Astra Yao

Overview

Astra Yao, also known as Yao Jiayin, is a character from Zenless Zone Zero. She is a famous singer and actress in New Eridu, affiliated with the faction Stars of Lyra. In the game, she is featured as an S-Rank Agent of the Ether attribute and Support specialty. Managed under Teikou Entertainment Group with backing from TOPS, she is widely celebrated for her exceptional vocal talent and powerful stage presence.

Appearance

She is a tall woman with straight long black hair, cut bangs, hair intakes, and red eyes. She wears a white hairband, gold hair ornaments, gold earrings, emerald green ear decorations, a pearl necklace, bracelets on her left arm, and thigh beads on her left leg. Her outfit consists of a short white dress paired with white short shorts beneath a red shrug with long frilled sleeves. On her feet, she wears black platform heels adorned with bows.

Personality

While maintaining a cold, majestic persona on stage, she is naturally cheerful, outgoing, and playful. She frequently resists her restrictive schedules by wearing disguises to slip away from her bodyguards and explore the city. Despite her celebrity status, she exhibits relatable quirks, such as struggling to wake up early and engaging in culinary misadventures. Beneath her lighthearted surface lies a strong-willed, generous individual who confronts the world's challenges with optimism.

Abilities

She utilizes her custom-made microphone staff, Hemiola, to amplify her unique vocal frequencies in combat. Entering the Idyllic Cadenza state allows her to enhance team damage and critical damage while gaining invulnerability and automatic evasion. Her ultimate skill unleashes energy waves driven by her singing to deal Ether damage and restore HP for all squad members. Additionally, her abilities grant various attack buffs and facilitate frequent Quick Assists and Chain Attacks.

Background

Inspired during childhood by the music of Joran de Winter after being rescued from a Hollow outbreak, she resolved to become a defining songstress for a new era. Although she achieved immense success under Teikou Entertainment, she chafed against the commercial and political constraints imposed by her sponsors. Operating online under a pseudonym, she befriended the proxy Phaethon and executed a brief escape on her birthday. After resolving severe plot conflicts during a high-profile concert, she determined to work toward paying off her contract fees to gain independence from her company.

Relationships

She shares a deeply trusted partnership with Evelyn Chevalier, who serves as her personal manager and bodyguard. She is close friends with the proxy Phaethon (Wise and Belle), having initially connected with them online under an alias. Though marketed as a rival to fellow star Monica, the two maintain a friendly personal relationship. She also holds immense admiration for the late musician Joran de Winter.

Trivia

Her weapon, Hemiola, is named after the musical rhythmic term involving alternating meter patterns. Her Core Passive, Andante Cantabile, shares its name with the famous movement from Tchaikovsky's String Quartet No. 1. Her online handle originates from a dish she attempts to cook in her private life.