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Lighter Guide and Best Builds for Zenless Zone Zero (ZZZ)

Last updated on Jun 03, 2025 at 19:41 by Jaymo
Stun
Aleks Le EN Voice Actor
Takahashi Hiroki JP Voice Actor
1.

Introduction - Lighter

Lighter is an S-Rank Fire Stun Agent in Zenless Zone Zero. Lighter is the Champion of the Sons Of Calydon Faction. Other members include: Caesar King, Burnice White, Lucy, Pulchra, and Piper Wheel.

Is anyone up for challenging the undefeated Champion?

You may not have the skill to defeat me, but could you not bleed so much?

I know, fainting at the sight of blood isn't very impressive for The Champion.

Or is this your way of bringing us both down?

2.

Lighter is not currently available on any Banners. Lighter was last available to be pulled in Version 1.7.

3.

Lighter Strengths and Weaknesses

V Strengths
  • +Best option for both Fire and Ice teams.
  • +Doesn't need to be on-field to gain Morale.
  • +Shreds Fire and Ice RES as well as buffing Fire and Ice DMG.
  • +Pauses the Stun meter for 3 seconds, allowing your DPS to deal more damage for a longer period of time.
X Weaknesses
  • -Works less with Burst oriented Agents.
  • -Requires his W-Engine to easy hit the 270 Impact cap.
  • -Less efficient when used without any Fire or Ice Agent in the team.
4.

Skills, Mindscape, and Promotions

5.

Lighter Skills, Mindscapes, and Promotions

Skills Mindscapes Promotions

Basic Dodge Assist Special Chain Core
Skill Description
Basic Attack: L-Form Thundering Fist

Press or Hold to activate: Perform up to five forward strikes, dealing Physical DMG and Fire DMG.

During the 3rd hit of the Basic Attack, drag the joystick, and repeatedly press or hold to unleash a series of melee follow-up attacks. Release the stick/joystick to follow up with the 4th hit of the .

While performing the startup light punch in the 5th hit of the Basic Attack, drag the joystick and repeatedly press or hold to keeping alternating between the light punch and 4th hit of the Basic Attack. Release the joystick to follow up with the subsequent jab combo.

Continue repeatedly pressing or holding to extend the duration of the jab combo.

When you stop pressing or holding , or when the combo reaches its maximum duration, launches a Finishing Move forward.

Lighter is invulnerable during the Finishing Move.

During the 5th hit of the Basic Attack, Lighter takes 40% less DMG.

When in the Morale Burst state, Anti-Interrupt Level is increased during the 5th hit of his Basic Attack, and the DMG reduction effect is increased to 80%.

Skill Description
Dodge: Shadowed Slide

Press to activate: A quick dash dodge. Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Press while the character is attacking to activate: Perform a quick shuffle dodge in the direction of the Joystick. This skill will not interrupt the combo count for Basic Attacks. Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Dash Attack: Charging Slam

Press during a Dodge to activate: Rapidly strikes enemies in front, dealing Physical DMG.

Dodge Counter: Blazing Flash

Press during a Perfect Dodge to activate: Strike enemies in front, dealing Fire DMG. Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

After using the skill, press or hold to immediately follow up with the 5th hit of the Basic Attack.

Skill Description
Quick Assist: Blazing Flash - Guard

When the on-field character is launched, press to activate: Strike enemies in front, dealing Fire DMG. Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

After using the skill, press or hold immediately to follow up with the 5th hit of the Basic Attack.

Defensive Assist: Swift Break

When the on-field character is about to be attacked, press to activate:

Parries the enemy's attack, dealing massive Daze. Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Assist Follow-Up: Charging Slam - Stab

Press after a Defensive Assist to activate: Strike enemies in front, dealing Fire DMG. Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

After using the skill, press or hold to immediately follow up with the 5th hit of the Basic Attack.

Skill Description
Special Attack: V-Form Sunrise Uppercut

Press to activate:

Strikes enemies in front with an uppercut, dealing Fire DMG.

Anti-Interrupt level is increased while using this skill.

Press during a shuffle dodge to activate: Strike forward with a series of punches, dealing Fire DMG. This skill will not interrupt the combo count for Basic Attacks. Anti-Interrupt level is increased while using this skill.

Special Attack: V-Form Sunrise Uppercut - Full Distance

With enough Energy, press to activate:

Leaps in the air with a powerful uppercut, striking enemies in front and dealing massive Fire DMG.

Press again during this skill to spend additional Energy to perform a powerful follow-up attack, dealing massive Fire DMG. Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

After using this skill, press or hold to follow up with the 4th hit of the Basic Attack.

With enough Energy, press during the shuffle dodge to activate: Strike forward with a powerful punch combo, dealing massive Fire DMG. This skill will not interrupt the combo count for Basic Attacks. Character is invulnerable while using this skill. After using this skill, press or hold to immediately follow up with the 5th hit of the Basic Attack.

Skill Description
Chain Attack: V-Form Scorching Sun

When a Chain Attack is triggered, select the character to Activate: Unleashes a powerful strike at enemies in front in a small area, dealing massive Fire DMG. The character is invulnerable during this skill.

Ultimate: W-Form Crowned Inferno

When Decibel Rating is at Maximum, press to activate: Unleashes a powerful strike in a large area around, dealing massive Fire DMG. Character is invulnerable while using this skill.

Skill Description
Core Passive: Accelerant

Lighter automatically gains Morale over time, at a rate of 2.9 points per second.

For each point of Energy consumed by any squad member, Lighter recovers an additional 0.26 Morale, up to a maximum of 100.

When Morale reaches 80, the next time Lighter switches into battle he immediately launches a Quick Assist.

Once Morale is 80 or higher, executing the 5th hit of his puts Lighter in the Morale Burst state, enhancing the power of the startup light punch, jab combo, and the Finishing Move of the 5th hit of his Basic Attack.

When a skill hits an enemy with its power increased, it will continuously consume Morale. With every 10 points of Morale consumed, Lighter's Impact increases by 1%, up to a maximum increase of 10%, and lasting 6s.

In the Morale Burst state, Lighter will no longer automatically gain Morale over time. If his Morale is exhausted during a startup light punch or jab combo, he will automatically follow up with a more powerful Finishing Move.

In the Morale Burst state, when startup light punches or jab combos hit enemies, the target's Ice RES and Fire RES are reduced by 15%, lasting 30s.

In the Morale Burst state, when the Finishing Move hits an enemy, it applies the Collapse effect on the target, extending its Stunned duration by 3s. The Collapse effect can trigger only once on the same target before they recover from Stun.

When the Finishing Move of the 5th hit of his Basic Attack hits an enemy, when he switches off field, or when his Morale runs out, Lighter will leave the Morale Burst state, keeping any unspent Morale.

Additional Ability: Fighting Spirit

When another character in your squad is an Attack character or shares the same Faction:

While under the Morale Burst state, when the 5th hit of Lighter's Basic Attack hits an enemy, all squad members gain a stack of Elation, stacking up to 20 times and lasting 30s. Repeated triggers reset the duration.

For each stack of Elation, an Agent's Ice DMG and Fire DMG increase by 1.25%.

When obtaining Elation, if Lighter's Impact exceeds 170, every additional 10 points of Impact will increase the buff effect provided by each stack of Elation by an extra 0.25%.

When any Squad member launches a Chain Attack, it will refresh the duration of all squad members' Elation.

Elation can increase the Ice DMG and Fire DMG of Agents by a maximum of 75%.

5.1.

Lighter's Best Mindscapes

Lighter's M1, The Champion, can be worth getting as it further increases the enemies Ice RES and Fire RES by another 10%. His M2, Red Scarf, is also really good, increasing the Stun DMG Multiplier and the Ice DMG and Fire DMG from the Additional Ability: Fighting Spirit.

His M4 can be very useful for squads that require a lot of energy, but is not necessary. His M6 is very powerful, and can definitely give him a boost in power. However, getting him to M6 is a big investment, and we recommend only his M1 and M2, as those two will give you the most benefits. We recommend his M1 over his W-Engine if you have to choose.

# Mindscape Description
M1 The Champion Among the debuffs imposed by Core Passive: Accelerant, the Collapse effect increases Stun duration by 5s, while further reducing Ice RES and Fire RES by 10%. The more powerful Finishing Move that follows when Lighter's Morale is completely exhausted during a startup light punch or jab combo deals 30% increased DMG.
M2 Red Scarf When applying Collapse via Core Passive: Accelerant to enemies, the target's Stun DMG Multiplier increases by 25%. The increase to Ice DMG and Fire DMG provided by Elation from Additional Ability: Fighting Spirit increases by 120% of the original.
M3 Mercenary Leader Basic Attack, Dodge, Assist, Special Attack, and Chain Attack Lv. +2.
M4 Sunglasses When Lighter is off-field, the Energy Regen for the on-field character is increased by 10%. Upon entering the Morale Burst state, Lighter restores 4 Energy for off-field characters. This effect can trigger once every 18s.
M5 Decision Maker Basic Attack, Dodge, Assist, Special Attack, and Chain Attack Lv. +2.
M6 Survivor

Lighter's Morale recovery efficiency is increased to 200% of its original value.

When Lighter lands a heavy strike on enemies during a Basic Attack, Dodge Counter, Special Attack, Ex Special Attack, Quick Assist, Assist Follow-Up, Chian Attack, or Ultimate, it will trigger the Blazing Impact effect, dealing 250% of ATK as Fire DMG.

This effect can trigger once every 8s on each enemy.

If Lighter's Impact exceeds 170 points, each additional point will further increase the multiplier of Blazing Impact by 5%, up to a maximum increase of 500%.

The more powerful Finishing Move that follows when Lighter's Morale is completely exhausted during a light punch or jab combo will trigger an additional activation of Blazing Impact when hitting an enemy, ignoring the effect's cooldown.

5.2.

Lighter's Promotions

Skill Description
Core Skill Enhancement A
  • Base Impact increases by 6
  • Core Passive: Accelerant Skill Lv.+1
  • With every 10 points of Morale consumed, Lighter's Impact increases by 1.17%, up to a maximum increase of 11.7%.
Core Skill Enhancement B
  • Base ATK increases by 25
  • Core Passive: Accelerant Skill Lv.+1
  • With every 10 points of Morale consumed, Lighter's Impact increases by 1.33%, up to a maximum increase of 13.3%.
Core Skill Enhancement C
  • Base Impact increases by 6
  • Core Passive: Accelerant Skill Lv.+1
  • With every 10 points of Morale consumed, Lighter's Impact increases by 1.5%, up to a maximum increase of 15%.
Core Skill Enhancement D
  • Base ATK increases by 25
  • Core Passive: Accelerant Skill Lv.+1
  • With every 10 points of Morale consumed, Lighter's Impact increases by 1.67%, up to a maximum increase of 16.7%.
Core Skill Enhancement E
  • Base Impact increases by 6
  • Core Passive: Accelerant Skill Lv.+1
  • With every 10 points of Morale consumed, Lighter's Impact increases by 1.83%, up to a maximum increase of 18.3%.
Core Skill Enhancement F
  • Base ATK increases by 25
  • Core Passive: Accelerant Skill Lv.+1
  • With every 10 points of Morale consumed, Lighter's Impact increases by 2%, up to a maximum increase of 20%.
6.

How to Play Lighter

Lighter is a Stun Agent, making his primary role to apply Daze and Stun enemies. He also has a specific mechanic called Morale. He can build up Morale when off-field or on-field, and once his Morale is high enough he will enter an enhanced state.

Lighter's Moral is one of the most important aspect of his kit, and this is what makes him a very efficient Stun agent. You can build Morale over time, whether by launching attacks yourself with Lighter, when teammates consume energy, or Lighter is off-field.

Once your Morale is high enough (80+), Lighter automatically enters his burst state. During this state, the fifth of his Basic Attack will trigger multiple punches with a powerful finisher. These punches will consume Morale, lower Fire RES and Ice RES on enemies, Stun them for longer, and boost his Impact.

While the skill description says that the Stun duration "lasts longer" it is more "pausing". When the pause is active, you will notice a slight golden bar around the Stun bar of the enemy, and the stun timer will not deplete for a few seconds. So it is not really longer, but rather just paused for a few seconds, making it look like it lasts longer.

As mentioned before, Lighter is the only Agent to reduce both Fire RES and Ice RES on enemies, making him a key agent for both Ice and Fire teams. He is essentially a direct upgrade for both Koleda Belobog and Von Lycaon, especially since his additional ability will also increases the squad members' Ice DMG and Fire DMG by 0.96% when an Attack Agent or Sons of Calydon member is present. Note that you need 270+ Impact to reach the maximum DMG bonus possible.

Lighter is basically your most valuable unit if you want to get the max out of your Ice or Fire Main DPS!

While his kit can seem complicated, it is actually rather easy to play. Here is what you need to remember:

  • Use his Basic Attack after an assist or follow-up to directly enter the 5th hit of the Basic attack. If you do that when he has enough Morale, he directly switches in with his enhanced state.
  • You want to use his quick assist, follow-up, ex special, or dodge counter, before his basic attack, to enter the 5th basic attack and his enhanced state.
  • Switch Lighter off-field once you consumed all his Morale. This allows you to inflict a ton of Daze, and get up to 75% Fire DMG and Ice DMG buff, over 15% Fire RES and Ice RES, and pause the Stun timer.
7.

Lighter Build

BiS W-Engine Blazing Laurel
Alternative W-Engines
  1. Ice-Jade Teapot
  2. The Restrained
  3. Hellfire Gears
  4. Precious Fossilized Core
  5. Steam Oven
  6. Six Shooter
Best Drive Discs

4 Piece:

  1. King of the Summit

2 Piece:

  1. Shockstar Disco
Main Stats
  • Disc 4: CRIT Rate / CRIT DMG
  • Disc 5: Fire DMG
  • Disc 6: Impact %
Substat Priority
  1. CRIT Rate / CRIT DMG
  2. ATK %
  3. PEN
  4. Anomaly Proficiency (if paired with Anomaly Agents)
Skill Priority
  1. Basic Attack
  2. Core Skill
  3. EX Special Attack
  4. Ultimate
  5. Assist
  6. Dodge

Lighter's best W-Engine for this build is his Blazing Laurel signature S-Rank W-Engine. It is the Best-in-Slot option for Lighter since it will increase his Impact and for every hit with a Basic Attack the weapon will apply Wilt to the enemy. For every stack of Wilt, it will further increase the CRIT DMG for Ice and Fire DMG dealt by squad members. This Engine is extremely powerful and will boost both Ice and Fire teams!

Ice-Jade Teapot can be a great build option for Lighter as he uses a lot of Basic attacks, and the engine increases all squad member's DMG. The Restrained is another viable option, but will not boost the entire squad. If you are free to play player, you can go for Precious Fossilized Core, which is your best F2P option.

Regarding the weapons, it is important to note that only Blazing Laurel and Ice-Jade Teapot will allow you to reach the 270+ Impact needed to get Lighter's full 75% DMG bonus Lighter can give to the team. Hellfire Gears can allow you to reach the 270+ Impact during combat but only if you use two Ex Special Attacks before entering his Morale Burst.

Build Lighter with the King of the Summit 4-piece set and a 2-piece Shockstar Disco. King of the Summit increases Daze by 6% and additionally gives a massive CRIT DMG and CRIT Rate bonus to ALL Sqaud members. You only need a 2-piece Shockstar Disco to get the Impact bonus on top.

7.1.

Bangboo Information

Red MoccusRed Moccus is the best Bangboo for Lighter if you play him with other Sons of Calydon members.

If you play Lighter with other teammates, the Bangboo chosen will depend on your squad.

KnightbooKnightboo can be a good support option if there is at least one support agent in your squad. If you play him with Hugo Vlad, you can use RobinRobin is the best option!

If you are looking for more support type Bangboo, ExplorebooExploreboo or AvocabooAvocaboo are viable options, as they provide small buffs or healing to the team.

8.

Team Comps and Synergy

Lighter's mechanics are quite unique, especially his ability to buff both Ice and Fire agents. Lighter's Morale can be gained whether he is on-field or off-field, making him a good addition to many DPS Agents!

Lighter is considered an off-field stunner. You will spend energy with your team, before switching him on-field, allowing him to use his Morale Burst state. This means Lighter will work very well with Agents that spend a lot of energy, on top of being able to boost Fire and Ice.

8.1.

Hugo Vlad Stun Team

DPS Stun Stun Bangboo
Hugo Vlad Lighter Von Lycaon Robin

Lighter is the best teammate for Hugo Vlad. Hugo needs two Stun agent to get the most out of his own ATK buffs, which make both Lighter and Lycaon his best squad members! Lighter will provide with Ice RES and Ice DMG buffs, and Lycaon provides additional Ice RES, allowing Hugo to just melt through enemies.

8.2.

Fire Support Teams

DPS Stun Support Bangboo
Evelyn Chevalier Lighter Astra Yao Snap
Soldier 11 Lighter Lucy Rocketboo

Evelyn Chevalier is a very powerful DPS, and using Lucy or Astra Yao together with Lighter will provide Evelyn with an incredible buff, while having Lighter massive stun enemies, allowing her to deal more damage. You can use Soldier 11 instead of Evelyn as well.

8.3.

Ice Support Teams

DPS Support Stun Bangboo
Lighter Sharkboo

Both Ellen Joe and Hoshimi Miyabi benefit from Lighter as he will buff Ice agents. He can be a better than Von Lycaon for Ellen and Miyabi. Both Soukaku or Astra Yao and Lighter will provide powerful buffs to Ice Damage, and Lighter will additionally lower enemy's Ice RES as well, allowing Ellen or Miyabi to deal even more damage. If you use Miyabi, you may want to go for Lucy instead of Soukaku, in order to not loose any of Miyabi or Lighter's Core additional ability passive.

8.4.

Changelog

  • 03 Jun. 2025: Updated for 2.0.
  • 15 May 2025: Updated for Rerun.
  • 22 Apr. 2025: Updated for 1.7.
  • 08 Feb. 2025: Updated for 1.5 Phase two.
  • 16 Dec. 2024: Updated.
  • 27 Nov. 2024: Build updated.
  • 22 Nov. 2024: Strengths and Weaknesses added.
  • 12 Nov. 2024: Lighter build updated.
  • 25 Oct. 2024: Skills added.
  • 24 Sep. 2024: Page added.
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