In Yakuza 0, there are plenty of things to do outside the main story, such as compete in pocket circuit races or recruit and manage hostesses at your Cabaret Club. Easily one of the most strange side activities is the Cat Fights.
These are organized brawls between scantly clad women. You get to bet on the winner and influence the result by playing a mini-game. Kiryu is introduced to these fights partway through the main story. Afterward, you can keep coming back to the club to try your luck. Here is everything you need to know about the unique activity.
Updated August 9, 2023, by Sean Murray: There’s not a lot of strategy to Yakuza 0’s Cat Fights, but there are still some strategies to help you win this most curious of competition. That’s why we’ve refreshed this guide with improved formatting and more breakout tips to help you on your quest to become Cat Fight champion of Kamurocho.
Yakuza 0 Cat Fights
These Cat Fights aren’t just one-on-one brawls. The women compete in three-round tournaments. You pick a single fighter at the start, place your bet, and try to win the whole competition. After every round, you make some money as long as you win. The amount you make depends on a combination of how much money you bet and your fighter’s odds.
Naturally, winning with the most skilled combatants makes less money than guiding an underdog to victory.
How Fights Work
Fights don’t work in the same way as the scarps you get into with Kiryu or Majima. However, the process is still simple.
On every grapple, you play Rock, Paper, Scissors with your opponent. If you win, you hit a move, or if they win, they do. If you happen to tie, then you have to compete in a short button-mashing sequence.
Sometimes a fighter’s special ability will activate, giving them some sort of advantage, but it’s impossible to guess when that will happen.
The overall objective is to deplete your opponent’s entire health bar. How much damage a move does is dependent on two things:
The Fighter’s Star Rating For The Move
Each combatant has a star rating for their Rock, Paper, and Scissors attacks. The more stars a move has, the more damage it does.
For instance, if a fighter has a five-star Rock attack and a one-star Paper, then their Rock will deal more damage.
The Color Of The Attack
Every time you do a move, a color is shown on the screen. The color indicates how powerful an attack will be. You don’t choose the color as it’s based on chance.
These are the colors ranked, from strongest to weakest.
|
Strongest |
Rainbow |
|---|---|
|
Red |
|
|
Green |
|
|
Blue |
|
|
Weakest |
White |
You’ll be asked to mash a button when hitting a Rainbow attack to make it even more impactful.
The Combatants
Most of the strongest fighters in the Yakuza series are in the Tojo Clan, but some of these women aren’t too bad themselves. Here are all the fighters available:
|
Name |
Rock Strength |
Paper Strength |
Scissors Strength |
Special Ability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Francisca |
3 Stars |
4 Stars |
3 Stars |
Endurance – Chance to restore health when in critical condition. |
|
Jennifer |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
5 Stars |
Initiative – Chance to launch a preemptive attack at the start of a match. |
|
Maria |
1 Star |
4 Stars |
2 Stars |
Comeback – Chance to turn things around and instantly win the match when in critical condition. |
|
Momoko |
3 Stars |
4 Stars |
5 Stars |
Vitality – Chance to trigger automatic health recovery during the match. |
|
Rei |
3 Stars |
1 Star |
3 Stars |
Endurance – Chance to restore health when in critical condition. |
|
Sayuri |
5 Stars |
3 Stars |
1 Star |
Initiative – Chance to launch a preemptive attack at the start of a match. |
|
Yuiko |
3 Stars |
1 Star |
4 Stars |
Vitality – Chance to trigger automatic health recovery during the match. |
|
Yurie |
2 Stars |
4 Stars |
2 Stars |
Comeback – Chance to turn things around and instantly win the match when in critical condition. |
Tips For Winning Fights
Unfortunately, luck plays a huge part in getting victories. Yet, there are a few things that can improve your odds a bit.
Use Either Jennifer Or Momoko
The attributes don’t lie as Jennifer and Momoko are the best fighters in the club. Of course, this means that their odds of winning are much higher, so you don’t get as good of a payoff.
Still, it’s so difficult to win these tournaments that the advantage the top fighters give you is worth the lesser winnings.
Be Tactical During Rock, Paper, Scissors
It’s impossible to guess whether your opponent is going to use Rock, Paper, or Scissors for any given grapple. You can, however, be smart with your own choice.
For example, if your opponent has a strong Paper attack but a weak Rock one, then use Scissors a lot as you’ll always stop their strongest move and only have to withstand their most pitiful one.
Against the better fighters, this strategy isn’t really possible as all their moves are powerful, yet it may help you in the early rounds.
Sometimes Lose Tie-Breakers On Purpose
Button-mashing tie-breakers are extremely difficult to win – some fans even believe they’re fixed. And the longer they go on, the more damage the winner ends up doing.
So, occasionally, you may want to purposely lose straight away to avoid getting hit with a stronger move. Of course, you need to pick your moments for this, as even a weak attack will defeat you if you’ve only got a slither of health.