The Main Character’s Voice Actors From Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza

Part of the reason why the Like A Dragon series has managed to last for so long and maintain a consistent following is thanks to the strong cast of characters. While Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza reintroduced us to some series favourites, it also welcomes brand-new characters who help Majima’s adventure feel fresh.

Each of the main characters in Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza has a distinct personality and is well written. Another significant factor why the characters connect so well is the strong voice acting. Pirate Yakuza features both a Japanese and English dub, so who are the voice actors behind the characters?

8

Rodriguez

Played By Ayumi Tanida And Josh Keaton

Introduced as a stoic and mysterious Palekana warrior, Rodriguez is one of the more enigmatic characters we come across, serving as a great foil to the constantly unpredictable and lighthearted Majima.

In the Japanese dub, he’s portrayed by Ayumi Tanida whose only previous voice acting credits are for Mikisaburo Suzuki and Kanji Koshimizu, both from previous Like A Dragon games. In English, he’s voiced by Josh Keaton, with a much more expansive catalog of voice roles, ranging from Iron Man in Marvel Rivals to Young Hercules in the 1997 Disney classic.

7

Goro

Played By Kazuhiro Nakaya

No, not Goro Majima, but Goro, Noah’s pet cat, definitely a cat, not a tiger, if we’re going by Noah’s definition at least. Unlike all the other voiced characters in Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza, Goro has the same voice actor in both Japanese and English, since his cute roars ascend the boundaries of language.

Goro is voiced by Kazuhiro Nakaya, most well known for his role as Ichiban Kasuga, the main character of the mainline Like A Dragon games. He was also the voice for Akira Nishikiyama, part of the main cast from the original Yakuza games.

6

Taiga Saejima

Played By Rikiya Koyama And James Kirkland

Taiga Saejima, while not having as major of a role in Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza as he has in previous Yakuza games, is still an enjoyable character in this title, especially when paired with Majima.

Continuing on from his many previous appearances in the series, Rikiya Koyama voices Saejima in the Japanese dub. He’s been active in the voice acting industry for years, with hundreds of appearances in anime and games over almost three decades. In English, he’s voiced by James Kirkland, who’s only had cameo appearances in Powerpuff Girls, DOTA 2, and Titanfall 2.

5

Queen Michele

Played By Romi Park And Debra Wilson

The mysterious Queen Michele plays a more passive role in Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza until the story’s final act, but her strong presence makes her feel like a constant threat throughout the narrative.

Part of why she’s such an imposing presence is her voice acting. In Japanese, she’s played by Romi Park, most well known for portraying Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist, Naoto from Persona 4, and Temari from Naruto. Her English voice actress, Debra Wilson, more well-known for her comedy and acting, has more recently focused on voice work with a wide variety of roles, from Kamala Harris in Spitting Image to Yellow in the Among Us animated show.

4

Masaru Fujita

Played By Ryuji Akiyama And Brent Mukai

While he starts off as first mate for the antagonistic Jack The Collector, Masaru quickly joins forces with Majima, becoming an unlikely member of the main cast. Balancing comedy and serious moments, Masaru is a fantastic new addition to the Like A Dragon world.

In Japanese, he’s voiced by Ryuji Akiyama, a sporadic voice actor having only previously appeared in the Pokemon Darkrai movie and The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl. His English voice actor, Brent Mukai has a much lengthier history in the field, with his most well-known role among many being Stratchmen Apoo from One Piece.

3

Jason Rich

Played By Kenji Matsuda And Jeremy Brandt

Even though he spends much of Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza playing second fiddle to his incredibly charming son, it’s nice to see the soft fatherly side of such an otherwise gruff character with Jason Rich being part of the main crew.

Jason’s Japanese voice actor is Kenji Matsuda, best known for his live-action acting in Kamen Rider. However, he still has impressive voice acting experience, portraying Zebra in Toriko and Bohman in Yu-Gi-Oh Vrains. In English, he’s voiced by Jeremy Brandt, with this being his debut video game voice over role. He’s more recognizable for his acting work in one-off TV episodes of long-running series like NCIS and Criminal Minds.

2

Noah Rich

Played By First Summer Uika And Maya Aoki Tuttle

It’s almost groan-inducing when you see that Majima spends most of Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza being followed around by a child character. Luckily, Noah Rich defies stereotypes and is much less annoying than you’d expect, instead being a charming and likable character who compliments Majima perfectly.

Noah’s Japanese voice actress is First Summer Uika, with only one previous gaming role as another child character from the Like A Dragon series, being Akame from The Man Who Erased His Name. Maya Aoki Tuttle, his English voice actress, has a more expansive repertoire, with perhaps her most popular character being Charlotte from Genshin Impact.

1

Goro Majima

Played By Hidenari Ugaki And Matthew Mercer

Majima always steals the spotlight whenever he’s had the chance before, but now he’s got it well and truly to himself, he doesn’t disappoint. Throughout his Hawaiian adventure, he’s got the same manic energy that has made him such a consistent fan favourite.

Since his first appearance, Majima has been voiced by Hidenari Ugaki, who has been voice acting since the 80s, and while he has a massive list of characters to his name (including 15 from Gintama alone), Majima is by far his magnum opus. Yakuza games mostly skipped an English dub for years (except for the debut title where Majima was voiced by Mark Hamill), but since 2020, with the first Like A Dragon title, he’s been voiced by Matthew Mercer. With over 500 credited roles covering a plethora of genres and media, there’s too many to list, but a recent favourite is the skeletal clattering of Manfred from Dragon Age: The Veilguard.