If you’ve just started exploring Teyvat and came across a player rocking a powerful, limited-edition 5-star character you’ve never seen before, you’ve probably asked yourself: can i buy genshin impact characters directly without jumping through hoops? It’s a super common question, especially for new players who don’t want to waste time on units they don’t care about. HoYoverse’s gacha system works a lot differently from most buy-to-play games, so it’s normal to be confused about what purchases actually get you. This guide breaks down everything you need to know to get the characters you want, without risking your account or wasting money on scams.
Can I Buy Genshin Impact Characters Directly From HoYoverse?
The short answer is no, you cannot purchase individual Genshin Impact characters directly from HoYoverse, either with real money or standard in-game currency. There is no official store listing for individual characters, even for limited-time 5-star units that only appear once every few months. All characters are unlocked through the game’s wish system, which is HoYoverse’s take on gacha mechanics.
To make a wish, you need to use Intertwined Fates or Acquaint Fates, which you can purchase with Primogems, the game’s free-to-earn currency. You can buy Genesis Crystals with real money and convert them to Primogems if you want to get more fates faster, but you’re still only buying chances to pull a character, not the character itself.
So why doesn’t HoYoverse just sell characters directly? Their entire monetization model relies on the gacha system, which encourages players to save up for their favorite units or spend small amounts over time to reach pity. It’s a controversial system for sure, but it’s the standard for most live-service gacha games right now, and there’s no sign HoYoverse will change it any time soon.
Legitimate Ways to Unlock Your Desired Genshin Impact Characters
Even if you can’t buy Genshin Impact characters outright, there are plenty of official, safe ways to get the units you want, whether you’re a free-to-play player or happy to spend a little money on the game. These methods all follow HoYoverse’s terms of service, so you never have to worry about losing your account.
- Pull on limited-time event banners that feature your target character as the boosted 5-star or 4-star unit. These banners give you a massively higher chance to get the featured character than the permanent standard banner, and they run for three weeks at a time.
- Earn free characters through limited-time events, permanent story quests, or regional reputation rewards. HoYoverse gives out at least one free 4-star character during almost every major version update, and you can get permanent units like Collei just by completing the Sumeru main story.
- Purchase the Blessing of the Welkin Moon or Gnostic Hymn Battle Pass to speed up Primogem collection for more pulls on your desired banner. The Blessing of the Welkin Moon offers the best value for players looking to spend small amounts of money, giving you 90 Primogems a day for 30 days plus a one-time 300 Genesis Crystal bonus.
- Wait for character rerun banners if your target unit is not currently available. Most limited 5-star characters get a rerun every 6 to 18 months, so you won’t have to wait forever to get another shot at pulling them.
For free-to-play players, you can earn around 60 to 80 wishes per version update if you complete all daily commissions, events, and exploration content. That’s almost enough to hit the 90-pull pity for a 5-star character every two updates, as long as you don’t waste your Primogems on random banners.
If you’re a low-spender, picking up the Welkin Moon every month will double your Primogem income, making it much easier to hit pity for your favorite characters without dropping hundreds of dollars on Genesis Crystals. It’s a way better deal than buying Primogems directly from the store, for sure.
Common Scams to Avoid When Looking for Specific Characters
Because a lot of players are desperate to get their favorite limited characters, scammers have created tons of fake services promising to give you any character you want for a flat fee. All of these are either illegal, violate HoYoverse’s terms of service, or are straight-up cons that will steal your money or account information.
Buying or selling Genshin Impact accounts violates HoYoverse’s Terms of Service and can lead to permanent account bans with no way to appeal. A lot of players sell “starter accounts” that have a specific 5-star character already unlocked for $10 to $50, but HoYoverse regularly detects accounts that are sold or shared, and they don’t hesitate to ban them permanently. I’ve seen dozens of players post about losing accounts they spent hundreds of dollars on, just because they bought a starter account to get their favorite character.
Another common scam is people offering “direct character delivery” or “paid character unlocks” for a fee. These scammers will usually ask for your account login information and payment, then either steal your account, steal any Primogems or items you have, or just disappear with your money entirely. There is no way for a third party to add a character to your account, no matter what they claim.
You should also avoid third-party sites that sell Genesis Crystals or Primogems for cheaper than the official store. Most of these sites use stolen credit cards to make purchases, and HoYoverse will ban your account if they detect you received currency from a fraudulent purchase. It’s never worth the small discount to risk losing all your progress.
Tips to Maximize Your Chances of Getting Your Favorite Characters
Even with the gacha system, you don’t have to rely entirely on luck to get the characters you want. A little planning goes a long way, especially if you’re a free-to-play or low-spending player who doesn’t have extra Primogems to waste.
Permanent standard banner pulls are almost never worth spending saved Primogems on if you are chasing a specific character. The standard banner has 7 different 5-star characters and 5 different 5-star weapons, so your odds of pulling the exact unit you want are extremely low, even if you hit pity. Save all your Intertwined Fates for limited character banners, where you have a guaranteed chance to get the featured unit if you hit pity twice.
You should also track your pity count for every banner you pull on. You can find your full wish history for the last 6 months in the in-game wish menu, so you always know how many pulls you have left until your next guaranteed 5-star. The 5-star pity count carries over between banners of the same type, so if you pull 70 times on one limited banner and don’t get a 5-star, those 70 pulls will count towards your pity on the next limited character banner you pull on.
If you’re chasing a 4-star character, remember that 4-star units have a 10-pull pity, and you have a 50% chance to get the featured 4-star on your first 4-star pull of the banner. If you get a non-featured 4-star, your next 4-star is guaranteed to be one of the featured units, so you usually won’t need more than 20 to 30 pulls to get a featured 4-star character.
Another great tip is to pay attention to official HoYoverse announcements about upcoming banners. The team usually reveals the next two or three banners a few weeks before they go live, so you can plan your Primogem spending accordingly and avoid wasting pulls on banners you don’t care about.
At the end of the day, the answer to can i buy genshin impact characters directly is no, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get all your favorite units eventually. With a little planning, smart Primogem saving, and by avoiding obvious scams, you can build the team you want without spending a fortune or risking your account. Remember that Genshin Impact is designed to be playable even with free characters, so don’t let the pressure to get specific 5-stars ruin your enjoyment of exploring Teyvat.