Looking back at Genshin Impact's journey since its launch, players have witnessed numerous character banners come and go. While many brought excitement and game-changing heroes, others left the community disappointed and questioning HoYoverse's decisions. As we approach mid-2025, let's analyze what many consider to be the Genshin Impact worst banners throughout the game's history.
The Infamous Triple Childe Rerun Era
Perhaps no banner discussion is complete without mentioning the legendary case of Tartaglia (Childe). Back in version 2.2, players were stunned to see Childe receiving his third banner run while characters like Ganyu and Albedo were still awaiting their first reruns. This decision marked what many consider the beginning of Genshin Impact worst banners trend.
The community reaction was immediate and vocal. As one player described it: "These suck. The first new banner of 2.2 is Childe's rererun. You heard that right, Childe's third banner. Why is he getting a 3rd banner? No reason... but here he is again."
What made this particularly frustrating was that it coincided with what many consider the worst update in the game's history. The 2.2 update brought minimal new content, recycled puzzles, and uninspired enemy designs, creating the perfect storm of disappointment.
The Worst Region Debut Banners
While Inazuma may have had its issues with the 2.2 update being particularly problematic, it's Sumeru that many players consider the worst region in terms of initial character banners. The early Sumeru character releases struggled with balancing issues, underwhelming kits, and poor synergy with existing teams.
Several characters released during this period required multiple patches of buffs and adjustments to become viable, leaving early pullers feeling like beta testers who had spent their precious primogems on incomplete products.
The Standard Banner Controversy
The permanent standard banner has long been considered one of Genshin Impact worst banners by design. Its diluted pool of both weapons and characters makes getting specific targets nearly impossible. Even after several years of updates, many players still consider it a primogem trap that should only be approached with the free acquaint fates the game provides.
The standard banner's outdated character roster remained virtually unchanged until late 2023, creating a situation where players who lost 50/50 on limited banners kept receiving the same small pool of characters, many of whom were considered the worst character oat (of all time) in their respective elements.
Weapon Banner Nightmares
The weapon banner has consistently been criticized as a primogem sink designed to drain resources from players. Before the introduction of the Epitomized Path system, players could spend thousands of dollars without obtaining their desired 5-star weapon.
Even with the pity system implementation, the weapon banner remains one of Genshin Impact worst banners due to its predatory design. The requirement to potentially reach pity three times to guarantee a specific weapon means players need up to 240 wishes for a single weapon.
Some particularly notorious examples include:
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The Homa/Summit Shaper banner - pairing one of the game's most desired weapons with one of its least useful
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The Donut/Engulfing Lightning banner - featuring the widely mocked Everlasting Moonglow catalyst
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The Redhorn/Skyward Pride banner - another case of excellent weapon paired with standard banner filler
The Anniversary Banners Disappointment
Each anniversary has brought its own controversy, but the banner selections during these celebration periods have been particularly criticized. During what should be the game's most generous and exciting period, HoYoverse has consistently run reruns of middle-tier characters rather than featuring the most sought-after limited characters.
The third anniversary, coinciding with what players deemed the worst update cycle, featured consecutive reruns rather than new characters, dampening the celebratory mood significantly.
Factors That Create Disappointing Banners
Several elements contribute to a banner being considered among Genshin Impact worst banners:
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Poor 4-star selections: When the featured 4-star characters have minimal synergy with the 5-star or are consistently the same overused options
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Rushed character kits: Characters released in an unfinished state requiring future fixes
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Poor timing: Releasing niche characters right before highly anticipated ones
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Weapon banner mismatches: Pairing a signature weapon with an undesirable second option
Looking Forward
As we progress through 2025, there are signs that HoYoverse has learned from past banner missteps. Recent updates have shown more balanced character releases, better 4-star rotations, and more thoughtful banner timing.
However, the memory of these worst banners serves as an important reminder of how gacha systems can frustrate even the most dedicated players. Whether you're a day-one player who remembers the original Childe rerun controversy or a newcomer wondering which banners to skip, understanding this history helps make more informed pulling decisions.
For a game that continues to expand its world and character roster, banner quality remains one of the most crucial aspects of the player experience. After all, few things in Genshin Impact create more excitement or disappointment than the moment you see that 5-star glow, only to win—or lose—the 50/50 gamble.