In the ongoing updates of Zenless Zone Zero, S-Rank characters remain the core factor that defines a player’s team ceiling. Whether in high-difficulty missions or daily farming, having the right S-Rank agents can significantly improve combat efficiency. However, as character mechanics become more complex with each update, many players struggle with choosing who to invest in. The key to effectively using S-Rank characters is not just raw strength, but understanding version trends, team roles, and synergy within a lineup.

Strong S-Rank DPS Characters in the Current Meta

DPS characters determine your team’s damage ceiling and combat rhythm, making them the first priority in team building.

l Ellen Joe: A high-burst Ice DPS with strong mobility and excellent burst potential, ideal for fast clears

l Zhu Yuan: A stable ranged DPS with smooth skill rotations, fitting many team compositions

l Caesar King: A hybrid offense-defense character with strong survivability in high-pressure fights

l Burnice-related Burn/DoT DPS units: Focused on sustained anomaly damage, strong in long battles

These characters share a clear output structure and strong adaptability across different combat scenarios.

S-Rank Support and Utility Characters

Support units often matter more than DPS in high-level play, as they define team efficiency and output windows.

l Rina: Provides consistent buffs and team-wide enhancements, a highly versatile support core

l Qingyi: Offers both crowd control and damage amplification, extending enemy stagger duration

l Lycaon: A strong Ice Break specialist who quickly creates damage windows

l Mechanic-based S supports: Often provide shields, energy recovery, or anomaly boosts

Their main role is to enhance overall team performance rather than deal direct damage.

Team Composition and Investment Priority

Strong characters alone are not enough—proper team structure and investment order are essential.

l Prioritize building one main DPS first to establish core damage capability

l Always include at least one support and one breaker to complete the combat loop

l Avoid spreading resources too thin across multiple units

l Focus first on versatile S-rank units before investing in niche team-specific characters

A complete team structure often matters more than individual character strength.

Pulling Strategy and Character Selection

In the current meta, summoning decisions should consider both strength and team synergy rather than rarity alone.

l Early-game players should prioritize a stable DPS + support combination

l Avoid focusing only on high-burst characters without proper team support

l Once a strong support is secured, adding DPS units becomes more efficient

l Pay attention to banner rotations to optimize resource usage

Good planning significantly reduces long-term resource waste.

In Zenless Zone Zero, S-Rank characters are more valuable for their synergy than their standalone strength. Characters like Ellen Joe, Zhu Yuan, and Rina all play different roles but can deliver outstanding performance in properly built teams. Players should focus on completing a functional team first, then refine optimization later through upgrades and mechanics. As the game continues to evolve, staying flexible with team building is more important than blindly chasing new characters.