Genshin Impact Elements

Every element explained: what it does, which reactions it enables, and the strongest characters and teams built around it.

Pyro

The amplification element — Pyro turns other elements' auras into damage multipliers.

Vaporize (Hydro) — Pyro onto Hydro = 1.5x damage. Hydro onto Pyro = 2x damage. The strongest amplifying reaction for most carries.
Melt (Cryo) — Pyro onto Cryo = 2x damage. Cryo onto Pyro = 1.5x. The highest per-hit multiplier available.
Overload (Electro) — AoE Pyro explosion that cannot crit. Knocks back small enemies, which is useful in some teams and annoying in others.

The enabling element — Hydro sets up the reactions other elements detonate.

Vaporize (Pyro) — Hydro onto Pyro aura = 2x damage for the Hydro hit. The reverse direction (Pyro onto Hydro) is 1.5x.
Freeze (Cryo) — Freezes enemies in place, removing their actions and enabling Blizzard Strayer's CRIT Rate bonus.
Bloom (Dendro) — Creates Dendro Cores, which then become Hyperbloom or Burgeon when triggered by Electro or Pyro.

The reaction engine — Dendro created the strongest low-investment archetypes in the game.

Bloom (Hydro) — Creates a Dendro Core. The core detonates on its own after a delay, or immediately when triggered.
Hyperbloom (Bloom core + Electro) — Converts the core into a homing projectile. Damage scales only with the Electro trigger's EM and level.
Burgeon (Bloom core + Pyro) — Detonates the core in an AoE explosion that also damages your own active character.

The trigger element — Electro converts other elements' setups into damage.

Aggravate (Quicken) — Adds flat damage to Electro hits, applied before CRIT and DMG multipliers.
Hyperbloom (Bloom core) — Electro detonates a Bloom core into a homing projectile that scales with EM and level.
Overload (Pyro) — AoE Pyro explosion that cannot crit and knocks back small enemies.

The control element — Cryo removes enemy actions and multiplies Pyro damage.

Freeze (Hydro) — Immobilises enemies and enables Blizzard Strayer's CRIT Rate bonus. Enemies that cannot be frozen ignore this entirely.
Melt (Pyro) — Cryo onto Pyro = 1.5x damage. Pyro onto Cryo = 2x for the Pyro hit.
Superconduct (Electro) — Reduces Physical RES by 40%, which is the foundation of Physical teams.

The amplifier element — Anemo does not deal damage itself, it multiplies everyone else's.

Swirl (Pyro / Hydro / Electro / Cryo) — Spreads the attached element to nearby enemies and deals Anemo damage. Triggers Viridescent Venerer's RES shred.
Viridescent Venerer (Swirled element) — Reduces enemy Elemental RES by 40% for the swirled element — the single strongest support effect available.

The self-sufficient element — Geo trades reactions for raw stats and shields.

Crystallize (Pyro / Hydro / Electro / Cryo) — Creates an elemental shard that grants a shield of that element when picked up. No damage, but strong defensive value.
Geo Resonance (Two Geo units) — Increases shield strength by 15% and boosts damage while protected by a shield.