The Yakuza franchise masks itself in comedy, with people often hearing of the games through stories of the whacky, weird, and wonderful side content that the franchise has become characterized by. But, underneath this comedic exterior lies a truly multi-faceted and deeply emotional story, which quite starkly juxtaposes the upbeat nature of the aforementioned mini-games and sub-stories.
The main protagonist throughout all of Ryu Ga Gotoku's games, bar the latest entry of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, is none other than Kazuma Kiryu. A man of legendary strength and a strict moral compass, Kazuma Kiryu is perhaps one of the most developed protagonists in video game history, having hundreds of hours of character development over the course of practically every game Ryu Ga Gotuku has ever released. With a rich and in-depth story spanning the course of thirty years and eight main-line games, Kazuma Kiryu has led a long and eventful life within the criminal underworld of Japan, with Kiryu becoming an unprecedented fan-favorite of the Yakuza franchise.
1980s - The Making of a Legend
Gamers are first introduced to Kazuma Kiryu chronologically in Yakuza 0, within the grimy 1980s setting of Kamurocho, a district near Tokyo that is very closely based on the real-life entertainment district of Kabukicho. Characterized by its red-light districts, neon lights, and criminal presence, Kamurocho is as worthy a place as any to introduce a character as surprisingly magnanimous as Kiryu.
In 1988, we are first introduced to a 20-year-old Kiryu, working as a debt-collector foot-soldier for the Dojima Family of the infamous Tojo Clan crime syndicate. Kiryu finds himself wrongfully accused of murdering a man he had encountered on the job, and dedicates himself to clearing his name, as well as the name of his adoptive father and Tojo captain Shintaro Kazuma by proxy. It is here where Kiryu first demonstrates his maturity and headstrong nature, leaving the yakuza and fighting legions of his former peers and bosses after finding the murder was an internal set-up to oust Shintaro from his position of power.
Notably, Kiryu cleared his name by beating the scheming lieutenants of the Tojo Clan, solidifying himself as a man of untold potential and justifying the dragon tattoo on his back. This ultimately earned him the famous title Dragon of Dojima.
1990s - Tragedy and Stunted Potential
When players next see Kazuma Kiryu in Yakuza 1, his earned respect has paid dividends, with Kiryu now a Lieutenant Advisor of the Dojima Family in 1995.
However, this immediate upward trajectory of Kiryu's criminal career would be short-lived. After Kiryu's best friend and sworn-brother, Akira Nishikiyama, discovered Kiryu's love-interest Yumi assaulted by family-boss Sohei Dojima, Nishikiyama kills him in a fit of rage. Kiryu, for the sake of Nisikiyama's ill sister, took the blame for the murder and would go on to serve ten years of his prime behind bars.
2000s - Newfound Purpose
Kiryu is released in 2005, only to find Nishikiyama a bitter and changed man, having risen to the head of his own family through ruthless and uncharacteristic methods following his sister's death. Kiryu assumes guardianship of 9-year-old Haruka Sawamura, only later finding out she is the child of his past love interest Yumi. With Yumi having stolen ten billion yen of Tojo money, a life-and-death clash between Kiryu and Nishikiyama ensues, with Nishikiyama eventually sacrificing himself to save Kiryu's life. It is at this time Kiryu inadvertently becomes the Fourth Chairman of the Tojo Clan, a title which he quickly surrenders in favor of raising Haruka.
With Yakuza 2 set in 2006, a 38-year-old Kiryu uses his reputation to convince Daigo Dojima, son of his former boss, to fill the power vacuum present in the Tojo Clan. Kiryu ultimately does this by becoming involved in and winning a war for the Tojo Clan against the Omi Alliance, a rival crime syndicate.
Yakuza 3 continues the story in 2007, where Kiryu aims to move away from the dangers of organized crime by starting an orphanage with Haruka on an island in Okinawa until the Tojo start buying up land in the area. However, with Daigo now chairman, he ensures Kiryu not to worry. When Daigo is shot and in critical condition, Kiryu is forced back to Kamurocho, where he eventually bests the overly-ambitious Yoshitaka Mine, who orchestrated Daigo's shooting in an attempted power grab as he rose the Tojo ranks.
2010s - Man, Myth, Legend
In Yakuza 4, set in 2010, fate pulls Kiryu towards the Tojo Clan once more when Taiga Saejima escapes prison in Okinawa. Another Tojo Clan legend, Saejima escapes execution and washes up on the beach in front of Kiryu's orphanage, with Kiryu reluctantly harboring him until he leaves for Kamarucho. When Saejima's sister comes looking for him, Kiryu accompanies her to Kamarucho, leaving the orphanage in Haruka's hands.
Kiryu ends up fighting alongside Saejima and two other protagonists, against several factions. In this battle, Kiryu beats Daigo due to his lack of courage and leadership, once again steadying the Tojo hierarchy and infrastructure.
In 2011 and with Yakuza 5, we find Kiryu as an unassuming taxi driver in Nagasugai, having left his orphanage to allow Haruka to pursue her dream of becoming an idol without the stigma of a criminal-associated father figure. After Daigo tracks down and visits Kiryu to ask for advice, he goes missing. This, along with reports of Kiryu's longtime 'frenemy' Goro Majima dying, spurs Kiryu to drop his disguise and act. Kiryu once again fights usurpers to the Tojo clan, whilst foiling a plot to kill Haruka at her career-defining concert. Haruka, in front of a national audience, renounces her budding stardom by publicly stating her respect and love for her father figure.
With Yakuza 6, Kiryu once again finds himself in prison from 2012-2016, following the events of the previous game. Upon release, Kiryu returns to his orphanage, only to find that Haruka has left. Returning to Kamarucho, he finds Haruka in a coma following a suspicious accident, with her young son, Haruto, in her arms. Kiryu travels to Onomichi in search of the father, quickly gaining the respect of the local yakuza, and uncovering a conspiracy among the local industry of shipbuilding. With the father identified and Haruka surprising Kiryu in Onomichi, they are plunged into mortal danger. Taking several bullets to protect Haruka and her son, Kiryu uses his connections to officially declare himself dead so that his family can live without the constant danger that a man like himself inexorably fosters.
This doesn't herald the end of Kiryu's story, though, with him appearing in Like a Dragon at the age of 50 as a mysterious mentor to new protagonist Ichiban Kasuga, establishing himself as an ever-present legend of the Yakuza franchise.