Version 2.1 Banner Overview
Community sources conflict slightly on exact dates — one places her rerun in Version 2.4 Phase 2, another references Version 2.1 launching mid-2026/2026. Treat specific dates as provisional until HoYoverse drops official patch notes. Always verify the live banner window in-game under Signal Search before spending anything.
What's confirmed: Soukaku and Seth are the A-Rank rate-ups. S-Rank W-Engines live on the separate Dissonant Sonata weapon banner; Bangboos are on An Outstanding Partner. Plan accordingly.
Pity carries over between same-channel Exclusive banners. Check your Signal Search history before the banner goes live — this one step can save you dozens of pulls.
Is Ellen Joe Still Worth It in 2026?
Yes. Ellen remains a top-tier Ice DPS in Version 2.1. She hasn't been power-crept into irrelevance — community Shiyu Defense data shows a 70.36% usage rate when paired with Dialyn, which speaks for itself.
Kit Summary
Ellen is an Ice Attribute Attack agent from Victoria Housekeeping Co. Her core loop revolves around Flash Freeze Charges generated through her Roaming State (Hold Dodge). These power enhanced Basic Attacks, with Flash Freeze Basic 3 as your primary burst window and Glacial Blade Wave sustaining damage between rotations.
Base stats at level 60: HP 7,673 / ATK 863 / DEF 606 / Impact 93 / Anomaly Mastery 94. She scales off CRIT, not Anomaly — substat priorities are CRIT Rate and Ice DMG, full stop.
Mindscape 1 (Glacial Omen) is the most impactful early upgrade: Swift Scissors grants +3 charges, Charged Scissors grants +6, and she gains +2% CRIT Rate per charge (max 6 stacks, 15 seconds). Worth considering if you're already planning multiple copies.
Honest Meta Assessment
Ellen is viable at 0+0, but noticeably weaker in endgame content without her signature. Community testing consistently puts signatures at a 15–30% damage increase — Ellen is no exception. Not unplayable without Deep Sea Visitor, but the gap becomes real at higher Shiyu Defense tiers.
Her Freeze/Break archetype remains distinct enough that newer agents haven't fully replaced her. She's not the only answer, but she's still a very good one.
Who Should Pull — And Who Should Skip
Pull if you match any of these:
- No primary DPS — Ellen is one of the strongest first S-Rank investments in the game. Self-sufficient at 0+0, slots into multiple archetypes.
- Returning player who missed her original banner — Reruns aren't guaranteed to come back quickly. If you've been waiting, this is your window.
- Building an Ice or Freeze team — Ellen is the cornerstone. If you already have Lycaon or Soukaku (who's on this very banner), pulling Ellen completes a functional core.
- 75+ pulls saved or meaningful pity carryover — Soft pity starts at pull 75, which dramatically improves your odds.
Skip if:
- You already have strong Ice DPS covering that role
- Your Polychrome is earmarked for a Version 2.1 Phase 2 banner you value more
- You have Zhu Yuan and are building a Disorder archetype — community analysis says Yoyo investment gives more value than extra Ellen copies in that structure
- You're below 40 pulls saved with no pity and can't top up
Best Team Compositions
| Team Slot | Best Option | Strong Alternative | F2P Option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main DPS | Ellen Joe | — | — |
| Support/Buffer | Dialyn | Soukaku | Soukaku (A-Rank) |
| Flex/Stunner | Lighter | Lycaon | Anton |
| Sustain/Utility | Astra | Seth | Ben |
Ellen + Dialyn is the current meta pairing. Dialyn extends Ultimate and Chain Attack windows, letting Ellen stay in Roaming State longer — more Flash Freeze Charges, higher damage output. That 70.36% Shiyu Defense figure reflects this directly.
Ellen + Lighter works well for Ice DMG amplification and Daze stacking. Lighter's kit synergizes with Ellen's Roaming State timing.
Astra is a universal buffer that fits as a strong third slot regardless of your second pick.
F2P core: Ellen + Soukaku + Anton. Legitimate Break team, no other limited S-Ranks required. Soukaku is on Ellen's banner as an A-Rank rate-up, so you may naturally pull her while chasing Ellen. Anton provides Electric application for Break synergy. Not the highest ceiling, but it clears content.
One thing worth noting: Ellen doesn't require Yoyo to function. Her Break team with Lycaon and Anton is a completely separate, viable path.
Ellen Joe Build Guide
W-Engine Priority
| W-Engine | Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Deep Sea Visitor | Ellen's W-Engine Banner | Best-in-slot; +25% Ice DMG, +10% CRIT Rate |
| Starlight Engine | Standard / Crafting | Solid CRIT Rate option | | Steel Cushion | Standard | ATK-focused, works at 0+0 | | Housekeeper (A-Rank) | Crafting/Drops | Budget option, functional |
Deep Sea Visitor's passive is nearly always active given Ellen's Basic Attack and Dodge-heavy rotation. The 15–30% damage increase is well-documented. That said, 0+1 Ellen with a non-signature W-Engine is still a strong investment — the agent copy matters more than the weapon copy for most content.
Drive Disc Priorities
- CRIT Rate — main stat or substats; aim for 50%+ before stacking CRIT DMG
- Ice DMG Bonus — Disc 4 main stat
- ATK% — Disc 5 main stat
- CRIT DMG — substats once CRIT Rate is stable
Cross-reference the official ZZZ wiki for current set recommendations, as the meta can shift between patches.
Promotion Materials
Ellen's promotion requires Denny (800,000) plus Basic, Advanced, and Pioneer's Certification Seals. Skill upgrades use Freeze Chips. Farm these before the banner — having materials ready means immediate deployment.
Polychrome Math: What Does Ellen Actually Cost?
| Scenario | Pulls Required | Polychrome Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Lucky (win 50/50 early) | ~45–60 | 7,200–9,600 |
| Average (soft pity + 50/50) | ~80–100 | 12,800–16,000 |
| Hard pity only (no 50/50 loss) | 90 | 14,400 |
| Worst-case (lose 50/50 + full pity) | 180 | 28,800 |
Key mechanics:
- Soft pity at pull 75 — S-Rank rate increases significantly here. Most players hit Ellen between pulls 75–90.
- 50/50 system — first S-Rank is 50% Ellen. Lose the 50/50 and your next S-Rank is guaranteed to be her.
- Pity carries over between same-channel Exclusive banners. At pull 60 with a guaranteed 50/50 win, you need roughly 30 more pulls at most.
- Each pull costs 160 Polychrome.
How to check your pity: Signal Search → history icon → filter by Exclusive Signal Search → count pulls since your last S-Rank. Takes two minutes. Do it before spending anything.
Free Polychrome Sources in Version 2.1
Ongoing daily:
- Daily Commissions: 60 Polychrome/day
- Six-week patch total from commissions alone: ~2,520 Polychrome
Patch content sources:
- Main story chapters and new Hollow Zero content
- Shiyu Defense (new floors and resets)
- Event missions and login bonuses
- Redeem codes — claim immediately after reaching Inter-Knot Level 5
Community estimates put total free pulls per patch at roughly ~37 pulls from all sources combined. Meaningful, but not enough to guarantee Ellen from zero pity in a single patch window. The math is clear: 75+ pulls saved or significant pity carryover = pull. Below 40 with no pity = save for next version.
Top-Up Value: Is Spending Worth It on a Rerun?
Rerun banners have one advantage debut banners don't: you already know exactly what you're getting. Ellen's kit, meta standing, and team requirements are fully documented. That makes the spending decision cleaner.
| Method | Cost | Polychrome Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter-Knot Membership | $4.99/month | 2,700 total (300 + 300/day × 30) | Best value for light spenders |
| First-time Monochrome doublers | $0.99 | 120 (60→120) | One-time only; grab immediately |
| First-time large doubler | $99.99 | 12,960 (6,480→12,960) | One-time; covers ~81 pulls |
The Inter-Knot Membership at $4.99 is the single best value purchase for players supplementing free pulls without heavy spending. The first-time Monochrome Market doublers are time-sensitive — if unused, they're essentially free extra Polychrome on any purchase you were already planning.
If you need to bridge the gap between saved pulls and a guarantee, buy Zenless Zone Zero Polychrome top up through BitTopup for competitive rates and fast delivery — especially useful mid-patch when you're racing a banner deadline.
Spending on dupes? Community consensus is firm: M0 agent + signature W-Engine before any Mindscape copies. Mindscape 2+ is hard to justify unless you're a dedicated Ellen main. Spending to reach 1+1 is reasonable; beyond that, the W-Engine banner is usually a better target.
Hidden Mechanic: The 2+1 Graduation Spike
Most Ellen guides skip this. The jump from 1+1 to 2+1 (second W-Engine copy) provides a disproportionately large power spike compared to other upgrade steps. If you're already at 1+1, the W-Engine banner may be a higher-value target than another agent copy.
The W-Engine banner has an 80-pull hard pity with a 75% featured rate — worst-case 12,800 Polychrome, cheaper than the agent banner's worst-case. Players at 0+0 should ignore this entirely and focus on getting Ellen first. But if you're already invested, this upgrade path is worth knowing before you decide where to spend.
Final Verdict
Pull if:
- ✅ 75+ pulls saved or meaningful pity carryover
- ✅ No primary Ice DPS or strong carry on your roster
- ✅ Returning player who missed her original banner
- ✅ Already have Lycaon or Soukaku and want to complete the Freeze core
- ✅ First-time doublers unused — they meaningfully close the gap
Skip if:
- ❌ Fewer than 40 pulls saved, no pity
- ❌ Already own strong Ice DPS covering her role
- ❌ Saving for a Version 2.2 character you value more
- ❌ Have Zhu Yuan and prioritizing Disorder — Yoyo investment gives more value
- ❌ Already at 1+1 — pull the W-Engine banner instead
| Player Type | Verdict | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| New player, no DPS | Strong Pull | One of the best first S-Ranks in the game |
| Returning, missed original | Pull | Reruns aren't guaranteed; still meta-relevant |
| Mid-game, has Ice DPS | Skip | Opportunity cost too high |
| Veteran, Ellen at 0+0 | Pull | Getting to 0+1 with signature is a major upgrade |
| Veteran, Ellen at 1+1 | W-Engine Banner | 2+1 graduation spike; agent copy less impactful |
| F2P, under 40 pulls | Skip | Math doesn't support a guarantee this patch |
If you're in the pull camp and need to top up, recharge Zenless Zone Zero Polychrome cheap via BitTopup — the first-time doubler bonuses alone can close the gap between saved pulls and a guarantee.
FAQ
Is Ellen Joe's rerun confirmed for Version 2.1? Sources conflict — one community source places her in Version 2.4 Phase 2, another references Version 2.1. The banner details (Mellow Waveride, Soukaku and Seth as rate-ups) are community-confirmed; the exact version is provisional until official patch notes drop. Verify in-game before pulling.
How much Polychrome do I need to guarantee Ellen? Hard pity is 90 pulls (14,400 Polychrome). Lose the 50/50 and worst-case is 180 pulls (28,800 Polychrome). Most players land Ellen between pulls 75–120. Check your pity in Signal Search history — previous Exclusive banner progress carries over.
Does Ellen need her signature W-Engine? Viable without it, but Deep Sea Visitor is a significant upgrade. Her Basic Attack and Dodge-heavy rotation keeps the passive nearly permanently active. For casual content, any solid CRIT Rate W-Engine works. For high-tier Shiyu Defense, the signature matters.
Can I unlock Ellen's Mindscape Cinema in the rerun? Yes — each copy beyond the first unlocks the next Mindscape level. Mindscape 1 is the most impactful early upgrade. But pull order matters: M0 agent + signature W-Engine before any Mindscape dupes is the optimal spending sequence for most players.
How do I check my current pity? Signal Search → history icon (clock symbol) → filter by Exclusive Signal Search → count pulls since your last S-Rank. If you're at pull 60+ with a guaranteed 50/50 win, you're in excellent shape.
What's the best free Polychrome strategy for Version 2.1? Daily Commissions (60/day, ~2,520 over six weeks), all new Hollow Zero and Shiyu Defense content, login rewards before deadlines, and every promo code immediately after hitting Inter-Knot Level 5. Realistically nets ~37 free pulls per patch — enough to supplement saved pulls, not enough to guarantee Ellen from zero pity alone.
