In addition to the game’s beautiful open world and engaging story, the playable characters are one of the most appealing aspects of Genshin Impact. These characters have a diverse range of personalities that affect the story's progression. The exciting part of Genshin Impact is the ability to use most of these characters in the game's massive open world.
Similar to the diversity in their personalities, Genshin Impact characters also fulfill various roles during combat. These roles determine their responsibilities on the battlefield, which vary based on their performance. Of course, 5-star characters are the top-tier paid units that are likely to get the job done. However, there are some hidden gems among the 4-star community that can be equally effective.
7 Fischl
Since Genshin Impact's release, Fischl has been a core Sub-DPS unit that players should take seriously. At C6, Fischl gains the ability to keep her Oz active on the field for a significant portion of combat. This is a huge advantage because Oz generates many energy particles for the team and triggers Electro-related reactions with ease, in addition to dealing massive DMG. As a 4-star Electro unit in Genshin Impact, Fischl's kit is distinct and not found in any of the available 5-star Electro units.
6 Ningguang
Ningguang may not have any Elemental reaction to boost her DMG, but as a Geo user in Genshin Impact, she still shines as a Sub-DPS that can hold her own against 5-star Geo units. While she may not be the best choice for a team's main DPS, her kit allows her to excel as a Sub-DPS character.
At C6, Ningguang gets her best Constellation, which allows her to deal up to 100k DMG plus and leave the field in just three seconds. With low energy requirements and a 12-second rotation, C6 Ningguang becomes an easy-to-use Sub-DPS that can dish out impressive DMG in no time. Not to mention her ability to activate Geo Resonance with another Geo unit, which grants her team 15% extra DMG when a shield is active.
5 Beidou
Just like Xingqiu, Beidou has almost the exact same kit as an Electro user in Genshin Impact. She can provide minor protection to the active character while dealing a significant amount of off-field Electro DMG. Beidou is most famous for her team composition with Hydro units, triggering Electro-charged reactions endlessly.
As a 4-star off-field Electro unit, Beidou is comparable to 5-star characters that have the same role, such as Yae Miko. Yae requires a longer setup time to activate her three Sesshou Sakuras, while Beidou can just unleash her Elemental Burst to deal comparable DMG.
4 Sucrose
Sucrose is still a great support to have in Genshin Impact, and after Sumeru, she became a mega-used support because of her ability to insanely buff her team's Elemental Mastery. The amount of EM that Sucrose gives to her team is almost as good as the Dendro Archon, Nahida.
Not only that, but Sucrose can also perform some of the major tasks that 5-star Anemo supports like Venti and Kazuha can do. She can control enemies, keep triggering Swirl while off-field, and tear down enemies' resistance to the Element she Swirls with.
3 Xiangling
Xiangling is a unique character in Genshin Impact because of her off-field DMG and Pyro application. While there have been attempts to create characters that can replace her, such as Thoma and Dehya, Xiangling is simply on another level. One of the reasons Xiangling dominates the Pyro off-field scene is her lack of ICD and the ability to adapt as the game progresses. Xiangling can perform perfectly with a variety of stats, including ATK, Pyro DMG, Elemental Mastery, Energy Recharge, and CRIT.
At C4, Xiangling can endlessly spin her Pyronado while the active character enjoys all the Pyro applications and DMG. With such power, Xiangling has become a highly demanded character every time a Pyro DMG dealer is needed.
2 Xingqiu
Xingqiu is an essential unit in Genshin Impact. He can support Pyro DPS characters like Hu Tao to frequently trigger Vaporize, help Electro units like Cyno to spread their Electro-charged attacks, and has one of the core Elements needed for Bloom teams. Having a 4-star character like Xingqiu, who can easily apply Hydro like no other unit in Genshin Impact, makes him a must-have for meta slaves.
It used to be a running joke of saying there’s not enough Xingqius in Genshin Impact since he fits in most team compositions. But now, there's Yelan; a 5-star Hydro character that is almost identical to Xingqiu. The crazy part is that at C6, Xingqiu's DMG output is comparable to hers, in addition to all the extra utility he provides.
1 Bennett
Unlike the other 4-star units on this list, Bennett only needs his first Constellation to become this colossus of a support unit. What makes Bennett so special is his ability to heal the active character while significantly boosting their DMG, in addition to having a Pyro vision.
As a Pyro user in Genshin Impact, Bennett can form a synergy with another unit to activate the Pyro Resonance, which further increases the team's ATK by 25%.
Genshin Impact is now available on Mobile, PC, PS4, and PS5. A Switch version is in development.