Which Characters Change The Most In The Like A Dragon Series?

The Like A Dragon series, previously known as Yakuza in the West, has almost more games than you can keep track of. Each one is a treat in its own right, but what makes the series so special is how connected they all are, with recurring characters and locations weaving together to create an incredible journey.

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Each game introduces new characters, many of which become fixtures of the Like A Dragon series. With such a narrative lineage for some characters they naturally change throughout their journey, so you may be asking which ones change the most. The answers wait just below, but naturally so do spoilers for the entire series.

8

Taiga Saejima

Tiger Of The Tojo

Although Saejima doesn’t change too much in newer entries for the series, his overall journey is a notable one. He goes from being a loyal yakuza member to a legend through his infamous assassination of 18 men.

Except he didn’t actually kill those men, and spent years in prison unnecessarily. How he adjusts to the truth and rediscovers his place outside of prison are some of the best sections of the fourth game.

7

Daigo Dojima

Sixth Chairman Of The Tojo Clan

Daigo Dojima is proof that this series rewards longtime players and completionists. Although he first appeared in Yakuza 2, he is featured in the prequel Yakuza 0 as a fairly unlikable child who wants to spend time with protagonist Kiryu.

Because of this, he changes extensively through the course of the games to become and eventually grow into the role of Chairman of the Tojo Clan. He is a great example of how much care the writers and developers take to tell an overarching story, and hopefully they give him more spotlight in the future.

6

The Morning Glory Kids

A Lot Of Growing Up To Do

Yakuza 3 spends a lot of time and focus on Kiryu’s role as the owner of an orphanage and the children he raises there. For some, Yakuza 3 is a low point in the series due to more awkward gameplay, but, narratively, it is essential to the series.

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The loyalty Kiryu has to these kids is key to his character, and also what takes him away from them. He doesn’t get to see them grow up, but you learn all about what happens to each of them in Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Spoiler, they all grow up to become fine adults.

5

Joongi Han

Becomes A New Man

Joongi Han is first introduced in Yakuza 6 as an antagonist, and he meets his end in the same game. Yet he then appears in Like A Dragon, with no explanation; at least at first. The reason is because this Joongi Han is the first one’s body double.

He takes on the identity almost completely after the previous one dies. So, although they’re two different men, the character of Joongi Han persists in a way. It’s impossible to truly become another person though, and more of his own personality slowly emerges across Like A Dragon and the sequel.

4

Kamurocho

The Heart Of The Series

Some might argue that Kamurocho is a location, not a character, but it feels like a character all of its own to many. It’s central to most of the stories in the series, and it changes with each and every game.

Some of these changes are minor, some shops close and new ones open. But when you look at Kamurocho in Yakuza 0, and then in Infinite Wealth the differences are stark. Millennium Tower, Kamurocho Heights, and more serve as monuments to progress both good and bad.

3

Haruka Sawamura

The Ten Billion Yen Girl

Haruka Sawamura is a driving force for the story of many games in the series, and often her growth and changes as a character are part of that. In the first game, she is a child swept up in conspiracy, while later games grapple with her defining herself as she grows up.

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From precocious child to aspiring idol, to a young mother who takes on the legacy of Kiryu at Morning Glory Orphanage. Her journey is a slow burn but one that feels perfectly paced across the many games of the series.

2

Kazuma Kiryu

Dragon Of Dojima

As the original and primary protagonist for most of the series, it’s to be expected that Kiryu changes throughout it. What’s interesting about him is that in many ways he doesn’t. Kiryu is consistently stoic and loyal, never losing his core characteristics.

In other ways, Kiryu changes dramatically. His opinion on the concept of yakuza shifts considerably as the games progress, as do his own priorities. There is also the small matter of physical changes, which is to be expected when we follow a character across five decades.

1

Goro Majima

Mad Dog Of Shimano

Fan favourite Goro Majima undergoes multiple transformations across the series. In Yakuza 0 he is a deeply serious man, burdened by his circumstances, who sheds that version of himself like a skin to become the gleeful sadist he’s best known as.

Whether it’s as a gangster, a cop, a drag queen, a construction worker, or even a full-fledged pirate captain, Majima changes and adopts new personas at the drop of a hat. It raises some questions about who he really is, through all these changes, but fans who pay attention will see the man beneath the masks.

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Yakuza

Yakuza, also known as Like a Dragon, is a series of action-adventure games developed by Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. Taking place largely in the fictional Tokyo district of Kamurochō, the games are often crime dramas featuring characters such as Kazuma Kiryu, Goro Majima, and Ichiban Kasuga, and are known for their host of fun minigames such as karaoke.