DON'T BUILD HIM WRONG! Best Hugo Guide & Build [Builds, W-Engines, Teams, and MORE] - Zenless Zone Zero 1.7 (ZZZ)

Hugo is an S-Rank Ice character who wields the Attack W-Engine Type. He is an on-field main D.P.S. with off-field follow-up basic attacks. Hugo synergizes well with stunners like Lighter and Lycaon.

Hugo’s enhanced basic attack:

After the final hit of a Basic Attack or Dodge Counter, pressing Special causes Hugo to throw his scythe for a cleaving attack followed by a shot that deals Ice damage. Holding Basic during the shot charges it for greater power. Each hit adds one Stored Power stack up to 6 total; charged shots grant an extra stack. When a Chain Attack or Ultimate is launched, all Stored Power stacks are consumed to provide two Energy per stack, and the skill also boosts Anti-Interrupt levels.

Hugo’s aftershock basic attack:

When Hugo is not the active Agent, landing a heavy attack triggers an Aftershock on the target, with a five-second cooldown.

Hugo’s special attack:

Pressing Special triggers a double forward slash that deals Ice Damage, while increasing the Anti-Interrupt level during the attack.

Hugo’s EX special attack:

Holding Special with enough Energy unleashes a spinning scythe slash that deals massive Ice damage. Hugo becomes invulnerable during the attack and gains twenty Energy afterwards.

Hugo’s charged EX special attack:

Holding Special with enough Energy activates EX Special Attack: Charged, where Hugo spins his scythe and then delivers an upward strike that deals massive Ice damage. He remains invulnerable throughout the attack.

Hugo’s chain attack:

Activating a Chain Attack lets you choose a character who rushes forward, slashing enemies before finishing with a charged blow that deals massive Ice damage. The character remains invulnerable throughout the attack.

Hugo’s ultimate:

When Decibel Rating is maxed out, pressing Ultimate throws the Scythe forward to unleash a powerful spinning slash against enemies, then catches it to deliver a follow-up strike that deals massive Ice Damage. The character remains invulnerable during this entire action.

Hugo’s core skill:

When EX Special: Charged hits a stunned enemy, Final Reconciliation activates, boosting its damage multiplier based on the enemy's remaining stun duration. The multiplier increases by a base amount plus extra percentages per second—one rate for up to five seconds of stun and another for stun durations between five and fifteen seconds—capped at a maximum boost. Additionally, if the enemy has been hit by Hugo's Chain Attack or Ultimate, the next EX Special: Charged receives an extra damage boost. After triggering Final Reconciliation, the enemy recovers from Stun.

Hugo’s additional ability:

If your squad includes a Stun or Support character, Hugo's Ice damage is boosted by twenty five percent. Additionally, when an enemy recovers from Stun caused by Final Reconciliation, Hugo instantly gains Daze equal to six percent of the enemy's maximum Daze per remaining second of stun—up to a maximum of thirty percent of the enemy's total Daze.

For Hugo’s ability level priority, first level his chain attack, second level his basic attack, third level his special attack, fourth level his assist, and lastly level his dodge.

Hugo’s Signature W-Engine has a base attack of seven hundred thirteen and provides twenty-four percent critical rate. It also boosts attack by twenty-five percent. When an EX Special, Chain Attack, or Ultimate inflicts Ice damage, its Critical Damage is increased by twenty-five percent. Additionally, if such an attack hits a stunned enemy, its critical damage receives a further boost of twenty-five percent.

For those aiming to optimize Hugo’s performance in endgame content, here's a breakdown of his recommended stats at level sixty. Attack should be three thousand four hundred, H.P. should be ten thousand, defense should be eight hundred, the critical rate should be between eighty percent and one hundred percent, while critical damage should be between one hundred sixty percent and two hundred percent.

An S-Rank W-Engine that Hugo can use is The Brimstone, Soldier Eleven’s signature W-Engine. It boosts attack by twelve percent. When Hugo lands a basic attack, dash attack, or dodge counter on an enemy, his attack is raised by three point five percent for eight seconds. This bonus can stack up to eight times, with each stack's duration tracked individually, and it can activate every zero point five seconds.

An A-Rank New Eridu City Fund Battle Pass W-Engine that Hugo can use is Cannon Rotor. It provides twenty percent critical rate and boosts attack by twelve percent. A critical hit on an enemy deals an extra two hundred percent of attack as damage, with a six-second cooldown.

A standard gacha A-Rank W-Engine that Hugo can use is Starlight Engine. It provides twenty-five percent attack. Activating a Dodge Counter or Quick Assist boosts Hugo's attack by nineteen point two percent for twelve seconds.

A free-to-play event A-Rank W-Engine that Hugo can use is Marcato Desire. It provides twenty percent critical rate. When an EX Special Attack or Chain Attack connects with an enemy, Hugo's attack is boosted by nine point six percent for eight seconds. If the enemy is affected by an attribute anomaly, this bonus is increased by an additional nine point six percent.

An alternative free-to-play event A-Rank W-Engine that Hugo can use is Gilded Blossom. It provides twenty-five percent attack. Its effect increases attack by nine point six percent and boosts the damage of EX Special Attacks by twenty-four percent.

A free-to-play B-Rank W-Engine that Hugo can use is Lunar Decrescent. It provides twenty percent attack. Activating a Chain Attack or Ultimate grants Hugo a twenty-five percent boost to damage for six seconds.

For Hugo’s optimal Drive Disk set, use a four-piece set of Woodpecker Electro. Its two-piece set effect increases critical rate by eight percent. Its four-piece set effect states that when a Basic Attack, Dodge Counter, or EX Special Attack scores a critical hit, Hugo’s attack is boosted by nine percent for six seconds. The duration of this buff is tracked separately for each skill. Use puffer electro or polar metal as the extra two-piece drive disk set.

An alternative Drive Disk set is a four-piece Puffer Electro. Its two-piece set effect increases penetration ratio by eight percent. Its four-piece set effect boosts Ultimate Damage by twenty percent. Additionally, activating an Ultimate increases Hugo’s attack by fifteen percent for twelve seconds. Use Woodpecker Electro as the extra two-piece drive disk set.

Hugo could also use a four-piece set of Polar Metal. Its two-piece set effect increases ice damage by ten percent. Its four-piece set effect increases Basic Attack and Dash Attack by twenty-eight percent. Additionally, when a squad member Freezes or Shatters an enemy, this bonus is further enhanced by another twenty eight percent for twelve seconds. Use Woodpecker Electro as the extra two-piece drive disk set.

For Drive Disk four, use either a critical damage percent main stat or a critical rate percent main stat. For Drive Disk five, use either an ice damage percent main stat or an attack percent main stat. For Drive Disk six, use either an attack percent main stat.

For Hugo’s drive disk substats prioritization, first prioritize Critical Rate and Critical Damage, second prioritize Attack Percent, and lastly prioritize either Penetration or Flat Attack.

Hugo’s best team is himself, Lighter, and Lycaon. An alternate premium team is Hugo, Caesar, and Astra Yao. A relatively free-to-play team is Hugo, Soukaku, and Lycaon. A completely free-to-play team is Hugo, Anby, and Soukaku.

An S-Rank Bangboo that Hugo can use is Sharkboo, assuming you have two or more Ice characters in your team. It deals Ice damage and accumulates Ice Anomaly Buildup.

An A-Rank Bangboo that Hugo can use is Penguinboo, who has the same requirement as Sharkboo and does the same thing as Sharkboo but with less Anomaly Buildup.

There will also be a new A-Rank Bangboo, Overtimeboo, who will release alongside Hugo, so he might be able to use it. Robin the Mockingbird Bangboo will also likely release with him as well.

Hugo’s Mindscape Cinema One is as follows: At the start of combat, Hugo instantly gains one thousand five hundred decibels, an effect that can occur once every one hundred eighty seconds. When EX Special: Charged strikes a stunned enemy and activates Final Reconciliation, it also triggers Drain. During Drain, Hugo earns additional decibels based on the enemy's remaining stun duration—one hundred decibels per second, up to a maximum of five hundred Decibels. This effect can be activated once every twenty seconds.

Hugo’s Mindscape Cinema Two states that when Hugo's Ultimate hits a stunned enemy, it triggers Final Reconciliation without ending the Stun. The Ultimate's Damage Multiplier increases by one hundred forty percent for every second of the enemy's remaining Stun, up to a maximum boost of two thousand one hundred percent.

Hugo’s Mindscape Cinema Three increases Basic Attack, Dodge, Assist, Special Attack, and Chain Attack by two levels.

Hugo’s Mindscape Cinema Four states that when Hugo's Ultimate or EX Special: Charged strikes an enemy that is not stunned, Final Reconciliation can be activated, boosting the attack's Damage Multiplier by an additional one thousand five hundred percent.

Hugo’s Mindscape Cinema Five increases Basic Attack, Dodge, Assist, Special Attack, and Chain Attack by two levels.

Hugo’s Mindscape Cinema Six states that when Final Reconciliation is activated, Hugo gains one Charge stack, up to a maximum of four. Additionally, if EX Special: Charged triggers Final Reconciliation on a stunned enemy while Hugo has more than three Charge stacks, three stacks are consumed, and the attack's damage ignores fifty percent of the enemy's Ice damage resistance.

If you have enough pulls to either get Hugo’s Mindscape Cinema One or his Signature W-Engine, I would recommend pulling Hugo’s Mindscape Cinema One because it provides him with up to two thousand decibels to get his ultimate easily. His Signature W-Engine only provides him with stat increases, including attack percent and critical damage percent increase of EX Special Attack, Chain Attack, or Ultimate.

If you are a dolphin, I would recommend stopping at Hugo’s Mindscape Cinema Two because it heavily increases Hugo’s ultimate damage multiplier. Pairing it with his Mindscape Cinema One makes him overpowered, since he can get his ultimate up very quickly.

If you are a whale, I would recommend pulling for Hugo’s Mindscape Cinema Six because it has crazy high multipliers, making him a top-tier D.P.S. However, if you only want one Mindscape Cinema Six character, I would recommend pulling for Mindscape Cinema Six Miyabi instead because she is the best character in the game and can solo all content at Mindscape Cinema Six.