Lost your 50/50? Honestly, it feels like a gut punch. You’ve been saving for weeks, grinding every chest in Natlan, only to see that gold meteor turn into a Qiqi or a Dehya. It's the universal Genshin Impact experience. But here’s the thing: the genshin standard banner characters aren't just "consolation prizes" anymore. The game has changed. Systems have evolved. What was true in version 1.0 isn't the reality in the current meta.
Most players treat the Wanderlust Invocation like a graveyard for bad luck. That's a mistake. While power creep is a real thing in HoYoverse games, several units in the permanent pool have actually gotten better as the game has aged. Whether it’s through new elemental reactions like Dendro or specific artifact sets, some of these "losses" are actually secret wins for your account progression.
The Chronicled Wish and the "Fate" Problem
Before we talk about who is good, we have to talk about how you actually get them. For years, the standard banner was a total gamble. You wanted Jean? Good luck, here’s a Skyward Spine. However, the introduction of the Chronicled Wish banner changed the math entirely. This mechanic finally gave us a way to "path" toward specific standard 5-stars.
It basically functioned like the Epitomized Path for weapons. If you missed your target, you were guaranteed that specific unit on the next gold. This made hunting for a C2 Jean or a C6 Tighnari actually viable for the first time. The problem? It doesn't appear every patch. It’s an elusive beast. Because of this, most people still rely on losing the 50/50 on limited banners to fill out their roster. It’s a slow burn. A very slow burn.
Why Tighnari is Secretly Top-Tier
If you pull Tighnari, don't be mad. He is arguably the strongest DPS currently sitting in the permanent pool. When he was first released in version 3.0, people were skeptical because he’s a "standard" unit. But the Spread reaction is no joke. Tighnari's kit is built for speed. You swap him in, fire off three rapid-fire charged shots, drop his burst, and swap out.
It’s a "quick-swap" playstyle that fits perfectly with units like Yae Miko or even Fischl. Unlike someone like Cyno, who needs a decade of field time, Tighnari gets the job done in five seconds. This makes him incredibly flexible in the Spiral Abyss where window-of-opportunity bosses (like the Wenut or Ruin Serpent) spend half the time hiding underground.
The Math of Constellations
Tighnari’s constellations are actually impactful. His C1 boosts Crit Rate, and his C6—if you’re lucky enough to lose that many 50/50s—drastically reduces his charge time. He doesn't feel like a "standard" character; he feels like a limited unit that HoYoverse accidentally put in the wrong banner.
Jean and the Furina Renaissance
For a long time, Jean was falling off. She was "okay." Her healing was decent, and she could shred resistances with Viridescent Venerer, but she didn't have a dedicated home. Then Furina arrived.
Furina’s kit drains the entire team's HP. To get the maximum damage buff from Furina's Fanfare stacks, you need a healer who can top off the entire party instantly. Jean does exactly that with her burst, Dandelion Breeze. Suddenly, Jean went from "niche Sunfire enabler" to "Best-in-Slot support" for some of the highest-damage teams in the game.
The Sunfire Interaction
If you haven't tried Sunfire, you're missing out on one of the weirdest mechanical interactions in Genshin. By overlapping Jean’s burst with Bennett’s burst, you create a self-swirl effect. Jean’s field constantly purges the Pyro aura from you, swirling it onto enemies at a blistering rate. It’s a shield-breaking machine. It eats Abyss Lector shields for breakfast.
Dehya: From Disaster to Functional?
We have to be honest here. Dehya’s launch was a mess. Her numbers were low, her targeting was wonky, and she could literally die while using her ultimate. It was rough. But as more regions have been released, Dehya has found a few homes.
She isn't a main DPS. Stop trying to make her a main DPS unless you have C6 and top-tier artifacts. Instead, she’s a defensive utility piece. In Ganyu Burnmelt teams or with Neuvillette (at C0), her interruption resistance is actually quite valuable. She provides a "tank" role that most other characters don't. Is she better than Zhongli? No. But she allows you to run a second team that doesn't need the Geo Archon to stay alive.
Diluc and the "Plunge" Evolution
Diluc was the king of 1.0. Then he became a meme. "Diluc in 2024? LUL," was the standard Twitch chat response. But the release of Xianyun (Cloud Retainer) completely revitalized his kit.
Diluc has some of the highest plunging attack scaling in the game. By pairing him with Xianyun, he can bypass his slow normal attack animations and just spam high-impact Pyro slams. It’s a completely different way to play the character. With Furina and Xianyun, Diluc can actually clear floor 12 of the Abyss with competitive times. It's a comeback story better than most sports movies.
The Qiqi and Mona Situation
Let's address the zombies in the room. Qiqi is still the "dreaded" pull. Her issue isn't the healing—she heals more than almost anyone. The problem is her lack of particle generation. She doesn't give the team energy. In a game built on "Burst off Cooldown," that’s a death sentence. To make her work, you basically need a Sacrificial Sword and a lot of patience.
Mona, on the other hand, is the queen of "damage per screenshot" showcases. Her Omen bubble provides a massive DMG bonus. However, in sustained combat, she has been largely replaced by Yelan or Kokomi. She’s still great for freeze teams (Morgana), but that archetype has seen better days.
Keqing and the Dendro Savior
Keqing was the poster child for "bad" 5-stars for two years. Electro was weak, and her multipliers weren't high enough to carry. Then Sumeru happened. Aggravate turned Keqing into a lightning-fast killing machine.
Because Keqing applies Electro so frequently, she procs Aggravate constantly. Pair her with Nahida or Baizhu, and suddenly she's teleporting everywhere and melting health bars. She is the perfect example of why you should never fully write off genshin standard banner characters. One new element or one new support can change everything.
Practical Steps for Managing Your Roster
Don't spend Primogems on the standard banner. Ever. Use the blue Fates you get from the Battle Pass, character ascensions, and the monthly shop reset.
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- Audit your supports. If you have Jean, build her. She is a future-proof investment because of how she interacts with the VV set and team-wide healers.
- Level your Tighnari. If you need a second team for Abyss and have a spare Deepwood Memories set, he will carry you through most content.
- Don't sleep on constellations. A C2 Keqing or a C2 Mona adds significant value that isn't always obvious at level 1.
- Watch for Chronicled Wish. If you are desperate for a specific unit like Diluc or Jean to complete a team, save about 160 wishes for when that banner finally cycles back. It is the only guaranteed way to get what you want.
Building these characters isn't about meta-chasing; it's about account depth. The more versatile your roster, the easier it is to handle whatever weird mechanics HoYoverse throws into the Abyss. You might be disappointed when the gold light isn't the limited waifu or husbando you wanted, but look closer—you might have just pulled exactly what your team was missing.
Focus on building teams that synergize with what you actually have, rather than what you wish you had. If you have Dehya, look into Lyney or Neuvillette teams. If you have Mona, try a high-burst vaporize setup. The game gives you tools; it’s up to you to actually use them correctly.