Everything About Genshin Elements – Reactions & Resonances

Genshin Impact introduces players to an amazing world where every element matters, and their interactions create unique opportunities for exploration and combat. Genshin Impact elements are the foundation of the game's mechanics, enabling players not only to unlock the potential of their characters but also to experiment with various combinations.

Proper use of elemental reactions and resonance can completely change the course of a battle, turning it into a spectacular and strategically rich experience. Let’s dive into how elements work, the reactions they create, and how to use them for maximum combat efficiency.

What are Elements in Genshin Impact?

In Genshin Impact, elements are a core game mechanic that significantly impact combat, world exploration, and environmental interactions. There are seven unique Genshin Impact elements, each associated with a specific element, Archon, and in-game region. These elements not only define character abilities but also play a vital role in shaping your team's gameplay strategies.

Elements allow players to utilize the environment to their advantage: you can set grass on fire, freeze water to create temporary bridges, or blow up obstacles to uncover hidden pathways. Additionally, interactions between elements result in powerful elemental reactions that can turn the tide of battle. For instance, freezing enemies with Cryo and then applying Pyro attacks creates devastating combinations that amplify damage.

Skillful management of elements and synergy between team members are key to overcoming challenging trials. Elements add depth to the gameplay, making every battle and puzzle a unique tactical experience. Their effective use enables players to unlock the full potential of their characters and enjoy the diverse gameplay that Genshin Impact has to offer.

List of All Genshin Elements

Genshin Impact features a vast array of characters, each with their own story, personality, and unique Genshin elements. Every character wields a single element, except for the Traveler, who can control all elements, though only one at a time. The game includes seven elements, summarized in the table of all Genshin elements:

• Anemo (Wind): Allows characters to manipulate air currents. They create whirlwinds that amplify the effects of other elements like Pyro, Cryo, Electro, and Hydro. Anemo is tied to the Archon Barbatos and the Mondstadt region, where winds play a vital role.
• Geo (Earth): Symbolizing resilience and defense, Geo characters create structures, enhance shields, and counter armored enemies effectively. This element is associated with the Archon Morax and the mountainous, trade-rich region of Liyue.
• Pyro (Fire): Deals significant damage and ignites the environment. Pyro characters are excellent against Cryo-related enemies. This element represents the Archon Murata’s strength and the scorching region of Natlan.
• Cryo (Ice): Helps control enemies by freezing them with Hydro or slowing them down. Cryo is linked to the Archon Tsaritsa and the icy region of Snezhnaya.
• Hydro (Water): Specializes in creating powerful elemental reactions. Hydro characters interact with others to trigger effects like freezing and vaporizing. This element belongs to the Archon Focalors and the Fontaine region, famed for its technology and art.
• Electro (Lightning): Delivers quick and devastating damage. Electro characters trigger reactions such as Overloaded and Electro-Charged, dealing extra damage and affecting multiple enemies. This element is tied to the Archon Raiden and the stormy Inazuma region.
• Dendro (Nature): Interacts with Pyro, Electro, and Hydro to create unique reactions. Dendro characters focus on growth effects and AoE damage. This element is associated with the Archon Rukkhadevata and the knowledge-driven Sumeru region, which values harmony with nature.

All elements in Genshin offer immense gameplay variety and allow for incredible combinations. Creating a well-thought-out team will enable you to defeat enemies efficiently and comfortably. It's also important to understand character strengths. Check out our Genshin Impact Tier List for Version 5.3 to see character rankings and decide which banner is worth pulling and which to skip.

Now, let’s dive deeper into the elements in Genshin Impact, their reactions, and resonance effects.

Genshin Impact Elements Reactions & Resonances

In Genshin Impact, elemental reactions are interactions between two or more elements that amplify damage or create additional effects.

Anemo (wind) triggers Swirl, spreading the effects of other elements (Pyro, Cryo, Electro, or Hydro) to nearby enemies and dealing extra damage.Geo (earth) activates Crystallize, creating shields that absorb damage of the corresponding element, but this reaction does not deal direct damage.

Pyro (fire) interacts with other elements in several ways: Overloaded causes a powerful explosion, Melt amplifies damage (double with Pyro, 1.5x with Cryo), and Vaporize similarly boosts damage with the same modifiers. Burning, triggered by Pyro and Dendro, deals damage over time and ignites the environment.

Cryo (ice), when combined with Hydro, creates Frozen, immobilizing enemies. Melt enhances damage, while Superconduct triggers a Cryo-damage explosion and reduces enemies’ physical resistance.

Hydro (water) interacts with Electro to create Electro-Charged, dealing periodic damage.

Electro (lightning) triggers reactions such as Overloaded, Superconduct, and Electro-Charged, as well as unique interactions with Dendro: Aggravate boosts Electro damage, while Hyperbloom causes explosions of Dendro Cores.

Dendro (nature), in combination with Hydro, creates Bloom, forming a Dendro Core that explodes over time or upon contact with other elements. When the core interacts with Pyro, it triggers a powerful explosion (Burgeon), while Electro causes a directed projectile (Hyperbloom).

Reactions with Anemo

Anemo (wind) interacts with other elements through Swirl:

• Swirl: Spreads the elemental effect (Pyro, Cryo, Electro, or Hydro) to nearby enemies, dealing additional damage. It is highly effective for crowd control.

The most popular/strongest Anemo characters: Kazuha, Venti, Xiao.

Reactions with Geo

Geo (earth) interacts through Crystallize:

• Crystallize: When in contact with Pyro, Cryo, Hydro, or Electro, it creates elemental shields that absorb damage of the corresponding element. It does not deal direct damage but increases defense.

The most popular/strongest Geo characters: Zhongli, Arataki Itto, Albedo.

Reactions with Pyro

Fire interacts with other elements as follows:

• Overloaded: Pyro + Electro. Triggers a powerful explosion, dealing AoE damage and knocking enemies back.
• Melt: Pyro + Cryo. Damage increases (x2 when using Pyro, x1.5 when using Cryo).
• Vaporize: Pyro + Hydro. Damage increases (x2 when using Pyro, x1.5 when using Hydro).
• Burning: Pyro + Dendro. Ignites grass and enemies, dealing damage over time (DoT).

The most popular/strongest Pyro characters: Navia, Arlecchino, Hu Tao.

Reactions with Cryo

Ice interacts as follows:

• Frozen: Cryo + Hydro. Freezes the enemy, reducing their mobility. Frozen enemies can be shattered with claymore or Geo attacks.
• Melt: See above.
• Superconduct: Cryo + Electro. Creates an AoE explosion with Cryo damage and reduces enemies' physical resistance.

The most popular/strongest Cryo characters: Kamisato Ayaka, Ganyu, Eula.

Reactions with Hydro

Water creates reactions:

• Frozen: See above.
• Vaporize: See above.
• Electro-Charged: Hydro + Electro. Deals periodic Electro damage to enemies within the affected area.

The most popular/strongest Hydro characters: Neuvillette, Yelan, Sangonomiya Kokomi.

Reactions with Electro

Electro interacts as follows:

• Overloaded: See above.
• Superconduct: See above.
• Electro-Charged: See above.
• Aggravate: Electro + Dendro. Enhances Electro damage.
• Bloom: Electro + Dendro Core. Triggers additional explosions.

The most popular/strongest Electro characters: Raiden Shogun, Yae Miko, Keqing.

Reactions with Dendro

Nature interacts through unique reactions:

• Burning: See above.
• Bloom: Dendro + Hydro. Creates a Dendro Core that explodes over time or when interacting with Pyro/Electro:
• Hyperbloom: Dendro Core + Electro. Releases a projectile dealing damage.
• Burgeon: Dendro Core + Pyro. Creates a powerful AoE explosion.
• Aggravate: See above.

The most popular/strongest Dendro characters: Nahida, Alhaitham, Tighnari.

All these reactions allow you to significantly increase your damage by enhancing your team or weakening the enemy. Team compositions are generally built around the main character, boosting them with other characters who create these reactions. As you can see, the variety of reactions is vast, and the ways to use them are even greater.

What is the Best Reaction?

In Genshin Impact, some of the most powerful reactions are Melt, Vaporize, Hyperbloom, and Aggravate. Melt and Vaporize stand out with their high damage multipliers, making them incredibly effective for single-target attacks, especially in teams with a strong DPS character. Hyperbloom, with its exploding cores, deals pinpoint damage and works excellently in crowd battles. Aggravate enhances Electro damage, making it extremely useful for consistent and stable damage boosts in combat.

The beauty of elements Genshin lies in their almost unlimited gameplay variations and ways to defeat enemies. However, the game is not just about elements genshin and their combinations; it’s much more than chasing numbers. My recommendation is to find characters that interest you visually, lore-wise, or ones that reflect your inner self, and enjoy playing those characters. If you’re satisfied with the main and side story content or exploring Teyvat, you don’t need to focus too much on maximizing your team’s power. However, if you aim to clear the Abyss or are interested in creating the strongest possible team, you should dive deep into the game’s mechanics and build that unbeatable team.