Yokyayo (Joyin)
When it comes to combining power and affordability, Yokyayo is hands down the top pick in everyone’s eyes. She’s currently the best support in the game—offering comprehensive utility and extremely high stat buffs. Her kit includes up to +1200 ATK, damage increase, and CRIT DMG buffs. She also provides fast support mechanics and extra Chain Attacks, massively boosting team performance ceilings. She fits into almost any team composition.
What’s more—she has very low dependence on her signature W-Engine. Lucy’s signature works great, or even Cangjie’s and Nicole’s can do the job. The value she offers is unmatched. She's currently available in a rerun—if you haven’t pulled her yet, this is your chance.
Kaizer
Though Kaizer debuted back in version 1.2, his strong shield—comparable to super armor—still makes him the best survival support in terms of forgiving gameplay. His buffing ability isn’t bad either, with +1000 ATK and 25% damage bonus, making him a great fit for teams that lack Yokyayo.
In version 2.0, Kaizer got a perfect upgrade: the free A-rank W-Engine Light Carver, which boosts Impact and allows you to drop break-focused engines. A great bonus for team flexibility.
Qingyi
A high-utility S-rank breaker, Qingyi combines sustained on-field stagger capabilities with utility. She applies up to 80% stagger vulnerability after breaking enemies, making her irreplaceable in fast-switch burst teams like Zhuyuan and Youzhen.
For W-Engines, simply equip the top A-rank breaker engine Precious Core, which dramatically boosts her burst-breaking potential. In the hands of high-level players, she can even rival S-rank W-Engine performance.
Rin (W. Riot)
Riot is one of the best staggerers for fire and ice teams. His quick-switch mechanic means he doesn’t cut into the main DPS’s uptime, giving massive synergy. He provides up to 75% elemental damage bonus and 15% elemental resistance reduction, making him a must-have for teams built around ice or fire main carries.
Though he doesn’t get full benefit from A-rank engines due to missing the Impact scaling conversion, his base stats are solid enough. Paired with Precious Core, he still delivers excellent break support and value.
Moonlin (Tsukimi Riko)
Moonlin is arguably the most versatile DPS in the current roster. Her role shifts based on the environment—she can serve as a fast-stacking sub-DPS in Xingyan comps, or take on the main carry role in electric-based teams with Vivian or Bernice, running traditional Disorder comps.
When it comes to W-Engines, several excellent A-rank Anomaly picks are available—Twin-Star Lament or Glossed Lipstick (from the premium battle pass) both work great, removing any need for her signature.
Bernice
Bernice gains minimal benefit from her signature W-Engine. Unlike Vivian’s sig, which boosts both stats and energy cycling, Bernice’s only enhances damage output, and the energy regen isn’t particularly impactful. Since she’s usually run in dual-core teams, any personal DPS increase from her sig weapon gets averaged out—making her a top-tier 0+0 value pick.
Ellen
As the launch version’s banner DPS, Ellen has undergone a massive transformation thanks to recent buffs. With optimized team setups, she’s no longer locked into using Von Lycaon or Cangjie, nor does she need to run the ice set anymore—she now benefits more from Pursuit builds.
Due to her naturally high CRIT Rate, she no longer needs her signature weapon either. The standard S-rank W-Engine Sulfur Stone works perfectly. Plus, with smoother skill rotations and less reliance on Shadowgraph 1’s stacking boost, Ellen performs very well with just 0 constellations and standard gear.
Final Thoughts
These are currently the most cost-effective limited S-rank characters in Zenless Zone Zero. Which ones have you pulled so far, Proxies? Let us know who’s carrying your team!
