Gary Buster Holmes

Gary Buster Holmes (, Geirī Basutā Hōmuzu) is a recurring character featured in the Yakuza series introduced in the original Yakuza. He is an American immigrant who was once the undefeated champion of Purgatory.
== Profile ==
=== Appearance ===
Gary is a tall and muscular African-American man with short hair and a wide neck. He is usually portrayed as noticeably taller and more muscular than Kiryu. 
=== Attire ===
Gary only wears forest camouflage pants, a black leather belt with a leaf shaped buckle, and a pair of black medium-length boots. He also wears a Majima Construction hard hat in his appearances in Yakuza 2 and Yakuza 4.
In Yakuza and Yakuza Kiwami, he wears light blue, white, and black high top sneakers, though in later appearances, he wears boots. 
In Yakuza: Dead Souls, he wears a green tank-top, green camouflage pants, black fingerless gloves and a green military cap.
In Yakuza: Like a Dragon, he wears a white tank-top, tan pants and the black boots from previous appearances. When summoned, he ditches the tank-top with a metal spiked ball on each hand.
=== Personality ===
Gary is a straightforward, friendly man. His poor Japanese-speaking skills, however, often lead to him becoming the butt of jokes. He is also a capable leader, as shown in Yakuza: Dead Souls.
== Background ==
Gary is an American wrestling champion who, in search of a challenge, travelled to Japan to participate in the Underground Coliseum tournaments hosted by the Florist of Sai. He quickly became the arena's champion and, enraptured by the thrill of competing in these tournaments, he relocated to Japan full-time and became the Florist's personal bodyguard.
== Involvement ==
=== Yakuza/Yakuza Kiwami: 2005 ===
Gary works as the personal bodyguard for The Florist of Sai and is the undefeated champion of Purgatory's Coliseum. He introduces Kazuma Kiryu to Purgatory, and later battles the former in the Coliseum, but ends up defeated.
=== Yakuza 2/Yakuza Kiwami 2: 2006 ===
After ownership of Purgatory is given to Goro Majima, Gary continues to fight in the underground coliseum, and becomes an employee of Majima Construction.
Gary has a rematch with Kazuma Kiryu in the coliseum, but ends up defeated.
=== Yakuza 4: 2010 ===
Gary no longer fights in the Coliseum, and now works on building Kamurocho Hills as a member of Majima Construction. While building Kamurocho Hills late at night, he is met by Kazuma Kiryu, and proceeds to detail his life ever since Purgatory changed ownership. With his regret of never having defeated Kiryu in the underground coliseum, he challenges him to a fight. While Gary ends up defeated, he expresses his gratitude of being able to fight Kiryu again.
=== Yakuza: Like a Dragon: 2019 ===
Gary works for "Poundmates", a phone service that sends allies to fights in exchange for money. He is called by Koichi Adachi, and helps him defeat several foes.
== Other Media ==
=== Yakuza: Dead Souls: 2011 ===
Gary serves a military instructor during the Kamurocho zombie apocalypse as he reveals he has extensive firearms experience and helps the cast in training with guns.
== Fighting Style ==
=== Yakuza ===
Gary is a very powerful fighter, making use of slow but heavy-hitting punches. His attacks include:
* a Rush Combo consisting of a right hook, a left hook, a right haymaker, a left uppercut, and a right cross;
* a double left clothesline, and
* a leaping stomp as his downed attack.
Gary has a jumping German suplex Heat Action that he can perform when grappling with Kiryu. He can also use Essence of Mounting if the latter is downed.
===Yakuza 2===
Gary uses a pair of spiked, spherical gauntlets. He attacks with powerful swings and crushing hammerfists. His moveset is as follows:
* a Rush Combo consisting of a right hook, a left hook, a double hammerfist, and a right uppercut;
* Yuya's Rush Combo,
* a right cross,
* a double hammerfist,
* a leaping double hammerfist, and
* Yuya's running haymaker.
===Yakuza 4===
Gary uses the default boxing thugs' moveset.
===Yakuza Kiwami===
Gary uses Masato Aizawa's moveset, with the exception of his knockback-waist grapple and quickstep attacks. He also has Aizawa's unused counter-taunt. Instead of his grab attacks, Gary uses his German suplex Heat Action from the original Yakuza, which he can also use as a counter to Kiryu's Finishing Holds. His health-recovery state can only be broken with Essence of Extreme Brawler.
When Gary is in Heat Mode, he can perform the Essence of Wreckage Heat Action on Kiryu when he is downed, much like in the original.
He emits an amber yellow aura in Heat Mode.
===Yakuza Kiwami 2===
Gary uses Aizawa's moveset once again, but with a different selection of attacks. He can only use the three-hit version of Aizawa's Rush Combo, and no longer has his left-right hook combo, command grab combo or grapples. He does however, have his left/right quickstep attacks, as well as the Aizawa's double clothesline attack, but without the taunt animation.
His aura in Heat Mode is red, like every other boss in Yakuza Kiwami 2.
=== Yakuza: Like a Dragon ===
==Related minigames==
===Clan Creator===
Gary Holmes can be hired as a member of Majima Construction:
Description 	Rarity	Type 	Combat style	Skill 	Ability
Purgatory's gate guard. He hasn't gotten any better at Japanese...	R 	Defense	Original 	True Essence of Fortification	Spinning Lariat
===Underground Coliseum===
====Yakuza Kiwami biography====
The undefeated coliseum champion for three years.
Though his fighting style is wrestling, he employs various techniques to deal with any foe, allowing him to rule the bare-fisted regulation grand prix.
He is also the bodyguard of the tournament sponsor, the Florist, and the two share an unbreakable bond.
=== Yakuza Kiwami 2 biography ===
Former champion considered to be the undefeated king of underground fighting. He fought Kiryu a year ago and lost for the first time. Now he seeks revenge.
== Trivia ==
* Gary speaks Japanese fluently but his pronunciation is extremely flawed. However, in English translations, they make him speak Japanese poorly to convey that his pronunciation is flawed, including lines such as "Sudden death or suds on breasts?", "Sudden death or Asian youth?", and "'Instant' death or 'Climax' death?". By Yakuza 4, Kiryu takes notice of his Japanese improving, though he still makes mistakes when saying certain phrases.
** In the English dub of the original Yakuza, Kiryu instead notes that Gary's speech is mostly nonsense.
== Gallery ==
=== Yakuza ===
Gary (Buster) Holmes (Yakuza 1) 02.jpg
=== Yakuza Kiwami ===
kiwami_coliseum_holmes.png|Gary's Coliseum Render
Kiwami_Coliseum_Holmes_encounter.jpg
===Yakuza: Like a Dragon===
Gary (Buster) Holmes.jpg
=== Yakuza: Dead Souls ===
ydeadsoulsgary.jpg|Gary in Yakuza: Dead Souls
Gary Millennium Tower.jpg|Gary outside Millennium Tower
=== Ryu Ga Gotoku Online ===
RGGO - Card - N Gary Buster Holmes.png|N Gary Buster Holmes
RGGO - Card - SSR Gary Buster Holmes.png|SSR Gary Buster Holmes
RGGO - Card - KSR Gary Buster Holmes (Assault).png|KSR Gary Buster Holmes (Assault)
==Notes==
==References==
Category:American Characters
Category:Coliseum Fighters
Category:Majima Construction
Category:Majima Family
Category:Tojo Clan
Category:Gary’s Boot Camp
Category:Yakuza Characters
Category:Yakuza Bosses
Category:Yakuza Kiwami Characters
Category:Yakuza 2 Characters
Category:Yakuza Kiwami 2 Characters
Category:Yakuza 4 Characters
Category:Yakuza: Dead Souls Characters
Category:Ryu Ga Gotoku Online Characters
Category:Yakuza: Like a Dragon Characters
Category:Yakuza: Like a Dragon Substory Characters
Category:Yakuza: Like a Dragon Poundmates
Category:Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name Characters
Category:Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Characters