Updated for Version 3.1

Art by @RKSHI_

Preface

Welcome to KeqingMains’ guide on Arataki Itto, The First and Greatest Head of the Arataki Gang. Itto is the first 5-star Geo Main DPS of Genshin Impact, with a fast-paced and satisfying playstyle, making him quite unique from the rest of the cast. His kit is straightforward, while still having room for more advanced optimizations, making him a good pick for players who are looking for a balance of fun and challenge. In this guide, we will go over how to gear and play The One and Oni, Arataki Itto. 

The following is a condensed infographic for basic information on Itto. For details about gearing, combos and team comp options, please proceed further into the guide.

Character Breakdown

Art by @panosarts_

Talents

Art by @v1rg03

Talent Priority

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Itto’s Normal Attack is the most important to level, followed by his Elemental Burst. His Elemental Skill is good to level, as it is decent damage, but not as important as the other two.

See Zakharov#5645 calcs for a level-by-level breakdown of talent upgrade order.

Constellations

(% damage increase from each constellation was calculated by Merp#6832)

Artifacts

Set	Notes
Husk of Opulent Dreams	The premier artifact set for DEF-scaling, DMG-dealing Geo characters, Husk of Opulent Dreams gives Itto everything he wants: DEF and Geo DMG buffs that build up as he spends more time dealing DMG on-field. This set is his Best-in-Slot, and is what you should farm to maximize Itto’s DMG, even if it means bearing the pain of getting Ocean-Hued Clam pieces. Note for Serpent Spine: When starting an Abyss chamber, prioritize gaining Serpent Spine stacks over Husk stacks by putting Itto in the first team slot. Itto will gain Husk stacks off-field while you rotate through supports and Sub-DPS prior to his Burst, and continue to build them up when in his Burst.
Retracing Bolide	4pc Retracing Bolide is usable on Itto, performing on par with 2pc Husk + 2pc Archaic Petra. It is not worth farming for Itto since 4pc Husk is significantly better. The 40% Normal and Charged Attack DMG bonus to a unit that relies heavily on Charged Attacks like Itto is quite substantial. On teams where Itto runs with a shielder, he can make use of this set well. On teams without a shielder, Crystallized shields help to proc the effect of this set, though it is not recommended to rely on them alone.
Archaic Petra/Husk of Opulent Dreams	This set is somewhat less conditional than 4-piece Husk, but it is significantly less DMG. 4-piece Husk provides 54% DEF and 24% Geo DMG bonus at its best, while this set only gives 30% DEF and 15% Geo DMG at its best.
Heart of Depths	Usable for Itto due to the DMG% Bonus to Normal and Charged Attacks, although significantly worse than 4 Husk. Relatively Resin-efficient due to sharing the same domain as Blizzard Strayer and being obtainable from Artifact Strongbox, but still not advisable to farm for.
Gladiator’s Finale/Husk of Opulent Dreams	This set is very much worse than any of the others. ATK% bonus is not very useful on Itto, but it is the next best option since many players already have a lot of Gladiator’s Finale pieces. It’s almost certainly better to run rainbow pieces with good CRIT substats.
Shimenawa’s Reminiscence	Only usable for C2+ Itto, as the energy drain from the set is compensated by the C2 refund effect. Because the drain and refund essentially cancel each other out, Itto would still need ER substats if players decide to choose this build. Not worth farming overall.

Artifact set calculation was done with R1 Whiteblind. 4Husk is prestacked if not using Serpent Spine.  If using Serpent Spine, 4Bolide can be worse than 2Husk 2Petra, but 4Husk is still BiS with any weapon. [120% ER] [140% ER]

Some 2-pc sets provide notable bonuses for Itto, and using a combination of them can offer damage comparable to that of 4 Husk. Below are the sets ranked in effectiveness:

1. Husk of Opulent Dreams – [referred to as] 2Husk
2. Archaic Petra – 2Petra
3. Emblem of Severed Fate – 2ESF
4. Any of the ATK% sets (GF, SR, EO, VH) – 2GF

2Petra can be better than 2Husk in some situations—particularly when the other set or Itto’s weapon provides additional ATK or DEF—as seen in the table below. 

EoSF is situationally good on Itto, if his ER requirements go higher than 120% and substats can be reallocated to CRIT Rate/DMG. In this case, the set can perform better than 2 Petra. See these calcs for more.

Quick charts on how some 2-pc combinations compare to 4-pc combinations when ER substat is adjusted to account for 2 EoSF:

For Mainstat, use DEF% sands / Geo DMG Bonus goblet / CRIT Rate/DMG circlet

For Substats, prioritize ER% (if ER requirement is not met) > CRIT DMG/Rate > DEF%

For ER% requirements, aim for 130-140%. It is recommended to not use an ER% sands due to significant DMG loss, and instead aim to get enough from substats. Use the Energy Recharge Calculator to determine the exact requirements for your team.

Weapons

See Merp#6832’s calcs for details and assumptions: [120% ER] [140% ER]

Weapon (% of R1 Whiteblind at 120% ER | 140% ER)	Notes
Redhorn Stonethresher (5*) (R1: 136.50% | 136.35%) (R5: 159.30% | 159.13%)	Itto’s signature weapon, undoubtedly uncontested as his BiS. Offers an amazing passive along with strongly appreciated second stat, which makes balancing stats in artifacts much easier thanks to his CRIT Rate ascension. This weapon also does not have any conditions on it, and offers pure damage without any hoops to jump through.
Serpent Spine (4*) (R1: 114.31% | 113.22%) (R5: 129.66% | 128.43%)	Serpent Spine continues to be an amazing weapon choice for low spenders (while also looking quite good on Itto aesthetics-wise). The CRIT Rate substat and strong passive make it his second BiS. While slightly anti-synergistic with 4-pc Husk of Opulent Dreams, players can gain max stacks on both Serpent Spine and the artifact set from the second rotation onwards, provided they prioritize Serpent Spine stacks over Husk stacks when starting an Abyss chamber. If players choose to ignore Serpent Spine’s passive entirely (i.e. prestacking Husk instead and get hit enough to never have any SS stacks), then the weapon will still be usable due to its CRIT Rate secondary stat. Strongly recommended to have a shielder on the team when using this weapon.
Skyward Pride (5*) (R1: 102.30% | 111.08%)	The 36% ER substats can help cover Itto’s energy needs, allowing players to focus on building purely offensive stats in artifacts. A solid option overall.
Blackcliff Slasher (4*) (R1: 104.67% | 103.72%) (R5: 105.79% | 104.84%)	While spending Starglitter on Blackcliff weapons is not recommended, Blackcliff Slasher appears to be a somewhat suitable option, having worse refinements scaling than Whiteblind, while still being better at R5.
Whiteblind (4*) (R1: 100.00%) (R5: 104.91%)	Recommended F2P option due to its free refines, while still being a very viable option. This is the default for Itto. Refines do increase damage, but not by a very significant amount due to Itto’s Burst snapshotting DEF. Gets better from the second rotation onwards, with the increased number of stacks.
Wolf’s Gravestone (5*) (R1 no passive: 98.45%) (R1 with passive: 105.35%)	Usable option; however, Itto does not benefit greatly from the passive. Recommended to use any other free option, and put this on another claymore user instead.
The Unforged (5*) (R1 unshielded: 98.45%) (R1 shielded: 101.90%)	Usable option, but generally poor compared to other free options due to having a substat and passive not being that helpful on Itto, as well as constantly having a shield to maximize its uptime, which can be difficult.
Sacrificial Greatsword (4*) (97.37% | 105.74%) Assumes the reset procs on the first Skill in Itto’s Burst	Sacrificial Greatsword is a strange option for Itto, but it is usable. It allows him to use a new combo (with 3 Skill uses in one Burst) that will increase his damage, as well as essentially negating Itto’s need for ER. These two things almost balance out the lack of ATK, DEF, and CRIT stat provided by the weapon. The combo is: Q N1 NA2~E NA3 E C4F N4 C4F E F

Combos

Itto’s combos are affected by several factors (such as hitlag, his own Passive Talents, and framerate), which can make managing them difficult in gameplay. However, there are general tips players can follow for consistent performance:

• Use E twice during one burst duration; one at the start and one at the end.
• Itto typically has time to finish 2 CA chains during burst; aim to do so rather than trying to fit a third chain in.
• React to the number of stacks appropriately; avoid overcapping on stacks.

Most of Itto’s combos are relatively close to each other in terms of DMG output, with varying levels of difficulty. Players can choose to follow whichever combo they are most comfortable with, or improvise as they see fit. Again, these combos are not required for Itto to perform well; feel free to skip this section entirely.The following section covers different combos that have been discovered and tested.

A TL;DR of Combos

Difficulty level	First rotation combo	Second rotation combo and onwards	Notes
Recommended	0PS Ceiling: N1 E NA2 NA3 C3F N4 C4F E F	1PS Ceiling: N1 E NA2 NA3 C4F N4 C4F E F	Performing the 1PS Ceiling combo can be difficult; use 1PS N1 Finisher if it’s easier to consistently pull off.
Harder	1PS Ceiling: N1 E NA2 NA3 C4F N4 C4F E F	1PS Ceiling: N1 E NA2 NA3 C4F N4 C4F E F	N1Q on first rotation, and do not get the extra prestack on subsequent rotations. This is the same combo across all rotations, and is very high damage; thus, it is good to practice this.
Hardest	1PS Ceiling: N1 E NA2 NA3 C4F N4 C4F E F	2PS Ceiling:  N1 E C3F N3 C3F N3 E C3F	2PS Ceiling is an incredibly hard combo, but this will be the highest DPS that Itto can muster. Requires N1Q on every rotation.
Easier	0PS N1 Finisher: N1 E NA2 NA3 C3F N3 C3F N1 E C1F	1PS N1 Finisher: N1 E NA2 NA3 C4F N3 C3F N1 E C1F	N1 Finisher combos are much easier, and leave room for Ushi stacks.

Using easier combos also leaves more room for Ushi to get hit, making them more consistent due to not having the strict requirements of stacks in higher-damage ones.

Combo Tech

Dash Canceled CF: By dashing right after the CF lands, it is possible to save a few frames by canceling the long endlag of Itto’s CF. While dash canceling is not necessary to perform most combos (and can be a frame loss if executed poorly), players can utilize this tech if they are able to, as it can make certain combos easier to pull off. Note that dash cancels cannot be buffered, but the timing to perform them is forgiving enough due to significant hitlag.

Buffering: The majority of Itto’s combos can be buffered by starting the input for the next attack during the animation of the current attack. This tech can help ease the execution of harder combos. It also seems as though starting a buffer for Itto’s CA earlier in his NA animations can somehow help it come out faster, but this has not been fully tested.

N1Q: This tech is not required, but it is generally useful. It involves using an N1 before using Itto’s Q, and using his Q right as the N1 connects. This causes Itto to gain a stack as if he had used the N1 during his burst duration, while not wasting his Burst’s uptime. All rotations assume that Itto uses this technique, as it ensures that Itto can properly snapshot Gorou’s buff for his Q. This tech also allows Itto to use a 1PS combo on the first rotation, or 2PS combo on subsequent rotations, while wasting as little time as possible.
See more details here.

Dasshu: Itto’s NA string is not interrupted by a dash or use of his Elemental Skill, allowing for fluid cancels. The Dasshu is specifically canceling an NA with E or Dash to begin the next attack while skipping most of the NA animation. This is most useful with NA2, since it is a relatively weak NA compared to the rest of Itto’s string. Although this cancel cannot be buffered, it is relatively simple to pull off. This tech is mostly unused in Itto’s most optimal combos, but is worth noting.

Normal Combos

For readability’s sake, here are a few rules for how these combos will be formatted, and things that are not stated.

• Combos will be notated using “NA#” and “N#”. The differences between these can be found in the glossary.
• A “C#(F)” means start a charged attack, and keep doing Arataki Kesagiri slashes until you run out of stacks. The # is the number of combo slashes, and the F means the finisher. Just an F means you only have one stack, and thus do no combo slashes.

0 Prestack Combos

The combos listed below (save for “C0 0PS Dasshu”) are consistent only in the first rotation, due to the random nature of stacks gained from Itto’s E.

1 Prestack Combos

1PS combos are possible on the first rotation with N1Q, or on subsequent rotations by not using the N1Q cancel and just doing an N1 before Q to allow Gorou’s buff to apply and potentially stack Whiteblind.

2 Prestack Combos

“Special” Combos

Sac GS Combos

Sacrificial Greatsword allows Itto to use 3 Es in one rotation, which can change his combos somewhat significantly. It does however, require the weapon passive to proc, which is not guaranteed unless at R5. The %s for these combos will be relative to the 0PS Sac GS Dasshu, because it doesn’t make sense to compare them to the normal combos.

“C0 1PS Sac GS” – 102.02%:
E E C3F N3 C3F N3 E C3F

One prestack. Can be difficult to pull off.

Constellation Combos

These combos are only possible with the constellation specified. The %s are still relative to C0 0PS Ceiling.

“C1 0PS” – 106.16%:
N1 E C6F N4 C4F E F
If C5F – 101.81%
This combo is fairly tight in the beginning to get all of the CAs out, as C1 gives stacks quickly, making it easy to overcap on them. Skipping the N1 at the beginning eases the execution required of this combo, at the cost of a bit lower damage than the C0 0PS version.
C1 combos are relatively untested. If you have Itto’s C1 and want to find better combos (such as with prestacks), please message Merp#6832 on Discord. However, it is fairly locked and might be very difficult to actually find better combos.

C6 Combo:
There is no way to do one combo for C6 due to the RNG involved. Generally players should start with an E, go into CAs; after that chain ends, do an N2 or N3 and do another chain; then, finish with an E and CF. This may not end up working because of the RNG, and you’ll probably kill everything regardless, so really just do whatever you want with a C6 Itto.

In Case of Flying Cow

If Ushi gets hit, you gain a stack. This can complicate combo strings, and may depend on when Ushi is hit during the combo, so here is a list of possible alterations to the above combos. These alterations have not been fully tested, as it is very difficult to consistently make Ushi get hit to try combos; however, they should be mostly applicable or give you an idea of what to do.

Combo	Alterations
C0 0PS Ceiling	If Ushi is hit before the first CA finisher: Transforms the combo into 1PS Ceiling. Can drop N4 or transition to 1PS N1 Finisher. If Ushi is hit in the N4 string: Already overcapped on stacks, so can continue unchanged.
C0 0PS N1 Finisher	If Ushi is hit any time: Similar to 0PS ceiling, but transforms into 1PS N1 Finisher instead of 1PS Ceiling.
C0 0PS Dasshu	If Ushi is hit in the N4 string: Doesn’t change anything, as you already cap on stacks. If Ushi is hit in the N3 string: Can still fit if fast enough, or can drop an NA.
C0 1PS combos	All of these 1PS combos start with max stacks in their first NA string, so that will not be changed.  The second part of the strings are very similar to their 0PS counterparts, but because the timing is much tighter you will not be able to just fit it in; instead, you have to drop an NA to fit the finisher at the end.
C0 2PS Ceiling	This combo will not be possible anymore if Ushi is hit at any point. Try to transition to 2PS N1FEF, or drop any NA later in the string.
C0 2PS N1FEF	If Ushi is hit in the first NA string: Will not be affected.  If Ushi is hit in any other NA or CA string: Instead of N1 F E F, try doing N1 E C1F, which will save some time as a CA is faster than a CAF. You can also drop an NA at some point during this combo.
C1 Combo	If Ushi is hit before the first CA finisher: Combo can proceed as normal as long as Ushi only gets hit once and the first CA string does not exceed C7F.

Combo Improvisation

We’ve attempted to give you some combos that are proven to work and do well, but sometimes, Ushi gets hit twice, or you do a prestack combo but Ushi gets hit anyway.  Or maybe, you have C6 Itto. Sometimes, combos won’t go your way. Never fear, though, because it’s very possible to change your combo midway through, if you have quick-thinking skills.

Let’s start with an example. If you are doing a prestacked NA1 E NA2, but Ushi gets hit during the first half of the combo, then you will not have room to fit the SCAF in at the end, resulting in a significant loss of damage. What can we do to rectify this? Well, you can drop the last hit of the N4 string (NA4) in the second half, which makes you lose 2 stacks (one of them is gained back by Ushi disappearing, which usually goes over the cap in this combo). This would lead to the overall combo being Q NA1 E NA2 NA3 SCA5+F (Ushi gets hit during that SCA chain) N3 SCA3+F, and then finish it off with E SCAF. This means that you’ve dropped an NA4 for the finisher, overall, which is significantly better than just going ahead and ignoring Ushi getting hit and not hitting the finisher. In fact, that allows the Ushi proc to be beneficial rather than a detriment to that combo.

This general process can be applied to any combo you might do, and generally requires some forethought since there are so many factors that go into Itto’s combos. However, if you can master this, then you have indeed mastered the One and Oni. 

Some general rules to maximize your damage: 

1. You should always use 2 E’s per Burst. The burst cooldown timer will be around 2-3 seconds left when the burst actually ends if you’ve been attacking enough, so make sure to use the second Skill no matter what.
2. You should always try to hit the SCAF right after the final E, because it uses the stack up. There’s no real way to time this with improvisation, so you just have to get a feel for it.
3. Itto will have time for approximately two SCA chains in his burst, and then the final SCAF. The length of these can vary, but trying to fit a third in will likely not let you use the E SCAF at the end.
4. Try not to overcap stacks: using a full N4 will give you 5 stacks, which is the maximum, so try not to use an E during that or continue doing normal attacks. Once you have 5 stacks, start an SCA chain.
5. Cutting off an NA4 in a combo will usually be the solution to allow the SCAF to fit, because NA4 takes 78 frames on its own. If Ushi gets hit, as well, then NA4 is mostly irrelevant, as you will only gain 1 stack. Additionally, Ushi disappearing and giving a stack is usually ignored by these combos; if you drop the NA4 because Ushi got hit, in one of these cases you’ll be at the same number of stacks with 78 frames saved. 
6. All of this is mostly irrelevant at C6. It’s all RNG up there, so you can try to make sure you get something but honestly you’re going to be killing everything anyways. So.

Teams and Synergies

Images generated using Genshin Team Portrait Generator

Triple Geo

This team composition is the recommended go-to for Itto due to all the synergy it has. Itto appreciates the extra energy generated by having teammates of the same element, and Gorou’s buffs cap out at having 3 Geo members on the team. Albedo is highly recommended in the 3rd slot due to his consistent off-field damage alongside energy particles generation. The fourth slot is usually flexible, and does not require any particular unit, as Itto does not have anti-synergy with a majority of the cast due to the innate, non-reactive nature of the Geo element.

Though strong, Triple Geo with Itto, like any other team, has its own drawbacks. The most obvious problem is the team’s difficulty with breaking elemental shields: Geo does not react with other elements like Pyro, Hydro or Cryo do. This, coupled with the fact that Itto’s NAs and CAs during his burst all apply 1U Geo, means that he by himself can struggle with taking down Abyss Lector’s or Herald’s shield. Fortunately, the flex fourth slot of the team can be a dedicated shield-breaker, making the team far from useless when dealing with shielded enemies.  

Note: If players have not obtained Gorou or cannot use him, the characters from the 3rd slot, notably Ningguang, can also fit well for the 2nd slot for this team.

Overall, any unit with decent particle generation as well as Support and DMG Boosting abilities will be appreciated in this 4th slot. (For instance, characters like Dori, C2 Xinyan, and Yelan.) Examples of team compositions can be found below.

Itto Gorou Albedo Zhongli

Triple Geo plus Zhongli, or Mono Geo, trades in healing and shield-breaking for comfort thanks to the high uptime on a strong shield, in addition to extra Geo RES shred. A rather straightforward team, with Itto and Albedo being the primary DMG dealers, and Gorou and Zhongli adding valuable buffs and protection. Also eases up ER requirements for Itto and Gorou.

Rotation: Zhongli hold E → Gorou EQ → Albedo E → Itto Q combos

Itto Gorou Albedo Diona

This triple Geo variation provides DMG while also offering utility and healing. Albedo is the perfect partner for the Itto-Gorou duo for all the reasons listed above – being able to double-dip in infinite uptime on 4-pc Husk and Gorou buffs, while contributing respectable off-field DMG. Diona provides shield, healing and energy, alongside some potential shield-breaking. 

Rotation: Diona EQ  → Gorou EQ → Albedo E → Itto Q combos

OR

Rotation: Gorou EQ → Albedo E → Diona EQ → Itto Q combos

You can choose which one to do by which one you prefer: a shield throughout more of your Itto combos, or Gorou buff (15% Geo DMG) throughout more of your Itto combos.

“Microwave”: Itto Geo MC Zhongli Gorou

Only recommended for players with C1 Zhongli, although the team is functional without this Constellation. This team revolves around maximizing resonance damage between the Geo constructs of Zhongli and Geo MC, with Gorou providing buffs. As the resonance between Zhongli’s Stone Steele and Geo MC’s constructs contributes significantly to overall damage, players without C1 Zhongli need to use a different rotation to make sure the pillar is always active. Zhongli prefers a damage-oriented build here (HP sands is recommended).

C1 Zhongli Rotation: Gorou E > Geo MC EQ > Zhongli hold E > Gorou Q > Itto Q combos
C0 Zhongli Rotation (second rotation onwards): Zhongli tap E > Gorou E > Geo MC EQ > Zhongli hold E > Gorou Q > Itto Q combos

Other Teams

Itto unfortunately does not have a lot of team options outside of Triple Geo, given that he will perform best with teammates of the same Element due to the reasons already discussed. However, this does not mean that players are discouraged to explore unconventional options. Players can opt for teams with Itto and another Geo unit, and two flex units that work off-field and can provide good utility or DMG, or mix and match for more fun teams. See some examples below:

2.3 Spiral Abyss, Itto – Beidou from Aftermath#7658: https://youtu.be/R3pHhNWbE0k

2.3 Spiral Abyss, Itto – Beidou from Akarin#8270: https://youtu.be/uPnDR94Ti4k

Afterword

Art by @yeurei

This marks the end of the Arataki Itto guide done by the KQM community. We hope that after reading the guide, you are able to gain more interest in trying out the joy that is Itto. We would like to give special thanks to the KQM Theorycrafting community, as well as everyone that provided their support and contribution to the guide during the writing process. Feel free to contact any of the authors for further questions regarding the guide, and check out the KQM Discord.

This guide was written by :
Merp#6832
Prévisible#7440 (Taked)
nxriaki#6316


Calculations were provided by:
Zakharov#5645
Merp#6832: All of these calculations have variable weapons. If you would like to see accurate artifact/constellation/combo comparisons with a weapon of your choice, create a copy of this sheet and select it from the dropdown. Contributions to these calcs were also made by Aftermath#7658.

Special thanks:

Akarin#8270

Aftermath#7658

Neo Frost#2327

Meatball#0438

Cuzimori#1535

Emiliabyss#1641

Reens#9389