Best Genshin Impact starter characters

Traveler leads the Genshin Impact starter character ranking with 1255 ELO points over 32 duels, ahead of Kaeya and Amber.

Kaeya follows 35 points behind the Traveler in second place with 1220 ELO, while Amber claims third at 1192 ELO. The sharpest divide appears between Amber and Lisa: 38 ELO points separate third from fourth, the widest gap in this four-contender ranking. Lisa anchors the bottom with 1154 ELO and a 39% win rate across 28 duels, suggesting the community finds her the least compelling of the free starter options. The Traveler's 59% win rate indicates a clear preference among voters, though Kaeya remains competitive at 54%. Amber's 47% win rate places her in the middle of the pack, still ahead of Lisa but trailing the top two.

This ranking draws from 873 duels submitted by 186 players as of 10 October 2026. The vote captures the community's verdict on the four characters every Genshin Impact player receives at the start of their journey. These starter companions shape early gameplay experiences differently, and the ELO scores reflect which ones leave the strongest impression. The ranking remains open: cast your own duels on VAINKEURZ to influence the standings and weigh in on which starter character truly deserves recognition as the best choice for new players beginning their adventure in Teyvat.

Updated on October 10, 2026

How this ranking is computed

Every duel won lifts a contender and every loss drops them, by an amount that depends on the opponent's strength: beating the leader is worth more than beating the last. It is an ELO, the same principle as in chess. Duels are not drawn at random — an adaptive entropy sort puts the least predictable match-ups first, which settles the ranking far faster than a full round robin. A worldwide ranking is only published past 30 completed plays. Known limit: a contender who has faced few opponents keeps an approximate score, and the bottom of the table moves more than the podium.

How our rankings are made →