Verdict
Cross-referenced across several independent 3.2 rankings — reliable for deciding who to build next, less reliable for predicting exact combat score down to the point.
The current meta ranking of every Zenless Zone Zero agent, cross-referenced across several independent version 3.2 rankings rather than built from a single source.
Methodology
Each agent is scored on three axes: damage or utility ceiling in Shiyu Defense and Deadly Assault, team flexibility (how many archetypes it actually slots into), and investment cost (how much it depends on its signature W-Engine or Mindscapes to function at all). S-tier means meta-defining in its role, with little to no gap between a signature-weapon build and a reasonable F2P substitute. A-tier means strong and versatile but either more build-dependent or slightly behind S-tier in raw numbers. B-tier means fully playable once properly invested, never dead weight, but outclassed by better options in the same role. C-tier and below means situational or clearly behind its own archetype. Agents that launched in the last few weeks and don't yet have enough Shiyu/Deadly Assault data behind them are marked provisional rather than force-ranked.
The ranking
| Agent | Role | Tier | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoshimi Miyabi | Frost Anomaly DPS | S | Still the reference Frost Anomaly carry well over a year after release — Crit-scaled Basic Attack damage and Frostburn conversion haven't been matched by a same-attribute rival |
| Ye Shunguang | DPS | S | Cited at or near the top of every 3.2 list checked here, consistently grouped with Miyabi as a premium damage core |
| Yixuan | DPS | S | Same story as Ye Shunguang — a safe top investment across every source, not just a single outlier ranking |
| Astra Yao | Support | S | The Quick Assist/ATK-buff support of choice for switch-heavy teams, which is also why she's the most-cited partner in Miyabi's own current team comp |
| Remielle Dan | Anomaly support | S | The first Lumiflux-attribute agent, syncing squadmate damage output — sources agree she sharply improves Anomaly-oriented accounts |
| Nangong Yu | DPS/support hybrid | S | Appears in S-tier or higher across every list cross-referenced, with no source placing her lower |
| Dialyn | Support | S | Consistently grouped with the other top-tier supports; no meaningful disagreement between sources |
| Lucia | DPS | S | Stable top-tier placement across both the June and September 2026 rankings checked |
| Sunna | DPS/support | S | Same pattern — no source checked drops her below S |
| Yuzuha | Anomaly DPS | S | Alongside Remielle, one of the two agents sources credit with sharply improving Anomaly-focused accounts this patch |
| Claret | Armorer (new) | Provisional | First agent in the brand-new Armorer specialty (Maim/Counter Assist mechanics); one source already slots her into S, others keep her unranked pending more endgame data |
| Promeia | DPS | A–S | One source places her in its top S+ bracket, another in A — treat her as a strong, slightly build-dependent pick rather than an auto-include |
| Aria | Anomaly DPS | A–S | Same split as Promeia: some lists group her with the top tier, others a notch below — still a legitimate investment either way |
| Zhao | DPS | A–S | Appears anywhere from top-tier to a clean A depending on the source; never ranked as weak |
| Velina | DPS | A–S | One source ranks her S, others keep her in A — a safe pick regardless |
| Sigrid | Ice Attack | A | Provisional on one list, but most sources that do rank her land on a solid A |
| Vivian | Support | A | Stable A-tier across sources, no real disagreement |
| Evelyn | DPS | A | Same — consistently A, never pushed into S or dropped to B by any source checked |
| Soldier 0: Anby | DPS | A–S | Split between A and S depending on the list; a reliable pick in either case |
| Qingyi | Stun/support | A | Consistently cited as strong and usable, not top-tier |
| Yanagi | Anomaly DPS | A | Still a strong Disorder-focused pick, but several sources now rank her a notch below newer Anomaly specialists like Remielle and Yuzuha |
| Zhu Yuan | DPS | A–B | The widest split in this list — one source keeps her in A, another drops her to B. Treat her as a competent but no-longer-top-tier pick |
| Soukaku | Support | A–D | The single biggest disagreement found: one list has her A-tier, another D. Almost certainly an artifact of how each source weighs her Soukaku-specific dash-cancel tech — see the note below |
| Ellen Joe | DPS | A–B | Most sources land her in A or B; solid but not a priority pull this patch |
| Lycaon | Support | A–B | Consistently usable, never ranked top-tier by any source checked |
| Nicole | Support | A–S | One older list ranks her S, more recent ones settle on A — likely reflects pre-3.0 vs. current meta shifts rather than an actual disagreement |
| Piper, Grace, Soldier 11, Rina | Various | B | Clustered together across sources as capable but outclassed by better options in the same role |
| Anton, Ben, Corin | Various | B–D | Entry-level/early-game agents; every source agrees they're outclassed by mid-game, none calls them unplayable |
| Billy | DPS | C–F | The widest tier spread of any agent on this list — ranked anywhere from A-tier (June 2026 list) to F-tier (September 2026 list), reflecting how hard his kit has aged outside niche DEF-shred team comps |
| Roxy | Armorer (new) | Provisional | Second-half 3.2 Armorer release; too new for a reliable tier placement from any source checked |
Why some agents underperform — and where sources disagree
The clearest pattern across every 3.2 list checked: the newest Anomaly and Armorer specialists (Remielle, Yuzuha, Claret, Roxy) are reshaping what counts as "top tier" faster than older units can be re-evaluated, which is exactly why some agents show up with a wide tier spread above rather than a clean single rank. Worth flagging specifically: Soukaku's placement swings from A to D between sources, and that's not noise — it comes down to whether a given list credits her dash-cancel Energy tech as core to her value or treats it as advanced-player trivia that most accounts never execute. Billy shows the same pattern for a different reason: his kit hasn't meaningfully changed since an earlier patch, so a June 2026 ranking and a September 2026 ranking of the same agent can land a full three tiers apart purely because the rest of the roster moved past him.
Miyabi is the opposite case. Every source checked here, across a three-month span, keeps her in its top bracket without exception — a genuinely rare level of agreement for a unit that's been out this long. That consistency is also why her build still gets a dedicated deep dive: if you're committing resin and W-Engine pulls to her this patch, the full Miyabi build guide covers her skill priorities, Drive Disc set, and the Astra Yao team comp that keeps her S-tier placement earning its keep in practice, not just on a tier list.
What changed this patch
Version 3.2, "Their Secret Histories," launched September 9, 2026, and introduced the Armorer specialty — a new agent class built around the Maim system and multi-Crit mechanics, debuting with Claret in the first banner half and Roxy in the second. Both are still provisional on most trackers because the specialty is too new for Shiyu Defense and Deadly Assault data to settle. Outside of Armorer, the patch didn't trigger major tier shuffling at the top: the agents sources already treated as premium investments going into 3.2 (Miyabi, Ye Shunguang, Yixuan, Astra Yao, Nangong Yu, among others) stayed there. The next version, 3.3, is expected October 21, 2026, with Phoenix Reffaella and Severian Lowell as the next new S-Rank agents — worth watching before committing pulls to a mid-tier pick purely to fill a team slot.
Pros
- Cross-references multiple community rankings instead of one list
- Flags where sources disagree instead of hiding it
- Separates stun/support agents from pure damage dealers
Cons
- Claret and Roxy are still provisional — not enough endgame data yet to lock their tier
Is Miyabi still worth building in late 2026?
Yes — she's one of the few agents every source checked for this ranking places in its top bracket without exception, across a three-month span of separate 3.2 updates. Newer Anomaly and Armorer releases have added alternatives, but none of the sources checked here call her outdated.
What's the new Armorer specialty, and is it worth investing in?
Armorer is the agent class introduced in version 3.2, combining damage with a defense-oriented Maim/multi-Crit kit and a Counter Assist mechanic that can contest certain enemy Control Skills. Claret (first half) and Roxy (second half) are its first two agents. Most trackers still mark them provisional rather than locking a tier, since the specialty hasn't had enough Shiyu Defense or Deadly Assault cycles to confirm its ceiling yet.
Why do some agents on this list have such a wide tier range (like Soukaku or Billy)?
Because the sources cross-referenced here genuinely disagree, and that disagreement is worth reporting rather than averaging away. Soukaku's spread comes down to whether a list credits her advanced dash-cancel Energy tech as core value. Billy's comes down to timing — a June 2026 list and a September 2026 list of the same unchanged kit can land tiers apart once enough newer agents launch around him.
Former ranked competitive player turned meta analyst — breaks down patch notes and datamined values line by line before writing a word, cross-referencing official changelogs against community parse and DPS-meter data to confirm whether a buff or nerf actually moved the needle in practice, not just on paper. Prefers a table over a paragraph whenever one conveys the same information faster.
