Last updated: 04/09/2024
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.
This tier list assesses characters based on their combat potential in Zenless Zone Zero’s current most demanding content, Shiyu Defense (SD). SD is a mode similar to Genshin Impact’s Spiral Abyss or Honkai Star Rail’s Memory of Chaos and requires multiple teams, Disk Drives and good W-Engines. This mode offers a reasonable mix of Boss encounters (single target) and Elite packs (2-3 targets), allowing multiple characters to find a niche but in the end, there is a bias toward single target focused characters at the top-end and tier list ratings will reflect that.
As an action-combat game, Zenless Zone Zero offers many combat options to players - some of which are not easily executed but boost certain characters' powers substantially. The Switch Cancel is an example of such a technique allowing you to switch out a character mid-attack to a new character while still fully executing the move you interrupted, essentially allowing you to attack with two characters at once. Such techniques won't be for everyone but a tier list must assess characters on their maximum potential and best teams. Each character is assessed with only the easiest and most powerful switch cancels included. Techniques such as efficient Parrying, Rotations, Dodging and Dodge countering are also expected.
We compare characters within their role - so DPS are compared to other DPS and the ratings are adjusted based on their performance within the role. Don't try to compare characters between roles, because their ratings mean different things.
Pure DPS
Pure DPS characters cover the Attack unit class and focus on dealing direct and immediate damage usually through CRIT Scaling as opposed to their Anomaly DPS counterparts. Pure DPS characters usually find the most success on teams completely built around empowering them as the sole damage dealer of the team with the most common composition containing a synergistic Stun and Support character. Pure DPS characters can sometimes be paired with Anomaly characters if their kit interacts with a specific anomaly or very rarely be played in double Pure DPS compositions. Usually If a character’s best build focuses on improving their own damage at the cost of most else such as Anomaly and Support and are responsible for a large chunk of the team’s final damage in a fight you’ll find them in this category.
Main criteria that impacts ratings for Pure DPS:
Anomaly DPS
Anomaly DPS characters cover the Anomaly unit class and focus on dealing their damage through the various Elemental Anomaly effects and Disorder with their builds usually focusing on Anomaly Mastery, Proficiency and any other Anomaly boosting effect. Anomaly DPS characters usually find the most success on teams consisting of multiple characters of the same element going all in on maximizing that Elements Anomaly damaging effect or alongside another Anomaly character of a different element in order to trigger huge Disorder reactions. Usually If a character’s kit is focussed on improving the strength and frequency of Anomaly applications and the bulk of their damage stems from that you’ll find them in this category.
Main criteria that impacts ratings for Anomaly DPS:
Stun
Stun characters directly support the entire team and are generally made up of the Stun and Defence unit class. Their goal is to grant faster access to the incredibly potent Chain Attack window where many team compositions deal the majority of their damage. Stun characters are brought to the team to deal a tremendous amount of Daze, but also with the secondary role of providing buffs, debuffing enemies or contributing Anomaly Buildup.
Stun characters can be played as on field characters taking up much of the teams combat time until the enemy is stunned in order to tag out and allow a fully charged damage dealer with all their resources ready to completely decimate the stunned enemy. They can also be played as a compliment to a damage dealer allowing for continual incredibly potent Defensive Assists (Parries) which allow for extreme Daze accumulation while also still giving time to a damage dealer on the team outside of the stun window. Sometimes teams and characters end up using a mix of these as well. If a character is focussed on parrying and building Daze as a priority you’ll find them in this category.
Main criteria that impacts ratings for Stun:
Support
Support characters directly buff the team or debuff the enemy in a major way, enough that bringing them equals or outweighs the benefit of bringing another DPS or Daze-focused character. The best support characters take up as little time as possible while granting full access to their suite of buffs maximizing both damage/daze and field time for your Stun and DPS characters to do what they do best.
Criteria that impact ratings for Supports:
Tags represent the most defining features of a character's kit and what archetype they may belong to.
When characters perform unexpectedly — either exceeding or falling short of expectations—our team places them on an internal "watch list." This approach helps us avoid hasty tier adjustments and ensures that any changes we make are well-considered and accurate. Here’s a transparent look at the characters we’re currently monitoring and the reasons behind it. We welcome your feedback! (We have also marked those characters with an eye symbol to spot them easier on the tier list).
The second Shiyu Defense phase is well under way and more players have far better Disc Drives and higher level Agents and W-Engines to work with. When updating our tier lists we like to align them with the release of endgame character play rates and score data to ensure what we’ve observed in the community and tested ourselves aligns with the bigger picture. As we’ve now got our first batch of proper endgame data with players close to or at max level with reasonable Disc Drives we feel it necessary to make a few changes to the tier list.
We are currently looking into [Koleda] as apparently she was bugged since release and her Core Passive decreased the amount of Daze done instead of increasing it - and the difference is quite big: 30-60%. This bug has been fixed in a hotfix 3 days ago and once we're done with testing her, we will revaluate her position on the tier list.
Initial release of the tier list.
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