Skirk Is Here – But Is She Worth the Investment? ExploreGenshin

After years of anticipation, Skirk has finally arrived in Genshin Impact—and she’s already one of the most controversial characters the game has ever seen. In his recent video, Genshin content creator Jello Impact gives a passionate deep dive into Skirk’s lore, design, performance, and the serious investment she demands. Here’s everything you need to know about her debut.

Skirk’s Design and Lore: A Dream for Abyss Fans

From her updated character model to her deeply Abyssal lore, Skirk is a fantasy lover’s dream. She was Tartaglia’s mentor, dubbed the “Fool’s Master,” and was rescued from fate just as she would later rescue Childe. Everything about her drips with thematic weight—her interdimensional motifs, constellation (Cristina), and even her dramatic entrance into the Archon storyline. For Jello, Skirk is the perfect character—visually and narratively.

But while the aesthetics are undeniably top-tier, her gameplay raises questions.

Skirk’s Kit: Powerful… But Pricey

Skirk isn’t budget-friendly—not by a long shot. Jello calls her an “expensive chicken” because she demands some of the most premium team setups and gear in the game. Here’s what you need to maximize her:

Escafier (Cryo buffer and shredder)
Furina (Support and healing synergy)
Shenhe, Yelan, or C4 Mona (Flexible 4th slot with burst/damage boost)
Her Signature Weapon (For peak performance)

Skirk’s damage ranks second or third in the game depending on whether she has her weapon. With her full setup (Escafier + Furina + Shenhe/Yelan + Signature weapon), she can reach just under Moa’s 150k DPS ceiling, sitting just above Veressa (around 109k) and Novalet.

Without her weapon? She drops below Veressa into third place.

Without Escafier or Furina? She falls to high-mid tier, around 80k DPS.

Without any of the above? Expect mid-to-low tier performance, even with decent artifacts.

Skirk’s Team Synergies: Assemble Exodia or Bust?

One of the main criticisms of Skirk is how reliant she is on specific characters. You essentially have to build “Exodia” to get value from her. Jello breaks down Skirk’s ideal teammates:

S-Tier Support

Escafier
Furina
Yelan / Shenhe / C4 Mona

A-Tier Alternatives

Dahlia (Enables Calamity of Ishue—solid F2P pairing)
Leila (Potential sleeper pick for Cryo support and Tenacity)

B-Tier and Below

Mona (non-C4), Mika, Ayato, Candace, Barbara, Kokomi, etc. — viable but far from optimal.

Notably, Skirk doesn’t require supports like Bennett, Chevreuse, or Sucrose, meaning your other Abyss team has a full pool to work with—one small upside to her inflexibility.

Artifact Choices: Mara Chasse or Signature Set?

Jello recommends two viable sets:

Marechaussee Hunter: Best for most players, extremely resin-efficient as it can be double-farmed with Escafier.
Signature Set: Strongest with high investment, but not resin-friendly. Mostly recommended for meta chasers or Skirk mains.

This flexibility in artifact options is one of the few areas where Skirk is actually F2P-friendly.

Burst Limitations and Playstyle Quirks

Skirk starts with full stacks and can burst once. After that, it becomes a bit unclear whether she can refresh her burst usage per rotation. You cannot swap her out mid-skill without losing stacks, and she doesn’t support Shenhe refresh, which limits damage potential.

Additionally, she has poor AoE performance and can only be used as a burst-DPS in one half of the Abyss rotation, due to her stack-based mechanic.

Still, she has great overworld mobility, decent survivability via interruption resistance, and solid synergy with weapons like the Calamity of Ishue, making her fun for exploration.

Skirk’s Strengths and Weaknesses at a Glance

✅ Strengths:

Top-tier aesthetics and lore.
Second or third best DPS at full investment.
Unique Cryo-focused gameplay and animations.
Strong synergy with Calamity of Ishue for F2P builds.
Good exploration mobility and interruption resistance.

❌ Weaknesses:

Extremely expensive to build properly.
Requires specific teammates and weapons.
Poor AoE and rotation flexibility.
Cannot switch out mid-skill or refresh buffs.
Not viable in lower-investment or four-star-only teams.

Verdict: Should You Pull for Skirk?

Skirk is for the invested—those who already have or plan to get Escafier, Furina, and top-tier Cryo or Hydro units. She is not recommended for newer players, low spenders, or those who missed key supports in previous patches.

If you can assemble Exodia, you’ll get a stunning character with near top-tier damage and a rewarding playstyle.

If not? You may want to pass.

For the full passionate breakdown, character insights, and team-building discussion, watch Jello Impact’s video here. And for more expert guides, tier lists, and lore breakdowns, stay tuned to ExploreGenshin.gg.