Summary
Deciding whether to pull for Ellen or Zhu Yuan inZenless Zone Zero1.0 might be a make-or-break decision for accounts. As a HoYoverse game, it’s expected that there will be various character releases that tax player resources, especially thelimited-time Signal Searches, which use a different in-game currency than the one for the Standard, always-present banner. While the decision of whether to save Polychrome willalwaysbe vital to having the best account possible, it’s especially important right now.Having a great early account can make progression much smootherand less time-consuming.
Luckily, there’s a gap between Ellen Joe and Zhu Yuan’s respective banners, so players can’t be tempted into splitting their resources and going for both and then missing on getting either. That also means that those who are on the fence about whether to pull forZenless Zone Zero’s Ellen are on the clock, however, with only a handful of days left to make up their minds. Following Ellen’s banner will be Zhu Yuan’s for a similar amount of time, and then it will already be time forZZZ1.1, which will include Qinyi, Jane Doe, and Seth.
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Ellen Joe & Zhu Yuan’s Availability In Zenless Zone Zero 1.0
The Characters Are Available In Consecutive Banner Rate-Ups
Both Ellen and Zhu Yuan will be available inZenless Zone Zero1.0, but at different times. Ellen is currently available on rate-up, having been on offer since launch (July 4) and until July 17, 2025. Zhu Yuan’s banner will follow immediately after, running from June 14, 2025, until Jul 05, 2025 - assuming thatZenless Zone Zeroupdate schedules adhere to the same cadence that is present in bothGenshin ImpactandHonkai: Star Rail. During their respective time periods, both Ellen and Zhu Yuan’s signature W-Engines will be available as part of a separate banner. Their respective W-Engines are Deep Sea Visitor and Riot Suppressor Mark VI.
Pros & Cons Of Pulling For Ellen In Zenless Zone Zero 1.0
The S-Rank Agent Uses A Unique Dash Mechanic To Enable Top-Tier Damage
Ellen is an elite damage dealer inZenless Zone Zeroat launch, and is likely the best DPS unit in the game when built competently. Her kit revolves around her extended dash ability, the Roaming State, which lets her sprint around the battlefield while dodging enemy attacks and finding an opening. Roaming State attacks generate Flash Freeze charges, which are then expended so that Ellen’s Basic Attack deals Ice DMG. Ellen has the option to do a short, quick attack when leaving Roaming State or to hold down the attack button to do a Charged attack, though the latter leaves her susceptible to counter-attacks.
Ellen’s kit is generally built around just playingZenless Zone Zerowell. Her perfect dodges trigger an ability that makes her Roaming State charged attack shorter, so she can do more damage and be less vulnerable.Her passives are all oriented towards dealing even more damage- she stacks 50% Crit DMG when using Arctic Ambush or Flash Freeze Trimming, and if she’s on a squad with another Ice attribute character or someone from her faction, Victoria Housekeeping Co., she buffs Ice DMG even more. Her Ultimate, Endless Winter, is an exceptionally strong attack that is capable of mowing down most stunned foes.
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Ellen’s damage output is absurd even from a base level, but it also scales quite well if players are willing to sink even more into her build by acquiring her S-Rank signature W-Engine, Deep Sea Visitor. Deep Sea Visitor increases her Crit Rate passively (alongside Ice DMGandAttack), and using Roaming State Dash Attacks effectively stacks further Crit Rate across 8 second intervals. When she deals Ice DMG specifically with a Dash Attack, her Crit Rate goes up even further -her signature weapon turns her into a Crit DMG machine, and makes building her loadouts way less finicky on substats.
Free-to-play options are available for Ellen and don’t hinder her effectiveness since she’s so powerful in a vaccuum already. Starlight Engine and Lunar Pleniluna are easily accessible and do the job for Ellen quite well, even if they’re not optimal. On top of being the game’s premier damage unit at launch, Ellen is also a very forgiving,easy-to-buildZenless Zone Zerocharacterthat makes life easier just by owning her.This early into the game’s launch, there are essentially no drawbacks to acquiring Ellen- she’s a content-clearer, scales well into end-game, has multiple team builds already (and will get more since Ice is a little under-supported currently), and doesn’t require significant Polychrome investment past initially getting her.
Ellen’s Cinema scaling is also exceptional - getting her C1 or C2 dramatically increases damage output/makes building her even easier. For invested players/gacha whales, she’s probably the best unit in the game to heavily sink resources into, too.
Pros & Cons of Pulling Zhu Yuan In Zenless Zone Zero 1.0
Zhu Yuan’s Unique Dash Mechanics May Outshine Even Ellen’s
Zhu Yuan is the second S-rank Agent available topull inZenless Zone Zero’s launch, andshe will immediately take her place as the best Ether damage dealer in the game. One of her most appealing qualities is her attack style, which is a mixture of martial arts and gun-wielding that feels truly unique inZZZ1.0. She’s capable of outputting dramatic Ether damage thanks to her Enhanced Shotshells, which alter her basic attack DMG to Ether similarly to the way Ellen’s Flash Freeze stacks work. Zhu Yuan naturally acquires these charges through using her kit, so players don’t need to sweat learning how to get them much, either.
Zhu Yuan is a little more limited than Ellen, though, in the sense that she has fewer team synergies to work with currently. Nicole is the only Ether support she has access to, and there aren’t other Ether units in 1.0 to even make a full team of them, so choice is scarce for optimal team-building. That said,Zhu Yuan is arguably the most free-to-play friendly top-tier DPS in the game as of 1.0if players do go out and acquire her - her best team is theoretically Zhu Yuan, Nicole, and Anby, which means her supporting cast are units players get for free in the beginning of the game.
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Zhu Yuan might also be in contention for having the best signature W-Engine inZenless Zone Zerowith the Riot Suppressor Mark VI. The weapon increases her Ether damage by a staggering 50%, and grants charge stacks following a special attack that enhances basic and dash attack Ether damage by 90% of that skill’s damage output.The burst in damage scaling the W-Engine provides obviously makes it her best in slot, but it also means that there aren’t really any great alternatives to provide even close to the same effect.
Overall, Zhu Yuan is an excellent Agent who will likely get better over time asZenless Zone Zeroreleases more Ether Agents into its available roster. That does mean, however, that Zhu Yuan is more of a long-term investment that might feel a little stale when trying to build flexible or varied team compositions over the next few patch releases. In terms of sheer ease-of-use and immediate impact on an account,Ellen has a slight edge over Zhu Yuanand should be prioritized over her as a result - but the choice is completely up to the player, and there’s really no wrong answer given how powerful both of these Agents are inZenless Zone Zero.
