Ifa, the newest 4-star Anemo character coming in Genshin Impact version 5.6, brings a familiar playstyle wrapped in a flashy design. But as much as he looks like a promising addition for fans of tall male characters and stylish veterans, his actual gameplay kit may leave players feeling underwhelmed.

Jello Impact breaks down Ifa’s leaked kit and shares an honest first impression: he might be one of the most uninspired characters released in recent memory.

🌪️ Ifa’s Kit – Another Mizuki?

Ifa is a 4-star Anemo Catalyst user who scales with Elemental Mastery (EM) and heals while functioning as an on-field driver. In other words—he’s another Mizuki, just in a lab coat and bird-themed design.

Let’s break down what we know about Ifa’s abilities:

Elemental Skill: Ifa hovers with the help of his bird and fires off normal attacks that deal Anemo damage while healing the team. His healing seems stronger than Mizuki’s but still far from impressive.
Elemental Burst: Deals AoE Anemo damage and applies some grouping, though the strength of the grouping effect is unclear.
Constellations: Just add more of the same—more EM, more healing, more energy—but nothing new or exciting in terms of functionality.
Ascension Stat: Elemental Mastery.

From a practical perspective, this means Ifa competes with Sucrose, Mizuki, and even Jean in terms of fulfilling a similar role. But without strong scaling, a unique mechanic, or high utility, he doesn’t bring anything new to the table.

🎨 Design: Aesthetically Strong

On the bright side, Ifa looks great. He gives off a “cowboy-doctor” vibe, rocking a long coat, an eye patch, and riding on his bird. It’s a fun and dramatic aesthetic, and his animations show a lot of personality—probably more than his actual kit.

But no matter how cool he looks, design can’t make up for a lack of gameplay identity. Jello Impact sums it up perfectly: “He’s Mizuki again.”

🧪 Gameplay Use Cases

So where will Ifa be useful?

✅ Overworld & Early Game: Thanks to his on-field healing and ability to apply Anemo damage through normal attacks, Ifa will be a fantastic pick for new players. He reacts with anything, heals your team, and makes Overworld exploration smooth and comfortable.
✅ Imaginarium Theater: Ifa’s low investment requirements and reactive playstyle might make him a solid filler in Imaginarium Theater teams.
❌ Spiral Abyss: Unfortunately, this is where things start to fall apart. His multipliers are low, he doesn’t snapshot, and his healing isn’t enough to support HP-scaling teammates like Furina.
❌ Hard Content: Against tougher enemies and bosses, Ifa will likely underperform unless you build your team entirely around enabling him—which, given his kit, probably isn’t worth it.

🔁 Synergy

Ifa is an EM-scaling normal attacker and healer, so he pairs best with:

Furina: Helps sustain Furina’s HP drain, although he may struggle to keep her above 50%.
Yelan / Fischl: Since Ifa uses normal attacks, he can trigger coordinated attacks well.
Hyperbloom / Quickbloom: EM scaling means he can play a role in reaction-heavy teams.
VV Support: He can hold Viridescent Venerer and apply Anemo consistently to shred resistances.

But at the end of the day, Ifa is another Sucrose/Mizuki hybrid—and Sucrose is a 4-star that already does this job better and with more flexibility.

🥱 Why This Kit Feels Disappointing

Jello Impact notes that while his healing is better than Mizuki’s, and he does normal attack-based driving, the kit is too similar to what we’ve already seen. There’s no new mechanic, no synergy twist, and nothing compelling enough to make Ifa stand out among the sea of Anemo supports.

Worse yet, Lantern Rite just gave us Lanlan, a much stronger 4-star Anemo support with her own signature twist and excellent utility. Releasing Ifa after Lanlan only amplifies the redundancy.

🌍 Final Thoughts – A Newbie-Friendly Overworld Hero

Despite the lackluster design from a gameplay perspective, Ifa may still find a home in the Overworld and with new players. His healing, EM scaling, and on-field driving give him enough versatility to support casual and beginner teams.

But for veteran players or those looking to build competitive Abyss teams, Ifa is likely a skip—unless you just really love his design.

💬 TL;DR

Ifa is an EM-scaling Anemo healer who acts as an on-field normal attacker.
He’s essentially a 4-star Mizuki, but with slightly better healing.
Best used in Overworld, Imaginarium Theater, or new player teams.
Disappointing for veteran players due to redundancy and lack of impactful utility.

For more honest reviews and pre-release analysis, visit ExploreGenshin.gg — your destination for Genshin Impact team theorycrafting and character breakdowns.’