Key takeaways
- Version 7.2 Hour of Ruin added Mitya, a 5-star Electro DPS who enables Stellar-Conduct, and Valeriy, a 4-star Electro support (HoYoverse)
- Stellar-Conduct (Cryo and Electro) and Stellar Swirl (Cryo and Anemo) require a party member with a Stellar Jubilee passive, such as Sandrone, Odette, Vesna or the Cryo Traveler (Genshin Impact Wiki)
- Lunar reactions need a Moonsign Benediction character: Ineffa and Flins for Lunar-Charged, Nefer and Lauma for Lunar-Bloom, Zibai and Linnea for Lunar-Crystallize, and Columbina for all three (Genshin Impact Wiki)
- Two Moonsign characters in a party raise it to Ascendant Gleam, which strengthens Moonsign kits and lets non-Moonsign allies add up to 36% Lunar Reaction DMG (Genshin Impact Wiki)
- The November 16 Spiral Abyss gives Floor 12 a 75% Lunar-Crystallize DMG bonus in the first half (HoYoverse)
The best characters in Genshin Impact 7.2 are the ones that drive the two new reaction families. At the top of the DPS ranks are Mitya, Sandrone, Vesna and the Cryo Traveler (Stellar Glimmer reactions) and Zibai, Nefer and Flins (Lunar reactions), joined by Mavuika, Wriothesley, Cyno and Mizuki. The strongest supports are Columbina, Odette, Linnea, Lauma, Mitya, Bennett, Citlali and Sucrose. This tier list ranks every character in three roles (main DPS, sub-DPS and support), explains why the top picks are there, lists the best 4-stars and free options, and links the rankings to the 7.2 Spiral Abyss.
Checked against HoYoverse's Version 7.2 Update Details and the Genshin Impact Wiki's reaction and character pages on November 12, 2026.
Basis: this is a community-opinion tier list. Placements follow the C0 rankings of a major community tier list updated after the 7.2 Phase I release (November 4 to 6, 2026), condensed into four tiers. Each character is judged as a core member of their best team at recommended investment, not in isolation, so a lower tier does not mean a character is unusable. The mechanics notes come from official patch text and the wiki.
Who are the best characters in Genshin 7.2?
The SS tier is crowded because 7.2 rewards two reaction systems at once. Characters that enable a Stellar Glimmer or Lunar reaction rank higher because whole teams depend on them:
- Stellar Glimmer: a party member with a Stellar Jubilee passive turns Superconduct into Stellar-Conduct and Cryo Swirl into Stellar Swirl. Sandrone, Odette, Vesna and the Cryo Traveler have it, and HoYoverse describes Mitya as enabling Stellar-Conduct for the party.
- Lunar reactions: a Moonsign Benediction character turns Electro-Charged into Lunar-Charged (Ineffa, Flins), Bloom into Lunar-Bloom (Nefer, Lauma) and Hydro Crystallize into Lunar-Crystallize (Zibai, Linnea). Columbina converts all three. Lunar reactions can crit, unlike their base versions.
- Moonsign levels: one Moonsign character gives Nascent Gleam; two give Ascendant Gleam, which unlocks stronger Moonsign talents and lets non-Moonsign allies add up to 36% Lunar Reaction DMG after using a Skill or Burst. Moonsign characters are Aino, Columbina, Flins, Illuga, Ineffa, Jahoda, Lauma, Linnea, Nefer and Zibai.
How are the tiers defined?
| Tier | Meaning |
|---|---|
| SS | Strongest in the current version, with lasting relevance in their best teams |
| S | Reaches top performance with the recommended investment |
| A | Strong in specific teams; the upper half of this tier needs heavy investment to match S |
| B | Usable in the right team, but outperformed by newer options |
| C | Niche picks or characters that mainly fill a slot until you have better options |
The source list splits A into A+ and A; both are merged here, with the A+ characters listed first in each A row.
Genshin 7.2 main DPS tier list
| Tier | Characters (element) |
|---|---|
| SS | Mitya (Electro), Sandrone (Cryo), Vesna (Anemo), Traveler (Cryo), Zibai (Geo), Mavuika (Pyro), Nefer (Dendro), Flins (Electro), Wriothesley (Cryo), Cyno (Electro), Yumemizuki Mizuki (Anemo) |
| S | Skirk (Cryo), Varka (Anemo) |
| A | Mualani (Hydro), Varesa (Electro), Chasca (Anemo), Lohen (Cryo), Kinich (Dendro), Arlecchino (Pyro), Neuvillette (Hydro), Klee (Pyro), Kamisato Ayaka (Cryo), Venti (Anemo) |
| B | Clorinde, Gaming, Razor, Navia, Alhaitham, Lyney, Hu Tao, Xiao, Raiden Shogun, Tartaglia, Wanderer |
| C | Yoimiya, Diluc, Arataki Itto, Kamisato Ayato, Ganyu, Tighnari, Sethos, Ifa, Keqing, Noelle, Eula, Yanfei, Shikanoin Heizou, Kaveh, Freminet, Ningguang, Dehya, Xinyan, Aloy |
Why the leaders rank where they do:
- Mitya scales his Stellar-Conduct damage with Elemental Mastery and turns each Stellar-Conduct reaction into a Gradient Beacon (up to four) that he spends for extra Stellar-Conduct hits.
- Sandrone enables Stellar-Conduct for the whole team, and her companion Fagio fires beams that count as Stellar Glimmer damage while she is in a Radiance state.
- Vesna enables Stellar Swirl and adapts her stats to her teammates.
- Cryo Traveler is free, can trigger Stellar reactions alone, and has a Stellar Jubilee passive.
- Zibai is a Lunar-Crystallize carry limited to Geo and Hydro teammates, which matches the November Abyss buffs.
- Nefer and Flins carry Lunar-Bloom and Lunar-Charged; Flins only needs a Hydro partner.
- Skirk is excellent in her best Freeze teams but drops off outside them, which keeps her in S.
Genshin 7.2 sub-DPS tier list
| Tier | Characters (element) |
|---|---|
| SS | Odette (Cryo), Yae Miko (Electro), Columbina (Hydro), Ineffa (Electro), Linnea (Geo), Lauma (Dendro) |
| S | Durin (Pyro), Mavuika (Pyro), Furina (Hydro), Escoffier (Cryo), Fischl (Electro) |
| A | Venti, Nahida, Emilie, Yelan, Xingqiu, Xiangling, Albedo, Raiden Shogun, Nilou, Kuki Shinobu, Ororon, Aino, Prune, Mona, Sucrose, Chiori, Jahoda, Rosaria |
| B | Thoma, Ganyu, Collei, Traveler (Pyro), Sangonomiya Kokomi, Beidou, Kaeya, Traveler (Dendro), Lynette |
| C | Kachina, Dehya, Lisa, Chongyun, Sayu, Xinyan, Traveler (Geo), Amber, Traveler (Anemo), Traveler (Hydro) |
Genshin 7.2 support tier list
| Tier | Characters (element) |
|---|---|
| SS | Odette (Cryo), Columbina (Hydro), Mitya (Electro), Linnea (Geo), Lauma (Dendro), Nicole (Pyro), Bennett (Pyro), Iansan (Electro), Citlali (Cryo), Ineffa (Electro), Sucrose (Anemo) |
| S | Vodyanitsa (Hydro), Alyosha (Electro), Valeriy (Electro), Qiqi (Cryo), Furina (Hydro), Chevreuse (Pyro), Xilonen (Geo), Escoffier (Cryo), Faruzan (Anemo) |
| A | Nahida, Prune, Mona, Illuga, Kaedehara Kazuha, Shenhe, Xianyun, Baizhu, Zhongli, Jean, Lan Yan, Sangonomiya Kokomi, Gorou, Diona, Yaoyao, Charlotte, Layla, Kirara, Kuki Shinobu |
| B | Jahoda, Yun Jin, Kujou Sara, Yumemizuki Mizuki, Sigewinne, Thoma, Dehya |
| C | Mika, Sayu, Dahlia, Barbara, Traveler (Electro), Rosaria, Candace, Dori, Noelle, Chongyun, Lisa, Xinyan |
Several characters appear in more than one role. Mitya is SS as both DPS and support, Odette and Columbina are SS in both sub-DPS and support, and Mavuika is SS as a main DPS and S as a sub-DPS. Rank a character by the role you plan to use them in.
What changed in the tier list with 7.2?
Version 7.2 added two characters and shifted endgame priorities:
- Mitya enters at SS as a DPS and a support. His signature catalyst, Starsealed Edict, adds Elemental Mastery and Stellar-Conduct CRIT DMG.
- Valeriy enters at S as a support. He gives Electro-related buffs and shields and is the most accessible new Stellar-Conduct teammate, since he is a 4-star.
- The November 16 Spiral Abyss gives Floor 11 +60% Electro and Geo DMG and Floor 12 a 75% Lunar-Crystallize bonus (first half) and +200 Elemental Mastery (second half), with a blessing that rewards Superconduct and Stellar-Conduct. Zibai, Linnea, Columbina and Stellar-Conduct teams gain the most this cycle.
- The December 16 Spiral Abyss switches to Cryo and Anemo, with Stellar Glimmer DMG +75% in the first half, which favors Vesna, Sandrone and Odette.
Which 4-stars and free characters are the best in 7.2?
You do not need limited 5-stars for strong teams. The highest-ranked 4-stars and free units:
| Character | Rarity and element | Tier and role |
|---|---|---|
| Traveler (Cryo) | Free, Cryo | SS main DPS; Stellar Jubilee enabler |
| Bennett | 4-star Pyro | SS support |
| Sucrose | 4-star Anemo | SS support |
| Iansan | 4-star Electro | SS support |
| Valeriy | 4-star Electro | S support (new in 7.2) |
| Alyosha | 4-star Electro | S support |
| Fischl | 4-star Electro | S sub-DPS |
| Chevreuse and Faruzan | 4-star Pyro and Anemo | S support |
| Aino | 4-star Hydro | A sub-DPS; Moonsign, a common Hydro partner for Flins and Nefer |
The Grand Defense event in 7.2 lets you invite a 4-star of your choice for free, which is a good way to pick up one of these. Event dates are in the Genshin 7.2 version guide.
Which characters fit the December Imaginarium Theater?
The Imaginarium Theater season opening December 1 requires Pyro, Hydro and Geo characters, so Electro and Cryo picks like Mitya and Sandrone sit out. High-ranked options in those elements:
- Pyro: Mavuika (SS DPS), Nicole and Bennett (SS supports), Durin (S sub-DPS), Chevreuse (S support), Arlecchino (A DPS and an opening character).
- Hydro: Columbina (SS sub-DPS and support), Furina (S, opening character), Vodyanitsa (S support), Mualani and Neuvillette (A DPS).
- Geo: Zibai (SS DPS), Linnea (SS sub-DPS and support), Xilonen (S support), Illuga (A support and an opening character).
Opening characters (Arlecchino, Bennett, Furina, Xingqiu, Navia and Illuga) get Fantastical Blessings, and Chasca, Varesa, Kinich and Iansan are the Special Guest Stars.
Who should you pull for based on this tier list?
Pull for a character that completes a team you can already field. Mitya is the strongest new addition and works best with Stellar Jubilee Cryo units (Sandrone, Odette or the free Cryo Traveler). If you own Columbina or Linnea, Zibai on the Phase II rerun fits the November Abyss. Furina (S support and sub-DPS) is the safest general pull on the Phase I rerun. For full team lineups built on these rankings, see the Genshin best teams guide.
Related guides
FAQ
Who is the best character in Genshin Impact right now?
In 7.2, community rankings put Mitya, Sandrone, Vesna, the Cryo Traveler, Zibai, Mavuika, Nefer and Flins at the top of the main DPS tier, with Columbina, Odette and Linnea among the best supports.
Is Mitya worth pulling in Genshin 7.2?
Yes, if you play Stellar-Conduct teams. He ranks SS as both a DPS and a support, and the November 16 Spiral Abyss blessing rewards Stellar-Conduct.
Where does Valeriy rank?
Valeriy ranks S as a support. He is a 4-star Electro sword user who provides Electro-related buffs and shields.
What is the best free character in Genshin 7.2?
The Cryo Traveler, who ranks SS as a main DPS and has a Stellar Jubilee passive that enables Stellar-Conduct and Stellar Swirl.
Is Furina still good in 7.2?
Yes. Furina ranks S as both a sub-DPS and a support, reruns in Phase I, and is an opening character in the December 1 Imaginarium Theater.
What is this tier list based on?
It condenses a major community tier list updated after the 7.2 Phase I release, rating characters at C0 as core members of their best teams, with mechanics notes from official patch text and the wiki.
Sources
See our editorial policy.