Best Genshin Impact 4.0 characters: Tier list (August 2023)

Genshin Impact version 4.0 was one of the biggest updates in the game’s history as it added Fontaine as well as a bunch of characters from the region. Amidst the constant changes to the roster, let’s take a look at the best Genshin Impact 4.0 characters in August 2023.

Genshin Impact has now been out for almost three years and during this time, the game has evolved drastically. The map has five out of the seven main regions including Fonatine, and players are closer than ever to completing the storyline.

Alongside new regions and gameplay mechanics, Genshin Impact updates have also added a ton of new playable characters. There are over 50 playable units with each having their own set of skills.

Naturally, choosing a team of four members from such a diverse roster can be confusing for newcomers as well as veterans. To help you with this, here’s a Genshin Impact tier list featuring the most powerful characters as of version 4.0.

• Genshin Impact best characters tier list
  • SS-tier characters in Genshin Impact
  • S-tier characters in Genshin Impact
  • A-tier characters in Genshin Impact
  • B-tier characters in Genshin Impact
  • C- tier characters in Genshin Impact
  • D-tier characters in Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact 4.0 best characters tier list (August 2023)

Below, you’ll find every Genshin Impact character under a tier where SS is the strongest and D is the weakest.

Tier	Character
SS	Kazuha, Bennett, Eula, Ayaka, Raiden Shogun, Xiao, Xiangling, Xingqiu, Zhongli, Ganyu, Hu Tao, Yelan, Nahida, Wanderer
S	Diluc, Venti, Fischl, Diona, Yoimiya, Kokomi, Arataki Itto, Beidou, Keqing, Tartaglia, Tighnari, Dendro Traveler, Cyno, Ayato, Alhaitham, Baizhu, Lyney
A	Jean, Razor, Klee, Noelle, Sucrose, Mona, Rosaria, Kujou Sara, Yae Miko, Heizou, Kuki Shinobu, Layla, Yaoyao, Albedo,
B	Kaeya, Ningguang, Collei, Dori, Shenhe, Yun Jin, Yanfei, Gorou, Faruzan, Dehya, Kaveh
C	Lisa, Barbara, Sayu, Thoma, Chongyun, Qiqi, Xinyan, Candace, Nilou, Lynette
D	Amber, Aloy

Below, you’ll find explanations for the placement of each character in this tier list. We’ve primarily judged them on their mastery to fulfill different roles, team flexibility, accessibility, damage/healing/support abilities, and constellations, among other factors.

SS-tier characters in Genshin Impact

Kazuha

Kazuha and his crowd-controlling abilities will most likely never go out of trend in Genshin Impact. Moreover, the elemental buffs he provides to your main damage dealers are arguably the best in the game.

Following the release of Dendro, Kazuha can Swirl enemies inflicted by the Quicken aura and buff the damage output by Aggravate or Spread reactions. Accordingly, he’s still a meta character who you’d love to unlock.

This is not to say Kazuha cannot be the main damage dealer himself as he can lead the charge too. Overall, you won’t find a more versatile character.

Bennett

Many Genshin Impact players consider Bennett a six-star character and we couldn’t agree more. Despite being underappreciated initially, Bennett has now solidified his place as the best support character who heals and buffs your party members at the same time with his Elemental Burst.

Bennett is also great for quick Pyro application and he gets extra points for being an accessible four-star character.

Quick Tip – If you don’t want your Bennett to predominantly work in Pyro teams, avoid unlocking his sixth constellation.

Eula

Eula, the best physical damage dealer in Genshin Impact, definitely deserves to be an SS-tier unit. You can pair her with Raiden Shogun for unreal amounts of damage but even on her own, Eula’s damage output is enough to beat maximum enemies.

Eula isn’t your traditional Claymore user as her attack speed is higher than other characters that use the same weapon. To make the most of her, check out our list of the best Claymores in Genshin Impact as well.

Ayaka

To say the least, Ayaka is the ideal Cryo character in Genshin Impact. Both her Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst apply the element constantly and the damage output is also high.

Ayaka works brilliantly in Freeze teams where you simply freeze the enemies without worrying about their attacks.

You can also use Ayaka in Melt-based teams with Xiangling. For best results, use an Anemo support like Sucrose, Venti, or Kazuha who increase the damage through Elemental Mastery.

Raiden Shogun

The Electro Archon Raiden Shogun is the best Electro character in Genshin Impact for many reasons. She can provide the team with off-field Electro damage through her skill and the Elemental Burst is what really makes her overpowered.

With the Burst, she unleashes explosive amounts of Electro damage (based on ER) and generates enough energy to activate the Elemental bursts of all the characters in the party.

Raiden Shogun can be a part of many team compositions. Some use her as a burst DPS and battery while others make teams where the Archon is the main DPS and other characters buff her damage.

Xiangling

Getting Xiangling for free through the Spiral Abyss in Genshin Impact feels like a cheat code. This four-star Pyro Polearm user is absolutely brilliant if you’re looking for a sub-DPS/DPS. While the Elemental Skill isn’t too great (Guoba is adorable, though), the Elemental Burst is all about dealing enormous amounts of Pyro AoE damage for a long time.

You can easily get constellations for Xiangling and she gets significantly better with them. Melt and Vaporize team comps are where this character really showcases her damage-dealing abilities.

Xiao

Many players underestimate Xiao’s DPS abilities because he’s been out for a long time but he’s the perfect example of the main DPS unit who can carry the team single-handedly. Unlike many other characters, building Xiao isn’t a hassle and you can get tremendous results even without giving him a proper artifact set.

Unlike many five-star damage dealers on this list, Xiao is excellent without any support characters too, dealing a solid amount of damage without high investment.

Xiao’s Anemo damage is outrageous and the Elemental Burst is one of the best in terms of dealing AoE damage. New players who haven’t farmed anything for the Yaksha can now grind for the Vermillion Hereafter set that is tailor-made for him.

Xingqiu

Although Yelan is a better Hydro sub DPS, Xingqiu is an SS-tier character because he’s a four-star and getting his constellations is much easier. This Hydro Sword character is perfect for applying the element and you’ll never regret using him in teams based on Vaporize.

Using Xingqiu and Hu Tao together is an unwritten rule of Genshin Impact, and we suggest you follow it as well.

Zhongli

Despite Genshin Impact introducing enemies that are strong against shields, Zhongli is just too powerful to be removed from the SS tier. The amount of damage you can block with his shields removes the need of a healer and you’ll be able to deal damage more freely.

Do note that all this defense comes from Zhongli’s skill alone and the Burst additionally provides a ton of Geo DMG while also petrifying the enemies. Overall, Zhongli is one of the most reliable sub DPS/burst DPS/shield characters in the game and him belonging to Geo won’t be a problem.

Nahida

Nahida arrived in Genshin Impact version 3.2 and this five-star Dendro Catalyst user seems like the Dendro damage dealer we’ve all been waiting for. Her kit encourages players to pair her with Nilou or Cyno as she heavily relies on attributes like elemental damage, attack, and Elemental Mastery.

Nahida is a master in dealing with swarms of enemies as you can target eight enemies at once with her skill. Overall, she’s a solid Dendro character and great for DPS/sub-DPS roles.

Wanderer (Scaramouche)

Scaramouche can fly with his Elemental Skill making him stand out among all the characters in Genshin Impact. Alongside Heizou, he is also the only male character to use a Catalyst in combat.

Scaramouche’s playstyle is unique but that won’t hinder your ability to deal tons of AoE Anemo damage through him. Like a majority of Anemo characters, he is flexible enough to be paired with Pyro, Hydro, Cryo, Electro, and Dendro units.

Wanderer/Scaramouche can not only deal explosive damage but also evade a lot of enemy attacks through flying. Overall, unlocking Scaramouche in Genshin Impact is worth every penny if you’re looking for a DPS to carry your team through the toughest challenges.

Ganyu

Ganyu has been out for more than a year, and we still cannot find a more broken character in Genshin Impact. The Cryo damage you can get from this Bow character’s Charged Attacks is enough to wipe out the likes of Azhdaha and defeating weekly bosses really becomes a piece of cake with it.

Ranged combat is desirable in Genshin Impact because you’re able to evade damage and we doubt there’s a better character than Ganyu for this.

Hu Tao

It is unlikely that Hu Tao’s place as a Pyro DPS will ever be jeopardized in Genshin Impact. This Polearm user deals consistent Pyro DMG with her Charged Attacks and becomes literally unstoppable at C1 because the attacks won’t consume your stamina.

Hu Tao is a purely DPS unit and you shouldn’t expect her to deal off-field damage. While she will lose a lot of her HP by using the Elemental Skill, the Elemental Burst can help in regaining that within seconds.

All in all, Hu Tao’s balanced kit is really entertaining and the damage output is like the cherry on top.

Yelan

Xingqiu himself is an SS tier unit in Genshin Impact and Yelan is his five-star upgraded version. Her off-field Hydro application is better and the damage buffs are also more powerful. The dash-based Elemental Burst is undoubtedly unique and fun and if you have a Pyro DPS like Hu Tao or Diluc, we recommend using Yelan with them.

S-tier characters in Genshin Impact

Lyney

Lyney has one of the most outstanding skill sets in Genshin Impact if you want to deal damage to a single target. This Pyro DPS has a hat and can turn into a cat, and once you get the hang of it, he has one of the most enjoyable playstyles in the game.

The issue with Lyney is team compatibility. Genshin Impact currently does not have a Hydro or Cryo unit that can synergize well with this Fonatine character and he actually deals more damage when paired with other Pyro units.

Despite the shortcomings, Lyney is an S-tier character due to the high damage output. Moreover, as more Fontaine characters are released, Lyney might get a dedicated support unit that’ll further boost his ranking.

Venti

The only reason why Venti isn’t SS tier is Kazuha. At the launch of Genshin Impact, the Anemo archon impressed players with his ability to control swarms of enemies and made the Spiral Abyss look silly.

Building Venti is one of the easiest things in Genshin Impact, considering he only needs Elemental Mastery to do his job.

Fischl

Fischl was already a brilliant Electro support character but with the release of Dendro, she’s become as good as Bennett and Xingqiu. If you’re running a Dendro team, we highly recommend placing Fischl in it as you’ll be able to constantly trigger Quicken and Aggravate reactions.

The Electro application that Fischl offers is too good to be ignored, as all of it is off-field. You can easily use her skills and then switch to the main DPS unit.

Alhaitham

Alhaitham in Genshin Impact is a five-star Dendro Sword user who works best as a damage dealer. Since his release in the 3.4 update, Travelers have loved Alhaitham’s synergy with Electro and other Dendro units.

Alhaitham’s DPS capabilities are undoubtedly impressive and with proper elemental reactions, he can easily carry a team. However, you must learn his complex precision-based playstyle before diving into the toughest Spiral Abyss floors.

Alhaitham can function brilliantly in certain team compositions that include Electro supports such as Fischl or Kuki Shinobu. Having said that, he’s placed in the S tier (and not SS) because of the hard-to-master playstyle and limited team options.

Diona

Diona can heal characters, apply Cryo, generate energy, and provide you with shields. What more can we expect from a support character in Genshin Impact?

Diona’s healing and shields scale off her HP stat so you won’t struggle while building her. The damage output of this character is low but the other benefits she brings to the table over-compensate for it.

Diluc

Diluc is another Pyro DPS character that players get to know during their journey in Mondstadt and he’s one of the most popular Genshin Impact characters ever. Back in the day, he was arguably the strongest damage dealer but with the release of Xiao, Eula, Hu Tao, and Itto, many players have forgotten how good Diluc really is.

Diluc is still an explosive Pyro DPS who easily fits in Melt and Vaporize compositions. He’s easy to build, can deal AoE damage, and the Burst only needs 40 Energy. For all these reasons, we still believe in Diluc’s capabilities as a main DPS.

Yoimiya

Yoimiya is a severely underrated Pyro damage dealer. She might not excel against groups of enemies but the damage output against single targets is good enough to be a deal breaker. Also, you can get decent AoE Pyro DMG from the Elemental Burst anyway.

Yoimiya can be paired with Electro characters like Raiden Shogun to make a team that deals Overload reactions. The Pyro application from the Elemental Skill is quite useful and she can definitely be your main DPS.

Kokomi

Kokomi’s popularity has increased significantly among Genshin Impact players in the past few months. While her negative Crit Rate is a bummer, she’s the best healer in the entire game and even the Hydro application is better than the likes of Ayato and Yelan.

With Dendro, you can make teams based on Bloom reaction and no Hydro character fits better than Kokomi. You can also remove the shielder from your team and replace them with a sub DPS/DPS as Kokomi’s heals will keep the entire party alive with ease.

Baizhu

HoYoverse

Baizhu was released in Genshin Impact during the second phase of the 3.6 update. If you follow the lore, it won’t be a surprise that Baizhu is a healer and his main role is to support the team with healing and shields.

Baizhu’s shields do not absorb the highest amount of damage but you can still enjoy interruption resistance for a long duration. Moreover, Baizhu becomes an excellent healer with a max HP build and his Dendro application is also very useful in combat.

Baizhu requires a lot of Energy to function properly so make sure that you give him enough Energy Recharge through weapons or artifacts. Overall, the healer from Liyue is a strong support unit but do not expect an outrageous amount of damage from him.

Arataki Itto

Arataki Itto is easily one of the best damage dealers in Genshin Impact. We haven’t put him in the SS tier because he only excels in Geo teams and unless have you ideal support characters like Albedo and Gorou, you might not be able to witness the true strength of this character.

Arataki Itto requires a high amount of investment but you won’t regret it. Like Eula, Itto’s attack speed is surprisingly high for a Claymore user and the Superlative Strength makes his playstyle extremely fun.

Also, Ushi is the most adorable combat mechanic in Genshin Impact. He works like Xiangling’s Guoba and deals way more damage.

Beidou

Beidou and her counter-combat mechanics are unique and severely underrated. Like all Electro characters, she’s gotten better with Dendro and can now easily take up the role of an off-field sub-DPS.

Beidou gets even better with constellations, especially the second and fourth constellations. Considering she’s a four-star, these constellations should be fairly easy to obtain.

Tighnari

Tighnari’s main purpose was to introduce Dendro to Genshin Impact and has beautifully represented the latest element. The five-star Bow character cannot carry the team on his own but with Electro supports like Fischl or Kuki Shinobu, the damage is almost doubled with reactions such as Quicken and Spread.

Tighnari really thrives when used with Electro supports. His goal was to tell the community how Dendro reactions work and there are no complaints here.

Tartaglia (Childe)

There is nothing wrong with Childe as a Hydro sub-DPS/DPS, but we can’t put him in the Genshin Impact SS tier because the characters released after him have been slightly better.

You can deal melee damage with Childe’s Elemental Skill and to this date, it is one of the most useful abilities on a bow unit. He is a versatile unit that you can pair with Electro and Pyro characters to make many powerful teams.

Dendro Traveler

It is fair to say that the Dendro Traveler is the strongest version of the Traveler so far and Genshin Impact players have finally gained confidence in their skills.

The Dendro Traveler helps with off-field Dendro application and this is a very useful skill for triggering reactions.

Cyno

Cyno is quite similar to Tighnari because he also requires a Dendro support to showcase his true damage-dealing potential. While this isn’t a bad thing, it compels us to rank this main DPS lower on this list because Hu Tao, Ganyu, and even Xiao can outperform him without any support units.

Cyno’s main source of damage is his Elemental Burst and you won’t regret investing in it. Make sure that your team has support units like the Dendro Traveler, Fischl, and Kazuha.

Ayato

Ayato is Genshin Impact’s jack of all trades. With his Elemental Skill, you can deal quick Hydro damage with slash attacks, and pairing this skill with something like Xiangling’s burst is a top-tier strategy.

Ayato can also apply Hydro off-field with his Elemental Burst which is great if you want to trigger reactions constantly. Overall, it all comes down to players liking Ayato’s playstyle as his kit is one of the most balanced in the game without anything being ‘overpowered.’

A-tier characters in Genshin Impact

Jean

Jean is one of the first characters you’ll encounter on your journey and this five-star Anemo healer is worth every penny in the initial game where you need healers a lot. Thereafter, Jean can also take up the role of a sub DPS as her Elemental Burst is great for dealing AoE damage.

Klee

At launch, Klee was considered one of the best damage dealers in Genshin Impact. While this narrative has changed with the release of new characters, she is still a great Pyro DPS whose AoE attacks can easily handle swarms of enemies.

Noelle

Noelle’s prominence has increased drastically with her Hangout event quest and the release of the Husk of Opulent dreams Artifact set. The four-star Claymore user becomes a viable damage dealer with the new set and creators like Tenha even used her to clear the Spiral Abyss.

Noelle’s playstyle is quite simple and you won’t struggle to understand her abilities.

Sucrose

Sucrose and all Anemo units that function on high EM have benefited from Dendro. This underrated four-star character is a perfect replacement for Venti and Kazuha. You won’t get a lot of damage but the crowd-controlling and damage buffs are certainly desirable.

Yaoyao

Yaoyao was the first Dendro healer in Genshin Impact due to which she instantly became a meta character. She might look harmless, but this cute Liyue resident is a quite capable on-field support character.

Yaoyao can be obtained through banners as well as events which definitely makes her more accessible than other four-star units.

Mona

From mobility to the ability to evade attacks, Mona brings several unique advantages to the table and is rightly one of the best support characters in Genshin Impact. You can use her in Freeze teams because the constant Hydro application is ideal for Cryo attackers.

Razor

Razor is a four-star Electro Claymore user with outstanding physical damage like Eula. He doesn’t deal a lot of elemental damage which is why Dendro’s arrival hasn’t improved his position as a DPS unit. Regardless, Razor’s physical damage has always been decent and the Elemental Burst also increases his attack speed.

Razor has one of the most engaging playstyles in Genshin Impact and doesn’t disappoint if evaluated as a four-star character. Overall, he’s a decent pick for your team.

Rosaria

Rosaria could have been higher on the list if she had slightly better attack and damage but her Crit Rate buffs, unique backstabbing Elemental Skill, and the burst’s AoE Cryo damage are enough to get her a spot in the A tier.

Kujou Sara

Kujou Sara, the Electro Bennett of Genshin Impact, uses her Elemental Burst to deal AoE Electro DMG and buffs the ATK of the party members in its radius. The Elemental Skill also grants an ATK buff which requires a Charged Attack.

To remove the Charged Attack requirement, Kujou Sara must unlock her second constellation which should not be that hard to get.

Layla

Layla arrived in Genshin Impact version 3.2 alongside Nahida. You can use her as a Cryo enabler or a shielder and luckily, her damage output is better than Diona who has a similar playstyle.

Layla is a very flexible character and many DPS units like Klee, Hu Tao, Ganyu, Diluc, and Yoimiya can perform well with her. Considering she’s a four-star unit, you won’t struggle much in getting her constellations that further improve her support and DPS abilities.

Yae Miko

Yae Miko is a great Electro character who failed to meet fans’ high expectations. The Elemental Burst animation is outstanding but we wish that the damage multipliers were equally good.

From poor targeting mechanics to low damage output from the skills, there are many issues why Yae Miko isn’t placed higher. Beidou and Fischl can easily fill her shoes which is not something you expect from five-star units.

Heizou

Heizou is flexible and unlike other Anemo units, he focuses more on damage rather than crowd control and damage buffs. He is an on-field DPS but there’s an abundance of characters who are better than him at this.

Hence, use Heizou if you like his playstyle and want a DPS that does something different than reactions.

Kuki Shinobu

Kuki Shinobu was outshined by Yelan at launch but with Dendro, she’s finally gained the trust of players. This four-star Electro character is similar to Diona as you won’t be using her for the damage, but for the additional team utilities such as healing, energy, and Electro application.

B-tier characters in Genshin Impact

B-tier characters in Genshin Impact include Kaeya, Ningguang, Collei, Dori, Shenhe, Yun Jin, Yanfei, and Gorou. These characters aren’t bad but either they are easily replaceable (Kaeya and Ningguang) or they’re too niche (like Gorou and Shenhe).

The latest addition to the B-tier is Kaveh who was introduced in the Genshin Impact v3.6 update. The four-star Dendro Claymore user is best for DPS and sub-DPS roles, but he can be easily replaced with the likes of Alhaitam and Yaoyao.

From Dendro application and healing to dealing damage, Kaveh can do a lot of things but unfortunately, there are many characters who outshine him in these aspects.

C-tier characters in Genshin Impact

C-tier characters in Genshin Impact include Lisa, Barbara, Sayu, Thoma, Chongyun, Qiqi, Xinyan, Candace, and Nilou. We don’t think investing your resources in these units will be worth the effort.

All these characters can be easily replaced and with time, you’ll start feeling the power difference. Also, the likes of Qiqi and Barbara have become somewhat irrelevant as they only provide the team with heals.

D-tier characters in Genshin Impact

It is safe to say that Amber and Aloy are the two worst characters in Genshin Impact. While the former is a Pyro Bow unit with underwhelming damage output and skills, the latter is a collaboration character from Horizon Zero Dawn who is still searching for her purpose in Teyvat.

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Well, this was everything to know about the best characters in Genshin Impact and we hope that this helps you during your next Spiral Abyss run. For more content on the action RPG, check out:

How to reroll in Genshin Impact| All Star-Shaped Gems and Seelie locations | How to get more Primogems and wishes | Genshin Impact Sakura Bloom locations | Genshin Impact Sango Peal Locations | Genshin Impact Geoculus locations | Genshin Impact Lotus Head locations | Genshin Impact Fatui Pyro Agent locations | Genshin Impact Philanemo Mushrooms locations | Genshin Impact Valberry locations | Genshin Impact Dandelion Seeds locations | Genshin Impact Ayato building guide | Genshin Impact Chongyun build guide