Genshin Impact Elemental System, Explained

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On top of fantastic character designs and a compelling story, great gameplay is one of the biggest reasons as to why HoYoVerse’s Genshin Impact has enjoyed immense popularity and longevity. The dynamic Elemental System that lies at the core of their gameplay makes exploration of the open world map fun and combat feel new and engaging every time. With so many unique reactions between elements, we can’t fault players for needing a reminder every now and then of what Genshin Impact’s Elemental System has to offer.

What Are the Elements in Genshin Impact?

While the seven elements of Genshin Impact have been introduced since the inception of the game, it isn’t until the release of the Sumeru region in Version 3.0 did players get to fully experience the elemental system with the addition of the long-anticipated Dendro element. Here are all the seven elements in Genshin Impact.

• Anemo: It is the wind element. Characters granted the power of Anemo utilize air blasts, gales, and vacuums in numerous ways. It is capable of elemental absorption as well as crowd control in the form of displacement. 

• Pyro: Pyro makes use of both the destructive power and healing warmth of fire. It is also one of the elements that playable characters can apply to themselves or to enemies through skills or environmental sources. While it has no inherent effects on its own, it can be used in combination with other elements to unlock powerful reactions.

• Hydro: It is the water element. Hydro is similar to Pyro in that characters affected by Hydro are denoted with a wet status that can further lead to other elemental reactions. It is currently one of the best elements in Genshin Impact due to how many great elemental reactions it can enable.

• Cryo: Cryo users are granted frost-related abilities. The Cryo element has a special property of reducing the overall character speed when applied, like their attack speed and movement speed. It can also be applied to objects unlike other elements and allow elemental reactions to occur with them.

• Electro: Electro harnesses the power of lightning. It is another element that holds no special properties on its own but is used in a great variety of elemental reactions. Other sources of Electro DMG like lightning or electro crystals can also apply the Electro status.

• Geo: Geo draws its strength from the earth. Characters imbued with the power of Geo are blessed with great defenses and are able to create all kinds of stone constructs. Similar to Anemo, Geo can react with the elements Electro, Pyro, Hydro, and Cryo. However, it does not react with Anemo and Dendro.

• Dendro: The latest element added to the game, Dendro is basically plant power or anything related to nature. Being affected by Dendro has no inherent effects on its own but will allow for a lot of Dendro-based reactions to occur. Any source of Dendro DMG will apply the Dendro status.

Although it is not an official element, a special mention must be given to the Physical Element. It is another type of damage that is common in Genshin Impact and does have some limited interactions with the other elemental reactions.

How Does Elemental Reactions Work in Genshin Impact?

Triggering elemental reactions is fairly simple as it usually just means combining two elements. Here are all the possible elemental reactions that players can pull off in the game.

• Swirl: This reaction is the result of applying Anemo on a target that is already affected by Pyro/Electro/Hydro/Cryo or vice versa. Swirl applies the involved non-Anemo element to all targets in an AoE.
  • Pyro/Cryo/Electro Swirl: The Swirl reaction deals AoE DMG of the involved element.
  • Hydro Swirl: This Swirl reaction spreads the Wet status to unaffected targets and deals DMG to the target that the reaction was triggered upon.

• Crystallize: Crystallize happens when Geo is inflicted on a target that is already afflicted with Pyro/Hydro/Cryo/Electro. It deals no damage and is considered to be the only defensive elemental reaction as it instead generates an elemental shield of the corresponding element that was used with Geo. 

• Overload: A combination of Pyro and Electro. It causes an explosion that deals AoE Pyro DMG with high knockback.

• Superconduct: Pairing Cryo and Electro results in Superconduct which deals AoE Cryo DMG and reduces the Physical RES of enemies caught in the AoE.

• Electrocharge: Achieved when combining Hydro and Electro. It deals Electro DMG and high Poise Damage over time to all nearby targets with the Wet status.

• Vaporize: This is triggered by inflicting Hydro on a target that is already affected by Pyro or vice versa. This is the first elemental reaction on the list where the damage multiplier of the reaction varies on the order in which the two elements are applied.
  • Standard Vaporize: Applying Hydro to a target affected by Pyro. This grants a better multiplier than the other sequence.
  • Reverse Vaporize: Applying Pyro to a target affected by Cryo.

• Melt: It is the Elemental Reaction triggered by inflicting Pyro on a being that is already affected by Cryo or vice versa. Like Vaporize, the damage multiplier varies depending on the order it was done.
  • Standard Melt: Applying Pyro to a target affected by Cryo. It has a 2x multiplier compared to Reverse Melt’s 1.5x multiplier.
  • Reverse Melt: Applying Cryo to a target affected by Pyro. 

• Freeze: Applying Cryo to an enemy affected with the wet status leads to the Frozen status condition. This fully immobilizes the target and applies a Freeze Aura.
  • Shatter: Attacking a Frozen target with either a Geo or Heavy attack triggers the Shatter effect, dealing the target Physical DMG and unfreezes them.

• Burning: Using Dendro and Pyro together gives us the Burning status. This deals Pyro DMG over time in a small AoE and applies Pyro to nearby targets.

• Quicken: It is the result of mixing Dendro with Electro. This applies a quicken aura to enemies affected which can lead to further reactions such as Spread and Aggravate.
  • Spread: This is triggered when applying Dendro to an entity with the Quicken aura and adds an Additive Base DMG Bonus to the Dendro attack that triggers this reaction.
  • Aggravate: This is triggered when applying Electro to an entity with the Quicken aura and adds an Additive Base DMG Bonus to the Electro attack that triggers this reaction.

• Bloom: Combining the Hydro and Dendro elements together triggers the Bloom reaction. It creates a Dendro Core that lingers on the field for 6 seconds before exploding and dealing AoE Dendro DMG.
  • Burgeon: Hitting a Dendro Core produced by the Bloom reaction with a Pyro attack detonates the core immediately, dealing increased AoE Dendro DMG.
  • Hyperbloom: Applying Electro to a Dendro Core produced by the Bloom reaction transforms it into a homing Sprawling Shot that deals increased AoE Dendro DMG in a small radius.

What Are the Elemental Resonances in Genshin Impact?

Genshin Impact’s gameplay revolves around players using a set of 4 characters in a team that can seamlessly interact with one another through the dynamic elemental system. Another aspect that adds to the puzzle of team building are Elemental Resonances. They are activated by putting two characters of the same element in one team. There are a total of eight elemental resonances that players can utilize in their team compositions.

• Fervent Flames (Pyro): Affected by Cryo for 40% less time. Increases ATK by 25%.

• Soothing Water (Hydro): Affected by Pyro for 40% less time. Increases Max HP by 25%.

• High Voltage (Electro): Affected by Hydro for 40% less time. Superconduct, Overloaded, Electro-Charged, Quicken, Aggravate, or Hyperbloom have a 100% chance to generate an Electro Elemental Particle with a cooldown of 5 seconds.

• Shattering Ice (Cryo): Affected by Electro for 40% less time. Increases CRIT Rate against enemies that are Frozen or affected by Cryo by 15%.

• Impetuous Winds (Anemo): Decreases Stamina Consumption by 15%. Increases Movement SPD by 10%. Shortens Skill CD by 5%.

• Enduring Rock (Geo): Increases shield strength by 15%. Additionally, characters protected by a shield will have the following special characteristics: DMG dealt increased by 15%, dealing DMG to enemies will decrease their Geo RES by 20% for 15s.

• Sprawling Greenery (Dendro): Elemental Mastery increased by 50. After triggering Burning, Quicken, or Bloom reactions, all nearby party members gain 30 Elemental Mastery for 6s. After triggering Aggravate, Spread, Hyperbloom, or Burgeon reactions, all nearby party members gain 20 Elemental Mastery for 6s. The durations of the aforementioned effects will be counted independently.

• Protective Canopy (4+ Elements): This is affected by having 4 unique elements in your party. It grants 15% Elemental Resistance to all elements as well as 15% Physical Resistance.

The Elements of Current Genshin Impact Characters

There are currently 71 characters in Genshin Impact, each belonging to a specific element and also classified according to their weapon types. Here are the current elements of each playable character as of the time of writing, excluding the Traveler, who has access to multiple elements.

• Anemo
  • 5 Star: Jean, Venti, Xiao, Kaedehara Kazuha, Wanderer
  • 4 Star: Sucrose, Sayu, Shikanoin Heizou, Faruzan, Lynette
• Pyro
  • 5 Star: Diluc, Klee, Hu Tao, Yoimiya, Dehya, Lyney
  • 4 Star: Amber, Xiangling, Bennett, Xinyan, Yanfei, Thoma
• Hydro
  • 5 Star: Mona, Tartaglia, Sangonomiya Kokomi, Kamisato Ayato, Yelan, Nilou
  • 4 Star: Barbara, Xingqui, Candace
• Cryo
  • 5 Star: Qiqi, Ganyu, Eula, Kamisato Ayaka, Shenhe
  • 4 Star: Kaeya, Diona, Chongyun, Rosaria, Aloy, Layla, Mika, Freminet
• Electro
  • 5 Star: Keqing, Raiden Shogun, Yae Miko, Cyno
  • 4 Star: Lisa, Razor, Beidou, Fischl, Kujou Sara, Kuki Shinobu, Dori
• Geo
  • 5 Star: Zhongli, Albedo, Arataki Itto
  • 4 Star: Noelle, Ningguang, Gorou, Yun Jin
• Dendro
  • 5 Star: Tighnari, Nahida, Alhaitham, Baizhu
  • 4 Star: Collei, Yaoyao, Kaveh, Kirara

Will There Be More Elements Added to Genshin Impact?

It is unlikely that there will be more elements added to Genshin Impact in the near future, based on the information given to us in the trailers and roadmaps of the game. If there is going to be a new element added to the game, we can expect it to be a possibility after all of the other elements have had their respective region and archon released.

Can You Change Your Traveler’s Element in Genshin Impact?

The Traveler, regardless of whether you went with Aether or Lumine, is given the unique ability to acquire access to all of the elements in Genshin Impact and freely switch from one element to the next. Each element equips the Traveler with all new skills that are fitting for the element’s style of gameplay. So far, the Traveler can use the elements of Anemo, Geo, Electro, and Dendro with Hydro in the near horizon for when the new region, Fontaine, comes. Players will have to continue playing through the main story to collect them all eventually.