Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Zephyr Class Guide: Best Arts and Skills

Zephyr is a type of Defender class in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and is the default class of Mio. Read on to learn more about the class, including its best arts, skills, characters, accessories, and gems, as well as find out how to unlock the class.

Zephyr Class Overview

Zephyr Basic Information

Class Role Default Character
ZephyrZephyr Defender ImageDefender MioMio
Attack Defense Health Support
B A C B
Description
Zephyrs are highly evasive defenders useful in drawing out enemy aggro while dishing out counter-damage from a safe distance.

Character Class Rating

Noah Mio Eunie
A S D
Taion Lanz Sena
B C B

Class Rating is the speed at which each character ranks up an individual class, so the lower their Class Rating, the slower it takes for them to rank up the class.

How to Unlock Zephyr

Unlock Class Changing in Chapter 2

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Unlock Changing Classes.png
Zephyr is the starting class of Mio, one of the main characters in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, so their class will be available for other party members to equip once you are able to change classes.

Changing classes is unlocked after completing The Hillside Hulk Standard Quest during Chapter 2 of the game.

Mio Character Profile

Complete Side Story: Mio to Unlock Rank 20

After you unlock this class, it will have a rank cap of 10, so you are unable to upgrade its Arts and skills further than that rank. To break the rank cap and extend the limit up to Rank 20, you must first complete the quest Side Story: Mio.

Side Story: Mio Walkthrough

Best Zephyr Characters

Recommended Characters
MioMio EunieEunie SenaSena

The Agility stat is extremely imporant for Zephyr builds. Among our main characters, Mio, Eunie, and Sena excel at this the most. At Rank 10, Mio has the highest Agility stat, followed by Eunie and Sena.

Best Zephyr Arts

Recommended Combat Arts

Art Attack Type AoE Base Effect
Butterfly BladeButterfly Blade Physical Attack One Target Boosts aggro generated when using Art by 50%.
Air FangAir Fang Physical Attack One Target Boosts damage dealt against attacking enemies targeting you by 50%.
Speed DemonSpeed Demon Stance Self Boosts evasion by 30% and reduces damage dealt by 15%.

Instead of just pure bulk, Zephyrs mostly rely on evasion to defend themselves from enemy attacks. It is important for Zephyrs to not only draw enemy aggro, but also increase their evasion or agility.

Since Defenders are usually the characters being targeted by enemies, Air Fang makes an incredibly useful Art for reducing damage.

Recommended Master Arts

Rank 1 and 10 Master Arts

Art Base Effect Class Rank
Crash OutCrash Out AOE / High Aggro
Rank 1
Noble TauntNoble Taunt Taunt
Rank 1
Gale SlashGale Slash AOE / Aggroed ↑
Rank 1

We highly recommend using aggro-increasing Arts that also deal plenty of damage like Gale Slash or Crash Out. Noble Taunt is also useful to get several enemies to target you with a single Art.

Rank 20 Master Arts

Art Base Effect Class Rank
Blossom DanceBlossom Dance High aggro / Pierce
Rank 20

Though Zephyr already has an excellent Talent Art that works well with the class, if you plan on replacing it with a different Rank 20 Master Art, we recommend Blossom Dance since it ignores defenses and generates plenty of aggro.

Best Master Skills for Zephyr Builds

Rank 5 Master Skills

Skill Effect Class Rank
Defensive SoulDefensive Soul Boosts Physical Defense by 10%.
Rank 5
ProtectorProtector's Pride Boost recharge speed by 30% when non-Defenders are targeted.
Rank 5
Natural SelectionNatural Selection Reduced damage taken by 20% when HP is at 30% or lower.
Rank 5

Though the Zephyr class is primarily an evasive defender, Skills that reduce the damage they receive are recommended since they are never guaranteed to always dodge attacks. Protector's Pride is also a good choice to quickly recharge your Arts and draw in more aggro.

Rank 15 Master Skills

Skill Effect Class Rank
Fortified Ether GuardFortified Ether Guard Boosts Ether Defense by 10%.
Rank 15

Though you may not have access to this Master Skill until the post game, it is an excellent skill to add to your arsenal once you have it available due to the increased Ether Defense.

Best Accessories for Zephyr Builds

Boosted Evasion while Stationary Boosted Aggro after Evading Boosted Damage when Enemies Targeting You
Metal Foot ProtectorMetal Foot Protector Signet RingSignet Ring Beastfang NecklaceBeastfang Necklace

Zephyrs rely on evading attacks as a means of defense, so boosting their evasion is best. Increasing the aggro they generate and boosting their damage are also great effects to grant Zephyrs.

List of Accessories

Best Gems for Zephyr Builds

Increased Agility Increased Maximum HP Shortens Auto-Attack Interval
Tailwind ITailwind Ironclad IIronclad Steady Striker ISteady Striker

For Zephyr builds, it is best to equip Gems that either increase their agility, so they are better at evading attacks, or increase their HP, so they can better withstand attacks. Since it is an Agnus class, this class recharges its Arts with Auto-Attacks, so shortening their intervals allows for quicker recharge.

All Gems and Their Effects

List of Zephyr Arts

Talent Arts

Base Art Information
Gemini StrikeGemini Strike Area of Effect One Target Power Multiplier 500%
Buff/ Debuff - Reaction None
Recharge Type Role Action Recharge Recharge Gauge 3
Effect Evades attacks. Also boosts aggro generated when using Art by 50%.

Combat Arts

Base Art Information
Butterfly BladeButterfly Blade Area of Effect One Target Power Multiplier 110%
Buff/ Debuff - Reaction None
Recharge Type Auto-Attack Recharge Recharge Gauge 3
Effect Boosts aggro generated when using Art by 50%.
Air FangAir Fang Area of Effect One Target Power Multiplier 145%
Buff/ Debuff - Reaction None
Recharge Type Auto-Attack Recharge Recharge Gauge 4
Effect Boosts damage dealt against attacking enemies targeting you by 50%.
Wide SlashWide Slash Area of Effect One Target Power Multiplier 245%
Buff/ Debuff - Reaction None
Recharge Type Auto-Attack Recharge Recharge Gauge 8
Effect While Art is active, evades enemy attacks at the cost of a low Critical Rate.
Glow RingGlow Ring Area of Effect One Target Power Multiplier 180%
Buff/ Debuff Target Lock Reaction None
Recharge Type Auto-Attack Recharge Recharge Gauge 8
Effect None
Speed DemonSpeed Demon Area of Effect Self Power Multiplier 0%
Buff/ Debuff - Reaction None
Recharge Type Auto-Attack Recharge Recharge Gauge 12
Effect Boosts evasion by 30% and reduces damage dealt by 15%.

Master Arts

Art Rank Mastered
Wide SlashWide Slash 1
Glow RingGlow Ring 10
Gemini StrikeGemini Strike 20

Arts Guide: List of All Arts and Effects

List of Zephyr Skills

Class Skills

Skill Base Effect
Stormy GaleStormy Gale Boosts Agility by 10%.
II'll Defend You 8% chance to prevent attacks on allies within a fixed radius.
Split-Second CounterSplit-Second Counter Deals 100% of Attack damage when you evade an attack.
EtherEther's Sanctuary Boosts Ether Defense by 10%.

Master Skills

Skill Rank Mastered
Split-Second CounterSplit-Second Counter 5
Stormy GaleStormy Gale 15

List of All Skills

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