Are 'Genshin Impact' Starter Characters Worth Leveling Up?

Every “Genshin Impact” player starts with the same team composition as everyone else. In gacha games, these types of free units are typically viewed as low-tier characters or simple stepping stones that are meant to be replaced as soon as possible.

All players start as the Traveler, but they will eventually unlock Amber, Lisa and Kaeya shortly after they progress through the main story.

These characters are enough for some basic elemental synergies and team compositions. They can work decently well against all of the game’s content so far, but the real question is: are they worth investing time, effort and resources into?

Here’s an overview of each character and what value they can bring to players.

The Traveler

The Traveler is easily one of the most overlooked characters in the game, which is ironic since they’re the main character. Aether and Lumine may seem underwhelming at first, but what many people forget is that their constellations are literally handed to players for free.

Reaching C6 on either Anemo or Geo Traveler can be a real game-changer thanks to their powerful bonuses. The Traveler is incredibly versatile and their ability to change elements at will is something that many players take for granted.

Kaeya

Kaeya’s limited skillset is a turn-off for many players, especially those who are able to unlock a different Cryo character early on. However, what many players don’t know is that Kaeya has very high damage scaling values with his basic attacks.

His innate damage values make Kaeya a strong auto-attack-based DPS carry. He requires relatively low investment to be effective and is a prime candidate for a Superconduct team.

Amber

Amber is a bit of a meme in the “Genshin” community, but she isn’t completely useless. She’s good for dealing AoE Pyro damage, but she does require a fair bit of investment and a few constellation bonuses to be strong.

Players who manage to get Amber to at least C2 may want to consider leveling her up as her Baron Bunny’s damage output increases dramatically after that point.

Lisa

Lisa is quite weak in the early game, but with enough investment, she can become an Electro damage powerhouse in the late game. Lisa’s damage output with maxed talents and god-rolled artifacts can easily reach five-digit territory with every Charged Attack, and her charged Elemental Skill can result in some very satisfying one-shots against large crowds.

However, reaching this point will require a significant amount of time and effort to reach. Still, she might be worth investing in just for the sheer joy of seeing her damage numbers reach insane heights.