Is Genshin Impact’s The Absolution Sword Actually Worth It?

If you’ve scrolled through the Weapon Event Wishes recently, you’ve likely seen The Absolution staring back at you. It’s shiny, it has an interesting passive, and it’s tied to a character with a massive fanbase. But before you burn your Primogems, the real question is: is this 4-star sword actually good, or is it just another pile of metal that will gather dust in your inventory?

The short answer is yes, it is worth it. But the long answer depends entirely on how you play and who you are playing with. It’s not the best sword in the game, and it’s certainly not the best sword for every single sword user. However, for a specific niche of characters, it’s a top-tier, must-pull weapon.

Understanding The Absolution’s Passive: The Off-Field Specialist

To understand if The Absolution is right for you, we have to look at its passive effect, Champion of Repose. When The Absolution’s wielder triggers a Critical Hit, they grant an ATK increase to the active character. This boost lasts for 8 seconds and can stack up to two times. More importantly, this buff works even when the wielder is off the field.

This mechanism changes everything. Unlike many weapons that force you to keep your character on screen to maintain buffs, The Absolution rewards you for sticking to the game’s core combat loop: swapping characters. It encourages a playstyle where you queue up your rotations, land a crit, switch out, and let your teammates ride the wave of increased damage.

The effect isn’t just about raw ATK percentage. It scales with the wielder’s ATK stat, meaning high-ATK characters get a bigger buff. It’s a synergy machine waiting to happen.

Who Benefits Most From The Absolution?

Some swords pair naturally with certain characters due to their kit. The Absolution is no exception. Here are the prime candidates who turn this 4-star weapon into a 5-star experience:

• Crystallographer Xinyan: While Xinyan has her signature weapon, The Exile, The Absolution is a very strong alternative for off-field Xinyan builds. Since her burst and skill provide massive off-field skill damage, the ATK buff she grants to her main DPS (like Raiden Shogun or Ayaka) can significantly boost overall team damage without requiring her to stay on screen.
• Song of the Deeply Exiled Kazuha: Kaedehara Kazuha is the king of supports. The Absolution gives him the ATK substat (good for his swirls) and provides an extra layer of team-wide ATK buff after his crits. It’s arguably one of the best budget 4-star options for Kazuha if you don’t have Freedom-Sworn or Aqua Simulacra.
• Itto’s Off-Field Support: Wait, did I say sword? No, but listen. For characters like Gorou or Yae Miko who might equip swords for off-field AoE, the passive still triggers. However, the swing weight here is purely for sword users. For Itto himself, obviously, this is irrelevant, but for Lynette or Lan Yan (if she were a sword user), the off-field nature is key. Actually, let’s stick to swords. Wanderer can use it, but he benefits more from CRIT Rate or Energy Recharge weapons. The Absolution is best for on-the-field sub-DPS who rotate frequently.

The Verdict On Materials and Investment

One of the biggest hidden costs of pulling for a weapon is crafting it. To get The Absolution to its full potential, you need to refine it to R5 (five copies) to maximize the duration and stacking potential of the passive. This requires significant resources:

• Sharp Sword Materials: These are relatively common but need grinding.
• Diluted Dreams: These drop from specific domains, usually associated with older characters. They aren’t hard to get, but they require time.
• Primogems: Pulling for one is usually cheap (if you get it immediately), but pulling for five copies for a 4-star weapon is a steep investment. Ask yourself if you really need R5 or if R1/R3 is sufficient for your meta.

Refining The Absolution is only worth it if you plan to main a character that relies heavily on its passive. If you’re just using it as a generic off-hand for a random character, R1 is perfectly fine. The jump from R1 to R5 increases the buff’s magnitude and stability, but doesn’t fundamentally change how the weapon works.

When Should You Skip It?

Not every sword user needs The Absolution. In fact, for many, it’s a mediocre choice. Here is when you should ignore it:

If you play pure main DPS swords. Characters like Yelan (wait, she’s a bow), Xiao, or Alhaitham (spear... wait, Alhaitham uses a spear, not a sword). Let’s correct that. For Xiao, the Mistsplitter or Primordial Jade Cutter is vastly superior because he stays on-field and doesn’t swap. The Absolution’s off-field buff is wasted when you’re the only one hitting things. Similarly, Razor or Bennet (who uses Claymore) don’t fit the niche. For Ganyu, the Favonius Sword (for energy and crit rate aura) or Mistsplitter is usually better because she charges shots and benefits from different stats.

If you lack the team synergy. The Absolution shines in teams where you can reliably land a crit, switch out, and let the buff tick. If your team is slow-moving or relies on one character doing all the work, the passive feels underwhelming.

Final Thoughts: A Niche Champion

The Absolution is not a bad weapon. It’s actually quite good. It’s what we call a "specialist" weapon. It doesn’t try to do everything. It focuses on one thing: boosting off-field damage through crits. If you have a Kazuha or a Xinyan in your roster and you want to boost their off-field contribution without breaking the bank for their 5-star signatures, The Absolution is an incredible value.

It’s worth pulling for if you:

1. Have a Kaedehara Kazuha or Xinyan.
2. Enjoy swapping characters in and out of battle.
3. Are willing to invest in refining it for maximum effect.

If you’re maining a character who never leaves the field, or if you’re unsure if you’ll ever use a sword user in off-field support roles, save your Intertwined Fates. There are other weapons that might serve your current team composition better. But for the right build, The Absolution is a gem that proves 4-star weapons can still compete with the best in Genshin Impact.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Absolution better than Favonius Sword?

It depends. Favonius Sword provides Energy Recharge and particles, which helps with burst uptime. The Absolution provides ATK substat and an ATK buff. If your character has enough Energy Recharge (like Kazuha with enough ER gear), The Absolution deals more damage. If your character struggles to burst (like a certain C0 Xinyan), Favonius is often more reliable.

Can I use The Absolution on Alhaitham?

Alhaitham uses a Catalyst, not a Sword. So no, he cannot equip The Absolution. He typically uses Jade Chamber or Favonius Catalyst.

Does The Absolution’s passive work in Co-op Mode?

Yes, the passive works on the same map, so it benefits all party members in the lobby, including friends in co-op. The buff applies to the active character on-screen.

Is it worth pulling for The Absolution if I don’t have Kazuha?

If you don’t have Kazuha or Xinyan, the value drops significantly. You can still use it on other sword users like Bennet (wait, Bennet is Claymore) or Razor, but the synergy isn’t as strong. Only pull if you have a dedicated off-field sword DPS user.