Genshin 7.0 Banners: Odette, Free Characters, and What’s Worth Pulling

Genshin Impact‘s 7.0 update runs two wishing phases: Phase 1 from August 12 to September 1, 2026, headlined by Odette’s debut alongside an Arlecchino rerun, and Phase 2 from September 1 to September 22, 2026, bringing back Flins and Ineffa. None of that costs a single Primogem to benefit from, because the patch hands out two playable characters for free regardless of what you pull. This guide covers the free characters first, then the phase dates, Odette’s kit, and an honest read on who actually needs to spend.

This is the part worth knowing before anything else. Clearing the event challenges gives you a chance to invite Diona to your roster for free, so that is two no-cost characters this patch if you count Alyosha. Neither requires wishing, and neither is tied to how much you spend elsewhere. Players can get Alyosha for free as they advance through the new Archon Quest. Unlocking Alyosha comes through the Archon Quest, while Diona is a free reward from the flagship event. A player who never opens their wallet finishes 7.0 with both of them in their roster, plus the Cryo Traveler unlocked through story progression — the Cryo Traveler becomes available in Version 7.0 by touching a Statue of Seven at Snezhnaya, and can trigger Stellar-Conduct reactions.

Now the paid side, for anyone deciding whether to pull. Phase 1 of Version 7.0 features Odette’s debut banner and Arlecchino’s rerun banner, available from August 12, 2026 to September 1, 2026. Both banners feature the new 4-Star Electro, Alyosha, as well as Sucrose and Lynette. Odette and Arlecchino run as separate 5-star banners but share a pity pool between the two Character Event Wishes, separate from the weapon banner. Flins and Ineffa’s rerun banners are available in Version 7.0 Phase 2 from September 1, 2026 to September 22, 2026. On the weapon side, Phase 1’s weapon banner features Odette and Arlecchino’s signature weapons — Whitelake Frostfeather and Crimson Moon’s Semblance — alongside 4-star weapons including Favonius Sword, The Bell, Dragon’s Bane, Sacrificial Fragments, and Rust, and in Phase 2, Bloodsoaked Ruins matches Flins and Fractured Halo matches Ineffa.

If you already run a strong Pyro carry, the more useful of the Phase 1 slots is Odette; if you don’t, Arlecchino is the safer, proven pick. The Snezhnaya region tied to this patch also opens fresh exploration goals — see the Snezhnaya what-to-do-first guide for what to prioritize once the update lands.

Odette is a 5-star Cryo Sword character debuting in Phase 1 as the prima ballerina of the Korolevskiy Troupe. Her playstyle centers on a Solo Shadow double to sustain Cryo damage while powering up the new Stellar-Conduct and Stellar reactions, which puts her value squarely on whether you plan to engage with that new mechanic at all.

The Solo Shadow Double Mechanic

Odette summons a dance-double that acts alongside her, letting her flex between main-DPS and sub-DPS roles depending on team composition. That flexibility is why several early pull guides frame her as a build-around piece rather than a slot-in unit.

Why Her Value Depends on Stellar Reactions

Version 7.0 introduces the Stellar reaction family — Stellar Swirl, Stellar-Conduct, and Stellar Glimmer. Odette is one of the characters built to trigger it. If you’re not planning to build a Stellar team this patch, her numerical damage is harder to judge in isolation — for the full mechanical breakdown, read the Stellar Swirl reaction guide before deciding.

Don’t read this as a push to spend. Alyosha’s kit gives a clear read on the design intent: he’s a Snezhnayan hunter who fights alongside his dog Tugarin, providing the party with Stellar-Conduct DMG buffs and restoring HP to nearby party members. His skill applies a Hunter’s Mark, and triggering it inside a Polestar Field boosts the party’s Stellar-Conduct DMG. That means even the free 4-star is built around the same reaction system Odette leans on — so if Stellar reactions don’t interest you, neither character needs to be a priority, free or otherwise.

Missing a banner in Genshin never locks off content. The story, exploration, and both free characters arrive whether you pull or not — a comparison of long-term systems like the Spiral Abyss and Imaginarium Theater endgame guide is a better use of planning time than agonizing over a single 4-star rate-up.

Phase 2 hasn’t started as of this writing, and some details can still shift before September 1. Flins and Ineffa’s rerun banners are confirmed for September 1 to September 22, 2026, and the weapon pairing is set, but event rewards, exact Primogem totals for that half of the patch, and any additional 4-star lineup for Phase 2 haven’t been detailed the way Phase 1’s have. Treat anything beyond the banner names and dates as subject to change until HoYoverse’s in-game notice goes live.

Myth: You Have to Pull Odette to Keep Playing the Story

False. Odette’s kit ties into Stellar reactions, but the Archon Quest and exploration content for Snezhnaya don’t require owning her.

Myth: Missing Phase 1 Means Alyosha Is Gone Forever

Also false. Alyosha will be added to the standard Wanderlust Invocation banner in the subsequent update, giving players another shot at pulling him later if they miss out now. That’s on top of the free copy from the Archon Quest, which isn’t tied to the banner window at all.

Myth: The Diona Event Reward Requires Spending Primogems

It doesn’t. Completing the flagship event rewards a free copy of Diona, Primogems, and a stack of character and weapon upgrade materials — all earned through play, not purchase.