Three dimensional (3D) GdB6-ZnO heteroarchitecture comprised of thin coating of GdB6 on self aligned ZnO urchins with pointed apex has been synthesized employing optimized Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) technique. The self aligned ZnO urchins on Zn substrate were obtained using hydrothermal route. The as-synthesized GdB6-ZnO heteroarchitecture was characterized using XRD, SEM, TEM XPS, and UPS in order to reveal its structural, morphological, chemical, and electronic properties. Interestingly, the GdB6-ZnO heteroarchitecture exhibits superior field emission (FE) behviour in contrast to the pristine ZnO urchins envisaged by extraction of very high emission current density of ~ 4.6 mA/cm2 at an applied field of ~ 4.5 V/μm, against ~1.5 mA/cm2 at an applied field of ~ 5.6 V/mm from the pristine ZnO urchins emitter. Furthermore, the GdB6-ZnO emitter exhibits good emission stability at pre-set value of ~5 μA over duration of more than 3 hours. The superior FE behaviour of the GdB6-ZnO is attributed to low workfunction of GdB6 and presence of nanometric protrusions on the emitter surface, further enhancing the aspect ratio provided by the ZnO urchins. The present results demonstrate a facile approach towards fabrication of high current density cold cathodes due to rare earth hexaborides via designing heteroarchitectures comprised of their well adherent ultrathin coating on high aspect ratio metal oxide nanostructures.