Best Esper Zero Build Guide: Skill, Arcs, Modules and Teams | NTE

With Neverness to Everness currently listing its global launch for April 29, 2026, Zero is shaping up to be one of the easier Cosmos characters to build around early on. He has a clean on-field kit, smooth rotation flow, and a very straightforward job in team play. This guide covers the parts that actually matter for getting him online fast: upgrade priority, Arc choice, Awaken picks, and the teams that let him perform at his best.

 

Overview

Rarity: S-Rank   Arc: Solid  Element: Cosmos

Zero is a Cosmos on-field driver. His primary function is to stay on field, maintain team tempo, and enable Cosmos-based Esper Cycle reactions while providing consistent damage during the rotation. Rather than acting as a pure support or a burst-only swap unit, Zero fills the role of a stable frontline damage dealer who helps keep the team’s reaction flow active.

 

Core mechanics

Zero’s kit is built around steady field time and clean reaction uptime. His Basic Attack gives him a simple five-hit string for continuous on-field presence, while Appraise and Engrave is the key button in his rotation: it deals AoE Cosmos damage and adds an extra Cosmos hit to the first target hit under its level condition.

In NTE’s combat system, Esper Cycle is charged through attacking, using a skill, or parrying, MC’s skill can instantly fill the meter through its high Cycle Rate interaction. That is what makes Zero function best as a driver: he is there to keep the cycle active, trigger Cosmos-side reactions consistently, and turn that tempo into real damage instead of playing like a short-field burst unit.

Once the rotation is established, Divide by Zero becomes his main damage conversion tool, and Anomaly Perception further increases its damage by 25%, reinforcing his role as a frontline unit that sustains team flow and cashes out with reliable Ultimate damage.

 

Skill Kit

Basic Attack	Appraisal	Severance: Zero wields his weapon to channel energy, performing up to 5 consecutive attacks.
Skill	Appraisal and Engrave	Weakness exposed! Zero performs 3 consecutive weapon strikes, leaps into the air to charge, and fires an Esper Cannon that deals 1 instance of Cosmos DMG to an area. Additionally deals 1 instance of Cosmos DMG equal to 200% ATK to the first enemy hit whose level does not exceed Zero's own level.
Ult	Divide by Zero	Deals multiple instances of Cosmos DMG.
QTE	Rift Blossom	Slashes through space and detonates a rift, dealing 2 instances of Cosmos DMG to an area.

 

Skill Upgrade Priority

Skill > Ultimate > Basic Attack

For Zero, this priority is mainly about resource efficiency, not raw tooltip reading.

His Skill is the first upgrade because it is the part of his kit that helps start his rotation and push Esper Cycle tempo the fastest, which matters a lot for a Cosmos on-field driver.

His Ultimate comes next because that is where Zero converts his field time and reaction setup into real personal damage, and his passive further reinforces its value.

Basic Attack is still worth raising later for smoother on-field output, but it is not the first place you want to spend limited materials.

In short: level Skill first to improve how quickly Zero gets the team moving, then Ultimate to strengthen his damage payoff, and leave Basic Attack for after his core loop is already online.

 

Materials

Here is an overview of Zero’s upgrade materials and Arc upgrade materials.

Material	Total
Good Boy Stamp	35
Nestling’s Longing	40
Dove’s Flutter	42
The Olive Branch	65
Lost Whispers	71
Obscure Whispers	76
Paradoxical Whispers	97
Charging Knight Spark Plug	86
Beetle Coin	2,343,000
Dreamless Seed	56
Fons	22,000
Beauty	14
Versey	18
Harmony	18

 

Best Arcs

The Rain That Shook the World	ATK: +512 CRIT Rate: 22%
Hypervortex Deals 42% increased Cosmos DMG with the wearer's Redirect Skill and Ultimate. Increases the wearer's Cycle Intensity by 72 for 15s after casting a Redirect Skill. Resets the duration when triggered again.
The Rain That Shook the World fits Zero because his main damage comes from Cosmos Redirect Skill and Ultimate hits. The extra Cycle Intensity also helps him cycle reactions faster, so his burst windows feel smoother instead of waiting forever for setup.

 

Hethereau’s Keeper	ATK: +512 ATK: 27.5%
Justice Executioner Increases ATK by 25%. Increases damage dealt to Bosses by 25%. Unlocks Arc: Officer Whisker. Arc: Officer Whisker — Summons Officer Whisker to assist in combat. Officer Whisker continuously attacks enemies, dealing 2% of the wearer's ATK as damage per hit. Lasts 30s. Cooldown: 60s.
Hethereau’s Keeper fits Zero because it gives him exactly the kind of value his kit likes most: a broad ATK boost plus direct boss damage. Zero is a Cosmos Damage unit with steady field time, a 5-hit Basic Attack chain, and a multi-hit Ultimate that serves as his main damage cash-out. This Arc does not ask for awkward setup, so it is especially good when you want Zero to feel stronger in cleaner single-target or boss-focused fights.

Day Off	ATK: +512 Charge Efficiency: +33%
Eclipse Increases wearer's ATK by 50%. Unlocks Arc: Eclipse. Arc: Eclipse — The wearer creates a 40s Eclipse. During the Eclipse, each enemy defeated restores 10 Ultimate Energy, up to 5 times. Cooldown: 300s.
Day Off works well on Zero because the huge ATK increase benefits his entire kit, from his on-field attacks to his Skill and Ultimate. The kill-based Field Essence refund also makes more sense on Zero than on a pure burst-swap unit, since he has decent AoE coverage and likes staying active long enough to help finish enemies himself. That makes this Arc especially nice in overworld, farming, or multi-wave content rather than strict boss stages.

 

Best Modules

Lost Radiance
Epic (2): Cosmos DMG +10%. Legendary (4): Ignores 25% of enemies' DEF for 20s after the wearer casts Ultimate. Effect does not stack.
Main Stat: Cycle Intensity Substats: Cycle Intensity > CRIT Rate / CRIT DMG > DMG Bonus > ATK% > ATK
Lost Radiance fits Zero mainly because it matches his element and burst timing. The 2-piece gives Cosmos DMG, while the 4-piece adds DEF ignore after Ultimate. Since Zero’s damage window often follows his Ultimate, the set gives him a straightforward boost without needing extra conditions.

 

Awaken Priority

Finding the Calling > Anomalies Record > Deceptive Liberation > Theopneustos > Undecided Factors > Blooming Gaze

Because Zero’s Awaken tree is more of a flex-pick setup, most players should start with Finding the Calling. It gives 8 Ultimate Energy after Appraise and Engrave, which directly helps Zero reach Divide by Zero more smoothly. Since his Ultimate is one of his main Cosmos damage windows, better energy flow is the most practical first upgrade. Anomalies Record comes second because +50% Crit Chance on Divide by Zero makes that burst much more reliable, especially before your module stats are fully polished.

After that, take Deceptive Liberation. Raising the extra damage ratio of Appraise and Engrave to 300% ATK is more useful in regular rotations than saving everything for one Ultimate modifier, since Zero presses Skill constantly anyway. Theopneustos follows as a clean general buff, giving Zero 10% ATK for 20s after triggering Support Skill. Undecided Factors is still good, but its value is tied specifically to Divide by Zero damage scaling, so I’d put it after the broader Skill and ATK upgrades.

Blooming Gaze stays last for most players. The extra hit and 75% DEF ignore can look nice on paper, but it only works against enemies lower level than Zero, which makes it much less dependable in harder fights. It is better for overworld, farming, or easier mob content than serious endgame-style bosses.

 

Team Recommendations

Nanally

Jiuyuan

Zero

Sakiri

Nanally + Jiuyuan + Zero + Sakiri works best as a Blossom-focused AoE team for Jiuyuan, not a pure hypercarry setup. Zero supplies the Cosmos side, while Jiuyuan and Nanally keep Anima pressure high and stack Blossom value. Sakiri rounds it out with grouping and control, making the whole loop feel way cleaner in mob-heavy fights.

 

Zero

Nanally

Hathor

Fadia

The strongest all-around full team I’d recommend right now is Zero + Nanally + Hathor + Fadia. Nanally upgrades the Blossom side by spawning 1 additional Lebenstamm, and while she is in Ichi-daime’s Authority, she can also follow up on teammates’ Esper Cycle damage. Hathor upgrades the Remora side through her Remora Enhancement, and her Ultimate gives her a stronger post-cast state with upgraded Skill and movement. Fadia completes the team by adding real stability: her Ultimate includes healing, and her passive gives the whole team +10% max HP. In practice, this is the cleanest “complete” Zero team because every slot has a clear job — Zero drives, Nanally boosts Blossom, Hathor strengthens Remora, and Fadia keeps the run from falling apart.

 

Conclusion

Zero is the kind of character who rewards clean planning more than flashy theory. Once you set up his rotation properly and give him a team that actually feeds his reaction loop, he feels smooth, reliable, and way more useful than a lot of players expect at first glance. Whether you want the stronger premium setup or a more practical team that is easier to pilot, the goal is the same: let Zero stay comfortable on field and keep the engine running.

And if you end up needing a few extra pulls later to finish his setup, keeping an eye on LDShop for NTE top-up deals is an easy way to save big while you build toward the version you actually want.