Genshin Impact offers players a wide variety of characters to choose from, letting them have a free pick on their favorite characters in Genshin Impact. Since its release in September 2020, HoYoverse has introduced many playable characters, each with unique character designs, personalities, and storylines.
Although there are still three more regions to unlock, namely Fontaine, Natlan, and Snezhnaya, players already have many characters to pull for and build. The game currently has 64 playable characters, including the Traveler players get at the beginning.
But what exactly makes a character popular? What makes them a fan favorite? It could be because of their appealing designs and unique backstories. Some even gain fame due to their beautiful combat mechanics. Others are downright monsters in carrying the team, slashing through mobs like butter with their insane DPS potential. Either way, let’s find out what the polls say.
Most Favorite Characters in Genshin Impact, according to Polls
Two Chinese polls have surfaced on Reddit, revealing the most popular Genshin Impact characters. Although some of these rankings are predictable due to their popularity, others may come as a surprise. In this article, we’ll only include the top three male and female characters of each poll.
It’s worth noting that these polls and the rankings only reflect a portion of the Chinese player base. Other regions could produce different results on their polls. Nonetheless, it’s something worth checking out.
Top 3 Female Characters
Nahida
Coming up first is Nahida, the ever-lovable and adorable Dendro Archon from Sumeru, with 38,780 votes. It’s not a surprise that she came in first on the polls. Ever since her release, she brought in a monumental storyline that served as one of the biggest landmarks in the development of Teyvat. She also shook the game’s entire meta, forcing players to shift their focus from what they thought were the best characters in the game.
Not only is she an amazing catalyst user, but she’s also one of the characters that provide an easy-to-execute playstyle that capitalizes on elemental reactions with Dendro. With her elemental skill, “All Schemes to Know,” she can tag anything she looks at with the Seed of Skandha. This tag acts as a permanent Dendro stamp that can trigger elemental reactions in the opponent.
Her elemental burst, “Illusory Heart,” provides unique buffs to Pyro, Electro, and Hydro characters. This makes her a great character to play around with if you’re the type to try out team compositions. Not only that, Nahida is very lenient to players on a low budget. Although it would be nice to get her constellations, you won’t necessarily have to get them to be able to capitalize on her skills.
Raiden Shogun
Raiden Shogun comes in second with 30,399 votes, a staggering 8,381 votes less than Nahida. This placement isn’t necessarily a surprise since she has been extremely popular ever since her release in patch 2.1. With a character design that makes her attractive to both men and women, it’s no wonder players always try to get the Electro Archon when her banner’s out.
When talking about combat mechanics, Raiden Shogun is also quite invaluable, thanks to her kit. The Electro Archon focuses on supporting your team with off-field Electro damage due to her elemental skill “Transcendence: Baleful Omen.” When you activate her skill, the Eye can initiate a coordinated attack with all party members, whether you’re running solo or in co-op.
Of course, given that she’s an Archon, it would be lame if she couldn’t carry her weight. With her elemental burst, “Secret Art: Musou Shinsetsu,” she deals explosive damage to her opponents and gains resistance to interruptions. All in all, her character design and flawless kit make her a fan favorite.
Eula
Coming in third is Eula, with 24,369 votes. A descendant of the infamous and tyrannical Lawrence Clan, Eula severed her ties with her family and became the captain of the Reconnaissance Company with the Knights of Favonius. Despite her best efforts, some people in Mondstadt still treat her with disdain just because of her ancestry.
Aside from the unique view she provides players as someone that townsfolk tend to avoid, Eula being an amazing DPS character is what makes her popular. Not only does she provide consistent high damage, but she also debuffs her enemies by reducing their Physical RES and Cryo RES. Considering Eula is a Physical and Cryo damage dealer, this means you can shred mobs as she dances around on the battlefield.
Her elemental burst, “Roiling Rime,” can also nuke your opponents—say goodbye to button smashing and character rotations.
Top 3 Male Characters
Kazuha
Coming in first is everyone’s favorite wandering samurai, Kaedehara Kazuha, with 37,641 votes. It’s fairly obvious why he’s taken the crown, with his tragic backstory and amazing combat mechanics. He comes from the once-famed Kaedehara Clan, having turned wanderer and temporary crewmember of the Crux due to being a wanted man.
Kazuha is extremely valuable because of his capabilities for crowd control, buffing Elemental Mastery and damage for any team composition, and dealing widespread damage with his elemental burst, “Kazuha Slash.” Nowadays, it’s rare to see players clearing the Spiral Abyss without Kazuha in their team since he makes it easier no matter the enemy. It helps that he’s a good pair for pretty much anyone.
Zhongli
Coming in second is the Geo Archon, Zhongli, with 36,881 votes. Hailing from Liyue, Zhongli is a wise and well-mannered man who seems to know an endless amount about the history and culture of Liyue. Well, given that he was the Geo Archon, it’s only natural.
Now, he is mainly known for his shields, which have 150% extra strength. If built correctly, players can expect these shields to be up constantly. You might even have these shields up when the cooldown runs out. Zhongli’s shields also debuff enemies, decreasing their resistance against Physical DMG and Elemental DMG.
Another thing about Zhongli that makes him popular is his flexibility. Unlike other characters in the roster, you can build Zhongli as a shielder, Geo DPS, burst support, Physical DPS, or a hybrid DPS. You can make him fulfill any role you want; it just depends on how you build him.
Wanderer
Last but not least, Wanderer comes in at third with 32,374 votes. Players have wanted to get this mysterious, edgy Harbinger with a penchant for mischief in their team for the longest time, making him one of the most highly anticipated favorite playable characters in Genshin Impact. He was so popular that his drip marketing surpassed that of Yae Miko and Raiden Shogun.
Wanderer was also first introduced during the Version 1.1 event “Unreconciled Stars,” where he argued with Mona about astrology and his disbelief of the art. He even claimed that the stars and the sky were fake. In later scenes, he established himself as a force to be reckoned with before his reveal as a new weekly boss in Sumeru.
Regarding his gameplay, his greatest advantages would be his mobility and flexibility. Thanks to his elemental skill, “Hanega: Song of the Wind,” he can take flight and move across vast distances.
Genshin Impact boasts a vast array of playable characters, ranging from 5-star to 4-star characters. With so many options available, it’s natural to wonder who the most popular characters are.
Do you have any thoughts or opinions on this topic? Who are your favorite characters in Genshin Impact? Feel free to share them in the comments section! While you’re here, check out the top three most addictive games in 2023.
