diff --git a/stats/src/components/vocabulary/KanjiBreakdown.tsx b/stats/src/components/vocabulary/KanjiBreakdown.tsx
index 68095d33..d86e2eb2 100644
--- a/stats/src/components/vocabulary/KanjiBreakdown.tsx
+++ b/stats/src/components/vocabulary/KanjiBreakdown.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
+import { useMemo } from 'react';
 import type { KanjiEntry } from '../../types/stats';
+import { formatNumber } from '../../lib/formatters';
 
 interface KanjiBreakdownProps {
   kanji: KanjiEntry[];
@@ -6,34 +8,75 @@ interface KanjiBreakdownProps {
   onSelectKanji?: (entry: KanjiEntry) => void;
 }
 
+// Heat scale from rare (cool) to very frequent (warm). Catppuccin Macchiato.
+const FREQ_TIERS = [
+  { min: 0.85, color: 'text-ctp-peach', swatch: 'bg-ctp-peach', label: 'Very frequent' },
+  { min: 0.6, color: 'text-ctp-yellow', swatch: 'bg-ctp-yellow', label: 'Frequent' },
+  { min: 0.35, color: 'text-ctp-green', swatch: 'bg-ctp-green', label: 'Common' },
+  { min: 0.15, color: 'text-ctp-teal', swatch: 'bg-ctp-teal', label: 'Occasional' },
+  { min: 0, color: 'text-ctp-subtext0', swatch: 'bg-ctp-subtext0', label: 'Rare' },
+] as const;
+
+function tierFor(intensity: number) {
+  return FREQ_TIERS.find((tier) => intensity >= tier.min) ?? FREQ_TIERS[FREQ_TIERS.length - 1];
+}
+
 export function KanjiBreakdown({
   kanji,
   selectedKanjiId = null,
   onSelectKanji,
 }: KanjiBreakdownProps) {
-  if (kanji.length === 0) return null;
+  const { totalOccurrences, maxLogFreq } = useMemo(() => {
+    let total = 0;
+    let maxFreq = 1;
+    for (const entry of kanji) {
+      total += entry.frequency;
+      if (entry.frequency > maxFreq) maxFreq = entry.frequency;
+    }
+    return { totalOccurrences: total, maxLogFreq: Math.log(maxFreq + 1) };
+  }, [kanji]);
 
-  const maxFreq = kanji.reduce((max, entry) => Math.max(max, entry.frequency), 1);
+  if (kanji.length === 0) return null;
 
   return (
     <div className="bg-ctp-surface0 border border-ctp-surface1 rounded-lg p-4">
-      <h3 className="text-sm font-semibold text-ctp-text mb-3">Kanji Encountered</h3>
+      <div className="mb-3 flex flex-wrap items-center justify-between gap-2">
+        <h3 className="text-sm font-semibold text-ctp-text">
+          Kanji Encountered
+          <span className="ml-2 font-normal text-ctp-subtext0">
+            {formatNumber(kanji.length)} unique · {formatNumber(totalOccurrences)} seen
+          </span>
+        </h3>
+        <div className="flex items-center gap-1.5 text-[11px] text-ctp-subtext0">
+          <span>rare</span>
+          <div className="flex items-center gap-1">
+            {[...FREQ_TIERS].reverse().map((tier) => (
+              <span
+                key={tier.label}
+                className={`h-2 w-2 rounded-full ${tier.swatch}`}
+                title={tier.label}
+              />
+            ))}
+          </div>
+          <span>frequent</span>
+        </div>
+      </div>
       <div className="flex flex-wrap gap-1">
         {kanji.map((k) => {
-          const ratio = k.frequency / maxFreq;
-          const opacity = Math.max(0.3, ratio);
+          // Log scale keeps the heavily-skewed frequency distribution readable.
+          const intensity = maxLogFreq > 0 ? Math.log(k.frequency + 1) / maxLogFreq : 0;
+          const tier = tierFor(intensity);
+          const selected = selectedKanjiId === k.kanjiId;
           return (
             <button
               type="button"
               key={k.kanji}
-              className={`cursor-pointer rounded px-1 text-lg text-ctp-teal transition ${
-                selectedKanjiId === k.kanjiId
-                  ? 'bg-ctp-teal/10 ring-1 ring-ctp-teal'
-                  : 'hover:bg-ctp-surface1/80'
+              className={`cursor-pointer rounded-md px-1.5 py-0.5 text-xl leading-none font-medium transition-colors duration-150 ${tier.color} ${
+                selected ? 'bg-ctp-surface2 ring-1 ring-ctp-lavender' : 'hover:bg-ctp-surface1'
               }`}
-              style={{ opacity }}
-              title={`${k.kanji} — seen ${k.frequency}x`}
+              title={`${k.kanji} — seen ${formatNumber(k.frequency)}×`}
               aria-label={`${k.kanji} — seen ${k.frequency} times`}
+              aria-pressed={selected}
               onClick={() => onSelectKanji?.(k)}
             >
               {k.kanji}