Genshin Impact Tier List (March 2026) V5.7 Best Characters
Looking for the definitive Genshin Impact tier list to help you decide which characters to invest in? You’ve come to the right place! As someone who’s spent countless hours testing every character in Spiral Abyss and various team compositions, I’ll break down exactly which units are worth your primogems and which ones you should skip.
This comprehensive tier list ranks all Genshin Impact characters based on their overall power, team utility, ease of building, and endgame performance. Whether you’re a free-to-play player or a whale, this guide will help you make informed decisions about character pulls and resource allocation.
Looking for free primogems to pull your favorite characters? Check out our free Genshin Impact primogems giveaway for easy ways to earn more!
Genshin Impact Character Ranking Factors (March 2026)
Before diving into the tier list, here’s what I consider when ranking characters:
- Damage Output: Overall DPS potential in optimal teams
- Team Utility: Support capabilities, buffs, and elemental application
- Build Flexibility: How easy they are to build and how many weapon/artifact options work
- Ease of Use: How difficult they are to play effectively
- Endgame Viability: Performance in Spiral Abyss and challenging content
- Constellation Value: How much they improve with constellations
SS Tier Characters (Meta-Defining Units)
These characters completely dominate the current meta and are worth pulling for regardless of your account state.
| Name | Element | Weapon | Role | Key Strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furina | Hydro | Sword | Sub-DPS/Support | Massive team buff + hydro application |
| Raiden Shogun | Electro | Polearm | Sub-DPS/Battery | Energy recharge + electro application |
| Kazuha | Anemo | Sword | Support | Elemental damage buff + grouping |
| Nahida | Dendro | Catalyst | Sub-DPS/Support | Best dendro application + buffs |
| Yelan | Hydro | Bow | Sub-DPS | Hydro application + personal damage |
| Neuvillette | Hydro | Catalyst | Main DPS | Highest hydro DPS in game |
| Arlecchino | Pyro | Polearm | Main DPS | Best pyro DPS currently |
| Zhongli | Geo | Polearm | Support | Best shielder in game |
| Bennett | Pyro | Sword | Support | Attack buff + healing |
| Xilonen | Geo | Sword | Support | Resistance shred + healing |
S Tier Characters (Excellent Units)
These characters are incredibly strong and form the backbone of many top-tier teams.
| Name | Element | Weapon | Role | Key Strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alhaitham | Dendro | Sword | Main DPS | Consistent dendro DPS |
| Navia | Geo | Claymore | Main DPS | Powerful geo DPS |
| Wriothesley | Cryo | Catalyst | Main DPS | Strong cryo main DPS |
| Hu Tao | Pyro | Polearm | Main DPS | High pyro burst damage |
| Ganyu | Cryo | Bow | Main DPS | Best charged shot DPS |
| Ayaka | Cryo | Sword | Main DPS | Excellent cryo DPS |
| Childe | Hydro | Bow | Main DPS | Strong hydro DPS |
| Xiao | Anemo | Polearm | Main DPS | High plunge damage |
| Eula | Cryo | Claymore | Main DPS | Massive physical damage |
| Itto | Geo | Claymore | Main DPS | Best geo main DPS |
A Tier Characters (Solid Performers)
These characters are strong but may require more investment or have more niche applications.
| Name | Element | Weapon | Role | Key Strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diluc | Pyro | Claymore | Main DPS | Consistent pyro damage |
| Keqing | Electro | Sword | Main DPS | Fast electro attacks |
| Klee | Pyro | Catalyst | Main DPS | AoE pyro damage |
| Yoimiya | Pyro | Bow | Main DPS | Single-target pyro DPS |
| Lyney | Pyro | Bow | Main DPS | Pyro DPS with prop mechanics |
| Wanderer | Anemo | Catalyst | Main DPS | Aerial anemo DPS |
| Cyno | Electro | Polearm | Main DPS | Electro hypercarry |
| Tighnari | Dendro | Bow | Main DPS | Dendro spread DPS |
| Mona | Hydro | Catalyst | Support | Hydro application + damage amp |
| Venti | Anemo | Bow | Support | Best crowd control |
B Tier Characters (Situational Picks)
These characters can perform well in specific teams or situations but generally require more investment.
| Name | Element | Weapon | Role | Key Strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albedo | Geo | Sword | Sub-DPS | Geo damage + defense buff |
| Shenhe | Cryo | Polearm | Support | Cryo damage buff |
| Gorou | Geo | Bow | Support | Geo damage buff |
| Sara | Electro | Bow | Support | Electro damage buff |
| Faruzan | Anemo | Bow | Support | Anemo damage buff |
| Thoma | Pyro | Polearm | Support | Pyro shield + application |
| Diona | Cryo | Bow | Support | Cryo shield + healing |
| Sucrose | Anemo | Catalyst | Support | Elemental mastery buff |
| Yaoyao | Dendro | Catalyst | Support | Dendro healing |
| Kuki Shinobu | Electro | Sword | Support | Electro healing + application |
C Tier Characters (Limited Use)
These characters have very specific niche uses or are generally outclassed by alternatives.
| Name | Element | Weapon | Role | Key Strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qiqi | Cryo | Sword | Support | Strong healing |
| Barbara | Hydro | Catalyst | Support | Hydro healing |
| Noelle | Geo | Claymore | Main DPS/Support | Geo shield + damage |
| Diluc | Pyro | Claymore | Main DPS | Consistent pyro damage |
| Beidou | Electro | Claymore | Sub-DPS | Electro counter damage |
| Xingqiu | Hydro | Sword | Sub-DPS | Hydro application |
| Chongyun | Cryo | Claymore | Sub-DPS | Cryo infusion |
| Yanfei | Pyro | Catalyst | Main DPS | Pyro charged attacks |
| Rosaria | Cryo | Polearm | Sub-DPS | Cryo application + crit buff |
| Layla | Geo | Catalyst | Support | Geo shield |
D Tier Characters (Generally Avoid)
These characters are generally outclassed and not worth investing in unless you really love them.
| Name | Element | Weapon | Role | Key Strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amber | Pyro | Bow | Sub-DPS | Basic pyro application |
| Lisa | Electro | Catalyst | Sub-DPS | Basic electro damage |
| Kaeya | Cryo | Sword | Sub-DPS | Basic cryo application |
| Traveler (All Elements) | Varies | Sword | Support | Elemental utility |
| Aloy | Cryo | Bow | Sub-DPS | Basic cryo damage |
| Xinyan | Pyro | Claymore | Support | Pyro shield |
| Dori | Electro | Catalyst | Support | Electro healing |
| Ningguang | Geo | Catalyst | Main DPS | Basic geo damage |
| Razor | Electro | Claymore | Main DPS | Physical electro DPS |
| Sayu | Anemo | Claymore | Support | Anemo healing |
Detailed Character Analysis
Furina (SS Tier)
Furina is arguably the best character in Genshin Impact right now. Her ability to provide massive team-wide damage buffs while also dealing significant hydro damage makes her invaluable in virtually any team composition. What makes Furina truly special is her unique mechanic where she alternates between providing damage buffs and healing, making her both an offensive and defensive powerhouse. Her burst is one of the best in the game, providing continuous hydro application while boosting your entire team’s damage based on their HP changes. Building Furina is relatively straightforward – focus on HP%, hydro damage bonus, and energy recharge. She works incredibly well with characters like Nahida, Kazuha, and Bennett to create some of the highest damage teams in the game.
Raiden Shogun (SS Tier)
The Electro Archon remains one of the most versatile and powerful characters in Genshin Impact. Her ability to function as both a main DPS and battery for your team makes her incredibly valuable. Raiden’s elemental skill provides consistent off-field electro damage, while her burst transforms her into a devastating damage dealer that also recharges your entire team’s energy. What sets Raiden apart is her flexibility – she can be the main damage dealer in hypercarry teams or serve as a support in national team compositions. Her constellations provide significant power boosts, with C2 being a major damage increase and C6 making her one of the strongest DPS characters in the game. For builds, focus on electro damage bonus, crit rate/crit damage, and energy recharge to maximize her potential.
Kazuha (SS Tier)
Kazuha is the premier anemo support character in Genshin Impact, and for good reason. His ability to group enemies while providing significant elemental damage buffs makes him essential in virtually every top-tier team composition. His elemental skill allows for easy crowd control and repositioning, while his burst creates a large field that both damages enemies and boosts your team’s elemental damage based on his elemental mastery. What makes Kazuha so valuable is his versatility – he can boost any element and works in virtually every team composition. Building Kazuha is simple: focus on elemental mastery, anemo damage bonus, and energy recharge. His constellations are nice quality-of-life improvements but not necessary for him to be effective, making him very F2P friendly.
Nahida (SS Tier)
The Dendro Archon is the best dendro application character in the game, making her essential for any dendro-based team composition. Nahida’s ability to mark multiple enemies with her elemental skill and then apply dendro to them continuously through her burst makes her unparalleled in enabling dendro reactions. What makes Nahida particularly strong is her ability to provide significant buffs to your team based on her elemental mastery, while also dealing respectable personal damage. She’s incredibly easy to build, requiring mainly elemental mastery and some crit stats. Nahida works exceptionally well in aggravate, hyperbloom, and burgeon teams, making her one of the most versatile supports in the current meta. Her constellations provide meaningful improvements, but she’s already incredibly strong at C0.
Want to know more about the latest weapons for your characters? Check out our guide to all new Genshin Impact Luna II weapons.
Yelan (SS Tier)
Yelan is the premium hydro sub-DPS character, offering incredible hydro application while also dealing significant personal damage. Her ability to provide consistent hydro application off-field while also boosting your team’s damage makes her invaluable in many compositions. What sets Yelan apart is her unique playstyle – her coordinated attacks from her burst deal massive damage while also applying hydro, making her perfect for vaporize, freeze, and bloom teams. Building Yelan focuses on HP%, hydro damage bonus, and crit rate/crit damage. Her constellations provide substantial power increases, with C1 being particularly valuable for her energy generation. Yelan works exceptionally well with characters like Hu Tao, Raiden Shogun, and Nahida to create some of the highest damage teams in the game.
Neuvillette (SS Tier)
Neuvillette is currently the strongest hydro main DPS character in Genshin Impact, capable of dealing astronomical damage with his unique charged attack mechanic. His ability to deal massive damage while also providing hydro application makes him incredibly valuable in both main DPS and sub-DPS roles. What makes Neuvillette particularly special is his ease of use – you can deal incredible damage just by holding down his charged attack, making him very accessible to new players. Building Neuvillette focuses on HP%, hydro damage bonus, and crit rate/crit damage. He works exceptionally well with supports like Furina, Kazuha, and Bennett to maximize his damage potential. His constellations provide significant power boosts, but he’s already incredibly strong at C0.
Arlecchino (SS Tier)
Arlecchino is the best pyro main DPS character currently available in Genshin Impact, offering incredible damage output with her unique bond of life mechanic. Her ability to deal massive damage while also providing pyro application makes her invaluable in many team compositions. What sets Arlecchino apart is her playstyle – she becomes stronger as her health decreases, rewarding aggressive playstyle. Building Arlecchino focuses on crit rate/crit damage, pyro damage bonus, and attack percentage. She works exceptionally well with supports like Bennett, Kazuha, and Xilonen to maximize her damage potential. Her constellations provide significant power boosts, particularly C2 which enhances her bond of life mechanic.
Zhongli (SS Tier)
Zhongli remains the best shielder in Genshin Impact, offering unparalleled protection while also providing significant utility through his petrify ability. His ability to provide massive shields that make your team virtually immortal makes him invaluable in difficult content. What makes Zhongli particularly valuable is his universal utility – he works in virtually every team composition and makes challenging content significantly easier. Building Zhongli is incredibly flexible – you can build him for HP%, geo damage bonus, or even support stats depending on your needs. His constellations provide meaningful improvements, but he’s already incredibly effective at C0. Zhongli is particularly valuable for players who struggle with survivability or want to make difficult content more manageable.
Bennett (SS Tier)
Bennett is one of the most valuable support characters in Genshin Impact, offering incredible attack buffs while also providing substantial healing. His ability to boost your team’s attack significantly while also keeping them healthy makes him invaluable in many team compositions. What sets Bennett apart is his versatility – he works in virtually every team that needs an attack boost or healing. Building Bennett is straightforward – focus on HP%, energy recharge, and some crit stats if you want him to deal damage. His C6 constellation is particularly valuable as it provides pyro infusion, making him even more versatile. Bennett works exceptionally well with characters who benefit from attack buffs and pyro application, making him a staple in many top-tier teams.
Xilonen (SS Tier)
Xilonen is an incredibly versatile geo support character, offering resistance shred, healing, and elemental application all in one package. Her ability to provide significant damage buffs while also keeping your team healthy makes her invaluable in many team compositions. What makes Xilonen particularly special is her flexibility – she can work with hydro, pyro, electro, cryo, and geo teams, making her one of the most versatile supports in the game. Building Xilonen focuses on HP%, geo damage bonus, and energy recharge. Her constellations provide meaningful improvements, but she’s already incredibly effective at C0. Xilonen works exceptionally well with characters who benefit from resistance shred and healing, making her a valuable addition to many team compositions.
FAQs
How often is this Genshin Impact tier list updated?
I update this tier list regularly to reflect new character releases, balance changes, and meta shifts. With new patches coming every six weeks, rankings can change significantly with each update, especially when new characters are introduced or existing ones receive buffs.
Should I only pull for SS tier characters?
Not necessarily! While SS tier characters are indeed the strongest, you should also consider your personal playstyle, existing team composition, and which characters you enjoy playing. A-tier characters can still clear all content effectively when built properly.
Are 4-star characters worth investing in?
Absolutely! Characters like Bennett, Xingqiu, and Fischl are 4-stars that perform at SS-tier level. Don’t underestimate the power of well-built 4-star characters, especially if you’re F2P or low-spending.
What’s the difference between main DPS and sub-DPS?
Main DPS characters are typically on-field most of the time dealing damage, while sub-DPS characters provide damage and elemental application from off-field. Many characters can fill both roles depending on your team composition and build.
How important are constellations?
They vary by character. Some like Raiden Shogun and Yelan get massive power boosts from constellations, while others like Kazuha and Bennett are already incredible at C0. Always check if a character needs constellations to be effective before pulling.
What artifacts should I prioritize?
Focus on crit rate/crit damage (aiming for 1:2 ratio), elemental damage bonus for your main DPS element, and energy recharge if needed. For supports, prioritize their main stat (HP for healers, elemental mastery for reaction supports, etc.).
Conclusion
There you have it – the complete Genshin Impact tier list for 2026 that breaks down exactly which characters are worth your precious primogems and investment. Remember that while tier lists provide valuable guidance, the most important factor is building a team that you enjoy playing and that fits your personal playstyle.
The Genshin Impact meta is constantly evolving with each new patch, but the characters in SS and S tiers will likely remain valuable for a long time to come. If you’re just starting out or looking to optimize your account, focusing on these top-tier units will give you the best return on your investment.