Per wiki policy, Spoilers Off applies here and all spoilers are unmarked. You Have Been Warned.
It may be Kiryu's Darkest Hour at the End of an Age, but there's still some sweetness to be had in this one, too.
- One of the tutorials that introduces you to the Spider gadget's ability to pull in distant objects while in free-roam has Joryu help a boy get his ball back after it ends up in a tree. Well, Kiryu is a Friend to All Children, so it comes with the territory...
- Akame tasks Joryu with dealing with Omi grunts who imprison the homeless population of Sotenbori and hold them in inhumane conditions in order to fleece welfare money out of them. One such unfortunate soul was about to be kidnapped in broad daylight by some Omi men, only for Joryu to step in and beat the Omi black and blue. He then turns to the homeless man and points him to Akame so he can get actual help. In fact, every time Kiryu completes a request for a homeless person, he unfailingly points them in Akame's direction, determined to help them in any way he can.
- After saving Hanawa, Kiryu explains why he stuck to his guns and didn't take Tsuruno up on his offer (that would've resulted in Hanawa's death). He's met many people who died for what they believed in, and he wants to be able to face them in the afterlife. A flashback is then shown of three of these people: Kazama, Nishiki and Yumi. All these years, and Kiryu still holds all three of them close to his heart. Doubles as a Tear Jerker.
- "Ghost of Sotenbori" has Joryu look into cases of Ryuji Goda impersonators throughout Sotenbori who are using his name purely for clout and publicity. Not only does he shut this down in usual fashion (on top of uncovering remnants of the Go-Ryu Clan who planned on bringing it back), but most important of all is that he still respects his fellow Dragon even a decade after his passing. Which goes to show the impact that Goda had on Kiryu after all those years. At the end of the mission, Kiryu remarks internally "Us dead celebrities have to look out for each other". And before that, after facing off against a lookalike in the Colisseum that sics a pair of tigers on him, Kiryu disgustedly notes that the real Goda was far too honourable to rely on a cowardly tactic like that.
- During the side mission to recruit KATSUWO, the rapper who takes care of Sotenbori's stray cats, he reveals that he can't leave the cats alone as they've been getting abused when he's not around. Kiryu, being the Friend to All Living Things he is, immediately decides to go and... have a chat with those responsible himself, just as he did in previous games. He openly states that he doesn't care if KATSUWO won't join him afterwards. Animal abusers just disgust him that damn much.
- One of the activities that can be done around Sotenbori is none other than Pocket Circuit Racing, which has undergone a resurgence and now has a new location that welcomes enthusiasts both old and new. Upon seeing Ran advertising outside, Kiryu quickly takes interest, and is able to enjoy himself in the same way as he did 30 years ago. One can imagine that this was a rare bright spot in one of the darkest times of Kiryu's life.
- What makes this even better is who your final rival is: none other than the manager, who turns out to be a student of Pocket Circuit Fighter, who started Pocket Circuit in Sotenbori to honor him. If you manage to beat him, you're also rewarded with a special car: Golem Tiger, Kiryu's very first Pocket Circuit car! At the end, the camera scrolls to a picture of PCF and Kiryu when they first met, showing that they'll always have that special bond no matter what comes their way, and how that bond rippled throughout the community. He even mentions that once he fully retires, he'll leave the business up to Ran, who more than embraces the enthusiasm he once had.
- Overlaps a bit with funny, but when Kiryu thinks of a scheme to lure Nishitani off the Castle, his idea is to draw the patriarch out by... blowing off a ton of money with Tsuruno, Shishido and their men in a lavish display. While hilarious, it's also pretty nice to see the characters relax, with some of Tsuruno's men being thankful that they get a night (mostly) off to be treated by their boss, and even Tsuruno and Shishido offering friendly challenges if Kiryu challenges them to golf and pool respectively.
- Come the final chapter, Kiryu comes to Watase's aid to ensure the dissolution of the Omi and Tojo goes off with minimal interference. Similar to in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, his entering the fray becomes a "Hell, Yes!" Moment for Majima (who always hoped Kiryu was still alive), Saejima (who greets him warmly), and Daigo (who is beyond shocked that the man he respects above all still lives). While Kiryu is forced to continue insisting that he's not Kiryu, it's clear that he is also pleased to see his old friends. Come the Final Battle, with Shishido and the remaining Omi loyalists still struggling to stop the dissolution, Kiryu and his old friends gather for what becomes The Last Dance for the Tojo and Omi, all of them simultaneously pulling a Battle Strip for the final time.Daigo: Guess the Tojo Clan's going out with a bang.
- Majima in particular can’t hide how happy he is to finally see his old friend, whom he thought had died for years. It’s to the point that he insisted that Kiryu at least join them for one last meal together. On the other hand, Kiryu himself would have been happy to take him up on the offer but due to the circumstances that needed him to keep the Daidoji narrative that he is not the man Majima knew, he had to reject it. Despite this, Majima still insisted:
Majima: Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I’ll go along with yer little charade for now, So… (Voice changes into a more serious and softer tone) No need to rush outta here just yet..Alright? - An extremely bittersweet example, but one moment in the trailers showed Kiryu in a fit of full-on Inelegant Blubbering. Turns out that Kiryu was being shown the Morning Glory orphans visiting his grave on a tablet, the first time he's even seen them since he faked his death. Already he was so proud of how they'd grown... and then Taichi and Ayako notice the hidden camera the Daidoji set up to monitor the grave. Realising that this means their dear old Uncle Kaz might not be dead after all, they talk to it, mentioning how every one of them has gotten a job, with Taichi in particular becoming a firefighter, wanting to be the one to step up when no-one else has the courage. Something Taichi attributes to Kiryu raising him.note Hanawa then says that they brought something by the following day: a drawing from a now four-year old Haruto of him and everyone at Morning Glory.Kiryu: (in tears) This is... great, Haruto. Look at that. If he's four now, then... Wow, he can read and write already. Last I saw him, he couldn't even talk. And now he's...
Hanawa: He's growing up splendidly. As is Haruka-san and all the other children.- The message ends with the Morning Glory kids having renewed faith of Kiryu’s survival and the hope that they will all reunite one day.
