Summary
Thanks to a recent leak,Genshin Impactplayers can examine a detailed gameplay overview of Dahlia, the upcoming 4-Star Hydro Sword character from Mondstadt. While Dahlia will feature in Version 5.6 during the Archon Quest, the deacon of the Church of Favonius is set to become playable in the subsequent update.Genshin Impactfans are familiar with Dahlia through Rosaria and Barbara, fellow members of the clergy in the City of Freedom. However, they have also known of Dahlia as a playable character since the initial flood of Fontaine leaks in 2023. Him entering the story is thus the final chapter of a long journey of speculation and waiting.
On paper,Dahlia inGenshin Impacthas a lot going for him. He is a 4-Star Hydro character, a rare and unexplored archetype. Not only has Hydro only had one 4-Star between Version 1.0 and Version 5.6, but prior to Dahlia, it also had no dedicated Shield Support. Dahlia has a chance to carve out a niche in the meta as a successful 4-Star character, but players are skeptical about his ability kit.
According to Seele Leaksand HomDGCat, Dahlia is a Hydro Shield Support who provides attack speed buffs, but has no off-field Hydro application. While he also comes equipped with a way to resurrect fallen party members at C6, his main drawback is a lack of synergy withFurina inGenshin Impactand having no reliable way to apply Hydro in combat. That being said, Dahlia’s Elemental Skill allows players to shoot themselves up, which implies an exploration gimmick not unlike what Venti provides.
At the very least, the ability kit implies that Dahlia will have some use forWriothesley inGenshin Impact, as he relies on Normal Attacks to deal damage. It remains to be seen if this will apply to other Normal Attack hypercarries, such as Ayato and Yoimiya, but a 25% buff to attack speed shouldn’t be discarded outright. Unfortunately, given his passive talent, the maximum effectiveness of his Elemental Shield soft-locks Dahlia to Freeze teams – or at the very least demands a Cryo party member.
Initial reactions to Dahlia are lukewarm and cautious, as many players have chosen to adopt a “wait-and-see” approach. The previous character who launched with subpar off-field Hydro was Sigewinne, a 5-Star character whose usefulness is largely tied to Furina teams. While ability kits can dramatically change over the course of beta testing, as seen withArlecchino inGenshin Impact, fans should temper their expectations of Dahlia.
WHERE TO PLAY
Step into Teyvat, a vast world teeming with life and flowing with elemental energy.You and your sibling arrived here from another world. Separated by an unknown god, stripped of your powers, and cast into a deep slumber, you now awake to a world very different from when you first arrived.Thus begins your journey across Teyvat to seek answers from The Seven — the gods of each element. Along the way, prepare to explore every inch of this wondrous world, join forces with a diverse range of characters, and unravel the countless mysteries that Teyvat holds…
