Best guide and build for Billy from ZZZ (Zenless Zone Zero). Billy is an
rank character with the Physical attribute who belongs to the
Attack Specialty and who is part of the
Cunning Hares faction.
A handsome cyborg with a casual and carefree personality. He's an avid fan of the Starlight Knight show, not only referring to himself as one of the Starlight Knights, but repeating many classic lines from the show. Refers to his pair of special custom-made high-caliber revolvers as "the girls". They appear to have been a gift from an old friend. He may look unreliable, but once he gets serious Billy can take on any challenge.
To learn more about Billy check the sections below. Use the tabs to quickly switch to the kind of information you're looking for.
Video guide
Billy has at least one video guide available, so if you prefer this sort of medium to learn more about a character, check it out:
Update tracker
Last review/pros & cons update
Patch 2.8
Last build/calcs update
Patch 2.8
Last teams/synergies update
Patch 2.8
Last profile update*
May 27th, 2026
*Profile update means smaller edits to disk drives, stats or other things that don't require new calculations.
To learn more about Billy check the sections below. Use the tabs to quickly switch to the kind of information you're looking for.
Profile
Review
Build
SD/DA Analytic
Teams & Synergy
Calculation
Profile
Core skills
Core Passive Steady Shot
Lv. 1
Billy's DMG increases by 25% when he enters Crouching Shot during his Basic Attack. The effect ends if he moves, returns to standby, or is knocked back or launched by an attack.
CRIT Rate: 0
BASE ATK: 0
Additional Ability Team Starlight
When another character in your squad shares the same Attribute or Faction:
After Billy uses a Chain Attack, the DMG of his next Ultimate is increased by 50%, stacking up to 2 times. This effect resets whenever an Ultimate is activated.
Skills
Basic
Dodge
Assist
Special
Chain
Basic Attack: Full Firepower
Press to activate:
Unleashes a piercing attack, dealing Physical DMG.
Repeatedly press or hold to enter Crouching Shot to extend the attack duration.
Drag the joystick during Crouching Shot to launch Rolling Shot and adjust the character's position, dealing Physical DMG.
Stop pressing or holding during Crouching Shot to launch Finishing Shot at enemies in front, dealing Physical DMG.
Lv. 1
Standing Fire DMG Multiplier
68.00%
Standing Fire Daze Multiplier
54.40%
Standing Bullet DMG Multiplier
7.60%
Standing Bullet Daze Multiplier
6.10%
Crouching Fire DMG Multiplier
61.80%
Crouching Fire Daze Multiplier
54.70%
Crouching Bullet DMG Multiplier
12.70%
Crouching Bullet Daze Multiplier
8.90%
Rolling Shot DMG Multiplier
61.80%
Rolling Shot Daze Multiplier
54.70%
Finishing Shot DMG Multiplier
49.50%
Finishing Shot Daze Multiplier
55.20%
Dodge: Risky Business
Press to dodge.
A rapid dodge.
Character is invulnerable while using this skill.
Dash Attack: Starlight Sanction
When dragging the during a dodge, press :
Launches a piercing attack at nearby enemies within a large area, dealing Physical DMG.
When not dragging the during a dodge, press :
Launches a piercing attack at enemies in a line, dealing Physical DMG.
Lv. 1
360-degree Shot DMG Multiplier
63.10%
360-degree Shot Daze Multiplier
63.00%
Straight Shot DMG Multiplier
39.00%
Straight Shot Daze Multiplier
19.50%
Dodge Counter: Fair Fight
Press during a Perfect Dodge to activate.
Pierces enemies in front, dealing Physical DMG.
Character is invulnerable while using this skill.
Lv. 1
DMG Multiplier
221.40%
Daze Multiplier
193.40%
Special Attack: Stand Still
Press to activate.
Performs up to 3 piercing attacks in a line, dealing Physical DMG.
Anti-Interrupt level is increased while using this skill.
Lv. 1
1st-Hit DMG Multiplier
24.20%
1st-Hit Daze Multiplier
24.20%
2nd-Hit DMG Multiplier
51.70%
2nd-Hit Daze Multiplier
51.70%
3rd-Hit DMG Multiplier
50.10%
3rd-Hit Daze Multiplier
50.10%
EX Special Attack: Clearance Time
With enough energy, press to activate.
Launches a powerful piercing attack in a straight line, dealing massive Physical DMG.
Character is invulnerable while using this skill.
Lv. 1
DMG Multiplier
543.80%
Daze Multiplier
439.50%
Energy Cost
60
Chain Attack: Starlight Mirage
When a Chain Attack is triggered, select the character to activate.
Unleashes a powerful piercing attack at surrounding enemies in a large area, dealing massive Physical DMG.
Character is invulnerable while using this skill.
Lv. 1
DMG Multiplier
735.20%
Daze Multiplier
196.60%
Ultimate: Starlight Sparkle
When Decibel Rating is at Maximum, press to activate.
Unleashes a powerful piercing attack at surrounding enemies in a large area, dealing massive Physical DMG.
Character is invulnerable while using this skill.
Lv. 1
DMG Multiplier
1597.70%
Daze Multiplier
190.60%
Quick Assist: Power of Teamwork
When the on-field character is launched, press to activate.
Launches a piercing attack at enemies in front, dealing Physical DMG.
Character is invulnerable during the attack.
Lv. 1
DMG Multiplier
93.40%
Daze Multiplier
93.40%
Evasive Assist: Flash Spin
When the character on field is about to be attacked, press to activate.
Dodges the enemy's attack and activates Vital View.
Character is invulnerable while using this skill.
Assist Follow-Up: Fatal Shot
Press after an Evasive Assist to activate.
Pierce enemies in a large area in front, dealing Physical DMG.
Character is invulnerable while using this skill.
Lv. 1
DMG Multiplier
388.80%
Daze Multiplier
341.20%
Mindscapes
M1
Dazzling Entrance
Mindscape 1
When Billy hits an enemy with a Dash Attack or Dodge Counter, he gains an additional 2.7 Energy. Can trigger once every 5s.
M2
Roaming Gunslinger
Mindscape 2
Billy's Dodge Counter DMG increases by 25%. Rolling Shots during his Basic Attacks count as dodges, making Billy Invulnerable during skill activation and able to trigger Perfect Dodges. When a Rolling Shot triggers a Perfect Dodge, it will automatically follow up a Dodge Counter.
M3
Teachings of the Starlight Knights
Mindscape 3
Basic Attack, Assist, Dodge, Special Attack, and Chain Attack Lv. +2
M4
Starlight Ballistics
Mindscape 4
When Billy hits an enemy with his EX Special Attack, the skill's CRIT Rate increases based on the distance from the enemy. The closer he is to the target, the greater the effect, up to a maximum increase of 32%.
M5
Lost Technological Construct
Mindscape 5
Basic Attack, Assist, Dodge, Special Attack, and Chain Attack Lv. +2
M6
Starlight Hero
Mindscape 6
When Billy accumulates 10 hits on enemies or triggers a Perfect Dodge, his DMG increases by 6%, stacking up to 5 times. The effect resets is he is knocked back or launched by an enemy.
Stats (Level 60)
Billy Stats at level 60 (including Core passive bonuses).
HP
6907
DEF
606
ATK
787
CRIT Rate
19.4%
CRIT DMG
50%
PEN Ratio
0%
Impact
91
Anomaly Mastery
92
Anomaly Proficiency
91
Energy Regen
1.2
Voice Actors
ENG
-
JPN
Hayashi Yū (林勇)
CN
Chen Runqiu (陈润秋)
KR
-
Gallery
Billyimages aren't available yet. They will be added soon!
Review
Ratings
This tier list assesses Agents (characters) based on their combat potential in Zenless Zone Zero’s most demanding contents - Deadly Assault (DA) and Shiyu Defense (SD). Please keep in mind Zenless Zone Zero is a skill-based game and each character has a different playstyle, difficulty level and even special tricks and combos. Zenless Zone Zero is also a team based game and it's only by combining both these factors to the highest level a character can reach optimal performance.
Crit DPS
T2
Endgame Modes
Pros & Cons
Pros
Is Free! The 2nd Agent you acquire in the game.
Has a very mobile playstyle, which lets him control space and manipulate some enemy behaviors.
Low skill floor, high skill ceiling, having a rather simple but open-ended gameplan that gives him a lot of potential for optimisation.
Biggest Starlight Knight fan…
Cons
A main damage dealer that hasn’t aged well, being objectively far weaker than recent Agent releases.
Dated Additional Ability criteria limits his team options, with a large gap in performance if certain squad members aren’t available.
Demands in-depth knowledge of different teams and encounters to excel, lacking clear-cut routes and combos for beginners to rely on.
...and he’ll make sure you’re well aware of it.
Review
Big thanks to YojimboBlade for helping us with Billy’s review and guide!
Billy is a Physical Attacker who relies on an improv, reactive playstyle to control the pace and the space of any fight he is in. He is one of the few Agents who can move around and and damage enemies at the same time, which allows him to catch enemies that run away, or force enemies to approach. Additionally, his extended range lets him attack all surrounding enemies, excellent for clearing low-level enemies.
His kit provides many tools that appear to be weak at first, but allows him to do some really cool tricks.
Damage Fall-Off
As a ranged character, Billy is affected by the damage fall-off mechanic. This means that if he attacks enemies from too far away, this will lower the final damage of the attack.
So while there is benefit to keeping enemies away (like with his Signature W-Engine), try to to avoid moving too far away so as to not get this penalty!
Core and Additional
Billy’s Core at max level provides 50% DMG bonus on all his attacks while he is Crouching.
This is related to his Basic Attacks and is covered in more detail in its section, but it’s worth flagging that it’s a very important buff to manage as part of his gameplan.
His Additional also gives a 50% DMG buff to his Ultimate, stacking twice, for each Chain Attack he uses. This resets after using his Ultimate.
As a result, it’s often best to have Billy use his Chain Attack twice before every Ultimate, but it isn’t always optimal. Depending on the situation, it can be worth letting other Agents Chain instead, especially if they provide useful buffs or if charging up their Decibels is needed.
Basic
Billy’s Basic Attack is called “Full Firepower”, but in reality it has 3 distinct parts:
Standing Fire
Rolling Shot
Crouching Fire
Finishing Shot
Holding or repeatedly pressing Basic will begin with Standing Fire, with Billy continuously firing bullets, then after a short while it will transition into Rolling Shot. This causes Billy to move, with the direction being influenced by directional inputs, and then immediately places him in the Crouching state outlined in his Core Passive.
This leads into Crouching Fire, where Billy returns to continuously firing bullets at a target, but now gets his Core Passive’s bonus applied to his attacks.
If the Basic Attack button is let go of during Crouching Fire, Finishing Shot then follows, doing a negligible amount of damage.
It’s important to note that the 50% DMG bonus from Crouching isn’t exclusive to Crouching Fire, but that it functions as a state. It’s applied to all attacks that follow it.
If he’s Crouching and then an EX Special or Ultimate is used, the DMG bonus will carry over to these attacks. As such, it is very important to always be in this state before using any high damaging skills!
As part of his M2, Rolling Shots can trigger a Perfect Dodge when timed correctly, which follows up with a Dodge Counter automatically.
Although the Basic Attacks themselves don’t do much damage, managing them is key to doing well with Billy.
Special
Billy’s Special is a 3-part move, where repeatedly pressing Special will cycle between all 3 hits.
These hits will pierce, hitting all enemies in a line, and every single attack counts as a Heavy Attack for the purposes of Chain Attacks. Their damage is rather disappointing, but they do have some utility, like for animation cancelling.
EX Special is a high-powered, long range, piercing move. As part of Billy’s Mindscape 4, this can get up to 32% more CRIT Rate the closer he is to the target, being a decent way to pad out his damage in combos.
Dodge
Billy’s Dodge is unremarkable, but he is one of the few Agents with 2 Dash Attacks.
Using a Dash Attack without moving will give a normal Dash Attack, which the game calls “Straight Shot”. This can be used twice in a row.
Using a Dash Attack while moving the joystick in any direction will give a 360 Dash Attack, which the game calls “360-degree Shot”. You cannot use this 360 Dash Attack twice in a row: attempting to do a Dodge into a 360 Dash Attack twice will lead to a Straight Shot on the second use instead. Multiple uses must be separated by using another move.
Dodge Counter is straightforward, but it’s one of Billy’s primary damage tools, especially as his M2 further increases its damage by 25%. It’s used often against aggressive enemies and also pierces through enemies in a line.
His M2’s automatic Dodge Counters also help in making them more accessible.
If his M1 is unlocked, then all of his Dash Attacks and Dodge Counters restore an additional 2.7 energy, with a 5 second cooldown, helping Billy get more uses out of his EX.
Assist
Billy’s Quick Assist is generic. But his Evasive Assist Follow-Up is powerful, and allows you to take back control against most enemies. However, since Billy wants to be on-field for the majority of a fight, there aren’t many opportunities to use it often depending on the team and encounter.
Chain Attack and Ultimate
Billy’s Chain and Ultimate are basically the same move, but with different damage numbers. Big powerful moves that hit in a wide area around him.
These make up the majority of his in-stun damage, and maximising his Additional Ability’s effect can go a long way at making them better.
How to play
Billy does not have dedicated combos that he needs to use. There isn’t a “combo” list to memorize. Instead, Billy wants to react to enemy attacks, hit back with his Dodge Counters and EX Specials, and control the space around him while moving with Dash Attacks.
This aspect of Billy’s improv gameplay is hard to convey in a written guide, because a lot of it relies on the enemy you are facing, what they are doing, where you are in relation to them, and the teammates you have. I highly recommend you look into gameplay from some dedicated Billy players, to better visualize how it looks.
Beginner
There are 3 key steps when trying to learn how to play Billy to optimize him, but mastering these makes learning intermediate and advanced techniques much easier.
1. How to Crouch
Billy’s Core gives him a 50% DMG buff while he is Crouching, and as mentioned before, this applies to all attacks done in this state.
To Crouch, simply hold Basic - that’s all. He will transition from Standing Fire, into a Rolling Shot, and into Crouching Fire. As long as you hold or repeatedly press Basic, he will continue to use Crouching Fire.
Billy leaves the Crouching state when you:
Use his Basic’s Finishing Shot.
Get knocked back by enemies.
Start to move around normally.
Switch to another Agent.
As a result, this means that it isn’t possible to get Chain Attacks to benefit from the Crouching state, as he has to be swapped out of. Keep this in mind, as it’s important to Crouch again before using Billy’s EXs or Ultimate after Chains.
Aside from the above, as long as you continue to attack enemies, Billy will stay in the Crouching state.
Managing this is very important to access Billy’s full damage output. Not only in ensuring that it is up for hard-hitting skills, but also when not to use it. Considering how long it can take to start Crouching and how saturated Billy tends to be in DMG bonuses, against certain enemies - like those with a short Stun duration - it can be optimal to ignore it altogether and prioritise getting damaging skills in instead.
2. How to Move While Crouching
Another problem with Crouching Fire is that it makes Billy sit in one place, but there are ways around it.
While using Crouching Fire, moving the joystick in any direction will cause him to use a Rolling Shot. This is the simplest way to move him around while Crouching, but it’s not the recommended solution.
Instead, we want to utilize Billy’s Dodge and 360 Dash Attack.
As before, while using Crouching Fire, move the joystick in any direction to use a Rolling Shot. Then, during the Rolling Shot, release Basic and press Dodge. Immediately afterwards, start holding or repeatedly pressing Basic.
In short: Hold Basic → Move → Dodge → Hold Basic.
These moves are Crouching Fire → Rolling Shot → 360 Dash Attack → Rolling Shot → Crouching Fire.
Repeat as many times as needed and as quickly as you like. If you are just starting out, the timing to do this sequence is lenient. Conveniently, this is also Billy’s highest DMG output when he has no resources and enemies are not attacking. Furthermore, Billy can only use Rolling Shot while Crouching, so keep that in mind.
3. How to Aim while Crouching
The last major flaw with Billy’s Crouching Fire is that he cannot aim his attack. If an enemy moves to the side, Billy will keep firing where he was originally aiming towards, making all his subsequent shots completely miss.
To solve this, simply use any attack. This can be moving the joystick for a Rolling Shot, pressing Special or EX Special or using any Dash Attack.
Intermediate
It’s worth emphasizing that while Billy’s Crouching state is useful, his Crouching Fire- the attack that he performs by default while Crouching - is weak. Instead, we want to use his 360 Dash Attack into Rolling Shot and his Dodge Counters.
Billy’s Mindscape 2 helps with this. It transforms his Rolling Shot into a dodge, so that it automatically links into a Dodge Counter when used to Dodge an attack. This transforms one of Billy’s best movement tools into one of his best offensive and defensive tools as well.
As a result, Assist Counters are much easier to perform. When you are about to be attacked by a Yellow Flash, simply use a Rolling Shot and swap Agents. This will give you Billy’s Dodge Counter and your next Agent’s Defensive or Evasive Assist.
Lastly, Animation Cancels can make Billy quicker than he normally is.
As soon as Billy goes from Standing Fire into Rolling Shot, he is already Crouching; no need to wait for Crouching Fire. Because of that, it’s possible to skip the animation of Rolling Shot into Crouching Fire by using any Dash Attack or a Special. This lets us use EX Special or Ultimate immediately after using a Rolling Shot with the full Crouching DMG buff.
Combo
Billy’s combos can vary wildly depending on the team and encounter. Astra could provide additional Chain Attacks but not Sunna, or Dialyn’s presence with a Puffer Electro set can give early Ultimate conversions.
Although combos do vary, trying to get 2 Chain Attacks before Ultimate and 2 EX Specials with the Crouching Bonus is a good start. For example:
One final last piece of advice: Billy’s kit can be buggy, but this can work in your favour.
Billy has different animations for his Standing Fire and Crouching Fire. This would imply that he should not be able to get the Crouching state buff when using Standing shots.
As it turns out, that’s… technically not true.
After using an Ultimate, Billy is forced into using his Standing Fire Basics; he is no longer visually Crouching, but if you are Crouching before an Ultimate, the game will treat Billy as still Crouching. As long as he keeps attacking, the rules required to exit the Crouching state are not broken.
As long as you Crouch before Ultimate, everything afterward will have the Crouching state buff. Even though Billy is visually Standing, he is actually Crouching.
This means Billy can use his Standing Shot into 360 Dash Attack while in the Crouching state, and this is his true strongest DPS option. Standing Shot, the move right before Standing Fire, auto-targets enemies, has more DMG and hits more consistently than Rolling Shots. This unique state lasts as long as Billy does not use a Rolling Shot.
So, the end of an Ultimate Combo can look like this:
(while Crouching) Billy Ultimate
Standing Shot
360 Dash Attack
Standing Shot
Billy EX Special
360 Dash Attack
Standing Shot
Best Build
Big thanks to YojimboBlade for helping us with Billy’s review and guide.
Best W-Engines
The W-Engines are listed in order of priority. Sometimes the percentages appearing near them won't reflect their performance as pure damage or Stun output isn't the only thing we're looking at - the utility of the W-Engine might be more important than the calculations imply.
116.43%
Upon hitting an enemy with a Basic Attack, Dash Attack, or Dodge Counter, the equipper's ATK increases by 3.5/4.4/5.2/6/7% for 8s, stacking up to 8 times. This effect can trigger once every 0.5s. The duration of each stack is calculated separately.
Base ATK (Lv 60):684
Attack (Lv 60):30%
When maxed out in Phases, Brimstone ranks as Billy’s best option. Although its stacks are counted separately, his gameplan revolves around looping constant Basic Attacks, Dash Attacks and Dodge Counters, all of which help build it further. The lack of CRIT Rate can make building around it difficult, and the low Base ATK isn’t inspiring, but the high uptime on its effect more than makes up for these flaws.
Usage: 9.18%
Shiyu Defense: 0
Deadly Assault: 24810
108.16%
The equipper's DMG ignores 20/22/24/26/28% of the target's Physical RES. When the equipper activates an Ether Veil, the equipper's DMG increases by 25/28.7/32.5/36.2/40% and CRIT DMG increases by 25/28.7/32.5/36.2/40% for 40s. Repeated triggers reset the duration.
Base ATK (Lv 60):743
CRIT DMG (Lv 60):48%
As far as stat sticks go, Ye Shunguang’s Signature is an ideal pick. While it is not possible for Billy to activate Ether Veil, meaning that its DMG and CRIT DMG bonuses are never up, the Physical RES Ignore is universal. When coupled with a high Base ATK and a valuable CRIT DMG mainstat, it’s a particularly strong W-Engine that ranks above all other competitors when assuming no overclocks.
Usage: 16.68%
Shiyu Defense: 31015
Deadly Assault: 24749
103.20%
CRIT DMG increases by 50/57.5/65/72.5/80%. When the equipper enters the battlefield, or activates a Chain Attack or Ultimate, they gain 1 stack of Heartstring. Each stack of Heartstring allows the equipper's Chain Attack and Ultimate to ignore 12.5/14.5/16.5/18.5/20% of the target's Fire RES, stacking up to 2 times and lasting 30s. Repeated triggers reset the duration.
Base ATK (Lv 60):713
Crit Rate (Lv 60):24%
A great stat stick for most characters. Grants a tremendous amount of unconditional CRIT RATE and CRIT DMG.
Usage: 5.28%
Shiyu Defense: 0
Deadly Assault: 0
101.70%
Upon hitting an enemy with a Basic Attack, Dash Attack, or Dodge Counter, the equipper's ATK increases by 3.5/4.4/5.2/6/7% for 8s, stacking up to 8 times. This effect can trigger once every 0.5s. The duration of each stack is calculated separately.
Base ATK (Lv 60):684
Attack (Lv 60):30%
At Phase 1, Brimstone is still a decently competitive option, but the lower value on its effect does diminish its value in comparison to other premium alternatives. Still, it is the strongest standard banner W-Engine for him even without any dupes.
Usage: 9.18%
Shiyu Defense: 0
Deadly Assault: 24810
100.22%
Increases Physical DMG by 20/25/30/35/40%. The equipper's DMG increases by 25/31.5/38/44/50% when attacking the enemy from behind.
Base ATK (Lv 60):684
Crit Rate (Lv 60):24%
Nekomata’s Signature can be a very strong weapon for Billy. It has a CRIT Rate mainstat and he’s able to make full use of both its Physical DMG bonus and the conditional back-attack effect. Given how mobile Billy is, he can, theoretically, sustain this more easily than other characters, but it is not reasonable to assume full uptime on it. As a ranged DPS, many of Billy’s attacks will push him away from enemies, so it will still take time to move from the front to behind them. The calcs here assume 80% uptime, so its performance can be better or worse depending on the player and encounter.
Usage: 17.17%
Shiyu Defense: 30050
Deadly Assault: 22195
100%
Increases the equipper's Physical DMG by 36/41/46.5/52/57.5% for 8s upon hitting an enemy at least 6 meters away with a Basic Attack or Dash Attack.
Base ATK (Lv 60):624
ATK (Lv 60):25%
As Billy’s Signature W-Engine, it is a decent pick. It has an incredibly high Physical DMG bonus - far exceeding that of most competing picks. While it may need some active management here and there (such as after moving close for an EX to benefit from M4), given the ranged nature of Billy’s attacks, it’s easy enough to maintain, ranking as his best A-Rank option.
Usage: 21.76%
Shiyu Defense: 0
Deadly Assault: 22053
91.14%
Launching a Dodge Counter or Quick Assist increases the equipper's ATK by 12/13.8/15.6/17.4/19.2% for 12s.
Base ATK (Lv 60):594
Attack (Lv 60):25%
This is a solid free-to-play option, being the best craftable W-Engine. Combat ATK is a valuable bonus, and given that Billy’s gameplan tends to revolve around frequent Dodge Counters, this has near permanent uptime in the out-of-stun period. It does, however, demand Quick Assists to last through a full stun, so proper management is needed to get the most value out of it.
Usage: 3.41%
Shiyu Defense: 26094
Deadly Assault: 22273
85.27%
Whenever a squad member launches a Chain Attack, the equipper gains a Charge stack, stacking up to 3 times. Upon activating their own Ultimate, the equipper consumes all Charge stacks, and each stack increases the skill's DMG by 15/17.2/19.5/21.7/24%.
Base ATK (Lv 60):594
Attack (Lv 60):25%
A decent but somewhat niche Free To Play accessible option for all Attack Agents. Against bosses you can guarantee 3 Chain Attacks every time you Stun them, meaning this W-engine's effect essentially grants 72% Ultimate damage. These bonuses allow it to be a competitive option during burst rotations with the ultimate available, but when the ultimate isn't available or executing a standard rotation this W-engine falls behind.
85.15%
Increases ATK by 7.5/8.6/9.7/10.8/12%. Attacks that land a CRIT on an enemy will inflict an additional 200% of ATK as DMG. This effect can only be triggered once every 8/7.5/7/6.5/6s.
Base ATK (Lv 60):594
Crit Rate (Lv 60):20%
The battle pass W-engine - an expensive engine to acquire which while incredibly consistent is often weaker than other W-Engines. The main issue with the on Crit trigger ability is that the damage is Physical and cannot CRIT meaning for non-physical characters you'll be losing all elemental DMG% boosts on this damage and for all characters not CRITing is a big downside making the damage from this unimpactful.
83.47%
ATK increases by 6/6.9/7.8/8.7/9.6%, and DMG dealt by EX Special Attacks increases by 15/17.2/19.5/21.8/24%.
Base ATK (Lv 60):594
Attack (Lv 60):25%
A weaker alternative to Starlight Engine that offers ATK% and increases the damage of EX Special attacks. Only use if you lack better W-Engines.
Best Disk Drives Sets
101.96%
(2)
CRIT Rate +8%.
(4)
Triggering a critical hit with a Basic Attack, Dodge Counter or EX Special Attack increases the equippers ATK by 9% for 6s. The buff duration for different skills are calculated separately.
Woodpecker’s Combat Attack buff is strong and it’s not too difficult to maintain at least a 2 stack uptime. Crouching Fire and Rolling Shot are both Basic Attacks, not to mention the constant Dodge Counters that get used from his M2 Rolling Shots all contribute to keeping the set’s buff active. When in stun, the Dodge Counter stack does drop, but this is then replaced by an EX Special’s, and if well managed, much of his burst can benefit 3 stacks if you get the stack for Dodge Counter right before. During longer stun durations, this may decline in value as you start to lose stacks.
Best combined with your choice of 2-PC Set:
2P
Branch & Blade Song
(Recommended)
2P
Hormone Punk
Astral Voice
2P
Puffer Electro
101.08%
(2)
The DMG of Aftershocks and Dash Attacks is increased by 15%.
(4)
Upon hitting an enemy with an Aftershock or Dash Attack, if the DMG dealt aligns with the equipper's attribute, the equipper gains 1 stack of a buff effect, at most once per use of a skill. For each stack, the equipper's ATK increases by 4%, and CRIT Rate increases by 4%. The effect can stack up to 3 times and lasts for 15s. Repeated triggers reset the duration.
Although Shadow Harmony is not Billy’s best set, it is by far the most consistent. As he’s continuously looping 360 Dash Attacks and gets much of his damage from it, this is not only great for his total output, it also makes it especially easy to sustain max buff stacks. The CRIT Rate gains are especially appreciated when it comes to building him, and the effective permanent uptime means it needs no real management.
Best combined with your choice of 2-PC Set:
2P
Woodpecker Electro
(Recommended)
2P
Branch & Blade Song
2P
Puffer Electro
98.52%
(2)
PEN Ratio +8%.
(4)
Ultimate DMG increases by 20%. Launching an Ultimate increases the equippers ATK by 15% for 12s.
Puffer Electro is a decent option. The DMG % bonus that it provides to Ultimates isn’t particularly attractive, as between Billy’s Additional Ability and his Crouching state, he’s already got it in spades. The Combat ATK gains however are very much appreciated, and with Agents like Dialyn enabling Ultimate use every stun, this has the potential to do better than listed here.
Best combined with your choice of 2-PC Set:
2P
Woodpecker Electro
(Recommended)
2P
Branch & Blade Song
2P
Hormone Punk
Astral Voice
Best Disk Drives Stats
Disk 4
CRIT Rate% = CRIT DMG%
Disk 5
PEN Ratio >= ATK % > Physical DMG %
Disk 6
ATK%
Substats: CRIT RATE = CRIT DMG > ATK% > PEN = ATK
Best Endgame Stats (Level 60)
ATK: 2400-2800+
HP: 9000+
DEF: 800+
CRIT RATE: 70-80%
CRIT DMG: 140-160%+
Skill priority
Chain Attack
Special Attack
Dodge
Basic Attack
Assist
Video guides
Teams & Synergy
Synergy
Below we list only the most important synergies for Billy. The character can work with others if you know what to do and how to use them.
Dialyn - Dialyn is easily the best Stunner for Billy and far surpasses any double support comps at the time of her release. Being a Physical Agent, she enables his Additional Ability and can supply more Ultimates on top via her conversion. If run together with Astra, they have not only absurd damage buffs, but can also sustain both the Chains to build up his stacks and the Ultimates to consume them. As Dialyn can easily flex between being on-field and off-field, she can support different playstyles and doesn't get in the way of Billy's resource generation pre-stun, and even extend stun duration for longer burst opportunities, having no noteworthy downsides.
Caesar - Caesar can serve as another Support that activates Billy's Additional Ability since they share the Physical element. She's particularly good with Billy for this reason, but she's also able to provide a lot of extra Daze Billy can't supply on his own with minimal field time while providing ATK buffs and DMG% debuffs, greatly enhancing his damage in 3 ways.
Nicole - Nicole is particularly useful with Billy because as members of the Cunning Hares, they activate each others' Additional Abilities which makes for a great synergy. Billy capitalizes off of Nicole's ability to shred the DEF of enemies via her big attacks and is able to make great use of the debuffs during stun windows by unleashing a lot of burst DPS, making for a good pair.
Trigger - These two function as universal Support Agents (and Stun in Trigger's case) that can provide lots of buffs, debuffs and allow Billy to capitalize on his damage windows by providing some of the biggest potential boosts to your damage. However don't forget to pair them with Nicole (with Astra/Trigger) or Caesar (with Trigger) to activate everyone's Additional Abilities!
Sunna - Sunna, being a Physical Agent, is a good match for Billy as she can enable his Additional Ability all the while providing strong buffs. Their synergy goes one step further however, as Sunna's Cat's Gaze scales in full with the triggering Agent's current stats. This can be an issue for some as skill-specific bonuses (such as Basic Attack DMG Bonus, or Ultimate DMG Bonus) do not scale with Cat's Gaze, but Billy's Crouching Shot state applies to all of his moves while he remains in it, which should translate to Cat's Gaze. As he can often on-field, this makes the 2 a particularly good pair.
Teams (Shiyu Defense)
This section lists most popular teams featuring Billy in the current phase of Shiyu Defense.
There are no teams featuring Billy who have cleared Shiyu Defense in the current cycle.
Teams (Deadly Assault)
This section lists most popular teams featuring Billy in the current phase of Deadly Assault.
Rank 159
App. rate: 0.06%
Avg. score: 21666
Rank 193
App. rate: 0.04%
Avg. score: 24469
Rank 193
App. rate: 0.04%
Avg. score: 23351
Calculations
Damage output
Don't use the damage output calculations as an indication on who is worth pulling or investing as those are just simulations and in day-to-day gameplay there's a lot variables and also the skill of the player is important. As usual, don't compare the numbers between characters.
Important!
Billy's Mindscape 1 doesn't directly increase his burst damage output but does increase his ability to gain his EX Special attack's allowing him more consistent access to his maximum potential rotation or the potential to use EX's outside the enemy stun window.
Billy's Mindscape 2 is incredibly valuable, just not to his burst damage rotation. This Mindscape introduces more opportunities while the enemy isn't stunned to perform dodge counters while also increasing the damage of those counters.
Billy's Mindscape 6 relies on the skill of the user in order to achieve the results displayed below. If you get knocked back or launched the value of this Mindscape drops dramatically compared to what is displayed (it assumes you'll maintain the buff without mistakes).
Billy Kid in 1 Target scenario.
Rotation time: 13.25s for Consistent.
M6
Billy Kid (M6)
1 340 053 DMG (101 167 DPS)142.21%
M5
Billy Kid (M5)
1 188 225 DMG (89 704 DPS)126.10%
M4
Billy Kid (M4)
1 097 104 DMG (82 825 DPS)116.43%
M3
Billy Kid (M3)
1 027 358 DMG (77 560 DPS)109.03%
M2
Billy Kid (M2)
942 305 DMG (71 139 DPS)100.00%
M1
Billy Kid (M1)
942 305 DMG (71 139 DPS)100.00%
M0
Billy Kid (M0)
942 305 DMG (71 139 DPS)100%
Details about the calculations
Here are the rotations used in the calculations.
It's imperative that before executing Billy's EX Special or Ultimate you first enter the Crouching Fire state to gain the massive damage boost from his Core Passive, without it Billy loses much of his potential damage. Billy is capable of dealing a large amount of his total damage potential in a very short period of time, the rotation listed below can be shortened to end right after his ultimate if higher DPS is desired and other characters can make use of the remaining enemy stun timer.
Burst rotation (During Stun)
Chain Attack: Starlight Mirage
Quick Assist: Power of Teamwork
Basic Attack: Full Firepower (Standing Bullets)
Basic Attack: Full Firepower (Crouching Fire)
EX Special Attack: Clearance Time (During Crouching)
EX Special Attack: Clearance Time (During Crouching)
Ultimate: Starlight Sparkle (During Crouching)
Basic Attack: Full Firepower (Standing Fire)
Basic Attack: Full Firepower (Standing Bullets)
Basic Attack: Full Firepower (Crouching Fire)
Basic Attack: Full Firepower (Crouching Bullets)
Basic Attack: Full Firepower (Finishing Shot)
And here are the W-Engines and Disk Drives used in the calculations.
Increases the equipper's Physical DMG by 36/41/46.5/52/57.5% for 8s upon hitting an enemy at least 6 meters away with a Basic Attack or Dash Attack.
Base ATK (Lv 60):624
ATK (Lv 60):25%
(2)
CRIT Rate +8%.
(4)
Triggering a critical hit with a Basic Attack, Dodge Counter or EX Special Attack increases the equippers ATK by 9% for 6s. The buff duration for different skills are calculated separately.
(2)
Physical DMG +10%.
(4)
Whenever a squad member inflicts Assault on an enemy, the equipper deals 35% increased damage to the target for 12s.
Mindscape 1 gives more Energy from using Dash Attacks and Dodge Counters. As Billy uses them often, it’s triggering almost on cooldown, so it’s a big help at giving him more resources.
Mindscape 2
Mindscape 2 buffs the DMG from Dodge Counters and allows his Rolling Shot to trigger a Dodge Counter automatically, with very lenient timing. This is his most important Mindscape for players who struggle avoiding enemy attacks, and it lets you do some really cool things. Refer to the “Review” section for more on this!
Mindscape 4
Mindscape 4 is a CRIT Rate buff to his EX Specials, but it is conditional on how close Billy is to enemies. The closer he is, the higher the buff. It’s often best to be close to enemies to avoid dealing with damage fall-off mechanics, but being point-blank is key to getting the most out of this Mindscape.
Mindscape 6
Mindscape 6 is an overall DMG buff that Billy can max out very easily, as long as he does not get knocked back by enemies. As he needs to be launched, even getting hit here and there won’t reset its bonus, making it have near permanent uptime.
Shiyu Defense / Deadly Assault
Shiyu Defense / Deadly Assault
This section contains information about Billy performance in the latest Shiyu Defense and Deadly Assault cycles (2.7.2). The page will be automatically updated every patch once enough data is gathered.
The data has been last updated on 21/04/2026.
If you want to share your clear information with us, you simply need to fill the form below and provide us with your UID and make your Hoyo profile public - we will automatically parse the Shiyu Defense clear information from your profile after that!
Characters are ranked with appearance rate, which is how often a character was used in Shiyu Defense by the players who we have scanned, regardless of whether they own the character or not. Ownership rate currently cannot be obtained.
64.51%
62.75%
60.86%
60.03%
59.64%
57.62%
56.97%
51.62%
45.87%
37.05%
31.71%
27.89%
23.31%
16.67%
13.6%
11.25%
10.84%
9.4%
8.6%
8.14%
7.36%
6.99%
6.36%
5.54%
3%
2.63%
2.45%
2.23%
2.2%
1.92%
1.84%
1.48%
1.34%
1.2%
0.83%
0.74%
0.57%
0.56%
0.56%
0.52%
0.52%
0.39%
0.38%
0.37%
0.16%
0.09%
0.09%
0.05%
0.04%
0.03%
0.03%
Usage rate (DA)
Characters are ranked with appearance rate, which is how often a character was used in Deadly Assault by the players who we have scanned, regardless of whether they own the character or not. Ownership rate currently cannot be obtained.
74.92%
69.9%
60.36%
58.01%
54.77%
40.2%
38.41%
36.44%
36.32%
35.51%
29.39%
24.57%
20.45%
17.77%
17.45%
15.81%
10.6%
7.95%
7.82%
5.59%
4.62%
4.04%
3.43%
3.18%
3.09%
2.75%
2.67%
2.38%
2.2%
1.95%
1.3%
1.18%
0.99%
0.95%
0.71%
0.66%
0.64%
0.48%
0.41%
0.4%
0.36%
0.35%
0.32%
0.31%
0.23%
0.22%
0.15%
0.05%
0.03%
0.02%
0%
Common partners (SD)
This section lists the characters that were most commonly paired with Billy in the current phase of Shiyu Defense.
28224
80.0%
31015
40.0%
28548
33.33%
28799
26.67%
26808
13.33%
26292
6.67%
Common partners (DA)
This section lists the characters that were most commonly paired with Billy in the current phase of Deadly Assault.
23204
70.21%
21799
36.17%
23585
23.4%
23799
21.28%
23375
14.89%
20730
12.77%
20728
6.38%
25329
4.26%
Mindscapes
Mindscapes data comes from players who used Billy in the current SD cycle (15) or in the current DA cycle (47).
Change mode:
SD
DA
0%
0
Mindscape 0
0%
0
When Billy hits an enemy with a Dash Attack or Dodge Counter, he gains an additional 2.7 Energy. Can trigger once every 5s.
0%
0
Billy's Dodge Counter DMG increases by 25%. Rolling Shots during his Basic Attacks count as dodges, making Billy Invulnerable during skill activation and able to trigger Perfect Dodges. When a Rolling Shot triggers a Perfect Dodge, it will automatically follow up a Dodge Counter.
0%
0
Basic Attack, Assist, Dodge, Special Attack, and Chain Attack Lv. +2
0%
0
When Billy hits an enemy with his EX Special Attack, the skill's CRIT Rate increases based on the distance from the enemy. The closer he is to the target, the greater the effect, up to a maximum increase of 32%.
0%
0
Basic Attack, Assist, Dodge, Special Attack, and Chain Attack Lv. +2
100%
29496
When Billy accumulates 10 hits on enemies or triggers a Perfect Dodge, his DMG increases by 6%, stacking up to 5 times. The effect resets is he is knocked back or launched by an enemy.
W-Engines
W-Engines usage data comes from players who used Billy in the current SD cycle (15) or in the current DA cycle (47).
Change mode:
SD
DA
21.76%
0
Increases the equipper's Physical DMG by 36/41/46.5/52/57.5% for 8s upon hitting an enemy at least 6 meters away with a Basic Attack or Dash Attack.
Base ATK (Lv 60):624
ATK (Lv 60):25%
17.17%
30050
Increases Physical DMG by 20/25/30/35/40%. The equipper's DMG increases by 25/31.5/38/44/50% when attacking the enemy from behind.
Base ATK (Lv 60):684
Crit Rate (Lv 60):24%
16.68%
31015
The equipper's DMG ignores 20/22/24/26/28% of the target's Physical RES. When the equipper activates an Ether Veil, the equipper's DMG increases by 25/28.7/32.5/36.2/40% and CRIT DMG increases by 25/28.7/32.5/36.2/40% for 40s. Repeated triggers reset the duration.
Base ATK (Lv 60):743
CRIT DMG (Lv 60):48%
10.21%
26550
CRIT DMG is increased by 30/34.5/39/43.5/48%. When the equipper lands a hit with a Basic Attack, Special Attack, or Aftershock, they gain 1 stack of a buff. Each stack increases the equipper's CRIT DMG by an additional 10/11.5/13/14.5/16%, stacking up to 3 times. The effect lasts for 30s, with each stack's duration calculated separately, and can only be triggered once per use of a skill. With all 3 stacks, the equipper's Electric DMG increases by 20/23/26/29/32%.
Base ATK (Lv 60):713
Crit DMG (Lv 60):48%
9.18%
0
Upon hitting an enemy with a Basic Attack, Dash Attack, or Dodge Counter, the equipper's ATK increases by 3.5/4.4/5.2/6/7% for 8s, stacking up to 8 times. This effect can trigger once every 0.5s. The duration of each stack is calculated separately.
Base ATK (Lv 60):684
Attack (Lv 60):30%
6.81%
29794
While off-field, Energy Regen increases by 0.45/0.52/0.58/0.65/0.72 per second. When an EX Special Attack hits an enemy, the equipper's Physical DMG increases by 3/3.5/4/4.4/4.8%, stacking up to 15 times and lasting 1s. Retriggering refreshes duration.
Base ATK (Lv 60):624
Attack (Lv 60):25%
Disk Drives
Disk Drives usage data comes from players who used Billy in the current SD cycle (15) or in the current DA cycle (47).
Change mode:
SD
DA
28.91%
28072
(2)
CRIT Rate +8%.
(4)
Triggering a critical hit with a Basic Attack, Dodge Counter or EX Special Attack increases the equippers ATK by 9% for 6s. The buff duration for different skills are calculated separately.
(2)
CRIT DMG +16%.
(4)
When Anomaly Mastery exceeds or equals 115 points, the equipper's CRIT damage increases by 30%. When any squad member applies Freeze or triggers the Shatter effect on an enemy, the equipper's CRIT Rate increases by 12%, lasting 15s.
14.45%
0
(2)
PEN Ratio +8%.
(4)
Ultimate DMG increases by 20%. Launching an Ultimate increases the equippers ATK by 15% for 12s.
(2)
CRIT Rate +8%.
(4)
Triggering a critical hit with a Basic Attack, Dodge Counter or EX Special Attack increases the equippers ATK by 9% for 6s. The buff duration for different skills are calculated separately.
11.4%
26808
(2)
CRIT Rate +8%.
(4)
Triggering a critical hit with a Basic Attack, Dodge Counter or EX Special Attack increases the equippers ATK by 9% for 6s. The buff duration for different skills are calculated separately.
(2)
Physical DMG +10%.
(4)
Whenever a squad member inflicts Assault on an enemy, the equipper deals 35% increased damage to the target for 12s.
6.46%
0
(2)
PEN Ratio +8%.
(4)
Ultimate DMG increases by 20%. Launching an Ultimate increases the equippers ATK by 15% for 12s.
(2)
CRIT DMG +16%.
(4)
When Anomaly Mastery exceeds or equals 115 points, the equipper's CRIT damage increases by 30%. When any squad member applies Freeze or triggers the Shatter effect on an enemy, the equipper's CRIT Rate increases by 12%, lasting 15s.
4.94%
26292
(2)
CRIT Rate +8%.
(4)
Triggering a critical hit with a Basic Attack, Dodge Counter or EX Special Attack increases the equippers ATK by 9% for 6s. The buff duration for different skills are calculated separately.
(2)
ATK +10%.
(4)
Whenever any squad member enters the field using a Quick Assist, all squad members gain 1 stack of Astral, up to a maximum of 3 stacks, and lasting 15s. Repeated triggers reset the duration. Each stack of Astral increases the DMG dealt by the character entering the field using a Quick Assist by 8%. Only one of this effect can be active at a time in the same squad.
3.41%
26464
(2)
ATK +10%.
(4)
Upon entering combat or switching in, its user's ATK increased by 25% for 10s. This effect can be triggered once every 20s.
(2)
ATK +10%.
(4)
Whenever any squad member enters the field using a Quick Assist, all squad members gain 1 stack of Astral, up to a maximum of 3 stacks, and lasting 15s. Repeated triggers reset the duration. Each stack of Astral increases the DMG dealt by the character entering the field using a Quick Assist by 8%. Only one of this effect can be active at a time in the same squad.
