With Genshin Impact's 3.2 update coming in November, new weapons and characters will be ing the growing cast of the acclaimed adventure game. There are already a wide variety of options to choose from, but those choices will only increase with time.
Unlike other "gacha games," Genshin Impact is kind enough to its characters that the vast majority of team compositions can clear content with the right leveling and artifacts as long as they're built with proper roles and reactions. But what are the best options for playable characters?
10 Tartaglia
Characters from unexplored regions are rare in Genshin Impact, but fans were given a taste of Snezhnaya after Tartaglia was introduced into the game.
One of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers, Tartaglia has one of the most unique kits in a game with relatively simple abilities. The ability to switch between ranged and melee abilities makes Tartaglia both very fun to play, and the incredible nuke damage he can produce make him one of the game's most powerful burst character.
9 Xiao
Xiao is one of the most beloved Liyue characters and the only surviving member of the fabled Yakshas, a group of hunters that destroy demonic spirits.
Part of Xiao's power comes from his uniqueness in his role. He's by far and away the most DPS-oriented Anemo unit. He also has a unique play style focused on diving attacks that easily breaks enemy shields before doing massive damage as Xiao dives over and over. Plus, it can be a ton of fun to win battles by jumping up and down repeatedly.
8 Bennett
The incredibly unlucky Bennett is one of the best comedic relief characters in Genshin Impact. However, Bennett's usefulness is far greater than his comedic effect.
Bennett is one of the best healers in the game, yet he can also function as a DPS if needed. He's likely the single best four-star character in the game and is one of the most used characters in the game due to his remarkable versatility.
7 Venti
Also known by his alternative name Barbatos, Venti is important enough to be one of the main characters if there Genshin Impact.
Venti used to be the king of Genshin Impact, and is still one of the strongest and sub-DPS units overall. Venti offers incredible crowd control and creates a great deal of damage in the process. Any DPS from Hydro, Electro, Pyro, or Cryo is a perfect fit with Venti.
6 Ganyu
The bow- Ganyu is more than just a beloved goat and Ningguang's secretary. She's one of the most powerful characters from the beautiful city of Liyue.
Ganyu's power lies mostly in her massive AoE damage coming from her ultimate ability, Celestial Shower, and her charged attack. While she may not do as much single-target damage as some characters like Tartaglia, she's still surprisingly good at single-target damage considering her incredible AoE skills.
5 Yelan
The Hydro DPS Yelan is a friend and partner of Ningguang as well as the single fastest character in Genshin Impact thanks to her Elemental Skill: Lingering Lifeline.
Lingering Lifeline is a vital skill to have in the overworld of Genshin Impact. While combat is important, the vast majority of the game is spent exploring, and being the fastest in the game makes Yelan adept at exploring. On top of that, she's one of the highest damage Hydro characters in the entire game.
4 Raiden
Genshin Impact may have a silent protagonist, but it certainly doesn't have silent antagonists. The main antagonist of the Inazuma storyline, Raiden Shogun is a powerhouse Electro character.
Interestingly, in practice, Raiden Shogun doesn't play like a "boss" at all. She's mostly a and sub-DPS character focused on getting energy for Elemental Bursts. However, she does her job better than anyone else in Genshin Impact and can deal solid damage when need be.
3 Hu Tao
Hu Tao is a friend and boss of Zhong Li and the director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. She also has one of the most interesting thematic powers in the game, fiery necromancy abilities.
She doesn't quite match Pyro DPS Diluc's incredible AoE damage, but outshines him in single-target damage. Overall, she's arguably the best Pyro character in the entire game and has great animations to go along with it.
2 Ayaka
Kamisato Ayaka was anticipated by fans from the very beginning. With the Inazuma update, she finally ed the game. Needless to say, her power didn't disappoint.
Ayaka is one of the highest damage units in the entire game with a playstyle that's also incredibly safe thanks to her ice sprint. With a good hydro or sub DPS, Ayaka can keep some enemies frozen forever while she does ridiculous amounts of damage to them. With bosses that can't be frozen, she can combine for incredible damage by using a Pyro sub DPS for a melt team.
1 Zhongli
The Geo Archon Zhongli was among the weakest characters in the entire game until an update that arguably over-buffed him into possibly the best character in the game.
Not only is Zhongli's damage among the best, but his shields also make him one of the best s in the game. He can play the role of DPS, Sub DBS, and at a level higher than almost any other character. A single Zhongli can carry almost any team through the most difficult content.
