Welcome, kyodais! The DLC cycle and general “hype cycle” around Super Smash Bros. Ultimate might be over by now. However, with Nintendo’s next console on the horizon there’s a good chance the next Smash game might follow. So, I want to analyze a series that could be in a future Smash game: Yakuza, or as it’s currently known in the west, Like A Dragon. Let’s look at some of the potential characters this series could bring, as well as stages, movesets, spirits, and more.
Since nobody can predict the future of Smash, this scenario is going to be a little Ultimate-centric. So I’ll assume content like spirits and movesets will be implemented similarly to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. There will be no story spoilers for any Yakuza games. That said, what even is Yakuza and why should it be in Smash?
What is Yakuza/Like A Dragon?
Yakuza is an open world beat ‘em up/RPG series created by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. It’s sold over 20 million copies worldwide and is one of Sega’s most successful series ever. It began with 2005’s Yakuza for PS2 and has gotten nine main-line entries since and plenty of spin-offs. There was even a TV show announced for Amazon Prime while I was writing this article!And for clarity’s sake, the series’s original name in the west was Yakuza. Over time it began to be replaced by its Japanese name Like A Dragon. Both names will be used interchangeably throughout the article.
The games are known for deep yet satisfying combat with a lot of variety and a ton of moves. They’re also known for their immersive urban areas based on real Japanese cities (And even Hawaii in the latest entry!) with tons of minigames to take part in, as well as their cinematic stories exploring aspects about the yakuza lifestyle and Japanese society. The story can get pretty silly at times too. Lots of side-content is absurd and that’s all something people love about the series.
How Can I Get Into the Like A Dragon Series?
While it can seem intimidating due to the near 20 year legacy of the series, Yakuza is an extremely accessible series. All nine mainline entries are available on Steam, PS4, PS5 and Xbox and frequently go on sale. Yakuza 0 is the first game chronologically and meant to be an introduction to the series for new players so that’s likely the best place to start.Is Yakuza Likely To Be In Smash?
It was recently reported that Sega plans to make Sonic, Persona, and Like A Dragon into annual franchises, and treat them as their three main pillars. Knowing that both Sonic and Persona are in Smash, it follows that could be as well. Yakuza has crossed over with lots of games in the past so it’s clear Sega is interested in putting the brand out there. Yakuza’s tone is grounded enough that it could bring something new to the Smash series, yet still fantastical enough that it could fit in alongside some other series in there. Yakuza characters have met some Nintendo heroes in Project X Zone 2 after all!Speaking of which, that presents one of Yakuza’s biggest hurdles to potentially getting into Smash, the lack of a Nintendo connection. There was only one Yakuza game on a Nintendo console and it was a massive flop. It’s worth remembering however, that Persona was heavily associated with PlayStation. Yet, Joker was added as a playable character to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate anyway, so don’t take this to mean there’s no chance for Yakuza in Smash. It’s still a massive franchise, nowadays even in the west and Sega definitely wants to see it grow. With that said, what kinds of characters could get in if Yakuza was added to Smash?
The Characters
Yakuza is a franchise with lots of different protagonists, but it isn’t too hard to narrow down the candidates for Smash. Today, I’ll go over what I see as the three most likely characters for Smash and what they could look like. Do note that since I’m going over a few characters here I only have time to briefly explain them. So we’ll only be looking at their specials and final smash. The first character to be discussed here is Kazuma Kiryu.
Kiryu is easily the most recognizable Yakuza protagonist and acts as the face of the series. He’s a legendary former yakuza with a heart of gold and a desire to help anyone in need. He’s the character we followed most throughout the series and was the protagonist of the first game. Kiryu has been playable in every single mainline entry afterwards, only taking a break from the spotlight for Yakuza: Like A Dragon. He has a wealth of iconic attacks too, something that won’t be too hard to build a moveset around. I should acknowledge, however, one of the biggest factors I’ve seen cited as a factor for why Kiryu shouldn’t be in Smash. One of Kiryu’s character traits is that he refuses to hit women. It’s pretty much exclusively told through side stories instead of the main story, however. Kiryu has been able to hit anyone in crossover appearances like Project x Zone 2. Ultimately, whether or not it’s too big a hurdle for him is subjective which is why I’m presenting some other characters later. Here are my ideas for Kiryu’s moveset:
Neutral Special - Essence of Bicycle Smash
Kiryu is known for making use of weapons as he fights and few are as useful as the versatile and powerful bicycle. He’ll swing a bicycle forward, and if he makes contact with the opponent he’ll swing it again, breaking the bicycle.
Side Special - Essence of Tonfa
As I said earlier, a big part of Kiryu’s gameplay and Yakuza in general, involves making use of weapons or items for your attacks. This time it’ll be using a more traditional weapon, a tonfa. For this attack he’ll strike forward once with a tonfa in one hand, and again with a tonfa in his other hand. Eventually this all culminates in a final attack where he uses both to end his combo.
Up Special - Daidoji Grappling Hook
Yes, they gave Kiryu a grappling hook. In Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name Kiryu got a grappling hook to swing his enemies around with. The attack would function similarly to the tether specials Joker and Min Min have. That said, I would like to keep his grab a physical grapple rather than use this grappling hook. Grabbing is already a big part of Kiryu’s moveset in the Yakuza series and there’s plenty of moves he could use as his throws.
Down Special - Komaki Tiger Drop
One of the most infamous moves in the whole series due to how powerful and relatively easy to perform it is. The Komaki Tiger Drop would be represented here as a classic down special counter move. Right before a potential attack hits, Kiryu will lean downwards and deliver a sharp and swift punch to the opponent, knocking them away in the opposite direction. It can armor through low hits that the initial lean wouldn’t be able to avoid. While the attack does deal massive damage in the Yakuza series, here the damage wouldn’t be as extreme. However, it would still deal a large amount of knockback.
Final Smash - Essence of Dragon God
Kiryu has a cinematic final smash that starts with him striking the ground with a heavy punch, causing a shockwave on the ground. The cinematic would then show a giant dragon made from blue energy breathing fire over each of the enemies.
Overall, Kiryu would emphasize strong, powerful attacks that are able to get multiple opponents in his reach. Just like in the Yakuza series though you have to be careful about how you use them and misusing any of his attacks can be disastrous. However, I want to propose a sort of gimmick for Kiryu: Stance changes.
Now that we know how Kiryu could work, there’s another character introduced alongside him in the first game to discuss. He started out as an unstable villain with an insane demeanor and ruthless attitude, but later on he became an ally of Kiryu. He then would appear in every single mainline game and even be playable a few times. I’m talking about the Mad Dog of Shimano, Goro Majima!
Majima also has a stance changing mechanic similar to Kiryu’s which he makes use of in Yakuza 0. However, this didn’t return in any of his other playable appearances. So, I’m going to have his moveset be a mixture of all of his stances instead.
Neutral Special - Breaker Whirl
Based on a move he uses in Breaker stance in Yakuza 0, a stance themed around using dances to fight. Majima spins around on the ground, dealing damage to anyone near him.
Side Special - Evasive Slash
Majima cartwheels forward, using his knife to slash at anyone near him. If he makes contact, he’ll lunge forward again, slashing at opponents once more.
Up Special - Tornado Strike
This would be similar to his neutral special, instead having him use his baseball bat, swinging it like a helicopter to propel himself upwards. This isn’t based on anything in particular from his movesets in the Yakuza series. However, spinning attacks are a common trope that would be great for an up special.
Down Special - Doppelganger
Starting with Yakuza 5, Majima gains the ability to use and create shadowy doppelgangers seemingly out of energy (Hey, Yakuza fights aren’t always literal). Using his down special creates a doppelganger which starts a rush combo that lasts a second. The clone only disappears upon the completion of the move or if the doppelganger is struck first. He can only summon one at a time.
Final Smash - Demonfire Rain
In a scene inspired by his assist attack in Yakuza: Like A Dragon, he would jump high into the air and throw a bunch of knives at the ground, striking one spot. If he hits enemies in the attack, he’ll summon lightning down at that spot of the ground, dealing damage to anyone in the vicinity.
Now finally, the last of the characters I’ve decided to include is Ichiban Kasuga.
Kasuga made his debut in Yakuza: Like A Dragon as the new series protagonist. It marked a huge turning point for the franchise as it switched the gameplay to a turn based RPG system instead of a beat ‘em up with RPG elements. Kasuga has since become very popular, in part due to his bright outlook on life and naive attitude, despite his sharp knowledge on yakuza life. Considering how he was the protagonist of the latest game alongside Kiryu too, it makes sense that he could be the character Smash adds. His gameplay could also be quite different from those two considering his turn-based RPG origin.
Before I explore Kasuga’s potential moveset, however, I want to introduce a gimmick in the form of the job system. Like many classic RPG’s Yakuza: Like A Dragon features a system where characters are able to switch jobs to change their specializations and attacks to keep the combat system variable. These jobs are all sorts of strange things like chefs, break dancers, idols and bodyguards.
Kasuga could switch between two jobs: Freelancer and Hero. Freelancer is the job Kasuga has at the start of the game. It uses his fists for attacks. Hero, on the other hand, is a job he gains later on in the story, it uses bats for attacks and has various buffs to provide support.. Since skills are able to carry between jobs in Yakuza: Like A Dragon though, I’ll have Kasuga’s normals mostly be the same regardless of what job he’s in, but his specials would vastly change. Freelancer will be quicker and Hero emphasizes raw damage output.
Neutral Special - Rock Swing/Full Swing
In Freelancer, he gets a command grab where he puts the opponent into a headlock and slams them into the ground. In Hero, he swings his bat forward which causes an energy wave to move forward on the ground.
Side Special - Tenacious Fist/Giga Swing
In Freelancer, he winds up his fist and swings it forward in an arc. In Hero he’ll swing his baseball bat, then follow it up with another swing if he hits.
Up Special - Dolphin Dive/Buster Geyser
Most of these have followed Kasuga’s moveset in Yakuza: Like A Dragon so this one would pull a little from the tropical Hawaiian setting of Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, having him jump upwards on a dolphin. The Hero one would be a little riskier, making him jump upwards and slam downwards with his baseball bat.
Down Special - Job Change
This is the move that would switch his jobs up, having him either take out his bat for the Hero stance or take it away in favor of Freelancer.
Final Smash - Essence of Orbital Laser
Yes, this happens in Yakuza. Ichiban swings his bat which leads into a cinematic wherein the opponent is in the usual parking lot area these attacks take place in. Kasuga pulls out his phone and pushes a button, causing an orbital laser to strike the opponent from space.
So those are the three most likely Yakuza protagonists for Smash representation. There are lots of other characters who could be brought to the series, but don’t worry I’ll go over some of them in my spirit board ideas at one point! Now, let’s look at some potential stages.
Stages
The Yakuza series has to be one of the toughest franchises to pick a stage for. Not only are there multiple cities throughout the series, but nearly every single street is brimming with life and would be substantial enough to make a stage on their own. I’ve selected just a few iconic Yakuza locations to serve as stages:Tenkaichi Street
Kamurocho is the most recurring city in Yakuza by far, having been in every main line entry to date. It’s a fictional Tokyo district inspired by the real-life Kabukicho district. A few of these stages will be set in Kamurocho, but this first one is Tenkaichi Street. This street is where the iconic neon red gate to the city is located. Additionally there’s the Serena bar, which frequently acts as a hideout for our heroes. This would likely be a simple stage, with a flat layout and two buildings on either side to act as platforms. Crowds of civilians could watch the fight, or just go about their day.
Tojo Clan HQ
Of course, the Tojo Clan Headquarters could function perfectly as a stage too! The massive building is located in Kamurocho as well, and battles occurring on the premises are a common trope in the series. The stage would scroll through the gateway, main entryway, meeting rooms, and even the gardens. Plenty of big-shot Yakuza characters could also cameo here.
Millennium Tower
Purgatory Colosseum
Purgatory is a secret city underneath Kamurocho where people get their most sinister desires fulfilled. Purgatory has a whole underground colosseum where people can fight too. This could make for a great stage with a breakable cage acting similarly to the walls of the King of Fighters Stadium stage.
Isezaki Ijincho
Finally, moving away from Kamurocho our next stage is Isezaki Ijincho. It’s a district of Yokohama which made its debut in Yakuza: Like A Dragon. It has since appeared in Lost Judgment, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth and briefly in Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. The location in particular I have in mind is on the West Tsurukame Highway. Here the homeless encampment Kasuga and his pals spent time in would be visible, as would the local Poppo convenience store.
Spirits
For the final segment of this article, I will go over some ideas for spirit battles for Yakuza characters. The characters of Yakuza are ultimately one of the most beloved parts of the series, and so here I can represent just a little bit more with spirits. For the sake of this article, I will be making these under the assumption that Kiryu is the fighter I added (So Kiryu will be a fighter spirit) and that Tenkaichi Street will be his stage. Here are the spirits I picked out:
Haruka Sawamura
Novice
Puppet Fighter: Daisy (white alt)
Stage: Tortimer Island
Conditions: The Squid Sisters assist trophy appears
Debut: Yakuza (2005)
Haruka debuted in the first Yakuza game as a small girl who Kiryu had to protect, establishing right at the beginning of the series a plotline you might not expect to see in a crime drama. She has since grown up through the course of the series, acting as a daughter figure to Kiryu and even becoming an idol at one point.
Makoto Date
Novice
Puppet Fighter: Chrom (green alt)
Stage: Tenkaichi Street
Conditions: The enemy tends to use grabs
Debut: Yakuza (2005)
A former detective who once proved Kiryu’s innocence in the first Yakuza, Makoto Date has since become one of Kiryu’s best friends and has appeared in most mainline titles.
Yuya & Kazuki
Novice
Puppet Fighters: Roy (red alt), Ken (white alt)
Stage: Tenkaichi Street
Conditions: The enemies tend to use taunts, food will spawn
Debut: Yakuza (2005)
Yuya and Kazuki are hosts who operate right across the street from the Serena bar where Kiryu hangs out frequently. Kiryu helped them out in Yakuza and they’ve since become good friends of his, returning on and off in mainline titles.
Akira Nishikiyama
Ace
Puppet Fighter: Ken (white alt)
Stage: Final Destination Form Fourside
Conditions: Items spawn frequently
Debut: Yakuza (2005)
Akira Nishikiyama is Kiryu’s sworn brother and one of his most valued friends. Despite this, they’ve come into conflict a couple of times throughout the series.
Daigo Dojima
Ace
Puppet Fighter: Marth (black alt)
Stage: Luigi’s Mansion
Conditions: The enemy starts the battle with a ray gun item
Debut: Yakuza 2 (2006)
Kiryu met Dojima as a young, rebellious teen and molded him into taking the role of the sixth chairman of the Tojo Clan. He’s since become a yakuza legend and has appeared in every mainline entry since.
Shun Akiyama
Ace
Puppet Fighter: Joker
Stage: Tenkaichi Street
Conditions: Enemy has super speed
Debut: Yakuza 4 (2010)
Shun Akiyama debuted as one of the four main playable protagonists in Yakuza 4. He’s a moneylender known all throughout Kamurocho for never charging interest on his loans, and has appeared in a few entries since. He’s also a good friend of Kiryu’s.
Ichiban Kasuga
Advanced
Puppet Fighters: Shulk (orange alt), Snake (light blue alt), Pit (green alt), Daisy (white alt)
Stage: Moray Towers
Conditions: Defeat the main fighter to win
Debut: Yakuza: Like A Dragon (2020)
Kasuga’s three first party members: Koichi Adachi, Yu Nanba and Saeko Mukoda, are referenced here as well.
Taiga Saejima
Puppet Fighter: Bowser (green alt)
Stage: Tortimer Island
Conditions: Enemy is hard to make flinch
Debut: Yakuza 4 (2010)
Debuting in Yakuza 4 alongside Akiyama, Saejima is the sworn brother of Goro Majima and is known for spending 25 years in prison before his entry into the narrative. He’s since had a similar role to his brother, acting as a guardian figure to the Tojo Clan’s chairman.
Ryuji Goda
Puppet Fighter: Roy (golden alt)
Stage: Final Destination Form Fourside
Conditions: The enemy starts the battle with a killing edge, The enemy is hard to make flinch
Debut: Yakuza 2 (2006)
An antagonist of Yakuza 2, Ryuji Goda is a legendary yakuza from the Omi Alliance and a rival of Kiryu. Despite not appearing much after his villain role, he’s become a protagonist in Yakuza: Dead Souls and been referenced a lot throughout the series.
Goro Majima
Puppet Fighters: Orange Wolf x3
Stage: Tenkaichi Street
Conditions: The enemy starts the battle with a killing edge, the enemy is occasionally invincible
Debut: Yakuza (2005)
Conclusion
And there we go! My concept for Yakuza in Smash. It’s impossible to know exactly where Smash will go from here and what kinds of newcomers might be in its future. However, I think somebody from Yakuza has a decent shot, and I hope you can see the potential in it too. I also hope newbies to the series, fans, or even people who know nothing about it enjoyed my analysis about what Yakuza could look like in Smash. If you’re still reading, I want to thank you with one last message:
Writing:
Champion of Hyrule
Editing: @Zerp
Thumbnail: @Zerp
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