genshin Impact
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Kaedehara Kazuha (5-Star Limited)
Many players missed his first banner because Ayaka was coming next. Then, Raiden Shogun in the next patch. People were saving for both characters and generally passed over Kazuha. Well, they regretted it--he’s one of the best Anemo supporters after Venti. Depending on the situation, he’s a better choice than the latter. With Viridescent Venerer, he can even shred the elemental defenses of enemies.
All in all, Kazuha is a solid choice to wish for.
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Zhongli (5-star Limited)
Zhongli is the best shielder in the game, hands down. He even has a bit of crowd control because he can petrify enemies with his Burst (a unique status only he can do). Those few seconds of enemy vulnerability can spell the difference between having three stars and two stars in the Spiral Abyss. Combine that with his shields, and you get a must-have support character.
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Bennett (4-Star)
The best thing about Bennett is that he’s a four-star character available in any banner and in Paimon’s Bargains (occasionally). He can heal, boost your character’s attack, and be a DPS (if you built him that way). With the Noblesse Oblige artifact set and another Pyro character in the party, the ATK boosts go off the charts! No wonder he’s the number one most used character in the Spiral Abyss.
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Mona (5-Star Standard)
Mona may be a supporting character, but her multipliers say she’s a DPS. The thing that matters is how you build her. Many people disregard 3-star weapons, but the Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers is one you shouldn’t underestimate. At Refinement 5 (which is easy to achieve if you wish often), it gives the next character you switch to a 48% ATK bonus for 10 seconds.
Only a few characters can hold it as a catalyst, and Mona is one of them. Combine that with 4-set Noblesse, and she becomes a super attack booster when she uses her Burst.
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Sangonomiya Kokomi (5-Star Limited)
Kokomi is one of the best healers in the game. She’s also a catalyst user, which means she can use the Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers weapon. Then, with all her HP scaling, put a Tenacity of the Millileth 4-set and let her jellyfish be an ATK boosting and healing machine. As a Hydro user, it also paves the way for Elemental Reactions such as Electro-Charged, Vaporize, and Freeze.
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Diona (4-Star)
Diona is a shielder and healer combo character. With a constellation upgrade, she can even shield allies as well. Building her HP makes her shields go stronger and heal more. She doesn’t have much to offer through damage, but that combination makes it easy to survive almost anything. Her healing field also applies Cryo to enemies, making them vulnerable to reactions.
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Yun Jin (4-Star)
Yun Jin is a little outside of the radar for most players; still, she’s a great AA booster, especially if using a multi-element party. Any DPS would benefit from her Burst, with a bonus if you use the Noblesse Oblige set. She’s also tanky due to all the DEF scaling, making her a tank to take hits for allies.
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Sucrose (4-Star)
When Kazuha came out, a buff affected Elemental Mastery and the Swirl reaction. It was meant to make the former more attractive, but it also made Sucrose a powerhouse in her own right. The reason she’s in support is that her damage-dealing abilities stem from reactions and not raw damage. Like Kazuha, the Viridescent Venerer artifact set is her best in slot.
And the Title Goes to…
The game is lenient enough to get you through most of the content, even with only the starter characters. That means the strongest or best would be your favorite one. The one you painstakingly raised and farmed artifacts for. You leveled their talents and even crowned them.
It’s different for each player, so yours would probably not be on the list here. If you don’t have one, there are more in future patches. Besides, this is a purely practical and meta-based way of ranking the characters. You can like a character because of their personality or looks, too. In fact, some players just collect characters they want and skip all the rest.
According to popular demand, the ones on this list are only a handful of the best characters to wish for. (Popular demand here means those characters being used in the Spiral Abyss.) Ultimately, you choose the best units for yourself, even if nobody else uses them.
Enjoy Genshin Impact with your favorite character(s)!
