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Zenless Zone Zero Tier List – Version 1.2
Welcome to our Zenless Zone Zero Tier List where we cover the best characters/agents. If you want to reroll, be sure to check out our ZZZ Reroll Guide for more catered information.
This tier list update comes on the day of Burnice’s release, and there’s a good amount of changes coming to the tier list. We’ve learned a lot since release, and some characters have shown their worth, while others have dropped down.
If you want a more detailed breakdown, you can check out our ZZZ Best Teams article.
| Tier | Agents |
| S | Ellen, Zhu Yuan, Qingyi, Lycaon, Jane, Burnice, Caesar |
| A | Soldier 11, Nekomata, Koleda, Soukaku, Seth, Nicole, Rina, Lucy |
| B | Anton, Corin, Billy, Anby, Grace, Piper, Ben |
Disclaimers
This tier list attempts to cover every character and strength/value, but be sure to take this article with a grain of salt. Choosing the best characters for your account is a mixture of personal preference and context.
For example, If you have Zhu Yuan, then Qingyi will be a great pickup. However, if you have Jane, you’ll want to pair her with Caesar or Burnice.
The meta will always shift as more characters release, and you can’t pull everyone unless you swipe the credit card.
Baseline
For our tier list, we will be considering S-Rank Agents at M0 without their Signature W-Engine. A-Rank Agents will be evaluated at M6 with their best A-Rank W-Engine.
There is never a perfect baseline to use, but we find this to be a fair starting point that most players can relate to.
Flexibility
Furthermore, we try to balance meta strength and flexibility.
Take the supports for example. Soukaku pairs perfectly with Ellen, and the same goes for Seth/Jane and Nicole/Zhu Yuan.On the other hand, Rina and Lucy are both extremely flexible, adding to their value.
For the most part, we focus more on meta strength over flexibility, but both are considerations.
Let’s jump into the Agent breakdowns. We’ll highlight the latest release at the top while the rest will be ordered by tier.
New Agents
S-Tier: Burnice
S Rank |
Sons of Calydon |
Fire |
Anomaly |
Burnice is the latest release, and she’s the first dedicated off-field DPS Agent. She takes up very little field time, and deals consistent damage through her Afterburn mechanic.
Her Anomaly specialty also enables Disorder teams with Agents like Jane, Grace, or Piper. She can also be used on Crit teams if you pair her with Soldier 11 for a Fire team.
While we believe her best home will be on Anomaly/Disorder focused teams, we haven’t seen the peak of what these teams can achieve yet. Jane is a very self sufficient Anomaly DPS, and many players opt to play her like a hyper carry with some combination of Seth/Caesar/Lucy/Rina.
However, Hoyo has teased Yanagi, an upcoming Agent releasing in Version 1.3 who is also Anomaly. This could potentially be the on-field Anomaly Agent that pairs best with Burnice for a Disorder team.
Overall, Burnice enters the game with a unique role that isn’t fulfilled yet. As time passes, her value may only increase as we get better teammates that take advantage of her off-field Burn application.
Character Breakdowns
S-Tier: Ellen
|
S Rank |
Victoria |
Ice |
Attack |
Ellen was the first Limited Agent to release in ZZZ, and she is still a top Agent. Her damage and teams are simply stronger than other options non-limited options.
Lycaon is a great synergistic Stun Agent that is part of the Standard Banner, and Soukaku is a free Agent. This means you can build a very strong team without committing too many Polychromes. (Assuming you get Lycaon from the Standard Banner)
Ellen is also a very flexible Attack Agent. She can be played as a Burst DPS alongside a Stunner, or as a full uptime DPS with double Support teams.
As more Agents release, Ellen doesn’t shine at the top alone. Zhu Yuan and Jane are both amazing DPS Agents as well. However, until another strong Ice Agent comes out, Ellen will still be the best for tackling Ice weak enemies.
S-Tier: Zhu Yuan
|
S Rank |
CISRT |
Ether |
Attack |
Zhu Yuan was the second Limited Agent in Version 1.0, and like Ellen, she is also an Attack Agent. Currently, the only other Ether Agent in the game is Nicole, so Zhu Yuan provides nice coverage to hit Ether weak enemies.
Overall, Zhu Yuan’s damage is incredible, but her role is a bit more niche than Ellen. Zhu Yuan is a Burst DPS who will always want a Stun Agent on her team. While this can be seen as limiting, she’s also the best Burst DPS Agent to play in Stun teams.
Nicole looks to be her best Support currently, and Nicole a free Agent everyone has. Anby is also a free Stun Agent that activates her AA with Nicole. This makes Zhu Yuan a very easy Agent to build a team for.
With the release of Qingyi, the team of Zhu Yuan, Qingyi, and Nicole is a top meta team. This is expected since the team uses two synergistic limited Agents, but it’s still worth noting.
S-Tier: Qingyi
|
S Rank |
CISRT |
Ether |
Stun |
Qingyi was the first featured Agent of Version 1.1, and she’s the first Limited Stun Agent to release. As expected of a limited Agent, her kit combines the best aspects of all the Stun Agents.
She has a DMG multiplier on Stun like Lycaon (but higher) and her Additional Ability grants her Attack based on her Impact. Her Daze application is competitive with the others, but she outputs more damage, has the extra buff utility, and her moveset is flexible as well.
Anby can be difficult to use because you need to chain your Basic Attack 1, 2, 3 into Special/EX Special, followed by Basic 4. On the other hand, Qingyi can spam her BA 3, Dodge, and go right back into BA 3.
You will need to time her Charge Attack chain well to get the max Stun DMG buff, but that isn’t too difficult as you can Perfect Dodge with it by letting it end early.
S-Tier: Lycaon
|
S Rank |
Victoria |
Ice |
Stun |
Next up, we have Lycaon, an S-Rank Standard Agent. Of the Standard S-Rank Agents, Lycaon stands out since he synergizes with Ellen. While he’s not the only one, this is definitely a major plus for his rating.
His Stun DMG multiplier is very strong, and he can still be used without Ellen. You can run Corin/Lycaon/Rina for example. Since Qingyi released, Lycaon definitely is not the top stunner in the game, but he’s still a top tier Agent. (Provided you have Ellen)
S-Tier: Jane Doe
|
S Rank |
CISRT |
Physical |
Anomaly |
Jane released in the second half of Version 1.2, and was the first limited Anomaly Agent.
While many players expected Jane to revolutionize Disorder teams (with Grace), Jane is actually just a self-sufficient DPS Agent.
Jane is usually played as a traditional on-field DPS, and the best teams utilize a double Support/Defense setup. This makes her more like Ellen, except she scales her damage with Anomaly stats rather than Crit.
However, because Jane’s role is to deal damage, she can be powercrept more easily if/when future Agents come that deal more damage. Currently, Shiyu Defense is quite favorable for Physical, but that can easily change in the future as well.
Overall, in the current meta, Jane is easily top tier, and will be the best Physical damage Agent for the foreseeable future.
S-Tier: Caesar
Caesar is our first Limited Agent for the Support/Defense category. Without a doubt, Caesar is S-tier and is a noticeable upgrade from the other Support/Defense options.
She grants an easy 1000 ATK buff, a large shield, Anti-Interrupt level, and a debuff that increases DMG for the entire team. Even if you take out the defensive utility, she still provides more than the other A-Rank options.
Her Anti-Interrupt level also makes playing the game much easier for certain characters. Ellen has high multipliers on her later Basic Attacks, meaning you do gain effective DPS by having Caesar’s shield. You can simply tank enemy attacks instead of dodging to use your entire Basic Attack chain.
Lastly, Caesar also stuns enemies very effectively. While she doesn’t provide a Stun DMG multiplier like Lycaon/Qingyi, she scales her shield with Impact, allowing her to Daze enemies very effectively.
Overall, Caesar is an extremely flexible Agent that will improve almost any team in the game.
A Tier: Soldier 11
[Link to Full Soldier 11 Guide]
|
S Rank |
OBOLS |
Fire |
Attack |
As a Standard S-Rank Agent, Soldier 11 simply is a bit weaker when compared to Ellen/Zhu Yuan/Jane. Even still, her damage is still very good, and she has multiple team options.
Since Soldier 11 can deal Fire DMG with her Basic Attacks, this makes her Anomaly buildup stronger than most other Attack Agents. This allows her to be part of strong Anomaly/Disorder teams while still being a traditional Crit damage Agent. (Woodpecker Set/Inferno Metal)
Example: Soldier 11, Piper, Lucy
You can also play her in a more traditional Stun based team with Koleda + Ben/Lucy. The Inferno Metal set grants a 28% Crit Rate buff when hitting a Burning enemy, and Soldier 11 keeps up Burn uptime very well. If you’re planning to use Piper for Disorder, Woodpecker is likely better as you will be removing Burn once you trigger Disorder.
A-Tier: Nekomata
|
S Rank |
Cunning Hares |
Physical |
Attack |
Nekomata is another Standard S-Rank Attack Agent like Soldier 11. Simply put, Nekomata is mid. She is a noticeable upgrade from Corin/Anton, and only slightly below Soldier 11.
However, she’s a noticeable downgrade compared to Ellen or Zhu Yuan. Jane is also essentially a better Nekomata as a Physical on-field DPS.
Even still, Nekomata is a very easy Agent to build around. You can run Anby + Nicole for a free Cunning Hares team. You can also replace Anby for Piper and play around the Assault Anomaly.
Nekomata’s AA increases her EX Special damage when any squad member triggers Assault. This can turn Nekomata into a Burst DPS, but Piper doesn’t quite have the kit to use up high field time.
Overall, she’s a solid option, not amazing, but not bad.
A Tier: Koleda
|
S Rank |
Belobog |
Fire |
Stun |
When Koleda first released, there was a bug that reduced her Daze rather than increasing it. This led to her Daze application being very unimpressive. With the bug fixed, Koleda applies Daze almost twice as well, making her a very strong Stun Agent.
She doesn’t have the 35% damage debuff that Lycaon has, but her Daze application is just as good. You can also pair her with Ben to give her more personal damage on her skills through coordinated attacks.
Currently Koleda sees the most play in either Mono Fire teams with Soldier 11, or as a Stunner for other DPS Agents like Ellen or Zhu Yuan. While she isn’t the best option outside of S11 teams, she’s a strong option with flexibility.
A-Tier: Soukaku
A Rank |
Section 6 |
Ice |
Support |
Up next, we have Soukaku, who is a Support Agent for the Ice Attribute and Section 6 Faction.
Soukaku is a very difficult Agent to assess. Compared to the other Support/Defense Agents, her kit is the most clunky and she takes up a lot of field time for her buff/Chain Attack.
However, her synergy with Ellen is very powerful, and Ellen is still one of the strongest DPS in the game. Soukaku provides a massive 1000 flat ATK buff at max, and her buff uptime is also very long.
There are many benefits to Soukaku, but her rating is mostly carried by the strength of Ellen rather than her own. In the future, Miyabi may release as an Ice Attack Agent (based on CBT), so Soukaku may have another synergy there as well.
Overall, Soukaku’s tier is carried by her synergy with Ellen. If you don’t have Ellen, you likely will be looking at other Support/Defense options instead.
A-Tier: Seth
|
A Rank |
CISRT |
Electric |
Defense |
Seth is a newer A-Rank Agent who released on Jane’s banner. As expected, the two work very well together, and Seth is basically a “support” for the team. While he provides defensive utility through shields, his main contribution will be from the Anomaly Proficiency buff he provides.
Much like Soukaku and Ellen, Seth is mostly tied to Jane. While you can run Seth with Grace or Piper, those Agents are notably weaker than Jane.
Even still, Seth’s synergy with Jane is extremely potent, resulting in his A-tier rating.
A-Tier: Nicole
|
A Rank |
Cunning Hares |
Ether |
Support |
Nicole is one of the free Agents you receive upon starting the game, and she is a great unit to level up. She is a flexible support for almost any team. While she may not always be your best option, she can easily fit into any team and provide a lot of utility.
Her Chain Attack/EX Special shreds enemy DEF, which is a buff useful on any team, whether hyper carry or disorder. She also applies a decent amount of Anomaly, leading to Corruption triggers.
The main downside with Nicole is her low buff duration. On Zhu Yuan teams, this is mitigated since Zhu Yuan is a Burst DPS. Even still, with good rotations, many teams can make use of Nicole’s DEF shred.
This makes Nicole flexible, but like the two Agents above, her rating is mostly tied to Zhu Yuan.
A-Tier: Rina
|
S Rank |
Victoria |
Electric |
Support |
Moving on, we have Rina, a Support Agent from Victoria Housekeeping. While Rina may not be the best Support for every team, she is a very flexible Agent since she provides PEN Ratio, which is universally good for both Anomaly and Crit based teams.
Rina sees the most usage on double Support/Defense teams, such as Ellen or Jane. Her buff also allows you to build PEN Ratio on Disk 5 for your DPS.
PEN Ratio is a stat that lets you ignore the enemy Defense. And unlike other multipliers in the game, the more PEN Ratio you have, the stronger it becomes.
Currently, there’s a lack of PEN Ratio synergy outside of a few things such as Disk Drive 5 or Grace’s W-Engine (Fusion Compiler). If more support for PEN Ratio comes out in the future, we could see Rina as the best option for some teams.
A-Tier: Lucy
|
A Rank |
Sons of Calydon |
Fire |
Support |
Like Piper, Lucy released in 1.0 but wasn’t part of any CBT. She’s a strong Support that doesn’t require much field time, similar to Rina and Nicole.
Lucy provides a slightly smaller ATK buff compared to Soukaku, but Lucy requires much less field-time to provide her buff.
With more Sons of Calydon Agents in the game, Lucy becomes an easy option to go for when building around Agents like Caesar and Burnice.
Much like Rina, Lucy is extremely flexible, rather than being the best option for any particular team or DPS Agent.
B-Tier: Anton
|
A Rank |
Belobog |
Electric |
Attack |
Moving on, we have Anton, an A-Rank Electric Attack Agent from Belobog Heavy Industries. As an A-Rank Attack Agent, he won’t compete with S Rank Agents, but with enough investment, he can still shine.
If Shiyu Defense has Electric weak enemies, then Anton can perform quite well with the right team and build.
Notably, Anton M1 has a tech where you can spam his Electric Drill attack without running out of Energy. This can be great for spamming damage against Machine enemies.
Overall, he’s not a bad character by any means, and he does have application even for strong F2P teams if you have Grace and/or Rina.
B-Tier: Corin
|
A Rank |
Victoria |
Physical |
Attack |
Corin is another Agent you receive for free as part of the pre-registration rewards. Like Billy, she already has competition being a Physical Attack Agent.
With Nekomata being a stronger Physical Attack Agent, Corin has difficult competition. If you pull Lycaon from the Standard Banner, you can use Corin/Lycaon/Soukaku for a solid F2P team.
While Ellen is definitely much stronger, Corin is not a terrible option. She plays like a Burst DPS, so you can pair her alongside a strong Stun Agent like Lycaon or Qingyi for a solid team.
B-Tier: Billy
|
A Rank |
Cunning Hares |
Physical |
Attack |
Next up, we have Billy. He is the last Free Agent you get from starting the game, but he is quickly outclassed.
As an A-Rank Attack Agent, he’s already at a disadvantage when trying to compete with Nekomata, an S-Rank Physical Attack Agent. His ranged playstyle and AoE attacks can be an advantage, but that is a matter of personal preference instead of meta.
Just like the other B-Rank Agents, with enough time and investment, you can still full clear Shiyu Defense with Billy. It will just be much harder than using the Agents in the A or S tiers.
B-Tier: Anby
|
A Rank |
Cunning Hares |
Electric |
Stun |
Up next, we have Anby, another free Agent you get from Cunning Hares. As a Stun Agent, she is a noticeable downgrade from Koleda/Lycaon, but not everyone has both Lycaon and Koleda.
Traditional Attack/Stun teams are very strong, and Anby is one of four current Stun Agents. With Zhu Yuan, Anby provides a free Stun option that is competitive, but not meta defining.
Qingyi definitely powercreeps Anby, but she’s still a great option if you opted to skip Qingyi or are joining the game after Qingyi’s banner.
B-Tier: Grace
|
S Rank |
Belobog |
Electric |
Anomaly |
This may come as a surprise to some, but we’re moving Grace down to B tier. The unfortunate truth is that Grace just doesn’t have a place in the meta.
This isn’t even due to her not having synergistic teammates, but rather her kit doesn’t excel at any particular role. When Jane released, many were expecting Jane/Grace to be a strong Anomaly Disorder team.
However, Grace’s contribution as a Sub DPS is marginal. With Energy, she can quickly Shock an enemy, but outside of that, she just sits there and does nothing. If anything, putting Grace on your Jane team can be more annoying than beneficial, as you will Evasive Assist ranged attacks instead of Defensive Assisting into Seth.
On the flip side, Grace isn’t a strong on-fielder either. Without Energy, you’ll be spamming Basic or Dodge Attacks, which aren’t great.
Overall, Grace’s kit is simply lackluster and doesn’t fulfill a particular role well enough to be used in a meta team. This doesn’t mean you can’t clear content with Grace.
This simply means that it’s an uphill battle using Grace compared to other options.
B-Tier: Piper
|
A Rank |
Sons of Calydon |
Physical |
Anomaly |
Piper is the only A-Rank Anomaly Agent in the game, which gives her a niche as an accessible option to finish teams. If you want to play Burnice in Disorder but don’t have Jane/Grace, Piper can do the job.
Piper can also be played as a Sub DPS on a variety of teams like Soldier 11, Grace, Jane, or Nekomata.
Of the B-Rank Agents, Piper seemingly has the most flexibility, but her strength isn’t there. The meta is so skewed toward the limited Agents and what pairs well with them.
With the release of Burnice, Piper may see more play, but she still is outclassed.
B-Tier: Ben
|
A Rank |
Belobog |
Fire |
Defense |
Lastly, we have Ben, the original Defense Agent. Unfortunately, the meta generally revolves around offensive ability rather than defensive.
While Ben does provide a small Crit Rate buff with his shield, the other Support/Defense Agents simply do way more. Ben can still be a fun Agent to use when you want to tank things and smack enemies with a giant pillar.
There just isn’t much reason to use him if you’re trying to build the strongest teams.
