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Should you pull for Ellen Joe in Zenless Zone Zero?
It’s undeniable thatEllen Joeis currentlythe best damage Agent in Zenless Zone Zero— but it’s crucial to remember the fates of limited banners at the beginning of other HoYoverse games. Power creeps are inevitable, and it’slikely Ellen will be overtaken by future characters down the line.cough Seele cough
Speculation aside, Ellen has acoolsharkgirl maid design and is a blast to freeze and melt enemies with.If you love Ellen’s design and find her playstyle fun, thenpull away.Regardless of power creeps,Ellen will likely stay an excellent unit for the foreseeable future, and I certainly don’t regret using myEncrypted Master Tapes.
Ellen is available through theMellow Waveridelimited-time banner which ends on July 07, 2025.
Ellen Joe playstyle and main combos in ZZZ
Ellen Joe is currently Zenless Zone Zero’s best DPS character, but outputting her huge damage isn’t as simple as spamming her attacks. Ellen’s playstyle revolves around buildingFlash Freeze Chargesthrough herDash attacksand then spending them to deal colossalIce Damageand build upFreeze.
Dash attack to build Flash Freeze Charge
Hold or double-pressDashto enter Ellen’sRoamingstate. While in Roaming state, pressBasic Attackto deal Ice Damage andgain a Flash Freeze charge.
HoldingBasic AttackwhileDashingwill instead charge an even larger Ice attack, generatingthree Flash Freeze chargesandShatteringthe enemy if they’reFrozen. You also take 40% less damage and lower the chance of being interrupted while charging this attack.
Using Ellen’sSpecialattack with at least 40 Energy will also generatea Flash Freezecharge and allow you to immediately inflict a third Basic Attack — something to keep in mind for later.
The best way to build Flash Freeze before your burst combination (covered below) is to perform aDash Attackfollowed by acharged Dash Attack. You should also unleash an EX Special Attack if your Energy Bar is full to avoid wasting damage.
Spend Flash Freeze with Basic Attacks
With yourFlash Freezecharges stacked up,hit enemies with three Basic Attacksin a row to spend them. Each attackconsumes one Flash Freezecharge, with Ellen’sthird chain attackdealing colossal damage due to her multiplier.
Ellen basic and burst rotation
Use the following rotation when using Ellen against basic enemies and before stunning main enemies:
If your Energy Bar is full before an enemy is stunned, use yourEX Special Attackfollowed by aBasic Attackenhanced with Flash Freeze to take advantage of the damage multiplier.
Once your primary enemy is stunned, use the following rotation:
The goal is to useEllen’s EX Special Attack, followed by a Basic Attackaugmented by both theFlash Freeze chargeandthethird attack damage multiplier.
Shorter burst periods require chaining EX Special Attacks, but you can stick to the EX Special Attack > Basic Attack combination for as long as possible if you wish.Ellen’s Ultimate can be used anytimeandas often as possible.
Best W-Engines for Ellen Joe in ZZZ
Ellen’s best W-Engine is her very own, theDeep Sea Visitor. Crafted around her kit, this W-Engine increases Crit rate when attacking, considerablyincreasing Crit when dealing Ice Damage with a Dash Attack, which is what Ellen is all about.
With a flat increase to Attack every 0.5 seconds that can stack eight times,The Brimstoneis a solid W-Engine that comes in second place. With Ellen’s basic rotation consisting of Dash and Basic Attack spam, The Brimstone can increase her damage considerably during burst periods.
If you haven’t gotten your hands on either W-Engine above, theStarlight Engineis a fantastic choice forF2P(or unlucky) players. This W-Engine increases Attack for 12 seconds after performing a Dodge Counter or Quick Assist.
Best Drive Discs for Ellen Joe in ZZZ
There are six Drive Disc slots in total, making a combination of a completefour-pieceset andtwo-pieceset the most optimal.
Puffer Electro
(2-Piece Bonus) Increases PEN Ratio by 8%(4-Piece Bonus)Ultimate DMG increases by 20%. Launching an Ultimate increases the equipper’s ATK by 15% for 12s.
With Ellen’s Ultimate being a part of our burst combo rotation, Puffer Electro is a fantastic 4-piece set thatsubstantially increases burst damage. The obvious downside to this Drive Disc set is that it requires the use of an Ultimate, making it less useful in short stages and only during burst periods.
Combined with Woodpecker Electro’s 2-piece bonus, Puffer Electro has the highest damage potential of any Disc Drive set for Ellen in Zenless Zone Zero.
Polar Metal
(2-Piece Bonus) Increases Ice DMG by 10%.(4-Piece Bonus) Increases the DMG of Basic attack and Dash Attack by 20%. When any squad member inflicts Freeze or Shatter, this effect increases by an additional 20% for 12s.
With Ellen’s core kit revolving around Dash and Basic Attacks that inflict Ice damage, Polar Metal’s four-piece bonus is a no-brainer. This set pairs best with an Ice team, increasing damage whenanysquad member inflicts Freeze or Shatter.
Woodpecker Electro
(2-Piece Bonus) Increases CRIT Rate by 8%.(4-Piece Bonus) Landing a critical hit on an enemy with a Basic Attack, Dodge Counter, or EX Special Attack increases the equipper’s ATK by 9% for 6s. The buff rotation for different skills are calculated separately.
Woodpecker Electro’s 4-piece bonus synergizes well with Ellen’s kit and is a solid set for any situation. With a flat buff to CRIT Rate, Woodpecker Electro is the best 2-piece set to accompany any 4-piece set currently available.
Ellen Joe Stat Priority
Ellen’s stat priority is as follows:CRIT Rate + CRIT Rate DMG > Ice DMG > ATK DMG > PEN + ATK
Best team compositions for Ellen Joe in Zenless Zone Zero
Ellen Iced Out Team
Ellen and Lycaonare two of the best Agents in Zenless Zone Zero, with the strongest synergy in the game to date. Lycaon can consistently apply a whopping 25% Ice Resist Shred debuff and rapidly stun enemies for Ellen to unleash her burst rotation.
Soukakuincreases Ellen’s Attack even further and buffs Ice Damage, all while contributing to the Ice anomaly buildup with the rest of the team. This combination isice-coldand thestrongest team in ZZZso far.
Ellen “Electric Ice” F2P Team
Ellen and Soukaku’s synergy stays strong in this F2P team, with Anby taking the role of Stunner due to being the easiest Stun Agent to obtain. This is the ideal team to use while waiting to pull Lycaon, either through yourfree S-Rank Agentor pure luck.
Best Bangboo for Ellen Joe in ZZZ
There’s a Bangboo out there for every team type and situation, but a particular few shine the brightest for Ellen. Remember tofocus the best S-Rank Bangboofor you through Signal Search once you’ve chosen.
Sharkboo abilities
Sharkboo is the perfect Bangboo for Ellen in both aesthetics and function. This adorable lil’ shark aids with Ice Anomaly buildup from Ellen and her chilly companions, making it the ideal choice for the teams in this guide.
Butler abilities
Making the deadly combination of Ellen and Lycaon even more ridiculous, Butler significantly increasesEnergy generated. More Energy means more EX Special Attacks, which means more damage for Ellen to dish out. Quick maths!
Penguinboo
Penguinboo abilities
If you’ve yet to get your hands on an S-Rank Bangboo, then Penguinboo is your next-best option. It’s a Sharkboo lite, but still just as adorable.
How to farm Ellen Joe materials in ZZZ
Finally, let’s talk about upgrading and promoting Ellen Joe.The following materials are requiredto level Ellen to max and upgrade her Skills and Core Skills:
Remember tospend your Charge daily onCombat Simulationfor Certification Seals and Freeze Chips. For Ferocious Grip and Higher Dimensional Data, checkNotorious HuntandExpert Challengeregularly. Don’t worry if you’re not there yet; these are late-game upgrades.
To keep up with everything Zenless Zone Zero has to offer, ensure you’re keeping up with yourPrimer missions. Not only do these offer some great rewards down the line, but you’ll bepointed in the best direction on how to improve. Good luck out there, Proxy!
Thomas Cunliffe
Thomas has been a writer in the games industry since 2021 and considers himself a connoisseur of all things Nintendo, Blizzard, and Marvel. Since amassing 152,000+ followers on a Facebook page about Diddy Kong with a backward hat, Thomas has become a trusted voice in the gaming community across publications such as PC Invasion, AOTF, and Gfinity.
His greatest achievements include catching every Pokémon, completing (almost) every quest in World of Warcraft, and naming his dog ‘Mass Effect 3.’
Thomas is extraordinarily passionate about the video game industry and its community. He enjoys writing about a wide variety topics, including popular games like Destiny 2, Fortnite, and WoW, as well as the latest Indie titles.
