The annual Lantern Rite festival has returned to Teyvat, and with it comes a golden opportunity to expand your roster without spending a single Primogem. Among the celebratory rewards, one character continues to stand out: Yaoyao, the four-star Dendro polearm user. As a dedicated healer who can keep your team alive while triggering transformative reactions, Yaoyao has proven her worth in countless team compositions since her debut. For players who missed her initial release or are just starting their journey, the 2026 Lantern Rite offers a straightforward path to claim her for free.
Yaoyao entered the game as part of the 3.4 update, and her unique kit immediately drew attention. Unlike many healers who rely on Elemental Burst animations or static circles, Yaoyao deploys a plushie companion named Yuegui. This mechanical bunny can either fire radishes that restore HP to active characters or pelt enemies with Dendro damage, depending on the situation. Her Elemental Skill summons Yuegui to follow the team around, while her Burst causes the plushie to enter an enhanced state, rapidly lobbing radishes with doubled effectiveness. This dual-purpose design makes her an invaluable support unit for Hyperbloom, Burgeon, or any team that wants a reliable Dendro applicator who also maintains survivability.
Securing Yaoyao during the 2026 Lantern Rite is refreshingly simple, following a tradition established with previous four-star Liyue characters. The event operates on a “Festive Fever” system, where players accumulate points by participating in a series of themed mini-games. Once you reach 800 Festive Fever, a special invitation screen unlocks, allowing you to choose any one four-star character from the Liyue region. Naturally, Yaoyao is part of that curated selection.
Alongside Yaoyao, the invitation roster includes a range of powerful alternatives. Veterans will recognize names like Xingqiu, the Hydro sword prodigy whose rain swords provide both damage reduction and off-field application; Xiangling, the Pyro polearm chef whose tornado of flames still dominates many Spiral Abyss clears; and Beidou, the Electro claymore captain whose perfect counters can obliterate enemy waves. Other options such as Yun Jin, Yanfei, and Chongyun each bring their own niches to the table. However, for anyone who has not yet obtained Yaoyao, the choice is almost always clear. Unlike the other characters, who routinely appear on limited banners and in the standard Wanderlust Invocation pool, Yaoyao’s rate-up appearances are rare. Once the Lantern Rite ends, she returns to the bloated four-star pool, where the odds of pulling her specifically become discouragingly low. This festival represents one of the few guarantees to obtain her without burning wishes.
Accumulating 800 Festive Fever need not be a grind. The event structures its mini-games to reward efficiency, and one activity in particular stands out for time-strapped travelers: the Paper Theater puzzles. These charming, diorama-style challenges task players with guiding a character through a series of scenes by manipulating stage elements. Each completed scene awards 25 Festive Fever, and with a dozen puzzles spread across the event, that alone accounts for 300 points—nearly 40% of your goal. Combined with other tasks like the whack-a-sweet-flower rhythm game or the combat-focused Beats of Drums, a dedicated player can unlock the invitation in a single afternoon.
From a lore perspective, Yaoyao also brings heartwarming charm to any account. As the youngest disciple of the Adeptus Streetward Rambler and an assistant to Xiangling’s family restaurant, her voice lines blend innocent determination with subtle hints of her divine training. Whether she is worrying about a lost plushie or reciting medicinal recipes, her presence adds a layer of whimsy that resonates with many Travelers.
For new players who have yet to build a dedicated healer, Yaoyao offers an especially smooth onboarding experience. Her healing scales primarily with HP, making her artifacts easy to farm, and her Dendro application requires no Constellation unlocks to function. Even at C0, she enables powerful elemental combos that can trivialize early-game domains. Veterans, too, will appreciate the chance to grab a guaranteed Constellation for an already-invested Yaoyao, pushing her closer to C1’s energy restoration or C2’s enhanced Dendro application.
Time is of the essence. The Lantern Rite event only runs for a limited window, and the Festive Fever meter does not carry over between years. Waiting until the final day risks missing out entirely, especially if real-life commitments pile up. Set aside a few hours, dive into the Paper Theater puzzles, and secure Yaoyao before the fireworks fade. It is a decision no rational Traveler will regret.