Genshin Impact's next banner needs to bring back its best five-star hero

It's time to let it blow. When Genshin Impact launched in September 2020, Venti was widely hailed by the player base as the best character in the game, due to his amazing crowd-control attacks and abilities that made exploring high terrain a breeze. In the months since launch, it's been impossible to get him from the banner. Despite seven more characters joining the game since its September launch, Venti has yet to be toppled.

If you’re a newer Genshin Impact player, you might only know Venti as a supporting character from the story’s prologue. He was featured in the gacha Event Banner during the first three weeks following the game's launch, and remains the only character to prompt widespread complaints from players due to his scarcity.

Venti needs to be a permanent addition to Genshin Impact, whether that happens in the 1.3 update due out February 3, or in a subsequent version of the game. Here's why.

Why Venti tops Genshin Impact tier lists

Venti’s combat ability is unmatched. His Elemental Burst can quickly defeat hordes of small- to medium-sized foes, making Domains a breeze. Venti is also a clutch player on your exploration detail. His Elemental Skill creates a small wind tunnel that launches players into the air. This ability can be utilized to get a head start on daunting climbs without spending precious stamina, simplifying challenges where you need to reach a single point in a time limit.

In short, every part of Genshin Impact is easier if you have Venti on your team.

Venti should be on Genshin Impact's Standard Banner

Venti is one of the very first faces you see when you start playing Genshin Impact. When console players start the game, they’re met with a splash screen featuring major characters from the prologue, like the Traveller, Paimon, Dvailin, Jean, Diluc, and Venti. Console players see this screen every time they boot up the game.

The Traveller and Paimon are main characters seen in every adventure, Jean and Diluc are both available through the Standard Banner, and Dvailin is a boss you can fight every week. Venti is also a standout in being the only character you meet during the opening hours of Genshin Impact that you can’t obtain through the Standard Banner.

Venti is a perfect cocktail of skills players were asked to hone during the game’s opening hours. His abilities are so useful that they’ve been distributed across permanent mechanics.

Sucrose was given downgraded editions of Venti’s combat abilities, earning her the title "budget Venti." Limited access to Venti’s exploration skills were implemented in version 1.1 via the Wind Catcher, which can create a small wind burst every 100 seconds. On a live stream previewing update 1.1, miHoYo even compared the Wind Catcher to Venti, calling it "a mini Venti ability." Venti’s addition would also add a much-needed incentive to pull from the Standard Banner.

Will the Venti banner return to Genshin Impact in 1.3 or 1.4?

A December 2020 rumor claimed Venti will return during an update 1.4 event coinciding with the Mondstadt Wind Festival. Other rumors from the same thread have already been confirmed like Zhongli’s buff, Bennett’s inclusion in Albedo’s Banner, and Hu Tao coming in version 1.3.

If those 1.4 rumors pan out, great. But a brief return still isn’t enough. New four-star characters like Dionna and Xinyan were added to the Standard Banner after running on an Event Banner, so why not Venti?

If players are vocal about wanting Venti added to the Standard Banner, miHoYo will surely give it some thought. When the five-star character Zhongli wasn’t up to snuff when he launched in December 2020, fans complained. MiHoYo responded by promising an imminent buff to both Zhongli and the Geo element he uses. Zhongli was buffed so well that now there’s a large call among fans to rerun his entire banner.

If Venti isn’t added to the permanent Banner, there will just be another outpouring of anguish when he departs after his rumored 1.4 Banner. Who wants that to happen?

Genshin Impact 1.3 launches February 3.