Neuvillette remains one of Genshin Impact's most unique Hydro DPS characters in 2025, with his distinctive playstyle centered around his powerful charged attacks and HP management mechanics. As the Judge of Fontaine continues to be a solid choice for players seeking a reliable Hydro main DPS, let's dive into everything you need to know about his kit, builds, and team compositions.

Neuvillette's Unique Playstyle

The Iudex of Fontaine brings a refreshing approach to the Catalyst user archetype. Unlike traditional DPS characters who focus primarily on ATK scaling, Neuvillette's damage scales with his Max HP, creating an interesting risk-reward gameplay loop where he sacrifices his own health to deal massive Hydro damage.

"Neuvillette is a whole different ball game compared to other Catalyst users," as veteran players often say. His kit revolves around his charged attack mechanic called Equitable Judgment, which unleashes continuous AoE Hydro damage in a straight line in front of him.

What makes this character truly stand out is how he gathers Sourcewater Droplets generated by his Elemental Skill and Burst to empower his charged attacks. It's this resource management that separates the good Neuvillette players from the great ones.

Breaking Down Neuvillette's Abilities

Normal Attack: As Water Seeks Equilibrium

Neuvillette's normal attacks are fairly standard, dealing Hydro damage up to three times. However, the real MVP is his charged attack system:

  • Charged Attack Empowerment: Legal Evaluation: While charging, Neuvillette forms a Seal of Arbitration, allowing him to move and absorb nearby Sourcewater Droplets.

  • Charged Attack: Equitable Judgment: Once the Seal is formed, releasing the attack unleashes continuous AoE Hydro damage for 3 seconds without consuming stamina.

The catch? If Neuvillette's HP is above 50%, he continuously loses HP while using Equitable Judgment. This creates a fascinating gameplay dynamic where you're constantly balancing his health.

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Elemental Skill: O Tears, I Shall Repay

His Elemental Skill summons a Raging Waterfall that deals AoE Hydro damage based on his Max HP. After hitting opponents, it generates 3 Sourcewater Droplets near them. These droplets are crucial for accelerating the formation of his Seal of Arbitration and healing him during combat.

The skill also features the Pneuma Arkhe mechanic, where a Spiritbreath Thorn descends at intervals to deal additional Pneuma-aligned Hydro damage.

Elemental Burst: O Tides, I Have Returned

Neuvillette's Burst unleashes waves dealing AoE Hydro damage based on his Max HP, followed by two waterfalls that generate 6 Sourcewater Droplets. This ability is perfect for setting up his charged attack sequence by providing a bunch of droplets at once.

Passive Talents

His first passive, Heir to the Ancient Sea's Authority, is where things get interesting. When party members trigger Hydro-related reactions (Vaporize, Frozen, Electro-Charged, etc.), Neuvillette gains stacks of Past Draconic Glories that significantly boost his charged attack damage.

His second passive, Discipline of the Supreme Arbitration, increases his Hydro damage bonus based on his HP percentage over 30%, up to a maximum of 30% bonus.

As a nice quality-of-life feature, his exploration passive increases underwater movement speed for all party members by 15%.

Best Builds for Neuvillette in 2025

Artifacts

The meta for Neuvillette's artifacts has remained relatively stable since his release, with the 4-piece Marechaussee Hunter set still being his best-in-slot option. This set synergizes perfectly with his HP mechanics, allowing him to build more CRIT DMG while easing CRIT Rate requirements.

For those who prefer a more straightforward approach, 4-piece Wanderer's Troupe remains a solid alternative, providing an unconditional boost to his charged attacks along with some Elemental Mastery for reaction damage.

Weapons

Neuvillette's signature weapon, the Tome of the Eternal Flow, continues to be his best-in-slot option in 2025. It's specifically designed for his kit, providing HP%, CRIT Rate, and a passive that enhances his charged attacks.

For free-to-play options, Prototype Amber remains surprisingly effective, offering HP% and energy regeneration along with healing that helps offset his HP loss mechanic. The Sacrificial Jade is another excellent option if you managed to grab it from past events.

Main Stats Priority

When building Neuvillette, focus on:

  1. Sands: HP%

  2. Goblet: Hydro DMG Bonus (or HP% if substats are significantly better)

  3. Circlet: CRIT Rate/DMG (depending on your weapon and substats)

For substats, prioritize:

  • HP%

  • CRIT Rate/DMG

  • Energy Recharge

  • Elemental Mastery

Optimal Team Compositions

Neuvillette thrives in several team compositions, but these have proven most effective in the current meta:

Hydro Hypercarry with Furina

This team remains a powerhouse in 2025:

  • Neuvillette (Main DPS)

  • Furina (Sub-DPS/Support)

  • Xilonen (Support)

  • Zhongli/Baizhu (Shield/Heal)

Furina's Fanfare mechanics complement Neuvillette's HP-based gameplay beautifully, while Xilonen provides additional buffs. The fourth slot typically goes to a shielder or healer to keep Neuvillette safe during his charged attacks.

Electro-Charged

For those who enjoy reaction-based gameplay:

  • Neuvillette (Main DPS)

  • Fischl/Yae Miko (Off-field Electro)

  • Kazuha (Swirl/CC)

  • Zhongli (Shield)

This team capitalizes on Neuvillette's consistent Hydro application to trigger Electro-Charged reactions, with Kazuha boosting elemental damage and providing crowd control.

Freeze

For challenging content where enemy control is crucial:

  • Neuvillette (Main DPS)

  • Charlotte/Rosaria (Cryo application)

  • Kazuha/Sucrose (Swirl/CC)

  • Furina/Zhongli (Support)

This composition keeps enemies frozen, preventing interruption during Neuvillette's charged attacks and allowing for safe, consistent damage output.

Constellation Value

If you're considering constellations, here's the skinny on which ones pack the most punch:

  • C1 (Venerable Institution): A game-changer that grants interruption resistance during charged attacks and provides a free stack of Past Draconic Glories. It's like night and day for his gameplay comfort.

  • C2 (Juridical Exhortation): Adds CRIT DMG to his charged attacks based on Past Draconic Glories stacks. Solid damage increase.

  • C6 (Wrathful Recompense): The holy grail for Neuvillette mains. Allows him to absorb Sourcewater Droplets during charged attacks and fires additional damage currents. It's a substantial DPS increase that can extend his charged attack duration significantly.

Final Thoughts on Neuvillette in 2025

While the meta has evolved with newer regions like Natlan and Nod-Krai introducing powerful characters, Neuvillette still holds his own as a solid Hydro main DPS. His unique playstyle offers a refreshing alternative to traditional DPS characters, and his ability to hover during charged attacks makes him surprisingly mobile in combat.

That said, he's no longer at the absolute top of the DPS charts as he once was. The current endgame content has shifted toward favoring burst damage rather than sustained DPS, which puts Neuvillette at a slight disadvantage compared to newer powerhouses.

Nevertheless, for players who enjoy his HP management mechanics and elegant water-wielding animations, Neuvillette remains a blast to play and can easily clear most content in Genshin Impact. As they say in Fontaine, "Justice flows like water" – and in Neuvillette's case, it flows with style and substance.

Remember, the true measure of a character in Genshin Impact isn't just their place in the tier list, but how much you enjoy their gameplay. And in that department, Neuvillette still passes with flying colors.