Best Female Characters In The Like A Dragon Series

Key Takeaways

• Yakuza games feature memorable characters with deep story arcs and emotional moments for players to enjoy.
• Recent games aim to improve female representation, showcasing well-developed and engaging female characters.
• The Yakuza series is praised for blending serious storytelling with goofy side content, creating a unique and cohesive gaming experience.

Like a Dragon is a franchise that is churning out hit after hit, with fans being treated to numerous games that boast either turn-based or real-time combat. The stories of these titles are told with great seriousness, which may seem at odds with the goofy nature of the side content only for players to see how well both halves of a Yakuza game mesh with each other.

Every Yakuza game features its fair share of memorable characters who are a joy to interact with. Female representation in the series hasn’t been the greatest, but recent games have tried to turn things around in this department.

Warning! Spoilers Ahead!

1 Reina

The Proprietor Of Serena Who Tries To Make Amends For Her Betrayal

• Appears In: Yakuza 0, Yakuza/Yakuza Kiwami

A woman who owned Serena and had a close connection to both Kiryu and Nishiki, it’s heartbreaking to see the trajectory Reina’s character takes in the series. She genuinely goes out of her way to help Kiryu out in the first game, only for her feelings for Nishikiyama to lead her down a dark path.

She betrays Kiryu by serving as an informer, only to have a change of heart as she tries to make amends. Unfortunately, she becomes a casualty of the confrontation between the two friends, with the sight of her body causing Kiryu to channel his rage and beat her murderer within an inch of his life.

2 Yuki

Club Sunshine’s Star Hostess

• Appears In: Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami 2, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

The Cabaret Club Czar minigame in Yakuza 0 is arguably the greatest side activity in the series fans can get invested in. There’s something magical about satisfying guests by assigning appropriate hostesses and turning Club Sunshine into the best cabaret club in Sotenbori.

The first Platinum Hostess that players start with is Yuki, who may seem ditzy at first glance only to grow and become the best hostess in the club. Her naivety and muted charm make her one of the best characters in Yakuza 0 that players will love to interact with, even if she may be treated somewhat dismissively at times.

3 Yumi Sawamura

A Series Of Events Involving This Former Hostess Lead To Kiryu’s Imprisonment

• Appears In: Yakuza/Yakuza Kiwami

Yumi and Kiryu could’ve been a thing if their stories had gone down a different route. Unfortunately, Sohei Dojima’s horrible actions caused a string of events that led to Kiryu taking his friend’s place and going to prison.

Kiryu’s search for Yumi following his release from prison felt hopeless until he finally got in touch with a woman who’d lost her memories. Before they could reunite, Yumi sacrificed herself and took a bullet meant for Kiryu and Haruka. After saving the man he loved and her daughter, she breathed her last in an emotional finale.

4 Kaoru Sayama

A Detective Who Crosses Paths With Kiryu More Than Once

• Appears In: Yakuza 2/Yakuza Kiwami 2, Yakuza 3, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Kaoru is an intriguing character who investigates a case that puts her at odds with Kiryu more often than not. However, as the two characters eventually settle their differences, it’s clear that they both have feelings for each other, culminating in a kiss moments before a bomb is supposed to explode.

Thankfully, the duo survives at the very last second, as revealed in the epilogue where the duo visit the graves of their fallen comrades. It’s a shame that Yakuza 3 decided not to move ahead with this romance and shelved this character until a fateful appearance in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

5 Makoto Makimura

The Unwitting Owner Of The Empty Lot Who Becomes A Target For The Yakuza

• Appears In: Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami 2

Makoto Makimura is one of the most intriguing characters in Yakuza 0, having gone through hell and back before Majima even encounters her. The gangster had been passive for a long time, but he decided to play the hero once in his life and save Makoto from the people who were hunting her.

It’s hard not to feel for a character who can’t catch a break in life, reaching a point where she risked her life in a gamble near the end of Yakuza 0. Her character plays a huge role in transforming a meek Majima into the Mad Dog of Shimano, and fans were glad to get some closure in Yakuza Kiwami 2 when they got the chance to control Majima.

6 Seonhee

The Leader Of The Geomijul

• Appears In: Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth wastes no time in turning Isezaki Ijincho into one of the best open-world hubs in the Yakuza series. This district is jam-packed with gang warfare, with the Geomijul playing a major role as information brokers behind the scenes.

The leader of this group is Seonhee, a femme fatale who wastes no time in establishing herself as one of the best characters in the Yakuza series. Players were glad to find out that they could control this dynamic character in Infinite Wealth.

7 Saeko Mukoda

Makes A Bombastic Entry As The Franchise Shifts Genres

• Appears In: Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

The sister of Nanoha Mukoda who appears at Nonomiya’s funeral, Saeko is a badass character who feels right at home with the predominantly male cast of Yakuza: Like a Dragon. She’s a unique character with access to a whole host of unique jobs that make her a blast to control.

It helps that Saeko is a well-written character, and fans will love to help her out as she tries to help her sister without making her efforts too obvious. Experiencing the story of both Like a Dragon and Infinite Wealth with her accompanying Ichiban helps the story stand out even more.

8 Haruka Sawamura

Kiryu’s Adoptive Daughter Who Goes Through A Notable Character Arc Across Multiple Yakuza Games

• Appears In: Yakuza/Yakuza Kiwami, Yakuza 2/Yakuza Kiwami 2, Yakuza 3, Yakuza 4, Yakuza: Dead Souls, Yakuza 5, Yakuza 6, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

It would be impossible to talk about the best female characters in Like a Dragon without mentioning the only one players can control. Haruka has faced a turbulent childhood, but Kiryu helps serve as a father figure in her life as she matures into a wise and self-sufficient person.

It’s a testament to how engaging Yakuza 5 is that the segment where players control her ends up being one of the best parts of the series despite lacking any kind of combat whatsoever. Instead, players engage in dance battles and help her become a successful idol.