Ranking All Playable Cryo Characters in Genshin Impact

Kamisato Ayaka

The first Inazuma character ever shown to Genshin Impact fans, Kamisato Ayaka is an extremely powerful character to have in Genshin Impact. Not to mention, she has her self-buffing passive abilities that grant her extra cryo dmg to enemies.

Ayaka can practically deal cryo damage like a catalyst wielder, even as a sword wielder. Her alternate dash also allows her to traverse through bodies of water without having to swim and infuse her normal attacks with cryo infusion.

Her elemental skill allows her to wave her fan, dealing cryo AoE damage to those near her. Her elemental burst is what makes her a beast in the current meta with a swirling snowstorm.

Wriothesley

Lord of the Fortress of Meliopede Wrothesley is the cryo element's first limited 5-star DPS (Damage Per Second) catalyst wielder. Wriothesley is one character that I think is one of the most fun characters to play in Genshin Impact.

Wriothesley's elemental skill allows him to sprint forward, dealing cryo damage. He also buffs himself, allowing his normal attacks to deal a lot more damage while trading it for some of his own HP. For his elemental burst, Wriothesley activates his boxing gloves, unleashing a flurry of AoE Ousia-aligned cryo attacks upon enemies.

Ganyu

Her elemental skill allows Ganyu to draw the attention of nearby enemies, proving to be an effective defensive yet functional grouping skill for her to unleash her charged attacks. Using her elemental burst, Ganyu releases an ice orb into the battlefield, creating an AoE surrounding a large area. Any enemies that stand in this area are greeted with icicle spears that fall from the sky.

Shenhe

Another fellow disciple of Cloud Retainer, Shenhe is a 5-star polearm wielder who has a cryo support arsenal like no other. She is a must-have character that pushes the damage barriers of all cryo characters, so if you are a cryo lover and want to know how to see what the highest damage in Genshin Impact is, then Shenhe is a must-pull in my opinion.

Shenhe's elemental skill has two versions, where tapping the skill buffs the next elemental skills and elemental bursts' damage, and the hold version increases normal, charged, and plunging damage for a short duration. Her elemental burst is also pretty wicked, for any enemies within her icy field have their cryo and physical resistance reduced, and any active character within gains an additional cryo damage bonus.

Layla

The most relatable sleepyhead scholar coming from Sumeru is a 4-star sword wielder who has a very durable shielding ability and decent cryo application. 

Layla's elemental skill casts a cryo shield that uses Layla's max HP. Every couple of seconds, for as long as Layla's shield is up, small cryo star projectiles will be created. Her elemental burst summons forth a cryo sphere similar to Ganyu's, firing off homing projectiles on enemies

Diona

Mondstadt's Cat Tail Bartender Diona is a 4-star bow wielder. Her main job suits her role as a Genshin Impact character - providing heals and shields for her party members.

For her elemental skill, Diona does a backflip while firing cryo projectiles. When finishing the animation, Diona gains a shield to block any damage. Diona's elemental burst tosses out a concoction covering a large battlefield area, providing AoE Cryo DoT (Damage Over Time) and healing over time for any team members inside.

Eula

One of the hottest characters in Genshin Impact, Spindrift Knight Eula is a 5-star claymore wielder that mains physical attack and is also very well known as the "Physical Queen".

Eula's elemental skill has two versions - tapping it allows her to swiftly release a cryo slash, gaining a stack of buff that increases her resistance to knockback and some additional defense. Holding it unleashes the stack, which converts into additional damage along with the enemies' physical and cryo resistance lowered. 

Eula's elemental burst is an iconic one for Genshin Impact as it was used by the most popular YouTube and streamers for damage showcases, where a light sword follows Eula for a short period of time, and explodes soon after.

Mika

Mika's elemental skill has two versions, the tap version fires a Flowfrost Arrow and the hold version fires a Rimestar Flare, both providing stacks for his elemental burst. Mika's elemental burst casts prayers for the team, allowing your active team member to regain HP over the course of a short period when their normal attacks land.

Rosaria

Cold Sister Rosaria is a 4-star polearm wielder who is a nun at the Church of Favonius. She is a solid cryo battery with a low elemental skill cooldown, and has good cryo application.

Rosaria's elemental skill allows her to dash behind her enemies for a nice backstab with her polearm. It has a low cooldown, hence allowing her to be a suitable cryo battery character. On her elemental burst, Rosaria thrusts an enormous lance onto the ground, damaging enemies on impact and pulsates Cryo AoE damage.

Kaeya

Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius, and our personal first playable cryo character Kaeya is a 4-star sword wielder. He is valuable as an off-field sub-DPS, where he does considerable cryo damage and application.

Kaeya's elemental skill spews out an icy blast, dealing cryo dmg to enemies in front of him. His elemental skill summons three icicles that revolve around him, damaging any enemy that comes into contact. These icicles do not disappear when other party members take the field, making in a decent choice if you are looking for some cryo application.

Freminet

Fontaine's Professional Diver Freminet is a 4-star claymore wielder that falls under the same category as Eula - a physical damage dealer. 

As mentioned before, his elemental skill involves both physical and cryo damage. Activating Freminet's elemental burst allows Freminet to unleash a wave of AoE cryo damage while entering his underwater hunter mode. He gains a couple of buffs, like a lower elemental skill cooldown and increased normal attack damage.

Qiqi

The adorable forgetful Bubu Pharmacist Qiqi is a 5-star sword wielder who is a support character, focused on healing.

Her elemental skill periodically heals the currently active character while also swirling an ice orb around, dealing cryo damage to nearby enemies. Qiqi's elemental burst marks enemies with a talisman. Characters that damage enemies marked by this very talisman grant them HP, allowing characters to continue fighting.

Chongyun

Uprising Exorcist Chongyun is a 4-star claymore wielder. He and Xingiqu are inseparable buddies, but Chongyun specializes in cryo application. With Chongyun, everyone can become a Cryo DPS character!

Chongyun's elemental skill is a forward claymore slam to the ground, dealing cryo damage. He then leaves an icy field around the site of impact, where any active character within the area is granted cryo infusion for their normal and charged attacks. Chongyun's elemental burst summons 3 huge spirit blades, dealing AoE damage on impact.

Aloy

A free collab character with Horizon Zero Dawn, that is a bow wielder Aloy! She is a rather unique character because she has no constellations, but she can be quite an asset when you are just starting out in your Genshin Impact adventure.

Aloy's elemental skill throws out an ice grenade that splits into many explosive fragments upon impact. If 4 or more of the fragments are detonated or come into contact with an enemy, she gains enhanced normal attacks. Lastly, her elemental burst is a one-hit cryo blast with a rather large AoE radius.