Unlock Saejima's full potential in Yakuza 5! This guide details all his Tiger Claws Soul, Tech, Body, Essence upgrades, and unique Revelations.
Saejima is the power character in Yakuza 5. His moves aren't fast, but he can inflict significant damage with each strike. He possesses two unique special techniques. Firstly, similar to Kiryu, he can grab a downed enemy's legs by standing near them and pressing Circle. Secondly, he has the Charging Finish. When executing a Rush Combo, instead of tapping the Heavy Attack button for a standard finishing blow, hold it to charge a powerful final strike.
Saejima's signature special move is called "Tiger Puppetry". In Heat Mode, grab a downed enemy's legs, then press either Light or Heavy Attack to swing the foe around, damaging other nearby enemies while consuming Saejima's Heat. This guide details all of Saejima's upgrade paths and special moves.
Soul Upgrades -
| Lv | Name | SP | Effect |
|---|
| 1 | Tortoise Spirit | 1 | Blocking raises the Heat Gauge. |
| 2 | Azure Dragon Spirit | 1 | Take less damage in Heat Mode. |
| 3 | Stability | 1 | If in Heat Mode, you're less likely to get staggered. |
| 4 | White Tiger Spirit | 2 | Taunting raises the Heat Gauge. |
| 5 | Yellow Dragon Spirit | 2 | Hold down Taunt near enemies to slowly charge your Heat Gauge. |
| 6 | Phoenix Spirit | 2 | When health is flashing red, Heat will automatically raise. |
| 7 | Dragon God's Ward | 2 | Guard against bladed weapons with your bare hands. |
| 8 | Demon's Blessing | 2 | Earn more experience defeating enemies with charged attacks. |
| 9 | Max Yellow Dragon Spirit | 2 | After charging, release the button for a big boost at the end. |
Tech Upgrades -
| Lv | Name | SP | Effect |
|---|
| 1 | Super Double Combo | 1 | After a Charging Finish, press Heavy Attack for another blow. |
| 2 | Tiger Charge | 1 | While running, tap Heavy Attack for a charging shoulder. |
| 3 | Tiger Cyclone | 1 | Grab an enemy's legs in Heat Mode, then press the Grab button again for a wide swing. |
| 4 | Re-Guard | 1 | If your guard is broken, you can guard again more quickly. |
| 5 | Break Guard | 2 | Certain attacks will break an enemy's guard. |
| 6 | Super Knee Hammer | 2 | While grabbing an enemy, hold down Heavy Attack for a charged Knock Away. |
| 7 | Super Triple Combo | 2 | After a Charging Finish, press Heavy Attack twice for two awesome blows. |
| 8 | Tiger Jaws | 2 | Press Grab next to an enemy's head to pull them up stunned. |
| 9 | Super Uppercut | 2 | On open ground, hold down Heavy Attack for a little bit to release a rising punch. |
| 10 | Tiger Fangs | 2 | In Heat Mode, run at an enemy, then press Heavy Attack to throw them down. This costs Heat. |
| 11 | Mega Wind-Up Top | 2 | Hold down Heavy Attack for a while until you're fully charged to spin at enemies. |
| After Breakthrough | | | |
| 12 | Mega Puppet Toss | 3 | While grabbing an enemy's legs, hold down Heavy Attack for a massive shockwave. |
Body Upgrades -
| Lv | Name | SP | Effect |
|---|
| 1 | Boost Health | 1 | Increases maximum health. |
| 2 | Enhanced Entangle | 1 | Do more collateral damage with thrown enemies. |
| 3 | Enhanced Grab | 1 | Makes it easier to throw enemies. |
| 4 | Boost Health | 2 | Increases maximum health. |
| 5 | Power Grab | 2 | Makes it even easier to throw enemies. |
| 6 | Enhanced Hold Escape | 2 | Easier to break enemy grabs. |
| 7 | Boost Health | 2 | Increases maximum health. |
| 8 | Quick Stand | 2 | After being knocked down, you get up faster. |
| 9 | Max Enhanced Entangle | 2 | Do even more collateral damage with thrown enemies. |
| 10 | Enhanced Evasion | 3 | Invincible time while Quickstepping is increased. |
| After Breakthrough | | | |
| 11 | Secret of Defense | 3 | Reduce chance of recoil with well-timed attack button presses. |
| 12 | Secret of Critical Damage | 3 | Do more damage from strikes with well-timed attack button presses. |
Essence Upgrades -
| Lv | Name | SP | Effect |
|---|
| 1 | Essence of Clotheslining | 1 | Heat Action: Press Heavy Attack while an enemy is bouncing off the ground. |
| 2 | Essence of Heavy Weaponry | 1 | Heat Action: Grab a very large weapon like a motorcycle and press Heavy Attack near an enemy. |
| 3 | Boost Heat Gauge | 1 | Raise Heat Gauge maximum value. |
| 4 | Essence of Wall Throwing | 1 | Heat Action: Grab an enemy and press Heavy Attack near a wall. |
| 5 | Essence of Puppetry | 2 | Heat Action: While health is flashing red, grab an enemy by the legs and press Heavy Attack. |
| 6 | Essence of Iron Hammer | 2 | Heat Action: Once the "Tiger Iron Hammer" skill is learned, grab a gigantic weapon ripped out of the ground and press Heavy Attack near an enemy. |
| 7 | Essence of Bell Ringing | 2 | Heat Action: Press Heavy Attack while an enemy is bouncing off a wall. |
| 8 | Essence of Seizing | 2 | Heat Action: If unarmed and an enemy attacks you with a small weapon, press Heavy Attack. |
| 9 | Essence of Smashing | 2 | Heat Action: Press Heavy Attack near a guarding enemy. |
| After Breakthrough | | | |
| 10 | Boost Heat Increase | 3 | Heat Gauge increases faster. |
| 11 | Boost Heat Gauge | 3 | Raise Heat Gauge maximum value. |
Training/Revelations -
| Name | Source | Effect |
|---|
| Tiger Puppetry | Special Move | Grab an enemy's legs, then press Light or Heavy Attack. |
| Tiger Iron Hammer | Tendo | Hold down Grab near heavy signs or boxes to rip them from the ground. |
| Tiger Roar | Tendo | Press Heavy Attack while guarding to knockback the enemy. |
| Tiger Essence of Braining | Tendo | Climax Heat Action: Grab an enemy and press Heavy Attack when a red prompt is visible. |
| Herculean Spirit | Tendo | You will not flinch from attacks in Heat Mode. |
| Tiger Dragon Drop | Tendo | In fighting stance, press Heavy Attack just before an attack connects to counterattack. |
| Tiger Essence of Blitzing | Tendo | Climax Heat Action: Charge up Yellow Dragon Spirit and press Heavy Attack when a red prompt appears. |
| Essence of the Snowman | Cutscene Revelation | Heat Action: While carrying a Carrot or Wooden Idol in your inventory. |
