How To Defeat So And Jo Amon In Yakuza 0 (original) (raw)
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Known for its rambunctious gameplay of tearing through enemies through the streets of Japan, the Yakuza series has become a mainstay in many gamers’ catalog of must-play titles. Whether you enjoy the beat 'em-up style, the over-the-top story, cinematics, or the expertly implemented role-playing aspects found in many JRPGs, the Yakuza series is sure to hit a chord in your gamer heart.
The 2015 entry, Yakuza 0, is no different and provides a modern blend to its pot of attributes. Like many open-world games, Yakuza 0 has its fair share of side quests and hidden bosses. Two such bosses are So and Jo Amon - secret battles unique to the two protagonists Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima.
How To Unlock The Fight Against So And Jo Amon
As Yakuza 0 has two protagonists that you take control of throughout the campaign, each protagonist has their own Amon to conquer. Luckily, the method for unlocking both is relatively the same among both characters.
So Amon is the secret boss for Kazuma Kiryu and is unlocked once you complete all side missions and are in the final chapter of the main campaign. Jo Amon is the boss for Goro Majima and is also unlocked once you complete all side missions for this character. However, you have to be in Stonebori for it to take effect.
Once unlocked, both characters will receive a message on their pager from an unknown number. Your protagonist will realize they have to go to the Bullfighting arena and take a cab there. A cutscene will then play between the two fighters and the battle will begin.
How To Defeat Jo Amon
As a recurring boss in the Yakuza series, Jo Amon is a heavy hitter that focuses on using his fists and blades to do damage - lucky for you, that means he will not be using any guns during your encounter. That being said, he does have 14 health bars and will keep you on the edge of your seat with each punch. It’s best for you to equip high-defense armor like the Dragon Mail, as it'll give you the most resistance to all of Jo's attacks**,** and to stock up on items.
The best items to include are Habu drinks and Sacrifice Stones; Habu drinks are great because they completely refill your HP bar and replenish your heat meter, Sacrifice Stones are great because they'll protect you from dying one time per use.
Jo will strike hard and fast. Not only is he relentless, but he’ll also take advantage of any opening you give him, so do not let your guard down. His combos can take a good chunk of your health out in an instant, and he has a nasty back flip maneuver that can take you by surprise. He also throws items at you from midair, like the Staniman Spork and Amon Pocket Tissues, but do not use these as they’ll injure you. Once you get him to half health, he’ll equip his dagger and will have the ability to take your health bar down to zero in one quick combo; practice caution from this point onward.
There are a handful of ways to take down Jo Amon, but focusing on dodging and countering can give you a huge advantage. Equipping the Thug Style/Mad Dog Style and the Yellow Snake Ability will help you weave through the flurry of his attacks and gain Heat meter while you're at it. Using the Thug Style is a good idea since it allows you to use your opponent's weapons against them, which can easily turn the tide of battle. However, the biggest advantage is from using the Mad Dog Style with a combination of the Yellow Snake Ability. The Mad Dog Style is Goro Majima's ultimate fighting technique and it allows you to deal a large amount of damage with quick combos. It also provides you with the Demonfire counter. This counter is incredible and allows you to deal massive damage without the cost of a heat meter by locking onto your opponent and doing a heavy attack right before their attack connects. Combining this with the Yellow Snake Ability, which allows you to gain one bar of Heat per well-timed dodge/counter, will make you virtually invincible.
Here's how to pull it off: You’ll want to lock onto Jo and dodge/use a heavy attack at the moment his strike would connect; this will slowly increase your heat bar. Once that bar reaches 1, you can perform an Essence of Stabbing: Wall Heat move that will allow you to deal extra damage (along with the damage of your heavy attack) with any blades you have equipped. Furthermore, if you’re good at general blade stealing then you can even take his blade and use it to damage him without having to equip the Thug Style.
Simply repeat this process and use items to heal/save yourself until his health bar drops to zero.
How To Defeat So Amon
The fight against So Amon is not that different except he focuses on guns rather than blades. Like before, it’ll be a good idea to equip the Dragon Mail armor and stock up on the same items; and although having a specific style equipped isn’t necessary, the Dragon style can give you a good damage output in a short amount of time. This is Kazuma's prime fighting style and allows him to use any object, regardless of its weight, as a weapon against his opponents. However, its biggest draw is its ability to deal devastating damage while draining the energy of the enemies you strike with it. This serves best for all enemies in the game, especially bosses, and although there isn't a specific combo to use, you'll be able to tank many of So's attacks while replenishing your resources using the aforementioned Habu drinks and Sacrifice Stones.
So will begin the encounter by firing at you with his cannon; you can either avoid his shots by getting out of the way or fighting through it by mashing at the right time to force his guard up. The first half of this encounter will consist of dodging his cannon fire and breaking through his guard to damage him; however, you’ll have to be wary of his laser attack that can take you down in just two hits.
Once you get him down to the second half of his 14 health bars, he’ll ditch his cannon and a helicopter will appear on the scene. This helicopter will drop furniture and the occasional gold item. If touched, the furniture will stun-lock you and provide So the opportunity to defeat you rather quickly. You’ll have to focus on dodging his attacks and the flying furniture, which can prove quite difficult in the cramped Bullfighting arena.
On the bright side, the helicopter also drops gold items that will make you invincible for a brief period. This will give you the opportunity to swoop and deal a ton of damage without facing any repercussions. The downside is that So can also pick up these items, and you’ll just have to run out of his way until the invincibility wears off.
Simply repeat this process and use items to heal/save yourself until his health bar drops to zero.
Next: Yakuza 0: Business Etiquette 101 Achievement/Trophy Guide