In Genshin Impact, happiness is often measured by the golden glow of a new five-star character. These units are the headline attractions of the gacha experience, and for many players they represent the best tools for combat. Yet the celebration surrounding a five-star pull can hide an uncomfortable truth: not every golden wish delivers lasting value. Is every five-star label truly a five-star experience? By 2026, with HoYoverse maintaining a consistent schedule of new releases, that question matters more than ever. Powercreep in Teyvat unfolds slowly, allowing strong characters to remain useful for longer than in many other gacha games, but the current most powerful unit may still be overshadowed by a shinier toy in the future. For that reason, players are advised to make clear plans for their spending, especially those who do not spend a hefty sum from their wallets.

Observers note that several five-star characters remain difficult to recommend in the modern era. These units are not necessarily unusable; with enough investment, many can clear content. But opportunity cost is central. If players put the same effort into generally great characters, they could get far better results. The following characters illustrate why a five-star rank does not automatically guarantee a five-star performance.

Aloy: A Crossover Without Constellations

Horizon fans who were excited for Aloy sadly have to settle for an underwhelming character with many flaws. Although adored in her original universe, in Teyvat her ability is impractical and rather weak. Additionally, she has no Constellation to make up for her shortcomings. Of course, players can make her a decent unit with plenty of effort, but if people were to put the required amount of time and investment into characters who are generally great, they could have gotten a far better unit than an acceptable Aloy.

The Traveler: A Protagonist With Uneven Elements

The Traveler is infamous for being mediocre to bad, and in several elemental abilities, this is true. On Anemo, the Traveler is simply impractical to use. For Geo, the kit can be disruptive despite having decent damage potential, and with Electro, the Traveler is overshadowed by Raiden Shogun. Fortunately, Dendro Traveler is somewhat decent and can be a reliable off-field Dendro enabler. If players rank the Traveler solely on that element, the protagonist likely would have placed higher, but when the entirety of the kit is considered, the main character is still one of the most underwhelming units in Genshin Impact.

Qiqi: Healing Alone Is Not Enough

As a healer, Qiqi is a decent unit in Genshin Impact. Unfortunately, Qiqi is now considered one of the worst five-star characters in the game, since she cannot offer anything but healing. Compared with other characters who can do much more while offering the same or better healing, Qiqi falls in every tier list. When it comes to dealing and applying Cryo damage, Qiqi is also mediocre. Her skill and burst both have long cooldowns, making them impractical and clunky. Moreover, Qiqi has no Energy generation, so she is generally unreliable. She badly needs a buff.

Klee, Sigewinne, and Dehya: Comfort and Consistency Matter

Klee is a good five-star Pyro DPS, but she is far from easy to play. There are many advanced techniques players have to master to use Klee effectively, yet all this effort will not put her ahead of better and easier Pyro DPS units like Hu Tao and Arlecchino. Because of this, she has to settle on the lower side of the ranking.

Just like the classic healers in Genshin Impact, Sigewinne is a healer who deals damage and heals her team. This combination is bound to be underwhelming compared with the better healers this game has. Not only that, Sigewinne's damage comes from her elemental burst, which she spends a long time casting, consuming a lot of field time from DPS units that can do much better in that time.

Dehya was hyped for her badass design and attitude, but sadly, HoYoverse somewhat disappoints by making her a character with endless flaws. The Eremite is supposed to be a tanking unit, but her tanking ability is limited, and she also cannot grant reliable resistance to interruption. When it comes to DPS, Dehya's Pyro field has okay-ish damage, while her burst is so bad that people should not be using it to deal damage. It would have been bearable if it at least triggered off-field abilities like Xingqiu's Raincutter, but for some reason, it does not.

Childe, Diluc, Keqing, and Cyno: Strengths With Strings Attached

Childe is an excellent five-star DPS in Genshin Impact, especially in AoE cases, but only when his Melee Stance is available. If not, he simply has to sit down and let another character take over until his skill becomes available again. Tartaglia has a fun battle system where players have to switch between his Melee and Ranged stance to get the most out of him, but his ridiculously long cooldown can throw people off from using him as a main DPS.

Diluc fell harshly from every DPS tier list in Genshin Impact until the release of Xianyun, who gave him an interesting new playstyle. Not only does she shred enemies' resistance for him, but Xianyun also grants him the ability to plunge attack enemies, which is one of the highest scaling attacks in his kit. Nonetheless, even with the help of some of the best supporters in Genshin Impact, Diluc cannot compete with Hu Tao and Arlecchino.

Although Electro is stronger with the release of Dendro elemental reactions in Genshin Impact, it is still not enough to push Keqing into the top ranking of the best five-star characters in the game. What makes her a fun character, though, is her ability to teleport around the battlefield and zip past opponents with ease. Keqing can also join quick-swap teams because of her smoothness in combat. But other than that, she does not really perform like the other Electro DPS units in Genshin Impact.

Cyno is a selfish five-star DPS in Genshin Impact who demands players to build the party around him. Without a dedicated team, it is hard for Cyno to perform or deal damage. Additionally, he also needs a proper Battery to recharge his Energy; otherwise, he will be helpless and players will get stuck having to rely on his physical attacks to deal damage. On the other hand, he can dish out great damage when his ultimate is active, but he cannot be switched out once he enters this state. Fortunately, all the effort and investment put into trying to make Cyno work will be rewarding, as he can be a decent DPS in the correct circumstances.

The 2026 Verdict

Character	Main concern	2026 outlook
Aloy	No Constellations and a weak kit	Low priority
Traveler	Uneven elements and limited overall value	Niche use
Qiqi	Healing-only kit with poor Energy generation	Needs a buff
Klee	High execution burden	Outclassed by easier Pyro DPS
Sigewinne	Long burst field time	Hard to justify
Dehya	Limited tanking and weak burst	Design carried the hype
Childe	Long skill cooldown	Strong with timing
Diluc	Falls behind top Pyro DPS	Improved by Xianyun
Keqing	Fun but not top-tier	Quick-swap comfort
Cyno	Selfish and battery-hungry	Rewarding with investment

As 2026 continues, the roster keeps expanding and the conversation around five-star value remains relevant. Does that mean older five-stars are worthless? No. Slow powercreep and team synergy can keep favorites viable for a long time. But spending discipline still matters. The lesson is simple: pull for value, comfort, and long-term fit, not just for the golden star. A five-star can still be a trap, and players who plan carefully are more likely to enjoy their favorites without regret.",

"language": "en