There is a lot of talk in the Genshin Impact community when it comes to which characters are the best and how each character ranks against the competition. DPS, or Damage Per Second, characters are often given the highest amount of esteem in this regard. Yet, also filling a widely needed niche, healers should be given even more thought than other positions on a team.
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If a DPS is to make a game easier to win, healers are the characters that make the game harder to lose; there are currently 12 actual healers in Genshin Impact. In short, healers like the Acting Grand Master Jean, and the defensively-minded Noelle, are the characters that make the difference between a player's team dying and living. That said, especially in co-op mode where the player's teammates actively rely on a healer's support, learning to best use these characters is in the best interest of all Genshin Impact fans. However, many fans still have difficulty figuring out which character is the best healer in Genshin Impact.
Updated January 16, 2023, by Elara Leclair: The introduction of the Sumeru region and the new Dendro Reactions in Genshin Impact have highlighted the importance of having a healer in the party. As these reactions often deal significant damage to the active character, it is essential to have a reliable healer to keep one's party healthy. Fortunately, Genshin Impact provides a selection of powerful healers that not only heal but also provide additional benefits such as buffing and utility, allowing the player's team to perform at their best. Recently, Genshin Impact has introduced Yaoyao, the first Dendro-based healer, providing players with a new party composition option to further enhance their gameplay experience.
Healing In Genshin Impact
Like DPS and support skills, healing is an important skill set in Genshin Impact which requires players to use complex building techniques. There is a distinction between healers that use their elemental skills for healing and those that use their elemental burst. Most healers use a mix of the two for healing, with one being more effective than the other.
Burst healers, like Diona and Bennett, mostly specialize in healing zones (which heal in a specific geographic area) or one-time lump-sum healing. In order to maximize healing for Genshin Impact characters that heal with their elemental burst, players can use two building strategies: improving quantity healing by increasing energy recharge, or quality healing by increasing that character's scale sub-stat or healing effectiveness. Most healers use Max HP to scale their healing abilities, though a few like Jean and Noelle use attack and defense. On the other hand, skill healers cannot use quantity building to improve their healing capabilities; players will need to use either the character's scaling sub-stat or healing effectiveness.
In addition to building a character's healing talent, players should be aware that there are different types of healing in Genshin Impact. Global healing is the type of ability that heals all players and/or teammates in a world when used, regardless of their proximity or if they are present on the field. On the other hand, individual healing only heals the character that the player is using at a given moment. In order for a character to fully qualify as an effective healer, players should invest in global healing.
Honorable Mention: Xingqiu
- Rating: 4-star sword-user
- Element: Hydro
- Healing Scaled To: Max HP
- Healing Source: Skill, Burst (Rain Blades)
Although not typically labeled as a healer, some characters are able to heal themselves or their teammates, such as Xingqiu. For players who have unlocked Zhongli's sixth constellation, he too can heal the team. While Xingqiu may not qualify as a true healer, his ability to heal his allies is a great bonus to the party. Still, he only qualifies for the role if players should build him just right, and it would be wasteful to use Xingqiu only as a healer.
Xingqiu's healing capabilities are tied to his Rain Blades, which players will not have unlocked until his 1st ascension. This in itself is a limitation, given that players can't use Xingqiu as a healer until they upgrade him. However, in addition, his healing is not high stat-wise compared to other healers and will only affect the active character; there is no global healing for Xingqiu. Ultimately, this also means that Xingqiu is a solo-mode-only healer that can easily be bested by Barbara.
Of course, for those solo players looking to use Xingqiu as a healer, it is not impossible. To increase Xingqiu's healing capabilities, a good mix of Max HP and Healing Efficiency artifacts will do the trick. Nonetheless, players should be aware that Xingqiu's healing will require smart transferring of his Rain Blades to other characters, making it a task that requires patience and practice to master.
Xingqiu works better as a support than a healer, so players should prepare a team with this in mind. Ideal DPS characters will have easily infused attacks that work against individual opponents so that players can start reactions with Xingqiu’s blades. Great teammates for Xingqiu include:
- Hu Tao
- Yelan
- Ayaka
12 Gorou (C Tier)
- Rating: 4-star bow-user
- Element: Geo
- Healing Scaled To: Max DEF
- Healing Source: Burst
Many players may not initially think of Gorou as a healer, as his healing ability is unlocked only with constellations. However, having Gorou's C4 will give active characters within the field's AoE a heal every 1.5 seconds, based on 50% of Gorou's DEF, when his Elemental Burst is in the "Impregnable" or "Crunch" states.
While Gorou's healing ability is a beneficial bonus with the constellation unlocked, his real strength lies in his ability to buff the team and deal Geo DMG to enemies. He works best when he is used to starting off a combo with other characters, or when his Elemental Burst can be unleashed. However, due to his healing ability being locked behind a late constellation and the fact that it requires at least two Geo characters in the party for it to work effectively, he is not as versatile of a healer and thus doesn't rank as highly as the best healers in Genshin Impact.
Aside from his healing capabilities, Gorou is a niche character who can best demonstrate his true potential in teams that focus on Geo Damage and have DEF scaling. To further benefit from his abilities, great teammates for him include:
- Itto
- Albedo
- Noelle
11 Dori (B Tier)
- Rating: 4-star claymore-user
- Element: Electro
- Healing Scaled To: Max HP
- Healing Source: Burst
Dori is one of the more recent Healers to join the roster, boasting impressive healing capabilities with minimal HP investment. Her burst cost is relatively high, however, which makes Energy Recharge (ER) the more advantageous stat. The amount of energy she provides further increases with ER, making her quite valuable as a battery. However, she is not as effective as some of the other great healers in Genshin impact when it comes to healing or providing utility.
One advantage of Dori is her continuous healing and recovery of energy. By summoning a genie during her Elemental Burst, Dori can provide energy to the character close by while consistently healing them. The amount of healing is determined by the character's HP and the amount of energy is determined by the Talent Level of their Elemental Burst. Her burst also allows a line to be created between the genie and the character, damaging any enemies it touches with Electro Damage. As this line is quite narrow, however, it is not great for teams who need consistent Electro application or positioning.
Dori can work best in a team that requires Energy Recharge and does not suffer from low Electro application. She can perform particularly well in Superconduct teams:
- Eula
- Raiden
- Rosaria
10 Sayu (B Tier)
- Rating: 4-star claymore-user
- Element: Anemo
- Healing Scaled To: Attack
- Healing Source: Burst, Skill (passive talent)
The first healer added in Inazuma, Sayu makes for an interesting healing option. With her healing tied to her elemental burst, as well as her skill via her passive talents (when she initiates a swirl reaction), all of this makes for a fairly convenient healer, requiring only a little bit of practice to master. For those looking to use Sayu as their main healer, it would be best to keep her on-field, as this will give the team increased healing potential without sacrificing too much damage. However, it should be noted that this will likely reduce the team's overall damage output, which makes her a bit less versatile.
As far as being compared to other healers, Sayu fits herself just above Barbara in terms of base stats. However, in more detail, it is a difference of healing per second versus activation healing. Compared to Barbara, Sayu has better per hit healing with her burst than Barbara has with her elemental skill. On the other hand, Barbara does just beat Sayu in terms of immediate healing with her elemental burst; this effectively puts the two on near-equal footing as far as healing potential is concerned.
Any element that can be swirled essentially works well with Sayu. Due to that, the team should depend on the element of the main DPS. A great example of such a team that includes Sayu would be:
- Ganyu
- Layla
- Mona
9 Noelle (B Tier)
- Rating: 4-star claymore-user
- Element: Geo
- Healing Scaled To: Defense
- Healing Source: Skill
In the end, Noelle may be one of the most versatile characters if built right in Genshin Impact. Her constellations are easily accessible, she can be a good Geo main DPS option or defensive support among her healing abilities. Her healing is quite comparable to some of the 5-star characters.
However, when it comes to her utility in the party, her versatility can also be a disadvantage as there are characters who provide better benefits and take less time on the field. Generally speaking, unless it is a mono-Geo element composition, it is better to have a healer who has the potential for elemental application in order to support the team with Elemental reactions off-field.
Ultimately, due to the significant changes in the meta-gameplay, Noelle is not as viable as she was before, but can still work well in the right team:
- Albedo
- Gorou
- Zhongli
8 Qiqi (B Tier)
- Rating: 5-star sword-user
- Element: Cryo
- Healing Scaled To: Attack
- Healing Source: Skill, Burst
The zombie from Bubu Pharmacy, Qiqi used to be considered by many to be the best healer at the beginning of the game. Generally speaking, Qiqi and Jean are two sides of a coin: where one specializes in one area and the other specializes in the opposite. Qiqi is still the best character in sheer healing capabilities in the cast so far, and this is her main asset as a character.
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Both her elemental burst and skill provide passive healing, meaning that it is easy to activate her skill and switch to a different character. That said, her biggest downside is found in the fact that her skill cooldown is slow compared to other healers. When investing in Qiqi, players will find that utilizing attack and energy recharge boosts in artifacts will counteract her long cooldowns with more bursts. Furthermore, compared to other healers she doesn't bring any additional utility in the form of consistent elemental application, buffs, or being a battery. Additionally, her constellations don't add much value to her playstyle, making her not as desirable as she was previously.
A good portion of Qiqi’s healing comes after hitting a specifically marked opponent. As such, players will want teammates that can easily target individual opponents at a quick pace, such as:
- Ayaka
- Eula
- Razor
7 Jean (B Tier)
- Rating: 5-star sword-user
- Element: Anemo
- Healing Scaled To: Attack
- Healing Source: Burst, Normal Attack (passive talent)
Again, comparing Jean and Qiqi is very difficult. In sheer healing alone, Qiqi is a more accomplished healer when compared to Jean (who heals only with her burst and normal attacks). However, if the player is looking for a more versatile healer, then Jean trumps Qiqi by a landslide with an elemental skill that helps to immobilize the opponent and higher DPS in all areas. In other words, Jean is a character that can work as either a DPS or support while also acting as the main healer in the party; and her constellations can give the party additional buffs. Nevertheless, as with Qiqi and Noelle, her popularity has dropped significantly over time simply because of changes and additions to the Genshin Impact character roster as well as to the overall gameplay.
When using Jean, investing in attack stats and energy recharge boosts will make for a very good strategy. This will not only increase the strength of normal attacks and their healing properties but will make for more frequent healing from her elemental burst. In addition, it is a general rule that pairing Jean with a Cryo, Pyro, Hydro, or Electro user will yield the best results, as her burst causes swirl reactions.
Nevertheless, Jean is a great healer due to her AoE burst (which can also self-cleanse), and her crowd-controlling skill. She can work quite well in a Taser composition, especially if she is equipped with a 4-piece Viridescent Venerer artifact set:
- Ayato
- Yae Miko
- Childe
6 Barbara (A Tier)
- Rating: 4-star catalyst-user
- Element: Hydro
- Healing Scaled To: Max HP
- Healing Source: Skill, Burst
One of the free healers in the game, Barbara is often one of the first characters that players use for healing specifically. Despite her free status, she can be used comfortably as a main healer, even surpassing her 5-star older sister Jean. Both Barbara's elemental skill and burst offer a focus on healing, and she can perform quite well if she is built as a healer while focusing also on her Elemental Mastery for some elemental reactions.
That said, Barbara is quite mediocre in her healing properties compared to other characters, as her only benefit to the party is essentially healing with some Hydro Application. On this note, she can be compared to Kokomi, and still be a good option for those that do not have her. Barbara's healing also improves by investing in Max HP artifacts, and increasing elemental mastery helps to make Barbara double as a Hydro enabler (applying wet status with her attacks).
Unlike the other healers in Genshin Impact, Barbara doesn’t tend to see a lot of field time. Because of that, her popularity has increased in particular for Bloom teams that require significant healing consistently. These may include:
- Nilou
- Nahida
- Alhaitham
5 Diona (A Tier)
- Rating: 4-star bow-user
- Element: Cryo
- Healing Scaled To: Max HP
- Healing Source: Burst
Although Diona's healing capabilities may not be as powerful as some of the other great healers in Genshin Impact, her additional benefits to the party should be taken into consideration when choosing a healer. Diona's healing ability is limited to her Elemental Burst and an AoE zone, requiring players to switch characters if they wish to heal a specific character. The zone also applies Cryo in intervals. Additionally, Diona's Elemental skill is quite useful, creating a shield and generating energy, making her an effective battery.
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Furthermore, if her sixth constellation is unlocked, Diona can be a great asset for teams that benefit from Elemental Reactions and high Elemental Mastery, since this constellation will not only allow Diona's Elemental Burst to heal, but also grant additional Elemental Mastery to all party members.
As such, players would do well to include characters that can benefit from her additional support over healing, A few examples include:
- Kazuha
- Eula
- Diluc
4 Kuki Shinobu (A Tier)
- Rating: 4-star sword-user
- Element: Electro
- Healing Scaled To: Max HP
- Healing Source: Skill
Released back in version 2.7, Kuki Shinobu was the first Electro healer to be introduced to Genshin Impact. Initially, she was not seen as a particularly powerful healer, but when the Dendro Reactions were introduced, her true capabilities were revealed - she is an indispensable healer for teams that require a constant supply of Electro attacks, in particular in Spread, Aggravate, and Hyperbloom teams. This is why building her with Elemental Mastery alongside HP is highly recommended.
Despite some drawbacks to using Kuki Shinobu as a healer, such as her elemental skill causing her health to be depleted, she is still a great choice for players looking for an Electro Healer. That said, it is important to be mindful of her health, as Kuki Shinobu does not provide party-wide healing, and extra time must be taken to ensure she is healing herself periodically. All in all, Kuki Shinobu is a great choice for a healer, and her drawbacks are minor.
Kuki Shinobu can work well with most teams, however, for the most efficiency, players will want to have her on a close-quarters team centered around Dendro elemental reactions:
- Yelan
- Nahida
- Alhaitham
3 Bennett (S Tier)
- Rating: 4-star sword-user
- Element: Pyro
- Healing Scaled To: Max HP
- Healing Source: Burst
Bennett has been considered to be one of the best healers in Genshin Impact for a long while, not necessarily because of his healing potential alone, but also due to the fact that he massively buffs the ATK value of team members. Nonetheless, in terms of overall team usability, Bennett is quite easy to build and he does have some great benefits when built correctly that cannot be found in any other healer's move set.
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The main reason why he doesn't rank as the best healer is simply because of the general changes in the gameplay. Firstly, although Bennett doesn't overall have much Pyro application assuming the players haven't activated his sixth constellation, he can still mess up some Elemental Reaction setups. Furthermore, and more importantly, the ATK buff is not as viable as it used to be since many newer characters we've been introduced for the last patches have focused on HP or Elemental Mastery over ATK. Regardless, this doesn't make Bennett bad, he is simply not so versatile for the current meta.
Bennett is a master of support, offering attack and healing, all in an AoE. As such, most characters work well with Bennett, so players may want to pair him with characters that can benefit from his ATK buff and healing circle. Some great choices include:
- Xiao
- Raiden Shogun
- Xiangling
2 Yaoyao (S Tier)
- Rating: 4-star polearm-user
- Element: Dendro
- Healing Scaled To: Max HP
- Healing Source: Skill, Burst
Yaoyao, the long-awaited first Dendro Healer in Genshin Impact, was finally made playable in patch 3.4. With her unique skill kit, Yaoyao has the potential to provide both on-field and off-field healing and Dendro application. To maximize her utility, players should strategically place her White Jade Radishes in order to ensure the most effective Dendro application. This makes her one of the best healers in Genshin Impact, especially for teams that focus on Dendro Reactions.
Furthermore, Yaoyao is relatively easy to build and provides great value for her cost. Focusing on her HP% and Energy Recharge will help her to provide optimal healing, while building her with Elemental Mastery and her first constellation provides a great buff for Dendro DMG or Dendro Reactions. Further constellations add additional healing and utility to the board, making Yaoyao a great support character for any team.
As Yaoyao is very focused on Dendro, the best teammates for her would ideally be characters that are specifically designed for Dendro Reactions:
- Nahida
- Alhaitham
- Nilou
1 Kokomi (S Tier)
- Rating: 5-star catalyst-user
- Element: Hydro
- Healing Scaled To: Max HP
- Healing Source: Skill, Burst
Generally speaking, Sangonomiya Kokomi is a much-needed better version of Barbara. There are a lot of similarities between the two: both have skills and bursts that heal, use a hydro catalyst, and aren't particularly good at much outside of healing. That said, Kokomi falls in the S-tier because she expands upon the areas that were missed in making Barbara.
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For starters, Kokomi has amazing scaling when it comes to healing, it won't take players a long time to heal a lot of health. Even more so, both of her elemental skill has passive healing abilities. Rather than needing to hit opponents herself to heal teammates, Kokomi's elemental skill summons a "bake-kurage" that automatically attacks opponents. On the other hand, her elemental burst works in the same way as Barbara's elemental skill (healing upon hitting an opponent), but this burst also increases the damage of both her attacks and the "bake-kurage."
That said, Kokomi has undeniable advantages when it comes to Hydro application. Not only was she not initially held in high regard as a healer, like Kuki Shinobu, but she has also risen to become the best healer in Genshin Impact. She is an invaluable addition to both Taser and Bloom & Hyperbloom teams, thanks to her healing abilities which can help mitigate any self-inflicted damage.
Sangonomiya Kokomi in a team, players will find using her as a main healer paired with Dendro, Hydro, or Electro to be the best route forward. Kokomi specializes in healing skills that work in an AoE. So, players will want characters that attack crowds well, like:
- Nahida
- Kazuha
- Nilou
Genshin Impact is available on mobile, PC, PS4, and PS5. A Switch version is currently in development.
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