80jili Casino The Like a Dragon series (formerly Yakuza) is really long, both in playtime and in story. There’s a lot that happens over the course of all nine mainline games, and it can be difficult to get into if you’re a newcomer to the series and a lot to remember if you’re a veteran. However, that’s why this article exists! To catch you up on the adventures of Kiryu Kazuma and Ichiban Kasuga in time for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. So let’s get started.
Disclaimer: This article spoils every game in the 80jili Casino series.
The first six games focus on the life of Kiryu Kazuma, starting from the original Yakuza game (which is retold in Yakuza Kiwami). In 1995, in the fictional town of Kamurocho, Kiryu was a yakuza lieutenant under Tojo Clan subsidiary Dojima family, earning him the name “The Dragon of Dojima”. He was living a rather good life with his friends, his sworn brother Akira “Nishiki” Nishikiyama and his love interest Yumi Sawamura. They all grew up together in the Sunflower orphanage, which was established by the Patriarch of the Kazama Family and surrogate father Shintaro Kazama.
The Story Leading Up to Like a Dragon 80jili Casino Infinite Wealth
On Yumi’s birthday, Nishiki kills the Dojima patriarch to protect her, and Kiryu takes the blame, serving 10 years in prison. Upon release, he finds Yumi missing, Nishiki now a ruthless yakuza leader, and 10 billion yen stolen from the Tojo Clan. Everyone is after Kiryu, and the mystery centers on a young girl, Haruka, searching for her mother, Yumi. In the end, many close to Kiryu—Nishiki, Yumi, and Kazuma—die. The stolen money is lost, and Kiryu briefly becomes the Tojo Clan’s fourth chairman before retiring to raise Haruka away from the yakuza life.
However, this never lasts. Despite Kiryu’s efforts to stay away from the criminal underworld, even opening up his own orphanage named Morning Glory, he’s always pulled back in to solve the Tojo’s problems and deal with their rival, the Omi Alliance, which often puts his and his loved ones lives in danger (mostly Haruka, she’s usually a target), By the time of Yakuza 6: Song of Life, Kiryu has had enough of watching his friends and family die, be kidnapped, and used against him. So, at the end of that game, he makes a deal with a shady organisation and fakes his death to ensure Haruka and the other kids in the orphanage live peacefully.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth – Deluxe Edition
Ichiban Kasuga, known as the “Dragon of Rock Bottom,” had a rough start—abandoned at birth and raised in a brothel in Kamurocho. Inspired by Dragon Quest and father figures Jiro Kasuga and Masumi Arakawa, he became a loyal yakuza under Arakawa and caretaker to Arakawa’s disabled son. Like Kiryu, he took the fall for a murder he didn’t commit and spent 18 years in prison. Upon release, he finds the Tojo Clan destroyed, Arakawa aligned with the enemy Omi Alliance, and when he reunites with his boss, Arakawa shoots him and leaves him for dead in Yokohama.
Ichiban fights his way back from rock bottom by forming a group of allies to uncover a criminal conspiracy. He learns that Masato, now known as Ryo Aoki, is alive, walking, and using the yakuza to rise in politics. To stop him, the Tojo and Omi chairmen dissolve their organizations. Tragically, Masumi Arakawa is murdered by Masato’s orders, and Ichiban later discovers he may be Arakawa’s biological son. Despite the loss, Ichiban exposes Masato’s crimes and convinces him to atone—only for Masato to be fatally stabbed by his political ally, Kume.
Despite all the death and shocking revelations, Ichiban still manages to smile as now he’s got good friends he can count on, a reputation as the Hero of Yokohama, and a future that has never looked brighter than before… until Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and that all gets ripped away from him, so he has to climb back to the top all over again.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth – Ultimate Edition
You won’t believe me, but this was a very brief summary of the Like a Dragon story so far, and there’s still so much I couldn’t fit in. I haven’t even mentioned Goro Majima, one of the most popular characters in the series, and Daigo Dojima and his many, many failings. You’re better off playing the games yourself, and they’re all available in Fanatical as well as the latest entry, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, coming out on the 25th of January 2024.
