📋 Character Overview
Starlight Billy is an S-Rank Physical Rupture agent released in Zenless Zone Zero version 2.8 (Phase 2, ending June 16, 2026). He is the powered-up variant of the original A-Rank Billy Kid, now wielding the enhanced power of the Cunning Hares' star performer. Unlike his A-Rank counterpart, Starlight Billy is a dedicated burst damage dealer who specializes in the Rupture mechanic — a physical damage multiplier that deals massive single-target burst damage when triggered on a staggered or stunned enemy.
Starlight Billy's core gameplay revolves around building Showtime stacks through his basic attack chain and dodges. Once Showtime reaches maximum stacks, his next Special Attack transforms into Rupture Shot, a devastating close-range pistol blast that deals up to 2,800% of his ATK as Physical damage. During his Ultimate, he enters an enhanced state that grants infinite Showtime stacks for its duration, allowing rapid Rupture Shot spam. He also gains bonus CRIT Rate against enemies with less than 50% HP, making him an exceptional executioner.
Strengths: Highest single-target Physical burst in the game (Rupture Shot at full investment can exceed 3,500% ATK scaling); excellent execution potential with CRIT Rate bonus against low-HP enemies; stylish and responsive gameplay with fluid dancelike animations; strong synergy with stun agents. Weaknesses: Heavily reliant on stun windows to maximize Rupture Shot damage (Rupture deals significantly more damage to stunned enemies); weak sustained damage outside of his burst windows; Showtime stacks decay if he's off-field for more than 5 seconds, punishing poor rotation management.
Base Stats (Lv. 60)
🔧 Best W-Engine (Weapon)
| Priority | W-Engine | Rarity | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 Best | Starshot Overture (Signature) | S | Starlight Billy's signature W-Engine. Provides Physical DMG Bonus and a massive CRIT Rate boost. Its passive increases Rupture Shot damage by 35% and grants Energy on CRIT hits, enabling faster Ultimate rotations. Total damage increase over the next best option is approximately 28%. |
| 🥈 Alternative | Marcato Desire | A | Battle Pass W-Engine offering CRIT Rate and bonus damage on Chain Attacks and Ultimate. Good synergy with stun-burst playstyle. At R5, reaches roughly 78% of Starshot Overture's performance. Requires BP purchase. |
| 🥉 F2P Option | Starlight Engine Reforged | A | Craftable A-rank W-Engine available through the in-game crafting system. Provides ATK% and bonus Physical DMG on hits. A solid F2P choice that works well with any Attack/Rupture agent. At R5, roughly 72% of signature performance. |
| 🔄 Starter | Brimstone (standard S-Rank) | S | Standard banner S-rank Attack W-Engine. Provides ATK% stacking on hits. While not specifically designed for Rupture agents, its raw stats make it a strong general option if you have it lying around. Roughly 70% of signature performance at S0. |
💡 Starlight Billy's CRIT needs are substantial. Prioritize W-Engines that provide CRIT Rate or CRIT DMG in their base stats — this frees up substats for ATK% and PEN.
💿 Drive Disc Recommendations
Best Set: Fanged Metal (4-Piece) + Hormone Punk (2-Piece)
Fanged Metal 4-Piece: Increases Physical DMG by 10% and grants an additional 35% Physical DMG for 12 seconds after hitting an enemy with a Special Attack. Since Starlight Billy constantly uses his Special Attack to trigger Rupture, this set bonus has excellent uptime (roughly 85% in practice).
Hormone Punk 2-Piece: Increases ATK by 10%, providing a clean ATK multiplier on top of Fanged Metal's Physical DMG.
Alternative Set: Polar Metal (4-Piece) + Woodpecker Electro (2-Piece)
Polar Metal 4-Piece: Increases Ice DMG by 10% and provides 30% CRIT DMG during Frost state. While not elementally aligned, the 30% CRIT DMG bonus is valuable for Starlight Billy if you can maintain Cryo support. This is a sidegrade option specifically for mono-crit stacking.
Woodpecker Electro 2-Piece: Increases CRIT Rate by 8%, helping Starlight Billy reach his crit thresholds more easily.
Main Stat Priority
| Slot | Main Stat | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Slot IV | CRIT DMG (priority) / CRIT Rate | Starlight Billy gets 15% bonus CRIT Rate against enemies below 50% HP from his Core Passive. Prioritize CRIT DMG to maximize Rupture Shot crits. Use CRIT Rate if you're below 45% CRIT Rate without it. |
| Slot V | Physical DMG Bonus | Straightforward Physical damage amplification. ATK% is a distant second choice — only use if you have no Physical DMG pieces available. |
| Slot VI | ATK% | ATK% directly feeds into Rupture Shot's enormous scaling. Energy Regen is not recommended since his ideal play is stun-burst, not sustained field time. |
Substat Priority
CRIT Rate (>55%) > CRIT DMG > ATK% > PEN
⭐ Skill Priority
| Priority | Skill | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| S+ Highest | Special Attack · Rupture Shot | Starlight Billy's most important skill. The Rupture Shot at max Showtime stacks is his primary damage source, accounting for roughly 55-60% of total damage. At max level, a single Rupture Shot on a stunned enemy can exceed 3,500% ATK scaling. Level 12 priority. |
| S Highest | Ultimate | His Ultimate puts him in an enhanced state with infinite Showtime stacks, enabling rapid Rupture Shots. Accounts for approximately 20-25% of total damage in a full rotation. Level 11 recommended. |
| A High | Chain Attack | Used as a follow-up to stun. Decent damage and builds Showtime stacks. Level 9. |
| A High | Basic Attack | Primary tool for building Showtime stacks outside of stun windows. Each basic attack in the chain generates Showtime buildup. Level 7-9. |
| B Low | Dodge | Dodge Counter builds one Showtime stack. Mostly a defensive tool. Level 6. |
🤝 Team Compositions
Starlight Billy is a classic stun-burst carry. He wants a fast stunner to create damage windows, and a support to amplify his Rupture Shot damage.
🥇 Stun-Burst Dream Team (Best)
Starlight Billy + Lycaon + Soukaku
Lycaon provides Ice RES shred (25%) and the fastest stun application among all stunners. More importantly, the Ice element enables Chill/Freeze which extends stun windows. Soukaku provides massive ATK buffs (up to 1,000 ATK) and Ice DMG%. The extended stun duration from Lycaon + Soukaku's freeze gives Starlight Billy time to land multiple Rupture Shots. Rotation: Soukaku E+Q to buff → Lycaon stun rotation → Billy swaps in during stun → Rupture Shot × 3-4 → Ultimate enhanced state → more Rupture Shots. This team has the highest burst ceiling.
🥈 Fast Stun (High Consistency)
Starlight Billy + Qingyi + Rina
Qingyi provides the fastest general stun application in the game, creating reliable burst windows every 10-12 seconds. Rina provides teamwide PEN%, which directly amplifies Physical Rupture damage. This team is slightly lower in peak damage than the Lycaon variant (about 8-10% less) but much more consistent and easier to pilot. Ideal for players still learning Starlight Billy's rotation.
🥉 Budget Starter
Starlight Billy + Anby + Nicole
Anby provides decent stun application with fast dodge counters. Nicole provides universal DEF shred and grouping. This team clears all story content and can handle endgame content at moderate investment. The lower ceiling means you'll need better Drive Discs to clear Shiyu Defense, but it's a perfectly functional entry point.
🎮 Playstyle & Rotation
Starlight Billy is a burst window specialist. His damage outside stun is mediocre — all his power is concentrated in the 5-6 second stun window:
- Setup Phase: Open with support (Soukaku/Rina) to apply buffs. Swap to stunner (Lycaon/Qingyi) to build daze gauge. While building daze, weave in Billy's basic attacks to build Showtime stacks — do not use his Special Attack yet.
- Pre-Stun Preparation: When the enemy's daze bar is in the red zone (~70-80%), ensure Billy has 4-5 Showtime stacks (near max). Position him close to the enemy — Rupture Shot has surprisingly short range for a pistol attack.
- Burst Phase: When the enemy enters stun, immediately use Billy's Special Attack (now transformed into Rupture Shot). If available, use Ultimate first (activates enhanced state with infinite stacks), then spam Rupture shots during the stun window. Each Rupture Shot deals ~2,800-3,500% ATK as Physical damage.
- Clean Up: If the enemy survives, Chain Attack with Billy to apply a finishing Rupture Shot. Swap back to stunner to start the next cycle. Starlight Billy's off-field presence should be minimal — he's purely a burst swap-in.
💡 Showtime Management: Each basic attack in the chain generates 1 stack (maximum 6). A perfect dodge counter generates 2 stacks. Your Special Attack (Rupture Shot) consumes all stacks — the more stacks consumed, the higher the damage multiplier. Always aim for 6 stacks before using Rupture Shot for maximum efficiency.
⚠️ Showtime stacks decay after 5 seconds off-field. If you swap to your stunner for too long, Billy's stacks will reset to 0. Plan your rotations so Billy is on-field within 4-5 seconds of the stun window to maintain his stacks. A common mistake is stunning the enemy but having Billy at 0 stacks — this wastes the entire stun window.
❓ FAQ
Yes — they are fundamentally different characters. Billy Kid (A-Rank, Physical Attack) is a sustained DPS who stays on-field dealing consistent damage. Starlight Billy (S-Rank, Physical Rupture) is a burst damage specialist who nukes during stun windows. Starlight Billy's Rupture Shot at M0 outdamages Billy Kid's entire rotation at C6 by approximately 40%. They share a name and aesthetic, but their playstyles are entirely distinct. If you need a Physical burst carry, Starlight Billy is a substantial upgrade.
Target at least 55% CRIT Rate (the passive 15% against low-HP enemies brings this to 70% for execution, which is the sweet spot). For CRIT DMG, aim for 140%+ at moderate investment and 170%+ at endgame. Since Rupture Shot has enormous base scaling, CRIT stats provide the highest multiplicative returns of any substat.
Technically yes, but it's not recommended. Rupture Shot deals approximately 60% more damage to stunned enemies. Without a stunner, you lose a massive damage multiplier. If you absolutely must play him without one, pair him with Burnice for Disorder procs instead — but his overall contribution will be roughly 35-40% lower than in a proper stun-burst team.
Starlight Billy is available in Phase 2 of Version 2.8, which began on May 27, 2026 and ends on June 16, 2026. He shares the banner with Promeia (Phase 1, ended May 26). After June 16, both will enter the standard pool in a future update. If you want him, now is the time to pull!