If you’ve managed to pull Anton in Zenless Zone Zero, you already know the guy packs a mean Pile Driver. But here’s the catch – having a powerful A-Rank Electric Attack agent doesn’t mean much if you can’t ascend him past the early levels. I’ve been there, staring at the promotion screen wondering why my damage just isn’t keeping up with my team. Turns out, I needed a truckload of specific materials. Well, after farming endlessly and finally maxing out my Anton in 2026, I’m here to hand you the complete blueprint. Ready to turn your hard‑hitting Belobog mechanic into a true thunder bringer?
Who is Anton and why should you care?
Anton is one of the most straightforward yet devastating DPS units in Zenless Zone Zero. He’s a senior member of Belobog Heavy Industries, an A‑Rank Attack Agent, and he deals exclusively Electric damage. Unlike some flashier S‑Ranks, Anton relies on raw, brute‑force attacks with his signature Pile Driver – a massive shock‑hammer that can send Ethereals flying. But what really makes him shine is how reliable he is. Need a constant source of electro DPS without a complex rotation? Anton’s your guy.
Before we list all the materials, I want to point out Anton’s stat profile. As you can see above, his base ATK is no joke for an A‑Rank, and his high Electric damage scaling means every bit of investment goes a long way. If you just pulled him from the “Mellow Waveride” limited‑time banner (where every ten pulls guarantees an A‑Rank), you’re already off to a great start. Even if you got him from the standard banner, don’t sleep on him – with the right materials, he can out‑damage some S‑Ranks in pure single‑target scenarios.
The three material categories you absolutely need
To fully build Anton, you need three types of materials:
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Character Promotion (Level Break) materials – required to increase Anton’s level cap at key intervals (every 10 levels).
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Skill Enhancement materials – required to upgrade his normal attack, dash, EX special attack, and ultimate.
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Core Skill materials – the big one that unlocks his passive talents and boosts his overall damage multipliers.
Don’t mix them up. The moment you waste stamina farming the wrong tokens, you’ll feel the pain of having to wait another day. Let’s break each one down with the exact items you’ll need as of the current game version.
Promotion materials: from Level 1 to 60
To push Anton all the way to Level 60, you’ll collect an assortment of Investigation Merits, faction‑specific insignias, and boss drops. I’ve condensed the farming list into this table so you don’t have to constantly flip through your inventory.
| Ascension Phase | Level Cap Increase | Key Materials Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 20 → 30 | Basic Investigation Merit x3, Copper Wire x6, Belobog Insignia x3 |
| Phase 2 | 30 → 40 | Advanced Investigation Merit x8, Circuit Board x10, Belobog Insignia x8 |
| Phase 3 | 40 → 50 | Advanced Investigation Merit x15, High‑grade Circuit Board x15, Belobog Emblem x10, Radiant Core x2 |
| Phase 4 | 50 → 60 | Superior Investigation Merit x25, High‑grade Circuit Board x25, Belobog Emblem x20, Radiant Core x6 |
| Phase 5 | 60 → 65 (new!) | Superior Investigation Merit x35, Quantum Coil x30, Belobog Commander’s Insignia x25, Thunderous Heart x8 |
Yes, you read that right – in 2026, the level cap has been extended to 65, bringing a fifth promotion phase. The Thunderous Heart is a brand‑new boss material dropped by the “Charged Behemoth” Ethereal in the Hollow Zero: Core sector. You’ll need to clear that stage at least five times to gather enough, so plan your stamina accordingly.
Where to farm them efficiently
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Investigation Merits – any combat commission in the Hollow Deep area drops these based on difficulty. I recommend grinding the “Withered Domain” card game simulation for steady returns.
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Copper Wire / Circuit Boards – defeat the mechanical enemies around Brant Street or the Abandoned Factory. Anton himself may lead you there, but ironically he can’t farm his own materials.
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Belobog Insignias – these are tied to Belobog faction commissions. Run the “Industrial Sabotage” VR training module twice a day and you’ll stockpile them fast.
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Radiant Core & Thunderous Heart – both come from weekly and open‑world bosses. The Radiant Core drops from the “Tyrant Construct” boss west of Sixth Street, while the new Thunderous Heart only comes from the Charged Behemoth in Hollow Zero: Core. Pro tip: use the daily resin‑equivalent resources on the highest difficulty you can handle – never farm the low‑level version.
Skill Enhancement: from paperweight to wrecking ball
After the level break, skill upgrades are what truly make Anton’s Pile Driver hit like a truck. Here’s what one full upgrade path (from level 1 to max) costs for a single skill:
| Skill Level Range | Materials Required (per skill) |
|---|---|
| 1 → 4 | Ether Battery x3, Copper Wire x8, Denny x12,000 |
| 4 → 7 | Ether Module x6, Circuit Board x10, Belobog Insignia x6, Denny x48,000 |
| 7 → 9 | High‑capacity Ether Module x10, High‑grade Circuit Board x12, Belobog Emblem x8, Denny x120,000 |
| 9 → 10 (Max) | Dimensional Essence x4, Quantum Coil x8, Belobog Commander’s Insignia x6, Denny x250,000 |
You have four skills to level up (basic attack, special, ex special, and dodge), plus his ultimate. Each one eats the same daily grind resources, so multiply those numbers by five. The most annoying bottleneck? Dimensional Essence, which only drops from the weekly boss “Mechanized Avatar.” Even with full clears, you get three drops per week, meaning you’ll need two full weeks just to max a single skill. I personally recommend prioritizing his EX Special Attack first – the damage spike is insane, and it makes clearing mob packs almost trivial.
Core Skills: the hidden talent tree
This is where Anton gets his real identity. Each core talent upgrade (there are six plus an unlock) requires Core Skill Materials specific to Electric Attack agents. The full list looks like this:
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Core Unlock: Radiant Core x1, Belobog Emblem x5, Denny x20,000
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Level 1 → 2: Thunder Shard x3, Ether Battery x5, Circuit Board x8
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Level 2 → 3: Thunder Crystal x5, Ether Module x8, High‑grade Circuit Board x10
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Level 3 → 4: Thunder Crystal x10, High‑capacity Ether Module x12, Quantum Coil x12
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Level 4 → 5: Thunder Heart x5, Dimensional Essence x3, Radiant Core x3
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Level 5 → 6 (final): Thunder Heart x10, Dimensional Essence x6, Thunderous Heart x4
Yep, you’re seeing that right – the newest boss material appears in the core talent tree too. True completionists will need to defeat the Charged Behemoth multiple times. This is probably the most end‑game part of Anton’s build, but the passive it unlocks (a massive 30% damage boost against shocked enemies) turns him into a real monster.
Team comps that make farming easier
While you gather all these materials, you’ll want a squad that can actually clear the bosses quickly. Anton himself shines in mono‑Electric teams. I run him with Anby (for the synergy and defense shred) and Nicole (for crowd control and energy regen). Anby’s skills group enemies up, Nicole pulls them into a tight cluster, then Anton’s charged Pile Driver hits everything for massive AoE damage. This team not only handles farming domains efficiently but also makes the boss stages much safer.
If you’re still stuck at low levels, focus on investing in Anby first – she needs far fewer rare materials, and a well‑built Anby can carry you through any grind session while your Anton is still being assembled.
Final thoughts from a fellow Proxie
I won’t lie, building Anton to his absolute ceiling takes time. But every time I watch his Pile Driver land a critical hit for 200k+, I know it was worth every minute of farming Copper Wire and Radiant Cores. The key is to stagger your material farming – don’t try to max everything at once. Get him to Level 40 first, then push skills to Level 6, then tackle the core talents, and finally take him to 65. By then, you’ll have a dependable, hard‑hitting DPS who can clear any content 2026 throws at you.
Got any other material‑related questions? Drop them in the comments below (figuratively, since this is a guide), and I’ll make sure to share more farming routes. Now go out there and let the Electro rumble shake the Hollows!