Ryuhei Hoshino

Ryuhei Hoshino (, Hoshino Ryūhei) is a supporting character featured in Yakuza: Like a Dragon. He is the chairman of the Seiryu Clan.
== Profile ==
=== Appearance ===
Hoshino is of short stature and has gray hair due to his age.
==== Attire ====
Hoshino's attire consists of a light green robe over dark green kimono and a pair of sandals.
=== Personality ===
Hoshino is an old-school yakuza who values duty, humanity, honor, and chivalry. As the oldest member of the Ijin Three and a seasoned yakuza, Hoshino commands respect from his subordinates and leads with a firm yet fair hand. While stern and willing to get resort to violence, Hoshino is good-hearted, merciful, and mete out even-handed punishments and compensations towards enemies, allies, and civilians alike. 
He hold no delusions about the harshness of yakuza life nor exempt himself from the same standards he upholds as a leading member of the underworld. Hoshino was willing to die to own up to Masumi Arakawa for killing his father, believing it was a just, well-deserved fate. When he was spared, Hoshino went out of way to further repay Arakawa by giving him incriminating evidence to be held accountable for his actions. In his interactions with Ichiban Kasuga, Hoshino takes on a fatherly, mentor-like role and admires the younger man's loyalty and tenacity, even wishing that his own men were more like Kasuga.
== Background ==
Hoshino became a top lieutenant of the Seiryu Clan in his youth. He was entrusted with the knowledge of the Ijin Three at its inception, making a personal agreement with Yutaka Ogikubo to secure and continue the counterfeiting ring. In 1969, Hoshino found himself stuck between his clan and the smugglers necessary to supplement the ring - namely Toshio Arakawa, who had been framed by his wife Yoko as a skimming bagman. Hoshino was tasked with making an example due to being next in line for the Seiryu, and posed as a waiter in Heian Tower, passing the 14-year-old Masumi Arakawa with his weapon, and killed Toshio with a gunshot to the head. Hoshino went on to harbors guilt of robbing Arakawa of his father and traumatizing the young boy. 
Seven years after Toshio's death, Arakawa discovered Hoshino as his father's killer and tracked him down. Knowing Arakawa would execute him without hesitation and fully accepting his fate, he told him what he knew about Seiryu Clan and its role in the Ijin Three. Arakawa spared Hoshino, remarking that shooting him the back would've been easier than knowing the truth about the counterfeiting ring. In 1984, Hoshino entrusted Arakawa with a batch of misprinted 10,000 yen bills as a form of compensation, giving him definitive proof of the Ijin Three's counterfeiting to use at his discretion. Hoshino written the words "Neither justice nor mercy should tip the scale" inscribed on the otherwise blank backside, meaning those in power must reward and punish where necessary. It represented Hoshino's gratefulness towards Arakawa's mercy and the debt he felt he still owns to him, thus giving him ability to make the counterfeiting operation public knowledge.
One of these bills later showed up in Ichiban Kasuga's breast pocket, which he interpreted as an obligation to protect the ex-yakuza.
== Involvement ==
=== Yakuza: Like a Dragon: 2019 ===
Ichiban Kasuga, Yu Nanba, and Koichi Adachi barge into Seiryu Clan headquarters to inform Hoshino about his underling Yamato Totsuka's pension and healthcare scam using Sunlight Castle. When Mamoru Takabe pats down Kasuga, he finds one of the defective counterfeit bills he had given Arakawa several years prior, and understands the message. 
Hoshino thanks Kasuga for informing him of the secret dealings. He allows Totsuka to avoid sacrificing his finger, but instead has Takabe escort him out of the premises permanently. He then threatens Kasuga for disgracing the Seiryu Clan by freely entering, but unexpectedly receives thanks from him; Kasuga explains his oath was sworn to the old-fashioned yakuza he both admired and feared had faded away while he was in prison. Hoshino asks who he swore an oath to, and he replies it was Masumi Arakawa.
Akira Mabuchi kills two Seiryu Clan members after uploading video incriminating the Seiryu of starting a war between the Ijin Three. In response, Takabe takes many Seiryu yakuza with him for revenge without Hosino's permission. As the Seiryu Clan begins to fragment and Yu Nanba reveals the Ijin Three's operation to Bleach Japan, Hoshino, Seonhee, and Tianyou Zhao decide to reveal Ogikubo's dealings to Kasuga and his party, and spare them due to the defective counterfeit bill in Kasuga's possession.
Word of the Ijin Three's operation spreads, and the Seiryu Clan undergoes a coup d'état, but Takabe puts an end to it. Hoshino tries to reach Zhao afterwards, but he does not respond. He asks Seonhee if she can locate him, but the Geomijul had burned down to destroy evidence of Ogikubo's counterfeit operation. Kasuga meets him after Zhao is rescued to learn about why he had the defective counterfeit bill, and Hoshino explains to him his history with Arakawa.
To stop Sota Kume from winning the Kanagawa District Two seat and deal a blow to Ryo Aoki's reputation, Hoshino goes with Kasuga's plan of having an independent candidate compete in the election against him. He asks him to pay the required ¥3 million deposit while he searches for a candidate, and warns Kasuga that the Omi Alliance may be chaotic soon before his trip to Sotenbori. When Kasuga returns, Hoshino has dinner with Arakawa and offers to walk him home, but he declines.
Hoshino informs Kasuga of Arakawa's death and calls him to check on him, inviting him to Heian Tower to cheer him up. He offers to lend him Seiryu Clan men if he wants to take revenge, but he declines. Later, Hoshino returns the money to Kasuga after failing to find a candidate and suggests he compete in the election instead, giving him an old Seiryu van to help his campaign.
As a core pillar of the Ijin Three, Hoshino is targeted by Aoki, who sends Jo Sawashiro to assassinate him. Sawashiro leaks his kill order to Kasuga's party in the hopes they will prevent Hoshino's death. This gambit fails, and Hoshino is killed with a gunshot to the heart.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth: However, Hoshino's killer was an assassin sent ahead of Sawashiro, as Aoki did not expect Sawashiro be successful.
== Gallery ==
=== Yakuza: Like a Dragon ===
YLAD - Character Render - Ryuhei Hoshino.png|Hoshino's full-body render
=== Ryu Ga Gotoku Online ===
RGGO - Card - SSR Ryuhei Hoshino (New Year's).png|SSR [Welcoming the New Year] Ryuhei Hoshino (New Year's)
RGGO - Card - SSR Ryuhei Hoshino (YLAD).png|SSR Ryuhei Hoshino (Y:LAD)
RGGO - Card - KSR Ryuhei Hoshino (YLAD Ascension).png|KSR Ryuhei Hoshino (Y:LAD Ascension)
RGGO - Card - KSR Ryuhei Hoshino (YLAD Assault).png|KSR Ryuhei Hoshino (Y:LAD Assault)
==Notes==
== References ==
Category:Seiryu Clan
Category:Yakuza: Like a Dragon Characters
Category:Yakuza: Like a Dragon Supporting Characters
Category:Ryu Ga Gotoku Online Characters