Constellations are a unique way to enhance characters in Genshin Impact, obtainable only by pulling duplicates of a character through wishes. Almost every playable character in Teyvat, with the exceptions of the Traveler and Aloy, has six constellations that provide various power boosts, regardless of their rarity, weapon type, or element.
Some characters significantly rely on their constellations, finding their gameplay and damage output incomplete without them. Others perform perfectly well even without these upgrades. Constellations can range from very useful to almost meaningless, and some are downright counterproductive or detrimental to a character`s intended role or playstyle. This article will focus on these strange and sometimes problematic constellations.
Bennett`s Controversial C6
For a long time, Bennett`s final constellation (C6) was a major topic of discussion and even ridicule, despite him being arguably the best support in the game. While his first five constellations enhance his combat prowess, the sixth seemed completely out of place. It grants the active character within his Elemental Burst`s radius a Pyro elemental infusion. This actively hinders many damage dealers, especially Cryo characters like Ayaka and Eula, whose damage relies on not having their infusion overridden. Generally, this constellation felt limiting and reduced Bennett`s effectiveness for certain teams, leading many players to intentionally avoid activating it.
Fortunately, the roster of damage dealers has become much more diverse, and the meta has shifted beyond the absolute dominance of characters like Ayaka and Eula. Players no longer fear Bennett`s C6 Pyro infusion as much. In fact, for some newer characters, like Arlecchino, this elemental infusion is actually beneficial, providing welcomed additional damage.
The “Swapped” Constellations of Albedo and Xiao
While Bennett`s C6 might seem harmless or even occasionally useful now, the same cannot be said for the fourth constellations of Albedo and Xiao. These two characters are often mentioned together in this context, as it seems the developers might have confused their intended playstyles when designing these specific constellations. How else to explain that Albedo, a Geo sword user, gets a C4 that buffs Plunge Attacks (which Xiao relies on), while Xiao, an Anemo polearm user, gets a constellation at the same number that boosts Defense percentage (a stat more relevant to Albedo`s scaling)?
One might argue that Albedo`s floral platform allows for easy Plunge Attacks, or that Xiao constantly loses HP during his burst and could use some extra Defense. However, even with these rationalizations, these constellations provide little meaningful benefit to either character`s primary role or typical usage. Players often joke that Albedo`s C4 is just proof he`s Xiao`s dedicated support, the only way to make sense of these seemingly “swapped” constellations.
Hu Tao`s Peculiar Support Buff
Another peculiar constellation belongs to one of the game`s strongest DPS characters, the Pyro polearm user Hu Tao. While she is considered quite constellation-dependent, her C4 is, to put it mildly, strange. It grants a Critical Hit Rate increase to all other party members (excluding Hu Tao herself) for 15 seconds after she defeats an enemy marked by her skill.
Not only does this effect last a mere 15 seconds, but the buff itself is largely meaningless. Hu Tao typically functions as a hypercarry in teams, meaning she is the sole character responsible for the vast majority of the damage output, while the rest of the team are merely supports enabling her. A critical hit rate boost for her support characters is almost entirely wasted!
This constellation seems designed for a sub-DPS or support character, granting buffs to others, yet Hu Tao`s kit and playstyle are clearly built around her being the main damage dealer. Consequently, many players see little value in specifically pulling for this constellation.
Aloy: The Character Without Obtainable Constellations
While other characters might have specific constellations that are strange, Aloy is unique in that she has no obtainable constellations at all. She was given to all players for free during a limited-time collaboration event with the game Horizon. While she lacks a signature weapon, her constellation situation is even more peculiar. She has constellation slots with unique artwork in the interface, looking just like other characters` constellations, but all six are simply named “Savior From Another World” and cannot be acquired. Since Aloy was only distributed once, there is currently no way to unlock any of her potential constellations.
This lack of constellations, combined with her already somewhat limited and often criticized gameplay (which some feel doesn`t fully fit the game`s setting and style), severely restricts Aloy`s viability. Unfortunately, a potentially interesting character was not fully realized or integrated into the game`s progression system. She largely remains a collector`s item, not even owned by every player. While some dedicated players do find success using Aloy and achieve respectable damage numbers, her power can only be enhanced externally through strong weapons, artifacts, and support characters, never through her own constellation unlocks.
Zhongli`s Double-Edged C6 Healing
Strange and seemingly mismatched constellations aren`t limited to standard characters; even Archons have them. Zhongli, for example, isn`t entirely fortunate with his final constellation (C6). While it doesn`t necessarily harm his gameplay and does add a function, for the most difficult and expensive constellation to acquire, many feel a better buff could have been designed. This constellation allows the Geo Archon to also function as a healer, as party members within his shield`s range recover HP whenever the shield takes damage.
On one hand, this allows Zhongli to become a near-universal sustain unit, potentially freeing up a healer slot in the team for another character who might offer more overall utility or damage. On the other hand, for certain characters, like Hu Tao, who need to maintain low HP for maximum damage, unexpected healing from Zhongli can be detrimental. Some argue that the Archon, already providing immense resistance shred and unparalleled defense, didn`t need a healing function at C6 and could have received a different buff that was universally beneficial or enhanced his core strengths further without interfering with specific team compositions.
In a way, Zhongli`s C6 is similar to Bennett`s C6. While it doesn`t fundamentally break the character or make them unplayable, it adds a specific function that can sometimes interfere with certain team strategies, making a character who is broadly useful slightly more niche in certain situations, rather than providing a universally powerful capstone to their kit.
Finley Holt