The best heroes to counter Zilong in Mobile Legends: Top Hero Picks

Best Zilong Counters in Mobile Legends: How to Shut Down His Flips and Snowball

You know the feeling. You’re pushing lane, vibing mid-game, and then boom. Zilong appears out of nowhere, flips you under your own tower, and walks away like it’s nothing. Classic.

Zilong isn’t the most popular pick on the ladder right now, but if you’ve played enough ranked, you’ve probably had your backline shredded by his point-and-click nonsense. The good news is he’s way easier to shut down than he looks. If you’ve been searching for the best Zilong counter, this guide’s for you.

Why Zilong still destroys in low ELO

Even with around a 47% win rate and a low pick rate (0.19%), Zilong is still terrifying in the hands of a decent player. Especially in lower ranks. He’s fast, he’s simple, and once he snowballs, he becomes a full-on tower-eating menace.

He’s usually run in EXP or Jungle, relying on Spear Flip to yank targets into danger, then cleaning up with basic attack bursts during Supreme Warrior (his ult). But here’s the catch, Zilong’s got paper-thin defences and no true outplay once you hit him with suppression or hard CC.

Key traits shared by Zilong’s best counters

To really counter Zilong, you want three things:

And don’t forget, Zilong hates disarms and anti-lifesteal.

Top-tier locks to shut down Zilong

These are the heroes I go straight to when I see a Zilong hover in draft.

Franco (Tank–Roam)

Franco stops Zilong mid-dive with Bloody Hunt, locking him down before he can ult or dash out. Flicker helps land surprise hooks, and Antique Cuirass cuts his damage early. Just don’t hesitate; Suppress him the moment he jumps in.

Chou (Fighter–Roam)

Chou can interrupt Zilong’s flip with Jeet Kune Do, then kick him back with Way of the Dragon. High & Dry gives him the edge in solo fights, and bush play makes it easy to bait Zilong into bad engages.

Akai (Tank–Jungle or Roam)

Akai’s Heavy Spin pins Zilong to walls and ruins his all-ins. He clears fast with Cursed Helmet and shrugs off early damage with his passive. Stick to jungle walls, mirror his path, and shut down his tempo before it starts.

Kaja (Fighter–Roam)

Divine Judgment pulls Zilong in the second he burns dash, he can’t cleanse it or react. With Fleeting Time, you can ult often and keep him off the map. Flicker makes it even easier to pick him mid-fight or around corners.

Lane picks that outlast or out-tank Zilong

If you’re in EXP lane and want to shut Zilong down without relying on perfect timing, these picks keep him in check and out of control.

Esmeralda (Mage–EXP)

Zilong can’t burst what he can’t damage. Esme drains his shields and shrugs off his combo with ease. I start with Enchanted Talisman to keep spamming, then build Brute Force Breastplate to scale tanky. No need to dive. Just keep trading and wear him down.

Fredrinn (Tank–Fighter)

Fredrinn flips Zilong’s all-in into a trade he can’t win. His base armor and Appraiser’s Wrath punish dives, especially when you open with Antique Cuirass. Look for ults when Zilong's cooldowns are down, and don’t rush. Fredrinn always wins long lanes.

Masha (Fighter–EXP)

Masha disarms Zilong mid-ult with Howl Shock and survives his burst with three HP bars. She dominates side lanes and 1v1s. I run Execute to finish dives and build Dominance Ice to kill his lifesteal. Time your disarm just as he starts his ult and you shut him down completely.

Picks that beat Zilong in specific matchups

These picks aren’t always the go-to, but in the right Mobile Legends betting sites comps or lane setup, they can make Zilong miserable.

Helcurt (Assassin–Jungle)

Zilong relies on flips and dashes. Helcurt’s passive silence cuts that off before it starts. Lethal Ignition gives you the burst you need to finish him fast. I like to catch him mid-rotate, not in full fights. Use your ult to isolate him and end the fight before he even reacts.

Gatotkaca (Tank–Fighter)

He’s off-meta, but Gatotkaca can bait Zilong into a bad engage with Avatar of Guardian. It taunts and tanks through everything. Brute Force Breastplate helps you stay mobile, and farming safe means you’ll be ready to punish overextends with global pressure. He’s especially good when the enemy runs double assassin.

Best items & spells to beat Zilong

A few simple item tweaks go a long way when facing a strong Zilong:

• Antique Cuirass – reduces Zilong’s sustained damage.
• Dominance Ice – kills his lifesteal and slows his attack speed.
• Blade Armor – reflects his own crit damage.

Spells:

• Flicker – lets you reposition pre-flip.
• Execute – great on Masha to clean up his all-ins.
• Sprint – helps squishies kite post-flip.

Best heroes to counter Zilong summary

Here’s a cheat sheet you can refer to the next time you see a Zilong pop up in a match:

Zilong might be fast, but he’s not unstoppable

At the end of the day, Zilong’s biggest strength is surprise. But once you know how to handle his engage and survive that first flip, he starts to fall apart fast. If it’s Franco locking him down, Esme soaking his burst, or Helcurt deleting him before he blinks, you’ve got options. Don’t let him run the show just because he’s flashy. Draft smart, build tanky, and keep a stun or suppress ready.

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