Everything about Albedo, Knights of Favonius’ chief alchemist

Alchemy is all about transformation. Armed with the right info, you can turn Albedo into a top-tier support.

Albedo is the chief alchemist for the Knights of Favonius. That makes him an important force in the story, especially given his connection to a supernatural entity that could threaten the city of freedom. Albedo wields a sword and geo vision in combat, but he primarily functions as a support character who boosts the elemental mastery of his teammates. With a rerun banner coming in Genshin Impact 2.3, here’s everything you need to know about the alchemist extraordinaire.

The best build for Albedo

The best artifact set for Albedo is Archaic Petra. The two-piece 15% geo damage bonus is nice, but the real kicker is the four-piece. Shards created by crystallize reactions will grant a significant damage bonus to characters who use that type. Defense is great for all three variable pieces, but elemental mastery, energy recharge, and crit rate or damage are totally valid.

The new 2.3 artifact set Husk of Opulent Dreams is also a viable choice since Albedo primarily scales off defense, but the four-piece set bonus doesn’t offer much. A good set of Archaic Petra won’t become obsolete in update 2.3.

As for talents, prioritize Albedo’s elemental skill before his burst. Albedo’s level 70 talent grants 125 elemental mastery after he uses his burst, which doesn’t scale with talent levels. It’s fine to leave his attack talent at level one and save the books for other characters.

The best teammates for Albedo

Since Albedo is a support character, his ideal team is all about choosing the best main DPS to pair with him. One of the most popular choices is Hu Tao. Albedo’s bonus elemental mastery can push Hu Tao’s elemental burst into obscene damage territory. For Hu Tao, fill the other slots with Xingqiu and a shielder of your choice. Thoma and Diona are both solid options, but Zhongli or Noelle will activate geo resonance for even stronger shields.

Another top-tier main DPS for Albedo is Ganyu. The adepti archer can use Albedo’s elemental skill elevator to create a safe sniper’s nest. Ganyu’s area-of-effect charged shots will generate tons of crystallize reactions. Not all supports work well with Ganyu, but Raiden Shogun, Fischl, and Mona can all serve capably.

Is Albedo a villian?

During Albedo’s first story quest on Dragonspine Mountain, he reveals that he holds a dark power within him that could take control of him in the future. The demon could be a result of finding the Heart of Naberius, a mythical artifact that Albedo discovered with his teacher. The artifact is named after a three-headed dog described in the real-life occultic text The Lesser Key of Solomon. At the end of Albedo’s story quest, he wonders aloud if the traveler would be strong enough to defeat him should he unwillingly transform.

This dark secret could be part of why Albedo’s master Rhinedottir sent him to Monstadt in the first place. Based on the 2.3 trailer, more of Albedo’s story will be revealed in the coming update. He also shares a close connection with Klee, seeing each other as siblings. By sheer coincidence, both are significant threats to the stability of Monstadt.

How old is Albedo?

Albedo’s exact age is never stated, but he is likely under 30 years old. Albedo is probably not a human, or at least not a normal one. In his character stories, he is described as not remembering his family or any part of his childhood.

A popular fan theory is that the Knights’ chief alchemist is actually an artificial homunculus created by Rhinedottir to serve as an assistant. His final mission in Monstadt is to discover “the truth and the meaning of this world.” This could tie into his being an unnatural lifeform.