Overview
Billy Kid is an A-Rank Physical Attack agent and member of the Cunning Hares. As an android gunslinger, Billy dual-wields pistols and fights from range, making him one of the safest DPS characters in Zenless Zone Zero. His kit revolves around his EX Special — "Bullet Storm" — where he unleashes a barrage of rapid-fire shots in a wide cone in front of him, dealing Physical damage to everything caught in the spray. His Ultimate is a flashy AoE attack that hits all enemies on screen, making him exceptionally strong in multi-wave content like Hollow Zero and farming stages.
Billy's primary strength is his AoE coverage and safe positioning. Unlike melee DPS characters who need to be in the enemy's face (and thus at risk of taking damage), Billy can maintain distance and still deal full damage. His Dodge Counter fires a powerful shot that deals increased damage compared to his normal attacks, incentivizing an active, dodge-heavy playstyle. In story content and early-game modes, Billy's ability to clear entire waves of enemies with a single Ultimate makes him incredibly efficient for speed farming.
The main drawback to Billy's kit is his lower single-target damage compared to other DPS options. Against bosses with large HP pools, Billy's damage falls off compared to Corin or premium S-Rank DPS. He also lacks any significant self-buffing mechanic — his damage is consistent but has no explosive spike potential. For these reasons, Billy is best used as an AoE specialist and gradually transitions into a farming/crowd-control role as you acquire stronger DPS agents for endgame boss content.
Skill Priority
| Priority | Skill | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | EX Special: Bullet Storm | Billy's primary damage skill. Fires 12+ rapid shots in a wide cone. Leveling increases each shot's multiplier, providing significant total damage gains. |
| 2nd | Ultimate: Showdown | Full-screen AoE attack with high base multiplier. Excellent for wave clearing and deals respectable single-target damage. One of the best AoE Ultimates among A-Ranks. |
| 3rd | Basic Attack: Gunslinger | His 5-hit ranged combo provides consistent damage between cooldowns. The final hit deals increased damage at longer range — position accordingly. |
| 4th | Dodge Attack | Billy's Dodge Counter is stronger than average and should be used offensively. It has no resource cost and can be chained continuously. |
| 5th | Chain Attack | Used during Stun windows. Decent damage but Billy's Chain Attack multiplier is lower than melee-focused characters. |
| 6th | Core Passive: Lone Star | Grants bonus damage against enemies affected by Assault. Useful but requires a teammate like Piper to enable consistently. |
Best W-Engines
| Rank | W-Engine | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| S-Tier | Steel Cushion | Best-in-slot. CRIT Rate main stat and stacking Physical DMG Bonus on hit — Billy's rapid-fire attacks max the stacks almost instantly. |
| A-Tier | Starlight Engine (Craftable) | Best F2P option. ATK% main stat and ATK buff on Dodge Counter/Assist — Billy's mobile playstyle triggers this constantly. |
| B-Tier | The Brimstone | Universal ATK% W-Engine with stacking DMG buff. Works on any Attack agent but lacks Billy-specific synergy. |
| C-Tier | Street Superstar | Budget option with ATK main stat. The Ultimate-related effect is situational but Billy does use his Ultimate frequently for wave clearing. |
Best Drive Discs
| Setup | Discs | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Optimal | 4-Fanged Metal + 2-Woodpecker Electro | Best general setup. Fanged Metal provides Physical DMG Bonus and ATK stacking. Woodpecker Electro's 8% CRIT Rate helps Billy's many small hits crit consistently. |
| CRIT Build | 4-Woodpecker Electro + 2-Fanged Metal | Alternative if you have high CRIT DMG. 4-piece Woodpecker provides stacking ATK on crit, which Billy triggers rapidly with his multi-hit attacks. |
| Budget | 4-Fanged Metal + 2-Hormone Punk | Serviceable while farming better discs. Hormone Punk provides unconditional 10% ATK. |
Main Stat Recommendations
- Disc 4: CRIT Rate or CRIT DMG — aim for 1:2 ratio. CRIT Rate recommended as baseline for multi-hit consistency.
- Disc 5: Physical DMG Bonus — amplifies all of Billy's damage. No alternatives.
- Disc 6: ATK% — straightforward damage scaling. Billy has no special stat needs beyond ATK and CRIT.
Substat Priority
- CRIT Rate / CRIT DMG — target 50%+ CRIT Rate and 100%+ CRIT DMG
- ATK% — every piece should ideally carry ATK%
- Flat ATK — additive but helps since Billy has high hit frequency
- PEN — useful against high-DEF enemies in Shiyu Defense
Best Team Compositions
F2P Core Team (Recommended)
- Billy (DPS) — Ranged AoE damage and wave clearing
- Anby (Stun) — Free Stun agent, reliable Daze application
- Nicole (Support) — DEF shred and black hole groups enemies for Billy's cone attacks
Rotation: Nicole EX Special to group and debuff → Anby builds Daze → Stun window opens → Chain Attack into Billy → EX Special (Bullet Storm) into the grouped enemies → Ultimate to finish. Nicole's grouping is essential — without it, Billy's cone-shaped attacks waste potential on scattered enemies.
Physical AoE Team
- Billy (DPS) — AoE wave clear specialist
- Piper (Anomaly/Sub-DPS) — Applies Assault for Billy's Core Passive bonus damage
- Lucy (Support) — Team-wide ATK buff, Sons of Calydon synergy with Piper
Premium Range Team
- Billy (DPS)
- Lycaon or Qingyi (Stun) — Fast Daze for more frequent Stun windows
- Rina (Support) — PEN Ratio buffs help Billy's multi-hit attacks punch through enemy defenses
Combat Rotation & Tips
- Positioning: Stay at medium range — close enough that all your shots connect, far enough that you can easily dodge enemy attacks. Billy's 5th Basic Attack deals bonus damage at range.
- Dodge Dancing: Use Dodge Counters aggressively. Billy's Dodge Counter deals 50% more damage than his Basic Attacks and has no resource cost. You can chain Dodge Counters against aggressive bosses.
- Stun Window: When the enemy is stunned, move closer (but not point-blank) and fire Bullet Storm. All 12+ shots will hit for maximum damage against the stationary target.
- Wave Clearing: In multi-wave content, save Billy's Ultimate for when a new wave spawns. The full-screen AoE will instantly clear or severely damage all enemies.
- Energy Management: Billy's EX Special costs moderate Energy. Use it once per Stun window, not on cooldown. Between Stun windows, rely on Basic Attacks and Dodge Counters.
Key Tips: Billy's damage falls off significantly if you're too close to enemies — his bullets have a damage ramp based on distance traveled. The sweet spot is about 2-3 character lengths away. In Hollow Zero, Billy's Ultimate and EX Special combined can clear entire rooms of small enemies, making him one of the fastest farming agents in the game.
Mindscape Cinema (Duplicates) Value
- M1: EX Special fires 3 additional shots. ~25% more damage per Bullet Storm use. Excellent early power spike.
- M2: Ultimate damage increased by 30%. Significant for Billy's wave-clearing strength. ~15% overall DPS increase.
- M4: Core Passive damage bonus against Assault-affected enemies increased from 15% to 25%. Requires teammate setup but strong when active.
- M6: Every 5th hit from Bullet Storm deals 200% damage. With 15+ shots per EX Special, this procs 3+ times. ~30% burst increase. Transformative.
Billy's M1 is an outstanding early power spike and easily achievable on any account. M6 significantly improves his single-target damage output, partially addressing his main weakness. As a free starter character, Billy's Cinema levels will accumulate naturally over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the best W-Engine for Billy?
Billy's best W-Engine is Steel Cushion, which provides CRIT Rate and a stacking Physical DMG Bonus on hit — ideal for his rapid-fire dual-pistol attacks that max stacks instantly. The craftable Starlight Engine is the best F2P option, providing ATK% and an ATK buff on Dodge Counter that perfectly matches Billy's dodge-heavy mobile playstyle.
Q: Which Drive Discs should Billy use?
The optimal setup is 4-piece Fanged Metal and 2-piece Woodpecker Electro. Fanged Metal provides Physical DMG Bonus with stacking ATK, while Woodpecker Electro's 8% CRIT Rate helps Billy's numerous small hits achieve consistent crits. The 4-piece Woodpecker variant is viable if you have high CRIT DMG from substats and W-Engine.
Q: What are Billy's best teammates?
Billy pairs well with Anby for Stun and Nicole for DEF shred, forming the classic F2P core team. Lucy provides excellent ATK buffs with faction synergy. Nicole's black hole grouping is particularly valuable because it clumps enemies together for Billy's cone-shaped Bullet Storm, effectively multiplying his AoE damage against grouped targets.
Q: Is Billy viable for endgame content?
Billy can clear early Shiyu Defense floors and all story content comfortably, but his single-target damage falls off in later Critical Node floors compared to S-Rank DPS. He excels in Hollow Zero where wave clearing is valued, and his Ultimate's full-screen AoE makes him one of the fastest farming agents. Keep Billy as your AoE specialist rather than your primary boss-killer.
Q: How should I position Billy during combat?
Stay at medium range — approximately 2-3 character lengths from enemies. Billy's bullets have a distance-based damage ramp, and his 5th Basic Attack deals significantly more damage at longer range. However, you also need to be close enough that all Bullet Storm shots connect. The sweet spot keeps enemies at the edge of his cone's effective range for maximum damage.
Q: Should I use Billy or Corin as my main DPS?
Corin is generally better for single-target boss content due to her higher burst damage during Stun windows. Billy excels at AoE and wave clearing — his Ultimate hits everything on screen. If you can only build one, Corin provides more value for Shiyu Defense boss floors. Build both if possible: Corin for bosses, Billy for Hollow Zero and farming stages where his AoE shines.