With 3 years in the running and the fast approaching patch 4.5, Genshin Impact has released a whopping total of 79 playable units to date. Each and every character is unique, and at the prospect of players being able to freely mix-and-match their 4 character parties, the idea of collecting as many units as possible becomes all the more alluring.

In this detailed step-by-step guide, you’ll find out exactly how to catch ‘em all so that you can fill up your collection of characters and tackle all sorts of in-game content—or not, if you prefer to gather these playable units simply for the sake of having them.

10. Swipe

Child’s play for the richest person in Teyvat.

Though not possible for everyone, spending money is the most obvious and easy way to obtain the characters you want. It can get a little bit pricey for some, but luckily even low-spending players are able to get a nice top-up bonus that may make up for it.

Upon first-time purchase, players receive double Genesis Crystals, the in-game currency used to buy outfits and be converted into Primogems, making for an extremely valuable bundle if you’ve got limited funds. What’s more, this 2x bonus resets every anniversary.

However, this option is not the best to resort to unless you have the money for it. Genshin Impact may be just a game, but it’s still a gacha game; in other words, legal gambling. And as you may or may not know, gambling can become addicting.
That said, if you do have some extra cash to spare, just be sure to spend responsibly.

How It Works

• Open the Paimon menu.
• Click on the shop icon.
• Navigate to the Crystal Top-Up section.
• Choose how many Genesis Crystals you want to buy.
• Pay through your preferred method.
• Bask in your newfound virtual riches!

9. Lantern Rite

Finally, there are those who can share the memory.

Among an abundance of many other juicy rewards, Genshin Impact’s annual Lantern Rite includes an event wherein players are able to obtain a free Liyue 4 star character of their choosing.

This is especially great for new players who are lacking the newer 4 star units. Of course, it still has its benefits for older, veteran players, who can take advantage of the event to obtain constellations for their already owned characters.
It’s a bit of a lengthy process, as you must first complete the Lantern Rite quest line beforehand, but overall well worth your time.

How It Works

• Keep up with announcements regarding when the event is held. It usually takes place during the Lunar New Year.
• Play through event quests and complete event challenges.
• Select your desired 4 star and enjoy your new unit!

8. Starglitter Exchange

This little zombie may be the bane of the wishing experience, but at least you get some Starglitter out of it.

Upon pulling a 5 star of any kind, a 4 star weapon, or a duplicate 4 star character, players can obtain a special currency called Masterless Starglitter used to spend in the Starglitter Exchange shop. The shop offers a variety of goodies, including a set of 4 star weapons and two 4 star characters available for purchase.

However, considering drop rates, it may take a while to save up enough to afford one of the characters, which cost 30 Starglitter per unit, but the shop resets every month, so players at least have some time to accumulate the required amount. Though it’s important to note that the characters and weapons also change every month, so save and spend wisely.

Also available in the shop are both Acquaint and Intertwined Fates, which can be purchased for 5 Starglitter and are unlimited in quantity, so if you’d rather buy those for more wishing opportunities, it’s understandable considering the price.

How It Works

• Open the Paimon menu.
• Click on the shop icon.
• Navigate to the “Paimon’s Bargains” section (“Starglitter Exchange” will be the first tab).
• Choose the 4 star character or weapon you want and purchase.
• Enjoy your new unit!

7. Stardust Exchange

Stardust Exchange is like Christmas shopping with all the items and discounts.

Similar to the Masterless Starglitter currency, Masterless Stardust is also obtained from the wishing system, though instead of being earned from pulling only 4 or 5 star units/weapons, players receive it with every wish made.
Because of this, it’s very easy to save up, and players can spend it in the Stardust Exchange shop, which offers a variety of goodies from leveling materials to mob drops, which comes in handy if you’re lacking the mats to upgrade your weapons and characters.

Oh, but that’s not the best part, folks. Each month, players can purchase five Acquaint Fates and five Intertwined Fates at a permanently discounted price of 75 Masterless Stardust per single wish. Talk about a good deal, especially if you’re running low on Primogems or are in the middle of saving for an upcoming character.

How It Works

• Open the Paimon menu.
• Click on the shop icon.
• Navigate to the “Paimon’s Bargains” section (“Stardust Exchange” is the second tab).
• Shop to your heart’s content!

6. Beginner's Wish

Ah, the good old days; a simpler time, it was.

When players first step into Teyvat and unlock the wishing system, the Beginner’s Wish banner becomes available, and players can do up to 2 ten pulls for a discounted price. The banner itself is indefinite (until doing 20 pulls), so you needn’t worry about feeling rushed to meet the required amount of Acquaint Fates.

While the banner includes a limited pool of non-promotional characters, players are at least guaranteed the 4 star character Noelle in their first ten pull, after which she can no longer be summoned, and in the second wish set they are also guaranteed another 4 or 5 star unit, which makes for an excellent addition to new players’s character rosters.

How It Works

• Complete the Archon Quest Nights of Favonius to unlock the wishing system.
• Save Acquaint Fates/Primogems, which can be easily earned during the early stages of the game.
• Take advantage of the discounted price and pull on the banner.
• Enjoy your new characters!

5. Ascending Characters

Aloy, the character we’ve all collectively perma-benched.

An easy way to earn Acquaint Fates used for wishing, though not the most efficient method, is to level and ascend your characters. Specifically, character ascensions I, III, and V, which will reward you with one Acquaint Fate that you can spend on the Standard Banner.

If you have many characters sitting neglected in the basement, getting their first ascension—or, if you so wish, their third and fifth ascensions—is a quick and relatively low cost method to wrack up an abundance of free wishes.

How It Works

• Open the character menu.
• Click on the character(s) you want to ascend.
• Level them and make sure you have the necessary materials to complete the ascension.
• Claim your free wish(es) and pull!

4. Featured Version Events

The Fontaine story was full of twists and turns—practically a telenovela.

With each new version of the game follows a special version event with tons of rewards and new content. Though unfortunately it does not apply to every single version, some of them do include a featured character that players can obtain for free by completing parts of said event.

The most recent example is Thelxie’s Fantastic Adventures which took place during Version 4.2, wherein players could participate and earn the 4 star character Freminet for free. In comparison to some of the other events, these are generally easier, and players don’t have to grind all of the content to claim the character.

Still, a few extra rewards never hurt anybody, so players eager to get their hands on them can go all out. For more casual players, however, it’s okay not to complete all of the content if you don’t have the time or energy, since the requirements to invite the featured character are relatively easy to meet.

How It Works

• Stay updated on version updates and limited events.
• Participate in events that offer a free character as a reward.
• Claim and enjoy the newest edition to your character roster!

3. Spiral Abyss

Xiangling Impact prevails.

Once players meet certain prerequisites, they unlock Spiral Abyss, which is a challenging domain that offers plenty of rewards, namely Primogems. But more specifically, players who have completed floors 3 and 4 will receive 4 star characters Xiangling and Collei for free respectively.

The lower floors are easy for the most part, but still require some investment into teams and character builds if you want to get a perfect 3 star clear. Since they’re considered early-game content, low level players don’t really have to worry about fully building all of their characters.

Generally though, focusing on building one DPS is good enough to carry you through the earlier floors, though bringing along other semi/fully-built characters is still advised.

How It Works

• Prepare your team and have at least some sort of strategy or optimal team rotation in mind. Crowd control and support units are highly recommended for perfect/faster clears.
• Once you reach floors 9-12, you’ll need two separate teams to tackle the challenge, so plan and prepare accordingly.
• Do your best to earn as many stars as possible each reset and work your way up to 36 star clearing.

2. Complete Archon Quests

The God of Freedom likes free things, as do we players.

When travelers first begin their journey through Teyvat, they receive a full team of playable characters for free: Amber, Kaeya, and Lisa. For a starter team, it’s pretty cracked, and can carry even the most F2P players through the majority of content the game has to offer.

What’s more, once players complete the Mondstadt Chapter of the main storyline, all travelers receive the 4 star character Barbara for free, and as of the 4.0 update, 4 star character Lynette is also included as a freebie.

How It Works

• Enter the world of Teyvat and begin your journey.
• Follow along the quest directions to receive Amber, Kaeya, and Lisa.
• Continue playing through the Mondstadt Chapter until you’ve completed it.
• Claim your free Barbara and Lynette and enjoy!

1. Save

Zhongli often spends money without a second thought. Don’t be like Zhongli.

Ah yes, the good old fashioned saving method. This is naturally the most F2P friendly method, as the only requirements are time and investment. As a large, open-world game, Genshin Impact offers plenty of content available for players to earn Primogems.

Additionally (aside from world exploration), participating in version events, completing commissions, world/Archon quests, and playing through Spiral Abyss gives players ample opportunities to wrack up their wishing currency. 

However, despite these methods, it’s important to note that with the pity system, at most, players will have to wish 180 times to get their desired 5 star, depending on whether or not they are on the 50/50 (if they are already guaranteed, then it will take 90 wishes max). Because of this, it’s most wise to avoid wishing on any banners except the one with your desired unit.

How It Works

• Complete daily commissions, explore, keep up with Spiral Abyss resets, and participate in version events.
• Practice self restraint and avoid opening the wishing menu (building pity is a scam).
• Once your desired character banner goes up, go nuts with your savings and treat yourself for your hard work!

You May Also Be Interested In

• [Top 10] Genshin Impact Best Healers (Ranked) https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/genshin-impact-best-healers
• [Top 10] Genshin Impact Best Support (Ranked) https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/genshin-impact-best-support
• [Top 10] Genshin Impact Best DPS (Ranked) https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/genshin-impact-best-dps