Zenless Zone Zero’s Ellen Joe is an S-rank agent, and a member of Victoria Housekeeping Co. This adorable maid may look sweet, but she’s a powerful ice character with a huge shark tail and a comically oversized pair of scissors that aren’t quite so comical if you end up on her bad side. So let’s take a look at the best ZZZ Ellen build, including her skills, best drive discs and W-Engines, and more.
If you’re curious how the snappy shark girl sizes up against other agents in her faction, be sure to check out our Zenless Zone Zero tier list – it might just help you decide whether you want to pull for her on her next Zenless Zone Zero banner. We’ve also got a list of all the latest Zenless Zone Zero codes, as well as info on all the upcoming Zenless Zone Zero events and the next Zenless Zone Zero update so you never miss a thing.
Here’s everything you need to know about Zenless Zone Zero’s Ellen:
What’s the best Ellen build?
Ellen is an S-rank agent who dishes out ice attribute damage with slash attacks. She has the attack specialty, meaning she’s skilled at dealing massive damage directly through her attacks, allowing her to rapidly rack up damage and bring battles to a swift end.
Ellen’s best W-Engine is her signature S-rank Deep Sea Visitor, as it’s perfectly tailored to her kit. As for drive discs, we recommend equipping her with four pieces of Polar Metal and two pieces of Woodpecker Electro to boost her crit rate while also taking advantage of her powerful ice damage.
| Best W-Engine | Deep Sea Visitor |
| Best drive discs | 4pc Polar Metal and 2pc Woodpecker Electro |
| Main stats | Crit (rate or damage) > pen ratio, ice damage, or attack ratio > anomaly mastery |
| Sub-stats | Crit (rate or damage) > pen > attack ratio > anomaly proficiency |
If you put Ellen on a squad with other agents who share her attribute (ice) or her allies from Victoria Housekeeping, you can also activate her additional ability to further boost her ice damage. Therefore, we recommend pairing her up with Zenless Zone Zero’s Lycaon and Zenless Zone Zero’s Soukaku. Alternatively, if you don’t have Lycaon, we recommend putting Zenless Zone Zero’s Rina or Zenless Zone Zero’s Corin on her team.
What are Ellen’s best W-Engines?
Ellen’s best W-Engine is her signature S-rank, Deep Sea Visitor. It’s specifically tailored to her kit, giving her a nice boost to both her crit rate and ice damage without any prerequisites, while also boosting her crit rate when she uses her basic attack or dash attack.
If you don’t have Deep Sea Visitor, The Brimstone is a decent S-rank alternative. It gives her a substantial attack ratio boost, and it’s easy enough to keep the stacks up as Ellen moves quickly.
Or, if you’re looking for an A-rank option, we recommend equipping Ellen with Cannon Rotor, which gives her a flat boost to her crit rate and attack ratio, and allows her to deal significantly more damage when she lands a critical hit.
| W-Engine | Effect |
| Deep Sea Visitor | Increases ice damage. Upon hitting an enemy with a basic attack, Ellen’s crit rate increases for eight seconds. When dealing ice damage with a dash attack, Ellenr’s crit rate increases for 15 seconds. The duration of each effect is calculated separately |
| The Brimstone | Upon hitting an enemy with a basic attack, dash attack, or dodge counter, Ellen’s attack ratio increases for eight seconds, stacking up to eight times. This effect can trigger once every 0.5 seconds. The duration of each stack is calculated separately |
| Cannon Rotor | Increases attack ratio. Attacks that land a critical hit on an enemy inflict an additional 200% of attack as damage. This effect can trigger once every eight seconds |
What are the best drive discs for Ellen?
Ellen’s best drive disc set is four pieces of Polar Metal, which boosts her ice damage and the damage of her basic attack and dash attack. Additionally, she gets a further damage boost when any of her squad members inflict freeze or shatter, which is super valuable. We recommend combining this with two pieces of Woodpecker Electro to also boost her crit rate.
Alternatively, you can switch it up and equip her with four pieces of Woodpecker Electro and two pieces of Polar Metal to increase her crit rate, ice damage, and give her a nice attack buff when she triggers a crit hit with her basic attack, dodge counter, or EX special attack.
| Drive disc set | Effect |
| Polar Metal | Two equipped: increases ice damage by 10% Four equipped: increases the damage of Ellen’s basic attack and dash attack by 20%. When any squad member inflicts Freeze or Shatter, this effect increases by an additional 20% for 12 seconds |
| Woodpecker Electro | Two pieces: increases crit rate by 8% Four pieces: triggering a critical hit with a basic attack, dodge counter, or EX special attack increases Ellen’s attack by 9% for six seconds. The buff duration for different skills is calculated separately |
Ellen stat recommendations
When picking disc drives for Ellen, we recommend prioritizing the following stats.
Main stats:
- Crit (rate or damage)
- Pen ratio, ice damage, or attack ratio
- Anomaly mastery
Sub-stats:
- Crit (rate or damage)
- Pen
- Attack ratio
- Anomaly proficiency
What are Ellen’s skills?
Here are all of Ellen’s skills, including her attacks, dodges, core passives, and more.
Ellen’s attacks:
| Skill | Effect |
| Basic attack – Saw Teeth Trimming | Unleash up to three attacks, dealing physical damage. Hold or repeatedly press the attack button during the third attack to extend the skill’s duration |
| Basic attack – Flash Freeze Trimming | While Flash Freeze is active, press the attack button to launch up to three attacks at enemies in front, dealing ice damage. Each attack consumes one Flash Freeze charge. Hold or repeatedly press the attack button during the third attack to extend the skill’s duration |
| Special attack – Drift | Press the special attack button to use a quick tail sweep attack in front, dealing ice damage. Ellen’s anti-interrupt level increases during this skill |
| EX special attack – Tail Swipe | With enough energy, press the special attack button to perform a forceful tail whip attack that deals massive ice damage. Gain one Flash Freeze charge upon striking an enemy. After executing the move, you can directly follow up with the third hit of a basic attack. Ellen is invulnerable during this skill |
| EX special attack – Sharknami | If you have enough energy left after activating Tail Swipe, press the special attack button again to unleash a series of powerful slashes forward, dealing massive ice damage. Gain one Flash Freeze charge upon hitting an enemy. After executing the move, you can directly follow up with the third hit of a basic attack. Ellen is invulnerable during this skill |
Ellen’s dodges:
| Skill | Effect |
| Dodge -Vortex | Perform a rapid dodge and become invulnerable. When perfect dodge triggers, Ellen gains the quick charge effect, reducing the charge time of dash attack – Arctic Ambush, lasting up to five seconds or until it triggers |
| Dash – Roaming Hunt | Hold or double press the dodge button to enter the roaming state, allowing dashing movement. In the roaming state, drag the joystick to control Ellen’s direction, and release to stop. Ellen is invulnerable for a brief time after activation |
| Dash attack – Arctic Ambush (press) | While in the roaming state, press the attack button to deliver a spinning slash to enemies before opening Ellen’s scissors for a swift scissor attack, dealing ice damage. Gain one point of Flash Freeze charge when the swift scissor attack hits |
| Dash attack – Arctic Ambush (hold) | While in the roaming state, hold the attack button to perform a spinning slash against the enemy, then pull apart Ellen’s scissors to unleash a charged scissor strike, dealing massive ice damage. Gain three points of Flash Freeze charge when the charged scissor attack hits. If the enemy is frozen, it always triggers shatter. Anti-interrupt level is increased while charging the skill and reduces damage taken by 40%. Ellen becomes briefly invulnerable during this skill |
| Flash Freeze | When Ellen has Flash Freeze charges, the Flash Freeze effect activates. Once Flash Freeze activates, basic attacks and dash attacks expend Flash Freeze charges, dealing massive ice damage. Ellen can have up to a maximum of six Flash Freeze charges |
| Dash attack – Monstrous Wave | Press the attack button during a dodge to launch a dashing slash attack at enemies in front, dealing physical damage |
| Dash attack – Cold Snap | While Flash Freeze is active, press the attack button during a dodge to consume one Flash Freeze charge and launch a dashing slash attack at enemies in front, dealing ice damage |
| Dodge Counter -Reef Rock | Press the attack button during a perfect dodge to rapidly move through enemies with open scissors for a cutting strike, dealing ice damage. Ellen is invulnerable during this attack |
Ellen’s combo attacks:
| Skill | Effect |
| Quick assist – Shark Sentinel | When an enemy knocks the active character back, switch to Ellen to speedily move through the enemy with open scissors for a cutting strike, dealing ice damage. Ellen is invulnerable while using this skill. When an enemy launches the active character, switch to Ellen to enter the roaming state, enabling dashing movement. While in the roaming state, use the joystick to change directions and release to stop. Ellen is invulnerable briefly when triggering this skill. Upon triggering a quick assist, Ellen gains the quick charge effect, shortening the charging of her dash attack Arctic Ambush, lasting up to five seconds or until it triggers once |
| Defensive assist – Wavefront Impact | When an enemy is about to attack the active character, switch to Ellen to parry the attack, dealing massive daze. Ellen is invulnerable during this skill |
| Assist follow-up – Shark Cruiser | Press the attack button after a defensive assist to charge and slash enemies in front, dealing ice damage. Press repeatedly or hold the attack button during the attack to extend the skill duration. Ellen is invulnerable during this skill |
| Chain attack – Avalanche | When a chain attack triggers, switch to Ellen to crash down from above and unleash an ice storm, dealing massive ice damage. Ellen is invulnerable while using this skill |
| Chain attack ultimate – Endless Winter | Crash down from above and unleash an ice storm before a powerful scissor strike, dealing massive ice damage. Ellen is invulnerable while using this skill |
Ellen’s passive:
| Skill | Effect |
| Core passive – Sharp-Toother | When Ellen launches a charged scissor strike during dash attack – Arctic Ambush or consumes a Flash Freeze charge to activate basic attack – Flash Freeze Trimming, the skill’s crit damage increases |
| Additional ability – Rising Storm | When someone on your squad shares the same attribute (ice) or faction (Victoria Housekeeping): when Ellen deals ice damage, subsequent ice damage increases by 3% for ten seconds. This effect can stack up to ten times, and repeated triggers reset the duration |
What are Ellen’s promotion materials?
In order to level Ellen up, you need to promote her at ten-level intervals. To do this, you need a bunch of denny, as well as a stash of offense certification seals. You can earn offense certification seals via the combat simulation – agent promotion combat challenges.
Here are all of Ellen’s promotion materials:
| Level | Denny and materials |
| 20 | 24k denny and four basic offense certification seals |
| 30 | 56k denny and 12 advanced offense certification seals |
| 40 | 120k denny and 20 advanced offense certification seals |
| 50 | 200k denny and ten pioneer’s certification seals |
| 60 | 400k denny and 20 pioneer’s certification seals |
What are Ellen’s mindscape cinemas?
Mindscape cinemas are special buffs and passive skills that you can unlock by pulling a duplicate of a character on a banner, similar to Genshin Impact’s constellations and Honkai Star Rail’s eidolons.
Here are all of Ellen’s mindscape cinemas:
| Talent | Effect |
| Glacial Omen | Upon hitting an enemy with swift scissors during dash attack – Arctic Ambush, the Flash Freeze charges you obtain increase to three. Upon hitting an enemy with a charged scissor strike during dash attack – Arctic Ambush, the Flash Freeze charges you obtain increase to six. For each Flash Freeze charge you consume, Ellen’s crit rate increases by 2% for 15 seconds, stacking up to six times. The duration of each stack is calculated separately |
| Arctic Ocean Predator | You can now follow up the third attack of Ellen’s basic attack Flash Freeze Trimming with EX special attack Sharknami. When using an EX special attack, each Flash Freeze charge increases the current attack’s crit damage by 20%, up to a maximum of 60% |
| Overtime-Intolerant | Increases the level of Ellen’s basic attack, dodge, assist, special attack, and chain attack by two |
| Endless Hoarfrost | Whenever a squad member freezes or stuns an enemy, Ellen gains six Flash Freeze charges and the quick charge effect. She also recovers four energy. The energy recovery effect can trigger once every ten seconds |
| Adequate Sleep | Increases the level of Ellen’s basic attack, dodge, assist, special attack, and chain attack by two |
| The Feast Begins | When Ellen uses an EX special attack, chain attack, or gains quick charge, her pen ratio increases by 20% for six seconds. She also gains one stack of The Feast Begins, up to a maximum of three stacks. With three stacks of The Feast Begins, using a charged scissor strike during dash attack – Arctic Ambush consumes all stacks, increasing the damage of the current attack by 250% |
What are Ellen’s core skill enhancement materials?
Core skill enhancements help boost Ellen’s core passive. You can enhance her core skill using three materials – denny, higher dimensional data: murderous obituary, and ferocious grips.
You can obtain higher dimensional data: murderous obituary by taking on the expert challenge gameplay mode, and you get the ferocious grips through the notorious hunt gameplay mode.
Here are all of Ellen’s core skill enhancement materials:
| Required level | Denny and materials |
| 15 | 5k denny |
| 25 | 12k denny and two higher dimensional data: murderous obituary |
| 35 | 28k denny and four higher dimensional data: murderous obituary |
| 45 | 60k denny, nine higher dimensional data: murderous obituary, and two ferocious grips |
| 55 | 100k denny, 15 higher dimensional data: murderous obituary, and three ferocious grips |
| 60 | 200k denny, 30 higher dimensional data: murderous obituary, and four ferocious grips |
What are Ellen’s skill enhancement materials?
If you want to increase Ellen’s power even further, you can also upgrade each of her individual skills.
To do this, you need to gather plenty of freeze chips, which you can obtain via the combat simulation – agent skills challenge, along with plenty of denny. Additionally, if you want to max out one of Ellen’s skills to level 12, you also need a hamster cage pass (similar to Genshin’s crowns), which you can earn through events or the New Eridu City Fund.
Here are all of Ellen’s skill enhancement materials:
| Required level | Denny and materials |
| 15 | 2k denny and two basic freeze chips |
| 15 | 3k denny and three basic freeze chips |
| 25 | 6k denny and two advanced freeze chips |
| 25 | 9k denny and three advanced freeze chips |
| 35 | 12k denny and four advanced freeze chips |
| 35 | 18k denny and six advanced freeze chips |
| 45 | 45k denny and five specialized freeze chips |
| 45 | 67.5k denny and eight specialized freeze chips |
| 55 | 90k denny and ten specialized freeze chips |
| 55 | 112.5k denny and 12 specialized freeze chips |
| 60 | 135k denny, 15 specialized freeze chips, and one hamster cage pass |
Who is ZZZ Ellen?
Ellen is a maid working for Victoria Housekeeping Co. She’s the latest member of the team and, while her laid-back nature and distaste for activities that require energy may seem like it’d get in the way, her teammates support her and enable her to unleash her formidable power during critical moments.
Her fighting style requires a lot of energy, so she always carries a lollipop with her to keep her sugar levels up. While she frequently claims that she hopes to change jobs because her current work is too much effort, she clearly values her pals at Victoria Housekeeping.
Outside of work, Ellen attends a school in New Eridu and has a group of ordinary friends, as shown in her official character demo. She spends a lot of her free time with these friends, living a pretty ordinary student’s life when not fighting her way through the Hollows.
That’s everything we’ve got in our best Zenless Zone Zero Ellen build. For more Hoyo fun, head over to Teyvat with our Genshin Impact events, Genshin Impact tier list, and Genshin Impact codes guides. Or you can hop aboard the Astral Express with our Honkai Star Rail tier list, Honkai Star Rail codes, and Honkai Star Rail events guides.