Summary
Characters inGenshin Impactall have different roles which make them unique from one another, be it in their element, weapon, stats, or playstyle. Some characters are designed to take the field to deal DMG using their Normal, Charged or Plunging Attacks, while others are more suited for off-field DMG, attacking alongside your main DPS with their Elemental Skills or Bursts.
Off-field DPS characters, also known as sub-DPS characters, don’t rely on using their Normal Attack talent, which is also often the weakest parts of their kit. Instead, they possess abilities that can stay on the field for a long time even when you switch characters, and are perfect for pairing with your main DMG dealer for all sorts of combos and Elemental Reactions.
10Chiori
Fontaine’s fashion icon and owner of Chioriya Boutique,Chioriwas labeled as “Albedo 2.0” or “better Albedo” after her release, and it’s pretty clear why. Her off-field capabilities include summoning dolls that geal Geo DMG periodically.
Chiori can be played both off-field or on-field depending on how you interact with her Elemental Skill.
What she does have above Albedo is that her DMG is significantly higher, and she doesn’t have the annoying split-scaling that Albedo has, as her Skill and Burst DMG scales with both ATK and DEF. Her only drawback is that she needs to be played in teams with Geo Constructs, as this lets her summon additional dolls, which in turn let her deal more DMG.
9Rosaria
Rosariais often overshadowed by her other four-star mates, but just like Xingqiu and Xiangling, she’s a great unit that can get you through most content if built correctly. She’s mostly played in Freeze teams, where her AoE Cryo application helps keep enemies frozen while dealing a generous amount of DMG.
However, her DPS potential really shines when she’s used in reverse Melt teams, where her DMG is amplified thanks to Elemental Reactions, suddenly doubling her DMG output. She’s also a great support character who can increase your team’s CRIT Rate after using her Elemental Burst.
8Kuki Shinobu
Kuki Shinobu’s personal DMG herself isn’t impressive, especially if you build her to focus on her healing. However, thanks to the Dendro reaction Hypberbloom, she suddenly turns into astrong reaction DPSwhile still maintaining her healing abilities, as both her heal and Hyperbloom DMG scale with her EM.
Another thing that makes Shinobu a great DPS is that you can reach her highest DMG potential without spending too much on her talents or CRIT stats. Since her DMG comes from Elemental Reactions, the only thing that matters to her is having high EM, making her extremely F2P-friendly.
7Fischl
Another classic four-star DPS,Fischlhas always been a solid DMG dealer no matter what Adventure Rank or World Level you’re in. Her main source of DPS comes from Oz, a familiar that she summons through her Elemental Skill, which continuously deals Electro DMG to a single target and can attack on its own.
One of Fischl’s strong points is her ability to battery other characters, as Oz can produce one Electro particle every time he attacks an enemy.
She’s a comfortable DPS to use since all of her DMG comes from her Elemental Skill and can be resummoned with her Elemental Burst, giving you nearly one hundred percent uptime. She’s also great when paired with Elemental Reactions, since her Passive deals additional Electro DMG whenever you trigger a reaction.
6Yae Miko
Some may say that Yae is a five-star version of Fischl, while others may argue that she’s a completely different character and that both bring something unique to their teams. Yae can summon up to three turrets which actively seek nearby enemies to deal off-field Electro DMG.
Like other characters in this list, Yae’s turrets can attack completely on their own, making her a great partner for on-field DPS characters who typically want to be on the field for a long time. With her continuous off-field Electro application, she’s a great addition to Quicken or Overloaded teams.
5Nahida
Nahida is astaple to have in any Dendro team, being the God of Dendro herself. She’s another off-field DPS who’s extremely comfortable to use since all her DMG comes from her Elemental Skill, which can have one hundred percent uptime with its extremely long duration and short cooldown.
With Nahida’s Elemental Burst, your active character gets a portion of Elemental Mastery from the character in your team with the highest Elemental Mastery.
The comfort she brings doesn’t end there, as her Skill’s Hold version lets you link all enemies captured by her “camera” so that they all receive the same amount of DMG no matter how far apart they are. She also boasts a strong Dendro application that lets you trigger an endless chain of Dendro reactions.
4Xingqiu
Xingqiu is considered one of the best sub-DPS supports in the game not just because of his off-field DMG, but also due to the multitude of things that he can offer. His Elemental Burst summons rain swords that orbit around your active character and will launch coordinated attacks whenever you perform Normal Attacks.
However, the thing that makes Xingqiu such a much-need character is because of his fast Hydro application, as he can apply Hydro to enemies every time you trigger his Burst, making him the go-to support for any team that focuses on Hydro reactions. The orbiting rain swords also provide DMG reduction, which is extremely helpful in terms of survivability.
3Yelan
Many would argue that just likeYae Mikowith Fischl, Yelan appears to be the five-star version of Xingqiu, with both their Elemental Bursts doing the same thing. However, with Xingqiu being a more defensive support, Yelan is on the other end of the spectrum, being a more offensive and DMG-oriented character.
Her Burst also launches a coordinated attack whenever you perform a Normal Attack, but aside from it having higher DMG, it also increases your active character’s DMG the longer her Burst lasts, for up to 50 percent DMG Bonus. This makes her a powerful off-field DPS while also providing huge buffs to your characters.
2Xiangling
Xianglinghas reigned as thestrongest four-star DPS in the gameand continues to be one of the best characters to use ever since the game’s release. Her Elemental Burst summons a Pyronado that spins around your active character, damaging all enemies hit and applying Pyro to them.
Xiangling can make use of almost every polearm in the game (with only a few exceptions), including both gacha and free-to-play weapons. This makes her extremely player-friendly and easy to build.
Her strong DMG multipliers, access to Melt and Vaporize, being able to trigger them every time her Burst hits, superior AoE Pyro application, and the ability to do all that while completely off-field make her a complete powerhouse. She’s also great for enabling other reactions that let her act as a support rather than a DMG dealer, such as reverse Melt and Overloaded.
1Furina
With Fontaine’s release comes one of the strongest DPS and support hybrids in the game, none other than the Hydro Archon herself. Furina’s Elemental Skill can summon three cute companions that aid you in battle, dealing huge off-field DMG on their own while also reducing your team’s HP.
Due to Furina’s HP-draining mechanic, you may equip the Marechausee Hunter set to any of your on-field DMG dealers, which grants Normal and Charged Attack DMG Bonus, as well as a ton of CRIT Rate whenever you lose or gain HP.
Additionally, she can provide a whopping 75 percent DMG Bonus whenever you maximize her Fanfare Stacks, which can be gained every time you lose HP or get healed. She’s also one of the best characters to use for daily exploration, as her Elemental Skill’s duration is much longer than its cooldown, allowing you to summon her pets permanently and watch while they attack everything.
