ZZZ Version 2.8: Top 5 Cinema I, Number One Still Unmatched!

Zenless Zone Zero Version 2.8 has been live for a while. Several powerful characters have been released in recent versions; some are complete at 0 Cinema, while others possess incredibly strong "Cinema I"s. Today, we've compiled a list of the top 5 strongest "Cinema I"s in Version 2.8—those that, once obtained, provide outstanding contributions to the character or the team.

TOP5: Astra Yao

As a veteran Support Agent from Version 1.5, Astra's current position is quite awkward. Although she is still usable in most teams and possesses decent support capabilities, Dialyn is now a direct upgrade for all of Yao's team compositions. When competing with other Support Agents, she lacks a dedicated niche team, offering little advantage.

Astra once stood out among all Support Agents thanks to her Cinema I, and the improvement rate from her Cinema I remains among the very best even today, arguably the strongest among Support Agents. However, given her somewhat underwhelming base kit, Astra's Cinema I has become the lifeline keeping her relevant in team compositions. Having her Cinema I is the foundation for considering her in a team; without it, there are usually better alternatives in most scenarios, hence her drop to fifth place.

TOP4: Promeia

The main DPS released at the end of Season 2 in Version 2.8. With the support of her exclusive buff and boss, Promeia is nearly on par with Aria as an anomaly DPS, and her overall performance is stronger than Hoshimi Miyabi with the same Cinema count. Combined with her high ease of use, Promeia is a quite worthwhile Agent for players lacking a strong anomaly DPS.

Promeia's Cinema I provides better skill rotation, significantly improving gameplay fluidity. In terms of numbers, it grants the entire team 15% DEF Ignore for Abloom, a team-wide enhancement, making it a transformative Cinema for Promeia.

TOP3: Dialyn

Dialyn represents the new-era standard for a Stun Agent. With decent support ability, Stun speed that far exceeds current needs, and a unique extra Ultimate opportunity, she has become the best Stun choice for all teams. She also brings transformative enhancements to characters like Ye Shunguang, Yixuan, and Seed, offering very high performance floors and ceilings.

Dialyn's Cinema I also provides substantial benefits. In terms of support, it grants 15% RES Ignore. Mechanically, it provides the crucial favorable review mechanics, enabling more frequent Ultimates, which synergizes exceptionally well with ultimate-reliant main DPS. The overall improvement from Dialyn's Cinema I is similar to that from her exclusive weapon. However, since Daze-related effects don't significantly boost Ye Shunguang, her Cinema I becomes especially important for her.

TOP2: Aria

After the release of the Phantom Angels set, Aria has firmly secured her position as the premier main DPS after Ye Shunguang. Her high-frequency Abloom bursts combined with exceptional base stats, paired with teammates offering both perfect synergy and outstanding numbers, give her not only solid raw power but also the ability to excel in the current anomaly environment.

Her Cinema I is one of the rare few that enhances both mechanics and numerical stats. It provides the extremely rare effect of Abloom Critical Hits, and the critical rate scales with her Anomaly Mastery, representing an independent damage multiplier that doesn't suffer from diminishing returns. If Aria at 0+1 is already one of the strongest anomaly DPS, then the complete 1+1 Aria truly creates a noticeable gap between her and other characters.

TOP1: Ye Shunguang

Ye Shunguang ended the era where the Physical attribute lacked a direct damage main DPS. Even the rotation after unlocking her Cinema II can be described as "brain-dead simple." It can be said that meta players unanimously choose Ye Shunguang, hoping this Void Hunter ensures a smooth gaming experience for multiple future versions.

Her Cinema I is the most crucial enhancement for Ye Shunguang besides her exclusive weapon. Numerically, it provides 10% increased damage and 20% DEF Ignore. Mechanically, it grants immediate burst capability at the start of combat. Cinema I essentially removes the gameplay restrictions on Ye Shunguang. Having it or not leads to completely different experiences in many scenarios.

The strength balance for most characters in Zenless Zone Zero with a 0+1 setup is handled quite well, but the Cinema I strength of the characters featured in this list is definitely worth pulling for. For which characters have you pulled for their Cinema? How was the experience? See you next time!