Genshin Impact has a wide roster of characters. 4-Star Rarity characters are easier to obtain than the 5-Star ones. Some of them can be obtained for free by completing story or event quests while some of them can only be obtained by wishing.
Being easier to acquire, it is reasonable that most of the 4-Star characters underperform the 5-Star characters. But surprisingly, some of them can match the power of some 5-Star Characters, and some can even do better.
4-Stars are mostly considered as starting characters and are only used in the early to middle levels of the game. But some 4-Star characters have remarkable mechanics which can also be useful in the later parts of the game.
In this article, we will list down the Top 10 best 4-Star characters in terms of their usefulness in combat-related contents of the game. This list will suggest the 4-Star characters worth investing in.
Note: This list is only reliable as of Version 1.5. We will update it when a new version arrives.
10. Ningguang (Main DPS)
Ningguang’s Talents Page
Ningguang is one of the Main DPS characters that can be very useful in the early and mid parts of the game. She can deal continuous Geo Damage using her Normal and Charge Attacks. Her Elemental Skill can protect her and can also be used to trigger Crystallize Reactions.
Her Elemental Burst can deal massive damage to an enemy, making her a good character for fighting larger opponents and bosses.
The problem with Ningguang is she is not good at producing damage using Elemental Reactions - Geo Element only provides Crystallize Reaction which only gives shields. It is also hard to battle groups of enemies using Ningguang because her auto-targeting is a bit messy and hard to control.
Overall, Ningguang is a character that can perform adequately without relying on her allies. However, she is not a good character to use in the latter and major contents of the game (i.e. Spiral Abyss, Domains). So basically, Ningguang is a replaceable character and can be substituted once you obtain a much better Main DPS character.
Strengths:
- Long-ranged Attacks
- She can deal continuous Geo Damage to enemies
- High Elemental Burst Damage potential
Weaknesses:
- Geo Element doesn’t provide remarkable Elemental Reactions
- Attack Speed is slow
- Her Normal Attacks’ Auto-targeting is a bit clunky
9. Chongyun (Sub-DPS)
Chongyun’s Talents Page
Chongyun is another character that can be useful in the early levels of the game. Chongyun has a good damaging potential. Being a claymore-wielder, his Normal Attacks can deal substantial damage to enemies and can even clear mobs efficiently - that’s why new players can use Chongyun as a temporary Main DPS if they haven’t obtained a much suitable character for the Role yet.
In the mid to late parts of the game, Chongyun is most effective as a Sub-DPS. His Elemental Skill can imbue the weapon of your Main DPS with Cryo Element - which can be a good tool in setting up and triggering Cryo-related Elemental Reactions.
However, Chongyun doesn’t synergize well with some characters. His Elemental Skill converts the attacks of the active character into Cryo Damage, so it is not recommended to team him with characters that scale with their Physical Damage. To utilize Chongyun effectively, you should better study the characters in your party first to know if they will work well with Chongyun.
Strengths:
- Can apply Cryo Element to enemies constantly
- Good for initiating and triggering Elemental Reactions
Weakness:
- His Elemental Skill forcibly imbues Cryo Element to the active character
- Slow Normal Attack animations
8. Xiangling (Sub-DPS)
Xiangling’s Talents Page
Xiangling is one of the 4-Star characters that can be used in any contents of the game. Her signature ability is her Elemental Burst which has a very long duration. Her Elemental Burst is one of the abilities in the game that is very simple yet very useful. When she uses her Burst, a fire tornado will revolve around her. What’s good with it, is it stays even if you switch Xiangling out of the field. Her Elemental Burst can be used to initiate and trigger Melt and Vaporize Reactions. It applies continuous Pyro Damage to multiple enemies surrounding your character.
Xiangling is one of the characters that synergizes well with Chongyun. With Chongyun’s Elemental Skill and Xiangling’s Elemental Burst, you can constantly trigger Melt Reactions to clear mobs fast.
The downside of Xiangling's kit is her Elemental Skill - the damage of her Elemental Skill is not remarkable. It is also hard to target enemies using her Skill because it has a short range and it also has a clunky Auto-aiming.
Strengths:
- Long Elemental Burst duration
- Elemental Burst can hit multiple enemies around the character
- Fast Attack Speed
Weaknesses:
- Her Elemental Skill’s damage is not great
- Elemental Skill’s aiming is clunky
7. Rosaria (Sub-DPS/ Main DPS/ Support)
Rosaria’s Talents Page
Rosaria is one of the few multi-role characters in Genshin Impact. Because she uses Polearm as a weapon, Rosaria’s Normal Attack Animations are naturally faster than the other characters. Because of this, she can perform well as a Main DPS. Her Elemental Skill also contributes to the overall damage output of Rosaria, it can give constant amounts of Damage due to its low cooldown.
But as you reach the later parts of the game, you’ll notice that other characters can do better in the Main DPS position. However, Rosaria can still be useful in the other roles in your party. As a Sub-DPS, she can consistently apply Cryo Element to enemies. Her Elemental Burst deals Cryo Damage on a large scale for set intervals. This is very useful in setting up Cryo-related Elemental Reactions like Melt, Frozen and Superconduct.
Her Elemental Burst also provides a Crit Rate Bonus to your allies that scales on her Crit Rate. Therefore, Rosaria can also act as a Pseudo-Support to your team. When you unlock her 6th Constellation Passive, Rosaria’s Elemental Burst will decrease the Physical Resistance of enemies affected by it. This is a useful buff for Physical Damage Team Composition.
Strengths:
- Her Elemental Burst applies Cryo Element to multiple enemies
- Provides Crit Rate Bonus to allies when using her Burst
- Provides Movement Speed Bonus at night time
- Good Damage output as a Main DPS
Weakness:
- It’s hard to aim her Elemental Skill at the right enemies
6. Yanfei (Main DPS)
Yanfei’s Talents Page
Yanfei is a 4-Star Catalyst character. She has a similar playstyle to the 5-Star Character Klee, that’s why some players call her the “Budget-Klee”. Like Klee, she can provide enormous AOE Damage repeatedly. Her strength lies in her Charge Attacks that deal Pyro Damage to groups of enemies.
To use Yanfei effectively, you should know how to utilize the effects of the Scarlet Seal properly. Scarlet Seals can be obtained when Yanfei attacks the enemy using any of her abilities. A maximum of 3 Scarlet Seals can be possessed at default. These Scarlet Seals will decrease the Stamina consumption of Yanfei. When you use Yanfei’s Charge Attack, all Scarlet Seals will be consumed and the Charge Attack will deal more damage based on the number of expended Scarlet Seals.
Yanfei can be used to trigger continuous Melt and Vaporize Reactions. She is useful in the contents of the game that requires clearing mobs in a short span of time like the Domains and the Spiral Abyss.
Though Yanfei is a powerful character, she is also a bit hard to use. She requires good positioning because she can be easily interrupted due to having slow Attack Speed. You also need good Stamina management when using her.
Strengths:
- Can easily apply and trigger Pyro-related Elemental Reactions
- Can deal continuous AOE Damage
- High Damage Output
- Long-ranged
- Short Cooldowns
Weakness:
- Requires good management of Stamina to perform Charge Attacks repeatedly
5. Fischl (Sub-DPS)
Fischl’s Talents Page
Fischl is a good character if you want a constant source of Electro Damage. Her Elemental Skill allows her to summon her companion, Oz, to help her in combat. Oz will continuously attack enemies within his range.
To maximize the damage potential of Fischl, you should always keep Oz on the battlefield as long as possible. Oz deals Electro Damage and he also stays in the field even if Fischl is swapped out.
Fischl can be teamed up with almost any Main DPS character. Her continuous application of Electro Element to enemies can greatly help in setting up numerous Elemental Reactions like Superconduct and Overload.
The only problem with Fischl is she is very reliant on her Constellations to bring out her true potential. Thankfully, she is a 4-Star character, so levelling up her Constellations is not a big hassle.
Strengths:
- Can constantly apply Electro Element to enemies
- Fast Attack Speed
- Can trigger Electro-related Elemental Reactions repeatedly
- The effects of her abilities carry on even she is switched out
Weaknesses:
- Long Elemental Skill cooldown
- Very reliant on her Constellations to maximize her potential
4. Sucrose (Support / Utility)
Sucrose’s Talents Page
Sucrose is a very reliable Utility character. Almost all of her abilities have a Crowd Control Effect in their mechanics. What’s more, she can also give an Elemental Mastery buff which is very useful when you are running an Elemental Reaction-oriented Team Composition.
Her Elemental Skill can group and knock down multiple enemies. It can be used for 2 times max if you unlocked her 1st Constellation Passive. It can be used to control mobs and also trigger Swirl Reactions.
Her Elemental Burst will pull groups of enemies into an area. Enemies pulled by the Burst will be knocked down in set intervals and will also take damage. It can also absorb other Elements to deal additional damage to the pulled enemies.
Sucrose can also be used as a “battery” for Xiao. She can generate additional Energy Particles that will help recharge Xiao’s Elemental Burst. Overall, Sucrose is a very good character for adding Utility in your party. Due to her high Crowd Controlling prowess, she can be pretty useful in Domains and the Spiral Abyss.
Strengths:
- Good CC abilities
- Can trigger Swirl Reactions repeatedly
- Her Elemental Burst absorbs Elements
- She can provide Elemental Mastery Buff to the party
Weaknesses:
- Elemental Burst requires a large amount of Energy to recharge
- She is also reliant on her Constellation
3. Bennett (Support / Healer/ Utility)
Bennett’s Talents Page
Bennett is a character that doesn’t fade its efficiency even in the endgame. Bennett’s charm lies in the simplicity of his Kit. Bennett is generally used as a Healer and a buffer. He can also be used to generate additional Energy Particles for the other Pyro characters in your team.
Bennett’s signature move is his Elemental Burst “Fantastic Voyage”. His Burst creates a field that heals allies and also increases their Attack.
Bennett can be placed into all types of team composition. His kit is so simple that he doesn't even need good equipment to perform well. Bennett is a very good choice if you want a “go-to” Healer and Buffer in your team.
Strengths:
- Elemental Burst can provide Healing and Attack increase to allies
- Elemental Burst has low CD and low Energy Cost
Weakness:
- Using his Elemental Skill at full charge can bring you to dangerous situations
2. Diona (Support / Utility/ Healer)
Diona’s Talents Page
Diona is also a Top-performing Support character in Genshin Impact. Diona can provide all the supporting tools needed by the team: she can provide shields to her allies: she can give continuous AOE healing: she can apply an Attack decrease debuff to enemies: and she can also provide Elemental Mastery Bonus if you unlock her 6th Constellation.
Her Elemental Skill will fire Icy Paws that deals damage to the enemies and will create a shield for the character. Her Elemental Burst will create a special field. Inside the field, enemies will take damage and allies will be healed. Her abilities also apply Cryo Element to enemies, so she can be used to set up Cryo-related Elemental Reactions.
Diona is a Support that can be used on every occasion and any contents of the game. She is also good for fighting bosses like the Primo Geovishap and Azhdaha. However you should always be wary when using her - she has a low Base HP and Base Def, so she can be very fragile.
Strengths:
- Her Elemental Burst can heal allies and damage enemies
- Her Elemental Skill can damage enemies and provides a shield to the character
- Can apply Cryo Element to enemies in a large area
Weakness:
- She is very fragile
1. Xingqiu (Sub-DPS/ Support)
Xingqiu’s Talents Page
Finally, the best character on our list is Xingqiu. Xingqiu is a character that you can use at any stages of the game. He is very effective and useful in every combat-related content of the game - may it be in fighting mobs, clearing Domains, fighting bosses, battling in the Open World or even in clearing Spiral Abyss floors.
Xingqiu provides a valuable source of additional damage to the team. Just like Bennett, Xingqiu is also easy to use. His Elemental Burst is like Xiangling’s - it has a long duration and its effect persists even if Xingqiu is switched out of the field.
He can be paired with any Melee Main DPS character. Xingqiu’s Elemental Burst will shoot projectiles at enemies when your Main DPS character performs Normal Attacks. It will increase your overall DPS output.t.
Xingqiu also creates Rainswords that give additional protection to your character. If the Rainswords come into contact with enemies, the Rainswords will apply the Wet Status to the enemies. With his Rainswords and his Elemental Burst, Xingqiu can constantly apply Hydro Element to the enemies. His Elemental Burst can also trigger repeated Vaporize or Freeze Reactions if you have a Pyro or Cryo character in your team.
In conclusion, Xingqiu is a Top-Tier Sub DPS character. In fact, he is the most used 4-Star character for clearing Floor 12 of the Spiral Abyss in China Server (as of the latest version). He is used as an offensive Pseudo-support which increases the overall DPS output of your team and also provides protection to your active character.
Strengths:
- Can give constant Hydro Damage output
- Can trigger Hydro-related Elemental Reactions repeatedly
- Rainswords provide Damage Reduction and slight healing to the active character
- Abilities’ effects have long durations and still persist even if he is swapped out
- High Attack Speed
Weaknesses:
- Long cooldowns
- Low Base Damage
- Relies on Constellation to maximize effectiveness
That’s the conclusion of our list. If you have comments or suggestions, please leave them below. We will be glad to know your remarks.
