I love Billy Kid from Zenless Zone Zero. Even though I’m not exactly sold on it in other ways, due to things like pacing and the freebies taking forever to earn, I can’t fault this one element of his design. Almost every part of him is perfectly executed, and the fact that we got such a wonderful character from the very start leaves me inclined to give Zenless Zone Zero a little leeway.
Part of this comes down to the general design for Billy Kid. He’s an android, which means you’d worry about him perhaps looking a bit generic. However, his robotic face manages to be as expressive, if not more so, than other characters. This is because of the exaggerated approach HoYoVerse artists use. So even though he can look stoic and severe at a glance, in motion we see a range of emotions as varied as anyone else’s. There are also other touches, such as a red leather jacket filled with fandom patches and an exaggerated hairstyle that rivals any shonen hero’s.
Billy Kid also has the absolute best personality type in Zenless Zone Zero. Those who kept up with Trigun will know what I mean. He’s absolutely a Vash the Stampede type. This is a character who genuinely means well and is a good person (robot)! He can be delightfully goofy about things! He adores the show Starlight Knight. He has a crush on a celebrity. He refers to his guns as the Girls. However, we also know that there’s more to him. He’s a more than competent Agent. He’s an established Intelligent Tactical Unit. His character teaser from 2023, which featured his beta phase voice actor Michael Schwalbe, noted he used to even be an infamous Outer Ring “combat weapon” and feared warrior. He’s skilled, competent, and cares!
The Billy Kid English and Japanese voice actors in Zenless Zone Zero even enhance that. Both Clifford Chapin and Yu Hayashi give these enthusiastic, earnest, over-the-top types of performances. You can tell there’s an opportunity for seriousness in their portrayals. At the same time, they both do a perfect job of geeking out and bringing him to life.
Honestly, I think that combination of the right personality and voice actors make it feel like Billy Kid is the best part of the early Zenless Zone Zero story. He absolutely steals the show in the tutorial, when we’re helping Phaethon get him and Anby out of the Hollow during the introduction. He’s a constant source of humor, being genuinely and completely funny due to both his responses to Anby and reactions. At the same time, he’s an absolute badass. He handles situations efficiently and is smart about dealing with enemies. He’s practical when it comes to successfully navigating and escaping the situation. He’s also just a generally good buddy to the Phaethon siblings, being genuinely appreciative of his “manager.” No matter what the situation or who the person in the scene with him is, the writing means he plays off of them perfectly.
The only bad thing about Billy Kid in Zenless Zone Zero is… well, actually using him. Which is a shame since there’s so much potential when it comes to the concept behind the character! He’s a DPS, but a completely ranged unit in a title where you’re most likely going to get up close and personal when beating baddies up. His attacks honestly look amazing too. I absolutely love how he looks when he uses his Fatal Shot Assist. His Stand Still and Clearance Time Specials? Also fantastic to watch.
However, Billy Kid is clearly a case of form over function in Zenless Zone Zero, and it keeps him from being one of the best possible party members at the very least for the moment. His playstyle is very forgiving, which is a plus! While his Basic Attack only hits one, it’s easy to use his other moves or build off of it to deal AOE damage. The problem comes when you look closer. He’s a Physical Attack Agent with the Cunning Hares. Know who also is and happens to be a better DPS due to her nature as an S-rank character? Nekomata. It also doesn’t help that Anby and Nicole are more versatile members of the group who can slot into other teams more easily than Billy. There’s no Physical type Stun or Support unit in-game yet who could support a Billy team, and someone going for an A-rank Physical DPS could also perhaps pick Piper instead.
I know it is early days with Zenless Zone Zero. At the rate at which HoYoVerse tends to add new characters to games, which can be between two and three per patch, we’ll likely see lots of Agents to fall in love with as time goes by. However, there is just something special about Billy Kid in Zenless Zone Zero. His combat prowess aside, everything about him feels perfectly in tune with the game, not to mention appealing to a general audience.
Zenless Zone Zero is available for the PS5, PC, and mobile devices.
Published: Jul 27, 2024 03:00 pm