Genshin Impact new characters in the 4.1 update and beyond

All the new and upcoming characters that could appear in future Genshin Impact updates, and everything we know about their abilities and release date.

Want to know about new Genshin Impact characters? During each new update, there’s usually at least one banner with a minimum of one brand-new character. The banners feature characters with increased drop rates, including one five-star character and three four-star characters.

While we know which characters are likely to appear on the next Genshin Impact banners, the characters featured in this guide might not be playable right now but they can be found in Genshin Impact. We’ve also included some characters who are rumored to join the free PC game down the line but may not have an in-game model just yet. While none of this information is official until Hoyoverse says otherwise, here’s a round-up of all of the current rumors and speculation.

The new and upcoming Genshin Impact characters are:

Genshin Impact 4.1 characters

Genshin Impact 4.1 is finally adding the first Cryo catalyst user: anime man with black hair and a black coat

Wriothesley

Arriving in the second half of the Genshin Impact 4.1 update, this five-star Cyro character is said to be the Lord of the Fortress of Meropide. What does that mean? We aren’t quite sure, but there’s no doubt Genshin Impact will explore the character in more detail with a story quest.

Upcoming Genshin Impact characters

Charlotte

Announced by Hoyoverse back in September, Charlotte is one of the new characters coming to a future Genshin Impact update. Charlotte is a journalist for The Steambird, Fontaine’s famous newspaper which covers a variety of topics, from celebrity news to political affairs. It’s clear Charlotte’s work has landed her in hot water, with some readers calling for her to be assassinated.

Furina

Just like Charlotte, Furina was the second character announced in September. Revealed to be a Hydro user, the people of Fontaine have immense love and appreciation for the Hydro Archon. Rumors are Furina and Charlotte may launch in the 4.2 update, so stay tuned for more information.

Genshin Impact new characters: Lisa sitting in the Knights of Favonius room

Varka

Said to be the strongest person in Mondstadt, Varka is the Grand Master and Knight of Boreas, a subsection of the Knights of Favonius. As with most of the upcoming Genshin Impact characters, there’s no telling when Varka is likely to become available. Varka has been referenced by several characters in-game, but he currently doesn’t have an in-game model. Varka is currently away on an expedition, leaving Jean in charge of the Knights of Favonius.

Dainsleif, a potential new Genshin Impact character, wielding magical forces and wearing a dark blue cape

Dainsleif

Dainsleif, the Bough Keeper, was officially announced by Hoyoverse during the 2020 Tokyo Game Show – however, no release date was attached. His voice actor has been announced, but we have no indication of when he might arrive. Dainsleif is from Khaenri’ah, an underground realm that is not part of Teyvat itself – so perhaps one day in the future we’ll meet Dainsleif when we explore his homeland.

Potential upcoming Genshin Impact character Iansan wearing animal skulls and summoning flame

Iansan

Iansan was also revealed in the Teyvat Chapter Storyline video, in the Natlan section. We believe she’s a Pyro user, but we’ll have to wait until we visit Natlan to find out more about her.

These are all the new Genshin Impact characters that we believe have a reasonable chance of turning up in-game – we’ll add new candidates as we discover them. In the meantime, here’s how the current characters rank on our Genshin Impact tier list, and all currently active Genshin Impact codes for free primogems.