Nilou is a 5-Star Hydro character who was added to Genshin Impact during Phase 2 of the 3.1 update.
Nilou is featured as the boosted 5-Star character in her Twirling Lotus Banner in version 3.6, but she will eventually return at some point in the future when the Banner schedule cycles back to her.
Whether you have her, or want to prepare for if you do Wish for her successfully, it’s good to know the best Nilou build in Genshin Impact, including her best Artifacts and best team. It's also handy to learn what her Constellation perks are, and what Talent materials and Ascension materials are needed to level up Nilou to her full potential.
Be sure to check out our Genshin Impact codes page to get free Primogems that can be used towards unlocking Nilou and other characters.
Nilou materials and stats:
- Nilou Talents, skills, star, element, and weapon
- Nilou Talent materials
- Nilou Ascension materials
- Nilou Constellation
Nilou build:
- How to play Nilou in Genshin Impact
- Best Nilou team comp
- Best Nilou Artifacts
- Best Nilou weapon
- Best Nilou build
Collected Miscellany - "Nilou: Lotus Waves" | Genshin Impact Genshin Impact Nilou Talents, skills, star, element, and weapon
Nilou is a 5-Star Hydro character who uses a sword, and is best used in a hybrid main and sub DPS role (damage per second) in a Dendro and Hydro exclusive team, due to the very unique way she creates special Dendro Cores, and the damage she creates scaled off her health.
Here's a summary of Nilou’s abilities and stats in Genshin Impact:
- Element: Hydro.
- Rarity: 5-Star.
- Weapon: Sword.
- Banner: Twirling Lotus.
- Best build: Hybrid main and sub DPS.
- Normal Attack: Dance of Samser.
- Elemental Skill: Dance of Haftkarsvar.
- Elemental Burst: Dance of Abzendegi - Distant Dreams, Listening Spring.
- Passive one: Court of Dancing Petals (When your entire party is Dendro and Hydro, Nilou grants all characters the Golden Chalice's Bounty for 30 seconds after her third dance step of Dance of Haftarsvar, which increases Elemental Mastery by 100 for 10 seconds whenever they are hit by Dendro attacks, and triggering Bloom reactions will create Bountiful Cores in place of Dendro Cores which have a larger Area of Effect - but Bountiful Cores can't trigger Hyperbloom or Burgeon).
- Passive two: Dreamy Dance of Aeons (Every 1,000 HP after 30,000 will cause the damage of Bountiful Cores to increase by 9%, with a maximum increase of 400%).
- Cooking bonus: White Jade Lotus (There is a 12% chance to obtain double food when Perfect Cooking is performed).
Nilou Normal Attack - Dance of Samser
It's the standard sword strikes for Nilou with her normal attack, as she's able to perform up to three consecutive stikes, or charge and consume stamina to perform a twirling slash. Plunging from the air instead damages opponents on her way down and causes AOE (Area of Effect) damage upon impact.
Nilou Elemental Skill - Dance of Haftkarsvar
Nilou enters a Pirouette state, dealing Hydro damage to nearby opponents based on her maximum HP. If Nilou then uses a normal attack on her third 'dance step', she will enter the Sword Dance stance, whereas if she uses her Elemental Skill on the third dance step, she enters the Whirling Steps stance instead.
While in the Sword Dance stance, Nilou unleashes a Luminous Illusion, dealing Hydro damage to opponents and granting the Lunar Prayer effect, which converts her normal attacks into Sword Dance techniques, with her final hit unleashing a Luminous Illusion.
Whereas in the Whirling Steps stance, Nilou creates a Whirling Water Wheel that deals AOE Hydro damage and creates a Tranquility Aura that follows the active character, applying Wet to opponents within its AOE.
Nilou Elemental Burst - Dance of Abzendegi: Distant Dreams, Listening Spring
Begins a dance that causes a Lotus of Distant Waters to bloom, dealing AOE Hydro damage scaled off Nilou's maximum HP and applying the Lingering Aeon effect to any opponents hit. After a short interval, opponents affected by lingering Aeon will take Hydro damage.
Genshin Impact Nilou Talent materials
To get the most out of using Nilou, you will have to level her skills up by using Talent materials, which vary from character-to-character.
For Nilou, you'll need to farm a lot of Praxis and Crystalline Cyst Dust materials (if you don't already have them) to fully upgrade her capabilities.
As Nilou has three Talents, you will have to spend three times the Talent materials listed below to fully upgrade all of her abilities, which we've also detailed below the table.
Here's what Nilou Talent materials and Mora you need to improve one of her abilities:
| Nilou Talent level | Nilou Talent materials | Mora cost |
|---|---|---|
| Level 2 | x3 Teachings of Praxis, x6 Fungal Spores | 12,500 |
| Level 3 | x2 Guide to Praxis, x3 Luminescent Pollen | 17,500 |
| Level 4 | x4 Guide to Praxis, x4 Luminescent Pollen | 25,000 |
| Level 5 | x6 Guide to Praxis, x6 Luminescent Pollen | 30,000 |
| Level 6 | x9 Guide to Praxis, x9 Luminescent Pollen | 37,500 |
| Level 7 | x4 Philosophies of Praxis, x4 Crystalline Cyst Dust, x1 Tears of the Calamitous God | 120,000 |
| Level 8 | x6 Philosophies of Praxis, x6 Crystalline Cyst Dust, x1 Tears of the Calamitous God | 260,000 |
| Level 9 | x12 Philosophies of Praxis, x9 Crystalline Cyst Dust, x2 Tears of the Calamitous God | 450,000 |
| Level 10 | x16 Philosophies of Praxis, x12 Crystalline Cyst Dust, x2 Tears of the Calamitous God, x1 Crown of Insight | 700,000 |
Here's what Talent Materials you'll need to fully upgrade one of Nilou's skills:
- x1 Crown of Insight
- x3 Teachings of Praxis
- x6 Fungal Spores
- x6 Tears of the Calamitous God
- x21 Guide to Praxis
- x22 Luminescent Pollen
- x31 Crystalline Cyst Dust
- x38 Philosophies to Praxis
- 1,652,500 Mora
To upgrade all three of Nilou's skills, here's all the Talent Materials you'll need:
- x3 Crown of Insight
- x9 Teachings of Praxis
- x18 Fungal Spores
- x18 Tears of the Calamitous God
- x63 Guide to Praxis
- x66 Luminescent Pollen
- x93 Crystalline Cyst Dust
- x114 Philosophies to Praxis
- 4,957,500 Mora
Genshin Impact Nilou Ascension materials
Just like Talents, you need to use Nilou Ascension materials to upgrade her health, attack, defence, and critical hit effectiveness.
You'll need to farm a lot of Padisarah and Perpetual Caliber materials for Nilou (if you don't already have them) to fully upgrade her capabilities.
Unlike Talent materials, you only need to spend the below Ascension materials once to fully raise Nilou to her highest character level. There is also Acquaint Fate rewarded for reaching certain Ascension levels. You can spend this Fate on the standard and beginner Banners to Wish for characters and weapons.
Here's what Nilou Ascension materials and Mora you need to upgrade her for each Ascension level:
| Nilou Ascension level | Nilou Ascension materials | Mora cost | Ascension reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 20 | x1 Varunada Lazurite Sliver, x3 Padisarah, x3 Fungal Spores | 20,000 | x1 Acquaint Fate |
| Level 40 | x3 Varunada Lazurite Fragment, x2 Perpetual Caliber, x10 Padisarah, x15 Fungal Spores | 40,000 | None |
| Level 50 | x6 Varunada Lazurite Fragment, x4 Perpetual Caliber, x20 Padisarah, x12 Luminescent Pollen | 60,000 | x1 Acquaint Fate |
| Level 60 | x3 Varunada Lazurite Chunk, x8 Perpetual Caliber, x30 Padisarah, x18 Luminescent Pollen | 80,000 | None |
| Level 70 | x6 Varunada Lazurite Chunk, x12 Perpetual Caliber, x45 Padisarah, x12 Crystalline Cyst Dust | 100,000 | x1 Acquaint Fate |
| Level 80 | x6 Varunada Lazurite Gemstone, x20 Perpetual Caliber, x60 Padisarah, x24 Crystalline Cyst Dust | 120,000 | None |
In total, here's all the Ascension Materials you need for Nilou in Genshin Impact:
- x1 Varunada Lazurite Sliver
- x6 Varunada Lazurite Gemstone
- x9 Varunada Lazurite Fragment
- x9 Varunada Lazurite Chunk
- x18 Fungal Spores
- x30 Luminescent Pollen
- x36 Crystalline Cyst Dust
- x46 Perpetual Caliber
- x168 Padisarah
- 420,000 Mora
Genshin Impact Nilou Constellation
By getting duplicates of Nilou from wishing on Banners, you will receive her Stella Fortuna. This material allows you to unlock Constellation levels, with each upgrade either improving an existing Talent or Passive ability.
Here are all of Nilou's Constellation level upgrades in Genshin Impact:
- Dance of the Waning Moon (C1): During Nilou's Elemental Skill, Dance of Haftkarsvar, Luminous Illusion damage is increased by 65%, and Tranquility Aura's duration is extended by six seconds.
- The Starry Skies Their Flowers Rain (C2): An opponent's Hydro OR Dendro Resistance is decreased by 35% for 10 seconds depending on if a character under the effect of Golden Chalice's Bounty deals Hydro or Dendro damage to that opponent.
- Beguiling Shadowstep (C3): Increases the level of Dance of Abzendegi: Distant Dreams, Listening Spring by three, with a maximum upgrade level of 15.
- Fricative Pulse (C4): Nilou gains 15 Elemental Energy and damage from her Elemental Burst is increased by 50% for eight seconds when the third dance step of her Elemental Skill, Haftkarsvar's Pirouette, hits opponents.
- Funerary Rite: Twirling Light (C5): Increases the level of Dance of Haftkarsvar by three.
- Frostbreaker's Melody (C6): For every 1,000 HP, Nilou's crit will increase by 0.6% with a maximum increase of 30%, and her crit damage is increased by 1.2% with a maximum increase of 60%.
How to play Nilou in Genshin Impact
Nilou has a very specific playstyle that requires you to have only Hydro and Dendro characters in your party in order to take full advantage of her talents. While you can insert her into other party types, it should only really be in place of characters you haven't pulled yet, and even then we wouldn't recommend it unless you're only playing Nilou for her unique dance attacks on field, and not her damage potential with the right party.
The best way to build Nilou is as a sort of hybrid main DPS and sub DPS. This is because you'll need at least one Dendro teammate to apply Dendro to enemies, and then you'll use Nilou to apply Hydro to create a Bloom reaction and produce Dendro Cores. With Nilou's Court of Dancing Petals passive talent, she'll create Bountiful Cores instead of Dendro Cores, which have a greater AOE, and take about a sixth of the time to explode - making them better for DPS potential.
This Golden Chalice’s Bounty effect from Court of Dancing Petals lasts 30 seconds and increases the Elemental Mastery of all teammates for thirty seconds. You'll want to be applying this effect as often as possible, which means you'll need a Hydro or Dendro healer on your team to support the damage you'll be taking from Nilou's Bountiful Cores. This damage is unavoidable in a good Nilou team, as you actually need to take this damage to lower an enemy's resistance to Hydro or Dendro in order to increase your DPS.
To ensure you're lowering an enemy's Hydro or Dendro resistance, keep pressing the Elemental Skill button after you activate it until you see a blue aura around Nilou, as if you use a normal attack as the third input after activating her skill, Nilou will go into a different stance, which won't help you with this particular playstyle.
We also don't recommend using a Nilou team for single enemy encounters, as your team needs to produce two Dendro Cores to maximise damage potential, and only one is achievable at a time with single targets.
In short, spam Nilou's Elemental Skill as often as possible in your rotations, then create a Bloom reaction with at least one Dendro teammate to produce Bountiful Cores, and heal when required, as these cores should be exploding often if you're rotating correctly.
Best Nilou team comp in Genshin Impact
It's very important to build a good team with Nilou or you'll produce lacklustre damage and might struggle in important encounters otherwise.
The main thing you need to remember is that you are going to need a team of only Hydro and Dendro when Nilou is on your team to get the most out of her Talents. The best Dendro teammate for Nilou is Nahida, but Dendro Traveler or Alhaitham can substitute if needed. They'll be used to create Dendro Cores.
As your team will be taking damage from lots of Nilou's Dendro and Bountiful Cores, you will also need a Dendro or Hydro healer. The best option for this is Kokomi, but Dendro 4-Star Yaoyao is very good too. As a free-to-play option, you can also slot Barbara into this healer role, but Kokomi is vastly superior, so you should use her in your Nilou team if you have her.
The fourth slot in most teams are usually quite flexible, but as you can only have Hydro or Dendro characters in a good Nilou team, your fourth slot will depend on who you have. Pick your best Hydro or Dendro characters here, like Dendro Traveler, Xingqiu, Yelan, or even Ayato.
Best Nilou Artifacts in Genshin Impact
With at least one Dendro character needed for Nilou's best build and team comp, you should have someone on your team with the four-piece Deepwood Memories. Ideally, this should be on a Dendro character to boost their Dendro damage, but any party member can equip Deepwood Memories to help decrease enemies' Dendro resistance and raise your party's DPS potential.
Specifically for Nilou herself, we recommend the two-piece Tenacity of the Millelith for a 20% health increase. The other two-piece is based on what your particular team comp needs. Emblem of Severed Fate has you covered for a 20% Energy Recharge increase, Heart of Depth increases your Hydro damage by 15%, Noblesse Oblige increases Elemental Burst damage by 20% - there's a lot of options here, so go through what you have and pick what seems best for your party.
Lastly, for all Artifacts, you should have HP as your main and sub-stat priority.
Best Nilou weapon in Genshin Impact
As with most signatures, the 5-Star Key of Khaj-Nisut sword sword is Nilou's best weapon in Genshin Impact. Signature weapons are basically custom built for characters, as is the case with the Key of Khaj-Nisut sword and Nilou.
The Key of Khaj-Nisut sword increases Nilou's HP by a massive 66.2%, and increases HP by a further 20% at Refinement Rank 1 (R1), increasing to 40% at R5. As well as this huge health increase (which some of Nilou's attacks scale off of), her Elemental Mastery increases by 0.12% of her Maximum HP at R1 when Nilou activates her Elemental Skill. When it reaches three stacks, or the third stack refreshes, other party members will receive a 0.2% Elemental Mastery increase for 20 seconds at R1, scaled off Nilou's maximum health.
If you don't want to spend your Fate on Wishing on character and weapon Banners, however, then you can repurpose other 5-Star swords instead, most notably the Primordial Jade Cutter for its HP increase. However, you might want to consider a sword that gives your more crit or Elemental Mastery, like the Mistsplitter Reforged, as your Artifact sub-stats need to prioritise HP.
As for 4-Star weapon options, the Favonius Sword and Xiphos' Moonlight seem to be great options for Nilou if you need Energy Particles for her Burst, or another teammate's Burst.
Version 4.5 with Chiori is here! If you're still catching up, we can help with the Rainjade Oblation system, and our Fontaine guide can help with Fontaine's Reputation and the Fountain of Lucine. You can also redeem new codes for Primogems, and check out our regularly updated tier list.You need luck from the Pity and 50/50 systems to Wish with Fate for characters on Banners, and you always need the right Adventure Rank for events.Elsewhere, we have tips and tricks for beginners, and Dendroculus locations.
Best Nilou build in Genshin Impact
If you want to take advantage of her very specific hybrid sub and main DPS capabilities, we have compiled what we think is currently the best Nilou build in Genshin Impact:
- Nilou Best Weapon: 5-Star Key of Khaj-Nisut sword.
- Nilou Best Artifacts: 2-piece Tenacity of the Millelith and 2-piece Noblesse Oblige.
- Nilou Best team comp: Nahida, Dendro Traveler, Kokomi.
It's up to you whether the time it takes to farm for Nilou's materials in order to raise her stats is worth it, as she has a very specific playstyle, with an equally specific team comp needed to make her talents work as best they can. However, she's an incredible hybrid main and sub DPS character, so it's all about whether you prefer an easy playstyle or not.
Good luck levelling up Nilou in Genshin Impact!
