Genshin Impact tier list: Best characters as of the September 2021 anniversary

It’s been a year since Genshin Impact launched. We started out with a dozen characters, and now we have over 40. Naturally, we have to ask which ones are viable and which ones are left by the wayside. Here’s our Genshin Impact 2021 anniversary tier list to help you with the best characters in the game.

Note: For more information about the game, check out our Genshin Impact guides and features hub, as well as our version 2.1 overview.

Genshin Impact 2021 anniversary tier list: The best characters in the game

Since we’re discussing several characters in our Genshin Impact 2021 anniversary tier list, I’ve divided this article into multiple parts. You can refer to the pages below:

• S-tier characters
• A-tier characters
• B-tier characters
• C-tier characters
• D-tier (and lower) characters

For reference, I did not include the Traveler and the characters that I’ve never gotten via wishes (i.e., Keqing and Jean). Likewise, the tier list only uses distinct categories, so there’s no “S+” rank. Also, for the sake of comparison, Amber would be an F-tier character.

Another point I’d like to mention (and why I didn’t include the characters that I don’t have or those that I’ve barely played) is that practical testing also applies. There were characters who were truly amazing, at least on paper and in the most ideal situations. However, some were more complicated to use than others (i.e., animation canceling or full rotations). As such, those who were easier to use provided better consistency and throughput. Power creep is also considered since some of the initial characters who were introduced when Genshin Impact launched last year were unrivaled. But, they’ve been supplanted by better options as time went by.