As interesting as Genshin Impact's elemental reactions system is, it does have a learning curve. Some elements may be simple to use, such as Pyro. However, the among of reactions between the seven elements can make for a little bit of difficulty for new fans, especially in complex elements like Electro.
Electro users in Genshin Impact make for some of the most tactical gameplay, outside of maybe Geo. With more complex strategies, all 12 Electro users become far more powerful even if they aren't the strongest on their own. That said, some Electro users offer a better gameplay experience than others.
Updated December 22, 2022, by Elara Leclair: The Electro element was once thought to be lacking in terms of its damage output potential in comparison to other elements. It simply lacked the powerful resonance of Pyro or Cryo elements or the devastating Elemental reactions of Vaporize or Melt. However, Genshin Impact has since evolved in favor of Electro characters. Inazuma has introduced some great Electro users, and the electro reactions have been heavily improved with the introduction of Sumeru and new reactions like Quicken, Spread, Aggravate, and Hyperbloom. Now, with plenty of amazing new Electro characters and improved mechanics, the Electro element is stronger than ever with various main DPS and highly considerable support options.
12 Lisa
- Rarity: 4-star
- Weapon: Catalyst
- Best Role: Support, sub-DPS
Funnily enough, Lisa (along with Liyue's Xiangling) is the only free character in the game to still be formidable by the end of Liyue. Granted, she still can be easily surpassed by most 4-star characters, but she makes for better combat than characters like Amber or Kaeya.
Of course, Lisa has her own set of downsides. Her combat requires a lot of tactics and strategy; she may not be the most friendly character for players unfamiliar with her talents. At that, she isn't the most mobile player, often being interrupted should players not be careful. However, should players avoid Lisa's most common mistakes, they will find a formidable Electro user. Featuring constant zones of Electro attacks and crowd attacks, few characters have the enabling and crowd control capabilities of Lisa. That and, the Favonius Librarian can heavily increase damage with good usage of her skill, making equal charges of three among her enemies. As she is not as robust or versatile she may have lost some of her popularity with the emergence of many strong characters, but she can still be a great addition to teams for her devoted fans, providing an enjoyable and unique experience.
11 Dori
- Rarity: 4-star
- Weapon: Claymore
- Best Role: Healer & Support
Dori is a 4-Star Electro claymore user from Sumeru who made her debut in Genshin Impact during Phase 2 of the 3.0 update. She was also gifted to players who successfully completed every task in the beloved Fabulous Fungus Frenzy limited-time event. Dori is best used in a hybrid healer support role, as she is capable of dealing electro damage while off-field and healing any active character on the field with her Elemental Burst. With her unique combination of abilities, she can be a valuable addition to any team.
Although Dori has a decent single target electro application and decent elemental recharge support, her low energy particle generation and Elemental Burst are still slightly lacking. Her Elemental Burst has slow and single-target healing, and overall low damage multipliers, which cannot compare to some of the other characters on this list. Furthermore, her ascension passives do not solve this issue. Despite these shortcomings, Dori still has the potential to be in a fun team composition.
10 Razor
- Rarity: 4-star
- Weapon: Claymore
- Best Role: DPS
In the early days of Genshin Impact, Razor was on par with characters such as Diluc and Keqing in terms of damage output. His Physical DPS on his auto attack and Electro DPS output after using his Elemental Burst made him a force to be reckoned with. His kit also allowed him to generate a plentiful amount of energy particles, and with his low-cost Elemental Burst, he almost always had it available. When partnered up with a Cryo healer character like Qiqi or Diona, Razor could easily use the Superconduct reaction to further boost his physical DPS potential.
Unfortunately, Razor has become increasingly unpopular in the current game progression, with the introduction of Eula as a much stronger Physical DPS character. Although Razor is still a viable physical damage option for those who don't have access to Eula, the focus on elemental reactions makes the game less accommodating to any Physical DPS. Additionally, Razor's selfish play style makes him unflexible and without any support ability, making him not rank very high on this list.
9 Electro Traveler
- Rarity: 5-star
- Weapon: Sword
- Best Role: Support
The Traveler's elemental kit usually reflects a weaker version of the particular region's Archon's power. This is no different from the Electro Traveler. To start, the Electro Traveler is grade-A support: their skill helps to regenerate elemental energy faster, and their burst increases Electro application and damage.
That said, the Electro Traveler does have a limitation. In the end, they aren't much outside of a supporting character. At least, they have little potential to be a DPS on their own without heavy commitment and building. Granted, it isn't impossible, but it may be better for players to invest in a different DPS with the Traveler acting in the support role.
8 Kujou Sara
- Rarity: 4-star
- Weapon: Bow
- Best Role: Support
Sara is an outstanding Electro support unit that excels in teams that specialize in Electro DPS. Her Elemental Skill provides an ATK Bonus and Energy Recharge to the entire team, and when she reaches her sixth constellation, she grants a whopping 60% Crit DMG to the character that has been buffed by her ATK buff—a tremendous boon for Electro DMG dealers. To top it off, her Elemental Burst is an incredibly powerful burst.
However, Sara remains a niche character since she can only reach her full potential when teamed up with main Electro DPS units, limiting her versatility. To make the most of her, all of her constellations (or at least her second constellation) must be unlocked to show any significant benefit compared to other support units. Additionally, the introduction of Aggravate reaction has made her less necessary, as in most cases Dendro support can provide the party with more benefits than using Sara.
7 Beidou
- Rarity: 4-star
- Weapon: Claymore
- Best Role: Support & sub-DPS
Beidou is a very popular character in the Genshin Impact community and certainly not a bad character. She's well-known in the community for her unique skill, which scales damage based on the amount of damage she takes. And given that the skill uses a temporary shield, she can artificially increase her durability for a small-time and do massive damage by countering the enemy at the right time. She can also provide great damage and electro application with her Electro Burst.
That said, she can also be a little bit underwhelming at times. Easy-to-make player mistakes can also result in her not being utilized well. Her elemental skill can be a little slow, having to wait for the opponent to strike before proceeding and timing it right. Furthermore, unlocking Beidou's fourth constellation can be beneficial as a sub-DPS, as her Elemental Burst has a high Energy requirement. However, there are more convenient characters that can be added to the party who can provide more benefits than Beidou.
6 Fischl
- Rarity: 4-star
- Weapon: Bow
- Best Role: Support
Fischl has been a great electro-application character since the beginning of the game, and still remains an excellent choice given her accessibility as a 4-star unit, as well as being given away in various events. She is relatively easy to build and can be compared favorably to some 5-star electro units when it comes to electro application. Furthermore, although not the most optimal way to use her, she has a high attack speed for those who wish to build her as a physical DPS unit.
Furthermore, alongside the consistent Electro application, Fischl provides great energy particle generation combined with her almost permanently available companion Oz. This makes her a great asset for enabling elemental reactions and amplifying elemental damage in any team. Although not many, she does however have some shortcomings, mainly because her elemental application is a single target that may need to be replaced to be able to affect other units, and because she needs higher constellation unlocks to be able to utilize her to her fullest potential.
5 Keqing
- Rarity: 5-star
- Weapon: Sword
- Best Role: DPS
Keqing's potential has skyrocketed with the introduction of Dendro and Electro reactions. Her base attack and speed stats are exceptionally high, making her a great Electro DPS unit. With her great Electro Infusion, she is able to provide immense amounts of damage. As a Standard Banner character, she is also relatively easier to unlock constellations even being a 5-star character and this is quite significant as she can do significantly higher damage with most of these constellations unlocked.
Outside of her impressive damage output and the convenient exploration tricks you can do with Keqing, she may not provide many advantages to team compositions. However, her high stamina cost compared to other sword users for her charged attacks can make her a bit more challenging to use in certain situations.
4 Cyno
- Rarity: 5-star
- Weapon: Polearm
- Best Role: DPS
Similarly to Keqing, Cyno offers significant damage as an Electro DPS. He is easy to play within a robust team due to his high ascension stat and great base critical damage. With the right build, Cyno can deal massive DPS even without any constellations, thanks to his near-permanent Elemental Burst uptime and Electro AOE Damage. His damage can be further increased significantly with his second constellation.
Players need to pay close attention to the proper timing of their Elemental Skill in order to maximize the damage they can deal during their Burst. To ensure optimal timing, it is recommended to have a support character such as Zhongli to prevent unnecessary dodging and potential interruptions. While it is possible to build him as a free-to-play character, in general, to achieve the most with him, his team composition can be a bit more stringent than many other characters, including some 5-star characters, which can make him a relatively more expensive character than some others. For example, Dendro characters with great off-field abilities such as Nahida that can match Cyno's on-field duration is highly recommended. Overall, if players are not particularly interested in his play style or characteristics, they can easily opt for other Electro DPS characters.
3 Kuki Shinobu
- Rarity: 4-star
- Weapon: Sword
- Best Role: Healer
Kuki Shinobu is an exceptional Elemental Mastery scaling electro healer that has gained immense popularity after the Sumeru update due to her high potential in Hyperbloom teams. Not only does she provide consistent off-field Electro DMG and application, but she also offers reliable healing, making her a better choice than the other four-star Electro healer, Dori. Although she does not have great energy particle generation, her low elemental burst cost makes up for it and helps her stand out.
There are some drawbacks to using Kuki Shinobu as a healer, mainly due to her elemental skill causing her health to be depleted. However, this isn't a huge issue as she is a healer after all. Unfortunately, Kuki Shinoby does not provide party-wide healing, so players may need to be more mindful of her health and take extra time to ensure she is healing herself periodically. Overall, a great character if players are looking for an electro Healer.
2 Yae Miko
- Rarity: 5-star
- Weapon: Catalyst
- Best Role: Sub-DPS
Alongside her vital role in the Inazuma storyline, Yae Miko can also be a valuable asset for team compositions. She is often compared to Fischl, as both can provide off-field Electro damage and Electro application. Her Elemental Skill allows her to summon up to 3 totems, which have a wide targeting range. Although the targeting is random, it can allow Yae Miko to have consistent Electro application on multiple targets. Her Elemental Burst also deals high AoE Electro DMG if used right, making her an ideal choice for an off-field Electro character in reaction-heavy teams.
If players intend to use her as the main DPS, they may encounter some inconveniences. To truly maximize her potential, higher constellations are needed, which can become costly. Fortunately, she is versatile and can fit into many different team compositions, so players should focus on her constellations rather than worry about having other 5-star limited characters. Her turrets can also be frustrating for some, as they require careful placement in order to be effective, and even then they may end up attacking objects or animals. All in all, she is another great character to play, with the added bonus of her interesting personality, beautiful design, and captivating animations.
1 Raiden Shogun
- Rarity: 5-star
- Weapon: Polearm
- Best Role: DPS & Support
The Raiden Shogun isn't the Electro Archon for nothing. Each Archon offers a solid play style based on the mechanics of their respective elements, and for the Raiden Shogun, this is through swift offensive prowess and high energy recharge. With her strong off-field Elemental Skill that has good Electro application and devastating elemental burst, Raiden Shogun can be both main DPS and support. While she does play most of her time on the field, if built and played right, she can even do more damage than many other on-field DPS units with her Elemental Burst which also increases energy recharge for the entire party.
Overall, Raiden Shogun has only a few downsides. Although she requires some strategic planning to maximize her burst damage and her energy recharge buff may not be compatible with certain characters like Beidou, these issues do not detract from her immense power. As she can fit many teams and play both roles at once, this makes her quite possibly the best Electro user in Genshin Impact.
Genshin Impact is now available on Mobile, PC, PS4, and PS5 with a Switch version in development.