This article is part of a directory: Genshin Impact: All Character Guides | Ascension Mats, Builds, Weapons, Teams, And Tips For Every Character
Table of contents

Highlights

  • Cryo characters are highly popular in Genshin Impact, with a diverse array of 15 characters to choose from, each offering their own unique strengths and utility.
  • Some Cryo characters, like Chongyun, have fallen out of favor due to the introduction of newer characters with better Cryo application or abilities.
  • While there are a variety of Cryo characters to choose from, not all of them are equally effective. It's important to consider their abilities, roles, and synergies within team compositions to maximize their effectiveness.

In most of the games within the Hoyoverse, elements have played a crucial role in determining the utility of characters. This is especially significant in Genshin Impact, where elements interact with each other to create reactions. Certain reactions, such as Melt, are highly favored by players, leading to Cryo being one of the most popular elements. Players often pay considerable attention to characters released with the Cryo element.

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The Genshin Impact roster has seen substantial growth across all elements, but Cryo, in particular, stands out with a whooping amount of 15 characters using this element. This abundance of Cryo characters provides players with a diverse array of options to choose from, each bringing their own unique strengths and utility to the game. However, it's worth noting that not all Cryo characters are created equal, and their effectiveness varies based on their abilities, roles, and synergies within team compositions.

Updated on November 18, 2023, by Elara Leclair: The Genshin Impact landscape underwent a significant transformation with the introduction of the Fontaine region in version 4.0. The Hydro element took center stage with new characters and content, yet the Cryo element has maintained its prominence. Interestingly, more Cryo characters have been introduced in recent patches than Hydro characters. This influx of Cryo characters, including the likes of Mika from previous patches, opens up new possibilities for players to build diverse Cryo-focused teams, whether centered around Freeze or Melt compositions, or even Physical DPS teams despite this being fallen off the meta significantly.

15 Aloy

Aloy Genshin Impact

Aloy is the first and only playable crossover character in Genshin Impact, joining the game as a collaboration between Guerrilla Games and HoYoverse. To celebrate her arrival, she was given to all players who logged in during a certain time-period for free, while her weapon was exclusively given to Playstation players.

Unfortunately, Aloy doesn't stand out from the rest of the characters in Genshin Impact except for looking out of place. Her overall character kit is considered to be lacking in strength and does not provide any noteworthy or innovative contributions to the team. Additionally, players are not able to unlock any constellations for her, making Aloy an easily forgotten unit.

14 Chongyun

chongyun in genshin impact

In the early days of Genshin Impact, Chongyun was one of the most popular and sought-after characters for players to include in a team. His Cryo infusion made him a powerful ally in combat. But as the game has evolved, Chongyun's Cryo application has become less necessary, and he has fallen out of favor, especially with the introduction of characters such as Ayaka, who can infuse her weapon with Cryo, or other units who simply have better Cryo application.

Overall, Chongyun is best described as a Cryo support or DPS. As a support, Chongyun specializes in enabling reactions by creating a Cryo infusion zone with his elemental skill. Of course, this strategy has the flaw of infusing all attacks; the character causing the reaction should refrain from using their attacks in Chongyun's zone unless their skills are not affected by Chongyun's infusion. On the other hand, Chongyun can also act as a Cryo DPS by causing reactions in his zone. However, this strategy also has its flaws as it makes the enabler's job more difficult for the same infusion reasons.

13 Kaeya

genshin impact kaeya story quest

Granted, Kaeya may have the most use in the early game of the five free characters. However, compared to other Cryo units, Kaeya doesn't quite make the cut due to his limited potential in battle. While his skill is easy to use, it ultimately is fairly underwhelming compared to other Cryo skills. The same can be said of his burst, though both are still useful from a support basis. On the other hand, Kaeya is a great utility character, but not much outside of that without heavy building.

Another issue with making the most of Kaeya is the difficulty in obtaining his constellations. He is never featured in rate-up banners, so the only way to acquire him is through sheer luck on Standard banner pulls or by purchasing him from the Starglitter Shop, if he is available. For those that do want to use Kaeya in their teams, a good team composition can still make up for his flaws. Players will find Kaeya's support build to be most efficiently working to enable Cryo reactions.

12 Qiqi

genshin impact qiqi elemental burst

It's no secret that Qiqi was a much-coveted character when Genshin Impact first hit the scene. Her healing abilities were valuable to any team, and she was a top choice for many players. However, times have changed and with the arrival of new characters, and Qiqi is not considered as the best healer anymore.

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Qiqi's main issue is her lack of versatility; she is limited to being a healer. Unlike the other Cryo healer unit Diona, Qiqi cannot generate energy for the team or create a shield. Furthermore, although her application of Cryo is effective for Superconduct teams, it does not offer any unique advantages for other use cases.

11 Freminet

genshin impact freminet c2 constellation

The debut of Fontaine's first patch introduced Freminet, a Cryo Claymore character, alongside his more popular siblings, Lyney and Lynette. Despite lacking significant synergy with his siblings, Freminet's individual utility has been also somewhat limited on his own. While he can be built as either a Physical or Cryo DPS, offering a degree of versatility, his damage output falls short compared to existing characters.

His kit mentions the Shatter reaction, suggesting that utilizing Freeze might be a good option, but Shatter is not a particularly strong or sought-after elemental reaction in comparison to other Cryo-related reactions. Nonetheless, for players interested in experimenting with new Physical builds and lacking access to characters like Eula, Freminet could be an intriguing option to explore.

10 Rosaria

genshin impact rosaria polearm

Rosaria is an exceptional 4-star Cryo Polearm who boasts an incredibly versatile and powerful kit, capable of fulfilling many roles in a variety of teams. Her Skill and Burst both can enable Melt's reaction, allowing the team to deal tremendous damage. Additionally, she has consistent off-field Cryo application with her short skill cool down which also provides decent energy generation. One of the best and most unique abilities she offers is a team Crit buff, which synergizes exceptionally well with other Cryo units.

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Nevertheless, she still faces stiff competition from other Cryo characters, who can often perform similar roles. Her burst is also quite restrictive as the party needs to remain in the burst circle. And while she is not entirely reliant on Constellations, some of her Constellations—most notably her second—are fairly significant to her performance.

9 Mika

mika aiming in genshin impact

Mika's unique role as a Physical support character sets him apart, resembling other niche characters like Faruzan, Gorou, or Kujou Sara, each catering to their respective elements. While Mika provides decent buffs and healing to the team, the challenge lies in finding ideal teams that can make the most of his abilities. The niche nature of Physical teams, coupled with the fact that only Eula really truly shines in this category, makes it challenging for Mika to find widespread applicability.

Physical teams are generally less favored for challenging content, particularly in the later stages of the Spiral Abyss. Unless future updates bring about changes to elevate the status of Physical DPS teams, Mika may not rank high on the priority list for many players.

8 Layla

mistakes players make when using layla in genshin impact

Layla is the newest recruit to the Cryo roster, being added to the game during the 3.2 patch. Her main role is to provide defensive support, as her Elemental skill generates a shield. During this shield, she also generates Night Stars, which allows her to do Cryo application and generate energy. When it comes to building her, she is relatively easy to assemble, opting for Artifacts and Weapons that require sufficient ER to reduce cool downs and as much HP as possible. However, a damage build is not recommended due to her low modifiers.

Despite her heavy reliance on Constellations, Layla is still a nice unit that can fit in plenty of team compositions. However, her shield is not the strongest, and if it is broken, the rest of her benefits such as the damage, cryo application, and energy particle generation will no longer be active. Overall, she can still be a great addition to any team if built correctly.

7 Eula

genshin impact eula ice crystal

Eula is the best physical damage unit in the game. If played right, she boasts impressive Elemental Burst damage output that can one-shot almost everything the burst hits. Being a Cryo element also makes it easier for her to set up Superconduct reactions with off-field Electro characters like Fischl, Raiden, and Yae Miko.

In addition, Eula makes for a more stable DPS than others due to her minimal off-times. Her elemental skill stacks not only increase her resistance to interruption but also enhance her base defense stats. Furthermore, when consumed, these stacks can decrease the Physical RES and Cryo RES of surrounding opponents, thus increasing her total damage. Consequently, Eula is an easy-to-build character with enough flexible team slots to optimize her gameplay and damage output. Nevertheless, as she is not an elemental reaction unit, she may feel underpowered in certain high-level gameplay scenarios such as the Spiral Abyss if the enemy roster or buffs do not favor her.

6 Charlotte

Genshin Impact Charlotte-1

Charlotte's addition to the playable roster in the version 4.2 update brings a unique combination of sub-DPS and healing abilities, making her a versatile option for specific team compositions. Pairing her with characters like Wriothesley and Furina can create a formidable synergy, especially for players seeking a character that offers more than just healing.

One notable aspect, particularly with her first constellation, is Charlotte's exceptional healing output, a surprising feature for a character with a dual focus on healing and sub-DPS. The added ability to capture in-combat pictures in a distinctive manner adds an extra layer of appeal for players interested in a replacement for characters like Diona.

However, Charlotte does have some drawbacks. Her versatility can lead to confusion regarding the most effective way to build her, as focusing on one aspect of her kit may compromise the effectiveness of the other. For players not specifically looking for a sub-DPS healer, Charlotte may fall behind Diona, who offers shielding, acts as a battery, and provides additional team-wide buffs. The choice between the two will largely depend on the player's preferred playstyle and team composition.

5 Diona

genshin impact diona trailer

Many Genshin Impact players have be tempted to skip over Diona when choosing a Cryo character,, especially at the early game, when Qiqi was still considered as a better healer. Yet, this mistake was quite quickly understood, with players noticing that Diona in fact still remains a high-quality healer and support unit. Versatility is Diona's biggest asset. Though she doesn't necessarily master any one skill, she has enough diversity to fill in multiple roles in a pinch: healing, enabling, shielding, and more. Her most notable feature can be found in her healing, which creates a zone of healing that also applies Cryo status.

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Composition-wise, Diona can be paired with most characters. However, given that a Cryo support healer build is advised, a team composition relying on elemental mastery or elemental reactions that can benefit from her C6 can see a lot of benefit from it. This way, Diona can heal while buffing the other party members' elemental mastery. Players can also opt in for a great Freeze team with Ayaka, or a physical team with Eula.

4 Ganyu

genshin impact ganyu elemental burst

Despite being released early in version 1.3, Ganyu remains as one of the best Cryo DPS unit to date due to her versatility and high damage output. As for her support ability, Ganyu offers excellent Cryo application with her long-duration Elemental Burst. Her Elemental Skill gives her the ability to keep enemies at a distance while she casts charge attacks, providing an effective crowd control tool for herself or other team members.

As a bow user reliant on charge attacks, some players might not find Ganyu suitable as a primary DPS unit. However, she has an incredibly powerful kit that synergizes perfectly with her own skills and those of other characters. When built correctly for a melt composition, she can even outshine Ayaka as a main DPS Cryo unit. However, with the more recent additions, Ganyu has undoubtely seen some fall on the ranking, especially since charged attack play style is not as favorable in some content, or simply not as unique anymore, with many characters like Tignari or Lyney released after her that focus on a similar playstyle.

3 Shenhe

shenhe from genshin impact

Shenhe's Elemental Skill, which generates Icy Quills, can be a great boon to teams that focus on Cryo DPS, and can even be useful in Physical builds, as she can easily shred enemies' Cryo and Physical RES. Despite her benefits, she has some drawbacks; the most notable being her niche utility, as she may not be the best fit for every team composition like some other characters on this list.

Furthermore, unfortunately, there is a lot of downtime for her E skill which players need to contend with. Her Burst, however, has decent uptime, but it doesn't contribute significantly to overall DPS. All things considered, however, Shenhe is still a pretty great character, and almost a staple as far as Cryo team compositions go, as her niche Cryo support utility is not matched by any other options.

2 Wriothesley

Genshin Impact Wriothesley demo

The recent introduction of Wriothesley has expanded the Cryo DPS options for players, also marking the arrival of the first Cryo Catalyst character. Wriothesley's popularity is well-founded, as his kit not only offers excellent DPS potential but also showcases a unique fighting style, reminiscent of Heizou, setting him apart in terms of animations and playstyle as for as catalyst characters go.

Wriothesley seamlessly fits into the overall theme of Fontaine characters, emphasizing HP gain and loss within their kits. This aligns perfectly with his great synergy with other characters in the Fontaine region, making him both a team player and a self-reliant unit. His unique buffs and healing capabilities contribute to his self-sufficiency, creating a distinct playstyle that resonates with many players.

However, in comparison to Ayaka, a generally more versatile Cryo DPS character, Wriothesley may have limitations. Ayaka's strength lies in her independence from specific synergy requirements with other characters or conditions. Additionally, Ayaka exhibits superior multi-target potential, a feature where Wriothesley falls short despite both characters being close combat units. Regardless, the choice between Wriothesley and Ayaka will depend on the player's preference for playstyle, team composition, and the level of synergy they seek within the Fontaine region.

1 Ayaka

genshin impact ayaka idle animation

Ayaka's move set makes for one of the most unique in the game for exploration in particular. Furthermore, her sprint has a significant impact on her combat; as it enables Ayaka to infuse her blade with Cryo, providing a consistent source of Cryo application and damage. Overall, she has the highest raw Cryo damage potential in the entire Cryo roster, thanks to her powerful auto-attacks and Burst. When coupled with her ascension stat being Crit Damage, as well as her great synergy with the Cyro Resonance and Blizzard Strayer artifact set, she can do devastating damage with the right team, especially in Freeze compositions.

Despite being a great raw Cryo DPS unit, Ayaka does not offer much versatility when it comes to other roles or reactions. She does not provide consistent cryo application or other forms of support off-field. Additionally, due to her fast cryo application, it is not recommended to build her for Melt compositions. Neverthelss, as far as a Cryo DPS unit goes, while at the end it is quite up to player's preferences, she remains a solid option.

More: Genshin Impact: Every Playable Hydro User, Ranked

genshin impact poster
Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact is an open-world RPG made by MiHoYo. Focusing on the interactions between seven elements, Genshin Impact is a free-to-play gacha game with a host of characters, weapons, regions, and more.

Platform(s)
Mobile , iOS , Android , PC , PS4 , PS5
Released
September 28, 2020
Engine
Unity
ESRB
T for Teen - Fantasy Violence, Alcohol Reference