Yuki Tsuruno

Yuki Tsuruno (, Tsuruno Yūki) is a major supporting character featured in Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. He is the captain and acting patriarch of the Watase Family.
== Profile ==
=== Appearance ===
Tsuruno's face is modeled after his Japanese-language voice actor, Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi. He is of above-average height with a slim, muscular build, tan skin, brown eyes, a short black undercut parted to the left and slicked back, and a goatee.
==== Attire ====
Tsuruno's signature attire consists of a black wide-pinstriped suit worn over a partly-unbuttoned black dress shirt adorned with a primarily gold, white, and earth-toned floral pattern and a gold chain. A Watase Family crest pin adorns his lapel. He also wears aviator sunglasses, a black leather belt with a gold buckle, and black dress shoes.
==Background==
In the past, Tsuruno had planned to let go of a young Watase Family member who wanted to leave the yakuza, but learned that Homare Nishitani III had tortured the young man, after which Tsuruno decided to kill him to end his suffering. He rescued Kosei Shishido from Nishitani, which earned him Shishido's loyalty.
Tsuruno was filled in on Masaru Watase's plan to dissolve the Omi Alliance, and agreed to carry it through, displeased with the current direction of the yakuza. He was told to find Kazuma Kiryu, who was supposedly dead.
==Involvement==
===Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name: 2019===
Tsuruno ordered Shishido to kidnap Kihei Hanawa in order to draw Kiryu out. 
Upon learning that Kiryu was spotted in Yokohama, Tsuruno has him tailed and eventually assaults him in Ijincho with his subordinates in tow. He was captured by the faction but rescued by Shishido who rammed the Daidoji car off the road. Tsuruno proceeded to kidnap Hanawa before giving Kiryu a burner phone so they could stay in contact. Later that night he contacted Kiryu and arranged a meeting at Ijincho's Survive bar. He offered to free Kiryu of the Daidoji's influence by faking his death a second time, but his plan required the death of Hanawa too. He denied the offer but agreed to travel to Sotenbori to find Hanawa. 
The Watase family hid Hanawa in Namiki No. 3. Shishido was initially in charge of interrogating him but Tsuruno removed him from the position and took over. After Kiryu arrived at the building and defeated Tsuruno, the Watase family captain disclosed to him the plan to dissolve the Omi Alliance and the Tojo Clan and continued to urge Kiryu to fake his death again and leave the faction. He was then taken into Daidoji custody and held in one of the group's Sotenbori hideouts. After Kiryu defied orders and helped Tsuruno escape he retrieved 50 billion yen and gave it to Boss in exchange for Kiryu's life. Boss accepted the deal and Kiryu was now at the Watase family's disposal. 
Tsuruno met Kiryu at the Castle's V.I.P lounge and explained to him the danger Nishitani posed to the dissolution plan. Nishitani caught onto the two's conspiracy so Tsuruno allowed Kiryu to punch him in the face to fabricate the narrative that Joryu had gone rogue. He was then chased to the helipad by castle staff and attempted to calm Nishitani down as he challenged Kiryu to a fight. He joined Kiryu and Shishido as they partied in Sotenbori in an attempt to lure out Nishitani, first attending the Cabaret Grand then going for a meal and challenging Joryu to a game of pool, among other debauchery. 
To further anger Nishitani, Tsuruno organized a small squad of Watase family men disguised in extravagant masks to take over the castle. When Nishitani was located on the mainland, Shishido and Kiryu apprehended him while the Watase family set his hideout ablaze. Tsuruno had ordered Shishido to murder Nishitani, unaware that Shishido had no intention of killing him and even faked his death, Tsuruno presumed the patriarch was dead. When confronted by Kiryu he refused to apologize for the conspiracy and explained his past encounter with Nishitani. 
When the two reunited a month later he apologized profusely for lying and begged for forgiveness. He later met up with Patriarch Watase in a construction site where he learned of Nishitani's survival and Shishido's plan to stop the dissolution. He was slashed in the leg by the furious Nishitani but had his wound patched up by Hanawa. He watched Watase announce the dissolution and helped Kiryu defend the injured Patriarch. 
 
== Fighting Style ==
Tsuruno is a user of taekwondo. Though his stance and style are basic, he is skilled enough to cause objects to fly off their bases with well-aimed kicks. He is also capable of improvising weapons, such as using a saw and a branding iron.
=== Taekwondo ===
His combos include: 
* right cross into a left hook and right haymaker 
* a right hook kick combo
* a push kick into a low right kick into a quick mid roundhouse kick
* and a right spinning hook kick, jab and cross and right spinning hook kick combo
His basic attacks include: 
* a lunging right side kick a hook kick
* a right roundhouse kick 
* and a quick jab and cross combo.
He also has a reversal kick. 
His Mortal Attack is a left axe kick, followed by a right roundhouse kick if it connects.
=== Saw and branding iron ===
During his second fight Tsuruno wields a saw (called a nokogiri (鋸) in Japanese) in his right hand, and a scorching branding iron in his left hand.
His combos are: 
* a branding iron jab followed by a saw upward swing 
* a saw diagonal swing 
* a branding iron horizontal swing and a reverse saw diagonal swing 
* and a spinning saw horizontal slash followed by a spinning heel kick.
His basic attacks include:
* a branding iron thrust 
* a simultaneous saw and branding iron horizontal swing 
* and a branding iron jab followed by a saw overhead swing.
He has a guard reversal, which is a straight branding iron thrust.
Tsuruno's attack when Kiryu is downed is a body stab with both the saw and branding iron.
Tsuruno has two taunting animations, one where he sharpens his saw and beckons Kiryu, and one where he points his branding iron towards Kiryu.
== Trivia ==
* Tsuruno is described as the opposite of Yamaguchi's character in the Nihon Touitsu franchise, Yuto Tamura, being more intellectual than combative. As such, his character is more comparable to Tamura's counterpart Renji Himuro, portrayed by Yasukaze Motomiya, who in turn portrays Kosei Shishido in Like a Dragon Gaiden. Yamaguchi has also compared Himuro to Kazuma Kiryu while discussing the topic, indirectly comparing Tsuruno to Kiryu.
* Tsuruno's hairstyle, facial hair, and aviator sunglasses are a reference to Tamura, while his outfit references Yamaguchi's character in the 2020 film Tokyo Dragon Chef, Tatsu, who wears a similar outfit at the start of the film.
==Gallery==
LADG - Character Render - Yuki Tsuruno.png|Full-body render of Tsuruno in Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
LADG - Title Card - Yuki Tsuruno.png|Introductory title card
Category:Watase Family
Category:Omi Alliance
Category:Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name Characters
Category:Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name Supporting Characters
Category:Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name Bosses
Category:Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name AI Partners