Genshin Impact Character Models Then vs Now: How Designs Evolved From Version 1.0 to 7.0

Since the release of Genshin Impact Version 7.0 and the opening of Snezhnaya, many players have noticed another visible improvement in character model quality.

The difference is especially clear when a recent character is placed next to someone released during Mondstadt, Liyue, or early Inazuma. Both may use the same general body-type system, but the newer model often has more detailed hair, softer material rendering, a better-defined silhouette, and facial features that remain readable from more camera angles.

These changes did not arrive in one major graphical overhaul. HoYoverse has gradually refined its character-production pipeline across several years, allowing each new region to introduce more complex designs without abandoning Genshin Impact's recognizable anime style.

This article looks at four of the most noticeable improvements between Version 1.0 and Version 7.0:

• Transparent and semi-transparent bangs

• Higher hair detail and improved motion

• More convincing stockings and fabric materials

• Better-balanced head-to-body proportions

Players preparing for a new character can visit Topuplist or use the Genshin Impact top-up page when they need Genesis Crystals for an upcoming banner.

Genshin Impact Model Improvements at a Glance

1. Transparent Bangs Make Faces More Expressive

Hair is one of the clearest areas where Genshin Impact's character models have improved.

One of the most important changes is the use of transparent or semi-transparent bangs. Skirk is often discussed as one of the earliest prominent examples where the player's view of the eyes remains clear even when strands of hair pass in front of the face.

This approach has become increasingly common among newer characters and alternate outfits. Depending on the hairstyle, players may still be able to see the eyes, eyebrows, and upper facial expression through the fringe.

Many early Genshin Impact models used fully opaque hair sections. If the bangs covered part of the face, the eyes and eyebrows behind them simply disappeared. This was consistent with the game's original anime-inspired rendering style, but it could make the face appear flatter or less expressive from certain angles.

Semi-transparent bangs solve that problem without requiring the hairstyle to be redesigned. The character can keep a dramatic fringe while the most important facial features remain visible.

This matters during more than close-up screenshots. Genshin Impact uses facial animation heavily during quests, character demos, idle animations, and profile presentation. Preserving the eyes and eyebrows makes subtle expressions easier to read and helps the model feel more alive.

The effect is relatively small from a technical perspective, but it creates a large visual difference when early and modern characters are compared directly.

2. Hair Geometry, Layering, and Motion Have Improved

Transparency is only one part of the change. Modern Genshin Impact characters also have more detailed hair construction.

Early models often divided a hairstyle into a few large sections. Bangs could look like one solid piece, while longer hair sometimes moved as a single block. Kamisato Ayaka's original hairstyle is frequently used by players as an example of the older approach because of its heavy, fixed-looking fringe.

These designs were not necessarily poor. They were efficient, readable, and well suited to Genshin Impact's original rendering targets. However, when compared with newer characters, the individual sections can appear thicker and less flexible.

Characters released during the later Natlan updates and the Snezhnaya era show several visible improvements:

• More individual strand details

• Additional layers around the face

• Better separation between bangs and side hair

• Softer ends and thinner silhouettes

• More movement during attacks, running, and idle animations

• Reduced appearance of large, solid hair blocks

Instead of treating the front fringe as one rigid object, newer hairstyles are more likely to use several overlapping pieces. This creates a lighter silhouette and allows the hair to react more naturally when the character moves.

Snezhnaya-era designs take this refinement further. Hair can look softer, more layered, and less visually heavy, even when the character has a complex hairstyle or long accessories.

The improvement is especially noticeable during movement. Running, turning, attacking, and using an Elemental Burst all cause the hair to shift in smaller sections instead of behaving like one large object.

Better hair motion also helps distinguish characters who share the same base body type. Even when two characters use similar animation proportions, their silhouette and movement can feel more individual because of differences in hair layering and physics.

3. Stockings and Fabric Materials Look More Convincing

The improvement is not limited to hair. Clothing materials have also become more detailed, particularly stockings, sheer fabric, metallic decorations, and layered textiles.

Keqing's stockings represent the simpler material approach used by many early characters. From a distance, the design remains attractive and readable, but the material has limited transparency and surface variation. It can appear closer to a colored texture applied directly to the legs than a separate piece of sheer fabric.

Nicole Reeyn's stockings show how much the rendering has evolved.

The material has a more visible sense of transparency, allowing the underlying skin tone to influence the final color. Highlights respond more clearly to lighting, and the fabric texture is easier to distinguish. The result looks closer to a separate clothing layer rather than a flat painted surface.

Several improvements contribute to this effect:

• More controlled transparency

• Clearer highlights and reflected light

• Finer fabric patterns

• Better contrast between skin and material

• More convincing transitions around seams and clothing edges

These details are particularly noticeable in bright environments, character previews, and close-up screenshots. They also help different materials feel distinct. Leather, metal, silk, sheer fabric, and ordinary cloth no longer need to rely only on color to communicate what they are supposed to be.

Improved material rendering gives costume designers more freedom. A character can use several similar colors without every part of the outfit blending into one visual layer.

4. Head-to-Body Proportions Feel More Balanced

Another commonly discussed difference is the head-to-body ratio.

Characters from Genshin Impact's early and middle versions were sometimes described by players as having oversized heads. This could be seen across several model types, including young male characters, adult women, and adult men.

The head was often relatively large while the shoulders, torso, or overall frame remained narrow. This helped reinforce the game's stylized anime identity, but it could also make certain models look smaller or less imposing than their official illustrations suggested.

Newer characters generally appear more balanced.

Their heads may look slightly smaller relative to the full silhouette, while the shoulders, torso, legs, and clothing volume create a stronger overall frame. This does not mean Genshin Impact has moved toward realistic human anatomy. The models remain heavily stylized, but the proportions now reproduce the intended age and character presence more effectively.

The difference is particularly noticeable among adult male characters.

Early adult male models could still appear slim or youthful despite the character being presented as physically powerful. Newer designs make better use of shoulder width, clothing structure, leg length, and layered accessories to create a more mature silhouette.

Body proportion improvements also help the 3D model match the character's splash art. A character illustrated with a tall, elegant, or physically imposing presence is less likely to lose that impression when converted into the playable model.

New Models Reproduce Character Artwork More Accurately

All four improvements contribute to one broader result: modern character models can reproduce their official illustrations more accurately.

Detailed hair preserves the intended silhouette. Transparent bangs keep the face readable. Better materials reproduce the outfit's texture and depth. Improved proportions maintain the character's intended physical presence.

This can directly affect how players respond to a new character.

In Genshin Impact's early years, a character's promotional illustration could occasionally create expectations that the in-game model could not fully reproduce. Certain hairstyle details, clothing layers, or body proportions had to be simplified.

Modern characters generally lose fewer details during that transition. The model shown in gameplay, story scenes, and character previews is much closer to the artwork used to promote the banner.

For a character-collection game, that consistency matters. Players spend most of their time looking at the playable model rather than the splash art, so a stronger translation from 2D design to 3D presentation can make a character more appealing to pull and use.

Why Some Players Still Prefer the Version 1.0 Style

More technical detail does not automatically mean every player will prefer the newer designs.

Some fans still favor the models from Genshin Impact's early versions because they have a simpler and more immediately recognizable anime appearance.

The larger heads, solid hair shapes, and cleaner material rendering can create a softer and more charming style. Early models may look less technically complex, but that simplicity also gives them a distinct visual personality.

Modern characters use finer hair strands, more detailed surfaces, complex accessories, and more balanced proportions. To some players, this makes the models feel more polished and impressive. To others, it reduces the slightly cute or stylized quality that defined the original roster.

Both preferences are understandable because the difference is not only about graphical quality. It is also a change in artistic direction.

The early roster emphasizes simplified anime shapes and immediate readability. The Version 7.0 roster places more emphasis on detail, material definition, illustration accuracy, and elegant silhouettes.

Has Genshin Impact's Character Modeling Actually Improved?

From a technical perspective, the answer is clearly yes.

Modern models use more sophisticated hair layering, better facial visibility, improved material response, and more balanced silhouettes. Animations and physics also have more individual details to work with, allowing characters to feel less rigid during movement.

However, whether the newer models look better remains partly subjective.

Players who value refinement, detailed materials, and accurate reproduction of official artwork will probably prefer the Snezhnaya-era approach. Players who prefer a simpler anime style may continue to favor characters from Mondstadt, Liyue, and early Inazuma.

The most important point is that Genshin Impact has not replaced its original visual identity. The game still uses the same broad anime-inspired model system. HoYoverse has gradually refined that system so it can support more complex character designs.

Final Thoughts

The difference between Genshin Impact Version 1.0 and Version 7.0 is not the result of one dramatic model overhaul. It is the accumulation of many smaller improvements across several years.

Transparent bangs preserve facial expressions. More detailed hair geometry creates lighter silhouettes and more natural movement. Improved fabric rendering gives stockings and clothing a stronger sense of depth. Better head-to-body proportions allow adult characters to look more mature and help in-game models match their official illustrations.

These changes give modern characters a more polished presentation and make complicated designs easier to reproduce in gameplay.

At the same time, the simpler early models still have their own appeal. Their solid shapes and exaggerated anime proportions create a softer visual style that some players continue to prefer.

Genshin Impact's model evolution is therefore not only a story of increasing technical quality. It also reflects the game's gradual movement from simple anime-inspired designs toward more detailed, refined, and illustration-accurate characters.

Players preparing for a new Version 7.0 character can use Topuplist or the Genshin Impact recharge page to plan their Genesis Crystal purchases.

FAQ

How have Genshin Impact character models improved since Version 1.0?

The most noticeable improvements include semi-transparent bangs, more detailed hair layers, better hair movement, improved fabric materials, and more balanced body proportions.

What are transparent bangs in Genshin Impact?

Transparent bangs allow players to see a character's eyes or eyebrows through strands of hair covering the face. This keeps facial expressions visible without changing the hairstyle.

Why do newer Genshin Impact characters have better-looking hair?

Newer models use more separate hair sections, finer strand details, additional layers, softer ends, and improved movement. Early characters often used larger and more rigid hair pieces.

Are newer character models taller than older ones?

Not necessarily. The more noticeable change is the balance between the head, torso, shoulders, legs, and clothing volume. Newer characters can look taller or more mature even when they use a familiar body type.

Why do some players prefer the older Genshin Impact models?

Early models use simpler shapes, larger heads, and a more exaggerated anime style. Some players feel this gives older characters a softer, cuter, or more distinctive appearance.

Does better character modeling affect banner sales?

Model quality can influence player interest because the playable model is what players see during exploration, combat, and story scenes. A model that closely matches the promotional artwork can make a character more appealing, although gameplay strength and personality remain important factors.

Will HoYoverse update older character models?

Alternate outfits and new skins can use newer rendering techniques, but a complete visual update for the entire early roster would require significant development work. New costumes are currently the most practical way to give older characters more modern visual treatment.