Best “A Quest to Kindle Ancient Flames” character to pick in Genshin Impact, explained

Genshin Impact has finally added a free 5-star selector in the version 5.0 update, and now players can instantly unlock characters like Jean, Diluc, Tighnari, and more. You can only choose one 5-star character from A Quest to Kindle Ancient Flames, however, and it’s a tough decision for both new and returning players alike.

Best 5-star standard selector choice in Genshin Impact

There are seven possible characters that you can invite via A Quest to Kindle Ancient Flames in Genshin Impact. You get to keep this character forever, so choose wisely.

• Jean
• Diluc
• Qiqi
• Mona
• Keqing
• Tighnari
• Dehya

Ultimately, the best choice for you depends on what your current roster looks like. If you’re already stocked up on strong Anemo characters, for example, then you can probably skip Jean. You may need a Constellation for your favorite 5-star, too, or maybe there’s only one from the list that you’re missing.

Overall, the best picks are Mona and Tighnari. These two are very strong characters that have great synergy with just about every team composition, so they’ll fit into your existing roster easily. If you still can’t decide who to choose, though, here’s a rundown of the pros and cons for each of the seven potential 5-stars.

Jean

Jean is one of the best Anemo units in the game, but she’s fallen off in popularity since the original release of Genshin Impact all those years ago. She’s still a solid Anemo DPS and Swirl will always be a very useful elemental reaction, though. If she’s one of the few characters from the list that you’re missing, you can’t go wrong with Jean.

Jean suffers from being one of the first 5-star characters introduced in Genshin Impact, so her kit is incredibly tame compared to newer units. Her Constellations make her much stronger, however, so she’s still worth choosing if you’re a diehard Jean main who wants to upgrade her.

Diluc

Diluc is another of the original 5-star Genshin Impact characters, so most players have him by now from standard banner pulls and lost 50/50s. Despite his age, Diluc is still one of the strongest Pyro DPS units in the game and recruiting him as your free 5-star is a solid choice.

Like Jean, Diluc suffers from a barebones kit compared to newer Genshin Impact characters. He’s still very strong, though. His Constellations don’t do too much compared to other characters, either, so you should only pick Diluc if you don’t already have him. If you already have a good main Pyro DPS like Hu Tao or Klee, you can skip him entirely.

Qiqi

Don’t pick Qiqi. She’s a meme in the Genshin Impact community for a reason. Qiqi is the bane of 50/50s, and you will pull her even if you don’t want her. Notice how I have her at C3 in the screenshot above. You will end up with Qiqi if you don’t have her already.

All jokes aside, Qiqi is a solid unit but she’s easily one of the worst options on this list. A free 5-star selector is very rare, especially in Genshin Impact, so don’t waste your choice on Qiqi. There are better Cryo options and there are better support options, so you don’t need to pick Qiqi unless you’re brand new to the game and really need some healing.

Mona

Mona is one of the most popular Genshin Impact characters, and for good reason. People thirst over her all the time because of her design, but the real reason behind Mona’s staying power is her incredibly strong kit. She’s one of the best Hyrdo characters in the entire game, and she’s a fantastic sub-DPS who fits into any team composition with ease.

Her Elemental Skill constantly taunts and deals Hydro damage even when Mona’s not on the field, so she’s ideal for setting up elemental reactions. Her Constellations also provide huge upgrades to her abilities, so she’s even worth picking if you already have her. If you can’t decide who to choose, Mona is a super safe option.

Keqing

Keqing is a solid Electro DPS, but she’s become outclassed by other DPS units that have been released over the years. When you pair her with a unit that can set up elemental reactions while they’re off the field like Mona, she she can unleash rapid-fire elemental reactions that will fill the screen with big numbers.

If you’re in need of a good Electro main DPS character, then Keqing is the one for you. If you already have some decent Electro units, then you can probably just skip her and choose someone else from the list.

Tighnari

Tighnari’s been a fan-favorite Dendro DPS since his introduction in version 3.0. Dendro is crazy strong in Genshin Impact because its elemental reactions deal insane amounts of damage, and Tighnari is the go-to Dendro unit for this purpose. His abilities recharge incredibly fast and they pave the way for waves of elemental reactions for big damage.

Tighnari and Mona are the two main stars of A Quest to Kindle Ancient Flames, so if you don’t know who to pick, it should be one of them. The better option between these two boils down to your existing roster, though. Tighnari is the better main DPS option, while Mona works better as a sub-DPS.

Dehya

Dehya is the newest character on this list, added to the standard banner more recently than any of the other options. That means that there’s a greater chance you don’t have Dehya yet, so choosing her is a solid decision if you just want to fill out your roster. She’s an okay Pyro DPS, but she’s outclassed by several other units (including Diluc, who you can choose instead).

Dehya’s kit is fine, but her abilities don’t deal that much damage and she requires a ton of energy to recharge them. The only reason you should choose her is if you don’t have her. If you need a Pyro DPS, just go with Diluc.