Honestly, if you’ve spent any time in New Erebu, you already know the vibe. It’s gritty. It’s flashy. But when Jane Doe dropped, the entire meta for Zenless Zone Zero basically shifted overnight. We aren't just talking about a new character with a cool design. We are talking about a fundamental mechanical change in how players approach the endgame.
Jane Doe isn't your typical Physical Anomaly agent. She's faster. She’s more erratic.
Most people look at her and just see a rat-thiren in a leather jacket. They see the Criminal Investigation Special Response Team (NEPS) badge and think she's just another police procedural trope. They’re wrong. Jane is arguably the most complex "dance" HoYoverse has ever coded into an action RPG. If you’re playing her like a standard DPS, you’re leaving about 40% of her damage on the floor.
Let’s get into why she actually matters.
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The Passion State: It’s Not Just a Gimmick
Most agents in Zenless Zone Zero have a meter. You fill it, you get a buff. Simple.
Jane Doe’s Passion state is different because it’s a high-stakes timer that rewards pure aggression while punishing hesitation. When she enters the Passion state, her physical anomaly buildup goes through the roof. But here’s the kicker: she gains access to a multi-hit flurry that can trigger Assault faster than any other unit in the game.
Why does Assault matter? Because of Flinch.
In high-level Shiyu Defense runs, the goal isn't just to deal damage. It's to stop the boss from moving. Jane’s kit is built to constantly stagger enemies by cycling through her Salchow Jump and her Core Passive. It's a rhythmic loop. You dash, you multi-hit, you trigger the Passion state, and then you unload.
The nuance comes in the Precision Dodge. Unlike Ben or even Anby, Jane's dodge isn't just defensive. It is her primary offensive tool. She can perform a "Special Dodge" that lets her phase through attacks and immediately transition into a multi-hit counter that builds Passion meter. If you aren't dodging, you aren't winning.
Stop Building Jane Doe Like a Traditional Attacker
I see this a lot in the community. People throw standard Attack % discs on her and wonder why their clear times are slow.
Jane Doe scales off Anomaly Proficiency.
In Zenless Zone Zero, Anomaly Proficiency doesn't just increase the damage of the proc; it increases the "crunch" of the hit. For Jane, her core passive allows her Physical Anomaly damage to critically hit. Read that again. Traditionally, status effects in these games don't crit. Jane breaks that rule.
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The Gear That Actually Works
- Freedom Blues (2-Piece): This is non-negotiable for the Proficiency boost.
- Fanged Metal (4-Piece): Since Jane is constantly triggering Assault, the 35% damage bonus against targets with the Assault debuff is basically permanent.
- The Core Stat Priority: Anomaly Proficiency > Physical Damage > Attack % > Everything else.
Don't bother with Crit Rate or Crit Damage on her sub-stats. Her passive converts her Proficiency into a fixed crit chance for her Anomaly procs. You’re literally wasting slots if you try to build her like Ellen Joe. It’s a different engine under the hood.
The NEPS Synergy and the "Undercover" Lore
The story of Jane Doe in Zenless Zone Zero is actually one of the better-written arcs in the game's early lifecycle. She’s an undercover operative. She’s "ratting" for the police while infiltrating the Mountain Lion gang.
This translates into her gameplay through her synergy with Seth Lowell.
Seth is a protector, sure, but his real value is the massive Anomaly Proficiency buff he passes to the previous character in the rotation when he uses his shield. You swap from Seth to Jane, and suddenly Jane is hitting like a freight train. Adding a third slot like Rina for PEN ratio or Grace for a "Disorder" comp turns the game into a chaotic mess of numbers.
Disorder is where the real ceiling is. If you trigger Shock with Grace and then immediately trigger Assault with Jane, you get a massive burst of "Disorder" damage that can chunk a boss’s health bar by 20% in a single second. It requires timing. It requires a bit of sweat. But it’s the most satisfying thing in the game.
What Most People Get Wrong About Her "Rat" Persona
There was a lot of noise online about her design. Some people found the "rat-thiren" aesthetic a bit too "on the nose."
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But if you look at the animations, there’s a level of intentionality there that mimics rodent-like movements—twitchy, low-profile, and explosive. Her "Salchow Jump" isn't just a fancy name; it’s a figure-skating move translated into a combat stance. She’s graceful but disgusting in how she shreds through armor.
The voice acting (in all languages, really) carries this "fake it till you make it" energy. She’s playing a part. When she’s with the Mountain Lions, she’s cold. When she’s with Zhu Yuan or Seth, the mask slips. It adds a layer of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) to the character writing that makes her feel lived-in. She isn't just a waifu-bait pull; she’s a cornerstone of the world-building regarding how New Eridu handles organized crime.
The High-Level Combat Loop
To master Jane, you need to understand the dash-cancel.
Her basic attack string has a lot of "end lag"—that annoying moment where the character poses and you can't move. You have to break that. By tapping the dash button mid-combo, Jane resets her positioning without losing her Passion stacks.
- Step 1: Build Passion using her Special Attack or by dodging.
- Step 2: Once the bar is red, stay close.
- Step 3: Use the "hold" version of her basic attack to spin.
- Step 4: Dodge-cancel the final hit to stay in the pocket of the enemy's hitbox.
It sounds simple. In practice, when a giant robot is trying to stomp you, it feels like playing a rhythm game at 200 BPM.
Is She F2P Friendly?
Kinda.
Her signature engine, Sharpened Stinger, is a massive power spike. It gives her a stackable damage buff and more Proficiency. However, if you're a low-spender, the Rainforest Gourmet (the craftable engine from the gadget shop) is a decent substitute. It’s not "best in slot," but it gets the job done for 90% of the content.
The real cost of Jane Doe isn't the pulls; it's the skill ceiling. You can't "unga-bunga" through the game with her. If you miss your dodges, she’s squishy. She will get one-shot by late-game bosses if you’re lazy with your inputs.
The Shiyu Defense Reality Check
We’ve seen the data. Players using Jane Doe are clearing the later stages of Shiyu Defense significantly faster than those relying on standard physical attackers like Billy or Nekomata.
This isn't just power creep. It’s a shift in how the game rewards "active" time on field. Jane wants to be out there 90% of the time. She isn't a "swap in, burst, swap out" character. She’s the star of the show. If you prefer a quick-swap playstyle, you might actually hate her. She demands the spotlight.
Actionable Steps for Your Jane Doe Build
If you just pulled her or you're struggling to make her work, stop what you're doing and follow this checklist.
- Check your Proficiency: If your Jane Doe has less than 350 Anomaly Proficiency, go back to the farming nodes. You need that number higher to see those big Assault numbers.
- Level her Core Skill: Her passive critical conversion is tied directly to her Core Skill level. This is more important than leveling her basic attack.
- Fix your Rotation: Start the fight with your support (like Seth or Rina). Get their buffs active. Then bring Jane in. Never lead with Jane unless you’re just clearing trash mobs.
- Learn the Dodge Timing: Go into the VR training mode and just practice dodging the standard Heavy Striker. Don't even attack. Just learn how her special dodge feels.
Jane Doe represents a turning point for Zenless Zone Zero. She’s the proof that HoYoverse is willing to experiment with weird, niche mechanics that require actual player skill rather than just a high credit card limit. She's fast, she's dangerous, and she's easily the most rewarding character to master in the current roster.
Master the Passion state, and you master the game. It’s that simple. Get the Proficiency high, keep the rhythm steady, and watch the health bars melt under the weight of a thousand needle-prick hits.
Next Phase: Advanced Optimization
To take your Jane Doe to the absolute limit, focus on Anomaly Mastery on your 6th Disc slot. This ensures that while her hits are powerful, the status effects trigger even more frequently, allowing for back-to-back Disorder procs when paired with an Electric or Ether agent. Don't ignore the impact of a high-level Bangboo like Officer Cui, either—the extra physical buildup from the chain attack can be the difference between a S-rank and an A-rank clear in the final floors of the Tower.