Zhu YuanBuild and Guide

Character
Introduction

Zhu Yuan is an
S Rank
rank character with the Ether attribute who belongs to the
Attack
Attack Specialty and who is part of the
N.E.P.S.
N.E.P.S. faction.

Leader of Public Security's Criminal Investigation team, Zhu Yuan, standing by. You can come to me if you need any help.

To learn more about Zhu Yuan check the sections below. Use the tabs to quickly switch to the kind of information you're looking for.

Video guide

Zhu Yuan has at least one video guide available, so if you prefer this sort of medium to learn more about a character, check it out:

Last updated

Zhu Yuan profile has been last updated on November 6th, 2024.

To learn more about Zhu Yuan check the sections below. Use the tabs to quickly switch to the kind of information you're looking for.

Profile

Review

Build

Shiyu Defense

Rotation & Teams

Calculations

Profile

Core skills
Core

Core Passive Special Ops Ammunition

Lv. 1

When Zhu Yuan is under Suppressive Mode, using Enhanced Shotshells increases her DMG by 20%. When attacking Stunned enemies, this DMG buff is increased by an additional 20%. When Zhu Yuan enters the battlefield, she immediately gains 6 Enhanced Shotshells.

CRIT DMG 0

BASE ATK: 0

Core

Additional Ability Tactical Coordination

When another character in your squad is a Support character or shares the same faction:

Zhu Yuan's CRIT Rate is increased by 30% for 10s after using an EX Special Attack, Chain Attack, or Ultimate.

Skills
Basic
Basic
Dodge
Dodge
Assist
Assist
Special
Special
qte
Chain
Core

Basic Attack: Don't Move!

[Assault Mode] Press to activate: Unleash a flurry of martial arts, bullets, and Ether Buckshots in a series of up to 5 attacks, dealing Physical DMG and Ether DMG. When the 4th or 5th hits strike an enemy, obtain 1 Enhanced Shotshell. A max of 1 can be obtained per skill use. While using this skill, drag the stick/joystick and press to activate Dash Attack: Firepower Offensive and readjust to face the selected direction. While under Assault Mode, hold to switch to Suppressive Mode.

Lv. 1
1st-Hit DMG Multiplier
43.10%
1st-Hit Daze Multiplier
21.60%
2nd-Hit DMG Multiplier
126.40%
2nd-Hit Daze Multiplier
97.30%
3rd-Hit DMG Multiplier
137.30%
3rd-Hit Daze Multiplier
94.70%
4th-Hit DMG Multiplier
151.00%
4th-Hit Daze Multiplier
124.30%
5th-Hit DMG Multiplier
162.20%
5th-Hit Daze Multiplier
139.20%
Core

Basic Attack: Please Do Not Resist

[Suppressive Mode] Hold to activate. Unleash up to 3 Shotshell piercing attacks, dealing Physical DMG. If Zhu Yuan has Enhanced Shotshells upon firing, 1 Enhanced Shotshell will be consumed, dealing massive Ether DMG. While using this skill, drag the stick/joystick to activate her Dash Attack: Overwhelming Firepower and readjust to face the selected direction. While in Suppressive Mode, release to return to Assault Mode.

Lv. 1
1st-Hit (Physical) DMG Multiplier
53.70%
1st-Hit (Physical) Daze Multiplier
59.60%
2nd-Hit (Physical) DMG Multiplier
53.70%
2nd-Hit (Physical) Daze Multiplier
59.60%
3rd-Hit (Physical) DMG Multiplier
160.90%
3rd-Hit (Physical) Daze Multiplier
178.80%
1st-Hit (Ether) DMG Multiplier
135.90%
1st-Hit (Ether) Daze Multiplier
59.60%
2nd-Hit (Ether) DMG Multiplier
135.90%
2nd-Hit (Ether) Daze Multiplier
59.60%
3rd-Hit (Ether) DMG Multiplier
407.70%
3rd-Hit (Ether) Daze Multiplier
178.70%
Core

Dodge: Tactical Detour

Press to activate:. A rapid dodge. Character is invulnerable while using this skill.
Core

Dash Attack: Firepower Offensive

[Assault Mode] Press during a dodge to activate: Uses handgun to attack, dealing Physical DMG.

Lv. 1
DMG Multiplier
55.10%
Daze Multiplier
27.60%
Core

Dash Attack: Overwhelming Firepower

Suppressive Mode Drag the joystick/joystickduring Basic Attack: Please Do Not Resist to activate: Unleashes a Shotshell piercing attack, dealing Physical DMG. If Zhu Yuan has Enhanced Shotshells when firing, 1 Enhanced Shotshell will be consumed, dealing massive Ether DMG.

Lv. 1
Physical DMG Multiplier
53.70%
Physical Daze Multiplier
59.60%
Ether DMG Multiplier
135.90%
Ether Daze Multiplier
59.60%
Core

Dodge Counter: Fire Blast

Press during a Perfect Dodge to activate. Shoots enemies in front with an Ether Buckshot, dealing Ether DMG. Gain 1 Enhanced Shotshell on skill use. Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Lv. 1
DMG Multiplier
176.80%
Daze Multiplier
161.40%
Core

Special Attack: Buckshot Blast

Press to activate: Shoots Ether Buckshots that deal Ether DMG. This can be repeated 3 times by repeatedly pressing . Anti-Interrupt level is increased while using this skill.

Lv. 1
DMG Multiplier
18.40%
Daze Multiplier
18.40%
Core

EX Special Attack: Full Barrage

With enough energy, press to activate: Shoots a series of Ether Buckshots, that explode and deal massive Ether DMG. Upon activation, gain 3 Enhanced Shotshells. Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Lv. 1
DMG Multiplier
587.40%
Daze Multiplier
480.00%
Energy Cost
60
Core

Chain Attack: Eradication Mode

When a Chain Attack is triggered, select the character to activate: Uses Modified Master Firearm to execute a saturated attack, firing lasers and seeking missiles to deal massive Ether DMG. Upon activation, gain 3 Enhanced Shotshells. Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Lv. 1
DMG Multiplier
587.50%
Daze Multiplier
148.60%
Core

Ultimate: Max Eradication Mode

When Decibel Rating is at Maximum, press to activate. Uses Modified Master Firearm to execute a saturated attack, firing lasers and seeking missiles to deal massive Ether DMG. Upon activation, gain 3 Enhanced Shotshells. Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Lv. 1
DMG Multiplier
1977.60%
Daze Multiplier
125.10%
Core

Quick Assist: Covering Shot

When the on-field character is launched, press to activate. Shoots enemies in front with an Ether Buckshot, dealing Ether DMG. Gain 1 Enhanced Shotshell on skill use. Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Lv. 1
DMG Multiplier
51.40%
Daze Multiplier
51.40%
Core

Evasive Assist: Guarded Backup

When the character on field is about to be attacked, press to activate. Dodges the enemy's attack and activates the Vital View. Character is invulnerable while using this skill.
Core

Assist Follow-Up: Defensive Counter

Press after an Evasive Assist to activate. Attack with a combination of martial arts and shotshells, dealing Physical DMG and Ether DMG. Upon activation, gain 3 Enhanced Shotshells. Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Lv. 1
DMG Multiplier
355.80%
Daze Multiplier
308.60%
Mindscapes
M1

Quick Reload

Mindscape 1

When Zhu Yuan activates Chain Attacks/Ultimates, gain the Quick Reload effect. When Zhu Yuan has the Quick Reload effect and uses up all Enhanced Shotshells, the Quick Reload effect will be consumed to instantly gain 6/9 Enhanced Shotshells.
M2

Ether Ember

Mindscape 2

In Suppressive Mode, Zhu Yuan’s Anti-Interrupt level is increased and DMG taken reduced by 10%. When Zhu Yuan hits an enemy with Enhanced Shotshells, the target takes 10% more Ether DMG from Basic Attack: Please Do Not Resist and Dash Attack: Overwhelming Firepower DMG, stacking up to 5 times and lasting for 5s. Each shot adds one stack of this effect, and repeated triggers reset the duration.
M3

Public Security Special Training

Mindscape 3

Basic Attack, Assist, Dodge, Special Attack, and Chain Attack Lv. +2
M4

Ether Perforation

Mindscape 4

When Zhu Yuan hits an enemy with Enhanced Shotshells, her Basic Attack: Please Do Not Resist and Dash Attack: Overwhelming Firepower ignore 25% of the target’s Ether RES.
M5

Special Ops Experience

Mindscape 5

Basic Attack, Assist, Dodge, Special Attack, and Chain Attack Lv. +2
M6

Expanded Energy Pack III

Mindscape 6

When Zhu Yuan consumes a total of 12 Enhanced Shotshells, she receives the Ether Afterglow effect, and the Energy cost of the next EX Special Attack is reduced by 30. Launching an EX Special Attack will consume Ether Afterglow and shoot an additional 4-bullet Ether Buckshot. Each extra bullet deals DMG equal to 220% of Zhu Yuan's ATK.
Stats (Level 60)

Zhu Yuan Stats at level 60 (including Core passive bonuses).

Stat
HP
7483
Stat
DEF
601
Stat
ATK
919
Stat
CRIT Rate
5%
Stat
CRIT DMG
78.8%
Stat
PEN Ratio
0%
Stat
Impact
90
Stat
Anomaly Mastery
92
Anomaly Proficiency
93
Stat
Energy Regen
1.2
Voice Actors
ENG
-
JPN
Inoue Marina (井上 麻里奈)
CN
Mace (陆敏悦)
KR
-
Gallery

Zhu Yuan images aren't available yet. They will be added soon!

Review

Pros & Cons
Pros

  • Zhu Yuan is the new highest Burst DPS during Stun windows.

  • She has a strong F2P-friendly support in Nicole.

  • Zhu Yuan possesses exceptional mobility options that not only do not lower her damage but actually increase it, allowing her to reposition on the battlefield constantly and effectively.

  • Due to baked-in dash attacks in most of her attack sequences, Zhu Yuan gains small moments of invulnerability mid-combo, providing her with an edge in combat survivability.

  • At the time of her release, Zhu Yuan is the only Ether DPS, giving her a unique niche in the game.

  • Good cleave-based hitboxes on almost all attacks for a character that is mostly ranged DPS.

Cons

  • Zhu Yuan is a combo-based character who can take a bit of practice to pick up and play perfectly, presenting a learning curve for new players.

  • Zhu Yuan's damage output is significantly weaker when enhanced shells are not available.

Review

Zhu Yuan is a Ranged/Melee hybrid S-Rank Ether Combat Agent specializing in delivering massive Ether Burst damage to stunned enemies with her unique ammunition system. With her high mobility, Zhu Yuan integrates multiple Dash attacks into her optimal damage combos, allowing her to reposition mid-attack and implement Invulnerability frames while dealing optimal damage.

Zhu Yuan’s kit revolves around her Shotgun Shell gauge, which can hold up to 9 Enhanced Shells. These shells empower her Basic and Dash Attacks. She switches between two modes of attack: Assault Mode and Suppressive Mode.

  • Assault Mode: This mode includes most of her Default Attack sequences. It deals low damage but focuses on generating Enhanced Shotgun Shells.

  • Suppressive Mode: This mode features high-damage Charged Attacks. It can be accessed by holding down the basic attack, causing Zhu Yuan to perform a backflip before entering Suppressive Mode. In this mode, while holding, Zhu Yuan continuously consumes 1-3 Enhanced Shotgun Shells to deal massive damage with her attacks.

Zhu Yuan has some of the most varied combos available in the game, with each offering unique benefits in different situations. Learning and mastering them all is quite a challenge. Fortunately, it’s possible to focus on the most commonly used, highest-damage combos, which this guide will cover. Zhu Yuan has access to two completely different basic attack combos, one for each Suppressive and Assault mode.

Zhu Yuan’s Assault Mode Basic Attacks consist of a six-part attack combo (despite the game only listing five of the six parts). Here is the breakdown of the combo:

  • Assault Mode Basic P1: Physical Melee Kick

  • Assault Mode Basic P2: Ether Ranged Shotgun Blast

  • Assault Mode Basic P3: Physical Melee Multi-Kick

  • Assault Mode Basic P4: Ether Ranged Shotgun Jump Blast (Generates 1 Shell)

  • Assault Mode Basic P5: Ether Ranged Shotgun Dash Blast (Generates 1 Shell)

  • Assault Mode Basic P6: Ether Ranged Shotgun Slide

The most valuable attacks in this sequence are Basic P4 and P5, as they deal the best damage and also generate Zhu Yuan's shells. Ideally, we’d like to access these as frequently as possible.

Another unique aspect of Zhu Yuan’s basic attacks is that she can weave in a Dash Attack after any of the combo sequences above by triggering a Basic Attack by holding down the directional key. In this guide, we’ll be talking specifically about her left and right Dash Attacks (they’re the same as each other), as they are the most effective in her kit and the ones you should be using whenever mentioned. Dashing after attacks in this way will alter the sequencing of her next attack depending on which you dashed after. Here is a list of how using a side dash after each part of the Assault Mode basic attack changes things:

  • Assault Mode Basic P1 -> Dash Attack -> Assault Mode Basic P3 (Optimal)

  • Assault Mode Basic P2 -> Dash Attack -> Assault Mode Basic P3 (Avoid)

  • Assault Mode Basic P3 -> Dash Attack -> Loop Back to Assault Mode Basic P3 (Avoid)

  • Assault Mode Basic P4 -> Dash Attack -> Assault Mode Basic P5 (Avoid)

  • Assault Mode Basic P5 -> Dash Attack -> Loop to Assault Mode Basic P3 (Optimal)

  • Assault Mode Basic P6 -> Dash Attack -> Loop Back to Assault Mode Basic P3 (Avoid)

The changes to attack ordering allow Zhu Yuan to execute higher damage, faster combos that generate more shells. Here is an example of a combo in action:

  • Assault Mode Basic P1

  • Dash Attack

  • Assault Mode Basic P3

  • Assault Mode Basic P4

  • Assault Mode Basic P5

  • Dash Attack

  • Assault Mode Basic P3

  • Assault Mode Basic P4

  • Assault Mode Basic P5

By using Dash Attacks, we can speed up Zhu Yuan’s standard rotation and loop/skip to the best parts of it.

Zhu Yuan’s other Basic Attack moves are within Suppressive Mode, which, as mentioned above, needs to be entered by holding down the Basic Attack and waiting for Zhu Yuan to perform a short preparatory flip. The time needed for Zhu Yuan to enter Suppressive Mode is roughly 0.5 seconds, long enough that you don’t want to be constantly moving in and out of Assault and Suppressive unless necessary. The best approach is to enter Suppressive mode only when you have sufficient Enhanced Shells to consume (5 or 9 being optimal). Additionally, several abilities in Zhu Yuan’s kit allow her to immediately enter Suppressive Mode without delay as long as you immediately begin using Suppressive Mode Basics right after they finish. These abilities are:

  • EX Special Attack

  • Ultimate Attack

  • Chain Attack

After entering Suppression mode, continuously holding down the Basic Attack will cause Zhu Yuan to fire an Enhanced Shotgun combo consisting of 3 parts which if available, will each consume a number of Shotgun Shells to deal either tiny Physical (un-enhanced) or massive Ether damage (enhanced). Due to the poor multipliers on Zhu Yuan’s un-enhanced Suppressive Basics it’s never worth using them without Shells available. Here is how many Shells each attack uses:

  • Suppressive Mode Basic P1 = 1 Shell

  • Suppressive Mode Basic P2 = 1 Shell

  • Suppressive Mode Basic P3 = 3 Shells (Deals triple the damage of P1 and P2)

Just like Zhu Yuan’s Assault Mode Basic Attacks, she can also make use of a special Suppressive Mode Dodge Attack to alter and improve her Basic Attack sequences. We’ll again be making use of side Dash Attacks (left and right) as they are the most competitive in most cases. Here is how dashes affect the combo:

  • Suppressive Mode Basic P1 -> Suppressive Mode Dash Attack -> Suppressive Mode Basic P3

  • Suppressive Mode Basic P2 -> Suppressive Mode Dash Attack -> Suppressive Mode Basic P3

  • Suppressive Mode Basic P3 -> Suppressive Mode Dash Attack -> Suppressive Mode Basic P3 (Loop)

The key takeaway here is that we can use a Suppressive Mode Dash Attack following a Suppressive Mode Basic P3 to skip straight back to another P3 incredibly quickly, allowing us to consume our Shells much faster and increase Zhu Yuan’s burst potential. Here is an example combo that dumps all 9 Shells as fast as possible (a full gauge):

  • Suppressive Mode Basic P1 (1 Shell)

  • Suppressive Mode Basic P2 (1 Shell)

  • Suppressive Mode Basic P3 (3 Shells) 

  • Suppressive Mode Dash Attack (1 Shell)

  • Suppressive Mode Basic P3  (3 Shells)

As mentioned above, Zhu Yuan has a Dash Attack for both Assault Mode and Suppressive Mode. For both modes, she has different Dash attacks for forward, back, left and right, but left and right are primarily used in both modes for her combos. They can be not only used mid-combo for cancels but also in general combat outside of combos.

Zhu Yuan’s Dodge Counter is a quick Shotgun Blast that deals Ether damage and generates 1 Shotgun Shell, making it an optimal way to stack up Shells quickly against fast-attacking enemies. Following this Dodge Counter, Zhu Yuan skips straight to her Assault Mode Basic P3, allowing her to quickly chain attacks together if desired.

Zhu Yuan’s Quick Assist and Assist Follow-Up both launch a Shotgun Blast dealing Ether damage and generating Shotgun Shells. Her Quick Assist generates 1 Shell and her Assist Follow-Up generates 3.

Zhu Yuan’s EX Special Attack, Chain Attack, and Ultimate are all functionally the same but with varying damage multipliers. All of them trigger massive Shotgun Blasts that immediately place Zhu Yuan in Suppressive Mode allowing for immediate usage of Suppressive Mode Basics and generating 3 Shells each.

To round off her kit, Zhu Yuan features an incredible Core Passive as well as an Additional Ability, both of which tremendously boost her damage output. Zhu Yuan’s Core Passive boosts the damage of all her Shell-Enhanced Suppressive Mode Basic Attacks and Dash Attacks by up to 40%, further increasing against Stunned targets by another 40% for a total of 80%. She also gains 6 Shells at the start of each combat. Meanwhile, with her Additional Ability if Zhu Yuan has a Support character or a character sharing either her Faction in the team, she’ll gain 30% Crit Rate for 10 seconds after using an EX Special, Chain, or Ultimate. This buff is all but guaranteed to be permanently active during Zhu Yuan’s main burst window where she unloads all her Shells (usually against Stunned enemies). 

Zhu Yuan’s build-and-spend kit plays perfectly into a Burst damage playstyle where she can build up Shells, Energy, and her Ultimate to unleash strong attacks on Stunned enemies in an incredibly short amount of time. At the time of her release, Zhu Yuan delivers the most Burst damage during a Stun window in the game, assuming she has all her kit at her disposal.

Ratings

This tier list assesses characters based on their combat potential in Zenless Zone Zero’s current most demanding content, Shiyu Defense (SD). SD is a mode similar to Genshin Impact’s Spiral Abyss or Honkai Star Rail’s Memory of Chaos and requires multiple teams, Disk Drives and good W-Engines. This mode offers a reasonable mix of Boss encounters (single target) and Elite packs (2-3 targets), allowing multiple characters to find a niche but in the end, there is a bias toward single target focused characters at the top-end and tier list ratings will reflect that.

Please keep in mind Zenless Zone Zero is a skill-based game and each character has a different playstyle, difficulty level and even special tricks and combos. Zenless Zone Zero is also a team based game and it's only by combining both these factors to the highest level a character can reach optimal performance.

T0.5

Shiyu Defense

Build and teams

Best W-Engines

The W-Engines are listed in order of priority. Sometimes the percentages appearing near them won't reflect their performance as pure damage or Stun output isn't the only thing we're looking at - the utility of the W-Engine might be more important than the calculations imply.

The top number shows the performance of the W-Engine in the Burst rotation while the bottom number in the Standard rotation. You can find more information about them in the Calculations tab.

100%

100%

Increases CRIT Rate by 15%. Launching an EX Special Attack grants the equipper 8 Charge stacks, up to a maximum of 8 stacks. Whenever the equipper's Basic Attack deals Ether DMG, consumes a Charge stack and increases the skill's DMG by 35%.

Base ATK (Lv 60): 713
Crit Damage (Lv 60): 48%
Zhu Yuan's Signature W-Engine is an engine for Ether DPS characters with a focus on dealing a large amount of their damage through Basic Attack. Grants 48% CRIT DMG and 15% CRIT RATE unconditionally and a combat effect granting the wearer a special Charge system. Using an EX Special Attack grants the wearer 8 Charges with unlimited duration - whenever the wearer deals Ether DMG with a Basic Attack a Charge will be consumed increased that attacks damage by 35%. The bonuses of this Engine are simple but effective and for a character that can take advantage of all of them a massive damage boost making it likely one of their best options.

98.27%

100.04%

Upon hitting an enemy with a Basic Attack, Dash Attack, or Dodge Counter, the equipper's ATK increases by 3.5/4.4/5.2/6/7% for 8s, stacking up to 8 times. This effect can trigger once every 0.5s. The duration of each stack is calculated separately.

Base ATK (Lv 60): 684
Attack (Lv 60): 30%
Soldier 11's Signature W-Engine and a good choice for any character with a focus on using a lot of Basic Attacks or even just a few long lasting ones. Grants 30% Standard Attack unconditionally but also a stacking Combat Attack% buff lasting 8 seconds every time the wearer hits with a Basic Attack, Dash Attack, or Dodge counter (you can gain multiple stacks per single attack if it's long enough). This buff grants the wearer 3.5% Combat Attack per stack and can stack up to 8 times for a massive total buff of 28%. The catch is each buff stack has its own duration and only 1 buff can be gained every 0.5 seconds, making maintaining max stacks of this buff require constant Basic Attacks. This Engine is a good choice for Agents spamming Basic Attacks but will require you to ensure you get a few stacks before using any big-damaging moves or else you will waste its potential.

94.37%

87.89%

Launching a Dodge Counter or Quick Assist increases the equipper's ATK by 12/13.8/15.6/17.4/19.2% for 12s.

Base ATK (Lv 60): 594
Attack (Lv 60): 25%
A solid all-around Free To Play accessible option for all Attack Agents. Grants 25% unconditional Standard Attack and a further 19.2% (At S5) Combat Attack buff after performing a Dodge Counter or Quick Assist lasting 12 seconds. This buff is reasonably easy for all Attack Agents to achieve in both their standard and burst rotations, assuming a Support character is present on the team. When executing your standard rotation ensure you weave in at least 1 Dodge Counter every 12 seconds and when executing your burst rotation, ensure your Support is the last Chain Attack in the sequence so you can perform a Quick Assist right after and proceed into your burst combo during the enemy stun window.

94.08%

83.60%

Increases Physical DMG by 20/25/30/35/40%. The equipper's DMG increases by 25/31.5/38/44/50% when attacking the enemy from behind.

Base ATK (Lv 60): 684
Crit Rate (Lv 60): 24%
Nekomata's Signature W-Engine - a strong option for Physical Attack Agents and also a usable option for others but with the requirement for both being that the player must actively aim to attack from behind targets wherever possible in order to get good performance compared to alternatives. Grants 24% CRIT Rate and 20% Physical DMG unconditionally but also an additional bonus to the wearer when hitting enemies from behind granting a further 25% generic DMG increase. This W-engine is a top choice without even considering the conditional behind bonus but only becomes even stronger with it. For non-Physical agents this W-engine is only competitive if you can attack from behind at least 50% or more of the time - especially with your highest value abilities like your Ultimate. This W-engines rating assume's you'll achieve 50% uptime on the behind bonus, if you can't you should consider its rating lower.

89.30%

85.54%

Increases ATK by 7.5/8.6/9.7/10.8/12%. Attacks that land a CRIT on an enemy will inflict an additional 200% of ATK as DMG. This effect can only be triggered once every 8/7.5/7/6.5/6s.

Base ATK (Lv 60): 594
Crit Rate (Lv 60): 20%
The Combat battle pass W-engine - an expensive engine to acquire which while incredibly consistent still only performs similarly to other W-Engine's with similar investment. At S5 grants 20% CRIT Rate and 12% Combat Attack unconditionally with an additional effect that triggers when the wearer lands a CRIT on an enemy. This additional effect will deal damage equal to 200% of the wearers ATK to the target hit with a cooldown of 6 seconds (at S5). The catch with this activated ability is that the damage is Physical and cannot CRIT meaning for non-physical characters you'll be losing all elemental DMG% boosts on this damage and for all characters not CRITing is a big downside making the damage from this unimpactful. Cannon Rotor's abilities will always be active without you having to do anything at all in both standard and burst rotations but it has little to no edge over W-engines outside of that making it a steep investment just for that consistency.

90.62%

73.73%

Whenever a squad member launches a Chain Attack, the equipper gains a Charge stack, stacking up to 3 times. Upon activating their own Ultimate, the equipper consumes all Charge stacks, and each stack increases the skill's DMG by 15/17.2/19.5/21.7/24%.

Base ATK (Lv 60): 594
Attack (Lv 60): 25%
A decent but somewhat niche Free To Play accessible option for all Attack Agents. Grants 25% unconditional Standard Attack and has an additional effect that grants the wearer a Charge every time any squad member performs a Chain Attack with a limit of 3. Each Charge will grant the wearer 24% increased ultimate DMG (at S5) and after an Ultimate is performed all Charges will be consumed. Against bosses you can guarantee 3 Chain Attacks every time you Stun them, meaning this W-engine's effect essentially grants 72% Ultimate damage. These bonuses allow it to be a competitive option during burst rotations with the ultimate available, but when the ultimate isn't available or executing a standard rotation this W-engine falls behind.
Best Disk Drives Sets

The top number shows the performance of the Disk Drive in the Burst rotation while the bottom number in the Standard rotation. You can find more information about them in the Calculations tab.

100%

100%

(2)
Ether DMG +10%.
(4)
The equipper's CRIT DMG increases by 20%. When any character in the squad triggers Corruption's additional DMG, this effect further increases by 5.5% for 8s, stacking up to 6 times. Repeated triggers reset the duration.

Competitive option for CRIT-based Ether DPS characters, granting 10% permanent Ether DMG% from the 2P and 20% CRIT DMG from the 4P. The 4P Bonus also gives a stacking buff, granting 5.5% CRIT DMG any time Corruption deals damage stacking up to 6 times and lasting 8 seconds - with the duration refreshing every new stack. The total bonus of the 4P comes out at 53% CRIT DMG under ideal circumstances. Given Corruption lasts for 10 seconds and triggers twice a second and the buff lasts 8 seconds, you can expect this set bonus to be fully active in most Ether focused teams. But if you feel you'll have downtime during critical damage windows (can occur in teams without at least 2 Ether characters) this set will perform lower than site listed calculations.

Best combined with your choice of 2-PC Set:

  • Woodpecker Electro (Recommended)
  • Hormone Punk
  • Puffer Electro

98.96%

103.16%

(2)
CRIT Rate +8%.
(4)
Triggering a critical hit with a Basic Attack, Dodge Counter or EX Special Attack increases the equippers ATK by 9% for 6s. The buff duration for different skills are calculated separately.

Great option for all direct damage dealers that make use of some form of Basic ATK and EX frequently. The set grants 8% permanent CRIT RATE% from the 2-PC and a 9% increased combat ATK% buff for 6 seconds when triggering a CRIT with each a Basic Attack, Dodge Counter or EX Special Attack from the 4P. Each buff belongs to an attack type so you'll need to CRIT with each type every 6 seconds to maintain 3 stacks. You can expect 2 stacks of this set most of the time one from basics and one from either EX's during a burst window or Dodge Counters during downtime granting 18% combat ATK% that multiplies all ATK stats like FLAT ATK and ATK% ((Base ATK * (1 + ATK%)) + Flat ATK) * (1 + Combat ATK%).

Despite all this, the set has ramp-up time and can quickly fall off without access to energy for EX's making it most suitable for characters with cheap EX's, frequent Dodge Counters or concentrated burst damage windows.

Best combined with your choice of 2-PC Set:

  • Chaotic Metal (Recommended)
  • Hormone Punk

100.40%

85.79%

(2)
PEN Ratio +8%.
(4)
Ultimate DMG increases by 20%. Launching an Ultimate increases the equippers ATK by 15% for 12s.

A top option for burst damage characters aiming to deal most of their damage in a short window following their Ultimate. The set grants 8% permanent PEN Ratio% from the 2P, 15% increased combat ATK% for 12 seconds after using an ultimate and 20% increased Ultimate DMG from the 4P. When evaluating this set we assume you'll gain and save your damaging ultimate for the enemy stun window and use it before executing the rest of your combo. If you're unable to gain your Ultimate every stun window this sets value will drop compared to its listing.

Important! If this set's damage numbers are larger than sets ranked higher than it, it's because our team doesn't consider the damage increase to be worth the restriction of requiring your ultimate to gain the bonus. Use this set if you consider the increase to burst damage to be worth it for you.

Best combined with your choice of 2-PC Set:

  • Chaotic Metal (Recommended)
  • Hormone Punk
Best Disk Drives Stats
Disk 4
CRIT DMG
CRIT DMG%
=
CRIT Rate
CRIT Rate%
Disk 5
Ether DMG
Ether DMG%
>
ATK%
ATK%
=
PEN Ratio
PEN Ratio%
Disk 6
ATK%
ATK%

Substats: CRIT RATE = CRIT DMG > ATK% > PEN = ATK

Best Endgame Stats (Level 60)
  • ATK: 2600-3000+

  • HP: 9500+

  • DEF: 800+

  • CRIT RATE: 60-70% (90-100% with Additional Ability)

  • CRIT DMG: 160-180%+ (without Chaotic Metal buff)

Skill priority
Core

Basic Attack

Core

Chain Attack

Core

Special Attack

Core

Dodge

Core

Assist

Video guides

Rotation & Teams

How to play

Despite having an incredibly complex kit with many possibilities, Zhu Yuan is very easy to play when you know which combos to execute. She is almost entirely focused on Burst Damage, which should be delivered while the enemy is Stunned to take advantage of her Core Passive and the Stun damage multiplier. Our goal is to build and unload as many Shell Enhanced Suppressive Mode Basic Attacks as possible within the Stun window.

There are many sequences of Suppressive Mode Basics, EXs, and her Ultimate you can execute while the enemy is Stunned, but here is the combo we found to be most optimal, dealing the most damage in the least time. Before executing this combo, we recommend holding at least 2 Shells minimum (M0) in reserve to achieve maximum burst:

  • Start (2 Shells)
  • Chain Attack (5 Shells)
  • Quick Assist: After Nicole (6 Shells)
  • EX Special Attack (Remove if not enough energy) (9 Shells)
  • Suppressive Mode Basic Attack P1 (8 Shells)
  • Suppressive Mode Basic Attack P2 (7 Shells)
  • Suppressive Mode Basic Attack P3 (4 Shells)
  • Suppressive Mode Side Dash Attack (3 Shells)
  • Suppressive Mode Basic Attack P3 (0 Shells)
  • EX Special Attack (3 Shells)
  • Ultimate (6 Shells)
  • Suppressive Mode Basic Attack P1 (5 Shells)
  • Suppressive Mode Basic Attack P2 (4 Shells)
  • Suppressive Mode Basic Attack P3 (1 Shells)
  • Suppressive Mode Side Dash Attack (0 Shells)

As you can see, assuming you start with 2 Shells with Zhu Yuan’s Energy gauge full, and her Ultimate available, you can unload a total of 15 Shells into a Stunned enemy incredibly quickly. In case you don’t have Zhu Yuan’s Ultimate or one of the EX’s available, you can offset this by either building up additional Shells before starting combo (5 instead of 2 to replace 1 EX or Ultimate) before the Stun window or cutting short her burst rotation. Also, when using certain W-Engines, Disc Drives, or Team Compositions, swapping the first EX in above rotation with the Ultimate can lead to increased damage for little downside (this is true if playing Zhu Yuan with Nicole and you don’t intend to quick swap Nicole in to refresh her debuffs).

Outside of Zhu Yuan’s Stun burst rotations her damage is underwhelming unless you choose to expend EX’s and Shells (Only recommended against Non-Boss enemies). For this reason against any tough enemies your goal should be to recharge Energy, Shells and Decibels and get back to bursting as fast as possible. There are two options to choose from when aiming to achieve this.

You can keep Zhu Yuan on field and focus on performing Assault Mode combos (Listed Below) that yield the most Shells, the Defensive Assist of your Stun character and Zhu Yuan’s Dodge Counters where they make sense.

Standard combo:

  • Assault Mode Basic P1
  • Side Dash Attack
  • Assault Mode Basic P3
  • Assault Mode Basic P4
  • Assault Mode Basic P5
  • Side Dash Attack
  • Assault Mode Basic P3
Synergy

Zhu Yuan synergy information aren't available yet. They will be added soon.

Teams

If a column has multiple characters, the bigger one is the priority choice for the team while the smaller ones are alternatives. If they are the same size, either of them can be used.

Best Zhu Yuan Team

F2P Zhu Yuan Team

Calculations

Damage output

Important!

  • Zhu Yuan's Mindscape 1 is incredibly unique and does more for her than can be represented in calculations accurately. This Mindscape allows Zhu Yuan to gain the quick reload effect after using her Chain Attack or Ultimate, granting her an immediate refill of Shells after she uses her entire stock. The quick reload effect will refill 6 Shells when gained through her Chain Attack and 9 through her Ultimate. The impact of this Mindscape is threefold:
    • it allows you to completely ignore the need to build any Shells prior to any of Zhu Yuan's burst rotations as she gains an additional 6 per Chain Attack used bringing the total granted per chain to 9,
    • it allows Zhu Yuan to fully reload her Shotgun Shells after executing any full Burst rotation where her Ultimate is present granting you 9 Shells to use as you see fit while you prepare for the next Stun Window (refer to Mini Burst Rotation to how we recommend using these),
    • it drastically improves Zhu Yuan's ability to deal with inferior enemies granting her near endless ammo as you can continuously use Zhu Yuan's Chain attack on all easily stunnable small fry enemies you come up against.
    • Zhu Yuan can gain both Quick Reload effects at the same time allowing her to consume them back to back to recover 15 shells total (They stack and do not overwrite each other).
  • Zhu Yuan's Mindscape 6's value varies depending on the fight and how you play her. The damage gain of this Mindscape represented below only includes the additional damage multiplier Zhu Yuan's EX gains and does not include the energy saving potential of the Mindscape as we are unable to accurately represent the value it provides due to its variable nature. You can expect Zhu Yuan to gain the bonus of this Mindscape roughly every 2 or 1.5 EX skills you use, significantly reducing her total Energy consumption and making her more consistent to play. Treat the damage gain below as the bare minimum to expect.
Zhu Yuan in 1 Target scenario - Burst and Standard rotations

Rotation time: 12.15s for Burst and 5.55s for Standard.

Details about the calculations

Here are the rotations used in the calculations.

Burst rotation (During Stun)
  • Chain Attack: Eradication Mode
  • Quick Assist: Covering Shot
  • EX Special Attack: Full Barrage
  • Basic Attack: Please Do Not Resist P1 (Ether)
  • Basic Attack: Please Do Not Resist P2 (Ether)
  • Basic Attack: Please Do Not Resist P3 (Ether)
  • Dash Attack: Overwhelming Firepower (Ether)
  • Basic Attack: Please Do Not Resist P3 (Ether)
  • EX Special Attack: Full Barrage
  • Ultimate: Max Eradication Mode
  • Basic Attack: Please Do Not Resist P1 (Ether)
  • Basic Attack: Please Do Not Resist P2 (Ether)
  • Basic Attack: Please Do Not Resist P3 (Ether)
  • Dash Attack: Overwhelming Firepower (Ether)
Zhu Yuan Standard Rotation (in downtime or to build 2 Shells required for Burst Rotation)
  • Basic Attack: Don't Move! P1
  • Dash Attack: Firepower Offensive
  • Basic Attack: Don't Move! P3
  • Basic Attack: Don't Move! P4
  • Basic Attack: Don't Move! P5
  • Dash Attack: Firepower Offensive
  • Basic Attack: Don't Move! P3
  • Basic Attack: Don't Move! P4
  • Basic Attack: Don't Move! P5
Zhu Yuan M1+ post stun mini-burst rotation (can be used only once post Burst)
  • Basic Attack: Please Do Not Resist P1 (Ether)
  • Basic Attack: Please Do Not Resist P2 (Ether)
  • Basic Attack: Please Do Not Resist P3 (Ether)
  • Dash Attack: Overwhelming Firepower (Ether)
  • Basic Attack: Please Do Not Resist P3 (Ether)

And here are the W-Engines and Disk Drives used in the calculations.

Increases CRIT Rate by 15%. Launching an EX Special Attack grants the equipper 8 Charge stacks, up to a maximum of 8 stacks. Whenever the equipper's Basic Attack deals Ether DMG, consumes a Charge stack and increases the skill's DMG by 35%.

Base ATK (Lv 60): 713
Crit Damage (Lv 60): 48%

(2)
Ether DMG +10%.
(4)
The equipper's CRIT DMG increases by 20%. When any character in the squad triggers Corruption's additional DMG, this effect further increases by 5.5% for 8s, stacking up to 6 times. Repeated triggers reset the duration.

(2)
CRIT Rate +8%.
(4)
Triggering a critical hit with a Basic Attack, Dodge Counter or EX Special Attack increases the equippers ATK by 9% for 6s. The buff duration for different skills are calculated separately.
Disk 4
CRIT Rate
CRIT Rate%
Disk 5
Ether DMG
Ether DMG%
Disk 6
ATK%
ATK%

Substats: ATK (42%), CRIT Rate (16.8%), CRIT DMG (67.2%)

Damage output (including team buffs)
M0 Zhu Yuan damage output including team buffs

Shiyu Defense

Shiyu Defense

This section contains information about Zhu Yuan performance in the latest Shiyu Defense cycle (1.3.1). The page will be automatically updated every patch once enough data is gathered.

  • The data has been last updated on 15/11/2024,
  • 6581 players shared their 1.3.1 Shiyu Defense clear data with us (1269 of the sample are self-reported players that filled our form, 5312 are from random UIDs that we scanned).

If you want to share your clear information with us, you simply need to fill the form below and provide us with your UID and make your Hoyo profile public - we will automatically parse the Shiyu Defense clear information from your profile after that!

Shiyu Defense Stats Form
Usage rate

Characters are ranked with appearance rate, which is how often a character was used in Shiyu Defense by the players who we have scanned, regardless of whether they own the character or not. Ownership rate currently cannot be obtained.

Common partners

This section lists the characters that were most commonly paired with Zhu Yuan in the current phase of Shiyu Defense.

Teams

This section lists most popular teams featuring Zhu Yuan in the current phase of Shiyu Defense.

Rank 1

App. rate: 32.41%

Avg. Score 2.94

Zhu Yuan
Qingyi
Nicole

Rank 7

App. rate: 6.08%

Avg. Score 2.88

Zhu Yuan
Anby
Nicole

Rank 19

App. rate: 1.94%

Avg. Score 2.81

Zhu Yuan
Nicole
Caesar

Rank 37

App. rate: 0.87%

Avg. Score 2.82

Zhu Yuan
Koleda
Nicole

Rank 56

App. rate: 0.39%

Avg. Score 2.77

Zhu Yuan
Qingyi
Rina

Rank 62

App. rate: 0.35%

Avg. Score 2.76

Zhu Yuan
Lycaon
Nicole

Rank 66

App. rate: 0.33%

Avg. Score 2.75

Zhu Yuan
Qingyi
Caesar

Rank 79

App. rate: 0.25%

Avg. Score 2.57

Zhu Yuan
Yanagi
Qingyi

Rank 100

App. rate: 0.16%

Avg. Score 2.5

Zhu Yuan
Grace
Qingyi

Rank 100

App. rate: 0.16%

Avg. Score 2.83

Zhu Yuan
Qingyi
Seth
Mindscapes

Mindscapes data comes from 2156 players we have scanned who used Zhu Yuan in the current Shiyu Defense.

80.01%

2.9 score

Mindscape 0

14.7%

2.96 score

When Zhu Yuan activates Chain Attacks/Ultimates, gain the Quick Reload effect. When Zhu Yuan has the Quick Reload effect and uses up all Enhanced Shotshells, the Quick Reload effect will be consumed to instantly gain 6/9 Enhanced Shotshells.

2.83%

2.98 score

In Suppressive Mode, Zhu Yuan’s Anti-Interrupt level is increased and DMG taken reduced by 10%. When Zhu Yuan hits an enemy with Enhanced Shotshells, the target takes 10% more Ether DMG from Basic Attack: Please Do Not Resist and Dash Attack: Overwhelming Firepower DMG, stacking up to 5 times and lasting for 5s. Each shot adds one stack of this effect, and repeated triggers reset the duration.

0.42%

3 score

Basic Attack, Assist, Dodge, Special Attack, and Chain Attack Lv. +2

0.37%

3 score

When Zhu Yuan hits an enemy with Enhanced Shotshells, her Basic Attack: Please Do Not Resist and Dash Attack: Overwhelming Firepower ignore 25% of the target’s Ether RES.

0%

No score

Basic Attack, Assist, Dodge, Special Attack, and Chain Attack Lv. +2

1.67%

3 score

When Zhu Yuan consumes a total of 12 Enhanced Shotshells, she receives the Ether Afterglow effect, and the Energy cost of the next EX Special Attack is reduced by 30. Launching an EX Special Attack will consume Ether Afterglow and shoot an additional 4-bullet Ether Buckshot. Each extra bullet deals DMG equal to 220% of Zhu Yuan's ATK.
W-Engines

W-Engines usage data comes from 2156 players we have scanned who used Zhu Yuan in the current Shiyu Defense.

44.71%

2.95 score

Increases CRIT Rate by 15%. Launching an EX Special Attack grants the equipper 8 Charge stacks, up to a maximum of 8 stacks. Whenever the equipper's Basic Attack deals Ether DMG, consumes a Charge stack and increases the skill's DMG by 35%.

Base ATK (Lv 60): 713
Crit Damage (Lv 60): 48%

31.45%

2.89 score

Launching a Dodge Counter or Quick Assist increases the equipper's ATK by 12/13.8/15.6/17.4/19.2% for 12s.

Base ATK (Lv 60): 594
Attack (Lv 60): 25%

12.24%

2.91 score

Upon hitting an enemy with a Basic Attack, Dash Attack, or Dodge Counter, the equipper's ATK increases by 3.5/4.4/5.2/6/7% for 8s, stacking up to 8 times. This effect can trigger once every 0.5s. The duration of each stack is calculated separately.

Base ATK (Lv 60): 684
Attack (Lv 60): 30%

5.19%

2.9 score

Increases ATK by 7.5/8.6/9.7/10.8/12%. Attacks that land a CRIT on an enemy will inflict an additional 200% of ATK as DMG. This effect can only be triggered once every 8/7.5/7/6.5/6s.

Base ATK (Lv 60): 594
Crit Rate (Lv 60): 20%

3.8%

2.62 score

ATK increases by 6/6.9/7.8/8.7/9.6%, and DMG dealt by EX Special Attacks increases by 15/17.2/19.5/21.8/24%.

Base ATK (Lv 60): 594
Attack (Lv 60): 25%

1.48%

2.97 score

Increases Physical DMG by 20/25/30/35/40%. The equipper's DMG increases by 25/31.5/38/44/50% when attacking the enemy from behind.

Base ATK (Lv 60): 684
Crit Rate (Lv 60): 24%
Disk Drives

Disk Drives usage data comes from 2156 players we have scanned who used Zhu Yuan in the current Shiyu Defense.

80.84%

2.9 score

(2)
Ether DMG +10%.
(4)
The equipper's CRIT DMG increases by 20%. When any character in the squad triggers Corruption's additional DMG, this effect further increases by 5.5% for 8s, stacking up to 6 times. Repeated triggers reset the duration.

(2)
CRIT Rate +8%.
(4)
Triggering a critical hit with a Basic Attack, Dodge Counter or EX Special Attack increases the equippers ATK by 9% for 6s. The buff duration for different skills are calculated separately.

5.43%

2.96 score

(2)
Ether DMG +10%.
(4)
The equipper's CRIT DMG increases by 20%. When any character in the squad triggers Corruption's additional DMG, this effect further increases by 5.5% for 8s, stacking up to 6 times. Repeated triggers reset the duration.

(2)
ATK +10%.
(4)
Upon entering combat or switching in, its user's ATK increased by 25% for 10s. This effect can be triggered once every 20s.

4.22%

2.9 score

(2)
Ether DMG +10%.
(4)
The equipper's CRIT DMG increases by 20%. When any character in the squad triggers Corruption's additional DMG, this effect further increases by 5.5% for 8s, stacking up to 6 times. Repeated triggers reset the duration.

(2)
Energy Regen +20%.
(4)
Launching a Chain Attack or Ultimate increases all squad members' DMG by 15% for 12s. Passive effects of the same name do not stack.

3.15%

2.84 score

(2)
CRIT Rate +8%.
(4)
Triggering a critical hit with a Basic Attack, Dodge Counter or EX Special Attack increases the equippers ATK by 9% for 6s. The buff duration for different skills are calculated separately.

(2)
Ether DMG +10%.
(4)
The equipper's CRIT DMG increases by 20%. When any character in the squad triggers Corruption's additional DMG, this effect further increases by 5.5% for 8s, stacking up to 6 times. Repeated triggers reset the duration.

1.67%

2.93 score

(2)
Ether DMG +10%.
(4)
The equipper's CRIT DMG increases by 20%. When any character in the squad triggers Corruption's additional DMG, this effect further increases by 5.5% for 8s, stacking up to 6 times. Repeated triggers reset the duration.
Flex

1.58%

2.95 score

(2)
Ether DMG +10%.
(4)
The equipper's CRIT DMG increases by 20%. When any character in the squad triggers Corruption's additional DMG, this effect further increases by 5.5% for 8s, stacking up to 6 times. Repeated triggers reset the duration.

(2)
PEN Ratio +8%.
(4)
Ultimate DMG increases by 20%. Launching an Ultimate increases the equippers ATK by 15% for 12s.
Stats

Zhu Yuan stats aren't available yet. They will be added soon.