- Primary Goal: Learn how to successfully trigger and complete the Zoro evolution path in the current meta.
- Base Unit: Obtain the Mythic rarity Bounty Hunter unit from standard or event summons.
- Evolution Name: Evolve him into the powerful Secret-tier Bounty Hunter (King of Hell).
- Key Requirement: Complete the dedicated Bounty Hunter Evolution Quest in the Pirate Dynasty mode.
- Essential Materials: Collect Cursed Katanas, Green Essence Stones, and a substantial amount of Gold.
Zoro Evolution Overview in Anime Vanguards
The Godly Ascension Update 13.0 introduced a massive wave of pirate-themed units, with none standing more prominent in the physical DPS meta than Zoro, officially named Bounty Hunter. Transitioning this Mythic powerhouse into his evolved state, Bounty Hunter (King of Hell), is one of the most rewarding progression milestones you can achieve.
In this comprehensive walk-through, we will detail everything regarding anime vanguards how to evolve zoro, covering base statistics, evolution quest objectives, material farming locations, and optimal trait builds to maximize his legendary triple-sword damage.
Evolving your Bounty Hunter is not merely a stat boost; it completely alters his attack pattern, introducing massive area-of-effect (AoE) circular slashes and a stacking bleed passive that melts boss health pools. If you are struggling with late-game stages, Boss Rush, or high-tier Rifts, this evolved form is your ticket to clean, consistent clears.
| Form | Rarity | Base Damage | Base SPA | Base Range | Attack Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bounty Hunter (Base) | Mythic | 1,250 | 6.2s | 18.5 | Single Target / Line |
| Bounty Hunter (King of Hell) | Secret | 4,800 | 5.0s | 26.0 | Full Circular AoE / Bleed |
Bounty Hunter (King of Hell) is currently ranked as an S+ tier physical carry. His unique bleed mechanics allow him to synergize perfectly with other bleed detonators, such as Demon Hybrid (Chainsaw), making him an indispensable asset for team-focused raid setups.
Step-by-Step Bounty Hunter Evolution Quest
Unlike standard Mythic units that only require raw materials for evolution, Zoro requires you to prove your worth by completing a dedicated in-game questline. This quest system ensures that players understand his combat mechanics before unlocking his ultimate form.
Follow these precise steps to unlock and complete the Bounty Hunter evolution questline:
Summon Bounty Hunter
Ensure you have successfully pulled the base Bounty Hunter unit from the summon banners. He is a Mythic unit, so keep an eye on banner rotations or use your accumulated Gems during high-probability hours.
Activate the Evolution Quest
Navigate to the Upgrades area in the lobby and interact with the Evolution NPC. Select Bounty Hunter from your inventory to officially activate his evolution quest tracker. Keep in mind that you can only track a limited number of evolution quests at one time.
Complete Pirate Dynasty Challenges
Play through the Pirate Dynasty gamemode introduced in Update 13.0. You must clear a specific number of acts with Bounty Hunter deployed in your active loadout.
Accumulate 1,500 In-Game Kills
Accumulate a total of 1,500 kills using only Bounty Hunter. The fastest way to farm this is by running low-level Story Mode maps on Normal difficulty, placing Zoro at the front of the track, and letting his slashes clear early waves.
Always ensure your Bounty Hunter unit is locked in your inventory before starting this process. This prevents accidental selling, trading, or feeding him to other units during bulk upgrade sessions.
Required Materials for Anime Vanguards How to Evolve Zoro
Once you have completed the quest objectives, you must assemble the physical materials required to trigger the evolution sequence at the Evolve station. These materials are scattered across different game modes, requiring a planned farming approach.
The table below outlines the exact material checklist needed for the evolution:
| Material Name | Quantity Required | Primary Farming Location | Drop Rate / Obtainability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cursed Katanas | 1 | Pirate Dynasty Mode / Crafting | Guaranteed via Quest / Rare drop in Act 6 |
| Green Essence Stones | 30 | Legend Stages / Worldlines | Common drop in forest-themed stages |
| Purple Essence Stones | 15 | Raid Mode / Weekly Quests | Moderate drop rate in high-tier raids |
| Rainbow Essence Stones | 5 | Crafting NPC / Event Shop | Crafted using basic essence stones |
| Gold | 25,000 | Challenges / Daily Quests | Guaranteed reward across all modes |
To make the process smoother, we recommend focusing on Legend Stages first. These stages offer a dual benefit: they provide a steady stream of Green and Purple Essence Stones while yielding high gold returns per clear.
Use the Worldlines mode to farm basic essence stones. Clearing higher floors of the seasonal Worldlines resets rewards and provides a highly efficient method for gathering Rainbow Essence Stones without burning through your crafting materials.
To help you budget your resources, here is a breakdown of the gold and upgrade scaling you will face once Zoro is evolved:
| Upgrade Level | Evolved Zoro Cost | Damage Output | Range Scaling | Special Effect Unlocks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base Placement | 2,500 Gold | 4,800 | 26.0 | Single-slash physical |
| Upgrade 3 | 4,500 Gold | 12,200 | 28.5 | Cone AoE slash |
| Upgrade 6 | 8,500 Gold | 28,000 | 32.0 | Triple-sword circular AoE |
| Max Upgrade | 15,000 Gold | 65,000 | 38.0 | King of Hell Bleed Passive |
Best Traits and Builds for Evolved Zoro
After successfully evolving your unit into Bounty Hunter (King of Hell), your next priority is maximizing his damage ceiling through the Trait Reroll system. Traits are permanent modifiers that can turn a strong unit into an absolute powerhouse.
We have analyzed the current trait pool to determine the absolute best setups for your newly evolved Zoro:
Monarch (Mythic)
- Damage Boost: +45% raw damage
- Range Boost: +15% range coverage
- SPA Reduction: -10% attack speed cooldown
- Best for: Single-placement carry roles in high-difficulty Raids.
Ethereal (Mythic)
- Damage Boost: +35% damage scaling
- SPA Reduction: -15% attack speed cooldown
- Bleed Tick Rate: Increases passive bleed frequency
- Best for: Infinite-mode wave clearing and dense lane control.
Deadeye (Mythic)
- Crit Chance: +25% critical strike probability
- Crit Damage: +50% critical damage multiplier
- Boss Damage: Extra scaling against boss health bars
- Best for: Boss Rush events and competitive speedruns.
If you are on a budget and cannot afford to chase Mythic traits, aim for Blitz or Vigor in the common/rare pool. These provide respectable attack speed and raw damage boosts without depleting your hard-earned Trait Rerolls.
Following the Update 13.5 balance pass, evolving Bounty Hunter into King of Hell automatically grants his designated Zoro Memoria. This Memoria can be leveled up to level 60 using Leveling Tickets, further boosting his base critical damage by up to 20% without requiring additional trait rerolls.
Zoro Evolution Checklist and Milestones
To keep your progression organized, use this checklist to track your journey from a base summon to a fully optimized King of Hell.
Zoro Progression Milestones:
- Summon base Bounty Hunter (Mythic) from the banners
- Lock the unit in your inventory to prevent accidental deletion
- Activate the evolution quest at the Upgrades NPC in the lobby
- Complete the 1,500 kill requirement in low-level Story Mode
- Gather 1 Cursed Katana and 30 Green Essence Stones
- Assemble 25,000 Gold through daily quests and challenges
- Execute the evolution at the Evolve station
- Reroll for a top-tier trait (Monarch, Ethereal, or Deadeye)
- Equip and level up his designated Zoro Memoria to Level 60
The developers recently updated Zoro's character model in Update 13.5. His evolved King of Hell form now features custom green flame sword effects and a unique stance, making him stand out brilliantly in multiplayer lobbies.
Frequently Asked Questions
To wrap up our guide, here are the most common questions players ask regarding the Zoro evolution process in the game.
Q: What is the exact query for anime vanguards how to evolve zoro?
To evolve Zoro (Bounty Hunter) in Anime Vanguards, you must first pull the base unit, activate his dedicated Evolution Quest at the Upgrades NPC, complete the quest challenges in Pirate Dynasty mode, gather the required materials (including Cursed Katanas and Green Essence Stones), and pay 25,000 Gold at the Evolve station.
Q: Do I lose my unit's level or trait when I evolve him?
No. Evolving Bounty Hunter into Bounty Hunter (King of Hell) preserves his current level, stat rolls, and equipped traits. However, if you have ascended your Mythic unit, those ascensions will be removed upon evolving to a higher rarity tier.
Q: Can I trade the evolved King of Hell Zoro to other players?
Evolved units of Secret or Vanguard rarity are generally account-bound and cannot be traded. It is highly recommended to evolve your own personal copy to ensure your account retains this top-tier physical carry.
Q: Where do I get the Cursed Katana evolution item?
The Cursed Katana is a special evolution item. It is guaranteed upon completing the initial stages of the Bounty Hunter evolution questline, and it can also be farmed as a rare drop from Act 6 of the Pirate Dynasty gamemode.
Evolving Zoro is one of the smartest resource investments you can make in the current patch. His high placement efficiency and massive AoE bleed scaling will carry your team through the toughest endgame content with ease.