1. Overview โ What is Hollow Zero?
Hollow Zero is Zenless Zone Zero's flagship rogue-lite endgame mode. It challenges Proxies to lead their Agents through procedurally generated Hollow zones filled with deadly Ethereals, random events, and powerful bosses. Each run is a fresh experience โ the map layout, enemy encounters, and Resonia (buff items) are randomised every time you enter.
More than just a combat mode, Hollow Zero is the primary source of weekly progression materials. By clearing runs you earn Investigation Merits (capped weekly), which are exchanged for Agent Talent materials, W-Engine upgrade components, Drive Disc fuel, and exclusive cosmetics from the Outpost Logistics shop. Every endgame player must run Hollow Zero weekly to keep up their account progression.
โก Core Mechanics at a Glance
What sets Hollow Zero apart from standard content is its rogue-lite progression: you start each run weak and get exponentially stronger as you collect Resonia, making even the highest difficulties conquerable with smart picks. Conversely, poor decisions โ ignoring Corruption, mixing unfocused Resonia categories โ can sink an otherwise strong team.
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2. All Modes Explained
Hollow Zero has evolved significantly since launch. Here is every mode currently available, from the tutorial-level Story to the brutal Withering Garden.
๐ Story Mode (Hollow Deep Dive)
Unlock: Inter-Knot Level 20+ โ available immediately upon accessing Hollow Zero.
Story Mode is the introductory/tutorial version of Hollow Zero. It walks you through the basics: navigating the map, battling enemies in turn-based tile progressions, collecting Resonia, and understanding Corruption. The difficulty is tuned low enough that even undergeared teams can complete it.
- Rewards: One-time Polychrome rewards, basic Investigation Merits, Agent EXP
- Difficulty: Very Easy โ designed to teach mechanics
- Runs needed: Complete once for unlock the remaining modes
๐งน Routine Cleanup
Unlock: After completing Story Mode once.
Routine Cleanup is the daily/weekly farm mode. It offers three difficulty tiers โ Internal, Core, and Withering Garden (see below) โ each with increasing Corruption pressure and better rewards. Most players spend their weekly attempts here.
- Internal: Entry-level (~500 Investigation Merits per clear)
- Core: Mid-tier (~800 merits per clear)
- Rewards: Investigation Merits, Agent EXP, Dennies, occasional Resonia drops
๐ฅ Withering Garden (Lost Item Mode)
Unlock: Inter-Knot Level 40+ after clearing Core difficulty Routine Cleanup.
Withering Garden is the highest-difficulty Routine Cleanup tier and the true endgame of Hollow Zero. It features a unique "Lost Item" side objective: hidden items are scattered across the map, and collecting all of them before reaching the boss grants bonus rewards and a special Resonia.
๐ Withering Garden is your weekly priority. One clear yields ~1200+ Investigation Merits and the best chances at rare S-Rank Resonia. Run this twice per week to cap your rewards.
- Difficulty: High โ enemies hit harder, Corruption accumulates faster
- Lost Item Mechanic: Hidden items in specific tiles; collect all 3 for bonus chest
- Rewards: ~1200 merits, high Resonia drop rate, Lost Item completion bonus
โก Blitz Mode
Unlock: After clearing any Routine Cleanup difficulty once.
Blitz Mode is the speedrun variant. The map is significantly shorter (3โ5 zones instead of 8โ12), and all enemies are pre-spawned โ no turn-based tile movement. You fight waves back-to-back in a gauntlet format. Corruption still accumulates, but runs take 10โ15 minutes instead of 30โ40.
โฑ Blitz Mode is great for farming Investigation Merits quickly when you're short on time. One Blitz run at Core difficulty gives ~70% of a normal run's merits in half the time.
- Duration: 10โ15 minutes per run
- Rewards: Slightly reduced merit pool but much faster clears
- Best for: Quick weekly caps, last-minute Monday grinding
3. Progression System โ Corruption, Resonance & Components
๐ Corruption Levels
Corruption is Hollow Zero's central pressure mechanic. Every zone you advance increases your Corruption meter. When Corruption reaches certain thresholds, your Agents suffer stacking debuffs:
- Corruption 0โ30: No penalties โ safe zone
- Corruption 31โ60: Mild penalties: reduced healing received (โ20%), slight Daze resistance
- Corruption 61โ80: Moderate penalties: disabled Perfect Assists, increased damage taken (+30%)
- Corruption 81โ100: Severe penalties: all healing halved, Anomaly build-up reduced, constant HP drain
- Corruption 100+: Critical โ Agents take periodic massive damage; you are on a timer to finish
๐ง Corruption Management Strategy
Keep your Corruption below 60 for a comfortable run. Above 80 you're in emergency territory. Prioritize Rest nodes and Defense Resonia (which increase Pressure tolerance) to stay in control. Never enter a boss fight above Corruption 80 unless you have no choice.
โ๏ธ Gear Resonance
Gear Resonance is a passive bonus triggered by collecting enough Resonia from the same category. Each category has two resonance thresholds:
- 2-piece bonus: Minor stat boost (e.g., +8% ATK for Attack Resonia)
- 4-piece bonus: Major effect (e.g., +25% ATK + Crit Rate for Attack Resonia)
This system rewards focused builds. A team that stacks 4+ Attack Resonia with a 4-piece Attack Resonance is far stronger than one that grabs one of each category.
๐ง Component Resonance (S-Rank / A-Rank / B-Rank)
Components are special Resonia-equivalent items that gear into Component Resonance. They come in three ranks:
| Rank | Rarity | Drop Rate | Effect Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| S-Rank | Legendary | Rare (Withering Garden / Elite enemies) | Powerful unique effects (e.g., "Dodge Counter deals +200% DMG") |
| A-Rank | Epic | Common (Routine Cleanup / Boss chests) | Strong stat bonuses (e.g., +18% ATK, +12% Crit Rate) |
| B-Rank | Rare | Very common (all sources) | Moderate stat bonuses (e.g., +8% ATK) |
Component Resonance is separate from Gear Resonance and stacks multiplicatively. Equipping 3+ Components of the same rank triggers a Component Resonance effect โ for example, 3 S-Rank Components might grant "All team CRIT DMG +30%." Building around Components is a high-roll, high-reward strategy.
4. Resonia Tier List
Not all Resonia are created equal. Based on community testing and clear speed data, here is the definitive tier list. S-Tier are auto-picks; A-Tier are strong in specific comps; B-Tier should be avoided unless nothing else is available.
๐ S-Tier Resonia โ Best in Slot
| Resonia | Category | Effect | Why It's S-Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building Blocks | Attack | +25% ATK; every 3rd attack deals bonus DMG | Universal damage amp; works on every DPS |
| Data Archive | Attack | +15% CRIT Rate; hitting a Weakness extends buff duration | Largest CRIT Rate boost in the game |
| Final Clarion | Attack | Ultimates deal +40% DMG; using Ultimate buffs team ATK by 20% for 12s | Burst comps; Ultimate rotation teams |
| Magnetic Storm | Anomaly | Anomaly DMG +30%; triggers a shockwave on Anomaly proc | Best in slot for all Anomaly teams |
| Resonance Filter | Defense | +40% Pressure tolerance; taking DMG reduces Corruption by 5 | Corruption management king; enables boss survival |
๐ถ A-Tier Resonia โ Strong & Situational
| Resonia | Category | Effect | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fury Protocol | Attack | +18% ATK; hitting enemy increases ATK further (stacks 3x) | Sustained DPS teams |
| Thermal Exhaust | Anomaly | Burn/Burn DoT lasts +50% longer; Burning enemies take 15% more DMG | Fire Anomaly teams (Soldier 11, Burnice) |
| Ice Core | Anomaly | Freeze duration +30%; hitting Frozen enemies restores Energy | Ice teams (Ellen Joe, Lycaon) |
| Shield Amplifier | Defense | Shielding +35%; shielded allies deal +12% DMG | Defense/Support teams with shielders |
| Quick Charge | Support | Energy Regen +25%; using EX Special restores all team Energy by 10% | Energy-hungry comps; Ultimate spam |
| Reconstruction Protocol | Support | Healing received +30%; overheal grants a shield equal to 12% Max HP | Sustain teams; high-Corruption runs |
๐ฆ B-Tier Resonia โ Avoid Unless Desperate
| Resonia | Category | Effect | Why It's Weak |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat Battery | Attack | +6% ATK (flat) | Negligible boost; outclassed by every other Attack Resonia |
| Tough Hide | Defense | +10% DEF | DEF% is the worst stat in Hollow Zero; doesn't help with Corruption |
| Slow Burn | Anomaly | Anomaly DMG +5% | Only +5%; an A-Rank Anomaly Resonia gives triple this value |
| Minor Adjustment | Support | Healing +8% | Too small to matter; only useful as fodder for Component Synergy |
| Resonance Fragment | Special | +1 to a random Resonance | Random target = unreliable; only take if you need 1 more for a breakpoint |
๐ก Golden Rule of Resonia: Focus 1โ2 categories and hit the 4-piece Resonance bonus. A 4-set Attack Resonance + 2-set Anomaly Resonance is worth more than 6 random S-Tier Resonia from different categories.
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5. Character Tier List for Hollow Zero (by Role)
Certain Agents excel in Hollow Zero's unique environment thanks to AoE coverage, self-sustain, or synergy with top-tier Resonia. Here is the tier breakdown by role.
โ๏ธ Best DPS Agents
| Tier | Agent | Attribute | Why They Excel |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Miyabi | Ice | Massive AoE; self-buffing; best Resonia synergy of any DPS |
| S | Zhu Yuan | Ether | Ether ignores enemy shields; superb burst with Final Clarion Resonia |
| S | Ellen Joe | Ice | Excellent AoE on Basic/Special; Ice Core Resonia synergy |
| A | Soldier 11 | Fire | Consistent fire damage; Therman Exhaust synergy |
| A | Jane Doe | Physical | Anomaly queen; Magnetic Storm Resonia makes her a monster |
| A | Burnice | Fire | Off-field Anomaly application; pairs with any DPS |
| B | Nekomiya | Physical | Single-target; struggles in multi-wave Hollow Zero floors |
๐จ Best Stun Agents
| Tier | Agent | Attribute | Why They Excel |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Lycaon | Ice | Fast Daze build-up; Ice Resonia synergy; team Ice DMG boost |
| S | Qingyi | Electric | Highest Daze output in the game; built-in Corruption resist |
| A | Koleda | Fire | Reliable stuns; Burn synergy with fire teams |
| A | Anby | Electric | Free and effective; Quick Assist has short cooldown for constant Daze |
| B | Ben | Fire | Defense-based stunner; requires specific comp to shine |
๐ Best Support Agents
| Tier | Agent | Attribute | Why They Excel |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Rina | Electric | Penetration buff; team-wide Energy regen; S-Rank Support value |
| S | Soukaku | Ice | ATK-buffing queen; ice team cornerstone; Corruption cleanse on EX |
| A | Nicole | Ether | Debuff field; cheap EX Special; team Energy battery |
| A | Caesar | Physical | Shields + ATK buff; Shield Amplifier Resonia synergy is amazing |
| B | Lucy | Fire | Decent ATK buff; outclassed by Soukaku and Nicole for general use |
6. Corruption Management
Corruption is the single biggest run-ender in Hollow Zero โ not lack of damage, not bad Resonia RNG, but letting Corruption creep past critical thresholds. Here is how to master it.
๐ก๏ธ Corruption Rule #1: Never enter a boss fight at Corruption > 80. The boss applies bonus Corruption on hit, which can push you past 100 mid-fight and trigger the instant-wipe mechanic. Always Rest or use a Defense Resonia before the final zone.
๐ How Corruption Accumulates
- Entering a new zone: +8โ12 Corruption (varies by difficulty)
- Combat nodes (Elite): +5 Corruption per battle
- Event tiles (negative choice): +3โ15 Corruption depending on your choice
- Boss fights: +10โ20 Corruption just for starting (plus boss attacks add more)
๐ How to Reduce Corruption
- Rest nodes: The most reliable method. Each Rest reduces Corruption by 15โ25 (difficulty-dependent). Always route through a Rest before the boss.
- Defense Resonia: Items like Resonance Filter (+40 Pressure tolerance) effectively reduce Corruption's impact by raising the threshold before penalties kick in.
- Event choices: Some events offer "Cleanse Corruption" as a reward option. Prioritize these.
- Support Agent EX Skills: Certain Supports (Soukaku, Nicole) can reduce Corruption when their EX Special hits enemies.
- Avoid unnecessary combats: If your Corruption is high (>60), skip Elite nodes and take safe event tiles instead.
๐งฎ Corruption Math โ Sample Run
๐ก๏ธ Optimal Corruption Route Strategy
Here is the recommended routing priority to keep Corruption manageable:
- Always take Rest nodes when they appear โ especially the one immediately before the boss zone.
- Prioritize Defense Resonia in your first 3 picks. Even if you're building Attack, one Resonance Filter will pay for itself 10x over by enabling you to stack more Attack Resonia later.
- Skip Elite nodes if your Corruption is above 60. Elites give +10 Corruption โ not worth the extra risk.
- Learn event outcomes. Some event choices give +15 Corruption โ memorize which to avoid.
- Use Support EX Specials off-cooldown in high-Corruption zones for the passive cleanse effect.
7. Best Routes Through the Hollow
Route optimization is critical for maximizing rewards per run. Here are the best paths for each objective.
๐ Route for Maximum Rewards (Weekly Cap Priority)
๐ฏ Best weekly route: Withering Garden ร2 runs โ then Core difficulty ร1 or Blitz Core ร2. This caps your 3000 Investigation Merits efficiently in 3โ4 runs.
- Run 1: Withering Garden (Full clear + Lost Items) โ Target all 3 Lost Items before boss. Expected: 1200โ1400 merits.
- Run 2: Withering Garden (Fast clear, skip Lost Items if RNG is bad) โ Focus on boss kill. Expected: 1000โ1200 merits.
- Run 3 (if needed): Blitz Mode Core difficulty โ Quick 10-minute clean-up. Expected: ~600 merits.
โก Route for Speed (Time-Constrained)
- Blitz Mode (Core) โ straight line to boss, no detours
- Repeat until weekly cap is hit
- Each run: 10โ12 minutes, ~600โ700 merits
With Blitz Mode, 4โ5 runs will cap your weekly merits in under an hour. This is the most time-efficient method.
๐ก๏ธ Route for Safety (High Corruption Resistance)
- Focus on Defense Resonia in the first 3 zones (Resonance Filter, Shield Amplifier)
- Route through every Rest node โ even if it means skipping a combat or event
- Take safe event choices (check online event tables if unsure)
- Avoid Elites unless you have Resonance Filter equipped
๐บ๏ธ Map Reading Tip: The minimap shows Rest nodes as blue icons and Elites as red skulls. Plan your route backwards from the boss: ensure you have a Rest immediately before it, then fill in the path.
8. Weekly Rewards & Thresholds
Your weekly Investigation Merit cap is shared across all Hollow Zero modes. Here is exactly how to hit max rewards efficiently.
| Mode | Merits per Clear | Runs to Cap (3000) | Time per Run |
|---|---|---|---|
| Routine Cleanup โ Internal | ~500 | 6 | 20โ25 min |
| Routine Cleanup โ Core | ~800 | 4 | 25โ30 min |
| Withering Garden | ~1200 | 2โ3 | 30โ40 min |
| Blitz Mode โ Core | ~650 | 5 | 10โ12 min |
| Blitz Mode โ Withering | ~850 | 3โ4 | 12โ15 min |
๐ฐ Shop Priority โ Outpost Logistics
๐ Weekly Merit Cap Breakdown
- Base weekly cap: ~3000 Investigation Merits (may increase with Inter-Knot level)
- Withering Garden bonus: Lost Item collection adds ~200 extra merits per run
- First-clear bonuses: One-time large merit rewards for first clear of each difficulty
- Reset: Every Monday at 04:00 server time
โฐ Pro tip: If you're short on time Sunday night, do one Blitz Withering Garden run (~12 min) and two Blitz Core runs (~10 min each) = ~2200 merits in 32 minutes. Add one more Blitz Core = cap reached in ~42 minutes.
9. Frequently Asked Questions
Gear Resonance triggers when you equip 2 or 4 Resonia from the same category (e.g., 4 Attack Resonia = 4-piece Attack Resonance). Component Resonance triggers when you equip 3 Components of the same rank (S/A/B) and is a separate, multiplicative bonus. They stack with each other, so a run with 4 Attack Resonia + 3 S-Rank Components has two resonances active simultaneously.
Reach Inter-Knot Level 40 and complete a Core-difficulty Routine Cleanup run. Withering Garden will then appear as the highest difficulty option in Routine Cleanup. You can also access it via Blitz Mode once unlocked.
Lost Items are hidden collectible items scattered across the Withering Garden map. There are 3 per run, appearing in random zones. Collecting all 3 before defeating the final boss rewards a bonus chest with extra Investigation Merits and a guaranteed A-Rank or S-Rank Resonia. Check suspicious tiles and event nodes for hidden items.
Attack Resonia is universally strong and safe for any team. If you're running an Anomaly DPS (Jane Doe, Burnice, Grace), Anomaly Resonia becomes top priority. Always grab at least one Defense Resonia (Resonance Filter is best) for Corruption management. Avoid mixing more than 2 categories โ focus is more important than individual power.
Yes โ especially for time efficiency. Blitz Mode gives ~75โ80% of the Investigation Merits of a full run in half the time. However, you get fewer Resonia drops per run because there are fewer zones. For weekly merit capping, Blitz is excellent. For Resonia farming, do full Withering Garden runs instead.
Below 60 is safe. Below 40 is ideal. Between 60โ80 is risky โ the boss will apply bonus Corruption on hit, potentially pushing you past 100 mid-fight. Above 80 is extremely dangerous. Always try to Rest before the boss zone or equip a Defense Resonia to raise your tolerance threshold.
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๐ฏ Recommended Team Synergies for Hollow Zero
โ๏ธ Ice Freeze Comp
Miyabi / Ellen Joe + Lycaon + Soukaku โ 4-piece Ice Resonia, Ice Core component. Perma-freeze everything. Soukaku's ATK buff + Corruption cleanse makes this the safest comp.
๐ฅ Fire Burn Comp
Soldier 11 + Koleda + Lucy / Burnice โ 4-piece Attack Resonia + Thermal Exhaust. Constant Burn application; Koleda stuns fast; high burst damage during Daze.
โก Anomaly Melt Comp
Jane Doe + Burnice + Caesar โ 4-piece Anomaly Resonia + Magnetic Storm. Assault procs everywhere; Caesar provides shield; works at any Corruption level thanks to Anomaly ignoring DEF.
๐ Ether Nuke Comp
Zhu Yuan + Qingyi + Nicole โ 4-piece Attack Resonia + Final Clarion. Qingyi stuns fast; Nicole shreds Ether RES; Zhu Yuan's Ultimate deals 400k+ in the Daze window.