Shikanoin Heizou

Rarity	(4-Star)
Element	Anemo
Weapon	Catalyst (Melee)
Best Role	Anemo Driver / Burst DPS
Stat Priority	CRIT > ATK% > EM > ER
Tier	A (Driver) / B (Hypercarry)

Shikanoin Heizou is the first male Catalyst user and a martial artist who punches enemies with Anemo. He excels as an On-Field Driver for Taser (Electro-Charged) teams, swirling elements rapidly with his fists while building up "Declension" stacks for massive Elemental Skill nukes.

Pros

High personal damage multipliers on Skill (E).
Fast Normal Attacks make him an excellent driver (Beidou/Xingqiu).
Very flexible build paths (ADC or Full EM).
Unique and fun melee-catalyst playstyle.
Low Energy Cost (40) for Burst.

Cons

Crowd Control (Burst) is weaker than Kazuha/Venti.
Requires stack management for maximum damage.
Lack of defensive utility (squishy on-field).
Single-target focus on Skill can feel bad in AoE.

Quick Guide (TL;DR)

If you don't have time for the math, here is the cheat sheet.

Best Artifact (DPS): 4pc Viridescent Venerer (Always BiS for Team DMG) or 2pc/2pc ATK/Anemo (Personal DMG).
Best Artifact (EM): 4pc Viridescent Venerer (Mandatory).
Best Weapon: Tulaytullah's Remembrance (5⭐) or Skyward Atlas.
4-Star Weapon: The Widsith (R5 rivals 5-stars) or Solar Pearl (BP).
F2P Weapon: Mappa Mare (Craftable) or Sacrificial Fragments (EM Build).
Main Stats (DPS): SANDS: ATK% | GOBLET: Anemo | CIRCLET: CRIT.
Main Stats (EM): SANDS: EM | GOBLET: EM | CIRCLET: EM.
Talent Priority: Elemental Skill > Normal Attack > Elemental Burst.
Top Team: Heizou + Xingqiu + Beidou + Fischl (Taser).

Pro Tip: Don't Hold E forever! Heizou gains "Declension" stacks by triggering Swirl reactions. Do a Normal Attack -> Charged Attack -> Burst combo to quickly build stacks via Swirls, then tap/hold E for an instant max-damage punch. Charging manually is a DPS loss.

Ascension & Talent Materials

Category	Material Name	Source
Ascension	Onikabuto	Inazuma (Trees/Caves)
Boss Drop	Runic Fang	Ruin Serpent (Chasm)
Talent Books	Teachings of Transience	Violet Court (Mon/Thu/Sun)
Common Mob	Treasure Hoarder Insignia	Treasure Hoarders

Talent Breakdown & Mechanics

Elemental Skill: Heartstopper Strike

The Punch: Heizou charges up a powerful punch.
Declension Stacks: When holding the skill, he gains stacks.
- 0 Stacks: Weak damage.
- 4 Stacks (Max): Deals massive damage + increased AoE ("Conviction" effect).
Passive (Paradoxical Practice): When Heizou triggers a Swirl, he gains 1 Declension stack immediately. This allows you to gain max stacks without holding the button for seconds.

Elemental Burst: Windmuster Kick

Cost: 40 Energy | Cooldown: 12s
The Kick: Leaps into the air and kicks a Vacuum Slugger.
Windmuster Iris: If the kick hits enemies affected by Pyro/Hydro/Cryo/Electro, it explodes and deals delayed AoE damage of that element.
CC: Provides a brief pull effect, grouping small enemies for his punch.

Passive: Penetrative Reasoning

Team Buff: After Heizou hits an enemy with his Elemental Skill, increases the Elemental Mastery of all party members (except Heizou) by 80 for 10s. Great for reaction teams.

Talent Priority Order:

Elemental Skill (Level 10) - The nuke.
Normal Attack (Level 9) - Driver damage.
Elemental Burst (Level 8) - Burst damage.

Stat Requirements & ER Thresholds

Heizou has a cheap burst (40 cost), so ER is not a huge concern.

Build Type	Weapon	ER Requirement
On-Field Driver	Any	110% - 120%
Quickswap (Nuke)	Any	120% - 140%

Substat Priority (ADC Build):

CRIT Rate / CRIT DMG (Target 60/120+)
ATK%
Elemental Mastery (Nice bonus)
Energy Recharge (Low priority)

Substat Priority (EM Build):

Elemental Mastery (Everything)
Energy Recharge

Best Artifacts Comparison

Set Name	Role	Reasoning
4pc Viridescent Venerer (VV)	Mandatory	Even for DPS Heizou, shredding RES for his teammates (Fischl/Xingqiu) provides more team DPS than a personal damage set.
2pc Anemo / 2pc ATK	Selfish DPS	Highest personal damage for his punch. Use only if another teammate holds VV (e.g. Faruzan).
4pc Desert Pavilion	Attack Speed	Good for Normal Attack spam, but usually not worth farming specifically for him.

Weapon Rankings

Weapon	Type	Performance	Notes
The Widsith (R5)	CRIT DMG	S+	Heizou benefits from ALL 3 buffs (ATK, DMG%, EM). At R5, this rivals 5-star weapons for burst windows.
Skyward Atlas	ATK%	S	Solid, consistent 5-star option. High base ATK helps his scaling.
Solar Pearl	CRIT Rate	A (BP)	Perfect synergy. NAs buff Skill/Burst, Skill/Burst buff NAs. Great stat stick.
Sacrificial Fragments	EM	A (EM Build)	For Full EM driver builds. Allows double E for more energy and Swirls.

Constellation Value

Heizou is fully functional at C0, but C6 is a massive damage spike.

C1: Juvenile Law - (QoL) Increases Normal Attack SPD by 15% and grants 1 Declension stack when taking the field. Makes comboing much smoother.
C2: Investigative Collection - (CC) Enhances Burst's pull effect and duration. Makes grouping enemies easier.
C6: Curious Casefiles - (Nuke) Each Declension stack increases Skill Crit Rate by 4% (16% Max) and Crit DMG by 32% (Max). This turns his punch into a tactical nuke.

Verdict: C1 makes him feel good. C6 makes him hit like a truck.

Top Team Compositions

1. Taser Driver

Driver: Heizou
Hydro: Xingqiu / Yelan
Electro: Fischl
Electro/Flex: Beidou / Kuki Shinobu

Why it works: Heizou attacks fast with Anemo punches, driving Xingqiu/Beidou bursts while constantly swirling Electro-Charged enemies (Double Swirl). He shreds RES with VV and deals heavy personal damage.

2. Hypercarry (One Punch Man)

Main DPS: Heizou
Buffer: Faruzan (C6)
Buffer: Bennett
Sub-DPS: Furina / Zhongli

Why it works: Focuses purely on Heizou's personal damage. Faruzan and Bennett buff his Skill to deal 100k+ damage per punch. Less consistent than Taser but bigger numbers.

Rotations & Combos

Quick Stack Combo (N1C):
Normal Attack > Charged Attack > Burst (Q) > Skill (E)

Tip: You don't need to hold E to charge it. Triggering Swirls with Normal/Charged/Burst attacks grants stacks. Once you have 4 symbols floating behind you, just tap E for max damage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Heizou vs. Sucrose?
Sucrose is a better support (EM Buff, TToDS, Grouping). Heizou deals more personal damage and is a better on-field driver due to faster attack animations and durability.

Is Full EM viable?
Yes, in Taser teams. Full EM Heizou swirls for 5k-6k per hit. It is very competitive with ADC (Attack/Dmg/Crit) builds, often cheaper to farm, but sees lower "big yellow numbers."

Data Source: KQM Standards. Last Updated: December 2025

Heizou Guide: The Definitive Build & Analysis