A lot of players of Genshin Impact think that only increasing their character's Attack stat will make them really powerful. That’s not completely wrong. However, depending on the character, they should centre on other stats, like Defense.

This stat diminishes the damage received from enemy attacks and the probability of interruption (a.k.a. being thrown by your enemies with a huge hit). Having some Defense is good for all characters, but some that benefit even more, like the ones shown in this guide.

10. Razor

In 10th place, we find Razor, the wolf boy that lives in a forest in Mondstadt. With the guardian Boreas as his teacher, and an Electro Vision given by the archons, this boy fights better than any adult.

His playstyle is based on normal attacks, which can deal Physical or Electro damage. In both cases, Razor needs to go up in his normal attack combo to deal high damage. To that end, he needs a high DEF so that he won’t be interrupted.

What Makes Character Name Great for Defense:

• High combo of normal attacks
• CC elemental skill
• Powerful and cheap burst

9. Ganyu

Next, we have Ganyu, the half-adepti from Liyue who wields both a bow and a Cryo Vision. She’s the best DPS in the game, dealing tons of damage. But, because a character can’t be perfect, she has really low HP and Defense.

As her gameplay is based on her shooting charged attacks, if the enemies get near she won’t be able to defend herself and she’ll be killed in two hits. That’s why you have two options: use a shield to protect her or increase her DEF so that she can resist enough to make distance.

What Makes Character Name Great for Defense:

• Best DPS in-game
• Super-powerful charged shots
• Low HP so needs DEF

8. Xiao 

Another adepti from Liyue, Xiao. In this case, he’s a yaksha with the purpose of defeating the remnants of the gods from ancient wars. To accomplish that mission, he can transform into a demon with his Anemo Vision.

With that transformation, you can make Xiao jump super-high and deal lots of damage while plunging at enemies. However, we have two problems: Xiao loses HP while transformed so it’s easy to die, and if he gets hit he’ll get launched far away. DEF can solve both of them.

What Makes Character Name Great for Defense:

• Powerful burst with plunging attacks
• Loses HP so needs DEF
• Can’t get interrupted so needs DEF

7. Eula 

Eula is a descendant of the old nobles of Mondstatd. With the dark history of her family, she’s had a hard time making friends. However, because of her control of the claymore, she’s found her place with the Order of Favonious.

She uses her claymore to make high combos of normal attacks, dealing tons of Physical Damage. Her case is the same as with Razor, to get to high numbers, she needs DEF so that she won’t be interrupted in the middle of the combo.

What Makes Character Name Great for Defense:

• High combo of normal attacks
• Ultra-powerful burst
• One of the best DPS

6. Xinyan

Again on Liyue, the next character is Xinyan, a rock star. Being a claymore and guitar user, this girl controls a Pyro Vision that lets her create both amazing concerts and powerful shields. Thus, she’s a fantastic support character.

We find here what will be the case for the next 5 characters: their abilities ask for DEF. In her case, XInyan’s shield increases the damage absorption with her Defense. Then, more Defense means more damage absorption.

What Makes Character Name Great for Defense:

• Powerful Physical Damage 
• More defense means better shield

5. Yunjin 

We had a powerful rock star before, so this time we’ll have a calm Chinese opera star. Famous through all of Liyue, Yunjin always receives a huge applause when performing in any opera house.

Together with this talent, she possesses the ability to use a polearm and a Geo Vision. In her case, both her skill’s damage and her normal attacks' damage (after burst) will be increased based on her Defense. So you know what you have to do.

What Makes Character Name Great for Defense:

• Shield
• Increases skill damage with Defense
• Increases normal attack damage with Defense

4. Noelle 

Noelle is almost the same as Eula. They are both from Mondstadt, and they both work for the Favonious Order. However, Noelle works as a maid. Even with her super-strength and her Geo Vision, she’s still not a knight.

Noelle is a character that can beat domains by herself. She can heal herself, use a shield and infuse her claymore with Geo to increase damage. All of these abilities are based on Defense, so just increasing this stat will make her unstoppable.

What Makes Character Name Great for Defense:

• Shield increases with defense
• Normal attacks Geo damage increases with defense
• Healing

3. Gorou 

Once on the podium, we find the first character from Inazuma: Gorou. A general who follows Sangonomiya Kokomi, the Priestess from Sangonomiya, and who participated in the civil war. His Geo vision and animal traits made him worthy of his post.

His main role is as a support character for other Geo characters, like the two we’ll see after him. He has many abilities, such as healing, creating an area that increases DEF and Geo damage, and even making crystals explode. All these abilities get better with his defense, so that’s what you should aim for.

What Makes Character Name Great for Defense:

• Area that increases defense
• Makes crystallization explode
• Healing
• All these abilities need healing

2. Albedo 

On the second place of the podium, we find Albedo. This homunculus, created by an ancient alchemist, is also an alchemist himself. Looking for the recipe to create life, he received a Geo vision and is proficient in the creation of Geo structures.

In particular, he can create an area in which enemies will be attacked by blossoming flowers that deal tons of Geo damage. This damage will be based on Albedo’s DEF, so just be ready to farm his DEF main weapon!

What Makes Character Name Great for Defense:

• Blossoming flowers’ damage increases with defense
• Easy burst
• Long-lasting skill
• Doesn’t need to be on the field
• Increases elemental mastery

1. Itto 

Finally, in the first place, we find Itto. Another one of the two Inazuman characters from this guide. Itto’s from the Oni race, which gives him super-strength and the ability to change his normal attacks to Geo attacks.

That ability also increases his ATK depending on the DEF he has, up to a 100%! If that wasn’t enough reason to increase this stas, take a look at his passive which increases his normal attacks’ damage with a 35% of his DEF!

What Makes Character Name Great for Defense:

• Elemental burst makes Geo normal attacks and increases damage based on Defense
• Needs high combos so can’t be interrupted
• Passive increases attack depending on DEF

As you can see, even though Defense is a stat that not many people center on, it can be really useful as well. We hope that this guide made you realize that before pumping up your character’s attack, you should better analyze their gameplay and abilities to see if they need Defense instead.

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