Jobs - Yakuza: Like a Dragon Guide - IGN (2024)

There are a wide variety of jobs in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, each offering their own perks, unique weapons, and changing each fighter’s role in the party. Here, you can check out a break down of each job, find out which jobs each character can do, and how to unlock them.

Once you meet the requirements, you can change jobs as often as you like at Hello Work in Ijincho. Aside from the default jobs, many jobs are split down gender lines, meaning Kasuga, Nanba, Adachi, Joon-gi, and Zhao have the same job pool, while Eri and Saeko share a separate job pool.

You can read about every job below or click below jump to a specific section:

• Starting Jobs
• Male Only Jobs
• Female Only Jobs

• Ichiban Kasuga Jobs
• Yu Nanba Jobs
• Koichi Adachi Jobs
• Joon-gi Han Jobs
• Tianyou Zhao Jobs
• Eri Kamataki Jobs

Starting Jobs

This list includes every character's starting job that they have available when joining your party. While you can change every character to a different job at Hello Work, some of their default jobs end up being the best option.

Freelancer

Ichiban’s default job, though he quickly moves on to Hero. You should not switch back to this job, as it has minimal benefits.

Hero

Ichiban’s second default job may be worth sticking with for the whole game. It’s light on elemental attacks, but packs a serious punch as a brawler, you’ll find plenty of weapon upgrades throughout the game, and it has a good mix of targeted attacks and area ones, along with some light healing abilities. However, there are much better Healer jobs, so Ichiban should not be used in this role primarily, or at least not with the Hero build.

Homeless Guy

Nanba’s default job is very useful in certain situations. It comes with massive Pyro damage once leveled up enough, and he can heal himself too. However, it lacks the HP of other jobs. It’s a good job for Nanba to have once your party expands, and he can be tagged in when group attacks and Pyro attacks are needed, but when you’re just on four party members during the first half, Homeless Guy Nanba can be a weak link with low health.

Detective

Adachi’s default job is very similar to Ichiban’s as a Hero, so while decent enough, it’s recommended that you have Adachi in another role. Initially though, you’ll again find a lot of early weapons and will be able to hit hard, so it’s not too bad a job to have.

Barmaid

Saeko’s default job is yet another brawler job, although her weapon of choice - a handbag - is harder to come across, and owing to her lower attack stat and lack of high powered Barmaid moves, Saeko is not well suited to this role. Changing her sooner rather than later is recommended.

Hitman

Joon-gi’s default job is probably the most varied default job of the game, and so he can be kept as this throughout the game. He has punches, gun attacks, and knife attacks, so is good for exploiting weaknesses, and has the ability to poison or paralyze enemies, as well as to attack in groups or focus on individuals. He’s more malleable than even Nanba, and without many of the drawbacks.

Clerk

Eri’s default job is very heavy on the blade damage. If you come up against an enemy who resists knives, as some later bosses do, she can struggle, but all in all, Eri as a Clerk can slice through most opponents with ease.

Gangster

Zhao’s default job makes him a debuff fighter, meaning he doesn’t do massive damage but can inflict all sorts of status effects on his enemies. Tactically, this job can be very useful, but it can also come unstuck easily, and is difficult to master.

Male Only Jobs

These jobs are only available to Kasuga, Nanba, Adachi, Joon-gi, and Zhao.

Foreman

The Foreman job is one of the hardest hitting jobs out there. It might be best to think of this and the Enforcer as two sides of the same coin, with Enforcer hitting hard but having a tanky bulk, while Foreman has much less bulk, but hits even harder. A risky job which can be effective in smaller battles, but doesn’t have the staying power to be a tank.

Bodyguard

A Bodyguard is a tough job to have, and Yakuza: Like A Dragon reflects that. While you get a whole host of powerful sword attacks and swords aren’t that difficult to come by, several Bodyguard moves inflict damage on the user as well. Needs to be equipped with a healing job alongside it to be of any use long term.

Enforcer

This is one of the best tank builds in the game. Comes with lots of bulky HP, some moves which can stun, and extreme moves which target the whole arena. Hits hard and can absorb a lot of hits itself, but isn’t the best suited to exploiting weaknesses.

Breaker

Breaker is one of the best looking jobs, but with the anklet weapon such a rarity, often not very useful. It sees the party member breakdance around the battlefield, and is mostly a riff on the typical brawler jobs. It has some decent depth with debuffs, but with a lack of viable weapons, doesn’t pack the punch it requires.

Musician

Musicians have a good range of targeted attacks, group attacks, and buffs, but they excel through Voltage. Several of their moves can raise their Voltage meter, which makes them supercharged. Much like Gangster, this move has its tactical uses, but can be difficult to make truly effective.

Chef

Much like Hosts, the weapons a Chef can use are rare and often not that powerful. However, they do come with a big range of Pyro options, and so are very similar to the Nanba exclusive job Homeless Guy; extremely useful in certain situations, a bit useless in others.

Host

Hosts attack with champagne bottles, which are quite rare and not as powerful as most other weapons. However, Hosts come which far more buffs for both themselves and the party, can Charm opponents, and have the ability to steal items. Handy for taking on grunts in street battles, but a little lacking against the big bosses.

Fortuneteller

Ichiban thinks of life as one big RPG, and so it would be best to think of Fortuneteller as a mage. This job is heavy on the MP skills, so while powerful, is harder to control than the likes of Hitman or Enforcer, which can both just resort to regular attacks and still do a good job. It is one of the best Support jobs, as it has several moves which focus on teammates.

Female Only Jobs

These jobs are only available to Saeko and Eri.

Hostess

The Hostess job comes with lots of cold attacks, and so is very useful when taking on enemies weak to cold, and is a competent brawler the rest of the time too.

Idol

Lacks attacks but makes up for it with a huge range of healing options. Can revive party members, offer individual healing or group healing, and removes status ailments. An incredibly useful party member for bulkier boss battles when you need everyone on the field.

Night Queen

The Night Queen job is a dominatrix, hitting with whips and providing decent damage. The real strength of this job though is in the elemental whips, which are great at exploiting weaknesses.

Dealer

The Dealer’s moveset is all about chance. It’s unpredictable, which makes it hard to plan for effectively, but if you get lucky, it’s excellent at exploiting weaknesses. Almost all of the moves have a chance of heavy damage, one-hit KOs, or status ailments, but it’s all up to lady luck.

Ichiban Kasuga Jobs

This section covers every job Kasuga can perform as well as requirements to change to each job.

Yu Nanba Jobs

This section covers every job Nanba can perform as well as requirements to change to each job.

Koichi Adachi Jobs

This section covers every job Adachi can perform as well as requirements to change to each job.

Saeko Mukoda Jobs

This section covers every job Saeko can perform as well as requirements to change to each job.

Joon-gi Han Jobs

This section covers every job Joon-gi can perform as well as requirements to change to each job.

Tianyou Zhao Jobs

This section covers every job Zhao can perform as well as requirements to change to each job.

Eri Kamataki Jobs

This section covers every job Eri can perform as well as requirements to change to each job.