Just like any other Gacha game, Zenless Zone Zero follows the formula of creating characters’ powers and abilities based on their rank. If a character belongs to the A-Rank in ZZZ, they’re not supposed to compete against S-Rank characters that have more value and can offer more. This makes sense since A-Rank Agents are easier to get compared to their 5-Star counterparts, which requires far more summons on their respective banners.
S-Rank characters in Zenless Zone Zero are equivalent to 5-Star characters from Genshin Impact or Honkai: Star Rail. For ZZZ players looking to get the best 5-Stars in ZZZ, here’s a list of the best S-Rank characters in Zenless Zone Zero.
Updated on September 28, 2024, by Nahda Nabiilah: Although she has a strong start in the first half of ZZZ 1.0, Ellen quickly has a contender for the top-pure-DPS spot, Zhu Yuan. Afterward, the two are also fighting for the top place with a powerful Anomaly DPS, Jane Doe. In terms of damage dealing, the three are pretty much equal, so their potential depends on whether or not players have the correct characters to support them. Ellen, for instance, works best with Soukaku and Lycaon, which are rather F2P-friendly. Meanwhile, Zhu Yuan works best with Nicole and Qingyi, which is less F2P-friendly.
11 Nekomata
No Support In Sight
Nekomata has one of the best AoE DPS in Zenless Zone Zero. Unfortunately, instead of having some Physical units that can help her elevate her DPS, she is struggling with three other Physical Attack units that can offer her nothing. When building her team, the only characters that can give her some small benefits are Piper, Nicole, and Anby, which is not at all good for Nekomata on release. So, until better Supports are out that can synergize with her, Nekomata has to sit in the lower tier of the best S-Rank characters in ZZZ.
10 Soldier 11
Lacks Teammates
Soldier 11’s lower ranking compared to most other 5-Star characters in ZZZ is not because of her DPS or something she lacks. In version 1.0, she’s the only Agent from the Obol Squad, so players are stuck with bringing Fire characters onto her team.
Of course, Support or Stun units like Lucy or Koleda are great, but compared to other 5-Star characters that can synergize with many others, Soldier 11 is at a major disadvantage.
9 Koleda
Great Stun Unit
Koleda is one of the fastest characters to Stun enemies in ZZZ all thanks to her Core Skill that increases the Daze she deals by a whopping 60%. She also gets an upgrade to many of her moves’ animations and scaling when she’s paired with Ben, who can also unlock her additional ability, which applies a debuff on enemies to take more DMG from her team’s Chain Attack.
8 Rina
Universal PEN Buff
Rina enjoys a universal buff that works on everyone in ZZZ. Whether the DPS in her team scales with ATK, DEF, or HP, her penetration buff will surely work since she’s giving her allies up to 30% PEN. While this buff is good, it has a short duration, which means Rina works best in quick-swap teams where she can keep re-applying her buff.
On the other hand, Rina’s additional ability triggers when she’s teaming with an Electric unit or a character from the Victoria Housekeeping Faction. This additional ability is also a buff, but this time, it’s targeted towards Electric units where she enhances their Shock DMG and Anomaly during combat.
7 Grace
Underrated Anomaly
As an Anomaly unit in Zenless Zone Zero, Grace is underrated in ZZZ. Her ability to keep distance while swiftly applying the Electric Anomaly, Shock, is amazing. Not only that, Grace’s movement is also top-tier and makes it very hard for enemies to land hits on her. Additionally, as an Electric character that can quickly trigger Shock, Grace is important for any unit (Support or DPS) with kits revolving around this Anomaly.
6 Qingyi
Universal Stunner
Qingyi is a great Stun Agent who can fit into practically any team with an Attack character. Her smooth Daze buildup kit and massive Stun Multiplier make her an easy S-Tier Agent. However, although Qingyi is a great generalist Stunner, she falls short when compared to what Lycaon can offer for his niche as an Ice support. Basically, Qingyi is better if Proxies don’t have Ellen, but if they do, then Lycaon is better for the Shark Thiren.
5 Lycaon
Great Stun And Perfect Teammates
Lycaon is one of the best Stun characters in Zenless Zone Zero. However, his role doesn’t only revolve around filling enemies’ Daze. Lycaon can also shred enemies’ resistance to Ice while increasing the team’s Daze DMG against that enemy by 35%. These two buffs are enough to make Lycaon a necessary Support/Sub-DPS for any Ice unit in Zenless Zone Zero.
4 Caesar
Shielder, Stunner, Buffer, And Debuffer All At The Same Time
Caesar is easily the best support in ZZZ as of version 1.2. She shields, stuns, buffs, debuffs, and crowd controls all at the same time. If players favor supports more than DPS, then Caesar can be the best S-Rank Agent in Zenless Zone Zero. However, since the community generally favor DPS more, Caesar has to settle for the fourth spot on the list.
3 Zhu Yuan
Ether DPS With Easy Teammates
When it comes to the best DPS in Zenless Zone Zero, the top options are Zhu Yuan, Jane Doe, and Ellen. These three Agents are equally good at damage dealing, which means their ranking in the list highly depends on the players’ roster. If Proxies have Nicole MC6 and Qingyi, then Zhu Yuan could be their best character.
2 Jane Doe
Spin To Assault
Jane Doe has a variety of teams, which greatly affects her playstyle. For instance, the Rat Thiren can play around Anomaly Disorder by bringing another Anomaly Agent into the team like Grace, or focus on her own damage with the assistance of her faction-mates like Seth and Qingyi. If players have Caesar, then she can also replace Seth in the Disorder team with Grace.
1 Ellen
High DPS Unit
Ellen deserves to be ranked among the best characters in Zenless Zone Zero. One of the main reasons why Ellen is so good is because she’s one of the few characters who has a perfect team with Lycaon and Soukaku. Each of the other two Ice characters is excellent on their own, but in this team, they work together to buff Ellen and allow her to shine in her DPS role.
Of course, even with an amazing team, Ellen has to be a wonderful DPS to enhance the team’s performance, and that’s what she does. Ellen works as a main DPS or as a Sub-DPS in quick swap teams. She has a variety of attacks that fit every role she takes. Even without her team, Ellen still competes for the highest rank of the best DPS in Zenless Zone Zero.
