In Zenless Zone Zero, Shiyu Defense has quickly become one of the most popular endgame challenges, much like the "Memory of Chaos" and "Spiral Abyss" modes in Honkai: Star Rail and Genshin Impact.

Besides players' ability to "spam buttons," the characters themselves also play a crucial role in clearing stages. In fact, a well-planned and properly selected team can put you halfway to victory.

In this article, Playee will round up the most frequently used characters in Zenless Zone Zero's Shiyu Defense mode.

The most frequently used characters in Zenless Zone Zero's Shiyu Defense mode

S-Tier

Ellen: 99.9%
Zhu Yuan: 98.1%
Lycaon: 97.4%
Soukaku: 94.1%

A-Tier

Qingyi: 87.1%
Nicole: 83.1%

B-Tier

Koleda: 51.4%
Rina: 35.3%
Anby: 32.4%
Soldier 11: 30.3%
Lucy: 28.2%

C-Tier

Grace: 11.4%
Nekomata: 7.6%

D-Tier

Piper: 4.8%
Corin: 3.9%
Anton: 3.5%
Ben: 2.5%
Billy: 0.4%

Leading the rankings is Ellen, a five-star character from Zenless Zone Zero version 1.0, with an overwhelming usage rate of 99.9% among the 13,599 players surveyed. This comes as no surprise, as Ellen has long been considered the strongest damage dealer in Zenless Zone Zero. Alongside Ellen, three other characters also boast impressive usage rates above 90%: Zhu Yuan (98.1%), Lycaon (97.4%), and Soukaku (94.1%).

Another character who recently debuted in Zenless Zone Zero but quickly won players over is Qingyi, with a usage rate of 87.1%. Qingyi is a versatile stunner who can easily fit into a wide range of teams, making her a popular choice.

Nicole is also a character many players rely on, with a usage rate of 83.1%. She is often chosen for teams that support Zhu Yuan.

In the B tier, we can see characters such as Koleda (51.4%), Rina (35.3%), Anby (32.4%), and Soldier 11 (30.3%). Although they are not used as often as other characters, they still play important roles in certain team compositions.

C- and D-tier characters such as Grace, Nekomata, Piper, Corin, Anton, Ben, and Billy may have lower usage rates, but that does not mean they are useless. These characters can fit specialized strategies or serve as substitutes for higher-tier characters that players do not yet own in Mono or Hypercarry teams.

Ellen's dominance in Shiyu Defense highlights players' preference for five-star characters in Zenless Zone Zero. However, with the release of new characters in upcoming versions—such as Jane Doe, an Anomaly Physical character expected to debut in Zenless Zone Zero version 1.1, and Caesar King and Burnice White in version 1.2—the game's meta could undergo significant changes.

ZENLESS ZONE ZERO | MOST USED CHARACTERS IN SHIYU DEFENSE