Genshin Impact has a massive roster of characters to play as, and a handful of them can be unlocked for free.
If you want to get every single unit in Genshin Impact, it’ll 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. If you’re looking to save your Primogems, here’s a rundown of how you can get each free character currently on offer in Genshin Impact.
Available free characters as of version 5.1
| Character | Rarity | Element | Weapon | Unlock Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-star | Pyro | Bow | Complete the Quest Wind-Riding Knight. | |
| 4-star | Cryo | Sword | Complete the Quest Crash Course. | |
| 4-star | Electro | Catalyst | Complete the Quest Sparks Amongst the Pages. | |
| 4-star | Hydro | Catalyst | Complete the Baptism of Song event. | |
| 4-star | Pyro | Polearm | Clear Floor 3, Chamber 3 of the Spiral Abyss. | |
Traveler | — | — | Sword | None |
| 4-Star | Geo | Claymore | Guaranteed pull in the ‘Beginner’s Wish’ gacha. | |
| 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. |
| Kachina | 4-star | Geo | Polearm | Complete Act 1 of Archon Quest Chapter V, “Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn” |
How many free Genshin Impact characters are there?
There are 10 free 4-star characters you can unlock in Genshin Impact without spending any extra money. With 89 playable 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.
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?
Currently, you can’t get a 5-star for free in the HoYoverse game. It was previously on offer as part of 2024’s anniversary celebration, but only for a limited time.
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The free 5-star selector was introduced to Genshin when the 5.0 update launched on August 28, 2024, and remained available until October 8, 2024.
The characters previously available for free during this period were as follows:
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 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.