Genshin Impact is full of colorful characters to collect, but some are much better than others. Like all gacha games, characters in Genshin Impact can be divided into multiple groups on a tier list. S-level characters are the absolute cream of the crop, while C-level characters are the weakest of the bunch. That's not to say that no characters are unusable in Genshin Impact, but there are definitely some characters you'll be disappointed to see if you wish them out. These are the best characters in Genshin Impact, ranked by their power and usefulness.
Level S
These are the best characters Genshin Impact has to offer. S-tier characters have little to no downsides to their design, making them one of the best fighters you can acquire.
- It is clear - Arguably the best character in the game, Diluc has incredibly high damage for his physical attacks and elemental attacks. On top of that, his Pyro abilities make him a great choice for exploration.
- Winds - Venti's elemental attacks rank him high on this list. His low cooldowns allow him to stay on the offensive and his bow allows him to target weak spots for extra damage.
- Qiqi – Qiqi's Cryo skills are some of the best in the game. His standard sword attacks deal decent damage, but his elemental abilities are the real star of the series, allowing him to heal his allies and deal tons of damage. Cryo damage.
- Kequig – Keqing's speed earns him a high spot on this list. His one-handed sword attacks are very effective in combat, and his electro elemental abilities are some of the best in the game.
- Jean - Jean's abilities and attacks are powerful enough, especially her ability that lets her throw enemies, but her first passive ability earns her such a high spot on the list. This allows him to heal all party members with his normal attacks, which is incredibly useful during combat.
A level
Characters in a level fail to reach the top. They're great characters, but they're just not good enough to be S-level.
- chongyun – Chongyun is one of the best Cryo characters in the game. His Claymore does a lot of damage, and he can even deal Cryo damage with his standard attacks using his elemental skill.
- Xiao - Xiao's elemental abilities also put him high on the tier list. They grant him greater mobility than most players in the game. He is also the best weapon weapon user in the game by far.
- fischl - Fischl's bow is nothing special, but his elemental ability is one of the best in the game. He summons a crow that can deal Electro damage. The crow stays out for a long time and can easily unleash elemental combos.
- rasoir – Razor hits really hard. His Claymore attacks deal high damage and his elemental skill is perfect for triggering combos. His elemental burst is also excellent, imbuing his melee attacks with Electro damage.
- Mona – Mona's unique movement abilities set her apart from the rest of the roster. His Hyrdo abilities are great for creating combos, and his Catalyst weapon doesn't hurt either.
- Klee – Klee's abilities are all related to explosions, making her perfect for taking on large crowds of enemies. If you can afflict a large number of enemies with the right element, Klee's Pyro explosions can unleash a huge combo.
- Barbara – Barbara is a great healer who can keep a party going through the toughest encounters. She might not deal the most damage, but she can easily set up combos with her Hydro abilities.
Level B
Level B characters are painfully average. Sure, they're fine, but there are tons of things about them that could be better.
- Traveler (wind) – The main character isn't terrible, but he's not as great as some of the other wind characters you can draw. Anemo skills are always great to have due to their ability to diffuse elements.
- sucrose - Sucrose has decent elemental skills, but his ability to use a catalyst as a weapon keeps him from being lower on this list. She's just a decent Anemo character and not much more.
- ningguang – Ningguang is a great long-range attacker thanks to her Catalyst, and she can take a lot of hits thanks to her shield ability. Its elemental shard is also powerful.
- Lisa – Lisa's Electro abilities are great for triggering combos, but her standard attacks are lackluster. Still, his charged elemental skill is a great AoE attack to have in the early game.
- Xiangling – Xiangling's attacks lack power, but his Pyro abilities are great at unleashing combos. Its elemental burst is its saving grace, as it deals massive Pyro damage over a wide area.
Level C
C-level characters are the weakest characters in the game. They're fine like your very first pull, but you'll spend most of your time just wishing you'd pulled just about anyone else.
- Traveler (Earth) – The main character with Geo abilities is not as good as the one with Anemo abilities. Her elemental abilities can deal damage in large areas, but wind skills are much more useful in combat.
- kaeya – Kaeya doesn't deal as much damage with her sword and her Cryo attacks are underwhelming. They get the job done, but there are much better Cryo characters to choose from.
- ambre - Amber's bow and pyro abilities are only useful while exploring. She's fine for long-range combat, but her elemental abilities aren't the best.
- Xing Qiu - Xingqiu's burst elemental attack is great for covering enemies with water to set up Hydro combos, but nothing else stands out from it.
- Beidou – Beidou's Claymore attacks are his primary focus, and his elemental abilities are meant to supplement his standard attacks. She can imbue her sword with Electro damage with her elemental shard or block damage with her elemental skill, but those are still pretty lackluster abilities in the grand scheme of things.
- Bennett – Bennett's unorthodox abilities give him a unique fighting style, but like most other characters at this level, he's outclassed by the rest of the cast. Her elemental shard can heal and buff allies though, which is a nice touch.
- Noelle - There's a reason Noelle is guaranteed to give up Newbie's Wish. Noelle's abilities are lackluster in every way. Her shield can keep her alive in tough fights and her claymore can deal decent damage, but there are much better characters to have in your party.
Genshin impact is available now on PC, PS4 and mobile devices. The game will be coming to Nintendo Switch at a later date.
