Everything we know about Hu Tao in Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact Hu Tao is coming. That’s not just a rumor either, as miHoYo essentially confirmed it themselves in the Genshin Impact 1.3 update—more on that below. While there’s still a lot of uncertainty around when Hu Tao will actually be playable, we have a solid idea what she’ll be like once she finally arrives.

So, before you can try your luck on an upcoming Genshin Impact Hu Tao banner, here's everything you need to know about the Pyro character, including who she is, her gear, and her abilities.

When can we expect a Genshin Impact Hu Tao banner?

Shortly after the 1.3 update landed, Redditer the9thEmber found a Hu Tao title card next to Zhongli and Xiao. Genshin Impact only has title cards for characters who can forge relationships with the protagonist, and that means new playable characters such as Xiao. So that there will be a Hu Tao banner is a given, but the big question is when the Hu Tao release date will be. 

Genshin’s 1.3 update only introduced one new character, Xiao, and his Invitation to Mundane Life banner ends February 17. However, miHoYo’s pattern of releasing major updates roughly every six weeks means we likely won’t see 1.4 until mid-March or later. 

That leaves plenty of time for a new event and possibly Hu Tao’s banner event, since miHoYo promised there’s at least one other character event wish on the way during 1.3. That’s aside from the alt-Keqing wish event beginning on February 17.

Genshin Impact Hu Tao: an overview

Hu Tao is the 77th manager of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, a Pyro warrior who communes with spirits. Like most special banner characters, she’ll be a five star character, so snagging Hu Tao in a wish event won’t be easy.

Data miners have uncovered Hu Tao’s Talents and stats, but as with any information discovered in this way, note that it's subject to change. So far it looks like Hu Tao will start with a relatively low base attack of 8, but makes up for that with 68 defense, high HP, and a critical hit rate that grows exponentially from level 40 onwards. 

Normal attack: Secret Spear of Wangsheng

• Normal Attack: Performs up to six consecutive spear strikes.
• Charged Attack: Consumes a certain amount of stamina to lunge forward, dealing damage to opponents along the way.
• Plunging Attack: Plunges from mid-air to strike ground below, damaging opponents along the path and dealing AoE damage on impact.

Elemental Skill: Guide to Afterlife
Hu Tao consumes a set portion of her HP to knock the surrounding enemies back and enter the Paramita Papilio state.

Paramita Papilio

• Increases Hu Tao's attack based on her max HP at the time of entering this state. Attack bonus gained this way cannot exceed 400 percent of Hu Tao's base attack.
• Converts attack damage to Pyro damage, which cannot be overridden by any other elemental infusion.
• Charged attacks apply the Blood Blossom effect the the enemies hit.
• Increases Hu Tao's resistance to interruption.

Blood Blossom
Enemies affected by Blood Blossom will take Pyro damage every four seconds. This damage is considered Elemental Skill damage. Each enemy can be affected by only one Blood Blossom effect at a time, and its duration may only be refreshed by Hu Tao herself. Paramita Papilio ends when its duration is over, or Hu Tao has left the battlefield or fallen.

Elemental Burst: Spirit Soother
Commands a blazing spirit to attack, dealing Pyro damage in a large AoE. Upon striking an enemy, regenerates a percentage of Hu Tao's max HP. This effect can be triggered up to five times, based on the number of enemies hit. If Hu Tao's HP is below or equal to 50 percent when the enemy is hit, both damage and HP regeneration are increased.

Passives

• The More the Merrier: When Hu Tao cooks a dish perfectly, she has an 18 percent chance to receive an additional 'Suspicious' dish of the same type
• Flutter By: When Paramita Papilio state is activated by Guide to Afterlife is over, all allies in the party (excluding Hu Tao herself) will have their critical rate increased by 12 percent for eight seconds.
• Sanguine Rouge: When Hu Tao's HP is equal to or less than 50 percent, her Pyro damage bonus is increased by 33 percent.

Constellations

• Crimson Bouquet: While in Paramita Papilio state activated by Guide to Afterlife, Hu Tao's Charge Attacks do not consume stamina.
• Ominous Rainfall: Increases the Blood Blossom damage by the amount equal to ten percent of Hu Tao's max HP at the time the effect is applied. Additionally, Spirit Soother will also apply the Blood Blossom effect.
• Lingering Carmine: Increases the level of Guide to Afterlife by three. Maximum upgrade level is 15.
• Garden of Eternal Rest: Upon defeating an enemy affected by Blood Blossom that Hu Tao applied herself, all nearby allies in the party (excluding Hu Tao herself) will have their critical rate increased by 12 percent for 15 seconds.
• Floral Incense: Increases the level of Spirit Soother by three. Maximum upgrade level is 15.
• Butterfly's Embrace: Triggers when Hu Tao's HP drops below 25%, or when she suffers a lethal strike—Hu Tao will not fall as a result of the damage sustained. Additionally, for the next ten seconds, all of her elemental and physical resistance is increased by 200 percent, her critical rate is increased by 100 percent, and her resistance to interruption is greatly increased. This effect triggers automatically when Hu Tao has one HP left. Can only occur once every 60 seconds.

How we'll get the best Hu Tao weapon

If Genshin Impact’s Epitome Invocations are anything to go by, it’s most likely Hu Tao’s banner will begin sometime on or soon after February 23. Epitome Invocations are wish events, but for special weapons instead of characters. Genshin’s most recent Epitome runs through February 23, but there’s one notable weapon missing: the Staff of Homa.

The Staff of Homa increases the user’s HP and adds an attack bonus based on their max HP, so it’s a strong contender for Hu Tao’s best weapon thanks to her health-based attacks.

miHoYo confirmed The Staff is part of Genshin 1.3, and can be acquired through an Epitome Invocation. Since it wasn’t part of the first, it's likely the Staff of Homa’s Epitome Invocation will kick off between February 23 and mid-March.

Genshin Impact Hu Tao Ascension materials

Data miner u/DevilTakoyaki also uncovered what you’ll need for Hu Tao’s Ascension materials and Talent materials. 

Hu Tao Materials: Ascension

• Agnidus Agate: Obtained through defeating Pyro Regisvine in the crater between Tainque Valley and Luhua Pool (boss respawns three minutes after you leave the area).
• Everflame Seed: Also obtained through defeating Pyro Regisvine.
• Juvenile Jade: Rumors suggest Hu Tao will need Juvenile Jade instead of Everflame Seeds, which you can only obtain by defeating the 1.3 boss, Primo Geovishap.
• Silk Flowers: Find in red bushes in the Yujing Terrace area or near Wangshu Inn. You can also buy them from Ms Bai and Verr Goldet, but the number is limited, and they’re only available every two days.
• Whopperflower Nectar: Defeat any Whopperflower, Cryo or Pyro (commonly found in the Windrise area, but use your Adventurer’s Handbook navigation feature to find them faster).
• Shimmering Nectar: Defeat Whopperflowers that are between level 40 and level 59.
• Energy Nectar: Defeat Whopperflowers that are level 60 or higher.

Hu Tao Materials: Talents

The materials used for upgrading Hu Tao’s talents are a bit different. Plan on farming more Whopperflower Nectar of all three kinds if you want to raise Hu Tao’s Talents almost all the way, but like all other character talents, you’ll need the Crown of Insight (formerly Crown of Sagehood) to max out a given talent. Those are very rare, so think wisely before choosing.

Shards of Foul Resonance are earned from fighting against Childe as Harbinger Tartaglia. The fight first opens in Chapter I Act III and will be a once-weekly affair from then on.

Aside from those, you’ll also need a fair few Diligence items. You’ll find all three types as drops in the Taishan Mansion Domains of Mastery, which means you need an adventure level higher than 26. On Tuesdays and Fridays, they’ll appear in Heart of the Flames, and they’re in Abyss of Embers on Sundays.

• Nine Teachings of Diligence (Heart of the Flames I-IV)
• 63 Guide to Diligence (Heart of the Flames II-IV)
• 114 Philosophies of Diligence (Heart of the Flames V)