5.1 Character Meta Tier List

This is a tier list of all Genshin Impact characters (a.k.a. units) that can be obtained from banners, based on their perceived effectiveness and value in typical endgame content. 5-stars are assumed to be C0, while 4-stars are assumed to be C6.

These are the only "must-pull" units – virtually all of the best teams in the game will want to include at least one of them.

Bennett (off-field Pyro): a staple buffer and healer for most ATK-based carries.

Furina (off-field Hydro): An unconditional hydro applier who provides a teamwide DMG% buff, she is a top contender for nearly any team that deals talent damage and has a healer to counteract her HP-drain.

Kazuha (off-field Anemo): The best Anemo unit overall, he provides grouping and DMG% buffing, and he can perform certain double-swirl VV setups. His infused burst provides additional off-field elemental application.

Nahida (Dendro): the best Dendro applier.

Xilonen (off-field Geo): Like Kazuha, Xilonen shreds enemy resistances and buffs the team's DMG%. She has no grouping but provides healing to the on-field unit.

These units are competitive in the current meta, given the right team.

Alhaitham (on-field Dendro): works very well on Quickbloom teams.

Arlecchino (on-field Pyro): high-damage but high-risk dps.

Baizhu (Dendro): a powerful Dendro healer who also provides periodic shielding.

Candace (off-field Hydro): a competitive option for Nilou Bloom, Arlecchino Vape, and Mualani Vape.

Chevreuse (quickswap Pyro): the cornerstone support for Overload teams, Chevreuse also deals respectable quickswap damage when built for it.

Childe (on-field Hydro): His team with Xiangling, Bennett, and Kazuha is famously versatile in the hands of a skilled player.

Clorinde (on-field Electro): self-healing Electro dps with short uptime.

Collei (off-field Dendro): the best-in-slot second Dendro dps for a Nilou Bloom team with a Hydro healer and driver (Nilou, Nahida, Kokomi/Barbara).

Cyno (on-field Electro): a competitive Quickbloom carry if given his premium team with Furina, Nahida, and Baizhu.

Emilie (Dendro): With her signature weapon and C6 Bennett, Emilie can deal excellent on-field damage. Otherwise, she can be used off-field as a sidegrade to Nahida or Xiangling in various teams that use Burning.

Faruzan (off-field Anemo): C6 Faruzan is a crucial teammate for Anemo hypercarries.

Fischl (off-field Electro): The best all-purpose Electro dps, Fischl is a staple for Aggravate teams.

Hutao (on-field Pyro): a single-target dps with a high damage and skill cieling.

Kinich (on-field Dendro): a powerful Dendro dps who currently lacks ideal teammates.

Kirara (off-field Dendro): A competitive option in Aggravate and Nilou Bloom teams.

Klee (on-field Pyro): a very good Pyro dps with a playstyle some find clunky.

Kokomi (Hydro): a great healer for Bloom-based teams and mono Hydro.

Kuki (off-field Electro): important for many Hyperbloom and Quickbloom teams, and also for some Spread teams. Her ability to trigger Hyperbloom from off-field while healing the on-field unit sets her apart.

Lyney (on-field Pyro): a high-damage but high-effort archer.

Mualani (on-field Hydro): a high-damage but high-effort Vape dps.

Navia (on-field/quickswap Geo): best Geo dps, can frontload damage with her skill.

Neuvillette (on-field Hydro): Neuvillette dominates in both single-target and AoE situations. He heals himself and can use Prototype Amber to heal the rest of the team.

Nilou (off-field Hydro): Her Bloom teams excel in many AoE situations.

Raiden (Electro): Still one of the best on-fielders due to all the utility in her kit, Raiden is also one of the best off-field Hyperbloom triggers.

Sucrose (Anemo): competitive with Kazuha in some cases, especially in single-target.

Venti (off-field Anemo): excels against groups of staggerable enemies, particularly in a Faruzan+Bennett+Wanderer team.

Wanderer and Xiao (on-field Anemos): excellent with C6 Faruzan.

Wriothesly (on-field Cryo): best Cryo dps, does well with Bennett+Xiangling+Furina.

Xiangling (off-field Pyro): still the only off-field Pyro dps for now, and quite strong.

Xianyun (off-field Anemo): required for most plunge teams, great healer for Furina.

Xingqiu (off-field Hydro): the best off-field hydro applier, assuming you can drive his burst with normal attacks. He does less damage than Yelan but provides defensive utility.

Yae Miko (Electro): An excellent Electro off-fielder for Spread teams, Yae Miko can also do well on field in Aggravate or Quickbloom.

Yelan (off-field Hydro): provides normal-attack-driven hydro application and damage along with a DMG% buff for the on-field unit. She pairs well with Furina or Xingqiu.

Zhongli (off-field Geo): The best shielder in the game, Zhongli often represents a trade of potential team damage for comfort. He is a great counter to enemy Geo shields.

These 4-star and standard-banner units can be strong but are usually not the strongest. Many are good alternatives to premium units.

Barbara (Hydro): a free substitute for Kokomi in Nilou Bloom or Mono Hydro, and a decent teammate for Mualani.

Beidou (off-field Electro): good against pairs of enemies, provides defensive utility.

Charlotte (off-field Cryo): good healer who pairs with Furina to make Freeze teams that don't use Blizzard Strayer but appreciate the crowd control in AoE (e.g. Neuvillette and Wanderer teams).

Chongyun, Kaeya, Rosaria, Sayu: good options to play with the powerful Bennett+Xiangling+Furina core.

Dehya (off-field Pyro): a decent Pyro applier and defensive utility unit.

Diluc (on-field Pyro): best used with Xianyun+Furina as an alternative to C6 Gaming or Hu Tao.

Dori (on-field Electro): At C6, she is a decent Hyperbloom trigger and healer, particularly in a Quickbloom team with Furina, Nahida, and Fischl.

Gaming (on-field Pyro): a Plunge dps with a high damage cieling that is difficult to reach consistently.

Heizou (on-field Anemo): a decent Anemo dps for Aggravate or Faruzan teams.

Kachina (off-field Geo): provides DMG% buffing via the Hero of Cinder City artifact set.

Kujou Sara (off-field Electro): specialized buffer for Clorinde or Raiden.

Noelle (on-field Geo): does well with Furina in a Hydro/Geo team.

Jean (off-field Anemo): a good healer to pair with Furina and use the VV set.

Keqing, Lisa, Sethos (on-field Electro): acceptable drivers for Aggravate.

Layla (off-field Cryo): has the second strongest shield in the game.

Lynette (off-field Anemo): can provide VV shredding and a taunt for a variety of teams. She's also a good sub-dps for Faruzan teams.

Mona (off-field Hydro): provides a strong but brief DMG buff that is good for Mualani, Arlecchino, or Clorinde.

Thoma (off-field Pyro): good shielder for Burgeon, Mualani, or Chevreuse teams.

Tighnari (quickswap Dendro): good ranged Spread dps for single-target situations.

Xinyan (off-field Pyro): decent shielder and Pyro applier for Mualani Vape.

Yanfei (on-field Pyro): does decent AoE damage for a 4-star, and can generate a shield sometimes at C4.

Yao Yao (Dendro): good healer and Dendro applier for Aggravate.

Yunjin (off-field Geo): A decent buffer and Crystallize "shielder" for Wanderer in single-target situations with Bennett, Yunjin can also be a decent buffer for Clorinde.

These units aren't optimal to invest in unless you like them or you lack better options.

Albedo, Chiori, Gorou, Itto (mono-Geo units): mainly used in off-meta triple- or full-Geo teams which cannot use C0 Xilonen as a support.

Amber (Pyro): Most useful in the early game and when solving puzzles, Amber is crucial for new players but doesn't perform well in typical endgame content.

Ayaka (on-field Cryo): inconsistent due to her reliance on Freeze to keep enemies in her burst and activate her preferred artifact set, Blizzard Strayer. Mediocre damage compared to newer on-field units.

Ayato (Hydro): obsolete in comparison to Kokomi and Neuvillette.

Diona (off-field Cryo): Her main use-case is in a Gaming Melt team which relies on many stationary abilities ("circle impact") and thus is not consistent.

Eula, Freminet, Mika (Cryo/physical): could be relevant in situations where physical damage is desired. So far, no such situation has arisen outside of bounties.

Ganyu (on-field Cryo): outdated Cryo dps – Wriothesly is preferable.

Kaveh (on-field Dendro): appears to be a 4-star alternative to Nilou, but doesn't do a good job of it.

Ningguang (quickswap Geo): powercrept by Kachina as an accessible teammate for Navia or Noelle.

Qiqi (on-field Cryo): The worst 5-star unit in the game, Qiqi has no energy generation, and her teamwide healing is tied to her weak on-field attacks.

Razor (on-field Electro): His meme team with Nahida, c6 Bennett, and a hydro unit can be decent against groups of enemies immune to knockback, but there are better ways to use Nahida and Bennett.

Shenhe (off-field Cryo): mainly used in Ayaka teams – see Ayaka.

Sigewinne (off-field Hydro): redundant with Kokomi, who is more versatile.

Yoimiya (on-field Pyro): There are a lot of better Pyro on-fielders to choose from.