Quick Answer: How Many Wishes for a 5-Star?
| Scenario | Wishes Needed (Worst Case) | Primogems Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Any 5-star (50/50) | ~75-80 (soft pity) / 90 (hard pity) | 12,000-14,400 |
| Guaranteed limited 5-star (lost 50/50 first) | ~150-160 (two soft pities) / 180 (two hard pities) | 25,600-28,800 |
| Weapon banner (Epitomized Path) | ~195-210 (three soft pities) / 240 (max Fate Points) | 33,600 max |
Use our interactive Pity Calculator tool to estimate your exact costs.
Genshin Impact's wish system isn't gambling — it's a predictable system with hard guarantees. Once you understand pity, soft pity, the 50/50, and guarantees, you can plan your Primogem spending months in advance and never miss a character you want. This guide breaks down every mechanic and shows you exactly how to budget.
Table of Contents
- The Wish System: Fates, Banners, and Pity
- Soft Pity vs. Hard Pity
- The 50/50 and Guaranteed System
- Weapon Banner & Epitomized Path
- How to Track Your Pity
- Primogem Planning: How Much to Save
- FAQ
The Wish System: Fates, Banners, and Pity
Genshin has three permanent banner types and occasionally a fourth (Chronicled Wish):
- Character Event Wish (Limited Banner): Features one or two limited 5-star characters. Uses Intertwined Fates.
- Weapon Event Wish: Features two limited 5-star weapons. Uses Intertwined Fates. Epitomized Path system.
- Standard Wish (Wanderlust Invocation): Permanent banner. Uses Acquaint Fates. Never spend Primogems here.
Pity = your counter toward a guaranteed 5-star. Every 1 wish adds 1 to your pity counter. At 90 pity (hard pity), you are guaranteed a 5-star. But you'll rarely reach 90 — soft pity kicks in much earlier.
Soft Pity vs. Hard Pity
Soft pity begins at wish 74 on character banners and around wish 63 on weapon banners. Starting at soft pity, the 5-star probability ramps up dramatically with each wish. Community data suggests the increase is roughly 6% per wish at soft pity, making the probability of NOT getting a 5-star drop rapidly.
| Banner Type | Soft Pity Starts | Hard Pity | Most Common 5-Star Wish # |
|---|---|---|---|
| Character Event | 74 | 90 | 75-78 (the "expected" range) |
| Weapon Event | ~63 | 80 | 65-68 |
| Standard | 74 | 90 | 75-78 |
The 50/50 and Guaranteed System
When you get a 5-star on a character event banner:
- 50% chance ("winning 50/50"): The 5-star is the featured limited character.
- 50% chance ("losing 50/50"): The 5-star is a standard banner character (Diluc, Jean, Mona, Keqing, Qiqi, Tighnari, Dehya). Your next 5-star on ANY character event banner is now guaranteed to be the limited character.
The guaranteed status carries across banners. If you lose 50/50 on this patch's banner, your guarantee applies to next patch's banner. This is the single most powerful planning tool: never pull on a banner unless you're ready to use your guarantee.
Weapon Banner & Epitomized Path
The weapon banner is notoriously more expensive than the character banner. Key differences:
- Hard pity: 80 wishes (not 90)
- Soft pity: Starts around 63
- 75/25 split: When you get a 5-star, there's a 75% chance it's one of the two featured weapons (37.5% each) and 25% chance it's a standard weapon
- Epitomized Path: You chart a course for one specific weapon. If you get two 5-star weapons that are NOT your charted weapon, your third 5-star is guaranteed to be it. Fate Points reset when the banner ends.
Worst-case weapon cost: 3 × 80 = 240 wishes to guarantee your chosen weapon. In practice, ~200-210 is more realistic (soft pity on all three). Weapon banner is for committed players — do not pull here unless you can afford the worst case.
How to Track Your Pity
Genshin does not display your pity counter directly. To track it:
- Open the Wish screen → History
- Count the number of wishes since your last 5-star (each page shows 5 wishes)
- The game only retains 6 months of wish history. If your last 5-star was older than 6 months, you've lost your pity record in-game.
- Use third-party tracking sites (paimon.moe) or a spreadsheet to maintain long-term records. Many players keep a manual count.
Primogem Planning: How Much to Save
A free-to-play player earns roughly 50-60 wishes worth of Primogems per patch (6-week cycle). A Welkin Moon buyer earns roughly 75-85. A Welkin + Battle Pass player earns roughly 90-100.
| Your Goal | Patches to Save (F2P) | Patches to Save (Welkin+BP) |
|---|---|---|
| One 5-star (50/50 chance) | 1.5 patches | 1 patch |
| Guaranteed 5-star (180 wishes) | 3-4 patches | 2 patches |
| Weapon (worst case) | 5 patches | 3 patches |
NEEDS VERIFICATION: Exact Primogem income per patch fluctuates with events, exploration, and version content. The above estimates are community averages for normal patches without major map expansions.
Related Guides
- Interactive Pity Calculator Tool
- Genshin Primogem Farming Guide
- Genshin Beginner Progression Guide
- Genshin Primogem Planning Guide
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does pity carry over between banners?
A: Yes, for banners of the same type. Your pity counter and 50/50 guarantee on the character event banner carry forward to the next character event banner. Weapon banner pity carries forward BUT the Epitomized Path Fate Points do NOT — they reset every banner. This is why you should only pull on weapon banners when you have enough to guarantee the weapon in one banner cycle.
Q: What happens if I get a 5-star before soft pity?
A: Congratulations — you got an "early" 5-star. This is pure luck (roughly 0.6% per wish before soft pity). Your pity counter resets to 0, and the 50/50 system still applies. An early 5-star doesn't affect your guarantee status.
Q: Should I build pity on a banner I don't want?
A: Never. "Building pity" means pulling on a banner you don't want just to increase your pity counter for a future banner. If you get an early 5-star, you've wasted your guarantee (or 50/50) on a character you didn't want. Save your Primogems and pull only on the banner you actually want.
Q: Is the Standard Banner ever worth pulling on?
A: Only with free Acquaint Fates the game gives you (battle pass, character ascension, tree rewards). Never spend Primogems on the standard banner. The standard 5-star pool is bloated, you can't target specific characters, and limited characters will never appear there. Every Primogem on standard banner is a Primogem not saved for a limited character.
Q: How does the 4-star pity system work?
A: Every 10 wishes guarantees a 4-star (weapon or character). On the character event banner, the 4-star has a 50% chance to be one of the three featured 4-stars. If you get a non-featured 4-star (weapon or off-banner character), your next 4-star is guaranteed to be one of the three rate-up 4-stars. This 4-star guarantee also carries across banners. There is no "soft pity" for 4-stars.