Skyward Harp vs. Polar Star (Genshin Impact)

Skyward Harp and Polar Star are both strong 5-star weapons that work well on all ATK-scaling DPS bow users.

At Refinement Rank 1 Level 90, they have the following stats and passive:

They’re both great options on most DPS units, but Polar Star very often outperforms Skyward Harp. Polar Star simply has better stats than Harp. It just offers more total CRIT and ATK stats – there’s not much to be said.

Still, Skyward Harp is a really good weapon. They’re basically very interchangeable.

Because of this, pulling for Polar Star (a limited 5-star weapon) is generally not recommended if you already have Skyward Harp (a standard 5-star weapon). Just use whichever weapon you have.

Here’s a more detailed comparison of the two weapons for each DPS bow user.

For Fischl

In an off-field DPS build, Polar Star is Fischl’s current best weapon – even with just 1 stack.

It pulls ahead of Skyward Harp by a decent margin, but Harp is still a great option. But it does fall behind because Fischl can’t make full use of its passive.

She’s very often off-field, so you’ll rarely proc Harp’s extra attack.

Still, Harp is Fischl’s 3rd best bow (after Aqua Simulacra) – so use whichever one you have available.

For Melt Ganyu

Polar Star outperforms Skyward Harp in a Melt Ganyu build.

Their gap increases the more stacks she gets from the passive. Realistically, this is about 2-3 stacks from her normal attack, charged attack, and elemental skill.

Skyward Harp is also a really strong option

Its passive is easier to proc than Polar Star’s, so the extra damage is basically guaranteed.

For Freeze Ganyu

Polar Star’s high CRIT rate very often overcaps Freeze Ganyu’s CRIT rate – so Skyward Harp is generally better.

This is because she already gains a lot of CRIT rate from multiple sources – namely, 20% from her passive, 40% from the 4pc. Blizzard Strayer set, and 15% from Cryo Resonance.

In practice, it’s basically very easy to overcap past 100% CRIT rate.

So Skyward Harp’s high base ATK and additional CRIT damage stats are generally more valuable.

But their gap isn’t significant – only roughly around 5% depending on how many stacks are active. So it’s best to use whichever one you have or which build has better stats.

For Tartaglia/Childe

Polar Star is Tartaglia’s signature and undisputed best-in-slot weapon.

It pulls ahead of every other 5-star bow (including Skyward Harp) by a sizable margin. He fully benefits from everything the weapon offers.

His kit easily lets him gain all 4 stacks and its 40% ATK buff. Plus, its high CRIT rate is highly appreciated.

Tartaglia doesn’t ascend with CRIT stats, so Polar Star greatly helps with balancing his CRIT ratio. Plus, his Riptide mechanic deals additional damage upon dealing a CRIT hit – thus making CRIT rate even more valuable.

Skyward Harp is still a great weapon for Tartaglia.

Its double CRIT stats and high base ATK are always useful.

For Yoimiya

Polar Star is among Yoimiya’s best weapon options – and it generally pulls ahead of Skyward Harp.

But their gap lessens the fewer stacks you have active. At 2 stacks, Polar Star is only around 2% better than Skyward Harp.

So the better option will still depend on your artifacts.

It’s best to just use whichever weapon you have available or whichever build has better stats.