Zenless Zone Zero: How to Beat Serpico in Version 3.2

To clear the Serpico boss encounter in Zenless Zone Zero Version 3.2 (Main Story Quest Season 3 Chapter 3 "Their Secret Histories"), hold your main skill rotations until he finishes his rapid dash sequences, and save your Defensive Assists for his empowered phase transition. Committing to long attack animations prematurely will lead to interrupted combos and severe damage from his Youkai abilities.

Reading Serpico's Attack Telegraphs and Dash Patterns

Serpico relies on quick gap-closers and telegraphed strikes that punish hasty dodging. Avoid unleashing ultimate abilities or immobile skill combos while he is idling or starting a movement animation.

• Watch the posture shift: A subtle pause or visual flash signals an incoming dash flurry.
• Hold offensive skills: Wait for Serpico to complete his strike sequence before executing long attack strings.
• Track arena movement: Position your active character to face his target location after a dash rather than chasing his mid-animation path.

Managing Phase Transitions and Defensive Assists

When Serpico shifts into his middle phase, his attack frequency rises and he begins incorporating area-of-effect (AoE) strikes.

Instead of backing away across the entire arena, stay near the outer edge of his attack boundaries. Positioned closely on the periphery, your active agent can instantly step back in to strike as soon as his AoE animation concludes, keeping damage uptime high without taking hit trade-offs.

During his empowered state, prioritize defensive play over offensive energy expenditure:

1. Save Defensive Assists: Trigger assist switches during multi-hit combos to break his offensive momentum without locking your main DPS in damage animations.
2. Time Perfect Dodges: Dodge right as his strike lands to trigger a time-slow window, granting your primary DPS a safe opening to resume combat routines.
3. Rotate Agents Frequently: Swap characters regularly during heavy pressure phases to spread damage across your team roster rather than letting one agent take lethal damage.

Building Stun and Managing Rotations

Defeating Serpico effectively requires creating structured vulnerability windows using your team's Stun capabilities:

• Stun Application: Use Stun-focused agents to attack Serpico during his recovery frames right after he finishes an attack string.
• Chain Attack Sequencing: Once Serpico's posture bar breaks, follow up immediately with your highest-burst DPS agent to maximize damage output while he is immobile.
• Energy Conservation: Avoid spending energy skills blindly during his neutral movement; save skill resources specifically for stun windows and recovery breaks.

Stat Requirements and Gear Checks

If your team is failing to break Serpico's posture or cannot deplete his health before taking heavy damage in the final phase, audit your team setup before retrying the quest:

• W-Engines: Verify that your main offensive agents have leveled W-Engines equipped that emphasize ATK or PEN stats to pierce his high phase defenses.
• Drive Discs: Check your Drive Disc sets for primary and secondary ATK or PEN stat bonuses to ensure your burst windows deliver sufficient damage.