In Genshin Impact's upcoming 2.1 update, PlayStation 4 and PS5 player will get a new five-star character for free: Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn. PC and mobile Genshin Impact players then will get Aloy in update 2.2. Handing out a five-star character is a big deal for Genshin Impact, and a recent livestream showcased Aloy’s skills ahead of her release, likely making quite a few fans wonder if she will be better than the only other five-star Cryo bow user, Ganyu.
So far, Ganyu's only had one limited character banner, in January 2021. She could get another before the end of the year, but because banners don’t come around often, players who joined after January are out of luck for now. Adding Aloy to the game for free will especially benefit these players; however, those who did manage to get Ganyu might still find Aloy useful, if her abilities make Ganyu obsolete.
While both Aloy and Ganyu are Cryo bow users, their abilities are fairly different. Aloy’s Elemental Attack, Frozen Wilds, deals Cryo damage two separate times and has the potential to give her Cryo arrows. She throws a bomb at enemies, which explodes on impact and deals Cryo damage. After it explodes, it splits into smaller bombs that explode when in contact with enemies or after a little time. These "bomblets" also do Cryo damage, decrease enemies' attack damage, and give Aloy one Coil. After Aloy accumulates four Coils, her arrows are infused with Cryo.
Genshin Impact Ganyu Vs Aloy: Who's The Better 5-Star Cryo Bow User?
Ganyu’s Elemental Attack, Trial of The Qilin, leaves a Cryo lotus on the field that deals area-of-effect Cryo damage and taunts enemies to keep attacking it. Once the lotus explodes, it deals additional AoE Cryo damage. It's much simpler than Aloy’s, but it can also deal damage over time. That said, Ganyu can't get Cryo arrows like Aloy.
Aloy’s Elemental Burst, Prophecies of Dawn, is similar to her Elemental Attack in that she throws a Cryo-filled power cell towards enemies, but this one must be detonated with an arrow. Once the power cell explodes, it deals Cryo damage. Ganyu’s Elemental Burst, Celestial Shower, summons an ice soul gem that deals AoE Cryo damage with a continuous shower of ice shards. Once again, Ganyu's abilities deal damage over time, while Aloy does her damage all at once.
Another big difference between the two characters is their charged attacks. Ganyu’s deal Cryo damage and create blooms that deal additional AoE Cryo damage. Aloy’s only deal Cryo damage once. Their normal attacks are also slightly different, as Ganyu can shoot six consecutive arrows, while Aloy can only shoot four.
Both characters have three passive talents, like all Genshin Impact characters. Aloy's passives make it so the party doesn’t scare animals as easily, increase her attack percentage and the party’s damage, and increase her Cryo damage by a maximum of 35%. Ganyu’s passives increase the crit rate of her Frostflake arrows, give characters inside the radius of the Celestial Shower a Cryo damage bonus, and refund ore used when crafting a bow.
Aloy and Ganyu are both great Genshin Impact characters. Until Aloy is actually released on September 1, it's not possible to compare their damage per second, but whichever is really better will most likely just depend on each person's playstyle. Ganyu may be more suitable for players who enjoy taunt abilities, while those who prefer quicker, more explosive damage might prefer Aloy.