Yanagi in Zenless Zone Zero: Best Build, Weapons, Drive Discs and Skills

Key Takeaways:

1. Yanagi’s stance-switching mechanic makes her a dynamic DPS character ideal for players focused on finesse and tactical combos.
2. Mastering her Shinrabanshou State and Polarity Disorder can significantly boost her damage output and team synergy.
3. A well-optimized team pairing with Yanagi can unleash her full potential, especially in Electric Anomaly-focused and Disorder-driven compositions.

Zenless Zone Zero introduces an exciting lineup of characters, and few are as engaging and technically rewarding as Yanagi. Known for her stance-switching and finesse-heavy moveset, Yanagi offers unique benefits to players willing to move beyond simple button-mashing. In this in-depth guide, we’ll cover everything you need to dominate with Yanagi, from her basic combos and stance benefits to her top gear and team synergies. Let’s dive into how to bring out the best in Yanagi, Zenless Zone Zero’s Electric Anomaly agent.

Understanding Yanagi’s Combat Style

Yanagi is an on-field DPS character with an Anomaly focus, making her exceptionally effective in Disorder-driven teams. Her fighting style requires a balance of stance-switching and precise timing to maximize Electric damage and manage crowd control effectively.

Yanagi’s Stances and Basic Attack Combos

Yanagi’s two stances Jougen and Kagen significantly impact her damage type and combo effects. Her Jougen Stance is faster, with bonus Electric damage and enhanced interrupt resistance, while Kagen Stance focuses on heavier hits, increasing PEN (penetration) and interruption power. Knowing when to switch stances can be crucial:

• Jougen Stance: Boosts Electric DMG and allows for rapid attacks. Ideal for applying Electric Anomaly quickly.
• Kagen Stance: Increases PEN stat, dealing heavier damage and interrupting enemies more easily.

In combat, Yanagi’s basic attack sequence consists of a 5-hit chain, but the first two hits only deal Physical damage. To maintain a high Electric Anomaly output, many players skip these by switching stances strategically. Here’s a simple way to chain her moves effectively:

Yanagi’s Combo Chain: (BA1 + BA2) + (BA3 + BA4 + BA5) + Skill + (BA3 + BA4 + BA5)

Mastering Stance-Switching for Optimal Damage

Switching stances after Yanagi’s third, fourth, or fifth basic attack allows her to retain high Electric DMG throughout combos. Timing the switch is essential:

• Jougen to Kagen: Blocks incoming attacks.
• Kagen to Jougen: Dodges incoming attacks.

Yanagi’s ornament color changes to reflect her current stance, helping players gauge their timing for effective switches.

Skipping Initial Hits: Quick Assist, Parry and Dodge Counters

To get to Yanagi’s electric-charged moves faster, players can bypass her first two Physical hits. Here are three methods to achieve this:

1. Quick Assist: Assists from teammates like Seth or Soukaku allow Yanagi to skip to her third attack when re-engaging.
2. Parry and Assist Follow-Up: Parrying and following up with an Assist lets Yanagi skip the initial two hits.
3. Dodge Counter: Timing a successful dodge will allow Yanagi to skip to higher-damage hits in her combo chain.

Leveraging the Shinrabanshou State

Yanagi’s Shinrabanshou State is activated by using her EX Special attack, which allows her to loop the third, fourth, and fifth hits in her combo chain. This state is powerful for maximizing Electric or PEN damage:

• Jougen Stance: Use while Shinrabanshou is active to optimize Electric DMG.
• Kagen Stance: Effective for interrupting and staggering tougher enemies.

The Shinrabanshou State lasts 15 seconds but can be extended with higher-level abilities, making it key for sustained damage.

Swap Cancel Combo for Unbroken Chains

Swap canceling with other characters is a crucial tactic to keep Yanagi’s combos flowing. The best approach is to tag out on the last hit of her Kagen combo, then return quickly to resume her attack sequence:

• Best Pairings: Characters like Rina or Seth can enable Quick Assists, letting Yanagi return mid-chain. Anomaly characters such as Burnice can also aid in Disorder buildup.

Using Yanagi’s EX Special and Ultimate

Yanagi’s EX Special and Ultimate are essential for capitalizing on her Electric Anomaly skills:

• EX Special: Activates Polarity Disorder on targets affected by Anomaly. It deals boosted Electric damage while keeping the Anomaly effect active. This can work even with mono-Electric teams.
• Ultimate: Triggers Polarity Disorder while applying Shock to enemies. It’s also effective at rapidly spreading Anomaly effects.

Using these moves in sequence can maximize Anomaly buildup, making Yanagi a powerful support DPS who can sustain Disorder damage across multiple enemies.

Recommended W-Engine: Weeping Gemini or Timeweaver

Yanagi’s best W-Engine is Timeweaver, her signature equipment, which focuses on maximizing Electric Anomaly Buildup and boosting Anomaly Proficiency. The Weeping Gemini W-Engine is another solid choice and can be obtained for free, though it lacks some of the advanced perks of Timeweaver.

• Core Attributes: Anomaly Proficiency, ATK, PEN, CRIT Rate, and CRIT DMG.
• Primary Benefits: Increases Disorder DMG significantly, especially when paired with a high Anomaly Proficiency.

Top Drive Disc and Stats for Yanagi

To optimize Yanagi’s performance, select Drive Disc sets that enhance her Electric DMG, Anomaly Buildup, and general DPS output:

• Main Stats to Aim For: Anomaly Proficiency, Electric Anomaly Buildup, ATK %, CRIT Rate, PEN.
• Best Drive Discs: Sets focusing on boosting Electric DMG and PEN are highly recommended.

Building the Best Team for Yanagi

Yanagi thrives with teammates who either support her Anomaly output or provide reliable off-field support:

• Primary Pairing: Anomaly agents like Burnice or Grace. Burnice applies Burn Anomaly, and Grace excels at triggering Polarity Disorder with Shock effects, creating a potent Electric Anomaly team.
• Support Choices: Caesar’s shielding and debuffs make him an ideal support for Yanagi’s frontline gameplay. Lucy or Seth also provide buffs and boosts in CRIT and PEN.
• Mono-Electric Option: Use Grace and Rina alongside Yanagi to concentrate Electric Anomaly effects, leveraging her high Shock and Disorder damage.

Leveling Up Yanagi: Resources and Materials

To fully maximize Yanagi’s combat potential, prioritize her level, skills, and Core Skill upgrades:

1. Level 60 Materials: Earn Certification Seals through VR Combat Simulations and craft advanced materials as needed.
2. Skill Upgrade Materials: Obtain Chips in VR Combat Simulation and Hamster Cage Passes through events or city funds.
3. Core Skill Materials: Farm High-Dimensional Data from Typhon Slugger or acquire Living Drive from Notorious Hunt events.

FAQs

Q: How does stance-switching impact Yanagi’s combos? A: Switching stances changes Yanagi’s attack style Jougen increases Electric DMG and speed, while Kagen adds PEN and heavier damage. Alternating them lets you skip low-damage hits for more effective combos.

Q: What is the Shinrabanshou State, and why is it important? A: Shinrabanshou State, activated by Yanagi’s EX Special, shortens her attack chain, looping only the highest-damage moves. This increases efficiency, especially in prolonged fights or against tankier enemies.

Q: Which teammates are best suited for Yanagi? A: Ideal teammates for Yanagi include Burnice, Grace, and Caesar for support, synergy, and additional Anomaly output, as well as Seth or Rina to buff Electric and PEN stats.

Q: Can Yanagi’s EX Special trigger Polarity Disorder with a single Anomaly effect? A: Yes, Yanagi’s EX Special can trigger Polarity Disorder with only one type of Anomaly, making her very effective in mono-Electric teams or teams with a focused Disorder strategy.