Raiden Shogun is one of the most iconic characters in Genshin Impact, and saying otherwise would be a clear lie. Her initial popularity came from her Archon status and from being an expy of Raiden Mei from Honkai Impact 3rd, but after playing through the Inazuma Archon Quest, most players (myself included) fell in love with her character. Since then, HoYoverse has featured her in numerous events, solidifying her status as a fan-favorite.
Unfortunately, power creep has hit Raiden Shogun pretty hard. From being one of the best DPS carries, she’s now often relegated to a Hyperbloom enabler. As a Raiden fan, it was honestly sad to see, but that’s just how gacha games work: older units get power crept (unless you’re a 1.0 4-star, apparently). So what did I do? Instead of being smart and pulling for newer units, I doubled down and chased her constellations. I wanted to write about what it felt like to finally get C2 Raiden Shogun, and whether it was worth it.
How I got Raiden Shogun, her First Constellation, and finally her Second Constellation?
I’ve been playing Genshin Impact since launch, and like most long-time players, I pulled Raiden Shogun during her debut in Version 2.1 — almost four years ago now. Back then, she was incredibly strong, and her best free-to-play team was the famous Raiden National. One of the best things about her kit was how strong her early constellations were. The damage difference between C3 and C6 Raiden is only around 10–15% (if I remember correctly), so C2 or C3 were solid stopping points for players investing vertically.
With that in mind, I got her first constellation during her first rerun in Version 2.5 with around 60 wishes. I expected to go for her C2 in the next rerun, but then HoYoverse dropped the Dendro element and Genshin’s entire meta shifted. While I still loved Raiden Shogun, characters like Nahida, Alhaitham, and Cyno (yes, I haven’t used him since Nahida released) were just too strong to ignore. On top of that, Raiden’s best meta team turned into Hyperbloom, where she doesn’t even get to use her signature burst move anymore.
Because of that, I skipped her reruns in Versions 3.3, 4.3, and 5.0. But one thing about being an Archon, you get frequent reruns. She finally returned in Version 5.6, and for me, it was a dry patch. I have no interest in Freeze teams and honestly dislike the forced restrictions brought in by Escoffier and Skirk. I already have Navia, Kinich, and even Kinich’s signature weapon, so I had nothing else to pull for. That’s when I decided to go for Raiden’s C2. Thankfully, I was on guaranteed pity and got her in around 30 wishes.
After nearly four years, I finally unlocked Raiden Shogun’s second constellation — and I have thoughts.
My Opinions on Raiden Shogun Second Constellation and Experience Playing Her in 2025
To be brutally honest, I probably shouldn’t have pulled for Raiden’s C2 in 2025. There are many newer characters who benefit far more from their constellations or signature weapons. But at the end of the day, Genshin Impact is a gacha game and you’re meant to pull for what you enjoy. And for me, Raiden Shogun is still that character. None of the newer units really excited me. So here we are.
Now, let’s talk about how C2 Raiden Shogun feels in 2025. Her second constellation allows her burst attacks to ignore 60% of enemies’ defense. This applies to both the initial slash and the follow-up hits. It’s a straight, non-conditional damage boost and while that sounds great, in today’s meta it’s honestly a bit underwhelming. Her multipliers don’t compete with modern characters, and enemy HP scaling has gotten wild.
That said, Raiden C2 is still far from weak. I tested her in three different teams:
- Raiden Shogun, Kujou Sara (C6), Bennett (C6), Kazuha (C2)
- Raiden Shogun, Kujou Sara (C6), Bennett (C6), Chevreuse (C6)
- Raiden Shogun, Xiangling (C6), Bennett (C6), Chevreuse (C6)
For context, I use The Catch (R5) on Raiden. I’ve had no luck on her weapon banner, and I generally avoid pulling unless both banner weapons are worth it.
The first team is her original best: Kujou Sara and Bennett stack massive ATK buffs, Kazuha shreds Electro RES and boosts Elemental DMG. With C6 Sara, Raiden gets a massive 60% Electro Crit DMG boost.
The second team replaces Kazuha with Chevreuse to create an Overload comp. Chevreuse supports Overload teams by shredding Pyro/Electro RES, healing, buffing ATK, and giving a 60% Pyro/Electro DMG Bonus (at C6). She’s a strong support, sometimes outperforming dedicated RES shredders like Kazuha or Xianyun. But this team is heavily frontloaded, as maintaining Chevreuse’s buff throughout Raiden’s burst can be tricky.
Surprisingly, the third team dealt the highest total damage. Xiangling’s Pyronado works well with Chevreuse to maintain the Overload buff, boosting both Raiden’s and Xiangling’s damage.
Also, the current Spiral Abyss (Floor 12) features the Lava Dragon Statue, which practically requires Pyro to break its resistance bar. Xiangling’s Pyronado (with no ICD) is excellent here. The Abyss also has Tenebrous Mimesis (Chamber 2) and Tenebrous Papilla (Chamber 3), which demand fast elemental application, something Xiangling handles easily. If you’re running Raiden in today’s Abyss, Xiangling is almost a must.
Across all three teams, my Raiden’s initial burst damage ranged from 400–450k with R5 The Catch up from 300–330k before unlocking C2. That’s a significant boost.
I even uploaded a Spiral Abyss clear featuring Raiden C2. Feel free to check it out below:
Final Words
After nearly four years, I finally got Raiden Shogun’s second constellation. For most people, this might not be a big deal as she’s one of the older 5-stars by now. But for me, it’s special. I still love her design, her backstory, and her gameplay — yes, even her busted Hyperbloom version.
Next time she gets a rerun, I hope she’s paired with a new 5-star so I can finally go for Engulfing Lightning. I don’t need it, but I want it. You know, just for the drip.