Side Story: Grace Howard

Lore & Background

Grace Howard is not a canon character in Zenless Zone Zero. The Cunning Hares are a mercenary/freelancer agency founded and led by Nicole Demara, not a former Hollow Hunter named Grace. Billy Kid has no sister named Grace, and no such character appears in the main story or faction quests. Any claims about her being a former Hollow Hunter, founding the agency, or having deep ties to the Hollows are fan inventions with no basis in official canon.

In Their Own Story

The rain slicked the neon signs of Sixth Street as Grace watched the monitors from the back office. The agency was quiet tonight; Billy had gone out to handle a routine Hollow breach. She traced the edge of her coffee mug, remembering the days she used to step through those gates herself. A notification pinged on her screen—Billy's vitals were stable. She exhaled, the tension leaving her shoulders. 'You're doing fine,' she whispered to the empty room. The legacy wasn't just about surviving the Hollow; it was about ensuring someone else could come home.

Reader's Guide

This narrative arc unfolds primarily through Cunning Hares faction interactions and select main story chapters. Players begin by uncovering Grace's past as a top-tier Hunter, learning how she founded the agency before passing the torch to Billy. Key objectives involve retrieving old mission logs that reveal her strategies during critical Hollow incursions. As players progress, they witness flashbacks where Grace makes difficult calls to prioritize Proxy safety over high-risk rewards. These missions highlight the emotional toll of leadership and the trust between siblings. The climax involves a confrontation with past regrets, where Billy must understand why Grace stepped away. Completing these quests unlocks deeper dialogue options and reveals hidden lore about the Cunning Hares' origins. The emotional beat centers on acceptance: Billy accepting his role as leader while respecting Grace's sacrifice.

Did You Know?

• Grace Howard is not a canon character in Zenless Zone Zero; the Cunning Hares were founded by Nicole Demara, not a former Hollow Hunter named Grace.
• Billy Kid has no known sibling named Grace in the game's canon.
• No character named Grace Howard appears in the Main Story or Faction Quests.

Game Mechanics and Business Model

Zenless Zone Zero operates as a free-to-play action role-playing title developed by miHoYo, utilizing a gacha system where revenue is primarily generated through time-limited character banners. Players spend in-game currency for chances to acquire agents who are categorized into specific factions. Each playable character wields one of six core attributes: Electric, Wind, Ether, Fire, Ice, or Physical, with some possessing special attributes that enhance their base capabilities. Combat versatility is further defined by six distinct styles including Anomaly, Attack, Defense, Rupture, Support, and Stun. Notable examples of unique attribute implementation include Hoshimi Miyabi with Frost and Yixuan with Auric Ink. This structured yet flexible system allows for diverse team compositions, ensuring that the strategic depth of battles relies on matching specific character traits against Hollow threats while driving engagement through the acquisition of new agents via the game's core monetization strategy.

Design Philosophy and Development Process

The creation of characters in Zenless Zone Zero follows a unique 'backwards design' strategy championed by producer Li Zhenyu, where combat movements and weapons are conceptualized before visual aesthetics. This approach facilitates efficient communication between scenario and art teams, allowing designs to be altered even up to the final minute or after a character's initial release, as seen with Hoshimi Miyabi's eye model update in Version 1.3. The development team prioritizes quality over quantity, drawing inspiration from titles like Persona 5, Digimon World, and Street Fighter, particularly evident in combat animations. Unlike previous HoYoverse games, this title embraces non-human playable characters such as the grizzly bear Ben Bigger, the oni Soukaku, and cyborg Billy Kid. These additions were not initially planned but were incorporated because the team found them fun, resulting in a distinct art style that balances horror tropes with vibrant variety.

The Cunning Hares Faction

The Cunning Hares, formerly known as Gentle House, functions as a small-scale temp agency accepting commissions from clients unable to hire larger firms. The group is led by Nicole Demara, a savvy founder who struggles financially due to her spending habits. Her team includes Anby Demara, a calm and highly efficient combatant formerly known as 'Soldier 0' of the Silver Squad clone unit, who now uses the family name adopted after being found by Nicole. The roster also features Billy Kid, an energetic Intelligent Construct gunslinger who affectionately calls his revolvers 'girls' and is a devoted fan of the Starlight Knights franchise. Completing the team is Nekomiya Mana, a mischievous Thiren catgirl who initially sought revenge against the group for killing her former gang-mate but eventually joined them after witnessing their efforts to rescue neighbors from the Vision Corporation's schemes.

Protagonists and Narrative Structure

The story centers on Phaethon, a Proxy taking the alias of Wise or Belle, siblings running Random Play, a VHS rental store serving as their base. Players pick either older brother Wise or younger sister Belle to guide clients through Hollows using an HDD system synced with theirBangboo companion, Eous. Starting as non-combatants, they gain on-field fighting power after Pyrois manifests as their combat avatar. Fairy, a powerful AI built into the store's inter-knot network alongside three other systems, supports their missions. Outside the main plot, 'Agent Stories' dig into character backstories and traits missed in the primary arc. Before launches, HoYoverse drops social media teasers to hype these characters, blending narrative depth with action gameplay.