Genshin Impact has quite a few healers, and it’s generally recommended to build at least one, especially if you’re doing co-op. Trust me. Somebody on the team has got to be a healer, and you may have to take one for the team and be that person.
As with any tier list, a couple disclaimers to get out of the way. The best healer really depends on your team comp. Another thing to note is that the best Genshin Impact healers are generally considered to be those who come with extra benefits, energy regeneration, ATK boost, and more, in addition to healing. So if the character is only good at giving heals, they’re not really considered useful. This tier list reflects that, and that’s why characters like Qiqi who objectively provide great heals are ranked at the bottom.
There are some characters I own that I can authoritatively speak on, like Bennett. And there are some characters like Kokomi that I do not own and don’t have much experience with. I’ve researched other creators’ thoughts in those cases and cited sources.
S
Bennett
Xingqiu (Honorary)
A
Kokomi
Jean
Sayu
Diona
B
Barbara
Kuki Shinobu
C
Qiqi
Noelle
S-Tier Genshin Impact Healers
Bennett
The amount of things Bennett can do is unparalleled including ATK boost, healing, cleansing debuffs, and energy regeneration. He fits in so many teams and is part of some pretty well-known comps like the National team (a budget comp that can clear even the most difficult of Abyss content): Bennett, Chongyun, Xinqgiu, Xiangling. For co-op and Abyss, to say Bennett is a must-build is hardly an exaggeration.
A-Tier Genshin Impact Healers
Kokomi
Oh, Kokomi. How her fortunes have changed. First, players thought her kit was too weak. Now, some players think she’s a must-have. I’ll take a middle-of-the-road stance and say that Kokomi, especially with the new arrival of Dendro, is a great option for certain teams. Her greatest strength is her flexibility as a hydro applicator, sub-DPS (or DPS), and healer. You can use her in a perma freeze comp like Ayaka perma freeze (Ayaka, Shenhe, Kazuha and Kokomi) where she shows up to just activate her ultimate and then promptly exits the field. Or in a team dubbed as “心海武装,” roughly translated as Kokomi Army which can be used as a low-investment second Abyss team. In this comp (a popular example includes Kokomi, Fischl, Xingqiu, and Kazuha) she serves as the main onfield character. “If we compare this comp to a tank, then the two sub-DPS serve as the barrel and ammo,” explains Bibili Genshin Impact guide creator 奇奇怪怪的BDD in a Kokomi guide video. “Then Kokomi is the tank’s exterior. She absorbs all damage in the front-of-house and protects the back of house sub-DPS.” In essence, Kokomi is very useful, doesn’t require a lot of investment, and if you want her, don’t hesitate to pull for her.
Jean
She can heal and swirl. Jean is part of a well-known comp called the Sunfire Overvape. It’s a team, popularly consisting of Jean, Bennett, Xingqiu, and Raiden Shogun, that uses Jean’s ability to swirl the status of the active character and apply it to enemies. Pyro is applied this way to enemies affected by both hydro and electro. This causes overload and a reverse-vaporize reaction. Jean’s team comps are less flexible than Bennett and perhaps even Kokomi–so I wouldn’t recommend intentionally trying to pull her from the standard character banner. Four-star healers who are equally as good like Bennett and Diona are much easier to obtain. However, if you already have her due to losing a 50/50 roll, Jean is great.
Sayu
Like Jean, Sayu can provide swirls (high Elemental Mastery) and heals, making her a great option for a lot of teams. A budget team of Sayu, Xingqiu, Bennett, and some other fourth DPS works great. Sayu also pairs well with Kazuha, who can provide energy for Sayu’s skills and bursts. Unlike Jean, however, Sayu doesn’t fit in a Sunfire team. While perhaps not exactly “meta,” Sayu is super-fun to play (yes, this moves her up the list) and relatively easy to obtain.
Diona
Healer, shielder, and a Cyro battery. Diona is great for Cryo teams who need a battery, and out of the Cyro healers, the best option. (Sorry, Qiqi). She’s great for co-op as well, since her shield applies to all teammates.
B-Tier Genshin Impact Healers
Barbara
Barbara applies the wet status to your active character with her skill, so she’s definitely not right for every situation. For instance, if you’re against Cryo enemies. But she’s one of the first healers players get, and she’s not a bad beginner option at all. The downside is she’s almost a “pure” healer in that it’s the only thing she does. Barbara is ranked higher than Qiqi, the other only-healer in the game, due to the ease with which her constellations can be obtained, thus making it easier to strengthen her.
Kuki Shinobu
The first Electro healer, Kuki can heal and serve as an Electro applicator. Since she’s such a new character, opinions about her usefulness are still settling. But the current consensus seems to be that her healing isn’t top tier like Kokomi, and isn’t a four-star who comes jam-packed with features like Bennett and Xingqiu. This leaves her somewhere in the middle of the pack. An additional downside is that Kuki is also not great for co-op since players need to be close to her for heals.
C-Tier Genshin Impact Healers
QiQi
It’s very sad that one of the game’s best healers is at the bottom of the list, but it can’t be helped. Her energy regeneration sucks. Her Burst takes too much energy. Qiqi doesn’t apply Cryo consistently enough to be a Cryo applicator. So while she’s a great healer, compared to other characters who can heal and take on another role, Qiqi simply doesn’t shine.
Noelle
Unless Noelle is at C1, every hit she executes only has a 50/50 chance of healing party members, so in terms of pure heals she’s not a great choice. But upon activating Noelle’s C1, which is quite easy since she’s a four-star, Noelle’s hits heal 100% of the time. Combined with her shield, Noelle’s really not a bad choice for a healer. However, it does take extra effort to get her there, more so than perhaps any other character, so she’s ranked towards the bottom of this list.
S-Tier Honorary Mention
Xingqiu
Excellent hydro applicator who does miniscule heals, but is another must-build for one of your Abyss teams. Xingqiu can apply hydro 100% of the time, as long as his ultimate is triggered. Any team that needs constant hydro application on enemies needs Xingqiu. It’s debatable whether or not Xingqiu belongs on this list, since while he does heal, he is almost never built as a pure healer. Hence, he’s being placed in an honorary section. If you do want to rely on his healing, I’d suggest pairing him with another healer/support like Bennett.
