Genshin Impact's 4-star weapons have a lot of variety, in both design and gameplay. While some are designed to help with damage output, others increase characters' support capabilities. A lot of the strength in these weapons comes from their unique passives, and some are definitely a lot better than others.
Genshin Impact's 4-star rarity weapons are far more numerous than 5-star and even 3-star weapons, meaning that most characters in Genshin Impact will be equipped with a 4-star weapon. Some are specifically designed for one character in mind, like the 4-star sword Cinnabar Spindle for Albedo, so not all 4-star weapons are universally equipable. However, some 4-star weapons are so strong and versatile that they can fit on a lot of characters.
However, not all 4-star weapons are obtained equally. While a lot of them can be obtained by rolling on any of the game's Banners, some 4-star weapons are exclusive to the Weapon Banner, some are paid through the Battle Pass, and some are even exclusive during events and will likely never return, like the recently obtainable 4-star Catalyst the Oathsworn Eye. Therefore, the rarity of some of these weapons can be frustrating, and limit some accounts on how their characters can be built. Yet, there are plenty of strong options for every weapon class.
Best 4-Star Bows In Genshin Impact
Genshin Impact's bow characters have some variety, but most of its bows are aimed toward support stats and effects, as bow characters typically are (with the exceptions of Ganyu and Yoimiya). However, The Stringless is the best of both worlds since it can massively increase a bow support character's damage output. At Refinement 5 (R5), The Stringless' passive effect increases the equipping character's Elemental Skill and Burst damage by 48 percent. This is a massive increase and actually results in bow characters seeing huge DPS increases. The Stringless is actually Venti's best-in-slot (BiS) weapon, as he receives a higher damage bonus from The Stringless than any 5-star bow. The Stringless can also be used on Fischl since she is also an off-field DPS like Venti, and any future character similar to the previous two will also benefit greatly from this weapon.
Mouun's Moon is a 4-star bow that is part of the Watatsumi weapon series and is another incredibly strong choice for off-field bow DPS. This weapon has the "Watatsumi Wavewalker" passive, which (at R5) is that for every point of the party's combined Elemental Burst Energy cost, the equipping character will receive 0.24 percent Elemental Burst damage (up to a maximum of 80 percent). So, if using this on a character that is on a team of characters with high Burst costs, like Yae Miko, the equipping character will see a huge increase in their Elemental Burst's damage.
The Hamayumi is a 4-star craftable bow that was added to Genshin Impact along with the release of Inazuma. This weapon is great for on-field bow DPS characters, like Yoimiya, Childe, and Ganyu. Hamayumi's passive (at R5) is that the equipping character's Normal Attack DMG by 32 percent and Charged Attack damage by 24 percent, and these bonuses are doubled when the character's energy is full. While some 5-star options are better, the Hamayumi is a great option for any on-field DPS. The Viridescent Hunt from the Battle Pass is another solid option due to its CRIT Rate main stat, but this requires paying for the Battle Pass' Gnostic Hymn, and while the Rust is another useful one for Childe and Yoimiya, players will have to rely on RNG to receive it, so the Hamayumi is the most accessible option to get for DPS bow characters.
The Favonius Warbow is a great option for any bow support, like Diona, Kujou Sara, and Gorou, due to its high Energy Recharge and capability of funneling particles to other team members. At R5, CRIT Hits with this weapon will create white particles (that work with any Element) 100 percent of the time with a 6-second cooldown. This weapon is a fantastic choice for any bow support, as a lot of their utility comes from their Elemental Bursts. The Sacrificial Bow is another good option, but not as universally useful (yet is fantastic on Diona for keeping up her shield).
Best 4-Star Catalysts In Genshin Impact
Hands down, the best 4-star catalyst in Genshin Impact is The Widsith. Not only does The Widsith have CRIT DMG as its main stat, but it also has an incredibly strong unique passive. The passive is that when the equipping character takes the field, they will randomly receive one of three effects (at R5): ATK increased by 120 percent, all Elemental DMG increased by 96 percent, or Elemental Mastery increased by 480. This is the best 4-star catalyst to put on any catalyst user that wants as much damage as possible, whether they be an on-field DPS or sub-DPS.
Another good DPS option for catalyst users in Genshin Impact that use their Normal and Charged Attacks frequently is the Solar Pearl. This weapon has CRIT Rate as its main stat, and its passive is that Normal Attacks increase the equipping character's Elemental Skill and Burst Damage, and likewise, their Elemental Skill and Burst increase Normal Attack damage. This catalyst is strong on characters like Klee, Yanfei, and Ningguang who are usually played as on-field DPS. However, the Solar Pearl is only available via the Battle Pass, but if players were lucky to obtain the Dodoco Tales during its limited event, this weapon functions very similarly, and can even be stronger if the Dodoco Tales' refinement is higher than the Solar Pearl's.
The Favonius Codex is in a similar position to the Favonius Warbow as it fits greatly on any catalyst support in Genshin Impact that needs the Energy Recharge and plays a good role in funneling particles to their team. It has the exact same passive as the Favonius Warbow, and characters like Lisa, (support) Mona, and Sucrose work well with this weapon since it helps them spam their Bursts. The Sacrificial Fragments are also a solid option for those that need Energy Recharge, but like the Sacrificial Bow, it's not as universally applicable.
Best 4-Star Claymores In Genshin Impact
The claymore weapon type in Genshin Impact does not have as many amazing options as other weapon classes, but there are still several strong claymores in the game. The Serpent Spine is definitely one of the strongest (if not the strongest) 4-star claymores in Genshin Impact, due to its CRIT Rate main stat and strong unique passive. The Serpent Spine's passive is that the equipping character receives a stack every 4 seconds that increases both damage increased and damage taken, up to a maximum of 5 stacks and totaling a 30 percent damage bonus at R5. While this is incredibly strong, the Serpent Spine is locked behind paying for the Battle Pass, so it's not easily accessible for everyone.
The Akuoumaru is another weapon of the Watatsumi series and has the exact same unique passive as the Mouun's Moon. This is incredibly strong on Beidou since a lot of her damage comes from her Burst, and the Akuoumaru will definitely benefit more characters like her in the future, yet this is another weapon restricted to the Weapon Banner. The Luxurious Sea-Lord is similar to the Akuoumaru in that it increases Burst damage (24 percent at R5), and even causes a large burst of AoE damage every 15s. However, this claymore was only available during a previous event in Genshin Impact, so it is unlikely that the weapon will be seeing a return.
The Whiteblind has increased in popularity since the release of Arataki Itto, actually out-DPSing a lot of 5-star claymores on characters that scale with defense. This is a craftable 4-star claymore which makes it easily accessible and is powerful due to its DEF main stat and unique passive that increases ATK and DEF when using Normal or Charged Attacks. Pairing this weapon with Itto and other DEF scaling characters like Noelle and Xinyan really increases their damage output and is a great choice. The Blackcliff Slasher is a solid option due to its CRIT DMG main stat but must be bought from the Shop with Starglitter and its unique passive isn't as universally applicable as others, and Lithic Blade is another good DPS option only if the player is running a team of characters from Liyue.
Best 4-Star Polearms In Genshin Impact
"The Catch" is a recent addition to Genshin Impact, being added along with fishing, but it has quickly become one of the strongest polearms in the game. "The Catch" has an Energy Recharge main stat, and its passive is that it increases (at R5) the equipping character's Elemental Burst's damage by 32 percent and its CRIT Rate by 12 percent. While this is already strong on its own, pairing it with a character that uses the Emblem of Severed Fate artifact set makes it even more incredible. This weapon is outstanding on both the Raiden Shogun and Xiangling but also works on any polearm user that spams their Elemental Burst.
The Deathmatch is another incredibly strong polearm since it has a CRIT Rate main stat and a strong passive. At R5, this weapon increases the equipping character's ATK and DEF by 32 percent if there are 2 or more enemies, or just ATK by 48 percent if there's just one. Unfortunately, this weapon is only available through the Battle Pass but is definitely worth getting if the player decides to purchase it.
The Wavebreaker's Fin is the final member of the Watatsumi series, having the same passive as the previous two. This weapon is another very strong option for characters whose damage comes from their Bursts, like the Raiden Shogun and Xiangling, or any other character with high Burst damage like Rosaria. Yet like the other Watatsumi weapons, this one is only available from the Weapon Banner, making "The Catch" a much more accessible choice.
Best 4-Star Swords In Genshin Impact
The Festering Desire was the first event weapon in Genshin Impact, so a lot of the player base, unfortunately, does not have this weapon. However, it is still extremely useful, and works similarly to "The Catch." The Festering Desire has Energy Recharge as its main stat and its passive increases the equipping character's (at R5) Elemental Skill damage by 32 percent and CRIT Rate by 12 percent. This weapon is great for almost any sword support, like Jean, (Electro) Traveler, Kaeya, Albedo, and others.
The Black Sword is strong on any on-field sword DPS, like Keqing, Ayaka, or Ayato in Gesnhin Impact. This weapon has a CRIT Rate main stat and increases the equipping character's Normal and Charged Attack damage by 20 percent (at R5) and also heals the character every time they crit. This is the best 4-star option for an on-field DPS but is also limited to the purchase of the Battle Pass, so it is not easily accessible.
The Amenoma Kageuchi is a really great option for sword users that need a little extra Energy. It is a craftable weapon that was added alongside Inazuma so it has great accessibility. This weapon has ATK as its main stat and has a wordy passive. Basically, every time the equipping character casts their Elemental Skill, they gain a stack (up to three), and once they cast their Elemental Burst, these stacks are consumed to give the character Energy. This is good on almost any sword support in Genshin Impact but really shines on Jean.
It can be challenging to decide what 4-star weapon is best for which character, especially since so many 4-star weapons are behind the RNG of Genshin Impact's Banners. However, players should be comforted that there is always more than one option for their character. Sumeru's release will definitely add more craftable options, which is another thing to look forward to with its inevitable release.