what are all the free characters in genshin impact

Introduction

For players navigating the ever-expanding world of Genshin Impact, a common question arises: what are all the free characters in genshin impact? This guide offers a definitive, up-to-date answer, covering every character you can obtain without spending real money, the methods to secure them, and strategic tips for building a powerful free roster. Whether you’re a seasoned free-to-play (F2P) veteran or a newcomer eager to make the most of the game’s generous offerings, this article will equip you with the knowledge and tactics you need to thrive.

Complete List of All Free Characters in Genshin Impact

Below is a comprehensive inventory of every character that can be acquired without spending in‑game currency or real money. The list is organized by rarity and availability source, ensuring you can quickly identify which characters are immediately accessible and which require specific events or story progress.

5‑Star Free Characters (2025)

• Albedo – Unlocked via the “Albedo’s Dream” special event.
• Raiden Shogun – Granted through the “Shogun’s Resolve” limited‑time event.
• Venti – Earned by completing the “Wind's Whisper” questline.

4‑Star Free Characters (2025)

• Collei – Available in the Spiral Abyss reward system.
• Shenhe – Secured via the “Shenhe’s Awakening” event.
• Yanfei – Unlockable through the “Yanfei’s Verdict” storyline.

3‑Star Free Characters (2025)

• Kaeya – Starter character, always free.
• Lisa – Starter character, always free.
• Amber – Starter character, always free.
• Razor – Unlockable via the “Wolf’s Call” quest.
• Barbara – Unlockable via the “Healing Hymn” quest.
• Fischl – Unlockable via the “Night’s Whisper” quest.
• Kaeya – Already listed as a starter; included for completeness.

Starter Characters (Always Free)

• Traveler – Main protagonist, free from the start.
• Amber – Pyro archer, free starter.
• Kaeya – Cryo swordsman, free starter.
• Lisa – Electro catalyst, free starter.
• Venti – (Optional) Can be unlocked early via story quests.

These characters collectively cover all elemental types and roles, ensuring you can assemble a balanced team without any monetary investment. Remember that some characters, especially the 5‑star options, may be gated behind specific seasonal events or story chapters, so keep an eye on the in‑game news feed and community updates.

How to Get Permanent Free Characters (Traveler Amber Kaeya Lisa)

Securing permanent free characters is a foundational step for any F2P player. While the Traveler is always available, the trio of Amber, Kaeya, and Lisa are the core starter lineup that can be obtained immediately upon account creation. Here’s a step‑by‑step guide to ensure you never miss them and how to keep them permanently in your roster.

1. Initial Login: Upon first launching the game, the onboarding process automatically grants you the Traveler, Amber, Kaeya, and Lisa. These characters appear in your character list and are ready for deployment.
2. Save Your Progress: Make sure to complete the initial tutorial and save your game to lock in these characters. If you skip saving, you risk losing them during a premature restart.
3. Avoid Character Swap Overwrites: acquire new characters, the game may prompt you to replace an existing one if your roster is full. Always double‑check the prompt and choose “Keep” for your free starters.
4. Use the “Keep” Option in the Character Store: If you encounter a scenario where the game suggests discarding a free character, select the “Keep” button to preserve them permanently.
5. Backups and Cloud Sync: Enable cloud backup to protect your character data across devices. This ensures that even if you switch to a new console or reinstall the game, your free characters remain intact.

By following these simple steps, you’ll guarantee that the Traveler, Amber, Kaeya, and Lisa remain part of your lineup indefinitely, giving you a reliable foundation for all future character acquisitions.

Free Characters from Story Quests and Events

Genshin Impact’s narrative is rich with opportunities to unlock free characters through story quests and special events. These characters often come with unique backstories and lore that enhance the game’s immersive experience. Below, we break down the key quests and events that reward free characters, along with the timing and requirements for each.

Story Quests (Main Story & Archon Quests)

• “The Dawn of the Traveler” – Grants the Traveler’s initial companion, a free 3‑star character that can be upgraded later.
• “The Whispering Winds” – Unlocks Venti as a free 5‑star character after completing the questline.
• “The Shogun’s Resolve” – Rewards Raiden Shogun during the event’s final chapter.
• “Albedo’s Dream” – Provides Albedo as a free 5‑star character after the event concludes.

Seasonal Events (Limited‑Time Events)

• “Shenhe’s Awakening” – Free 4‑star Shenhe after completing the event tasks.
• “Yanfei’s Verdict” – Grants Yanfei as a free 4‑star character.
• “Night’s Whisper” – Unlocks Fischl as a free 3‑star character.
• “Wolf’s Call” – Grants Razor as a free 3‑star character.

Daily Quests & Weekly Bosses

While not directly awarding new characters, completing daily quests and defeating weekly bosses often yields Starbound Crystals and Primogems. These resources can be used to acquire free characters through the Starglitter Exchange Shop (discussed later) or to power up existing free characters.

Strategically engaging with these story quests and events not only enriches your character roster but also deepens your understanding of the Genshin lore, making the experience more rewarding.

Spiral Abyss Free Characters Guide

The Spiral Abyss is a challenging dungeon that rewards players with various in‑game items. One of its lesser‑known benefits is the ability to unlock free characters as you progress through the floors. This section explains how to access these free characters, the specific floors that grant them, and how to maximize your rewards.

Free Character Unlocks by Floor

• Floor 1–4: No character rewards; focus on Primogems and weapon upgrades.
• Floor 5–8: Unlocks Collei as a free 4‑star character after completing Floor 8’s boss fight.
• Floor 9–12: Grants additional free characters such as Yae Miko (4‑star) and Ganyu (5‑star) during the event’s final floor.

Tips for Maximizing Spiral Abyss Rewards

1. Team Composition: Use a balanced team with strong elemental synergy to clear floors quickly and reduce damage taken.
2. Stamina Management: Keep an eye on stamina; high‑damage characters can help finish floors faster.
3. Reward Timing: Save your Primogems for the end of the Abyss cycle to secure the highest‑tier free characters.

By targeting specific floors and employing efficient strategies, you can unlock valuable free characters like Collei without spending any real money.

Starglitter Exchange Shop Characters

The Starglitter Exchange Shop is a unique feature that allows players to trade in-game currency for free characters. This shop operates on a weekly cycle and offers a rotating selection of characters, including some that are otherwise only obtainable through events.

How the Exchange Works

1. Collect Starglitter: Earn Starglitter by completing daily commissions, weekly bosses, and Spiral Abyss floors.
2. Visit the Shop: Open the Starglitter Exchange in the main menu and view the current roster of available characters.
3. Trade for Characters: Each character has a Starglitter cost (e.g., 2000 Starglitter for a 4‑star). Make sure you have enough before proceeding.
4. Confirm Acquisition: Once purchased, the character is added to your roster and can be upgraded with Primogems.

Current Free Characters (2025)

• Thoma – 4‑star, available for 1500 Starglitter.
• Hu Tao – 4‑star, available for 2000 Starglitter.
• Rosaria – 4‑star, available for 1800 Starglitter.

Starglitter Exchange Shop characters are a great way to diversify your free roster, especially when you have surplus Starglitter and limited access to certain events.

Genshin Impact frequently hosts themed events that reward players with free characters. These events often have unique mechanics and storylines that make them especially engaging. Here’s a rundown of the most recent limited‑time events and the free characters they offer.

Event Highlights

• “Celestial Celebration” (April 2025) – Free 4‑star Albedo after completing event quests.
• “Shogun’s Resolve” (May 2025) – Free 5‑star Raiden Shogun after event challenges.
• “Noblesse Oblige” (June 2025) – Free 4‑star Shenhe after defeating the event boss.

How to Maximize Rewards

1. Stay Informed: Follow the official Genshin Impact Twitter and community forums for event start dates.
2. Prioritize Event Quests: Complete high‑reward quests first to unlock characters faster.
3. Use Primogems Wisely: Spend Primogems on character ascension to fully leverage the free characters.

These limited‑time events are a fantastic way to acquire powerful free characters without spending real money.

Best Free Characters to Build First

While every free character has its unique strengths, some stand out as the most versatile and powerful for early gameplay. This section highlights the top free characters that every player should prioritize building into a strong, balanced team.

Top Picks

• Traveler (Pyro / Electro) – Versatile elemental options and the core of every strategy.
• Amber – Reliable Pyro DPS with high AoE and great for early exploration.
• Kaeya – Strong Cryo support with crowd‑control abilities.
• Lisa – Powerful Electro catalyst for elemental reactions.
• Venti – Offers massive crowd control and elemental burst synergy.
• Albedo – 4‑star Geo support that can provide shields and elemental damage.
• Raiden Shogun – 5‑star Electro support with high burst damage.

Strategic Build Tips

1. Elemental Combo: Pair Pyro and Electro characters (e.g., Traveler + Lisa) for melt reactions.
2. Shielding: Use Albedo or Venti to provide shields for survivability.
3. Ascension Priority: Focus on ascension for the characters that can unlock the most powerful artifacts.

By focusing on these free characters and building them with the right artifacts and weapons, you can create a formidable team that competes with any paid roster.

Free 5‑Star Characters from Anniversary Events

Anniversary events are some of the most exciting times in Genshin Impact, offering rare and powerful free characters. These events celebrate the game’s milestones and provide players with unique rewards that are otherwise difficult to obtain.

Key Anniversary Characters

• Venti – Available during the 2nd anniversary event.
• Raiden Shogun – Special 5‑star drop during the 3rd anniversary.
• Albedo – Released in the 4th anniversary event.

Event Mechanics

1. Daily Tasks: Complete daily tasks for a chance to unlock the character.
2. Special Bosses: Defeat anniversary bosses to unlock the character as a reward.
3. Event Currency: Use anniversary currency to purchase the character from the shop.

Participating in these anniversary events not only expands your free roster but also provides a sense of community celebration and achievement.

How to Maximize Your Free Character Collection

Optimizing your free character collection involves strategic resource management, efficient character development, and smart use of in‑game systems. Here’s a step‑by‑step guide to ensure you get the most out of every free character.

Resource Allocation

• Primogems: Prioritize using Primogems to ascend characters that offer the highest damage output.
• Starglitter: Save Starglitter for high‑tier free characters in the Exchange Shop.
• Artifacts: Focus on gathering artifacts that boost your free characters’ strengths.

Character Development

1. Ascension Path: Follow the ascension path to unlock new abilities and stat boosts.
2. Talent Upgrades: Allocate talent points to the most impactful skills.
3. Weapon Choice: Pair each character with a weapon that complements their elemental abilities.

Team Synergy

• Elemental Reactions: Build teams that maximize melt, vaporize, and electro‑cryo combinations.
• Shielding and Healing: Include characters like Albedo or Barbara to sustain your DPS.
• Mobility: Add characters with high mobility to navigate the Spiral Abyss efficiently.

By following these guidelines, you can transform your free characters into a powerful, well‑rounded team capable of tackling any challenge in Genshin Impact.

Conclusion

Understanding what are all the free characters in genshin impact is essential for any player looking to master the game without spending real money. From the core starter lineup of Traveler, Amber, Kaeya, and Lisa to the rare 5‑star rewards from anniversary events, the game offers a rich tapestry of free characters that can be leveraged into a competitive roster. By mastering the acquisition methods—story quests, Spiral Abyss, Starglitter Exchange, and limited‑time events—you can build a diverse team that rivals even the most heavily invested players.

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