THE BEGINNING OF THE LEGEND
“I’ll Be Damned. The Punk Kid’s Finally Turned… Turned Into A True Yakuza.” — Daisaku Kuze
Yakuza 0 is a prequel to the Yakuza series set in 1988, 7 years before the beginning of the first game in the series Yakuza. The game features two playable protagonists, Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima. Throughout the game you swap between playing these two iconic characters from the series as you unravel the full extent of the conflict surrounding the Empty Lot and its importance.
THE CHARACTERS
KAZUMA KIRYU
Kiryu is a 20-year-old low-ranking member of the Tojo Clan’s Dojima Family following in the footsteps of his father figure, Shintaro Kazama, Alongside his sworn brother
Akira Nishikiyama.
Before becoming the “Dragon of Dojima”, he is framed
for the murder of a man whom he had collected debt money off of while inside the Empty Lot. Not wanting to
take the fall for something he didn’t do, he gets himself
expelled from the Tojo Clan which puts a target on his back
from the clan, leading to him to seek refuge with Tetsu
Tachibana as part of Tachibana Real Estate.
These events begin a domino effect which wraps Kiryu
into one half of the conflict behind the Empty Lot.
GORO MAJIMA
Goro Majima, a man who has been exiled from the Tojo Clan’s
Shimano Family, Works as a manager of a cabaret club
in Sotenbori called “Cabaret Grand” to pay off a debt to
the family as part of a punishment for being exiled so he
may return to his yakuza life.
Throughout the game, Majima is pushed to his limits time and time again as this acts as the origin to his status as the
“Mad Dog of Shimano”. When asked by his boss, Tsukasa
Sagawa, to perform a hit on someone as a shortcut into
getting back into the family he had to accept. This job fails
as he hesitates to kill his target.
This drags him into the second half of the conflict behind
the Empty Lot as he chooses to protect his target
who turns out to be of importance to several factions who are part of the conflict.
AKIRA NISHIKIYAMA
Kazuma Kiryu’s sworn brother, best-friend and member of the Tojo Clan’s Dojima Family, acts as a supporting
character throughout the game and is loyal to Kiryu
regardless of his Yakuza status.
TETSU TACHIBANA
President of Tachibana Real Estate, Tachibana is one of
Kiryu’s closest allies throughout the game.
After finding out that he was framed for murder and asked
for help by Shintaro Kazama, Tachibana recruits Kiryu into
Tachibana Real Estate.
SHINTARO KAZAMA
Father figure to Kazuma Kiryu & Akira Nishikiyama,
Kazama is the captain of the Dojima Family and
currently imprisoned. He took Kiryu and Nishiki in as part
of the Sunflower Orphanage, where the two come to respect
him and want to follow in the footsteps despite his pleas
not to. He works behind the scenes in prison to affect
the outcome of Empty Lot conflict.
DAISAKU KUZE
One of the three Tojo Clan lieutenants, Kuze acts
As one the main antagonists for Kiryu after losing
A fight against him following Kiryu’s expulsion from
The clan. After suffering such a humiliating defeat,
Kuze seeks out revenge against Kiryu.
TSUKASA SAGAWA
Patriarch of the Omi Alliance’s Sagawa Family, Sagawa acts as the primary antagonist to Goro Majima, constantly surveying him to ensure he keeps in line and that he remains in Sotenbori. He provides Majima with a hit job that he would end up refusing to carry out. He remains as a constant presence throughout Majima’s storyline.
