There are many characters in Genshin Impact, and many roles in the party they can fill. Of these roles, one of the most useful characters to pick up for your party is a Shield Character. Here we will look at some of the Best Genshin Impact Shield Characters that you can currently get in the game.
In this article, we will first take a look at what a Shield Character is and the different types of Genshin Impact Shield Characters available. After this, we will get down to business with a list of the Best Genshin Impact Shield Characters, along with further details on each one.
Table of Contents
What is a Genshin Impact Shield Character
Simply put, a Shield character in Genshin Impact provides some form of Shield, usually with their Elemental Skill. The Best Genshin Impact Shield Characters are able to have their Shields transfer to other members of the party.
However, there are some exceptions to this. The most important character exceptions to this rule are:
- Beidou
- Yun Jin
- Kaeya
- Yanfei
Beidou and Yun Jin use their Elemental Skills to absorb damage and then release it back at the opponent in a counterattack. Whilst Kaeya and Yanfei gain a Shield at Constellation 4 under certain circumstances: Kaeya after falling to 20% HP and Yanfei after her Burst.
Typically, a Shield Character will fulfill the role of a Genshin Impact Support within your party. However, in some unique cases, they can also be put to use as a Main DPS Character.
All Shield characters have a threshold of damage they can absorb before they are removed and a max duration of time they stay up. The Best Genshin Impact Shield Characters also have various other upsides to them.
Best Genshin Impact Shield Characters
Upfront, the list of the Best Genshin Impact Shield Characters in order of useability is as follows.
- Zhongli
- Diona
- Noelle
- Xinyan
- Thoma
As an important note, for all the data that I will be presenting here, the assumed level of any Elemental Skill or Burst mentioned is at Level 9 and the Ascension of the character is at Level 90.
Zhongli
The Geo Archon himself is absolutely the Best Shield Support Character in the game. In this role, Zhongli’s main methods of support are his Shield and his Burst Damage.
Zhongli’s Elemental Skill Dominus Lapidis, when held down, produces a Jade Shield on the active character. Jade Shield is able to absorb a base of 2506 plus 21.76% of Zhongli’s Max HP. On top of this, Jade Shield further absorbs all damage types by 150%.
Simply put, Jade Shield is able to absorb a heck of a lot of damage, and give the biggest resistance to interruption compared to other shields. Jade Shield also lasts 20 seconds, the longest amount of all Shield Supports.
The Jade Shield has the added utility of decreasing the Elemental and Physical Resistance of enemies in range. This makes it easier for the Main DPS to cut through enemies and deal more damage.
Upon unlocking his first Passive Talent, the Jade Shield gains Shield Strength whenever it takes damage. This goes up 5% per hit to a max of 25% effectiveness, meaning the Jade Shield should likely last through the full 20s duration.
That is all just base Zhongli, there are two constellations that boost his Shields even further. Stone, the Cradle of Jade is his Constellation 2 and allows Zhongli’s Elemental Burst to grant the Jade Shield to every active character in Co-op.
The final Constellation 6 is a sweet bit of icing on the Jade cake. Chrysos, Bounty of Dominator states that when the Jade Shield takes damage, the active character will heal themselves.
In short. Zhongli has one of the most durable shields that will last a long time and lower enemy defenses. Upon various unlocks, the Jade Shield gives increased Shield Strength, Healing, and can be shared in co-op environments.
Check out our detailed Zhongli Genshin Impact Guide for all you need to know about this Character and details on certain builds you may want to consider.
Diona
Next up in this Genshin Impact Tier List of the Best Shield Characters is the bartender of Cat’s Tail, Diona. The feisty feline bow user comes with a couple of tricks to keep your health up, one of which is a shield.
Her Elemental Skill Icy Paws, either on Press or on Hold, releases Icy Paws, 2 or 5 respectfully. Depending on how many Icy Paws hit something, the duration of the shield will be 2.4 seconds per Paw, up to a maximum of 12 seconds.
While not as big of a base shield absorption as Zhongli’s, Diona’s takes 12.24% of HP + 1408, which is bigger compared to the other non-geo Shield Characters. This is in part because when Icy Paws is held, there is an additional 75% bonus absorption towards all damage types.
Diona’s first passive talent, Cat’s Tail Secret Menu, also provides additional utility. With this, Characters shielded by Icy Paws have increased Movement Speed and decreased Stamina Consumption. This allows the Main DPS to zip around the field faster and use Charged attacks frequently.
Finally, the second constellation for Diona, Shaken, Not Purred, gives the Shield even more strength. It inherently increases the Shields Damage Absorption by another 15% and additionally, when the Icy Paws hit, Shields are also created for other characters in co-op play.
Combined with her inherent healing, Diona’s shield compliments her whole support kit. Providing a sizeable amount of damage absorption, movement and stamina utility, and co-op shield sharing.
Noelle
The dutiful maid of the Knights of Favonius, Noelle, is the only free character on this list, as well as the only character that can be used as a Main DPS. Noelle’s shield can not only do well to keep herself up but can also be used as an alternative to Zhongli.
Her Elemental Skill, Breastplate, not only grants her a shield but also allows her attacks to heal the party. This gives Noelle additional utility to become a shield/heal support.
Noelle’s shield goes off of her Defense, at base 272% + 1565. On top of this, Noelle’s shield gains 150% bonus damage absorption to all damage just like Zhongli.
One of the downsides to Noelle’s Elemental Skill is the long cooldown. However, her second passive talent, Nice and Clean, will reduce the cooldown of Breastplate every four Normal or Charged Attacks.
The first passive skill, Devotion, even gives shields when Noelle isn’t on the field. If the active character isn’t Noelle and reaches below 30% health, a shield will automatically trigger that has about double the damage absorption of Breastplate.
After the shield is done, Noelle’s constellation four To Be Cleaned comes into play. When Breastplate ends its duration, there will be an area of effect geo damage equaling 400% of Noelle’s attack.
This is another reason why Noelle is one of the Best Free Genshin Impact Characters. A fantastic shield that allows Noelle to heal and deal damage. Even off the field, the dutiful maid can provide her shield to low-health characters.
Xinyan
The rock and roll queen Xinyan is a pyro shield character that while not a popular meta choice, has a charm that melts the heart. Xinyan has a niche usage in teams that extends past just being a Genshin Impact Shield Character.
Her elemental skill, Sweeping Fervor, brings out a shield that has different levels of power. When the skill is activated, the number of opponents hit with the pyro damage determines the strength of the shield.
At its strongest, Xinyan’s Level 3 shield Rave has 244.8% of her Defense + 1408. While this still pales in comparison to Noelle, this is a fairly high number and comes with some damage over time. There is even a passive talent that makes it easier to achieve this Level 3 shield.
The second passive skill, however, is where Xinayn finds her niche. Now That’s Rock N Roll gives the shielded character a 15% bonus to Physical Damage. This is great for a Physical Main DPS like Razor and Eula.
Xinyan’s first constellation, Impromptu Opening, gives even more opportunities for level 3 shields by granting one after activating her Elemental Burst, Riff Revolution. The more opportunities the better.
With constellation 4, Wildfire Rhythm, the damage over time that Sweeping Fervors level 3 grants decreases the opponent’s Physical Resistance. This creates even more opportunities for the Physical Main DPS to cut through opponents.
Xinyan, while not the strongest or most consistent shield, provides utility for a niche build. Indeed, she can both increase physical damage and decrease opponent physical resistance on top of providing damage absorption.
Thoma
Our final shield user to talk about is Thoma, the housekeeper of the Kamisato estate. A mixed Mondstadt and Inazuman, while not the best shield character, is certainly fun to experiment with.
When Thoma uses either his Elemental Skill or Burst he brings up a Blazing Barrier. One Barrier on its own provides about the same amount of shield strength as Diona. However, the Barrier has a stacking mechanic, if another Barrier is brought out then their duration and shield strength add up.
Thoma’s Burst, Scorching Oyoroi, also adds a further benefit. When the character uses a normal attack, for every second that the pyro damage is being released, the Barrier is also reset. This can easily get the Barrier to a max stack of 33.32% + 3838, which almost reaches Zhongli’s numbers of strength.
The first passive talent, Imbricated Armor, also gives the Thoma’s Barrier, on obtain or refresh, an additional 5% Shield Strength, with a max stack of 25%.
A Comrade’s Duty is the first constellation, if a character with the Barrier is attacked then Thoma’s Skill and Burst cooldown is decreased. Constellation 2 likewise increases the duration of Crimson Oyoroi by 3 seconds. Both of these maintain the barrier’s up time.
The last constellation six, Burning Heart, is the only ability of Thoma’s that isn’t just about maintaining the Shield. It gives Normal, Charged, and Plunging attacks 15% more attack on obtaining or refreshing Blazing Barrier. This additional utility nicely suits giving the Barrier to your Main DPS.
Thoma’s downside is that there are not many teams that would want just a shield character. All the other characters in this list have additional usage, burst damage, healing, and damage bonus. Thoma is mostly just there for his Shield, and while his constellation six gives some additional utility, it isn’t the main feature.
Shields Up
All of these Shield Characters I’ve listed here are fantastic in their own right. Zhongli and Diona are universal shield supports for any team, while Xinyan and Noelle provide niches and even a Main DPS option. Even Thoma, who is currently not the hottest character, is a fun character to fit into your team.
For when you need to stop the damage from coming through, the shield characters’ will have your back.
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