Genshin Impact has a wide range of characters, but what determines if a character is a 5-star or a 4-star? For starters, 5-star characters have slightly increased stats, Burst animations (excluding the Traveller), and they usually release with a story quest. It can also be easier to guarantee getting them with wishes since there’s no pity for specific 4-star characters.

That being said, they aren’t always directly better than 4-stars, or the same as each other. Here are the 10 best 5-star characters in the latest patch and how to maximize their potential. As a bonus, these characters are in the top ten both at c0 and c6.

10. Alhaitham (C0 Main DPS)

Dendro | Sword

The Scribe of the Akademiya is as efficient as they come, never wanting to waste any time with trivial matters. Get in his way, and he’ll run circles around you before you get the chance to complain.

Who said Dendro was for healers and supports? Alhaitham is the exception that proves the rule, using fast Dendro application to deal great amounts of damage to both single targets and groups. With the ability to aim his Skill and use precise calculations to maximize his Burst damage according to the situation, it was easy for him to make this list.

Alhaitham needs a LOT of Elemental Mastery. This should be the main stat to focus on, but as with most DPS, CRIT stats are also very important. Deepwood Memories’ Dendro RES shred will maximize his damage, but if you have a second Dendro character to equip this, it’s recommended to use Gilded Dreams instead, as it will provide a lot more Elemental Mastery (especially if you have 2 non Dendro characters in your party). Other sets that provide enough EM are Wanderer’s Troupe and Instructor (use 2-pieces each for a whopping +160 EM).

Speaking of Elemental Mastery, his signature weapon (Light of Foliar Incision) will take advantage of as much you can throw at it, so long as you keep using Chisel-Light Mirrors in your Normal Attacks. He has plenty of alternatives:

1. 5* Mistsplitter Reforged: aside from providing much-needed CRIT DMG%, his Mirrors will provide enough Elemental DMG on attack to always proc the Elemental DMG bonus.
2. 5* Haran Geppaku Futsu: this weapon is especially good if your support characters’ main focuses are Elemental Skill (don’t tell Ayato!).
3. 4* Xiphos’ Moonlight: the solution to all your Energy Recharge problems! Use this if you want to use his Burst more often.
4. 3* Harbinger of Dawn: when you’re really out of options for CRIT stats, this weapon at R5 is actually very good.
5. 4* Iron Sting: while this also provides extra EM, if you can craft it to R5, you can maintain a 24% DMG increase almost permanently.

Other Weapons worth mentioning are:

• 4* Wolf-Fang: mainly good if you’re lacking CRIT Rate.
• 4* Toukabou Shigure: still want more EM? Note that this weapon is better at single targets.

An ideal comp for Alhaitham will have a second Dendro character to help maintain Dendro application and Energy Recharge, as for the other two party members, they can help with reactions (Hydro and Electro are most common, but Pyro can also be used for a Burgeon team if you have someone to stop Burning) and give buffs or shields.

To summarize:

What makes Alhaitham Great:

• Very high damage.
• High precision with his aimed Skill.
• Quick Dendro application.
• His infusions can’t be overwritten.
• 10% chance to receive duplicates when crafting Weapon Ascension Materials.

Use Alhaitham If You Want To:

• Have complete control over your attacks.
• Do high Dendro damage.
• Master the perfect timings for the ultimate combos.

9. Neuvillette (C0 Main DPS)

Hydro | Catalyst

The Sovereign Dragon of Fontaine is exactly how strong you’d expect him to be. Having complete mastery over Hydro, he’s perfect in any Hydro build.

His 1st Ascension talent allows him to gain stacks of Past Draconic Glories (max 3) every time any team member creates a Hydro reaction, and using the stacks will dramatically increase his Charged Attack damage. Unlocking his full potential at 4th Ascension will allow you to directly control his Hydro damage based on his health, making him a powerful addition to your party..

When building him, his main stats to focus on are HP and CRIT Rate, as such the best artifact set for him currently is Marechausse Hunter. Due to his main damage coming from his Charged Attacks, artifact sets that heighten this are also good, such as Wanderer’s Troupe, Heart of Depth, and even Martial Artist.

His signature weapon (Tome of the Eternal Flow) is still the best one for him, helping his Charged Attack damage increase even more along with his HP mechanics, but if you didn’t pull for it, some other options are:

1. 4* Sacrificial Jade: due to its CRIT Rate increase paired with its ability to increase his HP and Elemental Mastery during rotation.
2. 4* Ballad of the Boundless Blue: gives bonuses on Normal and Charge Attacks, as well as better Energy Recharge if you’re building him for better Burst cycles.
3. 3* Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers: gives an HP bonus and gives characters you swap to extra ATK, making it great for giving your off-DPS teammates that extra push.
4. 4* Prototype Amber: it gives an HP% bonus and helps with Energy Regeneration, as well as giving a small amount of Healing.

Other Weapons worth mentioning are:

• 4* The Widsith: a generally good Catalyst for most characters, giving extra CRIT DMG, it can be a bit chaotic though with the randomization of each song.
• 5* Lost Prayer to the Sacred Wind: which gives a good CRIT Rate bonus and extra Elemental DMG, plus Movement Speed.

His strongest comps involve using multiple supports to buff his damage. This can be both direct buffs, shields, or off-field DPS characters for maximizing reaction output. At c0, Neuvillette can be easily interrupted during his Charged Attacks (which is his main damage source), so using characters such as Baizhu to negate this can be extremely effective.

To summarize:

What makes Neuvillette Great:

• Very high damage.
• Great AoE Hydro application.
• Pairs well with many different teams.
• Easy to build.
• Really elegant design and a soothing voice.
• Great for exploring Fontaine’s waters with a 15% speed bonus.

Use Neuvillette If You Want To:

• Have a single Main who all your other teammates just pop in to support.
• Not worry about using Skills and Burst, just focus on Charged Attacks.
• Do massive amounts of damage without complicated rotations.
• Explore the underwater portions of Fontaine.
• Cross large bodies of water.

8. Zhongli (C0 Support)

Geo| Polearm

The lowly consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor knows too much. Not only that of antiques and priceless artifacts, or the old dead Gods, or even long forgotten rituals, but of combat and protection to all the people. After all, that is what Morax fought for all those years ago…

As his days of being the Geo Archon are behind him, so is the bloodlust of battle. Now, Zhongli prefers instead to defend the people around him. With his near-impenetrable shielding abilities, his Geo DMG buffs, and his Elemental RES protection, he’s the perfect Support for any team.

Supporting is what he does best, and in the name of that, he only needs one stat: HP. Any sets and weapons that improve his HP will be beneficial for the whole team. Some examples are: Tenacity of the Milith and Vourukasha’s Glow. If you want to use his Burst (it’s quite slow), you might also need to build either Energy Recharge, or have a battery in your team, but in this case Noblesse Oblige or The Exile can be used.

It’s sad to say, but his signature weapon just isn’t the best on him. Since his shields scale off of HP, the 20% bonus isn’t much compared to the amount of shield you can gain from upping your HP with the Black Tassel, yes, the 3* weapon. If you don’t want to be the main character in every slime’s nightmare, here are other options, but unlike with other characters, these are FAR inferior:

1. 5* Vortex Vanquisher: increases shield (but not as much as through HP bonuses), but it’s unlikely you’ll use the other abilities as an off-field Support.
2. 4* Rightful Reward: provides less HP than the Black Tassel, but can help you Burst if you have a healer.

While the only requirement for adding Zhongli to your team is needing shields (especially great for characters who need to be maintained on low health like Hu Tao), his full potential is used in Mono-Geo and Crystalize teams. Since he buffs Geo DMG, having a Geo main DPS is ideal, and if you’re already at two, why not add Gorou for his maximum buff too?

To summarize:

What makes Zhongli Great:

• Best shielding in the game.
• Great for supporting Geo main DPS.
• Single stat to worry about makes him easy to build.
• Best weapon being a 3* makes him even easier to build.
• His best constellation is C2, making him fairly cheap.

Use Zhongli If You Want To:

• Maintain characters alive on low health.
• Have the best shielding in the game.
• Drink Osmanthus Wine.

7. Yelan (C0 Sub-DPS)

Hydro | Bow

Catching enemies off-guard, running circles around them, and wrapping them around her finger are all things Yelan excels in. Perfect for finishing off groups that have been weakened by your Main DPS.

Yelan’s whole kit is perfect for filling for the moments the party’s Main DPS is out of action (waiting for cooldowns, for example) with high damage while still tanking a lot of damage with her high HP requirements. On top of that, her Burst provides damage to the Active Character to make the swap back smooth like butter. The speed boost from her Skill can also be helpful when Exploring.

Since her Burst is the most helpful for the whole party (and does the most damage), it’s good to focus on Energy Recharge and Burst-related artifacts (like Emblem of Severed Fate), but any HP and Hydro DMG bonuses should also be focused on. Some other recommendations are Heart of Depth (you can even pair it with Tenacity of the Millelith for extra HP), Noblesse Oblige, and The Exile.

The Aqua Simulacra acts as a perfect HP and DMG boost, working even off-field to pair with her Burst. It’s her signature weapon, but the alternatives are almost as good:

1. 5* Elegy for the End: giving her extra ER and EM with the ability to gain stacks off-field is great. Just pay attention to timing.
2. 5* Polar Star: this weapon is better suited for a Main DPS, but if your Main needs cooldowns often, it’s perfect for that extra damage and time on the field.
3. 5* Thundering Pulse: read Polar Star.
4. 4* Favonius Warbow: if you’re building her with a high CRIT Rate, this is perfect for meeting her Energy requirements.
5. 4* Sacrificial Bow: Energy Recharge AND a chance to play your Skill twice (three times at C1!)? Say no more.

Other Weapons worth mentioning are:

• 4* The Stringless: anything that increases Burst DMG is good for her.
• 3* Recurve Bow: if you really need more HP.

Due to her scaling off HP, having a second Hydro character is highly recommended, but other than that, she can easily fit into most teams. She’s especially good at supporting DPS characters that need time off-field since she can maintain high damage.

To summarize:

What makes Yelan Great:

• Very high damage for a Sub-DPS.
• Super versatile.
• Great Hydro application.
• Better Xingqiu.
• Explores areas faster with her Skill.

Use Yelan If You Want To:

• Not be completely dependent on your Main DPS’ damage.
• Apply large quantities of Hydro.
• Be badass.

6. Navia (C0 Main DPS)

Geo | Claymore

She has a gunbrella! This boss lady can do masses of damage in quick succession and is probably one of the best characters in the game for quickly killing bosses. And we finally have a good Geo character that doesn’t need (or want!) more Geo!

Navia’s Elemental Skill is her main driver, with 2 charges and the ability to increase its damage with Crystal Shards, it can blow anything to bits in seconds. Her 1st Ascension converts all her Normal Attacks into Geo which helps her collect more crystals if the enemy has elemental application.

ATK%, Geo DMG, and CRIT are the main stats you’ll want to build for her. With Nighttime Whispers being made especially for her, it’s the absolute best for her no matter how else you decide to build her. If you’re losing and regaining health often (by using Furina, for example), then Marechausse Hunter can also be very good. At the end of the day, if it increases Geo DMG (such as Archaic Petra), ATK% (like Gladiator’s Finale), or Elemental Skill DMG (like Gambler), then it’ll be good on her.

The verdict on the Verdict is that it’s her perfect Signature Weapon, providing CRIT, ATK%, and Elemental Skill bonuses. Literally, everything we want on her. Some other options are:

1. 5* Beacon of the Reed Sea: perfect for when Navia runs out of Skill charges, plus it gives you extra protection when your shield falls.
2. 4* Tidal Shadow: use case dependent, but if your build is using Marechausse Hunter, then this will also be very good for turning all those heals into damage.
3. 4* Serpent Spine: since you’ll most likely be shielded for the majority of the time, this Claymore can give you a steady DMG increase without much drawback, plus it has a good extra CRIT Rate%.

Other Weapons worth mentioning are:

• 5* The Unforged: this one’s a bit odd, it makes shields stronger, but if you’re shieldless you do a lot more damage. Bit gimmicky for a 5*, but it works.
• 4* Ultimate Overlord’s Mega Magic Sword: IF you have this and IF you’ve helped all the Melusines, then it’s a really good Claymore. For any character.

As Navia’s Elemental Skill depends on Crystal Shards to be effective, she needs a team that can do consistent off-field elemental application. Her 4th Ascension also gives her a 20% ATK bonus for every Pyro, Electro, Cryo, or Hydro character in her team (up to 2), so ideally those applications. It’s also good to use multiple Sub-DPS characters so you can keep consistent damage while her Elemental Skill is in cooldown.

To summarize:

What makes Navia Great:

• Huge amounts of damage in a very short amount of time.
• Isn’t dependent on her Burst.
• Most of her best teammates are 4-stars.
• Doesn’t need more Geo characters.
• Has a shield up most of the time.

Use Navia If You Want To:

• Defeat large/tanky enemies quickly.
• Do huge amounts of damage at once.
• Farm boss materials quickly.
• Be a girlboss.
• Have a gunbrella.

5. Kokomi (C0 Support)

Hydro | Catalyst

Divine Priestess Sangonomiya Kokomi is well known for her battle strategies as well as her undying care for the people of Watatsumi Island. All of the respect and trust her people have is not in vain, and on the battlefield, she’ll be just as much there for her team.

With one of the best healing in the game, she’s a great addition to any team. Even more so if you depend on Hydro application, as her skill works on a large area, getting everyone wet at once. She can even be used as a single Hydro applicator. While it’s possible to build her as a Sub or Main DPS, she wouldn’t make this list in those roles, so here, I’ll assume she’s being built as a Support.

The main thing to focus on would be her healing, that means her HP and Skill (Tenacity of the Milith is brilliant for this, but 2-piece healer sets work too). Secondly, you’ll need a lot of Energy Recharge if you want to keep her Burst up, so it’s a good idea to look for that as a substat. If you’re using her as a Hydro applicator, you’ll also want Elemental Mastery.

While her signature weapon, the Everlasting Moonglow, might be beautiful, it’s not nearly as good for her as a Support than the famous underdog, Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers! If using a 3* weapon on your 5* character isn’t for you, here are some alternatives:

1. 5* Jadefall’s Splendor: have an obscene amount of health AND need the extra ER? This one.
2. 4* Sacrificial Jade: perfect for playing her off-field to improve her HP and EM, making her heal more and have better reaction damage.
3. 5* Everlasting Moonglow: if you’re keeping her on field or have an obscene amount of health, this is a great option.
4. 4* Prototype Amber: great for extra ER while helping with heals.
5. 4* Sacrificial Fragments: especially good if she’s a Hydro applicator.

Other Weapons worth mentioning are:

• 4* Hakushin Ring: only worth using if your main drivers are Electro.

With her healing, she fits in any team that can afford to have wet enemies, which is most of them. If you want to capitalize on the wetness, then you can use her for Hyperbloom, Burgeon, Freeze, Electrocharge, etc. It’s worth noting that she has one of the widest Skill Hydro applications, making her perfect for Freeze teams.

To summarize:

What makes Kokomi Great:

• Amazing healer.
• Wide spread Hydro application.
• Burst can reset Skill CD.
• Beautifully animated abilities.
• Soft, gentle voice.

Use Kokomi If You Want To:

• Heal and overheal your team.
• Make everyone wet.
• Lead the Watatsumi Rebellion!

4. Kazuha (C0 Support / C0 Sub-DPS)

Anemo | Sword

Kaedehara Kazuha, the Wandering Samurai, is such a versatile character that it’s easy to tell why he ranks so high. With fantastic crowd control, Swirl application, and the ability to buff other team members, he can fit into any team.

With such a well-balanced kit, Kazuha can support any team while still doing significant amounts of damage. His Elemental Skill can group enemies together to make it easy for higher damage characters to make quick work of them, his Elemental Burst can provide a steady application of the element it absorbs. After his 4th Ascension, his Swirl reactions will buff Elemental DMG of that type. On top of all that, he’s great for exploration.

Kazuha’s stat requirements depend on the role he’s being used for. In both, he’ll require quite high Elemental Mastery, but as an Anemo Sub-DPS, you’ll sacrifice some Elemental Mastery for ATK%, Anemo DMG, and CRIT, which will also reduce some of the party DMG buffs, as they scale off his Elemental Mastery.

As with most Anemo characters, the best artifact set for him is Viridescent Venerer, but other sets that improve Burst DMG or Energy Recharge, such as Noblesse Oblige, Emblem of Severed Fate, or The Exile will also work well.

With the ridiculous amount of Elemental Mastery it provides, plus the ability to increase the entire party’s damage with reactions, the Freedom-Sworn is Kazuha’s #1 weapon of choice. There are, however, a couple of suitable alternatives:

1. 4* Xiphos’ Moonlight: how is this a 4*? It gives similar Elemental Mastery to the Freedom-Sworn while boosting Energy Recharge based on EM, perfect for Kazuha.
2. 5* Mistsplitter Reforged: for Sub-DPS it’s great. You don’t get the EM you would from other weapons, but you will get extra damage in Swirls.
3. 4* Favonius Sword: great for Energy Recharge if you have enough Elemental Mastery to make it worth the trade (if you have him at C2, for example).

Other Weapons worth mentioning are:

• 4* Iron Sting: provides significant Elemental Mastery and extra DMG, plus it’s craftable.
• 5* Skyward Blade: helpful Energy Recharge bonus and generally alright if you’re building him as a Sub-DPS.
• 4* Kagotsurube Isshin: is it good for him? Not really, but it is lore accurate!

As previously mentioned, Kazuha can fit in any team. Literally. However, if you want to take full advantage of his Burst, I’d make sure you pick a reaction between any of the elements his Burst can absorb (Hydro, Pyro, Cryo, Electro). I don’t recommend using a Geo or Dendro Main DPS with him, but so long your damage dealers are of one of the 4 elements, he’ll greatly boost their damage.

To summarize:

What makes Kazuha Great:

• Very versatile.
• Incredible crowd control.
• Great buffs.
• Really, really fun to play!
• Ease of exploration (with his Skill and his decreased sprinting Stamina consumption).
• He’ll recite poetry to you.

Use Kazuha If You Want To:

• Maximize your DPS’ DMG output.
• Make it easier to hit multiple enemies at once.
• Use the same character in multiple teams.
• Do massive Swirl damage.
• Explore more easily.

3. Nahida (C0 Sub-DPS + Support / C4 Main DPS)

Dendro | Catalyst

The most adorable little computer Archon to ever exist. She’ll help you click and type all the enemies away while helping you collect everything you need in your journey!

Nahida is #3 because, with her, you don’t have to pick between a Sub-DPS and a Support, as she greatly fills both roles simultaneously. She can do loads of damage, provides a great way to damage multiple targets, gives your team a butt-load of Elemental Mastery, and helps in Exploration, all with the same build. At C4 she can even be built as a Main DPS, making her incredibly versatile.

Elemental Mastery will be Nahida’s main stat to focus on (up to 1k), and as secondary stats, Dendro DMG and CRIT stats. Regardless of how you build her, there should always be a Dendro character (herself included) in the party with Deepwood Memories equipped. If that requirement is fulfilled by another character, you can use other sets to further boost her Elemental Mastery, such as Gilded Dreams, Wanderer’s Troupe, and Instructor.

A Thousand Floating Dreams, her signature weapon, is perfect for helping you build a team to suit the playstyle you want. Adding more Dendro characters will boost her performance as a Support while adding characters of other elements will boost her performance as a Sub-DPS (or Main). Remember to take her Burst ability into consideration as well. Other suitable weapons are:

1. 4* Wandering Evenstar: with the amount of EM Nahida should have, this will give her an insane damage boost, while also improving the whole team’s.
2. 3* Magic Guide: at R5 it gives more EM than most 4-star weapons and if you’re using Hydro and/or Electro in your party, it’ll do even more damage.
3. 5* Kagura’s Verity: great for improving her damage output, and if you can have her doing multiple elemental damage types (like with Xingqiu or Raiden) on the third stack, it’ll be even more impactful.
4. 4* Sacrificial Jade: perfect for helping her stay alive to apply her Skill during rotations.

Other Weapons worth mentioning are:

• 4* Solar Pearl: good option if you’re keeping Nahida on the field for more than a few seconds.
• 4* Mappa Mare: provides EM and will grant an Elemental DMG bonus every rotation.

At C0 using Dendro, Anemo, or Geo characters will decrease the amount of buffs received from her Burst. This is easier to negate at C1, but it’s still recommended to use Hydro, Electro, and Pyro characters instead (at C1 using one of each will guarantee the maximum amount of buffs). This isn’t to say you need the buffs. When using her as a Support, for example, the Pyro and Electro buff are less relevant.

On the other hand, having a second Dendro character with Deepwood Memories can be very helpful and the Dendro resonance will also be valuable. At the end of the day, Nahida is an extremely versatile character and really doesn’t have clear-cut party requirements. So long as you make good use of all the Elemental Mastery support and Dendro reactions, she’ll be an Ace.

To summarize:

What makes Nahida Great:

• Fantastic Dendro application.
• Extremely versatile.
• Excellent in almost any team.
• Great group damage.
• Super helpful for gathering resources.
• She’s adorable!!!

Use Nahida If You Want To:

• Damage many enemies at once.
• Procc Dendro reactions.
• Gather resources.

2. Furina (C0 Sub-DPS / C0 Support / C6 Main DPS)

Hydro | Sword

Fontaine’s favorite celebrity is at it again, trying her best to keep all her responsibilities in check, but at what cost? Is the Jack of all trades, master of none better than the master of one? Furina begs to differ.

With the ability to fill any role with the right build, Furina seems very versatile. However, with so many options to pick from, sacrifices need to be made to tailor her (and teammates) to the requirements of your choosing. At #2, she’s a fantastic Sub-DPS, Support, Healer, and (at C6) even a Main DPS, but try to juggle her roles and you’ll face the judgment of the Gods.

Most of everything she does scales off of her HP, so that will be an important stat (if not the most important) in every build. However, Energy Recharge, CRIT stats, and Healing Bonus will be useful depending on what you’ll be doing with her. Considering her main damage is her Skill and it can be used off-field, Golden Troupe is the best set for her, but when focusing on her Ousia stance, Tenacity of the Millelith and Nymph’s Dream are both great options too. For her Pneuma stance, Ocean-Hued Clam is best. It can also be worth mixing sets that give HP (like Vourukasha’s Glow) or using the Gambler for both stances.

In any build, Splendor of Tranquil Waters, her signature weapon, is her best bet as it plays into the HP fluctuation to provide buffs. Some other great options are:

1. 5* Key of Khaj-Nisut: the HP% boost alone is enough to warrant the placement, on top of that it also increases the party’s elemental mastery, making it great for all her roles.
2. 5* Primordial Jade Cutter: also great for boosting her HP, while playing into the same mechanics that typically boost her damage to also boost the weapon.
3. 4* Wolf-Fang: this is great for her Ousia stance to do extra damage.
4. 4* The Dockhand’s Assistant: perfect for using her as a healer, but also good for other roles.

Other Weapons worth mentioning are:

• 4* Festering Desire: makes her Elemental Skill even stronger.
• 4* Fleuve Cendre Ferryman: great if you’re struggling with ER, but still want the Skill boost.

If you’re not using Furina as a healer, then you need a good one that will keep up with the drain from her Ousia stance. She’s also great paired with other characters who expend HP (Lyney, for example) since they’ll procc her Burst ability. It’s worth noting that her teammates can all benefit from the Marechausse Hunter artifact set since she can aggressively fluctuate their HP.

To summarize:

What makes Furina Great:

• Can be built for many roles.
• Elemental Skill can be kept up most of the time.
• Fantastic off-field damage.
• Amazing buffer.
• Off-field healing.
• Jesus powers!

Use Furina If You Want To:

• Maximize off-field Hydro application.
• Use more HP fluctuation mechanics.
• Cross large bodies of water.

1. Raiden Shogun (C0 Sub-DPS / C2 Main DPS)

Electro | Polearm

The eternal and ruthless Raiden Shogun, or the gentle and grieving Ei? When playing as the puppet (evidenced by the lack of condensate in Dragonspine), she can act however is required to obliterate enemies best. Her legendary sword, the Musou no Hitotachi, is always ready to cut down anyone who defies her.

Able to do huge amounts of damage, sustain Electro application (even off-field), and produce an obscene amount of Energy for the whole team are only some of the benefits of using this Archon.

Raiden’s stat requirements depend on what you’re doing with her. As a main DPS (C2), she’ll be best built with high Energy Recharge (Emblem of Severed Fate is great, but The Exile also works), and doing this will also work very well as a C0 Sub-DPS. However, her best usage as a Sub-DPS is in Hyperbloom teams, and for these, you’ll want to focus on her Elemental Mastery (ideally Flower of Paradise Lost, but Gilded Dreams, Wanderer's Troupe, and Instructor are also good).

While her signature weapon, Engulfing Lightning, is the best if you’re building her for Energy Recharge, it’s not ideal for her to use in Hyperbloom teams where the 4-star Dragon’s Bane excels. Some alternatives are:

1. 5* Calamity Queller: this is perfect for any Sub-DPS build with her, Hyperbloom or otherwise.
2. 4* Kitain Cross Spear: amazing for all her Sub-DPS builds.
3. 4* The Catch: great for her Main DPS builds and the best (or worst) part is you can get it by fishing.
4. 4* Moonpiercer: great for Hyperbloom teams.
5. 4* Favonius Lance: an excellent option for Energy Recharge builds.

Other Weapons worth mentioning are:

• 5* Skyward Spine: it not only gives her ER but is useful if you need to keep her on the field for longer periods.
• 4* Wavebreaker’s Fin: if your party has high Energy capacity, this will give her Burst a huge boost.

With her Elemental Skill giving anyone the ability to do Electro damage, she’s the perfect Sub-DPS for any team requiring Electro. She’s also great to main with high Energy and low CD Burst characters, as you’ll be able to repeatedly Burst very quickly with her particle generation. As a main DPS on the other hand, you’ll want characters that can buff her Burst damage.

To summarize:

What makes Raiden Great:

• Reliable Electro application.
• Huge damage boosts.
• Very free-to-play friendly, both in weapons and team comps.
• Fits in many teams.
• Best Hyperbloom Electro application.

Use Raiden If You Want To:

• Maximize Electro application.
• Build the best Hyperbloom team.
• Always have Bursts available.