Genshin Impact Yanfei Build and Character Guide

Yanfei is the latest 4-star character to debut in Genshin Impact, and the first of two new characters introduced in Version 1.5. Easily the best legal advisor in Liyue Harbor, Yanfei also happens to be part Illuminated Beast (much like Ganyu). Yanfei doesn’t have a contract with the Geo Archon, but that doesn’t mean she can’t hold her own in a fight thanks to her Pyro vision and catalyst.

Genshin Impact Yanfei Character Breakdown

Below are listed Yanfei’s full set of attacks and abilities, her passive talents, constellations, and finally all of her ascension and talent material requirements. If you’d like to see a full list of stats – such as damage numbers, percentages, etc. – check out Honey Hunter World, which was used as a source for this guide. You can find guides for other characters by following the link here to our complete Genshin Impact character list.

Yanfei Attacks and Abilities

• Casting Attack: Seal of Approval
  • Normal Attack: Shoots fireballs that deal up to three counts of Pyro Damage.
    • When Yanfei’s Normal Attacks hit enemies, they will grant her a single Scarlet Seal. Yanfei may possess a maximum of 3 Scarlet Seals, and each time this effect is triggered, the duration of the currently possessed Scarlet Seals will refresh.
    • Each Scarlet Seal will decrease Yanfei’s Stamina consumption and will disappear when she leaves the field.
  • Charged Attack: Consumes Stamina and all Scarlet Seals before dealing AoE Pyro Damage to opponents after a short casting time.
    • This Charged Attacks AoE and Damage will increase according to the amount of Scarlet Seals consumed.
  • Plunging Attack: Gather the power of Pyro, Yanfei plunges towards the ground from mid-air, damaging all opponents in her path. Deals AoE Pyro Damage upon impact with the ground.
• Elemental Skill: Signed Edict
  • Summons blistering flames that deal AoE Pyro Damage.
  • Opponents hit by the flames will grant Yanfei the maximum number of Scarlet Seals.
• Elemental Burst: Done Deal
  • Triggers a spray of intense flames that rush at nearby opponents, dealing AoE Pyro Damage, granting Yanfei the maximum number of Scarlet Seals, and applying Brilliance to her.
  • Brilliance had the following effects:
    • Grants Yanfei a Scarlet Seal at fixed intervals.
    • Increases the Damage dealt by her Charged Attacks.
  • The effects of Brilliance will end if Yanfei leaves the field or falls in battle.

Yanfei Passive Talents

• Proviso
  • When Yanfei consumes Scarlet Seals by using a Charged Attack, each Scarlet Seal will increase Yanfei’s Pyro Damage by 5%. This effect lasts for 6s. When a Charged Attack is used again during the effects duration, it will dispel the previous effect.
• Blazing Eye
  • When Yanfei’s Charged Attack deals a Crit Hit to opponents, she will deal an additional instance of AoE Pyro Damage equal to 80% of her Attack. This Damage counts as Charged Attack Damage.
• Encyclopedic Expertise
  • Displays the location of nearby resources unique to Liyue on the minimap.

Yanfei Constellations

• The Law Knows No Kindness
  • When Yanfei uses her Charged Attack, each existing Scarlet Seal additionally reduces the stamina cost of this Charged Attack by 10% and increases resistance  against interruption during its release.
• Right of Final Interpretation.
  • Increases Yanfei’s Charged Attack Crit Rate by 20% against enemies below 50% HP.
• Samadhi Fire-Forged
  • Increases the Level of Signed Edict by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.
• Supreme Amnesty
  • When Done Deal is used:
    • Creates a shield that absorbs up to 45% of Yanfei’s Max HP for 15s.
    • This shield absorbs Pyro Damage 250% more effectively.
• Abiding Affidavit
  • Increases the level of Done Deal by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.
• Extra Clause
  • Increases the maximum number of Scarlet Seals by 1.

Yanfei Build Suggestions in Genshin Impact

Yanfei is a potent damage-dealer, and essentially all of her damage is Pyro, but it’s all that Pyro that also makes her an excellent support. She can work well as a primary or secondary DPS, but she’ll need a team that’ll help her push Pyro-based elemental combos since her kit only benefits her. That said, Yanfei is a solid support while undergeared in Genshin Impact if you want to use her to setup powerful elemental combos since Pyro remains the best element in the game and she can easily light the world on fire.

Weapons

Since Yanfei is a catalyst user she has a few solid options at first glance, though the majority are locked behind either the weapon banner, or battle pass. The 4-star Solar Pearl is an excellent weapon for Yanfei, and can be earned by reaching rank 25 in the battle pass. That said, Yanfei’s passive Blazing Eye benefits from Crit Rate, making the 4-star Royal Grimoire an equally potent option, especially when paired with her best artifact set.

Other than those, the 4-star catalyst Sacrificial Fragments is a sold filler weapon for Yanfei, so use it if you have it on hand and not the others. The 5-stars Lost Prayer to the Sacred Winds and Skyward Atlas aren’t terrible since they will passively improve Yanfei’s Elemental Damage, but the 4-stars are easier to grab and are arguably better.

• Solar Pearl: Normal Attack hits increase Elemental Skill and Elemental Burst Damage by 20% (up to 40%) for 6s. Likewise, Elemental Skill or Elemental Burst hits increase Normal Attack Damage by 20% (up to 40%) for 6s. Secondary: Crit Rate.
• Royal Grimoire: Upon dealing damage to an opponent, increases Crit Rate by 8% (up to 16%). Max 5 stacks. A Crit hit removes all existing stacks. Secondary: Attack.
• Sacrificial Fragments: After dealing damage to an opponent with an Elemental Skill, the skill has a 40% (up to 80%) chance to end its own CD. Can only occur once every 30s (down to 16s). Secondary: Elemental Mastery.
• Lost Prayer to the Sacred Winds: Increases Movement Speed by 10%. When in battle, gain an 8% (up to 16%) Elemental DMG Bonus every 4s. Max 4 stacks. Lasts until the character falls or leaves combat. Secondary: Crit Rate.
• Skyward Atlas: Increases Elemental Damage Bonus by 12% (up to 24%). Normal Attack hits have a 50% chance to earn the favor of the clouds. which actively seek out nearby opponents to attack for 15s, dealing 160% (up to 320%) Attack Damage. Can only occur once every 30s.

Artifacts

Since Yanfei predominately deals Pyro Damage you will want artifacts that either bolster her Pyro damage, or improve her Pyro-based elemental combos (like Melt and Vaporize). Also, her Elemental Skill is on a decent 9s cooldown, which synergizes perfectly with a set that happens to bolster both of those traits.

The best artifact set for Yanfei in Genshin Impact (at least on paper, since we have yet to get our hands on her as of publication) is Crimson Witch of the Flames. Lavawalker may look appealing, but there’s a bit of a problem with it’s 4-piece: it increases regular damage by 35% towards enemies affected by Pyro. It’s a solid filler set for Yanfei, because you’ll likely grab a few pieces as you farm Crimson Witch of the Flames, but you’ll want to replace it with Crimson as soon as you are able.

With Yanfei you’ll be looking for Attack Percentage and Pyro Damage first, followed by Crit Rate and Elemental Mastery, so as appealing as the Lavawalker bonus may seem the flat bonus to Pyro Damage on Crimson Witch’s 2-piece is superior. That, and the 4-piece bonus on Crimson not only allows you to set up some destructive elemental combos, but synergizes wonderfully with Yanfei’s Elemental Skill cooldown (which further boosts the 2-piece bonus).

• Crimson Witch of the Flames (Hidden Palace of Zhou Formula)
  • (2) Pyro Damage Bonus +15%
  • (4) Increases Overloaded and Burning Damage by 40%. Increases Vaporize and Melt Damage by 15%. Using an Elemental Skill increases the 2-Piece Set Bonus by 50% of its starting value for 10s. Max 3 stacks.
• Lavawalker (Hidden Palace of Zhou Formula)
  • (2) Pyro Resistance increased by 40%
  • (4) Increases Damage against opponents affected by Pyro by 35%

Yanfei Character Ascension Materials

• Level 20
  • 1x Agnidus Agate Sliver, 3x Noctilucous Jade, 3x Treasure Hoarder Insignia, 20000 Mora
• Level 40
  • 3x Agnidus Agate Fragment, 2x Juvenile Jade, 10x Noctilucous Jade, 15x Treasure Hoarder Insignia, 40000 Mora
• Level 50
  • 6x Agnidus Agate Fragment, 4x Juvenile Jade, 20x Noctilucous Jade, 12x Silver Raven Insignia, 60000 Mora
• Level 60
  • 3x Agnidus Agate Chunk, 8x Juvenile Jade, 30x Noctilucous Jade, 18x Silver Raven Insignia, 80000 Mora
• Level 70
  • 6x Agnidus Agate Chunk, 12x Juvenile Jade, 45x Noctilucous Jade, 12x Golden Raven Insignia, 100000 Mora
• Level 80
  • 6x Agnidus Agate Gemstone, 20x Juvenile Jade, 60x Noctilucous Jade, 24x Golden Raven Insignia, 120000 Mora

Yanfei Talent Level-Up Materials

• Level 2
  • 3x Teachings of Gold, 6x Treasure Hoarder Insignia, 12500 Mora
• Level 3
  • 2x Guide to Gold, 3x Silver Raven Insignia, 17500 Mora
• Level 4
  • 4x Guide to Gold, 4x Silver Raven Insignia, 25000 Mora
• Level 5
  • 6x Guide to Gold, 6x Silver Raven Insignia, 30000 Mora
• Level 6
  • 9x Guide to Gold, 9x Silver Raven Insignia, 35000 Mora
• Level 7
  • 4x Philosophies of Gold, 4x Golden Raven Insignia, 1x Bloodjade Branch (Azhdaha weekly boss), 120000 Mora
• Level 8
  • 6x Philosophies of Gold, 6x Golden Raven Insignia, 1x Bloodjade Branch, 260000 Mora
• Level 9
  • 12x Philosophies of Gold, 9x Golden Raven Insignia, 2x Bloodjade Branch, 450000 Mora
• Level 10
  • 16x Philosophies of Gold, 12x Golden Raven Insignia, 2x Bloodjade Branch, 1x Crown of Insight, 700000 Mora

Genshin Impact is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Mobile.