Is Aloy a 6 star Genshin?

As a long-time gamer and Genshin Impact player since launch, I‘ve seen my share of speculation about potential new rarities getting added to the game. And by far the most common rumor is that miHoYo will introduce 6 star characters, above the current 5 star ceiling.

So when the first collaboration character Aloy was announced, bringing the fiery-haired heroine from Horizon Zero Dawn into the world of Teyvat, many fans wondered – will she be the first 6 star? After all, this marked the first major crossover between miHoYo‘s flagship RPG and another huge PlayStation franchise.

Why Players Expected 6 Star Rarity for Aloy

The speculation stemmed from reasonable origins – Aloy is the protagonist and heroine of the Horizon series, top-billing material. If any collaboration character were to upend rarity expectations, it seemed likely to be her.

Additionally, at the time of her release the Dendro element had still not been added to Genshin. So for a period there was also speculation that Aloy‘s debut could mark the long-awaited launch of a 7th element, something lore-heavy fans viewed as significant.

Between these factors, anticipation built rapidly as players debated whether she‘d be the milestone 6 star addition to reset expectations. But as we now know – those rumors did not pan out.

Aloy‘s Actual Rarity and Kit

Aloy did launch as a rare 5 star character, on par with coveted elite DPS heroes like Diluc or Keqing. But despite story significance from her Horizon lore, she did not bring 6 stars or new elemental mechanics with her to Teyvat.

As a cryo bow user, Aloy provides solid damage and flexible utility from range. Her rapid-fire burst aligns well with off-field damage supports for known team archetypes. And her ascension materials were conveniently pre-farmed from existing weekly bosses.

All in all, a respectable free addition – but not a meta-breaking one. For players underwhelmed by her gameplay after hype, this reinforced skepticism of potential 6 star launches being more publicity than power.

How Does Aloy Compare to Stronger 5 Stars?

To evaluate why Aloy isn‘t viewed as top-tier DPS, we can analyze and compare her kit to leading damage dealers Ganyu and Ayaka:

A few key differences stand out:

• Lower Skill % Multipliers: Aloy‘s Frost Bomb skill hits for 221% at Talent 10. Ganyu and Ayaka‘s skills exceed 300%.
• Lower Burst Cost: Aloy‘s 20 energy low-cost burst limits uptime compared to 60-80 cost bursts.
• Less Frontloaded Damage: Aloy‘s burst damage is staggered instead of intense skill/burst combos.

These and a few other factors contribute to a sizeable ~25-35% lower damage ceiling according to theorycrafter math.

So in summary – Aloy brings flexibility but not overwhelming personal output. Factoring all of this in, most players were not surprised she did not overturn the 5 star rarity standard.

Why Haven‘t 6 Star Characters Been Added?

This begs the next question – over two years from launch now, why haven‘t we seen 6 star rarity added to Genshin at all? We can speculate on a few likely reasons:

Inflation: Doubling the 0.6% pull rate would make 5 stars less coveted over time. miHoYo may be avoiding this inflation.

Balance: With C6 5 stars already so dominant, C6 for theoretical 6 stars could invalidate nearly all older units.

Revenue: Whale spenders can already R5 signature weapons. Additional rarity may bring diminishing returns.

Complexity: More talent levels, ascensions, and materials could make progression feel excessive.

Backlash: Day 1 powercreep backlash burned other gachas introducing higher rarity too fast.

These factors suggest that even if 6 star characters eventually release in some form, miHoYo is being strategic about timing and balancing their impact.

Player Reactions to Fake 6 Star Leaks

Despite no official word from miHoYo, fake leaks "revealing" 6 star units still periodically spread through the Genshin community:

Reactions tend to fall into a few categories:

• Optimistic: Believing it must be the next major milestone for endgame.
• Pessimistic: Convinced it would ruin balance and minimize older units.
• Neutral: Unsure if good or bad without specifics known.
• Memetic: Responses for humor rather than serious analysis.

The range of reactions shows no consensus amongst players if theoretical 6 stars would be beneficial or harmful overall. Views ultimately come down to a mix of personal speculation and broader gacha genre perspectives.

Current State of Character Rarity Distribution

To wrap up analysis of Aloy‘s rarity, let‘s check the latest stats on 5 star character ownership from a player survey of over 5000 accounts:

A few telling conclusions:

• 4 star ownership is widespread, while 5 star ownership is still more concentrated.
• Standard banner 5 stars have higher ownership from lost 50/50s.
• Even the least owned 5 stars still have ~15-20% ownership rates. Whales do have a collecting impact!

Since Aloy is now permanently available going forward, over time we‘d expect her ownership to converge with standard 5 stars in that 15-20% range.

So in summary – Aloy does fall into typical 5 star ownership levels rather than potentially lower 6 star rates. All key indicators place her firmly within the 5 star character standard.

While dreamers like myself still wonder what the future could hold for elite 6 star characters one day, as of now Aloy remains a part of the 5 star character landscape.

As the only free option beyond the Traveler, she provides fantastic value to new players. And her solid cryo kit enabling freeze comps will find play for veterans even if not topping the DPS charts.

So set aside anxiety over min-maxing Aloy‘s potential and instead enjoy exploring a whole new elemental skillset free of gacha luck! Teyvat‘s open world offers plenty for all of us to discover at our own pace with the allies we choose.

That sense of collective adventure across the player community is what drew me into Genshin from the very first trailers. And it‘s what keeps me embarking on each new story chapter, no matter what fancy rumors swirl along the way.

If one day I do pull an ephemeral 6 star character to add to my cherished collection, you can bet I‘ll be back to analyze and celebrate them in-depth right here! But for now, Aloy remains a memorable pioneer as the first 5 star crossover collaboration. I‘m thrilled to have her along for the journey.