Yakuza 0 – Defeat Kuze, Boss Battle

At the end of Chapter 1 in Yakuza 0 you face off against Daisaku Kuze, the first boss of the game. The battles leading up to Kuze can be hard, but once you actually get to Kuze the fight is even more difficult. If you’re not prepared you may find it tough to surpass. This article will give you some strategies on how to defeat Kuze the first boss battle in Yakuza 0.

Defeat the Dojima Family

Before you get to Kuze you’ll have to face off against many of the lesser members of the Dojima family. While you can probably just mash your way through the horde of enemies you’ll face, ideally you want to fight wisely so you can conserve your healing items for Kuze himself. Don’t get too reckless as you fight these lesser enemies or you’ll end up blowing through your healing items. If you have some cash to spare, it’s always a good idea to upgrade your heal in the Abilities menu, or pick up some healing items from a vending machine.

Throughout this early battle you’ll have to face off against Yoneda several times, including a few QTEs, so be ready for those. After each QTE you will move on to the next section of the area leading up to the battle against Kuze. When you reach a long halfway you’ll have to fight Omori, who is holding a chair, blocking your path. Use the Rush fighting style so you can slowly move up to Omori, then quickly dash back to avoid the chair attack. As soon as he swings with the chair, run in and pummel him with a combo. When he lifts the chair above his head again, back away and repeat the process.

At this point in the game you can choose between the Brawler fighting style and the Rush fighting style. Some of the enemies you face off against during your climb to the top of the Dojima Family HQ will evade your attacks. It’s easier to lock them down if you use the Rush fighting style. You can also dodge their attacks using this style, which will help you avoid taking damage.

If you prefer the Brawler style your attacks are slower, so focus on grabbing enemies (Circle) and pummeling them from that position. You can earn quite a bit of cash by finishing off enemies after a grab. You can also counterattack with the Brawler style, putting you right back on the offensive if you take a hit. However, ideally you want to avoid taking as many hits as possible, so pay close attention to the position of enemies around you so you know when to move out of the way. You don’t have a dodge ability like the Rush style, but you can still move if you see an enemy close by who is about to attack.

Boss Battle – Defeat Kuze

Kuze has two health bars when you face off against him at the end of Chapter 1. The fight is much easier during the first health bar, then becomes considerably harder as Kuze’s life drains. Rush style is your best bet against Kuze because he will attempt to evade your attacks, and Rush style will generally allow you to interrupt Kuze even after he successfully evades.

During the first health bar, just focus on pummeling Kuze with long attack strings (Square six times), followed by a power attack (Triangle). When performed properly this combo string ends with a powerful kick attack that knocks Kuze back or to the ground depending on your Rush attack power (the pink bars at the top of the screen).

If you knock Kuze down, quickly move over to him and press Triangle again to kick him on the ground, or perform a power attack. If you have at least one bar of Rush power, you’ll stomp on Kuze. With less than one bar of Rush power you’ll perform a normal grounded kick. The normal grounded kick can be performed twice before Kuze has time to stand up again, even if you use the grounded power kick first. In fact, the second kick should connect just as Kuze is standing up.

When you see Kuze begin to stand, start your attack combo again. The first few hits may miss or Kuze may block them, but continue with your combo. Either the last few hits will connect, or Kuze will be pushed back when he blocked the power kick, giving you time to start your combo again.

Once Kuze is down to about 10 percent of his first health bar, be ready for a quick-time event to occur. You won’t have much warning before the QTE begins, so just be ready when his first health bar is almost depleted. The QTE requires you to press two buttons when prompted. However, the buttons change at random so you’ll have to just keep an eye on the screen.

As soon as Kuze enters his second and final health bar, he will start to dodge your attacks and counter attack. At this point you need to start playing a bit more cautiously. If you get knocked down, quickly get up then back away and wait for Kuze to move toward you. As soon as he’s within attack range, dash back or to the side to avoid the attacks. The timing may take some adjustments, but once you get used to the range you can dash to avoid Kuze’s attack, then immediately counterattack from the side or back.

In the best case scenario you want to try to move Kuze to the corner. From this position he can’t move back and you can keep him in a continuous stun lock with combo after combo. It’s difficult to keep Kuze cornered as he will move around after being knocked down, but anytime you can force him into a corner you can land several combos in a row.

If your health gets low, use a healing item and continue the fight. As long as you use the dash to avoid Kuze’s attacks, you shouldn’t have much trouble bringing him down and completing the chapter.

Stay tuned to Prima Games as we offer more insider tips for Yakuza 0.