Xingqiu is a Hydro character from Liyue in Genshin Impact. He is a powerful Sub-DPS who wields a Sword in combat and is considered to be amongst the best 4-star units in the game. You can use him to deal off-field Hydro DMG to enemies and protect the active character against incoming damage. Since he provides a lot of utility, it is recommended to build him, especially in the early game. Here is a complete Xingqiu build guide for Genshin Impact players detailing his abilities and constellations, along with his best weapons, artifacts, and team comps.
Table of Contents
Genshin Impact Best Xingqiu Build Guide
Xingqiu Character Stats – Breakdown
| Type | Detail |
|---|---|
| Rarity | 4-star |
| Element | Hydro |
| Weapon Type | Sword |
| Role | Sub-DPS |
| Base ATK (Level 90) | 202 |
| Base DEF (Level 90) | 758 |
| Base HP (Level 90) | 10222 |
| Ascension Stat (Level 90) | 24% ATK |
| Voice Actors | EN: Cristina Vee Valenzuela JP: Minagawa Junko CN: Tang Yajing KR: Gwak Gyu-mi |
| Strengths | • Off-field Hydro DMG coordinated with Normal Attacks. • Incoming DMG reduction and healing with Rain Swords. • Easy-to-use combos. |
| Weaknesses | • Long Elemental Skill CD. • High Elemental Burst cost. |
Xingqiu is one of the best characters in Genshin Impact and can be considered the 4-star version of Yelan. He first made his debut during the version 1.0 update and has been a strong Hydro Sub-DPS since. He requires minimal on-field time and can trigger reactions while offering support to his teammates.
Xingqiu’s Elemental Skill is an amazing ability with a long cooldown. It creates three Rain Swords on the field, protecting the active character and providing resistance to interruption. Upon receiving damage, these swords break and trigger a damage reduction effect.
As for his Elemental Burst, it functions similarly to Yelan‘s Burst. It allows Xingqiu to deal off-field Hydro DMG to enemies every time the active character performs a Normal Attack. This lets him trigger elemental reactions consistently with your Main DPS units.
How to Play Xingqiu
To play Xingqiu effectively, it is advised to stick to the following rotation:
- Upon switching to Xingqiu, use Elemental Burst immediately.
- Follow up with one (or two if you have Sacrificial Sword) Elemental Skill instances to recover Energy.
- Switch to your Main DPS and begin attacking, pairing your moves with Xingqiu’s off-field Hydro application.
Alternatively, if you do not have your Burst up at the beginning of the rotation, you can use your Skill to generate Energy and then use it instead.
Should you pull Xingqiu?
Yes, Xingqiu is definitely worth summoning and building in Genshin Impact. He is a great Sub-DPS who can serve you well during the early and late game. Furthermore, considering he is a 4-star unit, you can unlock several constellations for him easily as well, which also provide a lot of value.
Best Weapons for Xingqiu Build in Genshin Impact
Xingqiu’s Elemental Burst, which is the most important aspect of his gameplay, has a very high Burst Cost of 80. As such, he often struggles with keeping his Elemental Burst ready. However, that can be easily mitigated by using Energy Recharge weapons. For the optimal Xingqiu build, it is recommended to equip him with the Sacrificial Sword. It allows him to use his Elemental Skill twice to generate Energy, thus charging his Burst faster.
Apart from it, there are also a few other suitable options:
| Weapon | Rarity and How to Get | Advantages |
|---|---|---|
 Skyward Blade | 5-star; Gacha | • Base ATK: 608 • Provides ER. • Buffs Crit Rate, Normal Attack, and Charged Attack DMG, along with movement and attack SPD. |
 Sacrificial Sword | 4-star; Gacha | • Provides ER. • Chance of refreshing the CD of Elemental Skill. |
 Festering Desire | 4-star; v1.2 Event | • Provides ER. • Buffs Elemental Skill Crit Rate and DMG. |
 Favonius Sword | 4-star; Gacha | • Provides ER. • Regenerates Energy for the entire team. |
Best Artifacts for Xingqiu Build in Genshin Impact
As mentioned, ER is a very important stat in a Xingqiu build to help the character charge his Elemental Burst. As such, the Emblem of the Severed Fate is an amazing artifact set for him. However, if you do not have a full set of it, you can pair it with two pieces of Noblesse Oblige to buff Xingqiu’s Burst DMG.
| Artifact Set | How to Get | Effect |
|---|---|---|
 Emblem of Severed Fate | Momiji-Dyed Court Domain, Inazuma | • 2-Piece: Energy Recharge +20%. • 4-Piece: Increases Elemental Burst DMG by 25% of Energy Recharge. A maximum of 75% bonus DMG can be obtained in this way. |
 2-Piece Emblem of Severed Fate + 2-Piece Noblesse Oblige | Momiji-Dyed Court Domain, Inazuma + Clear Pool and Mountain Cavern Domain, Liyue | • 2-Piece: Energy Recharge +20%. • 2-Piece: Elemental Burst DMG +20%. |
Main Stats Priority
- Sands: ER / ATK%
- Goblet: Hydro DMG Bonus
- Circlet: Crit Rate / Crit DMG
Sub-Stats Priority
- ER
- Crit Rate
- Crit DMG
- ATK%
- EM
Best Team Comps for Xingqiu Build in Genshin Impact
Xingqiu can basically fit into any team composition that is in need of a Hydro Sub-DPS to trigger reactions. You can slo use him to replace Yelan in any comp you are trying to build if required. Currently, there are several strong teams in Genshin Impact’s meta that you can use for him:
Vaporize Team
| Main DPS | Sub-DPS | Sub-DPS / Support | Sub-DPS / Support |
|---|---|---|---|
 Hu Tao |  Xingqiu |  Yelan |  Zhongli |
Hyperbloom Team
| Main DPS | Sub-DPS | Sub-DPS / Support | Sub-DPS / Support |
|---|---|---|---|
 Alhaitham | Xingqiu |  Nahida |  Kuki Shinobu |
Bloom Team
| Main DPS | Sub-DPS | Sub-DPS / Support | Sub-DPS / Support |
|---|---|---|---|
 Nilou | Xingqiu | Nahida |  Baizhu |
Freeze Team
| Main DPS | Sub-DPS | Sub-DPS / Support | Sub-DPS / Support |
|---|---|---|---|
 Skirk | Xingqiu |  Furina |  Escoffier |
National Team
| Main DPS | Sub-DPS | Sub-DPS / Support | Sub-DPS / Support |
|---|---|---|---|
 Raiden Shogun | Xingqiu |  Xiangling |  Bennett |
Apart from these options, you can form several different types of teams depending on the characters you own.
Xingqiu Kit Details and Talent Level-up Priority
Here are all of Xingqiu’s abilities and talents in the game, along with their level-up priority:
| Talent | Effect | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Normal Attacks | Perform up to 5 rapid strikes. | Low |
| Elemental Skill (Guhua Sword: Fatal Rainscreen) | Xingqiu performs twin strikes with his swords, dealing Hydro DMG. At the same time, this ability creates the maximum number of Rain Swords, which will orbit your active character. The Rain Swords have the following properties: • When a character takes DMG, the Rain Sword will shatter, reducing the amount of DMG taken. • Increases the character’s resistance to interruption. 20% of Xingqiu’s Hydro DMG Bonus will be converted to additional DMG Reduction for the Rain Sword. The maximum amount of additional DMG Reduction that can be gained this way is 24%. The initial maximum number of Rain Swords is 3. Using this ability applies the Wet status to the character. | Highest |
| Elemental Burst (Guhua Sword: Raincutter) | Initiate Rainbow Bladework and fight using an illusory sword rain, while creating the maximum number of Rain Swords. Rainbow Bladework • Your active character’s Normal Attacks will trigger consecutive sword rain attacks, dealing Hydro DMG. • Rain Swords will remain at the maximum number throughout the ability’s duration. | High |
| Passive Talent 1 (Hydropathic) | When a Rain Sword is shattered or when its duration expires, it regenerates the current character’s HP based on 6% of Xingqiu’s Max HP. | NA |
| Passive Talent 2 (Blades Amidst Raindrops) | Xingqiu gains 20% Hydro DMG Bonus. | NA |
| Passive Talent 3 (Flash of Genius) | When Xingqiu crafts Character Talent Materials, he has a 25% chance to refund a portion of the crafting materials used. | NA |
Best Xingqiu Constellations in Genshin Impact
Let’s take a look at all Xingqiu constellations in the game, along with their pull value:
| Constellation | Effect | Value |
|---|---|---|
| C1 (The Scent Remained) | Increases the maximum number of Rain Swords by 1. | Low |
| C2 (Rainbow Upon the Azure Sky) | Extends the duration of Guhua Sword: Raincutter by 3s. Decreases the Hydro RES of enemies hit by sword rain attacks by 15% for 4s. | Highest |
| C3 (Weaver of Verses) | Increases the Level of Guhua Sword: Raincutter by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15. | High |
| C4 (Evilsoother) | Throughout the duration of Guhua Sword: Raincutter, the DMG dealt by Guhua Sword: Fatal Rainscreen is increased by 50%. | High |
| C5 (Embrace of Rain) | Increases the Level of Guhua Sword: Fatal Rainscreen by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15. | Medium |
| C6 (Hence, Call Them My Own Verses) | Activating 2 of Guhua Sword: Raincutter’s sword rain attacks greatly increase the DMG of the third. Xingqiu regenerates 3 Energy when sword rain attacks hit enemies. | Highest |
How and When Can You Get Xingqiu in Genshin Impact?
Since Xingqiu is a 4-star character, he often gets a rate-up on the limited-time character banner. He last appeared on the first half banners of version 5.8 on July 30, 2025. He is likely to return soon.
Apart from that, you always have a random chance to summon Xingqiu from any character banner, including the standard banner.
