WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD for Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. Proceed at your own risk.

Like a Dragon Gaiden is a heartfelt foray into Kiryu’s character as he grapples with living as a dead man. Leading the life of a Daidoji agent sees him adopt an intense stoicism, one that feels in tune with the adversity he has faced throughout the series. His convictions to keep his loved ones from harm, especially when considering those he has lost in his past, keeps him tethered to the Joryu facade as he puts on a straight face for those around him. Despite enduring this pain for much of the title’s runtime, however, Kiryu’s emotions inevitably come to a boiling point, leaving Like a Dragon Gaiden‘s ending as one of the most heartbreaking in the series.

This display from Like a Dragon Gaiden‘s Kiryu comes ironically as the result of a reward; when the kids from Morning Glory orphanage pay their respects to his grave, a hidden camera left by a Daidoji agent records them. Spotted by Ayako and Taichi, the two speak to it in the hopes that their words will reach Kiryu, believing deep down that their former caretaker is still alive. As they talk about their career choices and how well everyone’s been doing, the sense that he’s no longer needed crosses Kiryu’s mind. There’s so much that he’s missed, even in just a few years, that he grieves both for what he’s lost and the future he’s missing out on. To distance himself from those he loves is to make the ultimate sacrifice, a pain exacerbated by the reveal of Haruto’s drawing.

The Like a Dragon Series Isn’t Afraid to Let Its Protagonists Be Vulnerable

“So I Cried. Doesn’t Make Me Less of a Man.”

Steadfast in his convictions yet emotional all the same, Kiryu in Gaiden‘s ending shows the strength of how the Like a Dragon series allows for moments of character vulnerability. He, along with the series’ secondary protagonists, are strong men, not despite their showings of emotion, but because of them. They endure physical and emotional turmoil to an extraordinary degree, enough at times to make them cry. Rather than treat these moments as a display of weakness, however, RGG Studio chooses the lens of compassion. Gaiden‘s ending works not only as a testament to the selflessness of Kiryu’s character, but one that considers how difficult it would be to keep from expressing such pain and loneliness.

Saejima’s Coliseum Speech

Similar sentiments can be seen in past Yakuza titles, as is the case with Taiga Saejima in the series’ fourth entry. At the behest of the Florist, he is told to fight a deathmatch in Purgatory’s Coliseum to gain the information he seeks. Unknowing that this is a test of his character, Saejima hesitates to deliver the final blow, despite chants from the crowd urging him that it’s just “one more” life he has to take. What results is a heartbreaking speech where Saejima details just how traumatized the Ueno Seiwa Hit left him; the nightmares he has, what the cost of killing does to a person, remain fresh in his mind every day, even twenty-five years later.

This display of vulnerability immediately ties empathy to his character, giving insight into the underlying goodness of his nature. The same can be said for Tanimura, whose eyes well up when confronted with his father’s murderer, a man who he once believed to be an honest cop. Letting these Like a Dragon protagonists show emotion is what helps to humanize them, giving the audience better insight into their motivations while demonstrating that outward displays of grief, sadness, and loss shouldn’t be considered taboo among male characters. This is what makes Gaiden‘s ending so bittersweet; despite Haruka and the Morning Glory kids being okay, Kiryu himself is not, and there’s no shame in him expressing that.

The Like a Dragon Series’ Future

As Ichiban Kasuga takes the mantle of the series’ next mainstay protagonist, his plight with Masato Arakawa in Like A Dragon 7 is testament to these notions. Like Kiryu, Ichi’s trust in others and the kindness he puts on display is not mistaken for weakness; rather, the tears he sheds for those around him demonstrate how empathetic he is as a character. This is how the two succeed so well as protagonists, and how Like a Dragon Gaiden delivers on its narrative impact. Kiryu’s consideration for others over himself is the driving force of his character, though it is not without its heartbreak. Even so, the Dragon of Dojima himself can be vulnerable, and that’s part of what makes him so compelling.