The Zenless Zone Zero tier list highlights the top characters for Defense, Support, Anomaly, Stun, and Attack roles, assisting players in assembling the best squads.
While the game’s story and casual combat commissions provide trial characters and are relatively easy initially, knowing the top-tier characters is crucial for easily tackling the more challenging Shiyu Defense, Hollow Zero, and Notorious Hunt modes.
The comprehensive tier list for Zenless Zone Zero is presented below, based on its version 1.0 recent release in August.
Zenless Zone Zero Tier List
Detailed information is provided in each tier list, which is recommended to read before making any character upgrade decisions.
The key points have been summarized in a straightforward table below to offer a quick overview of which characters to prioritize during the 1.0 launch version.
Characters in the S-tier
Rina
Though she may seem like a slow attacker at first, Rina’s damage potential significantly increases when played as a sub-DPS. By using one of her special attacks and quickly switching to another squad member, her attack continues to inflict damage.
At the same time, you control another character, making her an effective off-field attacker. Rina fits well in various team compositions beyond Electric and Housekeeping due to the Penetration Ratio buff provided to the entire squad when her Anastella Bangboos and Drusilla are deployed.
Ellen
Ellen stands out as the top Attacker in Zenless Zone Zero due to her significant personal damage and synergy with Lycaon and Soukaku, forming one of the best teams.
Activating her special Roaming state by holding or double-tapping the dash button allows her to accumulate Flash Freeze Charges rapidly. Once her seemingly simple playstyle is mastered, any Ethereal caught in her path will meet a swift icy demise.
Zhu Yuan
While various combos can enhance her damage output, concentrating on building Enhanced Shotshells and using them inside Suppressive Mode solidifies Zhu Yuan as a top-tier in Zenless Zone Zero. She also integrates well into free teams due to her strong synergy with Anby and Nicole.
Lycaon
Currently an excellent character to develop, Lycaon offers exceptional Daze support and extended Stun duration. He consistently reduces Ice Resistance and pairs well with top-tier Attackers.
His significant Daze capabilities make him versatile, fitting into various squads beyond Ice and Victoria Housekeeping. Even without perfect timing, Lycaon enhances your team, but charging and chaining his Basic Attacks further boosts his effectiveness.
Characters in the A-tier
Nicole
Nicole is highly beneficial for Ether teams due to her Core Passive, which enhances Ether damage. Additionally, her Energy Field’s ability to group enemies proves helpful beyond Ether teams.
Aim to generate an Energy Field frequently with Nicole, even when not needed for grouping, as it temporarily decreases enemy Defense by 20%.
Grace
Grace can be challenging to play effectively due to the need for frequent character swaps and managing Zap stacks to maximize her Shock application and sub DPS.
However, once mastered, she excels within Electric teams by generating shock and inflicting damage even while off-field.
Lucy
Lucy offers impressive sub DPS and Support buffs damage for an A-Rank character, making her a valuable addition to any team.
She is particularly effective when paired with other Fire squad members. Lucy becomes one of the most uncomplicated characters by boosting her attack stat and using her regular and Special Attacks to summon guard boars.
Simply switch to another character when Lucy summons her boars and keep fighting with your active squad members. The boars will keep attacking, benefiting from her Crit Damage and Rate, while your team maintains a significant attack boost. Repeating this process ensures a steady increase in your squad’s DPS.
Soukaku
Mastering the precise attack pattern to unlock Soukaku’s optimal support abilities can be challenging. However, her Support buffs are highly valuable, as they significantly increase the attack power of the following character when swapped in after her most effective attack combo.
This benefit is universal, but Soukaku mainly enhances Ice damage, making her an ideal match for Ice team members. Moreover, her buffs are long, allowing more frequent damage output from other squad members than other supports.
Soldier 11
Soldier 11 is the sole Fire Attacker available, making her the top choice for dealing with enemies weak to Fire. To maximize her fire-damage capabilities, it’s crucial to time her basic attacks accurately and hit them at specific intervals to execute the optimal combo.
Without precise timing, she deals with physical damage instead, which is less effective as her abilities are centered on enhancing fire damage.
Despite this, the primary attack combo is relatively straightforward, so avoid using Soldier 11. Overall, she is an excellent Attacker with an easy-to-master kit.
Characters in the B-Tier
Piper
Piper excels at rapidly generating and applying the Physical Anomaly effect using her Special Attack. Her Core Additional Ability also enhances your team’s Physical damage.
To effectively trigger Physical Anomaly, hold down the Special Attack to spin or switch to another character just before completing the spin, as she will continue spinning for a while.
With her solid Stun potential, Piper is an excellent choice for increasing the overall damage of your Physical team.
Nekomata
Ideal for players who prefer a fast-paced playstyle, Nekomata currently offers the highest Physical damage in the game. While her support capabilities are limited, apart from her synergy with Piper, she remains effective in clearing content.
To maximize her potential, focus on her Dodge Counters and Quick Assists, and use her Special Attack frequently.
Koleda
Koleda stands out due to her enhanced Stun and damage capabilities, which are realized only when paired with Ben. However, Koleda and Ben are slow attackers, making this combination less suitable than other top-tier teams.
Despite this, Koleda’s ability to inflict Daze is valuable and effective even in teams not focused on Fire or the Belobog Industry.
Ben
Ben’s main strength lies in the Shield he provides to the entire squad when he performs a follow-up attack during his Special Attack.
This ability also boosts the team’s Crit Rate. While this is a valuable feature, Ben’s major drawback is his slow performance on the field. Other Anomaly and Support characters can help you progress through content more efficiently.
If precise dodging and evading enemy attacks differ from your preference, or if you’re using Koleda (who pairs well with Ben), adding Ben to your team is a strong recommendation.
Remember, though, that in Zenless Zone Zero, the primary objective is typically to complete fights quickly rather than focusing solely on survival.
Anby
Anby is a free Stun character and is valuable in any squad, particularly when used with Cunning Hares or Electro team members. While her overall kit isn’t exceptional, Anby features one of the simplest combos to enhance her damage and Daze.
After completing the third hit of her Basic Attack, pause briefly, then press it again. This combo delivers a decent AOE attack that inflicts Electric damage on multiple nearby enemies. It’s advisable to use this combo frequently to maximize her effectiveness.
Characters in the C-Tier
Corin
Corin excels in crowd control scenarios, such as keeping enemies out of designated areas during specific missions. However, as an A-Rank Attacker, her damage output is lower than that of S-Rank characters.
Corin can inflict some Daze with her Assist and damage Stunned enemies more due to her Core Ability. However, investing in a different Physical Attacker is usually more advantageous.
The exception is if you leverage her second Mindscape Cinema buff in Physical teams, which lowers enemies’ Physical Resistance when hit by her Special, Chain, or Ultimate Attacks.
Anton
Currently, Anton is the sole Electric Attacker available, but his status as an A-Rank and his somewhat clunky kit suggest future characters may quickly overshadow him.
Maximizing Anton’s damage can be challenging, as he requires Burst Mode to deal significant damage and loses Energy during combat. While he’s a decent choice, his limited prospects might make you hesitant to invest in upgrading him.
Characters in the D-Tier
Billy
While it’s tough to place him in the D-tier, Billy has issues comparable to Corin’s: he excels in crowd control but falls short on damage. His ranged attacks are decent, but their effectiveness decreases with distance from the enemy.
To maximize DPS, frequent use of his Ultimate is critical, yet Billy is more effective as a secondary squad member. For main damage, Anomaly characters, Stun, and Support, may prove more advantageous than adding another Attacker.
