This Genshin Impact 4 Star Characters Tier List ranks every 4-star in the game from the best (SS) to the worst (C)
As of Version 4.3, Genshin Impact has an impressive roster of 77 characters. Among these, there are 38 4-star characters, often neglected despite their hidden potential. For free-to-play players and even those who occasionally spend on the game, it is not possible to pull for every hyped-up 5-star character and therefore, they must utilize the potential of 4-star characters
While there are some excellent characters in the 4-star rarity, some can be quite average. Investing wisely in these characters is not just a necessity for resource-conscious players, but a strategy to yield great results. Let’s delve into the tier list of the 4-star characters of Genshin Impact.
4 Star Characters Tier List
The following tier list is divided into 5 tiers: SS (Best), S, A, B, and C (Worst).
SS-Tier
SS-Tier characters are essential characters who make challenging content very simple and easy. They are pivotal members and fit in any team composition, resulting in big numbers either in damage or support boost. The following characters are in SS-Tier:
- Bennett (Pyro, Sword)
- Xiangling (Pyro, Polearm)
- Xingqiu (Hydro, Sword)
These three are members of the original National Team with Chongyun and even after more than three years of Genshin Impact, they are collectively viable members of various teams, such as Raiden National and Childe International. Individually they do not stop shining as their abilities work with almost any character in the Spiral Abyss.
Xiangling’s ultimate called Pyronado works brilliantly in Vape teams due to it being off-field. Similarly, Xingqiu’s rain swords are off-field and can apply Hydro actively, an element that causes powerful reactions with all the other elements. Bennett can buff his DPS based on his base ATK which is not dependent on RNG, but it’s important to keep him at C5, or else his team comps are limited to Pyro DPS.
S-Tier
Characters in the S-Tier are highly capable in their roles. They may need certain artifacts and constellations over the SS-tier characters but they too can be vital in the specific setup they are part of. The following characters are in the S-Tier:
- Fischl (Electro, Bow)
- Kuki Shinobu (Electro, Sword)
- Sucrose (Anemo, Catalyst)
With the introduction of Dendro, Electro has seen a surge in popularity. Given Fischl and Kuki’s Electro application, both of them are considered important supports in Dendro Comp teams (especially Hyperbloom). Other roles Fischl and Kuki fulfill are Energy Battery and Healer respectively. On the other hand, Sucrose is a budget Kazuha and that is a compliment! Sucrose can easily increase Elemental Mastery and with C6, she can further increase Elemental Damage.
A-Tier
Characters in A-Tier require the right weapon, and substantial investment in artifacts, and have to be part of niche teams to bring out their full potential. Only then, may they come near the upper-tier members. The following characters are in the A-Tier:
- Charlotte (Cryo, Catalyst)
- Chevreuse (Pyro, Polearm)
- Collei (Dendro, Bow)
- Diona (Cryo, Bow)
- Faruzan (Anemo, Bow)
- Gorou (Geo, Bow)
- Kaeya (Cryo, Sword)
- Kirara (Dendro, Sword)
- Kujou Sara (Electro, Bow)
- Layla (Cryo, Sword)
- Noelle (Geo, Claymore)
- YaoYao (Dendro, Polearm)
- Yun Jin (Geo, Polearm)
Faruzan’s ability allows for the Anemo Resistance shred, but this is only useful for characters like Xiao and Scaramouche. In the same way, the pros of Gorou and Yunjin, are only viable for certain DPS and pretty much useless on others. Collei YaoYao can be useful for their Dendro application whereas Kirara is a fun character for exploration with a shield that must be sustained in combat.
Diona, Layla, and Kaeya are good 4-star members for Ayaka and other cryo DPS for the elemental resonance whereas Charlotte is mostly seen performing with Neuvillette. Chevreuse is the latest released character and for now, she is being placed in the middle with the possibility of going higher and lower in the upcoming versions.
B-Tier
B-Tier characters perform well with investment but the same amount of investment can churn out better results from the upper-tier characters. Their performance eventually falters due to subpar talents and you may find yourself struggling with them. The following characters are in the B-Tier:
- Barbara (Hydro, Catalyst)
- Freminet (Cryo, Claymore)
- Lynette (Anemo, Sword)
- Mika (Cryo, Polearm)
- Ningguang (Geo, Catalyst)
- Rosaria (Cryo, Polearm)
- Shikanoin Heizou (Anemo, Catalyst)
- Thoma (Pyro, Polearm)
- Yanfei (Pyro, Catalyst)
Damage dealt by Heizou, Yanfei, and Ningguang may seem substantial in the early stages of the game but eventually, in the 11th and 12th floor of the Spiral Abyss, their damage will fall short against tanky enemies. Barbara’s healing and Thoma’s shield may be pretty good but others do it better than them while bringing more to the table (like Kuki’s healing and Layla/Diona’s shield). Lynette, Mika, and Freminet’s performance has felt quite underwhelming since their release, due to disadvantages in scaling and numbers.
C-Tier
C-Tier characters are unfortunately the bottom of the barrel. They have limited usefulness in combat. It is recommended to build them up only if you like their lore or design. Otherwise, their gameplay may frustrate you. The following characters are in the A-Tier:
- Amber (Pyro, Bow)
- Beidou (Electro, Claymore)
- Candace (Hydro, Polearm)
- Chongyun (Cryo, Claymore)
- Dori (Electro, Polearm)
- Kaveh (Dendro, Claymore)
- Lisa (Electro, Catalyst)
- Razor (Electro, Claymore)
- Sayu (Anemo, Claymore)
- Xinyan (Pyro, Claymore)
All of these characters seem to have very minimal usage in the spiral abyss. Either they have lost relevance due to being very old characters (Lisa, Razor, Chongyun) or they have fatal flaws, making it difficult to play with them. For example, Beidou has a high burst cost but she does not scale off Energy Recharge. Xinyan’s skill and elements do not complement each other, making her difficult to build. Sayu is only useful in exploration and is hardly used by players in combat. Off-field Electro from Dori not only has weak damage but also requires skills to properly manage.
With the help of this tier list, you may understand the pros and cons of each of the 4-star(s). Understanding their skills and raising them based on that is highly strategic and wise but do not forget to choose characters that resonate with you personally. Ultimately, this tier list serves as a guide to help you navigate your choices, but don’t forget that the joy of Genshin Impact is in exploring Teyvat with the characters you admire the most. Check out other tier lists and more on ESTNN!