Make an Impact

Beidou is only a four-star unit, but there are still plenty of reasons why you’d want her on your team. She has a lot of defensive options, for instance, and she can use multiple artifact sets. Best of all, she has a unique counter mechanic that’s effective and fun to use! Battles are only one part of Genshin Impact, of course, so there are other aspects to consider. Beidou is a capable woman with brains, brawn, and beauty, and she seems like she’d be a lot of fun to hang out with. Although she looks like a pirate, she certainly doesn’t act like one. Sure, she captains a fleet of ships and wears and eyepatch, but she’s also one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Despite her easy-going nature, tales of her adventures are the stuff of legends. Her crew holds her in high regard for obvious reasons, and even children admire her and view her as a role model.

As an illuminated beast who has lived for over two thousand years, few have experienced more battles than Xiao. He’s especially adept at high-speed aerial combat, and this allows him to attack his opponents from all angles. Xiao’s not exactly proud of how he developed his fighting style, however. Incidentally, he had been enslaved in his youth and forced to commit unspeakable acts of cruelty for a bloodthirsty god. After being liberated, Xiao swore an oath to protect the people of Liyue. Sadly, his troubled past makes him avoid social interaction out of fear of inflicting people with the negative karma that surrounds him. This makes him appear distant and aloof despite being a gentle soul who is genuinely curious about humanity. He has spent a millennia fighting the remnants of ancient gods, but the war that wages within himself can never be won.

Many characters from Genshin Impact are older than they look, but Klee is literally a child. Although she’s enlisted into the Knights of Favonius, she’s often confused by the events that unfold around her. Ultimately, her naivety only serves to amplify her adventurous spirit. Klee never misses an opportunity to play, and she’s unfazed by potentially dangerous scenarios. Incidentally, she’s the root cause of most of this danger since she has a knack for making explosives. When she’s not lobbing bunny-shaped bombs at her enemies, Klee can often be found tossing them into lakes in order to catch fish. Her destructive tendencies are a cause for concern, and she’s routinely imprisoned. She just uses the time to come up with new gunpowder formulas, however, so it’s fortunate that the other Knights are willing to clean up after her.

Keqing is an idealist who is skeptical of traditionalists and anyone else who has unwavering faith in the gods. She believes that humans should attempt to elevate themselves to the same level as the deities they worship. To illustrate this point, she takes on menial jobs and works ten times harder than anyone else to prove how much people can accomplish if they apply themselves. It’s shocking to see someone as wealthy as Keqing working as a laborer or a waitress, and she’s even more shocking when she’s in battle. Her Electro-based attacks can decimate weaker enemies, and she can also imbue her sword with the power of lightning. Keqing’s popularity can’t be fully attributed to her personality or abilities, of course. As a busty young lady with twintails and a catgirl motif, Keqing basically has “waifu bait” written all over her.

Venti is a carefree bard who’s defined by a playful personality and an unusually high tolerance for alcohol. When he’s not singing random tunes or downing bottles of vintage wine, he can often be found pelting enemies with arrows or manipulating the wind itself. His attacks don’t cause a lot of damage, but he offers reliable crowd control in tough situations. There are plenty of reasons why the lad is beloved, and many fans are intrigued by his frilly outfits and effeminate voice. He’s become something of a femboy icon, and that’s probably why he consistently ranks among the most popular Genshin characters. In 2021, China introduced new rules to ban “sissy men and other abnormal esthetics” from television broadcasts. These rules apparently didn’t apply to Chinese video games, however, as Genshin Impact is filled to the brim with characters like Venti.

An expert consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Zhongli is as mysterious as he is handsome. No one is quite sure where he’s from, but he’s somehow knowledgeable in all things. As it turns out, he’s the latest mortal vessel of the Geo Archon and has lived for thousands of years. His placement on this list has more to do with his utility than his background, however. Zhongli is one of the best support characters in the game, and his Geo shields almost eliminate the need for having a healer on your team. The dude can absorb a tremendous amount of damage, and it wouldn’t be out of line to describe him as overpowered. Zhongli wasn’t especially useful in earlier builds, but the pendulum swung in the opposite direction after update 1.3 was released. Genshin Impact is in a constant state of evolution, and Zhongli’s development illustrates this perfectly.

No character on this list is more overtly sexualized than the Raiden Shogun. Not only does she have a plunging neckline and thigh-high stockings, but the camera angles are on point! From the moment I saw her pull a sword out of her cleavage, I knew I was watching a rising star. On a less superficial level, the Raiden Shogun is one of the most multifaceted characters on this list. Technically speaking, she’s two characters. Her true identity, Ei, uses the Shogun as a puppet to rule over the land of Inazuma while she focuses on meditation. Ei can take over the Shogun at any moment, however, and she is noticeably more sentimental than her emotionless surrogate. In either regard, the Shogun is a menace in battle. She has the power of thunder and strikes with lightning-fast precision, so her enemies won’t even have time to admire her booba sword.

As the offspring of a human and an illuminated beast, Ganyu is a walking contradiction. Her shared heritage has ascribed her with characteristics of mortals and gods alike, and this dichotomy is not limited to the distinct goat-like horns on her head. Although she’s a quiet girl with a gentle disposition, Ganyu is deceptively powerful. She spent centuries perfecting her archery skills, and her accuracy with the bow is nothing short of extraordinary. She also demonstrates a mastery over Cryo magic, and this allows her to dish out tremendous damage in a timely manner. Whether she’s freezing enemies in place or showering them with shards of ice, she can turn the tides of any battle. The contrast between Ganyu’s physical appearance and her battle prowess has contributed to her immense popularity. She’s arguably the most iconic character in the game.

As the director of the prestigious Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Hu Tao helps mortals leave the world with dignity. Her occupation is said to have given her the ability to traverse between life and death, and she has all sorts of supernatural powers at her disposal. She can even call forth spirits and hit her enemies with them! (Seriously, she smacks people with ghosts!) When she’s not presiding over funeral ceremonies, her sense of playfulness seems to defy her line of work. Hu Tao is quirky, eccentric, and downright strange. Some of her contemporaries are irritated by her outlandish behavior, and her proclivity for pranks is especially contentious. She’s too carefree to understand other people’s feelings, however, so she doesn’t even realize that others perceive her as odd. Despite being a total weirdo, Hu Tao is the most enchanting girl in all of Teyvat.

Mona Megistus is a peculiar astrologist with a strong sense of pride. Even though she’s often strapped for cash, she refuses to exploit her abilities for monetary gain. Her pursuit of knowledge can’t be pacified by poverty or destitution, and she spends what little cash she has on research materials. Fortunately, her studies pay dividends on the battlefield. Mona is a versatile unit who can buff her teammates and dish out damage. (The multipliers on her Elemental Burst are absurd!) On a more superficial level, she has incredible fashion sense. The “pantyhose and leotard” look is always appreciated, and the twintails are a nice touch as well. I’m also fond of oversized witch hats, and Mona reminds me a lot of Megumin from KonoSuba in that capacity. Mona is a total babe, and that’s why she has become the darling of Rule 34 artists and ero cosplayers.