Genshin Impact – best DPS characters, ranked by us

We’re looking at the best DPS characters in Genshin Impact and ranking them based on various factors. While there are meta characters who will always top these lists, we want to include every viable DPS character in the game.

The combat of Genshin revolves around elemental reactions and creating teams that bounce off each character’s abilities. With the exception of some Spiral Abyss encounters, Genshin is a fairly easy game, which means optimisation isn’t the most vital thing. Your DPS characters will be the MVPs who get you through tough content and grinding, making them important characters to use.

Elsewhere in Genshin Impact, we have guides covering the best weapons for Kazuha and the best weapons for Jean. Now, these are our picks for the best DPS characters in Genshin Impact.

Kaeya

• Element: Cryo
• Weapon: Sword

The wonderfully stylish Kaeya can make for a great DPS if you know how to use him. He has excellent off-field Cryo application, but thanks to how his Burst works, you can use him as a main DPS with other off-field supports synergising with his kit. One of the best teams for Kaeya will be Superconduct or Freeze comps: the former will help increase his damage while the latter will stun-lock foes. While you won’t see huge damage numbers from him, you can get consistent Cryo damage. Plus, it’s something of a novelty to use one of the free characters to destroy tough foes.

Heizou

• Element: Anemo
• Weapon: Catalyst

When playing Heizou, we’ve used him as a main DPS in a team with Faruzan and been pleasantly surprised. Since he uses an Anemo catalyst, every single hit will trigger Swirl if your off-field characters are helping out. Thanks to this, Heizou can be one of the best DPS characters in Genshin. His Normal Attacks are powerful but his Skill and Burst will help deal beautifully high damage to foes, given the right circumstances.

Diluc

• Element: Pyro
• Weapon: Claymore

As a strong Pyro DPS, Diluc has a wonderfully straightforward and simple kit to handle. His Normal Attack and be seamlessly blended into his Skill and Burst, letting him chain together substantial combos. Diluc benefits most from Hydro party members since Vaporise has great damage multipliers attached to it. Diluc’s Burst has an effective AoE and can be amped up to deliver one large hit to foes, but it does push smaller enemies away from you which is a pain.

Arataki Itto

• Element: Geo
• Weapon: Claymore

Geo is a fairly underwhelming element in Genshin, and the gulf between it and other elements is only getting more obvious as time goes on. With that said, Itto can still hit hard and see some satisfactory numbers when using Itto fully build. Itto’s Skill and Burst are powerful, giving him a ton of Geo application and AoE damage. Itto is best used in full Geo teams, so give that a go if you want to make the most out of him as a DPS.

Xiangling

• Element: Pyro
• Weapon: Polearm

As a free character, Xiangling is actually one of the best characters in all of Genshin. While her Skill and Normal Attacks aren’t anything to write home about, her Burst is where Xiangling proves her worth. When used, she will unleash a spinning firenado around the on-field character, hitting foes and applying Pyro to anyone it touches. With this in mind, pairing Xiangling with other off-field DPS characters who can help trigger reactions will result in a powerhouse character who can take on any foe. Note, that you can do the reverse with Xiangling and have her support a main DPS, and she will do just as well in either role.

Nahida

• Element: Dendro
• Weapon: Catalyst

Nahida can be a mixed bag, but her Dendro abilities are extremely powerful with the right team. As a main DPS, Nahida can utilise her amazing Dendro application to drive reactions with Electro teammates for the best results. Her Skill will link enemies together, meaning they will take shared damage when you hit them with a reaction. Thanks to this, Nahida can crowd-control enemies extremely well and thanks to the high damage multipliers with Dendro and Electro reactions, she has earned her place as one of the best DPS characters in Genshin.

Yae Miko

• Element: Electro
• Weapon: Catalyst

As one of the main characters in Inazuma, Yae Miko is an incredibly strong Electro DPS character. Thanks to the Dendro element added in 3.0, Electro characters gained a huge buff to their usefulness and DPS due to how these reactions trigger and deal damage. Miko can place three electro totems on the field and when you have all of them down her Burst will be enhanced. As a Catalyst user, her DPS comes from reactions, but her normal attack rotations aren’t anything too special.

Tartaglia

• Element: Hydro
• Weapon: Bow

Childe, otherwise known as Tartaglia, is an extremely powerful DPS, and could be considered one of the best in Genshin. His kit has a unique effect called Riptide, which will deal instances of Hydro damage to and spread to all foes. Thanks to this, Childe’s damage can be significant depending on how many enemies are caught by it. Outside of this, his Skill lets him deal continuous Hydro damage to foes in quick succession.

Wanderer

• Element: Anemo
• Weapon: Catalyst

Wanderer is one of the strongest Anemo DPS in the game, and it’s thanks to his catalyst weapon. Due to how Anemo works, Wanderer can trigger Swirls with every single hit, and he can group enemies up with his Burst. When using Anemo, you want to have powerful off-field supports that can help with reactions. Sadly, Wanderer outclasses Heizou in every single way. If you have both of them, you should focus on one.

Yoimiya

• Element: Pyro
• Weapon: Bow

There are plenty of memes about Yoimiya being a machine gun, and this reputation is well-earned if you’ve used her. The main source of her damage is from her Normal Attacks and her Skill, the latter of which simply infuses her arrows with Pyro and considerably ups the damage. As a bow user, Yoimiya is a bit squishy but her damage cannot be ignored, firmly placing her as a glass cannon DPS character. Thanks to her incredible damage and synergy with off-field DPS characters, Yoimiya can blast through enemies with ease.

Tighnari

• Element: Dendro
• Weapon: Bow

When it comes to Dendro characters, few are as powerful as Tighnari. While he is outclassed by Alhaitham, Tighnari is still an excellent DPS who can devastate foes with his charged attacks. Tighnari has brilliant synergy with Electro characters since he can apply Dendro in large AoEs and this means he can benefit as the driver for Quicken/Aggravate teams. Outside of these reactions, Tighnari can use his Burst to hit single targets hard and follow up with charged shots from his bow to pile on the pressure.

Nilou

• Element: Hydro
• Weapon: Sword

Nilou is something of a strange character to use as your DPS since she is only good in Hydro+Dendro teams. While the damage doesn’t technically come from her, Nilou’s passive enhances the Dendro Cores created by the Bloom reaction, letting them deal considerably more damage than normal. With full Dendro and Hydro teams with Nilou, you can obliterate enemies with several Dendro Cores that will immediately explode and harm friend and foe alike.

Cyno

• Element: Electro
• Weapon: Polearm

The best thing about Cyno is that he can extend the amount of time he stays in his enhanced state when using his Burst. His Skill will have a lower cooldown and there will be an on-screen prompt when you should use it to get the most out of it. Cyno is powerful in any team comp, but he shines most in Dendro+Electro. With that in mind, he is also extremely good in Taser comps anywhere else he is the main DPS. Electro damage is strong and the reactions will lead to satisfying numbers with each hit.

Keqing

• Element: Electro
• Weapon: Sword

We all know and love Keqing, and she has earned her place as one of the most enjoyable and powerful characters in Genshin. As a main DPS, Keqing benefits from a brief Electro infusion when using her Skill, letting her drive reactions as the lead character with off-field supports helping out. Her Burst is also amazing at dealing single-target and AoE damage on an incredibly low energy requirement. Thanks to how fast Keqing is, she can dish out the pain fast and effectively.

Raiden Shogun

• Element: Electro
• Weapon: Polearm

Although it is debatable whether or not Raiden is a DPS or Support character, one simply must recognize the damage output of her Elemental Burst. The first main slash from her Burst can hit incredibly hard and her normal attack rotation will deal considerable damage, depending on how many stacks of Resolve you have. Aside from her Burst, Raiden’s Skill should not be forgotten. Although it doesn’t directly benefit her, it does increase the overall DPS of the team by bestowing everyone else with off-field Electro application. With this, many characters can be used as a main DPS with the help of Raiden’s Skill.

Xiao

• Element: Anemo
• Weapon: Polearm

Xiao is an incredibly strong character, but the biggest problem with his kit is that he is incredibly repetitive to play. He might deal incredible damage, but jumping up and down during his Burst saps the fun out of him. If you can look past this fact, Xiao is a fantastic DPS and has the potential to be one of the best in the game. When using his Burst, his HP will decrease but he gains Anemo infusion, which is a rare sight in Genshin. Another source of Xiao’s damage is the combo between his normal attack and elemental skill, Lemniscatic Wind Cycling. This skill inflicts Anemo damage in a quick lunge, which is especially satisfying to use on weak enemies and see them disintegrate. Moreover, if done mid-air, Xiao can follow up the dash with a plunge attack for more DPS.

Yelan

• Element: Hydro
• Weapon: Bow

Yelan is effectively the five-star version of Xingqiu. Her main source of damage comes from her Burst, which will fire Hyrdo projectiles when your main character attacks, dealing significant damage and applying Hydro generously. Yelan’s Burst can suit her as on-field or off-field, but it depends on the other characters you have in your party. Her Skill lets Yelan sprint around and tie enemies together, unleashing a Hydro-based attack at the end for big damage. All in all, Yelan is a brilliant character and one of the stronger DPS units you can get.

Lyney

• Element: Pryo
• Weapon: Bow

Your mileage with Lyney may vary, but he does have the capacity to be a strong DPS. As with other Fontaine characters, his kit is around reducing his HP to deal more damage and then recover it to further enhance his DPS. Lyney has powerful Charged Attacks with his bow and his Skill is great for an instant hit of Pyro damage. His Burst is a bit underwhelming, but you need to make sure you’re using his Skill to get the most out of his charged attacks.

Kamistato Ayato

• Element: Hydro
• Weapon: Sword

Ayato, the brother of Ayaka, is a Hydro DPS who has an incredibly simple play style. Perhaps, in fact, it is too simple that it borders on boring, but you might disagree with this. Using his Skill simply requires you to hold down the button to unleash a string of Hydro-infused strikes that cover a wide area. While satisfying, you are vulnerable to hits while doing this and can lose out on DPS if you get hit. His Burst will help with crowd control since it creates a huge AoE that rains down Hydro on foes, dealing instances of damage for a set period.

Eula

• Element: Cryo
• Weapon: Claymore

Eula is often considered by many to be one of the best DPS characters in Genshin, and for good reason. Her Physical and Cryo DMG are incredibly impressive, letting her dish out powerful hits with nothing but her Normal and Charged attacks. Her Skill and Burst are Cryo-focused, and this presents an opportunity to build her as a Physical DPS or Cryo DPS, depending on what you want. Either way you slice it, Eula will dish out huge damage numbers and stomp even the toughest enemies.

Wriothesley

• Element: Cryo
• Weapon: Catalyst

As the first Cryo Catalyst user in the game, Wriothsley is an incredibly strong DPS character. With Wriothesley, you can permanently freeze enemies in a Hydro comp or you can reduce the enemies to rubble in Superconduct comps. Even with so many options, he will succeed in any main DPS role while your off-field supports enable him to devastate foes. His main source of damage comes from his Normal Attacks, which means you don’t need to rely on Skills or Burst at all.

Alhaitham

• Element: Dendro
• Weapon: Sword

Often forgotten and easily overlooked, Alhaitham is arguably one of the strongest DPS characters in all of Genshin. He has Dendro-infused attacks with his sword and plays eerily similar to Keqing with his Skill and Burst. His kit works together, meaning you need a mixture of everything he can do to make the most out of him. His Normal Attacks have huge damage multipliers that are further enhanced by his temporary infusion, creating a deadly playstyle and resulting in big, satisfying numbers.

Ganyu

• Element: Cryo
• Weapon: Bow

Everyone who plays Genshin knows deep down that Ganyu is the strongest DPS in the game. Personal preference aside, Ganyu is undeniably strong with some of the highest damage multipliers on her Charged Attacks that always result in huge damage numbers. Ganyu’s main damage is from her Frostflake Arrows which are used by charging her arrows twice. Once fired, it will split on impact and deal an instance of Cryo damage for massive damage. The average is around 30k per shot, depending on your Ganyu. Outside of this, Ganyu’s Skill and Burst are both powerful, helping deal with crowds and buffing the character inside the Burst’s effect field.

✓ jack’s opinion

Ganyu with the hard carry

As I played through Genshin, Ganyu was one of the best characters I got. She carried me through every bit of content and continues to be one of the longest-serving members in my team comps. In the Morgana comp, Ganyu is almost without match.

Nuevillette

• Element: Hydro
• Weapon: Catalyst

According to the judgement of the… you’ve seen the meme, right? It is hard to overstate just how powerful Neuvillette can be, especially considering we’ve seen that people have beaten the Spiral Abyss using only him. Neuvillette’s main damage comes from his charged attack, which is powered up by his Skill and Burst. He effectively shoots out a Blastoise-level Hydro Pump attack on foes, and it does so much damage over a short period. Even though the playstyle is a little repetitive, it sure is nice to see foes washed away in a torrent of water. If you want to know about Nuevillette, we have the best build guide for you.

Kamisato Ayaka

• Element: Cryo
• Weapon: Sword

When it comes to the best of the best DPS in Genshin Impact, most people agree that Kamisato Ayaka could take the title. She is a walking Cryo application who benefits from an AoE skill, Cryo infusion, and an extremely powerful Burst. Not to mention, the damage of her charged attack increases by almost 300% at the maximum level. Where some characters are decent in one way and not others, Ayaka is brilliant no matter what. Ayaka’s charged attack is particularly deadly when combo’d with her passive, better known as the Senho state. As opposed to normal sprinting, Ayaka can consume some stamina to dash around the battlefield while cloaked in frost. On top of increased agility, whenever she comes to a stop in her Senho state, she applies frost to both nearby enemies and on her sword for a short duration.

Hu Tao

• Element: Pyro
• Weapon: Polearm

Hu Tao has always been a big part of Genshin Impact’s meta, and we doubt that will be changing anytime soon. Best known for her one-shot builds, Hu Tao’s Elemental Burst, Spirit Soother, is amazing at inflicting ridiculous amounts of damage. Outside of her Burst, Hu Tao’s Skill provides a considerable damage boost and Pyro infusion to her Normal Attacks, which will see Hu Tao deal incredible damage to any foe you come across. All in all, we think Hu Tao is the best DPS in Genshin, and any who have used her will surely agree.

That’s all for our picks for the best DPS characters in Genshin Impact. For more, make sure you read our guides covering the best free weapons to forge in Genshin Impact and the best weapons from the paid Battle Pass.

Best DPS characters in Genshin FAQ

What about <insert favourite character here>?

Well, this list of ours is based on our time playing the game. Naturally, if we have missed a character that doesn’t mean they’re not good, it all comes down to personal preference.

What makes a good DPS character?

Generally speaking, we look for how much damage a character can output and how a character’s kit operates. Some characters, such as Furina, are made to be off-field, and the same with Fischl. With that in mind, these two are excellent sub-DPS characters, so don’t get the wrong impression!