Which Characters Are Unlocked For Free in Genshin Impact?

Genshin Impact allows players to unlock some characters as they progress through the story mode for free. Other characters in Genshin Impact are not free and need to be bought through the gacha store.

Genshin Impact, developed by miHoYo, offers a massive JRPG experience, which, for the most part, feels inspired by Zelda: BotW.

Players should be aware that this is not an MMO by any means, and the game mechanisms validate that too. Genshin Impact is free to play on several platforms such as Windows, PS4, Android, and iOS. After the initial launch, the game soon hit the top spots on leaderboards and is printing money.

Genshin Impact allows players to unlock up to six characters through the story mode progression. The remaining seventeen characters can be bought from the game’s gacha store.

1. Free Character Unlocks In Genshin Impact

MiHoYo has allowed new players to get a decent amount of characters as they progress through the story. Here’s how you can unlock these six characters as you move through the story.

I. Amber

The first character you get during the introduction mission is also the worst in the game. You should plan to upgrade to a better character soon as Amber is only good at lighting small fire scones.

Amber’s explosive puppet sill is not something to fight for, and the fiery rain skill lasts only about two seconds. Most of the players shelve her as soon as another character is unlocked.

II. Lisa

Lisa is unlocked early on in the game through the ‘Sparks Amongst the Pages’ quest, which recommends the player be ranked five or above. Her abilities include a homing orb and a lightning strike around the area of effect.

Lisa’s ultimate ability is called ‘Lightning Rose,’ which lasts for 15 seconds and is an excellent way to take over an area, but be aware that it doesn’t deal much damage.  

III. Kaeya

Similarly to Lisa, Kaeya can be earned through the ‘Crash Course’ quest, which has a recommended rating of rank five. Keya’s regular attack includes a few changes at once; his elemental skill has three exploding cryo balls, and his ultimate spawns spiky ice crystals around him.

IV. Noelle

Noelle is not unlocked in the story but is a guaranteed drop in the first 10-set pull from the beginner’s banner, which all new players receive. Noelle uses a two-handed sword, with abilities including a shield and an AOE smash.

V. Barbara

Barabara is received only if you have a character that was created before the games version 1.1. Qualified players will get an email for the same when they reach rank 20.

Barabra is quite powerful; her ability ‘Let the Show Begin’ brings on rainfall in nearby areas. Her ultimate ability ‘Shining Miracle’ gives HP burst to all nearby players.

VI. Xiangling

Xiangling is unlocked after you hit rank 20, complete floor 3, Chamber 3 of the abyss challenge. This challenge can be found on the characters page and can be started anytime.

Xialing’s attacks are quite fast; the panda deals fire damage to nearby enemies, and the ultimate pyronado deals repetitive fire damage as long as it is in contact with enemies.

2. How To Unlock Characters In Genshin Impact

There are two methods to unlock characters in Genshin Impact through the story and the gacha store.

I. The Gacha System

Locked characters can be bought using the in-game currency. Real-life currency can be used to purchase wishes, which are nothing but loot boxes. These loot boxes can be opened to get a locked character.

II. Game Progress

Six characters can be unlocked for free as you progress through the game’s story, but the rest can only be unlocked through the gacha store. The free characters are enough to complete the game.

3. Level Up Characters in Genshin Impact

When defeating enemies or completing quests, players are awarded experience materials depending on the quest or enemy’s difficulty. These materials can then be used to level up your character.

Characters can be upgraded using different experience materials.

There are three materials in the game which can be used to upgrade characters: Traveler’s Experience, Adventurer’s Experience, Hero’s Experience. Using these materials also costs Mora; while Hero’s experience gives the most XP, it also costs the most Mora.

4. Get Genshin Impact

5. About Genshin Impact

Developed and published by miHoYo, Genshin Impact is an action-adventure RPG. It allows for both single-player and multiplayer gameplay. Furthermore, the game supports both cross-platform and cross-save features.

Genshin Impact is full of countless magical characters that will come with their own set of unique skills to kill enemies. Since it is an open-world game that one can explore by several movements like walking, swimming, gliding, and climbing.

The game allows enthusiasts to choose the gender of the playable character. In a quest to find your lost sibling, you will stumble upon other playable characters too who will assist you in unveiling the secrets of the gods of this dynamic world.