Updated for Version 2.5

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_

Pros

• Relatively easy to use compared to other more “difficult” characters (e.g. Hu Tao/Ayaka), while still possessing intricacies that make piloting him enjoyable.
• Uses supports that others usually don’t use (Gorou, Albedo) and does not rely on contested supports like Bennett, Xingqiu, Kazuha, etc.
• Fills the hypercarry role, and thus does not need very invested supports (with the exception of Albedo and Fischl)
• Accessible weapon choices, such as Battle Pass or craftables.  
• Respectable damage compared to other C0 5* units in both single target and multi-target scenarios.
• Good AoE potential: his Charged Attacks hit a relatively large area around him and can chase enemies, without knocking them back.
• Little to no stamina issues due to his special Charged Attacks.
• Greater mobility and survivability during combat thanks to Normal Attack combo not being reset after dashing or using Elemental Skill.
• Has a lot of interruption resistance during his Charged Attack chains.
• Beatboxes (or sings opera) for you on your birthday.
  

Cons

• High initial investment floor (Level 90/90 and investment into talents are almost required).
• Team building is often locked to 3 Geo characters to get the most out of Gorou.
• Gorou is not necessary, but is a significant boost to DMG, along with Albedo, a 5* unit.
• Needs a considerable amount of ER  (130%-140%) or other Geo characters batterying him for maximum Burst uptime.
• Best-in-slot set (4-pc Husk of Opulent Dreams) is in a domain alongside Ocean-Hued Clam, being potentially resin-inefficient to farm.
• Team damage cannot benefit from 4-pc VV as well as amplifying reactions, thus having a lower potential ceiling compared to other teams.
• Needs to be on-field for almost 16 seconds, and cannot swap-off during that time without losing DPS.
• Many top supports are 5* units (Zhongli, Albedo). 

Talents

Art by @v1rg03

Normal Attacks: Fight Club Legends

Perform up to 4 consecutive strikes. When the 2nd and 4th strikes hit opponents, Itto will gain 1 or 2 stacks of Superlative Superstrength (S.S), respectively for a max of 5 stacks. Triggering this effect will refresh the current duration of any existing stacks. Additionally, Itto’s NA combo doesn’t immediately reset after sprinting or using his Elemental Skill.
Charged Attack: When holding to perform a CA, Itto unleashes a series of Arataki Kesagiri slashes without consuming Stamina. Instead, each Arataki Kerasigi slash consumes 1 stack of S.S. When the final stack is consumed, Itto delivers a powerful final slash.
If no stacks of S.S are available, Itto will perform a single Saichimonji Slash.
Plunging Attack: Similarly to every other claymore user, perform a mid-air strike to the ground.

Itto’s Arataki Kesagiri slashes are the bread and butter of his kit, and will be explained further in a later section of the guide. You never want to use a Charged Attack without a stack, because the Saichimonji Slash is incredibly weak and slow. You can readily keep track of stacks by the oni mask visual behind Itto, which lights up with each stack and glows at max stacks. 

Elemental Skill: Masatsu Zetsugi: Akaushi Burst!

Hurls Ushi and deals Geo DMG to opponents on hit.
When Ushi hits opponents, Itto gains 1 stack of Superlative Superstrength.
Ushi, considered as a Geo Construct, will remain on the field and:
– Taunts the surrounding opponents and draws their fire.
– Inherits HP based on a percentage of Itto’s max HP.
– When Ushi takes DMG, Itto gains 1 stack of Superlative Superstrength, at a maximum of 1 every 2s.
– Ushi will flee when its HP reaches 0 or its duration ends. Grants Itto 1 stack when it leaves. 

This skill is a burst of high damage, and is a noticeable portion of Itto’s damage. It’ll be covered during the Combos section, as well.

Elemental Burst: Royal Descent: Behold Itto the Evil!

For a time, Itto lets out his inner Raging Oni King, wielding his Oni King Kanabou in battle. This state, which disappears when he leaves the field, has the following properties : 

– Converts Itto’s Normal, Charged and Plunging Attacks to Geo DMG. It cannot be overridden.

– Increases Itto’s Normal Attack SPD. Also increases his ATK scaling on his DEF.

On hit, the 1st and 3rd strikes of his AA combo will each grant Itto 1 stack of Superlative Superstrength

– Decreases Itto’s Elemental and Physical RES by 20%

This is the crux of Itto’s kit: he is essentially useless outside of burst, because of his low base ATK and high base DEF. He relies on DEF to give him ATK through this Burst, as well as a Geo conversion on all his attacks. The RES decrease on Itto himself is mostly irrelevant, as he has a lot of DEF anyways and will be tankier than most characters.

A few important things to note with Itto’s Elemental Burst:

• It only snapshots the DEF to ATK conversion, while the rest is dynamic. This means that any buffs aside from DEF buffs that expire or happen during Itto’s burst will affect his DMG.
• Itto’s burst cannot be alt-swapped in without losing the buffs from Gorou, unless in special cases (see more here). It’s recommended to manually switch to Itto first, then activate his burst once the buff indicator appears.

1st Ascension passive: Arataki Ichiban

When Itto uses consecutive Arataki Kesagiri, he obtains the following effects, which will be cleared once he stops performing CA’s :

– Each slash increases the ATK SPD of the next slash by 10%, for a max of 30%

– Increases his resistance to interruption.

Encourages you to get max Superlative Superstrength stacks before using them all at once in order to maximize the ATK SPD gain.  Also a good QOL passive, as it allows Itto to unleash his SCAs faster without being interrupted, which can lead to DPS loss.

4th Ascension passive: Bloodline of the Crimson Oni

Arataki Kesagiri DMG is increased by 35% of Itto’s DEF.

Simply more damage to his Charged Attacks. Encourages building DEF% on him even more.

Utility Passive: Woodchuck Chucked

When a party member uses Attacks to obtain wood from a tree, they have a 25% chance to obtain an additional log of wood.

Itto is great for wood gathering, in addition to his fast NA string. Great unit for teapot fans. Any extra wood gained from this passive does not count towards the 2000 per day limit.

Talent Priority

>>

Itto’s Normal Attack is the most important to level, followed by his 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

Constellation 1: Stay a While and Listen Up 

After using Elemental Burst, Itto gains 2 stacks of Superlative Superstrength. After 1s, Itto will gain 1 stack of S.S every 0.5s for 1.5s
Average damage gain over C0: 2%

This constellation is particularly interesting. Its average damage gain over C0 is not very high, because it only adds a few slashes to his combo while taking out some Normal Attacks. However, due to buff uptimes, this constellation can end up being better than expected because more of the slashes happen earlier in his combo. This constellation will be discussed more in the Combo section of the guide.

Constellation 2: Gather ‘Round, It’s a Brawl! 

After using Elemental Burst, each Geo party member will decrease the Burst CD by 1.5s and restore 6 Energy to Itto for a maximum of 4.5s and 18 energy.
Average damage gain over previous constellation: 2.5%  

Average damage gain over C0: 4.5%

This constellation is purely Quality of Life, with any damage increase coming from reduced ER requirements (if you can rearrange artifacts). Itto’s rotations already run over his burst cooldown, so reducing it does not affect rotations at all. As for the energy, it can reduce the effective energy cost and thus the ER requirement for Itto, which can theoretically improve Itto’s damage if you can rearrange artifacts in that way. 

Constellation 3: Horns Lowered, Coming Through

Increase the level of Elemental Skill by 3.
Average damage gain over previous constellation: 4%

Average damage gain over C0: 9%

This constellation slightly increases the damage dealt by Ushi, which is not insignificant but it is also not very large. Not a particularly impactful constellation one way or the other.

Constellation 4: Jailhouse Bread and Butter

When the state caused by the Elemental Burst ends, all nearby party members gain 20% DEF and 20% ATK for 10s.
Average damage gain over previous constellation: 5%* 
Average damage gain over C0: 14%

This constellation is important to note because it only increases Itto’s damage from the second rotation onwards. The first time Itto uses his Burst in a particular Spiral Abyss floor, he will not gain any damage from this constellation, but any time after that he will gain the stated increase (as long as you use his Burst within 10 seconds, which you should be doing). This also buffs allies, so it is essentially a 4NO buff with an additional 20% DEF. A good constellation, if you aren’t already killing everything in the first rotation.

Constellation 5: 10 Years of Hanamizaka Fame

Increase the level of Elemental Burst by 3.

Average damage gain over previous constellation: 11%

Average damage gain over C0: 27% (without C4 active: 20.5%)

This constellation increases Itto’s Burst talent level, which increases the DEF to ATK conversion ratio. This is a rather large increase to Itto’s damage, but nothing particularly special about it.

Constellation 6: Arataki Itto, Present! 

Itto’s Charged Attacks deal +70% Crit DMG. Additionally, when he uses Arataki Kesagiri slashes, he has a 50% chance to not consume any S.S stacks.

Average damage gain over previous constellation: 24%

Average damage gain over C0: 56% (without C4 active: 49%)

Itto’s C6 is quite difficult to quantify. The Crit DMG is very, very strong, especially when in combination with the second part of the effect to get many more charged attacks per Burst. However, the second part of the effect is completely RNG. Furthermore, sometimes, you might get no improvement from it as you will fail every single chance to save a stack. Sometimes, you might save a stack every single time.  Because the number of stacks saved also means that it takes longer to get all of them out, it can also vastly change the combo and what you can fit in. Of course, Itto’s power at this level generally means most enemies will have died regardless. Overall, this constellation is quite strong, but it also makes Itto a lot less strategic and makes you rely quite importantly on RNG.

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

Artifacts

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.

Artifacts ranking

4-pc Husk of Opulent Dreams (100%)
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 continues to build them up when in his Burst.

4-pc Retracing Bolide (96%)
Another viable set on Itto, slightly behind Husk of Opulent Dreams. 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 quite well. Of course, if he does not have a shielder, he has to rely on Crystallize shields which are relatively inconsistent, even with Itto’s high DEF.

This set is not amazing to farm either, but 4-pc Archaic Petra can have some uses in mono-element teams so if you already have a good set of Bolide laying around, you may as well use them instead of farming Husk (unless you want to maximize Itto’s DMG).

2-pc Archaic Petra, 2-pc Husk of Opulent Dreams (91%)
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.

Unless you already have some extremely good Petra pieces laying around, just use 4-pc Husk instead.

2-pc Gladiator’s Finale, 2-pc Husk of Opulent Dreams (86%)
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.

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.

Weapon Rankings

Redhorn Stonethresher (5*)
Itto’s signature weapon, undoubtedly uncontested as his BiS. Offers an amazing passive along with a 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.

Relative DMG to R1 Whiteblind: 131% (R1) – 147% (R5)

Serpent Spine (4*)
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.
It is important to have a shielder if using this weapon, as well.

Relative DMG to R1 Whiteblind: 113% (R1) – 122% (R5) or 101.5% (no stacks)

Skyward Pride (5*)
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.

Relative DMG to R1 Whiteblind: 108% (R1) – 119% (R5)

Whiteblind (4*)
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. From the second rotation onward you will get a few more stacks, so it’ll even be slightly better.

Relative DMG to R1 Whiteblind: 100% (R1) – 105% (R5)

Blackcliff (4*)
While spending Starglitter on 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.

Relative DMG to R1 Whiteblind: 108% (R1) – 112% (R5)

Sacrificial Greatsword (4*)
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 negate Itto’s need for ER. These two things almost balance out the lack of ATK, DEF, and Crit provided by the weapon. The combo is:
Q E N1 E N3 SCA4+F N4 SCA4+F E
(refer to the Combos section to see more on what this notation means)

However, this weapon does have Cow Power^TM :DK:
Relative DMG to R1 Whiteblind: 95% (any refine) if the reset procs on the first Skill in Itto’s Burst

The Unforged (5*)
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 is somewhat difficult.

Relative DMG to R1 Whiteblind: 102% (R1) – 109% (R5) if shielded 100% of the time

Wolf’s Gravestone (5*)
Usable option, however, Itto does not benefit greatly from the passive. Going for another free available option is genuinely recommended, leaving this weapon for another claymore user.

Relative DMG to R1 Whiteblind: 98% (R1) – 102% (R5) assuming no passive activation

Combos

A short preface to this section: If you don’t want to do any of these combos, that is absolutely fine – just keep in mind that you want to use Itto’s Skill at the beginning and end of his burst, and you want to maximize the number of stacks spent in each chain of Arataki Kesagiri slashes. You might also want to see the Combo Improvisation section. With that said…

Itto’s combos are rather complex and hard to properly calculate, because of a few factors.

One, he has to micromanage the number of stacks he has, keeping in mind the absolute maximum of 5 stacks.

Two, his A1 talent makes having more stacks at once better because it speeds them up, but by how much is difficult to quantify.

Three, when Ushi (the cow summoned by his Elemental Skill) gets hit by an enemy, he gains one stack. This causes him to do an extra Kesagiri slash, which can extend the combo enough to not give him enough time to properly finish it.

Four, his A4 talent adds purely DEF-scaling MVs to his arsenal, which makes calculating the difference in damage somewhat annoying, as you cannot simply compare the MVs straight up, but instead you have to calculate the whole combo, and different assumptions can lead to different combos becoming more relevant than others.

Five, his Normal Attack combo can be canceled by a dash or by his Elemental Skill without interrupting the combo. This can be used to start a normal attack, cancel out of it, and continue to the next one, saving some time to allow more Charged Attacks. This adds so many more options to be explored for Itto’s combos, and this is primarily why the TC on Itto took a long time.

Six, hitlag extension can lead to a significant extension of his burst duration, which can affect the combos used in different rotations. Hitlag extension is a type of animation lag present on all melee weapons, alongside startlag, and endlag. Startlag and endlag are easy to see –  it simply shows the wind-up animations before and after the attack is dealt. Both of these are affected by Attack Speed. Hitlag, on the other hand, occurs when the enemy is hit, and is incorporated in order to include the feel of the impact of the attack on the character. Hitlag is implemented by essentially “pausing” all other effects during its duration, and this has some interesting consequences:

• It is not affected by Attack Speed.
• It effectively extends the duration of some effects present while it is occurring, as it pauses the timer on which they run.
• This includes Itto’s Burst effect duration; thus causing Itto’s Burst to effectively last longer than the stated duration.

However, due to the diligence of the KQM theorycrafters, a few optimal (to our knowledge) combos have been found.

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

1. Combos will be notated using “NA#” and “N#”. The differences between these can be found in the glossary.
2. An “SCA#+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 a SCAF means you only have one stack, and thus do no combo slashes.
3. All of Itto’s combos are fairly close in effective power (within 5%). In the end, it comes down to whichever one is easiest or feels the best to you, unless you really need that last bit of damage to 3* the abyss floor.
4. Framerate has not been considered when making these combos. There are some characters where framerate makes a difference in ease of execution (Hu Tao, for example), and it may be similar for Itto. All of the combos here have been done by someone, but framerates may have differed.

Combo Tech

Dash Canceled SCAF: By dashing right after the SCAF lands, you can save a few frames by canceling the large endlag of Itto’s SCAF. This is not necessary for most combos, and actually can be a frame loss if done poorly, but it could make it easier for you if you are used to it. Of course, this can be buffered, so you can get it very consistently even without frame-perfect inputs. This is only necessary for some of the hardest combos (“Prestack N1 E N2” and “Harder C1-C5 w/ Ushi” in particular).

Buffering: You can start the input for the next attack during the previous attack for the majority of his combos. The places where this is useful are as follows:

• Buffering an SCA out of NA3 (as soon as the NA3 animation starts, you can hold attack to buffer the SCA)

• Buffering an SCA out of NA4 (same as NA3, you can do it at any point during the N4 animation)

• Buffering a dash out of SCAF (the SCAF has to land first, if you dash during the jumping part before he lands then it will cancel the SCAF hit entirely and lose a lot of DPS)

• Buffering a SCAF out of E (can do it during any point in the E animation)

• Buffering any normal attack after the next (you can just mash click and it’ll work)

This is extremely useful for making sure you get combos done well.

NA1Q: This very recently discovered tech is very niche, but it is worth mentioning. It is not entirely known how it works internally, but it allows Itto to start his Burst with a stack by pressing his Q during the hitlag of an NA1. This allows Itto to gain a stack without wasting any time during the burst. This tech is only useful to start even the first rotation with a prestack combo, without wasting time on doing a full NA2 before burst.
See more details here. 

C0 Combos

MVs%s are based on Talent Level 9.

All of Itto’s combos on this list are within 5% DPS of each other.

“NA1 E NA2” (RECOMMENDED):

This combo does not require any cancels, and all of its inputs (while they can be tight) can be buffered. If Ushi gets hit during the first part of the combo, the extra SCA will still fit in while still being able to do the rest of the combo (at least on high-hitlag opponents, and if done well). 

“Prestack NA1 E NA2”:

This combo is very similar to NA1 E NA2, except you have one extra stack. This is effectively the same as NA1 E NA2 w/ an Ushi proc. However, this is worth mentioning because each rotation after the first, you start with one stack, and this can slightly increase your damage. Also, you can utilize N1Q to get this combo on the first rotation if you can. If Ushi gets hit during this combo, the SCAF at the end will not fit. As an additional variation of this combo, you can try starting with 2 stacks instead of 1, and skipping the first NA3, which gives you a lot more room.

Rotation example: https://youtu.be/FxwVESgYPnY 

“NA1 Finisher”:

This combo is also very similar to NA1 E NA2, except you cut out the NA4 and instead put an NA1 after the second SCA chain. This combo is weaker overall than NA1 E NA2, but it is significantly easier to do with the extra stack from Ushi or prestacking. If a prestacked NA1 E NA2 is too hard for you, then you can try this combo instead for pretty similar damage output. Using a variation of this is generally a good idea when you are improvising because it has so much extra room.

C1+ Combos

C1-5 Combo:

This combo is very easy to play, and has a lot of leeways. However, if Ushi does not get hit, this is actually worse than the recommended C0 combo.

Harder C1-5 Combo:
Ushi hit: https://youtu.be/t-kbVCTSNj
No Ushi hit: https://youtu.be/EULCJGpS9QE 

This combo is basically the same as the other one, except you can fit an extra N1 in the beginning of the combo by being a bit more precise on your inputs. It is possible to fit another SCA in the combo (for a SCA7 at the beginning) but it is extremely tight.

C6 Combo:

This combo is extremely fluid because of the RNG of C6. You could get a lot more saved stacks, or very few. This is just an average sort of combo, assuming more or less every other SCA doesn’t consume a stack. Pray to RNGesus, and learn to improvise.

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 N4 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 N4 in a combo will usually be the solution to allow the SCAF to fit, because N4 takes 78 frames on its own. If Ushi gets hit, as well, then N4 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 N4 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 the player has not gotten Gorou or cannot use him, the characters from the 3rd slot, notably Ningguang, can also fit well for the 2nd slot for this team.

2nd Slot

Char.

Equipment

Information

Explanations

Gorou

Weapons:
Favonius Warbow
Elegy for the End
Sacrificial Bow

Artifacts:
4-pc Exile
4-pc Noblesse Oblige

2-pc Emblem of Severed Fate + 2-pc Exile
2-pc Emblem of Severed Fate + 2-pc Husk of Opulent Dreams

Role: Buffer, Battery

Rank: S

Undoubtedly invaluable, Gorou nicely completes Itto in this comp with buffs and batterying. He will need a lot of ER (preferably 200%+), as well as CRIT Rate if using Favonius Warbow, even if it means going off-set. High constellations on him are appreciated, but not necessary.
If Gorou is at C6, common rotations can be changed to have Gorou use his Q right before Itto for more uptime on the CRIT DMG buffs.

3rd Slot

Char.

Equipment

Information

Explanations

Albedo

Weapons:
Cinnabar Spindle (BiS)
Harbinger of Dawn
Favonius Sword

Artifacts:
4-pc Husk of Opulent Dreams
2-pc Husk of Opulent Dreams + 2-pc Archaic Petra

Role: Sub-DPS

Rank: S

A fairly versatile unit, Albedo contributes good off-field DMG when in this team, benefitting from Gorou buffs and infinite uptime on 4-pc Husk. His particle generation is RNG, but the energy provided is appreciated by Itto nevertheless.
His damage contribution, particularly without Burst, is reduced without Cinnabar Spindle, which is unfortunately event exclusive. It is recommended to not use his Burst in this team, as it can extend the rotation at the cost of not dealing enough DMG, due to the split-scaling nature of Albedo’s kit.

Geo MC

Weapons:
Favonius Sword
Festering Desire
Amenoma Kageuchi

Artifacts:
4-pc Emblem of Severed Fate
4-pc Noblesse Oblige
2-pc Archaic Petra + 2-pc Noblesse Oblige

Role: Buffer, Battery

Rank: B

If lacking Albedo, Geo MC serves as an adequate replacement. The batterying capabilities and CRIT Rate buff from their burst are valuable, but practice is needed when aiming their Elemental Skill. While their full damage potential is not fully realized in Itto teams, when built for it they can still contribute nicely during their field time.

Zhongli

Weapons:
Favonius Lance
Black Tassel

Artifacts:
4-pc Tenacity of the Millelith
2-pc Tenacity of the Millelith + 2-pc random

In a team focusing on Zhongli’s resonance damage, he prefers more damaging options.

Weapons:
Staff of Homa
Deathmatch
Favonius Lance

Artifacts:
Any combination of
2-piece Archaic Petra, 2-piece Gladiator’s Finale,
2-piece Shimenawa’s Reminiscence, and 2-piece Tenacity of the Millelith

Role: Shielder, Buffer

Rank: S

Providing slight RES shred, Zhongli’s Elemental Skill brings a comfortable shield to this comp and some batterying if using Favonius Lance. The shield gains extra value for players using Serpent Spine or The Unforged on Itto. It is not recommended to build him for DMG on this team.

Ning
guang

Weapons:
TTDS
Prototype Amber

Artifacts:
4-pc Noblesse Oblige

Role: Battery, Buffer

Rank: C

With the ability to produce 3-4 particles every 6 seconds with her skill, Ningguang is a viable option for batterying Itto. She can also grant Itto 12% Geo DMG Bonus with her Jade Screen, alongside 48% ATK with TTDS, which can add up to sizable buffs. However, she herself does not contribute much in terms of DMG when built for utility in this team, and while she is capable of high Burst DPS, building her for it in this team is not recommended.

Noelle

Read the last column.

Rank: F

Noelle, a unit Itto is often compared to, does not synergize with him at all. Her shield when not on-field has too little uptime, and she cannot heal off-field. She also does not generate any energy, and demands field time to deal DMG while in her Burst. It is not recommended to put Itto and Noelle together, even if it means missing out on Gorou’s level 3 buffs.

Yun Jin

Weapons:
Favonius Lance
Prototype Starglitter
The Catch

Artifacts:
4-pc Husk of Opulent Dreams
4-pc Noblesse Oblige

Rank: D

Yun Jin is a new Geo unit who synergizes well with characters that utilize a lot of Normal Attacks in their kit (Yoimiya being a prime example). Itto does not do enough Normal Attacks in his combos for Yun Jin to be a good pick in his team, but she works well in her niche.

4th Slot

Char.

Equipment

Information

Explanations

Bennett

Weapon:
Aquila Favonia
Mistsplitter Reforged
Skyward Blade
Alley Flash
Favonius Sword
Festering Desire

Artifacts:
4-pc Noblesse Oblige

Role: Buffer, Healer

Rank: A

Although Itto has more than enough ATK in his burst with his DEF to ATK conversion, Bennett’s buffs can still be valuable for the sheer amount of flat ATK he can add, alongside healing. Also good at taking down shields with his tap E. However, the benefit of playing Itto is that he is not dependent on Bennett like a lot of other units are, and Bennett is likely of better value on your other Abyss team.

Fischl

Weapon:
Skyward Harp
Thundering Pulse
Polar Star
Elegy for the End
Stringless
Favonius Bow

Artifacts:
2-pc Thundering Fury/2-pc Gladiator’s Finale/2-pc Shimenawa’s Reminiscence

Role: Sub-DPS, Buffer

Rank: B

A distinguished 4* sub-DPS, Fischl offers consistent Electro application off-field, allowing for DMG and crystallized shields, as well as contributing decently to the team energy economy despite the element mismatch. Can also hold Elegy for the End for team-wide buffs. However, she has bad turret uptime with Itto as she can only summon Oz once per rotation (due to Itto’s high field time).

Mona

Weapons:
Favonius Codex
TTDS
Prototype Amber

Artifacts:
4-pc Noblesse Oblige
4-pc Emblem of Severed Fate

Role: Buffer

Rank: C

A classic buffer, Mona can hold TTDS and provide DMG buffs with her burst. Can also hold Prototype Amber if the player needs a healer. Very energy-hungry; prioritize having enough ER on her artifacts above all else.
That being said, Mona is not particularly effective with Itto because of the very low uptime on her Omen buff.

Diona

Weapons:
Favonius Bow
Elegy for the End

Artifacts:
4-pc Noblesse Oblige
2-pc Tenacity of the Millelith + 2-pc Maiden’s Beloved/2-pc Ocean-Hued Clam

Role: Shielder, Buffer, Healer

Rank: A

Diona condenses the role of shielder, healer and buffer into one. A very viable option for players without Zhongli or those who need healing against corrosion. Can also battery with Favonius Bow thanks to the multi-hits on her skill, and can break shields if need be. Can use Elegy for the End, but gains stacks slowly due to the nature of her kit.

Thoma

Weapons:
Favonius Lance
Black Tassel

Artifacts:
4-pc Noblesse Oblige
2-pc Emblem of Severed Fate + 2-pc Tenacity of the Millelith

Role: Shielder, Buffer

Rank: B

Thoma offers a decent shield, which is much appreciated for Geo Resonance and players with Serpent Spine or The Unforged on Itto. However, his shield is rather weak without stacks, and he runs into energy problems without his C4 and investment into guaranteeing his Burst uptime (at least 220%+ ER is recommended at C0). At C6, the Charged Attack DMG bonus he offers can gain value on Itto, although this still needs to be tested more extensively.

Electro MC

Weapons:
Favonius Sword
Sacrificial Sword

Artifacts:
4-pc Exile
4-pc Noblesse Oblige
2-pc Exile – 2-pc Emblem of Severed Fate

Role: Battery

Rank: C

Electro MC provides Energy for Itto and completely removes ER requirement for Itto. However, Electro MC only provides battery and only battery, which can be a wasted slot since they bring no other utility. Moreover, due to the lack of a second Electro unit, EMC’s own ER requirements can be rather high.

Xinyan

Weapons:
Favonius Greatsword
Sacrificial Greatsword

Artifacts:
4-pc Tenacity of the Millelith

Role: Shielder, Buffer

Rank: C

Xinyan, an often forgotten unit, can act as a shielder and buffer in this team. Her level 3 shield, which hits multiple times even when off-field, allows her to proc the set effects of 4-pc Tenacity of the Millelith consistently, making her a viable choice for the fourth slot. However, her shield is quite weak even with investments, which can make her performance lackluster. At C2, players can forgo building Crit Rate for Favonius procs, and invest in a full shield build on Xinyan.

Overall, any unit with decent particle generation as well as Support and DMG Boosting abilities will be appreciated in this 4th slot. 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.

Itto Gorou Zhongli Bennett

Another strong option for Triple Geo Itto. This team is generally focused on buffing Itto to make sure he deals the most DMG, instead of having teammates contribute their own share as well. Zhongli helps keep up Geo Resonance and adds an extra RES shred of his own, while Bennett gives Itto even more ATK with his powerful buffs.

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

“Microwave”: Itto Geo MC Zhongli Bennett 

This team, played fundamentally differently than Triple Geo, is a variation of the classic Geo MC-Zhongli duo. The strategy here, however, is to surround your enemies with Geo constructs from Geo MC’s Skill and Burst and take advantage of Zhongli’s pillar and resonance damage. The more resonances Zhongli’s pillar can activate near an enemy, the more damage it will deal for your team, leading to a considerable DPS increase. Bennett offers massive ATK buffs and healing, and Zhongli greatly benefits from a DMG build as well in this comp, providing RES shred along with DMG and shielding. However, Zhongli’s Burst is a DPS loss unless its crowd control is required. Due to this reliance on Zhongli’s pillars and resonances, this requires more Zhongli investment than usual, and his build should be more focused on damage than shielding.

Rotation: GeoMC QE → Bennett EQ → Zhongli hold E → Itto Q combos
See Neo Frost#2327’s example, including C1 Zhongli for this rotation

Technical Details: The Problem with C0 Zhongli

The duration of Zhongli’s Stone Stele doesn’t line up with the length of the team’s rotation; The pillar will still be present when the second rotation begins. This is an issue because Zhongli’s hold E in later rotations will not refresh the Stele, leaving it inactive for much of Itto’s combo. No Zhongli pillar means no construct resonance attacks, leading to a substantial DPS loss. To remedy this, you should begin each future rotation with Zhongli’s Tap E before repeating your rotation.

This issue is resolved at C1+ Zhongli, since he can have two Steles and one will always be gone when you begin a rotation.

Rotation: Zhongli Tap E → GeoMC QE → Bennett EQ → Zhongli hold E → 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