What are the best characters in Genshin Impact for dealing damage? In this tier list, we’ll be reviewing the best on-field DPS characters in the game and comparing their relative power levels.
Now, it’s worth noting that in Genshin Impact, most content is fairly easy. Even the worst characters are able to clear the hardest challenges. Because of this, the game is really about resource management, and so the characters which require the least investment to clear the most content are considered the best.
This list is divided into 5 tiers, representing how worthwhile investment into the characters within each is:
- S tier: These characters will deal very high DPS to nearly all content in the game, will fit into many different team compositions, and are certainly worth investing in.
- A tier: These characters will still deal very large amounts of damage, but are more limited in terms of their team composition options. Still worth investing into if you have them.
- B tier: These characters have been outshined in terms of damage and versatility by the higher tiers, but still retain a high power level. Worth investing into if you enjoy their playstyle.
- C tier: These characters have an undeniably lower damage ceiling than those above them, and their options for team composition aren’t many. They can however still shine in niche situations.
- D tier: These characters have been completely outcompeted by newer additions to the Genshin Impact roster. While they can still clear all content in the game, there are others that simply do it better.
That being said, let’s now analyze every on-field DPS character individually.
Raiden Shogun (S Tier)
(96/100)
The Raiden Shogun possesses one of the strongest elemental bursts in the game in terms of raw damage, capable of dealing well over 100k damage in a single blow. Not only that, but her burst also restores the energy of her teammates, allowing them to use their own more reliably. Paired with Xiangling, Bennett and Xingqiu, she forms one of the outright strongest teams in the entire game.
Reasons to use the Raiden Shogun:
- Extremely powerful elemental burst;
- Her elemental skill buffs the damage of other party members’ bursts;
- Her elemental burst restores energy to her party members;
- Can fit into many very strong team compositions, such as the National team;
- Her raw damage carries her even through fights where she may be at a disadvantage.
Alhaitham (S Tier)
(97/100)
The scribe of the Sumeru Akademiya is the premier Dendro DPS, and one of the heaviest hitters in the game.
Alhaitham’s value comes from all aspects of his kit: his normal attacks, elemental skill and elemental burst are all significant sources of damage. He’s designed to make the most of the Spread reaction, the result of combining dendro and electro. He’s arguably the single best on-field hypercarry DPS in the game.
Reasons to use Alhaitham:
- Extremely high damage ceiling;
- Very easy to use in his team compositions;
- His teams only require a source of Electro, such as Fischl;
- Due to his low demands for teammates, is very flexible with support characters;
- Kit based on one of the game’s strongest reactions.
Neuvillette (S Tier)
(98/100)
The Hydro dragon sovereign, released in the latest patch of the game, has quickly become one of the strongest options for team building.
Neuvillette’s charged attack obliterates mostly anything that stands in his way, and has many synergies with off-field damage dealers such as Beidou. His elemental skill and burst produce orbs which further boost the power of his charged attack. To add to this, he’s expected to become even stronger with the release of Furina, the Hydro archon, in the upcoming patch.
Reasons to use Neuvillette:
- Extremely strong character, only expected to become stronger;
- Very versatile, can fit into many different meta teams;
- Future proof, will only get better with time;
- Doesn’t require any support characters to be very powerful;
- Hydro element, currently the strongest in the game.
Hu Tao (S Tier)
(97/100)
The director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is considered to be the single best on-field Pyro DPS in the game.
Hu Tao’s strength comes from her charged attacks, which are infused with the Pyro element thanks to her elemental skill. Not only that, but she also possesses an incredible elemental burst, which can easily deal over 100k damage with the Vaporize reaction.
Reasons to use Hu Tao:
- Very powerful charged attacks give consistent damage;
- Only requires Xingqiu or Yelan for her teams;
- Access to the Vaporize reaction, which amplifies damage by 50%;
- One of the best Pyro characters in the game;
- Very strong nuke-esque elemental burst.
Kamisato Ayaka (S Tier)
(96/100)
Ayaka is still one of the best DPS characters in the game after 2 years since release, thanks to her powerful elemental burst.
Her burst releases a series of strong Cryo attacks which travel forward until making contact with an enemy. Combined with the Blizzard Strayer artifact set and a Hydro character, she becomes the best user of the Freeze elemental reaction.
Reasons to use Ayaka:
- Very strong elemental burst which shreds through frozen enemies;
- Her alternate sprint makes her the best character for walking on water;
- The Blizzard Strayer set gives her an additional 40% crit rate;
- Very flexible in her team compositions, for both the Freeze and Melt reactions;
- Her freezing capabilities gives her some of the game’s best crowd control.
Lyney (A Tier)
(92/100)
Lyney’s strength comes from his charged shots. Thanks to his ascension passive, he’s best used in a Mono-Pyro team. His kit revolves a lot around HP manipulation, like many Fontaine characters.
Reasons to use Lyney:
- Unique charged shot gameplay;
- Best user of the Mono-Pyro team composition;
- A lot of flexibility regarding the 3rd and 4th slots on his teams;
- Doesn’t require anyone except Bennett to be used;
- Doesn’t rely on elemental reactions.
Nilou (A Tier)
(93/100)
This dancer from Sumeru has a unique mechanic that provides a significant boost to the Bloom elemental reaction in exchange for limiting her team comp options.
This is in regard to her restriction on only being able to be used with Dendro or Hydro characters. This may seem like a disadvantage but really isn’t, since her power comes from her buffed Blooms formed by the combination of those two elements.
Reasons to use Nilou:
- By far the best user of the bloom reaction;
- Her team compositions offer a unique playstyle;
- Her team comps allow underused characters like Barbara, to shine;
- Has amazing DPS when played within her restrictions;
- Can be used with mostly any Dendro or Hydro support characters.
Xiao (A Tier)
(92/100)
Xiao, despite having a niche play style and not relying on elemental reactions, still has great DPS potential. His best teams involve pairing him up with other Anemo units such as Venti and Faruzan, who can provide him with buffs and the energy necessary to recharge his elemental burst.
Reasons to use Xiao:
- Unique plunging attack-based gameplay;
- Powerful elemental burst which enables his gameplay;
- Elemental skill which allows for rapid travel across the overworld;
- Synergy with other Anemo units such as Venti;
- Doesn’t rely on elemental reactions to deal significant damage.
Ganyu (A Tier)
(93/100)
Ganyu’s main strength comes in the form of her extremely powerful charged shots, which are in themselves mini elemental bursts. Not only that, but her burst itself has quadratic scaling, meaning that when enemies are grouped together each icicle hits multiple targets, resulting in insane levels of damage. She excels in Freeze teams when the enemies are able to be pulled by Venti’s elemental burst, and her Melt teams are also very strong.
Reasons to use Ganyu:
- Her Freeze team is still one of, if not the best in the game when it works;
- Unique charged shot gameplay which deals consistent high damage;
- Elemental burst with quadratic scaling which also provides a 20% Cryo dmg buff;
- One of the best users of the Melt reaction, amplifying her damage by 1.5x;
- Very simple and easy to use.
Wanderer (A Tier)
(93/100)
Formerly known as Scaramouche, the Wanderer is a strong Anemo DPS who relies mostly on his charged attacks.
The Wanderer, like Xiao, is someone who doesn’t rely on elemental reactions to deal very high amounts of damage. He too prefers Anemo supports such as Faruzan to buff his elemental damage. He doesn’t need energy as much, as his damage mostly relies on using his elemental skill then charge attacking.
Reasons to use Wanderer:
- High damage accessible whenever you use your elemental skill;
- Also has a powerful elemental burst, which acts as a nuke;
- Doesn’t rely on elemental reactions to be strong;
- Flexible team building options, the only requirement being Faruzan;
- You can name him whatever you want!
Cyno (A Tier)
(91/100)
The mahamatra of Sumeru Akademiya has two sides to him: the Cyno who cracks corny puns, and the Cyno who’s a menace to anything in his way.
Cyno’s strength lies in using his elemental burst, then normal attacks until everything’s dead. He mainly benefits from the elemental reaction Aggravate, which is like Spread, but activated by Electro instead of Dendro. It’s worth noting that if you switch out of Cyno during his elemental burst it’ll be canceled, so remember to set up with your support characters before using it.
Reasons to use Cyno:
- Best user of the Aggravate elemental reaction;
- Quite flexible team composition options, only requires a Dendro character;
- Can also be used in Hyperbloom teams, although to lesser effect;
- Very simple to use, just remember not to cancel the burst half-way through;
- A lot of synergy within his kit, everything contributes to dealing high normal attack damage.
Yoimiya (B Tier)
(87/100)
Yoimiya relies on using her elemental skill to infuse her normal attacks with Pyro, while dealing additional damage with her burst. It’s worth noting that her attack speed is actually too fast for Xingqiu to keep up with, so she prefers using the Overload reaction over Vaporize.
Reasons to use Yoimiya:
- Unique gameplay around normal-attacking with the bow;
- Undeniably the best user of the Overload reaction;
- Very flexible team compositions as she doesn’t specifically need any particular teammate;
- One of the few Pyro characters to not rely on the Vaporize reaction;
- Auto-aim means Yoimiya gameplay only has to worry about dodging incoming attacks.
Arataki Itto (B Tier)
(85/100)
For better and for worse, Itto is the game’s best Geo DPS. This is good as it allows for a good chunk of team flexibility, but it’s also unfortunate as Geo doesn’t react meaningfully with any other element. Because of this, Itto’s best teams tend to be Mono-Geo, with useful supports such as Gorou and Yunjin.
Reasons to use Itto:
- Best Geo DPS in the game;
- Flexible team compositions;
- Doesn’t rely on any other element to be viable;
- Useful taunt with his elemental skill;
- Dedicated support units in Gorou and Yunjin.
Wriothesley (B Tier)
(87/100)
Wriothesley is a unit who focuses on delivering ferocious Cryo-infused normal attacks by empowering them with his elemental skill. This enables him to be built around either the Freeze or Melt reactions, where he works wonders. He uses the new artifact set, Marechaussee Hunter, very well too since his normal attacks drain his health and charged attacks restore it.
Reasons to use Wriothesley:
- Currently available on the limited-time banner;
- Strong normal attacks give him a consistent on-demand source of damage;
- HP manipulation fits into the meta that Fontaine is introducing;
- Solid DPS in both Freeze and Melt teams;
- Can only get better as the 4.X updates go on.
Keqing (B Tier)
(88/100)
Ever since patch 3.0 and the introduction of the Dendro element, however, Keqing has been on the rise. She is an excellent driver of the Aggravate and Hyperbloom reactions. She has very fast Electro application, as well as high personal damage of her own.
Reasons to use Keqing:
- Very high Electro application with her infused normal attacks and multi-hit burst;
- Great user of Electro-based elemental reactions such as Aggravate;
- Plenty of team synergy with Dendro, Hydro, Anemo and other Electro characters;
- Available at any time on the standard banner;
- Elemental skill grants her some of the game’s best vertical mobility.
Tighnari (B Tier)
(87/100)
Tighnari’s play style is one of a small group of characters who specialize in charged shots, being one of the few DPS units to mainly take advantage of the Spread reaction. His elemental skill quickens the charge time for his shots, enabling him to deal a lot of front loaded damage.
Reasons to use Tighnari:
- Available at any time on the standard banner;
- Unique charged shot-based gameplay;
- Powerful user of the Spread reaction;
- Synergizes with any Electro unit capable of reasonable elemental application;
- One of few Dendro characters specialized for DPS.
Eula (C Tier)
(83/100)
Unfortunately, physical damage has been greatly neglected throughout the course of the meta’s evolution as it has no good elemental reactions to make use of, unlike any actual element in the game. Eula is really the last testament to a time when physical damage was even considered in the meta, her physical build having endured for this long thanks to her sheer raw damage.
Reasons to use Eula:
- By far the best physical damage dealer in the game;
- By far the best user of the Superconduct elemental reaction (Cryo+Electro);
- Largest elemental burst damage multiplier in the game before reactions are considered;
- Excellent user of normal attacks;
- Many viable support options, only requiring an Electro unit.
Klee (C Tier)
(84/100)
Klee’s sources of damage come from normal and charged attacks, as well as her elemental skill and burst, making her quite the balanced unit. She’s best fit for a Mono-Pyro team, but can also be used in Vaporize or Overload compositions. The only thing to look out for is the complex animation canceling that goes into playing her optimally, which can be tricky to pull off consistently.
Reasons to use Klee:
- Very balanced and versatile character;
- Great user of the Mono-Pyro team composition;
- Capable of fitting in with a diverse array of supports;
- Every one of her attacks counts as a heavy attack, meaning they can break Geo shields easier;
- Bomb-tastic!
Razor (C Tier)
(82/100)
Our first 4-star of this tier list of on-field DPS characters was originally designed to be a physical damage dealer, however his niche has changed completely with its decay in the meta and the introduction of the Dendro element. Now, his best team is as a driver of Hyperbloom and Aggravate using his elemental burst.
Reasons to use Razor:
- Still the second best physical damage dealer in the game;
- The best 4-star on-field DPS in the game too;
- Great team flexibility, both in Superconduct and Hyperbloom teams;
- Niche spot in the meta as an excellent Hyperbloom driver;
- Can make use of a wide array of elemental reactions, or none at all.
Diluc (D Tier)
(80/100)
Diluc is still a strong user of the Vaporize reaction, which remains extremely powerful. He deals good damage with his normal attacks, elemental skill, and elemental burst. The thing is that he’s simply been sidelined as newer units have come out and the community’s understanding of the game has grown.
Reasons to use Diluc:
- His elemental burst provides crowd control, although it pushes all enemies away;
- Extremely easy to use;
- Only requires Xingqiu or Yelan to be viable;
- Arguably the 2nd best on-field user of Vaporize;
- Available at any time on the standard banner.
Ningguang (D Tier)
(79/100)
Ningguang is already compromised by being of the Geo element, which doesn’t present any meaningful elemental reactions with other elements. Unlike Itto, though, Ningguang just doesn’t have the raw numbers in her kit to make up the damage deficit. Nevertheless, she can clear any content in the game, and she’s still a powerful DPS option as far as 4-stars are concerned.
Reasons to use Ningguang:
- Solid option for a Geo DPS;
- Flexible team building options, only really wanting Gorou;
- 4-star character, so cheap and accessible;
- Her jade shield can provide valuable protection against projectiles;
- Unique charged attack-based gameplay.
Yanfei (D Tier)
(79/100)
Her fighting style is similar to Ningguang’s, except both her elemental skill and burst also function towards giving her stacks to spend on powerful charged attacks.. Yanfei, when her 4th constellation is unlocked, also has a defensive role as she gains a strong Pyro shield.
Reasons to use Yanfei:
- Good user of the Vaporize and Overload elemental reactions;
- Flexible team building options in both Vaporize and Overload comps;
- Unique charged attack gameplay;
- Strong 4-star DPS option for F2P players;
- Strong shield gives her defensive viability.
Noelle (D Tier)
(80/100)
Noelle is a real one-maid-army, a jack-of-all-trades. She can output good damage, heal herself and her teammates, and provide a useful shield that absorbs enemy hits. Unfortunately, her Geo element holds her back, however she may see a resurgence with the Fontaine meta which focuses on HP manipulation.
Reasons to use Noelle:
- Can carry out all roles you need in a team;
- Very flexible with her support units, as she’s already all the support she needs;
- Powerful elemental burst which has a wide AoE;
- Only really needs another Geo character in her team to serve as an energy battery;
- Will potentially rise well out of D-Tier with the advent of the Fontaine meta.
So there we go, that’s the complete tier list of every on-field DPS character in Genshin Impact, up to version 4.1. With the release of Furina, the Hydro archon, in the upcoming patch, some serious alterations may be just around the corner, but this should serve as a good idea of what to expect out of your dedicated DPS units.
You may also be interested in:
https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/genshin-impact-enabler-tier-list
https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/genshin-impact-support-tier-list
https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/genshin-impact-healer-tier-list
