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Is Level 90 Really Worth It in Genshin Impact? A Deep Dive

The eternal question plaguing Genshin Impact players: is leveling characters to 90 truly worth the investment? The short answer is: it depends. It’s a resource-intensive endeavor, requiring a significant commitment of Mora, EXP books, and time. Whether that investment translates into worthwhile gains depends heavily on the character, their role in your team, and your personal playstyle.

In general, leveling to 90 is most beneficial for characters whose damage scales with transformative reactions, such as Dendro, Anemo, and Electro characters triggering reactions like Swirl, Aggravate, Spread, Hyperbloom, and Bloom. HP and DEF scaling characters also benefit significantly due to the larger stat increases they receive in the final ten levels. Main DPS characters who you heavily rely on can also see a noticeable performance boost. However, for many support characters, the resource cost might outweigh the marginal gains.

Ultimately, deciding whether to invest in level 90 for a character requires careful consideration. Understanding the character’s scaling, their role in your team composition, and your personal resources is crucial. Don’t blindly level everyone – analyze and prioritize to maximize your account’s overall strength.

Understanding the Benefits of Level 90

Leveling a character to 90 provides several benefits, though some are more impactful than others:

Increased Base Stats: Every character gains increased HP, ATK, and DEF with each level. However, the increase is most pronounced in the final ten levels (80-90), particularly for HP and DEF. This is crucial for characters like Zhongli or Yelan whose skills scale with HP.
Transformative Reaction Damage: This is where level 90 truly shines. The damage of transformative reactions (like Swirl, Electro-Charged, Overload, etc.) is heavily influenced by character level. Leveling to 90 can drastically increase the damage output of teams focused on these reactions, making it a priority for characters like Nahida, Raiden Shogun (Hyperbloom teams), and Kazuha.
Hit Rate: While less commonly discussed, character level also affects your hit rate against enemies. Lower-level characters are more likely to miss attacks against higher-level enemies. Leveling to 90 ensures that your characters consistently hit their targets, maximizing damage output.
Psychological Factor: Let’s be honest, sometimes it just feels better to see that “90” next to your favorite character’s name. The satisfaction of fully investing in a character you enjoy can be a worthwhile benefit in itself!

Characters Who Benefit Most from Level 90

Certain character types and specific characters derive significantly more benefit from level 90 than others:

Dendro Reaction Drivers: Characters like Nahida, Alhaitham, and Tighnari are prime candidates for level 90. Their ability to trigger Dendro reactions frequently means they’ll reap the rewards of increased transformative reaction damage.
Anemo Swirl Specialists: Kazuha, Venti, and Sucrose, are excellent candidates for level 90, especially when built for Elemental Mastery. They’ll deal significantly more Swirl damage, increasing your team’s overall damage output.
HP and DEF Scalers: Characters like Zhongli, Yelan, Kokomi, and Arataki Itto see substantial benefits from the increased HP and DEF that level 90 provides, boosting their damage and survivability.
Main DPS with High Investment: If you heavily invest in a Main DPS character, fully optimizing their artifacts and talents, leveling them to 90 can provide a final, noticeable damage boost. Characters like Xiao or Hu Tao can be worth leveling if they are your primary damage dealers.
Bennett: He is often recommended to be leveled to 90 as the buff provided by his Elemental Burst scales with his base attack and the weapon’s base attack.

Characters Where Level 90 Is Less Crucial

For some characters, the resources spent on leveling to 90 could be better allocated elsewhere:

ATK Scaling Supports: Many support characters primarily scale with ATK and provide buffs or utility. Leveling them to 90 offers minimal returns compared to investing in their talents or artifacts.
Characters with Limited On-Field Time: If a character only spends a short amount of time on the field to cast their skill or burst, the benefits of level 90 may be negligible.
Characters Primarily Used for Healing: While the increased HP from level 90 can boost healing output for some healers, the gains are often minimal compared to investing in their artifacts or talents. Kokomi’s healing is already substantial at level 80, making level 90 less of a priority unless she’s being used as a main DPS.

Making the Decision: A Practical Approach

Before committing to leveling a character to 90, consider these factors:

Your Current Resources: Are you constantly struggling for Mora and EXP books? Prioritize characters who will provide the most significant return on investment.
Your Team Compositions: Which characters do you use most frequently? Which teams rely heavily on transformative reactions? Focus on leveling characters who will have the biggest impact on your overall team performance.
Your Playstyle: Do you enjoy optimizing every aspect of your team? Or do you prefer a more casual approach? The decision to level to 90 is ultimately a personal one.
Testing: Level up to 81, or even 85, and test the character to see how much they’ll truly improve!

Remember, Genshin Impact is a game about enjoying the journey. Don’t feel pressured to level everyone to 90 if it’s not something you want to do. Focus on building teams and characters that you enjoy playing, and the rest will fall into place. For more information on the game and the educational benefits of gaming, visit the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Is it worth leveling Bennett to 90?

Yes, Bennett is generally considered worth leveling to 90. His buff from his Elemental Burst scales with his base ATK, and leveling him increases that base ATK.

2. Is it worth leveling Xingqiu to 90?

Xingqiu is generally fine at level 80+. His damage primarily scales with ATK, and the benefits of leveling him to 90 are less significant compared to characters with different scaling.

3. Is level 90 Tighnari worth it?

For Tighnari, level 90 offers a substantial damage increase due to his reliance on Dendro reactions. It is a very valuable damage upgrade for him.

4. Should I level Nahida to 90?

Leveling Nahida to 90 is highly recommended to maximize her reaction damage in teams where she triggers a lot of reactions like Spread and Aggravate.

5. Is Xiao worth leveling to 90?

If Xiao is your main DPS, leveling him to 90 can be worthwhile, as it provides a noticeable increase to his overall damage output.

6. What is the difference between level 80 and 90 in Genshin Impact?

Leveling from 80 to 90 primarily increases base stats and impacts transformative reaction damage. It also unlocks talent levels 9 and 10, if not already unlocked.

7. Who is worth leveling to 90 in Genshin Impact?

Anemo and Dendro characters, especially those who trigger transformative reactions, HP and DEF scalers, and your primary main DPS characters are generally the best candidates for level 90.

8. What level should my characters be at AR45?

At AR45, ascend all characters you use to level 60/70 to unlock their last passive talents. Level your sub DPS to 65~69 and upgrade relevant talents to level 6.

9. Is Barbara worth building in the late game?

Barbara can be a useful healer in the late game, especially for teams that require consistent healing. However, level 90 may not be necessary unless you’re struggling with her survivability.

10. Is C1 Bennett worth it?

C1 Bennett is widely considered his best constellation, as it removes the HP restriction on his ATK buff.

11. Should I ascend Zhongli?

Yes, you should ascend Zhongli to increase his HP, which directly boosts his shield strength and damage output.

12. Is level 90 Kokomi worth it?

Level 90 is less crucial for Kokomi unless you are using her as a main DPS or for Vaporize reactions. Her healing is generally sufficient at level 80.

13. What characters are worth leveling up in Genshin Impact?

DPS characters are generally the first priority for leveling, followed by support characters who contribute significantly to your team’s damage output.

14. How much Mora does it take to level a character to 90?

It takes over two million Mora to level a character to 90.

15. How many XP books do you need to level 90 a character?

You need 419 Hero’s Wit books to level a character to 90.

Is it worth upgrading characters to level 90 genshin?