Honestly, most people treat Bangboos like an afterthought. You spend all your time grinding for that perfect Disc Drive or sweating over whether to pull for Miyabi or Yixuan, and then you just slap whatever rabbit-thing looks cute onto the team. Big mistake. In the current 2026 meta, especially with the 1.4 and 2.5 shifts, picking the wrong Bangboo is essentially leaving 15% of your team's potential damage on the table. It's not just about "extra damage" anymore. It's about Anomaly application, energy funneling, and whether or not your chain attacks actually feel like they're doing something.
If you're still using Bagboo because it was free, we need to talk.
The S-Tier Heavy Hitters (The Must-Haves)
Let's get real: S-Rank Bangboos are in a different league. If you have the Boopons, you should be targeting these.
Rocketboo is currently the king of the fire meta. If you’ve got a team with Lighter or Burnice, Rocketboo is non-negotiable. Its Refueling ability is insane—it doubles your Fire Anomaly buildup during chain attacks. I’ve seen players clear Shiyu Defense floors 30 seconds faster just by swapping to this guy. The homing rockets actually hit their targets, unlike some of the older A-ranks that tend to whiff if the boss moves an inch.
Then there’s Butler. Everyone loves the Butler. If you're running Victoria Housekeeping (Ellen, Lycaon, or Corin), he’s your best friend. He doesn't just look fancy; he literally hands out energy like candy. While some theorycrafters argue that his energy gain is "modest," in a high-pressure fight, that one extra EX Special can be the difference between a stun and getting wiped.
Resonaboo and Sharkboo are your elemental staples. Resonaboo’s mini-black hole is still one of the best grouping tools in the game. If you're dealing with those annoying spread-out mobs in the Hollow Zero, Resonaboo gathers them up so your Ether agents can just nuke everything at once. Sharkboo, on the other hand, is a bit controversial lately. Some players, like the folks over on the ZZZ subreddits, are saying Penguinboo (the A-rank) actually outperforms a 1-star Sharkboo in terms of sheer Ice Anomaly consistency. They aren't entirely wrong. Sharkboo’s traps can be finicky.
The "New Meta" Contenders (2.0 and Beyond)
We’ve seen some weird stuff lately. Robin is a standout. He’s flexible. You only need one Mockingbird agent to make him work, which is great for the newer, more diverse teams. If you’re lucky enough to have Hugo or Vivian, Robin’s daze application is borderline broken. He basically turns your team into a stun machine.
Belion is the dark horse of 2026. His mechanic is unique: when an Agent uses an Ultimate, Belion’s active skill cooldown drops. This makes him a monster in "Ultimate-spam" teams. If your rotation is built around getting those Decibels up fast, Belion provides way more utility than a traditional damage-focused Bangboo.
Mercury is also seeing a lot of play with the Obol Squad. If you're a fan of Orphie or Trigger, Mercury’s fire damage synergy is surprisingly high. Just keep an eye on the enemy resistances; if you’re fighting something fire-immune, Mercury becomes a very expensive paperweight.
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Why Faction Synergy is the Only Thing That Matters
Basically, if you aren't activating the "Additional Ability" on your Bangboo, you're doing it wrong. Most Bangboos require two agents of a specific faction or attribute to unlock their real power.
- Amillion: Needs Cunning Hares (Nicole, Anby, Billy). If you have them, his machine gun deals massive Physical damage. Without them? He’s just a bunny with a gun who misses half his shots.
- Safety: The Belobog specialist. If you're running Koleda and Ben, Safety adds a 20% damage buff to your chain attacks. If the enemy is already Burning or Shocked? That buff doubles. It’s huge.
- Gulliver: This is the one you want for Section 6. If you have the Yanagi and Miyabi core, Gulliver is a beast. But he’s picky. He demands that specific team comp, or he won’t perform.
The A-Rank Sleepers (Don’t Trash These)
Not everyone has a stable of 5-star Bangboos. Honestly, some A-ranks are better than un-refined S-ranks.
Avocaboo is the "oops, I forgot to dodge" insurance. In early game, you don't need him. In endgame, when a single hit takes 40% of your health? That healing juice is a lifesaver. Magnetiboo is another one people sleep on. Its grouping ability is basically a budget Resonaboo, and for Physical teams (Jane or Piper), it’s surprisingly effective at clustering enemies for those big AOE procs.
Paperboo is hilarious. It taunts. It literally stands there and takes hits so you don't have to. If you’re struggling with boss aggression, give the paper guy a try.
What Most People Get Wrong About the ZZZ Bangboo Tier List
The biggest misconception? That there is one "best" Bangboo.
There isn't.
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A "Tier 0" Bangboo on a fire team is "Tier Trash" on an ice team. You have to match the element or the faction. I see people pulling for Bangvolver because they heard he does high damage, but then they run him with an Ether team. It’s a waste.
Also, stop ignoring the Refinement levels. A 5-star A-rank like Electroboo will often give you more consistent Shock buildup than a 1-star S-rank Plugboo. Don't get blinded by the gold border. Check the numbers. If you can get five copies of an A-rank, it's usually going to carry you through most of the game's content.
Your Action Plan for Bangboo Success
Stop spending your Boopons randomly.
First, look at your two main teams for Shiyu Defense. If your primary team is Ice, you set your Bangboo path to Sharkboo (or Penguinboo if you're budget-conscious). If your second team is a mix, look for a universal support like Snap or Butler.
Second, check your faction counts. If you’re only running one member of a faction, don’t use that faction’s Bangboo. It’s a dead slot.
Lastly, level your Bangboos! People forget that their stats (ATK, HP, Impact) actually scale with level and contribute to the team's overall performance. A level 60 Rocketboo has over 8,500 ATK. That’s not a joke. That’s real damage helping you push through those final seconds of a challenge.
Go into your Bangboo menu right now and make sure your "Additional Ability" text is lit up in green. If it’s greyed out, you’re losing. Fix it. Regardless of which tier list you follow, synergy is the only stat that actually wins fights in the Hollows.