Summary
- Cryo characters are highly popular in Genshin Impact, with a diverse array of 15 characters to choose from, each offering their own unique strengths and utility.
- Some Cryo characters, like Chongyun, have fallen out of favor due to the introduction of newer characters with better Cryo application or abilities.
- While there are a variety of Cryo characters to choose from, not all of them are equally effective. It's important to consider their abilities, roles, and synergies within team compositions to maximize their effectiveness.
In most of the games within the Hoyoverse, elements have played a crucial role in determining the utility of characters. This is especially significant in Genshin Impact, where elements interact with each other to create reactions. Certain reactions, such as Melt, are highly favored by players, leading to Cryo being one of the most popular elements. Players often pay considerable attention to characters released with the Cryo element.
The Genshin Impact roster has seen substantial growth across all elements, but Cryo, in particular, stands out with a whooping amount of 15 characters using this element. This abundance of Cryo characters provides players with a diverse array of options to choose from, each bringing their own unique strengths and utility to the game. However, it's worth noting that not all Cryo characters are created equal, and their effectiveness varies based on their abilities, roles, and synergies within team compositions.
Updated on November 18, 2023, by Elara Leclair: The Genshin Impact landscape underwent a significant transformation with the introduction of the Fontaine region in version 4.0. The Hydro element took center stage with new characters and content, yet the Cryo element has maintained its prominence. Interestingly, more Cryo characters have been introduced in recent patches than Hydro characters. This influx of Cryo characters, including the likes of 
Mika from previous patches, opens up new possibilities for players to build diverse Cryo-focused teams, whether centered around Freeze or Melt compositions, or even Physical DPS teams despite this being fallen off the meta significantly.
15 Aloy
Aloy is the first and only playable crossover character in Genshin Impact, joining the game as a collaboration between Guerrilla Games and HoYoverse. To celebrate her arrival, she was given to all players who logged in during a certain time-period for free, while her weapon was exclusively given to Playstation players.
Unfortunately, Aloy doesn't stand out from the rest of the characters in Genshin Impact except for looking out of place. Her overall character kit is considered to be lacking in strength and does not provide any noteworthy or innovative contributions to the team. Additionally, players are not able to unlock any constellations for her, making Aloy an easily forgotten unit.
14 Chongyun
In the early days of Genshin Impact, Chongyun was one of the most popular and sought-after characters for players to include in a team. His Cryo infusion made him a powerful ally in combat. But as the game has evolved, Chongyun's Cryo application has become less necessary, and he has fallen out of favor, especially with the introduction of characters such as Ayaka, who can infuse her weapon with Cryo, or other units who simply have better Cryo application.
Overall, Chongyun is best described as a Cryo support or DPS. As a support, Chongyun specializes in enabling reactions by creating a Cryo infusion zone with his elemental skill. Of course, this strategy has the flaw of infusing all attacks; the character causing the reaction should refrain from using their attacks in Chongyun's zone unless their skills are not affected by Chongyun's infusion. On the other hand, Chongyun can also act as a Cryo DPS by causing reactions in his zone. However, this strategy also has its flaws as it makes the enabler's job more difficult for the same infusion reasons.
13 Kaeya
Granted, Kaeya may have the most use in the early game of the five free characters. However, compared to other Cryo units, Kaeya doesn't quite make the cut due to his limited potential in battle. While his skill is easy to use, it ultimately is fairly underwhelming compared to other Cryo skills. The same can be said of his burst, though both are still useful from a support basis. On the other hand, Kaeya is a great utility character, but not much outside of that without heavy building.
Another issue with making the most of Kaeya is the difficulty in obtaining his constellations. He is never featured in rate-up banners, so the only way to acquire him is through sheer luck on Standard banner pulls or by purchasing him from the Starglitter Shop, if he is available. For those that do want to use Kaeya in their teams, a good team composition can still make up for his flaws. Players will find Kaeya's support build to be most efficiently working to enable Cryo reactions.
12 Qiqi
It's no secret that Qiqi was a much-coveted character when Genshin Impact first hit the scene. Her healing abilities were valuable to any team, and she was a top choice for many players. However, times have changed and with the arrival of new characters, and Qiqi is not considered as the best healer anymore.
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Qiqi's main issue is her lack of versatility; she is limited to being a healer. Unlike the other Cryo healer unit Diona, Qiqi cannot generate energy for the team or create a shield. Furthermore, although her application of Cryo is effective for Superconduct teams, it does not offer any unique advantages for other use cases.
11 Freminet
The debut of Fontaine's first patch introduced 
Freminet, a Cryo Claymore character, alongside his more popular siblings, 
Lyney and 
Lynette. Despite lacking significant synergy with his siblings, Freminet's individual utility has been also somewhat limited on his own. While he can be built as either a Physical or Cryo DPS, offering a degree of versatility, his damage output falls short compared to existing characters.
His kit mentions the Shatter reaction, suggesting that utilizing Freeze might be a good option, but Shatter is not a particularly strong or sought-after elemental reaction in comparison to other Cryo-related reactions. Nonetheless, for players interested in experimenting with new Physical builds and lacking access to characters like Eula, Freminet could be an intriguing option to explore.
10 Rosaria
Rosaria is an exceptional 4-star Cryo Polearm who boasts an incredibly versatile and powerful kit, capable of fulfilling many roles in a variety of teams. Her Skill and Burst both can enable Melt's reaction, allowing the team to deal tremendous damage. Additionally, she has consistent off-field Cryo application with her short skill cool down which also provides decent energy generation. One of the best and most unique abilities she offers is a team Crit buff, which synergizes exceptionally well with other Cryo units.
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Nevertheless, she still faces stiff competition from other Cryo characters, who can often perform similar roles. Her burst is also quite restrictive as the party needs to remain in the burst circle. And while she is not entirely reliant on Constellations, some of her Constellations—most notably her second—are fairly significant to her performance.
9 Mika
Mika's unique role as a Physical support character sets him apart, resembling other niche characters like 
Faruzan, 
Gorou, or 
Kujou Sara, each catering to their respective elements. While Mika provides decent buffs and healing to the team, the challenge lies in finding ideal teams that can make the most of his abilities. The niche nature of Physical teams, coupled with the fact that only Eula really truly shines in this category, makes it challenging for Mika to find widespread applicability.
Physical teams are generally less favored for challenging content, particularly in the later stages of the Spiral Abyss. Unless future updates bring about changes to elevate the status of Physical DPS teams, Mika may not rank high on the priority list for many players.
8 Layla
Layla is the newest recruit to the Cryo roster, being added to the game during the 3.2 patch. Her main role is to provide defensive support, as her Elemental skill generates a shield. During this shield, she also generates Night Stars, which allows her to do Cryo application and generate energy. When it comes to building her, she is relatively easy to assemble, opting for Artifacts and Weapons that require sufficient ER to reduce cool downs and as much HP as possible. However, a damage build is not recommended due to her low modifiers.
Despite her heavy reliance on Constellations, Layla is still a nice unit that can fit in plenty of team compositions. However, her shield is not the strongest, and if it is broken, the rest of her benefits such as the damage, cryo application, and energy particle generation will no longer be active. Overall, she can still be a great addition to any team if built correctly.
7 Eula
Eula is the best physical damage unit in the game. If played right, she boasts impressive Elemental Burst damage output that can one-shot almost everything the burst hits. Being a Cryo element also makes it easier for her to set up Superconduct reactions with off-field Electro characters like Fischl, Raiden, and 
Yae Miko.
In addition, Eula makes for a more stable DPS than others due to her minimal off-times. Her elemental skill stacks not only increase her resistance to interruption but also enhance her base defense stats. Furthermore, when consumed, these stacks can decrease the Physical RES and Cryo RES of surrounding opponents, thus increasing her total damage. Consequently, Eula is an easy-to-build character with enough flexible team slots to optimize her gameplay and damage output. Nevertheless, as she is not an elemental reaction unit, she may feel underpowered in certain high-level gameplay scenarios such as the Spiral Abyss if the enemy roster or buffs do not favor her.
6 Charlotte
Charlotte's addition to the playable roster in the version 4.2 update brings a unique combination of sub-DPS and healing abilities, making her a versatile option for specific team compositions. Pairing her with characters like 
Wriothesley and Furina can create a formidable synergy, especially for players seeking a character that offers more than just healing.
One notable aspect, particularly with her first constellation, is Charlotte's exceptional healing output, a surprising feature for a character with a dual focus on healing and sub-DPS. The added ability to capture in-combat pictures in a distinctive manner adds an extra layer of appeal for players interested in a replacement for characters like Diona.
However, 
Charlotte does have some drawbacks. Her versatility can lead to confusion regarding the most effective way to build her, as focusing on one aspect of her kit may compromise the effectiveness of the other. For players not specifically looking for a sub-DPS healer, Charlotte may fall behind Diona, who offers shielding, acts as a battery, and provides additional team-wide buffs. The choice between the two will largely depend on the player's preferred playstyle and team composition.