Hello Proxies! Welcome to a comprehensive guide focused on helping you decide whether Zhao is worth investing in within the ever-evolving world of Zenless Zone Zero. This article is dedicated to breaking down Zhao’s role, strengths, limitations, and team value in a clear, practical way. Whether you’re a newer player looking for a strong free support or a veteran evaluating how Zhao compares to premium options, this guide aims to give you the insight needed to make an informed pull decision.
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Zhao Kit Highlights
Zhao is a Defense-type support agent in Zenless Zone Zero built around long-duration team buffs and extremely low field time. She is not intended to function as an on-field damage dealer; instead, her value comes from good, long buffs that slot easily into many team compositions with minimal execution requirements.
She adds value in the following ways:
1. Long, Stable Team Buffs
Zhao’s core contribution comes from Ether Veil, which provides:
A flat Combat ATK buff
A teamwide damage bonus that scales with her Max HP
~40 seconds of duration
Because these buffs last so long, teams are not punished for imperfect rotations or delayed swaps. This makes Zhao especially comfortable in extended fights and general content where consistency matters more than tight burst windows.
2. Minimal Field Time Requirement
Zhao’s optimal usage is very straightforward:
Accumulate Frostbite points passively while off-field
Swap in roughly once every 40 seconds
Activate Ether Veil via EX Special or Ultimate
Swap out immediately
She requires no combos, strict timing, or active decision-making. This keeps DPS on-field time high and significantly lowers rotational complexity.
3. Strong Synergy With Ye Shunguang
Zhao has direct mechanical synergy with Ye Shunguang, the next Void Hunter arriving on December 30, who is widely expected to be one of the strongest attackers in Zenless Zone Zero on release. Because Ye Shunguang’s damage revolves around quickly entering her core stance, supports that deploy Ether Veil are especially valuable.
Sword Stance requires 6 stacks, and entering battle while Ether Veil is active immediately grants 3 stacks, cutting the requirement in half.
As a reliable Ether Veil setter, Zhao allows Ye Shunguang to reach Sword Stance faster and more consistently across rotations.
This interaction improves damage uptime and rotation flow, reducing reliance on slower, self-generated stack buildup and making Zhao one of her most effective supports in Patch 2.5.
About Zhao's Synergies
1. Ye Shunguang (Best Synergy)
Ye Shunguang is the single biggest beneficiary of Zhao’s kit. Ye Shunguang requires 6 stacks to enter Sword Stance, and entering combat while Ether Veil is already active grants 3 stacks immediately. As a fast and reliable Ether Veil setter, Zhao effectively halves Ye Shunguang’s setup time, allowing her to reach Sword Stance faster and more consistently. This directly improves damage uptime and rotation flow, making Zhao one of Ye Shunguang’s most important supports in Patch 2.5.
2. Attack Agents (Strong Upgrade)
Zhao pairs well with Attack-type agents that want long, uninterrupted field time. Her 40-second Ether Veil uptime, flat ATK increase, and teamwide damage bonus provide good buffs across full rotations. While she is not always best-in-slot compared to premium attack supports, she offers reliable performance with minimal field time and low execution requirements.
3. Anomaly Agents (Situational Synergy)
Anomaly teams can use Zhao as a generic buffer when anomaly-specialized supports are unavailable. Her buffs help overall damage, but she is usually outclassed by dedicated anomaly supports and does not significantly raise anomaly team ceilings. This makes her usable, but not optimal, in most anomaly compositions.
4. Rupture Teams (Not Recommended)
Despite applying Ether Veil, Zhao is a poor fit for Rupture teams. Rupture DPS units rely heavily on frequent stun windows and burst timing, while Zhao provides long-duration, passive buffs that do not improve stun frequency. Additionally, her team requirements often push Rupture comps into double-support setups, which reduces overall stun efficiency and burst damage.
Zhao Compared to Other Support and Defence Agents
This table summarizes the maximum buffs each support can provide to a team, assuming standard optimal M0W1 setups (core passives active, common Drive Disc choices, and signature W-Engines where noted).
| Buffs Comparison Table | |||
Zhao | Astra Yao | Lucia | Caesar |
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When comparing Zhao, Astra Yao, Lucia, and Caesar side by side, Zhao is best described as a free-to-play, budget Astra rather than a true competitor to the top supports. She offers a mix of teamwide flat ATK, DMG%, and Crit-related buffs, which on paper resemble Astra’s role, but at noticeably lower values and without the same level of scaling or added utility. This makes Zhao a solid substitute if you do not own Astra or want a low-investment option, especially since she is free.
That said, while Zhao can function as a replacement in teams that would normally use Lucia or Astra, she is clearly weaker than their best-in-slot use cases. Lucia completely outclasses Zhao in Rupture teams due to her Sheer Force and HP-based bonuses, while Astra’s raw offensive buffs and healing blow Zhao away in Attack/Anomaly focused compositions. Zhao’s strength lies in accessibility and specific Ether Veil interactions, not in outperforming premium supports. If you own Astra or Lucia, Zhao is usually a downgrade; if you don’t, she serves as a competent budget alternative rather than a true replacement.
Should You Pull Zhao?
Reasons to Pull Zhao
1. You Plan to Play Ye Shunguang
Zhao’s strongest value comes from directly enabling Ye Shunguang’s Sword Stance through reliable Ether Veil deployment. By granting immediate stacks on entry, Zhao significantly improves Ye Shunguang’s setup speed, damage uptime, and overall rotation flow, making her one of Ye Shunguang’s most effective supports in Patch 2.5.
2. You Lack Premium Attack, Anomaly, or Rupture Supports
If you do not own Astra or Lucia, Zhao serves as a free, low-investment alternative that still provides meaningful teamwide ATK, DMG%, and Crit-related buffs. While she does not match premium supports in raw power, she offers solid value with minimal execution requirements.
3. You Want a Low-Field-Time, Easy-to-Use Support
Zhao is ideal for players who prefer simple rotations and high DPS on-field uptime. Her long-duration buffs and passive Frostbite generation allow her to contribute effectively without frequent swaps or complex inputs.
4. You’re Looking for a Flexible, Budget Support Option
As a free unit, Zhao is a strong pickup for newer accounts or players building flexible rosters. She fits comfortably into Attack and some Anomaly teams and provides dependable performance without heavy investment.
Reasons to Skip Zhao
1. You Don’t Play Ye Shunguang
Zhao’s highest value comes from enabling Ye Shunguang’s Sword Stance via Ether Veil. If Ye Shunguang is not part of your roster or plans, Zhao becomes a generic buffer rather than a core enabler, and her impact drops noticeably.
2. You Mainly Play Rupture Teams
Rupture teams rely on frequent stun windows and burst timing, while Zhao provides long-duration, passive buffs that do not improve stun frequency. Additionally, beta changes removed Rupture from her support capability, further reducing her effectiveness in Rupture-focused compositions.
3. You Already Have Dedicated Attack / Anomaly / Rupture Supports
If your account is already covered by premium Attack or Anomaly supports (e.g, Lucia, Astra, etc), Zhao is often outclassed in those roles. She remains usable, but rarely optimal, outside of her Ye Shunguang niche.
4. You’re Saving for Other Patch 2.5 or Future Characters
If you’re prioritizing upcoming units or specific reruns, Zhao is an easy skip. She is valuable but not mandatory unless you are building around Ye Shunguang.
Conclusion
Zhao is a solid free-to-play support whose value is clearly defined by accessibility and niche synergy, not raw power. She offers long-duration team buffs, minimal field-time requirements, and reliable Ether Veil deployment, making her easy to use and inexpensive to build. For players planning to invest in Ye Shunguang, Zhao stands out as one of her most effective enablers in Patch 2.5, directly improving Sword Stance uptime and overall damage flow.
However, Zhao is not a replacement for premium support. Units like Astra Yao and Lucia still dominate their respective archetypes and will outperform Zhao. If you already own those characters, Zhao is usually a downgrade. In the end, Zhao is best viewed as a budget, flexible support option, excellent for newer accounts, players lacking premium buffers, or those specifically preparing for Ye Shunguang, but optional for well-established rosters in Zenless Zone Zero. If you plan to pull Zhao or the upcoming 2.5 banners, don't hesitate and go to Lootbar.gg now and head straight to Zenless Zone Zero Top-up.
