Polearm has the least wielders in Genshin Impact. At launch, Xiangling was the only Polearm character. Later in version 1.1, Zhongli was added to the roster. Ever since then, the list of Polearm wielders has quickly grown.
Genshin Impact 2.2 is an exciting version for Polearm fans. Not only will it feature a rerun banner for the Prank Queen, Hu Tao, but a new unit will also be available. Just like Hu Tao, the new Polearm character, Thoma, will also bear the Pyro Vision. Thoma first appears in version 2.0. He is the housekeeper of the Kamisato clan, and a close friend to the Cryo princess, Kamisato Ayaka. However, because Thoma's kit is not yet revealed, this tier list will not include him.
Updated on January 16, 2022, by Nahda Nabiilah: The Polearm roster in Genshin Impact continues to expand. The growth is so significant that some players even call the game "Polearm Impact", a reasonable name considering the last few new units always wield this weapon. After Thoma in Version 2.2, the 2.4 update includes two new names; Yun Jin and Shenhe. The former is a 4-star unit, while the latter is a 5-star. How do these new additions fare among the other Polearm wielders?
9 Shenhe
Released on Genshin Impact 2.4, Shenhe is another supportive character that uses a Spear. Sadly, while she's a premium unit, Shenhe fails to offer enough to place herself higher on the list. She's super niche and can only be used in a mono-Cryo composition. Her buff can result in large numbers, but it's way too limited to actually be viable.
And of course, most of her potential is locked behind her constellations. If players manage to get six copies of Shenhe, then she can be the absolute best Cryo support. Sadly, reaching full constellations in Genshin Impact is a tough feat for F2P players, so the Chongyun Auntie has to settle at the bottom spot.
8 Thoma
Just like many other Polearm units, Thoma is also a support. His moveset is highly focused on granting shields to the team. So far, Thoma and Zhongli are the only characters that can have 100% shield uptime; Although, of course, his shield is not at all comparable to the Geo Archon. After all, Thoma is a 4-star in rarity.
However, while the Kamisato Housekeeper has a lot of potential with his shield, he's also filled with issues. For example, players have to give him enough Energy Recharge to maintain his Elemental Burst. Luckily, though, this issue can be handled easily with his C4 effect.
7 Rosaria
Rosaria is the only Polearm-wielding character from Mondstadt. Her Elemental Skill is not that special as it only allows her to deal Cryo damage to the enemy, but it's one of the best battery Skills in the game. The rest of Rosaria's kit is also mostly supportive.
When The Sister uses her Elemental Burst, she inherits 15% of her Crit Rate to the rest of the team. Furthermore, putting her with another Cryo character will activate the Cryo Resonance, which will also increase Crit Rate by 15%. For all players who wish to trigger Cryo-related Elemental reactions, Rosaria is a fine choice. Her Burst allows her to easily trigger reactions like Superconduct and Freeze. Her constellations also further improve her supportive abilities. Rosaria is a great support, but unfortunately, the other Polearm characters are simply better.
6 Yun Jin
Yun Jin was released long with Shenhe in Version 2.4. The Opera Artist has been teased in a few voice lines and lore, where she's depicted as an elegant lady who's very talented in the art of Opera. Players who tried using Yun Jin will immediately notice her beautiful fighting style, where she mixes Opera gestures with traditional martial arts.
In the party, Yun Jin is a support for DPS that focuses on Normal Attack. This includes units like Eula, Yoimiya, Razor, Ningguang, and many more. Unlike Shenhe, Yun Jin is far more flexible, and she can also grant more buff than the 5-star unit. This is why the Opera Singer places higher than Shenhe.
5 Xiangling
Xiangling was the best Pyro Sub-DPS that the game had. Her Burst unleashes a Pyronado that will deal AOE Pyro damage. In addition, it will follow the active character for 10 seconds without the need for Xiangling to be on the field. This skill deals great damage and has a large Pyro application. Furthermore, the Chef's constellations make her a top-tier Pyro support. Her first constellation reduces the enemy's Pyro Resistance, while the final constellation boosts the team's Pyro damage.
On release, Xiangling was the only Polearm character available, but the list gets longer. While Xiangling remains one of the best Pyro Sub-DPS, there are now many more Polearm characters who can perform better than her.
4 Raiden Shogun
Raiden Shogun is the third playable Archon in Genshin Impact. The Electro Archon, of course, wields the Electro element. If built right, her Elemental Burst will deal great damage for seven seconds. Her Excellency's Burst also allows her to generate energy for all nearby party members.
Furthermore, Raiden has one of the best Electro applications. In this case, the star of the show is her Elemental Skill. While Raiden is an excellent support and Sub-DPS, Electro is considered the weakest element. For that reason, Raiden Shogun failed to make it to the top 3.
3 Xiao
Xiao is an Anemo Polearm character. His massive damage is produced by his Elemental Burst. Alas, it comes with a price. For the duration of his Burst, Bane of all Evil, the Vigilant Yaksha will continuously lose HP. In this state, he needs healers like Jean and Bennett.
Outside this state, Xiao's damage is pretty average. Therefore, because his Burst is the star of the show, it has to always be available. For that, players need a battery in their team. This limits the variation for Xiao's team composition.
Characters like Sucrose, Jean, and Anemo MC are great options for Xiao's support. A battery is a character that generates a lot of energy particles. This helps characters that have poor energy production to easily fill their Elemental Burst.
2 Hu Tao
Without a doubt, Hu Tao is an amazing DPS in Genshin Impact. Just like Xiao, Hu Tao's best potential is also locked behind a specific team composition. However, because the Funeral Parlor Director is a Pyro character (the best element at the moment), she easily outclasses Xiao.
Thanks to her Elemental Skill, Hu Tao can inflict Pyro damage while converting her HP to attack. She also has the highest base HP in the game, making it trivial for players to build her HP. Unfortunately, Hu Tao still has some weaknesses, which can be covered by the best Polearm user in Genshin Impact.
1 Zhongli
The top spot for Polearm users is easily dominated by Zhongli. The Geo Archon is the best shielder because of his Elemental Skill. The Archon's Skill creates a Jade Shield that possesses 100% uptime, trivializing most content in the game. With Zhongli on the team, players no longer have to bother dodging incoming attacks. Not only that, but the shield also lowers the enemy's resistance to all kinds of damage.
Moreover, Zhongli's Burst deals massive AOE Geo damage with four seconds of Crowd Control. This skill has a low energy cost, allowing him to spam it. The combo of Zhongli's shield and Crowd Control practically grants the team major protection. This is why the Geo Archon is arguably the best support in Genshin Impact, earning him first place on the list.
Genshin Impact is now available on Mobile, PC, PS4, and PS5. A Switch version is in development.