Genshin Impact Nilou was first revealed in the third Sumeru Preview Teaser, but even before this, there were already plenty of leaks surrounding her character. As such, the community has a pretty good idea of what to expect from her kit.
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Genshin Impact Nilou Leaks
In the most recent Genshin Impact Sumeru teaser, HoYoverse showcases a bunch of new characters, including Nilou. She’s described as someone who “went off the beaten path,” pursuing the art form of dance despite living in a region that emphasizes wisdom and rationality. So far, that’s the only official information on her. The leaks, however, reveal a bit more about her combat and playstyle. First, Nilou is rumored to be a 5-Star Hydro Sword user.
A more recent Genshin Impact leak details Nilou’s skills and constellations. According to leaker Uncle Lu, her Elemental Skill comprises four slashes that deal Hydro Damage. Each slash must be manually triggered, which is somewhat similar to Diluc’s Elemental Skill. On the fourth slash, Nilou summons a ring around her that continuously applies Hydro on enemies. However, it has a long cooldown of 18 seconds. As for Nilou’s Elemental Burst, it creates a circle of AoE Hydro Damage around her, which deals additional splash damage.
Based on leaked gameplay footage, players theorize that the circle of Hydro will stay on field for some time, allowing Nilou to deal more Hydro Damage in Genshin Impact. However, it is unclear whether the Burst effect will remain if Nilou is switched out to another character. Like the Elemental Skill, the Burst also has a cooldown of 18 seconds. Uncle Lu also explains that Nilou is more suited as a quick-swap character at C0. She will only be a viable Hydro DPS at C6 as it removes the limit to the number of slashes her Elemental Skill can do. All her attacks will then apply Hydro.
Lastly, since Nilou’s Passive ability makes the seeds created by Bloom (a new Dendro reaction in Genshin Impact) explode immediately, this makes her most suited for a team with Dendro units. This explains why she’ll be released after the new Dendro units Tighnari and Collei. According to the most recent leak on upcoming banners, Nilou will be released during the 3.1 update alongside Cyno and Candace.
Other Genshin Impact 3.0 leaks surrounding Nilou showcase her character model, which was only shown briefly during the official teaser. She has the Short Female model, and she also has a red tattoo on her back. Lore leaks also connect her to a place known as the Zubayr Theater, likely in Sumeru. She’s described as one of the most unique dancers in the region because of the way she portrays her emotions through dance.
So far, that’s all the community knows about Nilou. Based on her supposed kit, she’s shaping up to be a viable Hydro applicator and sub-DPS. Though her C6 increases her potential as a main damage dealer. Whatever the case, she seems to be a good fit for Dendro teams or even perma-freeze teams, though the community will have to wait until the Genshin Impact 3.1 update to really confirm these theories.
Genshin Impact is now available on mobile, PC, PS4, and PS5. A Switch version is in development with no confirmed release date.
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