Fighting styles are at the heart of any Yakuza game, and with Yakuza 0, you get to play as Majima and Kiryu, both of which have their own unique fighting abilities.
If you have played other games in the Yakuza series, you have already witnessed the insane moves Majima is capable of throwing at you after fighting him as a boss. In Yakuza 0, the story is split into two parts for each character, so you get to experience what it’s like to fight as the Mad Dog of Majima himself.
Yakuza 0 initially gives you six different styles of fighting, three for Majima and three for Kiryu.
However, completing the real estate and cabaret side stories unlocks an additional Legendary fighting style for each character.
With so many fighting style choices, it can be challenging to decide which one is the best.
In this article, we break down the top 5 fighting styles in Yakuza 0, so you can fight the goons and Yakuza with the greatest of ease.
5. Breaker Style (Majima)
Yakuza 0 - Breaker Style: Tutorial
Goro Majima’s Breaker style of fighting is based on break-dancing moves, hence the name.
You will learn this fighting style during the Chapter 4 storyline when you are playing as Majima.
This fast-paced and flashy fighting style allows you to unleash a flurry of dance moves that will do some serious damage to your enemies.
While this fighting style is more difficult to master than others, the payoff for learning how to time the moves just right is well worth it. As you rank up in this style, you will be able to pull off lightning-fast windmill kicks, backward flip kicks, and super fast evasive maneuvers to keep you from getting stunned by your enemies.
What makes Breaker Style great:
- Learn some techniques that really pack a punch, all while doing some slick and stylish dance moves
- Evade your enemies with lightning speed, and attack before they even know what hits them
- Use a charged windmill kick to knock several enemies at once right off their feet, which is great for clearing a crowd
4. Brawler (Kiryu)
Yakuza 0 - Brawler Style: Training
The Brawler style is Kiryu’s default fighting style, and as the name implies, it is full of hard-hitting punches and kicks.
This style also allows you to grab and throw enemies and nearby objects. As an added bonus, once you start upgrading the Brawler style, you will unlock the ability to do more damage when drunk.
There are also many different ways to dodge and counter attacks with this style, making it effective against multiple enemies at once.
While the Brawler style is a bit slower than other fighting styles, it more than makes up for it with its sheer attack power.
What makes Brawler Style great:
- You have the ability to grab enemies and slam them to the ground
- Grab random objects near the fight, such as bikes, trash cans, and signs to do some serious damage to your enemies and see some cool fight animations
- With a little alcohol, you will be able to do even more damage
3. Rush (Kiryu)
Learning Rush Mode in Yakuza 0
The Rush style allows Kiryu to fight with lightning-fast moves and even more ways to dodge your enemies quickly.
Even though Rush doesn’t pack much of a punch when compared to the Brawler style, it has some of the fastest evasive maneuvers of any of the styles. If you can dodge your enemies and land some quick attacks in succession, you will be able to stun them for a few seconds.
Since you can’t pick up objects or enemies, this style is better suited to one-on-one fights.
With the ability to weave and quickstep, you’ll be able to punch and kick your enemies before they even know what hits them.
The charged kick is the powerhouse of this style, and timing your evasive maneuvers just right will allow you to pop up behind your enemy for a quick sneak attack. This is a great strategy for fighting Mr. Shakedown, should you be unfortunate enough to bump into him.
What makes Rush Style great:
- You move with super-fast speed both while fighting and evading
- You can use the charged kick to do a massive amount of damage and knock your enemy back for a few seconds
- Well-timed evasive moves allow you to perform special sneak attacks on your enemy in the blink of an eye
2. Mad Dog of Shimano (Majima)
Yakuza 0: How To Unlock The Mad Dog of Shimano (4th Style) Majima Goro
The Mad Dog of Shimano is, without a doubt, Majima’s most fun and exciting fighting style.
This is Majima’s Legendary fourth style, and it is only unlocked after completing the cabaret club side quest and defeating all five of the rival cabaret club bosses.
When you end a combo with a finishing blow, Majima will enter Savage Mode. He will run around in a completely mad frenzy, and this will consume Heat very quickly. Pressing different buttons while in this mode will allow you to perform special attacks where Majima will wildly swing his knife or do a floor spin with his knife out.
There are also some very interesting Heat actions with this style, such as a lunging stab and a low sweeping kick that knocks enemies right off their feet.
What makes Mad Dog of Shimano Style great:
- This is a fast-paced style that lets Majima unleash a flurry of attacks on multiple enemies at once
- The heat actions are not only effective but entertaining
- Savage Mode unleashes Majima’s raw power with a series of lightning-fast knife slashes and spinning-kick moves
1. Thug (Majima)
Yakuza 0 - Thug Style: Training
The Thug style is Majima’s default fighting style, and it is very well-rounded and versatile.
It is a very fast-paced style, and it is Majima’s only fighting style that allows for grabbing objects and enemies.
This style also allows you to quickstep to evade enemies and comes with an eye-poking move that will make your enemy recoil away from you.
The Thug style is best in a one-on-one fighting situation, rather than a large group of enemies. The quick punches, kicks, and evasive moves make this style extremely effective against powerful enemies like Mr. Shakedown.
What makes Thug Style great:
- Since it is Majima’s default fighting style, you have more time to max out all of the upgrades
- This style is very fast-paced both in the fighting and evasive moves, allowing you to strike and get away without getting hit
- This is the only style that allows Majima to grab enemies and nearby objects for maximum damage results
Also Be Sure To Read:
- [Top 15] Yakuza 0 Best Equipment (And How to Get Them)
- [Top 5] Yakuza 0 Best Ways to Make Money
- [Top 10] Yakuza 0 Best Abilities
- [Top 5] Yakuza 0 Best Alcohol
- [Top 5] Yakuza 0 Best Styles
- Top 10 Games Like Yakuza 0 (Games Better Than Yakuza 0 In Their Own Way)
- Is Yakuza 0 Good? Is Yakuza 0 Worth It?
- Top 15 'Best Steam RPGs' (Great RPGs You’ve Not Heard Of!)
