These are the characters that were introduced in the first Like a Dragon game, Yakuza and its remake Kiwami.

For Kazuma Kiryu, see his page.
For Goro Majima, see his page.
For Akira Nishikiyama, see his page.
For Haruka Sawamura, see her entry on the Character Index page.

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The Tojo Clan

The Tojo Clan is one of Japan's largest crime organizations, with over 10,000 employees and several families, and many of the main characters and their families belong to it. The main clan of the games, Kiryu's former employer and the most unhealthy place to work in the universe (over 8 onscreen lieutenant deaths and counting...). Makoto Tojo is named as the founder of the clan, with Takashi Niihara serving as the Second Chairman, who was succeeded by Masaru Sera, and followed briefly by Kazuma Kiryu and Yukio Terada. Yayoi Dojima served briefly as an Interim Chairman before her son Daigo Dojima took the mantle of the Sixth Chairman, a position he's retained up until 6 where it's then taken over by Sugai, who rules as acting chairman with Someya as his right hand, because Daigo is sent to prison at the beginning of the story and with most of the family heads either dead or jailed as well. In Like a Dragon, the clan is announced to be completely disbanded alongside the Omi Alliance.

Masaru Sera

Voiced by: Ryuji Mizuki (Yakuza), Tōru Ōkawa (Yakuza 0, Kiwami), Alan Dale (Yakuza, English version)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/y0sera.jpg

Sera as he appears in Yakuza 0.

Introduced in the first game as the third Chairman of the Tojo Clan, who is seen as a phenomenon for reaching the rank of chairman while being just in his 40's. After Sohei Dojima's murder, he managed to rebuild the shattered organization and remains in power after ten years, and has many young followers. Unfortunately for him, he's killed in the beginning of Yakuza shortly after Nishiki reveals that 10 billion yen was stolen from the clan, which Sera himself played a part in, along with Kazama and Yumi, which sets off the plot of the first game.

He also appears in the prequel Yakuza 0, where he is the President of the Tojo Clan's Nikkyo Consortium, an organization that does most of the Clan's dirtiest work behind the scenes. He's among those after the Empty Lot, but his motivations are unclear.

Affably Evil: A very polite and considerate man for the head of an assassination organization turned Tojo Clan chairman. He spends more time on the side of the heroes rather than against them.
Ascended Extra: Important in the first game but he only has one scene before dying as well as certain significant flashbacks prior to his death. In the prequel 0, he plays a far more active role, even having a boss fight.
Comic-Book Fantasy Casting: Bears a striking resemblance to Ken Watanabe.
Counter-Attack: What makes him so tricky of an opponent in Yakuza 0 is his ability to consistently counter attack by side-stepping Majima's attacks and then kicking his ankle, often followed by successive strikes that can stun him for even more punishment. Even his Quick Time Event involves parrying a punch by Majima before knocking him off his feet with a few well-placed strikes.
The Don: As the third Chairman of the Tojo Clan, he is one of the biggest crime lords of his time.
The Dreaded: He was the former head of the Nikkyo Consortium, a group that does the dirty work of the Tojo Clan.
Genius Bruiser: The first game depicts him as more of an intelligent individual, but Yakuza 0 shows that he's also a very competent fighter.
Good All Along: In Yakuza 0. Not only is he trying to protect Makoto as well, but he's working with Kazama to prevent Dojima from becoming Third Chairman of the Tojo Clan, which Kazama believes Sera is better suited for.
Good Is Not Soft: Despite being a well-intentioned man on Kazama's side, he won't go easy on his enemies, as shown by his Cruel Mercy towards Lao Gui. He himself admits as much. Hell, he's pretty hard on his allies too as shown by his boss fight with Majima in 0 and the assassination attempt he pulls on Kiryu early in the first game just to establish Kiryu's prowess to the other prisoners and secretly protect him from any more hitmen.
Heel–Face Revolving Door: In Yakuza 0, he's revealed to be in cahoots with Kazama, who is setting Sera up to be the Third Chairman of the Tojo Clan. He tries to protect Makoto on his own merits and ultimately gains the rights to the Empty Lot. When the first game comes around, he sends a hitman after Kiryu (although a Kiwami-only sidequest reveals Sera expected Kiryu to survive and only sent a hitman just to keep away other possible hitmen) and was then in cahoots with Jingu. Sera even tried to have Yumi and her baby Haruka killed, just to keep a promise. Shintaro intervenes and snaps him out of it, and the two conspire against Jingu along with Yumi.
In the Back: After his fight with Majima, Sagawa shoots him in the back while he's entrusting Majima with protecting Makoto. Since his allegiance with Jingu is what sets the plot of 1 in motion, he gets better.
It's Up to You: In his will, he leaves the name of his successor blank, allowing Kazama to name who will become the Fourth Chairman of the Tojo Clan. Naturally, he elects Kazuma Kiryu.
Killed Offscreen: He's killed shortly after the clan discovers the 10 billion yen was stolen, but his death isn't shown. The Florist and the remaining Nikkyo Consortium members very much suspect that Nishiki's responsible since it fits his methodology of eliminating the competition to secure himself more power. It's never outright confirmed though.
Plot-Triggering Death: His death early in the first game sets off the power struggle for the Tojo Clan leadership and the hunt for the missing 10 billion yen.
Posthumous Character: In the first game, he only appears in one short scene before he's killed. He still appears throughout the game in flashbacks, which explore his character and reveal that he played a much larger part in the game's story. Yakuza 0, being a prequel, would also expand quite a bit upon his character.
Reasonable Authority Figure: One of the very few yakuza patriarchs to actually be a fairly decent guy.
Saved by Canon: His death in the first game sets up most of its plot. So, of course, that means Yakuza 0's shocking turn where he gets shot doesn't actually kill him.
Screw the Money, I Have Rules!: Literally. Realizing just how much Jingu went off the deep end is what drove Sera to conspire with Kazama and Yumi to engineer the theft of the 10 billion yen that the Tojo Clan was laundering for Jingu to try and bring him down.
Simple, yet Awesome: Much less flashy than other fighters in the series being neither particularly strong nor acrobatic and having relatively stiff form and posture in combat. He still manages to be a difficult boss fight with his precise strikes, fast reflexes, quick footwork, and effective counter attacks.
SNK Boss: In Yakuza 0. While in the story you have access to various healing items, preventing you from getting your ass kicked by Sera's perfectly placed counters and combos, the Climax Battle against Sera is a lot more difficult since you have no items to heal, he dodges combos up to two hits and counters you by his own very damaging combos. While he lacks the Battle Aura, he's effectively fighting like he does in the main story after he Turns Red with immunity to knockdowns, and conspicuously higher damage output but at the beginnning of the batle with 4 health bars. It becomes a battle of patience as you basically use his own medicine against him. When he attacks, counter.
Speed Echoes: Has this effect whenever he's running or dodging to the side to perform a low kick, perhaps to emphasize his swift footwork and evasive fighting style.
Strength Equals Worthiness: He states in 0 that he's the type to figure others out through fighting, which is why he challenges Majima. Kiwami also reveals that this is why he sent assassins after Kiryu in prison: Both as a way to see if he's tough enough to survive hard time and so everyone backs off of him if he survives.
Villainous Legacy: Lost Judgment reveals that the Nikkyo Consortium has survived well past Sera's death and was in fact active and influential all the way until the Tojo Clan's disbandment in 2019, which is a pretty impressive survival rate for a Tojo Clan subsidiary when you consider it's been around since at least the 80s.
Villainous Rescue: He saves Majima and Makoto from an enraged Sagawa in 0 only to knock out Majima and take Makoto for himself. Overlaps somewhat with Big Damn Heroes when he turns out to have no malicious intentions at all and even tries to work together with Majima when they meet again.
Villain in a White Suit: You don't get to be as high in the yakuza hierarchy as he is without having done at least few heinous and underhanded things. Luckily, he is a reasonable, even-tempered, prudent, and polite fellow, something which his tendency to dress in white suits neatly underscores.
Warrior Therapist: Eloquently talks down Majima's wrath in the finale of 0, discouraging from taking revenge on Lao Gui and Sohei Dojima for Makoto's sake even though he has the both of them at his mercy. Sera talks of how killing for her sake will put a burden on her because she will have no way to properly pay him back for such a huge undertaking. While Majima does put down his knife and acquiesce to his offer to have Lao Gui put in "The Hole" for the rest of his life, he's not moved by Sera telling him what a hero he is, believing that Sera's simply manipulating him just like Shimano.
Weak, but Skilled: He's not as physically capable as the other bosses in Yakuza 0. However, he more than makes up for it with well-placed counters and combos that would throw the player off guard.

Futoshi Shimano

Voiced by: Naomi Kusumi, Michael Madsen (Yakuza, English version)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shimanoyk.jpg

Shimano as he appears in Kiwami.

The Patriarch of the big and powerful Shimano family, who are one of the backbones of the Tojo clan under their ruthless leader. Futoshi is big, nasty and shamelessly uses greater events to grab himself greater power. Like his sworn brother Sohei Dojima, he's wild and violent, holds a grudge against Kiryu for Dojima's murder, and has sworn revenge. He's also Majima's boss.

Shimano appears in flashbacks in Yakuza 2, showing that he was involved in the Jingweon incident. He also plays a small role in Yakuza 0. Following the Ueno Seiwa hit, he punishes Majima for disobeying orders and has him tortured in a cell called "the hole", before expelling him from the Tojo Clan and having him exiled to Sotenbori in Osaka. There, he has his sworn brother Sagawa of the Omi Alliance watch over Majima and keep him in line.

Adaptational Attractiveness: Downplayed, but Kiwami gives him a more muscular appearance than in the original.
Asshole Victim: After the terrible things he's done, his death after his final defeat is utterly satisfying to witness.
Ax-Crazy: Shown to be this in the flashbacks of Yakuza 2, showing his involvement in the Jingweon Massacre and gleefully killing off its members.
Bad Boss: An utterly ruthless boss who doesn't hesitate to perform Yubitsume on those who fail him. Yakuza 0 shows that he'll even have those who defy him tortured and exiled, even after they've already lost an eye. He even has Majima manipulated as an Unwitting Pawn as part of his gambit to get the deed to the Empty Lot.
Bait-and-Switch Gunshot: In 0, while Shimano is pointing a gun right at Majima's forehead, he suddenly angles it around to instead shoot the head of Omi HQ.
Bald Head of Toughness: Despite being a much weaker Mr. Shakedown, Shimano makes up for it in sheer dominance, brutality, and power, with the irezumi on his back being a Tiger, an equal to the Dragon. In Kiwami, this trope is further stressed as he is given an absurd amount of health, emphasizing his high durability. Unlike a lot of the Patriarchs, Shimano's completely bald.
Bald of Evil: He even has a scene in the first game where his egg head getting a trim.
Batman Gambit: In 0, he chose Majima as Makoto Makimura's hitman because he knew he wouldn't go through with it, with his real plan being to have them develop a bond so that she would come to trust him and thus be naturally willing to sell Shimano ownership of the Empty Lot.
Big Bad Ensemble: Shares the position of Big Bad of the first game alongside Nishikiyama and Kyohei Jingu. Unfortunately for him, he's the first of them to get offed in pursuit of the 10 billion yen, being the boss of the penultimate chapter.
Big Eater: When Majima meets with him for the first time in years in 0, Shimano is scarfing down a massive feast.
Big "SHUT UP!": "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Directed at Nishiki when he claims that 10 billion yen of the Tojo Clan's fortune has gone missing.
The Brute: The loudest, most openly violent of the major antagonists in the first game with the stature and brutality to match. That said, he's capable of scheming when the opportunity presents itself.
Car Fu: If he grapples you in his second battle and you don't break free in time, he'll try to have one of his mooks try to run you over with a car. It's slightly different in the Kiwami version where he'll always manage to toss Kiryu in front of the car but Kiryu will roll as he lands, barely avoiding the fate of becoming roadkill.
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: In 0, he plans to sell the Empty Lot to the Omi Alliance in exchange for becoming the Tojo Clan's new chairman. After Sera obtains the Empty Lot and demands a show of loyalty from him, Shimano simply kills the Omi HQ head he was negotiating with at the time and decides to play the Long Game before making a move.
Climax Boss: The Shimano Family's hunt for Kiryu and Haruka for most of the plot makes them the most prominent threat they face but they end up defeated with Shimano getting offed just before the final chapter in which the Nishikiyama Family and the MIA take full control of main antagonist duties.
Cold-Blooded Torture: Yakuza 0 shows that after Majima lost his eye for disobeying orders and insulting the man who captured him, Shimano expressed his disappointment in him by having Majima chained up in a cell and tortured for a year.
The Corrupter:
- In a flashback in "Kiwami", Shimano told Nishiki that Kazama was likely setting him up for failure by giving him subordinates that do not respect him and that the only reason he has his own Family is to get Kiryu to take over once he's out of prison. This instilled in Nishiki feelings of distrust and inadequacy that would lead to Nishiki's self-serving lust for power later in life as well as drive a massive enough rift that Nishiki would be willing to personally assassinate Kazama when he shoots him with a sniper rifle. Ironically, this seems to be unintended since he ends this conversation by telling Nishiki to quit the yakuza and become a civilian, presumably just to eliminate him as a potential rival in the future. That definitely didn't work out.
- His treatment of Majima in 0 between the torture, the demeaning punishment, and finally playing with his emotions only for Majima to have a breakdown when faced with such a harsh reality was partly out of a desire to turn him into a living weapon and boy did it pay off.
Creepy Shadowed Undereyes: As part of his intimidating appearance.
Depending on the Writer: The first two games established him as a violent brute with a Hair-Trigger Temper, which contrasts with Kazama's level-headedness and desire to seek non-violent solutions. 0 shows him as a far more calculating schemer who remains nonplussed even when his plans fall through. This latter characterization even bleeds into Nishiki's flashbacks in Kiwami, where he subtly nudges Nishiki to turn against Kazama.
Disproportionate Retribution:
- Performs Yubitsume (finger amputating) on one of his subordinates for failing to kill Kiryu, as well as the fact his barber accidentally cut his scalp. To make it worse, rather than just cutting off the pinky finger, he cuts off both the forefinger and middle finger of his poor employee. He also has the gall to claim he's being merciful because he's glad to hear about Kazuma's return.
"Since I'm in a good mood today, I'll just take two fingers from you."
- After his second defeat at Shibaura Wharf, he throws a grenade at Shintaro and Haruka out of pure spite, forcing Shintaro to shield Haruka against it.
Early-Bird Boss: For such an early boss fight Kiwami remake, he's tough enough as is, but he's definitely the first boss where it becomes noticeable how detrimental it is to not have any "Essence of Kiwami" skills unlocked since it's the only way to keep boss fights from healing faster than you can hurt them. For Shimano, you'll want the "Essence of Extreme Rush". Without it, you'll have to survive past him healing himself twice before he goes down. His two healthbars will feel quite long even if he couldn't heal himself.
Establishing Character Moment: His first contemporary scene in 0 shows him dining on a large plate of fugu while Majima is stuck with a solitary cup of sake. This shows that Shimano is a greedy SOB who gets the lion's share while his subordinates contend with scraps. The fact he's eating so much of the potentially poisonous fish at once shows Shimano is someone not adverse to taking risks, but the way he's just wolfing it down without even savouring it implies he only chose such a delicacy because it was the most expensive item on the menu, not because he has an appreciation for the finer things. It's merely a way to flaunt his wealth and influence over a lower ranking member of his outfit.
Even Evil Has Standards: Possibly and surprisingly. When he hears a gunshot and goes to the room Kiryu was in during his meeting with Kazama to investigate, he sees Kiryu in a compromising position with an injured Kazama. Shimano seems frankly sickened that Kiryu decided to kill another patriarch after the whole Dojima incident and actually asks what is wrong with him right before siccing the Tojo members on him.
- In a flashback in 4 to the 80s, Majima explains how Shimano seemed pretty pissed by the damaged ozone layer which suggests that he supports environmental rights.
- The flashback in 2 showed Shimano's motivation for wanting to destroy the Jingweon Mafia as payback for the deaths of Dojima soldiers and like Dojima believes them to be too amoral even to them.
Evil Eyebrows: He's got some very thick and bushy eyebrows.
Evil Is Hammy: He's rather expressive even when he's trying to hold a normal conversation. Just look at him!
Evil Sounds Deep: In Japanese, Shimano is played with a deep, gruff voice fitting of his portly stature. The same applies to his old dub voice in the Western release of the first game, courtesy of Michael Madsen.
Fat Bastard: Played straight in the original but subverted in Kiwami, where once he takes off his shirt it's shown that he's heavily built and has solid abs.
Faux Affably Evil: Anytime he tries to act more civil, his words are positively dripping with disdain and irreverence for whatever happens to be the topic of discussion. This is especially noticeable in the prequel 0 in which he's depicted calmer than ever as he cheerfully discusses just how little control of his own life Majima has.
Flunky Boss: The second fight against him has him fight alongside members of his clan. However, Kiryu gets his own backup.
Foil: 0 makes him a foil of Kazama in regard to their relationship with their "sons". While Kazama and Kiryu have a genuine and healthy relationship based on loyalty and love, Shimano treats Majima more as an attack dog that he abuses to make as a weapon while still seemingly having a twisted sense of fatherly affection for him to the point where he knows him well enough to properly manipulate him.
Genius Bruiser: He's both brutal enough to earn Majima's respect and a capable schemer with the foresight and patience for long-term plans.
Gonk: He has particularly exaggerated features compared to most characters in the series, most notably his sunken eyes and bushy eyebrows.
Graceful Loser: When Majima informs him that Sera acquired the empty lot, Shimano seems nonplussed about it. He instead decides to play the Long Game and stay in Sera's good graces for now, confident that he'll get his chance sooner or later. It helps that they did succeed the other half of his goal in ensuring a bastard like Dojima didn't get the lot, which also results in Dojima's gradual decline in power, so Shimano still partly wins anyway.
Hair-Trigger Temper: He's known for his violence and hot temper, as his poor subordinate found out the hard way.
The Heavy: The Shimano Family are the biggest and most prominent antagonistic faction for most of the first game, especially when you include the actions of the Shimano Family subsidiary, the Majima Family.
Hidden Depths: A flashback in 4 to the 80s has Majima talk about how Shimano's was pretty vocally upset about the damage done to the ozone layer implying an environmentalist streak albeit a very minor and possibly temporary one.
Jerkass: A rude and vulgar loudmouth who very rarely ever shows any sort of respect to others, not to his own loyal minions and not even to the Tojo Clan's very own Chairman.
- While he shows a more respectful side to Majima in 0 in his speech patterns, it's greatly undermined by the physical and emotional torment he forces Majima to endure as part of his schemes.
Karmic Death: Though neither he nor anyone else would have known then, Shimano's death at Terada's hands becomes all the more fitting. In Yakuza 2, it's revealed that Terada is one of the sole survivors of the Jingweon massacre, of which Shimano was one of the key perpetrators.
Katanas Are Just Better: On his second encounter, but eventually he drops it in favor of a good old hand-to-hand beatdown.
Kick the Dog: Constantly. But a real stand out example comes in Majima's flashback to the start of his year of torture in 0, where Shimano purposefully ignores Majima's pleas to at least know the fate of his sworn brother Saejima. Shimano knows Saejima's alive and in prison, but he also knows that not knowing Saejima's fate will hurt Majima even more than any torture.
Killer Bear Hug: If he manages to grab Kiryu, one his Heat Actions is to lift the man off his feet with both arms and squeeze hard enough to snap his back before tossing him away.
King Mook: In the first Yakuza on PS2, he used a souped-up version of a fighting style used by generic brute-type mooks on the streets in not only the first game but most of the later games as well.
Large and in Charge: He's a massive brute who also happens to be a major crime boss.
A Lighter Shade of Black: Just barely lighter really. In 0, he's shown to have subjected Majima to all sorts of physical and psychological abuse not just as punishment but as part of a plan to mold him into a living weapon. All the same, while his plans for Makoto would have ultimately lead to a massive betrayal of the Tojo Clan that would turn control of Kamurocho over to the Omi Alliance, it's still easier to want to go along with his plans when he's happy to negotiate the deal over the Empty Lot with Makoto in a civil manner compared to Sohei Dojima who tries to have her killed off not long after she's been captured.
- Even in the original game, an optional conversation with a nameless NPC at Sera's funeral can have him discuss who'd be a good successor to the seat of Tojo Clan Chairman. He's willing to acknowledge that Shimano has the man-power and charisma to really exercise control over such a huge yet unruly bunch of yakuza. By contrast, he really has nothing good to say about Nishikiyama, comparing him to snake as he's definitely much more open about being treacherous and murderous. Subverted from a broader view, since both Shimano and Nishiki are shown to be willing to resort to betrayal and cooperation with rival syndicates to secure power for themselves so neither of them are particularly better than the other aside from Shimano being more covert about his treachery and thus having a better reputation.
Leitmotif:
- "Pray Me" in the first game, remixed as "Pray Me - Revive-" in Kiwami.
- His clan as a whole in the first game has "Scarlet Scar" for their battle theme which later got remixed "Scarlet Scar by Fierce Tiger" in Kiwami.
Like a Son to Me: In his own twisted way, he claims that he sees Majima as a son at the end of 0, justifying the various miseries he inflicted upon him as his way of turning Goro into a proper "weapon".
Shimano: They say if you love your child, you let him see the world.
Manipulative Bastard: He's been orchestrating Majima's actions in Yakuza 0 from the get go. The order to kill Makoto Makimura? Shimano knew Goro could never bring himself to murder an innocent civilian and would instead do everything in his power to help his would-be target, right down to falling in love with her. All of this was to ensure that Makoto would feel genuinely indebted to one of Shimano's own and then willingly hand over her rights to the Empty Lot to him, thus securing Shimano's victory. Everything went according to plan, except for the last part; the rights end up falling into Sera's hands instead.
- He attempts this again in a new flashback in Kiwami in which he convinces Nishiki that his adoptive father doesn't trust him at all and care more about Kiryu, playing on Nishiki's jealousy and feelings of inadequacy. He ends up trying to tell Nishiki that he'd be better off quitting the yakuza, disbanding the Nishiki clan and becoming a civilian, presumably to eliminate Nishiki from ever becoming competition for him in the future. It doesn't work though since Nishiki's more focused on getting enough money to afford a proposed black market organ transplant for his dying sister. If anything, all it does is further push Nishiki to never trust anyone and become that much more dangerous of a crime boss in the future.
Mighty Glacier: In Kiwami, he uses the awkward Mr. Shakedown moveset, and while he doesn't deal nearly as much damage, he does have their Super Armor.
- Frankly, even his moveset in the original PS2 game was rather sluggish and mostly reliant on singular heavy strikes that are simple to avoid... At least until the rematch. He's a lot quicker with a katana and even after it breaks, he'll use actual combos with his bare fists that are faster than you'd expect based on initial appearances.
Moveset Clone: In Kiwami, he shares the same moveset of Mr. Shakedown from Yakuza 0. Once he gets his hands on a katana, he uses Taiga Saejima's one-handed sword-fighting style from the games in which he's playable.
Multiple Gunshot Death: How he kicks the bucket, courtesy of Terada.
No Indoor Voice: Often shouting whether it's yelling at his supposed comrades or calling out orders to his goons. Even when he's not shouting, he still manages to be the loudest person in the room with how expressive he is.
Non-Standard Character Design: Compared to the other characters that look realistic and Japanese, his exaggerated features almost make him look cartoonish in comparison.
Obviously Evil: Cartoonishly evil-looking due to a mix of exaggerated facial features and the actual faces he makes with them. His initial appearance in 0 makes him look almost inhuman as he sentences Majima to a year's worth of torture.
Older Than He Looks: Mentions being 20 years older than the 37-year old Nishiki. He may not be a looker but he's in damn fine shape for someone in his late 50's.
Pay Evil unto Evil: While certainly gleeful in his role in the Jingweon Massacre in 2, personally gunning down members himself, his reasoning that the Jingweon Mafia were dangerous and responsible for the deaths of Dojima Family members does come in line with the statement of others that the Jingweon had to be eliminated.
Pet the Dog:
- Make no mistakes, Shimano is a ruthless man who has killed people for petty reasons and brutalized his own men for even less. But he doesn't attack the barber in 1 when she accidentally cuts his head (taking it out on one of his men instead), and in 0, his big plan was to have Majima create a bond with Makoto so she'd give up the Empty Lot without a fuss compared to the Dojima Family's assassination attempts on her life. He had no reason to really go about it that way, and simply does so on a whim while predicting everything but Sera getting the deed instead.
- In the flashback in 2, his main reason why he was fully on board with the Jingweon Massacre, killing them personally, was primarily how the Jingweon Mafia were responsible for the death of Dojima Family soldiers under him.
- While his appearance as a spirit during Daigo's summon in Like A Dragon obviously wouldn't be canon, he's depicted as backing him up alongside his fellow Tojo members.
Pragmatic Villainy: In 0, he'd rather buy the lot or at least encourage Makoto to hand it over without a hitch, with a fairly solid plan and rational thinking for it (even if it did involve manipulating Majima), compared to the sheer homicidal rampage the Dojima family causes in the hunt for her. In fact, it's only because of Sohei and Shibusawa's actions that Shimano's merciful plan doesn't go through.
Purple Is Powerful: He wears a purple suit and he and his family are known to be frighteningly dominant in the Tojo Clan history.
Rank Scales with Asskicking: Led one of the most powerful Tojo Clan Families of his time and is a huge, brutish, and physically powerful man. It's telling that a man who respects power as much as Majima is willing to bow his head to a man like Shimano.
"The Reason You Suck" Speech: Kiwami has him give one to Nishiki in a flashback, telling him that the only reason Kazama gave him a clan was to facilitate Kiryu's return to the Yakuza and that even Kiryu wouldn't have much use for a "sorry piece of shit" like him.
Recurring Boss: You fight him twice in the game. You first fight him early on in the game at Sera's funeral, and you then fight him near the end of the game at the docks. The first time, he's fought purely alone, but the second time he has an army of goons to help him out.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The red to Shintaro and Sohei's blue.
Revenge: In the first game, he wants revenge against Kiryu for the murder of Dojima.
Sadist: What else would you call a man who enjoys abusing his subordinates, tortured Majima for a year, and participated in the Jingweon Massacre with utter glee.
Say My Name: "Kazuma!" "Terada."
Sir Swears-a-Lot: Even if you excluded the English dub of the first game, he has quite a foul mouth.
The Starscream: In 0, he conspired to take the rights to the Empty Lot for himself. When he used the power and influence it carried to become the next chairman of the Tojo Clan, he would offer up half of the Tojo's territory to the Omi Alliance for his own profit.
Starter Villain: After the prologue and Time Skip, His men prove to be the first real antagonists that Kiryu faces and Shimano himself is fought not much later in the next chapter after dealing with even more of his goons. While he and his men, particularly Majima, survive the encounter to antagonize Kiryu further on in the story, he proves to be the very first of the Big Bad Ensemble to bite the dust.
A Sinister Clue: Powerful and ruthless, he wields a katana in his left hand in the original game. Averted in the Kiwami remake where he's instead right-handed.
Smug Snake: Shows shades of this in the first game. When brokering a deal with Lau Ka Long for Haruka's pendant, he scoffs at Nishikiyama's efforts to one-up him in the hunt for the 10 billion yen. But it turns out that Lau ended up selling the pendant to Nishikiyama instead because he offered Lau a larger share of the 10 billion yen than what Shimano offered.
Stout Strength: He's built like The Kingpin — looks fat with his suit on, but raw muscle underneath.
Taking You with Me: He's gunned down by Terada after his second fight in the first game, but not before he throws a grenade that kills Kazama.
Tattooed Crook: See below.
Tiger Versus Dragon: Has the tattoo of a tiger in contrast to Kiryu's silver dragon. Naturally, he's one of Kiryu's first major foes in the series and is fought twice before biting it.
Unskilled, but Strong:
- In the remake, he fights using the Mr. Shakedown moveset from 0, which means he just swings his arms around wildly and hard enough to knock Kiryu around. Frankly, his unarmed moveset in the original game didn't show all that much skill either, and has reappeared frequently in later games as the generic fighting style for the larger, brutish thugs.
- Subverted when he brings out the Katana, where he shows proper, dangerous skill with it. Better knock it out of his hands fast. Less so in Kiwami where he has a more unique one-handed style that's not quite as graceful.
Villain Has a Point:
- During Nishiki's chapter in Kiwami, he's approached by Shimano, who suggests Kazama isn't as kind as everyone makes him out to be for giving Nishikiyama his own family with men who were out of control and had no respect for him. He also points out that Yakuza are still criminals despite the structure and ideals so Kiryu being a patriarch killer does give him much more street cred.
- As far as his fluctuating loyalty to the Tojo Clan goes, Shimano's motives are not purely selfish; he is keen on ensuring that Dojima doesn't get his hands on the Empty Lot (and in the end, neither of them get it). Shimano fears that the clan would fall apart if someone like Dojima secured the lot and subsequently became the next chairman. This is not without basis, as Tachibana himself makes similar remarks during his meeting with Nihara, commenting that men like Dojima are better subordinates than leaders, and Dojima is shown to be a very reprehensible person.
Wake-Up Call Boss: In Kiwami mostly for the same reasons he's an Early-Bird Boss. Even ignoring that, he's very durable at the point in the game where he's fought so you have to get used to dodging and taking advantage of his openings consistently to get anywhere with him without losing too much health since he's also pretty damaging as well.
Weapon Across the Shoulder: Carries his katana this way in Kiwami.
Wouldn't Hit a Girl: Implied. When his female barber accidentally cuts his scalp while shaving him and is terrified, he simply chuckles and ignores her in favor of mutilating his underling for his recent failure. In the later released Yakuza 0, his proposed plan to gain ownership over the Empty Lot is surprisingly gentle towards Makoto Makimura in contrast to Sohei Dojima trying to have her killed off not long after he has her captured.
- Averted after his final defeat. He angrily tosses a grenade at Kazama even though Haruka's standing next to him. If Kazama hadn't used his own body to shield her completely, she definitely would've been seriously injured if not outright killed.
Would Hurt a Child: He did throw a grenade at Haruka after his final defeat after all.

Dojima Family

What was once the largest and most powerful family in the Tojo Clan, headed by Sohei Dojima. While much of the family's success is owed to his right hand man, Shintaro Kazama, Sohei's role is not insignificant. However, the family didn't survive the death of its ruthless patriarch, and was broken up shortly afterwards.

Sohei Dojima

Voiced by: Hisao Egawa

Dojima as he appears in Yakuza 0.

"Women and children oughta know… Yakuza are not to be fucked with."

The Patriarch of the Dojima family. Ruthless, violent and greedy, Dojima will stop at nothing and use whatever means to get what he wants. His death kicks off the first game when he suddenly has Kiryu's and Nishiki's childhood friend Yumi kidnapped and tries to have his way with her, but he ends up getting killed in cold blood by Nishiki instead. As killing one's Oyabun is seen as the worst offense a yakuza can take, Kiryu takes the blame and goes to prison for ten years to protect his friend. Sohei is survived by his wife Yayoi and son Daigo.

Dojima is furthered explored in Yakuza 2 through flashbacks, which reveals he was the one who called for the Jingweon Massacre, a move which resulted in his rise to prominence. He returns in the prequel Yakuza 0 which depicts the family at its prime, and is eager to get his hands on the Empty Lot needed for the Kamurocho Revitalization Project, which would land him the position of the Third Chairman of the Tojo Clan. With Kazama in prison, he puts his three lieutenants up to the task to make it happen.

Ambition Is Evil: His ambitions are matched only by his cruelty and eagerness to use violence to achieve them.
Asshole Victim: His murder at Nishiki's hands was pretty much entirely warranted after his many crimes, even with the horrible consequences it would carry for all those involved.
Big Bad: Of Yakuza 0. The game's plot is driven by his bid for the Empty Lot which would grant him full control of Kamurocho's real estate and likely raise him to the top of the Tojo Clan.
Bad Boss: Abducting and trying to rape Yumi in Yakuza 1 was a pretty good indicator of how little he cared about Kiryu, his own subordinate. But Yakuza 0 fleshes this out even more, showing that not only was he in on the Frame-Up of Kiryu for a murder he signed off on, he was all too willing to give his Lieutenants free reign to utterly torment and decimate Kiryu once it became clear he wouldn't stay out of their way. When his own personal assassin kills Awano, he shrugs it off as if he just lost an expendable tool than a valuable lieutenant.
Break the Haughty: The final act of 0 is essentially this to him.
The Chessmaster: How he's normally described.
Cigar Chomper: As befitting a man of his power, he is shown smoking cigars in a few scenes.
Cruel Mercy: In 0, Kiryu seeks expulsion from the Dojima family so that he can freely investigate the murder in the Empty Lot that he's being framed for, and Dojima saves him from Kuze's attempt to have him killed in retaliation. However, not only does Dojima then completely dismiss Kiryu's plan of discovering the true culprit he also makes it clear that he will punish Kazama for the incident, effectively squashing Kiryu's entire reason for seeking expulsion, leaving him utterly lost as a result. He's later revealed to have been in on the Frame-Up the entire time; the true killer was an assassin on his payroll.
Dirty Coward: Unlike his subordinates, who are unafraid to go to battle themselves, he turns into a quivering mess whenever his flunkies are dispatched or when he loses his weapon.
The Don: During the 80's, he was the head of the most powerful families of the Tojo Clan. After the events of 0 however, he became little more than a figurehead.
Even Evil Can Be Loved: Despite everything he's done, including cheating on her several times, Yayoi genuinely loved him, and remains faithful to him after his death.
Even Evil Has Standards: As noted below, this is his stance against the Jingweon Mafia, seeing them as too amoral even to Yakuza which is why he planned out the massacre. The statement of other characters long after his death as well as the actions of the Jingweon Mafia themselves in Yakuza 2 seemed to at least support this assessment.
Evil Genius: He's among the Tojo Clan's most ruthless and cunning leaders. When Makoto approaches him, willing to give him the rights to the Empty Lot in exchange for the heads of his three lieutenants, Dojima reveals that the bureaucrats heading the Millennium Tower's construction didn't even know of the Lot's existence, and would proceed with the construction as long as it remained a secret, which meant killing Makoto.
Evil Sounds Raspy: Speaks with a coarse, scratchy voice fitting for his sleazy, smug demeanor.
Fat Bastard: Overweight and underhanded, he fits this trope like a glove.
Glory Days: Dojima used to be one of the most powerful Tojo Clan patriarchs in the 80s. But after the events of 0, which saw the diminishment of the Dojima Family's power, all he can do now is try to coast on that glory in the following years. By the time Yakuza 1 starts, Dojima is still trying to cling onto the old days, having become nothing more than a figurehead for his family.
Greater-Scope Villain: While he appears prominently only in 0, he continues to affect the series well past his death.
Greed: His main defining trait. We get to see how far he is willing to go in 0.
Hate Sink: Between the first game and 0, he's rather lacking in any likeable traits as he's power-hungry, murderous, scheming, arrogant, callous, ruthless, unfaithful to his own wife to the point of being a known Serial Rapist in the first game and can't even back up his immense power in the Tojo with any sort of physical strength or ability. The nicest thing he's ever done is posthumously assist his son during his summon in Like A Dragon, something that likely only occurs in Ichiban's imagination.
Hoist by Their Own Petard: In his eagerness to secure the Empty Lot in 0 his plan ends up backfiring spectacularly. Not only does he lose control of the Empty Lot but his three most powerful lieutenants are all either in prison or dead, as is the expensive hitman who acted as his chief enforcer. This causes both the power and standing of the Dojima Family to plummet and by the first game it's implied Dojima himself is little more than a figurehead.
How the Mighty Have Fallen: Once almost all powerful in the Tojo Clan, he falls from grace after he lost the race to the Empty Lot and his 3 best men were either killed or thrown in prison. By the time of the first game, he's left clinging on to his glory days.
Irony: When he was at the height of his power, he vied for the position of chairman above everything else. But it would be his wife and son who gained that position (as interim chairman and Sixth chairman respectively), long after his death and his family scattered in the winds.
I Was Quite a Looker: Downplayed. He definitely was never a hunk but the flashbacks to 1980 in 2 depict him as having a somewhat thinner, sharper face with a stronger more defined jawline as well as a slightly larger, stronger looking upper body. Averted in the Kiwami 2 remake which more or less uses his appearance from 0 but with the addition of a beard.
Laser-Guided Karma: We knew he had it coming after he tried to rape Yumi, as well as his actions that drive the plot of Yakuza 2, but after everything he's done in 0, it's hard to feel any measure of sympathy towards Sohei when he's offed by Nishiki.
Mister Big: In a series where most characters of authority are tall and physically fit, he stands out by being short and fat.
Murder Is the Best Solution: His schemes always involve at least one person to die, be it to frame someone, keep witnesses silent or to get rid of a rival mob. His family is also infamous for slowly torturing their victims to the point their remains look barely human according to Nishiki.
Necessarily Evil:
- His schemes are what helped the Tojo into becoming the powerhouse it is in Kanto and even after his death the Dojima name carries weight (his wife and son are put in charge of the Tojo clan during and after crisis) but his methods and greed were actually frowned upon by the rest of the clan. 0's plot is mostly about how no one wants him as Chairman because then he can't be reined in.
- In the flashbacks to 1980 in 2, he claims that the Jingweon Mafia are amoral and dishonorable even by Yakuza standards and that they have to strike first and wipe them out before they do the same to the Dojima Family operating in Kamurocho. Shimano also backs up his statements as he's outraged over Kazama's hesitation when they've lost so many Dojima soldiers to the Jingweon.
Non-Action Big Bad: As he is a strategist and not much of a fighter, it is his top three enforcers and the hired killer who are fought as bosses.
Papa Wolf: While it's just part of Daigo's summon in Like A Dragon, his spirit is depicted as backing up his son alongside the other Tojo Clan figures.
The Peter Principle: In Yakuza 0, both Tachibana and Shimano end up having the same belief that Sohei gaining control over the Empty Lot and the Kamurocho Revitalization Project and thus securing a promotion to become the Tojo Clan's 3rd Chairman would be a massive mistake. While Tachibana discusses how he'd likely become Drunk with Power and abuse his power, Shimano outright states the Tojo Clan would fall apart with a man like Dojima in charge. Considering how hard Kazama's been working to keep Dojima from gaining control, it's likely he feels the same. While his ruthlessness and guile makes him a powerful patriarch he lacks the charisma and wisdom his son have to convince other patriarchs to follow Dojima willingly creating splinter factions. It is not helped either by Dojima voicing that he plans on killing Kazama, Shimano and Sera for working against him after he is Chairman, meaning the Tojo lose two patriarchs and the president of the Nikkyo Consortium with no warnings.
Power Trio: With both Kazama and Shimano in regards to the Jingweon incident flashback in the second game. He was the brains and leader.
Pragmatic Villainy: He turns out to be significantly smarter than Kuze in handling Kiryu's reaction to being framed for murder; rather than trying to threaten him and later have him killed (which doubtless only increased Kiryu's suspicions that something was horribly off about the whole thing), he honors his request to seek expulsion from the clan, but also uses Cruel Mercy to hammer home how meaningless his efforts really are. If Kiryu wasn't such a stubborn Determinator, it's likely that Dojima's act of mercy would have wrapped up the entire matter.
Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: He gets killed for trying this with Yumi. It's even implied that he was a Serial Rapist long before he had his eyes on Yumi, which also meant he regularly cheated on his wife as well.
Saved by Canon: The finale of 0 has Majima dead set on putting an end to the Dojima Family once and all with the express intent of knocking off Dojima himself. We all know he's gonna survive since it's his death at the hands of Nishiki in the prologue of the first game that sets the plot in motion.
Serial Rapist: In the first game, he's become infamous around town for having his men kidnap women off the streets so he can have his way with them. He gets gunned down in the first chapter by Nishiki for trying this on Yumi.
Sinister Shades: He's always wearing large sunglasses, and they really help accentuate how much of a sleazy scumbag he is.
Smug Snake: He puts on an air of superiority and is generally very haughty, but as soon as the tables are turned on him, he turns into a quivering mess and can only grit his teeth.
Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: He's an ugly, dwarfish man while his wife Yayoi looks like a classical Japanese beauty. The flashbacks in the PS2 version of 2 imply he might not have always been so much uglier than her.
Weak Boss, Strong Underlings: Sohei Dojima is a short, pudgy, physically unimpressive Non-Action Big Bad who's easily taken care of in the ending of 0 once he's completely run out of cannon fodder with no way to escape. His success as a yakuza is owed primarily to his ruthless ambitions having at some point or another the support of some of the most powerful figures in the Tojo Clan's history. To name a few we have Shintaro Kazama, Futoshi Shimano, Daisaku Kuze, Hiroki Awano, and Keiji Shibusawa.
We Hardly Knew Ye: Despite being a fairly major figure in the Tojo Clan and the original namesake of Kiryu's legendary title, he is killed off about as quickly as he is introduced. This is later amended in future games (2 but especially 0) which delve deeper into what he was like in life.
Would Hit a Girl: He doesn't do so directly, but he makes his stance on the matter crystal clear in 0; as he states himself even women and children should know that "yakuza are not to be fucked with". Also his first proper introduction in the series is trying to rape Yumi, and there are even rumors that he does things like that a lot.

Yayoi Dojima

Voiced by: Orine Fukushima (Yakuza, Yakuza 2), Mio Kouchi (Kiwami, Kiwami 2)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/3269391_yayoi_yk2.png

Dojima as she appears in Yakuza Kiwami 2.

Introduced as Sohei Dojima's Crusading Widow, who nurses a grudge towards Kiryu for killing her husband and directly challenges him in the first game after he's released from prison. However, after he beats down her mooks, she quickly comes to realize that he took the fall for someone else, and Kiryu promises to tell her the truth once he's settled everything.

She plays a much larger role in the sequel, where she becomes the Interim Chairman of the Tojo Clan following Terada's death, and tries to guide it through one of its darkest hours when the Omi Alliance wages war against the clan along with the Jingweon Mafia. Kiryu offers not only to negotiate with the Omi Alliance as part of Terada's will, but also tracks down her son Daigo, believing he's the one who should lead the clan. Once Daigo is willing to step up and lead, she steps down and allows her son to take the mantle of the Sixth Chairman of the Tojo Clan, and has been absent from the series since.

Absurdly Youthful Mother: Looks remarkably young for her age, enough to get Shindo's attention.
All Girls Want Bad Boys: Despite cheating on her and being a ruthless bastard, she's only had her eye for Sohei Dojima and remains faithful to him even after his death.
Ascended Extra: She appears briefly in the first game in a substory that can be easily missed. She plays a significantly larger role in the second game's main story.
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Despite playing a major role in Yakuza 2 as the Interim Chairman of the Tojo Clan, after her son takes over the Tojo Clan, she effectively disappears from the series.
Damsel in Distress: When Shindo betrays the clan in the sequel, he tries to have his way with her.
Informed Ability: She's supposedly capable of handling herself with a sword but she's never seen doing anything but waving it around threateningly.
Iron Lady: Just because she looks traditional on the outside, she's a force to be reckoned with and is more than just a yakuza's widow. She's fearsome in her own right who even Kashiwagi would give a wide berth.
Katanas Are Just Better: Her favored weapon and doesn't hesitate to pull it out on anyone. She tosses it to Kiryu to assist him during his fight with Shindo.
Kimono Is Traditional: She sports a kimono and a geisha hairstyle, giving her this vibe. But a delicate flower she isn't.
Lady of War: She's an effective leader who will pull out her sword and scare the ever-living hell out of anybody who challenges her authority, and tells her men to take no prisoners when Sengoku's men invade Kamurocho.
No Accounting for Taste: Sohei Dojima was an utterly vile, repugnant man who — among his numerous acts of atrocities — regularly cheated on his wife with reckless abandon. Yet somehow, Yayoi still loves him enough to try avenging him after his death and even states that he was the only man for her despite knowing his tendencies. One has to wonder just what this woman ever saw in the guy to begin with.
Older Than They Look: At the bare minimum, she'd have to be in her late 40s during the events of Yakuza 2 since her son Daigo is thirty years old at the time. However, no one would blame you for taking one look at her and thinking that she's in her 20s.
The Queenpin: Oh yes, son. Oh yes. Yayoi led the Tojo clan through one of its darkest hours, and kept the families together through sheer force of personality. Even before that, she held enough respect and authority that she was able to commandeer what's left of the Dojima Family to get revenge on Kiryu.
Quickly-Demoted Woman: She's not counted among the Chairmen of the Tojo Clan, despite having guided it through one of its darkest hours. Still, it's impressive that she managed to attain leadership at all. Once Daigo steps up, she relinquishes her position and allows him to take over the clan. Justified as she was interim Chairman and not an officialized one, much like Kashiwagi in 3.
Reasonable Authority Figure: When members of the Tojo Clan call for war immediately following Terada's death, she believes it should be avoided instead, considering it's not in the Clan's best interest in the state that it's in.
Remember the New Guy?: She is the only example in the entire series of a character in a completely optional substory becoming a main character in the sequel. Thus, if you missed her substory, you might be confused wondering why someone as apparently significant as her never appeared in the first game, especially in the optional recap in the prologue of 2 that features her scenes from the first game.
Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Look at Sohei, then look at her. It's a mystery for the ages how these two ever managed to click, let alone got hitched...
Unexpected Successor: She was only acting Chairman because of circumstances but given that she was the widow of a fallen from grace patriarch it's quite a pull.
The Unfought: She challenges Kiryu directly in the first game armed with a sword, but backs off once Kiryu takes down her mooks and realizes he wasn't her husband's real killer.

Nishikiyama Family

One of the youngest Families formed by Akira Nishikiyama after Dojima's death with Kashiwagi's blessing for his service to Kazama. The family at first proves to have no respect towards him, as they viewed him as a bootlicker. Due to Nishiki's hardships and finally asserting control in a ruthless manner they became one of the most ambitious and traitorous families in the clan. Following Nishiki's death, its members house a tremendous grudge against Kiryu, and their Patriarchs often defy the Tojo's authority and attempt to kill Kiryu at the first opportunity as a result of the arrogance of the newfound power they get in both games (by absorbing Shimano's family and in the sequel, recruiting Mine, a skilled moneymaker to the Tojo) which never ends well (for them). Disbanded as of the fourth game.

Akira Nishikiyama

Voiced by: Kazuhiro Nakaya, Michael Rosenbaum (Yakuza, English version)

Portrayed by: Claude Maki (live-action film)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nishikiyk.jpg

Nishiki as he appears in Kiwami.

^{Click here} to see Nishiki as he appears in Yakuza 0.

"Brother! Hold out! Someday... if the time ever comes where you have to cross that line... then I'll cross it with you!"

Known as "Nishiki" to his closest friends, he's Kiryu's best friend who joined the Dojima family the same time his friend did. Also raised by Shintaro Kazama in the Sunflower Orphanage, while Kiryu joined the yakuza to repay and help the man who raised him, Nishiki was more interested in rising the ranks and making it to the top unlike his uptight friend. He was one of Kiryu's strongest allies during the events of Yakuza 0, and while his loyalties were challenged, his role in the situation earned him standing in the Dojima family and allowed him to climb the ranks along with his blood brother.

In spite of that, Nishiki also suffered an inferiority complex toward Kiryu, whom many others seemed to favor. He even had strong feelings for Yumi Sawamura, who grew up with them in the same orphanage, but her affections were aimed only toward Kiryu. He also has a sister, Yuko, who grew ill and he was struggling to support. One night in December 1995, Yumi was suddenly kidnapped by Sohei Dojima. By the time Kiryu got there, he discovered that Nishiki had already murdered Dojima in cold blood to protect Yumi from an Attempted Rape at his hands. As killing your Oyabun is considered one of the worst possible offenses for a yakuza, it would have been all over for him, but considering Yuko's deteriorating health, Kiryu made a snap decision and took the fall for his friend and went to jail for ten years.

Shortly afterward, Yumi lost her memories and disappeared, and in spite of his efforts Yuko succumbed to her illness. With all of those closest to him gone, Nishiki abandoned his ideals and pursued his ambitions, leading him down a road that would eventually lead to his downfall. He's a changed man by the time Kiryu leaves prison, eager to get the 10 billion yen and get everything he wants, including Yumi, control of the Tojo Clan and his life, while proving himself superior to his old friend.

See his page for tropes on him

Shinji Tanaka

Voiced by: Takafumi Yamaguchi (Yakuza), Tomokazu Sugita (Kiwami), Daniel Capellaro (Yakuza English version)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shinjiyk.jpg

Shinji as he appears in Kiwami.

A former member of the Dojima family who joined the yakuza out of admiration for Kiryu, becoming his faithful younger "brother". Following the family's dissolution after Dojima's murder, he joins the Nishikiyama family as a mole for Kazama and remains a loyal ally to Kiryu throughout the ordeal of the game.

All Men Are Perverts: He enjoys going to soaplands, and in the expanded prologue for Kiwami, he's nothing but a full blown pervert eager to get Kiryu laid. When Kiryu needs a lot of money from him later on, Shinji convinces himself that he's finally become one with the pleasures of the red light district and gladly gives him whatever he needs, when Kiryu is just trying to get Yumi's stolen ring back.
Badass Longcoat: After Kiryu's release from prison, it's revealed that Shinji added a pretty imposing longcoat to his wardrobe.
Continuity Cameo: 16 year-old Shinji appears in the prequel Yakuza 0 during a sidequest where he tries to kill Kiryu out of hatred for the yakuza.
Dark and Troubled Past: His appearance in 0 expands on his history, giving him a hatred of Yakuza due to them destroying his family by tricking his father into a loan and then beating him when he couldn't pay, in turn leading to his father beating him until Shinji snapped and hit back. This lead to Shinji joining a street gang to get away from the depressing sight of his alcoholic father.
The Determinator: Tries to rescue an injured Reina from Nishiki and his men, apparently leaving behind several pools of blood to get from the Serena bar to the Champion's District across town. He still manages to beat down a group of Yakuza during the escape.
Died in Your Arms Tonight: In Kiryu's.
Forgotten Fallen Friend: Downplayed. One substory in 2 has Kiryu beat down a pair of thugs impersonating him and Shinji, partially out of anger that someone's impersonating his dead junior. Later games in the story feature less reference to Shinji as Kiryu moves on from his friend's death.
Hero-Worshipper: After saving his life in 0 Shinji decided to enter the yakuza and follow Kiryu's footsteps.
The Lancer: Becomes Kiryu's in the first game, although he acts more behind the scenes.
Missing Mom: His mother left him and his father behind at the first sign of trouble with her husband's loan debts. Given the Yakuza's methods this was a smart choice, but the fact that she didn't bring Shinji with her says a lot about her character.
The Mole: Shinji joins Nishiki's family as a mole working for Kazama, and remains loyal to Kiryu after he's released from prison.
Pipe Pain: In 0, he attacks Kiryu with a lead pipe in a substory in a bid to get revenge on the local yakuza. Obviously it's not too effective though.
Purple Is Powerful: In his early days not so much, but it gets played straight after he toughens up in the 10-year timeskip.
Took a Level in Badass: During Kiryu's stint in prison, Shinji went from a goofball ranker to a slick, gun-toting, longcoat-wearing lieutenant advisor.
Undying Loyalty: To Kiryu throughout the first game. 0 reveals this is due to Kiryu saving him from a small-fry family of Yakuza and inspiring him.
With Friends Like These...: In 0, someone in the street gang he runs with sells him out to a small Yakuza family to save their own hide.

Koji Shindo

Voiced by: Tomoyuki Dan (2), Taichi Setogawa (Kiwami), Takahiro Kageyama (Kiwami 2), Peter Lurie (Yakuza, English version)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yakuza_shindo.png

Shindo as he appears in Yakuza Kiwami 2

A lieutenant of the Nishikiyama Family who eventually becomes its second patriarch, living up to the family's growing reputation by being an overly ambitious jerk. He appears briefly in the first game, leading the ambush against Kiryu in Serena's back alley. He appears again in the sequel as the family's patriarch, holding a grudge against Kiryu for the fall of their leader.

Ascended Extra: In the first game he appears a single time leading a gang of mooks, but returns as the patriarch of the Nishikiyama Family in the second, and he's not happy about the circumstances behind his promotion.
Character Death: Following his defeat and expulsion from the clan, Shindo goes for a gun but Daigo shoots him dead.
Cowardly Boss: In the second game, he'll usually run off when he's taken enough damage.
Flunky Boss: In your first battle with him, he's surrounded by several mooks.
Foreshadowing: He's present for Terada's funeral in the 2nd game despite earlier voicing his intentions to have the Nishikiyama Family leave the Tojo Clan. Not to mention the smug smile he cracks when Kiryu and his allies run outside to deal with the Omi Alliance gatecrashing. Turns out, he sold the Tojo Clan out to the Omi Alliance and stages a violent coup by offing several commanding officers.
Evil Is Bigger: Physically towers over most of the cast, even larger characters like Kiryu and Nishiki.
Evil Is Petty: Refuses to provide support for Kiryu out of spite for what he did to the Nishikiyama Family, including the death of their patriarch. This is in spite of the fact that Nishiki chose to die on his own terms.
Hate Sink: In the second game, he seems to have absolutely no traits that'll make you like him. He betrays you later on and you're going to love kicking his ass again.
I Have You Now, My Pretty: Holds Yayoi Dojima hostage, and tries to have his way with her.
Insane Troll Logic: Not only does he think he'll become the next chairman of the Tojo Clan after he's sold it out to Sengoku, in which several Tojo members are killed, but he compares his lust for Yayoi to Kiryu and Nishiki both fighting over Yumi in the first game, thinking he and Kiryu aren't that different when the truth of the matter was a lot more complicated than that.
Jerkass: Especially in the sequel.
Jerkass Has a Point: While the context behind it doesn't give him any justification, Shindo does have a point in saying that Yayoi has no reason to remain faithful to her late husband, considering how he constantly cheated on her.
Katanas Are Just Better: His weapon in both of his boss fights.
Laser-Guided Karma: After trying to have his way with Yayoi Dojima, he can get cut up by her sword during a Quick Time Event and later gets shot dead by her son Daigo.
Light Is Not Good: Always wears light-colored suits and is never on Kiryu's side. Naturally when he switches to a white suit in 2, he shows just how loathesome of a person he actually is.
Leitmotif: In Yakuza 2, he gets "The Grudge", named after the grudge he holds against Kiryu, blaming him for Nishiki's death a year prior. It gets replaced with "Break Off" in Kiwami 2, instead being named after his intentions to have the Nishiki Family break off from the Tojo Clan since they continue to support the man he holds said grudge against.
Moveset Clone: His katana skills in Kiwami are identical to that of Nishiki's historical look-alike Izo Okada from Ishin. In Kiwami 2, he's now a Moveset Clone of Goh Hamazaki's historical look-alike Ito Kashitaro though it helps that his style of katana fighting was already very similar to the way Shindo fought in the original Yakuza 2 right down to the sword stance itself.
Nothing Personal: In the first game when he attacks Kiryu outside Serena, he simply says it's on Nishiki's orders. After Nishiki's death, however, it becomes a lot more personal in the second game.
Number Two: He's Nishiki's lieutenant, and becomes the family's second patriarch.
Romancing the Widow: He lusts after Dojima's wife and tries to take her for himself in the second game. Technically speaking, he finds himself on the receiving end of her sword for this.
Smug Snake: He's so blinded by his delusions of taking over the Tojo Clan that he thinks he's unstoppable.
The Starscream: In the second game, he sells out the Tojo Clan to Sengoku.
Sword and Fist: One of his combos in Kiwami 1 has him use a variation of sweeping kick.
Undying Loyalty: To Nishiki. In the second game, Yayoi orders him to assist Kiryu against the Go-Ryu Clan and the Jingweon Mafia, but he refuses to help, after the damage Kiryu did to the family a year before. They remain loyal to Nishiki in spite of his betrayal, and are more than willing to risk being expelled from the clan for it.
Villain in a White Suit: Much like his boss did, he dons a white suit in 2 and he turns out to be far more detestable than Nishiki ever was.

Kazuto Arase

Voiced by: Hayato Horiuchi (Kiwami), Hidenori Takahashi (Yakuza Online)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tumblr_p2ouf7nytx1wsksg3o1_1280.png

Arase as he appears in Yakuza Kiwami.

A skilled hitman who holds the rank of a sergeant in the Nishikiyama Family and was responsible for Reina's and Shinji's deaths. Following his defeat by Kiryu in the first game, he found himself ridiculed by the other members of the Nishikiyama family and was eventually disowned by them, and forms a group comprised of other disowned yakuza members. He blames Kiryu for ruining his life and has sworn revenge on him for it. He also appears in Dead Souls where he can be recruited as an ally.

Aborted Arc: The end to his optional questline in Yakuza 3 implied he was gonna try to go after Kiryu again later and Dead Souls had him reappear and remind him that he's planning to go after him once the Zombie Apocalypse has been resolved, but he's yet to make any sort of reappearance in the series. With Kiryu no longer being the main character of the series, it's questionable if we'll ever see him again.
Adaptational Attractiveness: He looks younger than the original game in the first Kiwami.
Authority Equals Asskicking: While it's present to some extent as the former sergeant of the Nishikiyama Family in the first game, it's more definite by the time of the third game where he's the become the leader of an organization of assassins called the Avengers/Reapers and is their most dangerous member.
Badass Longcoat: It's red!
Boss Battle: Well, duh.
Combat Pragmatist: Doesn't hesitate to use guns in a fistfight where he's already aided by several flunkies.
Disproportionate Retribution: A victim of this. He was kicked out of the Nishikiyama family for his failure to kill Kiryu. This is ignoring the fact that he was still able to kill Reina, who tried to assassinate Nishiki, and Shinji, who revealed himself as a traitor when he aided in her escape. It's even more egregious when you consider that Shindo got a similar job only to also fail with nothing else to show for it, yet remained in the family and still had enough prestige among them to become the next Chairman after Nishiki's death. With that in mind, while it doesn't justify him killing Shinji and Reina, it can be hard to blame him for starting the Reapers to target Yakuza.
Dual Boss: During said sidequest in the third game, he's assisted by his second-in-command Hideki Shinzaki.
Easily Forgiven: Under Nishiki's orders, he ended up murdering two of Kiryu's closest friends and allies in cold blood and then flashing a smug grin while Kiryu is completely outraged. Despite this, Yakuza 3 reveals that Kashiwagi and his Honest Living Association have been trying to track him down to help him with being disowned from the Nishikiyama Family for his failures. He ends up forming an organization dedicated to hunting down other former Yakuza members called the Avengers/Reapers and specifically tries to kill Kiryu himself. After Kiryu takes him and his second-in-command down in combat, the current head of the HLA, Ibuki arrives to try and talk him down and offer him a chance to rehabilitate in the HLA with even Kiryu trying to convince him despite how much Arase has done and how much Kiryu has been personally affected by such actions.
Enemy Mine: In Dead Souls, Arase can be a recruitable ally against the zombie outbreak. He bluntly tells Kiryu he'll go after him again once the zombie problem blows over.
Expy: Wears a red longcoat, red sunglasses, black shirt, black trousers and black boots. Wields two automatic pistols... this is the yakuza version of Alucard. He also fires his guns crazy just like Dante.
Flunky Boss: He never fights alone, and he'll take shots at Kiryu while he's occupied fighting someone else.
"Get Back Here!" Boss: He normally runs away from Kiryu if he tries to engage in melee combat and gets a perfect vantage point where he can shoot Kiryu.
Guns Akimbo: Which makes him an absolute pain to fight against.
Gun Fu: Armed with two guns and will flip, throw kicks, and roll around the rooftop even laying down fire in the midst of acrobatics at times.
The Gunslinger: In a country where guns are fairly hard to come by, forcing several of Kiryu's enemies to rely more on fists, blade, and blunt weapons, his reliance on two pistols combined with his usage of Gun Fu make for a very distinctive opponent.
Hero Killer: Him and his men are responsible for the deaths of Reina and Shinji.
Leitmotif: "Turning Point" in the first game, which later gets remixed to "End Point" in the third game where he is the Super Boss. It's remixed again in Kiwami as "Vertical Point".
Moveset Clone: In 3, he shares the same attacks as Andre Richardson when he has both his pistols out though it helps that several of Richardson's attacks already made him a slightly more complex, modernized version of Arase's fighting style so it doesn't make much of a difference.
- An odd recursive example in Kiwami. Arase is technically one to Hiroshi Hayashi/Hiroki Awano's historical counterpart in Ishin, Takeda Kanryusai. However, Takeda's fighting style is just a streamlined version of the Mysterious Agent/Andre Richardson who already just used a modernized version of Arase's original fighting style with new attacks on top. Remove those new attacks and you effectively just end up back with Arase's fighting style but more mobile.
Psychotic Smirk: Gives one when he shows Kiryu Reina's bullet-riddled corpse.
Red and Black and Evil All Over: Red jacket, black clothes, and a ruthless hitman.
Redemption Rejection: Ibuki of the HLA and Kiryu offer to take him in and give him a chance to rehabilitate and use his natural charisma for an honest living, but he refuses, referring to the two of them as naive. While he's legitimately rather moved that there's still people wanting to reach out to him like that and is willing to stop targetting the HLA, he can't forgive Kiryu for the way his life fell apart and vows to face him in combat again.
Short Range Guy, Long Range Guy: During his boss fight in the third game, he's the two-pistol-carrying Long Range Guy to the knife-wielding Shinzaki's Short Range Guy.
Sinister Shades: He always sports them.
Sunglasses at Night: Which is when he's always fought.
Trigger-Happy: Nishikiyama's underlings try to wrap things up before he arrives because he tends to go all gun blazing.
We Will Meet Again: Vows to one day beat Kiryu after he's defeated in Yakuza 3. He's yet to make good on that promise.

Matsushige

Voiced by: Hitoshi Ikeda

Matsushige as he appears in Kiwami.

A top earner in the Kazama family who is introduced in Kiwami. When Nishiki is given his own family after Kiryu's arrest, members of the Kazama family were transferred over to serve under him. Like the others, Matsushige treats his new boss with nothing but disdain and utter disrespect, thinking Nishiki, more of a junior officer, is beneath him and should be serving under him instead. Out of control and using whatever means necessary to make money, he takes advantage of Nishiki's desperation to save his sister for his own gain. He'd much rather serve under someone like Kiryu instead.

Even Evil Has Standards: He's a real piece of work, but even he seems to have distaste for compulsive gamblers whose habits has caused them to rack up insurmountable debt... like the doctor Nishiki trusted and just gave 30 million yen to.
Evil Sounds Deep: Has a deep, gruff voice and the primary source of conflict for Nishiki once he started to lead his own Family in the Tojo Clan.
Greed: He'll use whatever means necessary to get money and it's all he cares about.
Gutted Like a Fish: He's stabbed by Nishiki, but given how much blood came gushing out of him, it's implied that Nishiki sliced him open as well.
Hate Sink: Oh boy. The moment he's introduced, you know why Nishiki ended up Jumping Off the Slippery Slope.
Jerkass: A huge one. He acts with total insubordination due to seeing Nishiki as a nobody who rose through the Tojo Clan's ranks via sucking up.
Jerkass Has a Point: As much of a jerk he is, he has his justifications for acting the way he does.
- While he is an absolute scumbag about it, Matsuhige did have a point that someone green like Nishiki, who only got as far as he could through his connections, would never earn the respect of his subordinates.
- He also points out that Nishiki really shouldn't be so pissed at him collecting money on Kashiwagi's turf when Nishiki explicitly told him he doesn't care what methods he uses to get cash. He also points out that sticking to their own turf wouldn't get Nishiki the money he wanted, given that Japan was still reeling from the bursting of the bubble economy.
- His callous disrespect towards Nishiki while still thinking Kiryu would have made a better boss is a solid train of thought considering that Nishiki is an unknown while Kiryu earned his respect from other Yakuza (despite the Dojima incident). When one just rockets to the top like that, one isn't going to gain immediate respect. Likewise, Nishiki gets all the respect he needs after gutting a disobedient underling like Matsuhige who shook down other clan's territory.
Just Eat Gilligan: A lot of the problems Nishiki had with him would have been resolved had he shown more of a backbone towards Matsushige and actively tried to discipline him. Technically, he finally does end up punishing Matsushige for his behavior.
Lack of Empathy: When he walks in on Nishiki mourning his sister's death, all he cares about is getting paid.
Laser-Guided Karma: Considering everything he puts Nishiki through, it's no surprise that Nishiki ends up killing him in cold blood.
Perma-Stubble: Just short of becoming a Beard of Evil.
Reassigned to Antarctica: As a former senior earner of the Kazama Family, he sees him being assigned to Nishikiyama as him being kicked to prop up some fledgling nobody which explains why he's so surly.
Small Role, Big Impact: We never see or hear about this guy in Kiryu's side of the story, but his lack of respect for his own boss Nishiki combined with his own philosophy of gaining power and wealth through any means necessary plays a significant role in turning Nishiki into the man he is in the present day. Later revealed to be a Posthumous Character since the last Kiwami flashback reveals that Nishiki stabbed him to death.
Sinister Shades: Always sports them, even at night!
Villains Never Lie: While he's a huge asshole about it, he's completely upfront about his business dealings to Nishiki and never outright goes behind his back (primarily so that Nishiki will be the one taking responsibility in the end).

Kazama Family

The 'nice' family, the Kazama Family has been Tojo's main source of successes after their involvement in the empty Vacant Lot Dispute and surviving the ruthless assault led by the Dojima Family led to the appointment of Masaru Sera as the third Chairman. Kiryu's main allies through the games, though they are thought of as somewhat ineffectual due to their focus on the needs of the Clan over their own. Broken up after the death of Kashiwagi in Yakuza 3.

Shintaro Kazama

Voiced by: Tetsuya Watari, Roger L. Jackson (Yakuza, English version)

Portrayed by: Sansei Shiomi (live-action film)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fumakazamayk.jpg

Kazama as he appears in Kiwami.

Shintaro Kazama (known as Shintaro Fuma in the early English releases) was the Dojima Family Captain and the Patriarch of the Kazama Family. A retired premier hitman for the Tojo Clan, he is considered one of the their most exceptional men in terms of literal strength and strength of character, and much of the Dojima Family's success is owed to him.

A man who is held in the highest regard by most who know of him, he had also established the Sunflower Orphanage where Kiryu, Nishiki and Yumi were raised, who saw him as a father figure. To his dismay, one day Kiryu and Nishiki revealed their intentions to join the yakuza to follow in his footsteps, which lead to a harsh beatdown on them in a failed attempt to dissuade them. But after Kiryu explained his dream of winning the same respect and fame Kazama had achieved, they were both allowed into the Dojima Family. Although Kiryu joined in hopes to help him and repay Kazama for everything he's done for him, Nishiki wanted to climb the ranks of the yakuza world.

Six months prior to the events of Yakuza 0, Kazama was sent to jail after a police raid on a gambling site he led. In his absence, the three lieutenants of the Dojima Family began jockeying for his position as Captain, who were likely involved in selling him out in the first place. However, even behind bars he remains an effective force behind the events that occur.

Some time afterward, Kiryu was kidnapped and tortured by the Snake Flower Triad after the Dojima Family set them up with fake passports for a large sum of money. With Kiryu on the brink of death, Kazama came and rescued him, while taking a bullet to the leg that would eventually require him to walk with a cane. Years later when Yumi is kidnapped by Dojima, he tries to dissuade Kiryu from going after Nishiki, believing he would lose all of them, and found himself unable to help Kiryu during his prison sentence and to prevent Nishiki from pursuing his ambitions. He's incapacitated before he can explain everything that's going on to Kiryu right after he leaves prison, but knows the truth behind Sera's murder, Haruka and her parents and the missing 10 billion yen, finally revealing it all when Kiryu meets up with him again. It's also revealed that prior to Sera's death, he allowed Kazama to name the next chairman of the Tojo Clan, a title he gave to Kiryu.

He's also shown in flashbacks in Yakuza 2, playing a key role in the Jingweon Massacre incident.

The Ace: Before Kiryu, Kazama was the patron saint of the yakuza. Kiryu wanted to join the yakuza life because of how awesome his adoptive father was.
Always Someone Better: A heroic version. 0 reveals that many of his fellow yakuza, even his boss Sohei Dojima, saw him as an insurmountable obstacle to the top as he represented prestige that they felt incapable of achieving without relying on the most underhanded and brutal of means.
Alternate Character Interpretation: In-universe in Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, a former occupant of the Sunflower orphanage that Kiryu and Nishiki grew up in claims that Kazama simply used the orphanage as a way of getting young people to feel indebted to him. Kiryu admits to himself that the Undying Loyalty he felt toward Kazama in his younger days could very easily have gotten twisted into brainwashing. Ultimately, he stands by the belief that Kazama's love for the kids he took in was sincere.
The Atoner: He killed Kiryu's biological parents in a hit. Given that he places all the children of his targets in Sunflower Orphanage, it can be reasoned he killed Nishiki's and Yumi's parents as well.
Big Damn Heroes:
- In a flashback in the first game when Kiryu was kidnapped and tortured by Lau Ka Long, Shintaro comes guns ablazin' and rescues him, having suffered from the wound that forces him to walk with a cane in the present.
- He does this again in a flashback when Jingu and Sera try to have Yumi and an infant Haruka killed, shooting the hitman.
Big Good: In 0, everyone on Kiryu's side holds him in the highest regard. He sets up the game's events to prevent his boss Sohei Dojima from getting the Empty Lot and taking leadership of the Tojo Clan. Even some of his enemies view him as a cut above the rest, which is partly why they oppose him.
Broken Pedestal: The Kiwami remake of 1 implies that Shimano telling Nishiki that the only reason Kazama promoted him to the head of his own Clan was to make way for Kiryu when he gets out of jail led to Nishiki becoming embittered towards him to the point that he's willing to personally attempt to assassinate him with a rifle.
Career-Ending Injury: In a flashback, when he stormed the Snake Flower Triad's hideout to rescue Kiryu, he was noticeably bleeding from his leg. It's implied that his need for a cane to helping him walk is a result of the leg injury that he sustained years ago. While he's still in the yakuza business, said injury likely meant that he could no longer continue his profession as a yakuza hitman.
The Chessmaster: A heroic variation. The entirety of 0 is him using Tachibana, Sera and Kiryu to prevent Dojima from taking over the Tojo Clan. He accounted for everything... except for Majima.
Died in Your Arms Tonight: He dies in Kiryu's after revealing the truth about his parents to him.
Didn't Think This Through: Presumably why he assigned Matsushige to Nishiki when the latter was starting off as head of his own clan was to give him a competent if unruly subordinate that would prove to be of great value if Nishiki learned to properly control him. Unfortunately he didn't and the ensuing failure and hardships led to him becoming the powerhungry villain of the first game (and thanks to Shimano, drove a serious rift between the two since Nishiki came to believe that Kazama set him up for failure).
Dirty Business: Kashiwagi explains in the second game that he was clearly against orders from Dojima to carry out the Jingweon massacre. But as Kashiwagi puts it, for the yakuza, the boss' order is law.
Dragon-in-Chief: In the first game, Nishiki claims that Kazama's the only reason why the Dojima Family is kept afloat as one of the Tojo Clan's most powerful Families.
Dub Name Change: His last name was changed from Kazama to Fuma (an Alternate Character Reading) in the English dub, likely to avoid confusion with our hero Kazuma.
Easily Forgiven: As he's dying, he tells Kiryu that he was the one who killed his parents. Kiryu forgives him just before he dies, saying that he always considered Kazama to be his real father.
Evil Parents Want Good Kids: While certainly far from evil, Kazama's still a yakuza hitman. He wants Kiryu and Nishiki to both have normal lives as civilians rather than follow in his footsteps as a yakuza, knowing the burden they would have to bear. In fact, a large part of his entire plan in 0 was actually trying to get Kiryu to leave the yakuza life behind by setting him up with an honest job. He's tragically proven right, especially for Nishiki...
Give Him a Normal Life: He really didn't want Kiryu and Nishiki to join the yakuza, even if they wanted to follow in his footsteps. It was even part of his plan in 0 for Kiryu to get involved with Tachibana Real Estate so he could learn to make an honest living without the yakuza. It didn't work.
Guns Akimbo: His method of combat as shown in flashbacks.
Handicapped Badass: In the first game, he walks with a noticeable limp in his right leg, but is held in no lesser esteem than a fit man. It's later shown that the limp was caused by an injury he got while saving Kiryu's life from the Snake Flower Triad.
The Hero's Idol: Kiryu's ideals as a Yakuza are inspired by Kazama; he pursues the image of Neighbourhood-Friendly Gangsters that work for the community, something Kazama does behind the scenes like funding orphanages and aid groups. Ironically, Kazama never wanted Kiryu to become yakuza in the first place out of fear of him being trenched in the dark reality of organized crime, where most of their clan is outright villainous and actively opposed to Kazama.
Heroic Sacrifice: He shields Haruka from a grenade thrown by Shimano.
Hitman with a Heart: He doesn't just help out those he raises; Kazuki credits him for teaching him the ropes to run a business. He really tried to go out of his way to stop the Jingweon massacre, against the orders of his ruthless boss. While he was a loyal enough Yakuza to go along with countless hits, he felt enough guilt for children left parentless to construct an orphanage for them.
Hypercompetent Sidekick: By the time of the first game, it's Captain Kazama running the Dojima family while Sohei Dojima can only ruminate upon his past glories.
Only a Flesh Wound: Subverted. When he rescued Kiryu from Lau Ka Long's torture, he was shot in the leg, causing him to wobble and kneel to the ground. Unfortunately, this was the moment when he couldn't walk properly again.
The Mentor: Clearly the mentor figure for Kiryu, and the more sensible of the older characters.
Mr. Exposition: He's the one who brings Kiryu up to speed about Yumi, the truth behind Mizuki, Haruka and the missing 10 billion yen.
Might as Well Not Be in Prison at All: While Kazama doesn't manipulate the events of 0 from prison over the course of the game, he effectively orchestrated the entire story. There are some hints that he planned all of this out in advance in case of his imprisonment (especially since it's rumored that he was set up by one of the Dojima lieutenants) but it's never made clear.
Mysterious Backer: To Dr. Emoto. Kazama finances the clinic, allowing Emoto to treat people at no cost, but the doctor has never met the man directly.
Neighbourhood-Friendly Gangsters: Kiryu joined the Tojo Clan in the first place largely because he was inspired by the example Kazama seemed to set of an oldschool Yakuza that was badass, highly respected, and adhered to a code of honor and morality that evidently inspired Kiryu's current set of ideals. While his past as a hitman makes it questionable if he's always been like this, from what little that's been shown, he still did the best he could in spite of his unsavory occupation.
Noble Top Enforcer: Introduced as Captain of the Dojima Family and has far more morals than his Patriarch ever did.
Number Two: He's Sohei Dojima's right-hand man, and is largely credited for the success of the Dojima Family as one of its captains.
Parental Substitute: For Kiryu, Nishiki and Yumi. Kiryu in particular saw him as a father.
Professional Killer: He was one of the top hitmen for the Tojo Clan.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The blue to Futoshi's red.
Say My Name: "Shimano!" "Kazuma!"
Token Good Teammate: Of the Dojima family, the patriarch and lieutenants hated his guts for it but he was just too good at the job to not keep around even if he objects the more evil options.
Worf Had the Flu: He's one of the best, if not the best yakuza to ever grace the Tojo Clan, and he's firmly on the side of the heroes, so he's usually handicapped in some way so that the heroes can deal with things on their own. In 0 he's in prison (though he still manages to control a great deal of the plot behind bars), and in 1 he gets wounded by a sniper early on and is eventually killed during a Heroic Sacrifice.
Xanatos Gambit: His whole plan in Yakuza 0. According to Tachibana, Kazama predicted almost everything that happened in 0. And in case things don't go as planned, he took steps to ensure that they eventually do.

Osamu Kashiwagi

Voiced by: Shunsuke Sakuya (Japanese), John DiMaggio (Yakuza, English version), David Hayter (Yakuza, Like a Dragon, English version)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kashiwagiyk.jpg

Kashiwagi as he appears in Kiwami.

^{Click here} to see Kashiwagi as he appears in Yakuza 0.

^{Click here} to see Kashiwagi as he appears in Like a Dragon.

The Kazama Family lieutenant who would eventually become its second Patriarch, Kashiwagi is Shintaro's right hand man and a very calm, controlled individual with a strong sense of duty and honor, but won't hesitate to bring the pain to those who fail to adhere to the strict codes of being a yakuza. He remains a staunch and loyal ally of Kiryu throughout the series, serving as Chief Director of the Tojo Clan in Yakuza 2 and its Interim Chairman in Yakuza 3. In Yakuza 0, he's put in charge of the Kazama family's business when its patriarch is sent to prison, and Kiwami reveals he tried to mentor Nishiki on building his own family, not realizing the growing ambitions of Kiryu's close friend.

Badass in Distress: He's captured in the second game along with Daigo and Yayoi when Shindo betrays the Tojo Clan.
The Bartender: It's implied (and confirmed in Infinite Wealth that he's become the owner of Survive Bar.
Berserk Button: Being disrespected by those lower-ranked than him. He beat the shit out of Kiryu and Nishiki in 0 and a new flashback scene in Kiwami for not following his orders and extorting money from his businesses respectively.
Big Brother Mentor: His bio in Yakuza 0 describes him as being a big brother figure for Kiryu and Nishiki, and plays something of a mentor role for them while Kazama is in jail. He's also described as something of a terrifying one, demonstrated when he punches the hell out of Kiryu after the young yakuza explains his foolhardy plan to get himself expelled from the Dojima family to prove his innocence after being framed for murder.
Big Damn Heroes: Brings the Kazama family to support Kiryu and his boss against Shimano and his men for all out battle in the first game. 0 reveals this wasn't the first time he's done this.
Blood Knight: One of the main reasons why Majima has to fight him in 0.
"I always wanted the chance to try you one-on-one. To be honest, the prospect's had my heart racing since you walked in... Call it a yakuza's nature."
Call-Forward: Before fighting Majima in 0, he takes him to the rooftop of a nearby building that he owns via a cut. A veteran player might recognize it as being the same roof where Kiryu fought Lau Ka Long in 3 even having the same flashing neon sign. In the aftermath of the fight, it's shown that he just stepped out of Kamuro Castle, the castle-dungeon themed restaurant Kashiwagi owned that got converted into the headquarters of the Honest Living Association by the time of 3 where Kiryu can engage in Hitman missions.
Continuity Cameo: Doubling as a Continuity Nod, he makes an unvoiced appearance in Lost Judgement when Yagami visits the Survive Bar.
The Cavalry: TWICE. He rallies the Kazama family against the Shimano family in the first game and the Dojima family in 0.
The Comically Serious:
- In the Imagine Spot for one of the karaoke music videos in Yakuza 0, while Kiryu and Nishiki are dressed as rock stars and provide vocals and guitar, Kashiwagi is shown getting down on the keyboard and isn't any less serious about it.
- Any scene with him chowing down on noodles in 0 also counts.
Died in Your Arms Tonight: He apparently dies in Kiryu's in Yakuza 3, following a helicopter attack on his office. Subverted, because as implied in Like a Dragon, he instead fell into a coma and went under a assumed identity as the Survive bar's owner..
The Don: Of the Kazama family after the events of the first game. He also serves as the Interim Chairman of the Tojo Clan in Yakuza 3 when Daigo is shot.
The Dreaded: His cameo in Lost Judgment has bar patron Irie discourage Yagami from starting a fight in Survive Bar, heavily implying that it is considered a safe zone due to Kashiwagi himself personally handling any sort commotion.
Dropped a Bridge on Him: Gets murdered in the third game when a helicopter shoots up his office. Also subverted, because he instead went comatose.
Early-Installment Weirdness: Introduced into the series cheerfully and nonchalantly bringing up Shintaro Kazama's past as a yakuza hitman only to be scolded by Kazama for doing so. In the rest of the series, he's much more stern and disciplined and would probably be the one scolding another yakuza for acting like he did initially. Then again, he's a lot more relaxed and friendly as the bartender in Like a Dragon suggesting that there may truly be a more casual side to him seperate from what his position as a high-ranking yakuza demands of him.
Emergency Authority: A criminal variant, he briefly ascends to the temporary role of "Interim Chairman" early on in Yakuza 3 after Daigo is shot and put into a coma.
Expository Hairstyle Change: His shorter slicked back hair in Yakuza 0 matches his harsher personality in the prequel, compared to his more level-headed demeanor in the chronologically later games where his hair is longer and looser while still being neat and professional-looking.
Flat Character: He doesn't receive much character development in the first two games, which is perhaps lampshaded in the third game. Downplayed in 0 and in the new scenes in the Kiwami remakes of the first two games in which we saw how disciplinarian and even rather violent he can be at times while still being a valuable ally.
Foreshadowing: He's one of the apparitions summoned by Daigo as a Poundmate in Like A Dragon, noted by the ethereal blue glow he has on his body, shared with Kazama, Sohei Dojima and Shimano — all of whom have been long dead. However, notice that Kashiwagi lacks the miasma surrounding his feet that the other three have. The only other person in that shot to not have it? Daigo, who we know for a fact to still be alive. This further serves as a hint that Kashiwagi had survived his death at the end of 3.
Good Is Not Soft: One of the more benevolent figures of authority within the Tojo Clan and a strong ally of Kiryu's, 0 and Kiwami show a harsher side of his personality in which both Kiryu and Nishiki get a nasty punch to the face for acting insubordinate.
Good Scars, Evil Scars: His face is very scarred, but we've yet to discover how he received it.
Hidden Badass: In the first three games, Kashiwagi operates behind the scenes and usually from a distance. In Yakuza 0, not only is he fought as a boss, showing that he's no pushover, but he has a special attack where he sends Majima flying across the roof with a single punch.
Jerkass Has a Point: While he was certainly harsh about it, Kashiwagi's anger at Nishiki when Matsuhige was making moves on Kashiwagi's turf was justified. Nishiki's inability to control his own men would not only bring shame to himself, but to Kazama as well since he was the one who made Nishiki a patriarch in the first place.
The Lancer: Or at least the closest Majima gets to having one in the "Majima Saga" in Kiwami 2 giving him advice and leading him in the right direction when conflict arises with Majima at the center of it all. He's only present in the first couple Kamurocho chapters and he only ever appears in Tojo Clan Headquarters but still.
Mighty Glacier: Despite having very similar fighting prowess to other karate-based fighters in the series, he's less aggressive in comparison and is more prone to waiting for Majima to approach him rather than being on the offensive. He gets more evasive when he heats up and gains some Super Armor on his attacks, but he still fights pretty defensively.
Moveset Clone: Downplayed. he's a karateka like Joji Kazama in Yakuza 3 and they share an attack on downed enemies, a combo, and a block-counter combo, but they also have several unique moves and characteristics as well.
- As a DLC unit in the Clan Creator in Kiwami 2, he just recycles a boxing style from other minibosses in the game. It's actually Daisaku Kuze's fighting style from 0.
Mr. Exposition: He serves as one in the second game, informing the cast about the Jingweon massacre that happened several years before, and Kazama's role in it.
Number Two: He's Kazama's right hand man and takes charge of the business in his absence. He also becomes the Patriarch of the family following Kazama's death, and by the events of 2 has become the Captain of the Tojo Clan.
No One Should Survive That!: He went on to be Survive bar's owner in Like a Dragon, despite the fact that he took a entire burst from a minigun.
Posthumous Character: Continues to influence certain side content past his supposed death in 3 such as being the founder of the Honest Living Association, dedicated to helping ex-yakuza reintegrate back into society which ties into the Hitman series of sidequests, at least until it's revealed he survived.
- In 4, it's revealed that he was the primary benefactor of the Kamurocho Guard, a non-profit group of vigiliantes dedicated to keeping the streets of Kamurocho as safe as possible. It's also headed by Akaishi, a Tojo Clan ex-yakuza whom Kashiwagi assisted when he was badly injured in a yakuza dispute. You learn all this as Tanimura when engaging in the Police Scanner group of side challenges enough times.
Punched Across the Room: The consequence of failing his QTE in 0 is being knocked at least 10 ft away with a single punch. He also makes usage of a heavy side kick that can knock send Majima flying and reeling from the blow in pain.
- It even seems to be featured in cutscenes in 0 and Kiwami where Kiryu and Nishiki respectively end up getting slammed against a shelf by a punch when they make him lose his temper by acting insubordinate.
Rank Scales with Asskicking: While most of his appearances has him stay out of the action, 0 shows that he's no pushover in a fight, even able to throw a punch to send Majima flying at least 10 feet. Majima even lampshades if after taking him down.
Majima: "Who knew the Kazama family was breedin' monsters like this..."
Reasonable Authority Figure: Perhaps the most level-headed and reasonable of Kiryu's yakuza allies though apparently he didn't fully settle into this role until after the Time Skip in the first game.
- Nishiki's flashback shows that while he does chew out Nishiki (and violently at that) for letting Matsuhige run loose on Kashiwagi's turf, he lets Nishiki off with a stern warning and avoids getting him in much more trouble by choosing to not report it to Kazama.
Retcon: Makes a cameo in 6 in the form of the Spirit Photography easter eggs in which taking pictures with Kiryu's smart phone in certain locations will reveal a ghost of a character who had previously died in the series. Kashiwagi is one such spirit suggesting that he truly did die, but Like a Dragon heavily suggests that he survived and changed his identity to that of the owner of a humble bar in Ijincho, Yokohama.
Sacrificial Lion: In Yakuza 3, he's seemingly killed when a helicopter opens fire on his office, showing just how serious and high the stakes are regarding the whole Okinawa resort deal.
Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Often presented as an extremely harsh and authoritarian figure who tolerates no wrongdoing and foolery, Kashiwagi is actually resourceful and is willing to help his subordinates and allies like Majima if the situation calls for it. He also rehabilitates young men who were expelled from the yakuza and if you look closely, you can see tears welling up in his eyes after he disciplines Nishiki for his underling's robbery in Yakuza Kiwami.
- His very first scene in the series as well as the bartender's attitude in Like a Dragon implies that he's capable of being pretty warm and friendly despite his usual cold demeanor.
Super Boss: More like a Super Mini-Boss, but in the Climax Battles in Kiwami unlocked after beating the game, Melee Battle 10 features a unique Long Battle at Tojo Clan Headquarters with Kashiwagi as a mini-boss after the first group of enemies. He's got lower health than he did in 0 but he still uses the same powerful moveset from said prequel while Kiryu is restricted to being level 1 so he's fairly difficult.
Took a Level in Badass: In Yakuza 0, after being absent from the series for years, he's given a much rougher personality and is shown for the first time that he was a force to be reckoned with. Technically inversed considering 0 is a prequel, meaning that Kashiwagi Took a Level in Kindness by the time the early games came around and depicted him as being far more calm and level-headed.
Trademark Favorite Food: He really likes his cold ramen, as can be seen in 3, 0, Online and Like a Dragon.
- The Survive bar menu in Lost Judgement notes that a customer saw the Bartender prepare a bowl of cold noodles for himself, and it was then added to the menu. A subtle nod that Kashiwagi is indeed the Bartender of Survive.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: One of several at least. When he was beating the crap out of Nishiki over Matsushige's actions, he mutters that such an incident wouldn't have happened if Kiryu was in charge instead of Nishiki. This only serves to further Nishiki's growing inferiority complex and drives him further towards becoming the game's Ambitious Big Bad.

The Omi Alliance

A powerful yakuza organization that resides in Osaka, the west to the Tojo Clan's east. In the first game, they are working with Akira Nishiki to get the ten billion yen, or so it seems. Since then, the Tojo and Omi clans have been at each others throats with each succeeding chairman of the Tojo trying to negotiate a truce between the two clans, which is always threatened because members within both clans are determined to wage war against the other.

Yukio Terada

Voiced by: Kenji Nomura (Yakuza, Kiwami, Kiwami 2), Go Shinomiya (Yakuza 2), Gregg Berger (Yakuza, English version)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/teradayk.jpg

Terada as he appears in Kiwami

A lieutenant of the Omi Alliance who first appears to aid Kiryu's enemies, but his true loyalties and agenda remain unknown. He is secretly working for Kazama, who convinced him to leave the Omi Clan, and aids them in the endgame. By the end of the first game, Kiryu gives up his own position as the Fourth Chairman and awards it to Terada, declaring him the Fifth Chairman of the Tojo Clan to carry on Kazama's wishes.

Terada returns in the beginning of the sequel seeking Kiryu for advice, hoping to avert a war between the two clans, but is gunned down by his former allies. His death triggers the plot of the second game. He also plays a central part in Majima's campaign in Kiwami 2, the events of which take place shortly after the first game's events.

Batman Gambit: In the second game, his dying wish is to have Kiryu broker peace between the Tojo Clan and Omi Alliance, knowing Ryuji Goda would step in and interfere in order to ensure war.
Big Bad Duumvirate: Is this with Ryo Takashima in Yakuza 2. They both team up to bring down the Tojo Clan, though Takashima has his own plans in mind.
Big Bad Ensemble: Shares this title with Ryuji Goda and Ryo Takashima in Yakuza 2. He's the ringleader of the Jingweon revenge plot that drives the game.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: During his tenure as the Tojo Clan's fifth chairman, he was proven to be very unpopular among the other leaders due to his morals. Majima pins him as a fake who isn't the saint everyone claims him to be, and is ultimately proven correct as Terada is actually a survivor of the Jingweon Massacre decades before, and plans to destroy the Tojo Clan for it.
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: This guy's all over the place.
- In the first game, he's introduced as backing Nishiki when he started his own yakuza family. Then when it looks like he's working with Shimano instead, he isn't, and the same with Jingu. Ultimately, his true loyalties lie with Kazama. When he arrives to stop Jingu, he's even betrayed by his own clan.
- In the second game, he's gunned down by his former colleagues to fake his death. The Reveal shows that he's been working against Kiryu and the others from the beginning, having joined forced with Takashima. However, Takashima betrays him and kills him in the end, but by that point, Kim had already double-crossed him as well.
Climax Boss: Leads the Jingweon Mafia who are the most antagonistic and hostile faction in Yakuza 2 but he's defeated right before the Final Boss.
Combat Pragmatist: If taking notes from Ocelot wasn't enough, he also takes some from Mr. X in his boss fight, where he runs around with a machine gun while his mooks fight against Kiryu for him.
The Don: He's named the Fifth Chairman of the Tojo Clan in the first game's ending, a position he maintains for a year.
Drunk with Power: According to Majima in Yakuza 2, he wasn't the saint everyone made him out to be. During his tenure as the Fifth Chairman, Terada had surrounded himself with yes-men, made poor decisions that weakened the clan and hurt its image, and long-timers like Majima and Kashiwagi were pushed aside and couldn't do much without his approval. Kiwami 2 expands upon this, as his decision to nearly award high-ranking positions to newcomers Ibuchi and Uematsu based on their moneymaking skills rather than their adherence to the Yakuza code heavily chafed with older family members and ultimately drove Majima to leave the Tojo Clan.Of course, he always intended to destroy the Tojo Clan out of vengeance.
Easily Forgiven: Despite all the distaste most of the Tojo Clan develops towards him in the second game, no one acknowledges how in the first game, he gunned down Futoshi Shimano, one of the most powerful and respected patriarchs of the Tojo Clan. Not even Majima who both hated Terada and was loyal to Shimano talks about this.
Evil Sounds Deep: He's given a notably deep voice in both the original PS2 game and its remake.
Faking the Dead: Pulls this off in the second game. See The Reveal below.
Flunky Boss: See Combat Pragmatist above.
Foreshadowing: After his death at the hands of Omi hitmen, Majima finds it odd that the Omi Alliance would suddenly want Terada dead, considering that he had good relations with the Omi during his tenure as Fifth Chairman. This hints that his death was all a setup on his part.
"Get Back Here!" Boss: Similar to Combat Pragmatist above, he'll often try to get to a vantage point before firing his gun, but considering it's a submachine gun, he doesn't always have to
- Subverted in the Kiwami 2 remake as he's much slower and has completely different A.I behavior.
Glass Cannon: Reduced to this, in the Kiwami 2 remake as he's got relatively MUCH less health than several other late game boss fights but his submachine gun can still easily bring your health down in a matter of seconds.
Good All Along: In the first game, big time. Then the second game came along.
Hated by All: By the second game, he's disliked by practically every family head in the Tojo Clan due to his incumbent leadership. Not helping matters is that he's a former member of the Omi Alliance, the Tojo Clan's rival.
Heel–Face Revolving Door: Although he appears to be a Heel at first, it's ultimately proven that he's a mole for Kazama in the first game. In the sequel, he pulls a Face–Heel Turn, but betrays the villain before his ambitions can be realized.
Killed Off for Real: Averted in the beginning of the second game, but ultimately played straight in the end.
Large and in Charge: Larger and bulkier than most people though not to the same extent as Shimano.
Leitmotif: "Wirepuller" in Yakuza 2, and "The Omerta" in Kiwami 2.
The Mole: He serves as one for Kazama in the first game.
- Later revealed to be one for the Jingweon Mafia in the sequel.
Plot-Triggering Death: His death at the beginning of the second game kicks off the game's plot. Except that he faked it.
Redemption Equals Death: He may have plotted the destructive downfall of the Tojo Clan but he admits to Kiryu that he really was truly grateful to Shintaro Kazama. Even the bomb timer he activates before dying turns out to be a dud meant to intimidate Ryo Takashima and ultimately save the life of Kiryu, the adoptive son of Kazama.
The Reveal: The second game reveals that his real name is Daejin Kim and he was a member of the Korean Jingweon mafia that had been massacred by the Dojima family nearly thirty years before. He survived only because of the mercy shown by Shintaro Kazama, and faked his death earlier to goad Kiryu into trying to broker peace with the Omi, which would instead ensure war between the clans. He had set up the game's events with the Omi traitor Ryo Takashima, hoping to destroy the Tojo Clan out of revenge for his fallen gang.
Revenge: As a member of the Jingweon mafia, who were wiped out by the Dojima family years before, this motivates his actions in the second game.
Sequential Boss: Along with Ryuji Goda.
Supporting Leader: He becomes this toward the end of the first game following Kazama's death.
Taking the Bullet: Takes one for Kiryu in the beginning of Yakuza 2.
Undying Loyalty: For Shintaro Kazama. Even after his revelation as a Jingweon agent, part of him feels loyal to the man who spared his life years ago. When he activates a dud bomb timer and tells Kiryu to trust him before dying, Kiryu later concludes that he was trying to help save his life out of respect for Kazama.
Walking Spoiler: For both games, no less. For completely different reasons too.
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: He's shot and killed by Takashima when he's no longer needed in his plans, but not before he pulls one last trick from his sleeve.

Hiroshi Hayashi

Voiced by: Shun Sugata, Peter Lurie (Yakuza, English version)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hayashids.jpg

Hayashi as he appears in Dead Souls.

A lieutenant of the Omi Alliance, he appears in the first game as a minor character seeking to kidnap Haruka for her connection to the missing ten billion yen. He appears in the second game, having left the Omi Alliance but now working under Ryuji Goda. He sabotages the Florist's network and faces off against Kiryu in a rematch. He also appears in Dead Souls.

Affably Evil: Always calm and polite to everyone he encounters. He patiently stands by to let Kiryu answer a phone call that has nothing to do with Hayashi or his business, and only fights him when he has to. In the second game, he's shown to have some level of respect for Kiryu again, commenting that he's a beast before fainting after being defeated.
Alliterative Name: Hiroshi Hayashi.
Almighty Janitor: Apparently has no rank in the Go-Ryu Clan and is not much more than an expendable foot soldier. Despite this, he's one of the toughest, strongest fighters in the second game and its remake. Sure he used to be a high-ranking Lieutenant Advisor for the mighty Omi Alliance but at the same time, he's become much tougher since joing the Go-Ryu Clan despite being reduced to mere grunt work where he's not even sure he'll be able to escape without getting arrested or worse.
And Then John Was a Zombie: And not just any kind, he's the first one that inadvertently starts the outbreak in Dead Souls.
Ascended Extra: His role in the first game was simply a mook that reveals the yakuza gangs were after Haruka, Took a Level in Badass in the second, and plays an even bigger role in Dead Souls.
Bit Character: Despite being a named character with an introduction sequence and two boss fights, one in each of the first two games, he never plays a particularly major role. In each game, his role is nothing more than to serve as the head of a group of enemies who get in Kiryu's way and must be defeated by him, and he is never mentioned after being defeated. He is shown to have some personality in that he's shown to have a level of respect for Kiryu, even in the first game where he allows him to take a call. His boss battles are the only scenes in the series where he appears, and he disappears completely from the plots after them.
- Averted in Dead Souls which gives him a more significant role as the mutant zombie that started the whole mess and makes multiple appearances throughout the game.
Boss in Mook Clothing: Aside from his tall, lanky build, he doesn't look much different from the other Omi Alliance grunts that he leads dressing in a very basic suit and tie over a white collar shirt. Exemplified in the second game where he no longer has any sort of rank or authority as a Go-Ryu Clan member and is simply one of eight soldiers ordered to attack the transformer room at Millenium Tower where The Florist has currently set up headquarters. Despite this, he ends up being one of the most statistically formidable boss fights in the series yet.
Came Back Strong: In Dead Souls, Hayashi is unwillingly mutated into a mutant zombie and released into the city, causing the zombie outbreak. Fighting him is even tougher as he mutates further, taking on both Kiryu and Goda at the same time.
Came Back Wrong: Seen this way in Dead Souls as he dies and comes back as a zombie, starting the Kamurocho outbreak.
Climax Boss: In Dead Souls in which he's fought and killed off shortly before the Final Boss sequence as well as a decent chunk of the game spent building up to the confrontation with him.
Dual Wielding: He uses two pipes midway through his boss fight in the second game.
Dying as Yourself: After spending most of Dead Souls as a powerful mutant zombie, wildly infecting as many people as possible, he dies to Kiryu and Ryuji's gunfire, complimenting Kiryu on his determination and openly wondering why being infected feels good before welcoming the release of death.
Evil Counterpart: In a very minor sense - he has the exact same rank that Kiryu used to have in the Tojo Clan and by the second game, he's also been expelled from his own Yakuza group.
Evil Sounds Raspy: Hayashi has a very coarse voice.
Improvised Weapon: Seems to be a common tactic for him. Yakuza 2 has him yank two pipes off of the wall of the transformer room in Millenium Tower to bludgeon Kiryu with halfway through his boss fight. The Kiwami remake of the first game will have him sometimes grab nearby furniture like the barstools in the Millenium Tower penthouse and try to bash Kiryu over the head with.
It Can Think: Definitely one of the more intelligent of the zombies in Dead Souls being able to speak normally at times, disguise himself as uninfected before suddenly lashing out, and will even forgo his new potent mutations in the middle of a boss fight to grab a belt of grenades to toss at Kiryu and Ryuji. He'll also rip off Ryuji's gatling gun Arm Cannon and use that to open fire on the pair.
Killed Off for Real: Only in the non-canonical Dead Souls though considering how he hasn't chronologically appeared since then, one has to wonder...
Lean and Mean: One of the taller, lankier characters to serve as major boss fights thought he's not actually all that mean at all despite being an antagonist.
Leitmotif: "Evil Itself" in Yakuza 2.
Made of Iron: As pointed out below, he's very durable in 2. He gets the ever-living shit beat out of him during the Quick Time Event at the end of his Boss Fight, but still retains enough conciousness to compliment Kiryu's strength before passing out.
Marathon Boss: The very first boss in the series to 6 bars of health in a single Boss Fight. Twice as much as the maximum 3 that Ryuji would have in the two seperate instances he's fought during the finale. He's got 7 in Kiwami 2 which arguably makes him tougher than most of the series' Final Bosses.
Moveset Clone: In Kiwami and Kiwami 2, he uses Shigeki Baba's moveset from 5. However he has a new rushing strike move taken from Tenkensai Nijo from the Bed of Styx Coliseum in 0 who was also a Shigeki Baba Moveset Clone. Also his new ability to grab nearby furniture to swing at Kiryu as combos is identical to Shibusawa's during the 2nd phase of his Boss Fight in 0.
- His moveset when dual-wielding pipes in Kiwami 2 is similarly just a copy of Kiryu's usual techniques when using Kali sticks and other dual-wielding weapons as far back as 3. He does have a new unique combo that incorporates sweep kicks.
Muscles Are Meaningless: Definitely tall, but very lanky. Despite this his fighting style in the original PS2 games was reliant on wild swings and brute strength, even being able to pull a vertical suplex on Kiryu with ease. Not to mention, he's got no problems ripping out a pair of long pipes from the wall and wielding them effortlessly.
- Downplayed with the Kiwami remakes where his new unarmed fighting style is much more graceful being mostly comprised of carefully placed strikes and kicks.
No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: One of his heat moves he can use on Kiryu in the first game and its remake if he knocks him to the ground is to perform the "Essence of Wreckage".
- He suffers this himself in 2 and its remake at the hands of Kiryu during the Quick Time Event at the end of his Boss Fight.
Non-Standard Character Design: Hayashi stands out due to his long head and his tall, lanky appearance, although the lankiness gets downplayed in the remakes. Also see Evil Sounds Raspy above, because his distinctively coarse voice is pretty memorable.
Pipe Pain: Two of them as mentioned above and he's very skilled with them, especially in Kiwami 2.
Punch-Clock Villain: An enforcer who stands in opposition to Kiryu, but is respectful and only fights Kiryu as part of his job duties.
Recurring Boss: He's fought as a boss in each of the games he appears in.
Sword and Fist: Or Pipes and Feet, rather in Kiwami 2 which beefs up his dual-wielding moveset to include sweep kicks into his pipe combo strings.
That Man Is Dead: In Yakuza 2, he tells Kiryu this now that he's left the Omi Alliance and works for the Go-Ryu Clan.
Hayashi: Hayashi of the Omi Alliance is dead and gone.
- Very literally in Dead Souls.
Took a Level in Badass: He's really just a mook with more health in the first game. In the second, he's not only strong enough to go toe-to-toe with Kiryu alone (unlike the first game where he fought simultaneously with his minions), but he also yanks two hot steaming pipes from the walls in the room and battles Kiryu with them, and proves to be exceptionally competent with them. He's even more dangerous in Dead Souls due his zombie mutations. His appearance in the original incarnation of the 2nd game has more health than the final boss (six compared to Ryuji having only three), and even in the remake his health bar dwarfs that of nearly every other non-optional boss besides the last one.
Undying Loyalty: Before the second (and final) fight with him, he comments that all that matters to him is seeing Ryuji rise to the top, and that he's willing to go to prison for it. So he clearly is loyal to Ryuji, perhaps out of respect for him accepting him into the Go-Ryu clan after he was expelled from the original Omi Alliance.
What Happened to the Mouse?: After being defeated in the second game, he is never seen or mentioned again though it could be justified by Kaoru saying she'd have him arrested for several listed charges. The non-canonical Dead Souls was his last major chronological appearance, suggesting that he's still part of the Omi Alliance splinter group, the Go-Ryu Clan headed by Tetsuo Nikaido before being converted into Patient Zero of the zombie outbreak and eventually dying at the hands of Kiryu and Ryuji. However since that Clan hasn't been relevant in the main series since Ryuji's death, it's completely unknown what he's actually been up to since the 2nd game.
Worthy Opponent: Seems to respect Kiryu's strength after being defeated in Yakuza 2. This trait carries over to Dead Souls where even his mutant zombie form will admire Kiryu's strength.
You Have Failed Me: Implied. Hayashi was expelled from the Omi Alliance after the events of the first game. It's never stated why, but it may relate to his failure to defeat Kiryu.

Tokyo Metropolitan Police

Members of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department that catch onto Kiryu for Dojima's murder. Some are honest investigators who try to stay honest in a world where police are organized gang members while others are self serving thugs with legal powers though that little detail isn't relevant in the first game.

Makoto Date

Voiced by: Kazuhiro Yamaji, Bill Farmer (English)

Portrayed by: Yutaka Matsushige (live-action film)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/datey5.jpg

Date as he appears in Yakuza 5.

A scruffy, rather down on his luck detective, Date is one of Kiryu's closest allies. He first met Kiryu when interrogating him for Dojima's murder, but wasn't convinced he was the real killer. Unfortunately, his adamant dedication to the case cost him his position in the Homicide Division as well as his family. He helps Kiryu in the search for Yumi and the missing ten billion yen after he's released from prison. By the second game, he's left the force but is brought in to investigate the truth behind the Jingweon mafia along with his former mentor "Killer Kawara", and becomes a reporter in the third game while watching over New Serena in the fourth for New Serena Mama, a proprietress he's become close to. He's back on the force at the end of the fourth game, and has been there since.

Adaptational Badass: A downplayed gameplay example. In the Kiwami remakes of the first two games, he definitely benefits from the modern gameplay being more competent and aggressive in combat and able to pull off tandem heat actions with Kiryu.
The Bartender: In the fourth game, he watches over New Serena as Mariko attends to family.
Best Friend: Finally admits this to Kiryu during Infinite Wealth, causing most of his actions in that game getting Kiryu some needed resolution.
Big Damn Heroes: More than once, he's introduced bailing Kiryu out of a situation where he's surrounded and needs to make a getaway, doing so in the first game and in the third game.
- Pulls a huge one at the end of the fourth game.
Broken Pedestal: Used to greatly respect his mentor Kawara until he suddenly started killing several illegal immigrants in front of him without an explanation. Date comes to understand him better after learning the truth.
Continuity Cameo: In Like a Dragon, he makes a brief appearance to welcome the party to New Serena and reveals that he and Adachi are old friends.
Cool Old Guy: One of Kiryu's most reliable allies throughout the series as well as one of the older ones.
Cowboy Cop: Willing to bend the rules and bust Kiryu out of jail to further his investigation of the Tojo Clan's missing 10 billion dollars.
Distressed Dude: In the first game, Kiryu has to rescue him when he gets jumped by a bunch of cop-hating hobos at West Park. Somewhat justified since he'd just been shot in the arm by a Majima Family goon and is in no shape to be engaging in self-defence.
Dub Name Change: Renamed to "Mako Date" in the original western release of the first game.
Expy: Appearance-wise, his messy slicked hair and choice in clothing make him heavily resemble a Japanese version of Lt. Columbo from the eponymous American TV series. Date's English dub voice actor especially leans into it by sounding a lot like Peter Falk as well.
Family Versus Career: He became so obsessed with finding the truth behind Dojima's murder and accused murderer that it killed his marriage and destroyed his relationship with his daughter Saya. Subverted as the series progresses; he's repaired his relationship with his daughter by 4, and remarried between 5 and 6.
Friend on the Force: Kiryu's, much to the chagrin of his coworkers. He knows he's putting his career at risk by getting involved with Kiryu but never hesitates to help him.
Genre Savvy: As of Like a Dragon, Date has become very aware of how things typically go in a Yakuza plotline, which is how he recognizes Ichiban as having traits of Kiryu and why he lets him and his team use New Serena as their Kamurocho hideout.
Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: Delivers one to Kiryu at the end of the first game, when he undergoes a Heroic BSoD after losing Yumi, Nishiki, and Kazama, and is more than willing to go back to jail since all those closest to him are gone. Date reminds him that Haruka needs him.
Hellish Copter: His Poundmate Special in Infinite Wealth "Do or Dive" has him fly in on a helicopter attempting to give support fire with a shotgun. After failing to hit anything, he fiddles around with the gun only to accidentally shoot the helicopter blades, causing it to nosedive into the enemies (with Date and the pilot having parachuted away at the last moment).
Hot Blooded Sideburns: Has large sideburns adding to his scruffy appearance.
Joke Character: In Kiwami, one of the challenges has Date playable to beat up some mooks. However, his moveset is very limited, he gets exhausted after using a combo and based on how he runs, he's either in poor shape or completely hammered. Especially odd since as a non-playable gameplay ally in certain story fights he's no worse of a fighter than any other temporary gameplay ally like Kazuki or Yuya, able to pull off a powerbomb if Kiryu has enough heat while Date's grappling with an enemy.
The Lancer: One of the most frequent and obvious. He often fights alongside Kiryu whenever he can.
Light Is Good: Wears a beige tailcoat and is always on the side of good.
Living Legend: He's considered one following the events of the first game and his role in uncovering the conspiracy and the big name politician behind it all. Tanimura also considers him one, but Date isn't exactly flattered by his compliments when they meet.
Married to the Job: Even though he changes jobs in the third and fourth games, he's still a detective through and through. Subverted in 6, where he has a healthy marriage with New Serena Mama.
New Job as the Plot Demands: He quits the force in Yakuza 2, but aids Kawara in his investigation of the Jingweon Mafia. Starting in Yakuza 3, Date becomes a newspaper journalist, a position he retains until the very end of 4, while he helps run New Serena on the side in Mariko's absence. It gets lampshaded when Tanimura meets him.
Date: "An ex-cop can't be a journalist and tend bar on the side?"
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: In Infinite Wealth, he tries to bring Kiryu back into contact with all the people he's known in the past to show him how much of an impact he's made in other's lives. Eventually, when he attempts to connect Kiryu with Haruka this turns out to be enough to get the attention of the Daidoji and gets him viciously beaten.
Not-So-Badass Longcoat: Wears a stereotypical detective coat befitting of his rather bad luck.
Odd Friendship: With Kiryu, an ex-yakuza formerly of the criminal Tojo Clan. Date tends to go out of his way to say that the two aren't really friends or know each other that well, but they still get along pretty damn well and can often predict and understand how each other will act in any given situation. In any case, their bond and respect for each other is undeniable and they never hesitate to support one another.
Overshadowed by Awesome: A man in his forties who can beat up a thug half his age is a badass in his own right, but compared to the kind of moves the main characters can pull off, he might as well be a normal civilian. The Kiwami remakes bring his prowess up a bit but he's still not exactly main protagonist-material.
Papa Wolf: While his relationship with his daughter Saya is not exactly stellar, he will kick the ass of anyone who harasses her.
Progressively Prettier: As with most characters, he benefits a bit from the transition to the newer "Dragon Engine" graphics having a smoother yet ruggedly handsome face in games like 6 and Kiwami 2
Parents as People: He does care about his daughter, but his workaholic nature is a major part of their strained relationship. Beyond that, Saya accuses him of being inattentive in normal conversation and he admits to Kiryu in a Yakuza 4 sidequest that he never helped much with taking care of Saya as a baby. While Date will fight to protect his daughter in dire situations, he struggles with the day-to-day normalcy of being a father.
Punishment Detail: His insistence on trying to uncover the truth with Dojima's murder got him reassigned to organized crime division, where he remains ten years later. Date himself says he's kept doing grunt work chasing around people on the lowest rung of the Yakuza.
Romancing the Widow: In the third game, he's become smitten with New Serena Mama, the widow of a fallen officer who worked under his jurisdiction. He looked after her feeling responsible for the incident, and ended up falling for her. She rejects his advances fearing attachment and that he'd suffer a similar fate, but reconsiders after Date rescues her from her husband's killer.
Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: He was originally a detective in the Homicide division who interrogated Kiryu following his arrest in the Dojima shooting, and came to suspect that Kiryu was taking the fall for someone else. Despite it being deemed an Open-and-Shut Case, his persistence in investigating the matter didn't sit well with his superiors and they transferred him to the Organized Crime unit as punishment. Throughout the series, he often breaks rules and protocol to help out Kiryu, putting his sense of justice first.
Secret-Keeper: At the end of Yakuza 6, Date is the only one who knows the whole truth behind Kiryu's death, although Akiyama suspects the detective knows more than what he's letting on, though by the end of Like a Dragon Daigo, Majima, Saejima and Watase have also found out.
Shipper on Deck: He was really expecting Kiryu and Sayama to hook up after the events of 2 but after the prologue of 3, they simply part ways on amicable terms to pursue their dreams. When Kaoru confesses to him that she's still waiting for Kiryu, he almost immediately lets it slip that Kiryu is still alive until Kiryu himself stops him.
Team Dad: Has shades of it at times due to being one of the older supporting protagonists and often relegated to looking after younger more vulnerable characters like Haruka while Kiryu's out investigating the latest criminal conspiracy all on his own. The endgame of 4 also has him effectively set up New Serena bar as a safehouse for the protagonists to rest in, even going out of his way to bring in some blankets to help them rest better.
Tritagonist: Of the first game, as he's Kiryu's lancer throughout the story and the most prominent heroic character behind Haruka.
Trying Not to Cry: When Kiryu tells Date that he is faking his death to protect Haruka and Haruto, Date is clearly shown to be devastated and upset to the point he's visibly holding back tears.
Wrestler in All of Us: He can pull off a Piledriver in a Heat Action with Kiryu that's preformed when Date's grabbing an opponent from behind.

Junichi Sudo

Voiced by: Mitsutake Tanaka (Yakuza 1-4), Masato Obara (Kiwami, Kiwami 2)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sudoy4.jpg

Sudo as he appears in Yakuza 4

A police detective, Sudo is very cool and collected and very much the professional, and was mentored by Date. He's first introduced when his superiors order him to watch over Date in his investigation of the missing ten billion yen and teaming up with Kiryu, a former yakuza. But his sense of justice is shown when he defies his bosses at the end of the first game, and since then has become a staunch ally of Kiryu. He also works with Tanimura in the fourth game.

Big Damn Heroes: He has his moments, especially in the fourth game. While not so much on the action front, his timing is awesome.
Broken Pedestal: In the first game, somewhat. He looked up to Date in the years he was mentored by him, but Date's obsession in the Dojima murder case left Sudo with a much weaker impression of him, and he even seeks to thwart Date's investigation of the missing ten billion yen. Develops into a Rebuilt Pedestal in the end.
By-the-Book Cop: Because of this he serves as a hindrance to Date throughout the first game, but when they discover who's behind everything, his sense of justice comes first.
- Unfortunately his tendency towards this trope becomes an issue again in Yakuza 4 when Detective Junji Sugiuchi is revealed to be a Dirty Cop. Despite having him surrounded with armed officers, he apparently can't have any of them actually take Sugiuchi down without breaking police protocol so he can only grit his teeth in frustration. Good thing Tanimura was there.
- He does make up for that instance in the end of the same game though by piloting the helicopter that brought the heroes to their final confrontation with all the Big Bads of the story. He also helps to spread Date's newspaper article detailing of Munakata's corruption with the help of the evidence in that file Hamazaki stole earlier in the story.
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Stopped making appearances in the series after 4 though it's not like there was much reason for him to be personally involved in later plots anyway.
Foil: Particularly in the first game, he serves as one to Date, who is breaking all kinds of protocol in his investigation of the missing ten billion yen, while Sudo is playing everything by the book and warns him he's putting his career at risk.
Foreshadowing: In the first game, Sudo deduces that Jingu answers to someone else, given that it's never revealed what the missing ten billion yen was meant for. This foreshadows the events of Yakuza 4.
Inspector Javert: Has shades of this when he barges in after Kiryu's rescued Haruka from the clutches of Lau Ka Long only to arrest Kiryu for "kidnapping Haruka". Date even tries to dress him down for this, arguing that Kiryu never kidnapped her at all only to be dismissed for his efforts. Later averted as shown by the other tropes.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Not initially in the first game, but he eventually allies with Kiryu and Date after learning the full story behind the missing 10 billion yen.
Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Initially defied throughout most of the game. However, upon discovering the truth, he works with Date to thwart the true Big Bad.
Took a Level in Kindness: Generally much nicer and friendlier with Date from the second game onwards to go along with his Rebuilt Pedestal. He also seems to to genuinely trust Kiryu and his allies going forward since he's never tried to arrest or otherwise target any of them ever again despite the vast majority of them being shady enough to warrant some suspicion.

The Color Gangs

The Three Color Gangs of Kamurocho are a trio of color-coordinated Street Gangs that operate in Tokyo, often performing grunt work for the larger criminal and carrying out crimes that said larger groups don't wish to be seen openly doing. Their massive attack on the homeless encampment outside Purgatory and subsequent kidnapping of Haruka puts them into conflict with Kiryu. It's later revealed that they kidnapped Haruka under the orders of Lau Ka Long of the Snake Flower Triad.

Their leaders later appear in a substory in 4 experiencing varying levels of success 5 years after the first game. The Kiwami 2 remake of the 2nd game has them working for the Three Musketeers who are targetting Majima's Construction Company.

Aota

Leader of the Blue Z, the smallest and weakest of the Color Gangs of Kamurocho. They primarily make their money by shaking down pedestrians. In 4, he's the only member of the Color Gangs who hasn't given up on the life of a Street Thug and turned his life around.

Acrofatic: Only in the original game. He's got a hefty build but he's capable of some surprisingly agile somersault kicks.
Butt-Monkey: Compared to the other Color Gangs leaders, he tends to get the short end of the stick in their collective appearances. In the original game, he's the first of the Color Gangs to be targetted by Kiryu when he's trying to figure out Haruka's whereabouts and is the only Color Gang leader lacking a CGI cutscene. In 4, he's the only Color Gang leader that hasn't gone legit and found financial success as a civilian, as he's still a low-level street punk. In the Kiwami 2 remake of the second game, he uniquely appears in a Majima Construction cutscene during the big confrontation against Riki Chosu, the last of the Three Musketeers. In it, he accidentally pisses of Chosu while trying to boast and gets his ass kicked before they even start fighting.
Meaningful Name: Aota's name is spelled with the kanji "青", which means "blue".
The Paralyzer: He always fights using a Stun Gun, presumably to compensate for being the weakest of the three leaders.
Sword and Fist: Or rather, Stun Gun and Legs as his fighting style in the original game involved weaving in some surprisingly agile kicks into his stun gun swings.
True Companions: Revealed to have this sort of relationship with his gang unlike the other Color Gangs who were quick to abandon their underlings to pursue an honest living. During a substory in 4, after meeting with and fighting Kiryu with his gang, he opts to try and go legit as well but promises to do his best not to turn his back on his gang. In turn, they decide to follow Aota into his new life.
You Don't Look Like You: Aside from his clothes and beard, he looks like a completely different person in Kiwami compared to how he did in the original version of the first game or in 4. His face has less fat and a different nose, he now has dyed blonde hair, and he's missing his baseball cap. Averted in Kiwami 2 which provides a more accurate modern depiction of how he looked in older games.

Yuji Shiraki

Leader of the White Edge, the second largest of the Color Gangs. The gang's main hideout is in the vacant lot on the southeastern edge of the Champion District. Here, the White Edge frequently hold parties for their members and any women who want to attend. In 4, he's started a successful used-car sales company called Platinum Motors. Shiraki claims that the business is "mostly" legitimate, but that it is also a front for an unspecified yakuza group to launder money.

A Lady on Each Arm: How he's introduced.
Large and in Charge: Leads a street gang and towers over Kiryu.
Light Is Not Good: All the members of the White Edge wear white and are capable of some pretty terrifying displays of violence.
Meaningful Name: Shiraki's name is spelled with the kanji "白", which means "white".
Moveset Clone: In Kiwami, he uses the same fighting style as Rikiya Shimabukuro from 3.

The Akai Brothers

Co-leaders of the red-clad Bloody Eye, the largest of the Color Gangs. They're a pair of street dancers and thugs who frequent Club Debolah, which has turned that club into an unofficial base for their gang. They reappear in 4 having started a porn video production company called Redsnake. As a parting gift, the brothers give Kiryu a copy of their latest hit release, "Gals Gone Wild in Yokosuka".

Big Guy, Little Guy: Ironically, Little Akai is the Big Guy to Big Akai's Little Guy.
Big Little Brother: The younger brother is about two heads taller than the older one.
Combination Attack: They've got two different ones depending on whether Little Akai grabs Kiryu from the front or the back. In the original PS2 game, they also had a completely unique attack where they perform a specific combo simultaneously before ending it with the two of them flying at Kiryu with dropkicks, even calling out to one another in the English dub as they're performing it.
Dance Battler: Big Akai appears to be using a mix of Capoeira and breakdancing to fight in Kiwami. Downplayed in the original game where Big Akai simply utilizes a Muay Thai style though he does employ some sweep kicks.
Dual Boss: Crossed with Flunky Boss. The Akai Brothers are both plenty tough, but they're also accompanied by a whole mob of red-clad street thugs.
Force and Finesse: In Kiwami, Little Akai is a wild, unrefined fighter often swinging and kicking wildly at Kiryu while Big Akai is more agile using some mix between Capoeira and breakdancing.
- Downplayed in the original game where they share a few agile moves like sweep kicks and jumping spinning heel kicks. Otherwise, Little Akai's still the street brawler while Big Akai seems to be using Muay Thai.
Ironic Nickname: "Big Akai" refers to the fact that he's the older brother while "Little Akai" is the younger brother. Physically, Little Akai is a huge brute, towering over even Kiryu while Big Akai's pretty short compared to the other average height members of his gang.
Lightning Bruiser: Both of them in the Kiwami remake. They're both pretty resilient and surprisingly quick on their feet in battle with Big Akai being an agile Dance Battler and Little Akai often quickstepping to avoid damage before rushing in to attack.
Meaningful Name: The name Akai comes from the Japanese word for Red, hence why their Bloody Eye gang wears red.
Moveset Clone: Big Akai uses the exact same fighting style as Majima's Breaker style in Kiwami. Technically, Little Akai's also reusing a moveset that was used in 0 for certain fat mini-bosses.
Red Is Violent: The largest and most dangerous faction of the Color Gangs has their members wear red clothes.
Stout Strength: Little Akai's large and on the heavy side and is brutally strong.

Residents of Kamurocho

Yumi Sawamura

Voiced by: Miyako Uesaka (Yakuza), Maaya Sakamoto (Kiwami), Eliza Dushku (Yakuza, English version)

Portrayed by: Saki Takaoka (live-action film)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yumiyk.jpg

Yumi as she appears in Kiwami.

Kiryu's true love, who along with Akira Nishikiyama was one of his closest friends as a child, as the three were raised in the same orphanage. When the guys joined the Dojima family, she came to Kamurocho and began working as a hostess at Serena. Everything in life seemed great until Dojima had her abducted and he tried to force himself on her, but was killed by Nishiki before he could and Kiryu took the blame. Afterward, she lost her memory and disappeared. Kiryu learns from Haruka, who claims to be her niece, that she's somehow related to the missing ten billion yen. She kickstarts all of the events of the first game by stealing the laundered 10 billion yen from the Tojo Clan, and is Haruka's mother.

Break the Cutie: She's shown to be a sweet girl in the prologue of the first game. Then Dojima tried to rape her and watched as Nishiki murdered him in cold blood, which left her traumatized. And after that, she was never the same since then.
Cannot Spit It Out: She has mutual feelings toward Kiryu, but never had the courage to tell him before the night she was abducted by Dojima. In Kiwami, she turns down a customer's offer for a ring which tips him off that she already likes somebody, which Reina later realizes is Kiryu.
Childhood Friends: With Kiryu and Nishiki, as they were all raised in the same orphanage.
Childhood Friend Romance: Subverted. She was also in love with Kiryu despite his yakuza ties, and while she couldn't completely remember him following Dojima's murder, she couldn't wait for him and ended with Jingu instead. They probably would've gotten together had it not been for Jingu shooting her. Kiryu confesses his love for her just before she dies, giving her one last moment of happiness.
Died in Your Arms Tonight: Poor girl dies in Kiryu's arms.
Dude Magnet: Let's see. Kiryu's in love with her. Nishiki's in love with her. In Kiwami, a customer buys her a ring. Majima seems to think she's pretty hot. Dojima tries to have his way with her. Lastly, Jingu has a child with her.
Easy Amnesia: Averted. She spends a good few years recovering from the horror of nearly being raped and then seeing Nishiki kill Dojima.
Expository Hairstyle Change: As Mizuki, she has short hair.
First Love: Kiryu considers her the first woman he truly fell in love with, and Everyone Can See It. Unfortunately, the Dojima murder incident crushed any hopes of them getting together, and while the two still hold a torch for each other when they meet again, she doesn't survive much longer after that.
Heroic Sacrifice: She takes a bullet for Haruka.
Luke, I Am Your Father: Or rather, Haruka, I Am Your Mother.
Nice Girl: She's an optimistic, compassionate and soft-spoken young lady who greatly cares about her orphanage mates, Kiryu and Nishiki.
Parental Abandonment: She led Haruka to believe that she was her aunt, and that "Mizuki" was her mother, who Haruka never met. She did this to protect themselves from Jingu.
"The Reason You Suck" Speech: Tries giving a passive one to Nishikiyama on why he needs to properly confront his personal problems and insecurities instead of trying to compensate for them via megalomania. Sadly she pushes his Berserk Button when she compares Nishiki's actions to Kiryu, triggering the latter latter to break her down with an enraged Armour-Piercing Question.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: She's the blue to Jingu's red.
The Reveal: She and Mizuki are one and the same, making her Haruka's mother, and she's responsible for taking the 10 billion yen from the Tojo Clan, which happens to be Jingu's money.
So Beautiful, It's a Curse: Yumi is noted for being a very beautiful woman, but this also attracts her unwanted attention from Dojima who tries to rape her.
Taking the Bullet: For Haruka the second time Jingu tries shooting her.
Tragic Dream: In Like a Dragon Gaiden, Kiryu stated that Yumi always wanted to visit Hawaii in order to get married, which is why he visits there in Infinite Wealth.
Tragic Keepsake: The pendant she gave Haruka has a picture of Kiryu inside, and while she couldn't remember him due to the incident, she remembered parts of him. The ring counts as well, as it was the only present Kiryu gave her. Kiwami shows us the trouble Kiryu goes through to buy it for her.
Walking Spoiler: Much of the game is spent searching for her, and the circumstances behind her disappearance play a large role in the overall plot.
Written-In Absence: Despite her importance in Kiryu's and Nishiki's lives, she doesn't make an appearance in Yakuza 0 as she's said to be attending school at the time. Kiryu's not exactly enthusiastic of the idea of her working there as a hostess.

Reina

Voiced by: Junko Mihara (Yakuza), Hiromi Tsuru (Yakuza 0), Atsuko Tanaka (Kiwami), Rachael Leigh Cook (Yakuza, English version)

Reina as she appears in Kiwami

^{Click here} to see Reina as she appears in Yakuza 0.

A woman who runs the bar "Serena" during the first game. She's been friends with Kiryu and Nishiki for a long time as Serena was their favorite hangout before Dojima's murder, and she also employed Yumi there as a hostess.

After Kiryu's release from prison, Reina helps him by letting him use Serena as a hideout and takes care of Haruka whenever Kiryu has to go somewhere. Late in the game, it's revealed that she betrayed Kiryu out of love for Nishiki and became his informant. She tries to take responsibility by attempting to kill Nishiki, and while she is rescued by Shinji, the two are killed by Kazuto Arase.

She also appears in Yakuza 0 as the proprietress or "mama" of Serena, where Kiryu meets her for the first time. Despite him being on the run from the Dojima family, she's more than willing to help him because of how much he means to Nishiki in spite of the dangers involved.

Alas, Poor Villain: Poor Reina really just wanted to be loved by Nishiki, and she ended up getting killed instead.
All Love Is Unrequited: For Nishiki, whose eyes were always on Yumi instead. In Kiwami, she's the one who recommends Kiryu get Yumi a ring for her birthday. Envious of her reaction when she gets it, realizing how she and Kiryu feel about each other, she brings up her own birthday and suggests Nishiki get her a ring as well, but he doesn't take her seriously.
Anti-Villain: Revealed to be on Nishiki's side all along. However, she's not malicious at all and tries to atone for her actions once she realizes how far Nishiki has gone off the deep end. It sadly gets her killed.
Assist Character: For Nishiki when Majima fights him in 0. Letting Majima get struck by her attack earns you a trophy.
The Atoner: After her betrayal is revealed, she tries to make amends by killing Nishiki, the man she loves.
The Bartender: She runs Serena and allows Kiryu to use it as a hideout.
Forgotten Fallen Friend: Downplayed. She's similar to Shinji in that Kiryu doesn't really dwell too much on her death compared to Nishiki and Yumi despite having known each other since the 80's. Then again, the latter two did grow up with Kiryu in the same orphanage.
A Friend in Need: In 0. When Kiryu is on the run from the entire Dojima Family, Reina finds him and opens up Serena to give him refuge over his protests despite the serious danger she would be putting herself in.
Good Smoking, Evil Smoking: Reina smokes a slender pipe which slides quite neatly into the "traditional east Asian woman" mold, but the pipe's long slender stem manages to invoke a cigarette holder as well.
Head-Turning Beauty: One of the reasons why Serena is so popular is because she is drop-dead gorgeous. People can be overheard describing her as a "traditional beauty", and even Kiryu is stunned when he meets her for the first time in Yakuza 0.
Heel–Face Door-Slam: By the time she decided to redeem herself in some fashion, Kazuto guns her down and she dies during her escape with Shinji.
High-Heel–Face Turn: Once the truth is out about her, she tries to make amends by attempting to kill Nishiki.
Killed Offscreen: When Arase reveals himself, he also brings Reina's bullet-riddled corpse.
Love Makes You Evil: The reason why she betrayed Kiryu and the others to assist Nishiki.
The Mole: For Nishiki.
Nice Girl: Reina is a generally hospitable, polite and friendly woman who wants to make sure everyone at her bar feels at home.
Prim and Proper Bun: Her default hairstyle in the first game.
Redemption Equals Death: To an extent. She does try to redeem herself by trying to kill Nishiki, and it's not shown nor explained how, but...
Shipper on Deck: In Kiwami, once she realizes Yumi likes Kiryu, she pushes him to buy her a ring for her birthday. Granted, she was hoping Nishiki would take a hint and do the same for her, or at least notice her instead.
Too Dumb to Live: Seeing Nishiki most likely had his marksman with him, going by the bullet wounds in Reina's corpse, it didn't go out so well. Could be justified, as either she as a civilian had no clue just what she's heading into or she may have had no intentions of getting out of it alive.

Mizuki Sawamura

Yumi's sister, Haruka's supposed mother and the owner of the Ares bar in the Millennium Tower. When Kiryu searches for answers involving Yumi's disappearance, he discovers Haruka, who left the orphanage to find the mother she never met. Kiryu helps her hoping it will lead them to Yumi's whereabouts. Nishiki is also looking for Mizuki for the same reason, hoping locating Yumi will lead him to the missing 10 billion yen. Apparently, Kiryu, Nishiki and Reina had no idea Yumi had a sister.

The Ghost: No one ever meets the real Mizuki because she doesn't actually exist.
Identical Stranger: She looks a lot like Yumi, except for shorter hair and having a tattoo on her chest, which Kiryu and Reina claim Yumi would never do.
- One is killed midway in the game by one of Nishiki's goons, mistaking her for the real Mizuki, but it turned out to be someone else.
Long-Lost Relative: Apparently nobody was aware Yumi had a sister. She doesn't.
Meaningful Name: In Japanese, "mizu" or "water", is associated with night-life, so "Mizuki" is a fitting name for a woman who owns a large and exclusive bar. "Mizu" is also associated with trickery and deception, making it doubly fitting, since Mizuki doesn't exist.
Missing Mom: Haruka's mother, who she never met.
Secret Identity: For Yumi.
Walking Spoiler:The truth behind her whereabouts are unraveled during the game's climax.

Pochitaro

A stray puppy Haruka befriends around the time she meets Kiryu.

Call-Back: He reappears in Kiwami 2 under the care of Mogusa. Kiryu offers to give the dog a home at Sunflower Orphanage.
Fetch Quest: Kiryu has to bring food and water to him after saving the dog from a bunch of thugs.
Kick the Dog: The receiver of this trope; his first scene shows him being abused by a group of cruel delinquents, upsetting Haruka. Kiryu stepping in to help allows Haruka to see him for the former's kind nature.
Precious Puppy:
- His first appearance is used to exemplify Haruka's kind nature and her developing bond with Kiryu, all conveyed by the two taking care of the pup after they find him on the street.
- Kiryu allows him to live at the Sunflower orphanage to help one of the new kids, Hayato, open up to the others.
Put on a Bus: Hasn't reappeared since being adopted into Sunflower Orphanage in a substory in 2. Justified since Haruka no longer has to live there after Kiryu adopted her and the two of them moved to Okinawa in 3.

Hirata

Voiced by: Hideyuki Kanaya

The President of Peace Finance, a credit company Tenkaichi Alley in Kamurocho. Despite being a loan shark himself he has incurred debts with several families affiliated with the Tojo Clan, becoming notorious for his inability to deliver even the interest on his loans.

Reappears in a substory in 3 being reduced to a hobo living on the streets of Kamurocho. His grown-up son is searching vigorously for him.

* Bit-Part Bad Guys: The very first person in the entire series to antagonize Kiryu by refusing to pay his debt and violently retaliating while aided by a crew of thugs. Notably, he's fought first in the prologue of the first game, barely a few minutes past the literal start of the game, and 10 years before the plot properly begins.
Flunky Boss: Never tries to fight Kiryu alone.
The Bus Came Back: Returns in 3 in the substory "Ghosts from the Past" well over a decade after the prologue of the first game.
Golf Clubbing: Attacks Kiryu with one of several golf clubs in his office. Kiryu can return the favor by grabbing one of his other clubs.
Loan Shark: One that ironically has trouble paying back the massive debt he owes to the Tojo Clan.
Small Role, Big Impact: Possibly. Kiryu runs into Hirata and his goons and is forced to waste time fighting them when he's in the middle of rushing over to Dojima's office to stop Nishiki from doing anything too hasty to rescue Yumi. If you think about it, if Kiryu had gotten to Nishiki earlier and stopped him from killing Dojima, then basically the entirety of the first game's plot wouldn't have happened.
Warm-Up Boss: Him and his goons provide the tutorial fight for the first game. He reappears with his goons a second time later in the prologue to accost Kiryu a second time as a proper fight but he's still not much of a threat whatsoever.

Dr. Emoto

Voiced by: Kudō Shunsaku (1, 2, Kiwami 2), Ryunosuke Karasawa (Kiwami), Ryuichi Kagehira ("Online," "Infinite Wealth")

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/emotoy4.jpg

Emoto as he appears in Yakuza 4

A no-nonsense doctor who runs Kamurocho's only hospital, an off-the-books clinic that was financed by Shintaro Kazama. Once the department head of the Touto University Hospital, he charges his clients little to no charge, and even treats illegal immigrants and foreigners with no regard to their status. Kiryu and Haruka first meet him when a boy faints after being given food, and Emoto abandons his current patient to save the child's life. He returns throughout the series as a minor ally.

Back-Alley Doctor: Subverted; despite running a seemingly shady clinic, he is an actual medical professional dedicated to providing proper healthcare for those who would otherwise not be able to afford it.The shadiest thing about him is that he receives funding from Shintaro Kazama, Dojima Family Captain and Kazama Family Patriarch. Even then, Kazama's just a sponsor and he supports Emoto because he's always appreciated his hard work as far back as when Emoto was still head surgeon at Touto University Hospital.
The Bus Came Back: After not having made an appearance in a mainline game since 4, he makes a short reappearance in Infinite Wealth as one of Kiryu's "Memoirs of a Dragon" substories. He's still running the clinic, but is close to retirement age, with his daughter lined up as a successor having already taken over most of the day-to-day operations.
Cigarette of Anxiety: Smokes one after performing surgery on the young boy, considering it was a close call.
Labcoat of Science and Medicine: A Back-Alley Doctor in a doctor's coat.
Mistaken for Racist: He is accused of racism after abandoning a Black patient mid-treatment (seemingly killing him) to help a Japanese boy. Turns out it was because the boy had an urgent case of appendicitis, while the Black man only had a kidney stone, which is painful enough to make him pass out but harmless afterwards. Emoto even easily wakes him up by simply patting the man once.

The Florist of Sai / Kage the Florist

Voiced by: Yoshiaki Fujiwara, Dwight Schultz (Yakuza, English version)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kagey5.jpg

The Florist as he appears in Yakuza 5

The mastermind behind the development of Purgatory and the surveillance systems of Kamurocho. Notorious as a Knowledge Broker, his real name is not known, but he used to be a police informant until Detective Date arrested him for selling information on the black market. He helps Kiryu throughout his adventures in the series and other protagonists at the start of the fourth game.

BFG: As a DLC unit in the Majima Construction minigame in Kiwami 2, he's a ranged unit carrying around a rocket launcher.
Big Brother Is Watching: He watches over everyone, even his own family that he abandoned.
Break Them by Talking: According to a sub-story in Kiwami, this is how he handles any run-ins with the sorts of thugs Kiryu fights throughout Kamurocho. He knows all their secrets, so he just starts spouting the really bad ones until they go away.
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: He was a major supporting character up to 5 but stops making appearances in chronologically later games. The same applies to Purgatory.
Cowboy Cop: He used to be one, and had some rather unethical methods which is why Date made him turn in his badge.
Disappeared Dad: Has a son named Takashi who doesn't even know about him, and who happens to be going out with a Yakuza Princess. Although he tells Kiryu he's ashamed of his son, he also thinks Takashi's better off without him, and can't bring himself to tell him the truth considering how long he's been absent from the kid's life. He does, however, team up with said Yakuza Princess' father to enact a Secret Test of Character that persuades the Yakuza that Takashi is worthy of his daughter.
Dub Name Change: In Japan, he's known as "Hanaya" (which translates to "Florist") or "Sai no Hanaya". In the first game's English dub, he was simply given the name "Kage", although later games added the "Florist" title. Kiwami changes his name into the more-accurate "The Florist of Sai".
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Puts on an indifferent, uncaring front and usually won't help the people for free but he very rarely show signs of being consideration like urging Kiryu to save an injured Date from some angry homeless folk despite his past conflicts with the man or the harsh but fair advice he gives his son in a substory in 2. He refuses to help Aizawa when he almost beats a man to death in the arena during his Secret Test of Character but with Saejima's intervention, he decides to recognize his resolve and agrees to help him.
Knowledge Broker: This is his role in the whole series. Whenever something is going down in Kamurocho, there's no doubt that he's one step ahead of everyone else and the go-to guy for information.
Only Known by Their Nickname: His real name hasn't been revealed, only going by the nicknames mentioned above.
Meaningful Name: Although its not his real name, "Hanaya" means "Florist" in Japanese, whilst his dub name "Kage" means "Shadow". His full nickname is "Sai no Hanaya", where "Sai no Hanaya" is taken from the Japanese name for Purgatory, "Sai no Kawara".
Mr. Exposition: The knowledge he has on everything in Kamurocho makes him one of the series' most prevailing examples of this.
Secret Test of Character: His information usually comes at a high price, but if our protagonists can't afford it, he'll usually have them fight and win in the Underground Coliseum to see if they're worthy. But he won't give information to those who kill in the ring. He makes an exception for Majima before the events of the second game, wanting him to take care of Purgatory in exchange for the information Majima needs.
- He also collaborates on one for his own son, Takashi, who had run off with a Yakuza patriarch's daughter. Said patriarch, recognising that being his daughter is ruining her life, is not completely opposed to her leaving with her boyfriend but first wanted to see if he was worthy of her. He and the Florist stage manage a scenario where Takashi had a chance to show his love for her in a dangerous situation. Takashi duly does, unknowing that both his and his gorlfriend's fathers are watching.
10-Minute Retirement: In Yakuza 2, he leaves his position in Purgatory and returns to the police. It doesn't last.
Walking Shirtless Scene: His chest is always exposed, save for Yakuza 2 where he's back on the force wearing a police uniform instead.

Gary Buster Holmes

Voiced by: Yasuhiro Mamiya (Kiwami), Gary Anthony Williams (Yakuza, English version), Isaac C. Singleton Jr. (Yakuza: Like a Dragon Onward, English; uncredited)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yakuzak_coliseum_holmes.png

Holmes as he appears in Yakuza Kiwami

An African-American expatriate in Tokyo who works as the Florist's bodyguard of Purgatory and holds the reputation as the undefeated champion of the underground fighting tournament. He can speak Japanese but it tends to slip off to some characters. He makes a cameo in Yakuza 4, having turned a new leaf in his life after joining Majima's family to help on the construction of Kamurocho Hills. He also appears in Dead Souls as your drill instructor. In Like a Dragon, he's now working for the Poundmates service and serves as the first unlockable Poundmate.

The Bus Came Back: 4 and the non-canonical Dead Souls were his last chronological appearances in the story as he's absent in the next two games set later in the timeline. He finally returns in Like a Dragon as Ichiban's first unlockable Poundmate, introducing him to the gameplay mechanic of Summons.
Continuity Cameo: He reappears in one of Kiryu's side missions in the fourth game somewhere high up at the Kamurocho Hills construction site where he is punching a steel support beam. He tells Kiryu that losing to him twice throughout the first and second games was his biggest regret and he wants to have a rematch with him.
Drill Sergeant Nasty: Has the definite appearance of one with his military-styled appearance in Dead Souls, but ultimately averted since he's still very affable regardless.
Gentle Giant: The guy's a massive hulk compared to Kiryu, but none of the fights against him are personal.
Glass Cannon: Strangely enough, he's this despite his hulking build. While he's always plenty strong and damaging, he usually has a smaller health bar compared to other bosses in the games he can be fought in.
Funny Foreigner: Much of the humor from him comes from his mangled Japanese.
Mad Libs Catchphrase: "Do you want sudden death or X?", with X being some random out-of-context (usually sexual) Japanese term. Sometimes followed by Kiryu bemusingly pointing out that what he said made no sense. Fellow English-speaker Jennifer from Yakuza 0's Catfight Club minigame appropriates the phrase for herself.
Moveset Clone: In Kiwami and Kiwami 2, he uses Masato Aizawa's fighting style from Yakuza 5.
No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: One of his heat moves he can use on Kiryu if he knocks him to the ground is to perform the "Essence of Wreckage".
Papa Wolf: As shown in Infinite Wealth, he does care a lot for his daughter Chitose, to the point where upon hearing that Ichiban presumably cheated on her, he joins in along with the rest of the women beating him down.
Power Fist: A peculiar variation in Yakuza 2 and its remake. He wears huge spiked metal balls (dubbed the "Buster Knuckle") on his fists during his rematch against Kiryu. He uses them again in Like a Dragon if he's summoned as a Poundmate.
Promoted to Playable: In The Man Who Erased His Name, he can be scouted for the Joryu Clan and played as in the Coliseum.
Punny Name: His name is probably a shoutout to James "Buster" Douglas, who made waves in the boxing scene when he handed Mike Tyson his first professional defeat during their 1990 fight in Tokyo. It's probably no coincidence that his name shares initials with the crime of Grievous Bodily Harm.
Scary Black Man: He looks intimidating and is a strong fighter but deep down he is a very nice man.
Strong Family Resemblance: In Infinite Wealth he has a daughter named Chitose who looks just like him (albeit with slightly better Japanese).
Recurring Boss: There's a good chance if you see him, you'll fight him.
Recurring Extra: He appears several times throughout the franchise, but is never a major character.
Vocal Dissonance: In 2 (and its remake) and Like a Dragon, he speaks in a smooth voice despite his imposing build. In other games, he speaks in a fitting deep baritone. His EN dub voice in the latter keeps this baritone intact.
Wrestler in All of Us: He can perform a German suplex on Kiryu during your first fight against him in the first game and its remake.
You No Take Candle: His Japanese isn't very good. By the time of "4," his Japanese has improved quite a bit that he only has minor slip-ups.
Buster: You son of a peach!
Your Size May Vary: He's always been rather massive, but he's definitely far larger in 4 than in any other game (being the height of 0's Shakedowns) outright dwarfing Kiryu. He's back to a more ordinary size in Dead Souls and Like a Dragon so it's not like this is a permanent development either.

Sotaro Komaki

Voiced by: Jun Orihara, Ken Uo (ONLINE, Infinite Wealth)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yakuzak_coliseum_komaki.png

Komaki as he appears in Yakuza Kiwami

The series' resident Old Master and Kiryu's sensei. First introduced as a homeless resident of Purgatory, he witnessed Kiryu fight in the Underground Coliseum and offered to hone his fighting techniques. Recognizing Kiryu's potential, he took him on as a pupil and trained him in the Komaki fighting arts, which includes crucial counterattacks such as the infamous Tiger Drop. He also partakes in the coliseum fights and is not an opponent to be underestimated. In the third game, he opens up a dojo and teaches the Komaki fighting arts to the homeless. The fifth game introduces his grandson, Sosuke Komaki, and the estranged relationship between them. In Yakuza 0, he helped train Majima under the fake name "Sometaro Komeki" in hopes to make him his disciple, but Majima rejected his offer. Years later, Majima would direct Komaki's attention towards Kiryu as a proper student with real potential.

Barefisted Monk: Hilariously averted. He looks the part, and he seems to greatly prefer fighting with his hands, but he also acknowledges that bare-handed combat is at a distinct disadvantage against swords and firearms. To that end, one of his training sessions involves him blasting at Kiryu with a shotgun for a full minute.
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Zigzagged. Chronologically-speaking, Yakuza 5 was his latest appearance for a long time, though he has shown up in games released after 5. But after skipping out on 6, Like a Dragon, and Gaiden, he finally reappears in Infinite Wealth for one final spar with Kiryu.
Composite Character: In the original first game on PS2 as the very last opponent fought on the hardest, he utilizes a huge variety of fighting styles spanning the boss fights across the whole game depending on how much health he has left: Initially, he starts off using Lau Ka Long's kung fu moveset, moves on to a tight defensive boxing style like substory character "Jackal" Yagisawa, then switches to a Muay Thai style like that of Coliseum fighter Gaowayan Pramuk, goes on to a reckless, brute-strength reliant fighting style like Futoshi Shimano, before finally switching back to an even stronger version of Lau Ka Long's kung fu.
Counter-Attack: His Komaki Style Martial Arts is perhaps most famous for its powerful reactive counter attack techniques which are consistently the very last techniques he'll teach Kiryu as part of his training regimen. In order, they are the "Komaki Style Knockback" which is a counter from blocking enemy attacks, the "Komaki Style Tiger Drop" which is a powerful Megaton Punch against attacking enemies, and the "Komaki Style Parry" which is a Muay Thai style grapple then knee-strike to the gut that leaves most enemies stunned.
Disappeared Dad: He left his family years ago and opened a dojo since, which is partially why his grandson Sosuke is out to fight and surpass him. Sosuke's parents were tricked into taking out a huge loan, and while Sotaro was in peak form, he had no way of using his strength to help them out of their situation. Instead, he gave his life savings to his son and disappeared, which is how he ended up homeless.
Dual Boss: In the fifth game, he's fought alongside his grandson, who is no slouch himself.
Duel Boss: In his Memoirs of a Dragon battle in Infinite Wealth, Kiryu will face him all alone, with no party members to back him up. Though the punks that Kiryu beat up just before sparring with Komaki didn't get that luxury.
Final Boss: Treated as this in the Coliseum mode of the first game in which opponents were set rather than randomized.
Good Old Fisticuffs: Aside from certain exceptions, his general fighting style relies on fairly straightforward punches and kicks barely distinguishable from if not identical to Kiryu's semi-refined streetbrawling skills.
Guest Fighter: Appears in Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise as part of "The Master's Challenge" Substory where he challenges Kenshiro to see whether Kenshiro's martial arts skills can best his Komaki style. Defeating him will unlock him as a duel fighter at the Colosseum.
Hidden Depths: In the fifth game, Komaki must be fought in order to raise the level cap from 20 to 25. However, as Haruka doesn't engage in physical combat like the others, he adjusts his skills appropriately, and takes her on in a dance battle.
- This interest in dancing and youth culture receives a callforward in 0, where he is the one to introduce Majima to Sotenbori's underground breakdancing scene.
Leitmotif: "Blaze" in Yakuza 2. Kenzan gave him "TAKUMI", which has stuck since and has been remixed over the course of the series. Which becomes a Theme Song Reveal in 0.
Lightning Bruiser: He taught Kiryu all of his best moves so naturally he's always as strong and sometimes faster than him.
Martial Pacifist: His character profile in the Bed of Styx in 0 mentions how a sharp eye will recognize how his few losses are a means of sparing the lives of his opponents.
Mirror Boss: His basic moveset and combos in 2 as well as from 5 onwards are the same as Kiryu's, and he uses the same komaki moves he taught him as well. His one unique move in 0 and Kiwami is one in which he strikes a martial arts pose and then suddenly rushes forward to perform a powerful palm strike. Downplayed in 3 and 4 in which his combos share similarities but are ultimately different from Kiryu's and he also has unique attacks like a sweep kick and a swift palm strike. Completely averted in the original Yakuza as mentioned above in Composite Character.
Old Master: He appears in just about every game to teach the protagonists some new skills while also displaying his own mastery of unarmed self-defence techniques. He's still very physically capable by the time of Infinite Wealth despite the fact that he should be in his 80s or 90s and is even able to function as a Poundmate. The substory about him even initiates the fight by him claiming he is near to death and a fight would be granting a last wish, which Kiryu doubts after seeing how spry he still is.
Signature Move: The Komaki Tiger drop, a strong counter-punch to the gut that deals huge damage and sends most enemies flying.
Super Boss: While he's been a relatively tough Optional Boss in the Coliseum mode of every game he's appeared in, his appearance in the original first game stands out by having relatively a huge healthbar, effectively four different fighting styles, and being very difficult to damage due to his mastery of the Komaki Style Counter-Attack skills. He might arguably be even tougher to fight than fellow Super Boss Jo Amon due to Kiryu being unable to heal while fighting in the Coliseum.
Technologically Blind Elders: Subverted in that he took the time to learn how to use the internet in order to follow Kiryu's blog, but is none too happy about it.
Training from Hell:
- He'll often pit Kiryu against multiple or armed opponents. He also has this reputation among some of his other students, and he often complains they can't take a good few hits unlike his favorite pupil.
- One training session implies that he'd make Kiryu fight an actual tiger if he could get his hands on one.
- The final training session with Majima is lethal if you're defeated - you'll have to retry or reload a save in Legend as if you'd been killed elsewhere in the game.
What the Hell, Hero?: He delivers a hilarious one to Kiryu when he meets him again in Yakuza 4. He chews Kiryu out for leaving Kamurocho without saying goodbye (again), and for not updating his blog.
The Worf Effect: In the second game when the Amon Clan appears, he's found beaten by Jo Amon, who steals his ultimate technique scroll just to lure Kiryu out and fight him. Although the third game indicates that Komaki is one of two people that Amon only ever struggled fighting with (the other being Kiryu, naturally).^note
You See, I'm Dying: He reveals to Kiryu in Infinite Wealth that he doesn't have much time and asks for one last duel with his star pupil.

Takashi

Voiced by: Kazuma Kudo (Yakuza, Yakuza 2), Satoshi Hino (Kiwami, Kiwami 2) Cam Clarke (English)

Takashi as he appears in Kiwami

A well-meaning but troubled Japanese Delinquent who happens to be the son of the Florist (who he's never met), and is engaged to Kyoka, the Yakuza Princess of the Atobe Family. They're on the run from her family after she stole money from them and tried to skip town with Takashi, who attempted to leave his gang without telling its leader in person. Although he's seen as a worthless punk kid by just about everyone, including himself and his own father, he truly loves Kyoka and he's determined to turn his life around to make her happy.

They appear again in the second game, when Kiryu finds Takashi with another girl, but not only is the kid down on his luck again, but he suspects Kyoka is cheating on him instead. Kiryu introduces him to the Florist, unwilling to reveal his true identity to his son, to discover the truth. She's meeting with her dad for a money loan, and despite his insistence for her to leave Takashi, Kyoka refuses to give up on him.

Takashi appears again in a substory in Yakuza 4, revealing that Kyoka is pregnant, but he now has a stable job with steady income and they're saving up for their wedding. Realizing there's no one on his side of the family to invite, Takashi asks Kiryu to help him find his long-lost father with the help of the Florist, who tasks him with stopping a few troublemakers throughout town. He succeeds, but is told in a note that his father is dead. But realizing the bouquet of flowers are the same ones left at his mother's grave every year, he connects the dots and realizes the truth.

Batter Up!: He fights using a baseball bat, but Kiryu makes better use of it.
Honor Before Reason: He tries to take the high road and take the responsibilities expected of him as an adult, but his methods are... not very well thought out.
In the Back: When he first meets Kiryu, he mistakes him as another yakuza and tries to strike him from behind with a bat. It works about as well as expected.
Japanese Delinquent: He's part of the B-King gang, but once Kyoka decides to run away with him, he tries leaving them, which doesn't sit well with its leader.
Parental Abandonment: His mother passed away when he was younger, and he's never met his father. Despite Kiryu's insistence, the Florist refuses to be a part of his son's life thinking Takashi is better off without him.
Poor Communication Kills: In the second game, he suspects Kyoka is cheating on him and seeing someone at a hotel, but won't tell him anything. She's secretly meeting her father for a loan of money as not to worry him.
Secret Test of Character: He is the subject of one arranged by Kyoka's father and his own. Members of the Atobe family track him down, supposedly to kill him and drag Kyoka back to her father. Kiryu fights them off at the Florist's instruction and Takashi, rather than running, stands up to the chief Atobe enforcer respectfully and states that he will do anything for Kyoka. This is enough for her father to judge him worthy of her and the enforcer delivers a message from him in which he apologises for his failure as a father and gives his blessing.
Straw Loser: He tries leaving the B-King gang by texting them. He also has poor luck, can't stand up to anyone, can't maintain a steady job, and everyone but Kyoka (and to a degree, Kiryu) thinks he's a loser. However, by the fourth game, he's turned most of his life around and isn't worried about becoming a father.
Too Dumb to Live:
- In the first game, he's willing to perform Yubitsume on himself to prove to the Atobe Family that he's willing to do anything for Kyoka. Kiryu stops him and reminds him he's not a yakuza.
- In the fourth game, to show he's not willing to back away from anything, he decides to fight Taiga Saejima, which ends as well as you'd expect. Granted, he didn't know who he was, and it was to stop him from beating up on homeless people, which was a set-up by his father that Taiga was completely in on.
Women Are Wiser: Kyoka seems to have more spunk in her than he does, and she's also smarter than he is.

Keisuke Baba

Leader of the B-Kings, a small time gang that extorts money from pedestrians and performs small time dirty work for various Tojo Clan families like most Kamurocho street gangs do. When Kiryu encounters them in the story, they're working for the Atobe Family and hunting down Takashi, a former member of the B-Kings, and Kyoka, daughter of the Atobe Family Patriarch. The gangs members enjoy playing baseball and frequently hang out at the Yoshida Batting Center. He reappears in a substory in 4, having moved past his delinquent days and is now a rich and famous professional baseball player.

Counter-Attack: Tends towards this in the original game if you're too aggressive, using either a sweep kick or a headbutt.
Former Teen Rebel: Went from a quintessential street punk to a professional baseball player and celebrity. Amusingly he still likes to wear backwards baseball caps and retains all the facial piercings from his youth.
I Know Madden Kombat: His gang likes to play baseball and one of his combo finishers in Kiwami is to swing his fists together at Kiryu like a baseball bat.
Moveset Clone: In Kiwami he has Tatsuo Shinada's fighting style though thankfully he can't use any of Shinada's grapple finishers. He does have a unique headbutting attack however, presumably due to having a headbutting attack in the original game.
- Bizarrely, he uses a completely different fighting style as an ally in a substory, copying Kazama's karate fighting style from 3 but with the unique counter stance missing.
Ridiculously Successful Future Self: He's become a rich and famous professional baseball pitcher 5 years after Kiryu last saw him.
Signature Headgear: A brown baseball cap worn backwards. Even after becoming a highly successful baseball player, he still wears the thing despite changing the rest of his attire to a crisp dark suit.
Use Your Head: Used this method rather often in the original game and it's carried over to the remake.

Saya Date

Voiced by: Akina Okada (Yakuza), Ryōko Shiraishi (Kiwami), Nan McNamara (Yakuza, English version)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sayayk.jpg

Saya as she appears in Kiwami

A high school student who makes Kiryu a suspicious proposition, she is the estranged and rebellious daughter of Makoto Date. A girl who's often looking for trouble, she found herself seduced by the Stardust host Shota into earning money for him to pay off his debts. With Kiryu's help, she discovers what kind of person Shota really is and tries to patch things up with her father. By the second game she's started to turn her life around and has become a hairdresser. She also appears in a substory in Yakuza 4, wanting to introduce her father to her new boyfriend Minoru, a fellow hairdresser who she plans to move in with, but their meeting doesn't go as smoothly as planned.

Calling the Old Man Out: When she first sees her dad in the first game, she calls him out for constantly leaving her Stood Up, and when he does meet her he's barely interested in her conversations. And he already doesn't see himself as a good father.
Japanese Delinquent: She introduces herself in the first game by offering Kiryu to a one-night stand, but is clearly uncomfortable with the idea and quickly changes her mind (she tells Kiryu later it would've been her first time). She slips out of this once she starts patching things up with her dad.
Rebellious Spirit: She has a really rocky relationship with her father, and although she loves him deep down inside, she's also plagued with a lot of internal issues. She gets much better.
What the Hell, Hero?: When her dad tells Kiryu to butt out of their business when meeting Minoru, Saya calls him out on his behavior toward Kiryu considering everything he's done to help them.

Dr. Kiminobu Hiyoshi

A doctor working at Touto University Hospital around the time Nishiki's sister had fallen gravely ill as part of the new cutscenes in Kiwami. He tells Nishiki that his sister's chance of survival were very low unless she got a heart transplant and there weren't any easily available donors at the time. When he sees how desperate Nishiki is about saving his sister's life, he offers to look at the options in the black market but that he would need 30 million yen. Upon receiving the money, he is revealed to be a fraud, having pocketed the money to pay off all of his massive gambling debts, catching the attention of Nishiki since his underling Matsushige was one such creditor. He would flee the city afterwards to avoid Nishiki's retribution for deceiving him. He would later reappear in Online with Nishiki having managed to finally track him down.

Asshole Victim: Described by Matsushige as gambling, debt-ridden scum and had exploited Nishiki for a huge sum of cash while claiming it to be for the sake of helping save his dying sister. In Online Nishiki tracks him down and has him sold to an organ donor for the same amount of money.
Black Market: He claims to have contacts in the black market and that if Nishiki can get him enough money, he should be able to find a heart transplant for his sister. He's full of shit. Ironically his ultimate fate is to be taken apart as organs for the black market for the same price he scammed Nishiki out of.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: We already knew Hiyoshi was shady when he asked for so much money, supposedly to procure a heart on the black market for Nishiki's sister. All he did with the money was pay off his gambling debts before packing everything up and skipping town, leaving Nishiki's sister to die.
Karmic Death: He reappears in Online in an underground casino, having apparently not learned his lesson about gambling. The man is terrified when Nishiki finally tracks him down, but Nishiki reassures him that he's going to protect him from the Chinese Triad owning said casino who were trying to punish him for cheating at gambling. While Nishiki succeeds in safely getting him to the wharf, he then reveals that he's going to sell the doctor off to organ brokers, the same sort of black market dealers the doctor claimed to know. What's more, the doctor's body was appraised to be worth 30 million yen, the exact same amount he requested of Nishiki all those years ago.
No Name Given: His name is never spoken though we do see it on his business card later. However, it's untranslated so anyone that can't read the Japanese text is out of luck.
Small Role, Big Impact: Only appears in one scene in Kiwami and he never even interacts with Kiryu. However his deception of Nishiki would be the final nail in the coffin for his dying sister's life kickstarting Nishiki's Start of Darkness. It also very much explains why Nishiki doesn't trust anyone anymore.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: He knew what he was doing when he lied to Nishiki about being able to save his sister's life by finding donors on the black market. What he couldn't have known was the sort of destruction the Nishikiyama Family would cause for Kamurocho for years to come, with Nishiki becoming embittered by the betrayal and subsequent death of his sister Yuko. It also would lead to the doctor's own death when Nishiki tracks him down and has him sold off to organ brokers.

Hosts and Hostesses

Kazuki

Voiced by: Hiroshi Tsuchida, Keith Ferguson (Yakuza, English version), Christopher Sean (Infinite Wealth)

Portrayed by: Haruhiko Kato (live-action film)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kazukiyk.jpg

Kazuki as he appears in Kiwami

Kazuki is the owner of the host club Stardust. Early in the first game, he's introduced as an ally of Kazama, who taught him the ropes on how to run an honest business without borrowing money, which has made his club a target for the yakuza and other money launderers seeking to take advantage of him. To repay his mentor, he assists Kiryu and tells him about how the Tojo Clan and Akira Nishiki had changed in the ten years he had been away in prison. Since then, he has remained as one of Kiryu's most reliable allies along with his loyal assistant Yuya.

Ambiguously Bi: He's the top Host at Stardust, mainly catering to female customers. When summoned as a Poundmate in Infinite Wealth however, he overtly flirts and makes intimate gestures with the enemy alongside Yuya to lower their guard. All the enemies fought in the game are male, by the way.
Ambiguous Situation: It is not clear whether or not Kazuki is actually a Japanese man of Korean descent or whether or not his Doppelgänger just tied him to the organization. It doesn't help that the man who gave this information is later revealed to be The Mole for the Jingweon Mafia and could have easily been giving false information to better help lure all his enemies into a trap.
Badass in a Nice Suit: A non-Yakuza member example wearing a crisp white suit. He's not on Kiryu's level but he's still a decent fighter implied through gossip to regularly fend off aggressive Yakuza members with the help of Yuya.
Boxing Battler: As a brief combat ally during the fight against Hasebe in 3, as well as an Optional Boss in the post-game content, he relies primarily on boxing style punches and quick footwork though he can also grapple enemies.
- Similarly, his fighting style in Kiwami as an ally also seems to be based on boxing with an emphasis on quick, aggressive punches. Once again, he doesn't exclude grappling and even uses kicks. The former in particular makes him useful for tandem Heat Actions.
Brains and Brawn: The Brains to Yuya's Brawn. Downplayed on his end. Although he's rather perceptive and knowledgeable about the current state of Kamurocho and the Tojo Clan, he can also put up a decent fight if he has to.
The Bus Came Back: He finally returns in the flesh in Infinite Wealth for one of Kiryu's substories, complete with a slow camera shot panning up his exquisite shoes and outfit. Prior to this, he had not been seen since Yakuza 4 and only received small mentions in 5 and 6, and was completely absent from Like A Dragon and Gaiden due to those games not taking place in Kamurocho.
Demoted to Extra: He plays a significant supporting role in the first three games especially in 2. In 4, he stops appearing in the main story and only shows up in a couple substories. From 5 onwards, he stops making appearances entirely with only a few mentions from his friend Yuya. He wouldn't make a formal appearance until Infinite Wealth as a Poundmate.
Discriminate and Switch: It is believed the police are profiling him in Yakuza 2 as a member of the Korean mafia because he's ethnically Korean. He's been replaced with a Korean imposter.
Doppelgänger: One who was working for the Jingweon Mafia and taking control of Stardust since his absence, due to being kidnapped by the aforementioned faction. He was absent for six months and no one noticed.
Distressed Dude: Gets kidnapped by the Jingweon Mafia in the second game and gets shot later on.
Evil Sounds Deep: His doppleganger has a slightly deeper voice compared to the real Kazuki. This is how Kawara was able to tell the difference between the two having apparently memorised the sound of the fake's voice and comparing it to the other Kazuki revealed to be the real deal.
The Ghost: Doesn't appear at all in 5 and 6, merely being briefly discussed by Yuya and Kiryu in both scenarios.
Light Is Good: One of the very the few examples of a man in a white suit that isn't Kiryu himself unambiguously being on the heroes' side. Naturally, his Jingweon Mafia Doppleganger inverts this.
Mr. Exposition: His biggest impact on the plot in the first game as well as 3 is to bring Kiryu up to speed on the current state of the Tojo Clan when he returns to Kamurocho after two seperate extended absences.
Mr. Fanservice: Downplayed since it's never really emphasized but he is very attractive with a shirt that exposes his neck and some of his chest. You can briefly see in a cutscene in 2 that he's got a fairly muscular upper torso though it doesn't get much focus due to how serious the circumstances are. Makes sense since he's the number one host at Stardust and arguably all of Kamurocho considering how Stardust is the number one Host Club.
Older Than They Look: Infinite Wealth shows that he's still active as a host even after roughly 20 years, meaning he should be in his mid-late 40s at the least.
Optional Boss: Yakuza 3 post-game content allows you to fight Kazuki and Yuya as a Dual Boss.
Put on a Bus: Has to leave the plot of 2 because he suffers a gunshot wound that he barely survives. He does briefly reappears despite still recovering to tell Kiryu that he heard that the Jingweon Mafia's planted bombs across Kamurocho. Not long afterwards in the prologue of 3 he's shown to be recovering well. A year later, he's back in fighting conditon. Good thing too since Hasebe of the Nishikiyama Family was trying to temporarily buy Stardust for a period of time and wasn't taking no for an answer.
- In 6, Stardust has been taken over by the Korean Mob so he's no longer the owner nor does he work there. While his absence is explained, he still nonetheless makes no appearance whatsoever compared to Yuya who at least makes an appearance having become a businessman after leaving the host industry. At the very least, Yuya mentions that he's planning on buying back Stardust from the Jingweon Mafia one day but as of this writing, there's no word on whether he succeeded as the subject is never brought up again in 6 nor any later entries in the series. His return in Infinite Wealth shows he and Yuya did buy back Stardust and are still keeping the club alive.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The blue to Yuya's red.
Something about a Rose: Depicted holding a white rose in his official render for 3. It doesn't appear to have any significance whatsoever though. It never even appears in the game itself.
Spot the Imposter: Date and Kiryu try to figure out which one of the Kazukis is the real thing. It's actually Jiro Kawara who does by remembering the voice of the imposter.
What the Hell, Hero?: Kazuki sees through Date's attempt to manipulate him in 2 and seems quite furious. Subverted as it's not Kazuki at all.
Your Size May Vary: He's noticeably shorter than Yuya and Kiryu in 3 and 4 when in the first two games and their remakes, he was more or less the same height as them.

Yuya

Voiced by: Kenta Miyake, Dave Fouquette (Yakuza, English version), Patrick Seitz (Infinite Wealth)

Yuya as he appears in Kiwami.

Kazuki's loyal floor manager and a bouncer who is very protective of his club's business, and is willing to throw his life on the line for it. He has a strong hatred for the yakuza, mistaking Kiryu for one and gets into a fight with him, but is Easily Forgiven once he's beaten. Like Kazuki, he remains a staunch ally of Kiryu throughout the series, and is later promoted as the club's manager. The second game reveals that he used to be part of a Bōsōzoku gang called "Black Thunder", and when Kazuki is put under Dr. Emoto's care after getting shot by his imposter, Yuya takes care of Stardust all by himself until the third game. He leaves for Fukuoka in the fifth game to start a new life, which doesn't last. He also appears in the sixth game.

Ambiguously Bi: He mainly caters to female customers. When summoned as a Poundmate in Infinite Wealth however, he overtly flirts and makes intimate gestures with the enemy alongside Kazuki to lower their guard. All the enemies fought in the game are male, by the way.
Badass Longcoat: Wore a white longcoat in his delinquent past (see below). He briefly dons it again while helping Kiryu fend off members of his old gang.
Baritone of Strength: Yuya is voiced by Kenta Miyake, a voice actor known for his deep, melodious voice. He's also a decent fighter easily beating down any average Yakuza members that make trouble for Stardust. This holds true for Infinite Wealth's English dub as well, where he's voiced by the very low-voiced Patrick Seitz and is back in the saddle as Stardust's muscle after Kazuki got it back from the Jingweon Mafia.
Brains and Brawn: The Brawn to Kazuki's Brain. Downplayed on his end, as he's impulsive but not stupid and also competent enough to be a good manager for Stardust after Kazuki has him take his place.
Defeat Equals Friendship: After Kiryu beats his head in and he learns Kiryu really isn't a yakuza, Yuya immediately becomes a lot more courteous and quickly becomes one of Kiryu's most supportive allies and a good friend.
Demoted to Extra: Though usually playing a supporting role in the games, in 4 and 5, he's been relegated to only appearing in substories. In 5, he doesn't even have his usual voice actor during a combat sequence as he instead only has the same generic voice grunts as regular enemies. He doesn't even have a unique moveset anymore instead fighting like a generic enemy! He's back to a supporting role in 6.
Establishing Character Moment: As Kiryu walks up, Yuya immediately accuses him of being a Yakuza (which he used to be), and then try to beat him up before the man can get a word in edgewise. After his beating, Yuya apologies profusely to Kazuki who had invited Kiryu there.
Fiery Redhead: Auburn variant. Might not be his natural hair color, though, since his hair is black in 6 where he's quit hosting and become a regular salaryman.
Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: He's on the receiving end of this in a side quest in 5, joining a hostess club as a waiter in Nagasugai far from Kamurocho, and refusing to fight back against the yakuza when his bosses cave in despite having enough experience with yakuza to know that submitting to their demands will only encourage them to return to extort more from them. Kiryu socks him in the face and reminds him why he was the bouncer at Stardust.
Hot-Blooded: He picks a fight with Kiryu just because he looks like a Yakuza. Kazuki and Kiryu both acknowledge how passionate he is about his job.
Hunk: Appears to be larger and more muscular and masculine than most other hosts but is still successful at attracting women for his job.
Japanese Delinquents: Revealed to be a former leader of a Bōsōzoku gang called "Black Thunder" in a substory in 2, but has since left that life behind him. Unfortunately, some of his former gang members don't appreciate him leaving them and try to confront him at Stardust over his desertion.
Older Than They Look: Infinite Wealth shows that he still looks good enough to work at a Host Club even after 20 years, putting him at his mid-late 40s at the least.
Old Shame: In-Universe, he considers his time in the Black Thunder biker gang to be this. His friends disagree.
Optional Boss: Yakuza 3 post-game content allows you to fight Kazuki and Yuya as a Dual Boss.
Moveset Clone: In Kiwami, his fighting style is lifted from Rikiya's wrestling style in 3 when he's posing as "Ricky Mask". In Kiwami 2 when fighting alongside Kiryu as an ally during a substory, he instead has Rikiya's normal karate-based moveset when fighting as a boss or an ally in 3. Fittingly enough, they're both hot-blooded young men who pick fights with Kiryu only to become strong allies afterwards.
Red Is Heroic: It's more like burgundy-colored suit but it still counts. He's hot-blooded and violent but he always means well and is pretty good-hearted.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The red to Kazuki's blue.
Sir Swears-a-Lot: He very much used to cuss a lot in the first game (then again, so did everyone). This gets toned down greatly in the sequels.
10-Minute Retirement: In a side quest in Yakuza 5, he happens upon Kiryu in Fukuoka while on vacation from Stardust back in Kamurocho. Surprisingly, the Hot-Blooded Yuya's become rather listless and unmotivated about his current life as a Host, feeling that the current Stardust no longer needs him. Seeing Kiryu having started a completely new life in Fukuoka, Yuya's feels inspired to do the same in the hopes of re-igniting his previous spirit. Much like Kiryu, this new path in doesn't last.
Undying Loyalty: For Kazuki and their club Stardust.
Warm-Up Boss: A step above generic mooks but his boss fight is nothing compared to any later boss fought. Even in the more difficult Kiwami remake of the first game, his health bar is merely about as large as mildly tougher substory enemies and his Healing Factor that all story bosses get is weak enough that you can still take him down easily without the proper "Essence of Kiwami" heat move.
Wrestler in All of Us: His fighting style in the first game is wrestling-inspired with open hand chops at close range, leaping body slams from a distance, and grappling to perform a belly-to-belly suplex. The Kiwami remake expands upon this with a more robust fighting style full of various open palm strikes and round house kicks. He'll perform a frog splash if he knocks you to the ground. From a grapple he'll now perform a German suplex.
- Downplayed in 3 as an ally during the Hasebe boss fight and Optional Boss in postgame content. He uses rather simplistic brawling attacks and doesn't even seem to have a grapple but he still retains the leaping body slam.
- As an ally during a substory fight in 5, he averts it almost entirely since he's just using the same unwieldly attacks as generic street punks. At most, he can grapple enemies allowing Kiryu to perform tandem heat actions with him that are based on wrestling tag team attacks but they're not unique to him.

Shota

A host who works at Club Stardust. Date's daughter Saya has been giving him a lot of money lately to the point where she's had to go into debt herself for his sake.

Devious Daggers: Threatens Date with a knife and uses it during his boss fight. Also he's a lying scumbag who works with yakuza and exploited a young woman who honestly cared about him and wanted to help him.
Gold Digger: A male example. While Saya isn't rich, Shota's been financially bleeding her dry for selfish reasons while pretending to be in a crisis of sorts. She's been prostituting herself to keep giving money and he later suggests having her participate in a porno to make him more money.
Hate Sink: A smug, greedy, manipulative asshole who doesn't really care about Saya nor the repercussions of trying to extort guns from the police. You're gonna love breaking his pretty face.
Moveset Clone: In Kiwami, he uses the same knife attacks as Kamon Kanai from 5 during Akiyama's Final Boss fight against him.
Smug Snake: Thinks he can threaten Detective Date into smuggling them guns from the police and that they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Kiryu and Date quickly put him in his place.

Rina

Voiced by: Rina Rukawa (Japanese)

A hostess who works at SHINE.

Ambiguously Bi: She proudly states herself to be into girls but also mentions she likes buff and manly men.
Fiery Redhead: Of the auburn variety.
Has a Type: Deconstructed: Rina prefers cute, feminine women, but this preference is shown to be pretty detrimental to her dating prospects and is portrayed as stemming from a case of Boomerang Bigotry.
Kiryu: I think you put too much stock in gender. You think of everything in terms of masculine or feminine. [...] So stop putting people in boxes of "manly" or "lady-like". Let people be themselves. Even I don't know what kind of beast a man really is. And on the flip side, I know some girls, but that doesn't mean I could tell you everything about women. That's why we face people as individuals and get to know them for who they really are.
Have I Mentioned I Am Heterosexual Today?: Inverted. More or less the vast majority of her conversations relate to her sexuality in some form.
If It's You, It's Okay: Has this relationship to Kiryu. Something sexual happened between them during their last few dates.
Lipstick Lesbian: Is very girly and attractive. Justified as she is a Hostess.
Platonic Prostitution: How Rina interprets her job. She is very much there to give her clients the experience of a date even if it can go nowhere with men.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Rina is much warmer and more friendly than Yui.
Wanting Is Better Than Having: Spends a lot of time trying to court a girl, only to be disappointed she is a Lad-ette.

Yui

Voiced by: Yui Hatano (Japanese)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/maxresdefault_3728.jpg

A hostess who works at Jewel.

Batman Gambit: She explains she wants her clients to give her the same necklace multiple times so she can sell the rest and pretend the one she keeps is the one they gave her.
Defrosting Ice Queen: Yui requires a lot of effort to be defrosted.
Fiery Redhead: Averted as she's quite cool and stoic.
Freudian Excuse: Had her heart broken by a previous client.
Irony: Yui is a rather cold and standoff-ish woman because she doesn't want her clients to fall in love with her. Which is, if not exactly so, more or less what her job is.
Platonic Prostitution: Averted as Yui hates this idea of her job and even dislikes gifts (from Kiryu). Played straight with other customers.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Yui is much more reserved and less friendly than Rina.
The Un-Smile: Struggles to take a good photo for her business card because she has to force her smiles resulting in them looking very off apparently. She tells Kiryu that she's had to take over a hundred photos last time to get a respectable smile for her card.

Other Enemies

Lau Ka Long (SPOILERS!)

Voiced by: Shinichi Takizawa (Yakuza, Yakuza 3), Ryuta Morikawa (Kiwami), Hiroki Goto (ONLINE, Like a Dragon onwards), James Horan (Yakuza, English version), Johnny Yong Bosch (Like a Dragon onwards, English version)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/laukalongyk.jpg

Lau Ka Long as he appears in Kiwami

^{Click here to see Lau as he appears in Yakuza: Like a Dragon as 'Chau ka Long'.}

The boss of the Japanese branch of the Snake Flower Triads in Yokohama and the long lost enemy of Kazuma Kiryu. He's hired to have Haruka kidnapped by Shimano for the ten billion yen, but he realizes her value and tries using her as a ransom. The third game reveals that he worked with Goh Hamazaki in the past to take over Yokohama, and is hired by him to kidnap Rikiya. However, Lau cooperates only to get his revenge on Kiryu.

Animal Motifs: Serpents. His surname can translate to "serpent", he leads the Snake Flower Triads, and their insignia prominently features two snakes.
Arch-Enemy: Downplayed, but Lau is surprisingly possibly Kiryu's most personal adversary given he tortured him relentlessly before the events of the first game and attempted to have Rikiya killed in front of him in the third game. In Infinite Wealth the two are able to finally bury the hatchet under their new identities.
Asskicking Leads to Leadership: He's the leader of the Japanese branch of the Snake Flower Triads, and he claims he rose to the top by force. It shows.
Back for the Dead: He returns in Yakuza 3 only to be killed off immediately after his boss fight... Or so we thought.
Badass Longcoat: It even has gold trim for that extra bit of villainous extravagance.
Bare-Fisted Monk: Shows immense skill in Chinese martial arts even when his weapons are destroyed and he's forced to fight unarmed.
Best Served Cold: Since his crushing defeat in the first game, he's been biding his time for four years until he forged a partnership with the treacherous Hamazaki to try and wreak his vengeance on Kiryu. When Kiryu defeats him yet again, he still tries to have Kiryu's friend Rikiya killed off out of spite.
Boom, Headshot!: Gets shot in the head by Joji after his defeat in the third game. He somehow manages to survive that, as revealed in Like a Dragon.
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: He's only loyal to those who pay him for his triad's services. Initially hired by Shimano to kidnap Haruka for her pendant, he instead sells it to Nishiki when Shimano was "too cheap to bite". However, he's also working behind Nishiki's back when he decides to keep holding Haruka hostage upon discovering who her father really is.
Cold-Blooded Torture: He captured Kiryu in the past and intended to have his men torture him to death in response to Dojima giving them fake passports for a large sum of money, believing a more brutal death would send a stronger message to get the yakuza to respect the Triads.
Defeat Equals Friendship: In Infinite Wealth, when Kiryu decides to pay "Chau Ka Long" a visit the two quickly recognize each other, with Chau forcing Kiryu into a fight out of paranoia. Upon winning, Kiryu convinces him in front of Seonhee that they can keep their pasts a secret, upon which Lau willingly opens up his shop to them.
The Dreaded: Even Kiryu briefly had cold feet upon hearing his triad's involvement, instantly recalling the time he was captured and tortured almost to the point of death.
Dual Wielding: Only in the first game, where he gets a pair of swords. "Chau" in YLAD also has these in his Poundmates summon.
Flechette Storm: In the original game when fighting unarmed, he had the unique attack of quickly tossing several throwing knives at Kiryu from a distance.
Hidden Agenda Villain: His ultimate goal in the first game is to hold on to Haruka since she's "more valuable than any yakuza realizes". He refuses to explain his reasoning to Kiryu and after their fight, Kiryu immediately gets arrested by the police. Kiryu doesn't learn what he means until two chapters later when he reunites with Kazama aboard Terada's yacht. Haruka's father is Kyohei Jingu, a politician whose reputation and career would be ruined if it was discovered that he had a bastard child with a woman different than the one he later married for political reasons. Thus, it can be surmised that Lau was planning to exploit that for money or power or perhaps some combination of the two.
It's Personal: Kiryu assumes Lau Ka Long's involved in the conflict of 3 because he's also trying to profit off of the Okinawa Resort Plan. Not a terrible assumption considering how in the first game, he adjusted his plans based on whatever course of action was the most profitable. However, Lau's ultimate goal in that game has nothing do with money. Instead, he aims to personally exact revenge on Kiryu for humiliating him the last time they met. Even when that fails, he tries to have his friend Rikiya killed in front of him out of spite.
Good Scars, Evil Scars: Sports one on the left side of his face. Chau Ka Long has an identical scar.
King Mook: Of the Snake Flower Triad Members, naturally. All of them show skill in agile Chinese Martial Arts with certain members using relevant weapons like curved Chinese swords or polearms. Lau Ka Long is just tougher, stronger, faster, and considerably more skilled as a martial artist. His mastery over weapons is similarly superior with his elaborate Guandao pole arm techniques or being able to expertly dual-wield two curved Chinese swords at once.
Knight of Cerebus: Kiryu definitely takes him more seriously of a threat than previous enemies in the first game. Makes sense since the last time he ran into him, he was nearly tortured to death. He also makes Kiryu realize that there are factions that are targetting Haruka herself rather than the Tojo Clan's stolen money, cluing him in on there being some vast conspiracy targetting the people he loves.
- Manages to also be taken pretty seriously when he resurfaces in 3, invading Kamurocho with an entire army of Snake Flower Triad and very nearly succeeding in killing off Kiryu's friend Rikiya.
- Somewhat deconstructed since later games imply that the Snake Flower Triad in Japan was only so powerful and feared under his leadership. In later games after his supposed death, the Snake Flower Triad has devolved into more of a Gold Fish Poop Gang.
Kubrick Stare: Throws one at Kiryu when his fight begins in the third game.
Leitmotif: "Ogre Has Returned" in the third game, which gets remixed as "Ogre Has Reborn" for Kiwami. It also plays during the battle with Chau Ka Long in Infinite Wealth, further confirming his true identity.
Lightning Bruiser: Whether armed or unarmed, he's consistenly been one of Kiryu's quickest and most dangerous foes on top of having one of the larger healthpools in the games he's featured in. His particular penchant for acrobatics makes for an especially tricky opponent in terms of both attacking and defending against.
Light Is Not Good: He wears white pants and a white coat and is utterly ruthless even by yakuza standards.
Made of Iron: He managed to survive a bullet to the head.
Moveset Clone: His dual-wielding scimitar technique in the Kiwami remake isn't quite like the unique moveset he had in the original game. His moveset is instead comprised of the Kali Sticks attacks from Kiryu in 3 and Akiyama in 4. Technically, it already appeared prior in 0 for the mini-boss in the "Den of Desires" Long Battle Sequence dual-wielding steel fans. In a more minor instance, his unarmed and Guan Do movesets are lifted from his boss fight in 3 where they were already basically an evolution of his original movesets from the first game.
Multi-Melee Master: Specializes in an impressive variety of weapons in close-quarters: Guan do spear, dual-wielding chinese sabers, and claws.
Named After Somebody Famous: His name comes from Chinese martial arts actor, choreographer and director Lau Kar-leung.
Paper-Thin Disguise: Not only does he not bother hiding his face or changing his demeanor when in Yokohama, he doesn't even bother giving himself a new alias different from his real name, operating a weapons shop under the name Chau Ka Long.
The Password Is Always "Swordfish": The password to get into Chau Ka Long's shop is "Lau Chau Chau Ya". ("ya" means "shop").
Psychotic Smirk: It is never a good sign when he starts smiling.
A Pupil of Mine Until He Turned to Evil: Used to be the number one student at the Dojo of White Lotus better known as Granny White. However, she kicked him and his subordinates out when they proved unwilling to change their wicked ways despite her best efforts.
Purple Is Powerful: Wears a purple shirt and is highly dangerous.
Retcon: Like Kashiwagi, he made a cameo in Yakuza 6 via Spirit Photography. However, he turns out to be alive three years later.
Reverse Arm-Fold: Prefers this pose with all the cold authority, and mastery of martial arts that it would imply. He'll even do it during an evasive pirouette mid-combat.
Spectacular Spinning: A lot of his weapon techniques tend to incorporate spinning in some manner and to great effect. Even his unarmed techniques show a similar philosophy. Unlike most characters, he'll usually pirouette to avoid attacks instead of quickstepping. He can even throw out a kick while doing said evasive maneuver.
Triads and Tongs: The leader of the ruthless Snake Flower Triads in the Yokohama area.
Unexplained Recovery: In Yakuza Like a Dragon, Ichiban can meet a weapons merchant named Chau Ka Long who looks like Lau with a different hairstyle and who alludes to being in hiding from Kiryu. His identity is confirmed in Infinite Wealth, where he and Kiryu end up coming to blows once again, though after winning Kiryu convinces "Chau" that as far as he and Seonhee are concerned, the past is in the past and they're just customers.
Wolverine Claws: Only in Yakuza 3. Also applies to his shoes too.

Kyohei Jingu

Voiced by: Hiroaki Yoshida, Robin Atkin Downes (Yakuza, English version)

Portrayed by: Toshihiro Nagoshi (live-action film)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jinguyk.jpg

Jingu as he appears in Kiwami

A wealthy businessman and politician who is also the director of the Ministry Intelligence Agency (MIA), Jingu is very tied up in the yakuza and seeks to use their wealth to gain greater political power for himself. He's also the former lover of Yumi Sawamura and Haruka's biological father. The ten billion yen stolen from the Tojo Clan is actually his money.

Ambition Is Evil: He's gone so far off the edge that the only thing that matters to him is power.
Big Bad: The true antagonist of the first game, with the ten billion yen that drives the conflict being his money.
Big Bad Ensemble: While Jingu is the main villain, he only appears towards the game's finale, with Nishikiyama and Shimano being the ones who drive the conflict. Jingu at most just sends assassins to do his dirty work before the finale.
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: He turns his back on virtually everyone he knows, and even tries to have his former lover and daughter killed numerous times.
Climax Boss: He's fought against right before the final battle.
Corrupt Politician: The sole politician of the first game, and a very corrupt one at that.
Cowardly Boss: Upon taking enough damage, he flies off in a helicopter, forcing Kiryu into chasing him up the roof. In battle, he'll always prioritize running away from Kiryu to shoot him from afar, even in Kiwami where he has some close range attacks.
Creator Cameo: Briefly appears in the live-action film portrayed by Toshihiro Nagoshi, creator of the Yakuza series.
Dark Is Evil: Wears all black.
Deader than Dead: He takes a knife to the gut by Nishiki and dies right on top of his ten billion yen. And if he hadn't, well, the following explosion certainly would've done him in.
Evil Laugh: In Kiwami, he does this so often and leaves himself wide open for attack you'd think he was channeling Shao Kahn.
Evil Sounds Raspy: He has a gravelly voice that adds to his slimy demeanor.
Expy: He looks and sounds like a Japanese version of Lan Di.
Flunky Boss: By himself he is quite wimpy but he has a couple of elite MIA members to back him up. Running away from Kiryu whilst trying to get a good vantage point to shoot him doubles as a "Get Back Here!" Boss.
Greed: "Money and power" is all that matters to him.
Hate Sink: This man, to put it lightly, is a complete piece of shit. He's a corrupt politician, a scumbag who's willing to throw his lover and daughter under the bus so as to further his own career, and has an annoying laugh to boot. It's suggested by other characters that he did have some redeeming traits once upon a time - which is what drew Yumi to him, but we never see them, so for all we know, those traits are long gone and what's left is one sick bastard.
Informed Attribute: He apparently was a pretty swell guy once upon a time, enough so that Yumi legitimately fell for him. There is no hint of that in the man who shows up in the present. He's just an utter bastard willing to cut down anyone for more power. 4 implies that Munakata's influence may or may not have played a part.
The Leader: He is the director of the Ministry Intelligence Agency.
Jumping Off the Slippery Slope: He used to be a nice guy filled with ideals, but making deals with yakuza eventually led to greed and ambition consuming him. A journalist learning about his relationship to Yumi and Haruka and trying to blackmail him over it didn't help either, considering he ends up jumping to Murder Is the Best Solution.
Knight Templar: Hoo boy. He justifies everything he does no matter how wrong or twisted it is, and has himself convinced it's all necessary for the sake and future of the nation.
Lack of Empathy: If Yumi's opinion of him is to be taken at face value, Jingu is devoid of human emotions, including compassion. Given that he's willing to shoot a little girl, his own daughter to boot, without a shred of remorse, she's proven completely right.
Large Ham: Perhaps the biggest example in Kiwami... Despite the increased presence of the ever-lovable but totally ridiculous Majima.
Leitmotif: Kiwami gives him "The Wicked".
Moveset Clone: Downplayed. In Kiwami he's borrowing some attacks from Shigeki Baba in 5 but he uses merely a small fraction of his attacks and for the most part is more reliant on either his pistol, his grenades, or his MIA Colonels backing him up.
Non-Action Big Bad: Doesn't have much combat ability beyond running away and taking potshots at Kiryu with his handgun while Kiryu's distracted by the pair of elite MIB members backing Jingu up. Downplayed in Kiwami which gives him more combat options like grenades and even some close-range attacks though he's still none too impressive of a combatant and is far outclassed by said back-up who he prefers.
Offing the Offspring: He tried numerous times. See below.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The red to Yumi's blue.
Red Right Hand: The giant mole on his forehead.
Replacement Goldfish: It's implied that Yumi fell in love with Jingu out of a desperate need to fill the empty void in her heart that Kiryu had left in light of her amnesia.
Sequential Boss: He's fought before Akira Nishikiyama.
Smug Snake: Having a gun in his hand, being backed by bodyguards, and having political power has really gone to his head.
The Sociopath: Yumi states that he doesn't feel emotions like a normal person does.
Surrounded by Idiots: He has a small moment on the rooftop. His underlings shooting at the police sabotaged his attempts to claim that Date and Sudo don't have the evidence to arrest him, since at that point they don't need any. Adding to that, one of the charges was "illegal possession of firearms," so the fact that they could shoot at all was evidence itself.
Throw Down the Bomblet: Kiwami gives him grenades to chuck at Kiryu.
Ungrateful Bastard: Yumi took Haruka and left him willingly so that he could accept a marriage proposal from the prime minister's daughter and move up in the world. He repaid her by trying to have Sera kill both of them after a journalist discovered this and tried to blackmail him, all so that he could tie up "loose ends" after killing said journalist.
Villainous Legacy: Up until 4, many events in later games could be traced back to him. For instance, Akiyama recovered from homelessness by doing some day-trading using money from the 10 billion yen Jingu laundered through the Tojo Clan after Nishiki sacrifices himself to destroy it. It's even revealed that Jingu was trying to contribute the 10 billion yen to Munakata's conspiracy.
Would Hurt a Child / Would Hit a Girl: He tried to have Yumi and Haruka killed to cover up his involvement with them to prevent a scandal from breaking out. When he appears before Kiryu, he tries shooting his own daughter twice. Kiryu and Yumi take the bullet respectively, except Yumi doesn't survive.

Characters / Yakuza

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