Issen the Master

Issen the Master (; Satsujin-jutsu no Shi Issen, Lit. "Master of Murder Techniques Issen") is a member of the anti-yakuza vigilante group known as The Reapers, whom Kazuma Kiryu faces off against during the Hitman sidestory in Yakuza 3.
==Background==
In his prime, Issen was one of the most skilled assassins in Japan. According to the HLA's research, he killed every single target he was ever hired to eliminate and, despite his prolific body count, Japanese authorities were never able to apprehend him.
However, as he got older, Issen's skills deteriorated, culminating with an unspecified injury he sustained during a job which never healed correctly and weakened him to the point that he felt he could no longer properly work as an assassin. Faced with his, Issen retired and instead starting working as an instructor, teaching younger men his techniques so that they could become hitmen. Once such young man was Kotaro, who apprenticed under Issen for years before realizing that he couldn't bring himself to kill anyone.
Issen's reputation as a master of assassins attracted the leader of the The Reapers, who approached him and recruited him to serve as an instructor for the anti-yakuza group's members.
==Yakuza 3==
While Kiryu is visiting the Honest Living Association's offices in Okinawa, he is told that Issen is training two pupils in Ryukyu. Kiryu is asked to convince Issen to turn on the Reapers and provide information about their leadership to the HLA.
Kiryu finds Issen shopping at a nearby fish market with two of his pupils. Issen refuses to inform on his bosses, so his two pupils attack Kiryu to drive him away. Only once they are defeated does Issen step in and fight Kiryu himself. Despite his injury slowing him down, Issen still proves to be a formidable opponent, but Kiryu defeats him nonetheless.
Impressed with Kiryu, Issen agrees to hear out the HLA's leaders and goes with him to their Okinawa headquarters.
Category:The Reapers
Category:Yakuza 3 Characters