Saburo Arasaka is the omnipresent man on top of the Arasaka Corporation hierarchy. As the company's CEO, he will stop at nothing to ensure his company remains powerful, wealthy, and influential. He doesn't shy away from doing malicious acts if it meant the advancement or preservation of his company and family name.
As a man, he is very enigmatic in nature. He is largely considered as Cyberpunk 2077's main antagonist. Even after his passing, his influence still looms over the game like a dark cloud. There are a ton of things about the man that's not revealed distinctly, or even revealed at all in the game alone.
10 His Father Started The Company
While the Arasaka Corporation wouldn't be the mega-conglomerate that it is today without Saburo Arasaka, it was actually his father who started the company from the ground up.
Saburo's father was named Sasai Arasaka. Even before starting his own company, he had the reputation of being a shrewd businessman. He also had considerable experience in industrial companies. This led him to start his own industrial company, Arasaka Corporation.
9 Saburo Arasaka's Lineage
Saburo Arasaka was born in 1919 in Tokyo. By the time of his birth, the family was already particularly wealthy. His father, Sasai Arasaka, had already established the Arasaka Corporation four years prior to Saburo's birth.
It is said that the Saburo's family lineage can be traced all the way back to the ancient noble samurai of Japan. The code of honor of the samurai is very evident in the Arasaka family's virtues: loyalty and family.
8 Saburo's Mother
Saburo's mother was Yui Arasaka. Yui and Sasai met during the early 1900s and they got married in 1905. It is unknown how the couple met or the circumstances of their marriage, but when Sasai Arasaka founded his company in 1915, Yui was right by him.
She gave birth to Saburo in 1919, and since then had lived in the Arasaka Family Compound. Years later, Sasai Arasaka passed away at the age of 101 in 1960. Yui would follow three years later.
7 He Joined The Imperial Japanese Navy
Saburo Arasaka joined the Imperial Japanese Navy as a fighter pilot at a very young age. During his service, he proved to be highly efficient and he quickly rose through the ranks. He was also known to be a very skilled pilot. He eventually became a lieutenant just at the age of 23.
Many described Saburo Arasaka as a fearless and prideful soldier, often expressing his undying loyalty to the Emperor. He reportedly had 20 confirmed kills as a pilot.
6 His Near-Death Experience
In 1942, Saburo Arasaka went on a bombing run over Guadalcanal. During this mission, he was engaged by a couple of American Grumman fighters. During this incursion, Saburo got hit by an American plane's line of fire. While the attack wasn't enough to destroy his plane, a couple of bullets managed to smash through his canopy, hitting his left arm and the damaged metals hitting his left eye.
Saburo managed to survive this fatal attack, miraculously flying his plane back to base and even managing to deliver a report. After he recovered, he was sent back to Tokyo and he was deemed unfit to fly again, ending his military career.
5 He Almost Committed Seppuku
Wallowing in his family compound, Saburo spent his days lamenting over his humiliation after being discharged. He believed he has brought dishonor upon his family. After the end of WWII, the Emperor of Japan addressed his surrender and denouncement of divinity. This distraught Saburo even more and he considered committing seppuku.
Before he was about to commit the deed, however, Saburo had an epiphany of his future. He realized that his father's wealth and power would soon be passed down to him. He knew that, under the right leadership, the Arasaka Corporation could take his honor and his nation to greater heights. Thus, he shifted his goals and dreams.
4 CEO Of Arasaka
Sasai Arasaka, Saburo's father, passed away in 1960. Saburo then took over the company shortly after. As the new head of the corporation, Saburo decided to branch out to other ventures. Prior to then, Arasaka had always been a manufacturing company. Saburo ventured to banking and security.
Manufacturing, banking, and security would become Arasaka's three new pillars. This would allow Arasaka to become would of the most powerful megacorporations in the world.
3 He Has Been Married Three Times
Due to being an extremely goal-oriented man, Saburo never had much time to consider a romantic relationship. Despite this initial circumstance, however, Saburo would later get married thrice.
He had his first child with his first wife, Naomi Arasaka, in 1980. Shortly thereafter, Saburo remarried again with a woman named Ayako. In the 1990s, he met his third wife, Michiko Arasaka, and had two children with her. After Michiko's passing, Saburo never remarried again.
2 Engagement In Politics
Saburo Arasaka's genius allowed him to foresee the world market crash of 1994 and the US collapse of 1996. His foresight allowed him to take advantage of the events as well. Because of his strategic mind, Saburo managed to gain alliances within the Japanese government.
During the late 1990s, Saburo had managed to gain control of 60% of Japan's national legislature. This didn't last long, though, as many of the companies in Japan didn't take well to Arasaka's manipulation of the government.
1 The Puppet Master
Saburo Arasaka reached the age of 101 in 2020. Despite still having his mental prowess, his body would not be able to keep up. He became confined to his estate, bound to a wheelchair, and he handed the reins of the company to Kei Arasaka, his eldest son.
Despite sitting out the CEO position, Saburo maintained principal decision making and running the company from behind the scenes. Saburo would later return to the position following Kei's passing after the Fourth Corporate War.