Xiao is an Adeptus from Liyue and one of the five Yakshas. He is a 5-star Anemo character in his playable form who wields a Polearm in combat. He mainly relies on his Plunge Attacks to deal damage and boasts an exciting, fast-paced playstyle. With a proper build, you can use Xiao to clear the majority of challenges that may come your way. Here is a detailed Genshin Impact Xiao build guide, which explains how to play him efficiently and provides information about his best weapons, artifacts, and team comps.
Table of Contents
Genshin Impact Xiao Build Guide
Xiao Character Stats – Breakdown
| Type | Detail |
|---|---|
| Rarity | 5-star |
| Element | Anemo |
| Weapon Type | Polearm |
| Role | Main DPS |
| Base ATK (Level 90) | 349 |
| Base DEF (Level 90) | 799 |
| Base HP (Level 90) | 12736 |
| Ascension Stat (Level 90) | 24.2% Crit Rate |
| Voice Actors | EN: Laila Berzins JP: Matsuoka Yoshitsugu CN: Kinsen KR: Shim Kyu-hyeok |
| Strengths | • Plunge Attacks have a huge AoE. • High damage multipliers. • Useful for exploration. |
| Weaknesses | • Requires a lot of field time due to Burst-reliant playstyle. • High energy cost. • Depletes self HP with no self sustainence. |
Xiao is one of the strongest Anemo characters in Genshin Impact. He is a powerful Main DPS from Liyue who can deal significant damage to the enemy. His Elemental Skill allows him to dash forward and deal damage to enemies. However, the best part of his kit is his Elemental Burst. After casting it, Xiao dons his Yaksha mask and enters a special state where he can jump higher than normal and perform Plunge Attacks that deal significant damage. This is the most important part of his gameplay.
You should note that under the influence of his Elemental Burst, Xiao continuously loses his HP and is unable to generate Energy. This makes him quite dependent on his teammates for survival.
How to Play Xiao
Here’s how to play Xiao within your rotations:
- Upon taking the field with Xiao, use his Elemental Skill twice to generate Energy.
- Immediately cast his Elemental Burst to gain the ability to jump higher than normal and imbue attacks with Anemo.
- Start spamming Plunge Attacks against enemies to defeat them until the duration of your Burst ends.
Should you pull Xiao?
Yes, Xiao is definitely worth pulling if you enjoy Plunge Attack-focused gameplay. He is quite powerful and is capable of clearing the majority of challenges in the game. However, you should note that his playstyle can feel quite repetitive or difficult to handle; as such, we recommend you use his character trial prior to summoning him.
Best Weapons for Xiao Build in Genshin Impact
The Primordial Jade Winged-Spear will be the best weapon for your Xiao build as it is his signature weapon. Not only does it pair well with him stat-wise, but it also looks great visually. By combining this Polearm’s 22.1% Crit Rate with Xiao’s ascension passive, you can build up to 46% Crit Rate on him without relying on artifacts. As such, this weapon lets you invest heavily in Crit DMG.
Other than that, several other Polearms do well with Xiao:
| Weapon | Rarity and How to Get | Advantages |
|---|---|---|
 Primordial Jade Winged-Spear | 5-star; Gacha | • Provides Crit Rate. • Buffs ATK on hit. |
 Staff of Homa | 5-star; Gacha | • Provides HP. • Provides Crit DMG. • Increases HP. • Buffs ATK based on HP. |
 Calamity Queller | 5-star; Gacha | • Provides ATK • Buffs ATK after using Elemental Skill. • Offers Elemental DMG Bonus. |
 Deathmatch | 4-star; Battle Pass | • Provides Crit Rate. • Buffs ATK and DEF when enemies are nearby. |
 White Tassel | 3-star; Gacha | • Provides Crit Rate. • Buffs Normal Attack DMG. |
Best Artifacts for Xiao Build in Genshin Impact
Considering Plunge Attacks are the main source of his damage, the Long Night’s Oath artifact set is the best option for a Xiao build. If you do not have it, you can also equip him with the Vermillion Hereafter set as a worthy alternative.
| Artifact Set | How to Get | Effect |
|---|---|---|
 Long Night’s Oath | Derelict Masonry Dock Domain, Natlan | • 2-Piece: Plunging Attack DMG increased by 25%. • 4-Piece: After the equipping character’s Plunging Attack/Charged Attack/Elemental Skill hits an opponent, they will gain 1/2/2 stack(s) of “Radiance Everlasting.” Plunging Attacks, Charged Attacks, or Elemental Skills can each trigger this effect once every 1s. Radiance Everlasting: Plunging Attacks deal 15% increased DMG for 6s. Max 5 stacks. Each stack’s duration is counted independently. |
 Vermillion Hereafter | The Lost Valley Domain, Liyue | • 2-Piece: ATK +18%. • 4-Piece: After using an Elemental Burst, this character will gain the Nascent Light effect, increasing their ATK by 8% for 16s. When the character’s HP decreases, their ATK will further increase by 10%. This further increase can occur this way a maximum of 4 times. This effect can be triggered once every 0.8s. Nascent Light will be dispelled when the character leaves the field. If an Elemental Burst is used again during the duration of Nascent Light, the original Nascent Light will be dispelled. |
Main Stats Priority
- Sands: ATK%
- Goblet: Anemo DMG Bonus
- Circlet: Crit Rate / Crit DMG
Sub-Stats Priority
- Crit Rate
- Crit DMG
- ATK%
- ER
Best Team Comps for Xiao Build in Genshin Impact
In Genshin’s current meta, there are a few Xiao team compositions that are quite powerful and can make the most out of this damage dealer. It is advisable to use these teams for the best results with Xiao:
Hypercarry Teams
The Xiao Hypercarry teams aim to maximize the character’s damage-dealing potential with Faruzan and Xianyun. While the former is the premier Anemo Sub-DPS, the latter immensely buffs Plunge Attacks. Lastly, you can use Furina or Bennett to trigger Swirl reactions and provide buffs.
Double Anemo and Double Geo Team
After unlocking Jean’s C4, you can use her Elemental Burst to shred enemy RES to Anemo. This can significantly increase Xiao’s potential. Additionally, you can pair both the Anemo units with two Geo units to deal off-field damage and make use of the Geo resonance.
Xiao Kit Details and Talent Level-up Priority
Here are all of Xiao’s talents and their level-up priorities:
| Talent | Effect | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Normal Attacks | Normal Attack: Performs up to 6 rapid strikes. Charged Attack: Consumes Stamina to perform an upward thrust. Plunge Attack: Plunges from mid-air to strike the ground below, damaging opponents along the path and dealing AoE DMG upon impact. Xiao does not take DMG from performing Plunging Attacks. | Highest |
| Elemental Skill (Lemniscatic Wind Cycling) | Xiao lunges forward, dealing Anemo DMG to opponents in his path. Can be used in midair. Starts with 2 charges. | High |
| Elemental Burst (Bane of All Evil) | Xiao dons the Yaksha Mask that set gods and demons trembling millennia ago. Yaksha’s Mask: • Greatly increases Xiao’s jumping ability. • Increases Xiao’s attack AoE and DMG. • Xiao’s attack DMG is converted to Anemo DMG, which cannot be overridden by any other elemental infusion. In this state, Xiao will continuously lose HP. The effects of this skill end when Xiao leaves the field. | Highest |
| Passive Talent 1 (Conqueror of Evil: Tamer of Demons) | While under the effects of Bane of All Evil, all DMG increases by a further 5% for every 3s the ability persists. The maximum DMG Bonus is 25%. | NA |
| Passive Talent 2 (Dissolution Eon: Heaven Fall) | Using Lemniscatic Wind Cycling increases the DMG of subsequent uses of Lemniscatic Wind Cycling by 15%. This effect lasts for 7s, and has a maximum of 3 stacks. Gaining a new stack refreshes the effect’s duration. | NA |
| Passive Talent 3 (Transcension: Gravity Defier) | Decreases climbing Stamina consumption for your own party members by 20%. Not stackable with Passive Talents that provide the exact same effects. | NA |
Best Xiao Constellations in Genshin Impact
Let’s take a look at all of Xiao’s constellations, along with their pull values:
| Constellation | Effect | Value |
|---|---|---|
| C1 (Dissolution Eon: Destroyer of Worlds) | Increases Lemniscatic Wind Cycling’s charges by 1. | Medium |
| C2 (Annihilation Eon: Blossom of Kaleidos) | When in the party and not on the field, Xiao’s Energy Recharge is increased by 25%. | Low |
| C3 (Conqueror of Evil: Wrath Deity) | Increases the Level of Lemniscatic Wind Cycling by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15. | Medium |
| C4 (Transcension: Extinction of Suffering) | When Xiao’s HP falls below 50%, he gains a 100% DEF Bonus. | Low |
| C5 (Evolution Eon: Origin of Ignorance) | Increases the Level of Bane of All Evil by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15. | High |
| C6 (Conqueror of Evil: Guardian Yaksha) | While under the effects of Bane of All Evil, hitting at least 2 opponents with Xiao’s Plunging Attack will immediately grant him 1 charge of Lemniscatic Wind Cycling, and for the next 1s, he may use Lemniscatic Wind Cycling while ignoring its CD. | Highest |
How and When Can You Get Xiao in Genshin Impact?
Xiao last appeared on the Liyue-themed Chronicled Wish banner, released on January 21, 2025, during the version 5.3 update. Since then, there has been no news regarding when he might return to the title again.
Banner History
| Banner Version | Dates |
|---|---|
| 5.3 | Jan 21, 2025, to Feb 11, 2025 |
| 4.4 | Feb 20, 2024, to Mar 12, 2024 |
| 3.4 | Jan 18, 2023, to Feb 7, 2023 |
| 2.7 | May 31, 2022, to Jun 21, 2022 |
| 2.4 | Jan 5, 2022, to Jan 25, 2022 |
| 1.3 | Feb 3, 2021, to Feb 17, 2021 |
We suggest you keep an eye out for this article as we will update it with more information about Xiao’s rerun banner when HoYoverse announces it.
