Over the course of the Yakuza series, there have been plenty of characters introduced to fans. From new protagonists to recurring allies, there’s been no shortage of main faces for the series. These characters have seen a ton of action in the series, and we’ve seen just how strong they can be.
On the other hand, we’ve also seen what their weaknesses are. While the characters of the Yakuza world have shown their prowess, what affects them the most has also been highlighted. For some characters, it’s those closest to them while for others, it’s the actions of their past.
Daigo: Inexperience
Daigo is the son of the Sohei Dojima, the patriarch of the Tojo’s largest family. He stays out of Tojo Clan affairs up until the events of Yakuza 2, where Kiryu brings him back in. After the events of the game, Daigo takes up the reigns as the Sixth Chairman of the Tojo Clan.
His sudden high-ranking placement in the Tojo Clan is also his greatest downfall. Daigo’s inexperience leads to many subsidiary heads after his seat, and talks of betrayal became rampant. Kiryu leaves Daigo to fend for himself, with little to help guide him in his decisions.
Tanimura: Cockiness
Tanimura is one of the protagonists of Yakuza 4, and in many ways is the one that drives the plot of the game forward. He works as a Community Safety Officer for the Metropolitan Police Department. He joined the force to find the truth about the death of his father.
While his intentions may be noble, Tanimura’s biggest weakness is his own personality. While he respects those close to him, his cocky attitude has gotten him in trouble on more than one occasion. Be it with his superiors or even the yakuza, his words have put him in potentially deadly situations.
Akiyama: Himself
Akiyama was introduced in Yakuza 4 and became a series regular. He’s one of Kiryu’s strongest allies. The owner of Sky Finance, he gives out no-interest loans thanks to the massive wealth he earned through investing.
While he is generous, Akiyama’s greatest weakness is himself. He’s incredibly disorganized, as shown by how messy his offices are without Hana around. Akiyama is also too trusting of people, and gets burned by those he looked after in Yakuza 4’s plot. While he is a capable fighter and helpful to those in need, Akiyama has trouble helping himself.
Date: The Force
Date has been a staple of the Yakuza series since the first game, and has appeared in every game except for Yakuza 0. He’s one of Kiryu’s longest and closest allies, and the two have helped each other both in and out of the main plot. He primarily works as a detective of the Metropolitan Police Department.
His occupation is also his biggest weakness. In many ways, the Police Department hampers Date’s ability to help out Kiryu, and sometimes force him into certain protocols meant to prevent him from helping.
Haruka: Past Mistakes
Haruka met Kiryu during the events of the original Yakuza and got her chance at a protagonist role in Yakuza 5. During Yakuza 5, she becomes an idol but is forced to leave her past behind. This culminates in her revealing the truth about her link with Kiryu at a concert.
This transitions into Yakuza 6, where the press goes after her and her link to Kiryu and the yakuza. All of this proves to be overwhelming for her, and Haruka runs away and loses contact with both Kiryu and Morning Glory. The mistakes of that night haunt her and continue to throughout the rest of her stint in the series.
Saejima: Honor
Saejima was introduced in Yakuza 4, and he is the sworn brother of Majima. He spends most of his time as a protagonist as a convict, keeping a low profile to avoid authorities. Saejima is incredibly old-fashioned and doesn’t make any attempt to modernize his beliefs.
While the yakuza evolved while he was in prison, Saejima holds the old mentality of the organization in the highest regard. He considers honor to be the most important thing. In some ways, this is noble, but this nobility has hurt his ability to adapt to the modern age. It’s hindered him and led to him finding himself in bad situations.
Ichiban: Temper
Ichiban took over the main protagonist reigns from Kiryu with Yakuza: Like A Dragon. He won people’s hearts and proved himself a worthy successor to the legendary Dragon Of Dojima.
While he has plenty of strengths, his biggest weakness is his temper. Ichiban is very hot-headed, and when things start falling apart he begins to panic and get angry. In the closing chapters of Like A Dragon, this is shown when he becomes blinded by rage and starts attacking people for answers, much to the dismay of all of his party members.
Shinada: His Past
Shinada has only appeared in Yakuza 5 as one of the main protagonists. He’s a disgraced baseball player turned journalist who winds up investigating the mystery of why he was fired from his baseball team.
Shinada’s past, both recent and distant, is his weakness. While investigating, he puts himself and others in danger, almost dying to falling debris multiple times. In more recent times, he’s wound up drowning in debt and struggling to work his way out of it. He made more than a few enemies with his mooching and has found himself banned from more than a couple of establishments because of his debts.
Majima: Loved Ones
Majima is a fan-favorite character, be it in his classy Yakuza 0 appearance or under his Mad Dog persona. Underneath the craziness, the real Majima is still there and only comes out on rare occasions.
For the facade he puts on, his loved ones are his greatest weakness. Whenever they are in danger, logic goes out the window and he does whatever it takes to protect them. It extends past love interests as well, as he refuses to negotiate with yakuza heads because it would hurt Kiryu. Threatening his loved ones is the quickest way to bring Majima to his knees.
Kiryu: Haruka
Kiryu is one of the strongest, if not the strongest person the Tojo Clan had ever seen. The legendary Dragon Of Dojima is stoic, strong, and noble. The legend of Kiryu is known all throughout Kamurocho.
Despite everything, he does have one notable weakness that antagonists have used multiple times to get Kiryu to do what he wants. That would be his adoptive daughter Haruka. She’s the only family he has left, so whenever she’s put in danger, Kiryu will do anything to save her, even if it means sacrificing himself. Over the years of Kiryu’s saga, Haruka is the only person or thing that has ever forced Kiryu to do whatever an antagonist wanted.
