All Genshin Impact Roles Explained

Updated:

09 Oct 2022

Adventures come in different forms and times, some prefer to travel alone but most people would always travel with their best companions. After all, strength comes in numbers and there’s no doubt that adventuring as a group has its definite ups. Genshin Impact is a game that fully knows that playing as a team certainly has its beauty. You can join teams with other players or form your own team by yourself with your characters.

However, some people do pose a little confusion on who to pick and what kind of character should be in a team: “Should I have a bow character?”, “What’s an enabler?”, “Do I really need other characters when all I need to do is beat up hilichurls?” All of these questions will be answered as we go through what each character is and what they do.

Main DPS

“DPS” is an abbreviation for the term “Damage per second”, and as their label suggests, fights the enemies most effectively and faces them head-on. They’re the big guns, the main priority to build when it comes to a team since they’re used to finish off all your opponents on the field and carry the team.

These characters are the ones you commonly see on the field in combat. They’re used on the field after unleashing bursts and other support roles’ skills in order to finish off the enemy.

Example characters: Kamisato Ayaka, Eula Lawrence, Tartaglia, Arataki Itto, Keqing, Tighnari, Xiao, Hu Tao.

What are their responsibilities?

Damage, Main DPS characters’ specialties are delivering those dealing high numbers on the field. That is why they’re built, in order to smoothly fight against enemies and accomplish any tasks needed.
Of course, aside from racking up the numbers, the Main DPS characters focus on achieving victories fast. As their name goes, their damage count helps you finish everything quickly and make every second in the game count.
The team can revolve around your Main DPS. They can help you determine which characters to include in the team and help you with the party’s synergy in combat by utilizing the team’s skills to deliver strong and seamless combat.

Sub DPS

Aside from the main DPS, the Sub DPS also has a big role in each team. These characters synergize well with the Main DPS and fall somewhere in between being the main DPS and support. They deal huge insane damage, similar to the main DPS, however, they don’t deal it directly–they’re more suited for off-field damage, filling in for the main DPS in times of need, and in assisting their attacks as well using their elemental skills.

These characters are the ones you commonly see unleashing their skills and bursts on the field right before the main DPS comes in. One might think they’re support characters, but these characters deal huge damage when their skills are used. Their builds focus on dealing damage with their elemental skill and burst, even after exiting the field.

Example characters: Fischl, Zhongli, Raiden Shogun, Venti, Xingqiu, Kaeya, Yelan, Yae Miko

What are their responsibilities?

Dealing damage is their responsibility as well, however, the damage they deal is through their elemental abilities– they focus on getting on the field, applying their skill, and getting off the field after hitting those high numbers.
They boost team synergy by helping the main DPS with their skills. With the high damage output they deliver, they could also boost the main DPS’ attack through the elemental skills they attack with.
Admittedly, even the main DPS has their bad days, when fallen in battle the sub-DPS can fill in for the main DPS’ role while they’re recovering or reviving.

Support

These characters are essential, they’re basically the backbone of the entire team. If the DPS is the dad of the group they would be the mom, supporting and making sure that the team does well and survives each battle. Some supporting characters have specialties or skills that are unique to them, others have certain passives and abilities that can boost the team.

There are different kinds of supporting characters, and all of them work by unleashing their skills or consistently attacking and applying those said skills when in co-op mode. Some of these kinds include:

Healers: They heal the entire team using their skills and normal attacks.

Example characters: Barbara, Qiqi, Kokomi

Enablers: Applies their elemental skills in order to inflict elemental reactions for the DPS characters as well as buff their attacks.

Example characters: Bennett, Kujou Sara, Mona

Shielders: Provides a defensive shield to absorb damage and protect your character or team from heavy hits.

Example characters: Diona, Noelle, Zhongli

Crowd Control: Gathers up all the opponents on the field for more effective combat.

Example characters: Sucrose, Kazuha, Venti

The roles for support are endless, these characters have the capability of supporting the entire team in different ways, not just by taking on one role–they can be more than just a shielder or a healer. Supports have different, varied abilities that can help the team secure that win.

What are their responsibilities?

Keeping the entire party and the DPS alive is one of their main roles. Healers and shielders are often responsible for this. Healers can restore health and may even be able to revive your party members while shielders generate shields that can absorb any damage and leave the party unscathed.
Elemental reactions are one of the game’s interesting combat features. Each character has an element and support characters can help boost each others’ elements and allow them to inflict different, damaging “Reactions” upon their opponents. These are helpful especially to the DPS who can use support characters’ skills to deal heavier damage.
With that, support characters can help the team by making it easier to fight any enemy or go through domains. Crowd controls can gather mobs, other characters can act as energy recharge to power up your DPS’ burst abilities, and some can buff your entire party. Supports efficiently ensure that you can take any enemy down and lets you enjoy the combat experience as well.

There you have it, the roles in Genshin Impact. By studying how your characters can work together and the flow of their gameplay, you can easily build a team suited for your adventures in Teyvat. Of course, make sure to bring back a souvenir and never leave anyone behind–after all, a team that sticks together is sure to win together.