Kaedehara Kazuha: The Wandering Samurai | Genshin Impact Wiki
Introduction
Kaedehara Kazuha stands as one of Genshin Impact’s most beloved characters—a five-star Anemo Sword user who embodies the spirit of freedom and wanderlust. Originally from Inazuma’s prestigious Kaedehara Clan, Kazuha has become an indispensable support character capable of transforming entire team compositions through his unique buffing mechanics and exceptional crowd control abilities. His gentle demeanor masks a complex history rooted in tragedy, rebellion, and the ongoing search for harmony between power and ideals.
Released in Version 1.6 (July 2021) during the “Midsummer Island Adventure” event, Kazuha has maintained his position as a top-tier support character through five years of content updates and power creep, consistently ranking in SS-tier across competitive tier lists. His popularity extends beyond gameplay mechanics—his poetic voice lines, drawn from Japan’s classical Man’yoshu poetry collection, and his compelling narrative of a displaced noble seeking redemption have captivated the Genshin Impact community.
Character Profile & Background
Personal Information
Kazuha is a polite, soft-spoken individual whose easygoing disposition conceals the burdens he carries from his past. Unlike other noble Inazuman families, he rejected the confined life of nobility in favor of exploration and adventure, driven by a lifelong appreciation for nature’s beauty. His birthday falls on October 29th, and his constellation is Momiji, symbolizing the crimson maple leaves central to his character design and abilities.
A temporary member of the Crux Fleet operating out of Liyue, Kazuha serves as Captain Beidou’s trusted companion, having boarded her ship after fleeing Inazuma during the Vision Hunt Decree. His Chinese voice actor is delivered through HoYoverse’s localization team, while his English voiceover showcases his poetic nature with lines like “Into the wind” and “One with nature,” reflecting classical Japanese poetry traditions.
The Kaedehara Clan Legacy
The Kaedehara Clan represents one of Inazuma’s most prestigious lineages, famous for their mastery of the Isshin Art—a legendary swordsmanship technique dating back centuries. During the Raiden Gokaden era (an ancient period when the Raiden Shogun commissioned master craftsmen), Kazuha’s ancestors played pivotal roles in weapon forging and martial traditions.
However, Kazuha’s personal history diverged from this noble legacy due to tragic circumstances. When the Vision Hunt Decree was enacted by the Raiden Shogun, Kazuha—already bearing the weight of a friend’s death at the Shogun’s hands during an honorable duel—refused to accept this fate passively. His resistance led to his family being marked as traitors, with the Kaedehara Estate confiscated and his clan’s status stripped away. This forced Kazuha into hiding, severing him from his ancestral home and responsibilities.
Moral Philosophy & Character Arc
Unlike many who harbor direct resentment toward the Raiden Shogun for personal slights, Kazuha’s grievance centers on the Vision Hunt Decree itself. His famous philosophical statement—“What is the meaning of freedom if demanded of you by a god?”—encapsulates his core belief: that removing people’s ambitions and agency violates fundamental principles of human dignity.
Through his story quest in Version 2.8, Kazuha confronts the possessed Kagotsurube Isshin blade—a weapon cursed by a spirit twisted by obsession and rage. By understanding the blacksmith’s warped intentions, Kazuha demonstrates his commitment to harmony and forgiveness, ultimately allowing the cursed spirit to possess him temporarily to guide the blade’s restoration. This moment solidifies his character’s central theme: resolving conflict through understanding rather than vengeance.
Combat Mechanics & Talents
Elemental Skill: Chihayaburu (Wind-Splitting Strike)
Kazuha’s Elemental Skill forms the foundation of his support capabilities. Upon activation, he performs a devastating wind technique that pulls nearby enemies toward his position before launching them away, dealing Anemo damage while propelling himself airborne. This vertical displacement enables his unique Plunging Attack: Midare Ranzan, a special Anemo-infused plunge that creates wind tunnels pulling objects and opponents together.
The Skill supports two execution modes:
- Tap Mode: 6-second cooldown, generates 3 Anemo particles, weaker grouping radius
- Hold Mode: 9-second cooldown, generates 4 Anemo particles, enhanced crowd control area of effect
Critically, Chihayaburu can absorb one of four elements (Pyro > Hydro > Electro > Cryo in priority order), causing Midare Ranzan’s plunge to deal additional elemental damage equal to 200% of Kazuha’s Attack scaling. This absorption property integrates seamlessly with his Ascension 4 Passive.
Elemental Burst: Kazuha Slash (Autumn Whirlwind)
Costing 60 Energy, Kazuha’s Elemental Burst strikes with “the force of the first winds of autumn,” creating a persistent field for 8 seconds that continuously deals Anemo damage to enemies within its radius. Like his Skill, the Burst can absorb elements (same priority), converting absorbed elements into periodic elemental damage within the field.
The Burst’s significance lies not merely in its direct damage but in its interaction with his Ascension 4 Passive—it consistently refreshes his Elemental Mastery buff effect and provides sustained elemental application for reaction chains.
Ascension 4 Passive: Poetics of Fuubutsu (Ancient Harmonies)
This passive defines Kazuha’s role as a support powerhouse. Upon triggering a Swirl reaction, Kazuha grants all party members an Elemental Damage Bonus equal to 0.04% of his Elemental Mastery for the swirled element, lasting 8 seconds. With a well-built Kazuha achieving 800+ Elemental Mastery, this translates to a 32%+ Elemental Damage bonus—an enormous team-wide buff.
Critically, bonuses for different elements can coexist simultaneously. A team triggering both Pyro and Hydro Swirls receives stacking buffs for both elements, enabling his use in Reverse Vaporize teams where both Pyro and Hydro units gain simultaneous damage increases.
Must Read : Ultimate Kazuha Build Guide 2025
Talent Priority
Character Level > Elemental Burst > Normal Attack = Elemental Skill
Level 90 Ascension is strongly recommended—approximately 1/3 of Kazuha’s total damage derives from talent scalings, while 2/3 stems from elemental reactions. Leveling talents beyond 9 provides diminishing returns for support-focused builds.
Build Optimization & Artifacts
Recommended Artifact Set: Viridescent Venerer (4pc)
Viridescent Venerer remains Kazuha’s undisputed best artifact set across nearly all team compositions. The 4-piece effect grants +15% Anemo damage (benefiting both his Skill and Burst) and reduces enemies’ resistance to the Swirled element by 40%—effectively functioning as a massive Elemental Damage amplifier for Swirl-dependent teams.
Artifact Main Stats
| Slot | Recommendation | Substats Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Sands | Elemental Mastery or Energy Recharge | ER (until threshold) > EM >> ATK% = CRIT Rate |
| Goblet | Elemental Mastery | Same as Sands |
| Circlet | Elemental Mastery | Same as Sands |
Substat Strategy: Energy Recharge until reaching threshold (typically 200-270%), then maximize Elemental Mastery. Unlike DPS characters, Kazuha benefits minimally from CRIT stats except when using Favonius Sword (requiring ~20% CRIT Rate for consistent particle generation).
Target Endgame Stats
- Elemental Mastery: 750-1000+ (higher is nearly always better)
- Energy Recharge: 240-270% (varies by weapon and team)
- ATK: 1200-1500 (secondary priority)
- HP: 18,000-22,000 (minimal importance for support role)
Weapon Recommendations
| Weapon | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Freedom-Sworn | 5★ Signature | Best overall; Elemental Mastery scaling + team ATK buff |
| Xiphos’ Moonlight | 4★ | Top 4-star choice; high refinements match signature weapon performance |
| Favonius Sword | 4★ | Teamwide Energy generation; requires ~20% CRIT Rate |
| Iron Sting | 4★ Free | Solid Elemental Mastery option; non-refinement dependent |
| Toukabou Shigure | 4★ Inazuma | Aesthetic alternative to Iron Sting; Elemental Mastery focus |
| Fleuve Cendre Ferryman | 4★ Free | Best free option for high ER requirements |
Avoid allocating signature 5-star CRIT weapons (Primordial Jade Cutter, Mistsplitter Reforged) to Kazuha—these perform better on DPS characters despite their individual strength.
Team Compositions
Quicken/Aggravate (Elemental Reaction Focus)
Kazuha pairs exceptionally with Electro + Dendro teams, providing Electro Damage bonuses while triggering Aggravate reactions with his Elemental-absorbed Skill and Burst. Example team: Kazuha / Nahida / Fischl / Raiden Shogun. Four-piece Thundering Fury artifact builds become viable here due to frequent Aggravate procs.
Freeze Teams
Kazuha’s grouping and Cryo Damage buffs make him invaluable for Ayaka/Ganyu freeze compositions. His Plunging Attack, while limiting Freeze uptime with certain Hydro applicators like Mona, provides additional damage windows. Example: Ayaka / Kazuha / Shenhe / Kokomi.
Reverse Vaporize (Double Swirl)
Advanced Reverse Vape rotations leverage Kazuha’s ability to simultaneously Swirl both Pyro and Hydro elements, buffing both Pyro and Hydro DPS units. Example: Hu Tao / Kazuha / Xingqiu / Zhongli or Lyney / Kazuha / Bennett / Sucrose. These require practiced rotations but yield exceptional damage scaling.
Mono-Element & Hypercarry
Kazuha excels in Mono Pyro (Bennett + Xiangling core), Mono Cryo (Shenhe variants), Mono Hydro (Neuvillette + Furina), and Electro Hypercarry (Raiden Shogun / Keqing) teams, providing both elemental damage bonuses and crowd control supporting on-field DPS units.
Constellations
| Constellation | Effect | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| C1: Scarlet Hills | -10% Skill CD; Burst resets Skill CD | Situational; reduces ER needs but extends rotations |
| C2: Yamaarashi Tailwind | Burst grants +200 EM to self & on-field unit (Natlan) | ★★★ Significant; outperforms Sucrose in reaction teams |
| C3: Maple Monogatari | +3 Skill levels | Low priority; talent scaling tertiary |
| C4: Oozora Genpou | Energy regen below 45%; gliding regeneration | Niche utility outside main rotations |
| C5: Wisdom of Bansei | +3 Burst levels | Better than C3 but not worth pulling unless C6 target |
| C6: Crimson Momiji | Anemo infusion on attacks post-Skill/Burst; EM scales Normal/Charged/Plunge DMG by 0.2% | ★★★★★ Opens on-field DPS playstyle; dramatically increased personal damage |
Recommendation: Stop at C2 unless specifically pursuing C6. The gap between C2 and C6 is substantial but requires significant investment.
Ascension Materials & Leveling
Ascension Requirements
- Anemo Gems: Vayuda Turquoise (Anemo elemental upgrade materials)
- Local Specialty: Sea Ganoderma (harvested throughout Inazuma)
- Enemy Drops: Marionette Core (defeated from Maguu Kenki boss on Yashiori Island)
- Talent Materials: Gilded Scales (Azhdaha Trounce Challenge drops)
Total resource investment for Ascension 0→6 requires significant farming commitment, particularly Marionette Cores from the Maguu Kenki weekly boss.
Combat Performance & Tier Placement
As of December 2025, Kazuha maintains SS-tier rankings across competitive tier lists alongside other universal supports like Fischl, Nahida, and Zhongli. His versatility enables team building across diverse archetypes while remaining relevant through version 6.2 and beyond.
Key performance indicators include:
- DPS contribution: 20-30% of team damage through Swirl reactions and buffs
- Team synergy multiplier: 1.5-2.0x damage increase to paired elements
- Crowd control reliability: Consistent grouping enables efficient mob clearing and burst damage windows
Voice Lines & Personality
Kazuha’s English voice portrayal emphasizes his poetic nature and wandering spirit. Notable quotes include:
“Into the wind…” – Demonstrating his bond with nature
“Fallen leaves adorn my path…” – Referencing his journey
“One with nature, clouds hide the birds call as one with wind and cloud…” – Encapsulating his philosophy
His voice lines derive inspiration from the Man’yoshu, Japan’s oldest poetry collection compiled around 759 AD, grounding his character in authentic cultural references.
Story Quest & Lore Expansion
Kazuha’s Story Quest Chapter Act I, released in Version 2.8, explores his family’s legacy through the discovery of a possessed Kagotsurube Isshin sword. The narrative reveals how his great-grandfather’s blade diagram was altered by Kunikuzushi (the Wanderer’s former identity), directly connecting Kazuha’s personal tragedy to broader Genshin Impact lore involving the Fatui’s manipulation of Inazuman history.
Upon quest completion, players obtain the Kagotsurube Isshin sword, a powerful weapon perfectly suited to Kazuha’s playstyle with Elemental Skill damage bonuses.
Banner History & Availability
| Version | Banner Name | Duration | 4-Star Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 (July 2021) | Initial Release | First availability | Amber, Barbara, Ningguang |
| 2.8 (July 2022) | 1st Rerun | Return banner | Fischl, Mika, Kazuha featured |
| 3.7 (July 2023) | 2nd Rerun | Summer rerun | Various 4-stars |
| 4.5 (August 2024) | 3rd Rerun | Latest rerun | Kachina, Bennett, Xinyan |
Kazuha’s most recent banner as of December 2025 concluded in September 2024. Following historical patterns (annual summer reruns), his next banner likely appears in mid-2025.
Conclusion
Kaedehara Kazuha represents the pinnacle of support character design in Genshin Impact—combining mechanical excellence with narrative depth and cultural authenticity. His journey from displaced noble to wandering samurai seeking harmony resonates with players seeking both powerful gameplay mechanics and emotionally compelling storytelling. Whether clearing spiral abyss or exploring Teyvat’s expansive regions, Kazuha’s presence transforms team compositions while embodying the spirit of freedom that defines his character philosophy.
Also Read : Genshin Impact Characters Wiki