Bow characters inGenshin Impactlikely have the most diverse playstyle among all the weapons in the games. Each of the available characters who use these ranged arms can be built in multiple ways, allowing them to fit different roles and playstyles. Having said that, each character has its positives and negatives. That’s why it’s important to know which bow users are more beneficial than the others.
Typically, a unit’s strength can be easily estimated by its rarity. However, their star ratings alone don’t tell the full story. How do all these bow users stack up against each other?
Updated on June 29, 2025, by Nahda Nabiilah:Not much happened to the list of bow characters in Genshin Impact. Ever since the release of Tighnari in version 3.0, the roster has been growing slowly. Players can get Faruzan in Genshin Impact 3.4, then wait around six months forLyneyin version 4.0. Afterward, no more bow characters are added until Genshin Impact 4.7, with the release ofSigewinneandSethos. Despite the slow-growing roster, though, there are a lot of changes when it comes to theranking of bow characters in Genshin Impact, thanks to the everchanging meta.
17Aloy
Since Aloy is a free character, many jumped to the conclusion that she must be useless. However,Aloy shines as Sub-DPS inGenshin Impact. Her Elemental Burst deals a large amount of damage with low energy requirements.
Aloy’s Elemental Skill, though, is her biggest blessing and curse. It has a tremendous cooldown, causing her to have the worst Cryo application inGenshin Impact. Additionally, she must have someone like Sucrose or Kazuha help her receive four stacks to trigger theRushing Ice State. Once she enters her Rushing Ice State, Aloy’s Normal Attack and Cryo damage are greatly enhanced.
16Amber
Amber is adored by theGenshin Impactcommunity, yet, almost all players agree that she is impractical. The Outrider is supposed to be played like Ganyu, however, she doesn’t work out as well. Amber’s Charged Attack can hit hard, but it lacks the AOE Ganyu has.
While her kit isn’t that bad, Amber struggles to find her place in the current meta. Her Elemental Skill is defensive in a game that puts a timer on every mode. Furthermore, the damage of Amber’s Elemental Burst is outclassed by other Pyro characters, and the Pyro application is too minor to be meaningful.
15Sethos
It’s difficult for a 4-star character to be relevant inGenshin Impactwhen they’re designed as a Main DPS, thanks to how overpowered some 5-star DPS are. Sadly, Sethos is made as a damage dealer, somewhat similar to how Tighnari works. In terms of damage, Sethos isn’t bad, but again, he can’t outdo a premium unit, so he has to be happy being a benchwarmer.
14Diona
As a Support unit, there’s nothing Diona can’t do. She heals, shields, cleanses, and even buffs her allies.Diona is a great character to have inGenshin Impact. Her constellations improve her Co-Op abilities and further buff her team’s damage.
Sadly, even though she was one of the best sustain characters, she’s now overshadowed by other overpowered supports and healers likeFurina.
13Kujou Sara
Kujou Sara is best used as a Support. She doesn’t have the ability to carry her team’s damage; instead, she buffs their attack while her Elemental Burst deal some decent damage.
Although the Tengu Warrior grants a fair attack buff, it’s not easy to apply or receive. In addition, Sara’s buff requires a lot of dedication in the team’s rotation. Players must keep bringing her to the field every six seconds to apply her buff. While Sara’s Constellations can help decrease her limitations, she still falls short againstotherGenshin Impactbuffers like Bennett. Still, as an upside, her sixth constellation allows her to become the best Electro buffer in the game.
12Collei
Since she’s so attached to Amber, many fans speculate the Forest Ranger to be as impractical as the Outrider. However, that’s not the case. Collei has a decent skill set that can support her team and apply enough Dendro.
Unfortunately for Collei, she’s already outperformed by the Dendro Traveler, who can basically take the same roles and add more to their team. The most obvious difference is that her Elemental Burst AOE is not as big as the Traveler’s Burst. Although she does have a faster hit rate, which will deal Dendro damage faster.
11Sigewinne
When it comes to healing, Sigewinne does her role perfectly; she can even deal decent damage with his Elemental Burst. However, she doesn’t have a place in the meta since healing is practically all she does. Players can use Sigewinne to quickly maximize Furina’s fanfare, but that’s about it. One saving grace, however, is her C2, which makes her the perfect support for Hydro DPS.
10Tartaglia(Childe)
Although his ranged damage is mediocre, Tartaglia truly shines when he enters his melee stance. He has one of the best AOE hits, so if he’s paired with a crowd control character like Kazuha, Childe can perform on a different level than any otherDPS inGenshin Impact.
Unfortunately, the 11th Harbinger of the Fatui has a major flaw in his playstyle: he spends more time in cooldown than in combat. All of his skill set revolves around his Elemental Skill, yet his skill’s maximum cooldown is the longest in the game. Not only does it cause a major DPS loss in his team, but it also forces players to have a Sub-DPS to cover Childe’s cooldown.
9Gorou
Gorou debuted as a dedicated support for Arataki Itto. However, this later changed with the release of other Geo-DEF characters like Xilonen andChiori. Although he’s still a niche for his Element and scaling, Gorou now has a more expansive teammates to pair with.
Players can even make Gorou a dedicated healer so that his team can benefit more from Furina’s buff. All this won’t hurt his own stat bonuses since Gorou’s buff only scales with his skill level.
8Lyney
Take a drop of Yoimiya and Ganyu, and one shall have Lyney. Unfortunately, this stays true with both of their flaws; his DPS drops greatly if Lyney misses his shot.
Lyney is a great DPS, but he’s not the most practical to play, especially for players who can’t aim or use mobile devices. Additionally, Lyney’s damage is mediocre within his 5-star peers, making him a “pull if you like him” type of character.
