Genshin Impact's Four-Star Character Drought: Who's Been MIA?

The Genshin Impact community has been buzzing with discussions about character banner appearances after a revealing chart highlighted the significant waiting periods for many beloved four-star characters. Some fan favorites haven't appeared on banners for over ten patches, leaving their dedicated players wondering when they'll get another chance to obtain or unlock constellations for these characters.

The Long Wait: Who's Been Missing?

Topping the list of neglected four-stars is Shikanoin Heizou, the Inazuman detective and catalyst user, who has been absent for a staggering 11 patches since his last appearance in Version 3.7. Can you imagine waiting almost a year for your favorite character to return? That's the reality for Heizou mains!

Not far behind is Mika, the Mondstadt cartographer, who has been MIA for 10 patches since Version 3.8. Both Heizou and Mika share the dubious distinction of being the only four-star characters who completely missed the Fontaine cycle of updates.

Here's the full waiting list for four-star characters as of 2025:

• 11 Patches: Shikanoin Heizou

• 10 Patches: Mika

• 9 Patches: Sayu

• 8 Patches: Fischl, Diona, Chongyun

• 7 Patches: Charlotte, Collei, Kuki Shinobu

• 6 Patches: Sucrose, Candace, Chevreuse, Kujou Sara

• 5 Patches: Yaoyao

• 4 Patches: Gorou, Yun Jin, Dori, Barbara, Xingqiu

• 3 Patches: Freminet, Lynette, Beidou, Faruzan, Layla

• 2 Patches: Sethos, Thoma, Gaming, Rosaria, Noelle

• 1 Patch: Kirara, Kaveh, Ningguang, Yanfei, Xiangling, Razor

• 0 Patches: Kachina, Xinyan, Bennett

A Pattern of Neglect?

This trend isn't exclusive to four-star characters. Several five-stars have experienced similar droughts, with Shenhe taking the crown at 13 patches since her last banner appearance. Other premium characters like Ganyu and Kokomi have also been absent for over 10 updates, missing the entire Fontaine region cycle.

What does this pattern tell us about HoYoverse's banner strategy? Are they deliberately keeping certain characters in the vault to build anticipation, or is it simply a matter of prioritizing newer characters and more popular reruns? 🤔

The Natlan Wave

While some characters remain in banner purgatory, HoYoverse continues to expand Genshin Impact's roster with exciting new additions. Version 5.0 introduced players to the fiery region of Natlan, bringing characters like Mualani, Kachina, and Kinich. Kachina joins as the game's 41st four-star character and was even offered as a free acquisition during the update.

The "Ignition" trailer for Natlan also teased upcoming characters including Citlali, Iansan, and the highly anticipated Pyro Archon Mavuika. Meanwhile, leaks hint at potential playable versions of established lore characters such as Liyue's Madame Ping and Mondstadt's Grand Master Varka.

The Banner Balancing Act

HoYoverse faces a challenging task in balancing new character releases with reruns of existing favorites. With Genshin Impact now boasting over 40 four-star characters and dozens of five-stars, the mathematical reality is that some characters will inevitably face long waits between banner appearances.

For the current Version 5.0, HoYoverse has confirmed reruns for Kazuha and Raiden Shogun, addressing the needs of players who have been waiting to obtain these powerful five-star characters. But what about the four-stars who've been waiting even longer?

The Player Perspective

For free-to-play and low-spending players, four-star characters are often the backbone of their accounts. These characters are generally more accessible than their five-star counterparts and can reach their full potential through constellations more easily.

When favorite four-stars like Heizou or Mika go missing for nearly a year, it creates frustration for players who:

• Need specific constellations to maximize their potential

• Joined the game after their last banner appearance

• Lost the 50/50 on their previous rate-ups

What's Next?

Will HoYoverse address this growing disparity in character reruns? The community certainly hopes so. Some players have suggested solutions like:

1. Dedicated four-star focused banners

2. More characters featured per banner

3. A rotating shop with more four-star options

4. Special "catch-up" events featuring long-absent characters

As Genshin Impact continues to grow with each new region and update, the challenge of giving every character their time to shine will only become more complex. For now, Heizou and Mika mains continue their patient wait, hoping their favorites will finally return from their extended vacation.

Have you been waiting for a specific four-star character to return? Who's on your wish list for upcoming banners? The Genshin Impact journey continues, and with Natlan now in full swing, we can only wonder which long-forgotten characters might finally make their triumphant return in the coming updates. ✨