Anton is the musclehead among the playable characters inZenless Zone Zero’sBelobog Industries faction, and he’s one of the strongest A-rank characters in the game in terms of pure damage output. Such raw DPS doesn’t come without a catch, though.

If you managed to get Anton during yourSignal Search rolls inZZZ,then you may want to try learning his kit. He is a simple yet very effective character who can piledrive his way through anything. Here’s a short guide covering his best equipment as well as some tips on how to best use him.

Anton in Burst mode in Zenless Zone Zero

How To Play Anton In Zenless Zone Zero

Anton is all about dealing damage and triggering Shock, which he can easily do when he enters Burst mode. Every four critical hits he scores against targets afflicted with Shock will receive an additional Shock proc, making Anton one of the few A-rankAttack characters inZenless Zone Zerowho can comfortably clear Shiyu Defense and other high-level content.

Players must understand that Anton’s DPS is only active in relatively brief windows. Once you trigger his Burst mode via his EX Special Attack, you have up to 30 seconds (or until his Energy is depleted) to deal as much damage as possible. Without Burst mode active, Anton’s damage is rather poor. As such, prioritize leveling his Basic Attack and Special Attack before everything else.

Lunar Noviluna in Zenless Zone Zero

Additionally, Anton needs to hit enemies afflicted with the Shock Anomaly. He works best withother Electric agents like Grace, who can quickly inflict Shock and leave the rest of the heavy lifting to Anton.

Anton’s Best W-Engines In Zenless Zone Zero

These three W-Engines are the best options you can use for Anton. You can get a lot of mileage out of his Burst mode Basic Attacks, so anything that buffs that is good for him. The B-rank Lunar Noviluna is worth mentioning here simply because of its Energy restoration trait and CRIT Rate main stat. You’ll miss out on some damage, but you can easily compensate for it by bringinga Support character like Nicole inZZZ.

Anton’s Best Drive Disc Sets In Zenless Zone Zero

Since Anton’s targets are always going to be affected by Shock (ideally, at least), taking Thunder Metal is the best way to go. Pair this with Woodpecker Electro’s bonus CRIT Rate to trigger Anton’s passive more frequently, resulting in more Shock procs.

As for stats, prioritize the following:

Bangboo

There areplenty of Bangboos to choose from inZenless Zone Zero,but most ideal ones for a team with Anton arePlugbooandButlerboo. Plugboo helps stack Electric Anomaly on targets, speeding up the application of Shock. This is a great pick if you don’t have Grace on your team. Meanwhile, Butlerboo can feed Energy to Anton mid-combat, decreasing the downtime of his Burst mode.

If you have neither of those S-rank Bangboos, go with Electroboo for its Electric Anomaly application, or Exploreboo for the chance of getting an Energy Regen buff.

A Woodpecker Electro Drive Disc in Zenless Zone Zero

Importance

M1 - Warm-up Exercises

When Drill Attack hits an enemy, Anton gains up to 5 Energy per skill use.

High

M2 - State of Flow

Anton gains a shield equal to a percentage of his max HP when he enters Burst mode. This shield is reapplied when Anton enters combat or swaps-in while Burst mode is active. When Burst mode ends, the shield disappears.

Low

M3 - Rotational Training

Basic Attack, Dodge, Special Attack, and Chain Attack gain +2 levels.

Pulling Butlerboo in the Zenless Zone Zero gacha

M4 - Everyone Get Fired Up!

When Anton uses a Chain Attack or Ultimate, all squad members' CRIT Rate increases by 10% for 12 seconds.

Medium

M5 - Jack of All Trades

M6 - Break The Limit

When Anton’s Piledriver Attack triggers a critical hit, his Basic Attack and Dodge Counter in Burst mode deal 4% more damage for 30 seconds, stacking up to 6 times. Repeated triggers reset the duration.

Anton’s Mindscape art in Zenless Zone Zero

Zenless Zone Zero Tag Page Cover Art