Quick answer: Zhao is an S-Rank Ice Defense Agent from the Krampus Compliance Authority who buffs the whole squad's ATK and DMG, heals, and almost never needs field time. Her build has one number that matters: 27,000 initial Max HP, which maxes her Additional Ability at +40% squad DMG and gives her 37.8% CRIT Rate from her Core Passive. The best set-up is her signature W-Engine Half-Sugar Bunny, Bunny in Wonderland 4pc + Yunkui Tales 2pc, and HP% main stats on slots 4, 5 and 6, which leaves you only about five HP% sub-stat rolls short of the cap. She was given away free to everyone who logged in during Versions 2.5 and 2.6, that event is over, and she is not one of the confirmed Version 3.3 reruns.
This guide covers the HP arithmetic most Zhao build pages skip, her best Drive Discs and W-Engines, the teams she fits, her Mindscapes, and exactly where her rerun stands as of 2026-10-15. Kit values come from the in-game skill text; dates and channel names come from HoYoverse's own HoYoLAB notices.
Who is Zhao in Zenless Zone Zero?
Zhao, also called Xiao'Zhao, is one of the Judges of the Krampus Compliance Authority, a rabbit Thiren who wields an oversized ice blade called Frostveil. HoYoverse celebrated her birthday on October 14 with an official HoYoLAB post on 2026-10-14, which is part of why she is back in everyone's feed this week.
| Detail | Zhao |
|---|---|
| Rank | S-Rank |
| Attribute | Ice |
| Specialty | Defense |
| Faction | Krampus Compliance Authority |
| Released | 2025-12-30, Version 2.5 "To Be Fuel for the Night" |
| Debut channel | Priceless Heart (Exclusive Channel) |
| Signature W-Engine | Half-Sugar Bunny (W-Engine Channel "Vibrant Resonance") |
HoYoverse's own Agent Mechanics Intro, posted on HoYoLAB on 2025-12-26, sums her up with a line worth keeping in mind for the rest of this guide: "Don't— underestimate— the strength of a bunny!"
How does Zhao's kit work?
Zhao is a quick-swap support built around one resource and one buff window.
Frostbite Points cap at 100. She enters battle with a full 100, and while she sits off-field she gains 6 points whenever the active character's attacks hit, at most once every 3 seconds. Her Ultimate and EX Special Attack each add 20, and her Chain Attack adds 5.
Ether Veil: Wellspring is the payoff. When her Frostbite Points are full, switching her in fires her Entry Skill, which spends all 100 points and opens the Veil. Under it, the whole squad gets +5% Max HP for 40 seconds and a flat ATK buff for 50 seconds that grows with her Core Skill level, from +100 ATK at level 1 to +1,000 ATK at level 7.
Her Additional Ability is the reason the build revolves around HP. When another squad member is an Attack, Anomaly or Support Agent, the whole squad deals +10% DMG while Zhao is in any Ether Veil, and every 400 initial Max HP above 15,000 adds another 1%, up to +40% at 27,000.
Healing. Her Special Attack and EX Special Attack each spend 5% of her current HP to give the whole squad HP regeneration equal to a percentage of her Max HP every second for 5 seconds. The skill text caps those HP-consuming effects at once every 30 seconds. At skill level 12 the regeneration is 1.72% of her Max HP per second, which at 27,000 HP is about 464 HP per second, roughly 2,300 per trigger.
Original insight: her refill clock matches her ATK buff. From empty, passive gain alone is 6 points per 3 seconds, so refilling 100 points takes about 50 seconds. That is the same length as the Veil's ATK buff, and longer than the 40-second Max HP buff. Every EX Special Attack or Ultimate she casts on a swap-in is worth 20 points, roughly 10 seconds of passive gain. In practice this means Zhao's uptime comes from spending her EX and Ultimate on rotation, not from waiting on the bench.
What is the 27,000 HP rule, and how do you reach it?
The rule matters twice. The Additional Ability caps at 27,000 initial Max HP, and her Core Passive gives 1.4% CRIT Rate per 1,000 initial Max HP at Core level 7. At 27,000 that is 37.8% CRIT Rate for free, before any CRIT sub-stats.
| Initial Max HP | Squad DMG bonus in Ether Veil | Zhao's Core Passive CRIT Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 15,000 | 10% | 21.0% |
| 19,000 | 20% | 26.6% |
| 23,000 | 30% | 32.2% |
| 25,000 | 35% | 35.0% |
| 27,000 | 40% (cap) | 37.8% |
Basis: Core Skill level 7 for the CRIT column; DMG bonus steps follow the published 1% per 400 HP above 15,000.
"Initial Max HP" is the figure on her Agent stat screen outside combat, so the Ether Veil's +5% and other in-combat buffs do not help you reach it. Check the stat screen, not the damage numbers.
The arithmetic. Zhao's base HP at level 60 is 9,117. Her Core Skill Enhancements add 18% HP. Half-Sugar Bunny's advanced stat is 30% HP at max level. An S-Rank slot 1 Drive Disc gives 2,200 flat HP, and an HP% main stat on slots 4, 5 and 6 gives 30% each. Every HP% sub-stat roll adds 3% of base, about 274 HP; every flat HP roll adds 112.
| Set-up (level 60, signature W-Engine unless noted) | HP before sub-stats | HP% rolls still needed |
|---|---|---|
| Bunny in Wonderland 4pc + Yunkui Tales 2pc, HP% on 4/5/6 | about 25,720 | about 5 |
| Swing Jazz or Astral Voice 4pc + Yunkui Tales 2pc, HP% on 4/5/6 | about 24,810 | about 8 |
| Bunny in Wonderland 4pc + Yunkui Tales 2pc, Energy Regen on slot 6 | about 22,990 | about 15 |
| Original Transmorpher instead of signature, Bunny 4pc + Yunkui 2pc | about 25,270 | about 6-7 |
Derived by us from published stat values: HP = 9,117 x (1 + total HP%) + flat HP. 2pc HP bonuses are counted, as community build maths does. W-Engine Max HP passives (Half-Sugar Bunny's squad +10% and Original Transmorpher's +8%) are left out, so every row is a floor.
The 8-roll figure for the Swing Jazz row matches independent player maths on the Zhao community subreddit, which put the requirement at "8 hp% substats across her first, second, and third disks when using signature" with three HP% main stats and 2pc Yunkui Tales. Our numbers agree, and they only agree if the Yunkui Tales 2pc counts toward initial HP. Without it, the same set-up would need about 11 rolls.
Two practical rules fall out of the table:
- Slot 6 HP% beats Energy Regen unless you are already over the cap. Swapping it out costs about 2,735 HP, which is ten more rolls you probably will not land.
- HP% sub-stats can only roll on slots 1, 2 and 3 in this build, because a disc cannot roll the same stat as its main stat. Slots 4 to 6 can still roll flat HP.
What is the best Zhao build?
W-Engine. Half-Sugar Bunny is built for her. Beyond the 30% HP advanced stat, it gives the wearer Energy Regen, gives all squad members +10% ATK and +10% Max HP at R1 (16% at R5, one instance per squad), and every time she activates or extends an Ether Veil, the whole squad gains +30% CRIT DMG for 60 seconds at R1 (48% at R5).
| W-Engine | Rank | Why it works on Zhao |
|---|---|---|
| Half-Sugar Bunny | S | Signature: HP advanced stat, squad ATK/HP, squad CRIT DMG on Ether Veil |
| Original Transmorpher | A | 25% HP advanced stat plus a Max HP passive; the best A-Rank option for the HP target |
| Tremor Trigram Vessel | A | EX Special and Ultimate DMG, plus Energy whenever a squad member takes DMG or recovers HP, which her healing triggers |
| Bunny Band | A | HP and DEF, a safe fallback |
A-Rank picks follow the Version 2.5 HoYoLAB community guide; stat values are from the in-game W-Engine text.
Drive Discs. Zhao's own set arrived after her. Version 2.7 added the "Dragon Taming Chariot" Area Patrol stage, which HoYoverse's update notice says drops the new series Bunny in Wonderland, and its in-game description notes that the album cover was rumoured to be based on some "big shot". Its 2pc is HP +10%, and its 4pc only works on a Defense Agent: when the wearer uses an EX Special Attack, or any squad member triggers a Defensive or Evasive Assist, the whole squad gains 6% DMG, stacking three times for +18%, for 25 seconds.
| Option | 4pc effect for the squad | HP contribution | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bunny in Wonderland 4pc + Yunkui Tales 2pc | +18% DMG at 3 stacks | +20% HP from sets | Best. Hits the cap with the fewest rolls |
| Swing Jazz 4pc + Yunkui Tales 2pc | +15% DMG for 12s on Chain/Ultimate | +10% HP | Good if you already farmed Swing Jazz |
| Astral Voice 4pc + Yunkui Tales 2pc | Quick Assist DMG stacks | +10% HP | Works because her Entry Skill counts as a Quick Assist |
| Moonlight Lullaby 4pc | Requires a Support Agent | none | Trap: Zhao is Defense, so the 4pc never activates |
The Astral Voice line is not a guess. Her Entry Skill text states "Activating this skill is considered as activating a Quick Assist", and two independent build sites, Prydwen and Mobalytics, both confirm it builds Astral Voice stacks. Mobalytics adds that she will not hold maximum stacks consistently, Bunny in Wonderland still ranks first because it also adds 10% HP and reaches the cap with the fewest rolls.
Main stats: slot 4 HP%, slot 5 HP%, slot 6 HP%. Sub-stats: HP% until 27,000, then flat HP, then CRIT DMG and CRIT Rate for her own hits. For more on farming these sets, see our ZZZ best Drive Discs guide.
Skill priority: Core Skill first, because its level sets both the flat ATK buff (+100 to +1,000) and her CRIT Rate per 1,000 HP. Then her Special Attack, which scales her healing, then Chain Attack and Ultimate.
What are the best Zhao teams?
Her Additional Ability only switches on if a teammate is an Attack, Anomaly or Support Agent. A Stun-Defense-Stun line-up turns off her biggest buff, so build every team around that rule. Because she plays almost entirely off-field, she slots into nearly any main DPS's team.
| Main DPS | Partner | Zhao's job | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ye Shunguang (Attack) | Dialyn (Stun) | Fast Ether Veils feed Ye Shunguang's Qingming Sword Force; ATK, DMG and healing | HoYoLAB community guide, Version 2.5 |
| Ye Shunguang (Attack) | Astra Yao (Support) | Same, with Astra's ATK and CRIT DMG stacked on top | HoYoLAB community guide, Version 2.5 |
| Evelyn (Attack) | Lighter (Stun) | Off-field buffs and healing | HoYoLAB community guide, Version 2.5 |
| Hoshimi Miyabi (Anomaly) | Vivian (Anomaly) | Off-field buffs and healing | HoYoLAB community guide, Version 2.5 |
The Version 3.3 angle. All three headline Agents of the next update meet her condition on paper. HoYoverse's Version 3.3 Intel Report lists Phoenix as Fire Anomaly, Velina as Wind Anomaly and Severian as Wind Attack, so any of them switches on her Additional Ability. Nobody has tested Phoenix or Severian with her yet, so treat that as eligibility, not a verdict. If you are building Velina now, our Velina build guide covers that side.
Are Zhao's Mindscapes worth it?
The free copy everyone received is Mindscape 0. Further copies only come from a limited channel, either an Exclusive Channel rerun or an Exclusive Rescreening, so Mindscapes are the main reason owners care about her return.
| Mindscape | Effect | Value |
|---|---|---|
| M1 Righteous Verdict | When she switches out, all squad members ignore 15% of All-Attribute RES for 50s | Best support Mindscape |
| M2 Krampus Senior | When she recovers HP, her ATK +20% and other members' ATK +15% for 50s | Strong |
| M4 Featherlight Footsteps | +250 Decibels on Ether Veil; +40% CRIT DMG on Ultimate, Chain Attack and Final Verdict | Personal damage |
| M6 No Value Has Its Own Value | Core Passive CRIT Rate buff at 125%; Final Verdict charge bonus at 140% and no longer consumed | Turns her into a damage dealer |
M3 and M5 add two skill levels each. For a support-first Zhao, M1 is the one to want.
Can you still get Zhao for free?
No. Zhao was the reward of the "Special Visitor" event, which ran from the Version 2.5 update on 2025-12-30 until the end of Version 2.6, when Version 2.7 arrived on 2026-03-24.
HoYoverse's event notice put it plainly: "During the 'Special Visitor' event, log in to obtain the limited S-Rank Agent Zhao and receive upgrade supplies that will instantly level up your Agent to Lv. 40!" The requirements were Inter-Knot Level 5 and having unlocked Events in the Prologue chapter "The Hare and the Proxy".
That leaves a whole group of players without her: anyone who started after March 2026, which includes everyone who joined with the Version 3.0 Steam launch on 2026-06-17. For them, the only route is a future Exclusive Channel or an Exclusive Rescreening.
When will Zhao get a rerun?
Not in Version 3.3. HoYoverse's Version 3.3 Intel Report confirms the two reruns: Velina in Phase I and Norma in Phase II, with Phase II ending 2026/12/01 14:59 server time. Our Version 3.3 banner breakdown has both phases.
The measurable part is how overdue she is. Priceless Heart opened on 2025-12-30. As of today that is 289 days, and 295 days when Version 3.3 starts on 2026-10-21. Across the 26 Agents who have had a second Exclusive Channel, the gap ranged from 133 to 273 days, with a median of 189. Zhao has already passed the longest wait any Agent has had, and she has not appeared in either Exclusive Rescreening (Version 2.5 and Version 3.1). Only Banyue is in the same position. The full table is in our ZZZ banner history.
What that does not tell you is a date. Zhao may be a special case because most active players already own her, which changes the rerun economics, and HoYoverse has said nothing. The earliest realistic window is the version after 3.3, projected from the 42-day version pattern to start around 2026-12-02. That is a projection, not an announcement. If you are saving for her, pulls on any Exclusive Channel count toward the same guarantee, as our pity system guide explains. If she returns through an Exclusive Rescreening instead, that channel type keeps its own separate counter.
What is not confirmed yet?
- No Zhao rerun date exists. Any site naming one is guessing.
- Phoenix and Severian kits are still unpublished. HoYoverse released Phoenix's Unarchived Agent Footage on 2026-10-15, but skill numbers usually arrive in the Agent Mechanics Intro a few days before launch.
- Version 3.3 channel names have not been published yet.
FAQ
Is Zhao a healer or a buffer? Both, and the buffs are the bigger part. Her Ether Veil gives the squad up to +1,000 flat ATK and up to +40% DMG, while her Special and EX Special Attacks heal the whole squad based on her Max HP. She is a Defense Agent, not a Support Agent, which matters for Drive Disc sets that check Specialty.
How much HP does Zhao need? 27,000 initial Max HP, read from her stat screen outside combat. That maxes her Additional Ability at +40% squad DMG and gives her 37.8% CRIT Rate from her Core Passive at Core level 7. Going past 27,000 adds nothing to the DMG bonus.
Is Zhao still good in Version 3.2? Yes. She needs no field time, buffs almost any Attack, Anomaly or Support carry, and her Version 2.7 Drive Disc set made her easier to build than at launch. Our September tier list placed her in S tier.
I started on Steam. Can I get Zhao? Not right now. The free Special Visitor event ended with Version 2.6, her Priceless Heart channel closed on 2026/02/05, and she is not in Version 3.3. You will need to wait for a rerun or a Rescreening that includes her.
Is Half-Sugar Bunny worth pulling? It is the best W-Engine for her by a wide margin because it adds HP, squad ATK, squad Max HP and squad CRIT DMG in one slot. If you skip it, the A-Rank Original Transmorpher still gets you close to the HP target.
Does Moonlight Lullaby work on Zhao? Only the 2pc. The 4pc requires the wearer to be a Support Agent, and Zhao is Defense, so the 4pc bonus never triggers.
The bottom line
Zhao is one of the easiest supports in Zenless Zone Zero to play and one of the most specific to build. Get her Core Skill up, use Half-Sugar Bunny or Original Transmorpher, run Bunny in Wonderland 4pc with Yunkui Tales 2pc and HP% on slots 4 to 6, and you only need a handful of HP% rolls to hit 27,000. If you own her, she belongs in most of your teams. If you missed the free event, she is not coming back in Version 3.3, and no date has been set beyond that.
More Zenless Zone Zero guides before the Version 3.3 update:
- ZZZ 3.3 Banners: Phoenix, Severian, Velina and Norma
- ZZZ Banner History and Rerun Gaps
- ZZZ Best Drive Discs
- All timesaver.gg services
Last verified 2026-10-15 against HoYoLAB notices 42957231 (V2.5 Limited-Time Channels), 42960395 (Special Visitor), 42932697 (Agent Mechanics Intro: Zhao), 44309530 (Version 2.7 update), 47023957 (Version 3.3 Intel Report) and 47078375 (Zhao birthday), plus in-game skill text. Build math is our own derivation from published stat values.
