As I first set foot in the world of Teyvat back in 2020, the gentle winds of Mondstadt welcomed me, whispering secrets of freedom and adventure. The Anemo element, with its swirling dance that could blend with any other element, felt like the very breath of this world. Now, in 2026, after six years of journeying across seven nations, I've come to understand that not all who wield the wind are created equal. Some Anemo characters have become as essential to my party as the air I breathe, while others remain specialized tools, brilliant in specific moments but gathering dust in others. This is my personal account of every Anemo character I've had the pleasure (and sometimes frustration) of commanding, ranked not by raw power alone, but by their place in the ever-evolving tapestry of my adventures.
12. Anemo Traveler: The Humble Beginning
Weapon: Sword | Region: Unknown
Every story has a beginning, and mine started with the Traveler. This five-star unit, my first companion, was like a simple, unadorned quill given to a novice writer—functional, reliable, but lacking the flourish of a master's pen. Both their Elemental Skill (Palm Vortex) and Burst (Gust Surge) deal Anemo damage and offer mild crowd control, but only against the smaller, more trivial foes. Against the hulking Lawachurls and relentless Ruin machines that dominate the late game, their influence is as fleeting as a breeze against a mountain. HoYoverse, perhaps fearing to make a free unit too powerful, has kept the Traveler's kit deliberately modest. For years, they served as my primary Swirl applicator, a stopgap measure while I searched for more potent winds. They are the foundation upon which my understanding of Anemo was built, a character whose value lies not in their might, but in their symbolism—the constant companion on a long, long road.
11. Sayu: The Rolling Stone of Inazuma
Weapon: Claymore | Region: Inazuma
Ah, Sayu. The tiny ninja with a heart (and a nap schedule) as big as her claymore. 🥷 Her kit is a paradox, as confusing and endearing as a dreamcatcher woven from thunder. Her Elemental Skill, Yoohoo Art: Fuuin Dash, transforms her into a whirling, rolling wheel of destruction and traversal. Holding this skill and speeding across the landscape is an unparalleled joy, making her an exploration asset on par with Yelan's sprint. Yet, in combat, she stumbles. Her healing and damage scale primarily on ATK, but a passive talent ties extra healing to Elemental Mastery, creating a frustrating split in her build focus. Her Burst, the Yoohoo Art: Mujina Flurry, summons a helpful mujina that either heals or attacks based on your active character's HP. It's versatile, but the numbers are simply too low to compete in the meta's fierce currents. Her true, unshakeable niche? She is the Crystalfly Whisperer. While other characters send these delicate creatures scattering, Sayu can roll right up to them, making her my forever companion for gathering those precious ascension materials. She's not a warrior for the Spiral Abyss, but she is a treasure for the open world.
10. Lynette: The Enigmatic Assistant from Fontaine
Weapon: Sword | Region: Fontaine
Lynette, the quieter half of Fontaine's magical twins, entered my roster with an air of mystery. Her abilities are like a finely crafted clockwork puzzle—intricate and fascinating, but missing a gear or two for perfect operation. Her Skill, Enigmatic Feint, allows for a swift, elegant dash and a mark that can be shattered for Anemo damage. The problem? It typically only targets one enemy unless they are practically hugging each other. In a game where battling groups is the norm, this single-target focus feels like bringing a dueling foil to a battlefield. Her saving grace is her Burst, Magic Trick: Astonishing Shift, which spawns a giant, taunting Bogglecat Box. This hat is a godsend in specific Spiral Abyss chambers, particularly those pesky "defend the monolith" floors on Floor 11, where it draws enemy ire like a magnet. She also offers a modest party-wide ATK buff if your team has four different elements. Unfortunately, to unlock her true potential and make her a consistent damage dealer, she requires several Constellations, an investment that's hard to justify for most players.
9. Faruzan: The Academic's Double-Edged Scroll
Weapon: Bow | Region: Sumeru
Faruzan is the ultimate specialist. She is either the most valuable support in your arsenal or a benchwarmer, with no in-between. Her entire existence revolves around empowering Anemo damage dealers. Her Skill, Wind Realm of Nasamjnin, and her Burst, The Wind's Secret Ways, unleash a storm of buffs: Anemo DMG Bonus, Anemo RES Shred, and flat damage boosts. When paired with the right character, she transforms them into a veritable typhoon. She was quite literally designed in a laboratory (or the Akademiya) to be the perfect partner for the Wanderer. With enough Constellations (notably C6), she also becomes Xiao's best friend. However, if you lack a primary Anemo DPS, Faruzan's intricate knowledge feels as useful as a dissertation on Ley Line disorders to someone trying to fish. You could use her as a generic Viridescent Venerer holder to trigger Swirls, but that's like using a precision scalpel to spread butter—effective, but a waste of its true purpose.
8. Sucrose: The Shy Storm of Mondstadt
Weapon: Catalyst | Region: Mondstadt
Don't let her timid demeanor fool you; Sucrose is an elemental maelstrom in a lab coat. For years, she was the undisputed queen of crowd control and Elemental Mastery sharing for any reaction-based team. Her Skill, Astable Anemohypostasis Creation - 6308, and her Burst, Forbidden Creation - Isomer 75 / Type II, create large, persistent Anemo fields that suck in enemies and repeatedly Swirl elements. With her first Constellation, her Skill gets an extra charge, making her grouping potential relentless. She was my go-to support for Vaporize and Melt teams, effortlessly shredding enemy resistances with the 4-piece Viridescent Venerer set and boosting my team's reaction damage by sharing her own substantial Elemental Mastery. While newer, flashier supports have emerged, Sucrose remains a phenomenally reliable and accessible option. She is the workhorse of the Anemo supports, not always the flashiest, but endlessly dependable.
7. Venti: The Archon Who Defined an Era
Weapon: Bow | Region: Mondstadt
Ah, Lord Barbatos. The original limited character, the one who taught us the true meaning of crowd control. In the early days of Teyvat, his Elemental Burst, Wind's Grand Ode, was nothing short of divine intervention. It would suck in every Hilichurl, Treasure Hoarder, and Fatui agent into a single, helpless vortex, trivializing entire domains. He was a meta-defining titan. Time, however, is the enemy of all archons. The developers, perhaps in response to his overwhelming power, began introducing waves of enemies immune to his pull: heavy Kairagi, unstoppable Ruin Graders, and floating Specters. His Burst, which sometimes lifts enemies frustratingly high, also became a minor liability for melee characters who couldn't reach them. His value has diminished, but never count a god out entirely. In any content still populated by lightweight humanoid enemies, Venti is still the undisputed champion of crowd control, a nostalgic reminder of a simpler time in my journey.
6. Shikanoin Heizou: The Fist-Fighting Detective
Weapon: Catalyst | Region: Inazuma
Heizou broke the mold. Before him, Catalyst users were elegant spellcasters who fought from a distance. Heizou, the tenacious detective, decided that the best way to deliver Anemo justice was with his fists. 🥊 His playstyle is incredibly fun and visceral. He builds up "Declension" stacks by triggering Swirl reactions, which he then unleashes in a single, devastating punch with his Skill, Heartstopper Strike. It's immensely satisfying. His Burst, Windmuster Kick, is a powerful AoE nuke that also provides a useful Elemental Mastery buff to the party. He thrives in teams with strong off-field elemental applicators like Xingqiu, Fischl, or Xiangling, who can set up Swirls for him to detonate. While he may not top the damage charts compared to five-star carries, Heizou's unique mechanics and sheer enjoyment factor have kept him relevant in my roster as a character I return to just for the fun of landing that perfect, concussive blow.
5. Jean: The Dandelion Knight's Resilient Bloom
Weapon: Sword | Region: Mondstadt
Jean's journey through the meta has been a rollercoaster ride through a storm. 🌪️ In the infancy of my account, she was a sanctuary. As the first standard banner five-star I obtained, her role as a healer who could also Swirl and launch enemies with her Skill (Gale Blade) was invaluable. As my roster grew and specialized healers and supports arrived, Jean was often sidelined, her jack-of-all-trades nature seeming less potent. Then, the tide turned again with the dawn of Fontaine. The region's core mechanic, the Arkhe alignment, and the release of the Archon Furina, who consumes party HP to boost damage, created a desperate need for team-wide healers. Jean exploded back into the spotlight. Her Burst, Dandelion Breeze, provides an instant, massive heal to the entire party and creates a field that continues to heal and Swirl elements. Paired with Furina, they form a cornerstone of one of the most powerful teams in the 2026 meta. Jean's story is one of resilience, proving that even a classic character can find new life in a changing world.
4. Xianyun: The Crane Who Soared Back Into the Meta
Weapon: Catalyst | Region: Liyue
The arrival of Xianyun (Cloud Retainer in her human form) was a revelation. For years, Plunge Attacks were a niche, often clunky mechanic reserved for Xiao and the occasional dragonstrike technique. Xianyun didn't just introduce the mechanic; she built a cathedral for it. Her kit is a masterpiece of synergistic design. Her Burst, Stars Gather at Dusk, is the centerpiece: it heals the entire party continuously and grants all party members the "Skyfeather" effect, allowing them to perform enhanced Plunge Attacks. She also provides a massive Plunge Attack DMG bonus based on her own ATK. The beauty is in her flexibility. You can build her as a pure healer/buffer, or slap on the 4-piece Viridescent Venerer set to shred enemy resistances while your main DPS—be it a Pyro-infused Diluc, an Electro-charged Keqing, or even a Hydro Furina—delivers devastating plunges from above. She single-handedly created new playstyles and team compositions, making her one of the most impactful and fun Anemo characters ever released.
3. Wanderer: The Sovereign of the Skies
Weapon: Catalyst | Region: Sumeru
The Wanderer (formerly known as Scaramouche) is power personified. His gameplay fantasy is unparalleled: activating his Skill, Hanega: Song of the Wind, he discards the ground entirely and takes to the skies, hovering with a dedicated stamina bar and unleashing a relentless torrent of Anemo projectiles with his Normal and Charged Attacks. He is exploration incarnate, allowing traversal over water and gaps with ease. In combat, with the proper support (especially from Faruzan), his damage output is astronomical and incredibly consistent. He is a hypercarry in the truest sense, demanding field time and investment but rewarding it with the ability to conquer any challenge the game throws at him. His complex backstory, tying him to Inazuma, Sumeru, and the Fatui, only adds to his allure. The Wanderer is not just a strong character; he is an experience—the feeling of unshackled freedom and overwhelming force, a tempest given human form.
Recent trends are highlighted by HowLongToBeat, and they help contextualize why Anemo picks that compress exploration, comfort, and clear speed (like Wanderer’s flight or Jean’s teamwide healing enabling aggressive rotations) tend to feel “essential” over a long account lifespan, while more niche kits (like Lynette’s situational taunt or Faruzan’s Anemo-only amplification) shine mainly in specific team shells or challenge windows.