Should you pull for Baizhu or Ganyu in Genshin Impact?

The second half of Genshin Impact’s Version 3.6 update puts two beloved characters head to head once again as Baizhu’s “Immaculate Pulse” and Ganyu’s “Adrift in the Harbor” featured banners run at the same time. This presents Travelers with the tough choice of choosing between the five-star Dendro Catalyst character Baizhu or the five-star Cryo Bow character Ganyu.

Baizhu is the first new character within the Version 3.6 update as miHoYo chose to save him for the second half rather than debut him during the first half as they usually do with five-star recruits. His debut banner will be running alongside Ganyu’s fourth banner rerun.

The other new character for this update is the four-star character Kaveh who was also saved for the latter half of the version. Kaveh is an immensely popular character for his personality and complex relationship with Alhaitham alone, so pulling for either Baizhu or Ganyu will likely be worth it for many players hoping to receive him alone.

Related: Genshin Impact Version 3.7 leaks: New characters, banners, events, and details so far

Due to how costly Genshin’s gacha system is and how luck-based all elements of it are, players usually must choose between two powerful five-star recruits with each new wave of banners that are released. Sometimes this choice is simple as one recruit might be immensely powerful while the other is lackluster, but in the case of Baizhu versus Ganyu the decision is rather tough.

Is Baizhu worth pulling for in Genshin Impact?

Baizhu is Genshin’s first five-star Dendro healer and shielder which makes him an immensely unique recruit. The only other Dendro healer in existence is Yaoyao, and she is a four-star character and thus much weaker. There are no Dendro shielders other than Baizhu.

Based on how unique his element and skillset are, Baizhu is certainly worth pulling for since there are no other recruits like him. However, players will want to take into account a few other factors before deciding to spend their Primogems on him.

The first factor is that since his skillset is Dendro-based, players will need to build a team that is based around Dendro elemental reactions. Elemental reactions that incorporate Dendro are overall some of the most powerful in all of Teyvat so they are certainly worth focusing on, but if you do not want to build your team around them then you shouldn’t pull for Baizhu.

Another key factor to consider before pulling for Baizhu is that he has not yet stood up to the test of time and is the very first character of his type. It is fairly rare that characters become viewed as worse over time unless a much more powerful recruit is released, but players will still want to take this into account before pulling for him and perhaps at least wait for his first rerun to be sure.

The last factor to consider is that Baizhu is not the overall most powerful Dendro character in existence and unless you truly want his healing and shielding skillset you should instead save for Nahida. Both units are focused on support and although Nahida does not have shielding or healing she is one of Genshin’s best characters and the strongest Dendro character that has been released so far.

Based on my experience, I believe that Baizhu is a powerful asset that many players will benefit from recruiting. He is certainly worth recruiting if you have taken all previous factors into account and still wish to add him to your roster.

Is Ganyu worth pulling for in Genshin Impact?

The five-star Cryo Bow character Ganyu is a brutal damage dealer that dominates on the battlefield. She is widely regarded as one of the best characters that players can base a team lineup around due to how powerful of a bunch her Cryo damage-dealing abilities pack.

Because Ganyu wields a bow, she is an immensely dynamic and versatile damage dealer that is capable of dishing out heavy damage from afar or up close. Most other primary damage dealers rely on a weapon like a sword, claymore, or polearm which only allows them to truly strike hard up close. This is why Ganyu is such an impressive asset as she is able to excel whether she is right next to an enemy or a safe distance away from one.

Since Ganyu was released all the way back in Jan. 2021, she stands the test of time as one of Genshin’s strongest damage-dealing forces. Both Kamisato Ayaka and Eula are also Cryo primary damage dealers and released after Ganyu but she still reigns supreme as both the best Cryo character and one of the strongest characters overall.

If you are seeking a primary damage dealer for your team and are willing to build around Ganyu, then she is absolutely worth pulling for. Whether you have a team ready to complement her or not, recruiting Ganyu is a must if you want to recruit one of Genshin’s toughest characters.

Should you wish for Baizhu or Ganyu in Genshin Impact?

Some banner matchups feature characters that are alike in that they both possess the same element, the same type of weapon or are meant to fulfill the same role within a team which makes comparing them fairly easy to do. Other banner matchups sometimes feature one extremely powerful recruit next to a lackluster one which again makes the choice rather simple.

But with the matchup between Baizhu and Ganyu, the choice is quite a complex one since they are essentially polar opposites. It’s tough to compare them by any standards because they possess different elements, different weapons, and entirely opposing skill sets. The decision would be much easier if they both functioned in a similar capacity, but they are as different as can be which makes the choice an especially tricky one.

If you are seeking a general comparison between them, then based on my experience with Baizhu, Ganyu, and other characters within Genshin that their abilities can be compared to, I recommend that you prioritize pulling for Ganyu over Baizhu.

This is based on a general juxtaposition of their abilities and how they stack up against other Genshin recruits, but which one you should wish for changes when you look at them through the lens of more specific criteria.

If you view both characters through the perspective of how they compare to others of the same element type and role, Ganyu still reigns supreme. She outperforms every other Cryo character in the game and a majority of those who wield a bow. With Baizhu, the only other five-star Dendro Catalyst character in existence is Nahida and he does not measure up to her skillset.

Players deciding between Baizhu and Ganyu based on the type of character they need to fill out their team may find that Baizhu is a better recruit for them. Because Ganyu is a primary damage dealer, players who already have a strong one that they do not wish to replace will find no use for her. Baizhu may thus be a more versatile recruit for those seeking a support unit that will fit within a variety of lineups.

One major drawback with Ganyu that players may want to consider is that she wields Cryo and thus cannot work with Dendro. This means that her true potential won’t shine through within Dendro elemental reaction-based teams, but the same could also be said for Baizhu whose Dendro won’t fit within Cryo elemental reaction-based teams.

Since Baizhu and Ganyu are drastically different, viewing them through the lens of the roles they are meant to fill is the best way to go. Ganyu is a primary damage dealer that will not function well in other roles and is thus only useful for those seeking to add a character of this type to their team. Baizhu is exactly the opposite and is instead a support unit focused on healing and shielding that is not capable of being a strong damage dealer.

Some players choose to wish on one character rather than another based on aspects like storyline, personality, and appearance, so players can also consider the two from this perspective. Baizhu is a doctor that runs Bubu Pharmacy in Liyue and is generally regarded as an extremely caring person. He has a very unique look with one of players favorite aspects being his snake ally Changsheng.

Ganyu is a secretary for the Liyue Qixing and is part human and part Adeptus. She has unique black and red horns combined with an otherwise very icy-themed aesthetic. Personality-wise, Ganyu is generally reserved, focused, and extremely dedicated to any task that is given to her.

Both Baizhu and Ganyu certainly are among Genshin’s most unique characters in every regard, so players who are choosing between them based on these factors will want to evaluate which of the two appeals to them more.

Overall, Baizhu is solid at what he does, but he hasn’t been tried and tested as Ganyu has. She is a recruit that was released fairly early on yet remains one of the most solid with many characters to compare her to while Baizhu is quite new and is outperformed by the one character he can directly be compared to. Because of this, the overall answer to which character players should pull between the two based on a direct comparison and excluding all other factors is Ganyu.

Dot Esports gathered this information by playing Genshin Impact Version 3.6 “A Parade of Providence” on PC.