It’s that time of year again, when Genshin Impact players can choose a 4-star character from Liyue to join their team. Given our ever-increasing roster, you may be wondering which character makes the most sense for your account. Here’s my personal ranking of the best Liyue 4-star characters!
The rankings below assume you don’t already have the character in question, but I’ll also discuss the value of each character’s Constellations. Rankings are based on overall character utility and presence in the meta and don’t consider their aesthetics or backstory.
Xingqiu
Xingqiu is arguably one of the best, if not the best, 4-star characters in Genshin Impact. He deals respectable Hydro damage, has fast application, and provides defensive utility. By virtue of his Hydro element, Xingqiu is incredibly flexible and can be used in a variety of teams. If you don’t already have Xingqiu, I highly recommend picking him up.
Xingqiu’s Constellations are very good too, with Constellation 6 being a significant increase in damage and Hydro application.
Xiangling
Xiangling is another 4-star powerhouse. As an off-field Pyro DPS, her Pyronado deals significant damage and applies Pyro with every hit. This makes her a great addition to an assortment of teams, like Vaporize, Melt, and mono Pyro.
You’ll get Xiangling for free after clearing floor 3 of the Spiral Abyss, but Constellations are welcome! Constellation 4 is the breakpoint to look out for, since it increases the duration of her Pyronado by 40%.
Yaoyao
As a 4-star Dendro healer, Yaoyao is a valuable teammate for Nilou Bloom teams. She is also a great defensive pick for Dendro teams in general, though she requires a bit of field time to do the bulk of her healing. If you already have both Xingqiu and Xiangling, Yaoyao is a great choice.
Yaoyao’s Constellations increase her healing and provide minor buffs to Dendro teams, but they aren’t game-changing. Yaoyao is fully functional at C0 and there is no pressure to obtain Constellations.
Gaming
Gaming is a new 4-star Pyro DPS character in Version 4.4 of Genshin Impact. He is an on-field Pyro DPS character, of whom there are many, but you may enjoy his unique playstyle. Gaming uses his Skill to launch himself into the air before executing a special Plunging Attack. If you want to become a literal fireball of death, then consider picking up Gaming.
Gaming’s Constellations could be nice to have if you plan to play him consistently. Still, Gaming is a complete unit at C0 and can be played without them.
Beidou
Beidou combines off-field Electro damage with defensive utility in the form of her shield. She faces stiff competition from Fischl and Yae Miko, but she’s a good option for a second Electro in teams that already have Fischl or Yae. Beidou isn’t as useful as Xingqiu or Xiangling, but she is still decently strong in the right teams.
Beidou’s Constellations are worth getting if you wish to make the most of her.
Yun Jin
Yun Jin has her own niche as a Normal Attack buffer. She’s a great partner for on-field DPS units who use Normal Attacks, like Yoimiya, Ayato, Noelle, or Wanderer. If you enjoy playing any of these DPS characters, then Yun Jin is a worthwhile support.
Yun Jin’s Constellations improve her buffing capabilities. The ATK SPD buff from her Constellation 6 in particular can allow your DPS unit to get a few more attacks into their combo.
Chongyun
Chongyun isn’t particularly popular, but he does have a unique gimmick. His Skill creates a field that infuses melee weapons with Cryo. Together with Shenhe, Xianyun, or Hydro units, this can make for some creative team building. Grab Chongyun if you feel like experimenting with off-meta Cryo teams.
Chongyun’s Constellations generally aren’t very useful. If you already have him at C0, there’s not much point in getting his Constellations.
Yanfei
Yanfei is an on-field Pyro DPS unit whose gameplay revolves around Charged Attacks. In a strange twist of fate, Yanfei is arguably more effective as a shield support unit with her Constellation 4. Give her Prototype Amber, and she can heal your team too. You have plenty of options for on-field Pyro DPS units, so grab Yanfei if you like her design or if you want a Pyro shielder.
Yanfei’s Constellations are recommended if you want to play her as a DPS. As a support, Yanfei only needs Constellation 4.
Ningguang
Ningguang is a Geo DPS unit. Her strength lies in her ability to quickly swap in, deal damage, and swap out, giving her synergy with other units like Geo Traveler and Navia. She isn’t a very popular character though, due to her comparatively lower damage and clunky combos. Still, if her design speaks to you, Ningguang is still perfectly usable in the hardest content.
Ningguang’s Constellations significantly increase her damage output. I recommend C6 if you want to maximize her potential.
Xinyan
Xinyan is a Pyro character who deals primarily Physical damage. This by itself causes a problem, since Pyro does not help trigger Superconduct (Electro + Cryo). On top of having a suboptimal element, Xinyan’s attack scalings are not very high. To add to her issues, her Skill is bugged whereby hitting multiple enemies does not properly trigger her level 3 shield. I hate to say it, but if you don’t have Xinyan, you’re not missing out on much.
Provided you want to use Xinyan, her Constellations provide small increases to her damage. Still, you might want to consider a more useful character as your Lantern Rite reward.
