Genshin Impact level up guide: How to level up characters, weapons, and items

Genshin Impact is an enormous game, with many complex systems that are directly tied to how much stronger you can get. Early in the game, these don't matter too much, but the further you progress, the harder it can be to make sure your characters are punching at least at their weight, if not above it. It's one of the best Android games available, so take your time to understand exactly how to level up your characters and gear so you can get more fun out of it.

With that in mind, you're probably wondering if you've accidentally missed out on a way to level up your powers in Genshin Impact or if you could be doing so more efficiently. Here's a quick rundown of everything you can level up in Genshin Impact and how to do it:

How to level up characters in Genshin Impact

There's a long list of characters in Genshin Impact, so while collecting them is great, it's also important to make them as powerful as possible. There are also cool crossover events bringing in new characters all the time, as players can now grab Aloy in Genshin Impact.

Characters can be leveled up on their respective character screens using three different items: Wanderer's Advice, Adventurer's Experience, and Hero's Wit.

You can obtain these items as quest rewards, in chests around the world, and through various in-game shops -- including Paimon's bargain shop and shops associated with special events. You can also obtain a large amount of Adventurer's Experience from Blossom of Revelation, though it will cost you Resin.

Hero's Wit provides the most experience, with Adventurer's Experience providing a moderate amount and Wanderer's Advice providing the least. Of course, you'll need more experience to level up the higher your level is.

At certain level thresholds (20, 40, 50, 60, and so forth), you will no longer be able to level a character up and must first Ascend them to unlock the next tier of levels. Ascending a character takes place on the same screen that leveling does but requires a bit more work.

You'll need to meet the minimum Adventure Rank threshold to ascend a character (if you're not at that rank, it will tell you on the Ascension page what level you need to reach first). Then you'll need to collect the materials listed for that character's Ascension. Every character has different requirements for Ascension, so if you're unsure where to find what you're looking for, click on the item listings, and it should tell you. Most characters will require a gem of some kind (gotten from beating bosses and also from crafting and some quests), a special item (from beating bosses), and a lot of specific items you can usually find out in the wild.

How to level up weapons in Genshin Impact

Weapons level up similarly to characters, except instead of special experience items, you'll need to sacrifice weapons you don't need as well as Enhancement Ore to level them up. These items will give different levels of experience, depending on rarity. You can get more weapons from chests out in the world and from Wishes, and you can get Enhancement Ore from chests and from forging ore you find in the world at a blacksmith in a major city.

Also, like characters, weapons eventually must be ascended at certain thresholds. Weapons climb exactly the same way characters do, requiring a certain Adventure Rank and several specific items to ascend. Check the item descriptions listed to find the items you need to ascend your favorite weapons.

How to level up Artifacts in Genshin Impact

Artifacts, like weapons, require sacrificing more Artifacts to level up. Unlike weapons, however, there is no ore you can use to level them up if you don't have artifacts, and you also can't ascend Artifacts. Once they hit their level cap, they're done. You can level up Artifacts from each individual Artifact screen.

Throughout the game, you can get more Artifacts from treasure chests, bosses, domains, finishing tasks in the Adventurer's Handbook, and various other sources. What's more, rarer Artifacts will drop from more difficult challenges.

How to level up Talents in Genshin Impact

Talents are often overlooked by new players in Genshin Impact, but you can level these up too once you reach Adventure Rank 40. Open the Talents screen of a character to view their Talents, and select a Talent to see its current level and what is required to level it up.

Each character will require specific items to level up their Talents and a specific World Rank threshold. Every Talent for a specific character will need the same "category" of item each time, but higher levels will require more items or higher tiers of existing ones. You can generally get these items from fighting mobs out in the world, crafting, and finishing specific Domains. Click on an item to see its description if you're unsure where to find it.

Some Talents cannot be leveled up, but you'll see a message saying it is already at its maximum level if that is the case.

How to raise your Adventure Rank in Genshin Impact

Adventure Rank is probably the first "level up" system you'll engage with while playing Genshin Impact. It determines the strength of the monsters you'll fight, what quests you'll access, and shows certain features or other mechanics you'll eventually want to access.

Raising your Adventure Rank will happen naturally as you play, and you're able to gain experience toward that by finishing quests, opening chests, doing daily commissions, offering Oculi at statues, spending Original Resin, and finishing tasks in the Adventurer's Handbook. At certain Adventure Ranks, you'll need to complete a quest set to you by the Adventurer's Guild to continue leveling up further -- the game will notify you when this is the case.

A growing saga

Genshin Impact continues to grow over time, with new characters, quests, and locations added through the various frequent updates. Remember, it's completely free to play, so there's no cost to jumping in and trying it out if you're curious what all the buzz is about.