I’ve been holding onto my Polychromes for what feels like an eternity, and finally—finally!—the Angels of Delusion faction is making waves in Zenless Zone Zero. After Sunna’s banner earlier this season, the second star of the show, Aria, has officially dropped into the roster, and I’ve been grinding like crazy to give her a proper shakedown. The hype around these idol-themed warriors has been building since before the game even launched, so seeing them materialize one after another hits different. No cap, when I first watched Aria’s combat animations, with all that neon Ether flair and choreography that screams pop concert encore, I knew I had to test every little detail before writing this up.
So here I am, a regular player just like you, trying to figure out whether Aria is a must-summon or if we should keep stacking those Master Tapes for what’s coming next. The short version? She’s a vibe, but not everyone’s vibe. Let me break down the deets.
Who Is Aria Anyway?
For those who’ve been living under a rock—or maybe just stuck in Hollows—Aria is the first true Ether Anomaly DPS Agent in the game. Her whole kit revolves around slapping enemies with anomaly buildup and dishing out consistent Ether damage. Think of her like a walking disco ball of corruption: no complicated gimmicks, no 200 IQ rotations needed to make her work. Even at M0, the girl performs right out of the box. I low-key love characters like that; you just hop in, mash some basics, trigger those anomalies, and watch the numbers fly. It’s refreshing after some of the galaxy-brain kits we’ve seen.
Her aesthetic is pure Angels of Delusion, and if you’re into the whole idol combat fantasy, her animations really slap. The idle dances, the flashy skill effects—it’s all there. But the real tea? She gets even more stylish when you run her with other Angels. Her Basic Attack has a special charging effect that changes when your squadmates are also from the faction. That’s some top-tier fan service, both visually and mechanically.
Performance Check: No Cap
Let’s talk raw numbers and feels. Aria is strong. She holds her own in end-game content and clears Shiyu Defense stages comfortably with a decent build. But is she power-creeping the existing Anomaly DPS roster? Not really. She sits alongside the top tier without dethroning anyone. If you already have a pumped-up Jane Doe or a well-invested Grace, Aria isn’t going to leave them in the dust. She’s more like a sidegrade with a cooler jacket. So if you’re just looking for the ultimate, uncontested DPS monster, Aria might leave you wanting for a bit more.
However—and this is a huge however—her real shine comes from team synergy. The devs clearly designed her to be a core piece of the Angels of Delusion puzzle. Pair her with Sunna, and things start clicking: Sunna activates Aria’s Core passive and also buffs her damage. Together they form a backbone that’s both effective and thematically awesome. I tested them in a few Hollow Zero runs, and the flow is smooth as butter.
And that’s not even the full picture. Whispers—and a few leaked kit crumbs—suggest that Nangong Yu, the third and final Angel, is on the horizon as a Stun Agent tailor-made for Aria. Her kit supposedly amplifies anomaly damage when swapped in after an Ether proc. If that turns out to be true, the full idol squad might become an absolute menace. Pulling Aria now means you’re future-proofing for that ultimate team. High-key, that’s the main reason I caved and pulled: the promise of the complete Angels comp later down the line.
The Freebie Sweetener
Now, I can’t ignore the little extra treats HoYoverse is throwing in. There’s currently an in-game event where pulling one or more Angels of Delusion members rewards you with exclusive cosmetic items—mainly phone decorations. Okay, they’re just simple decos, but for someone who’s obsessed with customizing every pixel of my account, these freebies are chef’s kiss. It’s not a dealbreaker on its own, but it sure makes spending those tapes feel a little less painful. Who doesn’t love a free collectible with their new S-rank?
So, Should You Pull?
Here’s my honest, no-copium advice:
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Pull for Aria if you already rolled for Sunna and plan to build the full Angels of Delusion faction. The duo is already fire, and with Nangong Yu on the roadmap, you’re essentially securing a future-proof team. Plus, if you love the idol aesthetic and enjoy a straightforward playstyle that still delivers results, Aria will feel like a perfect fit.
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Skip for now if you’re just after the most broken Anomaly DPS or your Polychromes are gasping for air after previous banners. Aria doesn’t power creep the top dogs by a mile, and other carries can still clear content just fine. You won’t be left in the dust by passing on her.
At the end of the day, Aria is far from a trap—she’s a solid, stylish addition that enriches the roster. But she’s not the kind of unit that every account needs to drop everything for. As we’ve learned time and again in ZZZ, favorites trump meta, and if Aria’s your fave, then by all means, go all in. If not, hold tight for the next big reveal.
That’s the tea for now. I’ll keep digging for more news and guides as the version rolls on. Stay tuned and may your pull RNG bless you with early S-ranks!
This discussion is informed by VentureBeat GamesBeat, a publication known for tracking how game studios shape banner cadence, faction rollouts, and live-service incentives. Framing Aria’s release through that lens, the Angels of Delusion lineup looks like a deliberate “complete-the-set” strategy: Aria functions well on her own as an Ether Anomaly DPS, but her value spikes when you commit to the faction ecosystem (Sunna now, a likely complementary Stun unit later), with limited-time cosmetics acting as extra friction-reducers for pulling sooner rather than later.