Yes. In most cases, weapons you regularly use are worth leveling to 90 in Genshin Impact.
Taking a weapon to level 90 gives it its maximum level-based stats, including higher Base ATK and a higher secondary stat. Unlike Artifact farming, these improvements are guaranteed.
However, this does not mean you should level every weapon you own to 90.
For players who are still building several characters at once, it is usually better to prioritize weapons that provide the greatest benefit to the characters and teams you actually use.
What Do You Gain From Leveling a Weapon to 90?
Leveling a weapon increases its stats.
Depending on the weapon, this can mean more:
- Base ATK
- CRIT Rate
- CRIT DMG
- Energy Recharge
- Elemental Mastery
- ATK%
- HP%
- DEF%
The exact secondary stat depends on the weapon.
So taking a weapon from level 80 to 90 is not simply about making the ATK number displayed at the top of the weapon page slightly larger.
You are completing the weapon’s level-based stat progression.
Is Level 90 Worth It Compared With Level 80?
For a weapon you use regularly, usually yes.
The difference between level 80 and 90 will not suddenly turn a poorly built character into a powerful one, but it is a permanent and predictable upgrade.
This is especially important when comparing weapon investment with Artifact farming.
With Artifacts, you can spend Resin repeatedly and still receive no useful upgrade.
With weapon levels, you know exactly what you are working toward.
That makes level 90 a useful long-term target for important weapons.
Does Weapon Level 90 Increase Skill and Burst Damage?
It can.
If an Elemental Skill or Elemental Burst scales with ATK, increasing the weapon’s Base ATK can contribute to the character’s ATK and therefore affect that ability’s damage.
This means characters do not need to use Normal Attacks for weapon levels to matter.
A character who enters the field only to use a Skill or Burst may still benefit significantly from their weapon.
For a detailed explanation, see Does Weapon ATK Affect Skills and Bursts in Genshin Impact?
Should Main DPS Weapons Be Level 90?
Usually, yes.
Weapons used by your primary damage dealers are generally among the easiest weapons to prioritize.
If the character benefits from the weapon’s Base ATK and secondary stat, taking the weapon to 90 provides a permanent improvement to a character you use frequently.
This is particularly worthwhile when the weapon is likely to remain on that character for a long time.
If your main damage dealer is using a level 70 or 80 weapon while you are repeatedly farming for tiny Artifact improvements, finishing the weapon may be the more predictable upgrade.
Should Sub-DPS Weapons Be Level 90?
Often, yes.
Do not assume that only your on-field character deserves a level 90 weapon.
Off-field damage dealers can contribute a large portion of a team’s total damage through their Skills and Bursts.
If those abilities benefit from the weapon’s Base ATK or secondary stat, weapon levels can remain valuable even though the character spends very little time on the field.
The important question is not how often the character performs Normal Attacks.
It is how much the character benefits from the weapon’s stats.
Should Support Weapons Be Level 90?
It depends.
Support characters vary enormously.
Some supports care greatly about weapon levels because they benefit from:
- Base ATK
- Energy Recharge
- Elemental Mastery
- HP
- DEF
- Other secondary stats
Other supports may primarily use a weapon because of its passive effect.
In those cases, taking the weapon from 80 to 90 may provide a smaller improvement than upgrading another character first.
So before leveling a support weapon, ask:
What does this character actually gain from those final weapon levels?
Does Base ATK Matter for Every Character?
No.
This is an important exception.
Some characters have important abilities that scale primarily with stats such as:
- HP
- DEF
- Elemental Mastery
- Other character-specific mechanics
For those characters, the additional Base ATK from weapon levels may not be particularly important.
However, that does not automatically mean weapon levels are useless.
The weapon’s secondary stat also increases as the weapon is leveled. If that secondary stat is valuable to the character, reaching level 90 may still be worthwhile.
Always look at the complete weapon and the character’s scaling rather than Base ATK alone.
Should You Level 4-Star Weapons to 90?
Yes, if you use them.
A useful weapon does not become a bad investment simply because it has four stars.
Many 4-star weapons can remain valuable for a long time, particularly when their secondary stats and passives fit a character well.
Some highly refined 4-star weapons can even compete with or outperform poorly matched 5-star alternatives for particular characters.
If you’re deciding between weapon rarities, see Can a 4-Star Weapon Be Better Than a 5-Star Weapon in Genshin Impact?
So don’t leave a useful weapon at level 80 merely because you are waiting for a hypothetical 5-star replacement.
Should You Level 5-Star Weapons to 90?
If you actually use the weapon, usually yes.
5-star weapons generally have strong stats, which can make completing their levels valuable.
But rarity alone is not a reason to spend resources.
A 5-star weapon sitting unused in your inventory does not need to be level 90 just because it is rare.
Meanwhile, a 4-star weapon used every day by one of your main characters may deserve the resources first.
If you’re wondering whether your characters need 5-star weapons at all, see Do You Need 5-Star Weapons in Genshin Impact? Are 4-Star Weapons Enough?
Is Level 90 Worth It for an Energy Recharge Weapon?
It often can be.
If Energy Recharge is the weapon’s secondary stat, leveling the weapon increases that secondary stat along with its Base ATK.
For a character who needs Energy Recharge to maintain a consistent rotation, this can be valuable.
Remember that dealing slightly more damage per Burst is not always better if the character can no longer use that Burst when needed.
A smoother rotation can be more useful than a larger individual damage number.
Is Level 90 Worth It for an Elemental Mastery Weapon?
It can be particularly valuable when the character makes strong use of Elemental Mastery.
If EM is the weapon’s secondary stat, additional weapon levels increase the amount provided by the weapon.
The importance of this depends on the character, their reactions, and the rest of the build.
Again, this is why looking only at Base ATK can be misleading.
Two characters using the same weapon may value its final ten levels for completely different reasons.
Weapon Level 90 or Character Level 90 First?
There is no universal answer.
It depends on the character.
Some characters gain substantial value from reaching character level 90 because of their scaling or the types of reactions they trigger.
For others, the improvement from the final character levels may be less urgent.
Weapon leveling, meanwhile, can provide a straightforward increase to the weapon’s Base ATK and secondary stat.
So instead of always following:
Weapon 90 first
or
Character 90 first
look at what your specific character gains from each upgrade.
Weapon Level 90 or Talents First?
This depends on how underleveled each one is.
If an important Talent is still at a very low level, upgrading it may provide a substantial improvement.
If your important Talents are already appropriately leveled but your main weapon remains at level 70 or 80, completing the weapon may make more sense.
Try not to severely neglect one guaranteed upgrade while pouring all of your resources into another.
For characters whose damage depends heavily on Talents, both weapon and Talent investment can matter.
Weapon Level 90 or Better Artifacts First?
This is one of the strongest arguments for finishing important weapons:
weapon upgrades are guaranteed; Artifact upgrades are not.
Suppose your character already has a functional Artifact set.
You could spend several days farming for a slightly better Artifact and receive nothing useful.
Or you could spend those resources progressing toward a known weapon upgrade.
That does not mean you should stop farming Artifacts.
It means that if an important weapon is still underleveled, finishing guaranteed progression before chasing increasingly small Artifact improvements can be a sensible approach.
Should You Level Every Weapon to 90?
No.
There is little reason to take every weapon in your inventory to 90.
That can consume resources that would be much more useful elsewhere.
Prioritize weapons that:
- Are currently being used
- Belong to characters you play frequently
- Provide important secondary stats
- Have useful passives
- Can be shared between several characters
- Are likely to remain useful for a long time
Weapons that you do not currently need can wait.
Which Weapons Should You Level to 90 First?
A practical priority is:
- Your main damage dealer’s primary weapon
- Important weapons used by major off-field damage dealers
- High-value support weapons that strongly benefit from levels
- Flexible weapons used by multiple characters
- Weapons for secondary teams
- Situational or experimental weapons
This is only a guideline.
A particularly important support weapon may deserve level 90 before a less important damage weapon.
The goal is to invest where the additional stats will actually affect your teams.
What If You Are Low on Mora or Enhancement Materials?
Then there is no need to rush every weapon to 90.
Keep your most important weapons ahead of the rest.
For example, it is usually better to have several important characters equipped with appropriately leveled weapons than to spend everything leveling weapons that you rarely use.
As your account develops and resources become easier to manage, you can gradually finish more of your commonly used weapons.
Is Leveling a Weapon to 90 Ever a Waste?
Yes.
It can be wasteful when:
- You do not use the weapon
- No current character benefits from it
- You are leveling it only because it is 5-star
- You know you are about to replace it
- The final levels provide very little value to the character using it
- More important upgrades are severely neglected
Before spending the resources, ask:
Who is using this weapon, and what do they gain from level 90?
If you cannot answer that question, you may not need to level it yet.
Why Is My Character Still Weak With a Level 90 Weapon?
Because weapon level is only one part of a character build.
A level 90 weapon cannot fix problems such as:
- Low Talent levels
- Incorrect Artifact main stats
- Poor Artifact substats
- Low CRIT Rate
- Insufficient Energy Recharge
- Poor team synergy
- Missing buffs
- Incorrect rotations
- Enemy RES
- Weak reaction setups
So if you have already leveled your weapon to 90 and your character still feels unusually weak, don’t assume you need a stronger weapon.
See Why Is My Character Doing Low Damage and Not Strong in Genshin Impact? 20 Things to Check for a complete troubleshooting checklist.
Quick Answer
Should you level weapons to 90 in Genshin Impact?
Usually yes, for weapons you regularly use.
Is level 90 worth it over level 80?
Generally yes for important weapons because it provides permanent, guaranteed stat increases.
Should your main DPS weapon be level 90?
Usually yes.
Should support weapons be level 90?
It depends on what the character gains from the additional levels.
Should 4-star weapons be leveled to 90?
Yes, if they are useful to your characters.
Should every 5-star weapon be level 90?
No.
Should every weapon you own be level 90?
Definitely not.
Final Advice
For weapons you actually use, level 90 is generally a worthwhile long-term investment.
The biggest advantage is that weapon leveling provides predictable progression. You know what stats you will gain, unlike Artifact farming where additional Resin does not guarantee a better build.
But don’t level weapons simply because they are rare.
A frequently used 4-star weapon can deserve level 90 before an unused 5-star weapon.
Prioritize the weapons that make a meaningful difference to the characters and teams you actually play.
