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Genshin Impact‘s captivating charm lies in its rich assortment of intriguing characters, meticulously crafted by HoYoverse. Whether players are drawn to their appearance, engrossed in their stories, enthralled by their gameplay, or a combination of these factors, the game’s gacha system becomes an irresistible temptation.
Unfortunately, especially if you consider yourself a completionist, collecting each playable character would probably cost you either a lot of time or a lot of money. In the Version 4.1 update, the game now boasts a huge roster of 73 playable characters in total. This includes the upcoming character, Wriothesley, and a now unobtainable exclusive character from Genshin Impact‘s biggest gaming crossover so far.
Even if Genshin Impact is first and foremost a gacha game, you don’t actually need to spend real money on it to beat its challenges and enjoy its content. The game actually gives you plenty of characters to play with for free. If you are a new player or taking on a Free-To-Play challenge, this is your go-to guide on how to collect these Genshin Impact characters for free.
The Characters
The Traveler
Your very first 5-Star and the one through whose eyes you experience the game’s story events with. In the game’s opening scene, you encounter the Unknown God and must choose which of the Twin Travelers will serve as your protagonist. The great thing about using the Traveler is that they can harness just about every element in the game and switch between them at will. This gives players a choice on what kind of Traveler they’ll be using as each element bestows a distinct set of skills, giving them all a unique playstyle. They currently have access to five elements thus far: Anemo, Geo, Electro, Dendro, and Hydro.
Amber, Outrider
After progressing through the game’s main story quest, your next companion following Paimon is Amber. This 4-Star Pyro Bow character serves as your ideal travel companion for exploring Mondstadt and Liyue in the early stages of the game. To recruit her, complete the quest “Wind-Riding Knight,” and Amber will promptly join your party, acting as the tutorial character for bow usage. She marks the first of the three 4-Star characters the game provides you with at the start to have a complete party of four characters.
Kaeya, Cavalry Captain
Kaeya is the second of the three 4-Star characters given to you at the start of the game. This Cryo-wielding knight will solve many of your early game puzzles and be your best travel companion when traversing vast lakes or even seas. He’s very well known for his “Ice-Bridging” where he uses his Elemental Skill to freeze bodies of water. This skill enables players to access locations that would typically be unreachable by gliding or swimming alone.
Obtaining Kaeya is very easy. Simply complete the Crash Course quest and Kaeya will join your roster after you finish this domain.
Lisa, Librarian
Lisa is the last of the three 4-Star characters that the game rewards you with for playing through main quests. This Electro catalyst serves as the Knight of Favonius’ Librarian. Her easy application of Electro off-field damaging capabilities makes her a great sub-DPS, and for Elemental Reactions such as Superconduct. Given that early players typically rely on strikes dealing Physical damage, Lisa’s abilities prove particularly useful.
The game will give you Lisa for free by doing completing her quest ‘Sparks Amongst the Pages’, which can be found in this domain.
Noelle, Maid of Favonius
Noelle is a Geo claymore character, known for her beefy shield and her “Spin-to-Win” gameplay with her giant sword. This battle maid excels as a versatile character, offering shielding, healing, and damaging abilities—making her an ideal choice for beginners.
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Upon unlocking Wishes, the game actually gives players their first few Acquaint Fates to try pulling for new characters. Noelle features on the Beginners’ Wish banner which gives a 20% discount to your first 20 pulls and guarantees that you’ll get her within your first 10 pull.
Barbara, Deaconess of the Church of Favonius
Barbara is beloved in Mondstadt as the local idol and deaconess. As a 4-Star Hydro catalyst user, she is renowned for her cheerful demeanor and healing abilities, ensuring a pleasant and comfortable gameplay experience.
In order for you to include Sister Barbara in your team for free, you need to reach Adventure Rank 18 and complete the quest titled “A Long Shot,” which is the sixth part of the Archon Quest Prologue: Act III – Song of the Dragon and Freedom. Afterward, you can claim her through the “Baptism of Song” banner available in the events menu.
Xiangling, Chef de Cuisine
Xiangling is widely considered one of the top 4-Star characters in Genshin Impact due to her versatility and ability to apply Pyro effects and deal damage even when off-field. She is frequently featured in popular team compositions like the National Team and Vaporize Teams.
Upon reaching Adventure Rank 20, a new event called “People’s Choice” will appear in your event menu. This event also signifies the unlocking of the Spiral Abyss in the Musk Reef, which serves as Genshin Impact’s endgame content—a floor-based dungeon battle. To obtain Xiangling for free, players need to successfully complete Floor 3, Chamber 3 of the Spiral Abyss.
Collei, Avidya Forest Ranger Trainee
Collei is a 4-Star Dendro Bow character introduced during the initial release of the Sumeru region. Players received her for free, marking her as the first playable Dendro character, apart from the Dendro Traveler. Much like Amber assisted players in Mondstadt, Collei plays a similar role in Sumeru, given the region’s requirement for Dendro characters.
Obtaining Collei is as simple as Xiangling, but slightly more challenging. Players will have to complete Floor 4, Chamber 3 of the Spiral Abyss. Once you’ve finished it, Collei will be given to you as a reward.
Lynette, “Multi-Function Magic Assistant”
Lynette, a 4-Star Anemo character, is the most recent addition to the roster of free characters in the game. This is likely because of the Pneumousia Arkhe Type, a game mechanic exclusive to Fontaine characters that is designed to enable new players to engage in events involving these specific mechanics in the newest region.
Upon reaching Adventure Rank 25, players will find a new in-game event titled “The Curtain Never Falls on Magic” in their event menu. Lynette can be acquired simply by claiming her through this banner in the event menu.
