Should you play as Belle or Wise in Zenless Zone Zero?
Will you pick Belle or Wise in ZZZ?
Belle and Wise are the dual main protagonists of Zenless Zone Zero and picking between them is the first thing you'll do in the game.
Wise and Belle share the mantle of the Proxy, Phatheon. Proxies in Zenless Zone Zero guide, rather illegally, people through the dangerous Hollows with the aim of hopefully getting them out alive. The pair are siblings - Belle being the sister, Wise the brother - and together have become a legend in the New Eridu underground.
Though this still leaves us with the question - should you play as Belle or Wise in Zenless Zone Zero? - and what differences are there between the two.
On this page:
Belle and Wise differences: Should you play as Belle or Wise in Zenless Zone Zero?
Overall, your choice between Belle and Wise will have no negative consequences on your time playing Zenless Zone Zero. This is in part because neither Belle nor Wise partake in combat, so you don't have to consider any different stats or attacks when making your decision. Since only Agents are used in combat, you'll instead play as Belle / Wise when exploring New Eridu and completing activities like Mewmew challenges, finding HIA Commemorative Coins or running the video store. Yet, there are a number of differences between playing as either Belle or Wise.
The first, and rather oddly, it appears that Wise does have a slightly faster running speed compared to Belle. Having played as both characters, I can say that it definitely feels like that. Not sure why HoYoverse decided to possibly make this decision - maybe they just wanted to realistically reflect the fact he has longer legs.
Next, and more obvious, is that your choice between Belle and Wise will decide whether you're playing as a male or female protagonist during the New Eridu section. Belle, the female protagonist, is shorter than Wise, with blue hair and wearing a grey skirt. Meanwhile Wise, the male protagonist, is taller, has grey hair and sports a jeans-jacket combo. At the time of writing, you can not customise their appearance so it's perfectly fine to make their decision based upon whose look you prefer.
Belle and Wise also have slightly different personalities; Wise being calmer compared to Belle who is the more energetic sibling. They also, very obviously, have different voice actors who we've listed further along in this guide.
Your decision between the two also decides which sibling will take a more leading role in the game's various cutscenes. This is because whichever sibling you choose will be the one controlling the Bangboo you'll use to explore the Hollow, with the other taking on a more tech-support role. If you choose Belle, for example, then you'll receive slightly different cutscenes to a player who chooses Wise. These differences include slight dialogue changes and the characters acting slightly differently due to their different personalities.
If you want an example of these differences, take a look at this YouTube video created by Gachadd which offers a side-by-side comparison of a Belle cutscene and a Wise one:
You will also discover that the bedroom you use to in the video store will be different depending on your choice. (Though you will occasionally have access to both rooms.) If you chose Belle, then you'll be able to enter the left-hand bedroom, but, if you selected Wise, then you'll enter the right-hand bedroom. Both of these rooms offer the same features, such as being able to use the bed and display photos, but the aesthetic reflects the personality of your chosen sibling. Wise's room has a modern look with dark colours, while Belle's room is more vibrant and slightly smaller.
Finally, the Dynamic Wallpaper for the main in-game menu will also be automatically set to the sibling you selected when you first start Zenless Zone Zero. (If you choose Belle, it will show her and vice versa for Wise.) You will, however, have access to the Dynamic Wallpaper for the other sibling, so, if you want to change it, go right ahead.
Can you switch between Belle and Wise in Zenless Zone Zero?
No, you can not permanently change your choice between Belle and Wise in Zenless Zone Zero.
There are some moments in the story, however, where you'll find yourself in control of the other sibling for plot reasons. You may also find if you pause a certain Commission, you'll be playing as the other sibling since the one you selected will be hooked up to the HDD and unable to complete tasks.
Can you change Belle and Wise's names in Zenless Zone Zero?
No, you can not change Belle and Wise's names in Zenless Zone Zero, which means it's perfectly reasonable to make your choice based on name preference alone.
You can change the name of the Inter-Knot Account you'll be using throughout the game though. According to game lore, Belle and Wise go by the Proxy name Phatheon, but, for reasons I won't spoil, they end up having to create a new account which you can name.
Belle and Wise voice actors in Zenless Zone Zero
A large number of the characters are voiced in Zenless Zone Zero, with Belle and Wise being no exception.
Belle's English voice actor is Courtney Steele who you might know from Genshin Impact where she voices Egeria and Emerald. Meanwhile, her Chinese voice actor is Yi Koujing and Japanese voice actor is Senbongi Sayaka.
Wise's English voice actor is Stephen Fu who appears in a wide selection of video games, including Starfield, Spider-Man 2 and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. His Chinese voice actor is Lin Jing and Japanese voice actor is Abe Atsushi.
If you want to learn who voices the Agents, check out our Zenless Zone Zero voice actors list.
Hope you enjoy Zenless Zone Zero!