Zenless Zone Zero Lighter Build Guide | Best Lighter W-Engines, Drive Discs, Teams

Phase 2 of Zenless Zone Zero Version 1.3 has kicked off with a bang thanks to the arrival of the final Sons of Calydon member and the first male S-Rank Agent, Lighter. Champion of the Sons and personal protector of the Outer Ring’s new Overlord, Lighter is a legendary fighter of much renown through the restless biker gangs who can the wastes outside New Eridu their home. A fearsome combatant known for his bright red scarf and cool demeanour, Lighter’s reputation betrays his quirky nature: whether it be his phobia of blood or his forgetful streak, Lighter isn’t quite the indomitable wall some consider him to be.

Lighter is ZZZ’s second S-Rank Fire Stun unit after Belobog Industries’ Koleda but he sets himself apart from the young president in several ways. Compared to other Stunners, Lighter prefers to spend a bit more time in the spotlight, letting him deal some pretty fantastic damage for a dedicated Daze unit. Mastering switch-ins and Energy gains are crucial to getting the most out of Lighter. If you’re looking for a fast, mobile Stunner who can also reliably debuff opponents and work in multiple team compositions – including two of the most accommodating comps in the whole game – then Lighter is worth the Polychrome, even if you already have Koldea, Qingyi, or Lycaon.

Here’s how to make the best Lighter build in Zenless Zone Zero, including a deep dive into properly playing Lighter, what kind of Disc Drives and W-Engines you should run on him, and what team compositions will let him shine brightest.

If you want to read other Zenless Zone Zero content and guides, including more build guides, you can find more here on KeenGamer:

1. Zenless Zone Zero Caesar King Build Guide
2. Zenless Zone Zero Jane Doe Build Guide
3. Zenless Zone Zero | All Agent and Signature W-Engine Combinations
4. Zenless Zone Zero | How to Increase Inter-Knot Level Fast
5. Zenless Zone Zero | 7 Hidden Combat Mechanics You Should Know

The Unsung Champion

Lighter Release Date and Banner Availability

First things first, when will you be able to get your hands on Lighter during Zenless Zone Zero Version 1.3 and how long will his banner be available for? Lighter is the leading man of the second half of Version 1.3 and you’ll be able to pull for him once Yanagi’s banner ends at the end of phase one.

Lighter’s Exclusive Channel, “Champion of Embers”, will begin on the 27th of November 2024 and remain active for just under three weeks until the 17th of December 2024. Any S-Rank Agent you get lucky enough to pull during this period has a 50% chance of being Lighter: if you get unlucky and lose the 50/50, don’t lose hope as the next S-Rank is guaranteed to be the featured Agent, whether that’s Lighter or someone else down the line. In addition, Corin and Ben are both on rate-up during Lighter’s banner, giving them a huge boost in odds.

If Lighter manages to slip between your fingers when the 17th of December rolls by, you’ll need to wait until he gets a rerun to have another go at obtaining the Sons of Calydon Champion. Zenless Zone Zero hasn’t received any reruns yet but many are predicting that Ellen or Zhu Yuan will return in Version 1.4, which is roughly six months after their debut during Version 1.0. As such, expect Lighter (as well as Yanagi) to rerun around Version 2.0 or so.

Champion of Embers

Zenless Zone Zero Lighter Kit

Basic Attack

Lighter’s Basic Attack, L-Form Thundering Fist, is his main form of offence and the ability you’ll be using the most while he’s on the field. It’s a standard five-hit combo where Lighter lashes out with his fists, dealing either Physical or Fire DMG. There are multiple points during Lighter’s Basic Attack combo where you can either hold the attack or drag the control stick to extend the combo or deliver an alternate combo:

• During the third hit of the Basic Attack combo, you can repeatedly press or hold the attack button while dragging the stick to unleash a series of quick melee follow-up attacks that deal with Fire DMG. Releasing the stick will follow up immediately with the fourth hit of Lighter’s Basic Attack.
• While performing the startup light punch in the fifth hit of Lighter’s Basic Attack, you can drag the stick and repeatedly press or hold the attack button to alternate between light punches and the heavy punches from the fourth hit of the combo. Releasing the stick will immediately follow up with a subsequent jab combo (which you can also extend by continuing to press or hold the attack button).

Whenever you stop pressing or holding the attack button during this jab combo, Lighter will unleash a devastating Finishing Move in front of himself. Lighter is invulnerable during the Finishing Move and he’ll take 40% less damage during the fifth hit of his Basic Attack. Additionally, while in the Morale Burst state, Lighter’s Anti-Interruption is increased during the fifth hit of his Basic Attack and the previously mentioned DMG reduction effect is increased to 80%.

Ora Ora Ora!

Dodge

Shadowed Slice is Lighter’s Dodge and it’s a simple dash dodge which makes him invulnerable for the duration of the ability. The main thing to note about Lighter’s dodge is that it’s quite short when compared to some other characters. This means that you’ll need to be a bit more precise with it as Lighter won’t be able to escape as easily as some other Agents, but it does also mean that he’ll remain close to his target at all times, something you’ll need to be aware of thanks to his Basic Attack’s very short range.

Charging Slam is Lighter’s Dash Attack which rapidly strikes any enemies in front of him, dealing Physical DMG, whereas Blazing Flash is his Dodge Counter. This attack deals Fire DMG and can be immediately comboed into the fifth hit of Lighter’s Basic Attack by continuing to press or hold the attack button after delivering the initial hit. This is a great way to bypass the initial stages of Lighter’s core combo, giving you immediate access to the most important and damaging part of his Basic Attack.

Head Held High

Assist

Like most characters in Zenless Zone Zero, Lighter has three main Assist abilities at his disposal. His Quick Assist, Blazing Flash – Guard, deals Fire DMG by striking enemies in front of him with a flaming fist and, just like with his Dodge Counter, you can immediately combo this into the fifth hit of his Basic Attack. You can do the same thing with Lighter’s Assist Follow-Up, Charging Slam-Stab, which also deals Fire DMG. Lighter’s final Assist ability, Swift Break, parries incoming attacks and deals massive Daze.

Lighter’s Assist is actually one of his most important abilities and one you’ll be using frequently. Whenever Lighter has full Morale, his next switch-in will always result in an automatic Quick Assist which, in turn, can immediately be turned into his fifth Basic Attack. This is the main way you’ll be applying Lighter’s various buffs and debuffs. Compared to other Stunners in ZZZ, this means that you’ll be seeing and using his Assist abilities far more often, enabling Lighter’s faster, more switch-focused playstyle.

Now It’s a Fair Fight!

Special Attack

While a bit understated compared to the complexity of his Basic Attack, Lighter’s Special Attack and EX Special Attack are arguably more important for general moment-to-moment play. His regular Special Attack, V-Form Sunrise Uppercut, strikes nearby enemies with a fiery uppercut, dealing Fire DMG. This attack has increased Anti-Interruption and you can use this ability during a Dodge to deliver a quick strike forward which does not interrupt the combo count for Lighter’s Basic Attack.

Meanwhile, his EX Special Attack, V-Form Sunrise Uppercut – Full Distance, is a bit more flashy. Activating it will send Lighter into the air with a powerful uppercut, taking any nearby enemies with him. If you have enough Energy and press the Special Attack button again, Lighter will perform a devastating follow-up attack, hurtling himself toward the ground and dealing massive Fire DMG. Similar to some of Lighter’s other abilities, you can hit the Basic Attack button to immediately enter the fourth hit of Lighter’s Basic Attack combo. Additionally, just like the regular Special Attack, using the EX Special during a dodge will unleash a fiery combo which you can continue into the fifth hit of his Basic Attack.

In essence, Lighter’s Special and EX Special have two primary purposes: deliver an instant shot of Daze to quickly and efficiently Stun targets in one blow and give you easy access to the fourth and fifth hits of his Basic Attack. As we will soon discuss, the fifth hit of Lighter’s Basic Attack combo is one of the most important parts of his kit as it is how he applies his unique buffs and debuffs. Furthermore, his Special deals a very competitive amount of Daze, especially if you land both parts of his EX Special. This, in turn, makes his Special Attack a really useful tool as it sets up the opponent in multiple ways – Stun, debuffs, chip damage – in preparation for your main DPS.

Red Scarf

Ultimate

The final combative element of Lighter’s kit is his Chain Attack and Ultimate. V-Form Scorching Sun is the name of the former and it has Lighter unleash a powerful strike in a small AoE upon entering, dealing massive Fire DMG to any nearby targets. This attack also deals a large amount of Daze to any opponents unlucky enough to be caught in the blast.

Meanwhile, his Ultimate, W-Form Crowned Inferno, is an amped-up version of that ability. This time, the fiery punch will hit a large AoE, dealing even more Fire DMG and Daze. All in all, this is a pretty standard Chain Attack and Ultimate in Zenless Zone Zero, making it (the Ultimate) one of Lighter’s less important abilities. On the other hand, Lighter’s ability to quickly Stun opponents does give more value to the Chain Attack as you’ll be triggering it far more often (although most of the benefit will be on boss targets).

Inferno Fist Ultimate

Lighter’s Core Passive and Additional Ability

Accelerant is Lighter’s Core Passive and, each time you level it up, he’ll receive additional Base ATK or Impact. Over time, Lighter will accumulate Morale at a rate of 2.9 Morale points per second. Additional Morale will be generated at an enhanced rate whenever a squad member consumes Energy using a Special or EX Special Attack. When Morale reaches 80, Lighter’s next switch-in will result in an automatic Quick Assist and the fifth hit of his Basic Attack will put him in the Morale Burst state.

During the Morale Burst state, the power of Lighter’s startup light punch (fifth hit), jab combo (fifth hit continued), and Finishing Move (end of his jab combo) will all be increased. These attacks also reduce the Ice RES and Fire RES of any opponents hit by 15% for 30s. When a skill of increased power hits an enemy, it will continually consume Lighter’s Morale, additionally increasing Lighter’s Impact for every 10 points of Morale consumed. If Morale runs out while Lighter is performing any part of his fifth hit combo, he will automatically follow up with a more powerful Finishing Move.

If that wasn’t all, Lighter’s Morale Burst enhanced Finishing Move will apply the Collapse state onto struck opponents. The Collapse effect increases the target’s Stunned duration for 3s and can only be triggered on the same target once they recover from Stun. This is similar to Qingyi’s Stun buff, although Lighter’s increases the duration of the Daze rather than the damage multiplier.

Burn Away

Then there’s Fighting Spirit, Lighter’s Additional Ability which activates whenever he’s in a squad with an Attack Agent or a character from the Sons of Calydon (Caesar, Burnice, Piper, or Lucy). This ability buffs the Morale Burst state even further, causing all squad members to gain a stack of Elation when the fifth hit of Lighter’s Basic Attack combo hits an enemy. Elation stacks up to 20 times and lasts for 30s, increasing an Agent’s Ice DMG and Fire DMG by 1.25% for each stack. If Lighter’s Impact is above 170 while obtaining Elation, every 10 additional points of Impact will increase the buff effect of Elation by an additional 0.25% and using a Chain Attack will refresh the duration of all squad members’ Elation stacks.

Compared to the hyper-flexible Qingyi or Caesar – two recent supportive units that can work well in practically any team – Lighter’s Core Passive and Additional Ability certainly pigeonhole him slightly into specific team compositions, mainly those revolving around Ice or Fire damage dealers. However, this is to Lighter’s benefit as it allows to cut a unique niche where he is more impactful than other Stunners in those Fire and Ice teams, especially when you combine the benefits of Collapse and the RES reduction with Elation’s huge Ice and Fire DMG bonuses. Lighter is a Stunner who requires a bit more discipline to use effectively but, if you manage to balance his various buffs and abilities, he is incredibly strong and in contention for ZZZ’s best Stun character.

Demon of the Outer Ring

How to Play Lighter in ZZZ

As a dedicated Stunner, Lighter isn’t likely to be your main damage dealer but that doesn’t mean he’s defenceless. When compared to other prominent Stunners like Qingyi or Lycaon, Lighter will actually see a bit more use as an on-field Agent thanks to his ability to proc specialised buffs and debuffs: in many ways, he serves as both a Stun and Support unit for Ice and Fire-themed teams, making him more limited than some of ZZZ’s other options but far stronger in those compositions.

There are two main goals whenever you bring Lighter out onto the field: building up (or consuming) Morale and stunning opponents. When you first begin a battle, you’ll be focused on using Lighter’s Basic Attack and Special Attack to stun weaker opponents rapidly: this will set them up for your other squad members who, upon using their Special Attacks, will consume Energy which funnels more Morale towards Lighter. Soon enough, the weaker opponents on the field will be dealt with and Lighter should have above 80 Morale, allowing you to bring him back in with a free Quick Assist for extra damage.

Now that Lighter’s in the Morale Burst state, you should focus on assaulting the toughest target on the field. This is all in service of preparing these harder opponents for your team’s dedicated DPS as Lighter will not only be quickly increasing the opponent’s Daze but he’ll also be applying a wide range of buffs and debuffs thanks to his Core Passive and Additional Ability. Once the chunkier target is Stunned, swap to your DPS and take advantage of the additional Stun time (from Lighter’s Collapse debuff) as well as the extra Ice and Fire damage you’ll get from the RES reduction and the Elation buff. If anything’s still standing once the Stun timer runs out, go back to Lighter and repeat the process from the start again.

Got What It Takes?

Here’s the basic moment-to-moment gameplay and combos you should be hoping to achieve with Lighter:

• Basic Attack + Special Attack > Stun Opponent > Switch to another squad member > Swap back to Lighter > Basic Attack (Morale Burst state) > Switch back to your main DPS > Swap back to Lighter > Rinse and Repeat

If you’d like a more in-depth explanation of each action in the combo and how to use Lighter effectively, here’s a step-by-step guide for playing him:

1. Begin by using Lighter’s Basic Attack and Special Attack to weaken and Stun any nearby opponents. This will steadily fill his Morale.
2. When you Stun an opponent, switch to one of your other squad members and exhaust their Energy, taking advantage of the Daze for additional damage while also increasing Lighter’s Morale even further.
3. Switch back to Lighter with full Morale for a free automatic Quick Assist.
4. From here, use Lighter’s Morale Burst enhanced attacks to weaken and Stun the enemy, applying Collpse, Ice and Fire RES, and Elation in the process.
5. Once Lighter’s Finishing Move has been used and the enemy is Stunned, go back to your main DPS and reap the rewards from Lighter’s work.
6. When the Stun wears off, bring Lighter back in.
7. Rinse and repeat.

Lighter of the Sons of Calydon

Lighter’s Skill Priority Order

1. Core Passive
2. Assist
3. Special Attack
4. Basic Attack
5. Ultimate
6. Dodge

When it comes to choosing which of Lighter’s abilities to focus on first, the most obvious choice is his Accelerant Core Passive. While investing in Lighter’s Core Passive will only increase the additional Impact he earns after landing the fifth hit of his Basic Attack combo – with it going from a maximum of 11.7% at level 1 to 20% at level 2 – that’s all you really need to make this worth picking up as higher Impact leads to easier and more consistent Stuns. Of course, unlocking all of the Core Skill Enhancement nodes will also get Lighter an additional 18 Impact and 75 ATK, resulting in even easier Stuns and higher overall damage.

After the Core Passive, you’ll want to then focus on increasing Lighter’s Assist and Special Attack. Rapid switching between characters is a core part of the Stunner playstyle as you want them on the field long enough to Daze targets without taking the limelight from your main DPS and Lighter will be able to take advantage of Assists more often than other Stun units thanks to his Morale Burst. Meanwhile, Lighter’s Special Attack is his best source of instant Daze and, as a Stun character, you’ll be relying on it a lot to quickly kneecap weak and powerful opponents alike. These two abilities are the backbone of his power and potential on the field and should be a priority when it comes to levelling.

On the other hand, while Lighter’s Basic Attack is the ability you’ll be using most often, the actual damage of L-From Thundering Fist isn’t as important as the debuffs and buffs it facilitates through Morale Burst. It is still worth levelling and investing into his Basic Attack on account of how often you’ll be using it but, unless you plan on running Lighter as a DPS first and a Stunner second (something not recommended for most players), stick to levelling his Core Passive, Assist, and Special Attack first.

King of the Ring

Lighter’s Mindscape Cinema

If you get lucky and pull multiple copies of Lighter on the Champion of Embers banner, any copy of him after the first will be converted into a consumable used to unlock Lighter’s Mindscape Cinema, the Constellation or duplicate system in Zenless Zone Zero. Each character has a total of six Mindscape Cinema slots to unlock, with each either adding a new ability or aspect to the unit’s kit or providing them with a healthy level increase to all of their skills.

1. The Collapse: Among the debuffs imposed by Core Passive: Accelerant, the Collapse effect increases Stun duration by 5s, while further reducing Ice RES and Fire RES by 10%. The more powerful Finishing Move that follows when Lighter’s Morale is completely exhausted during a startup light punch or jab combo deals 30% increased DMG.
2. Red Scarf: When applying Collapse via Core Passive: Accelerant to enemies, the target’s Stun DMG Multiplier increases by 25%. The increase to Ice DMG and Fire DMG provided by Elation from Additional Ability: Fighting Spirit increases to 120% of the original.
3. Mercenary Leader: Basic Attack, Dodge, Assist, Special Attack, and Chain Attack Lv. +2.
4. Sunglasses: When Lighter is off-field, the Energy Regen for the on-field character is increased by 10%. Upon entering the Morale Burst state, Lighter restores 4 Energy for off-field characters. This effect can trigger once every 18s.
5. Decision Maker: Basic Attack, Dodge, Assist, Special Attack, and Chain Attack Lv. +2.
6. Survivor: Lighter’s Morale recovery efficiency is increased to 200% of its original value. When Lighter lands a heavy strike on enemies, it will trigger the Blazing Impact effect, dealing 250% of ATK as Fire DMG. This effect can trigger once every 8s on each enemy. If Lighter’s Impact exceeds 170 points, each additional point will further increase the multiplier of Blazing Impact by 5%, up to a maximum increase of 500%. The more powerful Finishing Move that follows when Lighter’s Morale is completely exhausted during a light punch or jab combo will trigger an additional activation of Blazing Impact when hitting an enemy, ignoring the effect’s cooldown.

When it comes to Lighter’s Mindscape Cinema, his C1 is an incredibly strong pick-up for low-spenders and high-spenders alike. Being able to increase Stun duration, even by only two extra seconds, is super important for maximising your DPS and ensuring that all of your abilities go while the Daze damage multiplier is still active. This Mindscape Cinema slot also further decreases the enemy’s Ice and Fire RES, making Lighter perform even better in his best team composition, and it makes Lighter deal more damage with his Finishing Move. This upgrade simply makes Lighter better in every aspect; as a Stunner, as a debuffer, and as a DPS.

Lighter’s Mindscape Cinema

Lighter’s Best W-Engines

Best in Slot: Blazing Laurel

Lighter’s best W-Engine in Zenless Zone Zero is his signature S-Rank Stun W-Engine, Blazing Laurel. This W-Engine is available from winning the 75/25 on the W-Engine Channel while Lighter’s Champion of Embers banner is still ongoing. In terms of what makes it so good for Lighter, it acts similarly to his C1, simultaneously making him a better and more consistent Stunner while also drastically improving his debuffing capabilities in Ice and Fire compositions. This W-Engine lets you extract a ton of additional value out of Lighter and will make him feel far stronger on almost every level.

At max level, Blazing Laurel will provide the wearer with 713 Base ATK as well as 18% Impact, the stat most Stun units rely on for quickly building up Daze on their targets. Blazing Laurel also grants the wearer access to the Flowing Flame effect which has two main bonuses. Firstly, upon launching a Quick Assist or Perfect Assist, the equipper’s Impact increases by 25% for 8s. Secondly, hitting an enemy with a Basic Attack will apply the Wilt debuff to the target which stacks up to 20 times and lasts for 30s: when a squad member hits an enemy, for every stack of Wilt applied to the target, the CRIT DMG of Ice and Fire DMG dealt by that attack will increase by 1.5%.

As mentioned above, Quick Assist is a bread-and-butter tool for Lighter as he will immediately carry one out when switching back in while under the Morale Burst state. This gives you easy and consistent access to a free 25% Impact increase which, combined with the base 18% Impact from the W-Engine itself, results in a lot of very quick Stuns for your team. As for the Wilt debuff, this stacks with Lighter’s own Elation buff and RES reduction debuff, giving him three ways to directly increase the damage of any Fire and Ice unit in the team. In short, this W-Engine simply makes playing Lighter more rewarding while also providing him more tools to make your main DPS shine, although it does further push him into being a dedicated Ice and Fire support.

Blazing Laurel

Best Replacement W-Engines for Lighter

Obviously, with the highly anticipated Miyabi arriving in Version 1.4, many Proxies will be saving as much Polychrome as they can, so some players may need to find alternative Stun W-Engines for Lighter. Fortunately, he works incredibly well with several easily attainable A-Rank options and Lighter even favours one of the easier S-Rank W-Engines to obtain in ZZZ. As of Version 1.3, the only limited S-Rank Stun W-Engine is Qingyi’s Ice-Jade Teapot and, while it is an excellent choice for Lighter, we won’t be discussing it much in this guide because of its limited nature.

• The Restrained (Gacha S-Rank W-Engine): When an attack hits an enemy, DMG and Daze from Basic Attacks increase by 6% for 8s, stacking up to 5 times. This effect can trigger at most once during each skill. The duration of each stack is calculated separately.
• Steam Oven (Craftable A-Rank W-Engine): For every 10 Energy accumulated, the equipper’s Impact increases by 2%, stacking up to 8 times. After Energy is consumed, this bonus remains for 8 more seconds. The duration of each stack is calculated separately.
• Precious Fossilized Core (Craftable A-Rank W-Engine): When the target’s HP is no lower than 50%, the equipper inflicts 10% more Daze to the target. When the target’s HP is lower than 75%, this bonus is further increased by 10%.

The Restrained is Lycaon’s signature W-Engine and players with enough Residual Signals can purchase it for free at the Store, otherwise, this W-Engine is obtainable from the W-Engine or Standard Channel. At base, The Restained has a higher stat package than most A-Rank options, giving Lighter access to increased Base ATK and Impact compared to other options. Meanwhile, Lighter, like Lycaon, specialises in using his Basic Attacks to tear down and debuff opponents, making the additional Daze and DMG from The Restained very worthwhile. While this W-Engine won’t give Lighter additional supportive options, it will make him a much more hard-hitting and consistent Stunner with improved ATK and Impact.

As for A-Rank options for Lighter, the Steam Oven is a very solid choice. Thanks to the Morale Burst state, Lighter will always have a decent amount of Energy on hand, especially when you’ll be switching to your allies often to exhaust their Energy gains. This means that you’ll almost always be able to take advantage of the additional Impact offered up by the Steam Oven, once again improving Lighter’s abilities as a dedicated Stunner. On the other side of the fence, the Precious Fossilized Core is a bit more limited in scope – as it requires a weakened target to work effectively – but it can prove useful in boss encounters or against higher health targets.

Lighter’s Best W-Engines

Lighter’s Best Disc Drive Set in ZZZ

While Lighter is meant to be a dedicated Stunner and debuffer, he is capable of dealing some relatively high damage, allowing him to act as a sort of sub-DPS. The first path is preferable for most compositions but, depending on whether you want a better Stunner or higher overall damage, there are two main combinations of Disc Drive sets that you run on Ligher in Zenless Zone Zero:

• 4pc Shockstar Disco + 2pc Inferno Metal: Increases Impact by 6% and Fire DMG by 10%. Basic Attacks, Dash Attacks, and Dodge Counters inflict 20% more Daze to the main target.
• 4pc Woodpecker Electro + 2pc Shockstar Disco: Increases CRIT Rate by 8% and Impact by 6%. Landing a critical hit on an enemy with a Basic Attack, Dodge Counter, or EX Special Attack increases the equipper’s ATK by 9% for 6s. The buff duration for different skills is calculated separately.

4pc Shockstar Disco and 2pc Inferno Metal are for those who want to mould Lighter into a more reliable Stunner. As is the case with all Stun units, the extra Impact and Daze offered at all levels of Shockstar Disco is very appreciated, allowing Lighter to more consistently build up Daze and Stun opponents. Additionally, as a Basic Attack-oriented Stunner, Lighter will be able to take advantage of the extra Daze from Shockstar’s 4pc at almost all times. Lastly, 2pc Inferno Metal simply lets you get a bit more damage out of Lighter, especially as it directly increases his Fire DMG, something which he can improve further thanks to Elation and the Fire RES reduction. This is the standard Lighter build in ZZZ and the one we recommend to most players.

Meanwhile, if you want to squeeze as much damage potential out of Lighter as possible, you should run 4pc Woodpecker Electro and 2pc Shockstar Disco, instead. Woodpecker is the CRIT Rate-oriented set for ZZZ and landing a CRIT with Lighter’s Basic Attack is beyond easy thanks to the sheer amount of hits his various combo attacks dish out. This means that you’ll be benefitting from a meaty 9% ATK increase with very high uptime, increasing Lighter’s damage output significantly. Furthermore, the additional Impact from Shockstar is still really useful in this build as Lighter will still be your team’s main source of Daze so that’s why we still run it as a 2pc. This Lighter build is a little more niche but it is still very impactful in the right comps.

Lighter’s Best Drive Discs

Most Important Stats for Lighter

When it comes to stats, Lighter is your bog-standard Stunner. He wants a lot of ATK, Impact, and, preferably, CRIT. More ATK and CRIT just means higher overall damage whereas higher Impact means quicker Stuns and Daze build-up. Aside from that, there’s not really much else that you should be looking for, aside from maybe some extra Anomaly Proficiency if you plan on running him an Anomaly-based composition.

Here are the main stat you should be hunting for on Lighter’s Drive Discs in Zenless Zone Zero:

• Drive Disc 4: CRIT Rate / CRIT DMG
• Drive Disc 5: ATK% / Fire DMG Bonus
• Drive Disc 6: Impact

Meanwhile, here are Lighter’s four most important substats and the ones you should be looking for on his Drive Discs:

1. ATK%
2. CRIT Rate
3. CRIT DMG
4. Anomaly Proficiency

Champion of the Sons

Lighter’s Best Teams in Zenless Zone Zero

Premium Fire Lighter Comp

As a powerful Stun unit, you can use Lighter in almost any composition in Zenless Zone Zone and he works pretty well. However, thanks to his array of Ice and Fire-oriented buffs and debuffs, he shines in teams focused on those elements and, fortunately, two of the best Attacker characters in the game are either Ice or Fire. The first team we’ll be recommending is a premium Fire-oriented composition with the stoic Soldier 11 as our DPS core and the sassy Lucy de Montefio as our dedicated Fire Support. These are two characters who superbly with Lighter to create a fast and reliable comp focused on maximising Soldier’s Fire DMG.

• Lighter (Blazing Laurel) | 4pc Shockstar Disco + Inferno Metal
• Soldier 11 (The Brimstone) | 4pc Inferno Metal + 2pc Woodpecker Electro
• Lucy (Kaboom the Cannon) | 4pc Swing Jazz + 2pc Hormone Punk
• Red Moccus
  

In terms of pure Fire DPS in Zenless Zone Zero, Soldier 11 is, currently, the best one we have (discounting Fire Anomaly units like Burnice who mainly focus on triggering Burn or Disorder) and she works excellently with Lighter. Not only will Lighter be able to quickly and efficiently Stun targets, opening your opponents up to big damage from Solider thanks to the Daze damage multiplier, but he’ll also be able to directly buff her Fire DMG with both Elation and the Fire RES reduction. With careful timing on her Basic Attacks or through her EX Special Attack, Solider can have almost 100% uptime on her Fire DMG, allowing her to take massive advantage of Lighter’s debuffs and buffs, especially if you combine with extra CRIT DMG from his signature W-Engine.

Meanwhile, Lucy is one of the best Support characters in all of Zenless Zone Zero and she works incredibly well in this composition, too. Lucy’s Cheer On! buff is very easy to trigger thanks to her EX Special Attack having relatively low Energy costs, meaning that Lighter will also have an easy source of Morale, allowing him to trigger Morale Burst at a more consistent rate. Lucy is also a Fire DMG unit, allowing her to take advantage of Lighter’s Fire DMG Bonus and Fire RES reduction alongside Soldier. Additionally, as fellow Sons of Calydon members, Lucy and Lighter will trigger each other’s Additional Ability (as well as Soldier’s Additional Ability), ensuring that you’ll have access to Elation as well as Lucy’s inherited CRIT stats.

Premium Fire Lighter Team

Premium Ice Lighter Comp

Of course, Lighter doesn’t just buff Fire teams and he works just as well as the Stunner in an Ice team. As luck would have it, Zenless Zone Zero’s strongest Ice duo, the snarky shark Thiren Ellen and the chipper Section 6 member Soukaku, work incredibly well with Lighter. In a lot of ways, this comp is just like Lighter’s Fire comp with the elements switched around: Ellen is your main DPS rolling through the frontline whereas Soukaku is there to buff and support her alongside Lighter.

• Lighter (Blazing Laurel) | 4pc Shockstar Disco + Inferno Metal
• Ellen Joe (Deep Sea Visitor) | 4pc Woodpecker Electro + 2pc Polar Metal
• Soukaku (Bashful Demon) | 4pc Swing Jazz + 2pc Polar Metal
• Sharkboo Bangboo

Even though she launched back in Version 1.0, Ellen is still one of the best Attack units in ZZZ and Lighter just makes her even stronger. Previously, Ellen’s best Stunner was Lycaon, largely due to his Ice RES shred, but that’s now something Lighter can provide on top of a direct Ice DMG buff with Elation. Pairing Ellen’s already high natural damage and easy CRITs with Ligher’s Ice RES and Ice DMG Bonus, as well as Soukaku’s menagerie of various buffs, will result in some ludicrous damage that is easy to obtain and reliable to consistently pull off. Ellen also works well with Lighter’s need for fast switch-ins, making them a great duo.

The third member of this comp is Soukaku, Ellen’s best-dedicated Support and another great partner for Lighter. Like Ellen, Soukaku is an Ice character so, even though she’s a Support, she will be taking great advantage of Lighter’s various Ice-based buffs and debuffs. Having Ellen and Soukaku in the same team will also trigger Soukaku’s Additional Ability, giving you yet another Ice DMG buff on top of Lighter’s Elation. Lastly, similar to Ellen, Soukaku can trigger a Quick Assist using her Special Attack, making her a great fit for Lighter’s fast playstyle.

Premium Ice Lighter Team

That was how to make the best Lighter build in Zenless Zone Zero.

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