Vesna and Vodyanitsa are the two new five-stars in the first half of Genshin Impact Version 7.1, and both run on featured banners from September 23 to October 13, 2026. They arrive together, they both feed the new Stellar Swirl reaction, and they solve completely different roster problems, which is why the pull decision comes down to what your account already has.
Quick answer: Pull Vesna if you need a new on-field Stellar Swirl DPS. Pull Vodyanitsa if your roster needs healing, Hydro support, and buffs. For most players, Vesna carries the higher long-term value.
| Character | Element / Weapon | Role | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vesna | Anemo / Sword | On-field Stellar Swirl main DPS | Accounts lacking a modern carry |
| Vodyanitsa | Hydro / Catalyst | Support, healer, buffer | Accounts with several built DPS |
Vesna: the first limited Stellar Swirl DPS
Vesna, a five-star Anemo Sword character, fills the on-field main-DPS role. She changes Cryo Swirl into Stellar Swirl, with Spirit Blades forming the basis of her damage. Her Elemental Skill creates the blades and stores Sword Essence, which she later uses to launch them at foes. Attacks made close to a Stellar Vortex deal Stellar Swirl reaction damage, while her Burst produces a new blade wave for AoE Anemo damage and restores Sword Essence.
No other limited character currently serves as a Stellar Swirl main DPS, so she should remain a durable choice as the reaction gains more importance in the meta. With a properly tuned team, she deals around 170,000 to 180,000 DPS. Because ATK determines her damage, aim for ATK/ATK/Crit and enough Energy Recharge to use her Burst.
The catch is that Vesna only works inside Stellar Swirl teams. Outside that archetype she has little to offer, so her value depends on your willingness to build around the reaction. She also has open-world utility: as a Vila she can fly during exploration, which speeds up traversal across Snezhnaya’s terrain.
Vesna’s pull value is dented by Yumemizuki Mizuki, a free standard-banner character who performs on par with her in the same teams. If you already have Mizuki, the gap between pulling Vesna and skipping her narrows sharply.
Vodyanitsa: Hydro support for Freeze and Stellar Swirl
As the Korolevskiy Troupe’s Prima Soprano, Vodyanitsa serves as a five-star Hydro Catalyst support. Casting her Elemental Skill, Overture of the Water Imp, changes her into Water Imp form. During her song, the active character receives healing, enemy Hydro and Cryo resistance falls by as much as 26%, and the active character gains ATK. Her Burst causes AoE Hydro damage.
Inside a Stellar Swirl team she does more. Her ascension passive shreds enemy Anemo resistance, and she increases Stellar Swirl damage while adding a flat, additive team damage buff. A passive also converts a slice of her Max HP into bonus Cryo and Hydro damage. That flexibility makes her a natural partner for Vesna without locking her to a single lineup.
The Hydro application caveat
Her off-field Hydro can work against you. Applying Hydro interferes with high-multiplier reactions such as Melt (a 1.5x reverse trigger) and Vaporize (2.0x), which lowers total team damage in those setups. That pushes her out of the strongest reaction teams and into Freeze and Stellar Swirl, where the Hydro fits.
Where she actually fits
In Freeze teams such as Skirk Freeze, Vodyanitsa slots in as a low-priority fourth member. She provides healing and resistance shred, but she is easily swapped and rarely the piece that decides a clear.
In Stellar Swirl, she is a good support but not a required one. Odette and the free C6 Cryo Traveler cover similar ground, and a Stellar Swirl core already holds up with a C6 Faruzan in the buffer slot. That makes Vodyanitsa closer to a sidegrade than an upgrade for many rosters.
Who to pull based on your roster
Decide by role scarcity rather than raw power. Start with the weakness that hurts your account most.
- No dependable on-field carry: Vesna gives you a clear centerpiece and starts the Stellar Swirl archetype from scratch.
- Several built DPS already: Vodyanitsa spreads value across teams and competes for less field time, which is why supports tend to age well.
- You own Mizuki or C6 Faruzan: both new units become far less essential, and skipping to save is reasonable.
If you are chasing neither role right now, holding your Primogems is defensible. Both characters live entirely inside their archetypes, and stronger releases are expected later in the Snezhnaya arc. The sixth-anniversary event-exclusive selector also hands out a free limited five-star from a pool that includes Varesa and Clorinde, which can cover a missing carry without spending on Vesna.
Weapons and investment order
The two signature weapons appear on the same featured weapon banner: Vesna uses the Sword Beyond the Chrysalis, while Vodyanitsa uses the Catalyst Hymn of the Maelstrom. Either character remains functional without her signature weapon.
Vesna has strong Sword alternatives, including Odette’s signature Whitelake Frostfeather and the craftable Emberwell as the best free-to-play option. Vodyanitsa can run support Catalysts such as Prototype Amber. The safe rule on a tight budget is character first, signature weapon second, since a weapon banner only becomes worthwhile once both featured five-stars are useful to you.
Can you pull both, and what it costs
Yes, although the required wishes add up quickly. The two banners use one shared Character Event Wish pity counter, but obtaining both still requires two separate five-star results. One five-star arrives by 90 wishes at the latest; if that result is not the featured character, the following five-star is guaranteed to be them. Thus, starting at zero pity with no guarantee, securing one limited five-star can require as many as 180 wishes.
| Goal | Max wishes | Primogems |
|---|---|---|
| One five-star | 90 | 14,400 |
| Guarantee one limited five-star | 180 | 28,800 |
| Worst-case, two limited five-stars | 360 | 57,600 |
Anniversary rewards reduce the burden, but the available free Intertwined Fates fall far short of guaranteeing both featured five-stars when starting from scratch. Pulling for both is chiefly realistic when you begin the patch with substantial pity or an active guarantee.
Before you commit anything, run each character trial to check whether you enjoy their movement and rotation, then confirm the featured banner and weapon lineup in the in-game Wish menu. If you can only pick one and neither role is urgent, choose the character whose job you will still value months from now rather than the one with the flashier debut.
