Why Genshin Impact tier lists suck

Genshin Impact tier lists can be fun to look at, but they get a lot of flack from the community – and for good reason. Here’s a look at what goes into making a tier list, why they suck, and how you can make the most informed decisions for yourself.

There are plenty of Genshin tier lists floating around the internet, including our own. The rankings can be pretty arbitrary though, and are heavily affected by what the creator chooses as criteria to make their determinations.

For example, if you just want big numbers, you might consider a character’s DPS potential. Not all characters are intended to deal damage though; maybe someone is a great healer or buffer. You can account for this by looking at a character’s supportive utility. How many roles a character can fill is also important, and characters that perform more than one role are generally more valuable as they condense team slots. You might also consider flexibility, since even if a character performs exceptionally well in one specific team, they are inherently less valuable overall if they have no use outside of that team. Finally, you can look at a character’s popularity in the fanbase as a loose indication of their gameplay value.

Even if you try to consider multiple factors, you might value one more than the others. For example, I value utility and flexibility above the others on the list. You might prefer higher DPS. The tier list that I create will be vastly different from yours, and they will both be equally valid.

So who should I pull for in Genshin Impact?

All of this is to say: do not base your pulling decisions on tier lists alone. Tier lists can be helpful, but try to see what criteria the creator used and determine if their values align with yours.

You should also consider the current state of your account. If you already have some well-performing teams, then it’s not as imperative that you pull a strong DPS unit. Anyone who has a well-built Kazuha may not need Venti. If you’re struggling with bosses, maybe you need a team that excels in single-target scenarios. An S-tier character on a tier list may not be what you actually need to improve your account.

Tier lists are reductive by their very nature, and this problem is compounded for a combat system as multifaceted as Genshin Impact’s. Make sure you have plenty of salt on hand before consuming.