How to Claim Your Free 5-Star Character in Genshin Impact

5-star characters are the beating heart of Genshin Impact, both from gameplay and monetization. Getting a free one has never been possible, but with HoYoverse’s Honkai: Star Rail and competitor Wuthering Waves showing the benefits of providing free stuff, Genshin‘s 5.0 update finally gives players the ability to claim a free 5-star. Here’s how.

How to Get a Free Standard Banner 5-Star Character in Genshin Impact

There is one catch to the free 5-star character offer: you can only pick from one of the currently seven standard banner characters. Limited event 5-stars will retain their rarity. If you’re new to the game or are, like me, still missing some standard 5-stars, this reward is a good way to round out the roster. Even veterans can benefit because if you need a Constellation or two to max out a character, you can do so for the low, low price of absolutely nothing.

To claim your free 5-star character in Genshin Impact, you need to do two things:

• Unlock the ability to Wish by progressing through the main story. You’ll only need to spend about thirty minutes getting there.
• Open the Event page using the compass icon at the top right of the screen or in the pause menu, then select A Quest to Kindle Ancient Flames. It should be at the top of the event page.
• Select Invite Character, then choose between the seven options. Select Invite Character again based on your choice and confirm when the confirmation popup appears.

Once you get the character you wanted, or their Constellation, you’ll be locked out of selecting another one until the next time this event appears.

Which Standard Banner 5-Star Character Should You Choose in Genshin Impact?

The standard banner in Genshin is a bit of a mixed bag. There are some solid options, even with so many limited 5-stars taking more of the spotlight. There are also a few absolute stinkers who just don’t have the same value they once might have. Here’s our tier list of the seven standard banner characters so you can make the best choice for your account.

S-tier Standard Banner Characters

Tighnari

• Role: Main DPS
• Element: Dendro
• Weapon: Bow

Don’t ask me how to pronounce his name, but Tighnari is one of the best DPS units in the game on the right team. He’s not as flashy as someone like Arlecchino or Chlorinde, nor does he have the sheer output of someone like Neuvillete or Navia, but for Bloom or Hyperbloom teams, he’s a fantastic choice if you don’t have a lot of the other Dendro appliers — Nahida, especially. He’s also very easy to build and his weapon selection includes a 3-star, the SLingshot, so he’s economical, too.

Jean

• Role: Support
• Element: Anemo
• Weapon: Sword

Before there was Kazuha or Sucrose in the Anemo support slot, there was Jean, who could even heal, something not even Venti, the Anemo Archon, is capable of. While Jean doesn’t have the utility and damage amplification of Kazuha and Venti, nor their grouping power, her ability to heal, create the Swirl reaction, and be a steady rock on which you can build a team has kept her relevant for four full years.

Mona

• Role: Support
• Element: Hydro
• Weapon: Catalyst

Mona is a Genshin Impact classic, and one of the original top-tier Hydro units. Despite four years of new characters and mechanics, she remains a go-to pick for many players, as the more 50/50s you lose, the more likely you are to end up with a Mona Constellation or seven. Gameplay-wise, Mona is a good Hydro applicator, damage booster, and all-around Support. She’s a fine stand-in for Kokomi if you’re not as worried about healing, and can fit into any team that needs Hydro for its reaction output.

A-Tier Standard Banner Characters

Diluc

• Role: Main DPS
• Element: Pyro
• Weapon: Claymore

Diluc was the first 5-star I ever got (though I rerolled and haven’t gotten him since), and he showed me the power gap that can exist between 4 and 5-star characters. He’s as straightforward a DPS as they come, relying on a mix of weapon buffs and an easy-to-activate Ultimate for his output. Building him is simple, his weapons selection solid, and playing him is a low-step process. He doesn’t offer the ridiculous room-clearing we see with more modern DPS units, but he does just fine in the absence of anything else.

Keqing

• Role: Main DPS
• Element: Electro
• Weapon: Longsword

Keqing is the victim of Electro’s success, with characters like Raiden Shogun and Chlroinde taking so much air in the room. Additionally, she lacks the flexibility of a Raiden or the raw DPS of a Chlorinde, putting her in the odd position where she is only a DPS unit and not also a supplementary Elemental applicator or top-tier hypercarry. You can still make her put out some insane damage, and her animations are as flashy as you’d expect from an early Electro 5-star, so pick her up if you need.

B-Tier and Below Standard Banner Characters

Dehya

• Role: Main DPS
• Element: Pyro
• Weapon: Claymore

A bigger disappointment than Dehya Genshin has not seen, though only from a gameplay perspective. She’s fun, unique, and looks great, but her damage just isn’t there. That doesn’t mean she can’t be the cornerstone of a solid, Pyro-focused team, but don’t expect her to approach Arlecchino, for instance. If her gameplay or aesthetic are your thing, though, then don’t let me stop you from making her the center of a hypercarry team.

Qiqi

• Role: Support
• Element: Cryo
• Weapon: Catalyst

From the top healer in the game on release to last character in the game you want to lose a 50/50 to, Qiqi is notoriously bad. Her attacks, her healing in comparison to almost every other option, and her Cryo application all pale in comparison to other options you can access in the game. Like Dehya, you can make Qiqi work, but you’ll need some serious investment and not a small amount of patience to use.

My priority list of standard banner 5-star characters looks like this:

• Jean
• Tighnari
• Mona
• Diluc
• Keqing
• Dehya
• Qiqi

Choose whomever you don’t already have on your roster or for whom you need more Constellations. Otherwise, do as you please. For more on Genshin Impact, check out our guides hub.