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For a long time, Kazuma Kiryu was the main protagonist of the Like A Dragon series, akaYakuzaseries. These days, much of the focus has switched over to Ichiban Kasuga, who is the future of the series.
That said, Kiryu still gets one last significant adventure inLike A Dragon: Infinite Wealthalongside Ichiban. It serves as a send-off for the iconic video game protagonist. Yet, you might not know who he is if you dropped into the series forYakuza: Like A Dragon, which didn’t feature Kiryu. So, for any newbies to the Kiryu fandom or people who just want a refresher, here’s everything you need to know about the character.
Kiryu’s Upbringing
Kiryu didn’t have the perfect childhood. After all, helost his parents at a young age.This is because Yakuza member Shintaro Kazama killed them.Kazama then raised Kiryuhimself at the Sunshine Orphanage. The Orphanage was filled with kids whose parents were victims of Kazama. It was his way of attempting to atone.
So, Kiryu spent his younger years as an orphan. But beyond his parents' passing, it wasn’t an incredibly sad childhood. He seemed to enjoy his time at Sunshine and even met some of his closest friends there, such as Nishikiyama and Yumi.
Kiryu didn’t discover that Kazama killed his birth parents until he was an adult. Kazama was dying at the time, so Kiryu forgave him.
Kiryu’s Relationship With The Yakuza
Because Kazama was his primary father figure, Kiryuknew about the Yakuza from a young age.And the fact he idolized Kazama meant that he was interested in joining from a young age, too. Despite Kazama’s initial protests, he eventually let Kiryu and Nishikiyama join up due to their insistence.
Therefore,Kiryu became a member of the Dojima family when he was just a teen.From that point on, he had a complicated relationship with the Yakuza. At one point, he was expelled from the organization at his own request; later, he became chairman of the Yakuza’s Tojo Clan.
For most of the games in the series, though, he isn’t an official member. That said,rarely can he get away from Yakuza business.He often helps the Tojo Clan in some form and opposes other Yakuza clans.
Kiryu’s Personality
As Like A Dragon is a series about the Yakuza and crime in general; many of the characters involved are morally questionable individuals. Yet, despite all the rogues around him,Kiryu manages to remain honorable.
While he is certainly not above violence, he doesn’t purposefully kill and is always willing to fight for what is right. As such, he continually stands up for people, whether they’re his closest friends or people he randomly meets on the streets.
His kindness was displayed when he opened up an Orphanage to care for children in need.
Along with being honorable,his stoic nature is another main aspect of his personality. Unlike many he surrounds himself with, he is rarely seen to be wild or overly emotional. But he isn’t afraid to show his emotions when something unfortunate happens, such as an ally’s death.
He’s not above goofiness, as seen in plenty of the optional side activities in the series.
Kiryu’s “Death”
One of the most significant moments in Kiryu’s history came whenhe faked his own death at the end of Yakuza 6.He made a deal with a politician to keep quiet about a secret ship that could cause some politicians a few issues if the world found out about it. As part of the deal,Kiryu requested a death certificate,which would allow him to convince the world of his demise.
That is not a usual request. However,Kiryu wanted it to protect his loved ones, mainly his adoptive daughter Haruka and her son Haruto. It makes sense since the people around him often get dragged into his conflicts. By faking his death, the people gunning for him had no reason to go after them. Unfortunately, it also meant he could no longer be in their lives.
Kiryu’s Time As Joryu
After faking his death, Kiryu didn’t go and live a peaceful life. Instead,he joined the political organization known as the Daidoji Faction. In the process, the company secretly funded the orphanage Kiryu created.
As part of the organization, Kiryu was given the code name Joryu and was mostly tasked with protecting people. Yet, he was eventually discovered by members of the Yakuza, so his cover was blown temporarily. However, he still stayed with the Daidoji Faction for a while.
Kiryu’s Cancer
A big part of Kiryu’s story in Infinite Wealth revolves around his cancer, which he acquired before the start of the game. Kiryu doesn’t know for sure what caused his cancer. But there wasa spillage at a radioactive storage placewhere he worked.
It occurred because a forklift driver had a heart attack and crashed the vehicle into some radioactive waste barrels. Despite the spillage and falling barrels, Kiryu rushed in to help the man. In the process, his mask was broken, and he wasexposed to the toxins.
His illness has made him more sentimental and determined to make use of the time he has left.
