Many players are interested in obtaining 5-star characters in Genshin Impact due 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.
Genshin Impact: Best DPS Characters For Each Element & How To Use Them
Players looking for options to deal serious damage per second in Genshin Impact will want to choose these characters.
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-star Genshin Impact characters are worth putting in a party is also incredibly helpful. Here's how they stack up against one another.
Updated on February 21, 2024, 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.
39 Amber
- Low attack
- Makes up for it with pyro abilities
- Good for lighting up torches
Some things never change, which is quite sad for 
Amber. 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 as lighting up braziers from afar if players are too lazy to get close.
38 Lisa
- Slow electro application
- Abilities and talents reduce enemy defenses
- Has niche usage in a Eula team, but not much outside that
Lisa is great 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.
37 Xinyan
- Semi-reliable shielder
- C4 variant works well in a Eula team
- Not reliable as a pyro DPS
Despite being the only pyro claymore user aside from Diluc, 
Xinyan remains as unpopular as ever. It's most likely due to her abilities, 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.
36 Kaeya
- Excellent melee cryo application
- Makes water traversal easy
- Works well in a Diluc, Hu Tao, or Klee team
- Can be a DPS carry
There have been reports that using 
Kaeya as 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 perfect support for a Diluc melt composition. Beyond that, though, other cryo users simply deal better cryo status at longer ranges or larger areas of effect.
35 Chongyun
- Excellent cryo application and infusion
- Elemental Burst is difficult to aim
- Works well as a cryo support for pyro DPS mains
Speaking of dealing cryo status in a large area, 
Chongyun is 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 as support for Melt or Frozen compositions, because his Elemental Skill is superb.
34 Barbara
- Both abilities heal
- Decent hydro application
- Can function as a janky DPS, thanks to vaporize reactions
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.
Barbara also has no 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.
33 Dori
- Strong healing, but it's only single target
- Great battery potential
- Controllable Electro application although it can be difficult to manage.
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 than 
Dori in 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.
32 Razor
- High physical damage
- Fast attacks, not much CRIT Rate needed
- Claymore user, great for general combat
- Lowered Stamina cost is underrated
No Xiao? No problem. 
Razor fulfills 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 a 4-piece Gladiator's Finale set on him and let him rip.
31 Beidou
- High damage ceilings
- Needs lots of patience to time her counterattack
- C6 variant can match C0 Eula for DPS
- Requires lots of field time to function as a sub-DPS or DPS
Beidou is an underrated fan favorite. She can function as both 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.
30 Freminet
- Can be utilized as Cryo or Physical DPS and can benefit from Frozen, Superconduct and Shatter simultaneously.
- Arkhe mechanics and his passive are useful for underwater exploration.
- Versatile kit in terms of utilizing different play styles.
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 the Genshin Impact roster, 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.