Kazuma Kiryu

Kazuma Kiryu (, Kiryū Kazuma), also known as Joryu (, Jōryū), and Taichi Suzuki (, Suzuki Taichi), is the former primary protagonist of the Like a Dragon (formerly Yakuza) series. He is an agent of the Daidoji Faction, the former fourth chairman of the Tojo Clan, the former manager of Morning Glory Orphanage, and a former taxi driver for Nagasu Taxi. 
Kiryu's legendary accomplishments and ascent through the ranks of the Tojo Clan's Dojima Family, as well as the dragon tattoo on his back, have earned him the nickname "The Dragon of Dojima" (, Dōjima no Ryū). 
== Profile ==
=== Appearance ===
Kiryu has an extremely muscular build, seemingly as a result of constant street fights and various other activities in his daily routine rather than any concentrated effort to achieve this physique. He has more upper body mass than lower, which can most likely be attributed to his frequent use of fists and heavy weapons.
For most of the series, Kiryu's hair is short and messily slicked back, standing up to a point at the front with prominent sideburns, and his facial hair is trimmed to a pure goatee. In Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, his hair has grayed completely and is styled with sideswept bangs. Kiryu is noted multiple times to be handsome, with brown eyes described as "beautiful" by Joji and Shintaro Kazama. When he prepares to confront Ebina, he slicks his hair back once more. One month after he was hospitalized, he looks noticeably thinner and his hair has become lighter.
In Yakuza 0, Kiryu sported an even shorter spiky top hairstyle with shaved sideburns, and his face was clean shaven.
==== Tattoo ====
Kiryu's tattoo covers most of his back and ends just above his thighs. It depicts a white, gray, black, and red grasping a pearl, symbolizing power, wisdom, protection, and balance in Japanese culture. The pearl contains the Sanskrit character for the year of the monkey, relating to Kiryu's Chinese zodiac year (1968).
Ferocious and brave protectors, dragons are typically associated with hot-tempered individuals, though Kiryu's silver-colored dragon also suggests purity of heart. During the events of Yakuza 0, only the outlines of the tattoo are present, but it has been seen in its completed state since then. The colors of red, white, gray, and black mirror the colors of Kiryu's iconic outfit.
Utabori is the tattoo artist who designed Kiryu's dragon, and his signature () is displayed on the left-hand side of the design.
==== Attire ====
Throughout most of the series, Kiryu is seen wearing his trademark outdated suit, consisting of a light gray two piece suit and a maroon dress shirt with a popped collar. In Yakuza 0, Kiryu explains that the light gray suit symbolized how he didn't feel "black or white", morally speaking. He wears white snakeskin loafers with a snakeskin pattern, and his belt is black leather with a silver buckle. In Yakuza Kiwami 2, he wears a silver watch (likely modeled after the SARB and/or SARX lines of watches by Seiko) on his left wrist. In Yakuza, his suit has peaked lapels and three buttons. In every following game, his suit has notched lapels and has two buttons.
In Yakuza 0, Kiryu initially wears a plain black suit with an untucked white shirt, black oxfords, and a gold chain. Once he and Nishikiyama have shopped for a "civilian" outfit, he changes to a white pinstriped peaked lapel double-breasted suit over an orange, chain-patterned dress shirt, a black leather belt with a gold buckle, and white monk strap shoes. He also wears a silver watch with a black leather watch band on his left wrist. He is later given vanity glasses to appear non-threatening when working as a representative of Tachibana Real Estate. During the cinematic during the karaoke song Judgement and while wearing the Judgement outfit, Kiryu dons a red headband, a gold chain necklace, a black leather jacket, baggy red pants, and mid calf length black combat boots. While pretending to be a producer and wearing the Producer outfit, he dons a white dress shirt with the top two buttons unbuttoned, a yellow sweater tied around his neck, a black leather belt with a silver buckle, light pink slacks, and white loafers. In flashbacks to when he asked Kazama to join the yakuza and flashbacks in Ryu Ga Gotoku Online, Kiryu wore a black gakuran over a white t-shirt with black oxfords.
While residing in Okinawa, Kiryu is typically seen wearing a red and orange Hawaiian patterned button-down shirt with cream pants and brown oxfords. In Yakuza 5, he is commonly seen wearing his taxi-driver uniform that consists of a charcoal gray waistcoat and red necktie over a white dress shirt, with matching pants and a pair of black leather oxfords. When not at work, he wears a light gray utility jacket with double-breasted pockets and a zip collar over his uniform. While in his apartment, he wears a gray hoodie and matching track-pants.
During his stay in Hiroshima in Yakuza 6, Kiryu wears a variation of his standard attire that omits his suit jacket and has the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up.
During the funeral in Yakuza/Yakuza Kiwami, the end of Yakuza 4, and the end of Yakuza 6, he wears a white dress shirt with a black tie, black two piece suit, black leather belt with silver buckle, and black oxfords. In Yakuza/Yakuza Kiwami, he also uses a pair of aviator sunglasses (which are gold framed in Yakuza Kiwami) to help him hide his identity.
In Yakuza Kiwami 2 Kiryu wears a Black Double Breasted suit for Terada's funeral. During the Cabaret minigame he wears a Tuxedo similar to Majima's.
In Like a Dragon Gaiden, Kiryu is primarily seen wearing a black suit and white shirt, with a pair of rectangular sunglasses.
When he first appears in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Kiryu dons a dark gray suit with a teal tie. He also wears sunglasses initially to partially obscure his identity. He returns to his regular attire while in Ijincho.
In Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Kiryu wears a black dress shirt with no suit jacket, gray dress pants and black dress shoes. He also wears a belt with a silver buckle and a gold necklace. In his final confrontation with Ebina with his party, he regains wearing his trademark suit. When he was hospitalized while in a wheel-chair at the post-credits scene, he wears a patient uniform with his white pajamas and blue slippers.
=== Personality ===
Kiryu is the stoic dreamer of the dark yakuza world, living by a strict code of honor and a very strong sense of justice. He does not judge others and is generally accepting of anyone who is friendly towards him. He is a good listener, giving advice in response to his environment rather than seeking out conversations. He is wise (but certainly not all-knowing) and generally means well for those around him, which makes him surprisingly pragmatic and well-liked. He still considers himself a yakuza at heart, and although he views violence as necessary, Kiryu is disgusted by violent yakuza who are corrupted by revenge and power, like Nishikiyama and young Daigo, and urges them to snap out of it. 
Kiryu loves working with kids and is a good caretaker to the children at Morning Glory Orphanage. He is genuine and understanding, bonding with the children through shared experiences. He tries to treat them all as fairly as possible and goes out of his way to keep them all safe and happy, whether it means staging a wrestling match to cheer them up or refusing to sell the land even in the face of a large sum of money. He also shows fondness for arcade games and believes that nobody is too old for them.
Kiryu sees the world in a more idealistic sense than a realistic one, though his views become more sober especially once he is forced to leave the orphanage. He believes that man can master his own destiny and viewed fate as a negative force to be combated, so that he could return to a time where he could hang out with his friends, like Nishikiyama and Haruka, peacefully. 
Kiryu tends to open up significantly around those he is comfortable with, though the people who he considers "friends" are few and far between. He is extremely loyal to Shintaro Kazama to the point of joining the yakuza in the first place, despite his otherwise kind-hearted nature and Kazama's refusal of his demands. He made it a point to fake his death so that his friends and loved ones would remain safe, due to his involvement in yakuza affairs often getting them hurt or in danger. However, being roped into the Daidoji Faction's affairs leaves him rather nihilistic and wanting for more freedom, with the safety of the orphanage being his only driving force to continue working for them.
Due to his long stays in prison, Kiryu tends to be awkward when it comes to everyday situations, and is occasionally targeted by the town's more dishonest citizens. Unlike his friends and colleagues, Kiryu has rarely pursued women; his only love interests, Yumi Sawamura and Kaoru Sayama, have passed away and disappeared respectively, and due to his devotion to Yumi (having held onto her ring long after her death), he has since repeatedly turned down other potential lovers like Mayumi Madarame.
== Background ==
Born on June 17, 1968, Kiryu's parents were killed by Shintaro Kazama when Kiryu was at a very young age. Out of guilt, Kazama adopted Kiryu and raised him at Sunflower Orphanage, where he met and befriended Akira Nishikiyama and Yumi Sawamura.
One of Kiryu's earliest misadventures occurred on Christmas Eve, 1980, when a 12-year-old Kiryu - out of concern for Kazama - followed him to a raid on the Korean Jingweon Mafia. While there, Kiryu interrupts Kazama's negotiations with two Jingweon members. In the confusion caused by Kiryu's sudden appearance, Kazama is forced to protect Kiryu by killing the Jingweon Mafia Boss.
As they grew up, Kiryu and Nishikiyama's admiration for Kazama became so fanatical that they tried to join the yakuza in 1985, prompting Kazama to beat them on a rainy night. However, Kiryu cried out that he "idolized him" and that "orphans deserve to dream too". Kazama eventually gave in, and the next day, the two joined the Dojima Family.
== Involvement ==
=== Yakuza 0: 1988-1989 ===
A low-ranking member of the Dojima Family, Kiryu is working his first job for Toko Credit. While on a collection run, Kiryu roughs up a man in the Empty Lot, taking the owed funds after he's laying beaten on the ground. Later, while out with Nishikiyama, the two overhear that the man had been murdered.
Kiryu is summoned to the Dojima Family office by Keiji Shibusawa, Daisaku Kuze, and Hiroki Awano (the three Lieutenants of the Dojima Family, and Kiryu's superiors) who accuse him of the murder. Kiryu learns that the man had died from a gunshot wound, and not as a result of the injuries inflicted upon him, to his relief. This motivates Kiryu to attempt to prove his innocence and find the true killer, rather than simply taking the blame and turning himself in, as was demanded by his superiors.
During this time, Shintaro Kazama - who at the time is the Captain of the Dojima Family - is in prison for an unrelated incident. Taking advantage of Kazama's incarceration, Sohei Dojima, the Dojima Family Patriarch, seeks to dethrone Kazama using his ties to Kiryu, blaming the murder on his incompetence.
However, Kiryu refuses to sit by and allow Kazama to take the fall for him, and instead travels to the Dojima Family office to request to be expelled from the family. He plans to continue his investigation into the murder as a civilian without having to worry about the politics of the yakuza. After winning a fight against Kuze - who wants Kiryu executed for what he views as rebellion- Dojima agrees to expel Kiryu.
At a loss about where to begin with his investigation, Kiryu decides to accept an invitation to meet with Tetsu Tachibana at the latter's office. Tachibana informs Kiryu that his company, Tachibana Real Estate, and the Dojima Family are having an all-out war over the acquisition of the Empty Lot. The lot happens to be standing in the way of a major redevelopment project planned in Kamurocho - the building that would become the Millennium Tower. Despite commenting on how Tachibana was equally as ruthless as the Dojima family, Kiryu agrees to side with Tachibana in this war, and begins a new life as an employee of Tachibana Real Estate.
Kiryu works alongside Jun Oda - Tachibana's right-hand man and a senior employee of the company - to attempt to locate the owner of the Empty Lot. A majority of the Dojima Family members are not pleased that Kiryu has begun to work with the enemy, and they begin to use intimidation tactics on Kiryu, from blackmail to attempted murder. The threat becomes so great that Nishikiyama attempts to kill Kiryu as an act of mercy in order to spare him from torture and an inevitably painful death. Unable to kill his sworn brother, Nishikiyama is left behind by Kiryu, who distances himself from Nishikiyama, saying that they can no longer be brothers now that Kiryu has been expelled.
Upon Kiryu's return to Kamurocho, he finds his apartment burned down and Dojima's men flooding the city searching for him. Kiryu is eventually cornered by Kuze and forced into another battle before being rescued by Tachibana and escaping to a wharf on the outskirts of the city.
Tachibana appeals to the Tojo Clan with the promise of handing over the deed to the Empty Lot along with an extra ¥1,000,000,000 in exchange for Kiryu's safety, allowing Kiryu to travel to Sotenbori with Oda to meet with the owner of the deed at Camellia Grove.
There they meet with Masaru Sera who has Makoto Makimura under his protection. However, Shibusawa has discovered their whereabouts and he and his men attempt to kill Kiryu and Makoto while they are on their way back to Kamurocho. After throwing them off their trail and hiding in a warehouse, Makoto tells Kiryu that Oda is not to be trusted, which leads to him holding Makoto at gunpoint. Makoto stabs him in the leg with a blade concealed in her cane, leaving Oda vulnerable to an attack by Kiryu. After coming clean about the truth of the situation, Oda allows Kiryu and Makoto to escape while he stays back to hold off Shibusawa and his men.
Laying low back in Kamurocho, Kiryu meets up with Tachibana, who explains that Kazama, knowing Kiryu, had anticipated these very actions, and he and Tachibana had been working together to find the Empty Lot owner, with Kazama attempting to seize the Empty Lot to stop Dojima from obtaining more power, and Tachibana simply wishing to reunite with his sister, Makoto.
During their meeting they are discovered by the assassin Lao Gui - who Tachibana suspects is the true killer that Kiryu has been searching for - who shoots Kiryu non-fatally, and leaves the two with no other options, forcing Tachibana to surrender.
Kiryu wakes up in Little Asia, nursed back to health by Elder Chen, who gives Kiryu information on where Tachibana has been taken. On his way there, Kiryu runs into Nishikiyama, who had been promised a promotion if he killed Kiryu. Nishikiyama, still unable to abandon his former brother, chooses to side with Kiryu, and the two face off with the Dojima Family members together.
Recieving word of Tachibana's location by Elder Chen, Kiryu heads to the building alongside Nishikiyama. Entering the building, Kiryu witnesses Tachibana extremely wounded, with Kuze in the premise, and is enraged by the view. Kiryu and Nishikiyama fight off Kuze and his men, and Kiryu rushes to Tachibana's side, who in his dying words reveals that Dojima had been the true mastermind all along, framing Kiryu in an attempt to push Kazama into action. Kiryu tearfully tells Kuze that he'll destroy every last one of Dojima's men if Makoto comes to harm. He picks up Tachibana's lifeless body and carries him outside to where his sister waits.
Not long after, he is contacted again by Sera, who relays to him that Shibusawa has found Makoto, and Dojima has awarded him with Kazama's former position of captain. Shibusawa has begun to purge any of Kazama's loyalists from the family; most notably Kiryu and Nishikiyama.
Kiryu faces Kuze one last time, who after being defeated, reveals that Shibusawa intends to raid the Nikkyo Consortium's HQ, intending to kill Makoto - who is being held there - and cement his authority.
Upon arriving at the Consortium's headquarters, Kiryu and Nishikiyama are met by Kashiwagi, who brings with him the rest of the family members still loyal to Kazama. Kiryu faces off with Shibusawa, who intends to make his mark by killing Kiryu. In a blind rage, Kiryu savagely beats up Shibusawa, infuriated at the pain and suffering he has caused, and nearly strikes a killing blow, but is stopped at the last moment by Nishikiyama.
In 1989, finally cleared of all charges, Kiryu makes the decision to return to the Dojima Family in order to to find his own way as a yakuza.
=== c. 1993 ===
Kiryu is held captive and tortured by Lau Ka Long for competing with his passport forgery business, before being saved by Shintaro Kazama. 
=== Yakuza/Yakuza Kiwami: 1995-2005 ===
At 27 years old, Kiryu has become the lieutenant advisor of the Dojima Family, and is on his way to start a family of his own. After completing his final debt collecting job from Peace Finance, Kiryu is informed that Yumi had been kidnapped by Sohei Dojima. By the time Kiryu arrived at the scene, Nishikiyama already murdered Patriarch Dojima to prevent him from raping Yumi. Knowing Nishikiyama's younger sister Yuko was about to have an important surgery, Kiryu voluntarily takes the fall for Nishikiyama, allowing the other two to escape.
During his stay in prison, he is attacked by an assassin claiming to have been sent by the Tojo Clan chairman himself, Masaru Sera.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name: In 2001, Kiryu learns of Ichiban Kasuga's arrest story, though the two are held in different prisons.
10 years later, Kiryu returns to Kamurocho for answers and is directed to Kazuki and Yuya in Stardust to reunite with Kazama at Sera's funeral following his assassination. However, the Tojo Clan is in disarray from losing 10 billion yen. Kiryu finds himself in the middle of the incident during the funeral, being accused of attempting to kill Kazama. He escapes with the help of Makoto Date and is told to look for Yumi. While looking for her, he encounters a mysterious 9-year-old girl named Haruka Sawamura, who claims to be Yumi's niece. She then comes to rely on him as they search for her mother Mizuki Sawamura, who is also being targeted by the Tojo Clan for unknown reasons.
Haruka leads Kiryu to Ares, where he learns from her of Yumi's pendant, and from Omi Alliance officer Hiroshi Hayashi that the forces at play are also targeting Haruka. For more information, Date directs him to Purgatory to seek the Florist of Sai. He passes the Florist's test and learns that Nishikiyama is after the 10 billion yen, which is instrumental in deciding who will be the Tojo Clan's fourth chairman. Date arrives to let them know the Majima Family had kidnapped Haruka. He rescues her at the Yoshida Batting Center after defeating Majima.
After helping Date and the Florist with their familial issues, he learns that Mizuki may be dead. He keeps this information secret from Haruka and visits Utabori for more clues. The secrecy causes Haruka to run off, getting kidnapped by mysterious men in the process. Date and Kiryu rescue her and keep her safe in Purgatory before Kiryu heads to Serena to reunite with Nishikiyama.
The brothers' attempt at reconciliation fails as Kiryu learns Nishikiyama had shot Kazama. Kiryu subdues the Nishikiyama Family members sent after him, and learns Haruka had been kidnapped by the Snake Flower Triad through Bloody Eye as a proxy. He heads to Yokohama and rescues her again, but is arrested by Junichi Sudo for a presumed kidnapping. Date breaks him out and he tells Kiryu and Haruka that Mizuki is in fact alive and the MIA are involved. They are then chased by the Snake Flower Triad but Kiryu fends them off.
Shinji Tanaka, who had kept Kazama in hiding, informs Kiryu that there is a mole. With help from the Florist, he learns Reina had betrayed them and leaked intel to Nishikiyama. He tries to confront her at Serena, but discovers Shinji had fled with her after she attempted to kill Nishikiyama. At the top of a parking lot where the two had fled, Kiryu arrives too late, as Shinji had been critically injured and Reina killed by Kazuto Arase. Kiryu defeats Arase, but Shinji is unable to survive and bleeds out.
Kiryu follows Shinji's message and heads to Shangri-La, where he learns Kazama is waiting at Shibaura Wharf, but Majima arrives and sends the facility into disrepair for a fight. At Shibaura Wharf, Kiryu gets acquainted with Yukio Terada and learns the following from Kazama: Yumi is Mizuki, Haruka's father is Kyohei Jingu, and Yumi was a participant of the 10 billion yen theft. Futoshi Shimano and his family arrive to kill Kazama, but Osamu Kashiwagi arrives with reinforcements. Kazama is mortally wounded by a grenade after Kiryu carelessly turns his back to Shimano, who is promptly killed in return. Kiryu receives Sera's will from Kazama, and Kazama reveals he was the one who killed Kiryu's parents.
With Haruka, Kiryu reaches the top of the Millennium Tower and finally reunites with Yumi, but they are interrupted by Jingu. Kiryu defeats Jingu and his men, later confronting Nishikiyama and fighting it out after the latter declares his ambitions. Following Kiryu's victory, Jingu returns to shoot him in the leg but before he can kill him, Yumi jumps in the way to take the bullet and Nishikiyama detonates a bomb to kill Jingu and himself. Yumi dies from her injury, and Kiryu is willing to go to jail after having lost seemingly everyone, but Date reminds him he still has Haruka. Kiryu, who became the Fourth Chairman of the Tojo Clan through Sera's will, passes chairmanship to Terada in order to start a new life with Haruka.
=== Yakuza 2/Yakuza Kiwami 2: 2006-2007 ===
Kiryu has been living with Haruka and is still haunted by the events that took his loved ones the past year. On December 15, 2006, he and Haruka visit their graves when the fifth Chairman of the Tojo Clan, Yukio Terada, is killed by Omi Alliance men in front of them. To fill in the vacuum of power within the Tojo Clan, Kiryu wants Sohei Dojima's son, Daigo Dojima, to take the clan's leadership and prevent an upcoming yakuza families war between the Tojo Clan of the Kanto region and the Omi Alliance of the Kansai region, which was Terada's wish.
But Daigo does not want such a responsibility, as he wants to settle his grudge with Ryuji Goda, son of the Fifth Chairman of the Omi Alliance and Chairman of the Go-Ryu Clan. They go together to Sotenbori, Osaka, and Kiryu has a run-in with Ryuji in Cabaret Grand. The next day, Kiryu and Daigo go to the Omi Alliance HQ to meet Jin Goda. Jin wants to avoid unnecessary bloodshed with war and makes preparations for a peace treaty. However, Ryuji does not wish for peace and mounts a coup d'état. 
Following a clashing with Ryuji, who was exhausted from fighting Daigo, Kiryu is taken into protective custody by the Osaka Prefectural Police's Kaoru Sayama, an investigator from the department's fourth division to watch and protect Kiryu from escalating incidents. Sayama is shot non-fatally in her car, and requests that Kiryu carries her to the bar Aoi. Going by how the first place Sayama mentioned was a bar, Kiryu suspects its proprietor, Tamiyo, may be her guardian, which is proven correct.
Kiryu goes to find out why Sayama was shot with a weak bullet, but has a bounty placed on his head by Toranosuke Sengoku. He soon learns foreign gangsters have kidnapped Jin and Daigo in Kamurocho, and Sayama follows him there. He briefs the Tojo heads Yayoi Dojima and Osamu Kashiwagi on what happened, the territory's ruler Koji Shindo declines giving his assistance, as his Nishikiyama Family still holds a grudge against him. With the Nishikiyama Family, which has half the Tojo's manpower, possibly leaving the Clan, Kiryu suggests having Majima assist. As he goes to Purgatory, an assassin tries to take his life.
Sayama, angry that Kiryu snuck away from her, joins him in heading to Purgatory, and Majima accepts Kiryu's terms in exchange for a fight in the Coliseum. After their bout, Majima explains that Terada had no reason to be assassinated as he surrounded himself with yes-men, and made the Tojo weaker. He warns Kiryu to be careful with who he trusts. At the Amano building, Kiryu sees two Kazukis in a standoff with Date and Kawara. The fake reveals he lured Kiryu here and intends to kill everyone, but Sayama is able to kill him, letting them leave.
The real Kazuki is recovering at the clinic, and Kiryu tells Yuya to handle things in Kazuki's absence. At the clinic, foreign gangsters see the real Kazuki instead of their compatriot and are made to reveal their affiliation: the Korean Jingweon Mafia. They discuss what they know at Bantam and Kiryu suspects the Jingweon have Daigo and Jin, but Date warns them of the Barkeep's strange behavior. Tobe and some Kamurocho citizens try to kill Kiryu, but fail, and reveal they had been ordered to do so by Sengoku in exchange for clearing the debts they gained from the past year's events.
Date is wanted for murder for apparently killing the fake Kazuki, and Kiryu meets with the Florist of Sai to investigate. The Florist suspects a spy sent the inconclusive evidence to the police, and they are attacked by Hiroshi Hayashi, who was sent to impede Kiryu. With help from Sayama, they are able to find Daigo in Shangri-La. They stage a rescue and Daigo tells them of Jin being taken someplace else. Kashiwagi arrives to check on Daigo and says the Jingweon should have been exterminated 20 years prior.
At Terada's funeral, Ryuji arrives to pay respects and mock them, and also tell them they have three days before the Go-Ryu invades Kamurocho. Back in town, Kiryu and Sayama bee Majima battered after defeating several Sengoku Family men. He tells them Sengoku bought out Shindo and the latter intends to betray the clan. At Tojo HQ, he sees several heads taken hostage and fights Shindo with Yayoi giving him her sword. Shindo reaches for a gun to kill Kiryu, but Daigo shoots him dead before he can do so, Kiryu disapproving of Daigo's anger.
To investigate the Jingweon case, Kiryu and Sayama meet with Tsutomu Bessho, who reveals three Jingweon members survived that night. Sayama, angry over Bessho keeping secrets from her, storms away and Kiryu goes after her. He saves her from some thugs, and when police arrive to arrest him, the two hide. They then go to town on an impromptu date. The next day, they looks for leads on one of the Jingweon survivors, Murai. Murai tells them of the events of the night before the Jingweon members kill him, and Kiryu realizes he was responsible for the death of Sayama's biological father.
Kiryu explains why he followed Kazama that night, then asks if Sayama would be satisfied in killing him, but she states it will not change anything while he remains rooted to the spot, filled with guilt. A homeless man stabs him with a knife, and he heads to Aoi to recuperate. When he comes to, he sees a note on him telling him Haruka has been kidnapped and is being held in Osaka castle. Still wounded, he reaches the Castle and fights throw Sengoku's goons and two tigers to reach Haruka. Ryuji awaits at the top, disapproving of Sengoku's actions and killing him, then telling Kiryu he has one day left. Kiryu keels over from his wound opening, and Sayama arrives after having followed him to help him out.
Kiryu is called back to Kamurocho by Wataru Kurahashi, who was secretly a Jingweon survivor and is holding Date hostage. They and Kawara arrive to save Date in a confrontation which takes the lives of both Kawara and Kurahashi. They soon learn of bombs planted throughout Kamurocho, and Kiryu witnesses Daigo rally Tojo men to defuse them. He goes to Stardust to fight the invading Go-Ryu Clan. Ryuji arrives afterwards, telling him he wants to fight Kiryu at his full strength before leaving.
After spending some time with Haruka, Date calls Kiryu to Serena where Junichi Sudo tells them Ryuji is Sayama's half-brother. Sayama arrives later, but they do not tell her what they know, and she directs them to a room. In the room, they see a recording of her, where she states she is risking her life to try and get Ryuji to stand down, but Kiryu does not want her to follow through with it. He fights through the Jingweon Mafia to reach the top of the Kamurocho Hills construction site, where Sayama and both Godas are present. Kiryu fights Ryuji and emerges victorious.
Just then, Terada arrives, revealing himself to be another Jingweon survivor who plans to kill Kiryu. Kiryu reveals he remembers seeing Terada speared by Kazama and asks if his debt was a lie before defeating him. Then, Ryo Takashima arrives and shoots Kiryu and Jin, revealing himself to be the mastermind before shooting Terada, who activates a detonator for another bomb and tells Kiryu to trust him before truly dying.
Ryuji gets up and shoots Takashima dead, and the bomb is counting down. With survival uncertain and their masculine pride on the line, Kiryu and Ryuji choose to fight one last time instead of attempting to escape, with Kiryu proving himself the true dragon. Following Ryuji's death, Kiryu and Sayama embrace in the face of their apparent death, however, the bomb is revealed to be a fake. Kiryu suspects that is what Terada meant when he asked for trust while they all pay their respects to him at the cemetery.
=== Yakuza 3: 2007-2009 ===
Following the feud with the Omi Alliance, Kiryu and Haruka move to Okinawa to run Morning Glory Orphanage after saying their goodbyes in January 2007. Kiryu has Majima become an advisor for Daigo as he is now chairman.
Their peaceful lives last only a few short months before Kiryu receives an eviction notice from the Ryudo Family, a local yakuza clan who owns their land. On his way to confront the group, Kiryu runs into Rikiya Shimabukuro and Mikio Aragaki, the former losing to Kiryu in a fistfight, and leads the way to see their patriarch, Shigeru Nakahara. Ultimately, he refuses to rescind the eviction notice, and Kiryu returns to the orphanage.
Several days later, Rikiya arrives at Morning Glory in order to ask for Kiryu's help in rescuing Nakahara's adopted daughter, Saki. Rikiya and Kiryu discover that Saki has been taken by the rival Tamashiro Family, intending to use her as a bargaining chip against the Ryudo Family, and confront the patriarch, Tetsuo Tamashiro. Saki is safely rescued and returned to her father, and Nakahara, overjoyed with the return of his daughter, insists that Kiryu officially become his oath brother.
They are interrupted by Daigo, who reveals that the Tojo had been in charge of the project responsible for the eviction of Kiryu and his neighbors. He tells the two men that he has arrived in Okinawa to put a stop to the resort/military base deal, and Kiryu and his family will no longer be required to leave Morning Glory.
Six months later, Nakahara is shot by a man resembling Shintaro Kazama, and the deeds to the orphanage and surrounding properties are stolen from the Ryudo Family's office. Kiryu is called back to Kamurocho by Kashiwagi, who informs him that Daigo has also been shot by a man resembling Kazama. He helps the children before leaving. In Stardust, he helps Kazuki and Yuya fight off the Nishikiyama Family, its captain Hasebe saying Kashiwagi is marked for death.
On his way to meet Kashiwagi, mysterious foreigners attack him. Kashiwagi explains the situation with Daigo out of commission, supposedly for opposing the Okinawa resort project, during which a helicopter opens fire on the office. Before Kashiwagi seemingly dies, he tells Kiryu there is a traitor in the Tojo Clan and asks him to root them out. He runs to an alley after the police chase him for the blood on his suit, where he reunites with Date, now a journalist. Date leads him to New Serena, which has a new owner, and they surmise Tsuyoshi Kanda may have ordered the hit on Kashiwagi.
Kiryu learns Rikiya followed him to Kamurocho against him wishes, and meets up with him. He sees he is defending a woman from Kanda's Nishikiyama Family, and learn from them that Kanda wants women to massage them and is waiting in a love hotel. They find Kanda and Kiryu defeats him, but Kiryu decides a thug like Kanda could not have ordered Kashiwagi's assassination. With a picture of Majima talking with Yoshinobu Suzuki sparking suspicion that he may be involved in the resort plan, he does to Purgatory to meet Majima, who agrees to talk after a fight with him.
Majima and the Florist reveal Goh Hamazaki framed Majima and wants the resort built to sell to his collaborator, Lau Ka Long, who is currently hunting Rikiya. Kiryu attacks the Snake Flower Triad and faces off against Lau, and before Rikiya can be executed, the Kazama lookalike saves Rikiya and shoots Lau. Before he leaves, he tells Kiryu that his eyes are beautiful and talks about his brother, but in English, which Kiryu does not understand.
As they discuss what transpired, Yoshitaka Mine appears with Kanda's head as an apology to Kiryu, and wants him to help the Tojo Clan to ensure its prosperity, but does not understand why Daigo looks up to a man who ran from his duty like that. After Mine leaves, Kiryu has Rikiya return to Okinawa and receives a call from minister Ryuzo Tamiya, who wants to talk to him. He and Date visit Tamiya in the Diet building and learn that the resort plan and his military base plan was to lure out the leader of Black Monday, and that the Kazama lookalike was Shintaro Kazama's younger brother Joji, who works for the CIA.
Tamiya asks Kiryu to save Shoyo Toma, who learned of the plan's true purpose and chose to help Mine, making him a target for Joji. On the way out, Suzuki's men try to stop Kiryu, but Majima bails him out in a pink truck. He returns to Okinawa to find Toma and greet his children. He spends time with them and resolves their issues when Tamiya calls, telling him of Toma's location. Kiryu heads there, stops Joji from killing Toma in one of the toughest battles he has fought, and tells Toma that Tamiya wanted him saved.
Joji explains it was his American partner who shot Daigo and Nakahara and tells him Daigo is in Touto University Hospital when Taichi arrives to tell Kiryu that Mine and Tamashiro destroyed Morning Glory Orphanage. Kiryu returns to its ruins and sees Mikio and Rikiya injured and Nakahara captured. After making sure everyone is okay, he tells Rikiya to stay behind while he rescues Nakahara from Tamashiro. At the bullring, Kiryu defeats the Tamashiro Family and sees that Saki arrived, followed by Rikiya, the former giving Nakahara the strength to fight.
After Tamashiro is defeated, Kiryu carelessly turns his back to the man, allowing him to pick up a gun. Rikiya sees this and jumps in the way to take the bullet. Joji kills Tamashiro before he can fire again, but Rikiya's wound is fatal, and he dies in a hysterical Kiryu's arms. Joji lends Kiryu his jet for a quick flight to Tokyo, and he takes Haruka with him. In Kamurocho, Haruka guesses that Kiryu took her with him because he did not expect to survive, which he confirms and apologizes for.
In Touto Hospital, Kiryu fights through the Hakuho Clan and Joji's partner to reach Daigo, who Mine took to the roof. Mine states he wants to revitalize the Tojo in the interest of the only man he ever loved, but Kiryu talks him down, saying he will not find meaning in life like that. The two fight, and Mine's defeat gives him a sense of relief. Joji's partner, who was secretly Andre Richardson, arrives to kill them, but Daigo wakes up and shoots him. Mine takes Richardson with him off the roof to atone, and Kiryu assures Daigo that Mine was not the traitor.
Afterwards, Kiryu says his goodbyes to Yuya and Kazuki when Hamazaki finds him, having lost everything from the Snake Flower's retribution for getting their leader killed. Having seen Mine atone, he tells Hamazaki he can start over, but Hamazaki repays Kiryu's kindness with a knife in the abdomen. Haruka runs to him as he passes out, but Kiryu is able to recover and they resume their lives in Okinawa, in a now-rebuilt Morning Glory Orphanage.
=== Yakuza 4: 2010 ===
While still running the Morning Glory Orphanage, one day, Kiryu and Haruka find a man with a tiger tattoo who washed up onto the beach of their home. They nurse him back to health, and he introduces himself as Suzuki. He requests money to travel to Kamurocho, but Kiryu suspects this man was an escaped convict. He denies his request until Suzuki tries to fight him to convince him. After seeing his resolve, Kiryu sends him a fresh set of clothes and money for the trip to Kamurocho. He learns through Haruka that his real name was Taiga Saejima, and as she overheard Goh Hamazaki's name earlier, he assures her that Saejima was a good man and from this point on, if Hamazaki had changed, he would help him too.
A few days later, Hamazaki also washes up on the beach. Despite their terrible history and strong protest from Haruka, Kiryu nurses him back to health. When Hamazaki recovers, he reveals that he and Saejima escaped together from prison, and the prison he was staying in is a stronghold of all of the underworld money laundering and corruption by using all of the top criminals as their pawns by making inside deals. In the document that Hamazaki had with him, it was revealed that there was a transaction from Kyohei Jingu's account for a sum of 10 billion yen, the exact amount of money that was lost from Tojo Clan back in 2005. It was also revealed that the Ueno Seiwa Clan was planning on stealing the Kamurocho Hills project from the Tojo Clan and selling all of them to an unknown group. Haruka tries to stop Kiryu from getting involved due to her trauma of witnessing him getting stabbed by Hamazaki, but Hamazaki decides to turn himself in to the police in response. Kiryu agrees to accompany him to the police station for a proper sendoff.
While the two men head to the police station, they find Yasuko Saejima, who was looking for her brother who was transferred in Okinawa. Upon hearing his name, Kiryu and Hamazaki take her to the abandoned Tamashiro Family hideout to talk more. Before she can say any more about why she wanted to see Saejima, they are ambushed by the remaining penitentiary officers. Kiryu fends them off while Hamazaki keeps Yasuko safe, but unbeknownst to both, he was fatally shot and would never recover from that injury.
Kiryu suspected something was at work in the Tojo clan, and he once again leaves for Kamurocho along with Yasuko to meet up with Date to protect Yasuko from people seeking her out. Kiryu then learns of Yasuko's debt to Saejima. Heading to the Millennium Tower to seek an explanation from Daigo, he finds that Majima had been arrested and explains that the whole deal with the missing yen relates to the 1985 hit. Returning to New Serena to find Yasuko, Kiryu finds her missing and Date knocked out, and leaves to pursue Yasuko once he recovers. Kiryu catches up with Yasuko, finding her with Shun Akiyama and Masayoshi Tanimura. As they retreat into the sewers to get Yasuko to Purgatory in time, Kiryu is forced to challenge the duo and defeats them. However, by the end of the fight, all three learn that Purgatory has been compromised and thus, Yasuko was actually led into a trap and captured by Katsuragi. On top of this, Akiyama's fortune was taken by Kido who has now aligned himself with Katsuragi.
Using the audit stolen by Hamazaki, Kiryu agrees to a trade-off for the lives of the Saejima and the 100 billion yen as he goes through a gauntlet of Katsuragi's men through Kamurocho Hills. Encountering Katsuragi at the apex, Kiryu begins the exchange with Yasuko as he hands over the file to Kido. He is only able to watch as Kido shoots Katsuragi and Arai appears to shoot Kido in retaliation, which Kiryu condemns as they were oath brothers. After the two former oath brothers retreat, Kiryu then watches as Katsuragi, who survived due to wearing a bulletproof vest, attempts to shoot Saejima, only for Yasuko to shield him and shoot Katsuragi in the head before succumbing to the gunshot wound. Mourning Yasuko briefly, the men secure the money and return it to Akiyama.
Licking their wounds at New Serena, Kiryu and company are distraught at how despite Katsuragi's death that the true mastermind has seemingly triumphed over them. With Munakata and Arai still alive and Daigo collaborating with the police, they feel like they could do nothing to stop Munakata's ambitions. Kiryu then receives a phone call from Haruka of Hamazaki's passing and his final message to Saejima to protect the clan at all costs, inspiring him to fight again with Kiryu and the others. They pay their respects to Hamazaki and Yasuko and begin their counterattack, using the reclaimed 100 billion yen.
Akiyama places the 100 billion yen on top of the Millennium Tower to bait in all of their enemies. Once they gather, Kiryu and company descend upon them. Kiryu confronts Daigo as payback for Majima's arrest and his poor decisions leading to the decline of the Tojo Clan. Kiryu emerges victorious, but not before placing some of the blame on himself for not helping Daigo in his tough position.
Some days later, Kiryu oversees Saejima's inauguration as a family head in the Tojo with Majima and Daigo welcoming him back to the Clan. He returns to Morning Glory Orphanage once the ceremony is complete.
=== Yakuza 5: 2011-2012 ===
In the summer of 2011, Mirei Park approaches Kiryu to scout Haruka, telling him he needs to leave and hide their connection so she can be a star. Kiryu refuses, saying the kids need him, but she convinces him that he is holding them back and he relents. As a result of this deal, Kiryu leaves Morning Glory Orphanage for Nagasugai, Fukuoka, where he lives alone under the alias Taichi Suzuki and works as a taxi driver for Nagasu Taxi after Yotaro Nakajima found him and offered him a job. He has very little contact with Haruka or the other children, though he sends nearly all of his paycheck to the orphanage.
He is taken care of by a hostess named Mayumi, who he had rescued from a brawl when he first arrived in Fukuoka. Despite her insistence, he refuses to take their relationship anywhere past casual friends, and Mayumi is frustrated by being treated like a caretaker. His life in Fukuoka is one of loneliness as he struggles to move on without the company of Haruka and his other children.
While Daigo is in Fukuoka negotiating a treaty with the patriarch of the Yamagasa Family, he finds himself in the back of Kiryu's taxi. Daigo tells Kiryu about the current state of the Tojo Clan, saying that the current patriarch of the Omi Alliance is on his deathbed with terminal lung cancer and that the alliance between the two clans is likely to falter when his successor takes over. Daigo says that he's doing the best he can as patriarch, but Kiryu remains silent, and Daigo takes it to mean that he has to learn to walk on his own instead of relying on Kiryu or others for support. He drops Daigo off on the side of the road and drives off.
After resolving an issue he had caused between rival companies, Kiryu and his boss, Nakajima head out for drinks. The two make their way to Club Olivier - the hostess club where Mayumi works - where Nakajima's drunken protests rile up two members of the Yamagasa Family, ending with him being left unconscious. After the two head their separate ways, Kiryu heads back to his apartment to reflect on the events of the day.
After work the next day he is met by Yu Morinaga and Masato Aizawa, members of the Tojo Clan who were running security for Daigo during his visit to Fukuoka. They inform Kiryu that Daigo has gone missing and that the last person he had contact with was Kiryu and asks him to help him find Daigo and return to the Tojo to help prevent a war between the Omi and Tojo which he rebuffs with a fight. Aizawa and Morinaga later show up at Kiryu's house the following day, having gotten into a brawl with Yamagasa men. They learn Minoru Aoyama has taken up being the interim chairman of Tojo Clan and asks for his help fearing that Aoyama will attempt to usurp Daigo.
While going to retrieve his boss Nakajima from a diner Kiryu is met by Kazuhiko Serizawa, an Osakan detective from its Organized Crime unit. He warns Kiryu that he needs to meet with Omi Alliance Lieutenant Masaru Watase before Aizawa and Morinaga act first and cause a war. Kiryu meets with Watase who reveals he has no interest in Daigo and thus doesn't know where he is, but he does reveal a lot of information was leaked by Aoyama. Kiryu rushes to the hotel where Madarame and Aoyama are only to find Madarame stabbed after trying to shoot Aoyama. Aoyama was planning to take over the Tojo Clan and thus framed Kiryu for attacking Madarame and shooting Morinaga. Kiryu fights his way out, but Aoyama sets off the explosives in the hotel and eliminates any evidence.
The following morning, Kiryu finds Mayumi at his apartment as she attempts to consummate her relationship with him but he rejects and reveals that he knew the truth that she was spying on him. She reveals that she is Madarame's daughter and was tasked with watching Kiryu as a favor to Daigo to keep Kiryu's life peaceful and as gratitude. He reveals Daigo also was never abducted but has instead gone into hiding as he believed that Aoyama was making an attempt on his life. With Daigo sorting out affairs incognito, Madarame gives Kiryu a letter for Yahata. Kiryu meets with Yahata and shows him the letter ordering the dissolution of the Yamagasa Family. Yahata agrees but he's still intent on fighting the Tojo. Kiryu tears up the letter, saying that the Yamagasa need to remain intact to keep the peace in Fukuoka. As such, he has Yahata call up Aoyama demanding to meet at the docks for a battle.
Instead of having the Yamagasa and Tojo fight, Kiryu proposes he take on Aoyama's forces by himself as that won't be a war and Watase agrees to the terms as a mediator, allowing the Yamagasa family to have Kiryu as their champion. He battles his way through Aoyama's men and savagely beats Aoyama as a warning. Aoyama confesses his ploy wasn't to take over the Tojo but to lure Kiryu out of hiding. Before Aoyama can reveal his master's identity he's shot in the head by Morinaga who was in on the plan from the start. He admits to murdering Aizawa and declares that Kiryu goes to Kamurocho for answers.
Two days later Kiryu meets with Serizawa who informs him they found Aizawa's brutalized body and wonders if Kiryu is going to Tokyo. Kiryu refuses as he was assured that both Daigo and Majima will be to resolve the issue without him, but the detective tells him to listen to the news. On the car radio, Kiryu hears that a murder victim has been found in Sapporo and was identified as Goro Majima. Kiryu makes his decision to go to Kamurocho to confront Morinaga. Then Kiryu dons his grey suit and heads to Tokyo, bidding farewell to the photograph of the children at his orphanage.
As Kiryu arrives in Tokyo, he quickly realizes that he's being followed by none other than Shigeki Baba who admits that he's an accomplice in the Omi Alliance's plan and that the main objective of the plan was to draw out Saejima and Kiryu due to them being seen as the pillars of the Tojo Clan. However, Baba is not working with Morinaga whose actions in Fukuoka were the doing of him and Aoyama. Currently, three main families are vying for the Chairman position with the Watase, Katsuya, and one other person.
Then Baba and Kiryu see a broadcast saying Haruka's concert has been canceled, making Kiryu even more certain of Katsuya's guilt which Saejima and Aizawa also see. Kiryu tells Baba to relay a message to Haruka and heads off to the Kamurocho Hills. Kiryu and Saejima fight their way through the Omi Alliance members separately until they reach Katsuya in his suite with Watase following after. On the roof of the hotel, Katsuya admits he is not the mastermind, but had to trick Kiryu, Saejima, and Watase into showing up in order to lure out the culprit. Saejima fights Katsuya while Kiryu fights Watase. Both Kiryu and Saejima defeat Katsuya and Watase. Then Kiryu and Saejima fight and have a draw. They are then shot by Detective Serizawa who Watase and Katsuya say is Tsubasa Kurosawa, the Seventh Chairman of the Omi Alliance. Daigo shows up to intervene but is shot by a traitorous Kanai. Then later, Akiyama and Shinada then meet with Kiryu and Saejima at New Serena, Akiyama coming to the conclusion that Majima, Katsuya, and Park worked behind the scenes to draw out Kurosawa and that they need to cancel Haruka's concert lest her life is in danger. Kiryu refuses to let that happen and the four plan a way to protect Haruka during her concert. Kurosawa is then met by Majima who was asked to perform one task for him to protect Haruka's life.
Kurosawa's men, disguised as members of the Majima Family, arrive at Millennium Tower and begin opening fire. With Majima at the top of the tower and Haruka's concert underway, Akiyama and Kiryu stayed behind to fend off Kurosawa's men, while Shinada and Saejima went through the tunnels to the Japan Dome with Shinada fighting Baba. Later, Kiryu gets a call and goes to the Tojo clan to find who is the culprit for taking over the clan and killing its members.
At Tojo Clan's headquarters, Kiryu finds Aizawa who is Kurosawa's son among the dead Tojo patriarchs, his legacy, and the culprit. Kurosawa, panicking after his terminal diagnosis returns, wanted to leave Aizawa the entirety of the Tojo Clan and Omi Alliance as a legacy, though Aizawa is only interested in besting Kiryu in a battle to prove who's stronger. After an arduous battle, Kiryu emerges victorious despite his wounds opening.
At the concert, Haruka confesses to her audience about her past and how Kiryu was previously a yakuza. She announces she's retiring from the entertainment industry before running out of the Japan Dome. Kiryu collapses in the snowy streets of Tokyo but is found by Haruka, the two of them finally reunited.
=== Yakuza 6: 2012-2017 ===
After the events of December 2012, Kiryu is brought to the hospital after being severely injured and found by Haruka. Police arrive to arrest Kiryu for property damage and assault on yakuza in Kamurocho. At the rooftop of the hospital he is staying at, he has a chat with Daigo, who tells him that he can easily avoid going to prison if he hires a lawyer. Kiryu accepts his sentence because he wants to clean his slate and try to wipe away his connection to the Tojo Clan so he can live peacefully with the children of Morning Glory.
In mid-2013, Kiryu sits in prison and Haruka visits him in order to talk about the situation at the orphanage and tells him she will try to endure things as best she can. In December 2016, Kiryu gets released from prison and returns to Morning Glory, where he learns that Haruka suddenly disappeared three years ago in order to keep the orphans safe from the paparazzi who were spying on her. Seeing the news article about her and lamenting that he did not notice Haruka's worries the last time they talked, Kiryu tells the orphans he is to blame for her disappearance. He leaves the next day for Kamurocho after bidding farewell to the orphans.
Kiryu learns that Akiyama is hiding in the sewers in order to avoid the Saio Triad. Upon finding him, Kiryu is greeted with a bunch of Triad members and they defeat them. He then gets a call from Date who tells him that the police had found Haruka, who is being hospitalized after an accident. Date tells him that Haruka was protecting someone who turns out to be her son, Haruto, much to Kiryu's surprise. Kiryu asks for the identity of the father, but the detective says they have no leads. 
Kiryu briefly visits the Tojo Clan HQ, where he meets Takumi Someya and the acting chairman Katsumi Sugai. At the hospital, he learns Child Protective Services intends to have Haruto sent to an orphanage as he has no other legal relatives. Kiryu intends to take Haruto away with him, much to Akiyama's disagreement, causing a fight. After Kiryu defeats Akiyama, the latter gives up and allows Kiryu to take Haruto away. At New Serena, Date reveals to Kiryu that the police managed to recover Haruka's smartphone, and found a photograph that reveals she was in Hiroshima for the last three years.
Kiryu then heads out Onomichi with Haruto in hand to find his biological father. One of the first people he encounters are Tsuyoshi Nagumo, the captain of the Hirose Family, and Kiyomi Kasahara, the owner of Snack Kiyomi. After some fights, Kiryu saves Nagumo from Koji Masuzoe, earning him Nagumo's respect. The next day, he goes to the Hirose family office to ask about Haruka. Kiryu notices them react strangely when he shows them her picture and realizes they are keeping a secret from him, but will not fight them as he has taken a liking to them. He leaves Haruto with Kiyomi and fights Kanji Koshimizu to stop Takaaki Matsunaga from getting into trouble. He then returns to his apartment, where Nagumo at last tells him that everyone knew of Haruka and her past but chose to keep the secret to themselves, but they don't know who Haruto's father is and directs him to Kiyomi, whom she worked for before she disappeared again. Before they can discuss Haruto's father, they are interrupted by Someya. When he leaves, Kiryu decides to end their conversation as Kiyomi had been shaken up by the reunion. 
When Kiyomi is kidnapped, the Hirose Family and Kiryu raid the Tojo Clan's place of residence, where Kiryu clashes with Someya. Following Someya's defeat, he enters the room Kiyomi is in and meets Heizo Iwami and Tsuneo Iwami, and is taken on a boat to bear witness to an alliance between Someya and Koshimizu. Kiryu refuses, as doing so would be betraying the currently-arrested sixth chairman. Kiryu and the Hirose members return to the office, where Kiyomi states her suspicion of Shu Tatsukawa being Haruto's father, as she overheard a phone call where he was talking about an abortion. Yuta Usami and Nagumo choose to follow him to Kamurocho.
The three arrive in Kamurocho and meet Yuya who them that Stardust was bought out by the Jingweon Mafia, and he has no info on Tatsukawa. Joongi Han enters and invites them to Stardust. Han offers to tell Kiryu what he knows of Tatsukawa in exchange for a fight, but Yuta fights in his stead after Kiryu refuses, causing him to step in and win. Han tells them Tatsukawa's residence, but when they arrive, they find Tatsukawa's rotting corpse. Kiryu, Yuta, and Nagumo meet with Akiyama to sneak into the Saio Triad's base for answers on Tatsukawa. Masuzoe arrives after Ed's defeat and reveals his loyalty to the Saio before being joined by the triad's leader, Big Lo. Lo orders his men to let them go and Kiryu is told to meet Lo alone in Shangri-La, but Yuta states he overheard them discussing a secret in Onomichi.
Someya joins Kiryu in meeting Lo, but is sent away after declaring his intention to kill Lo. Lo tells him that Tatsukawa is not Haruto's father, and Yuta calls saying Toru Hirose kidnapped Haruto. They immediately return to Hiroshima and head to Hirose's location, where Hirose reveals his involvement with Haruka's second disappearance as well as Haruto's father: Yuta Usami. Masuzoe walks in and reveals Yuta's heritage and that Haruto was marked for being half-Japanese. The Jingweon Mafia arrives for Haruto, and Kiryu fends them off while the Hirose Family try to keep Haruto away from them. At the Hirose Family office, Nagumo arrives, informing them of Haruto's abduction by the Jingweon, but Yuta is reluctant to go. Kiryu punches him out of the office's window, reprimanding him for being no different than his father in terms of abandoning their child because of concerns of their heritage. 
At the docks, Yuta arrives, having changed his mind and begging to join them, and Kiryu accepts his apology. On the way, Hirose reveals how heihaizi were being smuggled into Onomichi and Matsunaga suspects Minoru Daidoji is involved with the secret of Onomichi. Kiryu and the other Hirose Family members fight through the Jingweon members. Kiryu eventually defeats Han, who is killed by a hidden assassin after almost revealing the secret of Onomichi.
The next day, Kiryu and Yuta head to Kamurocho to meet with Lo and eliminating the danger posed to Haruto. Discovering Yuta snuck out while Kiryu was discussing events with Date, Kiryu heads to Little Asia and fights through a burning building and confronts Yuta at the top, telling him he will not allow him to sacrifice himself and let Haruto grow without a father. They leave with Lo in tow, who tells them Tsuneo had ordered Tatsukawa to take the child even though he recalled the order, and Hirose is pulling the strings behind the secret of Onomichi. Kiryu is handed a memory drive with the information on the secret on Onomichi before Lo leaves. Yuta asks to join Kiryu's investigation at Onomichi, but Kiryu tells him he needs to be with Haruka. When Yuta insists, Date handcuffs him and takes him to the hospital. 
Kiryu returns and convinces the Hirose members to help him investigate Hirose. They are led to a shipyard and split off to fight Yomei members, Kiryu and Tagashira arriving at an open space when Hirose confronts them. Tagashira heads deeper while Kiryu fights and beats Hirose, eventually revealing the secret of Onomichi: the Yamato Mark II. Heizo arrives and explains that, while not operational, it is evidence of Daidoji's crimes and was used as leverage against him. Hirose is unable to kill his foster children and Heizo shoots him before departing. Hirose reveals he took them in after killing their parents and states he hoped they would be the ones to kill him, before he passes. Kiryu is shaken by Hirose's similarity to his own foster father Shintaro Kazama.
The Hirose Family join Kiryu in heading to Kamurocho to deal with Tsuneo and Sugai, but Kiryu has them wait in Serena after he had learned from Yuta that Haruka had regained consciousness, and reunited with her for the first time in years in a teary reunion. To eliminate the danger posed to her and Haruto, Kiryu heads to the Millennium Tower along with Akiyama and the Hirose Family. He reaches the top alone, facing Someya who has seemingly betrayed him and finding that Sugai and Tsuneo are communicating by TV screen as they had already fled. After defeating Someya, Kiryu learns he turned because Kiyomi was held hostage. Tsuneo says he will spare her if Kiryu kills Someya, who stabs himself after Kiryu hesitates, but Tsuneo orders her shot anyway.
Everyone decides to split up and hide for the time being, but Kiryu and Nagumo decide to face their enemies alone and not involve the others. Kiryu defeats Koshimizu but is helpless as they reveal they had Haruka and Haruto taken hostage, but the remaining Hirose Family arrive in time to rescue them. Kiryu stands up and tells "Little Baby Iwami" he is about to understand the fight he picked. He defeats Tsuneo and refuses to show any mercy to him, but Tsuneo orders Sugai to shoot the hostages. Kiryu punches him unconscious and runs in front of Haruto, Haruka, and Yuta to take the bullets, protecting the three of them. Kiryu lays in Yuta's arms and tells him to protect his new family. Haruka begs him to not die, but he tells her with a smile to bring Yuta and Haruto happiness before he passes out.
In a hospital, he wakes up with an unnamed politician by his side and Date looking in from outside the room. The politician introduces himself as someone mentored by Daidoji and tells him of the uproar the Yamato Mark II's reveal has caused. He attempts to bribe Kiryu into silence, but Kiryu refuses. He leverages his position to make the politician accept his conditions: free Daigo from prison and forge his death certificate. Date barges in, attempting to dissuade him from this course of action as he will never see his loved ones again, but Kiryu, having accepted he will only bring danger to those around him, affirms his decision. Near the end of 2016, Kazuma Kiryu is officially declared dead.
In early 2017, Haruka has fully recovered and moved back to Okinawa with Yuta and Haruto, and Daigo is freed from prison, Kiryu having written him a letter to apologize for failing him as his father figure and telling him not to go to war with the Yomei Alliance. Daigo follows his wishes and approaches the Yomei with a pact of alliance. At Morning Glory Orphanage, Kiryu looks at his children one last time and, without being seen by anyone except Haruto, quietly walks away, assured that they will never be involved in his business again.
=== Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name: 2019-2020 ===
Kiryu, after faking his death, becomes the 100th disciple of the Daidoji Temple, an instituiton as old as the war and a front for the Daidoji Faction. He is assigned the codename "Joryu" by his superior Kihei Hanawa, who takes Kiryu's philosophies into consideration when giving him operations. Kiryu is often reminded by him that the Daidoji Faction funds Morning Glory now, and the lives of the children are in their hands to motivate him into working. In one of his missions, he is tasked with protecting of the granddaughter of Yutaka Ogikubo, a high-ranking Daidoji officer. They are harassed by some thugs but Kiryu quickly takes care of them.
The Daidoji Faction is then tasked by the American CIA with guarding a gold shipment through Yokohama to help fund a forgein revolutionary resistence group, and both Hanawa and Kiryu go to the docks. This turns out to be a trap, as the truck carrying the gold is filled with violent masked men. A man in a hannya mask seems to be leading them. They attempt to kidnap Hanawa, but Kiryu prevents them from doing it, though at the great cost of one of them discovering his identity. The masked men flee and the Daidoji start investigating who they were.
Their first suspects are the Seiryu Clan of Isezaki Ijincho, but once Kiryu goes there he doesn't find any incriminating evidence. In fact, he is ambushed by some of them due to someone tipping them about his presence. Kiryu then leads that third party to a nearby parking lot, and they turn out to be the Omi Alliance's Watase Family, being led by their captain Yuki Tsuruno, who reveals that the trap at the docks was meant to get Kiryu out of hiding. Kiryu makes quick work of them and Hanawa takes Tsuruno back to the Temple for an interrogation. However, their car is hit by the same man in hannya mask, who turns out to be Kosei Shishido, lieutenant of the Watase Family. They take Hanawa and Tsuruno tells Kiryu to meet him later in a Survive Bar in Ijincho.
Once Watase is released from prison, Kiryu, Tsuruno and Shishido, and Watase Family men go to a construction site to welcome him back. However, Shishido records their conversation and threatens to spread the video to other Omi members, which would cause a massive outrage. A truck invades the site and inside it are Kijin Clan men and Nishitani, who is still alive and allied himself with Shishido so they could take the Omi Alliance for themselves. After an arduous battle, Nishitani attacks Watase, stabbing him in the stomach, but is knocked out by him, while Shishido falls into a hole. Akame and Hanawa arrive, and Akame treats Kiryu to a new suit, and gives Watase a makeover so he could look more respectable during the announcement.
Hanawa takes Kiryu, Tsuruno and Watase to the Omi Headquarters. Once the announcement of the dissolution is made, a massive outrage ensues, and an Omi member tries to stab Watase once more. Kiryu then jumps into action, much to everyone's surprise. When Daigo questions how Watase managed to find Kiryu, he shrugs it off by saying Kiryu is nothing more than "a bodyguard he hired." Kiryu's presence rallies Ichiban Kasuga and his party, allowing them to successfully fend off the remaining officers. 
As Kiryu leaves with his former allies, they find Shishido has joined them out in the courtyard hoping to resume his coup. Despite the others wanting to fight him, Kiryu tells everyone to let him continue so that Shishido can learn things the hard way by being beaten in battle later. While Daigo, Majima, and Saejima fight the Omi officers out in the courtyard, Kiryu follows Shishido inside HQ where they brawl, ending in Shishido's defeat.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon: Sometime after Shishido's defeat, Kiryu tracks down Kasuga in Ijincho to deliver information from the Daidoji of Ryo Aoki's plans, but being forced to stop an emotionally-conflicted Kasuga from killing a helpless man causes him to challenge Kasuga as a test. 
Though Kiryu effortlessly emerges the victor, he acknowledges Kasuga's party and brings them to see Seonhee, whom Kiryu requested to look into an assassin sent by Aoki to kill Jo Sawashiro. Kiryu turns down Kasuga's offer to join him, stating that being any more involved than he already has been would breach an agreement that allowed him to disappear for the sake of his loved ones. He leaves after telling Kasuga that he will become "the real deal" someday as long as he continues trusting his friends.
After Kasuga and company defeat Shin Amon at the top of the Millennium Tower, Kiryu appears and expresses confidence in Kasuga's potential as a new rising dragon, hoping that he will live an honest life.
In 2020, as a reward for his efforts resulting in the Daidoji Faction's increased power, Kiryu is shown a video by Hanawa of the Morning Glory residents visiting his grave, in which Ayako and Taichi notice the secret camera and tell him no one at the orphanage believes he is dead, and speculate he cannot see them, in addition to updating him on everyone's livelihoods, driving him to tears. He is then given forged identification by Hanawa for his vacation, learning in the process that Hanawa had deliberately chosen to assign him the fake name "Taichi Suzuki" due to having met him in the past under that very alias.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth: At an unspecified point in the year, Kiryu starts working as a volunteer in a radioactive waste disposal facility. An accident causes him to get exposed to low level radiation, and he is later diagnosed with cancer, though the radiation was not determined to be the sole cause.
=== Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth: 2023 ===
Kiryu takes on a mission by the Daidoji to find Akane Kishida in Hawaii, though his cancer has progressed to where he has only half a year to live. He uses this opportunity to leave Yumi's ring in Nanala Hill Memorial Church. Speaking to his informant in Honolulu, he learns Ichiban Kasuga has been arrested for indecent exposure and travels to free him. Kasuga tells that he was also in Hawaii looking for Akane, his birth mother, but was knocked out and left naked in the beach by her maid Chitose Fujinomiya, and had all of his belongings stolen. They head to Akane's last known location, her house. However, they are ambushed by Yutaka Yamai, a local Japanese-American yakuza, leader of the Yamai Syndicate. Fortunately, one of Yamai's subordinates, Eric Tomizawa, joins the two to fight back against Yamai's goons and they are able to flee, though Yamai realizes that Kazuma Kiryu is still alive.
The three decide to spend the night in Kiryu's hotel. On the way there, Kiryu has his wallet stolen by a pickpocket, but quickly gets it back. In their room, Tomizawa reveals that a man named Jeff may have bought Kasuga's passport from Chitose. While Kiryu wants to get it back as soon as possible, Tomizawa says it's not safe to leave due to the Barracuda mafia taking their weekly stroll through Honolulu. They watch that same pickpocket try to rob one of the Barracudas and get brutally murdered by them.
== Other Media ==
=== Yakuza: Dead Souls: 2011 ===
In Kiryu's chapter, he is first seen walking towards a small rally in front of a bordering wall between the safe zone and quarantine zone. After a futile attempt at calling Haruka, two dump trucks charged past him at high speed and crashed into the wall, much to the anger of one of the riot police. He then walks past the damaged wall to the quarantine zone and finds himself a small mob of zombies and proceeds to fight them bare-handed. After defeating them, Kiryu instantly remembers Haruka's words that Kamurocho is falling apart.
The next scene shifts to Okinawa, where Kiryu receives a letter which states that the headmaster of the school that Haruka attends is retiring and invites Haruka to her farewell party. Haruka heads for Tokyo to attend the invitation.
Returning to the zombie outbreak, Kiryu was surprised that the zombies were still pretty much alive after trying hard to fend them off. Not so long after, a female SDF soldier named Asagi took Kiryu to a safe spot at the Underground Mall, where she said that she was surprised to see Kiryu survived without a gun. She offered him a handgun, which Kiryu declined. Kiryu told her that he was looking for Haruka, and the soldier told Kiryu to investigate Kamurocho Hills, where a group of people was holed up and set a barricade. A short while later, a gunshot sound was heard and Kiryu promptly followed her to the underground car park complex to locate a civilian, who turned out to be Tomoaki Nagahama, who went to Kamurocho to look for Kiryu. Unfortunately, both were too late, and Nagahama turned into a zombie shortly after succumbing to his injury. Asagi initially tried to shoot the zombified Nagahama, but Kiryu prevented her from doing so and decided to fight him bare-handed with futile results. After knocking down the zombified Nagahama, Asagi pulled her gun again, but Kiryu stopped her and took her gun and performed what appeared to be a mercy kill upon Nagahama before heading to Kamurocho Hills.
After exiting the basement car park, Hasegawa met Kiryu and told him a few things, namely the zombie outbreak and an arms dealer named Kamiyama. After meeting him, Kiryu received a message about a back door at Pink Street and the recently quarantined establishments.
Having been equipped with weapons from Kamiyama, Kiryu and Asagi now made their way to Kamurocho Hills. Inside, Asagi realized that the place was swarming with zombies, but Kiyu suggested going inside to see what was what. After reaching the supermarket on the 2nd floor, Asagi and Kiryu encountered a zombified Hiroshi Hayashi. Much to Asagi's fear, there were also zombified SDF soldiers along with the zombified Hayashi. Asagi felt saddened after defeating the zombified SDF soldiers. Kiryu tried to approach her, but was interrupted by a suspicious noise that turned out to be Majima.
Outside the tower, Kiryu and Majima had a short talk, where Kiryu revealed that the invitation was fake and only meant to lure Kiryu out and that Haruka is kidnapped at the moment. Majima told Kiryu that a man named Nikaido of the Omi Alliance took Haruka and caused the zombie outbreak in Kamurocho. A little while later, Asagi bid farewell to Kiryu and asked about the survivors. Majima told her that the survivors are evacuated to Purgatory and that Haruka might be there as well. Later on, Kiryu and Asagi made it into the Purgatory, where Kiryu met Akiyama, where Akiyama told about a man named Nikaido and that The Florist has a new lead about the zombie outbreak, which is a Japanese-American man who goes under the alias of DD and a popular figure in the arms trading business. He explained that DD is busy weaponizing a certain bacteria that he recently found and that the Omi Alliance is on revenge against Tojo in general and Kiryu in particular. However, during the reveal, one of the Florist's goons spotted zombies coming from the sewers. Kiryu and Akiyama managed to fend off the zombies while the Florist secured the Purgatory's inhabitants and headed for the sewer's exit with Asagi. Outside, the exit led them to a public park, where the three encountered a gargoyle-like prototype. After defeating the prototype, Daigo encountered Kiryu and told him about a master gunsmith in Kamurocho, located in Kurogane Building on Senryo Avenue. Along the way, they found an APC and used it to their advantage.
Inside the building, Kiryu met Ryuji Goda, who told Asagi that it was Kiryu who caused Ryuji to have a prosthetic arm. A short while later, the Florist phoned Kiryu, telling that Nikaido's hiding in the penthouse in Millennium Tower, along with Haruka and DD. After the phone call, the gunsmith gave Kiryu a heavy rifle and proceeded to Millennium Tower with Ryuji.
At the tower, they faced zombie Hayashi. After defeating him, Kiryu was surprised that Hayashi still recognized him even when zombified. The scene cuts to a flashback where Hayashi got shot by Nikaido and received the mutagen from DD.
At the penthouse, Ryuji and Kiryu faced Nikaido and prompted him to release Haruka, which he did. However, when Haruka was running towards Kiryu, two mutants approached both Kiryu and Goda, forcing both men to fight both mutants. After defeating the mutants, Nikaido admitted defeat and was about to be killed by Ryuji, but then DD turned and infected him with the mutagen, turning him into a mutant and forcing Kiryu and Ryuji to fight him. Initially, the fight went well, with Nikaido showing signs of defeat, but then the mutagen evolved, causing him to transform into a gigantic monster and destroying the penthouse in the process. In an attempt to save Haruka, Ryuji holds himself against the rubble while Kiryu proceeds to fight the mutated Nikaido once again. In the middle of the fight, Asagi aided Kiryu by dropping two crates to him, one containing a bunch of grenades while the other contained an anti-tank missile which killed Nikaido once and for all. As DD attempted to make his escape, it was revealed that Akiyama had commandeered his escape chopper as it was sent spiraling below with DD on it. With the crisis finally over, Kiryu sent Asagi off as she departed from Kamurocho.
== Fighting Styles ==
Kazuma Kiryu is an extremely powerful combatant, skilled in both unarmed and armed combat as a result of his experience from many years of street fighting. He is the most energy-efficient of all Yakuza protagonists, striking simply but in a brutal and effective manner.
=== Yakuza ===
A street fighter combining boxing punches, Karate kicks, judo throws and various other moves, Kazuma Kiryu is a force to be reckoned with. His moveset is as follows:
===== Combos =====
Kiryu's Rush Combo is a left jab, a right gut punch, a left Body Hook, and a high right roundhouse kick, though the final hit of the Rush Combo must be unlocked by getting Technique to level 3 to unlock "Kick Combo". Finishing blows include the "Down Blow" which is a right haymaker aimed diagonally downwards that knocks enemies onto the ground, the "Body Blow" which is a right hook to the body that may cause the enemy to hold their abdomen before falling which provides an opportunity for follow-up attacks or grabs before they hit the ground, "Uppercut" which is a right uppercut that will send the enemy airborne and may cause collateral damage with other enemies in the way, and a spinning left back kick which will launch enemies that is unlocked after getting Technique to level 3. Kiryu also has the Komaki School Reverse Strike (Komaki Roundhouse Attack), which turns the Down Blow into a left vertical backhand.
:Kiryu's back combo, where he aims behind him during the Rush Combo, thanks to the Komaki School, consist of the following: a left elbow strike, a right horizontal backhand, a right side kick, and a left spin kick.
===== Basic attacks =====
The heavy attack button makes Kiryu perform a right push kick, and holding it has him charge forward and deliver the same kick. His running attack is a dropkick, and he can use the Komaki School Dodge Attack (Komaki Evade and Strike), which consists of a right uppercut, a left uppercut, a left elbow bash and a left push kick. His downed attack is a forceful stomp.
:Kiryu's back attack is a left side kick.
===== Grab attacks =====
From a grab, Kiryu can perform a combo with the light attack button consisting of two headbutts before holding the enemy in place for a full-force headbutt that launches them, a headbutt, right knee and right haymaker combo that will also launch the enemy (or Heat Hold Kick which is a left side kick that is used by holding the heavy attack button with an enemy grabbed while in Heat mode after leveling up Technique to level 8), and use the grab button to do an Ippon seoi nage that will deal damage to other enemies in the way.
Kiryu can also pick up an enemy on the ground and swing them around before throwing them away.
===== Blocking, dodging and reversals =====
If Kiryu is being attacked as he blocks, he can use the Komaki School Parry (Komaki Knockback) to retaliate using a left backfist. If hit, he can use Komaki School Ukemi (Komaki Cat-Like Reflexes) to immediately get back up. When down, he can get back up and deliver a sweeping reverse roundhouse kick.
===== Counterattacks =====
Kiryu can counterattack using the Komaki School Counter Attack (Komaki Tiger Drop), an extremely powerful right cross to the enemy's midsection that deals massive damage and sends them flying back. He can also use the Komaki Ukeganashi (Komaki Parry), where he catches an approaching enemy with his knee and elbows, stunning them. 
===== Heat Actions =====
=== Yakuza 2 ===
Kiryu retains his Yakuza moveset, but gains many new moves and Heat Actions. Some of these improvements are added to Yakuza 1 HD.
===== Combos =====
The same as Yakuza, but Kiryu now has access to Hammer Hook after his 3rd Finishing Blow, which is the precursor to Double Finishing Blow in later games. He also gains Finishing Hold, which he can use after successfully landing a Finishing Blow. The Finishing Holds he can perform include grabbing the enemy by their leg and swinging them overhead, putting the enemy on his shoulders and breaking their back before tossing them forward, and grabbing both legs and swinging them around before throwing them. These only work from the 1st to 3rd Finishing Blows.
===== Basic attacks =====
The same as Yakuza, with a new technique: Lotus Flare Fist, unleashed by holding the heavy attack button for even longer than a Charge Kick. This technique can instantly break enemy guard.
===== Grab attacks =====
The same as Yakuza.
===== Blocking, dodging and reversals =====
The same as Yakuza, although after training with Granny White, Kiryu can also guard blunt weapon attacks and even bladed weapons if he holds his guard. 
===== Counterattacks =====
The same as Yakuza.
===== Heat Actions =====
Kiryu's Ultimate Essence in this game is a powerful face slap that instantly defeats any enemy it is used upon, regardless of how many health bars the enemy has. This right handed slap attack hits so hard that they rebound off of the ground and spin twice in the air. Unique to Yakuza 2 is the ability to eventually use Heat Actions without a full heat bar, once all 96 Heat Actions are performed.
=== Yakuza 3 ===
Kiryu retains his moveset, though the animations have been made smoother due to Yakuza 3 running on an engine more advanced than Yakuza and Yakuza 2's engine. He also gains many new moves.
===== Combos =====
The same as Yakuza and Yakuza 2, but Double Finishing Blows are in full effect now: they consist of a left uppercut, a right knee, the Hammer Hook from Yakuza 2, and a right wheel kick respectively. Kiryu also gains a new Finishing Hold, now called Bounding Throw, which is a powerbomb after the 4th Finishing Blow.
Kiryu also has the ability to hold his position after the first Finishing Blow of a combo to gain Heat.
===== Basic attacks =====
The same as Yakuza and Yakuza 2, although Lotus Flare Fist is now Lotus Palm Strike, having a different animation but unleashed in the same way.
===== Grab attacks =====
The same as before, though Kiryu can no longer grab and swing a downed enemy. Instead, pressing grab near a downed enemy's head has him lift them back up onto their legs, and pressing grab near a downed enemy's legs has him grab their legs, from where he can kick the enemy away or throw them overhead.
===== Blocking, dodging and reversals =====
Kiryu gains Dharma Tumbler, a roll performed after a quickstep, Breakfall Strike, an immediate roll back followed by him rushing to the opponent to punch them, and Kawauchi Release Throw, a grab reversal throw. Everything else is the same.
===== Counterattacks =====
As before, Kiryu can use Komaki Tiger Drop and Komaki Parry, though the former no longer has invincibility frames and the latter stuns the enemy for longer.
===== Heat Actions =====
New to the main series are Revelations, Heat Actions that are obtained via various overworld events. Essence of Jumping allows Kiryu to attack enemies by vaulting over rails; Essence of Hurling reverses enemy throws upon being grabbed; Essence of Pole Dancing damages enemies once Kiryu is drunk and running; Essence of Rolling has Kiryu headbutting the enemy while rolling forward; Essence of Self-Destruction allows Kiryu to use an enemy's weapon against them; Essence of Reversal allows Kiryu to attack enemies while downed; Essence of Terror can take down multiple enemies with incredible speed; and Essence of Drunken Thrust has Kiryu do a massive shoulder thrust while Kiryu is drunk and standing still.
Kiryu also gains access to Super Finishers. His starting Super Finisher is Head Press, in which he knees a kneeling enemy in the head to get them to their feet before dealing a savage headbutt. The other Super Finishers are gained via Revelations. Knock Down has him grab an enemy by the chest and midsection, toss them into the air, and utilize a standing dropkick to launch the enemy into a maximum of 2 additional enemies. For Hell's Gauntlet, Kiryu gets behind an enemy and suplexes them into the ground, twists their body to put them into an armbar, lands a triangle choke, uses a neckbreaker slam, and a guillotine choke before landing a right cross to the face. This particular Super Finisher has heavy Brazilian Jiu-jitsu influence.
Also new is Climax Heat, a red Heat gauge extending beyond the standard Heat gauge. Only in Red Heat, Kiryu can perfom Essence of Dragon King, an extremely powerful flying right overhead kick.
=== Yakuza 4 ===
Kiryu plays exactly the same as he did in Yakuza 3, although his voice lines have been replaced by Kiryu Kazumanosuke's voice lines from Ryu Ga Gotoku Kenzan!.
When Kiryu's arc begins, he will have some of his abilities from Yakuza 3 already unlocked. The rest have to be unlocked with Soul Points. Although Kiryu still has Red Heat, he cannot upgrade to a third Red Heat bar. 
His Revelations include Essence of Merciless Throwing, which has Kiryu suplex the enemy twice, and Essence of Taunting, which involves him attacking while taunting. Super Finishers have been replaced by unique Essence of Counterattack animations specific to boss fights. 
=== Yakuza 5 ===
Kiryu has the same moveset as before, albeit with smoother animations.
===== Combos =====
The same as before, though Finishing Blows can now hit downed enemies and Bounding Throws now fill Kiryu's Heat bar instead of draining it. Thanks to these, Bounding Throws can be looped for very long amounts of time.
However, in Dragon Spirit mode (activated by taunting while at least one Heat bar is filled), Kiryu's moveset changes drastically: His Rush Combo becomes a continuous series of furious punches and kicks, and his only finishers are a superman punch and a front kick, after which if he fully connected each hit, can lead into Essence of the Dragon, a Heat Action that has Kiryu grab one enemy and drag them into other enemies one by one before finally throwing them away. When he is far from an enemy, he can instantly travel to them to continue the combo. He is also invulnerable while in this state.
===== Basic attacks =====
Kiryu's basic attacks have been changed. His heavy attack remains the same right push kick, but he can no longer charge it. His running attack is now a dropsault, where he flips backwards if the dropkick connects, and his downed attack is now a quick stomp. His quickstep attacks remain the same.
In Dragon Spirit mode, his heavy attack becomes a flying right roundhouse kick followed by a left reverse roundhouse kick. It is also his running attack.
He also has 3 weapon specials: with a trash can, he can kick an enemy and slam them into the can; with a portable burner, he can burn an enemy's face; and with pliers, he can twist an enemy's nose.
====== Grab attacks ======
The same as before, though Kiryu now has the ability to shift an enemy grabbed from forward to a backwards hold.
In Dragon Spirit mode, his grab attack makes him throw enemies with one hand by hooking himself onto them with his right elbow.
===== Blocking, dodging and reversals =====
Kiryu and the other characters gain a new recovery method called "Asura Spirit", which recovers a small amount of health when it is critically low. This is performed by pressing the movement and Camera Reset buttons at the same time. Everything else is the same as before.
===== Counterattacks =====
The same as before, but Komaki Tiger Drop grants invincibility frames again.
===== Heat Actions =====
Climax Heat Actions replace Red Heat to a certain extent. As Kiryu does more Heat Actions, his Climax Meter builds up, and when it is full, one of three Climax Heat Actions are available to him anytime the player holds the Combat Stance button and presses Strong Attack. These are also accompanied by QTEs which allow the Climax Heat Action to do more damage. The first and default Climax Heat Action is Komaki Dragon King Essence (which, due to this mechanic, no longer needs to be done after a Komaki Parry stun). The rest are learned from training with Sosuke Komaki, Sotaro Komaki's grandson; the Essence of Drunken Thrust will only occur when Kiryu is drunk, and Ultimate Essence, returning from Yakuza 2 (albeit with a different animation), can only be done when Kiryu's health is low; Kiryu stands still for a few seconds as the camera pans around him, and then rushes forward and punches the opponent's stomach. His one Revelation is Essence of Door Slamming, which allows Kiryu to use car doors as weapons.
New to the series moving forward is Heat Suppression, which is done by holding the Camera Reset button; Kiryu will not do any Heat Actions while it is being held, which makes conserving Heat much easier.
===== Special attacks =====
The aforementioned Dragon Spirit mode.
=== Yakuza 0 ===
Kiryu's ability to switch between different fighting styles makes a return from Ryu Ga Gotoku Kenzan! in a first for the main series. Mirroring Majima, he has four styles available to him: a default balanced style effective in most, if not all situations; a style focused on speed to hit enemies quickly while dodging just as fast; a style focused on power that relies on slow but immensely strong attacks and increases resistance to enemy attacks; and a secret, legendary style that serves as Kiryu's main fighting style for the rest of the series.
==== Brawler ====
:Brawler (, Chinpira, "Two-Bit Thug") is Kiryu's main style throughout Yakuza 0, a basic style relying on simple brawling, hence the name. Fighting is somewhat flashy in execution and slow, especially in comparison to Majima, but it is quite powerful. Many attacks in Brawler style have a wrestling-like quality to them, which combined with his basic street brawling, complete the style with simple yet effective moves. Brawler is at its core, a dynamic, jack-of-all-trades fighting style. It does not punish new players, while still rewarding skilled usage. It has a simple, yet versatile moveset, though some techniques are similar to those found in Judo and Professional Wrestling.
:Brawler style emits a blue aura. Kiryu's taunt in this style has him drop his right hand and make a beckoning sign with his left hand and take a small step forward while mocking his opponent. This style, from the progression of its combos, to its stance, can be viewed as an unrefined version of Kiryu's Dragon style. Compared to Dragon style, Kiryu's stance is more hunched over and his right fist stays near his chin while strafing instead of dropping down near his waist like his left fist.
===== Combos =====
:His Rush Combo in this style is a right hook, a left hook, a right uppercut, and a left kick. Finishing blows include a left slap, a right gut punch, a right backfist, and a right haymaker. With his abilities, he also gets access to a double finishing blow for his fourth finishing blow that has a right flip kick following the right haymaker, and a finishing hold after the third finishing blow.
:Kiryu's back combo consist of the following: For the first two, he steps back and thrusts forward his right elbow. The third has his use his left fist for an upward backhand. The fourth uses a left push kick.
===== Basic attacks =====
:Kiryu's heavy attack in this style is a right front kick that can combo into a left hook and a flying right kick when he is in 2nd or 3rd gear. Holding the heavy attack button will result in Kiryu doing a flying right knee, and locking onto an enemy while pressing the heavy attack button will make Kiryu do a push kick. His running attacks are a right haymaker and a double leg dropkick, and his downed attack is a forceful stomp. His quickstep attacks are a flying knee, a right haymaker, a left double hammerfist and a right double hammerfist.
:His back attack is a left side kick.
===== Grab attacks =====
:From a grab, Kiryu can either punch the enemy thrice and end with a headbutt, haymaker his opponent with his right fist, or reap their legs with his right leg while using his right hand to slam their head into the ground. 
===== Blocking, dodging and reversals =====
:Kiryu can quickstep once in this style. If hit, he can retaliate with Resolute Counter, which can be either a left haymaker (light attack), a headbutt (heavy attack) or a grab (grab button). The light attack and heavy attack counter can be charged up to knock down opponents after unlocking Extra Resolute Counter. If grabbed by an enemy, he can get rid of them by elbowing their head and throwing them aside. If hit while blocking, he can retaliate with a right haymaker.
===== Counterattacks =====
:Brawler style has one counterattack: Counter Hook (), unleashed from a neutral position.
===== Heat Actions =====
:For unique Heat Actions, it has a knee breaker followed by a high kick to the head, an unorthodox attack that has Kiryu get off the ground after being knocked down, then charging the enemy, jumping onto them and using the momentum to deliver a savage headbutt and a face twist followed by a stomp. Kiryu can also unleash a powerful superman punch with a running start that is unleashed after the backfist Finishing Blow. This attack in particular emphasizes Kiryu's lack of refinement, as he puts so much effort into the punch that he flips and lands on his back before getting up to his feet. Brawler style emits a blue aura.
==== Rush ====
:Rush (, Rasshu) is the second fighting style that Kiryu learns in the game. It is a speed-oriented style that is inspired by kickboxing, shown by Kiryu's upright stance with a high guard put up. The Rush style is best known for its ability to stun enemies with Dempsey Roll-like bursts of relentless blows, as well as its emphasis on Kiryu's speed and footwork. His movement speed is greatly increased while using this style. All attacks in Rush style are performed at near-instant speeds, with even the slowest and most powerful blows still fast enough to hit enemies before they can put up their guard.
:Rush style emits a magenta aura. Kiryu's taunt in this style has him shadowbox in place while mocking his opponent.
===== Combos =====
:His Rush Combo is a left jab, a right cross, a left hook, a right gut punch, a left uppercut, a right semicircular kick, a left semicircular kick, and a jumping front kick. Finishing blows include a right hook during any of the rush combo hits that involve punching, and a left semicircular kick during the kicks of the Rush Combo. Both of these can be charged, with the hook becoming more powerful and showing the after-images of many fists punching and the semi-circular kick becoming a left roundhouse kick. The combo has the ability to stun enemies when they have been struck a set amount of times.
===== Basic attacks =====
:Kiryu's heavy attack in this style is a right uppercut, and holding the heavy attack button makes him do a charged punch. His running attack is also the same uppercut, and his quickstep attacks are 2 side kicks (sidewards dodge) and the uppercut (forward/backwards dodge). His downed attack is a quick kick. He also has a Feint Punch. 
===== Grab attacks =====
:Kiryu cannot grab in this style. In place of a grab, he has a quick jumping right kick. While Kiryu cannot pick up weapons while utilizing the Rush style, he can still use weapons from the inventory. 
===== Blocking, dodging and reversals =====
:Kiryu can quickstep thrice in this style. He does not block normally in this style; instead he weaves his upper body while staying in place. If his guard is broken, he can quickly weave away and guard again. If he is down, he can do a quick get-up that involves a tornado kick followed by a quick right punch, called Rising Tornado.
===== Counterattacks =====
:This style has no counterattacks, but it does have the Counter Quickstep (), where Kiryu parries enemy attacks in a manner similar to Masayoshi Tanimura's parry in Yakuza 4, turning their momentum against them in order to get behind them. 
===== Heat Actions =====
:For unique Heat Actions, it has Kiryu juke the enemy into punching a wall behind him, then follow up with smashing their face on the wall and kicking their leg spectacularly, intercept an enemy's incoming uppercut with his elbow, then deliver an uppercut of his own, uppercut an enemy in the stomach with brass knuckles, to launch them upwards then deliver another stomach blow and finish off with an overhead punch that slams the enemy into the ground, stomping on an enemy's face who is lying on their back, a quick kick to the face to launch an enemy lying on their front flying, a relentless barrage of feint punches on a cowering enemy that finishes off with a kick, identical to the combo Kamoji uses on Bruno when he is first introduced to Kiryu, a devastating punch to the stomach that sends an enemy flying, often times hitting two other enemies, and finally, intercepting incoming sword attacks with punches cased in brass knuckles, followed by a incredibly fast barrage that lives up to the style's name, and finishing with a double overhand punch.
==== Beast ====
:Beast (, Kowashiya, lit. "Destroyer" or "Demolitionist") is the third fighting style that Kiryu learns in the game. It is a powerful style that focuses on brute strength and use of immensely heavy weapons such as motorbikes, shown by Kiryu's grounded stance with legs far apart to fortify his balance, and open-handed claw-like hands hinting at his focus on grappling. This style is mainly inspired by the striking aspects of Professional Wrestling. Slow but powerful, Kiryu emphasizes his incredible tenacity and capacity to take hits. This style represents Kiryu using the full force of his impressive musculature, being able to pick up objects no normal human could realistically lift such as motorcycles, as well as throwing around full-grown men with only one arm.
:Beast style emits a yellow aura. Kiryu's taunt in this style will have him spread both his arms wide with his fingers bent similarly to claws and his body crouched down and shouting. This taunt has a hitbox, similar to Slugger style's taunt. Taunting in Beast style can have Kiryu restore his health at the cost of Heat, provided the required ability is acquired.
===== Combos =====
:His Rush Combo is a right hook, a left hook and a right haymaker. Finishers include a dropkick, a running right lariat and a left shoulder bash. Each attack of the combo can be individually charged for maximum damage and range, making Kiryu the only character in the series who can do combos of entirely charged attacks. Pressing and holding light attack near weapons and objects strewn around the environment will make Kiryu instantly pick them up and attack with that weapon with wide and wild swings; he can immediately start a combo from this, or transition from a normal combo into it.
===== Basic attacks =====
:Kiryu's heavy attack in this style is a right shoulder bash, and holding the heavy attack button makes Kiryu charge forward and shoulder-tackle all in his way. His downed attack is a powerful stomp. From a dodge roll, he can grab an enemy and throw them overhead. He does not have any running attacks in this style. 
===== Grab Attacks =====
:Kiryu has 3 follow-ups from a grab in this style: pressing light attack will make him violently headbutt the enemy, pressing heavy attack will make him slam the enemy's head down and pressing grab will make him throw the enemy overhead. 
===== Blocking, dodging and reversals =====
:As this style emphasizes Kiryu's raw strength over speed, Beast style's dodge roll is slow; Kiryu is liable to get hit if dodges are incorrectly timed. If he dodges forward, then grabs the opponent, he will perform Cyclone Sling, where he lifts them up by the collar and crotch before sending them flying with a spectacular throw.
Blocking, however, is unique among styles; referred to as "Resist Guard", rather than negating damage completely, damage taken is simply reduced instead; this reduction can be upgraded even further with abilities. He also does not flinch or get knocked down and can gain Heat while under attack. If hit, he can retaliate with Clothesline Bash (a double-arm lariat, light attack) or Crushing Hammer (a jumping hammerfist, heavy attack), a move reused from Aizawa.
:He also has two special abilities associated with blocking: 
:- Guarded Charge, where he crosses his arms in front of his face and charges into his opponents, and
:- Guarded Weapon Charge, where he holds a large weapon in front of his face and charges into his opponents. Both are done by holding the guard button and running.
===== Counterattacks =====
:Kiryu has one counterattack in this style, unleashed while taking damage under Resist Guard: pressing grab makes him lift and hug the enemy with such force their back breaks. There is also a variant of this, where pressing heavy attack while not taking damage makes Kiryu run forward and death-hug an opponent.
===== Heat Actions =====
:Heat Actions unique to this style include: Saejima's Essence of Blitzing, renamed to Essence of Overrun (), Saejima's Essence of Braining, renamed to Essence of Piledriver (), Saejima's Essence of Super Heavy Weapons, Sakamoto Ryoma's Heat Action where he swings an enemy through a group of other enemies (with the first two punches omitted), renamed Essence of Entagle (), Shinada's wall throw Heat Actions, and Essence of Torment (), a Heat Action where he breaks an opponent's shoulders and throws them over his head, identical to what Miss Tatsu does in her introductory cutscene.
==== Dragon/Legend ====
:The final, optional fighting style that Kiryu unlocks after finishing Real Estate Royale. "Dragon of Dojima", shortened to "Dragon" and "Legend", this fighting style is what Kiryu eventually adopts in titles that take place chronologically later than Yakuza 0 (and unlike with Majima's Mad Dog style in this game, actually has the majority of Kiryu's old moves). It is a powerful combination of punches from boxing, kicks from Karate, throws from Judo and grappling from professional wrestling, with a simple fighting stance deceiving the massive power and impressive speed that few like Kiryu can possess to execute the style effectively. Many moves that he would normally learn from Komaki are replaced with new moves.
:Dragon style emits a white aura (only in this game). Kiryu's taunt in this style has him beckon his opponent with his left arm. Compared to Brawler style's stance, his posture is straighter and his right fist goes down like his left while strafing instead of staying near his chin. A unique passive ability for this style is "Yinglong's Light" (), which allows certain upgrades and abilities from Kiryu's three other styles to be applied to Dragon, such as healing a small amount of health for each Heat Action he performs and being increasingly more powerful in low health, high Heat level, and/or high drunk status.
===== Combos =====
:Like in his later incarnations, his Rush Combo is a jab, a right gut punch, a left hook, and a right kick. His Double Finishers include a powerful right hook and left uppercut, a right hook followed by a right knee, a right uppercut followed by a downward double hammerfist, and a spinning left back kick followed by a right wheel kick. The same Bounding Throws return from previous games; however, they now use up a small amount of Heat again.
===== Basic attacks =====
:Kiryu's heavy attack in this style is the same front kick. While running, he can perform his Yakuza 5 dropsault and flip from the enemy and land on his feet if the dropkick lands. His quickstep attacks are his old quickstep attacks; a left uppercut, a right uppercut, a left elbow bash and a left push kick. His downed attack is the same stomp.
===== Grab attacks =====
:From a grab, pressing the heavy attack button will cause Kiryu to use a left side kick that may launch the enemy into other enemies or cause them to rebound off of a wall, pressing the light attack button will result in a three-punch combo, and pressing the grab button will cause him to use an Ippon seoi nage that can hit nearby enemies. He can grab enemies by their legs when they are on the ground and use the heavy attack button to kick them or the grab button again to slam them overhead onto the ground and possibly into other enemies, or force grounded enemies to their feet by grabbing them by their shoulders.
===== Blocking, dodging and reversals =====
:Kiryu can quickstep once in this style. The Komaki Knockback where Kiryu counterattacks with a left backfist after a successful block is replaced with a powerful flying knee attack named "Knockback Counter", which greatly resembles K' s Knee Assault from King of Fighters. He can also perform a sweeping kick while getting up from the ground in this style, if the light attack button is pressed while Kiryu is on the ground. 
===== Counterattacks =====
:The Komaki Tiger Drop is replaced with the "Iron Fist Counter" (), a move where Kiryu positions himself sidewards, crosses his arms and delivers a powerful punch with his right arm from under his left arm. The Komaki Parry where Kiryu knees the enemy's stomach is, instead, replaced by a reversal grab named "Twist Counter" where Kiryu grabs his opponent's arm and violently kicks one leg out from under them.
===== Heat Actions =====
:Dragon style possesses some of the most utilitarian Heat Actions to Kiryu of all his fighting styles, borrowing key Heat Actions from the others as well as offering completely new ones reminiscent of those found in later games. This grants him attacks in many situations where the other styles do not, and coupled with its above-average ability to build Heat, allows Kiryu to not only inflict heavy damage in a short period of time but also to counter and reverse any disadvantaged state using his new Heat Actions, such as being grabbed or attacked from behind. Kiryu has his signature Ultimate Essence '88 (), which has him use a knife hand block on an opponent's punch before landing a right cross on their chest, followed by a quick jab and another right cross and grinding his enemy's head between his closed fists before jumping in the air and crushing their head on his knee. He can also quickly close the distance between an enemy and catch them off guard with an open handed right slap, launching them into the air. This is followed by a left slap, left backhand slap, and final left slap that leaves the enemy on the ground. When an enemy attempts to take Kiryu down, Kiryu can put them into a standing guillotine choke and lift them into the air before landing a powerbomb. When grabbed from behind, Kiryu can elbow the enemy in the face, break the enemy's right arm over his shoulder, and then slam them over his back. From a grab, Kiryu can transfer the momentum from swinging his leg into a powerful snap DDT throw. With an enemy grabbed from behind, Kiryu will slam them into a wall, hit a spinning backfist, and then perform a release suplex, slamming the enemy against the wall before throwing them. With a pole, Kiryu can hit the enemy in the face, bend their arm behind their back, knee them in the face, and use the tension from the twisted arm to launch them flying.
:
=== Yakuza Kiwami ===
In this remake of the first game, Kiryu's fighting style retains all of his moves from Yakuza 0. Beginning the game with all of his abilities intact, he unfortunately loses his powers during his 10-year prison sentence due to being out of practice. Upon his release, Kiryu is left with his most basic abilities in his Brawler, Rush, and Beast styles; he forgets everything he has learned in the Dragon of Dojima style, and cannot even perform the Rush Combo beyond the first two hits. This requires him to have to relearn all of his combat abilities over the course of the story.
Majima is the first to notice Kiryu's weakness during their first meeting since Kiryu's release, and decides to take it upon himself to restore him to his former glory. In Kiwami's Majima Everywhere system, Majima forces Kiryu to relearn his Dragon style abilities by attacking him at random intervals without warning, in a variety of situations. Though unorthodox, Kiryu's only means of recovering the Dragon style's lost strength is indeed through his constant battles with Majima.
New to Kiryu in his Dragon style is the ability to effectively wield weapons, learned from Komaki. Through proper training, Kiryu learns to use weapons such as swords, nunchaku, long poles, and batons with ease, much with the same level of technique that Majima does when wielding them in Yakuza 0. Eventually, Kiryu is even able to utilize knives during special Heat Actions in a manner not unlike Majima's own knife fighting. This in turn allows his Dragon style to surpass what it once was in Yakuza 0, and Dragon style's heat aura is now red instead of white like it was in Yakuza 0.
Furthermore, a new addition to this game are the Kiwami Finishers: moves that can be used against bosses, which can only be triggered by using the finisher of the style that matches the color of the boss' aura when they begin to regenerate health; For example, Kiryu needs to use "Essence of Extreme Brawler" () against enemies whose heat glows blue. Essence of Extreme Brawler begins with Kiryu grabbing his enemy's arm before delivering a backfist to their face with his right arm, grabbing his opponent's head before kneeing them in the face, and then delivering a double hammer fist to the opponent while they're stunned on their knees. Essence of Extreme Rush () starts with Kiryu ducking low before striking his opponent in the jaw with a forceful uppercut, launching them into the air, where he delivers a fierce flurry of punches to the opponent's midsection while they're in the air, ending with a right cross and finally knocking them away with one last punch. In Essence of Extreme Beast (), Kiryu grabs his opponent's face, delivering a savage headbutt to their head which leaves them dazed as they fall to their knees. He then takes advantage of this by planting his foot right on their face, and slamming them to the ground with his foot, leaving their face crushed under his heel. Essence of Extreme Dragon () is similar to Ultimate Essence '88, though it omits the first three punches and simply has Kiryu crush the opponent's head between his fists and jump in the air to spike their jaw on his knee.
Three more of Kiryu's unique abilities are Time for Resolve (), Time for Godspeed (), and Time for Destruction () which are all abilities that requires the user to be in Climax Heat Mode and exhausts the entire heat bar in exchange for a passive effect that persists in all styles for a short time. Time for Resolve can only be started in Brawler and prevents Kiryu from being knocked down, Time for Godspeed can only be started in Rush and massively increases the speed of Kiryu's attacks, and Time for Destruction can only be started in Beast and massively increases the damage of Kiryu's attacks.
Unlike in previous games, the Komaki Parry does not stun opponents for very long, and he does not have access to certain Heat Actions like Komaki Dragon King Essence.
=== Yakuza 6/Yakuza Kiwami 2 ===
Kiryu has changed his fighting style once more. This style is based almost exclusively on Kyokushin Karate, also featuring some wrestling throws and Krav Maga disarming techniques. 
Taunting is removed in Yakuza 6, instead putting Kiryu in Extreme Heat Mode if Kiryu has at least one Heat Orb filled (or a full Heat Gauge and completion of Feel the Heat! in Yakuza Kiwami 2), which replaces Dragon Spirit from Yakuza 5 and is deactivated the same way. However, Kiryu regains the ability to taunt in Yakuza Kiwami 2 by pressing down on the D-pad while not holding a weapon, and when upgraded fully after completing all Bouncer Missions, doing a taunt instantly fills his Heat Gauge completely. 
Kiryu actually takes more damage in Extreme Heat Mode instead of being immune to it, but he will survive any hit at the cost of remaining Heat. Kiryu is also less likely to flinch from attacks, including explosions, and when fully upgraded in Yakuza Kiwami 2, cannot flinch to any attacks.
===== Combos =====
The Rush Combo is a left jab, a right hook, a left gut punch, and a right cross. Finishers include: a right gut punch followed by a right superman punch (Body & Strike), two sweeping right kicks (Double Low), a right uppercut and a left roundhouse kick (Upper & High) and a right roundhouse kick followed by a right side kick (High & Side).
In Extreme Heat Mode, Kiryu has an infinite Rush Combo which transitions into a Heat Action once enough hits land. 
In Yakuza Kiwami 2 only, he can charge his light attacks, and can do up to three in succession with training from Granny White. If the 3rd hit connects while in Extreme Heat Mode, it will trigger the same Heat Action that triggers after Yakuza 6's infinite Rush Combo. His first two charged attacks are his Beast mode punches.
===== Basic attacks =====
Kiryu's heavy attack is his Dragon style heavy attack, and holding the heavy attack button has him do his old wheel kick from previous games in Yakuza 6 and a right leg dropkick in Yakuza Kiwami 2. His running attack is either a jumping side kick after a short distance or a left leg dropkick with a deceptively large hitbox after a longer distance in Yakuza 6, and a right side kick in Yakuza Kiwami 2. His charged heavy attack can also be unleashed while running, which becomes a triple flying kick similar to Shun Akiyama's running attack.
Kiryu also has an unused attack in Yakuza 6, an extremely rapid flurry of jabs ending in a right haymaker, similar to Kenshiro's Hokuto Hundred Fist Rush. It is unknown what command this attack would have been bound to.
===== Grab attacks =====
From a grab, Kiryu can punch the enemy thrice, deliver a single right haymaker or spin them around, hitting nearby enemies, before throwing the enemy. In Extreme Heat Mode, if the player is not holding the Camera Reset button, he will also automatically grab weapons like the Beast style from Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami, and can do this with any weapon, even large items such as motorcycles, although these break after a single hit.
===== Blocking, dodging and reversals =====
In Yakuza 6, Kiryu's only reversal is his get-up kick, but he also has the Komaki Knockback in Yakuza Kiwami 2. He also has access to Lotus Golden Wall, which allows him to block bullets and bladed weapons.
Kiryu has multiple unused guard reversals in Yakuza 6, including a right haymaker, a right hook and a left gut punch.
===== Counterattacks =====
As always, Kiryu can use the Tiger Drop, but with severely shortened timing. The original Komaki Parry has been replaced with a parry nearly identical to Tanimura's parry, performed in a similar manner as well.
===== Heat Actions =====
Many of the previous Heat Actions are available with new animations. If he is nearby certain allies when the fight starts, they will throw an item to Kiryu to help him, which, if the QTE was successful, immediately starts the fight with the according Heat Action. In Extreme Heat Mode, Kiryu gains an extra Heat Action for each individual Double Finisher, Quickstep Blow, and his heavy attacks, and some Heat Actions require either pressing heavy attack multiple times or QTE successes to increase damage. Yakuza Kiwami 2 allows access to Ultimate Essence '88 in this mode once it is unlocked and only while Kiryu is at full health.
=== Yakuza: Like a Dragon ===
Kiryu has 4 phases in his fight. He starts off by using his fighting style from Yakuza 6 and Yakuza Kiwami 2, then switches to the Rush style after losing a quarter of his health gauge. He switches to Beast style when he has half of his health gauge remaining, and finally switches to the Dragon of Dojima style when a quarter of his health remains; he must attack at least once before switching styles. Kiryu is weak to magic Ice attacks, and has a minor to extreme resistance to everything else. Each time he switches his fighting styles to a new phase, any negative status effects he has will be gone. If the party's Agility is too low, there is a chance that Kiryu will take 2 turns in a row instead of only 1. Kiryu will never attack any female party members unless they attack him while he is using Dragon's Gaze, and even then, he will deal no damage; however, he can still deal minor collateral damage to them if he knocks another party member into them.
*In his first phase, he uses his Yakuza 6/Yakuza Kiwami 2 moveset. His default attack is his heavy attack kick. His skills include Rush Combo, Body & Strike (), Double Low (), Upper & High (), and High & Side (). These moves are his Rush Combo, and his Double Finishers after his first, second, third, and fourth Rush Combo hit respectively.
*In his second phase with Rush Style, he gains a boost to his Evasion that will last until he enters his next phase. His default attack is his Feint Punch. His skills include Stun Combo (), which may inflict Stun if the fourth hit of the attack is not guarded against, and Uppercut (). These attacks are the first four hits of his Rush Combo and his Heavy Attack. Additionally, physical attacks that are not Heat Actions will be blocked by Kiryu, where he resists the damage and counterattacks with a Quickstep Strike, which may interrupt the attack. Attacks such as projectiles and bullets may also be completely dodged by him.
*In his third phase with Beast Style, he gains a buff to Defense until he changes phases. His default attack is the first two hits of his Rush Combo immediately followed by the left shoulder bash finisher, omitting the third punch of the Rush Combo. His skills include Beast Throw (), in which he picks up a barrel and swings it to attack, and roars after attacking. This is his Beast Style's heavy object throw.
*In his fourth phase with his Dragon of Dojima Style, he regains his buff to evasion. Physical attacks that are not Heat Actions may be blocked, resulting in less damage being inflicted and being attacked with a Komaki Tiger Drop, Komaki Parry, or Komaki Knockback. His default attack is his front kick heavy attack. His skills include Rush Combo, all four hits of his Dragon of Dojima style Rush Combo, and Dragon's Gaze (), which will result in him countering every non-Heat Action attack with a Komaki Tiger Drop, Komaki Parry, or Komaki Knockback, dealing extremely high damage. Dragon's Gaze will end upon his next turn. When using the Dragon of Dojima style, Kiryu can also Tiger Drop without warning as a counter when being attacked by ordinary physical attacks.
Once Chapter 14 is complete, Kiryu can be summoned by Ichiban Kasuga via the Poundmates system, using Essence of the Dragon God. This attack consists of hitting Kasuga's enemies with an uppercut, a Tiger Drop, a high roundhouse kick, and Komaki Dragon King Essence. Essence of the Dragon God targets all enemies and has a small chance to instantly KO them. The Kiryu Thought Entity summoned by Shin Amon can also use this attack against Kasuga's party once enough damage is dealt to it, which is the only way for it to directly hit female party members.
===Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name ===
Kiryu has 2 styles in this game: Yakuza and Agent.
====Yakuza====
Yakuza (, Ōryū) is described as the final form of Kiryu's signature style. It now sports triple finishers and a new red aura.
However, the way the style plays is different to Yakuza 6/Yakuza Kiwami 2: it is more of a mix of Brawler and Dragon usage-wise, than it is a straightforward port of Kiryu's Dragon Engine moveset, since it is very slow.
Kiryu has also regained his Yakuza 6 haymaker rush Heat combo.
=====Combos=====
Exactly the same as Yakuza 6 and Yakuza Kiwami 2, with added third finishers: a left reverse roundhouse kick (after 1st combo ender), a sliding right roundhouse kick (after 2nd combo ender), a flying right tornado kick (after 3rd combo ender), and Kiryu's iconic high right kick from the cover of the original Yakuza (after 4th combo ender).
He can charge individual finishers independently of each other.
He can also charge the light attack and do his Beast style Rush Combo, like in Yakuza Kiwami 2. However, he also has a new third charge attack.
=====Basic attacks=====
Kiryu's heavy attack is, again, his Dragon style heavy attack, and his charge attack is his Yakuza Kiwami 2 right leg dropkick. He retains his Yakuza Kiwami 2 right running kick but also gains a new left haymaker running attack for the light attack button. 
=====Grab attacks=====
His light attack combo and heavy attack are exactly the same as in Yakuza 6 and Yakuza Kiwami 2. However, the grab button now has him do his 0 Brawler style's leg-reap throw.
=====Blocking, dodging and reversals=====
Mostly the same as Yakuza Kiwami 2: though Kiryu regains his 0 Brawler style's Resolute Counter (which now substitutes the original heavy reversal for a new low right kick), he loses his 6 and Kiwami 2 parry. 
He can also relearn the Komaki Knockback, but it is named merely "Knock Back".
=====Counterattacks=====
Kiryu's Ultimate Counter in this style is a mirrored Komaki Knockback (done with the right fist instead of the left) followed by Awano's left reverse wheel kick. Optionally, it can be extended, wherein Kiryu gets up, grabs the enemy with his left hand and flings them away.
He also retains his legendary Komaki Tiger Drop counter, but it is named merely "Tiger Drop".
=====Heat Actions =====
Kiryu retains his old arsenal of Heat Actions dating all the way back to Yakuza, with only 2 new ones added.
====Agent====
The Daidoji Faction's specialized unarmed fighting art that Hanawa forced Kiryu to learn at Daidoji Temple. It is based on "agent"-type combat methods with calculated, precise moves like fast punch combos, acrobatic kicks and joint-breaking holds, and also giving Kiryu access to an array of gadgets, those being: 
*Spider (, Kumo), a wristwatch able to shoot out ultra-thin wires.
*Hornet (, Hachi), multiple AI-piloted drones.
*Serpent (, Hebi), jet engines hidden in his shoes.
*Firefly (, Hotaru), a bomb disguised as a cigarette.
Kiryu's stance in this style is similar to Kurohyou's Masumi Yuki, with his right arm held close to his abdomen and his left arm outstretched, both his palms being kept open. His aura is blue.
===== Combos=====
Kiryu's Rush Combo in this style is a 5-button combo consisting of 10 hits: a left jab and right elbow haymaker, a low left hook and right body blow, a left haymaker and short right uppercut, a right backfist and left palm strike, and a right gut punch and another right elbow haymaker. 
Finishers include: a hopping left side kick (after 1st button), a powerful left hook and a flying right push kick (after 2nd button), a ducking left elbow thrust and a rolling, handstand right push kick (after 3rd button), a downward hammerfist, a quick right back kick and an upwards right somersault kick (after 4th button) and a downward left elbow hook, a right roundhouse kick delivered from a kneel and a flying right reverse roundhouse kick (after 5th button).
He can use Spider during a combo, in the same function as a Finishing Hold.
His Heat combo in this style is a right backfist, a low right roundhouse kick, a right reverse roundhouse kick, a jumping left reverse roundhouse kick and a double spinning right reverse roundhouse kick.
=====Basic attacks =====
The basic heavy attack is a heavy right palm strike. The downed attack is a right punch, and the running attack is a flying right elbow bash.
By holding the light attack button, a Firefly can be used to create a small explosion; by holding the heavy attack button, Hornets can be summoned to fire upon enemies; and by holding the evade button, Serpent can be used to perform a charging attack.
=====Grab attacks=====
Kiryu's grab animation is different to any of his prior grab animations: he holds the enemy in a police-style armlock from behind by default. From this hold, he can do a right push kick (light), a punch to ground the enemy (heavy), or a twisting overhead throw done by the arm (grab).
Spider can be used by holding the grab button while standing, or pressing it after quickstepping or during a light combo. Pressing another button will make it draw objects from the environment for Kiryu to use as weapons. After drawing an enemy in with Spider, Kiryu can throw them away or punch them.
=====Blocking, dodging and reversals=====
Kiryu's quickstep animation looks similar to Yagami's Snake style quickstep, but unlike Snake style he actually moves in a specified direction. His quickstep attacks include: a flying knee (front), a falling right handstand kick (left), a falling left handstand kick (right), and a flying right reverse roundhouse kick (back).
Uniquely, after dodging in any direction, he can perform various sync moves, including: a Tony Jaa-style standing knee strike, a 5-hit punch combo ending in a palm strike, and a flying armbar.
=====Counterattacks=====
Kiryu's Ultimate Counter in this style is a high right axe kick, followed by a swooping right elbow thrust and him using Spider to throw the enemy in a circle.
=====Heat Actions=====
Kiryu's Heat Actions are based on Aiki-jujutsu, with focus on limb breakage and throwing.
===Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth===
Kiryu's cancer has weakened his combat capabilities, and he now depends on Kasuga and his party in combat. After returning to Japan, Kiryu starts seeing the enemies transform the same way Kasuga does, imagining himself to be a hero.
His character-specific job, Dragon of Dojima, allows him to switch between his Dragon Engine (Renamed to Brawler), Rush and Beast styles, each using their icons from Yakuza Kiwami with some small modifications. Despite it's name, Brawler's icon is actually a blue version of Dragon's icon from Kiwami, Rush's heat aura and icon are colored red, and Beast's remains yellow. When blocking in Beast Kiryu still uses a resist guard, however with Rush he uses a DOD style block (arms crossed) instead of his evasive weaving. Blocking with Brawler uses his DE guard style (hands side-by-side). Attacking certain large enemies in Beast (e.g. a Classless Clown), Kiryu will use a Beast Style Punch instead of a grapple. 
After a reunion with Jo Amon, Kiryu learns Dragon's Resurgence, which allows combat in real time, at the cost of his Hype Meter. His only fighting style during Dragon's Resurgence is a very limited version of his Extreme Heat Mode moveset in Yakuza 6/Kiwami 2.
==Trivia== 
*Kiryu's birthday, June 17, is the same as that of Yakuza creator .
*Kiryu's given name Kazuma had its etymology explained in Ryu Ga Gotoku Kenzan!. The first kanji character (kazu) means lone, while the second (ma) means horse. This refers to the single ridden horse that would lead a cavalry unit into battle. As such, the name suggests a courageous individual who likes to lead from the front and get things done, as befits Kiryu's personality.
*Kiryu is one of three characters who have appeared in every single game in the Kiryu Saga, the other two being Majima and Jo Amon.
*In Yakuza/Yakuza Kiwami, Kiryu's introductory title card uses a unique sound effect. He is the only character in the series with this distinction.
* In the original Yakuza, Kiryu is stated to be 20 years old in 1995, which would make his birth year 1975. This is inconsistent with his bio in the game's Japanese website and the rest of the series, and was fixed in the remake, where he is stated to be 37 in 2005.
*Kiryu's facial features from Yakuza 3 onwards are partly based on Takaya Kuroda, his Japanese voice actor. This render was previously used for Kiryu Kazumanosuke in Ryu Ga Gotoku Kenzan!.
*Kiryu's weakness to Ice attacks in Yakuza: Like a Dragon can be attributed to any of the following, or a combination of multiple:
**A reference to Dragon Quest, where dragons are weak to ice.
**A reference to the ending of Yakuza 5, where he passes out in the snow and would have died had Haruka not found him.
**Cold is an opposing force to "Heat", a core mechanic from the games in his saga.
**He is unfamiliar with ice attacks due to ice as a damage type not being present prior to Like a Dragon.
*In earlier demos of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the Brawler style of the Dragon of Dojima job was named "Yakuza"https://youtu.be/aOabsEFdMOY?si=qJhG-hijF7GN5K2r&t=166. It was renamed to Brawler in the Gaiden demo.
**All demos also state that all Hype Meters must be full for Kiryu to use Dragon's Resurgence, though in gameplay, it only requires Kiryu's. The final game states that only his Hype Meter must be full.
*Kiryu appears as a guest character in the following video games: Project X Zone 2, Binary Domain, Taiko No Tatsujin DX, Ramen Soul, Kyoutou Kotoba RPG: Kotodaman, LINE Rangers, SEGA Heroes and Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania.
**His likeness was featured in Everybody's Hot Shots Golf as a guest character.
** His likeness was featured in the End of the Century Premium Edition of Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise as an alternate skin for Kenshiro.
**His likeness was featured in Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight as a DLC costume for Persona 5's protagonist.
**His likeness was featured in the Yakuza Bundle DLC of Rainbow Six Siege as an alternate skin.
*Kiryu is one of the most requested characters for a guest appearance in fighting games such as Tekken 7 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. However, Nagoshi has expressed his refusal to allow him in fighting games. He stated, "fighting games usually have female characters, and I personally don’t really want to see Kiryu hit women."Yakuza Director Explains Why He Doesn't Want Kiryu in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
*Kiryu's least favorite food is green peppers.@segaofficial TikTok account
* Kiryu is referenced multiple times in the Judgment series. 
**In Judgment, Takayuki Yagami can learn the Komaki Tiger Drop (simply called Tiger Drop), which is said to have been used by a legendary yakuza.
**Also in Judgment, during the side case The Ono Michio Bandit, Yagami meets the new actor of Ono Michio, Nishimura, who struggles to fill the role of his predecessor, who is heavily implied to be Kiryu.
**In Lost Judgment's Story DLC, The Kaito Files, once Masaharu Kaito finds Memories of War Stories, he recalls a war story he was told by his anikis. In said story, a legendary yakuza who rose through the ranks and became Tojo Clan chairman was a reckless fighter in his youth and used a headbutt to counter his enemy after being knocked down. Kaito attempts to recreate this move he heard and learns EX Headstrong. The legendary yakuza is of course Kiryu, and the move that Kaito attempts to recreate is the Essence of Steadfast Counter.
*Kiryu is the character with the most fighting styles, with six styles. (Brawler, Rush, Beast, Dragon, Yakuza and Agent).
==Notes==
==References==
Category:Sunflower Orphanage
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