Is Barbara the Top Healer in Genshin Impact? Let’s Explore!
Let’s discuss Barbara. She is Mondstadt’s Deaconess and a skilled healer in Genshin Impact. The big question is: “Is Barbara the best healer?” Grab your potions as we dive into this wet debate.
Barbara’s Healing Basics: How Does She Keep Your Team Healthy?
Barbara’s kit is essentially a “heal” button. She acts as the emergency room on legs. Here’s the breakdown:
- Normal & Charged Attacks: Barbara’s basic attacks heal your team! They restore health based on her Max HP. Her Charged Attack? It heals four times more. Hitting enemies effectively heals allies – it’s funny to think about.
- Elemental Skill & Burst: Barbara is all about healing. Her Elemental Skill heals. Her Burst? It heals the entire party instantly. We’re talking full restoration in seconds. It resets everyone’s HP.
- Tanky Healer: Because her healing scales with HP, building Barbara makes her tanky. Her Burst gives invulnerability frames. Need to evade a big hit and heal? Barbara’s there to help.
- Hydro Application Queen: Teaming Barbara with Ayaka is smart! Her Elemental Skill applies Hydro, enabling easy Freeze reactions while healing Ayaka. Talk about multitasking.
Barbara Versus Other Healers: How Does She Compare?
Let’s see how Barbara stacks up against other healers in Genshin with their own quirks and strengths.
Kokomi: Barbara 2.0 or Different?
Kokomi is often seen as the “better Barbara.” They share charm: Hydro healers with HP restoration skills. Kokomi offers more. While Barbara is pure healing, Kokomi brings damage and Hydro application through her jellyfish. Want more than just healing? Kokomi may be the choice.
Baizhu: Fast-Paced Healing
Baizhu and Kokomi heal differently. Kokomi has a zone heal; stay inside for benefits. Baizhu? He heals wherever you go. His healing is great for active battles. Need healing while moving? Baizhu leads the mobile healing category.
Jean: The ATK Scaling Healer
Jean offers a twist. She heals based on her ATK, allowing damage while healing. Barbara, bless her, stacks HP and carries a weak weapon. Jean can heal and deal damage effectively. For Hydro application, Barbara excels, but Jean often has more utility.
Qiqi: Single-Target Healing Expert
Qiqi, Baizhu, and Kokomi often get called top-tier healers. Qiqi is famed for her single-target healing. While Barbara heals the whole group, Qiqi can save a single character quickly. Yet, like Barbara, Qiqi struggles with energy generation.
Diona: Shield and Healing Combo
Diona and Barbara have unique healing styles. Diona focuses on shields; her burst provides healing. Barbara offers healing via both skills. Diona’s burst is single-target but AoE over time. Barbara’s burst is instant for all. Also, Barbara’s skill adds “wet” status, which is bad against Cryo enemies. Diona gives Cryo application and shields for utility.
Bennett: The 70% HP Cap Healer
Bennett shines as a support, yet his healing caps at 70% HP. “What?” Yes, he does but boosts damage while healing. Bennett enables fast enemy takedowns when healed. Barbara aims to keep everyone at full health always. Different strategies for different fights.
Yaoyao: Dendro Healer With Bunny Powers
Yaoyao, the Dendro healer, impresses! She heals and applies Dendro through her skills. Level her to 90 for maximized HP scaling, becoming great for Dendro reactions. She’s easy to build and useful in the changing Dendro meta.
Yumemizuki Mizuki (Traveler – Hydro): DPS and Healing?
The Traveler (Hydro) can heal! Mizuki isn’t a dedicated healer but has healing tied to their Burst. They focus on Swirl effects while dealing DPS. Mizuki usually isn’t the primary healer but self-sustains during damage dealing.
Collei: Dendro Support with Healing
Collei also adds some healing via her Elemental Skill but isn’t her main role. She supports Dendro application. So, think of her healing as a helpful bonus rather than her primary job.
Sayu: Tornado Healer
Sayu focuses on burst healing, hitting harder per heal tick than Barbara’s skill. She provides Anemo benefits and exploration skills through her rolling ability. Different roles create unique styles.
Dori: Lamp-Linked Healing
Dori’s healing connects to her Burst’s lamp. If you’re linked, you receive healing. This limits mobility compared to healers with wider healing applications. Like Barbara, Dori scales healing with HP. Building HP for her is crucial.
Sigewinne: The Niche Healer
Sigewinne is an incoming character speculated to be a healer. Details are unclear, but she could potentially be a strong healer with a specialized role compared to generalist healers like Barbara.
Barbara’s Strengths: Reasons to Choose Her
Despite intense competition, Barbara retains her shine:
- Beginner-Friendly: Barbara is easy to use and build. She’s usually given early, making her a lifesaver for new players.
- Hydro Reactions Enabler: Barbara provides consistent Hydro application with her skill, promoting reactions like Vaporize or Freeze.
- Emergency Burst Healer/Tank: Barbara’s Burst acts as an emergency heal button. Team taking damage? Burst heals everyone back, good for urgent situations.
- Co-op Healing MVP: In multiplayer, Barbara shines. One Burst can restore full HP for everyone, making her the ultimate team player.
- F2P Healing Royalty: Honestly, Barbara stands as the only accessible free healer for players. She is effective and reliable for all.
Barbara’s Weaknesses: The Downsides
No character is flawless. Barbara has several flaws:
- Cooldown Issues: Her Elemental Skill has a noticeable cooldown, which can affect frequent healing.
- Energy Deficits: Barbara doesn’t generate energy particles for herself or others. Energy management can be challenging.
- Overhealing: Her Burst often causes overheal. While it can be good, it sometimes wastes energy.
- Wet Status Problems: Her skill applies “wet” status, which can backfire against Cryo foes. Be wary of enemy types.
- Low Damage: Barbara lacks damage output. Expect minimal contributions to DPS while playing her.
- Energy Troubles (Again): Like Qiqi and Kokomi, Barbara encounters energy challenges while healing.
DPS Barbara: A Joke or Reality?
DPS Barbara? It exists… somewhat. She’s mainly a healer, but in Genshin, with the right build, anyone can try DPS. Yet Barbara as DPS is more for fun than a serious strategy. Stick with healing; she excels in that role.
Constellation Boost: C6
Revival Magic
Barbara’s Constellation 6 changes the game. She can revive fallen team members. At max constellation, Barbara becomes a strong safety net. Both Barbara and Qiqi have this revival ability at C6. This makes them unique for resurrection in the game.
Gearing Up Barbara: Weapons and More
The best weapon for healing Barbara is the 3-star Thrilling Tales of Dragon Slayers. A 3-star weapon is Best in Slot! It boosts your next character’s ATK when you switch to them. This adds damage to the team. Prototype Amber is a craftable alternative, which boosts HP and energy recharge.
Barbara Mania: Lore and Fan Clubs
Barbara is an idol in Mondstadt for a reason. Everyone loves her in-game terms. Albert, the famous NPC, leads the Barbara Fan Club with intense passion. This is a fun bit of Genshin lore. It adds to Barbara’s charm and popularity.
Team Barbara: Who Does She Play Well With?
We have mentioned Ayaka. Barbara fits well in Freeze teams. She also works in Bloom and Vaporize teams where consistent Hydro application and healing are crucial. Any team needing a reliable healer should consider Barbara.
Healing in Games: It’s a Classic Role!
Think about Dungeons & Dragons. Clerics are classic healers, the backbone of many parties. Even Blood Hunters in D&D 5e can heal a little. The healer role is vital in many games. Barbara fulfills this role well in Genshin Impact.
So, is Barbara the best healer? Maybe not always. She isn’t as strong as some 5-star characters. But for accessibility, reliability, and healing output, especially for new players, Barbara shines. She may lack flashiness or big damage. But when your team is close to defeat, Barbara is there to sing them back to full health. Sometimes that’s what you really need.
