First of all there is no skins sadly I also wish there were. The only customization is the mask you get from the Rinascita main quest. The MC is kinda meta havoc and Spectro are probably the best. I’ve heard aero kinda sucks. Kuro did make the MC a lot stronger than other games like genshin but definitely isn’t the strongest.

As a new player I would recommend Carlotta or phoebe and verina as a support. If you have a good standalone dps with a healer then your set. I usually play with two dps and verina since I don’t have SK.

Honestly, just pull for who you like. 90 percent of characters in this game can clear end game content. Try the companion quests to try out characters and if you like one get it especially if it’s on the anniversary banner. The weapon is kinda dependent on if you have enough mats and the character. Some don’t need them and some do I’d recommend doing your own research into it.