Currently, six of the seven Genshin Impact Archons are available as playable characters, with Mavuika being the latest. Each of them wields the powers of their respective element and is amongst the strongest characters, lore-wise and gameplay-wise. Naturally, many players wonder which one has the highest impact on the game’s meta and is most recommended for summoning. We will explain the gameplay and usefulness of all the Genshin Impact Archons and rank them.
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All Genshin Impact Archons, Ranked
Archons are basically the gods and rulers of each of the seven nations of Teyvat. As of the ongoing update, all Archons aside from the Tsaritsa are playable in Genshin Impact. Each one is ideally suited to be played as a support or sub-DPS character, with the exceptions of Raiden Shogun and Mavuika, who can serve as strong damage dealers as well. Without further ado, let’s look at how all the Archons hold up against each other:
6. Venti
- Element: Anemo
- Nation: Mondstadt
- Rarity: 5-star
- Weapon: Bow
- Constellation: Carmen Dei
- Release Year: 2020
Venti is the first Genshin Impact character to be released on the gacha banners. He is the Anemo Archon in the narrative and wields a Bow in his playable form. As one would expect from the God of Wind, he can generate wind currents that enable characters to fly by using his Elemental Skill. Additionally, his Elemental Burst creates a vortex that pulls all the enemies on the field towards it.
All of this makes Venti an amazing sub-DPS that offers Crowd Control. However, over the years, HoYoverse has introduced several heavier enemies that are immune to his abilities. This has reduced Venti’s effectiveness significantly, thus making him the least powerful Archon in the game.
5. Zhongli
- Element: Geo
- Nation: Liyue
- Rarity: 5-star
- Weapon: Polearm
- Constellation: Lapis Dei
- Release Year: 2020
Zhongli made his debut as a playable character at the end of 2020 during the 1.1 update as the Geo Archon. He later received a rework, which improved him considerably, in the 1.3 update. The main aspect of his Elemental Skill which generates a shield that protects the active character from all incoming damage. This ability has a 100% uptime and offers other advantages as well, such as resistance to interruption and shredding enemy RES. All of this makes Zhongli the best shielder in the game and one of the best support characters for survivability.
Apart from that, Zhongli’s Elemental burst is also worth discussing. While it does not deal a lot of damage when used, it stuns enemies for a small duration. This can be helpful to dodge and survive critical attacks.
4. Raiden Shogun
- Element: Electro
- Nation: Inazuma
- Rarity: 5-star
- Weapon: Polearm
- Constellation: Imperatrix Umbrose
- Release Year: 2021
Raiden Shogun is the Archon of Inazuma and was introduced to the title in 2021 during the 2.1 update. She is a powerful sub-DPS capable of applying Electro upon the enemies from off-field by using her Elemental Skill. This makes her a great character to trigger Electro-related elemental reactions and a must-have for Aggravate and Hyperbloom team comps.
Furthermore, Raiden Shogun can also function as burst DPS, considering she can deal a lot of damage with her Elemental Burst. Upon casting the ability, her stance is changed, and she deals a huge instance of AoE Electro damage using her Sword. She then continues to wield that weapon for a few seconds, where she can deal damage with it and recover the Elemental Burst energy of herself and her teammates.
Also, check out our other Genshin Impact articles:
- Active Genshin Impact Codes and How to Redeem Them
- Genshin Impact 5.7 Leaks Hint at the Return of a Major Villain
- Skirk Ascension and Talent Materials in Genshin Impact
- Dahlia Ascension and Talent Materials in Genshin Impact
- All Genshin Impact 6.x Characters Leaked So Far
3. Nahida
- Element: Dendro
- Nation: Sumeru
- Rarity: 5-star
- Weapon: Catalyst
- Constellation: Sapientia Oromasdis
- Release Year: 2022
Nahida, also known as Lesser lord Kusanali, first debuted in 2022 during version 3.2. She is the Dendro Archon in the storyline and is the best sub-DPS from the element. Players can use her Elemental Skill to apply Dendro marks on the enemy, which allows her to trigger elemental reactions. This ability has a very long cooldown and also makes her pair well with damage dealers requiring considerable field time.
Nahida’s Elemental Burst is also quite useful. While it does not deal any damage to foes, it does provide her and her teammates with buffs like increased Elemental Mastery.
2. Mavuika
- Element: Pyro
- Nation: Natlan
- Rarity: 5-star
- Weapon: Claymore
- Constellation: Sol Invictus
- Release Year: 2025
Mavuika is the latest Archon to debut in Genshin Impact and was released in version 5.3. She commands the powers of the Pyro element and can use Nightsoul’s Blessing like other Natlan characters. Her Elemental Skill can be used in two ways, either by tapping the button or pressing it. Casting it by tapping allows Mavuika to deal off-field Pyro damage to trigger reactions every time the active character deals damage. Alternatively, holding the Skill button enables her to deal damage while riding her bike. Depending on the player’s choice, she will either function as a sub-DPS or main DPS.
Similar to the hold version of her Elemental Skill, Mavuika’s Elemental Burst also lets her deal damage to enemies while riding a bike after an instance of dealing significant AoE Pyro damage. Moreover, it doesn’t require traditional burst energy but relies on Fighting Spirit, making her a great option against foes that drain energy.
1. Furina
- Element: Hydro
- Nation: Fontaine
- Rarity: 5-star
- Weapon: Sword
- Constellation: Animula Choragi
- Release Year: 2023
Furina is the former Hydro Archon in the storyline and initially debuted as a playable character in 2023 during the 4.2 update. She is a powerful sub-DPS who can use her Elemental Skill to deal off-field Hydro damage and even heal allies. This makes her a versatile option for all team compositions that require a Hydro character.
Moreover, her Elemental Burst utilizes the Fanfare stacks mechanics, which buffs the damage and healing of her teammates when their HP fluctuates. This greatly improves the team’s output, leading her to be one of the best Archons in Genshin Impact.
