Genshin Impact - Who are Yunjin and Shenhe?

by Andrea Kasparian on 22 November, 2021

After weeks of speculation around leaks for 2.4, MiHoYo officially revealed new characters joining the Genshin Impact roster, Yun Jin and Shenhe. We’ve still got update 2.3 to contend with for now, which goes live soon, but Teyvat sees an update every five to six weeks, so it won’t be too long before Yun Jin and Shenhe make their debut. In the wait for new characters, we’ve compiled everything we know right now about the game’s upcoming four and five-star heroes.

Some of the information comes from leaks, fan speculation, and our own experiences in Genshin Impact. So if you consider any of this spoiler territory, don’t proceed! Instead, catch up first, and check back for news MiHoYo officially confirms. If you're after Primogems to add Yunjin or Shenhe to your team, make sure you check out our 2022 Genshin Impact 2.4 Code list.

Who is Genshin Impact’s Yun Jin?

"One performance by Yun Jin at our tea house rakes in enough Mora that we won't have to open for a whole month!" — Fan Er'ye of Heyu Tea House

Yun Jin is one of two characters MiHoYo confirmed via their blog. Known as the Stage Lucida, Yun Jin serves as the current director of the Yun-Han Opera Troupe and is described as “a famous figure in Liyue Harbor’s opera scene.” She’s another Geo polearm user like Zhongli and was already mentioned in character voice lines early on.

If you have Xingqiu, Xinyan, or Keqing, you can listen to those lines after advancing your friendship level. Both comment on Yun Jin’s popularity in Liyue, noting that the Heyu Tea House is packed when the director performs. Xingqiu’s line suggests he’s certainly on good terms with her, as he explains he keeps a jar of tea leaves under his bed for her just in case her playwriting inspiration ever dries up. Apparently, Yun Jin really likes to get creative whenever she’s had a beverage she likes.

If you look closely, you can also see her in Mihoyo’s Flavors of the World trailer around the 3:20 mark. She’s tucked away in the background, standing just behind Keqing.

It’s assumed Yun Jin will be a four-star character since MiHoYo typically pairs one with five-star announcements, and leaks indicate Shenhe is our five-star. Who will accompany her on her banner, her ascension materials, and skills still don’t have any official information.

Who is Shenhe?

"One has traversed many realms and taken a great many pupils. Among them, Shenhe bears the closest resemblance to oneself. " — Cloud Retainer

Shenhe is MiHoYo’s other new character confirmed via blog post. The Lonesome Transcendence is an exorcist and disciple of the Cloud Retainer—who bears a striking resemblance to the adeptus. She’s Genshin’s second Cryo polearm user, and Shenhe’s nature has apparently led some of Teyvat to speculate she’s an adeptus herself. That’s all according to MiHoYo’s summary:

“Living with adepti as a human is by no means an easy task, but Shenhe has a unique constitution, an immensely strong will, and a great talent for adepti arts, all of which have won her the acknowledgment of the adepti. However, the long years of cultivation, coupled with the habit of eating divine herbs and drinking the dew of the mountains, have made her more and more distant from earthly life, and she has even been regarded as a mysterious white-haired adeptus.”

Right now, there’s no official confirmation on what materials you’ll need to build Shenhe, and her skills remain unconfirmed. In all likelihood, we’ll learn more about that in late December, given MiHoYo’s usual timelines.

While leaks and speculation have swirled around Shenhe, the most likely scenario seems to indicate she’s 2.4’s new five-star character. Lumie, a Genshin Impact leaker who’s often correct, noted a 2.3 Beta placeholder that seems to indicate Shenhe will have her own dungeon.

When are the Shenhe and Yun Jin banners releasing in Genshin Impact?

MiHoYo has fallen into a pattern of announcing two characters a bit in advance of their patch. We saw the same thing for 2.3, so it’s assumed Yun Jin and Shenhe’s banners will launch in version 2.4.

As for the date on that update, you’ll probably see it in early January if all goes as it usually does with Genshin. That gives MiHoYo the usual five to six week span unless there’s a bit of a holiday break or unexpected obstacle.