Lao Gui

Lao Gui (, Lǎo Guǐ/, Rao Gei) is a supporting antagonist in Yakuza 0. He is a Chinese assassin who is the most expensive hitman in all of Asia, with none of his past targets surviving. During the events of the game, he is under the employ of the Dojima Family.
== Profile ==
=== Appearance ===
Lao Gui is of above-average height and build. His face is covered in wrinkles and bruises.
In the Chinese version of the game, his face is instead modeled after his Chinese voice actor, Sam Lee.
==== Attire ====
Lao Gui wears a dark gray shanghai collar shirt with matching pants and a pair of white leather shoes.
=== Personality ===
Lao Gui is an emotionless, sadistic man; all of his victims were inflicted painful but non-lethal injuries due to his impressive accuracy. In the case of Hiroki Awano, he was shot several times around his vital organs and was allowed a short speech before Lao Gui finally fatally stabbed him. However, when beaten by Goro Majima, Lao Gui finally cracks, fearing for his life as an enraged Majima constantly threatens to kill him.
==Involvement==
===Yakuza 0: 1988 ===
During Sohei Dojima's efforts to secure the Empty Lot in a ploy to ultimately become the next chairman of the Tojo Clan, he spends a small fortune retaining the services of Asia's best hitman: Lao Gui. Although it is never explicitly confirmed, Tetsu Tachibana speculates that Lao Gui is the one who truly murdered Taichi Kurihara and framed Kazuma Kiryu for it, by making Kurihara's murder look like the work of an amateur - something only a professional would be able to do.
Much later on, Lao Gui is instructed to capture Tachibana alive in his current hideout, Little Asia. After Dojima's own men are defeated by Tachibana and Kiryu, Lao Gui shoots Kiryu from above, severely wounding him. Tachibana recognizes Lao Gui, commenting that he once saw him in the mainland, and describes him as the most effective hitman he is aware of. Realizing that attempting to flee from or fight the assassin is useless with Kiryu wounded, Tachibana surrenders to Lao Gui, who spares Kiryu as he is not a part of his orders.
He next appears atop the Sebastian Building along with Dojima and his men, where Makoto Makimura offers the Empty Lot to Dojima. Dojima rejects the offer due to Makimura's cooperation being unnecessary to his plans, and has Lao Gui shoot her. As Daisaku Kuze later revealed to Kiryu, Keiji Shibusawa secretly, without Dojima's knowledge, instructed Lao Gui to shoot Makoto non-lethally, in order to allow Shibusawa to track down the movements of Makoto's rescuers, the Nikkyo Consortium.
Lao Gui then appears for a final time in the Dojima Family HQ. After Goro Majima, enraged and vengeful at Makoto's shooting and uncertain future, makes his way through the building's guards, he defeats Hiroki Awano. Lao Gui appears and Majima angrily remembers him as the one who shot Makoto. Lao Gui shoots at Majima, but Awano, impressed by Majima's resolve and strength, takes the bullets for him. Bloodied, beaten and shot, yet still alive, Awano charges at Lao Gui for interrupting his conversation with Majima, before being impaled and finally killed by several of the assassin's needles. Dojima walks in and instructs Lao Gui to kill Majima, warning him not to get careless.
Despite using a variety of weapons and highly agile martial arts, the assassin is ultimately defeated. Majima is about to execute both him and Dojima, before being dissuaded by Masaru Sera, who confirms Makoto's survival and his acquisition of the Empty Lot, foiling the schemes of Dojima. Sera announces that his organization, the Nikkyo, would take custody of Lao Gui in order to keep him as leverage against the Dojima Family - he murdered several people on Dojima's orders, meaning his testimony could end Dojima quickly. Sera suggests that he'd have Lao Gui spend time in "the hole", the same torture site that Majima himself was tortured in.
Lao Gui's fate afterwards is unknown.
== Fighting Style ==
Lao Gui is a highly proficient and deadly combatant, having mastered various forms of armed and unarmed fighting. Furthermore, he displays incredible acrobatic skills and levels of agility comparable to Majima.
His boss fight is separated into three phases, using different weapons during the first two, and taking a hand-to-hand approach in the third. His super armor prevents him from being knocked down with basic attacks. He emits a pale red, blazing aura in Heat Mode.
=== Throwing Needles ===
Used by Lao Gui during his first phase. He mostly wields them as claw-like weapons, slashing and stabbing at close-range, and pulling out another set of needles after throwing them. A couple of his attacks are taken from Lau Ka Long's dual-claw moveset from Yakuza 3.
He has three separate combos, including:
* a Rush Combo, made up a rapid left jab thrust-right hook slash, a spinning left outward crescent kick, and a mountain punch thrust;
* a leaping outward double slash, followed by a backflip while throwing his needles; and
* a cross-arm double stab-right back kick combo.
The rest of his moveset is listed below:
* an inward left-right slash before leaping backwards,
* Lau's spinning claw attack,
* a right-hand needle throw and a spinning left-hand throw,
* a back handspring while throwing his needles,
* a leaping inward double slash, followed by a lunging double thrust;
* running up a wall before leaping back down while throwing his needles,
* quickstep attacks, including:
** Lau's front flip-downward claw slash after forward-stepping (unused),
** a crouching right hook slash from Lau's claw Rush Combo after sidestepping right, and
** a left-handed upward slash from Lau's second claw combo after sidestepping left;
* a left-right-left stab combo as a downed attack, and
* a taunt where he grinds his needles together twice and examines the left set.
Lao Gui enters heat mode halfway through this phase. His attack trails in this style are sky blue.
=== Pistol and Broadsword ===
Lao Gui forgoes his needles in his second phase, in favor of his signature pistol and a Lotus Clan Broadsword. He holds his sword in his left hand with his arm outstretched in front of him, and his gun in his right hand at head-height. 
His combos are two in number:
* a Rush Combo consisting of an upward diagonal left slash-pistol shot, and a spinning low leftward slash; and
* a second combo made up of a spinning downward diagonal right slash, and a cartwheel to the left while firing three times.
The remainder of his moveset is comprised of:
* firing two shots while slowly walking forward/backward (unused),
* firing four shots while doing a spinning jump (unused),
* a leaping 360° downward diagonal right slash, followed by a lunging sword-thrust;
* firing three times while blocking (unused),
* jumping backwards while rapidly firing three shots (unused),
* a sword flourish-downward stab-pistol shot as a downed attack, and
* a taunt where he rests his sword on his shoulder and reloads his gun.
Once again, he enters heat mode halfway through this phase. His attack trails in this style are neon purple.
=== Unarmed ===
After being disarmed by Majima during the second mid-fight animation sequence, Lao Gui continues unarmed for the last phase. His fighting style appears to be a combination of various styles of Kung Fu; predominantly Northern styles.
He has two combos in this moveset:
* a Rush Combo consisting of a lunging right palm strike, a backwards-bending right spear-hand, a reverse somersault kick, and a spinning headbutt dive; and
* another combo consisting of a rapid right-left spear-hand, a crouching right rear two-finger jab, and a spinning left-right downward knifehand-right downward tornado kick into a bagua stance.
The rest of his moveset includes the following:
* dashing forward into a horse stance double palm strike,
* a flying right rising kick,
* a jumping right roundhouse kick-spinning left low heel kick before spinning into a crouching bagua stance,
* a back-leaning right push kick as a guard reversal,
* quickstep attacks, including:
** a one-inch punch after forward-stepping,
** a right/left knifehand after sidestepping left/right respectively, which can stun Majima; and
** a high right side kick after backstepping;
* a parry command grab where he shoves Majima behind him, followed by a right back kick;
* running up a wall before executing by a leaping command grab, in which he lands on top of Majima, grabbing him from behind under his right arm, and throwing him to the ground;
* a back flip into a right-foot stomp as a downed attack, and
* a taunt where he holds his hands up to his face and clenches his fists.
Lao Gui immediately enters Heat Mode when the third phase begins. His attack trails in this style are crimson red.
== Trivia ==
* "Lao Gui" is likely an alias since it literally translates to "old ghost" or "old demon".
* In the Chinese version of Yakuza 0, Lao Gui has a different appearance modeled after and voiced by Hong Kong actor Sam Lee. The English release of the game, prior to version 1.05, had Lao Gui using Sam Lee's voice even though he still had his original Japanese version's appearance.
* Lao Gui only speaks in Chinese in all his appearances. However, it can be presumed he is also able to understand Japanese given him working for and taking orders from Dojima.
* There are notable differences between his Ultimate Battle 6 fight and his encounter in the main story:
** The entirety of the battle takes place in the area between Awano's arena and Dojima's office.
** Lao Gui only uses his needles as weaponry.
* The QTE before his third phase partially censors the successful animation; Majima is intended to get back at Lao Gui's eye, but the animation is cut somewhat short and partially off-screen.
== Gallery ==
=== Yakuza 0 ===
Y0laogui.jpg
Lao Gui.jpg
Yakuza0laoguitype67pistol.jpg
Yakuza 0 demo3.jpg
Lao Gui (Chinese).jpg|Body Render (Chinese)
File:Lao gui laughing.png|Lao Gui trying to laugh off being defeated and almost murdered
=== Ryu Ga Gotoku Online ===
RGGO - Card - SSR Lao Gui.png|SSR Lao Gui
Category:Chinese Characters
Category:Yakuza 0 Characters
Category:Yakuza 0 Antagonists
Category:Yakuza 0 Bosses
Category:Yakuza 0 Final Bosses
Category:Ryu Ga Gotoku Online Characters