Kazuma Kiryu

Kazuma Kiryu
Developer	Toshihiro Nagoshi and Hase Seishū
Publisher	Sega
Platforms	As noted below
Released	2005-present
Added to Museum	As noted below

Kazuma Kiryu (桐生 一馬, Kiryū Kazuma) is a character that is part of a multimedia series consisting of video games, films, comics, and music.

Kazuma Kiryu is a playable character in most games in the Like a Dragon series, Everybody's Golf 6, Project X Zone 2, and as downloadable content in Binary Domain.

Kiryu's likeness was used to portray the historical ronin, Miyamoto Musashi, in the March 2008 issue of Kamutai Magazine. Kiryu's likeness and voice actor were then used to portray Musashi in Like a Dragon: Kenzan! as well as a combination of two historical samurai, Sakamoto Ryōma and Saito Hajime, in Like a Dragon: Ishin!.

Kiryu's voice actor, and Kiryu's likeness as downloadable content, also portrayed Kenshiro Kasumi in Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise.

Fictional character biography

Kazuma Kiryu was orphaned at a young age and became a yakuza in his teens.

After his childhood friend and love interest was raped, Kiryu's sworn brother killed the yakuza who did it.

Kiryu took the blame and went to prison for ten years.

After coming out of prison, he was no longer a yakuza, but got pulled back in after rescuing Haruka, the daughter of his love interest.

The yakuza who raised Kiryu was killed, and Kiryu was named the fourth chairman of the Tojo Clan.

However, after Haruka's mom was killed, Kiryu left the yakuza permanently.

Kiryu raised Haruka as his own daughter, along with other children, at the Morning Glory Orphanage.

He got pulled back into Tojo Clan business occasionally, but the welfare of the children under his protection was always his top priority.

Video games with Kazuma Kiryu as a playable character

Title	Developer	System	Release	Notes
Yakuza	Sega New Entertainment R&D Dept.	PS2	2005	Kazuma Kiryu goes to prison for 10 years for a crime he didn't commit, and comes back to discover a conspiracy.
Yakuza 2	Sega New Entertainment R&D Dept.	PS2	2006	The Dragon of Kansai, Ryuji Goda, wants to defeat Kazuma Kiryu, the Dragon of Dojima.
Yakuza 3	Sega CS1	PS3	2009	A conspiracy involving a man that looks exactly like the man that raised Kazuma Kiryu brings the latter back out of retirement.
Yakuza 4	Sega CS1	PS3	2010	Kazuma Kiryu, Masayoshi Tanimura, Shun Akiyama, and Taiga Saejima discover a plot around Akiyama's vast fortune.
Yakuza: Dead Souls	Sega CS1	PS3	2011	Zombies have appeared in Tokyo, and Shun Akiyama, Goro Majima, Ryuji Goda, and Kazuma Kiryu try to stop them.
Everybody's Golf 6	Clap Hanz	PS3, Vita	2011	Kazuma Kiryu is a DLC character in the Japanese version of this golf game.
Binary Domain	Ryū ga Gotoku Studio	PS3, Xbox 360, Windows	2012	Kazuma Kiryu, Shun Akiyama, Goro Majima, Taiga Saejima, and Ryuji Goda were available as DLC in the Japanese version of this third-person shooter set in 2080 in a Tokyo that has been ravaged by global warming.
Like a Dragon 1&2 HD Edition	Ryū ga Gotoku Studio	PS3, Wii U	2012	Japanese-exclusive remaster of Yakuza and Yakuza 2. Known as Like a Dragon 1&2 Wii U Edition on Wii U: Kazuma Kiryu goes to prison for 10 years for a crime he didn't commit, and comes back to discover a conspiracy. The following year, Dragon of Kansai, Ryuji Goda, wants to defeat Kiryu, the Dragon of Dojima.
Yakuza 5	Ryū ga Gotoku Studio	PS3	2012	While Kazuma Kiryu, Shun Akiyama, Taiga Saejima and Tatsuo Shinada investigate a plot surrounding the Tokyo police department and the Tojo Clan, Haruka Sawamura strives to become a singer and an idol.
Yakuza Kiwami	Sega New Entertainment R&D Dept.	PS3, PS4, Windows, Xbox One	2013	Remake of Yakuza: Kazuma Kiryu goes to prison for 10 years for a crime he didn't commit and comes back to discover a conspiracy.
Project X Zone 2	Monolith Soft	Nintendo 3DS	2015	Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima are in this crossover tactical role-playing game with characters from franchises by Bandai Namco, Capcom, Sega, and Nintendo.
Yakuza 0	Ryū ga Gotoku Studio	PS3, PS4, Windows, Xbox One	2015	Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima are kicked out of the Yakuza and find their way back in after discovering a conspiracy.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life	Ryū ga Gotoku Studio	PS4, Windows, Xbox One	2016	Kazuma Kiryu tries to help an Okinawa yakuza family while keeping his own adopted family at Sunflower Orphanage safe.
Yakuza Kiwami 2	Sega New Entertainment R&D Dept.	PS4, Windows, Xbox One	2017	Remake of Yakuza 2: The Dragon of Kansai, Ryuji Goda, wants to defeat Kazuma Kiryu, the Dragon of Dojima.
Like a Dragon Online	Ryū ga Gotoku Studio	Android, iOS, Windows	2018	Kazuma Kiryu is one of the fighters that can be part of Ichiban Kasuga's team.
Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise	Ryū ga Gotoku Studio	PS4	2018	Kenshiro Kasumi can be changed with DLC to look and sound like Kazuma Kiryu.
Yakuza 3 Remastered	Ryū ga Gotoku Studio	PS4, Windows, Xbox One	2018	Remaster of Yakuza 3: A conspiracy involving a man that looks exactly like the man that raised Kazuma Kiryu brings the latter back out of retirement.
Yakuza 4 Remastered	Ryū ga Gotoku Studio	PS4, Windows, Xbox One	2019	Remaster of Yakuza 4: Kazuma Kiryu, Masayoshi Tanimura, Shun Akiyama, and Taiga Saejima discover a plot around Akiyama's vast fortune.
Yakuza 5 Remastered	Ryū ga Gotoku Studio	PS4, Windows, Xbox One	2019	Remaster of Yakuza 5: While Kazuma Kiryu, Shun Akiyama, Taiga Saejima and Tatsuo Shinada investigate a plot surrounding the Tokyo police department and the Tojo Clan, Haruka Sawamura strives to become a singer and an idol.
Yakuza Remastered Collection	Ryū ga Gotoku Studio	PS4, Windows, Xbox One	2019	Remaster of Yakuza 3, Yakuza 4, and Yakuza 5: A conspiracy involving a man that looks exactly like the man that raised Kazuma Kiryu brings the latter back out of retirement. The next year, Kiryu, Masayoshi Tanimura, Shun Akiyama, and Taiga Saejima discover a plot around Akiyama's vast fortune. Two years after that, Kiryu, Akiyama, Saejima, and Tatsuo Shinada investigate a plot surrounding the Tokyo police department and the Tojo Clan while Haruka Sawamura strives to become a singer and an idol.
Streets of Kamurocho	Empty Clip Studios	Windows	2020	Beat-em 'up in the 16-bit Streets of Rage style, with Kazuma Kiryu, Goro Majima, and Ichiban Kasuga as the playable characters.
Like a Dragon: The Man Who Erased His Name	Ryū ga Gotoku Studio	PS4, PS5, Windows, Xbox One, Series X/S	2023	In return for erasing his name Kazuma Kiryu, as Joryu, goes on missions for the Daidoji.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth	Ryū ga Gotoku Studio	PS4, PS5, Windows, Xbox One, Series X/S	2024	Takes place in 2024 with Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu as the playable characters.

Video games with Kazuma Kiryu as a non-playable character

Title	Developer	System	Release	Notes
Yakuza: Like a Dragon	Ryū ga Gotoku Studio	PS4, PS5, Windows, Xbox One, Series X/S	2020	Kazuma Kiryu fights Ichiban Kasuga.

Pachinko games with Kazuma Kiryu

Title	Developer	System	Release	Notes
Like a Dragon: Of the End	Taiyo Elec	Pachislot	2015	Pachislot game based on Yakuza: Dead Souls.

Films featuring Kazuma Kiryu

Title	Production company	Distributor	Release	Notes
Like a Dragon: Prologue	Art Port	Sega	2006	Prequel to Yakuza.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon	Art Port	Toei	2007	Based on Yakuza.

Soundtrack albums featuring Kazuma Kiryu

Title	Studio	Release	Notes
Dragon Song: Like a Dragon - Karaoke Best Selection	Sega	2011	Preorder bonus for Like a Dragon Of the End.
Dragon Song: Like a Dragon 5 The Best Songs Selection	Sega	2012	Preorder bonus for Like a Dragon 5.
Like a Dragon Series: Best Soundtrack	Sega	2014	Preorder bonus for Like a Dragon Ishin!.

Magazines featuring Kazuma Kiryu

Title	Publisher	Release	Notes
Kamutai Magazine (December 2006)	Sega	2006	Preorder bonus for Like a Dragon 2.
Kamutai Magazine (February 2009)	Sega	2009	Preorder bonus for Like a Dragon 3.
Kamutai Magazine (March 2010)	Sega	2010	Preorder bonus for Like a Dragon 4.
Hot•Dog Press (March 2015)	Sega	2015	Preorder bonus for Like a Dragon 0.