5 Yakuza Side-Characters Who Need Their Own Game (And Aren’t Named Majima)

The Like a Dragon/Yakuza franchise has been going strong for 20 years, delivering countless enjoyable characters that fans have come to know and love. While the main series primarily focuses on Kazuma Kiryua and Ichiban Kasuga, there are so many Yakuza side-characters that deserve their moment in the sun.

Now that the mad dog Goro Majima got his own spin-off in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, here are some others that Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio should look into giving the same treatment next. With so many games and a new expansion into live-action, the Yakuza series (now known as Like A Dragon) is filled with side characters who deserve their own game and aren’t named Goro Majima.

Want more than just the Yakuza side-characters? Check out why Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii turned someone who hated naval combat into someone who likes it here.

5. Taiga Saejima

Appeared In: Yakuza 0 (flashback), Yakuza 4, Yakuza 5, Yakuza 6, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

Saejima first appears in Yakuza 4 and plays a role in the rest of the series onward. He has had a tough life but is a loyal companion and badass fighter. Much about his story hasn’t been explored yet, so getting a deeper look at his earlier years would be an absolute blast. He does have a few playable moments in the Yakuza games and is really enjoyable to play as. More time exploring his life and using his massive body to wreak havoc would make for an excellent spin-off.

4. Osamu Kashiwagi

Appeared In: Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami, Yakuza Kiwami 2, Yakuza 3, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name (mentioned only), Lost Judgment, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Thought to be dead in Yakuza 3, Kashiwagi pops back up as the owner and operator of the Survive Bar. The bar is a meeting point in Yakuza: Like a Dragon and is a central hub for Ichiban and his friends. Exploring what happened to Kashiwagi after he survived would be great. It could focus on his survival and decision to open the bar, making it a bar management simulator. That would open up an avenue for so many interesting bar-themed minigames. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio are masters of minigames, so there is real potential for a banger game here.

3. Shintaro Kazama

Appeared In: Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami, Yakuza Kiwami 2 (flashback), Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name (flashback)

Kazama is Kiryu’s adopted father and captain of the Dojima family when we first meet him in Yakuza 0. He is Kiryu’s mentor and idol, someone for whom Kiryu has a ton of respect. That said, the actual events that made him such a respected leader and person are largely implied instead of shown. A game focusing on his years as a young man climbing through the Yakuza ranks would be immensely enjoyable without straying too far from the Yakuza game formula.

2. Seonhee

Appeared In: Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Seonhee is an absolute badass, leading the Korean-Japanese organization Geomijul. Like Kazama, there is so much backstory here that has never been explored. She plays a vital role in Yakuza: Like a Dragon and is fun to play as in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. A spin-off focusing on her rise to the top of the Geomijul would be an interesting story and provide fun and exciting combat. It might be hard to feature the more comedic parts of the franchise, but it could still dive into how weird the world is while playing as a more straightlaced character.

1. Kiryu’s Orphans

Appeared In: Yakuza 3, Yakuza 4, Yakuza 5, Yakuza 6, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name 

One of the best emotional moments is found in Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name when an assumed-dead Kiryu gets to see how the children at the Morning Glory Orphanage are doing. A game focusing on them and their adventures as they grow up would feature several different types of stories, opening up plenty of gameplay options. It would also help build on the emotional highs of the main series as players watch the kids grow up and reach their full potential.

There you have it, five of the best Like a Dragon characters who deserve their own spin-off games. Let us know which characters you’d like to see in this storied franchise get their moment in the sun.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii releases February 21st on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.