Yakuza 0: The Dojima Lieutenants / Characters

Spoilers regarding the events of Yakuza 0 will be unmarked, so proceed with caution.

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(From left to right) Keiji Shibusawa, Hiroki Awano, and Daisaku Kuze

The three lieutenants of the Dojima Family. They serve as some of the biggest physical threats to the heroes of Yakuza 0, being the driving forces behind Sohei Dojima's current reign of influence within both the Tojo clan and all of Kamurocho. The three all being taken out of commission by the end coincides with the family's fall from power.

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In General

Ambiguous Situation: Nishikiyama alleges at one point that one of them - or possibly all three of them - sold Kazama out to send him to prison and create a power vacuum for the Dojima captain spot. Given their stated desires to surpass Kazama this is certainly possible, but their role on Kazama's imprisonment is never elaborated upon.
Asskicking Leads to Leadership: Definitely. While there are some tough underlings working underneath each of them, the lieutenants outclass all of them by a mile and are some of the very few members of the Dojima Family that can actually put up a solid opposition to the likes of Kiryu and Majima.
Allegorical Character: Each lieutenant effectively represents an era of the yakuza's history:
- Kuze is a yakuza of the past; a brutal enforcer who lags behind his two supposed oath brothers but nonetheless holds his own code of honor.
- Awano is swept up in the luxury and excess of the Bubble, as is almost everyone in the "present" (even to the point of Nishiki having to indulge in some of that excess in his efforts to climb the ranks), but he admits that it's ultimately all empty platitudes before he dies; the economic prosperity of the era obviously didn't last and "popped", sending Japan into a freefall it's still recovering from.
- And Shibusawa represents the yakuza's future; a seemingly cold and business-minded pragmatist who ultimately "wins" the Captain's seat through backstabbing and manipulation, yet proves himself to be utterly driven by the need to earn something as banal as glory.
Badass in a Nice Suit: True to the spirit of Yakuza. Each one wears their suit in a different style to convey a major aspect of their personality. Kuze's shirt is always partially unbuttoned and showing a glimpse of his tattoo, emphasizing his tough Blood Knight attitude and his deep pride as a yakuza respectively. Awano's suit is vibrant purple with a sleek turtleneck, hinting that he's a laid-back hedonist who indulges in wealth and leisure. Shibusawa's suit is the most proper and business-like of the three, showing that he's the not only the most serious and competant of the three, but the coldest as well.
Breakout Character: They've all been rather popular among fans since their introduction which has led to their likenesses and voice actors being incorporated into the remake of Like a Dragon: Ishin!, playing the roles of three major characters who all end up having climactic roles in the storyline as antagonists with boss fights.
Co-Dragons: With Shintaro Kazama arrested, they're the highest acting authorities in the Dojima Family below Sohei Dojima himself.
Doomed by Canon: Downplayed. Since they're introduced in 0 you know they won't be around in the chronologically next five games, but only one of them, Awano, actually dies. The other two end up turning themselves into the authorities after their respective defeats, ensuring that they're at least not part of Tojo Clan dealings anymore.
Dragon-in-Chief: Though Dojima himself is a cunning strategist, the three lieutenants through their respective families form the backbone of the Dojima Family's power, not to mention they're fighters capable of going toe to toe with the likes of Kiryu and Majima, whereas Dojima is a noncombatant. By the end of 0 with all three lieutenants either dead or in prison Dojima is reduced to a figurehead clinging to his glory days.
Establishing Character Moment: When Kiryu meets them for the first time in the family office, they all have different postures that best establish their personalities. Kuze is slouched forward, showing his no-nonsense attitude and his status as The Brute of the three. Awano is casually leaning back in his seat to reflect his lackadaisical and hedonistic attitude, further cemented when he suggests going for a game of golf once the meeting's over. Shibusawa is the only one sitting upright in a formal manner, establishing himself as a business-oriented professional but also foreshadows his calculating side.
The Heavy: While Dojima himself serves as a Big Bad, it's these three who keep the game's conflict in motion, serving as persistant physical obstacles to the heroes. Kuze for example is suggested to be the one behind Kiryu being framed for murder at the start of the game, under the orders of Sohei Dojima, and when he finally makes a physical appearance, he provides some of the biggest obstacles to the motivations of the protagonists. Awano similarly attempts to subdue both Kiryu and Majima, goading the latter into abandoning Tachibana and being the second-to-last opponent Majima faces. And finally it's Shibusawa who instigates the game's climax, serving as the Final Boss.
Ink-Suit Actor: All of them are modelled after their voice actors, who also happen to be well-known for their work in yakuza films.
Slouch of Villainy: As seen in the screenshot when you first meet them. Kuze and Awano play this straight in different ways to reflect their personalities. Averted with Shibusawa who ironically turns out to be the Man Behind the Man the whole time.
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Downplayed but they play similar roles to 3 of the Four Kings of the Omi Alliance during the events of Yakuza 2: Kuze is a lot like Ryuji Goda being a savage Evil Counterpart to Kiryu whom he holds a serious grudge against, Awano plays a role similar to Toranosuke Sengoku being the most wealthy and extravagant of the three and considering money to be all that really matters, and Shibusawa is most similar to Ryo Takashima being the most ruthless and scheming of the bunch despite presenting themselves as the most respectable and reasonable initially.
Sworn Brothers: They've sworn up as Oath Brothers long before the events of the game. Of course, this is merely a formality and they have no qualms trying to undermine one another if it benefits them.
Token Motivational Nemesis: Collectively responsible for pushing Kiryu and Majima to become the legendary "Dragon of Dojima" and "Mad Dog of Shimano" respectively that they are known as by the time of the first Yakuza game, all to protect their loved ones from the lieutenant's schemes. By the end of the prequel game, they're all either arrested or dead. While Online shows that Kuze is still active as a yakuza, a decade later after getting out of jail, none of them cause any further trouble for Kiryu and Majima in the years going forward.
Too Clever by Half: By all accounts, their manipulation of the Empty Lot crisis is a clever power play to take out Kazama and those loyal to him. They make one critical mistake: their mock trial of Kiryu. While Kiryu is initially prepared to accept blame for the murder to protect the clan, their attempt to get him to confess to shooting the victim in the Empty Lot ends up cluing Kiryu into that the victim died by someone else’s hands and that it was important that the body was found in the Lot. By trying to tie up every loose end to rise in rank, the Lieutenants end up building the very weapon that results in their downfall.
With Friends Like These...: Downplayed. They're Oath Brothers and seem to get along well enough but don't think they're always gonna play nice when they're all competing with one another to become the next Dojima Family Captain.
- Kuze in particular is pretty incensed when Awano and Shibusawa basically jump at the opportunity to ruin his reputation in the eyes of their boss, resulting in him losing a pinky as punishment and effectively removing him from the race for the seat of Dojima Family Captain.
  Kuze: You rat fucks!
- When Shibusawa succeeds in securing the legal rights for the Empty Lot, he at one point not so subtly implies that Awano isn't nearly as competent or intelligent as he thinks he is. When Awano starts to angrily take offense at that, Shibusawa simply stands up as if to remind Awano who's the new Dojima Family Captain. Awano can only swallow his words and grit his teeth since he no longer has the sort of authority to disrespect Shibusawa any more.

Daisaku Kuze

Voiced by: Hitoshi Ozawa

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"The Yakuza game, it's not like boxing. The guy who gets beat down isn't the loser. The guy who can't tough it out to the end, he's the one who loses."

Kuze is a former professional boxer and a true yakuza to the core. A talented leader, he is well-known for inciting controlled and targeted violence through the yakuza thugs who serve him. The oldest of the three lieutenants and the Patriarch of the Kenno Clan, Kuze is left in charge of the Dojima Family when Captain Shintaro Kazama is sent to prison.

He hoped to steal Kazama's seat and attempted to use Kiryu as a spy to do so, but his failure provoked Dojima's anger, resulting in Kuze's removal from power. This doesn't slow him down though, and he repeatedly fights Kiryu with his pride on the line.

Anti-Villain: He becomes closer to this by the fourth fight. After Tachibana's death he explains that there's a traitor in the Tojo Clan trying to sell the Empty Lot to the Omi Alliance, which would cause a cataclysmic war between the two factions. At the very least he's much more concerned with the overall stability of the Tojo Clan than his brothers.
Badass Boast: He delivers one before his second fight against Kiryu, partially quoted above.
Berserk Button:
- He thinks quitters are losers and the fact that Kiryu managed to leave the Dojima Family without paying a price while he loses his finger causes Kuze to develop a severe grudge.
- Never disobey his orders especially if done to his face; Kuze kills Yoneda due to him killing Tachibana before he could extract meaningful information from him.
Blood Knight: He states that he joined the yakuza in order to find tough enemies.
Boxing Battler: As noted above, he's a former pro-boxer, though in practice he's definitely using a dirtier variant since he uses kicks, headbutts, and elbow strikes. These skills are a large part of the reason he's able to repeatedly face-off against the much younger Kiryu and hold his own.
The Brute: He and his clan are the muscle of the Dojima Family and do most of the dirty jobs, including interrogation.
Butt-Monkey: Has some of the worst luck for a major Yakuza antagonist getting outwitted and mocked by "friend" and foe alike, disgraced and forced to lop his pinkie off, being the only Dojima Lieutenant that's effectively demoted to a mere grunt, crashing a motorcycle in a sewer, getting hit by a speeding car, having his interrogation of a prisoner fatally ruined because of the stupidity of his lackey, and getting beat up by Kiryu about as many times as Majima had prior to the Majima Everywhere System.
The Bus Came Back: Makes a reappearance in Ryu Ga Gotoku Online 10 years after he was arrested in 1988. He's been given a chance to rejoin the Tojo Clan by helping the Arakawa Family hunt down and kill Ryuji Goda and Joon Gi Han who they suspect to be planning to unite the forces of the Omi Alliance with the Jingweon Mafia. Curiously enough, he ends up working together with Ichiban Kasuga as a result. By the end of the storyline, he's failed in his mission but is still allowed to live since the union of the previously mentioned rival crime organizations has been prevented. He ends up not rejoining the Tojo Clan and presumably lives out the rest of his days as a civilian.
Character Development: Strangely enough, his character changes over the many times he fights Kiryu. Initially looking down on Kiryu as a pushover and obsessed with getting the captain's seat, his first defeat causes him to toss aside his ambitions and instead on regaining his lost pride. After being defeated by Kiryu the fourth time, that hatred changes to respect and when defeated the fifth time, gracefully accepts his defeat.
- Kuze's themes even reflect his growth throughout the game, Pledge of Demon plays while Kuze is fully intent on fighting and killing Kiryu due his perceived notion that Kiryu is a coward who violated everything that he stood for as a Yakuza. Oath of Enma plays when Kuze still desires to defeat Kiryu but not out of anger or revenge but his own personal sense of pride in wanting to prove himself. The meaning also changes as Kuze turns from a vengeance filled demon into an Enma who in Japanese mythology is a judge of a man's sins, notably Kuze's judgement after their final fight would fill Kiryu with the resolve to move forward with his actions at the end of the game.
Classic Villain: Pride. The reason behind his animosity with Kiryu is that his first defeat at Kiryu's hands left him humiliated in front of his boss and fellow lieutenants.
Combat Pragmatist:
- By the third time Kuze fights Kiryu, he just wants him dead so much that he's not above just having one of his goons knocking Kiryu out with a bat so that he can get back up and execute him right then and there. Had Tachibana not run him over with a car he would have actually done it.
- His fighting style also reflects this. While he primarily relies on boxing, he will use a lot of illegal moves such as headbutts, elbows, and kidney punches.
Conspicuous Gloves: Wears a single glove over his left hand in Online to cover up his missing pinky.
Counter-Attack: When he's blocking attacks in succession, he may reel back for a heavy punch. If you knock him off his feet, he may catch himself by rolling before rushing at you with a haymaker.
Dare to Be Badass: After being defeated for the fifth and final time, he warns Kiryu what's to come before encouraging him to follow his heart.
Kuze: You best know this much, Kiryu… You’re about to step into the… the deepest, darkest, shit pit of the yakuza world. Kazama kept you from walking that path for a long time. But if that’s gonna be your choice… then go!
Kiryu: Yeah. I’m ready. For whatever comes… sir.
Dark Reprise: His boss theme changes from the heart-pumping "Pledge of Demon" to the more somber "Oath of Enma" for his last bout with Kiryu, fitting his arc and change of perception concerning Kiryu.
Damn, It Feels Good to Be a Gangster!: Subverted. He doesn't live particularly lavishly for a Yakuza boss in the bubble economy, and speaks more about accountability, responsibility and suffering that come with the life than any of the perks.
Degraded Boss: From 6 onwards, there's been generic mini-boss strength enemies using either his boxing fighting style or his pipe fighting style.
The Determinator: He is utterly persistent when it comes to his obsession of killing Kiryu. After losing in their first showdown, he comes after Kiryu multiple times and loses every rematch. With every defeat he vows to come back, and does. To paraphrase his own words, Yakuza don't lose after a single defeat; the winner is whoever keeps getting back up.
Did Not Think This Through: As noted under Dumb Muscle, Kuze's penchant for being shortsighted and bullheaded causes big problems for him. Expelling Kiryu from the Dojima Family gives Kiryu license to investigate the Empty Lot without the constraints of being a yakuza. Doing it without Dojima's permission also costs him both his chance at the captain's spot and his pinky finger, leaving him in the position of an underling relative to his brothers for the rest of the story.
Drunk with Power: His sense of authority went straight to his head once Kazama went to prison. He's quickly humbled at the end of the first chapter.
Dumb Muscle: Downplayed: Kuze's not stupid by any stretch, but compared to his two cohorts he's the most shortsighted and bullheaded, seeing the race for the Empty Lot as a straightforward contest to the captain's seat and not the complex conspiracy it is. Out of the three, he's the one with the most inclination to choose brute force as the way to get what he wants, both personally and in regards to his clan.
Dynamic Entry: Charges into Kiryu on a motorcycle in a narrow sewer and bashes his head in with an iron pipe, screaming his name all the while. He then promptly crashes said motorcycle and gets sent flying, but stands back up as if nothing happened. Kiryu on the other hand is injured enough to be forced to one knee for the entirety of Kuze's Motive Rant though he recovers just in time to block another swing by said iron pipe.
Even Evil Has Standards: Though he's a violent Blood Knight he's no sadist and has no interest in hurting people if there's no benefit to doing so. When he realizes that Tachibana won't break under torture he stops it.
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good:
- Pities the orphaned Kiryu and Nishiki for being taken in by a Yakuza like Kazama stating that he's effectively turned them into his human shields. Later in that chapter, it's revealed that Kazama never wanted them to be Yakuza and in fact struck them both when he learned that they wanted to join the Tojo Clan as Yakuza. The only reason they joined was to both work under him as thanks for giving them happier lives as well as to live up to noble Yakuza standards that he seemed to exemplify.
- Subverted later on. After losing against Kiryu a second time, Kiryu admits that Kazama never wanted him to be a yakuza in the first place to justify why he's incapable of killing in cold blood. After Kuze loses against Kiryu for the fifth and final time, he comes to the conclusion that Kazama never really wanted Kiryu to become a proper yakuza because he'd be too monstrously powerful if he ever made it to that point. He also realizes that it was the Dojima Family that forced him to toughen up into the living force of nature he is for the rest of the series.
Evil Counterpart: A manly, determined, strong, resilient, and brutal older man with a distinctive deep voice, a sense of honor, a deep understanding of the suffering that comes with the yakuza life-style, a Hot-Blooded personality hidden underneath a calm dignified demeanor, and a preference for light-grey suits and white snake-pattern dress shoes. As the game progresses, it's shown that he shares more than a few similarities to the sort of man Kiryu would become later in life. However Kuze's shown to lack of any Kiryu's genuine warmth or kindness as well as Kiryu's genuine respect for human life. Still, by the time Kiryu takes him down for the last time, it's clear he's the only villainous lieutenant of Dojima that Kiryu has any form of respect for and the feeling is mutual.
Evil Old Folks: He is the oldest of the three lieutenants, and the most violent, grumpy and aggressive among them.
Evil Virtues: Ambition, creativity, determination, diligence, honesty, honor, loyalty (to the yakuza overall), passion, resourcefulness, respect, temperance, wisdom. Had these virtues not been wrapped up in Kuze's violence, lack of kindness and pride, he might be a very different person.
Facepalm of Doom: When Yoneda acts out of line and lands a blow that kills Tachibana during interrogation, Kuze quickly grabs him by the face and slams his head against the floor with enough force to outright kill him.
Faux Affably Evil: He's intelligent enough to know when to use force instead of words, but will often try to talk things out first. At one point, while trying to convince Kiryu to work with him, he offers him a cigarette and even lights it for him. This is less due to his own personality, but is more in line with the motivation of the Yakuza to negotiate rather than use force unless it's completely necessary. The fact that from the second fight on he tries to kill Kiryu immediately rather than talk speaks volumes about how much of a threat Kiryu is in his eyes and the overwhelming hatred Kuze has for him.
Flunky Boss: He fights alongside several mooks in two of his boss battles.
Graceful Loser: Constantly defied as he keeps coming back for more. His final fight, however, has him acknowledge Kiryu's superiority and calmly accepts his defeat and lets himself be taken in by the police.
Handicapped Badass: Even losing one of his fingers via Yubitsume does not reduce him to just a mere dependable Yakuza. He can still carry a weapon, let his fists do the talking, and operate a vehicle.
Heel–Face Turn: Downplayed. He doesn't defect in the traditional sense, but by his fifth fight with Kiryu he's more interested in settling his rivalry with the latter rather than enforcing Shibusawa's new regime as the Dojima captain. He orders his men to clear out so that they can have a fair fight and freely shares Shibusawa's plans. It's possible that he found out about Shibusawa orchestrating the killing in the Empty Lot.
Hidden Depths: Kiryu walks in on him meditating shortly before his first boss fight.
Hit Stop: Gloriously utilized during the intro to Kiryu's fourth fight against him when Kiryu kicks it off by rushing at Kuze, yelling his name out in anger, and slugging him hard across the face, knocking his glasses off, and briefly sending him stumbling to one knee before he rises back up to retaliate.
Hoist by His Own Petard: After Kiryu refuses to spy on Kazama for him, Kuze expels him and tries to kill him. This not only leaves Kiryu free to take him down but also leads to him losing his finger and getting disgraced.
Honor Before Reason: Inverted. Normally a man with a strong sense of honor, Kuze's severe grudge causes him to resort to whatever he needs to do to bring Kiryu down including ambushing him and having one of his men knock Kiryu out from behind. Played straight when he decides that Kiryu can't be stopped by this point and simply faces him alone without backup before turning himself in.
Horrible Judge of Character: After getting beaten up by Kiryu the first time, Kuze turns to Awano and Shibusawa and demands backup taking Kiryu down: despite being in the business for decades and knowing the two for years, it never once occurs to him that the two cutthroat Yakuza would likely much rather let his screwup play out and remove him as a rival from the race for the captain's seat.
I Did What I Had to Do: He says this verbatim after Tachibana's death when revealing a traitor in the Tojo Clan trying to sell the Empty Lot to the Omi Alliance.
Intergenerational Rivalry: With Kiryu. Kuze is Kiryu's senior in the Dojima family, thinking Kiryu at first to be nothing more than young rookie and a tool for the clan. Though after suffering a humiliating defeat in front of the other lieutenants, along with Dojima himself, Kuze swears revenge against Kiryu, and spends the rest of the game trying to take him down, their fights getting more intense with every rematch.
Kick the Dog: While he may not have done the deed himself in killing Tachibana and in fact executed Yoneda for offing Tachibana against his orders, he comments on Tachibana's fatal head injury with cheerful indifference smiling right in the face of Kiryu who's clearly absolutely infuriated. It earns him a massive punch to the face courtesy of Kiryu.
"Oh well. Guess these things have a way of working out."
Know When to Fold 'Em: Like Shibusawa, he is arrested at the end of the game. Unlike Shibusawa, he willingly turned himself in.
Leitmotif: He gets two. "Pledge of Demon" for most of his fights, and "Oath of Enma" for the final encounter with Kiryu.
Light Is Not Good: A violent high-ranking criminal always dressed in very light-colored clothing. Played with, as of the three Dojima Lieutenants, he is easily the most sympathetic.
Lightning Bruiser: Boasts a variety of quick and aggressive techniques that can really wear down your health bar if you're not careful. His first health bar is also pretty sizeable by "first boss fight in a Yakuza game" standards and he only gets tougher and more aggressive with every rematch.
- The same applies to his moveset when he's fighting with a lead pipe in the sewers. He's a tad less mobile but the range and aggressiveness of his attacks can't be understated.
Made of Iron: Kuze takes several beatings throughout the game that should have killed a man his age (or any age really) which includes getting rammed by a speeding car, yet he keeps going like the stubborn old goat that he is.
Meaningful Name: The name of his clan, "Kenno" translates directly into "Fist King".
Never My Fault: He spends most of the story harboring intense hatred of Kiryu for the latter's role in causing him to lose a pinky finger and his shot at the captain's spot while Kiryu was able to be expelled from the Dojima family scot-free. He never once reflects on how his own mistakes or bad judgment led to his situation; even Sohei Dojima calls him out on it.
Noble Demon: Thuggish and violent for sure, but he's not without principles. By the end he's pretty sure nobody can stop Kiryu. Rather than waste a bunch of lives raiding the Kazama family office like ordered to by Shibusawa, he sends his men away, gets one last fight in with Kiryu, then turns himself in to the police after telling Kiryu that Shibusawa is assaulting Sera's ship and kills Yoneda for meaninglessly killing Tachibana against his orders.
Not So Stoic: He radiates confidence, severity and cold fury in his introduction. But when Dojima berates him and his fellow lieutenants refuse to back him up, he flies into an almost delirious rage.
Old Master: As the oldest of the three Dojima lieutenants. Age has done little to diminish his fighting prowess, being able to go toe to toe against the decades-younger Kiryu and keep coming back for more.
Pipe Pain: In his second fight, he uses a giant pipe that's almost as long as he is tall.
Power Fist: In his third fight, he's got Steel Knuckles on his hands to really make his punches hurt.
Pragmatic Villainy: He's experienced enough with torture that he knows when to relent and when his victim is someone who won't break. When Yoneda disobeys his orders and delivers a fatal blow to Tachibana, Kuze immediately executes him.
A Real Man Is a Killer: Unlike Sagawa, who warns Majima that killing leaves a dark mark and it's better going through life without it, Kuze hates Kiryu because he won't commit to the end and leaves his opponent alive.
Kuze: In the yakuza life, there are no KO’s.
Recurring Boss: Compared to other recurring bosses, how many times he's fought in 0 alone is impressive — a grand total of FIVE.
Red Herring: Because of his role in Kazama's arrest and being the first lieutenant to approach Kiryu, he looks like the person behind Kiryu's framing. Shibusawa is the true culprit and he held an even bigger envy of Kazama.
Revenge Before Reason: Doesn't give a shit about the lot once he hacks his pinky off, he just wants to beat Kiryu.
Sherlock Scan: Downplayed. By watching Kiryu's face when the three lieutenants are dressing him down over the murder of Kurihara, Kuze can tell right away that Kiryu's genuinely not responsible for shooting the guy and has no idea who was, nor does he remotely understand the significance of The Empty Lot. Unfortunately, as Kuze notes, that doesn't solve the main problem Kurihara's death presents. Even more unfortunate, this perception doesn't extend to his devious fellow lieutenants.
Sinister Shades: A pair of gold-rimmed sunglasses. He ditches them in his 2nd fight and his 5th fight.
Smoky Voice: He has a very coarse voice, notably resembling that of a chronic smoker. To boot, he, like most characters, is seen smoking in a cutscene.
Smug Snake: When introduced, he's the one favored to get the Empty Lot and by extension the Captain's seat, and he's accordingly cocky and self-assured. This all goes away after his loss to Kiryu and subsequent fall from grace, and by the end of the story it's revealed that in reality Kuze never stood a snowball's chance of getting the Lot, being completely Out-Gambitted by pretty much everyone else.
Tattooed Crook: Great King Enma, who governs the underworld in East Asian mythology. Much like he judges the souls entering the underworld, a large part of Kuze's character is the evaluation and judgement of Kazuma Kiryu. Emma's left pinky is also obscured, Foreshadowing Kuze having to sever his own left pinky. Additionally, his arms depict the demons Gozu and Mezu who are said to be the underworld's guardians.
Too Clever by Half: He is the first to make a move to host Kazama out of the captain's seat by getting him arrested prior the game event and trying to force Kiryu to spy on him. By revealing his hand too early Kiryu is able to disgrace him in front of Dojima and the other lieutenants prove themselves much better schemers than he is.
Torture Technician: He's stated to be the Interrogations Specialist of the Dojima Family, with Nishiki stating that the Dojima are experts at delivering fates worth than death.. At the least, he knows enough when to give victims some breathing room as well as when it simply won't work..
Unblockable Attack: His dirty boxing style includes a swift sweep kick which can knock Kiryu off his feet at which point Kuze will follow it up with a heavy stomp to Kiryu's head. His pipe moveset has a similar attack that will knock Kiryu off his feet before jabbing the end of his pipe into Kiryu's hand, pinning him to the ground before kicking Kiryu away.
Underestimating Badassery: He initially sees Kiryu as some no-name kid Kazama recruited into the Dojima clan as a Pawn in his schemes, so much so that when Kiryu is able to mostly take Kuze's punch to the gut, he takes it as a sign that he himself is going soft, rather than a sign of Kiryu's strength. This assumption leads to Kuze commiting a critical error by casually handwaving Kiryu's protests by declaring he was no longer part of the Dojima clan, setting Kiryu free to fight back against the lieutenants and their goons.
Villainous Breakdown: After his first defeat by Kiryu, he is humiliated in front of his peers, who force him to cut off his finger. His reaction is nothing less than indignant rage.
"Goddammit! You fucking watch close!"
Villain Forgot to Level Grind: By the time he has his second encounter with Kiryu his overall strength remains largely the same, his health doesn't increase at all, and he's only mixed up his fighting style by brandishing a long pipe as a weapon. His next two encounters are no different from his first either, except that he has several Mooks to back him up. Meanwhile, the player has likely given Kiryu all sorts of new tricks to chew through such an HP bar. Averted in his final encounter, where his moveset is much more powerful and aggressive and his health now has four bars.
Villain Has a Point: Kiryu, despite his best efforts, proves Kuze right as his naive actions do more harm than good throughout his quest. Without the guidance of Kazama or Sera from the shadows, Kiryu would have died a painful death trying to protect Kazama's position. Kiryu getting involved led to the deaths of Tachibana and Oda, Shibusawa nearly taking Kazama's position, and the seeds of doubt being planted in his relationship with Nishikiyama which would come full circle years later.
Villainous Valor: Kiryu ends up admitting he'll rather face a hundred yakuza over him, as Kuze's determination makes him a dangerous foe.
Wake-Up Call Boss: The first real boss fight in the game and a great step above any of the previous foes faced. He's very aggressive with a variety of attacks that are often quicker and more damaging than anything the game's thrown at you before. He's also the very first enemy to have multiple health-bars as well the first to go into heat mode when sufficiently damaged, granting him stronger, more aggressive attacks, and greater resistance to attacks that would normally knock him off his feet. It doesn't help that that his arena is an empty square devoid of any grabbable objects to exploit against him. He's likely to be the first enemy to force you to use healing items to survive.
We Can Rule Together: He offers Kiryu this, promising him that if he is willing to spy on the Kazama Family for him to help him gain control of the Empty Lot, he will in turn look after him and help him ascend the ranks of the family. Kiryu rejects this, telling Kuze that even giving him such an offer shows that he doesn't know the first thing about him.
Worthy Opponent: After seeing that Kiryu is willing to go to war with the entirety of the Tojo Clan in order to protect Makoto, Kuze's opinion of him changes from contempt to a proper gangster in his own right. The feeling seems to be mutual since Kiryu still shows him a lot of respect in their final clash.
Yubitsume: He does this to his left pinky after losing his first match with Kiryu. At the time, Kuze had more-or-less accepted Kiryu's resignation from the Dojima family, which means he'd be murdering a civilian if he killed Kiryu in Dojima HQ. Kuze is forced to cut off his left pinkie finger as penance.

Hiroki Awano

Voiced by: Riki Takeuchi

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"The age we're living in, cash money is the true king. Yakuza got to adapt to that and evolve."

The second lieutenant of the Dojima Family, Patriarch of the Taihei Association. Awano is a man of leisure who often finds himself going with the flow rather than fighting against the rising tide. However, beneath his laconic exterior is a cunning man, skilled in gathering information and making good on the Dojima Family's threats. Although he is loyal to his fellow lieutenants in serving the Dojima Family, he is also an opportunist.

His information network is broad and reliable, and despite the carefree air he presents, he trades in extortion. Master of both the stick and the carrot, with a specialty in stick. Following Kuze's fall from disgrace, Awano assumed leadership until Shibusawa was named family captain. Shortly after losing to Majima during his raid on the Dojima family, he's killed by Lao Gui.

Abhorrent Admirer: Only briefly, but when he and his thugs enter Serena to confront Kiryu he shows some interest in Reina. Needless to say she's not receptive.
Ax-Crazy: Abruptly shoots a girl dead for no reason other than to make a point to Kiryu, who No-Sell's this attempt at intimidation.
Badass in a Nice Suit: He dresses like a playboy but can punch a crater into cement.
Bait-and-Switch Boss: Played with. On one hand, he's fought as a Climax Boss the end of the game, during Majima's climactic attack on the Dojima Family HQ. On the other hand, he's not Majima's final boss, as the story led you to believe: after Majima defeats him, he gets subsequently killed by Lao Gui, who is Majima's true final boss.
Blofeld Ploy: After his attempts to persuade and then extort Kiryu into working for him fail, he shoots the woman he had been dancing with moments earlier in a final attempt to intimidate Kiryu. This only earns him Kiryu's undying hatred and disgust.
Blood Knight: Right before his boss fight, Awano admits that for all the indulgences he partakes in, none of it compares to a good fight and afterwards claims that he joined the Yakuza because he liked hitting people.
Character Tic: A common facial tic of his is turning up one corner of his mouth into a condescending sneer.
Charles Atlas Superpower: Awano is probably the hardest-hitting of the three lieutenants. During his fight against Majima, he proves strong enough to punch a massive dent into a wall, giving Majima quite the surprise.
Classic Villain: Represents Gluttony, as he indulges heavily in the vices of the yakuza life. Sloth as well. He boasts a lot of physical strength but has come to rely more on his own intelligence and having other do the dirty work so he can live the easy life. It's not until he's the last line of defence at Dojima Headquarters that he finally gets off his ass to show the sort of man he could have been if he hadn't gotten distracted by the glitz and glamour.
The Dandy: He wears a gaudy purple suit and gold chain over a black turtleneck sweater and lives to dance, golf, and lounge about.
Damn, It Feels Good to Be a Gangster!: He embodies the luxurious lifestyle of successful Yakuza of the era. Subverted when he later admits that his materialism and indulgence are empty replacements for his own lack of worth as a Yakuza compared to Kazama.
Does Not Know His Own Strength: Should you succeed the QTE in his boss fight, he and Majima share a double take at each other before moving on with the fight, suggesting that even he was shocked by how strong he still is.
Evil Genius: He's in charge of Dojima Family's information.
Evil Sounds Raspy: Not as much as Kuze, but when Awano talks, it's always delivered in an intimidatingly low, throaty voice.
Faux Affably Evil: Gives Kiryu a final offer to join him in exchange for handing over Tachibana which, from the point of view of a criminal, was more than reasonable. Once Kiryu inevitably throws it back in his face however, he shoots the girl that he had been dancing with earlier dead, for no reason other than to make a point.
Foreshadowing:
- He easily catches Kiryu's punch, who is no slouch in the strength department even in his youth, indicating the lieutenant's own well-hidden strength.
- The fact that his idea of enjoying himself on a night off is to simply play some golf, go to the sauna, and then have a plate of curry for dinner rather than anything particularly extravagant makes it clear that he's more than some shallow hedonist, as it's revealed that he wasn't always the decadent materialist he was and was swept away by luxury, and desire to play it safe, and his last moments are him nobly sacrificing himself for Majima.
Genius Bruiser: The dude gives Majima a run for his money. He even caught Kiryu's punch at one point. He is also really good at information gathering. It's his specialty in fact. Kiryu and Oda are surprised by how quickly he's able to figure out that Tachibana Real Estate is targetting the Empty Lot, which immediately puts their lives at stake.
Nishikiyama: You guys underestimated Awano. You can't lump him in with a brute like Kuze. He's actually pretty sharp.
Hannibal Lecture: A unique case in which the trope is played straight, then lampshaded and ultimately defied by the perpetrator. Before the battle against him, Awano smugly lectures Majima about how money rules all, and hot-blooded, fist-first types like Majima are obsolete in today's world. After Majima throws it back in his face, Awano admits he instinctively starts thinking of villainous speeches when he meets someone like Majima, then ultimately disagrees with his own lecture as he admits nothing compares to a good battle.
The Hedonist: He lives to indulge in the luxuries that being a wealthy Yakuza boss affords him, such as booze, women and golf. After being defeated by Majima, he admits that his hedonistic attitude was partially borne out of his edge being dulled by age as he began to take less risks later in his life.
Heel–Face Door-Slam: Just as he turns back on his hedonistic ways, he's gunned down by Lao Gui, but not without Taking the Bullet for Majima before he dies.
Hidden Depths: His thick, gaudy outfit hides how fit he is despite his age and decadent lifestyle.
Humble Pie: A combination of Kiryu rebuffing his offer, losing the seat as Captain to Shibusawa who proceeds to rub it in his face, and being beaten by Majima causes him to snap out of his hedonistic ways and regain his spark.
I Coulda Been a Contender!: As Majima points out, Awano had the potential to rise to the top. But instead, he was swept away by the luxuries that money could offer, which made him choose to play safe.
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: How he's iced by Lao Gui. After surviving the hitman's bullets, Awano charges towards him, only to be skewered by Lao Gui's blades.
Irony:
- His QTE has him hurl a powerful fist at Majima. If you pass it, his fist hits the wall and breaks it, and Awano just keeps fighting like it was nothing. However, if you fail the QTE, then his fist slams Majima's head against the wall and breaks it - but Majima can easily survive the attack and keep fighting if you have a decent amount of health. The irony is that while passing the QTE shows that Awano is strong for being unfazed by breaking the wall, failing it shows that Majima is strong for being able to keep fighting after having his head slammed that hard.
- His hedonistic lifestyle is driven by his desire to play it safe. He's the only one of the three lieutenants who ends up dying, though this is after he finally snaps out of his funk and chooses to embrace the "live fast, die young" philosophy of the Yakuza.
Jaded Washout: How he secretly views himself, he was a strong as a bull Yakuza who could rise to the top but then he saw guys like Kazama who outclassed him by order of magnitudes so he resigned himself to be a family lieutenant and indulge in hedonistic pleasure to hide the fact he was too scared to take his shot.
Kick the Dog:
- He also brutally slams Nishiki's face into the counter at Serena's and graphically bloodies his nose for quietly asking Kiryu what was going on while he was talking.
- He casually kills a woman he just danced with for no other reason than to intimidate Kiryu. It doesn't work.
Leitmotif: "With Vengeance".
Made of Iron: Awano is shown to be impressively capable of resisting pain; he kept fighting without showing any signs of pain after punching a wall so hard that he broke it. He was also able to take multiple close-range bullets to the chest and still have the strength to charge his killer, but that was when this trope ran out for him; he was then impaled by needles.
Manipulative Bastard: Tries to be one, at least. Despite his best efforts, Kiryu doesn't bite, even after he resorts to the old "threaten via gun" routine.
Meaningful Look: He gives Majima some knowing glances during the Sebastian Building scene. As it later turns out, it's because Awano (unlike the other lieutenants) recognized Majima for his role in the infamous Ueno Seiwa hit, describing both him and Saejima as nostalgic.
Mighty Glacier: He's not really all that slow, but his wild swings are still rather predictable. A quick and skilled fighter like Majima shouldn't have too much trouble avoiding his attacks.
Moveset Clone: A lot of his attacks are directly lifted from Masaru Watase's fighting style in Yakuza 5 though both of them have moves of their own.
Mundane Luxury: Awano could have pretty much anything he wants, so what does he think is the greatest pleasure of all? Fast cars? Women? Drugs? Gambling? No. Awano claims that the greatest thing in the world is a Sunday afternoon off to play eighteen holes of golf, followed by a sauna and a plate of good curry for dinner.
Non-Action Guy: From Kiryu's perspective
Only in It for the Money: He doesn't care about the codes or rules of the Yakuza, it's just a job for him that pays well.
O.O.C. Is Serious Business: He dons the persona of a slick hedonist and sleazy manipulator, but when bribery and blackmail fail he's willing to shoot an innocent woman in cold blood just to make a point. It gets even more dangerous when the gloves come off, as despite his pampered playboy lifestyle he loves to brawl and hits like a truck.
Overshadowed by Awesome: While Awano is a Genius Bruiser who could be a chairman with his wits and fists, he, like the other lieutenants, feels inferior to Captain Kazama, who's an ideal yakuza that redefines what it means to be a man.
Purple Is Powerful: Underneath that tacky-looking purple suit lies the brawniest, most physically imposing lieutenant of the Dojima clan.
Redemption Equals Death: He drops his hedonistic nature and greed after his fight with Majima, realizing how he missed being a true yakuza, and takes the bullets for him.
Sequential Boss: He's fought right before Lao Gui.
Smug Snake: By far the rudest of the three lieutenants. He's also full of himself when he goes on about his information network. The reason why Shibusawa was able to take the lead on capturing the Empty Lot is because Awano underestimated how much control he has over the situation with Kiryu, having him cornered and more or less at his mercy multiple times only for Kiryu to slip away every time.
Taking the Bullet: His last act is to shield Majima from Lao Gui's gun, taking several bullets to the chest in his stead.
Tattooed Crook: Momotaro, a hero in Japanese folklore. Fitting as Momotaro is essentially the Japanese version of Hercules, and Awano is almost inhumanly strong when he doesn't hold back. Momotaro propelling his family to a wealthy, comfortable existence after stealing treasure also fits with his decline into a hedonistic, money-loving man first and a Yakuza second.
- There's also the fact that Momotaro is one of Japan's most famous demonslayers in folklore with Awano's tattoo even depicting said hero subjugating an oni. It's only fitting that he ends up clashing not with Kiryu the future "Dragon of Dojima" but against Majima, "The One-Eyed Demon" who's tattoo depicts the demonic Hannya.
The Unfought: In Kiryu's story. Despite having multiple scenes in Kiryu's story that clearly establish an antagonistic relationship between them, it is ultimately Majima who fights and defeats him.
Unskilled, but Strong: His fighting style is pretty unrefined, and he likely doesn't train much if at all, having mostly left behind violence in favor of other forms of hedonism. Even so, he still retains his brute strength, able to leave a huge crater in a solid brick wall. If Majima succeeds in dodging the hit, he takes a minute to stare at the crater in shock before putting distance between himself and Awano.
We Can Rule Together: Offers this to Kiryu in exchange for helping him secure the captain's spot in the Dojima Family. Kiryu shoots him down just as he did with Kuze.

Keiji Shibusawa

Voiced by: Hideo Nakano

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"People have needs. Once they have money and power, the last thing they seek is glory."

The third lieutenant of the Dojima Family, Patriarch of the Shibusawa Family. Shibusawa is a shrewd man with a talent for setting goals and obtaining results. If Kuze is the muscle and Awano is the public face of the family, Shibusawa is its business side, with a knack for economics. Shibusawa plays his hands alongside Kuze and Awano, though his cards are considerably better concealed. As the brain of Dojima's officers, his focus is family's finances & business operations.

Previously mocked as a desk jockey, he emerges the victor in the race to get Makoto Makimura - and with her, the Empty Lot - earning him the Captain's role. His first decision as a Captain is an all-out purge of Kazama's loyalists within the family to complete his transition. He's eventually stopped by Kiryu and ends up in jail.

Ambition Is Evil: His driving motivation: Kuze wanted revenge on Kiryu for humiliating him and ruining his chances at the Captain's seat and Awano wanted a lavish life. Shibusawa is focused on glory: he wants titles, and prestige, and to be feared and respected.
Badass Boast: He begins the third phase of his boss battle by loudly proclaiming "I am the Dragon of Dojima!!", asserting his claim to the Red Baron title that has been driving his actions so far as well as his self-perceived superiority to Kiryu.
Badass Bookworm: While seemingly just a businessman, he is fully capable of getting his hands dirty.
Bare-Fisted Monk: He's skilled in what looks like Jeet Kune Do, and that skill makes him a force to be reckoned with.
Batman Gambit: He ordered Lao Gui to shoot Makoto non-fatally in hopes that would bring Masaru Sera out of hiding. That way, Shibusawa will swoop in and wipe out all of his enemies in one fell swoop.
Beware the Quiet Ones: Compared to Kuze and Awano, who are loud even in their choice of clothes, Shibusawa is reserved and doesn't raise his voice often. Naturally he is the most dangerous of the trio both in brain and brawn.
Boss Subtitles: Rather notably, his fight's intro identifies his role as "Dojima Family Lieutenant", rather than the Family's Captain, despite already being formally appointed to the role; given that this is after he reveals his desire for glory, surpassing Kazama, and carving his name into legend as the "Dragon of Dojima", it's clear that neither he nor the game itself feels as though he's actually earned either title, not until he's beaten Kiryu.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: In his introductory scene, he acts as the most reasonable of the three lieutenants when Kiryu has to answer for the murder at the Empty Lot. He even puts a reassuring hand on Kiryu's shoulder before leaving the room. In reality, he's the most ruthless lieutenant and the one responsible for framing Kiryu.
The Chessmaster: Prefers to work from the shadows, unlike his fellow lieutenants. He's by far the most successful of them for this reason, ensnaring both Kiryu and Majima in a web of spies and informants that doesn't fully come to light until the game's final act.
Classic Villain: Represents Ambition (his desire to become the new Dojima Family captain) and Envy (his resentment towards Kazama and Kiryu).
Combat Breakdown: Unique for being possibly the only boss fight to experience this on account of having three different fighting styles. His first phase fighting abilities are his most skillful as well as having some of the quickest attacks in the series and he can even weave under and evade hits. His 2nd phase has techniques that are drastically more unwieldly, making big, wild, sluggish swings with super armor and grabbing the nearest piece of furniture to batter Kiryu with. His final phase uses slightly quicker swings compared to his 2nd phase but it's still much slower compared to his 1st fighting style with its reliance on wild swings, tackles, and even a headbutting attack being a far cry from the refined straight punches and kicks he relied on initially.
- To put it another way, he starts off as a Barefisted Monk, becomes a Combat Pragmatist, and then resorts to Good Old Fisticuffs when all that fails.
Dark Is Evil: Wears the darkest colors among the three Dojima Lieutenants and is the most dangerous of them all. Even the members of his own Shibusawa Family wear predominantly black suits unlike the more varied color schemes of other families.
Degraded Boss: From 6 onwards, there's been generic mini-boss strength enemies sharing the same fighting style as him, with the three phases of his boss fight effectively being distributed amongst tough enemies and minibosses.
The Dragon: A literal example to Sohei Dojima, as the original "Dragon of Dojima".
Dragon-in-Chief: While Dojima gives orders behind the scenes, Shibusawa is the one leading the offensive and is the real final boss of the game.
Dragon with an Agenda: When Dojima orders Makoto to be killed, Shibusawa makes sure that she survives and is secretly taken hostage instead, so that he can use her as bait to draw his enemies out of hiding.
Establishing Character Moment: Soon after taking the lead in securing the Empty Lot for Dojima, Shibusawa shows his true colors when he tails Kiryu and Oda as they're transporting Makoto to safety. Without a word, he shoots the cab driver dead and his crew then move in to finish the job. This becomes even more chilling with the later revelation that Oda was actually his mole; Shibusawa would rather swoop in and clean up all loose ends than wait for Oda to hold up his end of the bargain.
Eviler than Thou: While they never actually come to blows, Shibusawa's scheme to secure the Empty Lot from Makoto is acknowledged as more effective than anything Kuze or Awano come up with. By the time his status as the Dojima Family's Captain is all but assured, Kuze has become subservient to him as a mere soldier while Awano has to begrudgingly accept Shibusawa's new authority over him.
Evil Is Petty: His envy of Kazama makes sense but his grudge against Kiryu, other than him being groomed to greatness by Kazama (a father ensuring success for his son), is almost solely based on both having the same tattoo, and unlike Goda there are no exploits behind being the Dragon of Dojima yet.
Evil Sounds Deep: Shibusawa has a notably deep voice, fitting for his calm tone of speech.
Faux Affably Evil: He may seem to be cordial and reasonable at first glance, but this politeness is a false front, because he's the one who set Kiryu up in the first place. The facade is shattered completely after his defeat when he vows to kill Kiryu and everyone he cares about with a vicious smile.
Final Boss: For Kiryu in 0 and ultimately the game.
Four Eyes, Zero Soul: He wears glasses, and the most ruthless of the three lieutenants.
Freudian Excuse: He tells Kiryu that his father was a political aide who killed himself after being forced to take the fall for his boss' crimes, which ruined his chances at a civilian life and forced him to seek out a life of crime. This drove his obsession in attaining authority and glory.
Frontline General: While he's willing to accompany his henchmen when he has them work, the assault on Sera's yacht at Shibaura Wharf shows that he's not afraid to personally lead a whole army of them at the very front of the mob despite Sera's men also being armed and firing back at him.
The Glasses Come Off: A villainous example. He removes his glasses to show that he's become serious and won't hold anything back in pursuit of the empty lot.
Glory Hound: He seeks to destroy the Kazama family in order to gain a proper title and the glory it commands.
Green-Eyed Monster: Deeply covets the power, authority, and prestige Shintaro Kazama has as Captain of the Dojima Family but doesn't think of himself as being able to reach the same sort of position through nothing but diligence. Thus, he's willing to commit all manner of atrocity to oust Kazama's faction from the Dojima Family and secure his own ascension to the Captain's seat calling it "his form of diligence". He also feels challenged by the younger Kiryu who also has a dragon tattoo and shows immense potential for greatness in the criminal underworld despite being so young.
Hero's Evil Predecessor: He's the original lieutenant of the Dojima family with a dragon tattoo. The fact that there could be another, better Dragon of Dojima is what fuels his enmity towards Kiryu.
Honor Before Reason: When it comes to the final battle, he is dead set on taking Kiryu down first in his envy of Kazama despite having an unconscious Makoto in his clutches. While he states he'll kill her if he wins, he wants to truly demonstrate himself to be superior to Kiryu as the true Dragon of Dojima more than anything else.
Improvised Weapon: In the second phase of his boss fight, he'll often grab the nearest piece of furniture to try and beat Kiryu over the head with. He specifically starts the phase swinging a chair and most of the available furniture around arena is just small tables with each surrounded by four chairs.
Knight of Cerebus: Not long after he takes control of the fight for The Empty Lot, he casually murders a civilian taxi driver and sics a whole mob of armed goons in cars after Kiryu, Oda, and Makoto, establishing him as the most ruthless and dangerous of the 3 Dojima Lieutenants. What was already a serious and gritty crime drama becomes significantly darker and more tragic until Shibusawa and Dojima are on the cusp of victory while Kiryu, Majima, and their allies are barely holding on after some major tragedies.
Leitmotif: "Two Dragons".
Lightning Bruiser: Has a larger health bar than any other boss in the game aside from the Amons and his first phase features wickedly fast, damaging combos as well as dodging techniques akin to Kiryu's Rush style. However, he slows down considerably past the first phase.
Mirror Boss: Fights with three distinct styles in 3 different phases similar to Kiryu's first three fighting styles. Shibusawa's purple "Rush" phase sees him attacking rapidly and moving with great agility and finesse, while his yellow "Beast" phase allows him swing furniture like weapons and toss Kiryu about like a ragdoll. His final phase has a unique red aura and does not quite correlate directly with any of Kiryu's styles, but given its rough, wild moveset (and by process of elimination) it is akin to Kiryu's standard Brawler style.
No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: If he manages to grapple Kiryu to the ground during the final phase of his fight, he'll attempt to beat him to death into the floor of the Yacht unless Kiryu throws him off. He ends up on the receiving end of one from Kiryu at the end of the fight that continues into the following cutscene. Kiryu could have killed him too if Nishiki hadn't stopped him.
Pet the Dog: A minor one, but when he has Makoto and her doctor Joy captive, he simply lets Joy take Makoto to safety while he deals with Kiryu. While he states that he plans to kill Makoto later once he defeats Kiryu, he had no reason to let Joy live and yet he still lets her go.
Psychotic Smirk: He flashes a small one when Tachibana saves Kiryu from Kuze and Awano, knowing that this will cause them to fall out of favor with Dojima and give him a higher chance to claim the seat of Family Captain.
Purple Is Powerful: His own version of the Rush style has a purple aura, much like Kiryu's own.
Rank Scales with Asskicking: Firmly believes in this trope. He believes that the only way in life is to rise to the top in authority and in turn power.
Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs: He's quick enough in his first phase that most of his attacks are rapid-fire strings of punches and kicks that will whittle down your health in about a second, especially his kick command grab which has the clear telegraph of him shuffling his feet quickly before trying to hit Kiryu with a sweep kick. Getting hit will have him follow it up with several lightning fast strikes before performing a side kick to knock Kiryu on his back.
Reasonable Authority Figure: He appears to be this at first, being the only lieutenant willing to hear Kiryu out and suggesting they investigate the murder in more detail. Completely subverted when it turns out Shibusawa himself masterminded the frame-up. Compared to Kuze and Awano, Shibusawa also turns out to be the most ruthless and bloodthirsty of the three as his immediate action as the new Captain of the Dojima Family is to go to war with Kazama's faction of the Dojima Family and have them violently purged.
Red Baron: He seeks to earn the glory of earning a title for himself and even begins calling himself Dragon of Dojima at the end.
The Rival: Or so he thinks. He becomes fixated on defeating Kiryu in hand-to-hand combat in order to prove that he is the true Dragon of Dojima. Kiryu doesn't know what the hell he's talking about and couldn't care less as long as Makoto is safe.
Say My Name: "Kiryu!"
Self-Applied Nickname: He compares his and Kiryu's tattoos and decides There Can Only Be One "Dragon of Dojima". Ironically, Kiryu has no interest whatsoever in the title, but agrees that there's only room for one dragon. And thus Kiryu earns the title upon defeating the self-proclaimed dragon himself.
Sharp-Dressed Man: Dressed the most professionally out of all of the Dojima Lieutenants with a black and white pinstriped suit and a yellow necktie. It goes well with his role as the businessman of the group.
Soft-Spoken Sadist: Compared to the hot-blooded Kuze and Awano, Shibusawa is the quietest and most even-tempered of the three lieutenants. He's also bar-none the most cutthroat.
Speed Echoes: Has this effect during the attacks he uses during the second phase of the fight where he's ironically fighting the most sluggishly. Rather than emphasize his speed, it seems to emphasize the sheer power behind his swings which happen to be some of the most damaging in the entire game.
The Stoic: More expressive than the usual example but he's definitely quieter and more reserved than the other lieutenants and rarely breaks his cold professionalism. Even when he's leading an armed assault on Sera's yacht which is heavily guarded by its own group of armed forces, he doesn't bat an eye as they fire back, simply returning fire with his pistol and ignoring the way some of his minions fall to the gunfire as he casually marches on board.
- Not So Stoic: He's a bit more like a Screaming Warrior by the time of his final showdown with Kiryu.
Strike Me Down: As Kiryu is beating him into a bloody pulp, Shibusawa yells at him to finish the job and become a "true yakuza". Nishiki stops Kiryu at the absolute last possible second.
Tattooed Crook: A dragon, or more specifically a seiryuu, in contrast to Kiryu's (then incomplete) ouryuu. The seiryuu is said to be the guardian deity of the east, which is appropriate for someone who is trying to become a legendary figure in eastern Japan's biggest yakuza organization. The dragon is coloured green, reflecting his envy of Kazama and Kiryu.
There Can Be Only One: He and Kiryu fight over who becomes worthy of carrying the name "Dragon of Dojima".
Underestimating Badassery: On the receiving end, as he's mocked by his fellow lieutenants as a mere desk jockey. He's the one who wins the race to the Empty Lot.
Villain Has a Point: Right before the final battle, Kiryu mentions that multiple civilians had been used by Shibusawa (and the other lieutenants) as pawns in a battle for the Empty Lot, putting them in danger and leading directly to two of their deaths. However, Shibusawa makes a reasonable point in return; that Kazama, who Kiryu idolizes, was also perfectly comfortable with this happening, and as "the man who writes the script" would have been well aware of it. Notably, Kiryu is unable to properly rebuff such an assessment, merely ignoring it and telling him to "get to the point".
Villainous Valor: Takes a page out of Kuze's notebook after his defeat and even makes a reference to Kuze's general philosophy as he refuses to submit to Kiryu despite evidence that he'll die if he continues to provoke him by threatening the lives of everyone he cares about. Even when Kiryu's on the verge of beating him to death, Shibusawa refuses to show any sort of fear.
(After being defeated) "There’s just one thing… I learned from Kuze. A yakuza who can hold on… hasn’t lost yet. You… Kazama… and that girl… I’ll kill you all. …Like I killed Tachibana."
(After being furiously beaten further within an inch of his life as Kiryu remembers everyone who died because of his plans) "Is that all? You’ve got no choice now. Do it… Kill me, Kiryu. Follow in… Shintaro Kazama’s footsteps… and become a true… yakuza!"
You Have Failed Me: Does not accept failure from the people he hires to capture Makoto. When Nishitani fails, he bribes a police officer working where Nishitani was imprisoned to kill him. When Oda fails to capture Makoto, he notes how Nishitani came up short before telling Oda that his failure means he also deserves to die, shooting him a second later.