In Genshin Impact, strategic gameplay and teamwork are central to success. Players assemble teams of four characters, each filling essential roles, with damage dealers and healers often receiving the spotlight. Yet, the role of support characters, who provide critical assistance and tactical advantages, can be underestimated. These supportive characters boost the efficiency of damage dealers, keep the team resilient, and create smooth gameplay flow. Despite their often behind-the-scenes role, support characters play an integral role that many players may overlook.
Also read: Genshin Impact Redeem Codes
In Genshin Impact, support characters are those who take on roles other than direct DPS (Damage Per Second) or healing. Their contributions range widely, covering healing, buffing, debuffing, crowd control, energy generation (battery), shielding, and enabling specific elemental reactions. While support characters aren’t always active on the battlefield, their abilities are often the reason damage dealers can shine. Let’s look at some of the game’s most powerful support heroes and understand why they deserve more attention.
1. Furina
Among the most versatile characters in Genshin Impact, Furina brings a unique mix of support capabilities, making her invaluable in numerous team setups. Her Elemental Burst is especially potent, providing significant buffs to allies over an extended duration. Additionally, Furina can adapt her role fluidly with a charged attack, effortlessly shifting between an off-field sub-DPS and a support healer role. Some players may view her flexibility as a drawback, since she doesn’t specialize in a single role. However, her versatility allows her to effectively fulfill multiple support tasks.
Furina is also particularly effective in the Fontaine region, leveraging both of the Arkhe mechanics with ease, enhancing her utility in exploration. Yet, players need to manage her HP mechanics, a feature closely tied to Fontaine’s HP drain-and-gain system. In her sub-DPS mode, Furina drains her team’s HP up to 50%, reducing her own damage output and limiting further buff potential when HP levels dip too low. For those focused on maximizing Furina’s buffs and damage potential, including a healer like Baizhu can help, as he provides steady team healing and complements her style of play.
2. Kazuha
Kazuha’s incredible utility makes him one of the most sought-after support characters in Genshin Impact. Known for his versatility, Kazuha fits effortlessly into almost any team composition, especially those that rely heavily on Elemental Reactions. His Elemental Skill provides solid crowd control, even grouping larger enemies together—a feature that Venti, another popular support character, doesn’t offer. Kazuha’s Elemental Burst also costs a moderate amount of energy and significantly boosts the Elemental Damage of his teammates, making him an invaluable asset.
Overall, Kazuha’s versatility and utility make him indispensable in any lineup. With minimal weaknesses, he’s a straightforward character to build, allowing players to easily integrate him into their teams for increased control and enhanced elemental reaction effectiveness.
3. Nahida
As the Dendro Archon, Nahida is a powerhouse support character who brings unparalleled effectiveness to any team composition. Her role as a catalyst user enables her to trigger Dendro reactions consistently, thanks to her off-field capabilities. With no internal cooldown, Nahida’s Dendro Application is incredibly effective, making her ideal for Dendro-reaction-based teams.
Her Elemental Burst, although initially appearing modest, is instrumental in amplifying her and her teammates’ damage. With a substantial area of effect and long duration, it’s among the most impactful Elemental Bursts in the game. Together, these attributes make Nahida a highly desirable support character, offering a rare level of proficiency in Dendro Application that benefits nearly every team setup in Genshin Impact.
4. Baizhu
A recent addition to Genshin Impact, Baizhu is a Dendro healer who offers both healing and shielding, setting him apart from other healers in the game. His Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst both provide healing, while his ultimate ability creates a shield, protecting teammates from harm while gradually restoring HP. Compared to Yaoyao, another Dendro healer, Baizhu’s healing may be slower but is fully off-field, allowing him to support the team without requiring direct control, while Yaoyao’s healing requires her to be active on the field.
Additionally, Baizhu’s passive ability enhances Dendro reactions like Bloom by increasing their strength based on his max HP. This skill makes him especially useful in teams that rely on the Bloom reaction since his shield absorbs the damage caused by these explosions. Baizhu is also viable in Spread and Aggravate teams, although he lacks the consistency of Dendro application that Yaoyao provides. For maximum effectiveness, players often pair Baizhu with another Dendro character like Nahida to maintain Dendro effects and make the most of his reaction-based boosts.
5. Xingqiu
The scholarly Xingqiu is a support powerhouse whose skills make him invaluable in many team setups. His Elemental Burst surrounds the active character with “Rain Swords,” which consistently apply Hydro to enemies even when Xingqiu is off-field. This consistent Hydro application makes him essential for teams relying on Hydro-based elemental reactions.
What further sets Xingqiu apart is his Elemental Skill, which reduces damage taken by the active character as long as Rain Swords are present. He is also a good source of Energy, especially when equipped with the Sacrificial Sword, allowing him to generate multiple Elemental Particles. As an added bonus, Xingqiu’s passive skill provides minor healing based on his HP whenever a character is protected by Rain Swords. These combined skills make Xingqiu one of the most reliable support characters, whether for reaction setups or simple team durability.
6. Bennett
Bennett is arguably one of the most well-rounded support characters in Genshin Impact, offering substantial healing and a significant ATK boost for the entire team. His Elemental Burst creates a healing field that also increases the attack of allies, making him a dual-purpose support character. Bennett is effective and easy to build, making him accessible for both new and experienced players alike.
Although Bennett has become slightly less popular due to recent updates and the release of new support characters, his abilities remain unmatched. One limitation is his lack of Pyro application if his sixth constellation is activated, which can complicate elemental reactions. Additionally, some newer characters in the game benefit more from HP or Elemental Mastery than raw attack boosts, slightly limiting Bennett’s versatility. Nevertheless, with characters like Lyney who work best in mono-Pyro teams, Bennett has the potential to regain his position as a top support pick.
7. Sucrose
Sucrose, an Anemo catalyst user, has long been recognized as an essential support for teams looking to maximize elemental reactions. Her Elemental Burst creates a powerful AoE effect that pulls enemies together, making it easier to hit multiple foes and trigger reactions. Furthermore, Sucrose boosts Elemental Mastery, which significantly increases the power of reactions like Vaporize, Melt, and Overloaded. For players without Venti or Kazuha, Sucrose is an excellent choice.
While Sucrose’s AoE capabilities aren’t as potent as Venti’s, and her Elemental Burst’s energy cost is fairly high, she remains one of the best support options, particularly for players who rely on reaction damage. Her grouping ability and elemental mastery buffs are essential in many free-to-play teams, solidifying her as a strong Anemo support for any party.
8. Yelan
Yelan’s versatility allows her to fill both sub-DPS and support roles seamlessly, making her adaptable to numerous team setups. Her Elemental Skill doubles as a fast dash, enabling easy navigation of the game world and exploration. Additionally, her skill generates a Hydro-infused tether, which binds and deals substantial damage to enemies in its path.
Yelan’s abilities excel during the downtime of main DPS characters, allowing her to amplify team damage consistently. Her Elemental Burst shines in this aspect, dealing strong Hydro damage in combination with the active character’s normal attacks and applying Hydro consistently. Her strengths make her an optimal fit for teams focused on Vaporize or Bloom reactions.
9. Zhongli
As the Geo Archon, Zhongli offers unparalleled defensive capabilities through his shielding skill, which many consider the most powerful in Genshin Impact. His Jade Shield has an incredible base absorption rate, reducing incoming elemental and physical damage by 150%—enough to make a healer unnecessary for many players who invest in a strong Zhongli. Thanks to his flexible playstyle, he can enhance virtually any team composition.
Zhongli’s shield also decreases both elemental and physical resistance of nearby enemies by 20%, making it a potent offensive tool as well. His Elemental Burst is a powerful ability with a wide area of effect, momentarily petrifying enemies and rendering them immobile. Zhongli’s combination of defense, offense, and durability makes him irreplaceable in many teams, as no other character offers such a unique blend of abilities.
10. Raiden Shogun
The Electro Archon Raiden Shogun brings unmatched energy regeneration and can play sub-DPS and support roles equally well. Known for her versatility, she can boost the elemental burst uptime for the entire team, making her a must-have for setups that need an Electro element and consistent energy recharge. Her range of abilities allows her to adapt to a variety of team comps, earning her a top spot as one of the game’s best support characters.
Raiden’s Elemental Skill applies Electro off-field, making it valuable for reactions, while also increasing the team’s Elemental Burst damage. Her Elemental Burst itself is extremely potent, capable of acting as a burst DPS ability when combined with other Elemental Bursts. If players choose to keep Raiden on the field after using her burst, she provides extra Energy for both herself and other party members, giving her an additional layer of support.
11. Sangonomiya Kokomi
While Kokomi doesn’t fit the traditional offensive role, she stands out as one of the most capable healers in Genshin Impact, particularly when working with Dendro reactions. Her Elemental Skill summons a bake-kurage, which periodically applies Hydro, similar to Mona’s phantom, allowing her to easily set up elemental reactions. Alongside Hydro application, Kokomi’s skill also heals teammates, making her indispensable for long-lasting engagements.
Kokomi’s Elemental Burst enhances the strength of her bake-kurage while also allowing her to perform powerful Hydro attacks. Given her skills, she excels in Bloom and Hyperbloom teams, where she can effectively heal characters affected by Dendro Core explosions, making her a versatile choice for team compositions needing off-field Hydro support combined with reliable healing.
12. Venti
Venti excels in crowd control, making him one of the most effective support characters in the game for handling groups of smaller enemies. His Elemental Burst draws enemies together, continuously dealing Anemo damage and providing a valuable advantage for melee teams. Though it’s less effective on larger foes, Venti’s skill remains indispensable for gathering mobs, allowing teammates to land powerful area-of-effect (AoE) attacks.
With the Viridescent Venerer artifact set, Venti can boost Swirl damage while reducing enemy resistance to the Swirled element, amplifying the damage potential of elemental reactions within his Burst. When built correctly and paired with appropriate constellations, Venti can also act as a sub-DPS and a reliable energy battery for the team.
13. Yaoyao
As the game’s first Dendro healer, Yaoyao offers a flexible support kit that includes both on-field and off-field healing. Her White Jade Radishes can be strategically placed to ensure steady Dendro application for reactions, maximizing her utility in Dendro-reaction-based teams.
To optimize her performance, players should prioritize HP%, Energy Recharge, and Elemental Mastery, particularly if her first constellation is unlocked. This setup boosts both her healing output and her Dendro application, making Yaoyao a straightforward yet powerful support option for any team that values consistent Dendro reactions.
14. Charlotte
Much like Diona, Charlotte is a Cryo support character with healing abilities. However, Charlotte’s healing style pairs well with Fontaine characters, such as Wriothesley, who benefit from rapid HP changes to trigger artifact effects like the Marechaussee Hunter set. Charlotte’s Elemental Skill has an AoE Cryo effect, making her ideal for perma-freeze teams.
While Charlotte lacks the Elemental Mastery buff that Diona provides, her consistent Cryo application and unique healing style make her a valuable choice for setups that rely on Cryo-based reactions or need a reliable source of off-field Cryo damage.
15. Diona
Diona is renowned for her versatile support capabilities, providing a blend of Cryo application, shields, and healing. Her Elemental Burst creates a healing field that periodically applies Cryo, which can be helpful for setting up reactions. Meanwhile, her Elemental Skill generates a shield and provides energy particles, enabling her to act as an energy battery for the team.
With her sixth constellation, Diona grants additional Elemental Mastery to the party, which significantly enhances the damage potential of reaction-based teams. This constellation makes her an excellent choice for players who rely heavily on reactions like Melt or Vaporize.
16. Mona
Mona has earned her place as a top support character due to her powerful Elemental Burst, which amplifies the damage dealt by elemental reactions. Her Burst creates an “omen” bubble that debuffs enemies, boosts their damage intake, and delivers an explosive Hydro attack when triggered. This Hydro burst is perfect for setting up Melt or Vaporize reactions, making Mona indispensable for reaction-based DPS teams.
As an exploration bonus, Mona’s alternative sprint allows her to move quickly across water, adding an extra layer of utility. Her Elemental Skill also provides consistent Hydro application, ideal for freeze-based teams, while her decoy taunts enemies for additional crowd control.
17. Albedo
Albedo’s Elemental Skill creates a persistent AoE that deals Geo damage off-field, allowing him to support the team with consistent Geo application. His skill’s quick cooldown also makes him a reliable Crystallize reaction generator, providing shields for the team without interrupting other elemental reactions.
Additionally, Albedo’s fourth ascension passive grants a 125 Elemental Mastery buff to the team when he uses his Elemental Burst, making him a strong support choice for reaction-heavy teams. Built around defense, Albedo excels in Geo-centric teams, pairing especially well with characters like Gorou and Itto.
18. Kirara
As the first Inazuma Dendro character, Kirara brings unique exploration and support capabilities. Her transformation skill enhances climbing and sprinting speed while reducing stamina consumption, making her a valuable asset for traversing the map.
In combat, Kirara’s shield is especially useful for protecting teams from Bloom reaction damage, as it shields the party when Dendro Cores explode. For players who didn’t manage to unlock Baizhu, Kirara provides a reliable alternative for Dendro shielding. She can also act as a Dendro enabler or Burst-support character, adapting to various team needs.
19. Xiangling
Xiangling excels as a sub-DPS with potent Pyro application, making her ideal for triggering Melt and Vaporize reactions off-field. Her Elemental Skill, Guoba Attack, not only applies Pyro but also leaves behind a Chili Pepper after Ascension 4. This Chili Pepper grants a 10% Attack boost to the character who picks it up, making Xiangling a versatile support even in Pyro-heavy setups.
Her constellations further amplify her support potential, particularly for Pyro-focused DPS units. At Constellation 1, Guoba’s hits reduce enemy Pyro resistance by 15%, creating opportunities for higher DPS output. Meanwhile, her sixth constellation increases Pyro DMG by 15% during the duration of her Elemental Burst, Pyronado. Since Pyronado’s value shines brightest when maintained, it’s recommended to invest in Energy Recharge to make its high Energy cost more manageable and maximize its uptime.
20. Specialized Support Characters: Sara, Gorou, Shenhe, Faruzan, Mika, and Chevreuse
With the introduction of Sara, the first element-specific support character, Genshin Impact began offering characters who specialize in enhancing the capabilities of a single element. Unlike more flexible support options, these characters deliver impressive elemental buffs but require specific team compositions to truly excel. Each is designed to benefit certain elements, and they include:
- Sara (Electro 4-star): Best utilized in Electro-based teams, Sara can amplify Electro DMG for her teammates. She requires precise positioning and setup but is invaluable for players focused on Electro-oriented strategies.
- Gorou (Geo 4-star): A perfect match for Geo-focused teams, Gorou boosts defense and Geo DMG, supporting characters like Itto and Albedo. He provides high synergy but relies on having multiple Geo characters for optimal performance.
- Faruzan (Anemo 4-star): Faruzan’s support is tailored for Anemo DPS units, increasing Anemo DMG and providing crowd control. She complements Anemo-centered team compositions by enabling significant boosts to Swirl reactions and damage output.
- Shenhe (Cryo 5-star): Known for her ability to enhance Cryo DMG, Shenhe is particularly beneficial for Cryo-heavy teams. However, as a 5-star character, her constellations are costly, making her a high-investment choice for Cryo players.
- Mika (Cryo/Physical 4-star): Mika offers buffs to Physical DMG, making him a niche pick for teams focused on Physical DPS characters, such as Eula. His support potential shines with constellations, which can boost his abilities further, though he lacks versatility outside of Physical DPS setups.
The benefits of these characters can be game-changing when their constellations are unlocked, as this significantly amplifies their support value. However, due to their limited flexibility, they are less popular than more general support options, as their contributions only shine in specific scenarios where the appropriate elemental synergy is present.
Conclusion…
These sub-DPS and niche support characters bring unique strengths and strategies to Genshin Impact’s diverse gameplay, allowing players to craft specialized teams that maximize their chosen elements or reactions. Whether it’s Xiangling’s fiery support or Chevreuse’s Overloaded reaction focus, understanding each character’s specific strengths can help players build highly efficient teams that excel in elemental synergy and damage output.
Genshin Impact | Genshin Impact Codes | Genshin Impact News |
Genshin Impact Tier Lists | Genshin Impact Tips & Guides | Homepage |