Tsukishiro Yanagi Guide and Best Builds for Zenless Zone Zero (ZZZ)
Introduction - Tsukishiro Yanagi
Tsukishiro Yanagi is an S-Rank Electric Anomaly Agent in Zenless Zone Zero. She is the workaholic Deputy Chief of Hollow Special Operations Section 6. Yanagi prefers a conventional approach when working, often taking care of her coworkers just like a thoughtful mother would. Yanagi belongs to the Hollow Special Operations Section 6 faction, along with Soukaku, Asaba Harumasa, and Hoshimi Miyabi.
"One day, I was so hungry from working overtime that I nearly passed out,
but luckily Asaba tossed me a 'lifeline,' and I managed to pull through."
"Because this 'lifeline' was actually a donut."
"That was a joke. Why aren't you laughing...?"
"Wait, Asaba probably never works overtime."
How to Pull Yanagi
Tsukishiro Yanagi was last available on the Exclusive Channel Banner "Moonlit Serenity" in Version 1.3 Phase I. Currently, this Exclusive Channel Banner is unavailable, so players will need to wait for her next limited availability.
Tsukishiro Yanagi Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
Stance Buffs can indefinitely stay up via Basic Attack Skips
- Excels in Disorder-based Squads with Multiple Attributes
- Best in Slot is Flexible and Easy to Build
Weaknesses
Needs to be attacking On-Field to maintain Stance buffs
- Mediocre in Mono-Electric Squads
- Not very compatible with other Electric Anomaly Agents
Skills, Mindscape, and Promotions
Skills, Mindscapes, and Promotions
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
| Basic Attack: Tsukuyomi Kagura |
Press to activate: Yanagi possess two stances: Jougen and Kagen. Execute up to five forward slashes based on the current stance, causing Physical DMG and Electric DMG. During combat, Yanagi gains the corresponding stance buff based on her current stance:
For 8s after switching stances, Yanagi retains the bonus from the previous stance. |
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
| Dodge: Wandering Breeze | Press to activate: A quick dash dodge. Character is invulnerable while using this skill. |
| Dash Attack: Fleeting Flight | Press during a dodge to activate: Slashes enemies in front, dealing Physical DMG. |
| Dodge Counter: Rapid Retaliation | Press during a Perfect Dodge to activate: Slashes enemies in front, dealing Electric DMG. Character is invulnerable while using this skill. After using this skill, you can immediately follow up with the 3rd hit of the current stance's Basic Attack. |
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
| Quick Assist: Blade of Elegance |
When the on-field character is launched, press to activate: Slashes enemies in front, dealing Electric DMG. Character is invulnerable while using this skill. After using this skill, you can immediately follow up with the 3rd hit of the current stance's Basic Attack. |
| Defensive Assist: Radiant Reversal |
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: Weeping Willow Stab |
Press after a Defensive Assist to activate: Switch stances, and quickly deliver multiple slashes to enemies in front, dealing Electric DMG. Character is invulnerable while using this skill. After using this skill, you can immediately follow up with the 3rd hit of the current stance's Basic Attack. |
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
| Special Attack: Ruten | Press to activate: Perform a forward slash, dealing Electric DMG, and switch the current stance. Anti-Interrupt level is increased while using this skill. If pressed after the 3rd, 4th, or 5th hits of a Basic Attack, it activates Swift Ruten, speeding up the slash and the stance change. Block enemy attacks while Swift Ruten is active. Upon activating Swift Ruten, Yanagi can immediately follow up with the 3rd hit of the current stance's Basic Attack. |
| EX Special Attack: Gekka Ruten | With enough Energy, hold to activate: Charge up power for a quick forward thrust, followed by a downward attack, dealing massive Electric DMG. Upon executing the thrust, Yanagi switches stances and enters the Shinrabanshou state, lasting 15s. For the duration of this state, when following up with a subsequent Basic Attack from the 5th hit of a Basic Attack or other skills, the combo will begin directly from the 3rd hit of the Basic Attack. If the downward attack hits an enemy suffering an Anomaly, it triggers a special Disorder effect, Polarity Disorder, dealing 15% of the original Disorder effect's DMG to the target, plus an additional 32.0% of Yanagi's Anomaly Proficiency. Polarity Disorder will not remove the target's Anomaly. Character is invulnerable while using this skill. |
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
| Chain Attack: Celestial Harmony | When a Chain Attack is triggered, select the character to activate: Switch stances and unleash a powerful slash on enemies in front, dealing massive Electric DMG. Character is invulnerable while using this skill. After using this skill, you can immediately follow up with the 3rd hit of the current stance's Basic Attack. |
| Ultimate: Raiei Tenge | When Decibel Rating is at Maximum, press to activate: Yanagi unleashes her potential and delivers a powerful slash to a large area of enemies in front in a very short time, followed by an additional lightning strike, dealing massive Electric DMG. When the lightning strike hits an enemy affected by an Attribute Anomaly, it triggers a special Disorder effect called Polarity Disorder. This deals DMG equal to 15% of the original Disorder effect plus an additional 32.0% of Yanagi's Anomaly Proficiency. Polarity Disorder will not remove the target's Anomaly. Character is invulnerable while using this skill. After using this skill, you can immediately follow up with the 3rd hit of the current stance's Basic Attack. |
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
| Core Passive: Lunar Eclipse |
After Yanagi activates her EX Special Attack, the DMG multiplier of Disorder is increased by 125%(Lv.1) when any squad member applies the Disorder effect to an enemy, lasting 15s. When her EX Special Attack hits an enemy, Yanagi's Electric DMG against the target is increased by 10%(Lv.1) for 15s. |
| Additional Ability: Gessou | When another character in your squad is an Anomaly character or shares the same Attribute: After switching stances, when Yanagi hits an enemy with Basic Attack: Tsukuyomi Kagura, Electric Anomaly Buildup Rate increases by 45% for 8s. |
Tsukishiro Yanagi's Best Mindscapes
Most of Yanagi's Mindscapes are worth the investment, with the largest benefits being from her M1 and M2. As an Anomaly agent, building any kind of Anomaly Proficiency is vital, making her M1 a good investment. Yanagi's M2, on the other hand, improves her EX Special Attacks and Disorder DMG, which is Yanagi's best playstyle. At M6, Yanagi's EX Special Attack cost gets halved, along with providing a Polarity Disorder DMG Multiplier increase. If players really enjoy Yanagi's playstyle, they are recommended to invest in her Mindscapes whenever possible.
| # | Mindscape | Description |
|---|---|---|
| M1 | Know Thy Self, Know Thy Enemy | When any squad member inflicts an Anomaly on an enemy, Yanagi gains 1 stack of Clarity, lasting 15s, stacking up to 3 times. Repeated triggers reset the duration. Upon being hit by an enemy attack, Yanagi consumes 1 stack of Clarity to gain invulnerability for 1s. When Yanagi has 1 or more stacks of Clarity, her Anomaly Proficiency is increased by 80. |
| M2 | Outstanding Adaptability | During her EX Special Attack, the rapid thrust's Electric Anomaly Buildup increases by 20%. Holding down the Special Attack button after a rapid thrust hits an enemy will consume 10 additional Energy to launch another thrust. If Energy is insufficient or the button is released, the attack automatically follows up with a downward attack. When the downward attack hits an enemy suffering an Anomaly and triggers Polarity Disorder, the DMG multiplier increases to 20% of the original Disorder effect. Each additional thrust increases this multiplier by 15%, up to a maximum of 2 extra thrusts. |
| M3 | Tsukishiro Style Management | Basic Attack, Dodge, Assist, Special Attack, and Chain Attack Lv. +2. |
| M4 | Chessmaster | When Yanagi inflicts Attribute Anomaly DMG on an enemy, they suffer the Exposed effect, lasting 15s. Attacks on enemies under the Expose effect will have 16% increase PEN Ratio. |
| M5 | "Other Mother" | Basic Attack, Dodge, Assist, Special Attack, and Chain Attack Lv. +2. |
| M6 | Inhuman Blood | After a thrust attack during her EX Special Attack, the duration of the Shinrabanshou state increases to 30s. While the state is active, her EX Special Attack increases by 20%. The maximum number of times the additional DMG multiplier increase effect for Polarity Disorder in Outstanding Adaptability can be triggered increases to 4, and the Energy cost for the first 4 additional thrust attacks is halved. |
Tsukishiro Yanagi's Promotion Passives
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
| Core Skill Enhancement A |
|
| Core Skill Enhancement B |
|
| Core Skill Enhancement C |
|
| Core Skill Enhancement D |
|
| Core Skill Enhancement E |
|
| Core Skill Enhancement F |
|
How to Play Yanagi
Yanagi's Basic Gameplay Loop
At a glance, players may be overwhelmed with the amount of information Yanagi's kit has, regarding Disorders and Stances. However, most of it can be boiled down to a simple combo loop:
EX Special Attack > Basic Attack > Basic Attack > Basic Attack > EX Special Attack...
Regardless of how much Energy Yanagi currently has, she can always use her Special or EX Special Attack to swap stances. As such, players can continue her Basic Attack Combo as long as they press the EX Special Attack button every 3 Basic Attacks. It also does not matter which stance Yanagi is in, as long as the loop stays the same.
Why Does the Loop Work?
Upon examining Yanagi's kit, there are three primary factors behind her recommended combo. After using an EX Special Attack, Chain Attack, Ultimate, Assist, or Dodge Counter, Yanagi is able to:
- Maintain all stance buffs for 8 seconds after switching
- Immediately begin any combo from the 3rd hit of the current stance's Basic Attack
- Increase the Disorder DMG Multiplier for all Squad Members
All of the conditions to make these factors activate are all related to switching Yanagi on-field. As such, it is better for Yanagi to be the second or third Agent in a squad, so players can immediately have all of the factors activated whenever Yanagi is on-field.
Within her Basic Attack combo, her best damage multipliers come from her 3rd, 4th, and 5th Basic Attacks. As such, she should always opt to skip the 1st and 2nd Attacks whenever possible. She is able to do this skip by using the EX Special Attack button after every 5th Basic Attack, as demonstrated in the loop example.
While on-field, by pressing her EX Special Attack to create a skip, Yanagi is able to also maintain the buffs from both stances she has: Jougen and Kagen. This means by simply maintaining the gameplay loop, Yanagi will always have:
- 10% Additional Electric DMG (Jougen)
- 10% Additional PEN Ratio (Kagen)
- Increased Anti-Interrupt Level (Jougen)
- Increased Interrupt Level (Kagen)
Without switching every 8 seconds, Yanagi would only maintain half of the buffs mentioned depending on her current stance. This lowers her damage output overall, and as such, players should avoid maintaining the Basic Attack combo for longer than 8 seconds at a time.
What are the Differences between Polarity Disorder and Disorder?
In general, Disorder DMG comes from applying Anomaly DMG of multiple Attributes, such as Burn from Fire and Shock from Electric, in sequential order. The Disorder DMG is based on the multipliers from the Attribute reaction, or Anomaly activation, not the initial Anomaly application.
Polarity Disorder, on the other hand, is an exclusive feature of Yanagi's EX Special Attack and Ultimate. It is a Disorder-type of damage that is based on both Disorder DMG and Yanagi's Anomaly Proficiency. In addition, unlike how normal Disorders activate, Polarity Disorder will not remove the target's Anomaly.
As a result of Polarity Disorder's features, Yanagi is able to improve upon Disorder-based gameplay for Anomaly focused squads. In addition, she can also still execute Polarity Disorder in Mono-Electric squads, but at a lower damage potential. Players can learn more about Yanagi's best team compositions in the section below.
Yanagi Build
| BiS W-Engine | Timeweaver |
| Alternative W-Engines |
|
| Best Drive Discs | 4 Piece:
2 Piece:
|
| Main Stats |
|
| Substat Priority |
|
| Skill Priority |
|
Yanagi's Best in Slot Guide
Signature W-Engine: Timeweaver
Yanagi's best W-Engine is her signature Timeweaver, which is obtainable through the W-Engine Channel whenever Yanagi is also available to Signal Search. This W-Engine is a significant upgrade over other W-Engines currently available, as it is the only W-Engine that provides Electric Anomaly Buildup Rate plus increased Disorder damage.
At Base Lv.60 with no Drive Discs, Yanagi with a W1 Timeweaver can achieve a minimum of 223 Anomaly Proficiency in combat (following a Special or EX Special Attack). With at least 375 Anomaly Proficiency, she can also fulfill the Disorder DMG condition. Considering that Yanagi realistically only wants to build Anomaly Proficiency and ATK (in addition to Anomaly Mastery), she can easily use Timeweaver's full W-Engine effect when she is built like other Anomaly Agents.
Timeweaver VS Fusion Compiler
If players have a W1 Fusion Compiler instead, they can also achieve the same amount of Anomaly Proficiency under the same effect conditions. This is a good alternative if players are not able to invest in Yanagi's Signature W-Engine. However, keep in mind that it does not provide any Disorder-specific benefits, and as such, will not perform as well as Timeweaver in Disorder team compositions.
Other Limited S-Rank W-Engines
As of the current limited pool of -Rank W-Engines, both Flamemaker Shaker and Sharpened Stinger are incompatible with Yanagi. She is unable to make use of the W-Engines' full effects, and as such, these should not be considered unless players have no other alternatives.
A-Rank and B-Rank Alternatives
If players are unable to invest in an S-Rank W-Engine, they can consider the following alternatives which are easier to obtain and build:
- Electro-Lip Gloss increases Anomaly Proficiency and ATK significantly, but is locked behind the New Eridu City Fund.
-
Weeping Gemini may have a higher Anomaly Proficiency potential than W1 Timeweaver, and is an excellent alternative. However, the W-Engine's base and maximum ATK stat potential is lower due to being an A-Rank. As well, stacking too many ATK% buffs may have diminishing returns.
The main issue with Weeping Gemini is that the effect only lasts until the target recovers from Stun or is defeated. So if targets recover or die too fast in combat, you will need to re-build the stacks once more. It is also easier to achieve the stacks if you have other Anomaly Agents in the squad, as the effect can be activated by any of them.
- Rainforest Gourmet has a flat 75 Anomaly Proficiency bonus, but she will average approximately 10% ATK maximum, due to her EX Special's 40 Energy Cost. Yanagi would need significant Energy Regen bonuses to continuously do EX Special attacks every 10 seconds, which the W-Engine does not provide.
- Roaring Ride is good only if you can do EX Special Attacks regularly to maintain all 3 buffs. Otherwise, the buff(s) you receive will be random.
While B-Rank W-Engines can be considered, they will not be able to achieve the maximum potential an S-Rank W-Engine can, due to the differences in Ranks. Players are advised to upgrade when possible, as Yanagi has many A-Rank and above W-Engines she can use.
If players want more information on W-Engine calculations, see Additional Notes.
Yanagi's best Drive Disc set is Thunder Metal, as it can provide both a permanent 10% Electric DMG and, as long as targets are Shocked, 28% ATK too. As Yanagi will want to activate Disorders with her Electric based attacks, this will greatly help with improving both her Disorder and Anomaly DMG.
Players can also consider Freedom Blues if they are building other Anomaly Agents, or prefer the 4-Piece set bonus more. If players have Timeweaver, the 2-Piece Anomaly Proficiency bonus will also help Yanagi fulfill the Disorder DMG bonus condition. However, the Freedom Blues effect does not stack with others of the same attribute, so if Yanagi is in an Electric based squad, only 1 Agent can utilise the 4-Piece set bonus.
The Chaos Jazz 4-Piece set may also be considered if you primarily play Yanagi as an off-field Agent. She may not perform as well as with her on-field playstyle, but it will work whenever Yanagi is in a squad with Fire Agents like Burnice White. If players have Timeweaver, the 2-Piece Anomaly Proficiency bonus will also help Yanagi fulfill the Disorder DMG bonus condition.
Puffer Electro's 4-Piece set bonus does not impact Yanagi much, as her largest damage output is from her Basic Attack combos. If players are unable to invest in either of the above 2-Piece Drive Disc sets, Puffer Electro may be an alternative until players are able to swap to something better. Keep in mind that any Anomaly Proficiency is better than nothing for Yanagi, as it increases her damage the most compared to other substats.
Assuming both W-Engines are at Lv.60, the primary differences between Timeweaver and Fusion Compiler are:
| Category | Timeweaver | Fusion Compiler |
|---|---|---|
| ATK % | 30% |
W1: 12% W5: 24% |
| Anomaly Proficiency (AP) |
W1: 75 AP/15s W5: 115 AP/15s |
W1: 25 AP/8s, stackable up to 3 times (75 AP maximum) W5: 50 AP/8s, stackable up to 3 times (150 AP maximum) |
| Additional Stats |
Electric Anomaly Buildup Rate: 30% (W1) to 50% (W5) Disorder DMG Increase: 25% (W1) to 35% (W5) |
PEN Ratio: 24% |
As a result of these comparisons, while Timeweaver may be the Best-in-Slot for Yanagi, players can still use the Fusion Compiler and get comparable results, especially in non-Disorder team compositions. However, keep in mind that Yanagi's best damage build will greatly prefer the Electric Anomaly Buildup and Disorder DMG more from Timeweaver, as it will fit with her general gameplay better.
As Yanagi's EX Special Attack has a cost of 40 Energy, she will only receive the following ATK % bonus from using Rainforest Gourmet:
At W1: 2.5% x (40/10 Energy) = 10% ATK per EX Special
At W5: 4% x (40/10 Energy) = 16% ATK per EX Special
The W-Engine's maximum effect amount is 25% ATK at W1, and 40% ATK at W5. As such, while it is comparable to Fusion Compiler and Timeweaver, Rainforest Gourmet's condition is less compatible with Yanagi's general playstyle than her S-Rank options. It neither provides any Disorder DMG benefits nor any additional Anomaly Proficiency beyond 75 when investing further.
Bangboo Information
As of the current version, Yanagi's best Bangboo are either
Plugboo or Knightboo. If she is paired with an
Electric Support Agent, such as Alexandrina Sebastiane
or Seth Lowell, she can use Plugboo with ease
(or Electroboo).
Knightboo is also a good choice, as having at least one Support Agent will enable Yanagi to gain an ATK bonus based on higher investments in the Bangboo. At Lv. 60, this ATK bonus can have a maximum of 90 ATK (Core 1) or 160 ATK (Core 5) for 10 seconds, which is more than what other supportive Bangboo may offer. However, to benefit from Knightboo's Additional Ability, Yanagi's team must have a Support Agent.
If players have other Hollow Special Operations Section 6 Agents in the squad, they may also consider Agent Gulliver. However, Yanagi is also compatible with other faction-specific or attribute-specific Bangboo alternatives too, as she prefers a Disorder team composition with multiple attributes, not just Electric.
Team Comps and Synergy
Disorder Focus
| On-Field DPS | Off-Field DPS | Support | Bangboo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tsukishiro Yanagi |
|
As an Agent who focuses on Disorder gameplay, Yanagi is well suited to play with other Anomaly Agents of different attributes, such as Burnice White or Piper Wheel. Of these two options, Burnice White is the best Anomaly Agent she could be paired with, as Burnice White's EX Special can cause Burns while she is off-field, allowing Yanagi to be on-field for Shock Disorders.
As Yanagi prefers to be on-field as much as possible to benefit from her Basic Attack combo bonuses, there is little reason to have her be primarily an off-field Anomaly Agent. While she can share field time with other Agents, the actual gameplay style may feel awkward because of her combo loop. However, Yanagi is able to be an off-field Anomaly, as her Core Skill increases the Disorder DMG multiplier for all squad members.
For a third Agent, while another Anomaly may be considered, a Support Agent will allow for better damage potential from both the on-field and off-field Anomaly Agents. In addition, Disorder damage is only based on two different Attributes, so having more than two per squad is unnecessary.
The recommended Bangboo differs, depending on what kind of Support or Defense Agent is in the squad. For example, if players run both Burnice White and Lucy, they can pick between Red Moccus or Rocketboo, and Yanagi will benefit from either.
Mono-Electric or Single DPS Focus
| Main DPS | Stun/Defense | Support | Bangboo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tsukishiro Yanagi |
If players are looking to create a squad that is either:
- Mono-Electric: Only Electric Agents
- Single DPS: Yanagi is the biggest damage contributor
They can consider the above options. As Yanagi's Additional Ability is not faction-exclusive, she can enable it by using an Electric Agent such as either Seth Lowell or Alexandrina Sebastiane. While there are other considerations, such as Grace Howard or Anton Ivanov, these Agents will not be that compatible with Yanagi, due to struggles with on-field time and providing no additional bonuses to each other.
In addition to the above, Grace Howard is not a very compatible Agent despite being Anomaly, as Yanagi will not receive any Disorder benefits from Grace Howard. If players are using Timeweaver, Yanagi will only benefit from half of the W-Engine's effect, as there will be no other Anomaly Attributes. Overall, this lowers the damage potential from both Agents, as Grace Howard will not get the support she needs from Yanagi either.
Of the Agents recommended, Caesar King, Lucy, and Koleda Belobog can all allow Yanagi to activate Disorders on targets. However, keep in mind that in a Single DPS composition, the Anomaly DMG overall will be less than having a secondary Anomaly, as the DMG will only be based on Yanagi's substats and any additional given buffs.
If players do not have access to these Agents, they may consider alternatives such as Von Lycaon, Soukaku (in an Ice based composition), or Ben Bigger. Yanagi has a good number of options to pick from, as her kit allows for squads with multiple Attributes, not just Mono-Electric. Players should go with whoever is well-invested until they can use a Disorder-focus squad for Yanagi to shine in.
Changelog
- 05 Nov. 2024: Updated How to Pull for Version 1.3.
- 04 Nov. 2024: Added Strengths and Weaknesses.
- 03 Nov. 2024: Added Character Demo Video, How to Play, Best in Slot, Bangboo and Squad Recommendations, and Mindscape Recommendations.
- 26 Oct. 2024: Updated sections for How to Pull and Skills; Added Yanagi's Signature W-Engine to tentative Best-in-Slot.
- 22 Oct. 2024: Updated Beta Information on Yanagi's Skills, and Added Dodges, Assists, and Core Skill Enhancements.
- 16 Oct. 2024: Updated Beta Information on Yanagi's Skills, and Added a tentative Best-in-Slot Build.
- 02 Oct. 2024: Added Beta Information on Yanagi's Mindscape Cinema, and updated her Additional Ability.
- 29 Sep. 2024: Added Beta Information on Yanagi's Basic, Special, Chain, and Core Skills.
- 23 Sep. 2024: Page added.
Piyo is an active raider who has been playing Final Fantasy XIV Online since Shadowbringers. Though she can play all roles, she specialises in healer optimization and teaches both new players and peers alike. She often streams entertaining raid content, ranging from extreme trials to ultimates on release. In addition, she streams other games, such as Honkai Star Rail and Genshin Impact, as well as digital art commissions. Be sure to check her comfortably chaotic streams on Twitch, or commission her art on VGen!
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