Yakuza: Like a Dragon jobs guide - What are they and which are the best

A character’s job dictates the special moves available to them in battle. While registered to a particular job they have access to abilities which will be lost when they switch to another job role.

However, each job rewards players with two character skills that stay available even after switching, so it’s worth looking into which will offer the best benefits. It’s worth noting that some jobs are only available to specific genders, plus two jobs - Devil Rocker and Matriarch - are DLC only, so we won’t be looking at those here.

Host is a great all rounder for our leading man. With plenty of offence options and also some support skills, this job will give Ichiban options for every kind of fight. This job is open to Ichiban pretty much right away, whereas others will have to wait until they can use moves which apply buffs and de-buffs or even steal rare items from enemies. With a focus on fire and ice magic, this job is effective and a lot of fun to use.

Best Skill: Essence of Rose Typhoon casts a heavy fire attack on all enemies which may leave them charmed and burned.

Poor Nanba, he really is suited to being homeless. While other jobs can be a little more fun to watch - plus gives Nanba a break from sleeping rough - Homeless Guy offers so much in terms of support.

His magic use rivals Dhalsim in breathing fire over enemies and burning them to a crisp. On top of this, it’s always worth having a dedicated healer who can dip in and out of a fight.

In this role, Nanba covers all bases and his abilities can be bulked out by using him as a Fortune Teller, carrying over those extra skills.

Best Skill: Essence of Pigeon Migration is unlocked at rank 28, so it’ll be a while before you can use it. However, this swarm of feathered friends will deal huge damage to groups of enemies.

Adachi is a big dude. His burly strength and health make him ideal for the enforcer job, which operates like a tank in an MMO.

While the weapons aren’t that great, the enforcer will soak up a lot of damage while peppering the enemy enough to help defeat them. With a few electric attacks, plus options to stun the opponent, this is a great supporting job.

They can even taunt and distract the enemy, leaving them open for another teammate to jump in and batter them.

Best skill: Shield Bash deals heavy damage and has a chance to enrage the enemy, this is a great opener that can be paired with Essence of Shield Rupture, which deals greater damage to enraged foes.

This job is the ultimate in support. Don’t expect your Idol to get too hand-on with enemies as they will be sat back adding buffs to your team.

Think of the Idol as your main healer and someone who can increase the damage dealt by other party members. And when your team is feeling healthy and strong, the Idol can switch to de-buffing the enemy or charming them entirely.

This is probably the best job in the game in terms of fight control.

Best skill: Magical Song is a heal-all which will get you out of any sticky situation.

To be honest, Joon-gi’s starting job of Hitman is worth keeping. Hitman is a quick attacking, high damage job which often leaves enemies with status effects to boot.

With this job Joon-gi has access to some of the better weapons in the game, too. Being able to equip either blunt or piercing weapons is an asset to your team.

As he comes with high agility stats, he’ll make the most of the job’s abilities and special moves.

Best skill: Point Blank targets the enemy’s heart. While it only focuses on one target, they take a large amount of damage and could be stunned or incapacitated.

Don’t expect Zhao to support anybody in this job role; Chef is strictly offence based. As part of a well-rounded squad, the Chef will basically slice and dice anyone who gets in their way.

While you may not need more fire effects on the team, the addition of attacks that cause bleeding is beneficial. As you might expect, a Chef comes prepared with lots of sharp weapons, ready to chop up opponents.

Just make sure you keep your healer close by or stock up on healing items.

Best skill: Sashimi Slice dishes out an attack while adding the bleeding effect on top, ideal for those longer fights where a Chef can deal damage over time.

It wouldn’t be a Yakuza game without some kinky S&M, would it? Night Queen is all about punishment, of course. To be honest, other jobs cause as much damage, but if you’re looking for entertainment and some tongue-in-cheek humour, you might as well enrol here.

The Night Queen smacks and whips, punches and brainwashes your foes. The big draw here is the Area of Effect (AOE) skills which should round out your team nicely.

Though don’t expect this dominatrix to heal any wounds, she prefers to inflict them.

Best skill: Spinning Queen attacks enemies over an area, while it may leave enemies brainwashed.