Best Poundmates In Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Highlights

Mameoka: Espresso Express - Heals up to 300 HP each turn, useful for drawing fire and restoring health in the early game.
Kazuki & Yuya: Alluring Toast - Deals 1000 damage to all enemies and increases the party's magic damage. Perfect for last-ditch efforts or tough opponents.
Kashiwagi: Crooked Cooking - Heals 1000 HP to all allies, greatly increases defense and willpower. Misusing this powerful Poundmate is easy, so save it as a last resort.

First introduced back in Yakuza: Like A Dragon, the Poundmates make a grand return in Infinite Wealth, but there are plenty of new ones to choose from this time round, many of whom can turn the tide of an intense battle very easily thanks to their unique abilities. Poundmates are essentially Infinite Wealth's equivalent of summons from classic RPG games, being highly powerful allies who can be called on to provide buffs and healing or to dish out as much damage as possible to help take down a horde of enemies.

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While there are plenty of Poundmates that can be unlocked throughout the game by completing missions, they will all cost a certain amount of money to summon in a battle, so to avoid wasting any precious cash, it can be helpful to know which of them are worth investing in when the situation calls for it. When it comes to strength, reliability, and overall style, these Poundmates are among the best in the game.

1 Mameoka

Espresso Express: Heal Upwards To 300 HP To One Ally Each Turn

Mameoka making coffee in Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Price: $300
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The lovable barista Mameoka whips up the perfect Espresso Express when he's summoned into the battle, providing a single ally with multiple heals so long as he remains on the field. While the actual amount of healing might not seem like much, it can quickly stack to pretty high numbers after a few turns, and can easily restore a character's entire health bar in the earlier portions of the game.

The ability can also be very useful for drawing away fire by supporting a character who can use skills to provoke enemies, such as Adachi for example, who can bolster his defenses even further with the Espresso Express to make him virtually unstoppable. Considering that he's also on the cheaper side compared to a lot of the more powerful Poundmates, it means that Mameoka is an extremely reliable comrade who can be incredibly useful when an ally is taking a little too much damage.

2 Kazuki & Yuya

Alluring Toast: Deal 1000 Damage To All Enemies And Increase The Party's Magic Damage

Kazuki and Yuya from Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Price: $5,000
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The effortlessly cool owners of the Kamurocho StarDust Club, Kazuki and Yuya, pack a punch when they're called onto the field, dealing a decent chunk of damage to all enemies right off the bat while also enhancing the party's magic in the process. These two are perfect for when Ichiban and his friends are on their last legs and need a quick turn-around, or if the opponents' sturdy defense is making them a little stubborn to take down.

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The actual animation that plays out when they're summoned is also an incredibly fun and hilarious scene where Kazuki and Yuya can be seen inviting one of the enemies into their club where they shower them with charming quips and plenty of alcohol. Once they've successfully lowered their defenses, Kazuki and Yuya both grab a weapon each and launch the guest out the front door, giving them the true VIP treatment.

3 Kashiwagi

Crooked Cooking: Heals 1000 HP To All Allies And Greatly Increases Defense And Willpower

Price: $100,000
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It's honestly quite staggering just how many buffs the bartender of the Survive bar can serve up when Ichiban gives him a call. Not only can he get the entire party back on their feet thanks to his healing, but he's also able to make them far more capable of surviving the arduous fight ahead by raising both their physical defense and their resistance to spells and magic attacks. While he's incredibly powerful, it can also be easy to misuse this Poundmate by calling him in too early, so using Kashiwagi as a sort of last resort is the ideal way to make the most of his Crooked Cooking ability.

The developers clearly had a blast when creating Kashiwagi's summon animation, showcasing the chef in his natural habitat as he hacks and slashes away at a select few ingredients to create the ultimate meal. It's a stunning visual sequence that highlights Kashiwagi's fiery passion for cooking that lies beneath his cold exterior.

4 Makoto Date

Do Or Dive: Deal 2000 Magic Damage To All Enemies

Makoto Date gliding with a glider saying "Mission Accomplished"

Price: $100,000
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While most Poundmates will act on their own to help out Ichiban in his time of need, the detective Makoto Date brings with him multiple helicopters and soldiers to help decimate the opponents with a barrage of bullets and explosions. While Makoto does manage to get a few shots off with his rifle, things quickly go wrong when the gun jams and ends up firing at the propellors, causing his helicopter to fly directly into the enemies while Makoto and the others glide to safety.

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How exactly this causes Magic damage to the enemy is unknown, but it's certainly not a bad thing considering the sheer amount of enemies in the game who are vulnerable to such attacks, especially when he can deal 2000 points of damage. It unfortunately doesn't come with any extra buffs or damage enhancers like some of the other expensive Poundmates, but Makoto Date can still make quick work of anyone who dares to stand in his way thanks to his unique ability.

5 Kaoru Sayama

Yakuza Crackdown: Deal 2000 Damage To All Enemies With A Chance Of Inflicting Silence

Sayama fighting an enemy with a sword with Japanese text in the background

Price: $100,000
How To Unlock: Complete Memories Of Sayama

Considering that she carries the nickname "The Yakuza Huntress", it makes sense that Sayama would be a pretty dangerous combatant in a fight, but she's actually capable of wiping out an entire group of enemies without breaking a sweat, despite only wielding a single wooden sword. Most common thugs can be instantly annihilated with the amount of damage her Yakuza Crackdown attack can cause, but the small chance of inflicting Silence means that anyone who does manage to survive her onslaught will essentially be a sitting duck anyway.

She's admittedly a very expensive ally to request, but the large price point does make sense considering she can one-shot most enemies and is therefore capable of scoring an easy victory for Ichiban and the gang, even if they're on the brink of death. Her colorful and vibrant action sequence is also a joy to watch and does a great job of emphasizing just how fearsome Sayama can be when she needs to cut through someone to complete her mission.

6 Asakura

Urban Hospitality: Deal 2000 Damage To All Enemies With A Chance Of Dealing A KO Instantly

Price: $100,000
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The infamous street fighter known as Asakura is much the same as Sayama in his abilities, similarly dealing a tremendous amount of damage when he's spawned in, but rather than inflicting Silence, Asakura can simply KO the opponents outright if they somehow survive the first attack. This makes him incredibly reliable and a true powerhouse in every sense of the word, and while he excels at decimating small groups of common enemies, he can prove to be a big help for some of the more durable bosses too, who can handle a lot more punishment.

During his attack animation, Asakura showcases his fighting skills to Ichiban as the two punch and kick their way through the opponents, competing to see who can take down the most thugs at once. He's again another very expensive Poundmate which can limit his accessibility, but considering just how efficient he is at cleaning up shop, it more than makes up for the asking price.

7 Shun Akiyama

Millionaire Strike: Deal 2000 Damage To All Enemies With A Chance To Inflict Charm

Price: $100,000
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Shun Akiyama, the stylish and charismatic "Lifeline of Kamurocho", returns in Infinite Wealth as an unlockable Poundmate, and he's still got his signature kick-heavy fighting style that he was known for using in Yakuza 4 and 5. After waving a few stacks of cash in the face of the enemy, Akiyama proceeds to kick the notes at lightning speed, causing them to fly towards the opponents in the form of lethal projectiles.

That's not all though, as he then unveils a giant mountain of money which he hurls at the enemies, picking them off one by one and finishing them off with a devastating heavy kick. The attack deals a staggering amount of damage, and the added infliction of Charm is a handy bonus, but this Poundmate gets bonus points for being such an iconic character within the series, and for the fact that Ryu Ga Gotoku showed him a lot of love during his summoning scene, which is packed full of small details.