Xingqiu Genshin Impact Character Guide

TL;DR

Xingqiu is a 4-star Hydro Sword off-field sub-DPS available on the Standard Banner.
His Elemental Burst applies Hydro on every Normal Attack of the active character — one of the best reaction enablers in the game.
Sacrificial Sword is his best F2P weapon; Primordial Jade Cutter is best-in-slot at C6.
Emblem of Severed Fate (4-piece) is his best artifact set — converts Energy Recharge directly into Burst damage.
Aim for 180–200% Energy Recharge without Sacrificial Sword; around 150% with it.
Talent priority: Burst > Skill > Normal Attack.
His Burst snapshots at cast — always Burst inside Bennett’s field if running Bennett.
He enables roughly 40% of all top-tier teams in the game and is one of the most account-defining 4-stars alongside Bennett.

Table of Contents

Who Is Xingqiu in Genshin Impact?

Xingqiu is a 4-star Hydro character in Genshin Impact. He wields a Sword and comes from Liyue, where he is the second son of the Feiyun Commerce Guild — one of Liyue Harbour’s most prominent merchant families. He has been known since childhood as studious, polite, and utterly devoted to literature. What most people do not know is that behind the mild-mannered bookworm persona lies a much more daring, mischievous, and adventurous side.

In combat, Xingqiu is one of the most valuable off-field support and sub-DPS characters in the entire game. His Elemental Burst, Guhua Sword: Raincutter, causes sword rain attacks to fire alongside the active character’s every Normal Attack, applying consistent Hydro damage and Hydro aura to enemies. This makes him a world-class reaction enabler for Vaporize, Freeze, and Electro-Charged teams. He also grants meaningful damage reduction and interruption resistance through his Rain Swords mechanic, effectively functioning as both a damage dealer and a defensive tool from a single team slot.

Xingqiu shares a great deal of synergy with many characters currently relevant in Snezhnaya content. For pairing ideas, see the Alyosha best build guide and the Odette best build guide for newer characters where Hydro application from Xingqiu opens up strong reaction options.

Xingqiu

Xingqiu’s Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

Best-in-class off-field Hydro application — Xingqiu’s Burst applies Hydro on every single Normal Attack the active character makes. This is extremely consistent, reliable, and difficult to match for sustained reaction enablement.
Significant damage reduction and interruption resistance — His Rain Swords passively reduce incoming damage and provide strong interruption resistance, which is especially valuable for melee characters like Hu Tao and Klee who need uninterrupted attack strings. He partially replaces the need for a dedicated shielder in many teams.
Strong personal sub-DPS output — Sword rain attacks deal meaningful Hydro damage in their own right. A well-built Xingqiu adds substantial DPS on top of his reaction enablement, making him an exceptionally efficient team slot.
Enables roughly 40% of top-tier teams — His flexibility across Vaporize, Electro-Charged, Freeze, Hyperbloom, and Lunar-Charged teams means he fits into an enormous variety of compositions.
Account-defining for new players — As a Standard Banner 4-star, he is accessible to all players. For newer accounts, pulling Xingqiu is widely considered more impactful than most 5-star limited characters because he immediately enables Vaporize reactions for any Pyro carry.
Minor healing from Rain Swords — His A1 passive causes Rain Swords to heal the active character when they shatter or expire, adding a small passive sustain component to his supportive toolkit.

Weaknesses

High Energy Recharge requirement — His Burst costs 80 Energy and has a 20-second cooldown. Without Sacrificial Sword, he needs around 200% ER, which demands significant substat investment.
Long Elemental Skill cooldown — His Skill has a 21-second cooldown, meaning it can only be used once per rotation in most team setups without Sacrificial Sword.
Self-applies Hydro (can cause accidental Freeze) — Using his Elemental Skill applies the Wet status to Xingqiu himself. In teams with Cryo characters, this can accidentally Freeze Xingqiu during his own Skill animation.
Burst requires active character Normal Attacks — Sword rain procs only on Normal Attacks. Characters who do not Normal Attack frequently (like Raiden Shogun during her Elemental Burst, or Hu Tao during Charged Attack chains) will proc fewer sword rain hits per rotation.
Not useful in Freeze teams as the primary Hydro — Xingqiu’s Hydro disrupts the Cryo aura priority in dedicated Freeze compositions, making him non-ideal as the sole Hydro applicator in those teams. Yelan or Kokomi are preferred for Freeze.

Xingqiu’s Abilities and Talents

Normal Attack – Guhua Style

Xingqiu performs up to five rapid sword strikes. His Charged Attack consumes Stamina for two quick sword slashes. His Plunging Attack deals AoE damage on landing. Normal Attacks are not relevant in his off-field support role and do not need to be levelled. Even when on-field briefly to use his Skill and Burst, his Normal Attacks are incidental.

Elemental Skill – Guhua Sword: Fatal Rainscreen

Xingqiu performs two swift sword strikes, dealing Hydro damage. He simultaneously creates the maximum number of Rain Swords (three at base, four at C1) that orbit the active character. Rain Swords provide the following effects while active.

Damage reduction — Each time the active character takes damage, a Rain Sword shatters to reduce the incoming damage. The reduction scales with Xingqiu’s Hydro DMG Bonus (20% of it converts to additional damage reduction, capped at 24%).
Interruption resistance — The active character gains strong resistance to being knocked back or interrupted, which is vital for characters who chain attacks continuously like Hu Tao, Klee, and Yanfei.
Minor healing — When a Rain Sword expires or shatters, it regenerates a small amount of HP for the active character based on Xingqiu’s Max HP (via his A1 passive).

The Skill has a 21-second cooldown and costs no Energy, but it is also the main source of Hydro particles Xingqiu generates for his own Energy needs. Sacrificial Sword’s reset passive allows the Skill to be used twice per rotation, drastically improving Energy generation and reducing ER requirements.

Elemental Burst – Guhua Sword: Raincutter

Xingqiu initiates Rainbow Bladework, immediately summoning the maximum number of Rain Swords. While active, the active character’s every Normal Attack triggers a coordinated sword rain attack that deals Hydro damage to enemies hit. The sword rain attacks apply consistent Hydro on each proc, making Xingqiu the driver for Vaporize, Electro-Charged, and other reactions from off-field. The Burst lasts 15 seconds and has an 80 Energy cost and 20-second cooldown. Critically, the Burst’s damage and stats snapshot at the moment of casting. If Bennett is in the team, Xingqiu must use his Burst while standing inside Bennett’s ATK buff field for that buff to apply to all off-field sword rain damage.

Passive Talents

Hydropathic (A1) — When a Rain Sword shatters or its duration expires, it regenerates the current active character’s HP equal to 6% of Xingqiu’s Max HP. This passive adds a small but consistent source of healing whenever Rain Swords are active.
Blossoming Blade (A4) — When Xingqiu’s Elemental Burst is active, Normal Attacks that hit enemies will regenerate 3 Energy for Xingqiu. This regeneration can occur at most once every second. At C2, this passive triggers even more frequently since C2 removes the sword rain cooldown between attacks, significantly improving Xingqiu’s in-Burst energy regeneration.
Flash of Genius (Utility) — When Xingqiu crafts Character Talent Materials, he has a 25% chance to refund a portion of the crafting materials used. A useful and notable passive — a 25% refund chance is one of the highest of any character’s crafting passive.

Best Weapons for Xingqiu

Xingqiu’s weapon priority is straightforward: Energy Recharge is king until he can comfortably use his Burst every rotation. After solving ER, CRIT stats become the priority. His Burst snapshots, so high ATK at the moment of cast (from Bennett buffs or weapon passives) matters more than sustained ATK during the off-field window.

Best 4-Star Weapons

Sacrificial Sword (Best All-Round) — This is Xingqiu’s best weapon for the majority of players and team compositions. Its Energy Recharge substat directly addresses his biggest need, and the passive has a chance to reset the Elemental Skill cooldown after it deals damage. This allows Xingqiu to cast his Skill twice per rotation — generating significantly more Hydro particles and Energy, and dropping his total ER requirement from ~200% to around ~150%. The double Skill cast is also a meaningful damage contribution. Widely considered the most important weapon to obtain for a Xingqiu-centric account.
Favonius Sword — Energy Recharge substat with a passive that generates Elemental Particles for the whole team on CRIT hits. A strong option in teams where teammates also need Energy, but does require some CRIT Rate investment to proc reliably. Works as a Sacrificial Sword substitute if needed.
Xiphos’ Moonlight — Provides Elemental Mastery and converts a portion of EM into Energy Recharge for the team. Useful in reaction-heavy teams where Elemental Mastery has value, but generally inferior to Sacrificial Sword for Xingqiu’s personal needs.

Best 5-Star Weapons

Primordial Jade Cutter (Best in Slot at C6) — Provides 44.1% CRIT Rate and an ATK bonus from Max HP. At C6, Xingqiu has reduced ER needs and can focus more substats on CRIT, making this weapon’s excellent CRIT Rate directly useful. For pre-C6 Xingqiu, the ER from Sacrificial Sword is generally more impactful unless the team provides ample particles from other sources.
Mistsplitter Reforged / Haran Geppaku Futsu — Strong CRIT stat sticks that work well for a damage-maximised Xingqiu in teams that do not need the Energy Recharge from Sacrificial Sword. Generally reserved for accounts with Xingqiu at C6 and a strong secondary Energy source.

Best Artifacts for Xingqiu

Emblem of Severed Fate (4-Piece) – Best in Slot

This is universally Xingqiu’s best artifact set and the recommendation across all major resources. The 2-piece bonus increases Energy Recharge by 20%, directly helping with his most pressing stat need. The 4-piece bonus increases Elemental Burst DMG by 25% of the character’s Energy Recharge, up to a maximum bonus of 75%. Because Xingqiu should already be running 150–200% ER, the 4-piece bonus converts that requirement into a significant damage multiplier — the same ER that lets him Burst every rotation also boosts his Burst’s damage by up to 75%. This set elegantly turns his weakness into a damage source.

Noblesse Oblige (4-Piece) – Team Buffer Alternative

If no other teammate holds Noblesse Oblige and you want to prioritise team-wide ATK buffs over Xingqiu’s personal damage, this set is a viable option. The 4-piece bonus grants all party members a 20% ATK buff for 12 seconds after Xingqiu uses his Burst. However, Emblem of Severed Fate almost always provides more total team DPS because Xingqiu’s own Burst damage is substantial enough that increasing it benefits the team more than a 20% ATK buff to others.

Recommended Artifact Main Stats

Sands: Energy Recharge (if needed to hit ER breakpoint) or ATK%
Goblet: Hydro DMG Bonus
Circlet: CRIT Rate or CRIT DMG

Recommended Substats and ER Targets

With Sacrificial Sword, aim for approximately 150% Energy Recharge. Without it, aim for 180–200%. After meeting the ER threshold, prioritise CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG (aim for at least 60–70% CRIT Rate and 120%+ CRIT DMG), followed by ATK% and ATK. A healthy stat floor is approximately 1,800+ ATK alongside a solid CRIT ratio before his Burst is cast, accounting for team buffs like Bennett.

Xingqiu Constellations Guide

Xingqiu is an excellent character at C0 and remains highly effective with just a few constellations. As a Standard Banner 4-star with high event wish presence, reaching C6 over time is realistic. Each constellation meaningfully improves his performance.

C1 – The Scent Remained: Increases the maximum number of Rain Swords from 3 to 4. More Rain Swords means better damage reduction uptime, more frequent shattering (and thus more healing from A1), and a slight improvement to interruption resistance duration. A solid quality-of-life upgrade.
C2 – Rainbow Upon the Azure Sky (Key Constellation): Extends Guhua Sword: Raincutter’s duration by 3 seconds and decreases opponents’ Hydro RES by 15% for 4 seconds after each sword rain attack hit. The extended Burst duration gives him more coverage per rotation, and the 15% Hydro RES shred applies passively to every enemy hit by sword rain — directly amplifying all Hydro damage dealt to them by all party members. This is his most impactful constellation and a genuine power spike.
C3 – Weaver of Verses: Increases the level of Guhua Sword: Raincutter (Burst) by 3, up to a maximum of level 15. A direct damage increase to his most important talent.
C4 – Evilsoother: During Guhua Sword: Raincutter, the DMG dealt by Guhua Sword: Fatal Rainscreen (Elemental Skill) is increased by 50%. Because the Skill is typically cast during or around the Burst window, this means every Skill use in a Burst rotation deals significantly more damage. A meaningful boost to his overall per-rotation output.
C5 – Embrace of Rain: Increases the level of Guhua Sword: Fatal Rainscreen (Elemental Skill) by 3, up to a maximum of level 15. Improves Skill damage, which is further amplified by C4.
C6 – Hence, Call Them My Own Verses (Best Constellation): Activating 2 of the sword rain attacks from Raincutter restores 3 Energy for Xingqiu. This can only occur once every 1 second. This additional Energy regeneration effectively allows Xingqiu to meet his Burst uptime needs with far less ER investment from substats, freeing up artifact rolls for CRIT stats and ATK. At C6, he can switch to Primordial Jade Cutter or other CRIT stat weapons instead of the ER-focused Sacrificial Sword, unlocking a significantly higher damage ceiling.

Xingqiu’s Best Team Compositions

Xingqiu is one of the most versatile off-field supports in Genshin Impact. The teams below represent his strongest and most recommended compositions.

Vaporize Teams (Best Archetype)

Xingqiu is the premier Hydro enabler for Normal-Attack-based Pyro DPS characters. His sword rain applies Hydro on every Normal Attack hit of the active character, causing Vaporize on the Pyro character’s attacks for a 1.5x damage multiplier. This is the most natural and impactful use of his kit.

Hu Tao + Xingqiu + Kazuha + Zhongli — The SS-tier Hu Tao Vaporize team. Hu Tao charges and Charged Attacks against Hydro-applied enemies for massive Vaporize hits. Xingqiu applies the Hydro. Kazuha shreds Pyro and Hydro resistance while buffing Elemental DMG. Zhongli shields Hu Tao to protect her Charged Attack chains and provides Geo Resonance damage bonus. One of the most iconic and time-tested teams in the game.
Hu Tao + Yelan + Xingqiu + Zhongli — Double Hydro for stronger and more consistent Hydro application. Yelan’s off-field Hydro adds another layer of sub-DPS and ensures Hydro aura is virtually permanent on enemies. Zhongli protects and shreds RES.
Xiangling + Xingqiu + Bennett + Kazuha — The legendary Raiden National variant adapted for all Pyro. Xiangling’s Pyronado deals relentless off-field Pyro that Vaporizes against Xingqiu’s Hydro. Bennett heals and ATK buffs. Kazuha shreds resistance. An extremely powerful and accessible F2P team composition.
Yoimiya + Xingqiu + Zhongli + Bennett/Yun Jin — Yoimiya’s Normal Attack-infused Pyro fires synergise perfectly with Xingqiu’s sword rain Hydro application for consistent Vaporize. Yun Jin buffs her Normal Attack damage at C6. Zhongli protects her attack strings.

Electro-Charged and Lunar-Charged Teams

Xingqiu’s consistent Hydro application makes him excellent in Electro-Charged teams, providing repeated Hydro aura for Electro characters to react against. He has also found renewed relevance with the Lunar-Charged archetype introduced with Ineffa, where his Hydro application feeds the reaction loop.

Keqing + Xingqiu + Fischl + flex — Keqing’s Electro-infused Normal Attacks react with Xingqiu’s Hydro for continuous Electro-Charged damage. Fischl adds off-field Electro. A smooth and fun Electro-Charged DPS setup.
Kamisato Ayato + Xingqiu + Fischl + Kazuha — Ayato drives Hydro from on-field while Xingqiu provides additional off-field Hydro. Fischl adds Electro for Electro-Charged. Kazuha groups and buffs. A strong AoE comp.

Raiden National Team

The National Team is one of the most enduring and potent team archetypes in the game. Raiden Shogun, Xiangling, Bennett, and Xingqiu form a near-perfect rotation where every character contributes maximum efficiency from their single slot. Xingqiu provides Hydro for Xiangling’s Pyronado Vaporize, amps the team’s overall damage, and provides damage reduction.

Raiden Shogun + Xiangling + Bennett + Xingqiu — Raiden batteries the team and delivers powerful Electro Burst damage. Xiangling Vaporizes against Xingqiu’s Hydro. Bennett heals and ATK buffs everyone. Xingqiu enables the Vaporize reactions and adds off-field Hydro damage. A cornerstone team for Spiral Abyss clears across all account levels.

Hyperbloom Teams

Xingqiu provides Hydro for Bloom core creation in Dendro-Hydro teams. While Yelan or Kokomi are often preferred as the Hydro applicator in dedicated Hyperbloom setups (since they do not interfere with Quicken aura as much), Xingqiu is still a viable Hydro option particularly when paired with a strong Electro Hyperbloom trigger.

Nahida + Xingqiu + Kuki Shinobu + flex — Nahida applies Dendro, Xingqiu applies Hydro for Bloom cores, and Kuki triggers Hyperbloom with her off-field Electro. A reliable and accessible Hyperbloom team without needing premium Hydro characters.

Xingqiu Talent Priority

Recommended talent upgrade order: Burst > Skill > Normal Attack.

The Burst is the clear top priority. Sword rain attack damage and the amount of Hydro application both improve with Burst talent level. Crown the Burst for maximum investment. The Elemental Skill is second because it deals meaningful Hydro damage during its cast and its damage is further amplified by C4. Normal Attack is never levelled for off-field Xingqiu — it contributes nothing to his role from off the field.

Xingqiu Ascension Materials

Here is everything you need to fully ascend Xingqiu to Level 90.

Gemstones (From Oceanid or Hydro Hypostasis)

1x Varunada Lazurite Sliver
9x Varunada Lazurite Fragment
9x Varunada Lazurite Chunk
6x Varunada Lazurite Gemstone

Boss Drop

46x Cleansing Heart (from the Oceanid — Rhodeia of Loch, east of Qingce Village in Liyue)

Local Specialty

168x Silk Flower (found in Liyue, primarily near Wangshu Inn in Bishui Plain and in Liyue Harbour — look for small red bushes)

Monster Drops (Hilichurl enemies across Teyvat)

18x Damaged Mask
30x Stained Mask
36x Ominous Mask

Other

420,000 Mora
Approximately 414x Hero’s Wit

Ascension Stat: Xingqiu’s Ascension Stat is ATK%, reaching 24% at max Ascension. While not the most specialised stat, the ATK% increases his sword rain attack damage with each Ascension phase and contributes to his overall sub-DPS output.

Xingqiu Talent Materials

To fully upgrade all three of Xingqiu’s talents to level 10, you will need the following materials. Costs are listed for all three talents combined.

Talent Books (Gold Series – Wednesday / Saturday / Sunday from Taishan Mansion Domain in Liyue)

9x Teachings of Gold
63x Guide to Gold
114x Philosophies of Gold

Monster Drops

18x Damaged Mask
66x Stained Mask
93x Ominous Mask

Weekly Boss Drop

18x Tail of Boreas (from Andrius — the Wolf of the North Challenge in Wolvendom, Mondstadt)

Crown

3x Crown of Insight (one per talent to max all three to level 10)

Mora

Approximately 4,950,000 Mora (for all three talents combined)

Xingqiu Lore and Character Background

Xingqiu is the second son of the Feiyun Commerce Guild in Liyue Harbour. The Feiyun Commerce Guild is one of Liyue’s major merchant guilds, and Xingqiu was raised in an environment of culture, commerce, and propriety. Since childhood, he cultivated a reputation for being studious, polite, and devoted to literature — his room is reportedly stacked floor to ceiling with books, and he can often be found reading whenever he has a spare moment.

What Liyue’s social circles do not fully appreciate is the second Xingqiu — the daring, adventurous, and decidedly mischievous persona that emerges when the formal surface peels back. He secretly moonlights as a kind of literary vigilante, drawing from the heroic tales in his beloved novels to craft a more exciting life than the guild hall typically provides. He trains in the ancient Guhua Clan swordsmanship style with genuine dedication, and his combat ability reflects that — his graceful, rain-themed techniques are not merely aesthetic.

Xingqiu is close friends with Chongyun, a pairing that creates endless situational comedy — Chongyun’s pure-hearted earnestness and susceptibility to being pranked makes him a natural foil for Xingqiu’s sardonic, book-quoting wit. Despite the teasing, Xingqiu’s affection for his friend is genuine. He makes an early appearance in the main Liyue storyline and remains one of the most recognisable characters in the game’s cast.

How to Get Xingqiu in Genshin Impact

Xingqiu is a 4-star Standard Banner character and one of the most accessible in the game.

Wanderlust Invocation (Standard Banner) — Xingqiu is available at all times on the Standard Banner.
Event Wish Featured 4-Star — He appears frequently as a featured 4-star on limited Event Wish banners, providing boosted rates for constellation building. He has been featured on an extremely high number of Event Wishes throughout the game’s history.
Starglitter Exchange — Xingqiu appears in Paimon’s Bargains periodically and can be purchased with 34 Masterless Starglitter during his rotation.

You can download Genshin Impact for free on Android (Google Play), iOS (App Store), PlayStation, Epic Games Store (PC), and Xbox.

Xingqiu Playstyle Tips and Rotation Advice

Always Burst inside Bennett’s field — Xingqiu’s Burst snapshots his stats at the moment it is cast. If Bennett is in the team, Xingqiu must use his Burst while standing inside Bennett’s Inspiration Field to apply the ATK buff to all off-field sword rain damage. Bursting outside the field and then stepping in does nothing for off-field hits.
Standard rotation order — Start rotations with longer-duration supports first, then Xingqiu Skill → Burst (inside Bennett’s field if applicable) → switch to main DPS for their damage window. The sword rain will proc alongside every Normal Attack your DPS makes.
Use Sacrificial Sword reset — When Sacrificial Sword resets the Elemental Skill cooldown, use the Skill a second time before or after the Burst. This provides more Hydro particles, more Skill damage, and reduces ER requirements significantly.
Hydro resonance benefit — Running two Hydro characters (e.g. Xingqiu + Yelan) triggers Hydro Resonance, granting +25% Max HP to all party members. This is a passive bonus for characters with HP scaling.
Avoid combining with dedicated Freeze DPS as the sole Hydro — In Freeze teams like Ayaka freeze, Xingqiu disrupts the Cryo aura priority because his Hydro application is too frequent. Use Yelan, Kokomi, or Kamisato Ayato for Freeze instead.
Match Rain Sword uptime with your DPS window — Rain Swords do not last forever. Time your Skill and Burst so the swords are active during the active DPS character’s most intensive attack phase for maximum damage reduction benefit.
The Burst damage snapshots — plan accordingly — If you change characters, use supports, or get ATK buffs after casting the Burst, those buffs do not retroactively improve the off-field sword rain damage. All buffs must be active at the exact moment you press Q.

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