As Zenless Zone Zero Version 2.5, “To Be Fuel for the Night,” pushes Season 2 toward its explosive finale, HoYoverse has surprised the community with one of the most generous rewards in the game’s history: a completely free S-Rank Agent, Zhao. No gacha luck, no Polychrome spending—just log in and claim her.
Whether you’re a brand-new Proxy stepping into New Eridu for the first time or a veteran optimizing endgame teams, Zhao is a must-have support who instantly upgrades almost any roster. This complete guide explains how to unlock her, how her kit works, the best builds, and the teams where she truly shines, so you can turn this free S-Rank into a long-term powerhouse.
π How to Claim Your Free Zhao
Getting Zhao is refreshingly simple and designed to be accessible to nearly every player.
Event Name: Special Visitor
Start Date: December 30, 2025 (Version 2.5 launch)
End Date: End of Version 2.6
Requirements
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Reach Inter-Knot Level 5
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Complete the Main Story Prologue “The Hare and the Proxy”
Once these conditions are met, simply log in during the event period. Zhao will be delivered directly to your account, along with materials to instantly raise her to Level 40, allowing you to use her immediately.
⚔️ Zhao’s Role & Kit Breakdown
Zhao is an S-Rank Ice Defense Agent, but don’t let the Defense label fool you—she’s not a traditional tank. Her true role is that of a universal off-field support buffer, designed to massively boost team damage while requiring minimal on-field time.
Her kit revolves around two core mechanics:
❄️ Frostbite Points
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Zhao passively accumulates Frostbite Points while off-field
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Points are generated by your active character’s attacks and skills
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This makes her extremely low-maintenance and beginner-friendly
π Ether Veil: Wellspring
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When Frostbite Points reach 100, swapping Zhao in automatically triggers her Entry Skill
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This consumes all points and activates Ether Veil: Wellspring for 40 seconds
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Buff effects:
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Large flat ATK increase for the entire team
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Percentage-based Max HP boost
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Bonus damage scaling from Zhao’s own HP
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Her Additional Ability increases team damage based on her Max HP, fully capping when she reaches 27,000 initial HP. This makes HP stacking the single most important stat in her build.
π§ Best Builds for Zhao
Zhao is extremely efficient to build, even for free-to-play players. Focus on HP, Energy Regen, and team utility.
𧩠Recommended Equipment
| Gear Type | Best-in-Slot | Strong F2P Option | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| W-Engine | Half-Sugar Bunny | Original Transmorpher | Signature engine offers unmatched team ATK, HP, and CRIT DMG buffs |
| Drive Discs (4-pc) | Swing Jazz / Astral Voice | Proto Punk | Prioritize team damage or Energy Regen |
| Main Stats | Partition 4 & 5: HP% | — | HP% is mandatory |
| Partition 6: HP% or Energy Regen | — | Choose based on rotation comfort | |
| Substats | HP% > Flat HP > Energy Regen | — | Aim for 27,000 initial HP |
πΌ Skill Upgrade Priority
Upgrade Zhao’s skills in the order that maximizes her support output:
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Core Skill (Highest Priority)
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Boosts team ATK buff and Zhao’s CRIT Rate
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Basic Attack
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Improves her charged off-field attack, Final Verdict
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Special / EX Special
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Increases healing and damage
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Assist / Chain / Ultimate
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Lowest priority for standard support builds
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π€ Zhao’s Best Team Compositions
Zhao’s buffs are universal, making her flexible across many team styles—but she excels most in Attack-focused squads.
⭐ Top Team Synergies
| Team Type | Example Lineup | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Premium Attack Team (Best Overall) | Ye Shunguang (DPS), Zhao (Support), Dialyn (Stun) | Ether Veil directly fuels Ye Shunguang’s core mechanic, cutting her setup time dramatically |
| Free-to-Play Attack Team | Billy (DPS), Zhao (Support), Anby (Stun) | Zhao’s flat ATK buffs massively boost accessible DPS units |
| Anomaly Team | Vivian, Alice, Zhao | Solid generic buffing, though niche anomaly supports may outperform her |
⚠️ Not Recommended: Dedicated Rupture teams. Zhao’s long-duration buffs don’t align well with their tight burst windows.
✅ Pull Verdict & Final Tips
There’s no debate here: every player should claim Zhao.
She is especially valuable if:
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You plan to pull for Ye Shunguang (she’s arguably Ye’s best support)
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You lack premium buffers like Astra Yao
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You want a low-investment, high-impact support for multiple teams
π Simple Rotation Tip
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Let Zhao stay off-field to build Frostbite Points
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Swap her in once points are full
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Trigger Ether Veil via Entry Skill / EX / Ultimate
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Use charged Final Verdict
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Swap back to your main DPS
Stack HP, keep her rotation simple, and Zhao will quietly carry your damage numbers behind the scenes.
With zero gacha cost and long-term relevance, Zhao stands as one of Zenless Zone Zero’s best free units to date. If you haven’t claimed her yet, make it your top priority—and once you do, she’ll likely remain in your teams for many updates to come.
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