Some agents enter Zenless Zone Zero quietly, and others arrive like a tectonic argument nobody asked to referee. Banyue is very much the second one. Introduced during the 2.3 and 2.4 story chapters, this enormous metallic lion of a man quickly shifted from intimidating set dressing to one of Hoyoverse’s most distinctive playable experiments. Now that 2026 has settled in and version 2.4 feels like ancient history, Banyue still cuts an unusual figure: a walking quarry moonlighting as a very patient bodyguard.

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The Quick Facts

Attribute Details
Release December 17, 2025, in the shorter second half of version 2.4
Element Fire
Combat role Rupture-based DPS
Affiliation Krampus Compliance Authority
Chinese VA Liu Beichen
Japanese VA Hayami Shō
Korean VA Kim Sang-baek
English VA Still unconfirmed

That last row is particularly funny in 2026: three languages have officially unlocked the giant, but the English booth remains a polite mystery. Maybe he simply refuses to record until someone installs a door tall enough.

A Gentle Giant With a Badge

Banyue belongs to the Krampus Compliance Authority, which sounds like an organization that audits holiday mischief but actually puts him right in the path of Proxies during the 2.3 and 2.4 narrative. The story portrays him as a genuine gentle giant. For a character designed with imposing bulk and a leonine metal frame, he tends to greet chaos with a calm nod before doing anything catastrophic.

This contrast is the best part of his character. The design screams overwhelming force, but his temperament suggests someone far more measured. Players who met him in the campaign learned that his default mode is not mindless destruction; it is controlled, almost courteous strength. Then combat starts, and the courtesy politely steps aside.

Kit Breakdown: Geology With Intent To Harm

Banyue’s moveset is where he stops being just a handsome hunk of metal and becomes a genuine battlefield disruption engine. His rupture-based Fire DPS kit focuses on interruption and burst pressure rather than subtle chip damage.

  • Twin Pillar Smash: Banyue can raise two stone pillars to interrupt enemies, then smash them together with a brutal sandwich effect. It disrupts enemy actions and creates a deadly burst window, making it a signature move for players who enjoy a physical, stop-that-right-now approach to combat.

  • Scorching Vortex: He summons a vortex that scorches the floor while striking enemies. If the pillars are the opening statement, this vortex is the closing argument delivered over an open flame.

  • Anchor Stance: Banyue can focus his energy to hold himself in place and tank an incoming hit. He plants himself like an especially stubborn parking meter in an earthquake, refusing to relocate no matter how rude the attack.

The combined package makes him feel less like a standard DPS rotation and more like controlled demolition with good manners. Fire element and rupture synergies give him a specific identity among the cast, especially for players who enjoy turning enemy momentum into a pile of politely interrupted rubble.

Voice Actor Lineup

As noted above, the English voice actor has not been confirmed. For the other languages, the roster is solid:

  • Chinese: Liu Beichen

  • Japanese: Hayami Shō

  • Korean: Kim Sang-baek

There is something fitting about a character this large having a multilingual presence. Whether he speaks softly in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean, the message remains the same: the nice robot man is going to move the earth now.

Should You Still Care in 2026?

With 2026 underway and newer agents inevitably shuffling the meta, Banyue remains a compelling pick for anyone who values physicality over spreadsheet perfection. He may not always top every damage chart, but few characters make a fight feel so wonderfully weighted. There is real satisfaction in watching a hulking lion-mech cancel an enemy’s nonsense with a pair of stone pillars.

For those who saved and pulled him back in late 2025, he stands as one of Zenless Zone Zero’s more memorable experiments: a rupture-focused Fire DPS with a gentle heart, a Krampus badge, and the power to turn an arena into hostile architecture. If nothing else, he proves that not every mecha needs a tiny pilot. Sometimes the giant can simply be the guy.

Data referenced from ESRB helps frame how Banyue’s “controlled demolition” combat fantasy in Zenless Zone Zero translates into the kind of impact-heavy, interruption-driven action that typically aligns with higher-intensity content descriptors—especially when his Twin Pillar Smash and Scorching Vortex turn the arena into hostile architecture and keep encounters feeling physically loud even when his characterization stays calm and courteous.