What is the best Zhu Yuan build in ZZZ? The S-tier character features in many of our favorite team comps thanks to her rapid attack rate and stylish martial arts. Creating the strongest build for her was an easy decision; we opted to increase her Ether damage even further, while taking advantage of her Quick Reload talent which instantly grants her Enhanced Shotshells after using them all in chained attacks.
Zhu Yuan is one of the ZZZ characters that utilizes martial arts in her attack style, meaning she chains together attacks. Zhu Yuan is a member of Zenless Zone Zero‘s Criminal Investigation Special Response Team (CISRT) faction, and can only be obtained from a limited-time ZZZ banner. While her team comps are fairly limited because she’s only the second agent with the Ether attribute, she does pair well Nicole.
The best ZZZ Zhu Yuan build
To get the most out of Zhu Yuan’s martial arts and Ether attribute, we’re going to focus on increasing her damage output. To achieve this, our best build aims to strengthen her Ether attacks, turning her into a lethal DPS character.
The best Zhu Yuan build is:
- W-Engine:
- Riot Suppressor Mark VI (S-tier) or
- Cannon Rotor (A-tier)
- Drive Discs:
- Woodpecker Electro (four-piece)
- Chaotic Metal (two-piece)
Best Zhu Yuan W-Engine
| W-Engine | Effects |
| Riot Suppressor Mark VI | Increases Ether damage by 50%. Launching a special attack grants the user eight charge stacks. Whenever the user’s basic or dash attack deals Ether damage, it consumes a charge stack and increases the skill’s damage by 90%. |
| Cannon Rotor | Increases crit rate by 12.8%. Attacks that land a critical hit on an enemy will inflict an additional 275% of attack stat as damage. This effect can only be triggered once every six seconds. |
The Riot Suppressor Mark VI W-Engine, when fully upgraded, increases Zhu Yuan’s Ether damage by a huge amount in this build. Zhu Yuan’s damage is split equally between Ether and physical, and her physical damage output already has the edge over other similar characters. This is why we’ve chosen to focus on her Ether damage with her signature W-Engine. However, it is limited, so you can only obtain it during certain banners. That’s why we’ve provided the alternative Cannon Rotor option, which is flexible enough to be used for most attack agents.
Best Zhu Yuan Drive Discs
| Drive Discs | Effects |
| Woodpecker Electro (four-piece) | Triggering a critical hit with a basic attack, dodge counter, or special attack increases the equipper’s attack by 9% for six seconds. The buff duration for different skills is calculated separately. |
| Chaotic Metal (two-piece) | Whenever a squad member inflicts corruption on an enemy, that enemy takes 18% more damage for 12 seconds. Passive effects of the same name do not stack. |
Where we’d usually recommend equipping the Woodpecker Electro Drive Discs alongside the metal set that corresponds to the agent’s attribute, we’ve changed our approach slightly for Zhu Yuan. Chaotic Metal is unique as it applies a debuff to the opponent rather than buffing the user. Therefore, Zhy Yuan doesn’t need to be the agent that holds the four-piece Chaotic Metal. Due to her synergy with Nicole, she can wear the four-piece, leaving Zhu Yuan free to take the four-piece Woodpecker Electro.
Now you’re ready to put together the best Zhu Yuan build, why not check out the current Zenless Zone Zero codes for more freebies? If you’re unhappy with your lot, we’ve also got a guide on how to perform a ZZZ reroll, so you can try pulling other high-rank agents.