Grab your Bangboo and blast into stylish action with the launch of Zenless Zone Zero and here we have prepared a tier list ranking each character in terms of performance at launch.
In this tier list, we will go through each of the launch characters in Zenless Zone Zero and rank them based on their potential and the value they give you in the long run.
The thing to take note of is that in Zenless Zone Zero, while character kits do matter, the game also heavily emphasizes the understanding of combat mechanics. Certain characters may seem weak if you don’t understand how to make full use of their abilities, but can feel very strong on the right hands.
Do take note that this Zenless Zone Zero tier list is based on early impressions of the game as well as information from previous closed beta tests. As such, certain characters’ placement and performance may differ in the future when more calculations are done or more content drops.
The criteria for each ranking are as follows:
Rating(s):
- S Tier – These characters are some of the best in the game, and generally excel at fulfilling their role in most scenarios and are highly recommended to build.
- A Tier – Excellent batch of characters, only falling slightly behind the S-tier units, and can play well in most content.
- B Tier – Still worth the investment and can be pretty solid in certain teams or circumstances.
- C Tier – Situational. May not be worth the investment due to limited usage.
- D Tier – Very situational. Not recommended unless under a specific scenario.
Without further ado, here is the tier list and the justifications for why characters are ranked in their placements.
S | |
Ellen Joe | Ellen is an immediate recommendation and must-have. One of the strongest Agents in the game right now who also happens to be the first S-Rank Limited banner character. Aside from having amazing stats, Ellen also has a very flashy combat style, agile in various combat scenarios, but at the same time easy to use. Her damage potential is solid, launching ice attacks with effective AoE. |
Zhu Yuan | Following Ellen as the next S-Rank Limited character, Zhu Yuan is an Agent with amazing potential. She is a DPS with a unique combat style, switching around her techniques from long-range gun blazing to close-range martial arts - and she does this with extremely smooth execution within a single combo, making her an agile fighter that can be hyper offensive while avoiding getting surrounded by hordes of enemies. Her stats are amazing and her playstyle that bolsters her firepower strength makes her a standout among the others. |
A | |
Nicole Demara | Despite being one of the earliest free characters you could acquire, Nicole still delivers a punch with her viability. Thanks to her superior crowd control abilities such as her gravitational pull effects, Nicole possesses a distinct advantage over most other Agents. Aside from the overall solid kit, her potential after reaching a higher level of Mindscape Cinema will also make her a reliable support unit, especially if you can build a squad that specializes in Ether attacks. |
Ben Bigger | Bear witness! You could already see it from his appearance. This grizzly brute is an absolute "tank" with unparalleled defensive capabilities. His specialty is further maximized through the Block Counters that can be executed freely through his main skill - making him an ideal choice to bring along when facing tough bosses or clearing difficult challenges. In normal campaign runs, he may not be seen much use though, as his gameplay is slow and can feel rather boring. So be pre-bear... |
Soldier 11 | Best Fire DPS in the game right now. Incredible damage output as her Core Skills and Core Passives allow her to ramp up her damage potential after successful Fire Suppression usage, which can be executed consecutively. |
Grace Howard | Not only is Grace elite in her looks but also in combat capabilities. She is an Electric Anomaly Buildup specialist who can further maximize her damage output through AoE attacks and shock effects. In addition, she has a unique combat style with skillful movements both when launching attacks and performing other maneuvers that will not affect combos. Since her whole shtick is status buildup, a level of patience is required to slowly ramp up her potential in each combat encounter. |
Von Lycaon | The cool badass butter who is getting fans questioning themselves. Not only is he a total badass, but he is easily one of the best stunners in the game. Thanks to his fast-paced attack that can consistently render enemies more prone to Daze, you can switch to utilizing your main DPS for enormous damage. This alone makes Lycaon a great pairing with Ellen, synergizing in both elements and mechanics. |
Alexandrina "Rina" Sebastiane | Ghostly ara ara maid that floats around the battlefield freely, maintaining distance, and supporting allies. She's like an agile fish in the water, going in and out and unleashing her two Bangboos like missiles. Specializes in PEN, she is good at launching attacks with maximum effectiveness regardless against high defense enemies. As a support, she also shares various buffs with her allies. |
Nekomiya "Nekomata" Mana | Do not let her tiny appearance fool you because Nekomata is a DPS meowster with a paw-sitively high innate CRIT Rate. Her a-meow-sing kit allows her to position herself to her enemies' back for added survivability quickly and give in one last extra scratch for more damage. If you couldn't pull for Ellen or Zhu Yuan, Nekomata is a purr-fect alternative. |
Luciana "Lucy" de Montefio | One of the newest Agents introduced ahead of the game's release, Lucy perhaps has the most unique and hilarious combat style. She would be accompanied by a squad of "Guard Boars" as if she were engaging in a gang fight. As a support, she often uses her minions to attack from a distance - the attacks have quite come variations as well, with fairly long strings. She has a lot of potential and her Guard Boar grows in strength alongside her as well. |
Piper Wheel | Another new character introduced ahead of the game's release. Piper is also from the same faction as Lucy and is another Anomaly-type Agent like Grace. To unleash her potential, you'll often rely on her special attack where Piper will keep swinging her Beyblade-like weapon relentlessly with a deadly finisher. |
B | |
Billy Kid | Billy-ve it, Billy used to rank higher according to folks to played him in the first few beta, but that has changed since with multiple new Agents coming in hot with their own guns. Even so, Billy is still a very reliable Agent, as his Dash Attack and Ultimate help out a ton when it comes to fighting hordes. If you focus on Physical-oriented teams, Kid you not, Billy Kid should be in said teams. |
Koleda Belobog | This Belobog Heavy Industries faction leader is quite difficult to place in this tier list because she has a unique synergy when paired with Ben that makes her combat capabilities increase dramatically. For this reason, if you are interested in targeting this character, then Ben is practically mandatory for you to include in the same party. When fighting alone, she is a character that takes time to fully master. Even so, Koleda is a fairly reliable Stun-type Agent and her Fire Furnace effect can further strengthen her Fire damage through consecutive attacks. |
Soukaku | Soukaku is one Agent with a kit that is complex and difficult to have a full grasp on. She has various innate skills and can utilize the Fly the Flag stance from a distance to launch ice attacks and her Ultimate further put her into another special state - granting her a big buff to her CRIT Rate while granting her and party members a large amount of energy. Her attacks is fairly slow, so she can quite vulnerable against aggressive foes. |
C | |
Anby Demara | She may have a similar fighting style as Soldier 11, but Anby is still outclassed due to her specialized role as a stunner. Overall, she has a kit that is adequate and quite efficient in putting enemies in a Daze state quickly, on the other hand, her damage potential is fairly standard. Putting all that aside, as one of the first playable characters in the game, Anby does seem to have been designed to be easier for players to master in pushing their progress at the beginning of the campaign. |
Anton Ivanov | Sir Not Sol Badguy with a piledriver ended up being quite a disappointing unit despite his badass appearance. His damage is rather standard as he unleashes a combination of Physical and Electric attacks. This ended up making him not excel at either damage, aside from his Burst Mode or assist attacks. Recommended as a backup, but not as one you should prioritize building. |
D | |
Corin Wickes | Corin feels like she truly embodies her character. She has no distinct advantages over others, lacks in Physical damage output compared to others, and has a risky moveset that often places her in a vulnerable position as the rhythm of her attacks is rather difficult to maintain. Corin's potential can only really be maximized by increasing the level of Mindscape Cinema, sadly. |
Hopefully, this tier list can help you plan ahead efficiently on which characters to spend resources on or who to target when pulling. However, as with any gacha game, we recommend you invest in a character you like rather than blindly following meta.
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