The long-running Yakuza/Like a Dragon series is filled to the brim with unforgettable characters. That’s bound to happen when your series stretches over two decades, but the team at Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios has mastered long-term storytelling and character building. Whether it’s stalwarts like Kazama Kiryu and Goro Majima, or returning side characters like the baby man Susumu Gondawara, RGG Studio has a flair for characters that make an impact.
However, a few characters stand out from the pack. With that in mind, here are the ten best characters across the Yakuza universe. And yes, I am including the Judgment games and any spin-off. I’ve also included the first game the character appeared chronologically to keep things relatively simple. Here’s the list.
10) The Junk Boy – Like a Dragon: Ishin
The Junk Boy is a relatively minor character in Like a Dragon: Ishin, but he’s the star of the show. This little guy will take any item you give him and be absolutely thrilled. Plus, he teaches us about the laws of equivalent exchange. What’s not to love?
9) Daigo Dojima – Yakuza 0
When you first meet Daigo in Yakuza 0, he’s the somewhat spoiled 12-year-old son of Tojo chairman Sohei Dojima. Over the series, he becomes a more than capable fighter and a respectable, if inexperienced, chairman of the Tojo Clan. On top of that, he’s one of Kazama Kiryu’s closest friends and an important ally for Ichiban Kasuga.
8) Rikiya – Yakuza 3
Yakuza 3 is often maligned by some Yakuza fans, but I’m not one of them. Kiryu’s journey takes an odd turn as he tries to go straight, leaving a life of crime behind, to take care of an orphanage in Okinawa. However, he’s dragged back into the fray by the Ryudo Family, who want to use the land the orphanage is on to build a resort.
Rikiya Shimabukuro is a captain of the family who starts as an adversary Kiryu must defeat before speaking to the Ryudo patriarch. However, Rikiya quickly becomes Kiryu’s sidekick. Unfortunately, he is killed protecting Kiryu in one of the most gut-wrenching scenes in Yakuza history.
7) Ryuji Goda – Yakuza 0
Similarly to Daigo, you first meet Goda when he’s a very large 12-year-old bully in Yakuza 0. At that point, he’s just stealing pants, but it’s a sign of things to come for the future antagonist.
When Goda gets into the limelight in Yakuza 2, he’s arguably the toughest man Kiryu has ever had to fight. The Dragon of Kansai is bigger and stronger than Kiryu, but the Dragon of Dojima ultimately wins the day in an epic final battle atop the Kamurocho Hills construction site.
6) Masaharu Kaito – Judgment
In both Judgment games and his brief appearance in Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, Kaito oozes charisma. From his colorful shirt to his easy-going attitude, there isn’t a character in the series I’d rather share a beer with.
Plus, if we got into a scrap, Kaito is more than capable in a fight. He’s the muscle behind the Yagami Detective Agency, though he’s been known to sleuth out a few details himself over the years.
5) Ichiban Kasaga – Yakuza: Like a Dragon
The newest protagonist of the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series, Ichiban Kasuga, had massive shoes to fill. After all, fans have been enjoying Kazama Kiryu’s run as the series’ lead for more than a decade now.
Thankfully, Ichiban proved to be a worthy successor to Kiryu. He’s a lovable doofus with a heart of gold, doing just enough to separate himself from the Dragon of Dojima. Somewhat annoyingly, he had to share the stage with Kiryu in Infinite Wealth, but I can’t wait to see what Ichiban gets up to next. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he moves up this list after getting a few more games under his belt.
4) Taiga Saejima – Yakuza 4
Saejima technically appears in Yakuza 0 as a flashback since his story is heavily connected to where we find Majima in that game. However, his first real appearance is in Yakuza 4, where he is a playable character.
In that game, he memorably escapes prison and sets the record straight on his supposed crimes. After that, he becomes one of Kiryu’s closest friends and continues to pop up in future games, always bringing his trademark stoicism. He also might be the physically strongest fighter in the series. Not many other characters could go toe-to-toe with a bear and win, after all.
3) Goro Majima – Yakuza 0
Majima is a character many players would put at the top of their list. Honestly, I wouldn’t be mad at them, either. That said, I have him just inside my top three, so it’s not like I’m a Majima hater.
He is the Yin to Kiryu’s Yang, but isn’t just an antagonist. While he and Kiryu butt heads and fists all the time, the two are very close friends at the end of the day. Majima’s chaotic style is in sharp contrast to the Dragon of Dojima, helping make the Mad Dog of Shimano one of the series’ breakout stars.
2) Shun Akiyama – Yakuza 4
Akiyama’s rags-to-riches story is one anyone can get behind. He also hasn’t forgotten what it’s like to live on the streets and might be the nicest character in the series. Seriously, if we’re talking about who is a “good dude,” Akiyama tops that list.
Sure, he’s a loan shark, but he’s a benevolent moneylender, for the most part. Akiyama isn’t afraid to get his feet dirty in a fight, though. Here’s hoping the former playable protagonist gets a larger return in a future Like a Dragon game.
1) Kazama Kiryu – Yakuza 0
There can’t be anyone else at the top of this list. If you’re a fan of the series, you’ve been on this ride with Kiryu through nine mainline games and several spin-offs. Fans know more about Kiryu’s journey than almost any other video game character. He’s an old friend at this point.
We’ve seen him start as a relatively minor street thug, become the chairman of the Tojo clan, enter his Uncle Kaz era at the orphanage, become a grandpa and toss his grandson like a football, and even struggle through his cancer diagnosis. It’s been a twisting tale of ups and downs for the Dragon of Dojima, but he’s gotten through it due to his love and belief in the friends around him. Well, that and a mean right hook.
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