Yakuza 0 is easily one of the most unique and memorable video games of the modern age. The game reeks of narrative dissonance across the board, but the wonderful charm of this eccentric title manages to wrap everything together in one neat package. It establishes an identity of its own, which is part of what makes the Yakuza series such an excellent franchise.
One of the most entertaining side activities in the title is managing Majima's cabaret club. This side quest is imperative to unlocking Majima's combat potential and attaining a ton of money in the process. However, managing the cabaret club will become difficult without great hostesses that can pull their weight. On that note, here are the best hostesses in Yakuza 0, and the tasks players must accomplish to obtain them.
Updated on August 27th, 2022 by Ritwik Mitra: If anyone would've stated a decade ago that one of the highlights in an excellent beat-em-up title would be managing a Cabaret Club where the employees leveled up with RPG mechanics, then it's obvious that this person would be laughed out of the room.
This is precisely what makes the act of being the Cabaret Club Czar such a blast, with the player putting all their efforts into making sure that their clientele is completely satisfied when Club Sunshine opens. Here are some of the best hostesses players can use to make going through this Cabaret Club minigame a breeze.
20 Junko
The hostesses that players can get from investing CP at the Shrine can be pretty hit-or-miss. That being said, a Silver Hostess pretty much means that players got a good haul indeed.
Junko is one of the hostesses that players can get after investing 3 CP. She's a pretty competent worker. With decent HP and a good Talk skill, she can definitely be a good asset... although the ultra-rich won't really be happy with her presence on the table.
19 Shiho
Shiho is a silver hostess who can be pretty decent during some of the Cabaret Club sessions that take place in the middle of the activity. Her high HP is easily her biggest strength, making her a decent acquirement for 3 CP.
However, one problem that arises with Shiho is the fact that she's fairly mediocre in other departments, making her totally ineffective on richer clients. However, she can still be a faithful employee of the club until it finally hits the big leagues.
18 Shinomi
Silver hostesses who specialize in two fields are pretty rare. This is precisely what makes Shinomi such a great hire for Club Sunshine, appearing as one of the many hostesses who can be recruited through the Shrine with 3 CP.
She can definitely be quite skillful and show a lot of love, but all silver hostesses have their limits. As long as players choose the appropriate clientele for her and don't push her too much, Shinomi can be a decent pick all the way to the end of Cabaret Club Czar.
17 Hiroko
There are certain hostesses that can be scouted by Majima to bolster the ranks of Club Sunshine. Hiroko is one such hostess who is found on the western side of Sotenbori near the pay phone and will be wooed over to join the club with an offering or a scarf or coat.
Hiroko is pretty durable and can develop a pretty high Love stat. She might falter in other departments, but this shouldn't be an issue as long as players use her to specialize with one particular type of client.
16 Erranda
Errands on the Run is a pretty hilarious sidequest that sees an unfortunate boy become a mule for a manipulative girl. After Majima sees him in this sorry state multiple times, he decides to fix this issue... only for the substory to end in a totally unexpected and hilarious manner.
After completing this substory, Majima will be able to hire the hilariously-named Erranda for his club. She's a silver hostess who's great at partying and is pretty funny to boot!
15 Shizuka
Gold hostesses are the best hostesses that players can attain in the game, aside from the six Platinum hostesses that are in a class of their own. Thus, any hostess that fits within this category is bound to be quite special indeed.
Shizuka is no exception to this rule. Her high HP means she can be quite resilient during arduous times with demanding clients, and her skill speciality means that those who want a hostess that fits this bill will definitely be pleased. Players need to spend 3 CP at the shrine to get this hostess.
14 Seiko
Seiko is a great all-rounder in the looks department, and the fact that she's a Gold hostess certainly adds more weight to her capabilities as a hostess. Like Shizuka (or any other Gold hostess), she's a reliable member to keep on the team.
Her high Love stat makes her a great choice to tackle clients with this requirement. The 3 CP spent to get her at the Shrine will be more than worth it.
13 Koizumi
With high HP and Party stats, Koizumi is a great Yakuza 0 hostess for players to employ in Club Sunshine. Her extremely cute looks are a major bonus as well.
Along with the above two, Koizumi is one of the many hostesses that requires a 3 CP investment. However, she more than makes up for it with her amazing output and resilience. She's a great pick for the club.
12 Akina
Akina is another hostess that can be obtained from the Shrine for 3 CP. She's a great addition to the roster, mainly due to her high Talk and Skill stats.
These stats can prove to be invaluable in moments when players need to employ highly-skilled hostesses near the latter half of the Cabaret Club Czar sidequest. Here, Akina can truly shine and give guests the royal treatment they deserve.
11 Miss Isobe
The disco minigame can be somewhat frustrating for players to wrap their heads around in Yakuza 0. However, players who finally get the hang of this quest with Majima can unlock a string of substories that are quite hilarious to watch unfold.
Completing both these stories will allow players to recruit Miss Isobe as a hostess. Her high HP and Party stats are to be expected — after all, she was a regular at the disco!
10 Akemi
For a Silver Hostess, it's amazing how versatile Akemi is. Her strengths — Talk and Skill — level up fairly well and allow her to tackle customers in the late game. However, try to avoid using her during Rival Battles. Akemi's HP is extremely low, and she will suffer from fever attacks that take her HP down quite a bit.
Players can find Akemi at the west end of Shofukucho South. Majima needs to gift her an expensive watch or wallet in order to hire her as a hostess.
9 Unknown
The friendship that Majima can develop with the mystery caller Simon makes for one of the more memorable substories in the entire game. The player's interest spikes even further when find out what the caller gives as a reward for bearing with his actions — a Gold Hostess!
Unknown is easily one of the most mysterious hostesses Majima can recruit for Club Sunshine, but she's a welcome addition. Not only are her Talk and Love stats great, but her high HP make her a valuable fallback during Rival Battles as well.
8 Dolly
The friendship that Majima can develop with the Doll Girl ends up leading to Club Sunshine's manager getting a massive benefit. This comes in the form of a Gold Hostess — namely, the Doll Girl's mother.
Aptly named Dolly, this hostess can easily become a reliable member of the club. Her Talk, Skill, and Love are all competent enough to handle the Wealthy and Mega-Rich clients that enter Club Sunshine.
7 Etsuko
At a glance, it might seem like hiring a grandma as a hostess in Club Sunshine — especially an annoying and chatty person like Etsuko — might seem like a boneheaded move. However, Etsuko ends up being a fantastic hostess. In fact, some argue that she's the best non-Platinum hostess in the entire game.
Getting Etsuko in Club Sunshine involves completing the substory The Obatarian Strikes on Sotenbori Street. After getting through this chain of events — and being thoroughly manhandled by Etsuko — she will become a valuable hostess for Club Sunshine.
6 Hibiki
Out of all the Platinum Hostesses that can be hired for Club Sunshine, one has to admit that Hibiki is the weakest of the bunch. Her stats might be great, but her low HP makes her a huge liability at times, especially during Rival Battles. Hibiki is recruited automatically after winning the Rival Battle against Club Mercury.
Some Gold Hostesses are more reliable than Hibiki simply because of this fact. However, her high stats mean that her low HP doesn't pose much of a problem when it comes to managing the club one day at a time.
5 Mana
In a way, the fact that Mana is the last hostess to be hired in Club Sunshine hurts her efficiency. By this time, players will already have high-level hostesses, so there's really no need to deal with Mana and her initial incompetence. She becomes a permanent member of Club Sunshine after the player wins the final Rival Battle against Club Moon.
However, people who end up playing the cabaret club sidequest long after it's required will find themselves enjoying the services of a great hostess. Still, Mana doesn't really do anything meaningful due to the lack of any Rival Battles.
4 Chika
A Platinum Hostess who's as beautiful as she is efficient, Chika is recruited by Club Sunshine after putting an end to Club Venus. This is easily one of the harder Rival Battles to get through in the game.
However, the end result is worth it. Chika ends up being an incredibly well-rounded Yakuza 0 hostess, who will definitely serve the player well as they progress towards unseating the final Cabaret Club around — Club Moon.
3 Saki
This Platinum Hostess has incredible stamina and never takes a minute off from work. Saki is easily one of the best additions to the staff of Club Sunshine, and ends up proving her worth time and time again.
She's easily one of the most reliable Yakuza 0 hostesses around. Players should make it a priority to beat Club Jupiter as soon as possible, in order to recruit Saki as a hostess for the club.
2 Ai
The second Platinum Hostess to join Club Sunshine ends up playing a huge role in ensuring the success of the club as Majima decides to tackle harder opposition in the area of Sotenbori. She can be recruited after defeating Club Mars in a Rival Battle.
Ai's high stats make her a great all-arounder and a valuable asset to Club Sunshine. The fact that she comes to the club so early means that she has an ample amount of time to develop. She can easily become a high-level hostess who can tend to pretty much every client's needs.
1 Yuki
Yuki initially seems rather weak. In truth, though, she's an excellent Yakuza 0 hostess who ends up improving her stats dramatically over time. Her development skyrockets in tandem with her character losing her shy nature, as the player progresses through this sidequest.
Yuki is a gift, and not just because she's one of the starting hostesses that players can use from the get-go. Her quick development and massive stats mean that she's a tour-de-force, regardless of the situation.
Yakuza 0 was released on March 15, 2015, and is available for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Amazon Luna.