Alternative Character Interpretation / Yakuza 0

Majima

• Majima's transformation into the Mad Dog has left some fans scratching their heads who he truly is, and how he became an Ax-Crazy Heel by the time Yakuza came around.
  • One interpretation is that while he always had traces of it, Majima wasn't completely crazy to begin with. But considering everything he was put through as Shimano's Unwitting Pawn the entire time, which probably also broke him, not wanting to be restrained under anyone's leash any longer, he decided to live life on his own merits and become crazier than the rest of them, having been inspired by both his enemies and allies alike.
    Majima: I've seen a few guys who lived like idiots and they died like idiots. But that batshit crazy lifestyle... I'd say it made 'em some of the finest bastards I've ever known.
  • Another interpretation is that Majima was always crazy, and his straight-and-narrow attitude in this game is nothing but a façade he's forced to wear under Sagawa's leash as "lord of the night". It's not until the end that the restraints finally come off and he's allowed to be who he really is, with The Stinger showing what he was hiding all along.
  • There's also the idea that this game depicts Majima as he truly is, a morally conscious and intelligent man, and the Mad Dog side we've seen for years is a persona he created to deal with the harsh reality of the yakuza lifestyle in his own way. Although some contend it takes away from his crazy and comical antics in previous games as a retcon of sorts, it would also explain why his craziness was toned down starting from Yakuza 4, being a capably sane leader when he needs to be and batshit crazy when he's allowed to be. Even Dead Souls hinted he was much more than an unhinged lunatic, even if he didn't like admitting as such.
    • Localization director Scott Strichart confirmed this is what's going on in this interview. While Majima's morality clashed with his desire to get back into the Tojo Clan, he didn't actually "go crazy"; he decided to flip a switch after everything he saw and went through, first seen when he and Kiryu finally meet in the epilogue. Strichart also speculates that something after 1988 left him a changed man in 1995 (Yakuza 5 spoiler): In 1992, his wife had an abortion without telling him, after which he struck her and left her. When he tells Kiryu in his expanded first scene in Kiwami that doing the right thing is going to break him, it's projection; Majima is the one who's actually broken.
    Strichart: The whole point of 0 is not to show that he goes insane, but to show that he makes a conscious choice to...let loose. And it is subtle in the game, even despite our best efforts to be a bit more blunt about it, especially in the scenes with Nishitani [a loud, brash character] where it's clear Majima is gaining insight into how someone like that would live.
    • Relatedly, the "Mad Dog" persona may largely be a reaction to spending Y0 as various people's Unwitting Pawn; besides just cutting loose, his unpredictable demeanor serves to help him avoid being manipulated.
  • More likely is how almost everyone he knew as a friend or ally in order to get himself back in the ranks of the Tojo ended dying in vain doing it, and Makoto herself nearly got killed trying to go after the Dojima family for her brother's death. It reminded him of Saejima's fate, how despite murdering 18 men, Sasai's family was disbanded, his patriarch and sister gone missing and wondering if Majima betrayed him in prison. He realized that they still ultimately committed to the task even it may be All for Nothing while he was in a constant clash of going through with his goal as cleanly as possible.

Kiryu

• Is he a Naïve Newcomer to the Yakuza in this game or Lawful Stupid? Kiryu seems uncomfortable with the fact the Yakuza are gangsters and has several moments where he seems to regret doing what was expected of, including beating up innocent men for money. Is this because of his "Well Done, Son" Guy status with Kazama or because Kazama kept all of the Dirty Business aspects of the lifestyle from him? Is it also possible Kiryu is just The Stoic and is handling the distasteful aspects of his job with grim determination?
  • Is Kiryu completely blindsided by the Decadent Court element of the Tojo clan as they compete for position or is he more surprised that it's happening to someone so small in the organization? He is framed for killing a civilian by a high-ranking lieutenant and seems surprised when no one is willing to help him out except Kazama's clan.
  • In the woods with Nishikiyama, is Kiryu actually disgusted with the fact his friend won't kill him? Nishiki breaks down over his unwillingness to kill his best friend while Kiryu continues to be The Determinator in all things. However, it's also possible he is happy his friend is someone who is unwilling to kill on behalf of their clan. What does Kiryu mean by saying he and Nishiki are no longer sworn brothers?
    • Is he rejecting Nishiki as a sworn brother, or trying to free him from being torn between their brotherhood and the orders of those above Nishiki?

Nishikiyama

• When Nishiki drives Kiryu out to the woods to kill Kiryu, is he being serious about the fact he's doing it as a Mercy Kill? Or is it because killing Kiryu would allow him to save his own life? Is the statement he'd be done as a Yakuza just a platitude he's telling Kiryu [or himself]?