As Genshin Impact continues to dominate the gacha game scene in 2025, the roster of playable characters has expanded dramatically. While new characters from recently released regions steal the spotlight, many powerful and versatile characters from the game's earlier days remain criminally underappreciated. Despite being overlooked by much of the community, these characters can be absolute powerhouses when built correctly and deserve recognition for their unique contributions to team compositions.
1. Xinyan - The Rock 'n' Roll Revolutionary
The Pyro claymore user from Liyue remains one of the most underutilized characters in Genshin Impact. Despite recent buffs to her shield mechanics in version 5.3, many players still haven't given Xinyan the attention she deserves. Her ability to provide both physical damage bonuses and Pyro application makes her an excellent support for physical DPS characters.
What makes Xinyan truly special is her vibrant personality and unique background as Liyue's premier rock musician. Few characters in the game have such a distinctive cultural identity, bringing rock 'n' roll to the traditionally conservative Liyue. Her recent appearance in the "Rhythms of Teyvat" event showcased her musical talents alongside newer characters, reminding players of her enduring appeal.
2. Noelle - The Unsung Knight
Despite being one of the first characters players obtain, Noelle continues to be overlooked in favor of flashier Geo units. This is a grave mistake, as her versatility allows her to function as a shield provider, healer, and DPS all in one character slot.
With the release of specialized Geo artifacts in version 4.8, Noelle's potential has increased exponentially. Her full constellation build can now rival dedicated 5-star DPS characters while maintaining incredible survivability. As one player recently demonstrated by clearing the Spiral Abyss Floor 13 with only Noelle, she truly is the hidden gem of Mondstadt.
3. Beidou - The Perfect Counter
Beidou's unique counter-based gameplay makes her one of the most satisfying characters to master. Despite the Electro element's historical reputation for weaker reactions, recent elemental balancing has made Beidou shine in various team compositions.
Her Tidecaller ability remains one of the most unique skills in the game, capable of dealing massive damage when timed correctly. With proper investment, Beidou can function as either a main DPS or sub-DPS, particularly excelling against multiple enemies thanks to her burst's chain lightning effect. The pirate captain deserves far more recognition than she currently receives from the community.
4. Kaeya - The Free Cryo Powerhouse
As one of the starter characters, Kaeya is often abandoned once players obtain newer, shinier units. This is unfortunate, as his kit remains incredibly reliable and versatile even in the current meta.
Kaeya boasts the highest normal attack multipliers among sword users and can function in various roles - from Cryo applicator to physical DPS. His elemental burst has excellent uptime and follows the active character, making him perfect for applying Cryo in reaction-based teams. With the new Cryo resonance buffs introduced in 5.1, Kaeya has become even more valuable when paired with other Cryo characters.
5. Qiqi - Unjustly Maligned
Few characters have received as much undeserved hate as Qiqi. While players were once disappointed to lose their 50/50 pity to her, recent changes to her kit have transformed her into a formidable support.
The little zombie now generates energy particles with her skill and provides team-wide buffs along with her unparalleled healing capabilities. Her unique ability to mark enemies for healing makes her invaluable in co-op play and challenging content where survivability is key. With the highest defense stat in the game and consistent healing, Qiqi can make your team virtually immortal on the battlefield.
6. Lisa - The Underestimated Electro Catalyst
As another starter character, Lisa is frequently overlooked, but her unique ability to apply the Conductive status and follow up with devastating held skill attacks makes her a technical but rewarding character to master.
Lisa's recent passive talent rework now allows her to decrease enemy defense with her burst, making her an excellent support for reaction-based teams. Her Elemental Mastery scaling has been improved, making her particularly effective in Electro-charged and Overload compositions. For players willing to learn her mechanics, Lisa offers both challenge and satisfaction.
7. Keqing - Speed Demon
Despite being a 5-star character, Keqing has long suffered from the community's perception of Electro as a weaker element. However, her incredible attack speed and mobility make her one of the most engaging characters to play.
Keqing's teleportation abilities allow for unique positioning strategies in combat, and her rapid attack sequences can trigger reactions consistently. With the Electro resonance improvements and new artifact sets tailored to attack speed, Keqing has found new life in quick-swap teams and as an on-field driver for sub-DPS characters.
8. Razor - The Wolf Boy With Bite
This Electro claymore user has been overshadowed by newer DPS characters, but Razor remains one of the strongest physical damage dealers in the game. His straightforward playstyle makes him accessible to new players, while his damage ceiling is high enough to satisfy veterans.
Razor's wolf spirit during his burst not only looks cool but provides significant attack speed and Electro damage. With the right team composition focusing on Superconduct reactions, Razor can shred through even the toughest enemies. His endearing backstory as a boy raised by wolves adds character depth that newer units sometimes lack.
9. Amber - The Sniper Baron Bunny
Perhaps no character has been more underestimated than Amber, the Outrider of Mondstadt. While her kit may seem simple, in the hands of a skilled player, her charged shot playstyle can deliver devastating critical hits.
Amber's recent constellation adjustments have made her Baron Bunny more reliable for drawing enemy aggression, and her burst applies Pyro quickly for reaction setups. With the specialized Pyro archer artifacts introduced in version 4.2, Amber can now achieve impressive damage numbers when targeting weak points. The free character that everyone starts with might just be worth reconsidering.
10. The Traveler - Element-Switching Versatility
As the protagonist of Genshin Impact, the Traveler is often set aside once players obtain other characters. However, their unique ability to change elements makes them incredibly versatile for different content.
With seven elements now available to the Traveler in 2025, they can adapt to virtually any team composition need. Recent updates have synchronized talent levels across elements, making the Traveler much more resource-efficient to build. Their constellations are free to obtain through story progression, giving F2P players access to a fully-built character without gacha luck.
Genshin Impact's Top 10 most underrated characters in Genshin prove that a character's value isn't determined by popularity or rarity. These overlooked gems can transform your gameplay experience with their unique abilities and playstyles. Before chasing the next limited 5-star, consider investing in these characters who have stood the test of time and continue to offer incredible value across all content in Teyvat.
Whether you're looking for a new DPS, support, or just want to try something different, these underappreciated characters deserve a second look. Sometimes the most powerful additions to your team have been in your roster all along, waiting for their chance to shine.