Which Free 5-star Character to Pick | Genshin 2025 Anniversary

Greetings, fellow travelers! The highly anticipated Free 5-Star Character Reward for Genshin Impact’s 2025 Anniversary is set to be released on September 10, 2025.

Not sure which character to pick from the standard wish banner? LDShop’s got a handy guide for you! Don’t just pick randomly—go for the one that fits your current team best. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait another whole year!

Whether you’re a veteran players or a beginner, this guide covers tips that suit you and can help you find suitable characters that fit your playstyles. Let’s get into it!

First things first, please keep this in mind: with the debut of Yumemizuki Mizuki in version 5.4, the original 7 permanent five-star characters have now become 8 permanent “powerhouses”. As more permanent characters join the standard pool, their overall strength has noticeably improved – some now rival limited five stars in both performance and flexibility.

Tips for veteran players

• Permanent five-star characters are not strictly must-haves since they will likely be replaced down the line and many long-time travelers already have plenty of permanent characters.
• What would be awesome is a permanent five-star weapon selector instead!
• Weapons can stay stored safely in your inventory. Plus, some five-star weapons are perfect upgrades for four-star heroes.

Tips for beginners

Many analysts advise beginners to just choose Qiqi without much thought, sticking to the idea of “go with the safest choice”.

• Qiqi is one of the best pure healers in the game. Her healing scales with her ATK, making her easy to build and effective in keeping the team alive.
• At Constellation 6, Qiqi can automatically revive a fallen ally and regenerates 50% of their HP — a lifesaver in tough battles.
• However, Qiqi lacks Energy Generation for herself and others, which can make using her Elemental Burst consistently difficult without external support.

Many expect Yumemizuki Mizuki to be a top pick, as she is quite popular.

• Debuted in version 5.4, she is designed as a DPS focused on Swirls for the Anemo system.
• She automatically deals AoE damage when on the field, making her ideal for handling groups of enemies.
• Her unique Elemental Burst with HP mechanics can deal AOE damage and heal allies when their HP is low. Her damage is on average level.
• However, her damage scaling is not particularly impressive, especially compared to other DPS characters.

A lot of travelers would recommend Tighnari.

• Tighnari is the standard banner’s Best DPS that can carry you throughout all regions from early levels.
• He is also a bow user with a quick-charge shot mechanic, allowing him to unleash high damage in short bursts – ideal for on-field DPS.
• However, his peak damage depends on team comps that enable Dendro reaction.

If you’re a new player choosing one, the rest comes down to what your team actually needs. After all, these anniversary rewards are free—so make them count!

 

Choices for various playstyles

Strength-focused players prioritize power and performance, often placing less importance on character collection or aesthetics.

• Among the permanent characters, Qiqi, Diluc, and Dehya are generally considered less optimal choices.
• Instead, the more recommended picks include Keqing, Mona, Jean and Tighnari, who offer strong versatility and utility.

Keqing – fast, fluid combat and high mobility

Mona – great for vaporize or freeze burst comps

Jean—provides healing, crowd control, and Swirl reactions

Tighnari – excellent for Dendro-Electro reaction teams

Players who love collecting illustrations tend to focus first on unlocking those and then work on upgrading their characters’ constellations.

Players who prioritize personal attachment are less concerned with a character’s strength or collection value. Instead, they simply choose the character they like the most, based on personal preference or emotional connection.

 

Things to consider when choosing a character

• One important point is your constellation progress. If a character is close to maxing out their constellations but isn’t there yet, using the selector to finish them off is a smart, efficient move.
• Another consideration is whether you already own the character. Last year’s five-star self-selection event allowed many players to unlock characters from the standard pool for the first time.
• However, some still have not obtained the newest addition, Yumemizuki Mizuki. Many players are planning to select her this time around, especially those who are already close to maxing her constellations. For them, choosing Mizuki feels like the natural and satisfying decision.

Conclusion

The five-star character selection is a golden opportunity, especially for new and free-to-play players. Whether you’re picking based on team constellations, character collection or pure preference, take a moment to choose thoughtfully. No matter your reason, this free pick is a huge gift. Choose wisely, and make it really count!

Ready to start your journey? Before diving into your exciting adventure, head to LDshop for more pro tips, and top up Genshin Impact with exclusive discount to boost your strength. See you in Genshin Impact !