If you’re a new Genshin Impact player scrolling through character tier lists or asking friends for team recommendations, you’ve probably wondered are there male characters in Genshin Impact, or if the playable roster is mostly made up of female units. I’ve been playing the game since its global launch, and I’ve built almost every released male character to max level for both spiral abyss runs and casual open-world exploration, so I can break down exactly what you can expect from the game’s male roster. We’ll cover everything from 4-star free picks to limited 5-star units, their best roles, and which ones are worth pulling for if you’re looking to add more male characters to your team.
Are There Male Characters in Genshin Impact? Full Breakdown of the Roster
Yes, there are currently over 30 playable male characters in Genshin Impact, spanning every element, weapon type, rarity, and team role you could need for any playstyle. Unlike many gacha games that relegate male units to side or support roles only, Genshin Impact’s male roster includes top-tier main DPS, sub-DPS, healers, shielders, and utility units that fit every meta and casual team comp. You’ll even get several male characters for free right as you start the game, no pulls or real money required.
- Aether (Male Traveler): Unlocked immediately after the opening prologue, can swap elements by interacting with Statues of the Seven across Teyvat
- Kaeya Alberich: 4-star Cryo sword user, given to players for free after completing the "Wind-Rising" quest in Mondstadt’s prologue
- Xingqiu: 4-star Hydro sword user, available for free through the permanent new player event, and frequently appears on rate-up banners for easy pulls
That means you don’t have to spend any real money or even save up thousands of primogems to add strong male characters to your team right from the start. Many new players sleep on Kaeya especially, but he’s one of the best free sub-DPS units for melt and freeze teams, and he works great even at low constellations. You’ll also find male characters across every region of Teyvat, from Mondstadt’s carefree bards to Liyue’s powerful archons, so there’s no shortage of personality and playstyle variety to pick from.
The Most Popular Male Genshin Impact Characters for Different Playstyles
Whether you care about meta performance, casual open-world convenience, or just liking a character’s design and story, there’s a male Genshin Impact character that will fit your needs perfectly. For players who prioritize endgame spiral abyss clears, Bennett is the most widely used support in the entire game, with a burst that heals your entire team, applies pyro for reactions, and gives a massive attack buff that works for every element. Zhongli is another fan favorite support, with a 100% uptime shield that absorbs every type of damage, plus a burst that petrifies enemies for easy crowd control.
If you prefer main DPS units that deal high consistent damage, Alhaitham is an S-tier Dendro main DPS that requires very simple rotations to output top-tier damage for spread and bloom teams. Wanderer is perfect for casual players who hate climbing, since his elemental skill lets him fly across the map for long stretches, and he deals enough damage to carry both open-world farming and endgame content. For players who love big, satisfying hit numbers, Arataki Itto is a Geo claymore user that deals massive normal attack damage with very straightforward play.
I’ve run full teams of only male characters to get 36 stars in spiral abyss multiple times, and you don’t have to sacrifice any clear speed or power if you prefer to use only male units for your playthrough. There are even male characters that fill niche roles, like Gorou for mono-Geo teams, or Thoma for burgeon and vape team shielding and pyro application.
How to Unlock More Male Characters in Genshin Impact
There are multiple ways to add more male characters to your roster, and most of them don’t require spending any real money. The most common way is pulling on limited-time event banners, which run for 3 weeks each and usually feature one limited 5-star character and three rate-up 4-star characters. You earn primogems for free from daily commissions, event rewards, open world chests, and adventure rank rewards, so you can save up for featured male characters you want without spending cash. You’re guaranteed a 5-star character every 90 pulls on these banners, and if you lose the 50/50 to a standard banner character, your next 5-star is guaranteed to be the featured limited unit.
Several popular male characters are also available on the permanent standard banner, including Bennett, Chongyun, Diluc, and Jean’s male counterpart Kaeya. You get free fates for this banner as you level up your adventure rank, so you’ll probably pull a few of these units without even trying. HoYoverse also frequently gives away free 4-star male characters during major version events, so make sure you log in and complete event quests when they’re running to grab these units for free. If you’re specifically hunting for male characters, you can check the banner details before pulling to confirm which male units are on rate-up, so you don’t waste primogems on characters you don’t want.
You don’t have to spend money to get strong male characters – I’ve gotten almost all of my 5-star male units from saved primogems, no real money spent over 4 years of playing. If you’re a new player, focus on saving primogems for male characters that fit your playstyle instead of pulling on every banner that comes out, that way you won’t waste pulls on units you don’t actually enjoy using.
Common Misconceptions About Male Genshin Impact Characters
There are a lot of outdated myths floating around about male Genshin Impact characters that stop new players from pulling for them, and most of them are completely untrue. The first big myth is that all male characters are weak or not meta. Bennett and Zhongli are in almost every top-tier meta team comp, and Alhaitham, Wanderer, and Itto are all S-tier main DPS units that can clear even the hardest spiral abyss floors with ease. The best units to pull for are the ones you enjoy playing, regardless of their gender, and there are plenty of male characters that are both fun to use and incredibly powerful.
Another common myth is that you can only get male characters if you spend money. As we covered earlier, you get multiple male characters for free right at the start, and you can earn enough primogems from free in-game content to pull for limited 5-star male characters without spending a cent. I know dozens of free-to-play players who have full rosters of strong male characters, no purchases required.
The last myth I see a lot is that male characters only fill support roles. That’s also wrong – there are dozens of high-damage main DPS male units across every element, from Dendro’s Cyno to Pyro’s Tartaglia to Cryo’s Ayato. Many players also prefer male characters for their story and personality, since they have some of the most well-written character quests in the game, like Zhongli’s story quest that dives into Liyue’s history, or Wanderer’s quest that explores his redemption arc.
At the end of the day, if you were asking are there male characters in Genshin Impact, the answer is a resounding yes, with dozens of strong, fun-to-play units spanning every role, element, and playstyle you could ask for. You don’t have to spend money to add most of these characters to your roster, and they’re more than capable of carrying you through every piece of content the game has to offer, from casual open world exploration to the hardest endgame challenges. If you’re still not sure which male character to pull for first, try testing out their trial runs when their banners are up, that will give you a feel for their playstyle before you commit your primogems.