S-RankEtherAttackPhaethonPyrois
Build Guide
S-Rank Ether Attack · Best W-Engine: Sol Exuvia · Drive Disc: The Sky Ablaze 4pc · Top substat: CRIT Rate
Patch 3.1 · Updated June 2026
Who is Pyrois?
Pyrois is Phaethon's raw power made flesh — the physical manifestation of the hidden, unstable Etheric energy lurking within the twins, known across New Eridu for an awe-inspiring, almost overwhelming presence. In combat, he doesn't just output damage: he runs a self-sustaining burst loop that keeps the battlefield perpetually under his control. As a premier S-Rank Ether Attack agent, his devastating strikes leave enemies — particularly Stunned targets — completely decimated.
Kit-wise, Pyrois possesses a unique resource called Prominence, gained on entering the battlefield and continuously restored by hitting enemies with different attacks. When he activates his Ultimate, he triggers Annihilation of Legions — consuming accumulated Prominence to enter a specialized Mirage state where Basic Attack: Celestial Light deals drastically amplified damage to Stunned targets. Landing Chain Attacks builds stacks of Ember Fire, which can then be fully consumed during an Ultimate to rapidly restore Decibels and fuel a devastating, continuous loop.
Beyond pure numbers, Pyrois carries serious narrative weight: as the literal embodiment of the Proxies' awakening Etheric abilities, his long-term impact on the twins' fate adds an incredible layer of mystery to the ongoing storyline — making him one of the most storyline-relevant agents in the current patch.
Rarity
S-Rank
Attribute
Ether
Specialty
Attack
Role
Main DPS
Faction
Phaethon
Core Mechanics
Pyrois revolves around three interconnected resources — master this loop and you unlock his true ceiling:
Prominence
Gained on entering the battlefield and continuously restored by landing attacks. Consumed by Annihilation of Legions to trigger Mirage state.
Mirage State
Active after consuming Prominence via Ultimate. Drastically amplifies Basic Attack: Celestial Light — especially against Stunned enemies.
Ember Fire
Stacks granted by Chain Attacks. Consuming all stacks during an Ultimate rapidly restores Decibels, re-enabling the next Ultimate faster.
The result is a perpetual engine of destruction: Prominence feeds Annihilation of Legions, which enables Mirage and amplifies Celestial Light against Stunned targets, while Ember Fire from Chain Attacks continuously refuels the Decibel meter for the next Ultimate cycle.
Skill Priority
As an Attack agent, Pyrois's damage comes from scaling multipliers on active abilities — not Anomaly procs. Standard skill upgrades directly amplify his output at every stage, making upgrade order critical from day one.
Unlocks burst multipliers and passive CRIT scaling. Max this first — no exceptions.
Grants Ember Fire stacks and provides a massive chunk of burst-window DPS.
Celestial Light multipliers scale significantly per level, powering Mirage state output.
Contributes to the Prominence loop; upgrade after core skills are maxed.
No impact on damage. Upgrade last.
No impact on damage. Upgrade last.
Core Skill is the absolute first priority — it unlocks powerful passive damage boosts and scales Pyrois's primary combat stats significantly with every upgrade level. Chain Attack and Basic Attack come next, playing a massive role in building burst sequences and delivering a huge chunk of baseline DPS during extended fights. Special Attack contributes to the Prominence loop and is worth upgrading once the core skills are maxed. Dodge and Assist have no meaningful impact on Pyrois's offensive output and should only be upgraded after everything else is fully leveled.
Best W-Engines
Pyrois wants CRIT Rate, CRIT DMG, and ATK% in that priority order. CRIT Rate must be sufficiently high first — his Core Skill's massive burst multipliers only trigger on critical hits, so consistency matters more than raw ceiling until you're crit-stable. Any Attack W-Engine targeting those stats is viable, but Sol Exuvia stands completely alone at the top: it provides a hefty CRIT Rate boost alongside a passive DEF-ignore effect that elevates Pyrois's baseline damage to a level no other W-Engine can match.
Sol Exuvia
S-RankAttackBase ATK
713
Bonus Stat
ATK 30%
CRIT Rate +20%. If Pyrois equips this W-Engine, using Ultimate grants Solar Eclipse — DMG ignores 28% of DEF for 45s. Repeated triggers reset the duration. Entering combat also grants Solar Eclipse.
Best non-signature option. Hit-stacking ATK% with a strong CRIT DMG substat makes this the closest accessible alternative.
Strong CRIT DMG substat with a potent passive on EX Special use. A reliable high-ceiling pick without the signature.
Accessible CRIT Rate substat option with a CRIT DMG bonus on EX Special. Keeps Pyrois functional at no extra gacha cost.
Best Drive Discs
For the 4-piece slot, Pyrois is tailor-made for The Sky Ablaze — a set designed specifically around his EX Special and Ultimate-heavy kit. The bonus Ether CRIT DMG and the ATK buff on every EX/Ultimate activation synergize perfectly with his rotation and keep his damage ceiling high throughout every fight. For the 2-piece slot, choose between Woodpecker Electro (if CRIT Rate is still low), Astral Voice (for raw ATK%), or Chaotic Metal (for extra Ether DMG) — depending on which stat your build needs to round out.
The Sky Ablaze
Ether DMG +10%.
Ether Agents gain CRIT DMG +30%. Using an EX Special Attack or Ultimate increases ATK by 10% for 30s. Repeated triggers reset the duration.
2-Piece Options
Woodpecker Electro
CRIT Rate +8%.
Astral Voice
ATK +10%.
Chaotic Metal
Ether DMG +10%.
Drive Disc Stats
Main Stats
Sub Stats Priority
Best Team Compositions
Pyrois's Additional Core Ability plays a vital role in his total performance — it must be active in every team you run him in. The good news: the activation condition is trivially easy to satisfy. You simply need a Stun or Support character anywhere in the squad. This gives you enormous flexibility in team-building while ensuring his full damage potential is always online.
Dialyn + Sunna
Sunna + Nicole
Ju Fufu + Astra Yao
Norma + Astra Yao
Dialyn + Astra Yao
Trigger + Astra Yao
Ju Fufu + Astra Yao
Norma + Astra Yao
Dialyn + Astra Yao
Norma + Sunna
Dialyn + Sunna
FAQ
What is the best W-Engine for Pyrois?
Sol Exuvia is the best-in-slot W-Engine for Pyrois by a significant margin. It grants +20% CRIT Rate plus the Solar Eclipse effect on every Ultimate, causing DMG to ignore 28% of enemy DEF for 45 seconds — effectively permanent uptime in any fight.
What Drive Discs should I use for Pyrois?
Use The Sky Ablaze 4-piece — it grants Ether CRIT DMG +30% and ATK +10% whenever Pyrois uses an EX Special Attack or Ultimate. For the 2-piece slot, choose Woodpecker Electro for CRIT Rate, Astral Voice for ATK%, or Chaotic Metal for Ether DMG, depending on which stat you need most.
How much CRIT Rate does Pyrois need?
Target at least 60% CRIT Rate before heavily investing in CRIT DMG. With Sol Exuvia providing +20% CRIT Rate and The Sky Ablaze slots, this is achievable. Aim for a 1:2 CRIT Rate to CRIT DMG ratio once you're crit-stable.
What is the best team for Pyrois?
The best team is Pyrois + Norma + Sunna. Norma provides Stun to activate Pyrois's Additional Core Ability, while Sunna's Cat's Gaze support amplifies his burst windows. Alternatives include Qingyi, Lycaon, or Dialyn as Stun, with Nicole, Lucy, or Trigger as Support.
What skill should I upgrade first?
Max Core Skill first — it unlocks the passive burst multipliers and CRIT stat scaling that define Pyrois's damage floor and ceiling. Follow with Chain Attack, then Basic Attack, then Special Attack. Dodge and Assist are last priority.
Conclusion
All in all, Pyrois is an exceptional Attack agent in Zenless Zone Zero. With the right build and team setup, he can wipe out enemies with ease — and his self-sustaining Prominence loop means he never runs out of steam in prolonged fights. Sol Exuvia elevates his ceiling dramatically, and The Sky Ablaze locks in the Ether CRIT DMG amplification his kit craves.
Max Core Skill first, keep CRIT Rate above 60%, always bring a Stun teammate, and master the Prominence → Mirage → Ember Fire rotation. Do that, and Pyrois's god-tier damage output speaks for itself.
Full Agent Data
Pyrois — Skills, Mindscape Cinema & Materials