One of the unique factors of Genshin Impact's combat system is its Elements. Each character in the game is assigned their own Element, and each Element reacts differently to one another which can result in interesting combinations. However, Hydro might just stand above the rest as Genshin Impact's most useful Element.
The most popular Elements in Genshin Impact are Pyro and Cryo. Both have the most characters and are the most commonly used on meta teams. This is because Pyro puts out a lot of damage, and Cryo has both damage and utility due to their Elemental reactions.
While Hydro might not be anyone's first thought when it comes to damage-dealing Elements, it is Genshin Impact's most important. While Hydro is typically assigned to support characters like Barbara, Kokomi, and Xingqiu, Hydro is also seeing some DPS characters like Childe and the recently released Kamisato Ayato. Hydro is essential for a lot of Genshin Impact's teams, and it's for one big reason.
Why Hydro Is Genshin Impact's Most Important Element
Even though characters of other Elements usually end up taking the spotlight, it's the Hydro characters in Genshin Impact that enable other Elements to perform so well. This is simply due to how powerful all of Hydro's Elemental Reactions are. Hydro's reactions are the strongest in the game, due to either damage or utility. Hydro is needed for most of the game's best reactions: Vaporize, Freeze, and Electro-charged. Vaporize is Pyro's best reaction, Freeze is Cryo's, and Electro-charged is Electro's. In short, other Elements in Genshin Impact would not be as powerful as they are now without Hydro. It's why the meta in a large majority of Genshin Impact's team compositions need a good Hydro applier, like Kokomi and Xingqiu.
Hydro's reaction with Dendro has recently been leaked as well. As of now, this leaked reaction is called "Overgrown," which spawns mushrooms that explode and deal damage. While nothing is confirmed, this will likely be Dendro's strongest reaction and will give Hydro yet another reason to be essential on so many of Genshin Impact's teams. Since Hydro doesn't have many main DPS characters, it is usually the Element that makes sure everything goes smoothly from the back lines. Despite having the fewest characters in the game, Hydro is needed for a lot of other characters to shine. It has never been a secret how strong Hydro is, and it will likely hold its reputation in Genshin Impact for the game's entire lifetime.