Notorious Hunts in Zenless Zone Zero: A Complete Guide
In Zenless Zone Zero, each main story arc climaxes with an intense boss battle against a formidable Ethereal. To continue the thrill, players can revisit these encounters through the Notorious Hunt feature. Engaging in these battles frequently is essential for fully upgrading your characters, as these bosses drop unique materials that aren’t obtainable elsewhere in the game.
These repeated encounters can prove significantly more challenging than story battles since you can only use characters who are already in your party. Thankfully, they vary in difficulty, which we will explore further.
Unlocking Notorious Hunts
To access Notorious Hunts, you must complete two significant milestones:
- Reach Inter-Knot Level 26.
- Complete Chapter Two: A Call From the Hollow’s Heart and transition into Chapter Two: Intermission.
Once you’ve fulfilled these requirements, you’ll receive an in-game message from Roland at Scott Outpost. Pay him a visit, and he’ll guide you through Routine Cleanup, a Drive Disc farming activity, while also introducing you to Ophelia.
After unlocking Routine Cleanup and meeting Ophelia, head back to Sixth Street to unlock Tuning at the Bardic Needle Music Store. After waiting one in-game day, return to Ophelia to start participating in Notorious Hunts.
Note: You’ll have immediate access to all Notorious Hunts once unlocked. However, this may spoil parts of the story. Players looking to upgrade characters like Miyabi, Harumasa, or Astra Yao should be prepared for this.
Overview of Notorious Hunt Bosses and Their Rewards
The bosses you encounter in Notorious Hunts are generally more intricate than those from the Expert Challenge, reflecting their role as memorable story encounters. As of update 1.5, there are five Notorious bosses available, each dropping specific materials required to enhance character passive skills to their maximum level. Each character needs nine materials from Notorious bosses for full upgrades.
You have three free Hunts each week. Beyond that, you can opt to spend 60 Battery Charge per Hunt for additional rewards by adjusting the Pursuit to the Depths slider.
Each Hunt presents five difficulty levels—30, 40, 50, 60, and 65. If you’re only interested in collecting the unique materials, it’s best to battle the level 30 variant, as it provides the quickest farming opportunity.
In addition to these exclusive materials, Notorious Hunt bosses also yield Inter-Knot Credit, Master Copy Tuning materials, and varying amounts of Dennies. Before each fight, players can choose one of three Resonia buffs for their team or inflict debuffs on the boss to make the encounter more manageable. You also receive a single-use Ether Droplet for reviving downed characters.
Here’s a breakdown of the bosses and their associated rewards:
| Boss | Weakness | Resistance | Resonia Available | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newborn Dead End Butcher | Ice, Ether | None | Increase Agent Ice damage by 15%, longer stun duration, Anomaly boost. | Inter-Knot Credit: 600 1 Ferocious Grip various Master Copies Dennies: 3,000-4,500 |
| Unknown Corruption Complex | Electric, Ether | None | Increase Agent Electric damage by 15%, longer stun duration, Anomaly boost. | Inter-Knot Credit: 600 1 Living Drive various Master Copies Dennies: 3,000-4,500 |
| Twin Marionettes | Ice, Ether | None | Increase Agent Ether damage by 15%, longer stun duration, Anomaly boost. | Inter-Knot Credit: 600 1 Final Dance Shoes various Master Copies Dennies: 3,000-4,500 |
| Corrupted Overlord – Pompey | Fire | Electric | Increase Agent Fire Anomaly buildup by 30%, longer stun duration, Anomaly boost. | Inter-Knot Credit: 600 1 Scarlet Engine various Master Copies Dennies: 3,000-4,500 |
| Sacrifice – Bringer | Ice | Physical | Increase Agent Ice damage by 15%, longer stun duration, Anomaly boost. | Inter-Knot Credit: 600 1 Sycophant’s Refinement various Master Copies Dennies: 3,000-4,500 |
Optimal Teams for Each Notorious Hunt Boss
Facing Notorious Hunt bosses can become overwhelming, especially if your characters are at a lower level during endgame scenarios. Therefore, assembling a strong team that can exploit the boss’s weaknesses is crucial for success.
Engaging in a brute-force strategy isn’t advisable, particularly against bosses that resist specific damage types. If you only have one reliable team, it may be worth toughing it out until you can form a second one for consistent farming.
Here’s a suggested team setup for each boss:
| Boss | Team | Team Description |
|---|---|---|
| Newborn Dead End Butcher | Main DPS: Ellen Joe Sub-DPS: Lycaon Support: Nicole |
Ellen Joe excels as the main Ice DPS while Lycaon adds strong stun capabilities and debuffs Ice resistance. Nicole supports with Ether damage. |
| Unknown Corruption Complex | Main DPS: Grace Sub-DPS: Burnice Support: Lucy |
Grace applies Shock Anomaly efficiently. Burnice complements this with her burn abilities, while Lucy enhances team damage and versatility. |
| Twin Marionettes | Main DPS: Zhu Yuan Sub-DPS: Qingyi Support: Nicole |
Zhu Yuan serves as powerful single-target DPS. Qingyi boosts Stun window damage, and Nicole adds defense debuffs and Ether damage. |
| Corrupted Overlord – Pompey | Main DPS: Burnice Sub-DPS: Lighter Support: Lucy |
Burnice maximizes damage potential with her burn application. Lighter provides strong buff capabilities while Lucy ensures quick team swaps. |
| Sacrifice – Bringer | Main DPS: Miyabi Sub-DPS: Yanagi Support: Astra Yao |
Miyabi delivers massive Ice damage and excels in mobility. Yanagi enhances opportunities for creating Disorders, while Astra Yao provides key support. |
All Characters Linked to Their Notorious Hunts
Every character in Zenless Zone Zero relies on unique Notorious Hunt materials for upgrading their passive skills. Although each character requires nine materials, only one drops per boss encounter, regardless of difficulty.
- Dead End Butcher: Ellen Joe, Nekomata, Jane, Lucy, Anby, Nicole, Billy
- Unknown Corruption Complex: Koleda, Qingyi, Yanagi, Zhu Yuan, Grace, Anton, Ben, Seth
- Twin Marionettes: Astra Yao, Soldier 11, Rina, Lycaon, Piper, Soukaku, Corin
- Corrupted Overlord – Pompey: Burnice, Caesar, Lighter
- Sacrifice – Bringer: Harumasa, Miyabi
Now that you’re equipped with all the knowledge about Notorious Hunts, it’s time to gear up and dive into the challenge!
