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Genshin Impact’s elemental system expanded from the traditionally more popular four elements (like Avatar: The Last Airbender‘s Air, Water, Earth, and Fire) to the seven elements that exist in the world of Teyvat. One of their new additions is Electro or the element of lightning.
The Electro Element is characterized as being fleeting yet capable of causing massive amounts of destruction. It is the element most closely related to energy, enabling them to supply their team with tons of energy to unleash their powerful Elemental Bursts.
Get energized as we give you a rundown of everything you need to know about Genshin Impact’s Electro element, from how it works to all of its playable characters so far.
What Is the Electro Element & Electro Damage in Genshin Impact?
Electro is one of the seven elements that make up Genshin Impact’s elemental system. Its symbol is heavily based around the Mitsudomoe, a symbol often found in traditional Japanese heraldry. This element is usually regarded as a transformative element that works best when used in conjunction with other elements to produce powerful elemental reactions.
Electro characters deliver quick yet powerful attacks akin to lightning strikes. They can also be a little unpredictable as most of them can be considered eccentric individuals by their peers. In Genshin Impact, the ideology of Electro invokes eternity as a concept that intertwines both ambition and loss.
While the Raiden Shogun denies having anything to do with giving out visions in the first place, it can’t be denied that she is the epitome of these common characteristics found in every Electro vision holder as their Archon. She currently rules over the nation of Inazuma, where she is also worshiped as the God of Eternity.
How Does Electro Work in Genshin Impact?
Being affected with Electro on its own does not have any special effects but does allow for electro-elemental reactions to occur via the Electro Status. This is showcased in-game as flashes of electricity sparking around the affected target’s model.
It’s also one of the elements that the Traveler will be affected by whilst exploring their environment. Weather effects like thunderstorms can grant players the Electro Status as well if they happen to be struck by lightning or stepped into water that has been electrified.
Since Inazuma is the domain of the Electro Archon, some of their regions are notorious for being hazardous due to Balethunder, a particular climate that’s currently exclusive to Inazuma. There’s also the famous Musoujin Gorge on Yashiori Island that was formed during the battle between the Raiden Shogun and the serpent god Orobashi, where an Electro River was left in its wake. Swimming in these waters is a no-no as it would drain your character’s health even faster than Balethunder.
Electro Elemental Reactions
Elemental Reactions are part of Genshin Impact’s core gameplay that makes the game so good and enjoyable to play. While Electro on its own does not have special effects, it does allow for some pretty powerful elemental reactions that players can utilize.
- Overload (when combined with Pyro) – Deals an explosion that deals AoE Pyro DMG with high knockback.
- Electro-Charge (when combined with Hydro) – Deals Electro DMG and high Poise Damage over time to all nearby targets applied with Hydro.
- Superconduct (when combined with Cryo) – Deals AoE Cryo DMG and reduces the Physical RES of enemies caught in the AoE by 40%.
- Quicken (when combined with Dendro) – Applies a Quicken aura.
- Aggravate (Combined Quicken with Electro): Adds Additive Base DMG Bonus to the attack that triggers this reaction.
- Spread (Combined Quicken with Dendro): Adds Additive Base DMG Bonus to the attack that triggers this reaction.
- Hyperbloom (When combined with Dendro and Hydro) – Transforms a Dendro Core produced by Bloom into a homing Sprawling Shot that deals increased AoE Dendro DMG in a small radius.
While Electro-based reactions used to play second fiddle to more popular reactions like Vaporize and Melt in the past, the introduction of Dendro served as a massive boon to Electro as well. Aggravate and Hyperbloom teams made Electro’s usage soar as it rivaled the damage of meta-team compositions while being fairly easy to build and pilot in challenges like the Spiral Abyss. That’s not to say that there’s no room for its other reactions, as Taser teams are still pretty strong, and Physical DMG DPS needs Electro for Superconduct to maximize their damage.
Electro Elemental Resonance
By putting two characters of the same element on the same team, they activate their respective Elemental Resonances. These resonances grant the entire party a unique effect.
- High Voltage: Affected by Hydro for 40% less time. Superconduct, Overloaded, and Electro-Charged have a 100% chance of generating an Electro Elemental Particle (CD: 5s).
The Electro Elemental Resonance focuses on providing energy particles for your Electro characters whenever they trigger reactions like Superconduct, Overload, and Electro-Charge. While it is a good effect that incentivizes teams to use Electro-based reactions, this elemental resonance does not currently encompass the newer reactions. This does weaken its overall effect as it is less appealing for teams like Aggravate, but Taser teams make use of this resonance just fine.
Best Electro Artifact Set
There are two artifact sets in Genshin Impact that were simply made to be used by Electro characters: Thundering Fury and Thundersoother. These artifact sets grant bonus effects that empower elemental damage through two distinctly separate styles. The Thundering Fury set is the offensive set, focused on raw Electro DMG bonus as well as their various elemental reactions. On the other hand, Thundersoother is the defensive set that grants a smaller bonus against Electro-afflicted enemies but gives the wearer Electro resistances.
Right from launch, both artifact sets can be found in the Midsummer Courtyard, a domain that can be found near Starsnatch Cliff in Mondstadt. Depending on which set you’d like best, it can be fairly easy or frustrating to get the right artifact pieces of the right set. Either way, it’s a fairly resin-efficient domain for players who like to use their Electro characters.
Thundering Fury gives the wearer these bonuses:
- 2 Piece: Electro DMG Bonus +15%
- 4 Piece: Increases DMG caused by Overloaded, Electro-Charged, Superconduct, and Hyperbloom by 40%, and the DMG Bonus conferred by Aggravate is increased by 20%. When Quicken or the aforementioned Elemental Reactions are triggered, Elemental Skill CD is decreased by 1s. Can only occur once every 0.8s.
The Thundersoother set grants the following effects:
- 2 Piece: Electro RES increased by 40%.
- 4 Piece: Increases DMG against opponents affected by Electro by 35%.
Electro Characters in Genshin Impact
Genshin Impact’s Electro roster currently comprises 12 playable characters. Clorinde, a brand new character players meet during their time in Fontaine, is shown to also be wielding an Electro vision in official trailers, so you can anticipate that she’ll be added to the list soon.
5-Star Electro Characters
Keqing (5-Star, Sword)
The Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing serves as the only Electro character that’s part of the 5-Star Standard Pool. Losing your 50/50s to Keqing won’t sting as bad with how dependable she can be as an Electro driver for Aggravate teams.
Raiden Shogun (5-Star, Polearm)
Archons are said to wield godly powers, and none exemplify that better than Raiden Shogun. Feel free to spam your team’s Elemental Bursts to your heart’s content and cut down enemies with the Musou no Hitotachi.
Yae Miko (5-Star, Catalyst)
Guuji Yae is one crafty fox yokai. This mischievous head shrine maiden doesn’t need to lift a finger to attack her enemies when her turrets will do it for her, making her a fantastic DPS with off-field capabilities.
Cyno (5-Star, Polearm)
Evildoers better get ready for a d-d-d-duel because General Mahamatra Cyno spares no expense at delivering them to justice. He’s a main DPS who’s quite hungry for floor time but can carry his team with ease.
4-Star Electro Characters
Lisa (4-Star, Catalyst)
Everyone’s favorite librarian, Lisa is one of the free characters given to each player at the start of the game. Don’t underestimate her damage, though, as she can dish out some serious numbers given the right investment. The only thing we would change about her is to make it easier to get her constellations.
Fischl (4-Star, Bow)
Allow the glory of the Prinzessin to call down the might of thunder upon your enemies. Fischl stands as one of the best Electro sub-DPS in the game due to her fantastic off-field damage courtesy of her faithful avian companion, Oz.
Razor (4-Star, Claymore)
Razor is quite simple to understand since he was raised by wolves. Mess with the pack, and you’ll get claws swiping at you, imbued with lightning-quick ferocity. Oddly enough, he is considered a Physical DPS rather than an Electro one.
Beidou (4-Star, Claymore)
Beidou may have one of the most satisfying Elemental Skills in Genshin Impact due to the uniqueness of her counter. The stronger you hit this pirate captain, the harder her lightning’s gonna hit back. Not bad for the power that ended the sea beast Haishan.
Kujou Sara (4-Star, Bow)
Kujou Sara’s kit is built to support Electro characters, which is to be expected from the Shogun’s most loyal general. While she can be used in other team compositions, it’s clear that her dedication makes her work the best alongside an Electro DPS.
Kuki Shinobu (4-Star, Sword)
Kuki Shinobu is the first Electro healer on this list, but her healing is far from being traditional since she sacrifices her own HP first to heal her allies. With a boss as reckless as Arataki Itto, it’s no wonder Shinobu had to learn how to be a medic for their gang.
Dori (4-Star, Claymore)
Dori and her partner, Jinni, are in the business of providing healing to their allies by tethering them to Jinni’s lamp. While she’s not one of the most popular picks out there for healers, you can be assured that no investment is wasted when it comes to this merchant.