All free Genshin Impact characters & how to get them

There’s a massive roster in Genshin Impact and a handful of characters can be unlocked for free. We’ve got a full rundown of them all below.

If you want to get every single unit in Genshin Impact, it will take you a lot of time and money due to the gacha systems, but there are some you can add to your party at no extra cost. So, if you’re looking to save your Primogems, unlocking some free fighters is ideal.

All free characters

Without further ado, here are all of the characters you can claim for free and the requirements needed to unlock them:

Character	Rarity	Element	Weapon	Unlock Requirements
Amber	4-star	Pyro	Bow	Complete the Quest Wind-Riding Knight.
Kaeya	4-star	Cryo	Sword	Complete the Quest Crash Course.
Lisa	4-star	Electro	Catalyst	Complete the Quest Sparks Amongst the Pages.
Barbara	4-star	Hydro	Catalyst	Complete the Baptism of Song event.
Xiangling	4-star	Pyro	Polearm	Clear Floor 3, Chamber 3 of the Spiral Abyss.
Traveler	—	—	Sword	None
Noelle	4-Star	Geo	Claymore	Guaranteed pull in the ‘Beginner’s Wish’ gacha.
Collei	4-star	Dendro	Bow	Complete Graven Innocence event.
Lynette	4-star	Anemo	Sword	Reach Adventure Rank 25 & check “The Curtain Never Falls” permanent event page.

How many free Genshin Impact characters are there?

There are currently nine free 4-star characters you can unlock in Genshin Impact without spending any extra money.

With 88 units in the game right now, only roughly 11% of them have been made permanently available for free since it launched in 2020.

Each free 4-star can be purchased from Paimon’s Bargains but it may take some time as you’ll have to wait for them to enter the current store rotation.

Limited-time character events

HoYoverse also enables players to claim free characters during limited-time events, so make sure you keep an eye out for these special giveaways.

The events invariably task players with completing quests and taking part in seasonal activities.

HoYoverse

Events like Prosperous Partnerships offered a whole host of additional free characters.

Previous limited-time events have rewarded the following 4-star characters:

• Barbara (Hydro)
• Beidou (Electro)
• Fischl (Electro)
• Xiangling (Pyro)
• Xingqiu (Hydro)
• Chongyun (Cryo)
• Ningguang (Geo)
• Xinyan (Pyro)
• Yun Jin (Geo)
• Yanfei (Pyro)
• Diona (Cryo)
• Aloy (Cryo)

Can you get 5-star Genshin Impact characters for free?

Yes, you can get a 5-star for free in the HoYoverse game but only for a limited time.

The free 5-star selector was introduced to Genshin when the 5.0 update launched on August 28, 2024, and will remain available until October 8, 2024.

You can choose one of the following from the selector which can be accessed via the in-game Event screen, and clicking on the ‘Invite Character‘ button:

• Diluc (Pyro)
• Keqing (Electro)
• Tighnari (Dendro)
• Mona (Hydro)
• Qiqi (Cyro)
• Dehya (Pyro)
• Jean (Anemo)

HoYoverse

You can get 5-star characters free for a limited time in Genshin Impact.

Although the fourth-anniversary selection is limited, HoYoverse has confirmed it will be an annual event going forward, and the featured 5-stars will change over the years.

Who is the best free character?

Out of the 4-stars we’d particularly recommend Xiangling as the best free option. She’s a character who’s been dominating high in the meta for a long time, and is a solid support unit who can enhance plunge damage, and heal allies.

When it comes to the free 5-star selector, Tighnari is a fantastic DPS who can fit into just about any team comp. He excels at dealing AoE damage and can unleash some really powerful attacks.

Now you know about all the free characters in Genshin Impact. For more on the game, check out the codes you can redeem, the current banner, how to play it on Steam Deck, and our full character tier list.