New Eridu isn't exactly a place that hands out birth certificates. If you’ve been spending any time in the Sixth Street district, you probably noticed that HoYoverse is being incredibly cagey about the Zenless Zone Zero character ages. It’s kind of their thing. Like Genshin Impact or Honkai: Star Rail before it, the developers prefer to give us "vibes" rather than hard numbers.
Honestly, it’s frustrating. You want to know if Nicole is a struggling adult or a perpetual teenager, or if Billy Kid is... well, how old can a cyborg actually be?
The Mystery of the Proxy: Wise and Belle
Let's start with the protagonists. Wise and Belle are clearly out of school. In the opening cinematics and various trust events, it's heavily implied they are young adults. They run a business—Random Play—and they don't have parents hovering over them. Most community consensus puts them in the 18 to 21 range. They’re old enough to handle the pressures of the Hollows but young enough to still have that "youthful protagonist" energy that drives the plot forward.
There’s a specific dialogue early on where they mention "years ago" regarding their childhood before the disaster, which suggests they’ve been independent for a while. They aren't kids. But they aren't grizzled veterans either.
Gentle House (Cunning Hares) and the Reality of Adulthood
Nicole Demara is the "mom" of the group, but not in a literal sense. She’s the leader. She’s got debt. She’s got a business license. You don't get that kind of financial baggage as a sixteen-year-old. Looking at her design and her role in the story, she’s likely in her mid-20s. Maybe 24 or 26. She has that "tired freelancer" energy that anyone who has ever looked at a tax return can relate to.
Then you have Anby. Anby is a total enigma. She’s obsessed with movies and burgers, and her combat style is precise. Is she 19? Is she a biological experiment that’s only been "awake" for five years? The game hints at a mysterious past with Soldier 11, which might mean her "age" is a bit of a trick question.
Billy Kid? He's a robot. An AI. Technically, his "age" depends on when he was manufactured. If we're talking about his personality, he’s a teenager who never grew up. If we’re talking about his chassis, he could be decades old, salvaged from an old battlefield.
The Belobog Heavy Industries Crew
This is where the Zenless Zone Zero character ages get a bit more grounded.
Koleda Belobog is the President, but she’s tiny. People in-game constantly mistake her for a child. This is a classic anime trope, but her lore confirms she took over the company after her father disappeared. She’s likely a young adult—perhaps 18 to 20—who just happens to be vertically challenged. She carries the weight of a massive corporation on her shoulders, which usually ages a person pretty fast.
Anton, on the other hand, is the quintessential "Bro." He looks like he’s in his late 20s. He’s got the build of a man who has spent ten thousand hours on a construction site. Ben Bigger? He’s a bear. A literal bear. In the world of ZZZ, Thierens (humanoid animals) seem to age at a similar rate to humans, but trying to guess a grizzly bear’s age based on his fur is a losing game. He’s an accountant, though. That’s a "30s" job if I’ve ever seen one.
Victoria Housekeeping: Sophistication and Immortality
Lycaon is the one everyone asks about. He’s the Victorian butler wolf. He’s polished, sophisticated, and incredibly capable. He feels like he’s in his late 20s or early 30s in terms of human maturity. But again, he’s a Thieren.
Ellen Joe is much easier to pin down. She’s a student. You literally see her in a school uniform, complaining about having to balance work and her studies. She’s likely 16 or 17. This makes her one of the few characters with a definitive age bracket. She’s a teenager trying to survive the gig economy, which is probably the most relatable thing in the whole game.
Corin Wickes is another one who feels like she’s in that 15 to 17 range. She’s anxious, shy, and clearly looks up to the older members of the household.
Section 6 and the Military Types
Soldier 11 is a professional. She lives for the mission. Her age is "classified," but her demeanor suggests someone who has undergone years of training. She’s likely in her early 20s. There is a theory that she and Anby are related or are part of the same "series," which would put them at a similar chronological age, even if their life experiences differ.
Hoshimi Miyabi, the katana-wielding leader of Section 6, carries herself with the authority of someone in her early to mid-20s. She’s a descendant of a prestigious family, and that kind of upbringing usually forces a kid to grow up fast.
Why HoYoverse Doesn't Give Us Numbers
It’s a smart move, really. If you say a character is 19, you alienate the 30-year-old players who want to relate to them. If you say they are 40, you might lose the younger demographic. By keeping the Zenless Zone Zero character ages vague, the developers allow the player to project their own understanding of "maturity" onto the cast.
There's also the "Thieren" factor. How does a shark-girl age? How does a cat-man age? We don't know the biology of New Eridu. For all we know, Nekomata could be 40 years old but look like a teenager because of her feline DNA. (Though, let’s be real, she’s written as a playful young adult/teen).
Estimating the Cast (The Unofficial List)
Since we don't have a manual, we have to look at voice lines, height, and social standing. Here is how the community generally breaks down the New Eridu population:
- The Teens (15-18): Ellen Joe, Corin, Piper Wheel (maybe?), Lucy.
- The Young Adults (19-25): Wise, Belle, Anby, Koleda, Soldier 11, Nekomata, Soukaku.
- The Established Adults (26-35): Nicole, Anton, Lycaon, Grace Howard, Rina.
- The "Who Knows?": Ben Bigger, Billy Kid, Zhu Yuan (likely mid-20s given her rank in the Public Security).
Grace Howard is a great example of the "Established Adult" category. She’s a brilliant engineer with a specialized obsession with machinery. You don't get that level of expertise without a few years of post-grad work or intense field experience. She feels like she’s firmly in her late 20s.
The Zhu Yuan and Public Security Factor
Zhu Yuan is a high-ranking officer in the Criminal Investigation Special Response Team. In real-world terms, you don't become a team lead in a specialized police unit at 19. She’s disciplined, follows protocol to a fault, and has a clear career trajectory. Most players place her around 24 to 27. She’s young enough to be energetic but old enough to have authority over her subordinates.
Final Insights on New Eridu's Residents
When you’re trying to figure out the Zenless Zone Zero character ages, don't get caught up in the search for a single number. Look at the context. Look at how they interact with the world.
- Check the Trust Events: These often reveal more about a character's past than the main story.
- Observe their "Day Job": New Eridu is a society built on labor. Careers like accounting (Ben) or corporate leadership (Koleda) give away more than a character’s face does.
- Listen to the Japanese/English Honorifics: In the Japanese dub, the use of "-kun," "-san," or "-senpai" provides a massive hint about the social hierarchy and relative ages of the cast.
The beauty of ZZZ is that age doesn't define the characters as much as their "Drive" does. Whether they are a 17-year-old shark-girl or a 30-year-old bear, they’re all just trying to make a living in a world being swallowed by holes in reality.
Next Steps for Players: If you want to dive deeper into a specific character's history, prioritize their Agent Stories in the HDD system. These missions are the closest thing we have to a biography. Also, keep an eye on the Random Play VHS tapes; sometimes the movies the characters enjoy reflect the era they grew up in, giving you a subtle hint at their chronological age in relation to the fall of the old world.
