All Genshin Impact Cryo characters: Ayaka, Ganyu, Shenhe, more

Andrew Amos
Ganyu and Ayaka looking at each other, Cryo characters in Genshin Impact

Don’t get baited by the cold, Genshin Impact’s Cryo characters can still set the battlefield ablaze in Teyvat. Some are very useful supports, but many pack an icy punch that chills the heart of even the most steadfast enemy. Here’s every Cryo character in Genshin Impact ⁠— both currently-released and upcoming.

Cryo characters in Genshin Impact offer players a wide range of utility and damage. Its elemental reactions with some of the game’s other elements ⁠— like Hydro for freezing or Anemo to swirl the effects far and wide ⁠— make it a very powerful tool useful in every team.

If you’re looking for a Cryo character to round out your Genshin Impact team, we’ve got a list of each of them right here so you can make the right decision.


All Cryo characters in Genshin Impact


Aloy

Aloy abilities
Aloy is pretty good considering she was offered for free.
  • Rarity: 5-star
  • Weapon: Bow

Aloy is Genshin Impact’s only free five-star character, offered to players in a promotion during Versions 2.1 and 2.2. The Horizon Zero Dawn protagonist is the first true crossover character in Teyvat too.

While she’s widely considered to be the weakest five-star in the game, she can still dot the battlefield in snow with her various gadgets, packing a big punch while doing so.

Charlotte

Charlotte in Genshin Impact

  • Rarity: 4-star
  • Weapon: Catalyst

Charlotte is currently the only 4-star Cryo user who wields a Catalyst. She is a healer whose Elemental Skill operates similarly to Nahida. Charlotte works the best in Freeze comp teams consisting of units like Furina, Wriothesley, and Kazuha.

Chongyun

Chongyun eating an ice-lolly
Chongyun offers great Cryo support by buffing allies’ attacks.
  • Rarity: 4-star
  • Weapon: Claymore

Coming from a long line of exorcists, Chongyun has always had troubles keeping his positivity bottled up ⁠— too much energy sets him off in a flurry of friendliness and excitement, and it also makes his job rather difficult when the spirits flee.

Thankfully, the Liyue Claymore user can keep his cool using his Cryo abilities on the battlefield, buffing up allies with his Elemental Skill and imbuing them with the element.

Diona

Genshin Impact's Diona walks through Monstady
Diona offers great healing on a budget in Genshin Impact.
  • Rarity: 4-star
  • Weapon: Bow

The bartender with Katzlein blood in her veins, to say Diona hates alcohol and what it has done to Mondstadt is probably an understatement. Yet, patrons keep flocking back to the Cat’s Tail to get one of her special cocktails.

On the battlefield, she makes good use of them as a dynamic healer, with plenty of freezing power in her massive AOE Elemental Burst that also heals allies, and a shield on her regular skill to boot.

Eula

eula genshin impact
Genshin Impact’s 2FA helps to keep your account safe from hackers.
  • Rarity: 5-star
  • Weapon: Claymore

Eula comes from a rich family of barons in Mondstadt ⁠— although the Lawrence Clan is far from being loved in the region due to their tyrannical rule of the state. She joined the Knights of Favonius to try and right her family’s wrongs.

The elegant Claymore user carves through enemies like it’s nothing, throwing around the heavy sword with flair and poise gained through years of strict training at the hands of her family.

Freminet

Freminet wielding a sword
Freminet is a solid DPS.
  • Rarity: 4-star
  • Weapon: Claymore

Freminet is the younger brother of Fontaine’s famous magical siblings, Lyney and Lynette. Despite being a 4-star Claymore user, Freminet is still versatile in teams focusing on Frozen, Shatter, or Superconduct.

Ganyu

Genshin Impact Ganyu screenshot
Ganyu is arguably Genshin Impact’s most popular character.
  • Rarity: 5-star
  • Weapon: Bow

Ganyu is one of Liyue’s adepti, with the half-Qilin deity serving currently as the general secretary of the Liyue Qixing. Loyal to Liyue to a fault, she does all her work diligently, no matter the jobs thrown at her under her wide jurisdiction.

For Genshin Impact players, this includes fighting as a formidable ranged DPS. She has a very powerful Elemental Burst that, when combo’d with Hydro or Anemo, can wipe out a horde of enemies without breaking a sweat ⁠— before she can get back to her other business.

Kaeya

Kaeya in Mondstadt
Kaeya is very handy for players starting out in Genshin Impact.
  • Rarity: 4-star
  • Weapon: Sword

Another free character in Genshin Impact, Kaeya is one of the first ones players can unlock by completing the game’s first quests in Mondstadt.

While not really used in combat much ⁠— although proficient with a powerful Elemental Burst when used correctly ⁠— Kaeya is key in completing some Genshin Impact world quests by building ice bridges.

Kamisato Ayaka

Ayaka abilities
Ayaka dominates the battlefield with Cryo-based damage.
  • Rarity: 5-star
  • Weapon: Sword

The second-in-command at the Kamisato Clan, Ayaka usually handles the day-to-day business of the Yashiro Commission on Inazuma. A much-loved figure in the community for her elegance and kindness, she does feel somewhat isolated by her status.

The sword user is quite unique in-game too. She has an alternate sprint animation which allows her to freeze the ground underneath her, popping up to dash through enemies with her quick attacks.

Layla

Layla Genshin Impact splash art

  • Rarity: 4-star
  • Weapon: Sword

Layla is a sleepy Genshin Impact character who specializes in setting up powerful shields for her allies. Also, her ability to keep her Elemental Skill and Burst almost always activated makes her a must-have for any team. However, Layla does lack viability in the damage department.

Mika

Mika and Jean in Genshin Impact

  • Rarity: 4-star
  • Weapon: Polearm

Mika can act as a great healer to your entire party and can succeed in a Hypercarry team featuring Eula, Shenhe, and Raiden Shogun. Previously, Genshin Impact nerfed Mika’s Stamina Cost of his Charged Attack.

Qiqi

Qiqi using her abilities
Qiqi decimates enemies with her chilling abilities.
  • Rarity: 5-star
  • Weapon: Sword

Qiqi might be Genshin Impact’s biggest meme ⁠— especially for those who have rolled her one too many times on special banners ⁠— but the zombie of Bubu Pharmacy is one of the game’s best healers.

Don’t let her unassuming presence deceive you, if you do manage to find a Qiqi, you have got your hands on one of Genshin Impact’s top supports, and there’s some great builds for her to really let her shine.

Rosaria

Rosaria looking at her knife
Rosaria isn’t your typical sister of the church.
  • Rarity: 4-star
  • Weapon: Polearm

Rosaria isn’t like the other sisters at the Church of Favonius. Instead of adorning the usual clean whites and blues, Rosaria prefers to do her work donned in black and red, and under the guise of night.

She also has a more forward way of doing things with her Polearm, choosing violence over diplomacy ⁠— although her faith still runs very deep.

Shenhe

Shenhe official Genshin Impact artwork
Shenhe is coming in Genshin Impact update 2.4 as the game’s newest Cryo character.
  • Rarity: 5-star
  • Weapon: Polearm

Shenhe is described as a fierce individual with a short temper ⁠— at least that’s what Ganyu has been told from the Cloud Retainer. She has close ties to the adeptus too, having trained in the mountains for years.

Wriothesley

A screenshot of Wriothesley in Genshin Impact

  • Rarity: 5-star
  • Weapon: Catalyst

In addition to Charlotte, Wriothesley is the second of the two available Cryo Catalyst users. Wriothesley is a top-tier addition to any player’s team, specializing in constant Cryo application useful for Elemental Reactions.

He can also deal huge damage with his Normal Attack and heal himself if his health gets too low.


That’s every Cryo character in Genshin Impact that we know of — so far. We’ll be sure to update this as HoYoverse reveals more. For now, check out some of our other Genshin Impact guides:

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