Genshin Impact now boasts close to 40 unique five-star characters, with more additions on the horizon. For new or returning players, deciding who to save for among all those characters can be overwhelming. While we can't choose waifus and husbandos for you, we can certainly provide a list of top-performing 5 star characters that are deserving of your Primogems.
Beyond individual strength, the primary criterion for a character's inclusion on this list is their flexibility. Whether a character is at Constellation 0 (C0) or C6, they should bring tremendous value to various team compositions. Additionally, we'll factor in both current and potential longevity. Our goal is to recommend characters that offer not only immediate value but also the potential to endure through different meta changes and potential power creeps. Unfortunately, some strong characters that excel only in specific or niche compositions may be left off the list. The characters won’t be ranked numerically as they each provide different benefits to a team.
Zhongli
Starting off is our Geo Archon, Zhongli, the oldest character on this list, both in terms of the game's release and lore. Despite his underwhelming launch state, subsequent buffs have transformed Zhongli into one of the best 5-stars in the game.
Zhongli excels as a powerful support character, often played as the main shielder. His shield not only boasts the largest size in the game but also has the longest duration. Notably, enemies in proximity to Zhongli's shield experience a 20% reduction in both Elemental and Physical Resistance (RES). Additionally, Zhongli's Burst is unique in its ability to apply Petrification, effectively immobilizing most enemies (excluding bosses).
Thanks to his shield, RES reduction, and crowd control, Zhongli seamlessly fits into various team compositions as a shielder or Burst support. He enhances survivability and damage, allowing characters to execute rotations without interruptions from enemy attacks. Moreover, Zhongli's utility is effective even at C0, with additional Constellations offering quality-of-life features. His preferred stats, scaling off HP, are also relatively easy to obtain.
On the downside, Zhongli is vulnerable to shield-piercing abilities like Corrosion and Energy drains. C6 slightly mitigates this issue by healing off direct attacks when shielded, but that alone is not worth the extra Primogem costs. Zhongli's damage is also comparatively lower than other units and only shines in full Geo teams and at C2. Despite these considerations, Zhongli remains one of the most versatile and reliable units, requiring minimal investment and no constellations. He has withstood various meta shifts over almost three years and is likely to continue being a staple in players' rosters in the future.
Nahida
Nahida stands out as one of the best support and sub-DPS characters in the game, particularly excelling in Dendro-focused teams. Her prowess lies in consistent on-field and off-field Dendro applications, coupled with her Burst's Elemental Mastery (EM) buff.
Nahida's Elemental Skill is a standout feature, allowing her to mark and link up to 8 enemies, dealing Dendro damage and persisting for 25 seconds. Notably, any reaction or damage dealt with Dendro/Bountiful Cores on any marked target triggers additional Dendro damage on all marked enemies. With a short cooldown (5 to 6 seconds, tap vs hold), Nahida maintains full uptime on her Elemental Skill, making it one of the best Dendro application abilities. The Elemental Burst not only enhances her Skill but also provides up to 250 EM for the active character, further boosting reaction-based teams. With a low 13.5-second cooldown and a reasonable 50 Energy cost, Nahida also achieves 100 percent uptime on her Burst, which has a base duration of 15 seconds.
While Nahida performs admirably at C0, reaching C2 significantly boosts her damage for Dendro teams, featuring a rare 30% DEF shred. At C6, Nahida has the potential to become a decent on-field main-DPS. However, her relatively low base HP and DEF necessitate a shielder or healer, especially in Bloom compositions where Dendro Cores are frequently created and detonated. Nahida also offers less value in certain team compositions like Freeze or Physical, making her slightly less versatile than Zhongli. Nonetheless, given the strength of Dendro as an element, Nahida proves to be a valuable investment for any player.
Kokomi
Kokomi is widely acknowledged as the game's premier healer, excelling not only in sustaining the team but also in delivering Hydro applications both on and off the field. Her skill, 'Kurage's Oath,' summons a Hydro jellyfish that pulsates an area of effect (AoE) every two seconds, dealing Hydro damage and healing the team. Remarkably, this ability has no internal cooldown (ICD) for aura applications, applying Hydro with each pulse, establishing it as one of the most effective off-field Hydro appliers.
Her Burst, 'Nereid's Ascension,' positions Kokomi as both an on-field enabler and a potential main-DPS. This ability enhances the damage of her normal and charged attacks, as well as Kurage's Oath, based on her max HP.
Kokomi's versatility as a healer allows her to seamlessly slot into various team compositions. She excels as a Hydro enabler for teams such as Freeze, Hyperbloom, Burgeon, Electro-Charged, and Vaporize. In Bloom teams, she not only helps create Dendro Cores but also heals the splash damage from Core detonations. Functioning optimally at C0, Kokomi's Constellations mainly enhance her on-field strength, making her a valuable addition with relatively low investment. Similar to Zhongli, Kokomi scales her healing and damage with HP.
When playing her as a main-DPS or on-field enabler, she heavily relies on her Burst for damage output. Outside of her Burst, Kokomi's damage remains relatively low due to her inability to crit. Given the Burst's high Energy cost of 70, on-field Kokomi may benefit from investment in Energy Recharge and a teammate serving as an Energy battery. Regardless of her role, Kokomi seamlessly integrates into many teams with ease.
Raiden
Raiden, our Electro Archon, is one of the game's best Energy batteries, excelling in various roles. Her unique capabilities allow her to be the primary damage dealer or seamlessly share the field with another DPS character, while also serving as a reliable source of Electro applications and Energy support. While Raiden's individual damage output might not match some dedicated main-DPS characters, her true strength lies in significantly boosting the overall damage of her team.
Her Elemental Skill not only enhances team Burst damage but also triggers an Electro AoE whenever the active character deals damage, providing Energy to the team. With a lengthy 25-second duration and a quick 10-second cooldown, Raiden can maintain a permanent uptime on this skill, consistently supplying Energy and Electro applications. Raiden's Burst transforms her normal and charged attacks into Electro damage for 7 to 8 seconds, scaling based on the Bursts used by her teammates before its activation. Additionally, the damage from her Burst contributes to recharging her team's Energy as well.
While Raiden performs admirably at C0, she experiences a substantial power boost at C2, gaining a remarkable 60% DEF shred during her Burst. Her versatility leads to a variety of viable builds, which might be overwhelming for newer players. Although her playstyle is initially straightforward, maximizing her potential can become intricate. Raiden may face a slower ramp-up when the team begins with no Energy, but once the team chains bursts together, she becomes highly effective. It's worth noting that Raiden encounters synergy issues with a few characters, like Beidou, due to her Burst not counting as normal and charged attacks. Nevertheless, Raiden remains an exceptional and adaptable choice for many team compositions.
Kazuha
Kazuha has long been the game's top Anemo support, bringing a suite of benefits, including Elemental damage buffs, crowd control, and off-field Elemental applications. His Elemental Skill draws enemies toward him, while his Burst creates a substantial AoE that periodically inflicts Anemo damage and damage from the first Element it absorbs. Moreover, the Burst provides bonus Elemental Damage to his team based on the Element it absorbs, a feature that synergizes well with the commonly equipped Viridescent Venerer artifact, further amplifying Elemental damage.
As a versatile unit, Kazuha finds a welcome place on nearly any team seeking an Elemental Damage boost. Even at C0, Kazuha is an incredible unit, requiring relatively low investment to perform optimally. While not mandatory, acquiring C2 enhances Kazuha's buffing potential by increasing Elemental Mastery for characters within his Burst radius. Kazuha is not only easy to control but also provides an enjoyable gameplay experience. Although there are some complexities associated with manipulating the Element absorbed by Kazuha's Burst, such intricacies primarily cater to those aiming to maximize his damage output.
Furina
Furina, the latest Archon, is a remarkably robust support and a capable sub-DPS. Her complex kit may appear overwhelming at first glance, posing a slight challenge for newer players.
In her Ousia stance, Furina's Skill summons three 'Salon Members' that deal Hydro damage to enemies. Each attack from these members drains the HP of all healthy characters in the party, amplifying their own damage. Transitioning to the Pneuma stance, Furina summons the 'Singer of Many Waters,' providing periodic healing to the team. Furina's Burst not only buffs damage dealt but also enhances healing received for all characters based on their HP fluctuations during the Burst's duration.
Beyond her buffs, Furina's Skill allows characters to leverage HP-manipulating sets like Marechaussee Hunter and Vermillion Hereafter. However, in challenging content, a healer becomes essential to counteract Salon Members' HP drain and efficiently maximize Furina's Burst buff. This is particularly crucial as Pneuma stance can lead to a considerable DPS loss during Furina's Burst since it limits access to efficient HP fluctuations.
Furina demonstrates decent strength at C0, but her C1 and C2 significantly enhance both her buffs and personal damage. At C6, her on-field presence, typically considered weak, undergoes a substantial improvement. This enhancement allows Ousia summons to heal and Pneuma summons to decrease HP. While Furina's Hydro applications may not match the consistency of characters like Kokomi or Yelan, she is still an incredibly strong support with a unique and complex playstyle.
Yelan
Yelan is a strong sub-DPS, providing extremely high off-field Hydro damage and a ramping damage buff for the team during her Burst. Her Burst, 'Depth-Clarion Dice,' accompanies the active character, dealing Hydro damage with each normal attack and gradually increasing the character's damage every second, up to 50%.
Her Skill, 'Lingering Lifeling,' enhances Yelan's movement speed, entangling enemies in her path and generating Energy particles. Upon the skill's conclusion, entangled targets are dealt Hydro damage and lightly pulled towards Yelan's location. This skill is quite useful during the team's rotational downtime, allowing Yelan to reapply Hydro and replenish Energy.
Yelan's investment in artifacts and weapons is relatively cost-effective, given her reliance on pure HP scaling. However, a notable weakness lies in her high Burst Energy cost of 70, often necessitating a Hydro teammate and substantial Energy Regeneration (ER) stats. While not mandatory, Yelan greatly benefits from her C1, reducing the need for an ER Sands and enabling additional HP stats for increased damage. C2 significantly amplifies her Burst's damage and enhances the consistency of Hydro application, while C6 elevates her on-field damage, offering the option of serving as the main DPS.
Despite the initial Energy challenge, which is easily mitigated, Yelan's damage and buff make her a valuable addition to many teams. She synergizes particularly well with DPS characters relying on normal attacks, such as Ayato, Hutao, Raiden, and Alhaithem.
Neuvillette
Neuvillette distinguishes himself as one of the rare main-DPS characters on this list, possessing exceptional Hydro damage and versatility in team compositions. His primary damage source revolves around his enhanced charged attack, a commanding torrent of water unleashed in front of him.
Neuvillette's gameplay centers on reducing the initial 4-second cast time of his charged attack, which can be diminished by one second for each Sourcewater Droplet he collects, up to a maximum of three. Both his Skill and Burst, while not overpowering in damage, serve the crucial role of generating these droplets.
Furthermore, Neuvillette benefits from a damage increase on his charged attacks for each Hydro-related Elemental Reaction created by his team, accumulating up to three times. While this encourages the inclusion of mixed Elemental compositions, it is not obligatory. Neauvillette’s team compositions showcase extreme flexibility, with plenty of characters capable of boosting his damage and survival.
A notable weakness in Neuvillette's kit is his susceptibility to interruption during the channeling of his charged attack. This vulnerability can be mitigated by incorporating a shield character into the team or acquiring his first Constellation for enhanced interruption resistance. While Constellations are not essential for Neuvillette's effectiveness, they provide several quality-of-life improvements and minor damage boosts. For those who appreciate a touch of Pokémon nostalgia, Neuvillette's 'Hydro Pump' promises to sweep away adversaries with undeniable force.
Alhaithem
Alhaithem is an incredibly strong DPS that excels at on-field enabling of Dendro related reactions, allowing him to fit into a variety of teams. His unique gameplay revolves around the creation and utilization of 'Chisel-Light Mirrors,' enhancing his normal, charged, and plunging attacks with Dendro damage. Dealing damage in this way will also cause the Mirrors to deal additional instances of Dendro AoE. By strategically creating mirrors through his Skill, Burst, and Ascension Passive, Alhaithem is capable of dishing out substantial amounts of Dendro damage and reactions.
Despite his high damage, mastering Alhaithem's playstyle can be very challenging, requiring precise rotations to maintain Mirror stacks. This is due to the constraints of long cooldowns and high Energy costs of his Skill, Burst, and Ascension Passive. Alhaithem's mirrors are a key element of his damage output, and any lapse in the rotation or accidental character swap can lead to a significant decrease in overall damage.
While Alhaithem may pose a steeper learning curve, his unparalleled damage potential makes him a rewarding choice for players seeking a challenging and high-skill-cap DPS character. For those willing to invest time in mastering his complexities, Alhaithem is an amazing choice.
Conclusion
That concludes our list for the best five-star characters in Genshin Impact. While there are plenty of other strong five-stars in the game, these nine stand out as the most versatile, with the highest potential for longevity. Regardless of what you may end up Wishing for, your enjoyment of the character should always take priority. Good luck and have fun in Teyvat!
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