Most know that there are plenty ofYakuzatitles, but some might not realize that it was a yearly series for a while. From 2008 to 2012 and 2014 to 2018, each year had one or even more Yakuza games released. With that output, the titles are bound to have many aspects carry over, and this is true for recurring characters.
Many of the side characters you interact with throughout the various cities show up in more than one game. This is welcome for both helpful characters you’re happy to see again and for the more villainous ones that you’re eager to smack down once more.
Updated on July 09, 2025, by Dominic Allen:With Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth being Kazuma Kiryu’s finale in the series, a ton of older characters return. These range from major side characters to small ones or characters that only appear in the side content.
This is what’s so great about the long-running franchise, with everything coming full circle. It’s going to be a shame not seeing these older characters appear going forward.
There’s a ton of recurring side characters, so we added even more and added details concerning some of the newer instalments.
Yakuza
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
In the original Yakuza game, Gary Buster Holmes was a boss fight you encountered in the coliseum. He was tough but had an iconic design that allowed him to appear in further entries. Holmes was a boss fight in Yakuza 2, and in the fourth instalment, he appeared as a construction worker ready to face Kiryu one last time.
Starting withYakuza: Like a Dragon, Holmes became a useful ally either in battle or in side activities like the arena inLike a Dragon Gaiden. He’sincredibly helpful there, and along with his cool design, he’ll likely appear in more games.
Yakuza 3
A big part of Yakuza 3 is dealing with the Morning Glory Orphanage. You’ll have to take care of and address the various problems with the children, and you will grow attached to them by the end. The same goes for Kiryu himself, and it’s nice to see them grow up in future entries. However, the big emotional moment comes in Like a Dragon Gaiden.
At this point, Kiryu’s faked his death and cannot let anyone know he’s still around. Via a camera placed at his fake grave site, the orphanage kids talk about Kiryu in a touching momentthat’ll make you cry. This holds especially true if you first played Yakuza 3 in 2010 and you’ve grown along with these kids.
Yakuza 0
Debuting inYakuza 0, the Pocket Circuit Fighter is a commentator at the Pocket Circuit arena. As you completethe fun side game, you’ll befriend the Pocket Circuit Fighter and get to know the other child racers too. The big jump is when you play Yakuza Kiwami.
17 years have passed since Kiryu last met these characters, and they’ve all grown. All the children are now adults having their own struggles, and even the Pocket Circuit Fighter himself is getting married and needs another person to take his spot at the arena. This whole story is very satisfying in the end, but it actually continues. The fighter reappears in Yakuza 6, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and by the time ofInfinite Wealth, he’s become the Pocket Circuit President.
In the Yakuza series, whenever you need some crucial devastating moves at your disposal, meeting Komaki is inevitable. Appearing as a trainer in Yakuza 0 through 5, Komaki is the most helpful one in the series. Debuting in Yakuza 1, he gives Kiryu the best moves in the game, including the most iconic in the series, the Tiger Drop.
It’s advised you complete his training process as soon as possible because those moves give you a serious upper hand in battle. When the events of Infinite Wealth occur, Komaki, like Kiryu, is at the end of his ropes and decides to battle him one last time. It’sa challenging fight, but when it’s over, Komaki and Kiryu have a heart-to-heart and go their separate ways. A great finale for the character.
Yakuza 2
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name
Like Komaki, Renji is another long series mainstay that, although not deep storywise, is an incredibly helpful NPC character. Renji runs a weapons shop in Yakuza 2 through 5 and is the best weapons store in each of those games. By far, the best gear, firearms, and blades are found through him.
After beating Yakuza Kiwami 2, for example, you can purchase the Photon Blade RG and the Dragon SP pistol from his shop, and those are the twobest weapons in the title. Playing Yakuza 6 and realizing Renji’s gone is sad because he was so helpful in almost all the previous games.
Yakuza 4
Debuting in Yakuza 4 as a dojo teacher, Sodachi isn’t like Komaki in that he’s a helpful trainer to you. Instead, you must train and help the dojo’s students in the Fighter Maker side game. The minigame is somewhat difficult to get accustomed to, but once you understand it and your students start winning tournaments, it’s rewarding.
Near the start of Saejima’s story in Yakuza 5, you may return to the dojo for some additional side quests. It’s nice to go back, especially since you’ve likely grown with these characters if you put a lot of time into Fighter Maker. For an experienced Yakuza player, when thinking of Saejima and what he does in his playable entries, Sodachi is bound to come up, and his dojo remains one of the most memorable in the series.
When you think of it, Yakuza is similar to many RPGs. One similar aspect is the hidden boss fight. These are often stronger and take longer to defeat than the final boss, and the Amon clan definitely fits the bill. The criteria for fighting Amon depends on the game, but most will unlock after beating every side quest.
Jo Amon is the lead Amon boss for most of the games and is determined to take Kiryu down. These fights are hard as nails, but the further entries ramp it up even more. With Yakuza 4 and 5, Jo brings three other Amon clan members, and you must beat all four in sequence with each playable fighter. These are tough marathons, but all Amon fights are a major highlight gameplay-wise in the series.
Yakuza 6
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (as Robo Michio)
While not a real, physical person, one of the highlight characters in the recent Yakuza games is Ono Michio. In terms of a joke character, purely for comic relief, it’s one of the more effective. Debuting in Yakuza 6 as Onomichi’s mascot, the character features in one of the funniest substories, with Kiryu dressing up as him and needing to entertain the children there.
you’re able to pick some very funny dialogue options in this quest. One of them mentions Kiryu’s possible virgin status, which has become a running joke in the fandom. In the end, though, Kiryu beats up some thugs in the costume and truly makes an impact on the kids. Ono Michio reappears in further games and continues to be funny.
Yakuza 5
Minamida is another character tied to an important minigame, but his creation is totally different from the rest. Inner Fighter is almost like a predecessor to Paradise VR inJudgment, with it being a virtual reality battle against many foes. You even fight a few bosses in Inner Fighter throughout Yakuza 3 and 4.
They’re quite tough because health and damage are a bit different than the actual boss fights in the campaign. Plus, Minamida is a solid movie reference to Doc Brown from Back to the Future, which is the cherry on top. When thinking of the PS3 era Yakuza titles, Minamida is a notable character bound to arise due to his wacky science and absurd arcade game.
Kazuto Arase first appears as a one-off boss in the original Yakuza title. Most of these one-off bosses never show up again if they’re not important to the storyline. However, Arase makes an incredibly surprising return in Yakuza 3. One of the main side gigs in the game is the Hitman Missions, where you must take down various hitmen in Kamurocho.
The last one involves you taking down the leader of the Reapers, and it’s revealed it was Arase all along. Even in the context of the whole series, this is still a big surprise because this hasn’t happened before or since. The final boss of the Hitman Missions involves you fighting both Arase and his main lackey, Shinzaki, in a tough fight that’s bound to eat up healing items.
