Starting your journey in Teyvat can be overwhelming, especially when you're not planning to spend much (or any) money on the game. As we move into 2025, Genshin Impact has expanded significantly with numerous regions and characters, making it crucial for new players to invest wisely in characters that deliver maximum value with minimal resources. This guide highlights the top 5 F2P friendly characters that beginners should prioritize in their early game progression.

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What Makes a Character F2P Friendly?

Before diving into our recommendations, it's important to understand what makes a character truly F2P friendly:

  1. Easy to build - Doesn't require specific 5-star weapons or perfect artifacts

  2. Versatile utility - Functions well in multiple team compositions

  3. Low investment ceiling - Performs effectively even without high constellation levels

  4. Resource efficiency - Doesn't demand extensive talent leveling to be functional

With these criteria in mind, let's explore the top 5 F2P friendly characters for beginners in 2025.

1. Xiangling - The Pyro Powerhouse

Xiangling remains one of the most valuable characters in Genshin Impact, even years after her introduction. What makes her exceptionally F2P friendly is that she's completely free – obtainable by clearing Floor 3 of the Spiral Abyss.

Her off-field Pyro application through her Elemental Burst "Pyronado" delivers consistent damage without requiring her to be on the field. This makes her incredibly versatile and able to support almost any team composition.

Why She's F2P Friendly:

  • Free acquisition through gameplay

  • Works excellently with craftable weapons like "The Catch"

  • Performs well even at C0, though her C4 is a significant power spike

  • Can utilize the Emblem of Severed Fate set, which is resin-efficient to farm

2. Barbara - The Essential Healer

While many players eventually transition to other healers, Barbara remains one of the most accessible and reliable healing options for beginners. As a free character granted early in the story, she provides crucial survivability that new players need.

Why She's F2P Friendly:

  • Free acquisition through the story

  • Requires minimal investment to perform her healing role effectively

  • Can use the 3-star Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers catalyst, one of the best support weapons

  • Simple to build with just HP% main stats on artifacts

Her ability to heal the entire party with her Elemental Skill and Burst makes exploration much more comfortable, and she can even provide occasional Hydro application for reactions like Freeze or Vaporize.

3. Fischl - The Electro Turret

Fischl has become increasingly accessible to new players through events and the Starglitter shop. Her value comes from her ability to deploy Oz, her night raven companion, who deals consistent Electro damage off-field.

Why She's F2P Friendly:

  • Frequently available through events and the Starglitter shop

  • Performs her core function well even at C0

  • Works with craftable bows like Prototype Crescent

  • Only needs her Skill talent leveled to be effective initially

  • Fits into numerous team compositions, including Electro-Charged and Aggravate teams

With the introduction of Dendro reactions like Hyperbloom and Aggravate, Fischl's value has only increased over time, making her an excellent long-term investment.

4. Kaeya - The Versatile Cryo Applicator

Many beginners underestimate Kaeya, but he's one of the most versatile starter characters with impressive scaling. His consistent Cryo application makes him valuable in freeze compositions, and his short skill cooldown generates energy efficiently.

Why He's F2P Friendly:

  • Available from the start of the game

  • Functions well with craftable weapons like Prototype Rancour

  • Can be built as either a main DPS or support

  • Performs adequately at C0, though his constellations from the standard banner are useful

  • Works in multiple team roles: main DPS, sub-DPS, or Cryo enabler

Kaeya's kit is straightforward yet effective, making him an excellent character for beginners to understand core game mechanics while delivering solid performance.

5. Bennett - The Ultimate Support

While not immediately free like some others on this list, Bennett is arguably the most valuable 4-star character in the game. He appears in the Starglitter shop rotation and on rate-up banners frequently enough that most players will acquire him eventually.

Why He's F2P Friendly:

  • Available through Starglitter shop and banners

  • Provides healing and a massive ATK buff in one character slot

  • Works excellently with craftable weapons like Prototype Rancour

  • Functions perfectly at C0, with C1 being his most important constellation

  • Fits into almost any team composition in the game

Bennett's Elemental Burst provides both healing and a substantial ATK buff based on his base ATK, making him a universal support that scales well into late game content. Even in 2025, he remains one of the most used characters in Spiral Abyss teams.

Honorable Mentions

Several other characters deserve recognition for their F2P-friendly qualities:

  • Sucrose: Excellent for Elemental Mastery sharing and crowd control

  • Xingqiu: Top-tier Hydro enabler for reaction teams

  • Noelle: Provides shielding, healing, and DPS in one package at C6

  • Yaoyao: Accessible Dendro healer for newer reaction teams

Building Your First F2P Team

A strong starter team using F2P friendly characters might look like:

  1. Kaeya (Cryo application/sub-DPS)

  2. Xiangling (off-field Pyro DPS)

  3. Barbara (healing)

  4. Flexible slot (Fischl for extra damage or Bennett for buffing)

This team provides essential survival tools while covering multiple elements for puzzle solving and shield breaking during exploration.

Remember that Genshin Impact is designed so that any character can clear all content with proper investment. These recommendations simply offer the most value for limited resources, helping beginners progress efficiently while saving primogems for future characters they truly desire.

Focus on these F2P friendly characters early on, and you'll build a solid foundation that will carry you through the game's content while you save resources for the characters you most want to add to your roster.