A Kirara Guide
Written by nikatosaurus
Updated for Version 4.8
“I’m Kirara, a courier for Inazuma’s Komaniya Express. Rest assured, there’s no destination I can’t deliver to!”
Table of Contents
Introduction
Kirara, Komaniya Express’s renowned nekomata courier, is a 4-star Dendro Sword character in Genshin Impact whose kit packs a shield, fast on-field Dendro application, and unique mobility that is especially handy for overworld exploration.
This guide reviews Kirara’s best weapons, best artifact sets, best teams, Talents, Constellations, preferred artifact stats, and more!
Why Play Kirara?
“The courier from Komaniya Express? She's super reliable and really quick on her feet!”
- Yoimiya, About Kirara
Pros
- High shield uptime when refreshed off-cooldown
- Sturdy shield, especially against Dendro damage and Bloom-type self-damage
- Short cooldowns align with 12s or 25s rotations
- Low reliance on Constellations to perform well as a shielder
- Low to non-existent ER requirements as she is not reliant on her Burst
- Sustained on-field Dendro application if using her Full Hold Skill
- Decent on-demand Dendro Particle generation
- Controlled AoE Dendro application with her Burst and Short Hold Skill
- Excellent exploration utility in overworld
- Incredible cuteness and excellent work ethic
Cons
- Negligible damage output
- Low to non-existent off-field Dendro application
- 12s shield duration does not align with 20s rotations
- Faces stiff competition from other survivability options, notably Dendro healers
- Currently lacks accessible weapons that directly improve her shield
- Similar to other shielders, her defensive utility is bypassed by Corrosion
- Provides no team buffs in her base kit aside from her C6
- Her on-field playstyle has anti-synergy with off-field abilities that proc from Normal Attacks
- Cat ears faker than Teyvat’s sky
TL;DR
Design: cuppacote
Content: chasing_haze
Glossary
Q&A
Q: Is Kirara better/worse than Yaoyao/Baizhu?
As with many things in Genshin Impact, it depends. All three units generally fulfill the same role in a team (providing survivability and Dendro application). It is usually redundant to bring more than one of them for a given team.
Kirara’s main differentiator from the other two is that she trades healing for a robust shield. While she can better protect against interruption or lethal damage, she has no way of restoring any HP your characters may lose. This can occur if her shield is broken or expires before it can be refreshed or if your characters are affected by Corrosion. In general, Kirara’s off-field Dendro application is also less consistent than the other two’s, although it improves with Kirara’s Constellation 4 — depending on the team, this can be a non-issue or a massive drawback.
| Kirara | Yaoyao | Baizhu |
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Q: How does Kirara compare to other shielders?
As of the time of writing, Kirara has the third-strongest shield against all damage, trailing behind Zhongli and Layla. Against purely Dendro damage, her shield’s durability exceeds even that of Zhongli’s thanks to its 250% effectiveness against Dendro.
Similarly to Zhongli and Layla, she has a tough shield that only requires a Skill use, and its duration compared to her short Skill cooldown can allow for permanent uptime and flexible rotations. Regardless, while she can work as a generalist shielder, she is unsurprisingly outclassed by Zhongli. Even amongst her 4-stars peers, she finds tough competition from Layla, Thoma, and Diona, all of whom tend to be more useful in non-Dendro teams.
Kirara’s main advantage over other shielders is her Dendro Element, which allows her to easily slot into Dendro-reliant teams. In Aggravate teams, she frees up team slots for more aggressive Electro and Anemo picks, while in Nilou teams she is currently a rare source of compatible shields.
Q: Can Kirara be a DPS?
Kirara’s kit leans more towards support and utility than personal damage output, and her biggest distinction from other Dendro units is her shield. Focusing on Kirara’s damage greatly weakens her shield, which is problematic since she is often the only source of survivability in many teams. Even when built with damage-focused stats, her team damage share is not very significant, and supportive gear on Kirara is much more useful for overall team DPS.
Kirara’s kit also isn’t ideal for dealing damage anyway. Her Burst has a deceptively large multiplier, but her low base stats and lack of innate buffs make it unimpressive without high investment and significant external buffs. Its low initial hit count (and the inconsistencies of its Bomblets) also makes it less ideal for triggering Spread. Meanwhile, her Skill has poor scalings, short range, and anti-synergy with units who require Normal Attacks to trigger abilities, such as Xingqiu. Kirara cannot dodge without exiting UNP, meaning she is also highly vulnerable to damage as an on-fielder if her shield is not sufficiently durable.
Q: How important are Kirara’s Constellations?
As a shielder, Kirara is not particularly reliant on her Constellations, as they (with the exception of her C3) do not affect her shield at all. This is not to say they provide no benefit, but rather they do not significantly change how she is built or played, or the kinds of teams she is put in.
While her C4 does provide her with off-field Dendro application, it is too slow to meaningfully affect her teambuilding. Her C6, while quite useful, is by no means necessary. Kirara is already very capable “right out of the box.”
Q: Does Kirara need an HP% weapon?
Currently, the only Swords that provide HP% (the stat her shield scales with) are Event Wish-limited weapons, namely Key of Khaj-Nisut, the Dockhand’s Assistant, and Primordial Jade Cutter. While there is unfortunately no easily accessible option for bolstering her shield, Kirara can still perform her role well with other weapons providing different utility, such as Favonius Sword due to its teamwide Energy benefit.
Q: Should Kirara equip Retracing Bolide?
As a supportive shielder, the answer is no. The 2-piece effect only provides Shield Strength to the character holding the set and does not benefit other team members. If aiming for the strongest shield for her teammates, Kirara should simply build as much HP% as possible.
Kirara does benefit from the 2pc bonus if used on-field with her full-length Hold Skill, though these scenarios are very niche and the benefits of this set are generally not worth farming for over other, more universal options.
Playstyles Overview
Off-Field Shielder
Kirara‘s default and most versatile playstyle, which provides a strong shield along with some Dendro application. She can function as a defensive flex in many Dendro-based teams due to her short field time requirements and decently long shield duration.
On-Field Dendro Applier
A niche playstyle that involves using the full duration of Kirara’s Hold Skill to apply Dendro and facilitate reactions for off-field teammates. Kirara uses a build identical to that of her off-field shielder role, with the exception of some alternative weapon and artifact choices that are otherwise useless in off-field playstyles.
While entertaining, this archetype is suboptimal for Quicken and Hyperbloom teams due to UNP’s low damage output and highly restrictive teambuilding requirements. It is also completely anti-synergistic with current off-field Burgeon options.
The best use of Kirara’s on-field playstyle is in Nilou teams, as it makes good use of Kirara’s tankiness and synergizes well with unconventional Hydro appliers such as Barbara.
Dendro DPS
A playstyle that replaces Kirara’s HP-heavy shield-focused build with a damage-focused build that stacks offensive stats like CRIT and ATK%.
This playstyle is not recommended for general use. It is mostly done to squeeze out some additional team DPS at the cost of shield durability, or simply to see Kirara deal bigger damage numbers. Kirara’s damage contribution is not very high even with a DPS build, and in many cases overall team damage decreases due to the loss of her supportive gear. DPS Kirara is more so for fun and for the Kirara mains who want to vertically invest in her damage.
This guide briefly discusses weapon and artifact options for improving Kirara’s personal damage, but it otherwise focuses on Kirara’s role as a shielder.
Talents
Level and Talent Priority
> 
> 
Skill > Character Level > Burst
Character levels are valuable for maximizing Kirara’s Max HP and in turn her shield’s durability. Due to her shield’s value, it is best to first level her Skill followed by her character level. Her Burst may be leveled later, as its damage output is not particularly impressive. Her Normal Attack Talent can be left unleveled.
Talent Overview
Normal Attack | Boxcutter
Talent Description
Normal Attack
Performs up to 4 rapid strikes.
Charged Attack
Consumes a certain amount of Stamina to unleash 3 rapid claw strikes.
Plunging Attack
Plunges from mid-air to strike the ground below, damaging opponents along the path and dealing AoE DMG upon impact.
A standard set of Normal Attacks; they deal little damage and are generally unused even in on-field roles, as they have no particular synergy with the rest of her kit. They are at best used for triggering effects such as Favonius Sword’s passive.
Elemental Skill | Meow-teor Kick
Talent Description
Press
Leaps into the air with all the agility of a cat passing through the bushes, and thwacks her foes with a flying kick that deals AoE Dendro DMG while creating a Shield of Safe Transport. This will also briefly apply Dendro to Kirara.
The shield will absorb Dendro DMG with 250% effectiveness. The shield's DMG absorption will be based on Kirara's Max HP and will not exceed a certain percentage of that Max HP. The remaining DMG absorption on a Shield of Safe Transport will stack on a new one when it is created, and its duration will reset.
Hold
Out of her desire to "deliver within half a day," Kirara deploys a Shield of Safe Transport identical to the one that can be created by pressing the skill. She will also curl up into a special express delivery box, entering the Urgent Neko Parcel state in order to move and fight more swiftly.
Urgent Neko Parcel
- Deals Dendro DMG to opponents she crashes into. This effect can be triggered once on each opponent every 0.5s.
- When in this state, Kirara's movement speed, climbing speed, and jumping power are all increased, and her Stamina Consumption from climbing is increased.
- When the duration ends or the skill is used again, a Flipclaw Strike more powerful than the attack in the Mode will be unleashed, dealing AoE Dendro DMG.
- The Urgent Neko Parcel state lasts a maximum of 10s. When the state ends, the skill will enter CD. The longer Kirara spends in this state, the longer the CD will be.
- Sprinting or actively canceling climbing will end this state early.
The most notable part of Kirara’s kit. Her Skill provides team defensive utility and optional mobility changes.
This Skill deals Dendro damage and generates a shield; it also allows Kirara to enter an augmented movement state (known as “Urgent Neko Parcel”) when held. Her Skill also briefly self-applies Dendro, which can be used to cleanse Elemental debuffs, particularly Slowing Waters.
Tap Skill
Tapping Kirara’s Elemental Skill deals 1 instance of damage, generates 3 Dendro Particles, and instantly creates a shield that has 250% effectiveness against Dendro damage and lasts for 12s. Using the Skill again while her shield is still active generates a new shield; this shield adds the previous shield’s remaining HP to its own HP for its entire duration. Shields that inherit HP in this way can gain up to 60% more durability.
However, instead of using Kirara’s Tap Skill, it is often recommended to use the Short Hold Skill tech (discussed below), which has several advantages while still having relatively short field time.
Hold Skill
Kirara’s Hold Skill both generates a shield (identical to her Tap Skill’s) and causes her to enter the Urgent Neko Parcel (UNP) state, which augments her movement:
- Her movement speed becomes comparable with sprinting speed, but she does not consume nor regain Stamina during UNP’s duration. Kirara's speed during UNP is unaffected by Movement SPD buffs; however, she is still slowed down if she is affected by Cryo.
- Her jump height is greatly increased, enough to activate gliding or initiate a Plunging Attack starting from ground level. This notably allows her to hit and destroy the Nirvana Engines of the Shouki no Kami Boss, or escape from cages spawned by enemy Cryo auras or Mirror Maidens.
- Her vertical and lateral climbing speed is increased substantially. The increased Stamina consumption is negligible, as her total Stamina consumption is roughly equivalent to the amount of Stamina consumed by climbing the same distance without her.
Kirara also deals damage every 0.5s when she runs into enemies; she does not deal damage if enemies touch her while she is stationary. Damage dealt by crashing into enemies follows standard Elemental application ICD, allowing Kirara to apply Dendro every 1.5s per enemy assuming she is moving continuously, for up to 8 instances of Dendro application per target. Kirara also generates a Dendro Particle every 4s upon hitting enemies, up to a maximum of 3 particles. Kirara remains in UNP even if the generated shield has been destroyed.
At the end of the 10s duration, or by manually ending UNP by tapping Skill again, Kirara exits her box form and perform an AoE Dendro attack. This attack has a separate ICD (meaning it always applies Dendro) and generates 3 Dendro Particles. Kirara also generates another shield via her A1 Passive that has a duration of 12s, allowing her to shield her team after UNP ends. If there is already a shield active, its duration is reset instead.
Short Hold Skill Tech
This technique involves briefly holding Kirara’s Skill before quickly pressing the Skill button again to cancel the Urgent Neko Parcel state as she is about to enter it. The Short Hold Skill tech still takes slightly longer field time than a Tap Skill, but it generates 1 more Dendro Particle, gains an A1 stack (which improves her shield’s durability), deals slightly more damage, and applies Dendro twice instead of once. You can also temporarily remain in UNP to apply Dendro to enemies that weren’t already hit, or to build stacks on Key of Khaj-Nisut’s passive or her A1.
How you should use Kirara’s Elemental Skill can vary greatly depending on the team. In most of her off-field playstyles, Short Hold is preferred, whereas its full duration (Long Hold Skill) is best used in teams specifically built around using her UNP state. Below is a table summarizing each method.
| Tap Skill (tE) | Short Hold Skill (shE) | Long Hold Skill (lhE) | |
| Input | Tap | Hold followed by Tap | Hold |
| Particle Generation | 3 particles, instant | 4 particles, instant | 6 particles, sustained |
| Hits and Dendro Application | 1 hit, 1 application, instant | 2 hits, 2 applications, instant | 20 hits, 9 applications, sustained |
| Field Time | ~0.5s | ~1s+ | 10s |
| Cooldown | 8s | ~8.2s | 12s |
| Shield Absorption | 100% (0 A1 Stacks) | 120% (1 A1 Stack) | 160% (3 A1 Stacks) |
| Advantages | Mechanically simpler, easy to execute Easier to cancel or swap out from | Low field time increase for better Dendro application, shield durability, and particle generation Higher chance to proc equipment effects that depend on Skill hits or damage | Provides sustained Dendro application Very tanky as Kirara can utilize artifact sets that buff Shield Strength |
| Notes | Still a decent option if you prefer mechanical simplicity or the team does not care for extra Dendro application or particle generation. It may also be preferable in rotations with very strict execution, such as with Alhaitham's Q-swap tech. If using Sacrificial Sword, you can use a Tap Skill after her first Skill (either Tap or Short Hold) to quickly stack her shield to its maximum durability. | Preferred Skill tech in most scenarios, as it brings multiple benefits with minimal field time. The Skill can be extended for a short period if necessary, such as for proccing Key of Khaj-Nisut’s passive or applying Dendro to more enemies. | Only use the full duration of UNP if your team is built specifically to work around on-field Kirara; this includes using off-field abilities that do not require Normal Attacks to function. You may also use this version to save some Stamina while chasing enemies. |
Elemental Burst | Secret Art: Surprise Dispatch
Talent Description
Smash opponents with a Special Delivery Package used for punishing parcel thieves, dealing AoE Dendro DMG. After the Special Delivery Package explodes, it will split up into many Cat Grass Cardamoms that will explode either upon contact with opponents or after a period of time, dealing AoE Dendro DMG.
Kirara’s Burst deals a single instant of Dendro damage and spawns 6 (up to 10 with C1) Cat Grass Cardamoms, which detonate upon touching enemies and deal further Dendro damage. The Cardamoms follow standard ICD and can be moved with certain abilities of Anemo units.
This Talent is used less to deal damage and more to quickly apply Dendro in AoE or trigger effects like 4pc Noblesse Oblige’s buff. While its high Talent multiplier may seem very impressive, the actual damage output is rather low even when Kirara is built for damage.
Kirara generally wants to use her Burst before her Skill to maximize her shield uptime.
Ascension 1 Passive | Bewitching, Betwitching Tails
Talent Description
When Kirara is in the Urgent Neko Parcel state of Meow-teor Kick, each impact against an opponent will grant her a stack of Reinforced Packaging. This effect can be triggered once for each opponent hit every 0.5s. Max 3 stacks. When the Urgent Neko Parcel state ends, each stack of Reinforced Packaging will create 1 Shield of Safe Transport for Kirara. The shields that are created this way will have 20% of the DMG absorption that the Shield of Safe Transport produced by Meow-teor Kick would have. If Kirara is already protected by a Shield of Safe Transport created by Meow-teor Kick, its DMG absorption will stack with these shields and its duration will reset.
Kirara gains stacks when she hits enemies during her Urgent Neko Parcel state, which are then converted into additional DMG Absorption for her shield — up to 60% of the original shield’s DMG Absorption at 3 stacks — when the state ends. It is possible to receive all stacks using a briefly extended Short Hold Skill, which results in the strongest possible shield for minimal field time.
If Kirara ends UNP with her shield still intact, that shield’s remaining HP is added to the shields generated by this passive.
Ascension 4 Passive | Pupillary Variance
Talent Description
Every 1,000 Max HP Kirara possesses will increase the DMG dealt by Meow-teor Kick by 0.4%, and the DMG dealt by Secret Art: Surprise Dispatch by 0.3%.
Adds some HP scaling to Kirara’s Skill and Burst. While not strictly useless, Kirara’s damage remains inconsequential in her teams. If you are trying to maximize her Talent damage, ATK is still much preferred over HP.
Utility Passive | Cat's Creeping Carriage
Talent Description
When Kirara is in the party, animals who produce Fowl, Raw Meat, or Chilled Meat will not be startled when party members approach them.
A useful overworld passive if gathering cooking ingredients or capturing animals with the Omni-Ubiquity Net. However, animals still get startled if you get too close or kill another nearby animal. This passive does not stop animals such as Rishboland Tigers from attacking you.
This Talent is currently shared with Aloy, who was obtainable only during Version 2.2.
Constellations
Kirara is not Constellation-dependent, since her C3 is the only Constellation that affects her shield. Her C4 does provide slight quality-of-life off-field Dendro application, while her C6 provides a nice but by no means required team damage buff.
Constellation 1 | Material Circulation
Every 8,000 Max HP Kirara possesses will cause her to create 1 extra Cat Grass Cardamom when she uses Secret Art: Surprise Dispatch. A maximum of 4 extra can be created this way.
Adds additional Burst hits with HP% investment, which can help apply Dendro in AoE. Kirara can easily reach the Max HP needed for all 4 extra Cardamoms without an HP% weapon as long as she has HP% main stats on her artifacts. This Constellation is a minor improvement to her Dendro application and a marginal damage increase.
If you aim to maximize Kirara’s Burst damage, it is still far better to focus on typical offensive stats. Even with the maximum amount of Cardamoms (from high HP% investment), her Burst’s initial hit still makes up the majority of its damage.
Constellation 2 | Perfectly Packaged
When Kirara is in the Urgent Neko Parcel state of Meow-teor Kick, she will grant other party members she crashes into Critical Transport Shields.
The DMG absorption of Critical Transport Shield is 40% of the maximum absorption Meow-teor Kick's normal Shields of Safe Transport are capable of, and will absorb Dendro DMG with 250% effectiveness.
Critical Transport Shields last 12s and can be triggered once on each character every 10s.
This Constellation is useless in single-player and in turn Spiral Abyss, as it only applies to other players in Co-Op. In Co-Op, it is best to use Kirara’s Short Hold Skill to have full uptime on party shields. The strength of Critical Transport Shields is not affected by her A1 Passive.
Constellation 3 | Universal Recognition
Increases the Level of Meow-teor Kick by 3.
Maximum upgrade level is 15.
This Constellation provides 3 levels to Kirara’s Elemental Skill, a much appreciated boost to her shield’s durability. It is also a negligible increase to her damage output.
| Shield Absorption Increase From C0: 19% |
Constellation 4 | Steed of Skanda
After active character(s) protected by Shields of Safe Transport or Critical Transport Shields hit opponents with Normal, Charged, or Plunging Attacks, Kirara will perform a coordinated attack with them using Small Cat Grass Cardamoms, dealing 200% of her ATK as Dendro DMG. DMG dealt this way is considered Elemental Burst DMG. This effect can be triggered once every 3.8s. This CD is shared between all party members.
Allows Kirara to apply Dendro off-field up to 3 times per Skill use, assuming on-field characters hit enemies with their Normal or Charged Attacks. The actual damage dealt by these coordinated attacks is minimal.
This Constellation provides some sustained off-field Dendro application, which is relevant as the Cardamoms from Kirara’s Burst are very inconsistent in this regard. However, this Constellation’s infrequency and small damage AoE mean that Kirara should not be solely relied upon as an off-field Dendro applier in Bloom-based teams. At best, its application simply supplements that of other Dendro units. Nevertheless, it does allow Kirara to more reliably maintain 4pc Deepwood Memories’ effect, particularly in single-target.
The off-field Dendro application can be valuable in Aggravate teams, where Kirara can apply Dendro to enemies initially missed with her Skill and Burst or maintain Quicken for a longer duration. It can also apply Dendro to newly spawned enemy waves.
Constellation 5 | A Thousands Miles in a Day
Increases the Level of Secret Art: Surprise Dispatch by 3.
Maximum upgrade level is 15.
A simple increase to Kirara’s Burst damage; this Constellation is not particularly significant considering her Burst’s underwhelming damage.
Constellation 6 | Countless Sights to See
All nearby party members will gain 12% All Elemental DMG Bonus within 15s after Kirara uses her Elemental Skill or Burst.
A superb damage buff that is easily maintained in quickswap teams, as Kirara can refresh it with her low-cooldown Skill. Its value is most apparent in Quicken or Quickbloom teams, where it buffs any Electro, Dendro, Hydro, and Anemo damage dealers (including those off-field). While this is a universal damage buff, it is not recommended to use Kirara over other more synergistic supports solely for this reason.
Gearing
“Service with a smile!”
ER Requirements
These numbers are approximate; ER requirements vary depending on team and context. For a more accurate estimate of your ER requirements, use the Energy Recharge Calculator.
| Solo Dendro | 160%+ |
| Solo Dendro, Electro Resonance | 120–140% |
| Double Dendro | 100–120% |
Favonius weapons reduce Kirara’s ER needs by approximately ~10% per proc.
Bursting every other rotation with Kirara is a viable option if not using 4pc Noblesse Oblige, as her Burst’s damage and Elemental application are usually not necessary for the team to function. You should generally reserve her Burst for applying Dendro (and Dendro RES Shred with 4pc Deepwood Memories) in AoE scenarios if her Skill is not sufficient, or for dodging dangerous enemy attacks.
If Kirara uses her full-duration Hold Skill, her ER requirements are extremely low or even non-existent, as she collects many Energy Particles including her own while on-field.
Shielder Build
Stat Priorities
 Sands |  Goblet |  Circlet |
| HP% > Energy Recharge | HP% | HP% > CRIT Rate (Favonius) |
Substats:
ER% (until requirement is met) > HP% > CRIT Rate (if Favonius) > Flat HP
Since Kirara usually does not build for damage, her only important stats are HP% for Shield Absorption and ER% to Burst if desired (see ER Requirements). CRIT Rate is a desirable stat if Kirara uses Favonius Sword. Offensive stats such as CRIT Rate/DMG, ATK%, and EM are not particularly important for a shielder build.
It is recommended to have at least 2 if not 3 HP% main stats to maximize her Shield Absorption. An ER% Sands or CRIT Rate Circlet should only be considered if you need them to meet her ER requirement or cannot otherwise consistently proc Favonius Sword’s passive, respectively. Of course, opting for either replacement reduces her Shield Absorption significantly. Also note that Kirara can get enough CRIT Rate to proc Favonius without a CRIT Rate Circlet (i.e., with substats alone) since she hits multiple times with her Short Hold Skill and Burst.
To compare the actual artifacts on your account, use Genshin Optimizer.
Weapons
Assumptions:
Off-Field: C3 Kirara, Triple HP% main stats, 1 A1 Stack, KQMS
On-Field: C3 Kirara, 4pc Tenacity, Triple HP% main stats, 3 A1 Stacks, KQMS
| Weapon | % Shield HP of Favonius | Notes |
 Key of Khaj-Nisut | R5: 123% R1: 119% | Kirara’s Best-in-Slot weapon as a shielder. It provides a massive amount of HP% and has a passive that converts Max HP into a substantial team EM buff. Kirara makes excellent use of the passive, as she has a multi-hit Skill, usually builds HP for her shield, and easily slots into teams that appreciate EM buffs. She can easily guarantee the teamwide passive by slightly extending her Short Hold Skill to around 1.5s; the added field time is easily compensated by the massive, long-duration EM buff granted to the entire party. If you are using Kirara in a Nilou team, Nilou has much higher priority to equip this weapon. |
 The Dockhand’s Assistant | 109% | The second-best Sword for improving the tankiness of Kirara’s shield after Key of Khaj-Nisut. Refinements are not necessary as this weapon’s passive is often unused by Kirara, who typically replaces healers in her teams. Even if she can gain 3 stacks on the passive, the EM and Energy restoration aren’t very impactful. |
 Favonius Sword | 100% | An ever-reliable staple for supportive units. This weapon’s ER% stat and passive allow Kirara to Burst more frequently. Her multi-hit Skill and Burst greatly increase the chances of triggering its passive, though some CRIT Rate investment is still recommended. Favonius’s passive also lowers the team’s ER requirements, though the value of this varies greatly depending on her teammates. |
 Sacrificial Sword | 100% | Another good weapon option, especially if Favonius Sword is not available. This weapon allows Kirara to quickly stack her shield to its maximum durability, as well as generate additional Dendro Particles via two consecutive Tap Skills. However, Sacrificial Sword requires high refinements for its passive to be used consistently. |
 Sapwood Blade | 100% | Kirara’s best craftable weapon. It provides a useful ER% stat (though less than other ER% weapons), and she can buff the EM of another teammate with its passive. However, the Leaf of Consciousness created by the passive can be difficult or even impossible to pick up in actual combat, such as against enemies with large hitboxes. Avoid spending needless effort trying to pick up the Leaf. |
 Freedom-Sworn | 100% | Freedom-Sworn’s EM stat is somewhat underutilized on Kirara herself, but its team buff is well appreciated. She can quickly gain Sigils thanks to her rapid Dendro application on Short Hold Skill and Burst. |
 Primordial Jade Cutter | R5: 109% R1: 104% | Currently the only other 5-star weapon that provides HP% (though a relatively small amount). Jade Cutter does provide a hefty amount of CRIT Rate and Flat ATK to improve Kirara’s damage, though this is not very impactful in shielder builds. This weapon should be prioritized on your DPS units. |
 Skyrider Sword | 100% | An easily accessible 3-star option if you do not have any other ER% weapons available; it is otherwise unremarkable. Skyrider Sword’s passive does not actually increase Kirara’s movement speed in her UNP state. |
 Amenoma Kageuchi | 100% | Another craftable option that can decrease Kirara’s ER requirements. Only useful if you do not have other weapons available and have already crafted this weapon. Amenoma is, however, a very stylish choice for any Inazuman Sword character. |
 Summit Shaper | R5 (on-field): 131% R1 (on-field): 115% | This weapon provides a Shield Strength buff that only applies to Kirara herself, making it useless for off-field playstyles, and it has no other utility apart from a slight personal damage increase. This weapon does, however, increase Kirara’s Shield Absorption during UNP to an amount comparable to Key of Khaj-Nisut. Since its Shield Strength stat is based on refinements, it also does not need to be leveled. Nevertheless, it is not recommended to pull specifically for this weapon. |
Artifact Sets
Assumptions:
C3 Kirara (off-field), Triple HP% main stats, 1 A1 Stack, KQMS
| Artifact Set | % Shield HP of 2pc HP% + 2pc HP% | Notes |
 2pc HP% + 2pc HP% | 100% | A simple but effective option for maximizing the toughness of Kirara’s shield. |
 4pc Noblesse Oblige | 92% | Grants a partywide ATK% buff that is appreciated by many of Kirara’s preferred teammates. This set does encourage heavy ER% investment (such as an ER% weapon or Sands) to Burst frequently. To extend the uptime on the ATK% buff, you may use her Skill before her Burst, though this comes at the cost of shield uptime. 4pc Noblesse’s Burst DMG Bonus is largely irrelevant on a shielder build. |
 4pc Instructor | 83% | Provides a useful team EM buff that is appreciated in Dendro teams. However, its 4-star stats make for a weaker shield than those of 5-star alternatives. For the strongest shield, equip either a 5-star Flower with HP% substats or an artifact with an HP% main stat as the off-piece. Alternatively, a 5-star CRIT Rate Circlet may be considered if using Favonius Sword. |
 4pc Tenacity of the Millelith | 103% (25% passive uptime) 125% (on-field only) | 2pc Tenacity’s effect is a general increase to the durability of Kirara’s shield, and the Shield Strength from the 4pc effect allows her to block slightly more damage. The set’s 4pc ATK% buff has a short 3s duration in off-field playstyles, but it can still be used effectively if she swaps into a unit who can snapshot buffs, such as Fischl. This set has additional value in on-field playstyles, as she can maintain the 4pc effect for a substantially stronger shield. |
 2pc HP% + 2pc ER% | 96% | Sacrifices some Shield Absorption for more frequent Burst usage. Only recommended if you prefer to use Kirara’s Burst often and cannot meet her ER requirements otherwise. |
 4pc Deepwood Memories | 92% | Kirara can hold this set to shred enemy Dendro RES in Spread or Bloom-based teams. However, she has difficulty in maintaining uptime in longer rotations; this is alleviated through her C4 (primarily in single-target). She has effectively full uptime if played as an on-field unit. As a pure shielder, this set is not worth using if Kirara is the only character who benefits from the RES Shred, such as in Double Electro Aggravate teams. |
 2pc HP% + 2pc Retracing Bolide | 129% (on-field only) | A marginal upgrade to shield durability over 4pc Tenacity in on-field playstyles, but this combination has no other benefits. When using this set, Kirara’s shield also becomes weaker once she swaps out. Not recommended. |
DPS Build
Stat Priorities
Sands | Goblet | Circlet |
| ATK% or Energy Recharge | Dendro DMG Bonus | CRIT Rate or CRIT DMG |
Substats:
ER% (until requirement is met) > EM > CRIT ≥ ATK%
EM is valuable for increasing Spread damage, if Kirara is the one who triggers it.
To compare the actual artifacts on your account, use Genshin Optimizer.
Weapons
Assumptions:
C0 Kirara, 4pc Gilded Dreams, ATK% | Dendro DMG% | CRIT, 165% ER requirement, KQMS
4pc Deepwood Memories active, Cardamom Bomblets snapshot
lhE Q lhE rotation, 7 Spreads
| Weapon | % DPS of Harbinger | Notes |
Primordial Jade Cutter | R1: 115% | Kirara’s general Best-in-Slot weapon for her personal damage: it provides a substantial amount of CRIT Rate, converts her high HP to additional Flat ATK, and even has some benefit to her shield with its HP% stat. |
 Mistsplitter Reforged, Haran Geppaku Futsu, Light of Foliar Incision | R1: 102–106% | Various CRIT stat sticks with similar performance at R1, although their passives are underutilized. Kirara usually gains 1–2 stacks of Mistsplitter’s passive, making it pull slightly ahead of the other two, especially with refinements. Kirara can rarely trigger Light of Foliar Incision’s passive, on top of EM not being a priority stat for her. Haran’s Normal Attack DMG% buff is also not very useful. |
 Harbinger of Dawn | 100% 81% (no passive) | This weapon’s performance can rival even those of 5-star options assuming its passive is maintained. This is easier said than done, as Kirara’s shields are 30–40% weaker in DPS-focused builds and her Quicken teams typically lack healers. |
  Toukabou Shigure, Festering Desire | 95-98% | Good 4-star options with unconditional effects. However, they could only be obtained in past limited-time Events. |
Freedom-Sworn | 93% | Brings an appreciable team buff, and its EM stat helps Kirara’s Spread damage. She can quickly gain Sigils thanks to her rapid Dendro application on Short Hold Skill and Burst. |
 Summit Shaper, Skyward Blade | 93% | 5-star stat sticks that only outperform Harbinger of Dawn when the latter’s passive is down. |
 Iron Sting | 85-88% | Craftable weapon option that only outperforms Harbinger of Dawn when the latter’s passive is down. |
 Favonius Sword, Xiphos’ Moonlight | 83-86% | These weapons aren’t very good for Kirara’s personal damage, but they can reduce team ER requirements. |
Key of Khaj-Nisut | 81% | This weapon is detrimental to Kirara’s personal damage, but its teamwide EM buff results in improved team damage. Its HP% stat is not very useful for damage compared to ATK%, but does result in significantly stronger shields. |
Artifact Sets
Assumptions:
C0 Kirara, Favonius Sword, ATK% | Dendro DMG% | CRIT, 165% ER requirement, KQMS
4pc Deepwood Memories active, Kirara’s A4 active
% Values are % DPS of Gilded Dreams
Kirara does not synergize particularly well with any 4-piece set, so her most recommended options are 4pc Gilded Dreams and 2pc mixed sets of Dendro DMG%, EM, and/or ATK%. All combinations are rather comparable (see below), so players are encouraged to prioritize substats over set bonuses. Fortunately, the Gilded Dreams and Deepwood Memories Domain is very Resin-efficient as it also provides 2pc Dendro DMG% and 2pc EM.
The table below assumes 4pc Deepwood Memories is on another teammate. If there is no 4pc Deepwood equipped on the team, Kirara should equip it.
 4pc Emblem of Severed Fate | ~100% |
 2pc Dendro DMG% + 2pc EM | ~100% |
 4pc Gilded Dreams (Solo Dendro) | 100% |
 2pc Dendro DMG% + 2pc ATK% | 98% |
 2pc EM + 2pc EM | 97% |
 2pc ATK% + 2pc ATK% | 93% |
Synergies
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Electro
Electro units utilize Dendro to enhance their damage through the Aggravate reaction. Due to Quicken’s long duration and the flexible rotations employed by many Electro damage dealers, Kirara’s infrequent Dendro application is generally a non-issue.
Electro units can also serve as Hyperbloom triggers. In said teams Kirara acts more like a generic defensive option, as relying on her on-field Dendro application suffers from various practicality issues.
 Fischl | Fischl is an excellent off-field unit who provides off-field damage, steady Electro application and great particle generation; she also appreciates Kirara's short cooldowns as both work well in 25s rotations. |
 Keqing | Keqing’s short cooldowns, fast AoE Electro application, and damage potential make her an excellent DPS unit for Aggravate teams. She greatly appreciates Kirara’s short Skill cooldown that lines up well with her own cooldowns, and she can benefit from the shield to perform her melee combos uninterrupted. |
 Yae Miko | Yae’s short Skill cooldowns and off-field damage make her a flexible Aggravate DPS unit. She works well in quickswap rotations and appreciates her fellow youkai’s high-uptime shield to prevent her from getting staggered while she is on-field. |
 Clorinde | Clorinde’s relatively short field time (~8–10s) pairs well with Kirara’s short cooldowns and shield duration (~12s) that can last the entirety of Clorinde’s field time. Kirara’s shield provides interruption resistance and survivability, which — when combined with Clorinde’s self-healing — make the duo very comfortable to play. In Aggravate teams where Kirara is Solo Dendro, Kirara is preferably C4 for improved Quicken uptime. In Quickbloom teams, Kirara is not viable as the sole Dendro applier, even with her C4. |
 Lisa | An accessible Aggravate DPS option who is not to be underestimated on account of her innate EM stats, fast Electro application, and synergy with the 4pc Thundering Fury set. Her Burst also inflicts a rare DEF Shred. Kirara’s shield provides valuable interruption resistance to help Lisa perform her Charged Attacks and Hold Skill. The off-field presence of Lisa’s Burst also gives her flexibility to function in quickswap or off-field playstyles, although note that her ER requirements can be quite high. |
 Sethos | Sethos values Kirara's shield to prevent getting interrupted during his Normal Attack or Charged Attack combos. She works well as a Solo Dendro applier in his Aggravate teams thanks to his flexible rotations and short field times. |
 Kuki Shinobu | Shinobu’s consolidation of off-field damage, Electro application, and healing makes her a comfortable pick in Quicken and Hyperbloom teams, since building EM on her benefits both her reaction damage and healing. While Shinobu can be relied on as the team’s sole defensive unit, pairing her with Kirara makes the team even more comfortable to play. This is particularly valuable when Shinobu builds EM for Hyperbloom or Quicken, where her healing is not at its strongest. Shinobu heals against chip damage and Kirara prevents party members (notably Shinobu, who is often at low HP) from being staggered or defeated outright. Shinobu’s ring still damages enemies and triggers Hyperbloom during UNP; however, this is quite impractical since Kirara does not deal much damage herself nor does she drive other units, particularly Hydro ones, like Xingqiu. |
 Raiden Shogun | Raiden is a capable on-field DPS in Quicken teams who deals potent AoE damage whilst recharging her team’s Energy. Raiden can also be an off-field Hyperbloom DPS who has greater range and activates Dendro Cores more frequently than Shinobu, but loses out on healing. Kirara provides valuable defensive utility (her shield) in teams with Hyperbloom Raiden. While it is possible for Kirara to proc Raiden’s Skill during UNP, there are much better alternatives for on-field Dendro application such as Alhaitham or Nahida. |
 Cyno | Cyno appreciates Kirara's shield for its interruption resistance. However, due to his long field time, Kirara has to apply her shield before swapping to Cyno for the best uptime. Even then, it still doesn’t last for the entire duration of his Burst. Kirara is not viable as a Solo Dendro applier in Quickbloom teams due to her poor off-field Dendro application even with her C4. |
Dendro
A second Dendro unit enables Dendro Resonance and can appreciate Kirara’s shield and particle generation.
These units serve as consistent Dendro appliers in Nilou Bloom, Hyperbloom, Quickbloom, and Burgeon teams since Kirara’s own off-field application is quite underwhelming even with her Constellations. They can also be Spread-focused damage dealers in Quicken teams.
 Nahida | Nahida is an incredibly versatile unit: she can act as both an on-field and off-field Dendro applier while allowing for flexible rotations due to the high uptime on her Skill. In Bloom teams, Nahida’s excellent Dendro application makes up for Kirara’s limited Dendro application. However, Kirara’s poor off-field Dendro application can cause issues with triggering Nahida’s Skill in Nilou Bloom teams with on-field Hydro units that have long field times. For DPS Kirara, Nahida also provides a large EM buff and a decent amount of Dendro Particles to lower Kirara’s ER requirements. |
 Alhaitham | Alhaitham is an potent on-field DPS with high damage potential and fast Dendro application, working best in Spread and Quickbloom teams. He can use ~13s rotations by alternating between using his Skill (followed by a Plunging or Charged Attack) and using his Burst to obtain his Mirrors and Dendro-converted attacks, which synergizes with Kirara’s short cooldowns. He also appreciates Kirara's shield for the resistance to interruption and her Dendro Particle generation to lower his ER requirements. Kirara's shield also helps maintain Harbinger of Dawn's passive, which can perform on par with some of his 5-star options assuming high uptime. |
 Tighnari | Tighnari is a Spread DPS who functions best in teams that run on fast ~12s rotations. While his Skill offers a Taunt and lets his special Charged Attacks be fired quickly, he still appreciates a shield to prevent getting interrupted. Kirara’s decent particle generation also helps him cast his Burst more frequently. |
 Kaveh | Kaveh’s A1 Passive healing only requires him to get hit by — not take damage from — Dendro Cores. Since Kirara’s shield is particularly valuable against Bloom damage, this makes Kirara a good defensive option for Kaveh teams. |
  Dendro Traveler, Collei | Dendro Traveler and Collei are more accessible alternatives to Nahida. Their off-field Dendro application compensates for Kirara’s lack of it in teams like Bloom, Hyperbloom, and Burgeon. However, be mindful that their application methods have more limited range and uptime compared to Nahida. |
Anemo
Anemo units provide RES Shred through 4pc Viridescent Venerer. They also often bring other utilities such as team buffs, grouping, or personal damage.
These characters are especially strong options for Aggravate-focused Quicken teams, but they can still be decent flex picks in Spread or Hyperbloom teams. Note that 4pc Viridescent Venerer does not shred Dendro RES, but many Anemo units still provide buffs and grouping.
 Kazuha | Kazuha is a superb Anemo unit who provides convenient grouping, strong DMG% buffs, and good personal damage through Swirls, particularly if they trigger Aggravate. He synergizes well with many of Kirara’s best teammates, and his Skill can pull in Kirara’s Burst Cardamoms for slightly more consistent Dendro application. |
 Sucrose | Sucrose provides a mix of grouping and EM buffs for Dendro teams, and she can hold Catalysts such as TTDS / Hakushin Ring for additional buffs or Prototype Amber for comfortable small healing in conjunction with Kirara’s shield. She can also group Kirara’s Cardamoms with her Skill and Burst. |
 Heizou | Heizou acts as an alternative to Sucrose as an Anemo Catalyst user. However, his EM buff is much weaker and he has worse grouping compared to Sucrose. The short cooldowns and concentrated damage of his Skill and Burst synergize nicely in Kirara’s quickswap teams. |
 Venti | Venti provides unmatched crowd control against any enemies that can be lifted by his Burst, plus a handy Energy refund to teammates of the Element his Burst absorbs. Along with his short cooldowns, Venti synergizes with many of Kirara’s teams and teammates. Note that his Burst does not group Kirara’s Cardamoms and also lifts enemies too high to be hit by UNP (unless Kirara jumps while in UNP). |
 Lynette | Lynette provides a Taunt that, when paired with Kirara’s shield, can be quite comfortable for survivability. She also offers an ATK% buff with her A1 Passive and mild grouping at C1. |
Hydro
Hydro units in conjunction with Dendro teammates create Dendro Cores, enabling Hyperbloom, Burgeon, or Nilou Bloom compositions. Double Hydro teams with Hydro Resonance increase HP%, improving Kirara’s shield.
Kirara is primarily chosen for her defensive utility and oftentimes relies on a second Dendro unit to trigger Blooms to make up for her low application. On-field Kirara unfortunately does not have many synergistic options for off-field Hydro application.
 Neuvillette | At C0, Neuvillette appreciates Kirara’s shield for interruption resistance, especially considering that he is generally self-sustainable in terms of survivability. Her Dendro application is useful for gaining stacks on his A1 Passive, or triggering Burning to enable Forward Vaporizes. |
 Nilou | Nilou enables a much stronger variant of the Pure Bloom team, where Kirara provides much-needed defensive utility. The Tranquility Aura from Nilou’s Skill also acts as a source of mobile off-field Hydro application that is not reliant on Normal Attacks, but it applies Hydro very slowly in single-target; this issue is mitigated somewhat in AoE, where her Skill can apply Hydro more frequently by alternating movement towards different enemies. See the Nilou Bloom Teams section for more details. |
 Barbara | Barbara is a strong option in Nilou teams while being a free unit. Her Hydro application via her Skill notably follows the active character, making her a synergistic pick in on-field Kirara playstyles. Kirara’s shield relieves some of the pressure in having to keep the team alive, allowing more EM stats to be allocated towards Bloom damage. Note that Barbara should use Sacrificial Fragments to reset her Skill cooldown to use it every rotation; if the passive doesn't proc, simply transition to an off-field Kirara playstyle for the remainder of the rotation, swapping between Nahida and Barbara’s Normal Attacks to trigger Blooms. |
 Kokomi | Kokomi is another Hydro healer who can be used as a Hydro applier in Nilou teams. While her Skill can apply Hydro off-field in an AoE, it is immobile and requires Sacrificial Fragments to reposition. This can make her more cumbersome compared to Barbara if opting for on-field Kirara in Nilou teams. Kokomi can also be a source of on-field Hydro application, with Kirara acting as a pure shielder. In Nilou Bloom teams, Nahida should be periodically swapped in to supplement Dendro application, since Kirara has little from off-field. Outside of Nilou Bloom teams, Kokomi’s healing and Kirara’s shield are generally redundant. |
 Furina | Furina is one of the few sources of off-field Hydro application that work with Kirara’s UNP. However, there is some anti-synergy since Furina greatly desires a healer in the team to take advantage of her buffs, making Kirara’s shield generally redundant. |
 Ayato | Ayato primarily provides on-field Hydro application with his Skill stance, with Kirara acting as a shielder. Ayato greatly appreciates Kirara’s shield in Nilou or Burgeon teams, as he is highly vulnerable to Bloom / Burgeon self-damage during his uptime. Ayato’s Burst is one of the few sources of off-field Hydro application for on-field Kirara, but his ER requirements are typically very high, particularly if he cannot use his Skill frequently or lacks Hydro teammates. |
 Xingqiu | Xingqiu is a potent off-field Hydro DPS with fast, consistent Hydro application and high off-field damage potential. His Rain Swords’ damage reduction also improves the durability of Kirara’s shield, and their minute healing also supplements team survivability. Xingqiu tends to desire long rotations due to his 21s Skill cooldown, although this can be offset by using Kirara’s Skill multiple times per rotation. Additionally, teams with Xingqiu should avoid using Kirara’s UNP, as she cannot perform Normal Attacks to trigger his Burst during UNP. |
 Yelan | Yelan is another strong off-field Hydro damage dealer, though (pre-C2) she has slower Hydro application than Xingqiu and does not provide any defensive utility; she makes up for this with a ramping DMG% buff for the on-field character. Similarly to Xingqiu, Yelan’s Burst cannot be triggered during Kirara’s UNP, and she may be less desirable compared to an on-field Barbara or Kokomi in teams that desire a healer such as Nilou Bloom or Burgeon. |
Pyro
 Thoma | Kirara has niche synergy with Thoma in Burgeon teams, where she can act as an off-field shielder, since Thoma’s own shield is quite weak when he builds EM. Since Thoma’s Burst persists off-field, Kirara has more opportunities to refresh her shield as needed. However, other defensive units who can provide Hydro, Electro, or Cryo application serve the team better. Kirara should not be used as the on-field unit for Burgeon teams, as she cannot proc Thoma’s Burst for the duration of UNP. Since Kirara is mainly off-field, a second Dendro unit for Dendro application is required for consistent Bloom and therefore Burgeon triggers. |
 On-Field Burgeon Triggers | On-field Pyro units can employ Kirara’s shield to provide defensive utility in Burgeon teams. Notably, characters with flexible field time, such as Pyro Catalyst users like Klee or Yanfei, allow Kirara to refresh her shield consistently. Since Kirara is mainly off-field, a second Dendro unit for Dendro application is required for consistent Bloom and therefore Burgeon triggers. |
 Lyney | Lyney is a Pyro DPS who appreciates Kirara’s shield for the interruption resistance it provides, although she doesn’t provide much else and there are often better options such as Dehya or Zhongli. |
Geo
 Albedo | Albedo can fit in as the flex slot for various Kirara teams, but he is rarely an optimal option compared to characters with more synergistic Elements and abilities. His Burst offers an EM buff, but it does not make him more valuable than alternative Dendro, Hydro, Electro, or Anemo characters. Kirara can at least proc Albedo’s Transient Blooms during UNP, but he otherwise has no strong synergy with Kirara or her teams. |
 Chiori | Chiori is an alternative off-field Geo DPS to Albedo, and she similarly does not find much use outside of Geo-centric teams. |
 Geo DPS | Geo units require a shield to benefit from Geo Resonance, and shields created from Crystallize shards are very flimsy. Kirara can thus act as a flex shielder if you don't have any better options available. |
Cryo
 Ganyu | Ganyu appreciates a shielder to prevent interruptions during her Charged Attacks, particularly in her Melt teams. However, Kirara’s Dendro application is not enough to maintain a Burning aura on its own. Note that, in teams that rely on Nahida’s Skill, the Dendro application provided by Kirara’s C4 is actually detrimental, as it disrupts the delicate balance of Elemental auras needed to maintain Burning. |
Teams
Quicken
Kirara serves as a defensive option in Quicken teams and works well with either Electro or Dendro damage dealers. Her shield’s 12s duration and ~8s cooldown line up well with the short rotations of many Quicken teams, allowing her to provide high uptime on her shield. While she does not have any innate damage buffs pre-C6, she can carry supportive gear such as Key of Khaj-Nisut, Sapwood Blade, or 4pc Instructor to boost team damage. Her C6 Universal DMG% buff is also quite useful, allowing her to increase the entire team’s damage with full uptime.
In Aggravate-focused teams, Kirara consolidates Dendro application and defensive utility, comfortably allowing for two Electro damage dealers along with an offensive Anemo support. Due to the long duration of Quicken and the general flexibility of team rotations, Kirara’s low to non-existent Dendro application is often not a concern, bar some cases where Quicken aura gets removed early such as through enemy self-auras. In Spread-focused teams that feature a Dendro damage dealer, Kirara also functions as a Dendro battery and enables Dendro Resonance for a useful team EM buff.
15s Rotation
(Keqing 2[E])1 > Kazuha tEPQ > Kirara (Q) shE > Fischl E/Q > Keqing EQ E N1C N1 E 3[N1C]
1First rotation only.
Rotation Video by casdela
25s Rotation
(Keqing 2[E])1 > Kazuha tEPQ > Kirara (Q) shE > Fischl E > Keqing EQ E N1C N1 E 3[N1C] > Kazuha tEP > Kirara shE > Fischl Q > Keqing EQ E N1C N1 E N1C
1First rotation only.
Rotation Video by casdela
Rotation
Fischl E/Q > Sucrose EQ > Kirara shE (Q) > Yae 3[E] > Sucrose E combo > Yae (Q) 3[E]
Rotation
Nahida E Q > Kirara shE (Q) > Yae 3[E] > Tighnari E 3[C] Q > Yae (Q) 3[E] > Tighnari E 3[C]
Rotation Video by idkanonymized
Rotation
Fischl E N1 > Kirara tEQ > Nahida N1 E Q > Alhaitham hEP 2[N3D] N2 > Fischl N2 Q > Nahida N1 E C > Kirara tE > Alhaitham Q 5[N3D]
Rotation Video by idkanonymized
Nilou Bloom
Kirara can function as both an off-field shield support or as an on-field Dendro enabler in Nilou’s Bountiful Bloom teams. She does not have to build much EM since Dendro units typically trigger Bloom much less frequently than Hydro units, allowing her to focus on HP for shield durability. Notably, her shield is very effective at tanking Dendro self-damage from Bountiful Cores.
While Kirara can function as the only defensive unit in a Nilou team, a Hydro healer makes the team more survivable in hard content. Hydro healers like Kokomi or Barbara are good Bloom triggers anyway, and Kirara’s shield alleviates the burden of carrying team survivability, freeing them up to build more EM for their reaction damage.
In an off-field role, Kirara swaps in frequently to refresh her shield on cooldown, taking advantage of Nilou’s flexible team rotations. She otherwise has little to no off-field Dendro application, so another more consistent Dendro applier such as Nahida must be included in the team.
In an on-field role, Kirara enters UNP after other teammate abilities have been cast and applies Dendro for off-field Hydro units to trigger Bloom — some viable off-field Hydro appliers include Barbara, Ayato, or Kokomi. An advantage of on-field Kirara is her extraordinary tankiness during UNP (especially in conjunction with healing) while remaining very simple to pilot.
Rotation
Nilou E 3[E]/N2E > Nahida E Q > Kokomi E > Kirara lhE1 (Q) > Kokomi Q2 2[N2D] > Nilou (Q)
1Kirara’s Hold Skill should not exceed the duration of Nilou’s Skill.
2Alternatively, Kokomi can use her Skill a second time if Sacrificial Fragments was triggered.
Rotation
Nilou E 3[E]/N2E > Nahida E Q > Kirara Q shE > Neuvillette E C Q C > Kirara shE > Neuvillette C E C > Nahida N1C
This team utilizes Barbara’s mobile off-field Hydro application to allow Kirara’s full Hold Skill. While not an “optimal” team, it is very comfortable to use.
Rotation
Nilou E 3[E]/N2E > Nahida E Q > Barbara E1 (Q) > Kirara lhE (Q) > Nilou (Q)
1If Barbara does not trigger Sacrificial Fragments’ passive, switch to an off-field Kirara playstyle on the next rotation; this involves using Kirara’s Short Hold Skill and then alternating between on-field Barbara and Nahida’s Normal Attacks for around 10s.
Hyperbloom and Quickbloom
Kirara occupies the flex slot in Hyperbloom teams, providing survivability through her shield as well as activating Dendro Resonance. As an off-field support, a second Dendro unit is essential for consistent Dendro application even with Kirara’s C4.
As an on-field driver, Kirara must rely on rather less-than-ideal methods of Hydro application, as she cannot trigger Xingqiu or Yelan’s Burst during her Urgent Neko Parcel state. As such, on-field Kirara is generally not recommended outside of entertainment.
Rotation
Raiden E > Xingqiu EDQ N1 > Kirara N1 shE > Alhaitham Q 2[N3D] N2E 2[N3D] N1C 3[N3D] N3
Rotation Video by idkanonymized
Rotation
Raiden E > Nahida E Q > Barbara E1 (Q) > Kirara lhE (Q) > Barbara 3[N4]
1If Barbara does not triggerSacrificial Fragments’ passive, on the next rotation use Kirara’s Short Hold Skill and then extend Barbara’s Normal Attacks for about 10s or until the start of the next rotation.
Rotation Video by idkanonymized
In this team, Nahida should equip Prototype Amber to provide teamwide healing; this gains more Fanfare stacks for Furina’s Burst and increases Furina’s Skill damage.
Rotation
Nahida E N1 Q > Furina N1 ED Q > Shinobu E (Q) > Kirara lhE (Q)
Rotation Video by idkanonymized
Burgeon
Kirara performs a similar role in Burgeon teams to that in her off-field Hyperbloom teams, enabling Dendro Resonance while consolidating defensive utility; her shield is much more valuable in this archetype due to constant self-damage. Similarly to Nilou teams, her shield is particularly good at absorbing Burgeon damage due to its 250% effectiveness against Dendro.
Kirara is limited to a purely off-field role, as currently available off-field Burgeon triggers and viable Hydro appliers do not synergize with her UNP state or aren’t very good triggers to begin with:
- Thoma is the most effective off-field Burgeon trigger, but his Burst cannot proc during Kirara’s UNP state.
- Dehya triggers Burgeon too infrequently to be effective in pure-Burgeon teams.
- Xiangling suffers from tremendous ER requirements as a Solo Pyro, and her fast Pyro application is actually detrimental in Burgeon teams, especially with the lack of fast Hydro appliers. On the other hand, Guoba has low uptime, short range, and inconsistent targeting.
- Xinyan’s Pyro application is tied to her shield, which is easily destroyed by Burgeon self-damage, as multiple shields take damage simultaneously.
Similarly to Hyperbloom teams, a reliable Dendro applier (either on-field or off-field) should be included in Burgeon teams. If Thoma is the Burgeon trigger, the on-field unit should be a Dendro or Hydro enabler. On-field Pyro units can act as Burgeon triggers, primarily those with flexible field time to allow Kirara to easily refresh her shield.
Rotation
Nahida E Q > Xingqiu EDQ > Kirara (Q) shE > Klee combo
Rotation
Ayato Q > Kirara (Q) shE > Traveler EQ > Thoma Q E N1 > Ayato E N15 > Kirara tE > Traveler E > Thoma E > Ayato E N15
Rotation Video by idkanonymized
Kirara provides a shield for Hu Tao in this Double Hydro team. Her Dendro application even at C4+ is slow enough that Xingqiu and Yelan’s combined Hydro application easily overtake any Dendro, Pyro, or Burning auras that occur, ensuring that Hu Tao doesn’t miss many Vapes. Hu Tao can also trigger Burgeons for additional AoE damage.
Rotation
Xingqiu Q N1 ED N1 > Yelan Q N1 E N1 > Kirara (Q) N1 shE N1 > Hu Tao combo
Flex Shielder
Kirara provides a moderately strong shield, and her infrequent Dendro application rarely interferes with other reactions. She works best in quickswap teams due to her shield’s relatively short duration of 12s. However, she faces stiff competition from other shield units who provide greater utility and more useful Elements.
Kirara’s shield can make playing C0 Neuvillette much more comfortable by preventing him from getting interrupted during his Charged Attacks. Neuvillette’s rapid self-healing allows his teams to run without healers while still maximizing Fanfare stacks for Furina’s Burst buffs.
Rotation
Neuvillette E > Furina E > Kazuha tE > Kirara shE > Furina Q > Neuvillette C Q E > Kazuha tE > Kirara shE > Neuvillette 2[C]
Rotation Video by idkanonymized
Kirara’s slight Dendro application triggers Burning and can also prevent a Hydro aura from overtaking Xiangling’s Pyro application. This allows Neuvillette to consistently trigger Forward Vaporize while still having a shield.
Rotation
Neuvillette Q > Kazuha tEP > Kirara Q shE > Xiangling Q ED > Neuvillette 2[C] E N3 > Kazuha tEPQ > Kirara shE > Xiangling ED N3 > Neuvillette C E C
Rotation Video by idkanonymized
While Kirara is not particularly synergistic as the fourth slot, her shield helps with both survivability and Geo Resonance uptime, and she also gets to run with her beloved tailor Chiori.
Rotation
Gorou EQ > Chiori (Q) 2[E] > Kirara shE > Itto Q combo
Credits
“Sign here please~ Meow!”
Writing: nikatosaurus, chasing_haze
Calculations: nikatosaurus, TiniMeow, NatC, Vlad
Editing: idkanonymized, Novalicious, jamberry, polomo
TC Contributors: yukiya_fuyu, caramielle., nzpieface
Transcribers: chasing_haze
References
Kirara Mastersheet
Kirara Shield Calcs by nikatosaurus
Kirara DPS Calcs by TiniMeow, NatC, nikatosaurus, and Vlad
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Changelog
- 22 July 2024 - Published for Version 4.8
