She builds, she charges, and when the petals finally drop, SEED leaves nothing standing; here’s how to make every slam count.

Seed has arrived in Zenless Zone Zero Version 2.2, bringing a unique playstyle that blends her own agility with the raw power of her mech, Seed Sr. If you’ve pulled her and want to get the most out of her kit, here’s a full guide that will focus on how her combat works, how her combos can be executed, and what her optimal builds are.

How Seed’s kit works

Seed's Ultimate is best saved for Stun windows.

Seed’s entire playstyle revolves around Steel Charge, which builds up to 150 from her attacks, dodges, and assists. Once she has at least 120, she can unleash Falling Petals Downfall, a huge slam that caps off her strings and delivers her biggest burst of Electric damage.

  • Her Basic Attacks are a four-hit sequence, with the later hits giving the most Steel Charge. It’s always worth finishing the full string so you can reach the charge threshold faster.
  • Her EX Special Attack costs 60 Energy and puts her in Seed Sr.’s flight mode. Fully channelling it makes her invulnerable and flows straight into her slam. If you cut the move early, you lose both safety and damage.
  • Her Ultimate is best saved for Stun windows. It hits hard, instantly gives 60 Steel Charge, and naturally chains into Falling Petals Downfall, letting you front-load huge damage when enemies are most vulnerable.

With that in mind, here’s how her combos come together in practice:

Potential combos and gameplay loop:

Seed's highest damage chain involves EX Special + Ultimate + Falling Petals Downfall.

Basic Loop: Full Basic Attack string + Falling Petals Downfall

This is Seed’s standard rotation. Her full Basic string builds Steel Charge, and once you hit 120 or more, you can finish with her slam. Simple, repeatable, and the backbone of her damage.

Dodge or Assist starter: Dodge Counter/Quick Assist + Falling Petals Downfall

If you dodge correctly or tag in with an Assist, Seed can immediately spend Steel Charge for her slam. This turns defensive plays or team support into quick punishment without needing a full Basic string first.

Burst Rotation: EX Special (fully channeled) + Ultimate + Falling Petals Downfall

This is her highest damage chain. The EX Special makes her invulnerable and builds charge, the Ultimate adds more Steel Charge while hitting hard, and both flow into the slam. Use this during Stun to deal huge chunks of damage safely.

Stun Setup Steel Charge at 120+ + Swap cancel into Stun + Chain Attack + Ultimate + Falling Petals Downfall

By starting with full charge, she can immediately trigger her slam after a swap, extend into a Chain Attack, and then drop her Ultimate into another slam. It’s the best way to maximise her output when the enemy can’t move.

Combat tips

Seed’s kit might look straightforward, but her damage really comes from managing Steel Charge and landing her slam, Falling Petals Downfall. Here are some key points to keep in mind:

  • Always finish Falling Petals Downfall. Most of Seed’s burst comes from the slam at the end of her rotation. If you cut it short, you lose a huge portion of her damage.
  • Use EX Special smartly. It’s not just a damage move. Fully channelling it gives invulnerability frames, making it a safe way to stay aggressive while dodging enemy attacks.
  • Time your Ultimate around Stun windows. Popping it during Stun gives an instant Steel Charge boost and flows straight into Falling Petals Downfall, letting you stack massive damage when it matters most.

Skill priority

Focus on abilities that drive Seed's damage first.

When building Seed, focus on the abilities that drive her damage first.

  • Her Core Skill needs to be upgraded first, as it boosts her ATK and CRIT DMG, directly increasing both her own performance and her synergy with teammates.
  • Her Basic Attack is her main source of Steel Charge and overall DPS, so this should be a top priority alongside her Core.
  • Chain Attack/Ultimate: levelling this greatly improves her burst output, especially during Stun windows.
  • Special Attack is important to raise for the raw damage it adds, though not quite as high priority as the options above.
  • Dodge can be delayed, as you’ll often be swapping her out rather than relying on her dodge.
  • Assist will have the lowest priority, since it contributes little to her core gameplay.

Best W-Engines

Cordis Germina is Seed's best W-engine. Other substitutes could be Severed Innocence, The Brimstone, Marcato Desire or the Drill Rig-Red Axis.

At base upgrade level, these W-Engines work well with Seed:

Cordis Germina 

Boosts CRIT Rate and stacks Electric DMG when using Basics or EX Specials. At max stacks, her Basic Attacks and Ultimate also ignore enemy DEF.

Severed Innocence

Raises CRIT DMG, stacking further with each skill use. At full stacks, adds extra Electric DMG, making it excellent for sustained rotations.

The Brimstone

Builds stacking ATK buffs on Basic and Dodge Counters. Great for keeping her damage scaling in longer fights.

Marcato Desire

Provides stacking ATK buffs on EX Specials or Chain Attacks, further boosted when enemies are under Attribute Anomaly.

Drill Rig–Red Axis

Increases Electric damage from Basics and Dash Attacks after EX Special, though it has downtime.

Starlight Engine: buffs ATK after Dodge Counters or Quick Assists, situational but serviceable.

Best Drive Discs

The four-piece Dawn's Bloom can be paired with either a two-piece Woodpecker Electro or a two-piece Branch and Blade Song for Seed's Drive Disc sets.

The strongest disc setup for Seed leans into her Basic Attack and crit potential.

4-piece Dawn’s Bloom + 2-piece Woodpecker Electro

Her best set overall. Dawn’s Bloom empowers her Basic Attacks, while Woodpecker adds a valuable CRIT Rate boost.

4-piece Dawn’s Bloom + 2-piece Branch and Blade Song

 A strong alternative if you have better sub-stats here, trading some consistency for extra CRIT DMG.

Best Teams 

Seed should always be paired with an Attack agent to fully maximise her potential.

Seed is an Attack–Electric agent in Zenless Zone Zero, and her kit is designed around working alongside another Attack character. Without one, she loses much of her buffing and synergy potential. Because of this, every Seed team should include at least one other Attack unit, ideally a sub-DPS who can share field time.

The good news is that this requirement makes her flexible, as she can partner with a wide range of agents. Here are some of the strongest team options:

Premium Electric Attack Team

  • Seed (Attack)
  • Soldier 0 Anby (Attack)
  • Trigger (Stun)
  • Bangboo: Mercury (alternatives: Electroboo, Plugboo, Overtimeboo)

One of Seed’s strongest line-ups. Anby benefits from Seed’s buffs and steady Energy flow, while Trigger supplies reliable Stun application and off-field damage without eating field time. Together they cycle EX Specials and slams smoothly, keeping near-constant pressure and spiking hard during Stun windows.

Premium Team with Support

  • Seed (Attack)
  • Soldier 0 Anby (Attack)
  • Astra Yao (Support)
  • Bangboo: Booressure (alternatives: Sumoboo, Avocaboo, Bagboo)

Astra Yao’s buffs and frequent swap windows let Seed and Anby cancel animations and rotate quickly, raising overall DPS. This constant switch play maintains Steel Charge flow for Seed while both allies benefit from her Core Passive buffs. It’s more technical than the Stun team, but very rewarding when executed cleanly.

Aftershock Free-to-Play Team

  • Seed(Attack)
  • Harumasa (Attack)
  • Pulchra (Stun)
  • Bangboo: Electroboo, Agent Gulliver

Seed can slot into any Attack-focused line-up, making her flexible for F2P teams. 

Seed buffs both her own and Harumasa’s ATK and CRIT DMG while also regenerating Energy for him. Harumasa shares field time naturally with Seed, and Pulchra provides Stun without demanding much time on the field, making this an effective and low-cost option.

Pairing her with Harumasa is especially strong, as her Additional Ability regenerates his Energy while also topping up her own Steel Charge. Pulchra fits perfectly as the Stun option, needing little field time while keeping rotations smooth. If needed, Harumasa can be swapped for Anton or Billy, though Pulchra may need replacing to maintain synergy.

Free-to-Play Team

  • Seed (Attack)
  • Billy (Attack)
  • Nicole (Support)
  • Bangboo: Booressure (alternatives: Bagboo, Sumoboo, Avocaboo, Knightboo)

Billy pairs well with Seed thanks to Vanguard’s ATK and CRIT DMG buffs, while Nicole provides reliable support and anomaly application. This setup keeps pace surprisingly well with premium options.

At the end of the day, Seed shines when you commit to finishing her slams and weaving her charge management cleanly into rotations. Keep an Attack ally on hand, pick the team style that feels best to you, and don’t be afraid to use her EX Special as a safety net in tougher fights. Once you get the rhythm down, she’s as fun to play as she is powerful–so dive in, let the petals fall, and enjoy tearing through Hollows with her.