Constellations in Genshin Impact serve as unique character enhancements, primarily acquired by obtaining duplicate copies of a character through Wishes. This method allows players to unlock constellations for almost every playable character, with the notable exceptions being the Traveler and Aloy. Regardless of rarity, weapon type, or elemental alignment, all playable characters from Teyvat possess a total of six constellations.
While some characters become significantly more powerful or versatile with their constellations unlocked, others perform perfectly well without these enhancements. Constellations vary greatly in utility: some are highly beneficial, others offer minimal impact, and a few can even be counterproductive or ill-suited to a character`s intended playstyle. This article will focus on these peculiar and sometimes problematic constellations.
Bennett`s Peculiar C6
For a long time, Bennett`s final constellation (C6) was a common subject of jokes, despite him being arguably the best support character in the game. While his first five constellations significantly boost his combat prowess, C6 felt like a strange outlier. It grants the active character within his Burst`s field a Pyro elemental infusion, which can be detrimental to many damage dealers, particularly Cryo characters like Ayaka and Eula. This constellation often limited player team-building options and reduced Bennett`s overall flexibility, leading many players to intentionally not activate it.
Fortunately, the landscape of damage dealers has become much more diverse, and the meta has shifted beyond the peak dominance of characters like Ayaka and Eula. Players now fear Bennett`s C6 less. In fact, this elemental infusion can even be advantageous for some characters. For example, Arlecchino, among others, can benefit from the additional Pyro damage provided by his C6.
Albedo and Xiao`s Swapped Constellations
While Bennett`s C6 has become less problematic and even useful in certain contexts, the same cannot be said for Albedo`s C4 and Xiao`s C4. These two constellations are often grouped together due to a peculiar observation: it appears the developers might have accidentally swapped their effects, or perhaps misunderstood their intended playstyles when creating these enhancements. Albedo, a Geo sword user, has a C4 that buffs Plunging Attacks (Xiao`s signature move), while Xiao, an Anemo polearm user, has a C4 that increases his Defense (a stat more relevant to Albedo).
One might argue that Albedo`s skill construct allows for easy Plunging Attacks, or that Xiao`s HP drain necessitates some extra Defense. However, even with these justifications, these constellations still feel mismatched and offer minimal practical benefit for either character`s typical build and role. Players often jokingly refer to Albedo as Xiao`s “signature support” precisely because of this perceived constellation swap.
Hu Tao`s Misplaced C4
Another peculiar constellation belongs to Hu Tao, widely considered one of the strongest Pyro DPS characters. While she is generally seen as quite constellation-dependent for optimal damage, her C4 is, to put it mildly, strange. This constellation increases the Critical Hit Rate for all party members except Hu Tao herself, after she defeats an enemy marked by her skill.
Not only does this effect last for a mere 15 seconds, but the buff itself is largely useless in Hu Tao`s typical team compositions. Hu Tao functions primarily as a hypercarry, meaning she is the main damage dealer, while the other party members are supports designed to buff her. A Critical Hit Rate increase is generally not needed or impactful for typical support characters.
This constellation gives Hu Tao a passive that feels more suited to a sub-DPS or support character, yet her core gameplay and other abilities are clearly built around a main DPS role. Consequently, many players consider this specific constellation to be low-priority or not worth actively trying to pull for.
Aloy: The Character With No Constellations
While other characters might have just a few questionable constellations, Aloy stands apart because she has none at all. This is because she was a limited-time crossover character from the Horizon series, given to all players during a specific event period. While she also lacks a signature weapon, the situation with her constellations is unique. They appear in her character interface with icons like other characters, but all six share the same name: “Alien Star.” Crucially, these constellations are currently unobtainable as Aloy was only given out once.
This lack of constellation access further limits a character already considered underwhelming, with a restricted playstyle, a design that feels out of place in Teyvat, and somewhat awkward abilities. It`s unfortunate that a potentially interesting character wasn`t properly implemented, and she is now largely seen as a collector`s item that not every player possesses. While some dedicated players do manage to use Aloy effectively and achieve decent results, her power can only be enhanced externally through strong weapons, artifacts, and support characters, not via her own constellations.
Zhongli`s Questionable C6
Peculiar and sometimes ill-fitting constellations aren`t exclusive to standard characters; even Archons have them. Zhongli, for instance, has a rather underwhelming final constellation (C6). While it doesn`t actively harm his performance and can even be seen as a bonus, for the most difficult-to-obtain enhancement, one might expect a more impactful buff. His C6 grants the Geo polearm user a healing capability: party members within a certain radius heal whenever his shield takes damage.
On one hand, this allows Zhongli to function as a universal sustain unit, potentially freeing up a dedicated healer slot for another character more beneficial to the team. However, on the other hand, this healing effect can be detrimental for certain characters. For example, Hu Tao`s kit heavily relies on her staying at low HP, making healers generally undesirable in her teams. Many players feel the Geo Archon could have received a more universally beneficial C6, perhaps further enhancing his shield strength or resistance shred capabilities, rather than adding healing that conflicts with specific playstyles.
Zhongli`s C6 shares some similarity with Bennett`s final constellation. While it doesn`t fundamentally ruin the character, it adds a specific function (healing) that isn`t always universally desired and can even be counterproductive in certain specific team compositions that he would otherwise fit into perfectly.