Quick Take: At C0, Haran Geppaku Futsu edges out Primordial Jade Cutter by 1-4% in DPS, thanks to that sweet 12% Elemental DMG Bonus and 40% Normal Attack buffs during Shunsuiken rotations. But don't sleep on PJC—its 44.1% CRIT Rate and HP scaling shine in 30k+ HP setups, matching output close enough. Stick with 4pc Heart of Depth artifacts and 130-160% ER for Vaporize or Mono Hydro teams.
Getting to Know Ayato and the Jade Cutter
Ayato's Place in the Genshin World
Kamisato Ayato hit the scene as a 5-Star Hydro Sword wielder back in Version 2.6 on March 30, 2022. He's your go-to main DPS, dishing out on-field Hydro like nobody's business—even at C0. His kit ties into Max HP for those Namisen stacks, capping at 2.24% DMG bonus with four of 'em. Shunsuiken strikes? Each one lands 52.9% ATK DMG across 15 hits, and you get 4.5 particles for that 80 Energy Burst. Pump him to Level 90 for 13,715 HP, 299 ATK, and 769 DEF. Oh, and max that Elemental Skill to 10—it's key for tearing through Abyss floors.
A Closer Look at Primordial Jade Cutter

This 5-Star Sword pops up on the standard banner, packing 542 Base ATK and a whopping 44.1% CRIT Rate at Level 90. Its passive? +20% HP, which funnels 1.2% of your Max HP into ATK—think around 400 extra ATK if you're rocking 30k HP. That nudges Namisen's 2.24% DMG bonus up by 0.45% and delivers 124% relative DPS compared to The Black Sword in Vaporize teams. Ascension's a grind: 65 Handguards and Narukami mats for 225,000 Mora. Slap it on a beefy 30k+ HP Ayato, and you're looking at +2-3% DPS in Mono Hydro setups.
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Breaking Down Ayato's Kit at C0
Normal Attacks and That Hydro Infusion Magic

At C0, Ayato's Normal Attacks turn into Hydro-infused Shunsuiken for a solid 6 seconds once you trigger Takimeguri Kanka. We're talking 52.9-64.9% ATK DMG per hit over 15 strikes, stacking up 4 Namisen for that 2.24% Max HP DMG bonus. In Vaporize rotations, Shunsuiken handles 70-80% of the DPS pie. Pro tip: Hold your Normal Attack during the Skill for the full N15 combo—it kicks off with 2 stacks from the A1 Passive and maxes out on that 101.5% Hydro AoE illusion explosion, netting 4.5 particles every time.
How the Elemental Skill Works Its Wonders
The Elemental Skill, Kamisato Art: Kyouka (12s CD), flips on 6s of infusion for Shunsuiken, scaling off ATK and Max HP, then pops an exploding illusion for AoE Hydro every 0.1s. At C0, it racks up 4 Namisen stacks at 0.56% Max HP DMG apiece, pushing the Skill to 800-1000% ATK across hits in those 24-26s rotations. Fire off team Skills first to wake up passives, then hit E into N15 for 100% DMG bonus uptime. Simple, right? But it flows so smoothly once you get the rhythm.
Unlocking Burst's Full Potential
Elemental Burst—Kamisato Art: Suiyuu (20s CD, 80 Energy)—lays down an 18s AoE field with 36 Bloomwater Blades at 66.5% Hydro DMG each, hitting up to 4 enemies while tossing +11% Normal Attack DMG to the team. It chips in 20-30% of your rotation DPS and snapshots buffs for off-field Hydro goodness. Shoot for 130-160% ER to Burst every other turn; the A4 Passive gives 2 Energy/s off-field if you're under 40 Energy. Kick things off with Q, then E N15 in a squad like Ayato, Xiangling, Bennett, and Kazuha. (As an editor who's farmed way too many domains, this combo feels like butter once ER's dialed in.)
Primordial Jade Cutter's Stats and What They Bring
Base Stats, CRIT Rate, and How It Scales
Level 90 PJC? 542 Base ATK, 44.1% CRIT Rate—perfect for nailing that 1:2 ratio. Lean into DMG or HP substats to hit 70-80% total CRIT Rate and 160%+ CRIT DMG. It cuts down artifact RNG in Freeze teams, hitting 124% relative DPS on single-target. Gear it on a Level 90 Ayato and run sims in Genshin Optimizer for Vaporize tweaks.
The Perks of Featherfall's Substat
Featherfall passive dishes +20% HP and converts 1.2% Max HP to ATK—about 400 ATK at 30k HP—which juices Namisen by 0.45% for +2-3% DPS in Mono Hydro. Chase those 30k+ HP substats; test damage in the training grounds before and after equipping to see the pop.
Ascension and Refinement Breakdown
Ascend it with 18 Old Handguards, 30 Kageuchi, 36 Famed, 91 Statuettes, and 225,000 Mora. R1 unlocks the full passive, no scaling needed. Share those 46 Dew of Repudiation with Ayato's ascension. If you snag multiples, refine for tiny ATK bumps.
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Head-to-Head: How They Stack Up at C0
Crunching the DPS Numbers

Rocking 4pc Heart of Depth, 133% ER, and 9/9/9 talents, Haran pulls 125% unbuffed / 123% buffed DPS against The Black Sword's baseline—beating PJC's 124%/121% by 1-4% courtesy of 12% Elemental DMG and 40% Normal Attack DMG from Wavespike. In Vaporize, Haran pumps Shunsuiken's 70-80% slice by 4% on multi-target. Plug it into Genshin Optimizer with Ayato, Xiangling, Bennett, and Kazuha for your own calcs.
Haran's edge: 20-40% NA DMG uptime across the full 6s Skill.
PJC's wins: 44.1% CRIT Rate for +1-2% in single-target.
Big picture: Haran takes 80% of scenarios; PJC's gap shrinks to under 1% in HP-heavy builds.
Ever wonder why these tiny percentages matter so much? In Abyss, they can mean clearing that last chamber or wiping.
Energy Needs and Utility Tweaks
Ayato craves 130-160% ER with Haran for double-Skill rotations in pure Hydro solo play, but PJC drops it to 120-135% since CRIT helps Favonius spit particles. Haran's 33.1% CRIT Rate? It hungers for more ER. PJC plays nicer with double Hydro. If you're dipping below 130%, slot an ER Sands; lean on A4 for off-field regen and Kazuha/Bennett for particle parties.
Stacking Up Against Other Fan Favorites
Both Haran and PJC smoke Mistsplitter's 118% DPS for C0 Ayato. Haran's the BiS for NA focus, PJC slots second ahead of The Black Sword (100% baseline, +24-25% from either). Amenoma? 89% DPS—fine for casual, but skip for endgame. Hunt Haran on Epitome reruns (like Version 4.2 Phase 2, November 28-December 19, 2023); PJC's always on standard. In tools, it's Haran > PJC > Mistsplitter for 24s rotations.
Team Synergies and Comps That Click
Building Hydro Teams Around Ayato

PJC pulls ahead by 2% over Haran in Mono Hydro (Ayato, Furina, Yelan, Xilonen) at 100-120% ER, thanks to Furina's HP love. Haran surges 3-5% in Vaporize (Ayato, Xiangling, Bennett, Kazuha) via Wavespike off Skills. It adds 3% in Hyperbloom (Ayato, Nahida, Kuki, Fischl). For Haran, pack 2+ Skill users; for PJC, stack HP in Bloom (Ayato, Nilou, Nahida, Baizhu, +2% nudge).
Vaporize flow: Q > Bennett EQ > Kazuha Q > E N15 > Xiangling Burst.
Mono Hydro: Q > Furina E > Yelan E > E N15 > Xilonen Skill.
Freeze (Ayato, Ganyu, Venti, Diona): PJC nets +2% CRIT on frozen enemies.
Artifact Picks That Maximize Output
Go 4pc Heart of Depth: ATK% Sands, Hydro DMG% Goblet, CRIT DMG Circlet. Prioritize CRIT (70-80% Rate, 160%+ DMG) > ER (130-160%) > HP% (30k+) > ATK% subs for +30% NA DMG after Skill and 124% DPS. Swap to 4pc Blizzard Strayer for Freeze CRIT overcap. Hit Inazuma domains hard; share Handguards with the weapon.
Ayato's Role in Spiral Abyss
With PJC, Ayato's S-tier main DPS for 36-star clears on floors like 12-3, trailing Haran by under 5% in the post-5.1 meta. Lean into reactions for SS vibes; snapshot Q first for 24-26s cycles and 70/160 CRIT in HP artifacts. (From my edits on meta guides, he's timeless—Hydro's always in demand.)
The Ups and Downs of PJC on Ayato
Where It Shines in Burst-Heavy Fights
PJC's +20% HP and 1.2% Max HP ATK amp those 36 Burst blades (66.5% Hydro each) and Namisen, hitting 99-100% of Haran's output. The 44.1% CRIT Rate locks in 80 Energy uptime; it edges +1% in Burgeon (Ayato, Thoma, Nahida, Baizhu) through HP synergy. Level it to 90 for +400 ATK at 30k HP.
Where It Falls Short in Long Hauls
PJC lags Haran by 3-4% in Overvape (Ayato, Bennett, Xiangling, Fischl) sans NA buffs; its 542 Base ATK (vs. Haran's 608) dings unbuffed hits. Pump 30k+ HP% subs; steer clear of NA spam without team crutches.
F2P Angle: Totally Doable
Standard banner keeps PJC F2P-friendly—no 50/50 stress. It crushes The Black Sword by 24% DPS, turning Ayato S-tier without whale spending.
Build Guide: Fine-Tuning Ayato with PJC
Talent Leveling Order

Max Skill to 10 for those 52.9% Shunsuiken hits, Burst to 9 for 66.5% blades, Normal to 6. Grind: 63 Philosophies of Elegance, 177 Handguards, 18 Mudra of the Malefic General, 3 Crowns of Insight, 4,957,500 Mora. Ascend with 1-9-9-6 Varunada Lazurite, 168 Sakura Bloom, 46 Dew of Repudiation, 420,000 Mora to 90.
Snag Elegance books on Wednesdays/Sundays in Inazuma.
Hunt Handguards from Nobushi/Samurai weekly.
Crown the Skill for +0.56% Namisen per stack.
Level after ascension to hit 800-1000% Skill ATK.
Backup Weapons If PJC's Not Cutting It
Haran's BiS at 125% DPS with 608 ATK and 33.1% CRIT Rate (event-limited, last rerun November 28-December 19, 2023). F2P pick: The Black Sword (R1, 100%). Ditch Amenoma (89%); Mistsplitter's 118% if you've got stacks. PJC eases CRIT farming, Haran peaks DMG.
Rotation Hacks for Smooth Plays
C0 setup: Q > Team Skills/Buffs > E + N15 (4 Namisen) > Team filler > Second E + N15; 24-26s at 135% ER. Hold N in E for max stacks and 2.24% DMG bonus.
Lead with Q for +11% NA snapshot.
Pre-load team Skills before E (Kazuha grouping's a lifesaver).
Cap with off-field Burst for reactions.
Tweak ER to avoid hiccups.
What Players Are Saying and Meta Shifts
Echoes from the Community
Folks swear by Haran for C0 synergy, but PJC's a near-tie with under 1% DPS gap and less CRIT headache. It powers 36-star clears in HP teams; Version 5.1 calcs confirm Haran's 1-4% lead, while PJC flexes versatility. (My take as an editor: PJC's the safe bet for most accounts—forgiving and fun.)
How Patches Shake Things Up
Ayato's C0 kit's rock-solid since Version 2.6 (March 30-April 19, 2022); post-5.1 meta still loves his Hydro DPS, especially with PJC's evergreen passive. Haran reruns hit 4.2; no nerfs, S-tier holds. Keep an eye on Inazuma events for mats.
Real-World Benchmarks
PJC clocks 124% single-target DPS, +1-2% over Haran in 30k HP builds (+0.45% Namisen); it trails 4% on multi. In Freeze, PJC adds +2% CRIT; aim 70/160 for S-tier. It's budget gold for 36-stars, Haran for the absolute top.
Wrapping It Up: Who's on Top?
The Bottom Line
Haran takes the crown by 1-4% at C0, fueled by NA stacks on Shunsuiken—but PJC hits 99-100% with its CRIT/HP scaling.
When PJC Steals the Show
Grab PJC if it's on your standard banner or you need CRIT/HP for Mono Hydro/Freeze; save Haran for Vaporize/Hyperbloom stacks. Both land S-tier at C0—artifacts matter more.
FAQ
Is Primordial Jade Cutter the best weapon for Ayato at C0?
No, Haran is BiS with 12% Elemental DMG and 20-40% NA stacks, outperforming PJC by 1-4% DPS. PJC strongest non-signature at 124% relative DPS with 44.1% CRIT Rate and HP passive if Haran unobtainable.
How does Ayato's damage change with Primordial Jade Cutter?
PJC boosts damage ~24% over The Black Sword, enhancing Namisen 2.24% Max HP DMG by +0.45% via +20% HP and adding ~400 ATK at 30k HP, edging Haran 1-2% in single-target/HP builds.
What are Primordial Jade Cutter's stats in Genshin Impact?
Level 90: 542 Base ATK, 44.1% CRIT Rate. Featherfall: +20% HP, +1.2% Max HP to ATK; ascend with 65 Handguards, Narukami materials for 225,000 Mora, no refinement scaling.
Can F2P players use Primordial Jade Cutter on Ayato?
Yes, standard banner allows F2P pulls without event timing, outperforming The Black Sword by 24% DPS at C0 for S-tier in Vaporize teams, no constellations needed.
Ayato vs other Hydro swords like Mistsplitter?
PJC ranks above Mistsplitter (118% DPS vs 124%) for C0 Ayato due to fixed HP/CRIT over stacks in 24s rotations; excels in Freeze CRIT, Haran leads overall for NA.
Does Ayato need high constellations for Primordial Jade Cutter?
No, C0 sufficient for S-tier with 4 Namisen stacks and 130-160% ER; base kit handles endgame, prioritize weapon/artifacts over C2's +50% HP boost.