The best Genshin Impact Traveler build

Want to learn how to create the best build for the Traveler in Genshin Impact? The Traveler is your starting character in Genshin Impact, and they’re a little different from the other playable characters in the game. For one thing, you get to choose their name and gender (though both characters will play a role regardless of which you choose; and, by default, the male Traveler is called Aether and the female Traveler is called Lumine). Secondly, their elemental relation is unaligned and can adapt during gameplay.

Despite these unique features, the Traveler has a lot in common with the rest of your character roster in that you can still customise their build with your choice of weapons, artifacts, ascension materials, talents, abilities, and constellations.

Best Traveler build: Element

Since the Traveler is the only character who can vary their elemental relation, it’s natural to want to know which element makes for their best build.

The Traveler will initially gain the Anemo element through an interaction with a Statue of the Seven early in the prologue questline. Later on, they will gain the ability to switch to the Geo and Electro elements as well. Players can freely change the character’s elemental relation at any time from then on by interacting with a Statue of the Seven.

While it’s very useful to have a character who can work with multiple elements, not all of the Traveler’s elemental relations were created equal. Generally speaking, the Traveler is a stronger character when they’re wielding Geo or Electro powers than when they stick with their comparatively weak early-game Anemo powers.

For the rest of this guide, though, we’ll include some alternative build suggestions for Travelers specialising in all three of their potential elements.

Best Traveler build: Weapons

When Geo or Electro powers are active, the best weapon for a Traveler to wield is the Sacrificial Sword. Its ability to reduce elemental cooldown means that it pairs well with whichever element the Traveler is currently wielding.

However, since the Anemo cooldown is comparatively short, it’s worth switching to the Iron Sting whenever Anemo is the character’s active element. The buffs this sword provides to elemental damage help to make up some of the shortfalls in the Traveler’s elemental attacks when attuned to Anemo.

Best Traveler build: Artifacts

When using Anemo powers, the Traveler’s best bet is to use all of their Artifact slots for items from the Viridescent Venerer set. This set specifically buffs Anemo even with only two pieces equipped, and opens up very powerful resonance attacks with four pieces.

For a Traveler imbued with Geo powers, a mix-and-match approach can be best, combining pieces from the Archaic Petra (Geo DMG bonuses) and Gladiator’s Finale (Sword DMG bonuses) sets. You can also choose to go all-in on one or the other, but choosing two pieces from each set creates a nice balance between the Traveler’s weaponry and elemental resonance for a Geo build.

Finally, for an electro Traveler build, consider using all of your Artifact slots on pieces from the Emblem of Severed Fate set. Equipping four pieces results in a bonus to Energy Recharge which then in turn increases Elemental Damage Burst, allowing for up to 75% bonus DMG per strike.

Best Traveler build: Ascension Materials

Regardless of which elemental relation you favour for the Traveler, their ascension materials remain the same. Their ascensions require a total of 168 Windwheel Aster, 36 Ominous Masks, 30 Stained Masks, 18 Damaged Masks, 9 each of Brilliant Diamond Chunk and Brilliant Diamond Fragment, 6 Brilliant Diamond Gemstone, and 1 Brilliant Diamond Sliver.

Best Traveler build: Talents

The Traveler has access to a total of 16 Talents: five for each of their possible elemental relations and one for their unaligned state.

Obviously, the Talent you want to favour depends on which Element you’re focusing on for your Traveler build (and, due to the material intensity of levelling up everything, it might be a good idea at this point to pick one to focus on). Prioritise Gust Surge for Anemo, Wake of Earth for Geo, or Lightning Blade for Electro. If you want to know what all of the Traveler’s talents look like, here’s a quick run-down:

• Past Memories (unaligned):
• Normal Attack – Performs up to 5 rapid strikes.
• Charged Attack – Consumes a certain amount of Stamina to unleash 2 rapid sword strikes.
• Plunging Attack – Plunges from mid-air to strike the ground below, damaging opponents along the path and dealing AoE DMG upon impact.
• Normal Attack (Anemo): Foreign Ironwind – Identical to Past Memories (see above).
• Elemental Skill (Anemo): Palm Vortex – Grasping the wind’s might, the Traveler forms a vortex of vacuum in their palm, causing continuous Anemo DMG to opponents in front of them. The vacuum vortex explodes when the skill duration ends, causing a greater amount of Anemo DMG over a larger area. Hold for gradual increase in DMG and AoE. If the vortex comes into contact with Hydro/Pyro/Cryo/Electro elements, it will deal additional elemental DMG of that type. Elemental Absorption may only occur once per use.
• Elemental Burst (Anemo): Gust Surge – Guiding the path of the wind currents, the Traveler summons a forward-moving tornado that pulls objects and opponents towards itself, dealing Anemo DMG each 0.5 seconds, 9 times. Elemental If the vortex comes into contact with Hydro/Pyro/Cryo/Electro elements, it will deal 30.7% additional elemental DMG of that type. Elemental Absorption may only occur once per use.
• 1st Ascension Passive (Anemo): Slitting Wind – The last hit of a Normal Attack combo unleashes a wind blade, dealing 60% of ATK as Anemo DMG to all opponents in its path.
• 4th Ascensio Passive (Anemo): Second Wind – Palm Vortex kills regenerate 2% HP for 5s. This effect can only occur once every 5s.
• Normal Attack (Geo): Foreign Rockblade – Identical to Past Memories (see above).
• Elemental Skill (Geo): Starfell Sword – The Traveler disgorges a meteorite from the depths of the earth, dealing AoE Geo DMG. The meteorite is considered a Geo Construct, and can be climbed or used to block attacks. Hold to adjust the skill’s positioning.
• Elemental Burst (Geo): Wake of Earth – Energizing the Geo elements deep underground, the Traveler sets off expanding shockwaves, launching surrounding opponents back and dealing AoE Geo DMG. A stone wall is erected at the edges of the shockwave which is considered a Geo Construct, and may be used to block attacks.
• 1st Ascension Passive (Geo): Shattered Darkrock – Reduces Starfell Sword’s CD by 2s.
• 4th Ascension Passive (Geo): Frenzied Rockslide – The final hit of a Normal Attack combo triggers a collapse, dealing 60% of ATK as AoE Geo DMG.
• Normal Attack (Electro): Foreign Thundershock – Identical to Past Memories (see above).
• Elemental Skill (Electro): Lightning Blade – Unleashes three swift thunder shadows that deal Electro DMG to opponents and leave an Abundance Amulet behind after hitting an enemy. When a character is near an Abundance Amulet, they will absorb it to restore Elemental Energy and increase Energy Recharge during the Amulet’s duration. Using this skill again will reset any Abundance Amulets that were generated previously.
• Elemental Burst (Electro): Bellowing Thunder – The Traveler calls upon the protection of lightning, knocking nearby opponents back and dealing Electro DMG to them. When their Normal or Charged Attacks hit opponents, they will call Falling Thunder forth, dealing Electro DMG. When Falling Thunder hits opponents, it will regenerate Energy for the Traveler. One instance of Falling Thunder can be generated every 0.5s.
• 1st Ascension Passive (Electro): Thunderflash – When another nearby character in the party obtains an Abundance Amulet created by Lightning Blade, Lightning Blade’s CD is decreased by 1.5s.
• 4th Ascension Passive (Electro): Resounding Roar – Increases the Energy Recharge effect granted by Lightning Blade’s Abundance Amulet by 10% of the Traveler’s Energy Recharge.

Best Traveler build: Constellations

To fully maximise the Traveler’s potential, you can Wish for their Constellations. Just be aware that, because of their three possible elemental relations, there’s quite a few levels to get before you have all of them:

• Raging Vortex: Anemo Level 1 – Palm Vortex pulls in opponents and objects within a 5m radius.
• Uprising Whirlwind: Anemo Level 2 – Increases Energy Recharge by 16%.
• Sweeping Gust: Anemo Level 3 – Increases the Level of Gust Surge by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.
• Cherishing Breezes: Anemo Level 4 – Reduces DMG taken while casting Palm Vortex by 10%.
• Vortex Stellaris: Anemo Level 5 – Increases the Level of Palm Vortex by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.
• Intertwined Winds: Anemo Level 6 – Targets who take DMG from Gust Surge have their Anemo RES decreased by 20%. If an Elemental Absorption occurred, then their RES towards the corresponding Element is also decreased by 20%.
• Invincible Stonewall: Geo Level 1 – Party members within the radius of Wake of Earth have their CRIT Rate increased by 10% and have increased resistance against interruption.
• Rockcore Meltdown: Geo Level 2 – When the meteorite created by Starfell Sword is destroyed, it will also explode, dealing additional AoE Geo DMG equal to the amount of damage dealt by Starfell Sword.
• Will of the Rock: Geo Level 3 – Increases the Level of Wake of Earth by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.
• Reaction Force: Geo Level 4 – The shockwave triggered by Wake of Earth regenerates 5 Energy for every opponent hit. A maximum of 25 Energy can be regenerated in this manner at any one time.
• Meteorite Impact: Geo Level 5 – Increases the Level of Starfell Sword by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.
• Everlasting Boulder: Geo Level 6 – The barrier created by Wake of Earth lasts 5s longer. The meteorite created by Starfell Sword lasts 10s longer.
• Spring Thunder of Fertility: Electro Level 1 – The number of Abundance Amulets that can be generated using Lightning Blade is increased to 3.
• Violet Vehemence: Electro Level 2 – When Falling Thunder created by Bellowing Thunder hits an opponent, it will decrease their Electro RES by 15% for 8s.
• Distant Crackling: Electro Level 3 – Increases the Level of Bellowing Thunder by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.
• Fickle Cloudstrike: Electro Level 4 – When a character obtains Abundance Amulets generated by Lightning Blade, if this character’s Energy is less than 35%, the Energy restored by the Abundance Amulets is increased by 100%.
• Clamor in the Wilds: Electro Level 5 – Increases the Level of Lightning Blade by 3. Maximum upgrade level is 15.
• World-Shaker: Electro Level 6 – Every 2 Falling Thunder attacks triggered by Bellowing Thunder will increase the DMG dealt by the next Falling Thunder by 200%, and will restore an additional 1 Energy to the current character.

How to get the Traveler in Genshin Impact

The Traveler is your starting character in Genshin Impact, so you’ll have access to them as soon as you begin the game. In the prologue you’re prompted to choose between Aether (male) and Lumine (female) and to give your chosen Traveler a nickname. Note that from this point onwards you can’t access the other Traveler as a playable character; but since there are no functional differences between these twins beyond their appearance, it doesn’t really have any impact on gameplay which one you pick.

As your initial player character, The Traveler is one of the very few completely free-to-play characters in the game. They’re also the only character you can’t pull by Wishing. Because of this, they are given a 5* Rarity rating, despite technically being the easiest character to obtain in the game!

That’s everything you need to know about putting together your optimum build for the Traveler in Genshin Impact! Now that you know how to make the most of your starting character, why not check out our Genshin Impact character tier list to see which other characters you’d like to add to your party? Or, if you want to make sure you’re keeping up with the latest additions to the game, take a look at our recommended builds for Genshin Impact’s three newest heroes: the best Kamisato Ayaka build, the best Yoimiya build, and the best Sayu build.