Following Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name‘s latest trailer from last month, Sega and longtime series developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has released more details on the upcoming game, giving fans more of an idea of what to expect from the story and who exactly are these characters.
Jumping into the story first, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name takes place between Yakuza 6: The Song of Life and Yakuza: Like a Dragon, which follows the franchise’s first protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu after faking his death to protect those closes to him. After those events, Kiryu joins the Daidoji Faction, where he becomes an agent for the organization under the codename “Joryu” in Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name and is seen to a port in Yokohama, where he is assigned to crack down on an illegal gold smuggling site.
Things never seem to go as planned as his fellow agents are at the scene, leading to “Joryu” lashing out at them. At the same time, another organization pops up, recognizing our hero from his Yakuza days in Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. As this happens, the deal goes south as the organization attempts to hunt Kiryu down to bring him out of the shadows. Kazuma Kiryu finds himself in another plot in the “maelstrom of the underworld.”
We also find out two of the Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name locations, including Japan’s largest Yakuza organization, the Omi Alliance and the headquarters of the Daidoji Faction. Diving into the characters, we got a good overview of the main antagonist and supporting characters for Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, alongside some stellar visuals, which can be seen below.
Kosei Shishido (Portrayed by Yasukaze Motomiya)
Kosei Shishido is a lieutenant of the Omi Alliance’s Watase Family, which is led by Masaru Watase, next in line for chairman of the Osaka-based Yakuza alliance. Shishido is described as a capable lieutenant within the family who commands authority through terror and intimidation; he wields deadly weapons without regard for his victims’ lives.
Yuki Tsuruno (Portrayed by Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi)
Tsuruno is a yakuza sworn to the Watase Family, where he holds the position of captain and is its second highest-ranking member. A bold and meticulous planner, he leads the group in the absence of its head with loyalty and tenacity. He has laid a mountain of traps to ensnare Kiryu.
Akame (Portrayed by First Summer Uka)
Akame is a shadowy figure and jack-of-all-trades based in Sotenbori where she knows the ins and outs of Osaka’s red light district. She is deeply acquainted with the city’s underbelly thanks to her Akame Network, which spans every nook and cranny of the city. She also acts as an intermediary for a specific person, guiding them to their destination.
Homare Nishitani III (Portrayed by Kim Jaeuck)
Nishitani is the grandson of the first Nishitani from Yakuza 0, who quickly rose through the ranks and took over as head of the Kijin Clan, which his grandfather was also the patriarch of back in the late 1980s. His dashing looks betray the madness swirling beneath. He loves nothing more than to put his life on the line in a fight to the death. Within the Omi Alliance, Nishitani is an immensely influential figure on par with the Watase Family.
Kihei Hanawa (Portrayed by Hiroki Toch)
Hanawa is an officer of the Daidoji Faction and is a handler where he serves as the only point of contact between Kazuma Kiryu and the outside world. His interactions with Kiryu are strictly professional and lack any warmth while showing no hesitancy in reprimanding the legendary yakuza.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is set to launch for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series on November 9.
