Many players are interested in obtaining 5-star characters inGenshin Impactdue to their sheer power and potential in comparison to 4-star characters.However,luckily, the game doesn’t exactly pressure players into having the best damage or the best team compositions around. In fact, many 4-star characters perform better than some 5-star characters, especially in support roles, and are actually viable in-game regardless of the content level.
They may not be as flashy as 5-star characters, but at least players don’t blow a good chunk of their salary trying to get them. Then again, not all of them are good if math and efficiency are concerned. Knowing which 4-starGenshin Impactcharacters are worth putting in a party is also incredibly helpful. Here’s how they stack up against one another.
Updated on August 01, 2025, by Elara Leclair:With the release of the Fontaine region and subsequent updates starting from version 4.0, each patch has introduced a new set of 5-star and 4-star characters. While there has been a consensus among players that the newer 4-star characters released up to Fontaine have not been as valuable in team compositions compared to older characters like Xingqiu, Xiangling, or Bennett, recent releases have received positive feedback. This is especially true thanks to their unique gameplay mechanics or support abilities that enable players to create unique synergies. Currently, the game boasts 39 4-star characters, with recent additions including Charlotte, Chevreuse, and Gaming.
39Amber
Some things never change, which is quite sad forAmber. She’s been at the bottom of the heap ever since the game began and is crowned as the worst character when it comes to damage. Still, she does have her uses, such aslighting up braziers from afarif players are too lazy to get close.
38Lisa
Lisaisgreat for climbing,and for those who crave a witch-type character (even though she’s a librarian). However, her attacks are simply too slow or too weak.
She does electro damage, which is one of the weakest elements in the game. Her abilities don’t synergize well with her playstyle, since they require her to be in the thick of things.
37Xinyan
Despite being the only pyro claymore user aside from Diluc,Xinyanremains as unpopular as ever. It’s most likely due to herabilities, which are all over the place.
She needs to have a high defense for her Elemental Skill, while her Elemental Burst is a split of physical and pyro damage. It’s hard to build her one way without pulling away from the other aspects.
36Kaeya
There have been reports that usingKaeyaas the main DPS can produce decent results, but ultimately, he still gets overshadowed by even 4-star characters who are DPS-based. At best, Kaeya acts like the perfectsupport for a Diluc melt composition.Beyond that, though, other cryo users simply deal better cryo status at longer ranges or larger areas of effect.
35Chongyun
Speaking of dealing cryo status in a large area,Chongyunis one of the best in the 4-star category. He’s the only cryo claymore user, so he can be a decent DPS. However, his Elemental Burst, while damaging, is too small and can miss a lot. Players mostly include him in the party assupport for Melt or Frozen compositions,because his Elemental Skill is superb.
34Barbara
It’s too bad that the only healer players can get if they don’t have any 5-star characters is Barbara. She does heal consistently but does it slower compared to Qiqi or Jean.
Barbaraalso hasno other purpose than being a healer; her attacks are too feeble and she’s too slow on the hydro application to deal Frozen status frequently. Still, any port in a storm is good if free-to-play players need some healing.
33Dori
After Kuki Shinobu’s release, many players were excited to have another option for an Electro healer character. However, it was soon realized that Kuki was a much more convenient option thanDoriin many instances. This is primarily because while Dori is great as a universal battery option for many teams, she doesn’t bring as much value to the team as many other characters can.
While she can certainly apply Electro, this is done through a link between her and her summon, which requires positioning that may not be ideal in many situations. Additionally, her damage values are quite low, and as such, she is only best suited for players who enjoy utilizing Elemental Bursts as much as possible while using characters that need high energy generation.
32Razor
No Xiao? No problem.Razorfulfills a similar role, except with physical damage and with better regard for personal safety.
He’s one of the few “selfish” DPS characters in the game, but worth the price of ascension and leveling. Just slap a4-piece Gladiator’s Finaleset on him and let him rip.
31Beidou
Beidouis an underrated fan favorite. She can function asboth a tank and a DPS, which makes her quite a versatile main character. The only issue is that she’s slow on the damage and relies on enemies attacking her before she can actually live up to her potential as a good DPS. If players have that patience, then she can be quite a monster on the field.
30Freminet
Freminet, as one of the first characters introduced for the Fontaine patch, brings unique gameplay elements to the roster. He is one of the few, if not the only, viable Physical characters in theGenshin Impactroster, following in the footsteps of Eula. However, Freminet faces challenges due to his low attack modifiers, which make using him as a main DPS less viable, especially given that Physical damage isn’t performing strongly in the current meta. Furthermore, he is prone to interruptions, especially without the right team members to support him, and these supports may find more valuable roles in other team compositions.
