What this Genshin Impact tier list measures
This is a live character tier list for Genshin Impact computed from Spiral Abyss clearance data, overall usage statistics, and team flexibility metrics. The ranking isn't just "which character deals the most damage". It's a composite of Abyss presence, cross-team versatility, and owner base usage normalised against the current game version. Characters refresh automatically as new Spiral Abyss seasons roll out.
That last factor matters a lot. A character with the highest theoretical damage ceiling but a narrow team requirement will rank lower than a character who fits into 6 different teams at 80% of that damage ceiling. Genshin's endgame content rewards team flexibility more than raw single-target DPS, and the Spiral Abyss rotation specifically pushes you to build a second capable team, something single-character DPS calculators can't capture.
How to read this Genshin tier list
S+ and S tier characters in this list are the ones you should actively plan to pull on their rerun banners, because they fundamentally change what your account can clear in Abyss. Dendro and Hydro support characters have dominated the top tiers since the Dendro element released, because Dendro reactions scale off elemental mastery rather than weapon refinements, which means a 4-star support character can out-perform a 5-star raw DPS in the right team.
A-tier and B-tier characters are strong in specific team comps and role slots. If you already own their designated team leader, they're worth pulling to constellation 0. If you don't, you're better off saving Primogems for an S-tier reroll or a weapon banner refinement that raises your existing team's floor.
C-tier and D-tier characters are not bad. They're simply outclassed by more recent releases or burdened with a niche kit. HoYoverse tends to rework or buff these characters 12-18 months after release, so if you already own a lower-tier character and enjoy their kit, there's no harm in keeping them in rotation; just don't spend Primogems chasing their banner over a clear meta pick.
When to top up Genesis Crystals and pull
The efficient Genshin top-up strategy centres on two anchor products: the Blessing of the Welkin Moon (S$4.14) and the Gnostic Hymn Battle Pass. The Welkin Moon alone gives you 3,000 Primogems over 30 days (enough for nearly two full 10-pulls), and paying for it consistently is the closest thing Genshin has to a "pay $5 a month to stay F2P-competitive" model.
For character banners, you want to hit soft pity (starts around pull 74) before the banner ends. The math: a typical account earning daily Primogems from commissions, Abyss, and events accumulates around 70-90 pulls over a 3-week banner phase. If you want to guarantee a 5-star at pity, you need roughly 20-30 additional pulls, which maps to stacking the Welkin + Battle Pass + a 1,090 Genesis Crystal top-up. Add an 3,880 or 8,080 Genesis Crystal pack if you're chasing both the character AND their signature weapon.
The first-purchase double bonus on every Genesis Crystal denomination resets periodically rather than staying available, which is why smart players stagger their top-ups across patch boundaries instead of bulk-buying once a year.
Spiral Abyss meta vs overworld meta
A critical distinction for tier list accuracy: this list weights Spiral Abyss performance heavily, which means it slightly under-represents exploration and overworld utility characters. A character who makes open-world traversal trivial (high mobility, shield generators, healing) may sit in B or A tier here but is practically S+ for the 90% of Genshin playtime that isn't Abyss. Pull accordingly. If you play Genshin primarily for the story and exploration, a strong overworld character is more useful than a theoretical Abyss god.
Data sources and notes
Tier list data is sourced from public Spiral Abyss usage telemetry and refreshes across each Genshin version. Character art, lore, and all game assets are the property of HoYoverse (formerly miHoYo). For official patch notes and character balance updates, refer to the HoYoverse Genshin Impact news page. Elitedias is not affiliated with HoYoverse; we deliver Genesis Crystals through authorised distributors, within minutes of payment confirmation. Our customer reviews are publicly readable on Trustpilot at trustpilot.com/review/elitedias.com.