If we judge by character design alone, Zenless Zone Zero destroys Genshin. It’s not even close. Genshin may have better lore or superior interlocking systems, but when you boil it down to aesthetics, ZZZ wins. Even Honkai, their sci-fi sibling, doesn’t stretch its imagination beyond obvious tropes. Characters like Fu Xuan, Himeko, and Gepard are so cookie-cutter that I wouldn’t be surprised if they came with a rolling pin. Compare them to the members of Belobog Heavy Industries or Victoria Housekeeping, and the strengths of Zenless Zone Zero become obvious. It’s HoYo’s new gold standard for character design, which is good news for players.
ZZZ Characters Simply Look Better
I’ll spare you the hour-long lecture on Ben Bigger’s design. Let’s look at some of Zenless Zone Zero‘s other success stories instead. Look at the complementary blues and greens of Soukaku’s palette, rendering the character alien yet somehow pitiable. Better yet, look at Von Lycaon. He’s not just a wolf-bro / personal attendant in a tight vest. He’s an homage to everything from Black Butler and Beastars to InuYasha. From the muzzle-like mask to the pointless (but cool) bicep buckles, Von Lycaon grabs your attention in ways that Arlecchino could only dream of.
There are Genshin and Honkai characters with great personalities and backstories, but you’d never know it by looking at most of the cast. With Zenless Zone Zero out, that might become a problem. Neither of ZZZ‘s predecessors risk disappearing any time soon, but the difference between character designs may cause some fans to jump ship. Sure, if you’ve already assembled the perfect 5-Star squad you might be reluctant to swap your go-to HoYo game for another, but others won’t hesitate.
ZZZ, Genshin, and Wuthering Waves
As a gacha game, Genshin stands on the sculpted shoulders of its waifus and husbandos. Silly as it sounds, Zenless Zone Zero poses an existential risk to Genshin‘s player count for the simple reason that its characters look better. If there’s a silver lining for HoYo, it’s that Zenless Zone Zero‘s designs outshine those in Wuthering Waves just as much. At least ZZZ‘s style revolution will only result in HoYo poaching customers from itself. As for players, more (and better) choices are never a bad thing.
ZZZ marks a turning point for HoYo’s design philosophy (or at least it should). Hoshimi Miyabi could’ve been a generic fox girl. Instead, the head of Hollow Special Operations Section 6 is packed with cool design choices (from her metallic arm to her fancy yet functional sword). Paperdoll characters that substitute quirky hair for thoughtful design should go the way of the dodo. This is a good first step. I’m more willing to sacrifice my time and wallet upon the Altar of Gacha when the characters look like the prized collectibles they’re supposed to be. Let’s hope HoYo maintains its current trajectory. There’s a future fashion show with Zenless Zone Zero‘s name on it.
