You’re standing in the middle of a thunderstorm in Inazuma, probably soaking wet, and there’s this massive, shimmering blue dome blocking your progress. It’s frustrating. We've all been there. Whether you are trying to finish the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual or just trying to grab a single Electroculus that’s mocking you from behind a wall of energy, figuring out how to destroy the barrier Genshin style is basically a rite of passage for every Traveler.
Honestly, the game isn't always great at explaining which barrier is which. Sometimes you need a gadget. Sometimes you need to play a literal song on a lyre. Other times, you just need to find a stray Electrograna and pray your Electro Sigil level is high enough. If you’re stuck, it’s usually because you’re missing a specific quest trigger or a local mechanic that the game "hinted" at three hours ago and you've since forgotten.
Why the Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual is the Biggest Barrier Culprit
Most people searching for how to destroy the barrier Genshin impact players encounter are actually stuck on the "Sacred Sakura Cleansing Ritual" questline. This is a massive, multi-part world quest in Inazuma that starts with a mysterious masked shrine maiden named Hanachiru-sato (you might remember her as Kazari).
The barriers here aren't just things you hit with a sword. They are puzzles. You have to find a "Ward" first. Once you have that, you interact with the main lantern at the barrier site. This triggers a constellation pattern. You'll see several small lanterns around the area, and each one can be adjusted to show a number of "commas" (Magatama symbols) from one to five.
The trick is looking at the central diagram. The main lantern is always number one. The ones directly connected to it in the diagram should be set to number two. If a lantern connects to a "two," it becomes a "three." It’s a logic flow. Once you get the sequence right, you pray at the first lantern, and a phantom warrior usually spawns. Kill the ghost, and the barrier finally dissolves. If you mess up the order, nothing happens, or you just get hit by lightning. It’s tedious, but it’s the only way to progress through the roots of the Sacred Sakura.
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Those Pesky Electro Shields and the Electrograna Level Gate
Then there are the "Thunder Barriers." These are the ones that look like a dome of static electricity. You can't just dash through them; they’ll knock you back and deal a chunk of damage.
To get through these, you need an Electrograna. These are the little purple firefly-looking things you get from Thunder Sakura Boughs. But here is the kicker: not all Electrograna are created equal.
If you try to enter a "Powerful" barrier and you get kicked out, it’s because your Sacred Sakura Tree level in Inazuma City is too low. You have to farm Electro Sigils—which you get from opening chests—and feed them to the giant tree at the Grand Narukami Shrine. As you level up the tree, your Electrograna gain "levels." At certain milestones, they gain the ability to pass through intermediate and then advanced barriers. If you're staring at a barrier and your Electrograna is active but you still can't get in, stop trying. You literally cannot get through until you go find more chests and level up that tree. It’s a classic RPG gate.
The Underwater Barriers of Fontaine and Sumeru’s Songs
Genshin didn't stop with Inazuma. When Sumeru dropped, the barriers became musical. You’d find these green, leafy walls or "Vamadha" spheres. To destroy the barrier Genshin players find in the rainforest, you usually need the Vintage Lyre. You play a specific tune—like the Rhythm of Vamadha—and then hit the barrier with a Dendro attack.
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In Fontaine, the barriers are often underwater and tied to the Pneumousia mechanic. You’ll see a gate glowing with gold or purple energy. You have to find the opposite energy block (Ousia or Pneuma), pick it up, and hit the mechanism. It feels a bit like a glorified game of "match the colors," but it’s what keeps you from those precious Hydroculi.
Breaking the Stormterror Barrier (The OG Barrier)
Let’s go back to basics for a second. If you’re a brand new player, you might be looking for how to get into Old Mondstadt. This is the first time the game introduces the concept of a massive, map-wide barrier. You cannot "glitch" through this one. You have to follow the Archon Quest "Song of the Dragon and Freedom."
Venti will eventually lead you there, and the barrier is taken down through a series of story beats involving the Lyre der Himmel. If you try to fly over it, the wind literally pushes you back. It’s a hard script lock. If you aren't at the right Adventure Rank (AR 18+), you aren't getting in. Period.
Common Mistakes When Trying to Clear Barriers
People often get stuck because they think they can brute force things. You can't. Here are a few things that actually happen:
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- Forgetting the Lens: In the Inazuma cleansing quests, some barriers are hidden behind illusions. You need the Memento Lens (a gadget) to scan small earth kitsune statues. This often reveals the mechanism needed to start the puzzle.
- The "Half-Finished" Quest: Many barriers in the Seirai Island or Tsurumi Island areas are tied to specific world quests (like "Seirai Stormchasers"). If the sky is still red or the fog is still thick, the barriers are likely permanent until you clear the "weather" via the questline.
- The Wrong Element: It sounds silly, but sometimes a barrier just needs a specific elemental reaction. Those vine-covered entrances in Sumeru? Just burn them. Use Amber or Xiangling. Don't overthink it.
The Tatara Tales Barrier (The Mikage Furnace)
This one is a nightmare for some. The Mikage Furnace in Inazuma is encased in a massive barrier that hurts you just by standing near it (Balethunder). To destroy the barrier Genshin tasks you with using the "Kamuijima Cannons."
You have to find the cannons on the outskirts of the map, summon an Electrograna to power them, and then physically aim the cannon at the cracks in the barrier. It’s like a mini-game. You have to adjust the height and angle. If you miss, you just waste time. Once you hit the three weak points, the dome shatters, and you can finally go inside to deal with the heart of the furnace. Just bring a healer, because the "environmental damage" inside that place is no joke.
Actionable Steps to Clear Any Barrier You Find
If you are staring at a barrier right now and you don't know what to do, follow this checklist. It works 90% of the time.
- Check for a nearby plant: In Inazuma, look for a Thunder Sakura Bough. In Sumeru, look for a Dendrograna or a music stone. In Fontaine, look for energy blocks.
- Look at your quest log: Is there a quest nearby called "Orobashi's Legacy," "Sacred Sakura Cleansing," or "Aranyaka"? If yes, the barrier is part of that quest. You won't be able to break it by exploring randomly.
- Use Elemental Sight: Push your middle mouse button or the tiny eye icon on mobile. Things that can be interacted with will glow white or a specific elemental color. If the barrier glows, there’s a trigger nearby.
- Level your trees: If it's a blue dome in Inazuma, go to the Grand Narukami Shrine. If your tree is under level 20, you’re going to be locked out of a lot of the higher-tier barriers.
- Check the floor: Especially in ruins, the "trigger" to lower a barrier is often a pressure plate hidden under some breakable crates or a pile of rocks.
Barriers in Genshin Impact are less about combat and more about "checking the boxes" of exploration. Usually, if you can't get past something, it's the game's way of telling you to go talk to an NPC or finish a specific chapter of the regional story. Don't waste your food items trying to out-heal the damage from a barrier you aren't supposed to be through yet. Just go back to the nearest town, find the guy with the blue exclamation point over his head, and start the questline associated with that zone. Once you have the right gadget or "clearance," those barriers fall like paper.