As of November 2021, there are 44 playable characters in Genshin Impact — the vast majority of them locked behind the game's gacha mechanic.
While you can grind for Primogems in-game — and sometimes get them free with special codes — this could take some time, and you're not guaranteed to get the character you want.
However, that doesn't mean you can't get your adventure under way right away! The game offers six permanently free characters in addition to your main character for you to form a good team with great variety.
There's also a special bonus character currently available... read on for more info!
The Traveler
The Traveler is actually a pair of twins — Aether and Lumine — from another world. A mysterious god-like being captures the one you don't choose to play as, and you're left stranded on Teyvat.
With faithful sidekick Paimon, your mission is to relocate them while discovering this strange new land and its inhabitants.
The Traveler can assume three different elemental affinities, and you can switch at will by visiting a relevant Statue of the Seven.
- Anemo — granted when visiting your first Statue in Mondstadt.
- Geo — granted when visiting your first Statue in Liyue.
- Electro — granted when visiting your first Statue in Inazuma.
Check out our builds for the three elemental affinities below:
Amber
Amber is unlocked pretty early on in your adventure, just before you reach Mondstadt, as part of the Wind-Riding Knight Archon Quest, one which makes up Prologue, Act I: The Outlander Who Caught The Wind.
You'll bump into Amber, and will then need to take out some slimes in the air. It's impossible to miss this, so just shoot them down and enjoy your new party member!
She's a Pyro-based archer who uses a bow, and can be quite useful in a support role.
Kaeya
Kaeya is one of the Knights of Favonius, and can be obtained once you've reached Mondstadt proper. Follow the Prologue quests, and you'll come to one named Knights of Favonius.
Completing this unlocks three more quests, one of which is called Crash Course. This is a tutorial for the Kaeya, as well as an introduction to the Temple of the Wolf. Afterwards, you'll unlock him permanently.
A Cryo-based swordsman, Kaeya is great as either a DPS or a support character early on.
Lisa
Lisa is also gained from a quest unlocked after Knights of Favonius, this time one named Sparks Among the Pages.
This one has you venture into the Temple of the Lion, after which you'll add her to your roster of available characters.
Your first proper mage, she's not the strongest of characters. However, she's good value early on as an Electro burst support.
Noelle
Noelle is a Geo-focused character who you can get from the special Beginner's Wish banner that's exclusive to new players. It disappears after 20 pulls, but Noelle is guaranteed to drop on the eighth Wish you make.
You'll get plenty of Primogems in the early game to make eight pulls, so as such, she's a free character.
A decent defensive character who comes with healing capabilities, she'll be useful in your team early on in your adventure.
Xiangling
The first of two characters you'll need to grind for, Xiangling is nevertheless worth it. A solid Pyro party member, she can deal significant damage with her Elemental Burst, and provide good support to the team.
To get her for free, you need to have reached Adventure Rank 20 — hence the grind. Once you eventually reach this target, head to the Spiral Abyss, a special dungeon on an island which has several floors.
Reach Floor 3, Chamber 3, and Xiangling is yours. This isn't an easy task, so be prepared!
Barbara
Unlike the other characters, who are weak-to-middling at best, Barbara is a fantastic addition to your team — and likely one who will save your bacon several times over thanks to her Hydro-based healing prowess.
Another grind-fest, this time you'll need to be Adventure Rank 18. Make sure you have completed the quest A Long Shot — the quest that has you do battle with the fearsome dragon, Dvalin.
Once done, head to the Events menu and you should see Baptism of Song. Completing this awards Barbara.
Special Crossover Character: Aloy
A Cryo archer from Sony's smash hit Horizon Zero Dawn, Aloy is being given away to all players of Adventure Rank 20 or above during Version 2.2.
To claim her, simply log in and check your in-game mail. She should be there, waiting.
She'll disappear with the Version 2.3 update, so you'll need to be quick to claim her — that's due to take place on November 24, 2021.
Other Free Characters
miHoYo has given away several other four-star characters for free as part of special limited-time events since launch, so keep an eye out.
Other characters have included Fischl, Chongyun, Ningguang, Diona, and Beidou.
