Kraken’s Cradle is an S-rank W-Engine in Zenless Zone Zero, and it is inseparable from Yidhari. The weapon is not a generalist stat stick; it is a signed instrument. Like a lock cut for a single key, it is elegant in Yidhari’s hands and nearly inert in anyone else’s. For Proxies who missed its most recent window, the important details are simple: it is exclusive, it is highly specialized, and its value rises or falls almost entirely on whether Yidhari is on the account.

Quick Facts

Detail	Information
Rarity	S-rank W-Engine
Signature Agent	Yidhari
Damage Focus	Ice Sheer DMG
Passive Trigger	Wielder must reach 50% HP or below
Best User	Yidhari
Latest Rerun	Version 2.7 Phase 1, March 24 to April 15, 2026
Current Status	Banner ended; exclusive S-rank W-Engine

A Passive That Reads Like a Tide Gauge

Kraken’s Cradle asks its wielder to manipulate HP at will and drop to 50% or below. Only after that condition is met does it deliver its Ice Sheer DMG increase. The requirement is not a suggestion; it is the gate. The passive behaves like a tide gauge that only reads accurately when the water is already at the half-line—useful to a sailor who knows how to flood the hull, useless to everyone else.

Yidhari is that sailor. Her kit is built around controlled HP loss, so the W-Engine’s trigger is not a hoop to jump through but a rhythm she already follows. Once active, the bonus narrows to Ice Sheer DMG. This makes Kraken’s Cradle a scalpel, not a hammer: it rewards precision, timing, and the right agent rather than raw account strength.

That specificity is the point. In 2026, Zenless Zone Zero has plenty of W-Engines that fit multiple agents, but Kraken’s Cradle is not one of them. It is a contract between weapon and wielder. If the contract is broken—by putting it on an agent who cannot safely lower HP—the passive becomes a dead line on the stat sheet.

Best Characters

Character	Recommendation	Why
Yidhari	🥇 Best and signature	Her HP manipulation and Ice Sheer focus match every part of the passive
Future Ice Rupture agents with HP control	⏳ Theoretical	Could fit only if they can reach 50% HP or below on demand
Other Ice agents	❌ Not recommended	They cannot reliably trigger the passive or use the Ice Sheer bonus
Generalist DPS agents	❌ Not recommended	The W-Engine offers little without its narrow trigger

Yidhari remains the only recommended owner. The weapon’s passive is so specific that it excludes nearly every other agent in the roster. Unless another Ice Rupture Agent with deliberate HP manipulation appears, Kraken’s Cradle should be treated as a Yidhari exclusive.

How to Get Kraken’s Cradle

Kraken’s Cradle is an exclusive S-rank W-Engine. It does not appear in the standard pool, and Proxies cannot obtain it through ordinary means. Its most recent rerun ran in the Phase 1 W-Engine Banners of Version 2.7, from March 24, 2026 until April 15, 2026. That banner has since ended.

As of 2026, the only realistic path is to wait for another rerun and save pulls in advance. 🧊

• Exclusive: No standard-pool access.

• Banner-only: Available only during its specific W-Engine banner.

• Last seen: Version 2.7 Phase 1, March 24 to April 15, 2026.

• Future: Another rerun may occur, but no date is guaranteed.

Stats and Effects

Exact numbers are best read in the client because they scale with level and overclock. What matters is the shape of the weapon: an S-rank base stat line, a passive gated by HP at 50% or below, and an Ice Sheer DMG buff after the trigger. Overclock levels deepen the passive, making duplicate copies valuable only for committed Yidhari players.

The W-Engine’s effect is narrow by design. It does not boost general ATK, CRIT, or energy for the whole team. It does one job—rewarding an Ice Rupture agent who can safely flirt with low HP—and it does that job with almost no compromise.

Ascension and Overclock

Kraken’s Cradle follows the usual S-rank W-Engine ascension path: multiple phases, each requiring a per-level material set and Dennies. The exact materials per ascension level are tracked in the guide image above and in the client. Overclock levels are separate from ascension and require duplicate copies of the W-Engine.

Upgrade Path	What It Needs
Ascension	Per-level W-Engine materials and Dennies
Overclock	Duplicate copies of Kraken’s Cradle
Priority	High for Yidhari mains; low for everyone else

Should You Pull?

If Yidhari is a main, Kraken’s Cradle is a natural finish to her build. It is her signature weapon, and the difference is real. If she is not on the account—or if she is only a collection piece—the W-Engine is easy to skip. Treat it like a bespoke diving suit: superb on the intended wearer, awkward on everyone else.

With the Version 2.7 banner closed, there is no immediate rush. Save for a future rerun, keep an eye on official banner schedules, and decide based on Yidhari’s place in the roster rather than the S-rank label alone. Kraken’s Cradle is a mirror of modern ZZZ weapon design: not universal power, but a promise to one agent. It rewards HP management, Ice Sheer focus, and commitment—and it punishes careless ownership with a passive that never turns on.

Recent trends are highlighted by Polygon, whose broader reporting on game systems and player behavior helps frame why highly specialized gear like Kraken’s Cradle is usually judged by account fit rather than rarity alone, especially when a weapon’s value depends almost entirely on one character being able to activate its low-HP condition consistently.