These are the characters that debuted in Yakuza 2, the second game of the Like a Dragon series, as well as its remake, Yakuza Kiwami 2.

For Kazuma Kiryu, see his page.
For Goro Majima, see his page.
For Haruka Sawamura, see her entry on the Character Index page.
For Makoto, Youda, and Yuki, who return in Kiwami 2, see their entries on the character page for Yakuza 0.

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The Tojo Clan

Daigo Dojima

Voiced by: Satoshi Tokushige (Japanese), Roger Craig Smith (English, Like a Dragon), Tim Friedlander (English, Gaiden Onwards)^{Other Languages} Liu Yuxuan (Chinese)

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

Daigo as he appears in Like a Dragon.

"It may not seem it, but I'm trying my best to navigate this path I'm on."

The son of Sohei and Yayoi Dojima. Kiryu seeks him out in the second game as someone who can rebuild the Tojo Clan to glory after Terada's death, not realizing he lost himself after his father's murder and served time. When Kiryu finds him, he's pretty much become just another street punk, but he's convinced to aid Kiryu against the Omi Alliance, and eventually becomes the Sixth Chairman of the Tojo Clan. He's since remained a staunch ally of Kiryu's, but struggles to maintain control the Tojo Clan amid its financial woes and power struggles from within.

Abdicate the Throne: In Like a Dragon, he and Watase both end up disbanding the Tojo Clan and the Omi Alliance with plans to transition into private security.
A Father to His Men: It's suggested in Online that he's managed to instill a lot of loyalty from his men because of how well he treats them. Probably explains why Kiryu thinks he's such a good choice for leading the Tojo Clan. Yoshitaka Mine joined the Tojo Clan partially to learn why this is so... and learns firsthand when Daigo Takes the Bullet for Mine in the midst of a grim situation. No wonder Mine has such Undying Loyalty towards Daigo.
Alliterative Name: Daigo Dojima.
All Your Powers Combined: As a Poundmate in Like a Dragon, he attacks by summoning four of the Tojo Clan's major figures from the past (his father Sohei, Shimano, Kashiwagi and Kazama) to open fire on all targets.
Ascended Meme: One of the passwords that allow you to recruit him for Yakuza 6's Clan Creator is "kiryusavemepleaz".
Backup from Otherworld: His Poundmates summon in Like a Dragon has him rain gunfire down on the opponent alongside spectral versions of a few deceased patriarchs of the Tojo Clan, including his own father.
Daigo: Welcome to the Tojo Clan.
Badass in Distress: He's held captive twice in the second game, is shot in the third and again in the fifth.
Bad Guys Do the Dirty Work: While he's a decent man by most standards, Daigo is ultimately a criminal kingpin and thus has far less reservations against killing, which helps to keep other characters' hands clean.
Battle in the Rain: It starts raining right before your boss fight against him in the beginning of Yakuza 2 and it persists until he's been defeated.
Big Damn Heroes:
- In the third game, when Kiryu and Mine are cornered by Richardson and Black Monday, Daigo recovers from his coma just in time to pull out a gun and take out everyone in the group.
- Double Subverted in the fifth game. At first, when Kurosawa has a single bullet left and a badly injured Kiryu, Saejima, and Watase at his mercy, Daigo arrives and shoots his gun out of his hand only to get shot from behind by Kanai, allowing the bad guys to escape and continue their plans for eliminating the compeition. Then later, when Kurosawa tries to have Majima and Saejima executed with guns trained on them, Daigo arrives just in time having awoken from his coma to once again shoot Kurosawa's gun out of his hand and then gunning down all of his men.
- In Infinite Wealth, he, Majima and Saejima show up in the nick of time to help Kiryu's party as they make their way through the Millenium Tower.
Big Good: From 3 onwards. Downplayed on both the "Big" and the "Good" parts, but for all his faults, Daigo is by far the highest-ranked gangster to consistently be on the side of the protagonists and he helps them out to the best of his ability. That "to the best of his ability" part is the catch; he's not above allying with villains if it's the only way to keep the Tojo Clan from collapsing, but he's not particularly pleased with himself and Kiryu at the very least acknowledges that he is still the best person to lead the organization even after the events of 4.
Boss Subtitles: A notable aversion; when he fights Shinada in 5 his title is simply "Daigo Dojima", without the usual "6th Chairman of the Tojo Clan" blurb, indicating that he's having a personal fight against a former classmate and past friend rather than acting as a yakuza boss.
Bratty Half-Pint: A substory in 0 shows that as a kid, he was disrespectful towards everyone around him except for Kiryu, and flaunted his status around to feel superior to others. By the end of the substory however, he learns the error of his ways and vows to change after being called out and shouted down by Kiryu over being about to grievously injure people who already were surrendering, called a spoiled brat in the process.
Broken Pedestal: Downplayed but Daigo made it clear in the second game he was disappointed in Kiryu (and the Tojo Clan by extension) for letting the family fall so far, going as far to say that Kiryu used to be his hero. Gradually becomes a Rebuilt Pedestal once Kiryu convinces him to rejoin the Tojo Clan and gives him as much support as he can.
Butt-Monkey: From the moment he's introduced in 2 and subsequently gets beaten down by Kiryu, the man just can't catch a break. Count the number of times he gets either taken hostage, beaten up, or outright hospitalized by the events of the plot. While primarily Played for Drama, there have been a couple more comedic instances like a substory in Dead Souls having him forced to play the not-so-unfitting role of a helpless Damsel in Distress to bait out zombies that have infiltrated the Millenium Tower safe zone. Then there's 6 having one of the passwords to recruit him for Clan Creator being "kiryusavemepleaz". Like a Dragon is just about the first time he's shown up with a successful plan and come out entirely unscathed. That is, until Ebina and Eiji yank that victory away from him in Infinite Wealth.
The Chains of Commanding: By the time of Yakuza 4, it's clear that he sees being the Tojo Clan's Chairman as a burden. Before the Final Boss fight he tells Kiryu that he would like nothing better than to have Kiryu take over the Tojo Clan, but his pride tells him he has to be tough and set a strong example for his men.
Childhood Friends: Subverted with regards to Tatsuo Shinada in Yakuza 5. Shinada only remembers Daigo as a classmate with good grades but Daigo looked up to Shinada as the unlikely star baseball player who inspired the whole school. To this end, Daigo singlehandedly beat up a mob of students from a rival school who wanted to keep Shinada's team from playing at the Koshien Tournament, getting expelled in the process.
Climax Boss: A huge chunk of his screentime in Yakuza 5 is spent trying to motivate Shinada to uncover the conspiracy that ruined Shinada's life by offering him a huge sum of cash. It's then revealed that Shinada knew him from the past as the high school delinquent who wrecked his own chance at graduating to keep a violently jealous rival team from brutalizing Shinada's team, allowing Shinada to get further along in his baseball career. Upon realizing that Daigo is now a Yakuza patriarch, he rejects Daigo's offer to use his shady connections to have Shinada reinstated as a baseball player and outright attacks Daigo when he insists on trying to figure out the rest of the truth behind Shinada's wrecked life on his own. They end up fighting because Shinada wishes to accompany him to meet up with the head of the Nagoya Family while Daigo doesn't want to get him any more involved. Him being the last boss Shinada fights in his arc helps further make the encounter something of a climax.
Combat Medic: Appears in Gaiden as a recruitable DLC Fighter in the Coliseum, packing his usual fighting skills but is classified as a healing unit.
Combat Pragmatist: Unlike the protagonists, he has no problems with killing and will shoot people when the situation calls for it (usually to keep the heroes' hands clean).
Continuity Cameo: One of Kiryu's substories in Yakuza 0 revolves around Daigo when he was a spoiled school boy, who calls Kiryu to hang out with him despite him having been kicked out of the clan and has a large target on his back.
Counter-Attack: By the time he's become a boss fight in Yakuza 4 and later Yakuza 5, he now has three! The first one is to evade incoming blows by strafing around the enemy and throwing a punch while flanking them. The second is performed from a block, where continually pressuring him with attacks while he's blocking will have him reel back for a heavy punch. The third and final one is to hold up his hands to prepare a counter attack where he'll catch an enemy's attack to throw them to the ground. He can even do this while being hit mid-combo when he's in heat mode and Immune to Flinching from frontal attacks. Thankfully that last counter attack is only used in said heat mode.
Curb Stomp Cushion: Despite losing badly against Ryuji Goda in their fight at Omi Headquarters in Yakuza 2, not only was Daigo shown to knock Ryuji on his back with a punch, but he did enough to weaken Ryuji to be a Wake-Up Call Boss against Kiryu. Considering both the massive gap between Daigo (a former Yakuza who hasn't been active in years just getting out of a hedonist streak) and Ryuji (an Omi Patriarch and it's strongest combatant at the time) and that Kiryu just stormed through Omi Headquarters before fighting Ryuji, that's a lot more impressive in hindsight.
Dark Is Not Evil: Always wears dark colors, but is usually on the heroes' side except for most of Yakuza 4.
Dark Reprise: The upbeat, if rather emotional main theme song of Yakuza 4, "For Faith" gets remixed for all of that game's final bosses, and Daigo's version is by far the most solemn take on it, fitting his sympathetic motives for his schemes in the game and the emotional connection he has with Kiryu who's arrived to put an end to his plans by force.
Despair Event Horizon:
- After his father was killed and the Tojo was in shambles, he lost faith in his hero, Kiryu, as well as the Clan that raised him. He made a move in Kansai and was set up, which landed him in prison for five years.
- It happens again in the fourth game due to Tojo Clan running out of money. You don't see it on his face, because he's kinda The Stoic.
- It happens a third time in Infinite Wealth, after Ebina and Eiji ruin the yakuzas' Great Disslolution and his later efforts to mitigate the damage. This left him, Majima and Saejima heavily disheartened until Kiryu got them out of their funk.
Disguised in Drag: In a sidestory in the non-canon Yakuza: Dead Souls, Majima has poor Daigo dress as a woman to use as bait for luring out zombies, since he said he'd do anything to help him out earlier to prevent more casualties. At the end of it, he orders Majima never to speak of it again.
Distressed Dude: Frequently in a position in which Kiryu finds himself having to rescue him despite Daigo's best efforts.
The Don: From the third game onward, as the Sixth Chairman of the Tojo Clan.
Easily Forgiven: While he does get beaten up by Kiryu because of it, no one really faults him that much for his questionable decisions in 4 where he sells out Majima, one of his strongest allies, to the corrupt police as part of a lucrative deal. While it's true that he was just trying to keep the financially weakening Tojo Clan afloat, It's rather surprising how much characters like Majima or Saejima who aren't as close to him as Kiryu still ultimately put their faith in him, slight reservations aside. This is despite Majima himself having previously been worried in 3 that he wouldn't be able to keep Daigo from making poor decisions and/or being taken advantage of.
Expository Hairstyle Change: In the second game, he has loose and messy hair. From the third game onward, he has his hair slicked back to signify his increased professionalism ever since becoming the Tojo Clan's Chairman.
Face-Heel Revolving Door: In the fourth game, he turns his back on his allies for the sake of saving the clan, selling out Majima to the police and serves as Kiryu's Final Boss, but redeems himself at the end, having pulled Majima out of jail and is present during the inauguration of the Saejima Family.
Failure Hero: Always tries to do what's best for everybody despite it rarely ever working out. He does show signs of definite improvement in 5 but he still gets put through the wringer.
Final Boss: For Kiryu in 4.
First-Name Basis: He's always referred to by his first name or Sixth Chairman to differentiate him from his father.
The Hedonist: He's introduced as this in Yakuza 2, but it takes a good ass-kicking from Kiryu to get him back into shape.
Gangsta Style: His Summon in Like A Dragon has him firing this way while being flanked with More Dakka by the spirits of deceased Tojo leaders.
Genius Bruiser: Shinada described him as having the best grades in high school and he was tough enough to take down a mob of violent high schoolers from a rival school all on his own. He's still plenty strong and intelligent as an adult.
The Gunslinger: Whenever he has a pistol in hand, Daigo has shown high level marksmanship, from easily disarming someone to taking out several armed men in seconds.
Hope Spot: Has Kurosawa, the main antagonist of 5 on his knees at gunpoint and completely at his mercy. He probably could have detained him or even shot him to end the story right then and there. Then Kamon Kanai showed up with a gun.
Iconic Sequel Character: Following his introduction in the second game, each game since often has him heavily involved with the plot in one way or another. Even in those where he barely appears due to being incapacitated or arrested, he's still the focus of those who wish to overthrow or kill him.
Improbable Aiming Skills: He's one of the few heroic characters to not have a Thou Shalt Not Kill creed, which is just as well, since he is a very good shot. Out of every character in Like a Dragon who has used a gun, Daigo is the only one to never miss a shot.
Informed Ability: Supposedly has the makings of a great leader according to Kiryu, but under his rule the Tojo Clan faces constant disasters where he's usually put in a position of helplessness and it's still up to Kiryu and others to clean up the mess. Multiple characters in 4 and 5 outright call him a weak leader, unfit for leading the now weakening Tojo Clan. Finally Acknowledged in 6 by Kiryu himself where he states that Daigo was put in a position of power without any real support or experience. Eventually he chooses to disband the Tojo Clan entirely in Like a Dragon in order to avoid being put under Governor Ryo Aoki's thumb.
Intergenerational Friendship: Has a very strong friendship with Kiryu since he was a 10-year-old child and Kiryu was a 20-year-old man. He also ends up getting pretty close to the even older Majima and Saejima by the time of Like a Dragon with Majima lampshading how Daigo's primary friends and allies lately have been people a lot older than him.
In the Back: Shot by Kanai in 5 at a critical moment when he has the main antagonist cornered. He survives but is hospitalized though he recovers enough to save Saejima and Majima's asses later on.
Karma Houdini: After he had partly compromised the Tojo Clan in Yakuza 4 and even basically gave Majima off to the police because Munakata and Arai had him in a tight grip while he struggled for the funds to keep the clan running, Daigo gets beaten and bruised by Kiryu.. and ultimately got off lightly enough to keep on running the clan for the next couple of years compared to the presumed jail time that Kido and Arai would face, and Munakata's refusal to accept his consequences. Presumably because Daigo didn't do those things by choice, at least.
The Lancer: He serves as one to Kiryu in the second game, a role he shares with Kaoru.
The Leader: Kiryu picked him to join the Tojo because he was always good at inspiring loyalty and command. Even as a street punk he has a gang that calls him aniki despite him not insisting.
Leitmotif: While Yakuza 2 and its remake give him generic boss fight themes used in multiple other encounters, his following appearances have more specialized battle themes: "For Face" in Yakuza 4, his Legacy Boss Battle in Gaiden and when he activates his own version of Dragon's Resurgence in Infinite Wealth, and "Wild Romance" by famous former musician Kyosuke Himuro in Yakuza 5. Due to "Wild Romance" being a licensed track, he instead gets the self-titled "Daigo" in the English version of Yakuza 5.
Like a Son to Me: In 6, Kiryu states that he sees Daigo as a son, though one that he has failed as a father figure for, especially in how he pushed him to become Chairman without enough proper guidance.
Like Father, Unlike Son: Other than committing a few questionable actions in later games, it's pretty hard to believe he's the son of Sohei. Especially given light of Sohei's actions in the prequel and flashbacks, not to mention the actions that got Sohei killed to begin with.
Lightning Bruiser: As Kiryu's Final Boss in Yakuza 4, he takes a substantial amount of punishment to put down and is very quick on his feet able to recover quickly from most attacks that knock him to the ground as well as swiftly evade and throw stunning blows at Kiryu to open him up to more powerful combos. Less so when Shinada faces off against him in Yakuza 5 where the stakes are considerably lower and Daigo's fighting just to convince Shinada to stay out of trouble and get himself possibly killed.
Lonely Rich Kid: Suggested to have been this as a schoolboy in Yakuza 0. As the son of Sohei Dojima, the most powerful patriarch of the Tojo Clan, he claims that he has no one to talk to unless someone's expecting money or power from him somehow. He seems to partially blame his own Spoiled Brat tendencies on this.
Magnetic Hero: Kiryu singled him out as worthy of being the next Chairman of the Tojo Clan largely because of his tendency to attract strong, loyal allies. As the series goes on though, that latter descriptor starts become questionable with regards to the sort of people who start working for him in later games. Even Yoshitaka Mine in Yakuza 3 who is completely devoted to Daigo starts making several questionable choices after Daigo's put in a coma.
- He does seem to show it better in 5 at least. Tadashi Madarame, patriarch of the Yamagasa Family, is especially appreciative of how respectful and even-handed Daigo is despite being so young and ruling over a Yakuza group so much more powerful than Madarame's. While the schemes of the Big Bad unfortunately get in the way of them forming an official alliance, the Yamagasa Family still goes out of its way to help the Tojo Clan defend Kamurocho from said schemes.
- Yakuza Online reveals that this was what drew Mine to Daigo in the first place. He just wanted to understand why so many of his man have such Undying Loyalty to this man to the point of risking their lives for him. When Daigo Takes the Bullet for Mine after a shady deal gone wrong, Mine talks to him about it and understands why.
Manipulative Bastard: In the fourth game, he makes a plethora of questionable decisions that cause a huge rift between him and Kiryu, and they only make up after the latter beats some sense into him, literally.
Mirror Boss: While he's not directly copying his attacks like Komaki often does, his fighting stance and refined street brawling skills as Kiryu's Final Boss in 4 are still very similar to how Kiryu fights.
Moveset Clone: Kiwami 2 makes him one for Yuta Usami from 6. An especially odd choice considering how his moveset from 4 and 5 is present in the game being used by other miniboss-strength enemies. Then again, Usami's fighting style includes a jumping kick identical to one Daigo had in the original 2.
- Justified as Daigo in the events of 2 is nowhere near in the condition he would eventually become in future titles, being a former leader of street punks just coming out of a years long hedonistic streak by the time Kiryu recruited him. This is reflected in a strong yet unrefined fighting style compared to his later Lightning Bruiser style in later games.
Mr. Fanservice: He's described as hot early on in 2 by a pair of young women on the streets of Kamurocho. He also gets a lot of shirtless scenes in his various appearances and is usually pretty fashionable whether or as a rough street punk or a proper yakuza chairman.
One-Man Army: As a high schooler, he once singlehandedly beat up a whole mob of students from a school with a rival baseball team when they tried to launch an attack on Daigo's high school baseball team.
Pay Evil unto Evil: While emptying a pistol into and killing Koji Shindo was very shocking (especially when Kiryu actually spares the latter after a usual beat down), the fact that Koji betrayed the Tojo Clan and caused the deaths of Tojo Clan Officers is simply just too much to let him get off that easy. And he was trying to have his way with his mother...
Promoted to Playable: As DLC for the Coliseum in Like A Dragon Gaiden, though his playable version has a limited moveset compared to his boss version.
Properly Paranoid: In 4 and 5. In 4, he knew something was shifty about Arai's induction the Shibata family and sent Kido to keep tabs on Arai so he doesn't make things worse. In 5 he was all too aware of how treacherous members of the Tojo used the looming war with the Omi to quietly rise up the ranks and sent not just Majima out as a delegate but certain troublemakers like Aoyama as well to remove them to avoid the same situation in 2 where Shindo uses the ongoing tensions to sell out to the Omi and get a lot of Tojo members killed. He also knew that Kurosawa was going to take advantage of this as well and quietly slipped out of view to go to Nagoya to investigate Kurosawa's former family and their involvement.
- In 3 as well to a lesser extent. In the intro, he suspects that someone may try to go through with the highly profitable Okinawa deal behind his back even though he rejected it since it would force Kiryu and his orphanage to relocate. He even had The Florist look into Hamazaki's dealings both current and in the past, rightfully suspecting him as being one of a number of potential traitors in the Tojo Clan. It still doesn't stop him from spending the rest of the game in a coma after he gets shot point blank though.
Punch Parry: During the climax of the Final Boss of Yakuza 4, Kiryu and Dojima throw a single punch at one another and they end up clashing with their fists. If you successfully do the Quick Time Event, Kiryu overpowers Daigo and breaks his hand in the process. You can even end the fight this way if Daigo's health is low enough. Failing the QTE has Daigo do the same to Kiryu instead.
Put on a Bus: He's arrested along with Majima and Saejima in Yakuza 6, thanks to Sugai's machinations. They don't show up again until the ending sequences.
- Also happens to him in 3 to a lesser degree. He gets shot in the introduction, but gets another appearance in a flashback months earlier when he meets up with Kiryu and the Ryudo Family Patriarch Nakahara. He's absent for the rest of the game until the finale.
- At one point early on in Like a Dragon, Adachi tells Ichiban that after the Omi Alliance took over Kamurocho in the wake of the diminishing Tojo Clan, the heads of the Tojo took their leave from the city while a still image shows the backs of Majima, Daigo, and Saejima as they leave through the gates of Kamurocho. They don't make a reappearance until much later in the game while Ichiban's crew is trying to sneak into the Omi Alliance HQ.
Rank Scales with Asskicking: Just compare Daigo's fighting abilities from his days as a street punk and The Lancer to his run as the sixth Chairman of the Tojo Clan. Even more impressive as his opponent is Kiryu of all people.
Reasonable Authority Figure:
- He wants to do what's best for the Clan, but won't betray his friends to do so. Until the fourth game, that is...
- As the Tojo chairman, Daigo is quick to seek alliances and avoid bloodshed with other groups, even when the balance of power is vastly to his advantage. He's evenhanded in all his dealings with other clans.
Recurring Boss: While not as iconic nor as consistently as Majima, he's one of the few recurring major characters to be fought as a boss fight in multiple games.
Reluctant Ruler: A hot-blooded young heir to a declining family in the Tojo Clan suddenly becoming the Sixth Chairman not only has some of the other families with older members disrespecting and undermining his authority, but also results in an inexperienced Daigo struggling to make ends meet and keep the Clan under control. His potential as a leader also means little when he's often a primary target to try to assassinate and weaken, which causes him to be totally put out of commission in 3 and 6 respectively. By the time of 4 he admits to Kiryu himself that he wouldn't mind stepping aside from the position of chairman and having someone like Kiryu take over. Eventually he decides to disband the Tojo Clan entirely partly due to the era of Organized Crime in Japan coming to an end as well as to avoid being the pawn of Ryo Aoki.
Remember the New Guy?: As important as he is from the second game onward, he doesn't get any mention at all in the first game despite how significant his father Sohei Dojima is towards setting up the plot as well as Kiryu meeting up with his mother Yayoi Dojima in an optional substory. Kiryu just suddenly names him as someone important even though the player's never heard of him until that very moment or even known that Sohei had a son in the first place. Justified as he only recently got out of jail in 2 and it's not like Kiryu much of a reason to give him much thought when there's other pressing matters to deal with in the main plot of the first game.
Rousing Speech: Gives one in 2 to fire up his men before searching for bombs planted all over Kamurocho.
Sequential Boss: Along with Hideaki Arai, Takeshi Kido and Seishiro Munakata in the fourth game.
Skilled, but Naive: Has strength, skill, and a good head on his shoulders. He's still relatively young and inexperienced in the world of Yakuza which keeps him from being as effective of a leader as he should be.
Spoiled Brat: In Yakuza 0, where he's depicted as a young schoolboy. Although he looked up to Kiryu as a big brother figure even then, Daigo was rather insufferable to be around as he had a nasty temperament, was frivolous with his father's money and used his name when he didn't get what he wanted. But he was also paranoid, convinced that people only wanted to be around him to get in good with his dad and other yakuza. Kiryu only puts up with it for so long before he decides to set him straight, even if it means using his fists, but the threat alone is enough. He quickly wisens and displays some of the wise behavior that he'd have later in life as chairman of the Tojo Clan.
Spotting the Thread: How he was able to figure out that Tsubasa Kurosawa was the one orchestrating the master plan that was targeting yakuza leaders across the nation. At first, all the targets suggested that it was someone trying to prevent the Tojo Clan from forming alliances across the nation. While he could narrow it down to someone in the Omi Alliance wanting this to happen since they were always trying to take down the Tojo and keeping them weak would aid in that, one of the latest targets was an Omi Alliance leader who died in Nagoya complicating matters. What tipped him off to something fishy going on was the usually secretive and passive Nagoya Family suddenly becoming active, warranting further investigation. What he found was that the Nagoya Family was secretly being backed by the Kuroha Family of the Omi Alliance. Kurosawa's own family to be exact. From there, it could only be one man responsible. Not to mention, Daigo notices that the last time he saw Kurosawa, he claimed to be dying of a disease but despite looking visibly weak, "he had the eyes of a man with a large task ahead of him rather than a dying man" which Daigo immediately found suspicious.
Support Party Member:
- His incarnation as part of a Legendary Fighter pack for Gaiden. Compared to his peers Goro Majima and Taiga Saejima who are also part of said pack, Daigo's combat skills can feel sorely lacking especially when the former two retain most of their characteristics as previously playable characters. This is even reflected in Daigo having lower Attack than either of the two. To compensate, he boasts noticeably higher Defense and Health than either Majima or Saejima and as healing unit, he can use his Heat Skill "True Inspiration" to greatly recover the health of all allies. Most important about him is that his unique Job Action command is also a healing ability but requires no Heat whatsoever. The only downsides are that it doesn't heal as much as his actual healing skill and is limited to himself and those near him. Still, this all grants him very high survivability as someone who can heal himself and allies pretty much infinitely and making him probably the best Healing Unit in the Coliseum.
- In the fight against him, Majima and Saejima in Infinite Wealth, he's not as hard-hitting as the others but he is able to provide substantial buffs to them.
Tattooed Crook: Has a tattoo of the wise but fierce deity Fudō-myōō, which perhaps reflects on his abilities of being a natural leader. He's shown holding his trademark sword, the kurikara-ken, which has a dragon (the kurikara-ryuu-ou) coiled around it, said to be another manifestation of the deity himself and a possible reference to Kiryu, the Dragon of Dojima, who is Daigo Dojima's most powerful and trusted ally.
Took a Level in Badass: Takes a couple in the second game the moment Kiryu convinces him to go back to the Tojo Clan. By the time of Yakuza 4, he's rather happy to get another chance of facing Kiryu in combat and he's improved enough to be Kiryu's Final Boss in said game.
- In terms of his leadership and planning skills, he starts coming into his own in Yakuza 5, where he takes pre-emptive measures to prepare for a potential war and find the mastermind behind The Conspiracy of the game (see Properly Paranoid above) which come to fruition in the finale as the families he allied with have a Big Damn Heroes moment, though he is shot and put into a coma again. In Like a Dragon, after multiple games of being a victim in the main villain's plan, he is able to mastermind a plan with Watase and Arakawa to disband both the Tojo Clan and Omi Alliance to put a damper on Aoki's plan and prevent the two organizations from becoming slaves to him. The dissolution ends up going smoothly.
Took a Level in Kindness: He's shown to be a Spoiled Brat in 0 and is still rather rough around the edges as a street punk in 2. From 3 onwards, he basically treats everyone in a polite and respectful manner even when they don't really deserve it.
Unknown Rival: To Ryuji Goda. Daigo has a very justified reason to dislike Ryuji yet the latter clearly doesn't recall the incident upon their encounter.
Warmup Boss: The first boss fight in 2. He's tougher than most of the generic enemies you fight throughout the game but he's not meant to be a major problem to deal with.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: All his questionable decisions in Yakuza 4 were for the sake of keeping the Tojo Clan up and running after they'd lost so much money and power after the events of Yakuza 3.
Willfully Weak: He's noticeably less impressive in 5 compared to Kiryu's Final Boss fight against him in 4. He's got one less health bar than he did before, putting him at a mere two bars of health despite several bosses like Shigeki Baba having twice that amount. The boss fight against him also amounts to a very athletic but unskilled civilian managing to overcome one of the nation's biggest crime lords in 1-on-1 combat. However, the proceeding cutscene shows that while Shinada managed to force Daigo to one knee, Shinada's also breathing heavily and clearly the more exhausted of the two. The moment Daigo accepts defeat and agrees to Shinada's demands, Shinada immediately collapses to the ground out of both relief and fatigue while Daigo's the one standing up and seemingly already recovered from the beating. While Daigo would have to go all out to have even a chance at beating Kiryu in a fair fight, Shinada's a mere civilian. It's also much less of a dramatic situation compared to 4 so it's safe to assume that Daigo wouldn't go all out against his former classmate who he just wants to see become a pro base ball player and not get any more involved with the Yakuza.
The Worf Effect: Frequently finds himself on the receiving end. For being one of the biggest crime lords in Japan and a very capable fighter in his own right, he has a rather poor track record of actually coming out on top in any battles he gets into, not to mention how often he ends up as a Badass in Distress or otherwise incapacitated by the villain-of-the-day. Subverted if he has a gun, although even then he's been outplayed a few times.
- Happens often to him even before ascending to the position of chairman. Every single one of his attempts to challenge Ryuji in 2 ends in failure for him.
Worf Had the Flu: In 2 as Daigo spent years as a directionless hedonist before Kiryu convinced him to sober up so while certainly being one of Kiryu's competent allies, he still comes up short.
Worthy Opponent: After the boss fight against Daigo, he submits to Shinada's demands to accompany him on a dangerous trip to Kamurocho, Tokyo simply because he's that impressed with Shinada's strength and resolve.
Would Hit a Girl: In Infinite Wealth, much like Majima and Saejima he has no issues throwing hands with women in a fight.
Young and in Charge: He managed to ascend to Chairman of the Tojo Clan at the age of 30. In fact, he's about the same age as Ichiban and Ryo Aoki (the latter of which also ascended to power fairly young) at about 42 as of Like a Dragon.
Young Gun: In the second game as The Lancer. While he is skilled as a fighter, he isn't quite there compared to those like Kiryu or Majima, both who Daigo looks up to. You gotta hand it to him though for taking on Ryuji Goda. Bonus points for being really damn good with a gun.

Nishida

Voiced by: Okai Katsunori

"Boss! This is a life-or-death decision here! Can we take it a little more seriously!?"

A high-ranking lieutenant of the Majima Family often-treated as his Number Two. He's completely loyal to his patriarch despite often showing exasperation towards his various antics. Notably, he's the one who personally assists him in defusing the last of the bombs planted by the Jingweon Mafia. After that he's made rather sporadic minor appearances in later games.

The remakes of the first two games expand his role in the series. Kiwami features him working under Majima as part of the Shimano Family. Whenever Kiryu's fought Majima on the streets enough times, he'll call Kiryu on the phone to clue him in on Majima's latest scheme to fight him, usually mentioning where Majima can be fought. In Kiwami 2, he's Majima's direct subordinate at Majima Construction as part of the Clan Creator sidequest in which he plays a supporting role in.

Affably Evil: He's awfully polite and considerate for a guy who's supposed to be a yakuza. Online has a storyline where he sees a pair of street punks beating up a defenseless homeless man and tries to step in since that's what Majima would do.
Ascended Extra: Downplayed. He doesn't make a physical appearance in Kiwami at all, but he still has much more dialogue in that with Kiryu over the phone than any other game in the series. Specifically, he warns him about Majima's various schemes to start a fight with him, often revealing the locations of said fights and allowing Kiryu to better prepare for them.
- Played somewhat straighter in Kiwami 2 where he's still relegated to the optional Majima Construction Clan Creator sidequest but is nonetheless a major character in it who makes physical appearances as both a high-ranking unit in the minigame as well as in the cutscenes of the quest.
- Subverted in the new Majima Saga in Kiwami 2, he makes appearances at the beginning and end of it, but he's really not a major part of it and he only has voiced lines during one of those cutscenes.
- Perhaps played straightest in Online, where he gets a storyline detailing his struggles to prepare a the best gift he can think of for Majima's birthday and avoid getting beat up. He succeeds by recording Kiryu's day-to-day routine right down to times and locations and then giving that information to Majima, setting the stage for the "Majima Everywhere" system in Kiwami. Ironically, he still ends up getting beat up because when Majima offered to grant him any request, he told Majima that he wanted to fight him.
Batter Up!: In Clan Creator, he's a defensive unit wielding a metal baseball bat. Artwork for one of his cards in Yakuza Online also depict him using a metal baseball bat as a weapon. When he asks Majima to fight him in his storyline in Online, he picks up a baseball bat while Majima does the same as well.
Beleaguered Assistant: Truly loyal to Majima but he still questions the eccentric decisions he makes which often leads to him suffering the brunt of his Bad Boss tendencies.
Bit Character: In his one voiced speaking role in a major cutscene in 2 his primary role is to provide comic relief as the Straight Man to his boss' antics. Since then he's only made minor appearances with a few unvoiced lines at the beginning of 3 and 5. Averted for the most part in the remakes of the first two games even if he's still just a side-character.
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Doesn't show up at all past the intro to 5 or any later games for that matter. However, it's not like the Majima Family as a whole plays a major role in those games either.
- The Bus Came Back: A storyline in Online reveals that around the time after Ichiban Kasuga is released from jail in the beginning of the 7th game, Nishida got separated from the rest of the Majima Family during the clean-up of all the Tojo Clan yakuza and the subsequent take-over of the city by the Omi Alliance. Lately, he's been trying to protect the Yoshida Batting Center from being shut down by said Omi Alliance since it's Majima's favorite hangout in the city.
The Dragon: He's the Number Two to Goro Majima, even if he is a meek worker only dealing with the bullshit of his boss.
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: He's definitely not a villain or that bad of a guy but he's still technically a Yakuza who's been working under Majima as far back as when he was Shimano's Mad Dog. When helping Majima defuse a bomb in 2, the possibility of his own death makes him worry about his mother back in the countryside and what she'd do if he died.
The Faceless: Doesn't make a single physical appearance in Kiwami despite how much dialogue he has with Kiryu over the cell phone. Even his phone talk icon is just static making him rather similar to Hana in 5.
Hidden Badass: Implied. He may have a submissive characterization and a comical role in the series but you don't become a Lieutenant in a Yakuza family led by Goro Majima if you don't have the muscle to justify your authority. In Clan Creator, he's got decent stats and is R-ranked like certain other powerful fighters like Cyclops Oba, Gary Buster Holmes, and the Amon siblings.
Hidden Depths: Downplayed but he's probably the only member of the Majima Family shown to recognize that Majima is actually a big softie underneath his "Mad Dog" persona. That said, he tells Kiryu to not tell Majima he said this since he's pretty sure Majima would take Nishida's eye himself if he ever knew that Nishida called him soft.
Number Two: He's considered Majima's right-hand man even though he's only ever been referred to as a lieutenant as opposed to being the Family's Captain.
Satellite Character: To Majima. There really isn't much to him if you remove the whole "Majima's henchman" aspect from his characterization.
Signature Headgear: Almost never seen without a construction helmet except for the beginning of the Majima Saga sidestory in Kiwami 2. That he still wears it in games past his introduction suggests that he's still working on building Kamurocho Hills long after the Majima Family's been re-emancipated into the Tojo clan as of 3. With Kamurocho Hills completed past the Time Skip in 5, one has to wonder if he still insists on wearing the thing.
Straight Man: Often the one taking a serious look at a situation whenever Majima isn't, setting up some of Majima's most comedic moments.
Strength Equals Worthiness: He doesn't show it in the main games but it's implied that he does share similar beliefs on individual physical power as his boss. Much of his mini-storyline in Online revolves around his insecurity over being so weak for a Majima Family man and by the end, he challenges Majima to a 1-on-1 bout in order to prove himself. He gets brutalized but manages to not submit or pass out before Majima seemingly gets bored and relents.
This Is Gonna Suck: He's pretty dour over realizing how harsh working conditions will be under the newly-minted Majima Construction at the end of the Majima Saga in Kiwami 2
"We're... a sweatshop, aren't we."
Undying Loyalty: It's subtle but he would never directly disobey an order from Majima... provided it's mostly out of fear but still.
- Through the course of his appearances in multiple games, he's been following Majima as far back as when he was the Shimano Family Captain in the Kiwami remake and continues to work for Majima as late as Yakuza 5 meaning he's quit and re-joined the Tojo Clan just to follow Majima who's done the very same.
- Further exemplified by his behavior in a storyline in Online with Ichiban Kasuga. Before the apparent dissolution of the Majima Family during the crackdown on the Tojo Clan, Majima's last words to Nishida were to "go back to the countryside" presumably to live with his mother where he'd be safer. Instead, Nishida decided to stay in the city and look after the Yoshida Batting Center. Apparently the batting cages have never been that profitable and with the Omi Alliance in charge, it's in danger of being shut down as a result. However, he refuses to let that happen because it's Majima's favorite hangout in Kamurocho so he's been trying to protect it until Majima finally returns even though as Ichiban points out, there's no confirmation that Majima's still alive at this point since he disappeared entirely during said crackdown and Omi Alliance take-over.
Wire Dilemma: In his most notable role within the main plot of the series, he helps Majima defuse the last of several bombs planted by the Jingweon Mafia, sweating bullets the entire time and becoming indignant over his boss' lackadaisical attitude when both of their lives were on the line. That Majima admits that he has no idea what he's doing and is merely relying on gut instinct doesn't help.
You Don't Look Like You: Compared to how he looked in 2 and its remake, the character model used for his brief appearance in 3 has larger eyes and is missing his arched eyebrows though he's hardly the only example of a returning character looking drastically different in the new graphics engine. On a lesser note, he's also swapped out his blue dress shirt with the top unbuttoned exposing his neck and golden chain necklace. Now he's wearing a purple dress shirt buttoned up the neck. His eyes are smaller in 5 but he still doesn't quite look like he did in 2. The only consistent part of his appearance is his construction helmet.
You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: His usual reaction to his boss' antics is questioning exasperation.

Akinobu Uematsu

Voiced by: Miou Tanaka

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/uematsuyk2.jpg

"If you've got a problem with that... try makin' as much as we do!"

Patriarch of the newly created Uematsu family, introduced in Kiwami 2. He's the biggest moneymaker in the Tojo Clan, a fact that Terada recognized and served as the catalyst for his promotion to a direct patriarch. Because of this, Uematsu is the most likely candidate for the seat of Clan Captain. With a knack for finance and money, Uematsu is the opposite of Kiryu: A yakuza who thinks with his head rather with his fists. Because Majima is also gunning for the seat of Clan Captain, Uematsu is hostile towards him.

Advertised Extra: He's advertised as one of the key players in Majima's scenario. And while he has an important role, he dies early in it.
Boom, Headshot!: His corpse has a bullet hole in his forehead.
Bunny-Ears Lawyer: For all his thuggish look he is a top earner thanks to being good in finance..
Evil Sounds Deep: Loud and hostile with a deep, authoritative voice.
Frame-Up: His death was used by Ibuchi to implicate Majima.
Good Scars, Evil Scars: Has a large scar on the right side of his head.
Smug Snake: Is confidently smug when his earnings far exceed that of the rest of the family. Doesn't take much for Majima to wipe that smugness off his face.
The Unfought: Despite sending his goons after Majima's family, Majima never gets the chance to fight him at all. He gets killed before the Mad Dog could get to him.
We Hardly Knew Ye: After appearing in the opening scene, he sends his boys to take care of Majima. The Mad Dog decides to pay him a little visit, and discovers his corpse instead.

Kei Ibuchi

Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ibuchiyk2.jpg

"What is the meaning of this, Majima?"

Patriarch of the newly created Ibuchi family introduced in Kiwami 2 who used to be one of Uematsu's men. With his unique background in consultation, he possesses an overwhelming amount of knowledge and has a capacity for making rational judgments. He's the second moneymaker of the clan after Uematsu and feels Majima is a threat to his or Uematsu's position as future Clan Captain. Ibuchi has an open disdain for senior management, who he feels are fixated on old values like moral codes and humanity, preventing the organization from reaching its potential.

Arc Villain: He's the main antagonist of "The Truth of Goro Majima" scenario, as well as the Final Boss.
Badass Bookworm: Is one of the smartest members of the Uematsu family and can go toe to toe with Majima. Just look at his Dynamic Intro.
Badass in a Nice Suit: As per usual in the Yakuza series.
Better to Die than Be Killed: Trying to murder the head of a clan can get you into big trouble in the Yakuza world. So instead of being on the receiving end of Cold-Blooded Torture, he opts to kill himself instead.
Bullying a Dragon: Attempting to kill Majima was a huge mistake.
The Chessmaster: Manipulates both the Tojo Clan and the Omi Alliance so as to start his war.
Combat Pragmatist: His boss fight against Majima has him fend him off with a pistol.
Decomposite Character: His character design resembles the original design of Ryo Takashima who has a different appearance based on his new voice actor.
Dying Smirk: Even after Majima lays the hurt on him, he seems to nonchalantly shrug it off just before he offs himself, telling Majima he'll have the best seat in the house to watch the oncoming war, and giving him one last smirk before he puts the bullet in his head.
Evil Sounds Deep: With Takehito Koyasu as your voice actor, a smooth baritone is a given.
Expy: Of Ryo Takashima's old design.
Four Eyes, Zero Soul: Fitting with the fact that he's the smartest member in the Uematsu family, he also wears glasses. And he's also the main antagonist.
Final Boss: Of Majima's Campaign.
"Get Back Here!" Boss: Subverted; in contrast to other gun-wielding bosses who prefer to run away and take potshots while their goons cover them, Ibuchi fights alone, walks towards the player and uses kicks and grab-moves at close-range besides just shooting his gun.
Gun Fu: Downplayed. For some of his attacks, he'll roll around before taking shots but nothing too crazy.
Hate Sink: An irritatingly smug and utter slimeball who views himself better than others, its satisfying to see Majima put him back in his place.
Large Ham: Well he is voiced by Takehito Koyasu so it's a given, though he's more of a Cold Ham in his introductory scene. He definitely hams it up just before he fights Majima.
Leitmotif: Update With Gunfire
The Mole: It's heavily implied that he was working under the orders of one of the Omi captains, though exactly which one is left in the air.
Moveset Clone: Of Kurahashi from the same game.
- Also something of a modernization of Tetsuo Tamashiro's gun moveset from 3 instead of outright copying. His basic combo involves the same low roundhouse kicks before evading backwards to take a shot and he'll also evade left and right before taking shots. However, nearly all of his animations are different aside from the kicks. Also his Grapple Move isn't something Tamashiro had at all and he completely lacks Tamashiro's counterkick into a pistol shot. To be specific, this iteration seemingly originates from Ishin among armed enemies and minibosses.
My Death Is Just the Beginning: Ibuchi intended for Majima to be the Sacrificial Lion in Sotenbori to start a war between the Tojo and the Omi. Since Majima beat him, he opts to kill himself to provoke the war.
Never Bring a Gun to a Knife Fight: Uses a pistol while fighting Majima, guess who wins? Though to his credit, he comes close to killing him several times in the dynamic intro.
Reused Character Design: Heavily resembles the original character design of Ryo Takashima from the original PS2 verson of 2.
Smug Snake: Looks down on the Tojo Clan's old guard as a bunch of naive and soft fools, and is overly smug about his own plans. Ends up on the receiving end of Majima's blade in return.
The Starscream: He tells Majima that he was planning to kill Terada as part of his scheme. Ironic when you consider Terada's own scheme involved pretty much the same thing, just with him faking death.
Visionary Villain: He expresses a desire to modernize the Yakuza nationwide following the principles of modern business management and get rid of outdated ptraditions, which he says the Yakuza were following on and off however they saw fit anyway.
Weapon-Based Characterization: Being a business-oriented cynic who has no attachment to tradition or other people, Kei forgoes the fancy martial arts and just shoots people with a gun.

Ryota Kawamura

Voiced by: Naoto Takeda

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kawamurayk2.jpg

"If anything, I want you become Clan Captain, boss."

A new member of the Majima family introduced in Kiwami 2, who seems to respect his boss a lot. He entered the Majima family one year prior to the events of Majima's story, by literally knocking on their door and asking to join them. A little careless, he's respected by the senior family members because of his sociable personality, and is entrusted with driving and taking care of personal belongings.

Apologetic Attacker: He isn't exactly happy about fighting Majima.
Mighty Glacier: Compared to most boss fights with guns, he's pretty slow and doesn't move a whole lot. That pistol still packs a punch and he'll also try to kick Majima away at close range.
Never Bring a Gun to a Knife Fight: Uses a pistol while fighting Majima.
Trapped by Gambling Debts: He racked up a huge debt from Mahjong, which eventually puts him in the pockets of Ibuchi.
Unwitting Pawn: Is used by Kei Ibuchi in order to start a war between Tojo and Omi, using him to kill key family members on both sides.
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Gets disposed off by Ibuchi after being defeated by Majima.

Kamurocho Residents

Renji Kamiyama

Voiced by: Jun Orihara

A "Weapons Fanatic" peddling some illicit wares in the empty lot opposite from Public Park 3 during a substory. He attracts some unwanted attention from local yakuza accusing him of cutting into their business, requiring Kiryu to defend him. As thanks, he offers unique weapons, armor, and special video tapes that often help Kiryu develop his combat skills.

He continues to reappear in later games, operating a "Kamiyama Works" as a not-so-legal weapons smith and arms dealer based in Park Alley. He's also started opening other branches of Kamiyama Works across the nation beginning with his brother Renta operating a store in Ryukyu, Okinawa in 3 and Nagasugai, Fukuoka in 5.

Acrofatic: He's pudgy, but surprisingly acrobatic and quick on his feet.
Always Identical Twins: Looks completely identical to his twin brother Renta. The only real difference is that Renta wears a flannel shirt with different colors.
Beware the Quiet Ones: Considering his rotund appearance and shy, halting speech, you'd be forgiven for thinking he wasn't much of a combatant at all. But put a weapon in his hand, and he will absolutely mess you up, making him a tough customer in the Colisseum, whether you're fighting against him, or alongside him in Gaiden, complete with a gigantic cannon.
BFG: In his appearance as an ally in Gaiden, he uses a huge cannon that's longer than he is tall. Each shot packs a punch.
The Blacksmith: While he could repair weapons in his first appearance, he's since developed into a modern blacksmith since he designs all the weapons and equipment that he sells to Kiryu and friends which does include some pretty impressive swords and spears.
Continuity Cameo:
- He doesn't physically appear in 0 but fellow weaponsmith Fei Hu mentions having a pair of twin brothers as apprentices, which are implied to be a young Renji and his brother Renta. Also the "Weapons Fanatic" and "Weapons Master" agents you can send out on Equipment Searches are heavily implied to be either Renji or his brother Renta or perhaps both. The two of them being identical makes it vague.
- He reappears in Like a Dragon as a hirable SSR-rank worker for Ichiban Confections. His rumored past as black market weapons dealer is brought up but is dismissed as unconfirmed presumably so he can be legally hired.
Death from Above: His Heat action in Gaiden has him fire three high-damage shots into the air which then rain down on his opponent.
Dual Wielding: As an opponent in the Underground Colisseum, he wields kali sticks.
Identical Twin ID Tag: Wears a green and white plaid shirt compared to his brother who wears a red and white shirt.
Moveset Clone: In the original version of 2, his kali stick technique is mostly lifted from Lau Ka Long's dual-saber moveset from the previous game. From 3 onwards, he instead simply borrows from Kiryu's playable kali stick technique including the Kiwami 2 remake of the second game.
Otaku: He's a stereotypical one, being a pudgy, nerdy man with a tucked in flannel shirt and a backpack, as well as having an awkward way of speaking and a not so imposing presence. The difference is instead of anime, video games, or idols, he's obsessed with weaponry, and is a bonafide expert regarding them.
Promoted to Playable: He's one of many playable Colisseum characters in Gaiden when he joins the Joryu Clan, albeit with a very limited moveset.
Stronger Than They Look: He looks kinda like a pudgy dork with his tucked in flannel shirt and backpack and his personality is pretty timid too. He's also often one of the toughest fighters in the Underground Coliseum and can brutalize an unskilled fighter with his kali sticks. Guess he's not a Weapons Fanatic for nothing.

Bob Utsunomiya

A mysterious clown-like man in a white suit that appears in the Premium Mode of the original Yakuza 2 to reward Kiryu with some of the best items and equipment in the game.

From 3 onwards, he will grant rewards to Kiryu based on certain milestones like clearing all of the substories. He's also saddled with rewarding special DLC bonus items.

Achievement System: In 3, he'll start to reward Kiryu with special bonus items for certain milestones after you've beaten the game once which is in itself one such milestone. He does the same in later games but beating the game is no longer a strict requirement to interact with him.
Badass Arm-Fold: Pretty often in this pose by default.
Bribing Your Way to Victory: His other main function throughout the series.
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: His last chronological appearance in the series is 5.
Funny Afro: Not originally having more of a punch perm, but from 3 onwards it's been an ever-present part of his design.
The Ghost: Reduced to this in the Kiwami 2 remake, as he no longer makes a physical appearance but will still text Kiryu about the milestones he's cleared and the rewards that'll be delivered to his hideouts.
Infinity +1 Sword: Rewards Kiryu with some of the best items and gear in the postgame of 2. In later games, the goodies he hands out as completion rewards tend to be of similarly high quality.
Makes Just as Much Sense in Context: Owing to a rather surreal case of Gameplay and Story Segregation, there's little explanation to just what his deal is aside from being an excuse to reward the player. The few times, Kiryu tries to question him in 3, he always shuts him down immediately. The same game does suggest that he's doing so because of his apparent friendship with Kaoru but that fails to explain why he's helping Kiryu and Majima in 0 nearly 2 decades earlier long before either of the two ever even met Kaoru. The existence of multiple Bobs in Dead Souls serving Naomi the fortuneteller does explain some things but also raises many more questions.
Non-Ironic Clown: He definitely looks like a clown from the neck up with his white face paint, clown nose, and green curly hair. That said, he doesn't really act like a clown at all.
Odd Friendship: With Kaoru of all people. It's how the Completion Rewards work in 3 with Kaoru sending gifts to Bob in Japan to hand over to Kiryu.
Self-Applied Nickname: Apparently, he's started calling himself "Kiwami Bob" in the Kiwami remakes.
Servant Race: Dead Souls reveals that there's actually a bunch of different "Bobs" that serve the will of Naomi the fortune teller.
Sharp-Dressed Man: Always wears an impeccable white suit.

Susumu Gondawara

Voiced by: Kengo Mine (Japanese, 2, Kiwami 2), Yoshikazu Nagano (Japanese, 7 onward) Patrick Seitz (English)

The patriarch of the Gondawara Family with some rather... unusual tastes. He shows up on Pink Street, inviting Kiryu into a specialty club as an apology for his men attacking him. But the fists fly when Kiryu tries to excuse himself as finds out what kind of club he's walked into.

He initially only appeared as part of a substory in the second game, but he's kept reappearing as a minor character since, still indulging in his fetish alongside his men.

Acrofatic: He's a heavyset, yet also visibly muscular man, yet his fighting style in "Be My Baby" has him pull off graceful, Kung-fu like moves, complete with a heavy jump kick that has him twirl through air.
Baby Carriage: He makes his entrance in Infinite Wealth in one of these. It rolls away down an escalator, with Ichiban giving chase, only realizing who's in it once he finally catches the thing.
Berserk Button: Don't refuse his hospitality. Its enough to get him to try and beat you up. Downplayed in that he's able to admit it was his fault when you meet him again after his sidequest.
Beware the Silly Ones: It's easy to dismiss him as some random old pervert, but he's still a yakuza patriarch, and he will get violent if he thinks you're making fun of him.
Breakout Character: He makes a reappearance in Like a Dragon plus it's sequel, Infinite Wealth, an appeaance in Online, as well as appearing as a coliseum fighter in Gaiden, and also getting an expanded role in Kiwami 2 as a recruitable member in the Clan Creator mini-game.
Defeat Equals Friendship: In both Kiwami 2 and Like a Dragon, after being beaten in battle, he'll join on as a member of Majima Construction and a Poundmate respectively, though he first has to be found in Kamurocho in the former instance.
Dirty Old Man: He's already 62 in the second game, and gets his jollies by wearing nothing but a diaper and acting like a baby. Even in Like a Dragon, where he's pushing 75, he gets rather creepily-excited when his young, attractive nurse says that "it's time for baba" in a seductive tone.
Fighting Clown: Nothing else would describe a middle-aged man who fights in nothing but a diaper.
Manchild: Taken to an extreme. He's an older man who enjoys wearing diapers and acting like a baby. Though it's just a fetish, and outside of that, he's surprisingly-wise.
Older Than They Look: He's pushing 80 by the time of Infinite Wealth, but looks no older than he did when he was introduced nearly 20 years prior.
Pipe Pain: He wields a huge pipe in his appearance as a colisseum ally in Gaiden.
The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: For a yakuza patriarch, he's surprisingly harmless. Really, the worst that can be said of him is that he's a little too forceful with his fetish. Even after Kiryu beats him, he apologizes if found later in Kamurocho, and he does the same thing in Like a Dragon after a misunderstanding-induced fight with Ichiban. Hell, in Infinite Wealth, he's just enjoying a vacation in Hawaii, and sternly reprimands his men for confusing Ichiban with a kidnapper.
Sacred Hospitality: A firm believer in this. It's played for laughs when his idea of "hospitality" is to invite somebody to engage in his infantilism kink.
Super-Scream: His attack as a Poundmate in Infinite Wealth is him throwing a tantrum so loud that it deals damage and inflicts Fear on all enemies.
Walking Shirtless Scene: In about 90% of his screentime, he's wearing nothing but a diaper.

Police

Kaoru Sayama

Voiced by: Yu Daiki (Yakuza 2, Yakuza 3), Aya Hisakawa (Kiwami 2), Minae Noji (English)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kaoruyk2.jpg

Kaoru as she appears in Kiwami 2.

"You're a Yakuza, not a fuckin' weasel. You should be putting yer ass on the line."

The Lead Detective of the Osaka Organized Crime Division who is famed for her spirit and determination, she's earned the title of 'Yakuza Eater/Huntress' for her work in dealing with the clans. She first appears placing Kiryu under arrest when he's in Osaka, and while she did it under orders to place him under protection, she has her own agenda. She grew up never knowing who her parents were, and believes he's the link to the truth behind her lost past.

The Deuteragonist and Kiryu's Love Interest in Yakuza 2, she returns briefly in the prologue for Yakuza 3 to tell him goodbye as she heads to the United States for special training, putting her relationship with him on hold to see how far her career can take her. Although they agree to find each other when that time has passed, she hasn't been seen in the series (or its spin-off titles) since.

Action Girl: The definitive one of the series, she can certainly handle herself just as well as any of the men. She even fights alongside Kiryu!
Age-Gap Romance: She is only 25 years old and becomes romantically involved with Kiryu who is pushing 40.
The Alcoholic: Downplayed, but she's often shown drinking beer frequently. Tamiyo Sayama says Kaoru would often frequent bars in times of stress.
Battle Couple: With Kiryu in the second game, and they even have an exclusive HEAT action together! In Kiwami 2, they're given another exclusive Heat action where she performs a scorpion kick on Kiryu's enemy after he elbows one of them to the back of the head!
Be Careful What You Wish For: Kiryu himself warns Kaoru that digging up your own past can be a messy affair. Is it *ever* when Kaoru finally discovers hers.
Break the Cutie: The second game is most definitely this to Kaoru once she finds out who her true family members are and what became of them shortly after the reveal.
The Bus Came Back: She returns in Infinite Wealth as part of Kiryu's Life Links storyline.
But Not Too Foreign: Is half-Korean, half-Japanese.
Career Versus Man: She's no stranger to romance but she's dedicated herself to being a cop ever since she joined the force, hence her cold no-nonsense attitude especially towards criminals like Kiryu. Working together with Kiryu and getting to know him better lets her open up and let down some of her barriers to display the softer, kinder soul underneath and the story seems to end with the two as a couple. By the next game however, she ultimately decides to leave for the U.S. to further her career as a police woman though Kiryu seems happy for her and is ready to seperately pursue some of his own life dreams as well. In Infinite Wealth she states that the reason she's still single by that time is because she's Married to the Job but it's also clear that she never truly moved on from Kiryu.
Cutscene Incompetence: She's among the few women in the series who can take part in fights, but in the two cutscenes where she's hit, she goes down instantly.
Defrosting Ice Queen: She and Kiryu don't exactly start off on the best terms, with her being a cop and him a former yakuza. She refuses to thank him for saving her after she's shot, but afterwards she tends to mellow out and acts reasonable and respectable toward him. She soon warms up to him and even invites him on a date, allowing him to see the real her. Granted, having a few beers probably played a large part in that...
Deuteragonist: Of Yakuza 2.
Disney Death: She refuses to leave an injured Kiryu behind in 2 when Terada's bomb is about to go off, and chooses to die at his side. Post credits, it was a dud.
Does Not Know Her Own Strength: Somewhat. She accidentally dents a golf club out of shape while at the driving range with Kiryu. Presumably she accidentally hit it against the ground rather than the golf ball but not showing any reaction to it until actually seeing club means she's got enough arm strength and durablity to dent it without feeling any of the recoil.
Dude Magnet: Catches the eyes of both Kiryu and Majima as well as some vulgar street punks.
Fair Cop: A cop in her mid-twenties who is intelligent and attractive? Fits the trope like a glove.
Fanservice: A scene in the second game has Kiryu head back to Serena, only to find Kaoru wearing nothing but a Modesty Towel after helping herself to a shower close by. She even removes the towel right in front of him to put on a robe. He's completely awkward the whole time.
Faux Action Girl: Zig-Zagged: as an AI partner she can hold her own in a fight, but falls victim to Cutscene Incompetence several times.
Foreshadowing: When she discovers the truth about her half-brother in the climax of Yakuza 2 and decides to confront him, Kaoru leaves a tender and heartfelt recording for Kiryu lamenting how the two of them couldn't end up together because of their different paths. It's the very reason they decide to go their separate ways in Yakuza 3.
Genius Bruiser: Aside from being able to fight at Kiryu's side, she also specializes in programming, which got her hired by the police under the Hi-Tech Crime Unit. Her skills come in handy when she thwarts a hacking attempt on The Florist's network when his men can't keep up.
Glass Cannon: A main reason behind the aforementioned Cutscene Incompetence. While she's a competent fighter, she's nowhere as durable as Kiryu. She can dish out heavy hits, but she can't take them.
The Lancer: Serves as one to Kiryu in Yakuza 2, a role she shares with Daigo.
Long Bus Trip: She left Japan at the start of Yakuza 3 to receive special training in the United States. Aside from completion e-mails in the third game, she's only alluded to briefly in Yakuza 5. It took about 15 years before she would officially return to the series in Infinite Wealth.
Long-Lost Relative: Ryuji Goda's half-sister, as well as Jiro Kawara's daughter.
Love Interest: For Kiryu, arguably his biggest one as she's the one he interacts the most and only one he actually kisses on screen.
Morality Pet: To her half-brother Ryuji Goda.
Moveset Clone: Kiwami 2 gives her Tanimura's fighting stance and combos from 4.
Odd Couple: With Kiryu, a former yakuza.
Odd Friendship: With Bob Utsunomiya of all people. It's how the Completion Rewards work in 3 with Kaoru sending gifts to Bob in Japan to hand over to Kiryu.
Older Than They Look: Even after 15 years have passed since her last chronological appearance her model in Infinite Wealth is practically unchanged from her Kiwami 2 appearance despite being 43 at the time of the game.
The One That Got Away: Kiryu became this for her, since she never met him again after leaving for the US only for him to be publicly declared dead. As such, she was never truly able to move on.
Parental Abandonment: She grew up in the care of a woman who explicitly wasn't her mother, but would never tell her who her mother was.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Although she has Kiryu arrested and placed under her supervision when she first appears, she's not entirely antagonistic toward him. Although she's not completely by-the-book, she still takes her job very seriously and is very proud of it.
Red Baron: Known as "The Yakuza Eater" in the original game's translation. Kiwami 2 changes it to the "Yakuza Huntress".
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The blue to Ryuji's red.
Second Love: To Kiryu, following Yumi's death in the previous game.
Shameless Fanservice Girl: Doesn't seem to think much about undressing while Kiryu is in the room with her.
Single Woman Seeks Good Man: It takes a while for her to warm up to Kiryu and tries putting her duties as a cop first, but it's when he rescues her from a group of thugs that she mellows out and invites him on a date, and starts to fall for him after he compliments her and tells her that she has many good qualities that others don't recognize, even herself. The inverse also applies, as Kiryu falls for her because he sees her for who she really is.
Statuesque Stunner: She's almost as tall as Kiryu. Or at least she is during gameplay.
Strong Family Resemblance: Ryuji notes in his final moments that she looks a lot like their late mother.
Temporary Love Interest: She's Kiryu's love interest in the second game, but in the third game's prologue, they decide to put their relationship on hold as Kiryu takes over the Sunshine Orphanage and she goes to the United States to receive special training. Checking her profile throughout the third game reveals that she refused a dinner invitation from an American cop, but she later accepts it. In Yakuza 6, Kiryu refers to Yumi as "the only woman he ever loved", cementing Sayama's status as a short fling. Nonetheless, she states in Infinite Wealth that even though (as far as she knows) he's dead a part of her is still waiting for him while wistfully looking at her empty ring finger.
Toplessness from the Back: The audience and Kiryu are treated to this when she takes off her Modesty Towel to get dressed.
Trauma Conga Line: Kiryu really wasn't joking when she said that she should brace herself for learning about her past. She learns about the police dealings with yakuza, then she learns the Awful Truth about her heritage, she discovers who her father is only for him to die in her arms moments later, and then discovers that Ryuji is her half-brother only for him to die in her arms as well moments later. All of this happens over the course of a few days. She could give Kiryu a run for his money in terms of discovering a painful past.
Trademark Favorite Food: Beer.
Tsundere: Type A. She often puts up a tough front due to being a woman on the force, and is often frustrated due to everyone around her keeping secrets from her. However, after a few drinks and being rescued by Kiryu by some thugs, she starts looking at him as a person and not as a yakuza, and he's allowed to see her softer and true side.
Wooden Katanas Are Even Better: Her Poundmate Special in Infinite Wealth, "Yakuza Crackdown", has her wallop her enemies with a wooden sword and has a chance of instakilling foes.

Jiro Kawara

Voiced by: Susumu Terajima

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Kawara as he appears in Kiwami 2.

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Kawara as he appears in Yakuza 2.

"A cop's gut instinct is more than just some guess."

Or 'Killer Kawara', so named for the amount of suspects who die resisting arrest. A veteran cop who is viewed with suspicion by the other characters for keeping secrets from everyone and his lack of morals, which includes Date, who once worked under him. He had previously investigated the Jingweon massacre incident along with Bessho, and joins the police investigation when they return.

The Ace: Was one of the best cops when Date joined, and age hasn't done anything to dull his edge.
Blasting It Out of Their Hands: He shoots the detonator out of Kurahashi's hand when he threatens to blow up the room they're in.
Cool Old Guy: One of the older characters in the game and still pretty hardcore for a cop.
Cowboy Cop: Even worse considering he's Japanese (a country with very strict gun laws), yet is more than a little fond of his service revolver.
Daddy Had a Good Reason for Abandoning You: Frankly, he kind of did have a reason for Kaoru as her mother's dying wish is to ensure Kaoru's safety.
Disappeared Dad: He is Kaoru's father, who under a series of events, could not see her.
Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: Gives Suyeon Jung a wake-up slap when she attempts to let herself and her son die in the burning building.
Ink-Suit Actor: He's given this treatment in Kiwami 2, now bearing similarity to his voice actor.
Knight in Sour Armor: He does have morals, but is generally so bitter about everything that it's easy to mistake them for something else.
Luke, I Am Your Father: Kurahashi reveals that Kaoru's real parents are none other than Kawara and Suyeon, after the two tried to hide the fact her whole life.
Mistaken for Racist: He's become infamous among the police department for the multiple times he's ruthlessly gunned down Korean illegal immigrants en masse when they were stil considered suspects rather than actual perpetrators. He later reveals that he'd been closely following the movements of the Jingweon Mafia ever since they murdered his wife and that every time he went on a shooting spree, it was explicitly to take down members of the Jingweon Mafia.
Papa Wolf: Another reason for his Roaring Rampage of Revenge, as to clean up Kaoru's past and ties with the Jingweon, as Suyeon's dying wish.
Power of Love: He went a good lengths to help Suyeon Jung, a woman who crossed a nasty Despair Event Horizon into giving her a new life, to the point the two eventually gained a daughter together. That daughter is Kaoru.
Romancing the Widow: Ends up having a child with the widow of the Jingweon boss after saving her and her son from the burning building.
Red Baron: Best known as "Killer Kawara", although he previously earned the name "Kawara the Devil".
Roaring Rampage of Revenge: When you realize why he tends to shoot up illegal aliens who had something to do with Suyeon's murder.
Taking the Bullet: After being shot repeatedly, he takes one last bullet for Kaoru, and doesn't survive long after that.
Unscrupulous Hero: He works together with the heroes, but he's got a very itchy trigger finger despite being a cop in Japan, where they're expected to almost never fire their gun, let alone actually use it to mow crooks down en masse.

Tsutomu Bessho

Voiced by: Hidekazu Akai (Yakuza 2), Yuichi Kimura (Kiwami 2)

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Bessho as he appears in Kiwami 2

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Bessho as he appears in Yakuza 2

"You only say that 'cause you don't know how scary the Jingweon really are! Women and kids are just more meat to 'em!"

The Division Chief of the Osaka Police Organized Crime Unit and Kaoru Sayama's boss. He used to work in Kamurocho before being transferred to Osaka, and remains in close contact with them. On Sudo's request, he orders Kaoru to place Kiryu under protective custody to keep him from getting killed during the Tojo/Omi peace talks. He was involved with the investigation of the Jingweon Mafia along with Jiro Kawara, and finds himself involved once again when they return after 26 years.

The Ace: Date mentions at the time he joined the force, Bessho was seen the golden boy of the Kamuro police along with Kawara.
Broken Pedestal: Kaoru is furious to learn that he cut a deal with the Dojima Family 26 years ago to take down the Jingweon Mafia back when he used to work in Kamurocho. It doesn't help that he previously told her that cops working together with Yakuza only leads to corruption in the force.
Cowboy Cop: He's exercised some underhanded methods in the past, has made deals with the yakuza, and used the Dojima Family to wipe out the Jingweon mafia, which resulted in him being transferred down to Osaka. In actuality, he and Kawara used it to move Suyeon to Osaka.
Da Chief: Bessho serves as this for the Osaka Police Organized Crime Unit. He can be harsh towards Kaoru and isn't bothered by keeping secrets from her, but he does care for her well-being.
Enemy Mine: Previously worked together with the Dojima Family to take down the Jingweon Mafia.
I Did What I Had to Do: Adamant that the only way to take down the Jingweon decades ago was to work together with the Yakuza even if he didn't like it.
Ink-Suit Actor: He's given this treatment in Kiwami 2, sporting a new actor. Funny enough, his actor resembles how Bessho already looked.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He's rather brash, blunt, and comes off as rude and dismissive, but it's mainly because how hardened he is and recognizes just how truly dangerous the Jingweon mafia is. When Kaoru chews him out and walks out for keeping the truth from her, he kindly asks Kiryu to watch over her.
Meaningful Name: "Bessho" means "insult" in Japanese, which goes hand-in-hand with his blunt, sharp-tongued personality.
Purple Is Powerful: Wears a purple shirt and isn't someone to take lightly.
Red Baron: He was known as "Bessho the Viper" back when he worked with Kawara.
What the Hell, Hero?: Kaoru chews him out when she discovers his involvement with the Jingweon Massacre and never mentioned it to her the whole time. Although he has his reasons, he's rather dismissive of her anger and concerns.

Wataru Kurahashi

Voiced by: Shun Sugata (Yakuza 2), Houka Kinoshita (Kiwami 2)

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Kurahashi as he appears in Kiwami 2

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Kurahashi as he appears in Yakuza 2

"You have no idea what I'm capable of!"

The Chief of the Public Security Foreign Affairs Division of the Tokyo Police, who's been investigating the Jingweon Mafia's presence in Tokyo for several months alongside Sudo. Following the bombing on Millennium tower, he informs Date of their presence, and suspects Kazuki is actually one of them.

Late in the game, he takes Date hostage to lure Kiryu, Kaoru and Kawara to the Millenium Tower, revealing he is actually Yeongmin Ji, one of the survivors of the Jingweon Massacre, while taking out The Florist of Sai's network in the process. He reveals to Kaoru the identity of her real father before shooting him repeatedly. After Kiryu beats him, he attempts to shoot Kaoru but her father takes the bullet, and the two proceed to shoot Kurahashi dead before Kawara dies.

Adaptational Badass: By virtue of having actual combat skills and surprising agility in Kiwami 2 as opposed to in the original game where he primarily a "Get Back Here!" Boss that would run around taking shots while you deal with his mooks.
Climax Boss: He's fought before the game reaches its final chapter.
Evil Sounds Deep: Only in the original game, he's given a very deep voice.
Flunky Boss: He's fought alongside his fellow members of the Jingweon mafia.
"Get Back Here!" Boss: Similar to Jingu, he's armed with a gun and runs all over the place while you deal with his men.
- Subverted in the Kiwami 2 remake. He may still have a gun and his Jingweon goons backing him up but he has a more pro-active style of combat that even permits him to rush in for some kicks before rolling away to shoot at Kiryu from a safe distance.
Gun Fu: Downplayed in Kiwami 2. He can roll about before taking shots with his pistol but he's definitely no acrobat.
Hero Killer: Ends up being the one to kill Kawara.
Ink-Suit Actor: He's given this treatment in Kiwami 2, sporting a completely different appearance.
The Mole: Being one of the survivors of the Jingweon Massacre, he uses his position from within the police to plot the mafia's revenge.
Moveset Clone: In Kiwami 2, he's become this for Ibuchi from the same game. As noted above, this also means he's using a moveset from Ishin minibosses which is in itself something of a modernization of Tetsuo Tamashiro's pistol moveset from 3.
Mutual Kill: He fatally wounds Kawara, but not before Kawara shoots Kurahashi dead in return.
Red Right Hand: He still wears a Jingweon mafia ring on his left hand, briefly visible in his introductory cutscene.
The Reveal: His real name is Yeongmin Ji, and is one of the survivors of the Jingweon Massacre who was spared by Shintaro Kazama. Ji then took Japanese citizenship under a new name and joined the Tokyo Metropolitan police to plot his revenge. Kawara had been following him the entire time.
Revenge: Like the other members of the Jingweon Mafia, he seeks to avenge his fallen brothers from 26 years before, as well as those Kawara had killed since.
Walking Spoiler: His past is a major spoiler for the game.
With Us or Against Us: Adheres strongly to the Jingweon creed. As long as you have Jingweon blood in your veins, you either join the Jingweon cause or die.
We Can Rule Together: Kurahashi offers Kaoru a chance to join the Jingweon, due to her mother being of Jingweon blood.

The Omi Alliance

Ryuji Goda

Voiced by: Masami Iwasaki

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ryujiyk2.jpg

Ryuji as he appears in Kiwami 2

"How's about we see here and now...which one of us is the real dragon!"

One of the main antagonists of the second game, Ryuji is the adopted son of Omi Alliance Chairman Jin Goda and the second Chairman of its Go-Ryu Clan. He was behind the Omi's involvement with Jingu in the previous game and was involved with Terada's supposed murder, in order to start a war between the Omi and Tojo Clans with the help of the Jingweon mafia. He's also determined to bring down Kiryu and claim the title of The One True Dragon. He's actually one of the Jingweon mafia survivors, and learns that Kaoru Sayama is his half-sister. He suffers from life threatening injuries at the end of the game after putting a stop to the villains ambitions, but doesn't go out until he and Kiryu have determined who the one true dragon is in one final fight.

He was announced as one of the new playable protagonists in the spin-off title Yakuza: Dead Souls, a non-canon entry that allowed him to be brought Back from the Dead under a "what if" scenario where he was merely defeated at the end of Yakuza 2 and ousted from the Go-Ryu clan, and aids the others in their fight against the zombie outbreak.

He's also featured in an arc of Ryu Ga Gotoku Online.

All the Other Reindeer: In Yakuza 0, his classmates were told to stay away from him by their parents, due to Ryuji being the son of a high-ranking yakuza. However, after protecting them from bullies during a school trip, his classmates try to become better friends with him.
- Unfortunately, his behavior and words in the second game suggest that despite this, he continued to live a rather lonely life for as he focused primarily on building his strength until he'd be able to one day surpass his father.
Art Evolution: After appearing in Yakuza 2, subsequent appearances in spin-offs have changed his face to have more wrinkles and heavier brow ridges that make his eyes appear thinner. Justified as these appearances depict an older, visibly aged version of Ryuji.
- Somewhat undone with the more recent Dragon Engine games such as the remake of the second game Kiwami 2 and Online which instead feature a modern take on his younger design from the original PS2 game. That said, it can be argued that he looks somewhat younger than he did originally.
Arm Cannon: One of the things he returned to the series with in Dead Souls, and that is only the beginning of his awesomeness.
Artificial Limbs: His right arm is mechanical in Dead Souls, and can turn into an Arm Cannon.
Ax-Crazy: A lot of characters comment on what a psycho he is. His overall philosophy on life is rather barbaric and he seems pretty fixated on using violence and murder for just about any reason especially when Kiryu's involved. Even Majima considers him a nutjob. Averted by the time of Dead Souls.
Back from the Dead: In Dead Souls, where he is still alive due to a "what if" scenario where he just passed out from his wounds instead of died.
Badass Longcoat: Mostly prefers a long light-beige coat unless it's a special occasion.
- In Dead Souls, it's been replaced by a an off-white crocodile-skin longcoat that gets the same message across.
- According to Yakuza 0, he's worn light-colored longcoats as far back as when he was 12.
Bad Guys Do the Dirty Work: Kills both Sengoku and Takashima.
Berserk Button: Never refer to him as "The Dragon of Kansai". There is only one True Dragon, and he aims to be the one.
- To a lesser extent, saying to his face that he only got as far as he did because of his dad will tick him off. Sengoku finds this out the hard way after he's skewered by Ryuji's katana and flung off a building.
Big Bad: He's behind most of the events of Yakuza 2, aiming to do what his father couldn't and destroy the Tojo to secure the Omi Chairmanship for himself.
Big Bad Ensemble: Shares the title of Big Bad with the Jingweon Mafia and Ryo Takashima. While he's colluding with them, Ryuji's goals don't really intersect with that of the Jingweon's. Even though he's revealed to be the son of their former leader, the fact that he doesn't give a shit about avenging the Jingweon members murdered by the Tojo Clan means The Jingweon Mafia considers him completely expendable at best.
Big Brother Instinct: Takashima found out the hard way that putting a gun to Ryuji's half-sister results in having twenty bullets put into you.
Blood Knight:
- His aim in Yakuza 2 is to have the Omi Alliance and Tojo Clan go to war, with the cherry on top ending with Kiryu's defeat. When Kiryu confronts him the second time, Ryuji is more than thrilled to finally fight him to determine who's the real dragon.
- Yakuza 0 also shows that as an elementary school kid (and a very large one at that), he picked fights with high schoolers to see how strong they were.
Born Winner: Yakuza 0 heavily implies this to be the case with him, as he was already tall enough that he could be mistaken for a teenager or a young adult even in elementary school, and he easily beats up teenagers and gave Majima one hell of a fight in the substory featuring him, and, of course, by the time of the present, he's only gotten even stronger.
Breakout Villain: While not to the extent as Majima, he's one of the franchise's most popular characters despite only appearing in one game before his death. So much so that he's Promoted to Playable in the non-canon game Dead Souls, where he undergoes a Heel–Face Turn and has a lot of Character Development, and even had a small appearance in Yakuza 0.
The Brute: The Go-Ryu Clan serves as this for the Omi Alliance, and Ryuji is the muscle among the Four Kings.
- The Big Guy: Becomes this as part of Kiryu's group towards the end of Dead Souls.
Bully Hunter: He won't admit it, but it's implied to be his motivation for fighting in Yakuza 0.
But for Me, It Was Tuesday: Daigo accompanies Kiryu to his meeting with the Omi alliance in Yakuza 2 solely to settle a score with Ryuji for tricking him into getting arrested and imprisoned for 5 years. Ryuji doesn't remember Daigo at all.
Character Development: His arc in Dead Souls is full of it. Explaining how he lost his original right hand by performing a quitting ceremony, left his own Family and the entire Kansai Omi Alliance, came to realize how futile it was to seek the position of the Only Dragon, and then earning his stay as a takoyaki cooker's apprentice... Let's just say he came a long way.
Child Supplants Parent: Heavily motivated to take down the Tojo Clan and conquer Kamurocho out of a desire to surpass his adoptive father Jin Goda, who for all the respect and renown he holds never succeeded in doing either despite the Omi Alliance having such ambitions a long while.
Counter-Attack: In both the original game and the remake, he tends to throw out heavy attacks after getting hit with certain attacks from Kiryu like combo finishers. He can also use a more standard dodge and counter attack if you wildly attack him from the front. This encourages the player to be more mindful of how they fight him rather than recklessly staying on the offensive.
Died in Your Arms Tonight: In his half-sister's.
Dumb Muscle: Downplayed. While he's the muscle of the Omi Alliance, he's seen as this in the eyes of Sengoku and especially Takashima and dismissed as not being a threat to their schemes. Although Ryuji believes a real man should be a little dumb, the man is far from an complete idiot even if he's out of his depth in terms of scheming, and is the one who ends up killing both of them anyway, smashing through their conspiracies with brute force.
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Still has a soft spot for his late mother. Before dying in Kaoru's arms, he requests his half-sister to smile one more time, as it would remind him of their mother.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: He cares for his half-sister Kaoru. Takashima finds out the hard way when he holds Kaoru at gunpoint, and gets himself riddled with bullets by a pissed off Ryuji.
Even Evil Has Standards: Ryuji's sense of openness in battle meant he didn't care at all for Sengoku kidnapping Haruka to set Kiryu up for an ambush at the Golden Palace, and sliced open Sengoku's torso to accent the point. Of course Sengoku had the brilliance to accuse Ryuji of rising on nepotism, which only set Ryuji off and earned him a katana through the chest and a boot off the Golden Palace's balcony. After taking care of that interruption, Ryuji then lets Kiryu and Haruka leave undisturbed - although he made it clear that the Omi and Tojo were going to go head-on in exactly a day.
- It's heavily implied that despite being a Jingweon Survivor himself, he doesn't really think highly of the Jingweon Mafia at all and is only exploiting them to realize his own ambitions.
Evil Counterpart: Like Kiryu he's known as The Dragon and has a tattoo of one on his back, along with a certain sense of honor and a similar fighting style. Notably, they both agree that there should only be "One True Dragon" in the Yakuza world and that fighting your rival when they're injured or otherwise fatigued doesn't qualify as a true victory. His version of "honor"; however, is more rooted in his personal image and lacking Kiryu's loyalty and kindness towards others, and so he frequently misuses all of those virtues for his own selfish gains.
- He later reveals that Chairman Jin Goda is not his real father and that he simply raised him like a son making him an orphan much like Kiryu. Both of their fathers even became handicapped over the years though to different extents. However, while Kiryu never lost his deep respect towards his adoptive father even after learning that he had killed his real birth parents, Ryuji Goda only ever respected his strength while always vowing to be better than him and in later years would lose even that level of respect once Jin Goda was confined to a wheelchair.
Evil Sounds Deep: Goda has a deep, gruff voice that matches his tough exterior very well.
Fair-Play Villain: Has a weakened Kiryu within his grasp at one point but opts to not fight him and try to kill him, believing it wouldn't be right to take down such a great man when he's injured and in no shape to properly fight back, echoing back the same sentiments Kiryu gave him earlier in the game.
Faux Affably Evil: Tends to act rather chummy with some of his enemies while making his motives clear. In the second game, he attends Terada's funeral in proper attire and offers the clan money as a polite gesture, which would've been fine if he didn't have his men start a fight outside Tojo HQ beforehand, and mock them relentlessly about how pathetic they've become when he arrives. Basically, he paid his respects at a funeral by taunting those who attended.
Fauxreigner: Inverted. While first presented as Japanese like most of the cast, it's eventually revealed that Ryuji is a full-blooded Korean, something that he was aware of the whole time.
Final Boss/Climax Boss: He's fought twice in the endgame, but ultimately serves as the game's Final Boss.
First-Name Basis: Often called by his first name rather than his last name, presumably to distinguish him from his father.
Forgotten First Meeting:
- In one of Kiryu's substories in Yakuza 0, after being told a fortune teller that he would soon meet someone whose fate he'd be intertwined with, he bumps into Ryuji, who was in Kamurocho as part of a school trip.
- He doesn't recognise Majima in "The Truth of Majima Goro", the man whose pants he tried to steal 20 years ago in Yakuza 0. Although Majima remembers him and even brings up his bontan pants stealing days.
- He also doesn't remember getting Daigo imprisoned for 5 years, when the two reunite.
Good Old Fisticuffs: Before the likes of Aizawa or Awano, Ryuji was the first raw brawler among endgame bosses. Many dangerous fighters in the franchise combine power and technique, but Ryuji throws wild haymakers and sloppy kicks with almost casual force and still manages to rival Kiryu.
Good Scars, Evil Scars: He has a light scar above the left side of his lip. It's much more profound and noticeable in Kiwami 2.
Go Out with a Smile: In a surprisingly heartwarming scene, when he dies in Kaoru's arms when she fulfils his Last Request.
Guest Fighter: His Dead Souls incarnation appeared as a DLC character for the Japanese version of Binary Domain.
Healing Factor: He's capable of doing this in Yakuza 2. He no longer has such an ability in the remake, Kiwami 2 though they compensate by greatly inflating his health bar.
Heel–Face Turn: He undergoes this in Dead Souls, becoming another one of Kiryu's allies.
Heroes Prefer Swords: Inverted; his weapon when he's not using Good Old Fisticuffs is his katana.
Hidden Depths: Apparently has an interest in baseball. In Online years before the events of 2, his struggles with that era's Joon Gi Han accidentally wake up Tatsuo Shinada who was homeless at the time and sleeping near them. Upon recognizing him, Ryuji earnestly tries to get his autograph since he considers himself a fan of Shinada.
Honor Before Reason: He openly dislikes trickery and manipulation, preferring to strike head on.
Hot Blooded Sideburns: His sideburns are basically muttonchops without a beard.
Insistent Terminology: In Dead Souls, his Berserk Button of being referred to as the Dragon of Kansai continues, although he usually just scowls whenever someone brings that up. He also likes to remind them that he is no longer yakuza, which is justified as he actually did leave them.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He's this in Yakuza 0. Despite his gruff exterior and unwillingness to admit it, he still protects his classmates from bullies.
Katanas Are Just Better: He often carries a katana as his weapon in Yakuza 2 and doesn't hesitate to show it off, and even uses it in his second boss fight.
Kimono Is Traditional: Comes in Terada's funeral wearing a kimono, surprising considering Ryuji is not the traditional type.
Large and in Charge:
- He is a giant wall of muscle and is the head of a major gang.
- Yakuza 0 reveals he was about as big as Kiryu and Majima even back in The '80s. While they were in their twenties, he was a grade schooler.
Last Request: Before succumbing to his wounds, he asks his half-sister Kaoru to give him one last smile, as it reminds him of their late mother.
Legendary in the Sequel: Gaiden reveals that he's left quite an impressive legacy behind, with many in the Omi Alliance considering him the greatest leader the organization had ever seen, and some factions even trying to force a "second coming" of Ryuji of sorts.
Leitmotif: Yakuza 2 gives him "Bad Fortune Flower", and "A Scattered Moment" for the final fight against him. Both songs return in Kiwami 2 as "Bad Fortune, Not Bad" and "A Scattered Eternal Moment".
Light Is Not Good: Wears a light beige suit.
- Light Is Good: In Dead Souls.
Loners Are Freaks: Despite his charisma, he proudly proclaims himself as someone who's been alone his entire life only focusing on one day surpassing renowned yakuza and his own adoptive father, Jin Goda.
Long-Lost Relative: He's Kaoru Sayama's half-brother.
Made of Iron: He can take a truly improbable amount of injury and not slow down at all. He manages to be a challenging final boss despite his chest having at least two visible gunshot wounds. Exaggerated in the gameplay of Kiwami 2 where he manages to have the largest health bar for a final boss in the series' history.
Marathon Boss: A staggering 10 whole health bars during the final encounter with him in Kiwami 2, an unprecedented amount of health for anybody who isn't Jo Amon, surpassing even that of Masato Aizawa from 5.
Mercy Kill: In Dead Souls when he finds out Nikaido infected the takoyaki stand master Goda was training under, turning him into an octopus hybrid monster. Goda was forced to kill him to put an end to his suffering, using a method to kill octopus painlessly for ingredients taught by the old man himself.
Mighty Glacier: Downplayed. He always boasts unmatched strength and endurance, but most of his attacks have some pretty long wind-up before they let loose in Yakuza 2. Furthermore in Kiwami 2, he's a bit quicker on his feet with some deceptively swift strikes but he still has a slower fighting style compared to the likes of Kiryu or Majima.
Mirror Boss: In the sense that both Kiryu and Ryuji are street brawlers with reliance on overwhelming strength. Downplayed since Kiryu is definitely the more skilled of the two with a more refined and agile take on that style of no-frills brawling. Frankly, he might have been a proper moveset clone if Kiryu still had his less refined Brawler style from 0 especially since Ryuji's tendency to Counter-Attack after suffering a hit is very much similar to the Brawler style Resolute Counters from taking hits.
Moveset Clone: Very downplayed. In Kiwami 2, His idle fighting stance and one of his combos is taken from his historical look-alike Saigo Kichinosuke in Ishin but his walking animations and other attacks seem to be completely unique. As a straighter example, his katana moveset from the remake is effectively a faster version of Saejima's sword moveset from 4 though Ryuji's got some unique combos of his own added on.
Noble Demon: Although Ryuji is determined to wage war on the Tojo Clan and take out Kazuma so he can become Japan's one true dragon, while he has underhanded means, there are some lines he won't cross and still has his own sense of honor. He won't take out a weakened opponent and doesn't like it when children are brought into the crossfire against their will.
No Challenge Equals No Satisfaction: Once Kiryu puts an end to the Sengoku Family's invasion of Kamurocho, which leaves him completely exhausted, Ryuji uses the opportunity to pull out his sword and finish off his rival. He doesn't go through with it, thinking it would be a cheap victory, and won't be satisfied unless he takes down Kiryu at his full strength.
Not in This for Your Revolution: A villainous variant. In the second game he teams up with the Jingweon Mafia, but he couldn't care less about their quest for revenge for what happened years before. He doesn't care about the fact that his own father, the former leader of the Jingweon Mafia was one of the first victims of the Jingweon Massacre. He just wants to wage war against the Tojo Clan and establish his dominance and would rather keep Kamurocho intact since he plans on having the Go-Ryu Clan take over after his victory.
Not So Stoic: Usually The Unfettered, the most notable moment where his usual calm demeanor drops is when Kaoru reveals that she's his half-sister.
One-Hit Kill: Failing the final Quick Time Event during the Final Boss fight against him will always result in a game over.
The Last Dance: How the Final Boss fight against him is treated as. Both Kiryu and Ryuji are exhausted, have been shot multiple times in the chest and a huge timed bomb has just been activated, threatening to kill everyone on the unfinished Kamurocho Hills tower. While Kiryu and Ryuji both urge Kaoru to flee to safety, they'd both rather stay behind themselves believing they're about to die and wanting to use their last moments to determine which of them truly deserves the title of "Dragon". It doesn't help that Ryuji always knew his reckless ways would get himself killed at a young age while Kiryu clearly suffers from Survivor's Guilt and isn't afraid to die.
The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: He's obsessed with defeating Kiryu and proving to the world and himself he is the One True Dragon, which is part of the reason why he strikes Sengoku, as he views him as stealing what's rightfully his along with his disgust with the man kidnapping Haruka.
Pay Evil unto Evil: He slices Sengoku wide open with his sword for kidnapping a little girl, and when Sengoku insults him while bleeding to death, Ryuji finishes the job by running him through and kicking him off the roof of his own castle. When the completely dishonorable Takashima threatens Ryuji's half-sister Kaoru at gunpoint, Ryuji grabs a gun and completely unloads a 20-round clip on him, ending with a bullet in his head.
Pragmatic Villainy:
- He spares an exhausted Kiryu, partly because No Challenge Equals No Satisfaction, and also he still needs Kiryu to disarm the bombs the Jingweon planted all over Kamurocho. After all, Ryuji has no use of a city that has been reduced to ashes.
- He also brutally offs two of his biggest competitors in the Omi Alliance, Toranosuke Sengoku and Ryo Takashima. Both of them had it coming.
Promoted to Playable: In Dead Souls.
Punched Across the Room: The new Dragon Engine physics in the Kiwami 2 remake have the effect of making some of his attacks send Kiryu flying like a ragdoll across the arena a good 20 or so feet.
Recurring Boss: In 2, he's fought at least three times.
Red Baron: "The Dragon of Kansai", just don't say it in front of him.
Redemption Rejection: At the end of Yakuza 2, both he and Kiryu have been shot, the antagonists are dead, and a bomb is about to go off. Instead of leaving with Kaoru to start anew, thinking they're at their end, both men decide to go out in one last battle to determine who the real dragon is. After Ryuji is beaten, he tells Kaoru he wouldn't be able to reform because he has too much Jingweon blood in him, and dies of his injuries.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The red to Kiryu, Kaoru and Jin's blue.
Retired Badass: In Dead Souls, he leaves the Omi and takes up a new job as a takoyaki chef. When the Zombie Apocalypse hits Kamurocho, though, he comes out of retirement.
The Rival: To Kiryu in 2, as they both believe there can only be one Dragon in Japan.
Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Defied. Despite being a Jingweon survivor who had lost his own father in that massacre and later collaborating with the surviving Jingweon Mafia, he never once cared about getting revenge since he was only a baby at the time and never actually knew any of the casualties.
Sad Battle Music: As Final Boss battle themes, A Scattered Moment in 2 and A Scattered, Eternal Moment from the Kiwami 2 remake are both incredibly somber and melancholy piano-driven tracks driven. They reflect the revelation of the surprisingly dark and tragic backstory of Ryuji as well as how Kiryu and Ryuji are engaging in what they believe to be the very last fight of their lives high up on a tower with a huge timed bomb about to destroy it all. Despite this, neither opponent care about their encroaching demise and simply wish to end it all with a one last proper fight to see who's the real dragon before they both perish.
Sequential Boss: Fought both before and after Daejin Kim.
Smarter Than You Look:
- While he is a musclehead, and proud of it, he's not nearly as unperceptive as the average thug; he's got his hand on the pulse of yakuza politics, and knows when to be patient and set up the situation for when his straightforward approach is most likely to work. He ends up outwitting the true Chessmasters because he saw through their bullshit a long time ago and simply found it to have matched his own goals. And whenever he felt pushed too far, all he needed was to "apply some force" and he'd be back in control of the conflict.
- Notably, he rather effortlessly eliminates one of his less intelligent and less competent rivals, Toranosuke Sengoku by using Kiryu to pave the way for him. First, he warns Kiryu about Sengoku's schemes, subtly pointing him in his direction. Later, he confronts said rival right after Kiryu himself had cornered the bastard with nowhere to run and no more resources to bail him out, making it all too easy for Ryuji to end his life when he refuses to show Ryuji any sort of respect. Due to the circumstances, he could have also potentially dealt with the fatigued Kiryu right then and there and secure his spot as the top Yakuza in the country, but he's too principled to try and take down his rival when he's in no shape for a proper 1-on-1 bout. Not to mention, letting Kiryu live is useful for his ultimate goal of taking over Kamurocho since Kiryu disarms the Jingweon Mafia bombs threatening to destroy the city.
Spanner in the Works: While his sense of honor and fair play are the reasons why the various Chessmasters consider him a predictable pawn in their plans, he shows by the end of the game that his sheer endurance and simple brute strength has derailed all of their manipulations.
Strong Family Resemblance: Subverted. Ryuji's updated design in Kiwami 2 has him strongly resemble a younger-looking Jin Goda, but Ryuji is not his biological son.
Superior Successor: Part of his motivation is to surpass his father, who had been a powerful and well-respected figure in his prime. Ryuji thus seeks to accomplish what his father failed to do: crush the Tojo Clan.
Sword and Fist: When swordfighting during his second boss fight in Yakuza 2, he's capable of mixing a kick into his sword swings. Subverted in the remake where he focuses entirely on his katana and the only kick he throws is during a Quick Time Event based on one from the original game.
Tattooed Crook: A dragon, more specifically a kouryuu (written with the kanji for "yellow dragon"), in contrast to Kiryu's ouryuu (the "responding dragon"). The Yellow Dragon is the legendary "fifth" member of the The Four Gods, which each represents one of the four cardinal directions. This mirrors Ryuji's desire to be the one and only "dragon" of all of Japan (incidentally, the "center" area of Japan said to be covered by the Yellow Dragon is roughly equivalent to the Kansai region from which Ryuji hails).
There Can Be Only One: Goda's adversarial role with fellow dragon Kiryu boils down to a mutual belief that there can only be One True Dragon in the underworld, and he tries to face down Kiryu to that end.
Took a Level in Kindness: The Ryuji of Dead Souls is a far cry from his nastier incarnation in Yakuza 2. Self-reflection has made him a changed man, to the point where he no longer seeks violence just for the sheer hell of it and has become almost as benevolent as his former rival, Kiryu is.
"Too Young to Die" Lamentation: Subverted. He's well-aware of how reckless he is and believes he's probably going to die young, almost welcoming the idea.
Uncertain Doom: Strictly speaking, it's not actually clear if he is dead or not, even within the development team; Nagoshi (series director) once stated that he survived the events of 2, while Yokoyama (series writer) once stated that he did not. He is naturally alive in Dead Souls, which is a non-canon spinoff game, but even in 6, Ryuji is suspiciously absent from the collectible "spirit photographs" which showcase deceased characters from the series' history, including several other dead Final Bosses. Gaiden also adds to the mystery by revealing before a fight with an impersonator of Ryuji in the Castle that nobody actually knows what happened to the Dragon of Kansai after 2, although Kiryu's words after finishing a separate substory (also dealing with impersonators trying to cash in on Ryuji's reputation) suggest the latter at least believes that Ryuji is truly dead. Further mystifying it is the fact that Sega held a real funeral for all of the characters that've died throughout the series, but Ryuji himself is nowhere to be found among the dead.
Unknown Rival: Daigo has a good reason to dislike Ryuji, who the latter actually sent the former to prison due to a set-up prior to the main story. However, Ryuji quite honestly doesn't remember or care about the incident when they meet again.
Unskilled, but Strong: While he may not have the most finesse or grace in battle, he's still built like a tank and can hit about as quick and as hard as a speeding truck. This is more apparent in Kiwami 2 where he'll actually stumble a bit after certain attacks. The same applies to his swordsmanship which is clearly lacking in any sort of finesse or discipline despite still proving very dangerous.
Villain Respect:
- Has this towards Kiryu, whom he considers a Worthy Opponent.
- When Majima approaches the Omi heads and disbands his family in their faces so as to prevent an outbreak of war between the Tojo Clan and the Omi Alliance, even Ryuji can't help but respect the guy for pulling off such a move.
Villainous Rescue: Just when it appears that Takashima has won and is seconds away from killing Kaoru, Ryuji wakes up and shoots him like there's no tomorrow, saving his sister and his rival.
Villainous Valour: Avoids ever having a significant Villainous Breakdown compared to other villains in the series, usually maintaining his composure in any situation. In the finale, he also saves the life of his half-sister from the clutches of Ryo Takashima despite suffering some severe gunshot wounds in the process.
Vocal Dissonance: His appearance in Yakuza 0 depicts him as a kid still in elementary school, and picks a fight with Majima. His voice sounds no different than it does as an adult.
Vocal Evolution: Had a somewhat higher-pitched, and raspier voice in the original Yakuza 2 compared to seiyuu's delivery for the character in later games including the Kiwami 2 remake.
Wake-Up Call Boss: The second boss fight in 2 and its remake and a considerable increase in difficulty in both cases. He'll be tanking those hits just as hard as he can dish 'em out. It's especially noticeable if you chose to focus on the story and not do any Substories or side content in Sotenbori prior to heading to the Omi Alliance Headquarters.
Weapon Across the Shoulder: Carries his katana this way often and he will even do so in battle in Kiwami 2. Less so in the original Yakuza 2 which has a different sword stance during that same fight.
We Can Rebuild Him: After his almost death in Yakuza 2, he re-appears in Dead Souls, with a chaingun attached to his missing hand.
Wild Card: To an extent. Sengoku, Takashima, and Terada all have large webs of intrigue and plays going against each other, the Tojo Clan, and Kiryu, but Ryuji couldn't care less about any of that as long as he gets his war and his fight with Kiryu. To that end, he'll aid or barrel through the conspiracies at the drop of a hat and send plans crumbling without a care, to the point he's the one who kills both Sengoku and Takashima.
Worthy Opponent: He considers Kiryu one, and Kiryu is nice enough to return the favor. Even a decade later in Gaiden, Kiryu still holds Goda in high regard. After facing off against a doppelganger of Goda and a pair of tigers, Kiryu disgustedly notes that the real Goda would sooner die than hide behind tigers. In Infinite Wealth, Kiryu's "Essence of Remembrance" shows that he counts Ryuji among Mine and Nishiki as his most personal foes.
Younger Than They Look:
- Yakuza 0 showed that as a grade schooler he was already large enough to be confused for an adult wearing a kid's backpack. As a grown man, it's very easy to make the mistake of placing him around Kiryu's age when Ryuji is, in fact, nearly a decade younger.
- His non-canonical appearance in Dead Souls has him look outright older than Kiryu!
- Downplayed with his current Dragon Engine design in Kiwami 2. The new technology gives him the appearance of having slightly larger eyes and somewhat softer features making it more believable that he might be a decent bit younger than Kiryu.

Jin Goda

Voiced by: Masuo Amada

"If the Omi can be of help along the way, it'd be my pleasure to assist you."

Jin Goda is the fifth chairman of the Omi Alliance and the father of Ryuji Goda. At 65 years old, his many years of fighting have left him bound to a wheelchair. Kiryu meets him following Terada's death in hopes to reach a truce between the two clans and avert war. Although the elder Goda accepts, his son Ryuji stages a coup to prevent it from happening and has him kidnapped, leaving his whereabouts unknown throughout most of the game.

The Atoner: After Ryuji is defeated, Jin offers to turn himself in, saying that Ryuji's actions are also his responsibility as well. Unfortunately, Terada and Takashima's actions prevent him from doing so.
Authority Equals Asskicking: Heavily implied to have exemplified this back when he was younger, especially since Ryuji's made it his primary goal in life to show why he's a better, stronger man than him.
- Played Straight in the very first chapter of Ryuji Goda's storyline in Online 8 years prior to the events of 2. When Ryuji protests being expelled from the Omi Alliance and unsheathes his katana, Jin simply stands up and mocks him for doing so. The fight isn't shown but it ends with Ryuji losing and utterly shocked by how strong the old man is.
Cultured Badass: The entire Omi HQ building is decorated with several priceless antiques that Goda picked out himself, and his men describe him as a man of culture.
Distressed Dude: He's kidnapped early on and isn't seen for much of the game. And because he's bound to a wheelchair, there's not much he can do.
Equal-Opportunity Evil: In Yakuza 0, Sagawa comments that all types of people are within the Omi Alliance, including the loose cannons that are the Kijin Clan, showing how Jin has retained a variety of types.
Like a Son to Me: He says this almost word for word to Ryuji towards the climax and truly cared for him as a father, although the feeling isn't mutual on the latter's part.
Parental Substitute: He's not Ryuji's actual father, but took him in after Suyeon left him for Kawara. Ryuji doesn't hold much love for him, more so after he learns the truth.
Reasonable Authority Figure: When the rest of his men are eager to wage war against the Tojo Clan and deem Terada a traitor, Goda instead agrees to the truce offered by Kiryu, and wasn't pleased by Terada's death.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The blue to Ryuji's red.
Retired Badass: Was mentioned to have been a powerful figure before age caught up with him, which left him bound to a wheelchair. Emphasized in Online in which he manages to take down Ryuji despite him using a katana against Jin.
The Ghost: In Yakuza 0. He never physically appears or is even referred to by name in this game; however, the intro cards for both Sagawa and Nishitani describe them as a retainer to the fifth Omi Alliance chairman, which you know refers to Jin if you played Yakuza 2. Neither of them make it to the end of Yakuza 0 alive, however, and are long gone by the time Jin makes his one proper appearance in Yakuza 2.
Shoot the Shaggy Dog: All of Kiryu's efforts to rescue Goda ends up being rendered moot when Takashima kills him right around the endgame.
Throwing Off the Disability: Surprisingly in Online 8 years prior to the events of 2, he stood up from his wheelchair to beat down Ryuji bare-handed despite Ryuji fighting back with a katana on hand.
- The end of Ryuji's storyline in Online is capped off with one last rematch against Jin Goda. It's stunning to see how Jacked he actually is underneath the robes.

Toranosuke Sengoku

Voiced by: Tadahisa Saizen

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sengokuyk2.jpg

"Lemme know if ya need incense money for Terada's funeral. I'd be happy to spot ya a billion or two."

The man behind most of the wealth of the Omi Alliance, he's a smug, smirking jerk whose only redeeming attribute is his skill with money.

Asshole Victim: You won't be feeling sorry for him when he gets what's coming to him. Neither Kiryu or Haruka show much emotion in the face of him getting sliced open and shish-kabobbed by Ryuji.
Bait-and-Switch Boss: Downplayed as he seems like too much of a Smug Snake to try and take on Kiryu himself. Still, you probably weren't expecting him to sic a pair of tigers on Kiryu.
The Beastmaster: Downplayed since he's not all that intimate with them but he still refers to his two tigers as his pets. He's also completely unafraid of standing right next to them as he threatens Kiryu and they're obedient enough to focus their apparent hunger on Kiryu alone.
Big Bad Wannabe: Sees himself as the prime candidate for chairmanship of the Omi Alliance, and is always harassing Kiryu and the Tojo Clan from behind the scenes. Unfortunately, he's easily at Kiryu's mercy and swiftly taken out by Ryuji.
Conspicuous Consumption: In his mind, the bubble economy never popped, since he's always going on about how he has cash to burn and how he houses his base beneath Osaka Castle, beneath which he has his own castle made of gold.
Dirty Coward: You don't fight him directly, but he'll run off all the same.
Disney Villain Death: Ryuji kicks him off the highest floor of his castle, after slicing him open with his sword, no less.
Evil Laugh: Emits one after he has Haruka brought up to his castle, thinking he's discovered Kiryu's Achilles' Heel.
Foil: He is a lot like Sohei Dojima as the top-earning clan leader who uses wealth and dirty tricks to get his way, and even resembles the man in some regards. However unlike Dojima he is less collected and way louder about his smugness. Dojima is one of the Tojo Clan's old guard, while Sengoku is considered to be among the new breed of Yakuza. There's also the fact that Dojima has way more backbone than Sengoku.
Four Eyes, Zero Soul: He has gold-framed glasses and he's a greedy and callous bastard.
Hate Sink: A Dirty Coward who is loud, rude, arrogant, and always flaunting his wealth, you're gonna want to kick his ass based on his introduction alone. All bets are off when he has Haruka kidnapped to lure Kiryu to his castle. Although Kiryu doesn't get to introduce Sengoku to his fists, what Ryuji does to him is a lot more than Kiryu ever would, and boy does he deserve it.
The Idiot from Osaka: Serves as this for the Omi Alliance.
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Gets skewered by Ryuji's katana.
Jerkass: He'll talk down to anyone who's not nearly as rich as he is. Naturally, this means everyone, even his superiors.
Leitmotif: "Beast Itself" which got replaced in the Kiwami 2 remake with "Demon Tigers". Rather than played while fighting him, these songs play when fighting his pet tigers.
Meaningful Name: "Tora", from his first name, means "Tiger". He also owns a pair of pet tigers that he will unleash on his enemies.
- His last name is a reference to the Sengoku Period, a significant point in Japanese history which saw the rise of the Ninja, was also seen as the golden age of the samurai, and saw the construction of many castles - all of which Kiryu encounters when he goes after him. The period was also known for its leaders being seen as ineffective and were chronically backstabbed, similar to how Sengoku treats Jin Goda as anything but his superior.
Mister Big: Similar to Sohei Dojima, he stands out from the other characters by being short and fat.
Oh, Crap!: Has a major one after Kiryu defeats his pet tigers.
Rich Bastard: He's the one raking in the cash for the Omi Alliance, is boastful and doesn't hesitate to remind everyone how filthy rich he is. He even built a golden castle beneath Osaka Castle, which is filled with traps, samurai, ninjas, and even tigers for Kiryu to fight against..
Sharp-Dressed Man: Just to show off how rich he is, his suit is colored yellow in the original PS2 game. Kiwami 2 changes the color of his suit to green.
Sinister Shades: He sports a pair of gold-framed shades, as pictured above.
Smug Snake: In a game filled with them, he's the worst. He doesn't even have the strength or smarts to try and justify it, just his cash, and he completely pisses himself when he realizes all the toys and men he bought with it are no match for Kiryu's fists.
Too Dumb to Live: Mouthing off to Ryuji Goda about how he's only successful because of his father - especially after he just carved a bloody gash in your chest with his katana - is a very stupid move.
The Unfought: He's not fought by Kiryu, but his "beatdown" is just as gratifying.
Villainous Breakdown: After Kiryu beats his tigers with his bare hands, he's completely petrified of him and runs off with Haruka. It doesn't get better when he finds Ryuji sitting in his chair.
Would Hurt a Child: He has Haruka kidnapped to lure Kiryu to his castle.

Ryo Takashima

Voiced by: Hiroshi Tachi (Yakuza 2), Hakuryu (Kiwami 2)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/takashimayk2.jpg

Takashima as he appears in Kiwami 2

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/takashimay2.jpg

Takashima as he appears in Yakuza 2

"God, you're all so stupid! Why do you trust people like this? It's ludicrous!"

Ryo Takashima is the chief director of the Omi Alliance and Patriarch of the Takashima Clan. An intelligent individual, he appears to be Jin Goda's right-hand man and a strong candidate as his successor. Friendly and civil at first, following Ryuji's insurrection, his true colors are quickly revealed.

Adaptational Ugliness: He appears more old and craven in the Kiwami 2 remake as opposed to his rather youthful appearance in the original. Here, he's modelled after his voice actor while his original design is instead reused for Kei Ibuchi.
Big Bad: He's the true antagonist of the game, allying himself with the Jingweon mafia while only ever seeing them as tools.
Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: When he's first introduced, he treats Kiryu as a guest and is just as respectful and reasonable towards him as Jin Goda is. But once the elder Goda is kidnapped early on and the race for the title of Chairman is on, he makes it very clear to Kiryu that he has no one to trust.
Blasting It Out of Their Hands: Pulls this off against Kaoru in the finale.
Boom, Headshot!: He's shot multiple times during a shootout with Ryuji, and meets his end this way.
The Chessmaster: Along with Terada, he's behind mostly everything in the game.
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: He betrays the Omi Alliance and kills Jin Goda to take it for himself. He's also in cahoots with the Jingweon Mafia and Kim Daejin (a.k.a. Terada), who he also betrays and kills after he's no longer useful in his plans. However, Kim anticipated his betrayal and acted against him as well.
Dark Is Evil: Wears all black and is not on Kiryu's side.
Evil Sounds Deep: In the original game, he has a very deep voice that stands out.
Faux Affably Evil: Acts calm, polite and reasonable in his first scene. Turns out it was all an act.
Four Eyes, Zero Soul: He wears glasses, and while he treats Kiryu with respect when they first meet, he turns out to be a cruel manipulator.
Greater-Scope Villain:
- Of Yakuza 2. He's the one to manipulate the Jingweon Mafia's desire for vengeance against the Tojo Clan to suit his own needs.
- He's also implied to be this in the "Truth of Goro Majima" scenario, as Ryuji accuses him of working with Ibuchi, which Takashima doesn't even deny. Considering they have similar goals in mind, and the fact Ibuchi's design is modelled after Takashima's original character model, it's very likely.
Ink-Suit Actor: He's given a new appearance in Kiwami 2, now resembling his new voice actor, Hakuryu.
Man Behind the Man: He's using the goals of Ryuji, Terada and the Jingweon Mafia to accomplish his own.
Manipulative Bastard: Manipulated the Tojo Clan, the Omi Alliance and the Jingweon Mafia to suit his ends.
The Mole: He was actually working with Yukio Terada to help him with his revenge for the Korean genocide.
Out of Focus: Not him perse but rather the Takashima Clan as a whole. The only members of his clan we know about aside from him are the sniper who shoots Kaoru and the underling who visits his office in a later cutscene. In fact, no member of the Takashima Clan ever makes an appearance in gameplay which is surprising for a major character and crime boss in this series. Possibly justified considering how much he prefers working behind the scenes.
There's No Kill like Overkill: Meets his end when Ryuji Goda riddles his body with bullets, before being finished off with a final headshot.
Reused Character Design: As mentioned above in his entry, Kei Ibuchi heavily resembles Ryo Takashima's old design from the original Yakuza 2, just with updated textures.
- Averted with Ryo himself in the remake, as his voice actor (Hiroshi Tachi) didn't reprise his role. He now closely resembles his new voice actor (Hakuryu) instead.
Smug Snake: An intelligent man who knows he's an intelligent man, but is too arrogant and smug for his own good.
The Starscream: Betrays the Omi Alliance and starts operating under the schemes of the Jingweon Mafia along with Terada. He also kills Jin Goda to take over the Omi Alliance.
The Unfought: Kiryu never gets the chance to deal with him. That honor goes to Ryuji instead.
Villainous Breakdown: He undergoes a brief one when the dying Terada sets off the timer for the bomb, not knowing that the bomb is a dud. He goes into it even more when he's taken by surprise by an awakened Goda who proceeds to gun him down.
Would Hit a Girl: Near the climax, Takashima takes Kaoru hostage and planned to kill her to keep Kiryu from trying anything. He gets stopped by Goda.
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Shoots down Jin Goda and Yukio Terada so he can subjugate both the Omi Alliance and the Jingweon Mafia in order to spread them across the Asian mainland. However, Ryuji stops that from happening.
Younger Than They Look: In Kiwami 2. He's still 40 years old, but now shares his actor's likeness, who is in his mid 60's. Then again, Jin Goda's line about him being young and sharp was changed to simply him being sharp so it's possible that they've aged the character up as well.
Walking Spoiler: He operates from behind the scenes, with the extent of his true motives revealed in the endgame.

Sotenbori Residents

Tamiyo Sayama

Voiced by: Yoko Fujimoto

"I dunno what happened, but I do know this! It's the Tojo that made Kaoru's life this hell!"

The proprietress of the bar "Aoi", she's also Kaoru's foster mother. She had worked as a doctor several years before and has known Kawara for many years. She knows much of the truth behind Kaoru's past, including who her parents were, but is determined to keep it a secret from her.

Parental Substitute: They're not blood related, but Tamiyo considers Kaoru to be her daughter all the same.
Secret-Keeper: Although she knew Kaoru's real parents, Tamiyo refuses to tell her who they were, much to her frustration. Suyeon left Kaoru in her care before she was killed, and it was her dying wish for Kaoru never to learn of her past.
What the Hell, Hero?: Gives one to Kaoru early on. After treating her bullet wound, Kaoru refuses to thank Kiryu for saving her because he's a yakuza, earning this reaction from her.

Cabaret Club Grand Prix

Yuki

The former number one girl at Club Sunshine, now the owner of Club Four Shine. See her entry on the Yakuza 0 character sheet for more information.

Koyuki

Voiced by: Mayu Motoori (Japanese), Erika Harlacher (English)

The number one hostess at Club Four Shine, not that there's much competition for that spot at the start.

The Apprentice: To Yuki. It doesn't stop at trying to be a hostess too; as a DLC employee of Ichiban's business in Like A Dragon, it's stated that she now co-manages a sushi place with Yuki.
Big, Stupid Doodoo-Head: Her insults when she gets fired up dip into this from time to time in the localization fitting well with her young, inexperienced demeanor. When Kana's co-workers blame her for their club failing when she was the only one doing any of the work, Koyuki defends her and calls them "Big Ol' Buttheads".
Deadpan Snarker: Capable of some pretty scathing remarks if you get her riled up.
Eyelid Pull Taunt: A perennial favorite of Koyuki's. She gets a lot of mileage out of hurling these at Kanzaki's back. She still hasn't dropped the habit years later in Infinite Wealth, where she tosses one at a rival club employee harassing her.
Expository Hairstyle Change: Between Like A Dragon and Infinite Wealth she's grown her hair out to more closely resemble Yuki's.
Fake Boobs: Has a fairly buxom appearance, but she admits to Kiryu that she uses a push-up bra and padding.
Hot-Blooded: She can get really aggressive toward Kanzaki and Yuki suggests calling her the fire-breathing hostess.
Magikarp Power: Much like Yuki before her, Koyuki starts with fairly low stats despite being the first Platinum hostess on the roster. As she levels up her stats grow exponentially to the point where she becomes one of the most high-ranked hostesses in the game, very nearly on par with Yuki herself.
Meaningful Name: Her name can be read as "little Yuki", which, considering that she is Yuki's protege and designated successor, is quite apt.
Morton's Fork: At the end of her substory, she will accuse Kiryu of being a pervert no matter what he tries to do with the bait panties she accidentally left behind.
Older Than They Look: Her appearance in Like A Dragon hasn't changed much since Kiwami 2 despite the 13-year gap, which would make her 35 - a couple of years younger than Yuki was in the latter game. When she reappears in Infinite Wealth she's 39 and aside from a different hairstyle she's barely aged a day.
Rank Up: With Yuki and Youda retiring, as of Infinite Wealth, she's the new owner of Four Shine, and has branched out into Kamurocho.
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Looks and acts a lot like Yuki did in Yakuza 0. Justified in that she's trying to be as much like Yuki as possible.

Kana Momonogi

The number one hostess at Hiroshima Sweet Goddess.

Big Eater: Kana eats even more than Kiryu and gets excited every time they go eat dinner. It is mostly Played for Laughs, but Kana mentions that she doesn't like going out to eat in groups or going on dinner dates because she has to constantly think about what she eats so she doesn't rack up a huge tab compared to her dining companions. The real Kana Momonogi is actually a big eater as evidenced by her being a fan of Jiro Ramen and large bowls of Kakigori. There is also evidence that she completed the 100 Gyoza Challenge from Kagurazaka Hanten.
Ink-Suit Actor: Based off the real Japan AV Actress Kana Momonogi.
Pink Means Feminine: Kana is a consummate Girly Girl, and her default outfit is a very cute frilly pink dress.
Tall Poppy Syndrome: Kana was the hardest working hostess at Hiroshima Sweet Goddess to the point that the other girls there would slack off and coast on her success. Despite this, she was ostracized by the other hostesses for supposedly acting like she was better than them, and her coworkers put all the blame on her for their defeat until Koyuki shut them up.

AIKA

The number one hostess at Osaka Heaven's Goddess.

Bait-and-Switch: Majima initially appears to be exposing her as The Mole working with Kanzaki, only to reveal that he meant to point at Buono behind her.
Graceful Loser: She congratulates Kiryu and Club Four Shine when they beat her in the Cabaret Grand Prix, telling them how much fun she had in spite of losing.
Gyaru Girl: Aika self-identifies as such, and has the look down pat.
Hard-Drinking Party Girl: Aika is known as "the Party Queen" and can definitely hold her liquor. She likes going out for drinks in her off-hours too.
The Hedonist: She lives for her parties and is most concerned with having a good time above all else. It's the only reason she started working for Kanzaki despite not really liking him, and she considers working for Kiryu the best of both worlds due to being able to party while also having a much better boss.
Ink-Suit Actor: Based off the real Japan AV Actress AIKA.
Life of the Party: She lives to party and can turn a dour room into a festive atmosphere in moments. She's got one of the highest Party stats of all the hostesses to back it up.
Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: Betrayal is a stretch since she never had any particular loyalty to him, but after she loses to Four Shine in the Grand Prix she tells Kanzaki that she's done with his crap before quitting and going to work for Kiryu instead.
Not in This for Your Revolution: AIKA repeatedly makes it clear that she doesn't care about Kanzaki's motives at all and just wants to have a good time.
Take This Job and Shove It: She actually quits before Kanzaki can fire her because she thinks working for Four Shine would be more fun.

Shoko Takahashi

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

The number one hostess at Kamurocho Divine Queen.

Beneath the Mask: Shoko spends a lot of energy projecting her "the Perfect Queen"-mask, but beneath it she is a Closet Geek with a wonderfully goofy sense of humor.
Closet Geek: Shoko might be a sophisticated hostess professionally, but she is a huge gag manga fan in her free time, and even tries her hand at creating her own.
Emotionless Girl: She's renowned for never showing her emotions. This is a defensive mechanism she started using after a client attacked her. She drops it when she joins Four Shine.
Ink-Suit Actor: Based off the real Japan AV Actress Shoko Takahashi.
Mangaka: Makes gag mangas as a hobby. Her substory is about Kiryu helping her submitting her manga into a contest.
What the Hell, Hero?: Aika calls her out for burying her emotions and for going along with Kanzaki's cheating and manipulation to sabotage the Cabaret Club Grand Prix. Shoko later admits that her guilt and doubt threw her off during the competition.
When She Smiles: After Kiryu manages to crack her shell, a lot of people comment on how her natural smile is much more beautiful than her professional mask.

Yua Mikami

The number one hostess at Kineicho Platinum Goddess.

Actor Allusion: The real Yua Mikami was a member of SKE48 under the name Momona Kito and founder of Honey Popcorn.
The Cutie: Has the most cutesy, and cheerfully innocent vibe between her former occupation and general demeanor. Even Kiryu is rather taken in with how she presents herself before Yuki snaps him out of it.
Girlish Pigtails: Her default hairstyle.
Idol Singer: She used to be one, but found that hostess work suits her more and pays much better.
Ink-Suit Actor: Based off the real Japan AV Actress Yua Mikami.
Out of Focus: Doesn't get her own character arc or any screentime in the main plot of Cabaret Club Grand Prix, unlike the other platinum hostess before being recruited. This in spite of the fact that she has an actual personality when you have dinner with her and go through her substory.
Say It with Hearts: Her speech usually ends with a Heart Symbol.
Has a Type: One of your dinner conversations has her mention her dreams of being a bride one day. When asked what she wants in a man, she admits that her standards might be too high: He has to be "Super cool, super nice, super strong, super rich,... A prince riding a white horse!" The best answer to this is for Kiryu to point out that he happens to fit just about all of these requisites only for Yua to be surprised, not realizing that Kiryu owned a white horse.
Stalker without a Crush: Mentions being concerned over a particular Paparazzi during your 3rd and final dinner with her. The substory after covers how it's gotten so bad that even when she's at home, it feels like she's being watched. Turns out it's worse than that. The Paparazzo's planted a listening device for them as their discussing this at a restaurant even though as Kiryu points out, that's illegal. Using Manipulative Editing of their recorded conversation and the photos he took of them, he plans on writing a story of the scandalous love between the former famous idol and her Hostess Club manager. His ultimate goal is to ruin Four Shine's reputation since a rival Hostess Club paid him handsomely to do so. Thanfully, Kiryu quickly puts him in his place not only for Four Shine's sake but for Yua's as well.
Third-Person Person: This doesn't reflect in the subtitles, but she refers to herself in the third person from time to time.

Kirara Asuka

The number one hostess at Club Sunshine since Yuki's departure.

Anti-Villain: She doesn't care for Kanzaki's unethical tactics and participates in the Grand Prix primarily to settle the score with Yuki.
The Dragon: She is the most successful of Kanzaki's club owners and the final opponent of the Grand Prix storyline.
Everyone Has Standards: Doesn't look too fondly upon Kanzaki's dirty tricks to undermine Four Shine's success.
Graceful Loser: After losing to Four Shine in the final Cabaret Club battle, she takes her loss well, conceding that she has a lot left to learn and acknowledging Yuki as the better woman, ending with a handshake between the two.
Hidden Depths: After losing the Grand Prix to Club Four Shine and joining up, she tells Kiryu on their first dinner conversation that she's started gambling on horse races as she enjoyes the thrill, finds the horses cute, and just likes watching the race itself.
Ink-Suit Actor: Based off the real Japan AV Actress Kirara Asuka. She has since retired from the industry.
Older Than They Look: If she's the same Bronze-grade hostess in Yakuza 0 that would put her in her mid-thirties at minimum or possibly as old as Yuki. In spite of that she hasn't aged much.
One-Steve Limit: There's a Bronze-grade hostess in Yakuza 0, set in the late 1980s, who's also named Kirara. Since this game's Kirara mentions that she used to work with Yuki, some players are convinced that they're one and the same, even though they don't look alike.
The Rival: She had a friendly rivalry with Yuki, up until the latter retired from being a hostess.
To Be a Master: Subverted. A lot of Kirara's resentment against Yuki is based around the fact that Yuki left the business before Kirara was in a position to go one-on-one with her. Kirara feels she got the "greatest hostess" title by default and was left with a gnawing insecurity about whether or not she was actually good enough to claim it.

Kanzaki

The head of the Kanzaki Group, new owner of Club Sunshine, and antagonist of the Cabaret Club Grand Prix.

Evil Is Easy: Largely how he became so underhanded and insidious in his business practices. After going into massive debt due to cosigning for a friend, his financial advisor suggested that he start buying out cabaret clubs to recoup. He forced out the highest earning hostesses, lowering the club's value for him to swoop in. He did actually feel bad initially, but it was just so easy and effective that he was able to justify it. Over time, he stopped feeling guilty and investors were even encouraging him to buy out Club Sunshine.
Face–Heel Turn: Apparently he used to be on the staff of Club Sunshine while Yuki and Youda were still running it after Majima's sudden departure. He took advantage of their trust in him and was able to organize usurping Youda's position as manager when it became clear how much money Kanzaki was making for the club. This also led to Yuki quitting to follow Youda in opening the new Club Four Shine.
Faux Affably Evil: He initially suggests he's willing to play fair and isn't a fan of cheating which turns out to be a massive lie. Whether it's rigging the Grand Prix board or flat out kidnapping, no form of cheating is beneath him.
Greed: Focuses on maximizing profit over customer satisfaction which seriously rubbed Youda and Yuki the wrong way. Youda was able to fake his defection to his side by telling him that he's "seen the light" about how only money matters.
Hate Sink: He's a smug prick who always takes the opportunity to rub Sunshine's success in Four Shine's face. And when his clubs' performances do not live up to his bluster, he'll instead take it out on his poor hostesses by firing them and blaming them for their defeats. And he'll use every dirty trick in the book to make sure that Four Shine doesn't win.
Jerkass: Has thinly-veiled contempt for Club Four Shine and doesn't hesitate to insult and belittle its employees.
Mean Boss: He yells at and berates his hostesses when they don't get him the results he wants. This backfires badly on him when he fires Kana, Shoko and Yua in fits of anger at losing to Club Four Shine during the Grand Prix, only for them to join Club Four Shine instead to work for Kiryu. AIKA goes even further and just quits rather than put up with his crap any longer and asks Kiryu for a job in front of Kanzaki.
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain:
- Him stealing a manager from Club Four Shine ends up causing Kiryu to get roped in as the new manager.
- He signs Four Shine into the Grand Prix as a petty attempt to discredit the club even further, but ironically the Grand Prix only ends up bolstering Four Shine's success while Kanzaki's clubs end up failing and his top hostesses joining Four Shine's ranks.
Start of Darkness: He only started taking out cabaret clubs after falling into massive debt due to a loan he cosigned for a friend.
Stupid Evil: It never once occurs to him that mistreating, verbally abusing and generally just being a massive asshole to his top employees is a bad idea — even after all of them defect to work for Club Four Shine.
Villainous Breakdown: Happens pretty much every time one of his clubs loses to Four Shine.
We Will Meet Again: Near the end of the storyline he promises to one day come back and ruin Club Four Shine once and for all. He's then unceremoniously arrested offscreen.
You Have Failed Me: All but two hostesses who lose their battle are immediately fired.
- And of those two one quits and the other is his last top hostess.

Buono Isozaki

The color commentator for the Cabaret Club Grand Prix in Kiwami 2.

Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: He seems like a pretty nice guy at first glance, but he allowed Kanzaki to stack the odds of the Grand Prix in his favor so that Four Shine wouldn't have a chance in hell against him.
Dirty Coward: Just after his involvement in Kanzaki's attempts to sabotage Four Shine has been revealed, he quickly ducks out of the club to avoid facing the wrath of everyone.
The Dog Was the Mastermind: Kanzaki's secret collaborator is him, of all people.
Large-Ham Announcer: He's rarely ever seen without a smile on his face, he's always wildly gesticulating and tends to shout quite a bit whenever the player does exceptionally well in the cabaret club minigame. Fittingly, once his crimes are revealed and he's ousted from his position the only one hammy enough to take up the role for the rest of the subplot is Majima himself.
What Happened to the Mouse?: He's never seen again after being outed as Kanzaki's accomplice. However, during the epilogue of the Cabaret Club Grand Prix storyline, he's said to have been arrested alongside Kanzaki for conspiring with his crimes.

Characters / Yakuza 2

The Tojo Clan