Star Wars Zero Company Guide: How to Unlock Secret Bounty Hunter Yaz
Star Wars Zero Company is exactly the kind of game I can lose an entire evening to without noticing. It combines the deliberate, almost chess-like combat of turn-based tactics with the character drama and customization that make squad-based games so addictive. Bit Reactor and Respawn Entertainment clearly understand that winning a battle is only part of the fun; deciding who joins your crew, how you develop them, and which risks you take along the way can be just as important.
The game draws obvious inspiration from tactical classics such as XCOM, but it doesn’t simply copy that formula. The Clone Wars setting gives every operation a very different flavor, while the Ring of Kafrene becomes a proper home for your growing mercenary outfit. You can recruit custom soldiers, meet specialized companions, improve relationships, and make decisions that have consequences later. Some recruits, however, are deliberately tucked away behind campaign choices, which makes discovering them feel much more rewarding.
One of the most interesting hidden characters is Yaz, a mysterious bounty hunter who can become a seriously dangerous addition to Zero Company. Getting Yaz isn’t simply a matter of finding the right room or completing an obvious recruitment mission. You need to reach the correct point in the campaign, make a particular decision during a Dilemma, complete a time-sensitive side operation, and then make sure Yaz survives the encounter. If you’re hunting for this secret companion, here’s how the entire process works.
Why Yaz Is Worth Recruiting
Before getting into the recruitment steps, it’s worth explaining why Yaz is such an appealing character. In my experience with squad-based tactical games, the best companions aren’t necessarily the ones with the biggest damage number on their character sheet. They’re the ones who give you options when a battle starts going sideways, and Yaz fits that role extremely well.
Yaz specializes in long-range single-target damage, target marking, and aggressive positioning. That combination makes the bounty hunter particularly useful against dangerous elite enemies that you can’t afford to leave alive for another turn. The ability to mark targets also gives the rest of your squad opportunities to capitalize on exposed enemies.
The really exciting part is Yaz’s unusual talent setup. Some of the character’s abilities can work outside the restrictions you’d normally expect from a standard class, creating opportunities for additional attacks and multi-shot combinations. Since action points are one of your most valuable resources during combat, gaining extra offensive opportunities without burning through your entire turn can make a huge difference.
I especially like characters like this because they reward planning rather than simply clicking the strongest attack every turn. Yaz can soften up a target for another squad member, finish off an already wounded enemy, or take advantage of a good firing position and become the main source of damage for a particular engagement.
When Can You Recruit Yaz?
You won’t be able to pick up Yaz during the opening portion of Star Wars Zero Company. The recruitment opportunity becomes available much later, so don’t waste time searching the Den for a character who simply isn’t there yet.
The important milestone is Cycle 7. By this stage, the campaign has moved deeper into the conflict surrounding the Infinite Coil and Kundri Fathom, and the game begins opening up more complicated recruitment opportunities.
Before reaching this point, I recommend keeping your main squad in good condition and avoiding unnecessary injuries whenever possible. The missions associated with Yaz are much easier when you have a flexible team with reliable ranged damage, healing, mobility, and crowd-control options.
Step 1: Reach Cycle 7
The first requirement is straightforward: continue the main campaign until you enter Cycle 7.
During this part of the story, Zero Company is actively pursuing the Infinite Coil, so concentrate on progressing through the required operations rather than trying to force the hidden recruit early. Complete the major story missions and important tactical assignments while keeping your strongest characters available.
It’s also a good idea to make sure your squad has a balanced selection of abilities. You don’t necessarily need a particular lineup to unlock Yaz, but a team capable of moving quickly, controlling enemy positions, and keeping allies alive will make the later recruitment mission considerably more manageable.
Step 2: Choose the Correct Outer Rim Dilemma
This is the part where you can accidentally lock yourself out of the recruitment opportunity.
Star Wars Zero Company uses its Dilemma system to make strategic decisions outside the battlefield matter. When a crisis appears at the Den, your crew members can suggest different solutions, and the decision you make can influence relationships, future events, and available content.
During the beginning of Cycle 7, watch for a Dilemma involving a high-profile target connected to the Black Sun Syndicate in the Outer Rim. The choice you want is the one that prioritizes tracking the mercenary signal instead of sending your forces to defend the less important supply depot.
That choice is the key to putting Yaz on the correct path.
This is one of those moments where I’d strongly recommend saving your game before making the decision. Hidden recruitment chains are easy to miss, and there’s nothing particularly satisfying about discovering several hours later that one seemingly minor conversation prevented you from recruiting a great companion.
Step 3: Start Contract: Shadows of Kafrene
If you’ve made the correct choice, a special side operation should become available on the galactic map.
Look for Contract: Shadows of Kafrene.
Don’t treat this like an ordinary optional mission that you can ignore until you’re in the mood for it. The opportunity is tied to the recruitment chain and can disappear if you progress too far into the campaign.
The mission itself is also one of the more interesting tactical encounters associated with Yaz. You’re thrown into a dangerous battlefield involving a Separatist-aligned defense force and a rival syndicate group, creating the kind of chaotic three-way conflict that Zero Company does particularly well.
Before launching the mission, I would make sure your squad is properly equipped rather than rushing in with whatever characters happen to be available. Mobility and action-point management are especially useful here, because the battlefield can quickly become difficult to control.
Useful Squad Qualities for the Mission
- Strong ranged damage for eliminating high-threat targets.
- Mobility tools for reaching Yaz before the situation becomes critical.
- Healing or defensive abilities to keep the neutral operative alive.
- Action-point support to squeeze more value out of important turns.
- Overwatch or area-control abilities to prevent enemies from freely advancing.
You don’t need to build your entire squad specifically around Yaz, but having several of these tools available makes the encounter much more manageable.
Step 4: Keep Yaz Alive
This is arguably the most important part of the entire recruitment process.
During Contract: Shadows of Kafrene, you’ll encounter an independent neutral combatant who is actually Yaz. The bounty hunter can fight effectively, but don’t assume the character is invulnerable simply because the game is setting up a recruitment opportunity.
Yaz can take serious damage if left exposed while the opposing forces continue attacking. Your job is to push forward and stabilize the area around the bounty hunter.
Use cover whenever possible and take advantage of overwatch to discourage enemies from moving into dangerous positions. If your squad has Force abilities capable of pushing enemies away from elevated positions or clearing paths, this is a good opportunity to use them rather than saving everything for later.
The most important rule is simple:
Yaz must survive the mission.
If the bounty hunter is killed during this encounter, the recruitment opportunity can be permanently lost for that campaign. This is where the game’s harsher injury and death mechanics become particularly important.
I wouldn’t be embarrassed to play conservatively here. Tactical games have a habit of punishing the player who thinks, ‘I’ve got one more turn to deal with that enemy.’ If an enemy can threaten Yaz, remove that threat first. A slightly slower victory is much better than losing a unique companion you’ve spent the entire recruitment chain unlocking.
Step 5: Return to the Den
Once you’ve completed the operation and successfully extracted from the battlefield with Yaz alive, return to the Den.
Head toward the crew and personnel area, where Yaz should now be available for interaction. Speaking with the bounty hunter triggers a special sequence that expands on Yaz’s background and explains why the character is willing to work with Zero Company.
After the conversation, accept the partnership and Yaz will become a permanent authored member of your roster.
This is the point where the effort finally pays off. You can start customizing the character, improving their abilities, experimenting with specializations, and developing relationships that can provide additional advantages throughout the campaign.
Best Way to Build Yaz
Once Yaz joins your team, the next question is what to actually do with the character.
The answer depends somewhat on your overall squad composition, but I’d personally lean toward a hybrid build that preserves Yaz’s long-range identity while adding abilities that improve mobility, scouting, or additional damage.
A secondary specialization such as Scoundrel or Gunslinger can complement the bounty hunter’s existing toolkit nicely. The idea is to create a character who can identify an important target, gain the tactical advantage needed to attack it, and then deliver enough damage to remove that target before the enemy gets another opportunity to respond.
A Strong General Strategy
Think of Yaz as a specialist for deleting priority targets rather than a character who should constantly shoot the nearest enemy.
A typical turn might involve identifying the most dangerous opponent, applying a mark or tactical effect, positioning Yaz in a safe firing lane, and then using the character’s offensive abilities to finish the job. If another squad member can provide action-point support, Yaz becomes even more threatening because the character can potentially chain together multiple attacks.
This is where squad synergy becomes more important than raw individual statistics. An astromech or support-oriented teammate that helps generate additional actions can dramatically increase Yaz’s effectiveness. Instead of simply having one powerful sniper-like character, you effectively create a mobile damage platform that can reposition and continue attacking.
Yaz Build Overview
| Role | Recommended Focus | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Role | Long-range damage | Excellent for eliminating priority targets |
| Secondary Focus | Scouting or Gunslinger abilities | Adds flexibility and offensive options |
| Tactical Priority | Target marking | Helps the entire squad focus dangerous enemies |
| Positioning | High ground and protected firing lanes | Maximizes damage while reducing incoming fire |
| Squad Synergy | Action-point support | Allows Yaz to make more attacks |
| Ideal Targets | Elite units and heavily armored enemies | Makes the most of concentrated single-target damage |
Tips for Getting the Most From Yaz
The biggest mistake would be treating Yaz like a conventional frontline soldier. This is a character who becomes more valuable when you think one or two turns ahead and prepare the battlefield before committing to an attack.
Try to establish firing positions early, especially on maps where elevation provides a strong tactical advantage. Mark targets that your other characters are already positioned to attack, because Yaz doesn’t always have to be the one who gets the final kill.
It’s also worth protecting Yaz from unnecessary return fire. High damage doesn’t mean much if your bounty hunter spends every turn recovering from injuries. Keep tougher characters between Yaz and the enemy whenever possible, and use defensive abilities or cover to reduce the number of opponents who can attack back.
Final Thoughts
Secret recruits are one of my favorite parts of tactical RPGs because they make the campaign feel less predictable. Star Wars Zero Company takes that idea a step further by tying Yaz’s recruitment to a specific campaign cycle, a Dilemma choice, a side mission, and a survival requirement.
The whole process is easy to miss if you simply rush through the main story, but that’s also what makes finally recruiting Yaz feel worthwhile. You’re not just checking another name off a roster; you’re making a series of decisions that actually lead somewhere.
If you want to add this powerful bounty hunter to your Zero Company lineup, remember the important sequence: reach Cycle 7, choose the mercenary signal during the Outer Rim Dilemma, launch Contract: Shadows of Kafrene before it disappears, keep Yaz alive, and return to the Den to complete the recruitment.
Once Yaz joins, experiment with hybrid specializations and build the rest of your squad around action-point generation, target marking, and priority-target elimination. With the right setup, this hidden bounty hunter can become one of the most satisfying characters to use in the entire campaign.
