Zenless Zone Zero's latest update brings us Zhao, the adorable yet formidable Ice Defense Agent from the Krampus Compliance Authority. The ZZZ 2.5 animation gameplay for Zhao has been turning heads since the beta test began, with data miners uncovering a treasure trove of information about her unique fighting style and charming animations.
Zhao's Combat Style: Contrasting Cuteness with Power
What makes Zhao's gameplay particularly fascinating is the stark contrast between her diminutive stature and the massive weapon she wields. Standing as one of the shortest characters in Zenless Zone Zero, Zhao somehow manages to carry and effectively use a broadblade that's roughly the same height as herself!
Her Zenless Zone Zero ZZZ 2.5 animation gameplay showcases this contrast beautifully, particularly in her dash animation. Rather than a standard run, Zhao hops around while lugging her enormous greatsword, creating one of the most endearing movement animations in the game. HoYoverse's animation team has outdone themselves by perfectly capturing both the weight of the weapon and Zhao's surprising strength.
Breaking Down Zhao's Combat Animations
The leaked beta gameplay reveals Zhao's comprehensive combat kit, which includes:
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Basic Attack Sequence: A four-hit combo with the final hit delivering a high-damage smash with multiple damage instances and potential invincibility frames
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EX Special Skill: Unlike similar characters whose EX skills deal single-instance damage, Zhao's special appears to deliver multiple hits over its approximately 4-second animation
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Chain Attack: A standard but visually impressive sequence that ends with a smooth transition back to her idle stance
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Quick Assist: Perhaps one of her most charming animations, showing Zhao wobbling atop her weapon before struggling with both hands and feet to extract it from the ground
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Ultimate: Begins with Zhao hiding behind her weapon before leaping skyward with it raised, followed by a devastating ice-infused slam that creates a massive ice track on the ground
The Zhao animation gameplay in ZZZ 2.5 demonstrates HoYoverse's commitment to character personality expression through movement. Every animation tells us something about who Zhao is - playful, determined, and surprisingly powerful despite her small frame.
Gameplay Role and Team Potential
As an Ice Defense Agent, Zhao breaks the mold of typical defensive characters in Zenless Zone Zero. While most Defense-types like Caesar or Pan Yinhu focus primarily on support through shields, healing, or buffs, Zhao's animations suggest she'll have significant damage-dealing potential as well.
Based on the beta gameplay, Zhao appears to balance defensive utility with offensive capability. Her kit likely includes:
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Ice element damage application
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Weapon infusion mechanics
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Potential stun capabilities (valuable against bosses weak to Daze Efficiency)
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Possible resistance penetration conversion from her Defense stat
This versatility could make her an excellent addition to teams featuring Rupture specialists like Yi Xuan, as suggested by pairing patterns observed in the beta.
The Transforming Weapon Mystery
One of the most intriguing aspects of Zhao's kit revealed in the ZZZ 2.5 animation gameplay is her transformable weapon system. According to data mining, her weapon appears to have three distinct forms: sword, axe, and ice sword.
This weapon transformation mechanic likely ties into her combat flow, allowing players to adapt her fighting style based on the situation. However, the leaked animations so far only show a portion of her full moveset, particularly lacking information about her Ice Form attack animations.
When Can We Play Zhao?
Zenless Zone Zero players won't have to wait much longer to experience Zhao's unique gameplay themselves. She's expected to release on December 30, 2025, as part of Version 2.5.
As an S-Rank character (evidenced by her special animation teaser and dynamic character art), Zhao will likely be a premium addition to any roster. Players interested in adding this ice-wielding rabbit Thiren to their team should start saving their Polychromes now!
Final Thoughts on Zhao
The Zenless Zone Zero ZZZ 2.5 animation gameplay for Zhao demonstrates why she's quickly becoming one of the most anticipated characters in the game. Her unique animations, versatile combat potential, and the stark contrast between her cute appearance and devastating power make her stand out in an already impressive roster.
Whether you're drawn to her adorable hop-dash, her impressive weapon transformations, or her potential team utility, Zhao promises to be a character worth waiting for. The ZZZ community is already buzzing with theories about her optimal team compositions and build strategies based solely on these animation leaks.
What aspects of Zhao's gameplay are you most excited about? The transforming weapon system? Her unique dash animation? Or perhaps her potential to shake up the meta with a new approach to the Defense role? Let us know in the comments!