- For the vehicle company of a similar name, see Maibatsu Corporation
The Zaibatsu Corporation (財閥) is an organized crime syndicate in Grand Theft Auto 2 that is also mentioned in Grand Theft Auto III.
They hide behind the guise of a pharmaceutical company, and their website describes them as "the world's last major privately owned corporation". They appear frequently throughout the entire game, as their presence can be seen and felt in all three districts of Anywhere City. They became embroiled into a violent struggle over control of business interests and gang territories with all other gangs in Anywhere City during the period of which Grand Theft Auto 2 is set in.
The following gangs that contests the control by the Zaibatsu Corporation are: Yakuza, the Rednecks, the Scientists, the Loonies, the Hare Krishna, and the Russian Mafia. They were presumed to be the most powerful criminal organization of all in Anywhere City during the time of Grand Theft Auto 2. The top-ranking leaders of the Zaibatsu Corporation frequently refer to Claude Speed by the nickname they gave him, "Gecko". In the film/movie rendition of Grand Theft Auto 2, Claude is shot dead by a Zaibatsu assassin sent to avenge for his theft of Zaibatsu merchandise.
Products of Zaibatsu
Advertised:
- Zoom Zoom - Energy stimulant.
- Silky Milky - Breast implants that "feel and taste like the real thing".
- Doesn't Need Anything (DNA) - Baby food.
- Hush - Self-reliant sedative.
- Equanox - Alertness pills (advertised in GTA III).
From their in-game car crushing / manufacturing plant:
- Medicine.
- Body armour.
- Weapons.
Electricity:
- Zaibatsu owns the electrical power stations in Anywhere City.
Trivia
- "Zaibatsu" or "財閥" in Japanese, means financial clique, which is inappropriate for a company name because it is a type of a business. However this might be an oversight of a Rockstar lacking knowledge about Japan.
- Once the player reaches the Industrial District, the tutorial NPC erroneously mentions them as the "Zaibatatsu".
- Despite having appeared in only one game, the Zaibatsu are very popular among fans of the early GTA games, and tributes to them have been made in form of mods and fan art. Rockstar Games even added a Z-Type in GTA V to pay tribute to them.
- The Zaibatsu Corporation exists in both the 2D Universe and the 3D Universe, though litte has been revealed about the incarnation from the 3D Universe.
- The Zaibatsu Corporation is one of three criminal organizations from the 2D Universe to be carried over to the 3D Universe, the other two being the Yakuza and the Russian Mafia. However, they are also the only one of the three whose members have never made a physical appearance in-game nor display any real evidence of conducting criminal activities; A complete contrast from GTA 2, where they are the most prominent gang in the entire game.
- Interestingly enough, after Radio Za-Za!, the Zaibatsus start listening to Lithium FM, which is the radio station of their rivals, the Loonies.
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