HoYoverse has a type. You know it, I know it. We've seen it in Genshin and Star Rail, but Zenless Zone Zero all characters feel... different. They’re grittier. They’ve got this urban, tactile weight to them that makes the combat feel less like a dance and more like a street brawl.
If you’re diving into New Eridu, you’re probably staring at the roster and wondering who’s worth the polychrome. Honestly? The "tier list" obsession usually misses the point because ZZZ is all about Faction synergy and Attribute anomaly. If you don't match your elements or your groups, even a "broken" S-Rank will feel like they're swinging a wet noodle.
The Cunning Hares: More Than Just Starter Units
Most gacha games give you "trash" starters. ZZZ gives you Billy, Anby, and Nicole.
Let's talk about Anby Demara. She’s your bread and butter. As a Stun character, her whole job is to fill that yellow bar under the boss's health until they go into a Daze state. If you aren't using her "Thunderbolt" (that's her N3 into Special Attack combo), you're leaving damage on the table. She’s basic, yeah, but her frame data is incredibly clean. You can dodge-offset almost everything in her kit.
Then there’s Billy Kid. He’s a dork. He’s also the king of AOE clearing if you know how to position his crouch-fire. Most people just spam his basic attack, but the real ones know his dash-attacks are where the mobility lives. He falls off in high-level Shiyu Defense because his single-target DPS struggles, but for general clearing? He’s a vibe.
Nicole Demara is the dark horse here. She’s an Ether Support. In a game where grouping enemies is half the battle, her small black hole is indispensable. She lowers DEF. She groups. She looks cool doing it. If you pulled Zhu Yuan, Nicole isn't just an option—she’s a requirement.
Victoria Housekeeping and the Power of Class
If you want to feel like a god, you play Victoria Housekeeping Co.
Ellen Joe is the shark in the room. She was the first limited S-Rank for a reason. Her dash-sprint mechanic, "Huntress," makes her the fastest character in the game. You aren't just clicking buttons; you're skating. To play her right, you have to maintain her Flash Freeze charges. If you let those charges drop, her damage tanking is painful to watch. Pair her with Lycaon and Soukaku, and you have the "Mono-Ice" team that basically defined the launch meta.
Von Lycaon is arguably the best Stunner in the game. His charged attacks increase his Daze application significantly. Plus, he has that classy, wolf-butler aesthetic that HoYoverse fans go feral for. But practically? He shreds Ice resistance. That’s why he’s top tier.
And we can't ignore Rina. Alexandrina Sebastiane. She’s an Electric Support who focuses on PEN Ratio. She’s tricky because you have to manage her puppets, Drusilla and Munchkin. If they aren't on the field, your active character isn't getting that PEN buff. It’s a high-skill floor, but the payoff against high-defense bosses is massive.
Belobog Heavy Industries: The Tank Meta
Ben Bigger is the only character who can actually block. Think about that. In a game built entirely around dodging and parrying, Ben just sits there with a giant pillar and says "no." He’s a Fire Defense unit, and while defense units are often overlooked in favor of raw DPS, Ben provides a CRIT Rate buff through his footprints.
Koleda Belobog is the firecracker. She’s a Stunner who works best when Ben is on the team because they have literal coordinated attacks. It’s one of the few instances where having a specific duo actually changes the animation of your skills. It’s flavor, but it’s also functional.
Then there’s Grace Howard. She is the Anomaly queen. If you’re looking at Zenless Zone Zero all characters and wondering who will age the best, it’s probably Grace. Anomaly damage (like Shock) scales differently than traditional CRIT builds. As the game gets harder and enemy HP pools bloat, Percent-HP-based procs become king. Grace applies Shock faster than anyone else.
Section 6 and the Hollow Special Ops
Soukaku is an A-Rank, but don't let that fool you. She is a disguised S-Rank. Her attack buff is massive. Her "Fly the Flag" mechanic allows her to pass a portion of her own ATK stat to the next character you swap in. In an Ellen Joe team, Soukaku is the engine.
Then we have the heavy hitters like Hoshimi Miyabi (who everyone is waiting for) and Zhu Yuan.
Zhu Yuan is the burst goddess. She uses "Enhanced Shotshells." You spend the whole fight building them up, and then when the boss is stunned, you unload everything in a five-second window. It’s a very different rhythm than Ellen’s consistent skating. It’s rhythmic. It’s explosive. It’s punishing if you miss your window.
The Sons of Calydon: Biker Chic Meets High Impact
The Outer Rim characters brought a whole new flavor.
Caesar King changed the game. She’s a physical Defense unit, but she’s really a "do-everything" unit. She gives a 1000 ATK buff just for existing and getting a perfect block. She provides a shield that prevents you from getting interrupted. In a game where getting hit usually ruins your combo, Caesar is a literal safety net.
Burnice White is the off-field Fire Anomaly. She’s basically a flamethrower on wheels. You swap her in, ignite the floor, and swap her out while the "Scorched" effect keeps ticking. She enables "Disorder" teams—that’s when you proc two different elemental anomalies back-to-back for a massive burst of damage.
Why Factions Matter More Than Rarity
You can’t just throw three S-Ranks together and expect to win. ZZZ uses a "Core Passive" system. If you have two characters of the same Faction (like both being from Public Security) or the same Attribute (both being Fire), you unlock extra stats.
For example, Lucy from the Sons of Calydon is an A-Rank, but she’s a better support for a Fire team than almost any S-Rank because of her cheerleading boars. Yes, she has boars. They explode. It’s great.
- Attackers: They stay on field during the Stun window. (Ellen, Zhu Yuan, Soldier 11)
- Stunners: They do the heavy lifting early in the fight. (Anby, Lycaon, Koleda)
- Supports: They buff the Attackers. (Nicole, Soukaku, Rina)
- Anomaly: They ignore traditional stats for elemental procs. (Grace, Burnice, Jane Doe)
- Defense: They provide shields and parry frames. (Ben, Caesar, Seth)
Jane Doe and the Physical Anomaly Shift
We have to talk about Jane Doe. She’s the rat-morphed Theren who redefined the physical meta. She uses the "Passion" state. When she’s in it, her multi-hit attacks can trigger "Assault" multiple times.
Usually, Physical Anomaly just does a big chunk of damage and flinches the enemy. Jane makes it look like a blender. She is arguably the most self-sufficient unit in the game. She doesn't need a dedicated support as much as she needs an off-field anomaly applier (like Seth or Grace) to help her trigger Disorder.
Common Misconceptions About the Roster
People think Soldier 11 is boring. She’s not; she’s just difficult. Her "Fire Suppression" requires you to time your button presses to the rhythm of her swings. If you just mash, she does physical damage. If you time it, she’s a fire god. Most players hate her because they can't get the rhythm down, but her damage ceiling is actually quite high for a "standard" banner pull.
Another one? Thinking A-Ranks are placeholders. Seth Lowell is an A-Rank Defense unit who provides Anomaly Proficiency buffs. If you're running Jane Doe, Seth is arguably better than most S-Ranks because he feeds her the exact stat she needs.
Getting the Most Out of Your Agents
If you're looking to optimize your account, stop looking at individual characters and start looking at rotations.
- Daze buildup: Use your Stunner to parry and use Special Attacks.
- Chain Attacks: When the enemy stuns, trigger your chain. Always end the chain with your Support so they can pass their buff to your Attacker.
- The Window: Once your Attacker is out and buffed, dump all your Energy and Ultimate.
This is the "Golden Loop" of Zenless Zone Zero.
Moving Forward in New Eridu
The roster is growing fast. We’re seeing more niche roles filled every patch. The jump from the urban streets of the Cunning Hares to the wasteland of the Outer Rim shows that HoYoverse is willing to experiment with how these characters feel to play.
Actionable Next Steps for Players:
- Audit your roster for Faction synergy: Check if your primary DPS has their Core Passive active. If not, swap a support to match their Faction or Element.
- Invest in your Stunners: You can have a Level 60 DPS, but if your Stunner is Level 40, the fight will take ten minutes because you'll never reach the damage window.
- Learn the Dodge-Counter: Practice the "Perfect Dodge" in the training room. In ZZZ, the Dodge-Counter is often a character’s fastest way to apply their element.
- Don't ignore the W-Engines: A character's signature engine is great, but many A-Rank engines at high refinement (Rank 5) actually outperform S-Rank engines at Rank 1. Check the "Electro-Lip Gloss" for your Anomaly units.
The meta will shift, and powercreep is a reality in any gacha, but the mechanical depth of the Zenless Zone Zero all characters roster means skill usually beats raw stats. If you can parry, you can win.
