Zhao's Kit Breakdown: Defense Agent That Hits Like a Truck
Here's what makes Zhao different. She's not your typical Defense agent sitting in the back—she's wielding the Krampus Compliance Authority with transformable weapons (sword, axe, ice sword) that let her flex between support and genuine DPS pressure. The core concept? Converting max HP into offensive output while keeping your team alive.
Her Basic Attack chains five slashes mixing Physical and Ice damage. Hold it down and you're charging forward slashes that stack bonus damage for Chain Attacks and Assist Follow-Ups—nothing groundbreaking there, but it's the foundation.
Where things get interesting: Special Attack and EX Special. That forward slash? It's consuming Zhao's HP to heal teammates while accumulating Frost Points. Stack those to max and you trigger Ether Veil Wellspring—this is the centerpiece buff that increases squad max HP and dumps 800 ATK on everyone. EX Special extends this with continuous slashing that keeps ally HP topped off while building toward Ether Veil activation. Once Veil's active, Zhao can trigger Quick Assist for reactive defensive plays. In practice, this means maintaining buff uptime even when bosses are applying serious pressure.
Ultimate's straightforward—forward attack/slash for Ice damage, consuming Frostbite Points to activate Ether Veil instantly. Her Core Passive grants CRIT Rate scaling off HP, which rewards you for stacking max HP investment. Frostbite Points? Those accumulate passively whenever allies deal damage. Entry Skill deploys Ether Veil immediately while boosting squad max HP and providing that 800 ATK buff right out the gate.
The Additional Ability is where experienced players will focus: with Attack/Anomaly/Rupture squad mates, team damage under Ether Veil scales with Zhao's max HP. She also converts Defense stats to Resistance Penetration and adds Daze Efficiency for faster boss breaks. That's a lot of utility packed into one kit.
Top up ZZZ monocoins secure through BitTopup if you're planning to guarantee her—competitive pricing and instant delivery make hitting that 180-pull pity less painful for the December 30 launch.
Section 7: Where Zhao Actually Dominates
Version 2.5's Section 7 introduces two story bosses that feel custom-built for Zhao's kit. Let's get specific.
First boss: 30 base DEF, 200% Stun DMG multiplier (you're getting 12-second stuns here), -20% Physical RES, +40% Ether/Ice RES, 37.5% buildup rate, freeze immunity. Zhao's Resistance Penetration directly counters those Ether/Ice RES buffs while her Ice scaling exploits the Physical RES debuff. It's almost too perfect.
Second boss cranks things up: 60 base DEF, same Stun multipliers, -20% Ether/Physical RES, +20% Fire RES, 25% buildup, freeze immunity. But here's the wrinkle—Miasma Shield adds +80% DEF and 25% DMG Reduction. You need coordinated breaks to earn Energy/Adrenaline rewards. Perfect counters during break windows create massive damage spikes—beta testers recorded 3,246,724 damage on Crisis Stage 1 (yes, that's over three million).
Zhao's healing sustains through shield phase chip damage while Ether Veil's ATK boost ensures you're maximizing burst when that shield drops. And here's something worth noting: HP-scaling thrives against high-DEF targets where traditional Attack-stat scaling hits diminishing returns. The math just works better.
Shiyu Defense Stage 5 features three 5-minute rooms, 60,000 points per stage cap. S+ rank requires 90,000 total points. S-rank per room needs 25,000 points. Rewards jump from 720 to 780 Polychrome, plus Awakening Currency for the new Potential System.
What makes Zhao enable consistent S+ clears? Sustained damage windows (healing maintains DPS uptime instead of forcing defensive rotations), burst optimization (Ether Veil aligns perfectly with high-value spawns), resistance bypass (Penetration neutralizes those defensive buffs), and multi-room flexibility (HP scaling performs consistently across different compositions). She's not just good in one scenario—she's adaptable.
Build Configurations That Actually Work
White Water Balled set is your optimal choice here. 2-piece gives Physical DMG +10%, but the 4-piece is where it shines: activates under Ether Veil granting 12% CRIT Rate with an additional 12% for 30 seconds specifically for Attack characters. This amplifies team-buffing when you're running Attack-class DPS like Ellen, stacking with Zhao's Core Passive CRIT Rate. It's multiplicative scaling at its finest.
Alternative for Ether teams: Shining Aria (2-piece Ether DMG +10%, 4-piece Basic Attack +36 Anomaly Proficiency for 8 seconds, Stun grants +25% DMG for 18 seconds). Less universal, but strong in specific compositions.
Main stat priorities are straightforward: HP% on Body/Legs (maximizes Core Passive CRIT Rate and Additional Ability team damage), Energy Regen on Rope (accelerates Ultimate cycling), Ice DMG% on Sphere (amplifies personal damage). For substats, PEN Ratio is critical against Section 7's high-DEF bosses.
With Attack/Anomaly/Rupture squad mates, prioritize HP% and CRIT Rate substats. Pure Defense/Support compositions shift toward Energy Regen and CRIT DMG instead. Tuning Calibrator enhances up to 2 substats per Drive Disc—focus HP% and CRIT Rate on Body/Legs first, then Energy Regen on Rope.
Zhao's signature W-Engine will likely emphasize Defense-to-HP conversion or HP-scaling damage amplification (we'll know for sure at launch). F2P options should prioritize HP% main stats, Defense conversion passives, and Energy Regen substats. W-Engine banner requires 12,800 Polychrome for 80-pull pity (1% base S-Rank rate). Honest advice? Prioritize character banner first—Zhao functions effectively with A-Rank W-Engines focused on HP scaling. The signature's nice, but not mandatory.
Team Synergy: Who Actually Works With Zhao
Optimal trio in my testing: Zhao (Penetration/Stun Support) + Ellen (Ice DPS) + Pan Yinhu (Heal).
Zhao converts Defense to Resistance Penetration while adding Stun for Daze Efficiency. Ellen delivers primary Ice DPS, benefiting from Ether Veil's 800 ATK buff and CRIT Rate boost from White Water Balled 4-piece. Pan Yinhu supplements healing, which lets Zhao focus HP consumption on offensive EX Special rotations instead of playing it safe.
Flexible fourth slot depends on what you need: Attack characters (Ye Shunguang, Soldier 11) trigger Additional Ability for that HP-scaling team damage boost; Anomaly specialists (Burnice with her 2.5 buffs) activate Additional Ability while exploiting Ether Veil windows; Rupture agents complete Additional Ability requirements while providing shield break utility for Miasma Shield phases.
Optimal rotation looks like this:
Entry Skill deploy Veil (activates squad max HP + 800 ATK buff) → Switch to Ellen for burst (capitalize on ATK/CRIT Rate boost) → EX Special on Zhao (consume HP for heals, accumulate Frost Points) → Ally damage phase (accumulates Frostbite Points passively) → Ultimate consume (burst Ether Veil refresh at max Frostbite Points) → Quick Assist under Veil (reactive defense maintains buff uptime) → Hold Basic for charges (during Chain Attack windows).
This maintains near-permanent Ether Veil uptime. For Section 7 bosses specifically, prioritize shield break with Zhao's Stun before committing Ellen's burst—that 5-hit purple attack post-break requires perfect counters, which Zhao's Quick Assist under Veil facilitates beautifully.
Future-Proofing: The Jane Doe Question
Jane Doe (S-Rank Physical Anomaly from Version 1.1) features 6-hit Blade Dance and Passion State for Anomaly buildup. So does Zhao investment future-proof for Jane's release?
Actually, yes. Physical Anomaly teams benefit from Zhao's sustain during extended Anomaly buildup phases, that 800 ATK buff amplifies Jane's Passion State burst, and Additional Ability activates with Anomaly squad mates. Current tier assessments place Jane Doe at B-tier, while Zhao's kit elevates Ice teams to S-tier. She outperforms existing Defense agents in HP-scaling scenarios against Section 7's high-DEF enemies—that's just the reality based on beta data.
Investment priority breakdown:
High Priority (pull Zhao): Lacking dedicated Ice Defense agent, Ellen/Ice DPS already invested, focusing Section 7 endgame, or needing versatile support for future Anomaly teams.
Medium Priority (consider skipping): Strong Physical/Ether teams established, limited Polychrome with Jane Doe rerun imminent, or preferring specialized DPS over hybrid support-DPS.
Resource planning math: Character single pity is 14,400 Polychrome (90 pulls, soft pity 70-80), guaranteed featured S-Rank is 28,800 Polychrome (180 pulls with 50/50), F2P daily income averages 300 Polychrome via events/missions. Phase 1 duration runs December 30, 2025–January 21, 2026 (22 days).
Track carryover pity from previous banners—if you're near soft pity, securing Zhao requires reduced investment. Zenless Zone Zero monocoins quick top up via BitTopup provides fast, secure transactions with solid customer service for hitting pity thresholds before Phase 1 ends.
Known Issues and Practical Workarounds
Miasma Shield Reset Bug: Second boss occasionally resets Daze accumulation at 99 Daze when Miasma Shield activates. Workaround? Delay Zhao's Stun contribution until after initial shield break, then focus Daze during vulnerability window. Annoying, but manageable.
Freeze Immunity Interaction: Both bosses feature freeze immunity, but beta reports indicate certain Ice status effects still apply visual indicators without functional impact. Don't chase freeze-dependent strategies—focus on Zhao's Stun and Daze mechanics instead.
Perfect Counter Timing: That 5-hit purple attack post-Miasma Shield break requires frame-perfect counters. Zhao's Quick Assist under Ether Veil provides invincibility frames, but input buffering occasionally fails during high-latency connections. Practice counter timing in lower-difficulty content first—you'll thank yourself later.
Frostbite Point Accumulation Delay: Ally damage sometimes fails to register Frostbite Point accumulation during rapid skill rotations. Workaround: space high-damage bursts by 0.5-1 second intervals for server-side damage registration. Not ideal, but it works.
Overheal ATK Conversion Cap: Beta data suggests overheal-to-ATK conversion caps around 1,200 ATK bonus. Players stacking HP% beyond 150,000 max HP report diminishing returns. Optimal builds balance HP investment with CRIT Rate and Energy Regen—don't just stack HP blindly.
Advanced Combat Techniques Worth Learning
Animation Canceling: Zhao's Basic Attack 4-hit combo ending in smash includes invincibility frames during final hit. Cancel recovery animation by buffering EX Special input during invincibility window, transitioning immediately into healing and Frost Point accumulation.
Her dash ability provides agile movement with additional invincibility frames—cancel EX Special recovery by dashing toward next target for aggressive positioning in Shiyu Defense Stage 5's three-room format. Small optimization, but it adds up over multiple rooms.
Ether Veil Snapshot Mechanics: Here's something experienced players know—Ether Veil buffs snapshot at activation rather than updating dynamically. That 800 ATK buff and Additional Ability team damage boost calculate based on Zhao's stats at Veil activation, persisting even if HP fluctuates afterward.
Exploit this by: pre-buffing HP using Pan Yinhu heals before Veil activation, timing consumables (activate temporary ATK buffs from food/co-op cards immediately before Ultimate or max Frost Point EX Special), and snapshot preservation (aggressively consume HP via EX Special after Veil activates—team damage boost persists at the higher HP value).
Perfect Assist Chain Extensions: Zhao's Assist triggers on Wobble, but under Ether Veil, Quick Assist activates with reduced cooldown. Chain multiple Perfect Assists by coordinating team Wobble triggers during Veil windows, extending combos that accumulate Frostbite Points while maintaining defensive coverage.
In Section 7 boss fights, this enables what I call defensive offense—continuous damage pressure through Assist chains while avoiding boss mechanics. Invincibility frames from Perfect Assist overlap with boss attack animations, creating safe damage windows that accelerate Daze accumulation. It's not flashy, but it's effective.
Resource Planning and the New Awakening System
Version 2.5 introduces Potential System requiring Awakening Currency from weekly challenges and co-op clears. For Zhao, prioritize Potential unlocks enhancing Ether Veil uptime or expanding HP-scaling coefficients—those provide the most value.
Shiyu Defense shop updates: Polychrome boost from 720 to 780 per currency tier, Awakened Potentials direct purchase, event weapons temporary access, materials and Boopons standard farming acceleration. Critical Nodes expand to 5 stages—that score-based fifth stage requires three optimized teams, so roster depth matters now.
Ether Battery system exchanges 60 Backup Battery Charge + 1 Prepaid Power Card for 1 Ether Battery (usable in auto-clears). Optional auto-dismantle for A/B rarity Drive Discs streamlines farming—finally.
Farming priority: White Water Balled 4-piece (HP% Body/Legs, Energy Regen Rope, Ice DMG% Sphere), Shining Aria 2-piece (alternative for Ether teams), substats HP% > CRIT Rate > Energy Regen > CRIT DMG. Use Tuning Calibrator to enhance HP% and CRIT Rate substats on Body/Legs pieces first (maximum 2 enhanced substats per Disc). Don't waste Calibrators on Rope/Sphere until you've optimized Body/Legs.
Co-Op Mode: Where Zhao Shines Beyond Solo Content
Version 2.5's PvE co-op mode introduces online matchmaking with defined roles: DPS, Break, Support, Daze Master. Zhao fits Support role naturally, providing team-wide buffs through Ether Veil while contributing Ice damage and healing.
Co-op missions include: Annihilation (wave-based clears), Elite (high-difficulty single-target bosses), Timed (speed-run challenges with point multipliers), Speed (optimized clear competitions), Elemental Domains (element-specific restrictions), Alarm Hacking (objective-based), Treasure Hunt (exploration/collection), Final Battle (multi-phase endgame).
Zhao's versatility shines across mission types. Annihilation benefits from sustained healing and AOE Ice damage. Elite missions leverage HP-scaling against high-DEF targets. Timed/Speed missions reward Ether Veil's burst ATK buffs for maximizing damage windows.
Optimal card selections: HP% amplification cards (stack with base HP for multiplicative scaling), Energy Regen cards (accelerate Ether Veil cycling), Team ATK buff cards (synergize with existing 800 ATK buff—yes, they stack). Resonator badges unlock through 8 stages and 20 investigation levels. Quick chat enables coordination for Perfect Assist chains and Ether Veil timing—use it.
Banner Schedule and Smart Phase Planning
Version 2.5 spans December 30, 2025–approximately February 17, 2026 (50-day standard patch). Phase 1 runs December 30, 2025–January 21, 2026 (22 days) featuring Zhao's debut with likely Ellen rerun. Phase 2 (January 21–February 17, 2026, or potentially February 11 if they run a six-week cycle) introduces Ye Shunguang (S-Rank Physical Attack agent with skyborne swords and Qingming Sword for explosive bursts).
Polychrome management breakdown:
Phase 1 Focus (Zhao Priority): 28,800 Polychrome for guaranteed Zhao (180 pulls with 50/50), optional W-Engine additional 12,800 Polychrome (80 pulls), total investment 41,600 Polychrome.
Phase 2 Consideration (Ye Shunguang): Depends on roster gaps—Physical Attack role overlaps with existing DPS, but synergy with Zhao justifies pull for Ice-Physical hybrid teams.
F2P Timeline reality check: Daily 300 Polychrome × 22 days (Phase 1) = 6,600 base income, event missions/login bonuses ~8,000-10,000 additional, total Phase 1 F2P income ~14,600-16,600 Polychrome. You'll need pre-existing reserves of ~12,000-14,000 for guaranteed Zhao. Version 2.4 (ending December 29, 2025) provides final opportunities for Polychrome accumulation through Shiyu Defense clears and event completions—don't sleep on those.
FAQ
What are Zhao's new abilities in ZZZ 2.5?
Zhao debuts as S-Rank Ice Defense agent with HP-scaling mechanics: Basic Attacks with charge mechanics, Special/EX Special consuming HP to heal allies while building Frost Points, Ultimate activating Ether Veil for team buffs (800 ATK, max HP increase, team damage boost), Core Passive granting CRIT Rate based on HP. She converts Defense to Resistance Penetration and provides Stun for Daze Efficiency—basically, she's a hybrid support-DPS that scales off HP instead of traditional Attack stats.
How does Zhao affect Section 7 performance?
Zhao dominates Section 7 through Resistance Penetration countering new bosses' +40% Ether/Ice RES, HP-scaling damage against high-DEF targets (30-60 base DEF), healing sustain through Miasma Shield phases, and Ether Veil buffs optimizing burst windows. She enables consistent S+ clears in Shiyu Defense Stage 5's three-room format requiring 90,000 total points. Beta testers are seeing significantly higher clear rates with Zhao compared to traditional Defense agents.
Is Zhao worth investing in before Jane Doe release?
Yes, if you're lacking Ice Defense agents or focusing Section 7 optimization. She future-proofs for Jane Doe teams through Anomaly squad compatibility (Additional Ability activation), 800 ATK buff amplifying Physical Anomaly burst, and sustain mechanics supporting extended buildup phases. Players with strong Physical/Ether teams and limited Polychrome may prioritize Jane Doe reruns instead—it's roster-dependent, but Zhao offers more immediate value for Section 7 content.
What builds work best with Zhao?
White Water Balled 4-piece (Physical DMG +10%, Ether Veil grants 24% CRIT Rate for Attack characters) with HP% Body/Legs, Energy Regen Rope, Ice DMG% Sphere. Prioritize HP% and CRIT Rate substats, enhance using Tuning Calibrator. Pair with HP-scaling W-Engine and team compositions including Attack/Anomaly/Rupture squad mates to trigger Additional Ability team damage boost. Don't overcap HP beyond 150,000—balance with CRIT Rate and Energy Regen for optimal performance.
When will ZZZ 2.5 officially release?
Version 2.5 releases December 30, 2025. Phase 1 runs December 30, 2025–January 21, 2026 (22 days) featuring Zhao's banner. Phase 2 spans January 21–February 17, 2026 (or February 11 if they run a six-week cycle) with Ye Shunguang. Full patch lasts approximately 50 days through mid-February 2026. Mark your calendars—that 22-day Phase 1 window is tight for F2P players.
What teams synergize with Zhao's abilities?
Optimal core: Zhao (Penetration/Stun Support) + Ellen (Ice DPS) + Pan Yinhu (Heal) + flexible fourth slot. Best fourth options: Attack characters (Ye Shunguang, Soldier 11), Anomaly specialists (Burnice), or Rupture agents to trigger Additional Ability. This maximizes Ether Veil uptime, CRIT Rate buffs from White Water Balled, and HP-scaling team damage boost while maintaining sustained pressure. The flexibility in that fourth slot is what makes this composition work across different content types.
