The Black Sword Genshin Impact Guide ⇒ Best Builds & Tips

The Black Sword is one of the most versatile and valuable 4-star weapons in Genshin Impact, serving as a cornerstone weapon for many sword-wielding DPS characters. This pitch-black longsword is described in its lore as thirsting for violence and conflict, with the power to make its user drunk on the “red wine of slaughter.”

Unleashing Power – The Black Sword Weapon Stats

Weapon Type: Sword
Rarity: 4-star
Base Attack: 510 (at Level 90)
Secondary Stat: CRIT Rate 27.6% (at Level 90)

At Level 1, The Black Sword starts with a base ATK of 42 and a CRIT Rate of 6%. It features one of the most desirable secondary stats in the game for DPS builds, making it a reliable choice for increasing crit consistency without heavy reliance on artifact rolls. Its high CRIT Rate enables players to stack CRIT DMG on artifacts for optimal scaling.

Acquisition – How to Get The Black Sword

The Black Sword is not available through gacha banners or standard in-game events. It is exclusively obtainable through the paid Gnostic Hymn Battle Pass. Upon reaching Battle Pass Level 30, players can choose one of the Battle Pass-exclusive weapons, and The Black Sword is one of them.

This paywalled method makes it a premium 4-star weapon, but one that is relatively accessible compared to going after 5-star weapons on limited banners.

Weapon Skill Breakdown – Justice

Justice, The Black Sword’s passive ability, offers two main effects that help sustain and amplify damage:

Normal and Charged Attack DMG increased by 20% (up to 40% at Refinement 5)
Restores 60% of ATK as HP when Normal or Charged Attacks score a CRIT hit (up to 100% at R5), once every 5s

These effects remain useful throughout the game’s progression, giving it both offensive firepower and light self-sustain. Characters who consistently land Normal and Charged Attacks will gain the most benefit, especially those who are actively on-field attacking.

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Recommended Characters for The Black Sword

Kamisato Ayato

Ayato’s Elemental Skill converts his Normal Attacks into rapid Hydro strikes, which synergizes perfectly with The Black Sword’s CRIT Rate and Normal Attack bonuses. The weapon’s healing also helps offset his on-field presence during his skill uptime.

Source : TorteliniSensei

Keqing

Keqing benefits immensely from The Black Sword thanks to her fast-hitting Normal and Charged combo potential. In high Abyss content or solo scenarios, the passive healing helps make her more self-reliant without sacrificing DPS.

Other Candidates

Jean – While not a conventional DPS, her healing scales with ATK and benefits from crits when using an on-field physical DPS build.
Bennett (DPS Variants) – In niche DPS builds, The Black Sword can be a fun, stylish, and aggressive weapon where healing helps with uptime.
Kaeya or Albedo (On-Field Builds) – Their sword usage paired with high uptime on Normal Attacks make them viable users, especially for mid-budget teams.

Best Builds with The Black Sword

Because The Black Sword provides reliable CRIT Rate, characters using it can focus their artifacts on the following builds:

Main Stats

Sands: ATK% (sometimes Elemental Mastery for Ayato reaction builds)
Goblet: Elemental DMG Bonus (Hydro, Electro, etc.)
Circlet: CRIT DMG (to balance the CRIT Rate from the weapon)

Artifact Sets

Ayato: Echoes of an Offering, Heart of Depth, Gladiator’s Finale
Keqing: Thundering Fury (for reactions), Gladiator’s Finale
Jean: Gladiator’s Finale, Shimenawa’s Reminiscence

Weapon Ascension Requirements

To bring The Black Sword to Level 90, you’ll need the following ascension materials:

Boreal Wolf’s Milk Tooth & higher-tiered Boreal Wolf items
Dead Ley Line Branches (and derivatives from domains)
Slime Condensate, Slime Secretions, and Slime Concentrate
Total Mora: 150,000+

Overall Value and Versatility

The Black Sword shines for players who want a consistent 4-star weapon with excellent scaling for CRIT-built sword DPS characters. Its Battle Pass availability makes it a frequent first choice for Gnostic Hymn weapon selectors, and its usability remains high even into the late game. The healing and Normal/Charged Attack boosts make it uniquely well-rounded, especially in solo and Spiral Abyss content.

Useful External Guides and Tier Lists

Frequently Asked Questions about The Black Sword in Genshin Impact

What type of weapon is The Black Sword?

The Black Sword is a 4-star sword-class weapon designed for sword-wielding characters.

How do I obtain The Black Sword?

You can acquire The Black Sword by purchasing the Gnostic Hymn Battle Pass and reaching level 30. It is not available through standard banners.

Is The Black Sword worth buying the Battle Pass for?

Yes, if you frequently use sword DPS characters like Ayato or Keqing. The CRIT Rate substat and healing make it a worthy investment.

Can The Black Sword be refined?

Yes, but refinements require purchasing multiple Battle Passes across different versions, as the weapon is exclusive to that system.

Which characters benefit most from The Black Sword?

Ayato, Keqing, Jean (DPS), and other sword DPS characters who rely on Normal/Charged Attacks benefit most.

Does The Black Sword heal characters?

Yes, it heals when CRIT hits are landed with Normal or Charged Attacks. The heal scales with your ATK stat.

Is this weapon good for support characters?

No, it’s designed for on-field DPS sword users. Supports or off-field units won’t benefit much from its passive.

What weapon should I use if I don’t have The Black Sword?

Alternatives include Blackcliff Longsword, Lion’s Roar, or Amenoma Kageuchi, depending on your character and team.

Does the healing from The Black Sword replace a healer?

In some cases for solo content or Abyss runs, yes. But it cannot fully replace burst healing from characters like Kokomi or Bennett in high-damage scenarios.