Video Game / Yakuza 2

Spoilers for the preceding Like a Dragon entries will be left unmarked. You Have Been Warned!

The legend of the Dragon of Dojima continues.

"The festival of a lifetime is set to start, my friend. And the fireworks over Kamurocho are just the opening ceremony, because then, tomorrow...the Dragon of Dojima...dies."

— Ryuji Goda

Yakuza 2 (龍が如く2, Ryū ga Gotoku 2, lit. Like a Dragon 2) is the second game in Sega's Like a Dragon series, released for the PlayStation 2 in December 7, 2006 in Japan and September 9, 2008 in North America and September 19 in Europe.

A year after the events of the previous game, former yakuza Kazuma Kiryu receives a request for help from his former group, the Tojo Clan, to keep relationships with the eastern group, the Omi Alliance, stable. He is also assigned to gain the help of his late boss's son, Daigo Dojima, and convince him to take charge of the Tojo and become their new chairman. Across Kiryu's journey he crosses paths with Kaoru Sayama, an Osakan cop known as the "Yakuza Eater"^note "Yakuza Huntress" in Kiwami, and the Omi's "Kansai Dragon", Ryuji Goda, who seeks to be the one true dragon in Japan, all while learning of a Korean mafia group linked with the Omi Alliance and his own past. The story is full of conspiracies, havok, brawls, all tightly wrapped up in a crime noir setting.

Yakuza 2 expands on its predecessor by having two cities to explore this time around, Kamurocho and Sōtenbori and Shinseicho areas modeled after Osaka's respective Dōtonbori and Shinsekai districts. Along with an improved combat engine, Yakuza 2 felt like a more complete version of the first game. What Yakuza 2 is best remembered for is its deeper, more adult storyline that featured a full-blown love story and several themes completely absent from the original title.

The last title in the series for the PS2, the series would make the jump to the PlayStation 3 with the feudal spin-off Ryū ga Gotoku Kenzan! which puts Kazuma Kiryu in the role of the legendary Miyamoto Musashi. In 2012, the game was given an Updated Re-release in the form of an HD Compilation Re-release which includes its predecessor, titled Ryū ga Gotoku 1&2 HD Edition for the PlayStation 3 and Wii U, but was only released in Japan.

In December 2017, Ryu Ga Gotoku Kiwami 2, a remake built on the Dragon Engine from Yakuza 6, was released in Japan exclusively for the Playstation 4. Along with enhanced visuals and a new engine, the game features new actors and expands upon the story, allowing Goro Majima to be playable once more in his own scenario taking place shortly after the events of the first game. A western release of the game was released on August 28, 2018, and a PC port was released on Steam on May 9, 2019.

For tropes exclusive to the remake, go here.

Kazuma Kiryu's story would continue in Yakuza 3, which was released in 2009 in Japan and the following year for western regions.

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Yakuza 2/Ryū ga Gotoku 2 includes examples of:

• Action Girl:
  • Kaoru Sayama, who can even fight alongside Kiryu.
  • Granny White, a Cool Old Lady who can also fight alongside Kazu. Er, Kazuma. She's also Lau Ka Long's former mentor.
• Affectionate Nickname: Granny White has "Kazu" for Kazuma Kiryu.
• Alternate World Map: Sotenbori, based on Osaka's entertainment district, Dōtonbori, debuts in this game.
• Badass in Distress:
  • Kashiwagi and Daigo Dojima are among those captured when Shindo betrays the Tojo Clan.
  • Daigo is later abducted by the Jingweon Mafia.
  • Finally, Date is abducted in the climax by Kurahashi.
• Bait-and-Switch:
  • When Kiryu needs to access a certain mahjong parlor, he's told by Jongka that the yakuza has kidnapped his little girl Yukiko, and want him to pay off his large debt if he ever wants to see her again. When Kiryu finds her, the yakuza forces her into his hands; it's Jongka's pet cat.
  • One of the more hilarious scenes in the game has Majima attempt to defuse a bomb, followed by a shot of the Millennium Tower blowing up again, which turns out to be a nightmare Kaoru had. Majima's fine and saved the day.
  • The final showdown between Kiryu and Ryuji seems to be beat-for-beat identical to Nishiki's from the first game, even using the same animations and camera angles when the two take off their shirts. And then they get interrupted and backstabbing ensues until the two are the only ones left to resume their match, this being the actual final fight of the story.
  • Used during The Stinger, which shows Haruka is praying at a grave. It's not Kiryu's, but Terada's.
• Battle Couple: Kaoru can fight alongside Kiryu, and the two even have an exclusive HEAT action together where they both kick a thug's head at once. Kiwami 2 adds another where Kaoru performs a scorpion kick on their enemy.
• Berserk Button: Calling Ryuji Goda "The Dragon of Kansai" is a quick way to end in an hospital, or worse.
• Big Bad Ensemble: Ryuji Goda and Daejin Kim (Yukio Terada)
• Big Fancy Castle: The Omi Alliance's headquarters, Osaka Castle as well as its golden variant which is summoned from underneath.
• Boke and Tsukkomi Routine: In one of the substories, Kiryu helps a man and his friend get back together for the act after they've broken up. Turns out the problem was that their roles were mixed up; the guy dressed in street clothes tried to be the boke but was the tsukkomi, and his friend who was dressed in a nice suit, which should have been the tsukkomi, was naturally the boke all along.
• Bomb Disposal: During the Go-Ryu's invasion of Kamurocho, several bombs are placed throughout the city by the Jingweon mafia. While Daigo has the Tojo Clan deal with disarming the bombs, leaving Kiryu to take care of Ryuji's boys, the last one is in the hands of Majima. See Wire Dilemma below.
• Boss Battle: Expect em regularly in this game, it is a Yakuza game after all. Because you only play as one character, they're all pretty much Duel Boss battles.
  • Cutscene Boss: Toranosuke Sengoku, as you don't actually fight him.
  • Dual Boss: Toranosuke's pet tigers, who you fight instead of Sengoku hismelf.
  • Final Boss: Ryuji Goda.
  • Recurring Boss: The "Man in Black" (an unnamed Jingweon agent who's a King Mook), and Ryuji Goda. Each of them get fought thrice.
  • Sequential Boss: At the end of the game, you fight three bosses back-to-back: Ryuji wielding a sword, Daejin Kim/Yukio Terada and his Jingweon men, and then a final fistfight with Ryuji Goda again.
  • Superboss: Kazuya, Jiro, Sango and Jo Amon
• Broken Bird: Kaoru Sayama by the game's end.
• Brutal Honesty: In the first "This For That" substory, a wannabe musician wants Kiryu's opinion on a rap he made. Kiryu has to tell him that it sucks to unlock the remaining "This For That" substories. And he won't get a second chance if he doesn't.
• The Brute: Ryuji Goda for the Omi Alliance.
• Car Bomb: One is used in a raid after Shindo sells out the clan to Sengoku.
• Cats Are Mean: Toranosuke unleashes two big ones on Kiryu. You also get to fight other unique big cats in the underground tournament.
• Celebrity Cameo: AV actresses Nana Natsume, Yuma Asami, and Kaede Matsushima appear as hostesses in the game, while Aya Koizumi appears as a masseuse.
• Central Theme: Revenge, everyone involved in this plot is doing this for the sake of a personal slight and vendetta that has to be avenged and how it affects everyone. Even the OP for Kiwami 2 centers around it.
• Celebrity Is Overrated: After Haruka is rescued by Kiryu, she's quickly discovered by a television producer who wants to turn her into an actress, but she's not interested. Kiryu decides to hear him out and agrees to leave her with them, thinking she'll only be exposed to more danger with him around. Haruka chews Kiryu out for making the decision for her, tells the producer she's Happily Adopted, and ultimately refuses his offer of stardom so she can be with her Uncle Kaz in spite of the danger involved.
• Compilation Re-release: In Japan, the game was given an HD re-release along with its predecessor as Ryu Ga Gotoku 1&2 HD Edition for the PlayStation 3 and Wii U.
• Confronting Your Imposter: Kiryu learns that he has an imposter using his image to bully other people, who also tags along with someone impersonating Shinji. Kiryu puts both of them on the spot, and the fight against them ends as you'd expect.
• Cool Old Lady: Granny White. Despite being a badass granny, she comes to Kamurocho wanting to party and enjoy the nightlife while she still can. She's also more familiar with cell phones than Kiryu ever could be.
• Cowboy Cop: Jiro Kawara, known as "Killer Kawara", and Tsutomu Bessho.
• Cross Counter: The final battle with Ryuji Goda ends in one.
• Cutscene Incompetence: Kaoru can hold her own during battles with Kiryu, but in the cutscenes, she'll hit the ground the moment she's struck by anyone.
• Da Chief: Tsutomu Bessho, the Division Chief for the Osaka Police Organized Crime Unit, and Kaoru's boss.
• Dating Sim: Hostess clubs return, allowing Kiryu to romance even more ladies of the night, but unique to this game, Kiryu can actually become a host and is tasked with getting his female clients to cough up some serious yen.
• Denser and Wackier: Downplayed, but it's there. While the first game certainly had its funny moments, the mood was outweighed by a dark gritty plot that took itself rather seriously. While the second game takes its plot just as seriously, it's not afraid to have some fun with itself, and much of the side content offers a lot of well-needed humor to lighten the mood.
• Deuteragonist: Kaoru Sayama, an Osakan cop who arrests and keeps Kiryu in her custody, believing he is the key to her lost past.
• Developer's Foresight: Most of the time, the civilians don't mind Kiryu fighting near them and will even gather to watch. However, if you throw someone to any Poppo facade and break the glass, the cashier will temporarily ban you from shopping there (equipment box access will still be available) and there will be an under construction sign in front until the glass is fixed. This was expounded upon in Kiwami 2, which was in turn adopted from Yakuza 6 due to sharing the same game engine and allowing fighting indoors; fighting inside any business and especially destroying their property will have the shopkeepers refuse to serve Kiryu until repairs are finished.
• Disney Death: In the ending, a wounded Kiryu is too weak to escape from Kim's bomb, and Kaoru decides to remain at his side as the bomb is set to blow. The Stinger shows Haruka praying at a grave, but Kiryu and Kaoru are both alive, as the bomb was a dud.
• Disney Villain Death: Sengoku is kicked from the top of his castle after he's cut wide open with Ryuji's sword. He had it coming.
• Doppelgänger: The group runs into one midway in the game. It's a Jingweon Mafia goon posing as Kazuki, who later reveals he was locked up for six months. No one noticed.
• Double Unlock: Several skills require learning them from Komaki. They then need to be unlocked with Experience, but this is not readily apparent, which may make players wonder why they can't use the Heat actions they just learned until they realize they need to unlock it as well.
• The Dreaded: The Jingweon Mafia is feared by everyone who knows of them.
• Early-Installment Weirdness: Yakuza 2 introduced the ability to play arcade games at Club Sega in the form of YF2, a simple first-person fighting game that was created by Sega AM2 specifically for Yakuza. This would be a trend for a bit with each game featuring a new game by Sega AM2 for players to enjoy, until Yakuza 5 also offered a selection of genuine classic Sega arcade games (and Taiko no Tatsujin) to enjoy alongside it. After players reacted much more strongly to the ability to play "real" games in Club Sega, the Sega AM2 contributions were dropped from Yakuza 0 onwards.
• Easily Forgiven: When Kiryu is betrayed and attacked by the staff at Bantam, he forgives the owner without a second thought, blaming himself for the events that put him in that position, and encourages him to keep providing a good service to good people. Doubles as a huge Pet the Dog moment.
• Even Evil Has Standards: At the end of Chapter 12, Kiryu chases Sengoku up the Golden Palace past an army of Samurai-clad Mooks- and even a pair of tigers- to his office after he kidnapped Haruka as a ploy to lure Kiryu into an ambush. Sengoku is quite surprised to see Ryuji Goda waiting there for them all with a katana over his shoulder. After commiserating with Kiryu's plight, Goda responds to Sengoku's mouthing off by cutting a deep gash in his chest. At that point, Ryuji makes it clear abducting Haruka was in poor taste. That might have been it if Sengoku actually had common sense and kept quiet. Instead, he spits out that Ryuji only got far because of his father. Ryuji had enough of Sengoku at that point, stabbing him with the katana and pushing him to the balcony before kicking him off the top of the Golden Palace. He then lets Kiryu leave with Haruka, but makes it clear that there would be a huge brawl between the Omi and the Tojo in one day.
  Sengoku(in response to Ryuji slashing his chest with a katana): You crazy fuck!
  Ryuji: Naw, just a man willin' to do what it takes, same as you. But takin' a kid hostage? That's pretty low.
• Everything's Better with Samurai: The samurai appear as mooks when Kiryu goes to Osaka Castle to rescue Haruka from Sengoku.
• Extremely Short Timespan: Downplayed example, but a quarter of the game — Chapter 5 to the beginning of Chapter 9 — takes place within a 24-hour timespan when the rest of the game is usually one day per chapter.
• Faking the Dead: Yukio Terada, who turns up in the finale under his real name, Daejin Kim.
• Fanservice: There's a scene where Kaoru pops out of the shower wearing nothing but a towel, surprising Kiryu and putting him in an awkward position. She even removes her towel right in front of him to put on a robe, although the audience isn't treated to anything other than Toplessness from the Back.
• Five-Second Foreshadowing: During Chapter 5, when Kiryu decides to go to Purgatory to look for Majima, he encounters Gary Buster Holmes donning a construction helmet labeled Majima Construction. Majima shows up soon after, revealing that he has indeed taken over Purgatory in place of the Florist.
• Flashback: Several, mostly related to the Jingweon Massacre and the various characters' involvement in it, including those killed in the previous game.
• Flashback Nightmare: The game begins with one, with Kiryu dreaming about the final moments of the people he lost in the first game.
• Foreshadowing:
  • When Kiryu talks to Majima about Terada's death, Majima finds it odd that he was killed by members of his former clan, considering he actually had a good relationship with the Omi Alliance during his tenure as the Fifth Chairman of the Tojo Clan. It makes more sense when you realize Terada set everything up.
  • In the climax, despite everything he's done, Terada's final words to Kiryu is to trust him. It's not without reason, as mentioned below.
  • The game cuts to credits just as the bomb Terada set to explode hits zero and Kiryu and Kaoru embrace in preparation for death. The song that plays over the credits is "Silent Night", which, in addition to tying with the Christmas backdrop, is a rather odd choice for what should be an "explosive" finale. As it turns out, The Stinger reveals the bomb was a dud, resulting in a very silent night.
• The Four Gods:
  • The second floor of the Omi HQ Headquarters contain four rooms called the "Chambers of the Four Gods". An Omi member explains which chamber is for Seiryu, Byakko, Suzaku and Genbu.
  • In Sotenbori, there's an elite group of mahjong players known as "The Four Gods of the Mahjong Underground". Each member is nicknamed after one of the gods based on their playstyle.
• Four Is Death:
  • Subverted with Omi's Four Kings. Although Ryuji wants to wage war on the Tojo Clan, Sengoku is a rich Smug Snake, and Takashima plays a game of cat and mouse with Kiryu from behind the scenes, their leader Jin Goda is a Reasonable Authority Figure.
  • Played straight when the brothers of the Amon Clan challenge Kiryu. He must beat Kazuya, Jiro and Sango before facing Jo Amon once more.
  • Subverted with the Four Gods of the Mahjong Underground. While it's said that many people have had their lives ruined by losing to them, one of them has retired and changed his ways, and helps Kiryu after requesting a couple of favors.
• Game Within a Game: Kiryu can go to Club Sega and play "YF6", a first-person fighting game where combatants duel it out with laser swords. It doubles as a Shout-Out to Virtua Fighter 4, using a similar looking title screen, and the "MA2" logo resembles Sega's AM2 logo.
• Gratuitous Foreign Language: The members of the Jingweon Mafia often speak in Korean, but are clearly voiced by Japanese actors. The lines were re-recorded by native speakers for the Korean localization.
• Gratuitous Ninja: Kiryu encounters shinobi on his way through Osaka Castle.
• Greater-Scope Villain: Ryo Takashima
• Grievous Bottley Harm: When Ryuji is introduced at the Grand, one of his boys makes the mistake of calling him the "Dragon of Kansai" and gets a bottle smashed over his head. When Ryuji tells him to repeat himself and Kiryu does it for him, another one of Ryuji's boys smashes a bottle over his head in turn. Unfazed, Kiryu throws him off the balcony and into a piano.
• Guide Dang It!: Like the previous game, many substories can only be done in certain chapters. Some can even be failed if the wrong choices are made, preventing others from ever appearing. Whatever you do, don't tell Michael Naoya that his rap is decent. And it's better to lose to Kanamatsu at YF6.
• Heel–Face Turn: Psycho for Hire Goro Majima returns again, and while he's fought in a boss fight, he's completely on your side this time.
• High-Speed Battle: Another highway battle occurs in the climax when Kiryu, Kaoru and Haruka return to Kamurocho. Unlike last time, the mafia is nice enough to provide a couple of flatbed semi-trucks so Kiryu can fight them hand-to-hand.
• The Idiot from Osaka: Toranosuke Sengoku. Plus, not to forget the mooks who will harass Kiryu when he is roaming around Sotonbori. Ryuji is seen as one by Sengoku and Takashima, but they greatly underestimate him.
• Incorrect Animal Noise: The tigers that Kiryu faces in a boss battle are given lion and leopard snarls as sound effects.
• Infinity +1 Sword: The Dragon SP Pistol. It hits like a truck and doesn't run out of ammo, but you only get from beating the game on EX-Hard which requires two playthroughs, one to unlock the difficulty in the first place. And by that point, you really don't need it...
  • Infinity -1 Sword: Kiwami 2 offers the gun for sale in Premium Adventure regardless of difficulty. Plus, it can be brought into the new Bouncer missions.
• King Mook: The Man in Black. He doesn't look much different than any other Jingweon member, but he is exceptionally tough.
• Lady of War: Yayoi Dojima, the Interim Chairman of the Tojo Clan in Terada's absence.
• Lap Pillow: Kiryu is seen sleeping on Haruka's lap when they go back to Kamurocho, which makes Kaoru realize how much she likes him. Haruka believes they both like each other, which Kaoru denies.
• The Lancer: Daigo Dojima and Kaoru Sayama.
• Love Interest: Kaoru Sayama for Kiryu. Unfortunately, it's only for this game.
• Love Makes You Dumb: Akimoto and Mizuki return in "The Man Who Never Learns", and it's up to Kiryu and Haruka to talk the dumb salaryman out of killing himself and taking his beloved hostess with him. He apparently won the lottery and blew it all on expensive gifts for Mizuki, which she either lost or had to give up, and accuses her of using him. What stops him is Mizuki revealing that she's pregnant, and while he points out they've never kissed or gone anywhere beyond that (hint hint, Akimoto), he drops the knife, thrilled at the idea of being a daddy.
• Manchild: Gondawara and his goons from the famous substory "Be My Baby" like to dress in diapers, babble like babies and have attractive women pretend to be their mother. Though the end has the mooks explain they're not really into it, they just play along so the boss doesn't beat them up.
• Man Behind the Man: Yukio Terada... and Ryo Takashima.
• Mass "Oh, Crap!": When Yayoi Dojima's authority is challenged early in the game, she pulls out her sword on everyone in the room, emitting this response. This includes Kashiwagi.
• Meaningful Name:
  • According to Date, "Jingweon" translates into "True Fist Faction".
  • One of the Four Kings of the Omi Alliance, Toranosuke Sengoku. 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. "Tora", from his first name, means "Tiger", and he unleashes two of them against Kiryu after kidnapping Haruka.
• Megaton Punch:
  • At some point in the story, Kiryu punches a tiger straight in the face and sends it flying.
  • Komaki's Ultimate Technique, the most powerful Heat move in the whole game, is also one of these, which can make very short work of the final boss. To learn the technique, Kiryu must beat Jo Amon, who can use the move on our hero if he's within close range.
• The Mole: A lot, usually involved with the Omi Alliance and the Jingweon Mafia.
• Multiple Gunshot Death: Plenty of characters bite the dust this way.
• Mirror Match: Partial example. Kiryu finds a guy who looks vaguely like the infamous Dragon of Dojima and uses his reputation to intimidate people into paying him off. Naturally, you beat the tar out of him, and he's nowhere near as tough as the real deal.
  • Played somewhat straighter in the Kiwami 2 remake. The fake Kiryu's a decent bit tougher with more healthbars and is now a Moveset Clone of Rikiya from 3 so he's a lot more competent of a fighter even if he's still outmatched against the likes of Kiryu.
• Never Mess with Granny: Granny White, a martial arts instructor who is being targeted by the Chinese Mafia. She turns out to be the Old Master of Lau Ka Long, who is stated to be dead.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: A rare example by Kiryu in the past. As a teenager, he inadvertently ruined Kazama's attempt to put a stop to the Jingweon Massacre, who was negotiating with its leader and urging them to escape while Shimano was offing the others. Kiryu had followed Kazama fearing something was wrong, but when he saw his father figure at gunpoint, Kiryu feared the worst and attacked, which forced Kazama to shoot the leader so Kiryu wouldn't be killed. It was only then that poor Kiryu realized what was really happening.
  • Kiryu did it again at the end of last game as appointing Terada as his successor resulted in The Mole gaining incredible power within the Tojo Clan. So much so that he was able to bring it to near ruin before turning the Omi Clan on it.
• Noble Demon: Ryuji Goda. See Even Evil Has Standards above.
• Odd Couple: Former yakuza Kazuma Kiryu and Osakan cop Kaoru Sayama.
• Older Hero Versus Younger Villain: Kiryu is nearly a decade older than major antagonist Ryuji despite Ryuji's appearance.
• One Degree of Separation: Most of the main cast ends up tying back to the initial massacre of the Jingweon Mafia: Kazama and Shimano are sent by Dojima to wipe them out, Kawara happened to trail someone to the hideout, Kiryu happened to follow Kazama, Kurahashi, Terada, and Ryuji (along with his mother) are all Jingweon survivors, Sayama turns out to be Ryuji's half-sister and the daughter of Kawara and Ryuji's mother, and even Bessho (working as a Kamurocho officer at the time) knowingly allowed the Dojima family to take action.
• Out of Focus: Haruka, the deuteragonist of the first game. After Terada is killed right in front of her, she decides to go back to the Sunflower Orphanage and let Uncle Kaz sort things out between the clans, which leaves her absent for a good portion of the main story, although she texts her Uncle Kaz while she's there. She's brought back into the foray when Sengoku kidnaps her later on in Chapter 12, but Kiryu still keeps her out of action considering the danger involved. However, she gets her moments in the main story, and one of the substories revolves around her untapped detective skills.
• Panthera Awesome: Kiryu fights two tigers as a Dual Boss after they are unleashed by the villainous Sengoku while Kiryu is trying to rescue Haruka from the man, with their fearsomeness being reflected in how their Boss Subtitles and the objective text refers to them as "Fierce Tigers", and in the title of the battle's theme music in the remake being "Demon Tigers". The fight ends with Kiryu knocking the last one head over paws with a Tiger Drop.
• Please Kill Me if It Satisfies You: When Kiryu realizes he may be responsible for the deaths of Kaoru's parents (see Nice Job Breaking It, Hero above), he tells her to take her gun and shoot him. She tells him to drop the tough guy act and says killing him won't accomplish anything.
• Plucky Comic Relief: Most of the game's comedic scenes in the main story revolve around Goro Majima who's become a much less threatening civilian who even joins Kiryu's side later. It doesn't make him any less of a tough bastard though.
• Percussive Maintenance: Majima activates the Florist's secret elevator by headbutting his desk no less than eight times. Good thing he was wearing a hard hat.
• Poison Ring: In Chapter 11, the Jingweon assailants use these on themselves after Kiryu beats them, so that their knowledge of where Chairman Goda is hidden dies with them.
• Press X to Not Die: During the last battle's last QTE, you have to press a button to Cross Counter Ryuji's Megaton Punch. If you fail you lose ALL YOUR REMAINING LIFE at once and in EX-HARD difficulty, it means restarting the chapter all over again. The timing in Yakuza 2 is very strict too.
• Psychopathic Manchild: Famously, the Gondawara clan from "Be My Baby".
• Rank Scales with Asskicking: As is standard for this series, high-ranking members of enemy factions who are named in the story are always going to be more powerful in their Boss Battle than their unnamed guards.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Jin Goda, Yayoi Dojima, Osamu Kashiwagi and many more.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Omi Alliance has two pairs of red and blue oni respectively. The red ones are Toranosuke Sengoku and Ryuji Goda; the blue ones are Jin Goda and Ryo Takashima.
• Relationship Values: If Kiryu visits certain places enough times, he can gain the trust of the people who work there. If he gets into a battle in those areas, they'll toss an item towards him that he can grab, allowing him a free Heat action at the start of the fight.
• Revenge: The Jingweon Mafia wants payback against the Tojo Clan for nearly being wiped out 25 years before by the Dojima Family. And Shindo wants revenge for Kiryu's role in Nishikiyama's demise, and Kawaru, Sayama's father wants revenge for the death of his wife
  • Revenge Before Reason: The Jingweon was so obsessed with their revenge and "Death before Dishonor" creed that they will kill any survivors who won't help. Elsewhere, Shindo, the new Nishikiyama Family Patriarch, sells out the Tojo clan to the Omi just to get rid of Kiryu for the death of Nishiki in the previous game.
• Rich Bastard: Toranosuke Sengoku, who rakes in all the money for the Omi Alliance.
• Riches to Rags: A series of substories revolves around a rich man named Shiguru Kanematsu ("Kanamatsu" in the original, corrected in Kiwami 2), who Kiryu meets in Sotenbori. He shares some of his wealth to Kiryu to make himself look good in front of others, but our dragon quickly discovers that he's also a vicious loan shark who trusts money more than he does people, and even turns on Kiryu when he helps a man in his debt. When the debt is paid off, Kanematsu decides to purchase Kamurocho Hills, but falls for a scam, loses everything and ends up homeless. If Kiryu returns the gesture shown to him earlier, Kanematsu is shocked at his kindness and decides to turn a new leaf in life.
• Ruthless Foreign Gangsters: The Jingweon Mafia.
• Sad Battle Music: A Scattered Moment, which plays during the final fistfight with Goda.
• Smoking Is Not Cool: In one scene, Kawara makes it clear that he disapproves of Kaoru smoking. Justified when you consider that he's actually her father.
• Spot the Imposter: A sudden one appears with the appearance of two Kazukis. The imposter gets shot, but not before he shoots the real one and Kawara.
• The Starscream:
  • Koji Shindo betrays the Tojo Clan to Sengoku.
  • Takashima attempts to seize control of the Omi Alliance by killing Jin Goda.
• Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome: Yukio Terada gets gunned down in the game's prologue. He's Killed Off for Real at the end.
• Sudden Sequel Heel Syndrome: Yukio Terada, whose real name is Daejin Kim, faked his death and turns out to be one of the survivors of the Jingweon Massacre. Shortly after revealing this, he fights Kiryu armed with a machine gun.
• Sympathy for the Devil: Granny White tells Kiryu that despite forsaking his humanity, she still had a soft spot for Lau Ka Long, but doesn't hold his demise against Kiryu for one bit.
• 10-Minute Retirement: When Kiryu seeks out Kage the Florist, he learns that he's left Purgatory and has rejoined the police force. After the Jingweon Mafia destroy his place, he returns to Purgatory.
• There's No Kill like Overkill: Takashima meets his end when Ryuji puts nineteen bullets in him, saving the last to finish him off with a well-executed headshot.
• This Is Unforgivable!: Kiryu isn't happy at all when Jo Amon reveals that he was the one who beat up Komaki and took off with his ultimate technique scroll. It's more apparent in Kiwami 2 where Kiryu is absolutely pissed.
• Triads and Tongs: The Chinese Mafia returns again, but have some unusual business with Granny White, an unusual old lady who befriends Kiryu.
• Tritagonist: Daigo Dojima, Sohei's son who Kiryu seeks out in hopes to have him lead the Tojo Clan.
• Victory Fakeout: Happens in the fight against Shindo. When Kiryu goes to check on Daigo and Kashiwagi, Shindo sneaks up from behind him and has to be fought again, but he goes down much quicker.
• Villainous Rescue: When it looks like Takashima has won the day and is about to kill Kaoru, Ryuji suddenly recovers, rescues his half-sister, and fills the Greater-Scope Villain with bullets, before finishing him off with a Boom, Headshot!.
• What the Hell, Hero?:
  • Kaoru gets shot shortly after she arrests Kiryu, requiring him to carry her on his back to a bar where her foster mother Tamiyo resides and attends to her wound. When she wakes up, Kaoru refuses to thank the man who saved her because he's a yakuza, earning this reaction from her foster mother. Kiryu takes light of it.
  • Kiryu later gets chewed out by Haruka when he agrees to leave her in the hands of a TV producer without telling her. Although he does it thinking she'll only be exposed to danger with him around, she tells him she's happy with him, and if he leaves her, she'll find him again.
• Wire Dilemma: When the Jingweon Mafia plants several bombs throughout the city, it's up to Majima to disarm the last bomb. Along with Nishida, he relies entirely on his instincts on what wires to cut, to the horror of his subordinate. Majima cuts the last wire, causing the bomb to explode... at least in Kaoru's nightmare.
• The Worf Effect: Once Kiryu is targeted by the Amon Clan, Jo Amon defeats Sotaro Komaki and takes off with his ultimate technique to lure out Kiryu.
• Would Hit a Girl: Poor Kaoru. First, she gets shot early in the game. Later, she gets punched out twice by some thugs, with Kiryu coming to her rescue both times and giving her attackers a much deserved beatdown. She also fights alongside Kiryu, but can hold her own.
• Would Hurt a Child: Sengoku takes Haruka hostage to lure Kiryu from his castle
• Your Mom: When Kiryu first arrives in Sotenbori, the first person he encounters is a thug who tells him to "stop struttin' around like a damn peacock". Kiryu can either apologize or tell the thug that "I peacocked your mom". Either way leads to a fight.

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