Kiryu Kazuma

Místo: Dojima

Narozený: 1974

Životopis:

Kazuma Kiryu, also known as 'the Dragon of Dojima', is a fictional character and the initial main protagonist of Sega's action-adventure beat 'em up Japanese role-playing game series Yakuza / Like a Dragon. He is a former member of the yakuza group known as the Dojima Family, a subsidiary of the Tojo Clan. He was introduced in the series' 2005 debut game, where he took the blame for his boss's death to protect his sworn-brother Akira Nishikiyama, resulting in his expulsion from the clan and a ten-year stay in prison. After leaving prison, he fights against the new threats in his life, during which he meets Haruka Sawamura, to whom he eventually becomes an adoptive father. He is voiced by Takaya Kuroda in Japanese and by Darryl Kurylo (2005, 2020) and Yong Yea (2023-present) in the series’ English-dubbed releases. Besides the main series, Kiryu has also appeared in two ‘Like a Dragon’ live-action films, as well as other video games including Project X Zone 2 and as downloadable content in the spin-off game, Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise. Critical reception to Kiryu has been generally positive. Several critics have praised how Kiryu, despite his history as a yakuza, stood out because of his kindness and character development across the series' story. On the other hand, he has also been viewed as a somewhat typical gaming protagonist. Kiryu is also often considered a PlayStation mascot.