As you start your pirate journey in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii—an absolute fever dream of an experience—you’ll find your meager pirate crew proves initially lackluster. Sure, you have a washed-up drunken father who can navigate, and a cook wielding the most enormous cleaver I’ve ever seen, but what about your boarding crew? You need the best squad leader traits in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii to roam and conquer the high seas!
What is a Squad Leader?
Listen, have you seen the size of your pirate ship? It’s positively massive, and you cannot man the entire vessel solo: even as the coolest yakuza in Hawaii you require a crew. In Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, your ship crew is split into two groups: Cannon Squad and Boarding Squad.
Your Cannon Squad is relatively self-explanatory. It’s the crew working the various cannons and weapons on your ship. However, the Boarding Squad is where running a pirate crew becomes slightly more complex. You see, it’s not a single squad: you have four. Each Boarding Squad consists of four members and a Squad Leader. As a Squad Leader, the assigned crew member has access to a unique ability that enhances their skills and, occasionally, yours.
The best Boarding Squad Leader Traits in Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
There’s a touch of strategy to the over-the-top beat ‘em up Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, especially regarding your pirate crew. When assigning Squad Leaders to your Boarding Squad, picking wisely from the roster means the difference between overtaking the competition and succumbing to Davy Jones’ Locker.
Nishida: Indomitable Will Bonded
You’ll meet Nishida on Nele Island relatively early in the campaign, where he’s actively searching for Majima. Well, he finds the man. As it turns out, Nishida is one of the best healers in the game, thanks to his ability, Indomitable Will. It’s a Squad Leader trait that boosts healing, plus includes Shock Resistance. You’ll deal with Shock frequently during combat, making Nishida a staple for any pirate crew!
Misaki: Succession of Will Bonded
Misaki, the daughter of Namioka, will join your pirate crew deeper into the game and, as expected, provides a nice buff to your Boarding Squad when assigned as a Squad Leader. Her ability, Succession of Will, boosts Attack Damage and increases the charge rate of the Voltage Gauge, which allows your support units to utilize powerful abilities mid-combat.
Masaru Fujita: Marine Cuisine Bonded
The first crewmember you’ll recruit in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, Masaru Fujita, is another of the most powerful to assign to your Boarding Squad. His ability, Marine Cuisine, boosts attack power for everyone in his squad and increases Poison Resistance. Now, you won’t deal with Poison frequently, but when you do, it’s a painful, annoying experience that will make you beg for higher resistance!
Jason Rich: Hunter’s Knowledge Bonded
As one of the first crewmates you’ll unlock, alongside Masaru Fujita, Jason Rich also offers one of the strongest Squad Leader Traits in the game. As you level Jason and his abilities become more powerful, you’ll note that his Squad Leader Trait, Hunter’s Knowledge, is genuinely one of the best in the game. It provides a significant buff to attack and defense, while also boosting firearms resistance to the entire squad.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is easily one of the wildest experiences on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S in 2025 so far, so long as you don’t mind the lengthy story and side content!
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