Image: HoYoverse, Epic Games
Five months, 26 agents. Which ones are the strongest or most effective?
Zenless Zone Zero has had a strong year so far, bringing 26 characters (also known as Agents) to life since its launch in July. But who do we think are the strongest and best characters so far? From cool but weak characters to overpowered but simple fighters, we’ve ranked every Agent released this year based on their kit, team adaptability, and longevity.
26. Billy
We all loved Billy Kid’s personality from the second he was introduced as part of the Cunning Hares. Sadly, Billy has become the weakest character released since then, with a low ceiling for extreme damage and a tendency to struggle against multiple enemies due to limited AoE options.
25. Corin
Corin, an A-rank Physical Attack unit, struggles due to her slow damage output and reliance on energy. Although her EX Special Attacks have decent multipliers, her slow damage makes her less viable in challenging endgame content.
24. Ben
Ben, a Fire Defense unit, excels in survivability, with his unique blocking mechanism. While his ability to nullify attacks is crucial, his poor mobility makes him less effective in fast-paced fights.
During the first few months of the game, some players who have fully built Ben have shown that the Bear Thiren can dish out insane damage, especially when Koleda is in the party. However, we’re ranking him low on the list because stronger defense units have outperformed him.
23. Anton
Anton, an Electric Attack unit from Belobog Constructiion, has decent multi-hit potential but lacks the damage needed for tougher content. His performance drops in harder stages such as Hollow Zero, making him less reliable than other Electric units.
22. Piper
Piper is an A-rank Physical Anomaly character from the Sons of Calydon. If Piper were a bit faster, we might have ranked her a little higher on our list. She becomes stronger over time when paired with other anomaly units, but is overshadowed by stronger agents with more mobility. Despite this, she’s a soilid F2P alternative to premium anomaly agents.
21. Anby
Initially a strong Electric Stun unit from the Cunning Hares, Anby’s performance has dropped with the introduction of newer agents. That being said, Anby is still a decent but less powerful F2P option, replacing the likes of Lighter, Lycaon and Koleda to assist teams that need stun units.
20. Soukaku
Soukaku from Section 6 has been a sleeper pick for months, especially since more difficult content favouring Mono Fire and Anomaly teams have begun to roll in. However, with Miyabi's release a few days ago, we're starting to see this little Oni shine some more.
Her attacks are slow and she lacks mobility, making her less effective in fast-paced fights. However, her unique Banner skill transfers attack boosts to teammates and increases the entire team’s Ice DMG.
19. Seth
Seth, an Electric Defense agent from the N.E.P.S. is an excellent addition to an Anomaly Agent-led team, like Jane Doe, as he can provide valuable support for the Main DPS aside from his general shielding capabilities.
However, other stronger supports or agents add more value to newer anomaly team compositions. Otherwise, he’s stil a viable but less impactful substitute.
18. Nekomata
Nekomata is an S-rank Physical Attack character who is part of the Cunning Hares and offers high damage potential, but her synergy with other Physical units is limited. Until more compatible Agents are introduced, Nekomata’s potential is often wasted, keeping her in the lower mid tier.
17. Nicole
The shrewd leader of the Cunning Hares, Nicole is an A-rank Ether Support agent. For an A-rank, Nicole is pretty strong and a great option for F2P teams, but she’s also the only optimal support for Ether teams for now. While effective in smaller engagements, she struggles against larger foes and is currently the only viable Ether support. She’s a good F2P option, but faces limitations.
16. Lucy
Lucy, a Fire Support from the Sons of Calydon, provides useful off-field damage with her Guard Boars. While her buffs can be strong, they have a ceiling because they're based on a fixed ATK value. Despite her limitations, Lucy is versatile and effective in various team compositions.
15. Koleda
Koleda excels in stunning enemies and boosting the party’s Chain Attack DMG. While she’s one of the strongest stun units, she relies heavily on synergy with Ben to unlock her full potential.
14. Rina
Rina is an off field support agent that excels in Shock teams by boosting PEN ration and ignoring enemy DEF. While she doesn’t deal much damage, her utility as a support agent makes her important in varying team compositions.
13. Harumasa
People are split over the free S-Rank agent Harumasa that recently arrived in 1.4 but coming in at 13, he’s really not a bad champion. Harumasa can be an F2P and light-spending player’s delight.
Harumasa's combat style combines melee and ranged attacks, focusing on generating and utilising Electro Quivers to deal Electric damage. In his Awakened State, Harumasa’s kit is designed to take advantage of critical hits. This makes crit-heavy builds highly effective, letting him deal substantial Electric burst damage when set up correctly.
That said, for those who don’t have Yanagi or lack power for their Electric teams, Harumasa is a great addition.
12. Grace
Grace is an Electric Anomaly agent from Belobog Construction. Grace is key to the Shock team's Electric buildup. Her high frequency and buildup efficiency allow her to trigger Shocking quickly, making her the core of the Electro team and providing high-frequency Electro buildup for the team.
Grace can be placed in any Anomaly team, whether it be Jane Doe, Burnice Yanagi or Miyabi, making her flexible in any Anomaly team composition.
11. Lycaon
Lycaon, a Stun unit from Victoria Housekeeping, excels in Ice teams due to his Ice Resistance Shread. While his damage output is not outstanding, his ability to stun reliably and support ice teams with added vulnerability boosts his team's damage potential.
10. Qingyi
Qingyi is an Electric Stun unit from the N.E.P.S. Qingyi’s high stun damage multiplier and adaptability make her a versatile choice. However, her impact is more pronounced with Shock teams, limiting her overall versatility to support other team comps.
9. Soldier 11
Soldier 11 is a Fire Attack Agent, and the only one available from the Obol Squad faction. Although she’s consistently strong in fire teams, she isn’t very versatile, and her damage output is limited.
8. Lighter
Only released in the second half of 1.3, Lighter is a unique Fire Stun agent from the Sons of Calydon. Lighter's primary strength lies in enhancing Fire and Ice attackers through extended stuns and powerful buffs, making him a game-changer for those specific teams.
However, he also contributes decent crowd control and utility, though his impact diminishes in mixed-element teams.
7. Zhu Yuan
Zhu Yuan is an Ether Attack agent from the N.E.P.S. faction. Being the only Ether agent aside from Nicole who is a support, Zhu Yuan is an optimal choice in clearing plenty of content. Her kit focuses on quick, powerful attacks that can deal consistent damage. This combination allows her to excel in single-target combat, providing reliable performance in tough situations. However, compared to other agents, her AoE capabilities are limited, having to rely on secondary damage.
6. Jane Doe
Jane Doe is a formidable Physical Anomaly unit in Zenless Zone Zero, renowned for her high sustained damage output and exceptional mobility. Her attacks are wide-ranging, making her effective against multiple enemies, and she possesses crowd control capabilities that enhance her versatility in combat.
Jane excels in wide-area damage and controlling multiple enemies, but her effectiveness is limited against foes without an Anomaly Meter, and her best teams are not free-to-play friendly.
5. Ellen
Ellen in an Ice Attack agent, with exceptional mobility and anti-interrupt capabilities, allowing her to dominate in combat.
Though she can deal high damage, her reliance on energy and the need for careful team composition can limit her overall flexibility. Proper resource management is key to maximising her potential.
4. Burnice
Burnice is one of the strongest anomaly agents in the game so far, due to her high damage output, primarily through her ability to apply Scorched and Afterburn effects, which increase overall team DPS. Burnice also synergises with other anomaly agents regardless of element.
3. Yanagi
Yanagi excels with strong AoE damage and effective crowd control abilities, making her more versatile in managing multiple enemies and maintaining consistent pressure during battles.
2. Miyabi
The most-anticipated character is also the strongest if we’re only talking about sheer power. Miyabi's playstyle is a mix of simplicity and depth, excelling as a quick-swap DPS who delivers massive bursts of damage before swapping out to rely on teammates for triggering elemental disorders.
Her ability to scale with crit rate and interact with Frostburn and Ice Fire mechanics further amplifies her anomaly buildup, solidifying her position as a top-tier character even with lower investment.
1. Caesar
Many would probably disagree with our choice of top-ranking Agent because Caesar, the leader of the Sons of Calydon and a Physical Defense agent, doesn’t exactly dish out a ton of damage. However, Caesar takes the top spot for being an essential Agent in clearing the hardest content in the game so far (Simulated Battle Tower, anyone?).
Caesar’s kit revolves around maintaining sustained damage and protecting teammates, making her important in any team regardless of faction or element, both in prolonged fights or compositions needing durability.
