Who Are Kiryu's Parents? Everything We Know

[@Rafe-ignacius]

His father is actually Tamiya because the info dump in Yakuza 3 was him making up for lost time with his son

[@suckassmork2972]

No way! It's Masayoshi Yokoyama's alt account. Where's my Judgement 3?!?

[@aic8801]

His dad is keanu reeves

[@zubankesari7464]

@@aic8801 why does this make sense?

[@phantomaigis2291]

Yakuza 10: kiryu finds out his parents are secret Koreans

[@AdApT3Rx]

😂

[@JacopoBerzeatti10]

Im surprised this wasn’t a plot twist in yakuza 2

[@icedmilkteaa]

they could have been a part of the jingweon... 😭💀

[@muhammeterdemakbulut]

Yakuza 10: Kiryu finds out his father is turkish mafia guy and his mother is a yakuzas daughter (Y3 Kiryu looks like a %100 turk genetic dude fcked a peak japanese yakuza women, yes im talking about big asf eyes while still looking japanese, THIS IS THE ONLY WAY)

[@moroxian8920]

@@muhammeterdemakbulut The idea thay Kiryu is a half turk is very funny to me, thanks for that insight.

[@arturogabriel6863]

I like the fact that he is just an orphan and we know nothing about his parents, it helps make an emphasis on the bonds of the yakuza and the way he learned to understand what it means to have a family.

[@CidGuerreiro1234]

Yeah, there's simply no need to expand on his parents. They were regular, unremarkable people who got involved with the wrong guys and ended up killed. That's it.

[@GoodTato]

Like a Dragon 13: "Kiryu... You too have the blood of Sparda"

[@PotatoVoid255]

Bruh all those punks saying he’s a demon is becoming true

[@odin9628]

I would genuinely kill myself if this happens

[@Yanramich]

@@GoodTato considering that sparda fucked right off for milk and never came back, it's possible

[@SalesmanWave]

​@@odin9628 Way to take away all the fun away from a comment.

[@MikeJr9284]

The world may never know why Kazama killed Kiryu’s parents.

[@HanzoHimemiya]

the lore was how Kazama killed Kiryu's parents, probably is was more an incident than in purpose.

[@pixytorres7117]

​@@HanzoHimemiya nah, he's parents were probably involved in gang activities or either they didn't pay the loans they took from Yakuza family or sth like that.

[@jeangreffsbp]

​@@HanzoHimemiya Nope, the orphanage was created explictly for the kids of people Kazama killed, he was a known Hitman for Dojima

[@nazarcool5200]

if kiryu has parents, then what about suzuki and joryu? do they have parents tho?

[@devilleon7]

That's worth looking into for another video, thanks for the idea!

[@CapybaraLord75]

Hi Niko

[@weedGato]

Joryu is a little too mysterious since he only appears in one game

[@harmansingh95100]

Don't forget about Kiryuin either

[@DeathCrunch]

@@nazarcool5200 What about his secrect twin brother that speaks English and works with Mi5, John Yakuza .

[@dsagent]

His dad is Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star. After the events of the anime, Kenshiro travelled to another dimension and married some woman. The woman died due to Kazama and Kenshiro was forced to go back to his own dimension so he put the child up for adoption. That is my theory and I don't care about facts.

[@RafaeL_137]

Screw fact-checking and doing my own research, I'm gonna start believing people

[@alihorda]

Facts don't care about your feelings. And your theory is in fact true according to my delusions.

[@PK.RWL17]

Yh, and Raoh is Ryuji's actual dad (he bears more resemblance with him than Jin does)

[@irsyadiaryadiva9430]

It's funny that Kiryu was born in Yokohama and the second half of his part in Infinite Wealth is set in the said town and we don't get any information or clues about his real parents.

[@LightNoteHouse]

There's one thing I wanna add from this info I collected from Tv Tropes Wiki: Considering Shintaro Kazuma is finest hitman of Tojo Clan, It's implied that his parent were apparently dangerous enough to justify sending the aforementioned finest assassin in the Tojo Clan after them. I guess the badass is apt word for Kiryu's deceased biological family. It's just a theory though as we, players don't know much until RGG studio decide to throw in some lore in future.

[@Yanramich]

considering that kiryu is a tank it probably was partially genetic so that's not far off the mark

[@VascoLorde]

@@Yanramich I’m guess kiryu’s mom or dad, or even both, were prodigies, but just couldn’t compare to Kazama, as, in y0 in others games, in his youth he was a BEAST, or, kiryus parents were just average people, but kiryu was the start of the Kazuma bloodline to start the renown strength.

[@TheOverlordEND]

​@@VascoLorde I like to believe the former, and because they're that dangerous they send an Assassin to silently killed them without confrontation.

[@Demonxsmit]

We don't even know who majima parents are but I seen a little rumor on reddit that they were librarians

[@Mel9188]

The fact we know Kiryu's father was a Yakuza thanks to the movie being lore-accurate is just, mind-blowing. Could be a reason he regrets joining the Tojo after the first games, it opens discussion for so many interpretations, both in terms of his personality and emotional temperament.

[@stefanavious]

I have no insight today because I'm still watching the video but the videos cutting to Guntaro Kazama when you said, "skilled as a fighter" and then the footage sorta lagging during the bowing entrance scene was peak Cinema.

[@SasukeUchiha5DX]

I think it's perfectly fine to leave that a mystery. I think it's good to leave a characters backround up to your imagination at times. We literally don't know anything about Majima prior to him being 20 and I like that. Tho watch the next game reveal that Majima's parents were pirates and they just yeeted him off at Tokyo bay as a baby.

[@elijahfyffe5176]

We do know that Kiryu is a decedent of Musashi at least. This also gives a bit of an idea as to why his parents had to go. Kiryu’s dad probably was a monster to fight and most likely served as a threat to the Tojo.

[@GreymanGaGotoku]

Glad you talked about this and mentioned the Prologue movie. It’s pretty good for a glorified advertisement for the game.

[@Reviel1899]

I'm loving these video essays and theories you've started making. Please do more of them.

[@devilleon7]

Thank you for the wonderful feedback ❤

[@zachataxxii7126]

You mentioned it as another topic already, but Kazama was taking out targets, putting their kids in his orphanage, and said kids would idolize & end up joining him in the Yakuza with Kiryu never doubting Kazama's intentions until all the way to a Gaiden substory (I know he never wanted Kiryu & Nishiki to join, but he still let them even though with his resources, there must have been a better alternative and we don't know if there were more kids like those two who felt & maybe did the same thing). That just sounds real manipulative to me, and I feel like it's too late to really give anymore context to that (Unless they make a prequel, and I will admit, a Kazama prequel is probably the only other prequel I'd really care for in this series) Anyways, Kiryu's parents. I never watched the movie so I didn't know any of that. It's interesting, but I don't know how to feel about them being Yakuza as well. To me, I always figured they were just people at the wrong place at the wrong time, which I feel fits Kiryu's character & tragedy of how such small mistakes made in the moment have life-changing consequences. Having them also be Yakuza feels kinda weird & sorta undermines his idolization of the Yakuza if he were to know that (Kiryu moves past that anyway, but one of the main things in his series-wide character arc is realizing how terrible the Yakuza was even then and how it's a shadow of its former self now, which leads to him personally help dissolve it) Just some rambling thoughts, hopefully it's cohesive at least (TBF it's been a while since I played these games now, so there's definitely some details I'm forgetting lol). Good video!

[@cerver6765]

Kazama basically runs an orphanage full of the kids he had orphaned due to killing their parents. Which, got me thinking…if Ishin is anything to go off of, it makes one wonder what Kiryu’s real father was like? Anyone in Kiryu’s bloodline is just built different by default. So, I imagine Kazama probably didn’t have an easy time taking out Kiryu’s biological father. Not to mention, Kazama is usually sent to high profile individuals, Kiryu’s dad was definitely no skinny salary man. a Yakuza hitman wouldn't take out just some random salaryman, whoever Kiryu's father was, he was someone important. Someone who could threaten the Tojo, somehow. So, there was reason to believe...Kiryu's papa was a Yakuza.

[@sanriobraincell]

​​@@cerver6765 *puts out cigarette and swigs a Premium Malt* _Yakuza..? Always has been._

[@DMAN99]

@@cerver6765not necessarily. Sure, narratively having Kiryu’s parents be nobodies feels like a wasted opportunity and it’d be hard to imagine some randos as the parents of Kiryu but realistically it could’ve just been some dude who learnt to much or tried to steal some of the Yakuza’s money or what have you. We’ve seen before in the series and definitely in real life that the Yakuza can and will be ruthless to anyone that steps in their way even for small scale stuff. All it takes is one dude screwing the numbers enough to steal some of the Yakuza’s cash flow or Kiryu’s dad could’ve just been so low level no name Yakuza who managed to piss off the wrong family and ended up dead.

[@aronsurakh1747]

when I watched it, the fact it was lower budget actually made it wholesome, tends to make it feel less like a movie imo

[@Saiyef96]

Due to Kazama’s confession, I always assumed that he killed Nishiki and Yuko’s parents by causing the gas leak that killed them in the Like a Dragon: Prologue, which is especially striking for Kazama, even as a legendary hitman, to kill them in such a rather cruel and horrible way when Yakuza 2 showed him trying to be merciful to the Koreans; I have to assume either Kazama or Nishiki’s parents caused the gas leak while they were asleep so they didn’t die a slow horrible death by asphyxiation. But I guess going by your interpretation, Nishiki and Yuko’s parents ended themselves feeling cornered by being chased by the Yakuza, Kazama presumably being the one who was pursuing them and blaming himself for their resulting deaths. After all, he similarly blamed himself for the deaths of Yumi’s parents for being bystanders caught in his shootout even though Kazama himself wasn’t the one who killed them.

[@Joex0f]

video right on time for breakfast

[@tattoprism496gr]

Personally, I'm more curious about Majima's childhood than kiryu. He is mentioned in the mouth of Majima himself as an orphan by birth in yakuza 4, and his childhood is shrouded in mystery. I'm very curious about how he got into the tojo clan and how he got Shimano as his big brother.

[@Handlelesswithme]

Shimano saw Majima’s potential so was molding him into the mad dog Which was hinted in Yakuza 0

[@vibing_dragon99]

Considering how strong Kiryu is I know his dad (or mom) was a MENACE. Maybe not a bad person since Kiryu has always naturally been good hearted and has good morals and intentions (you can also discuss this is because of Kazama) but I know they were really strong at least

[@Ozvkro]

in yakuza 20 we'll be able to play as Kiryu's father back in 1950~60, mark my words

[@tomaszbartkowiak157]

Nice vid! And yeah it's one of those interesting topics that we will probably never get a canonical answer for, at least in games. Still, interesting that there's a movie that kinda answers that question. Up to this point I only knew only about that one movie that covers Y1 story. Good stuff, mate 😊

[@sniper712]

Man thanks for those little lore drops, maybe one day RGG will give us some real answers

[@wtfthisisntminecraft3501]

I had this theory prior to the release of Infinite Wealth that this would be the game where we would find out, and how Kiryu would be indirectly related to Ichiban, in that they're cousins or something of the sort. Like Akane would see Kiryu and say something like "Hold on... you look just like someone I once knew" before revealing that she knew his parents. I did the math and it roughly adds up that Akane or Masumi Arakawa could be of a similar age as Kiryu's parents. If we assume that they were both 18 at the time Kiryu was born (1968), then that would have meant they would have been only 7 years older than Arakawa, who was 11 at that point. Which sounds like a somewhat believable age range between siblings. Or cousins, for that matter. We also don't know Akane's exact age, making this scenario even more believable. After all, Arakawa didn't say anything about Kiryu's parents when they met, so the revelation would've had to have come from Akane instead. Honestly, I'm a little bummed out it didn't happen, I feel like it would've been a nice touch on Kiryu's last game (for real this time), but that's probably for the better for each of the characters involved. Just underlines the reoccuring themes of a "found family" in the franchise.

[@zahariaspage9413]

Wow replaying Yakuza 3 in the moment and in the chapter where Saki (Nakahara's daughter) is kidnapped Kiryu tried to cheer Nakahara up. In that moment he tells him that he has no memories of his birth parents. I didn't remember it but it's cool that it was actually brought up in a game .

[@Boyzby]

I think I would've really wanted this answer like 10 years ago, but when I got into Berserk, the same question came up for Guts. Some comment on a video said whoever Guts's parents were doesn't matter and is actually counter to the story, and I think that's just as true for Kiryu. Who his parents were or why they were killed didn't influence who he is now-it was Kazama, it was Yumi, it was Nishiki, it was KUZEEEEEEEE, etc.

[@Hordon743]

Kiryu’s parents are Batman and Fred durst this is canon

[@soulslight1496]

I think it would be nice to have a game with kazama in his younger days

[@sarahcivilization9905]

True yakuza negative one lost gaiden judgment

[@lucette5555]

This would give an opportunity to have a Yakuza game set around the 60s or 70s and I'd fucking love it

[@JacopoBerzeatti10]

That would be so cool, but too difficult rn because Kazama voice actor died 😢

[@Hiroakiarai88]

​@@JacopoBerzeatti10he's younger though just get a different guy

[@hello_nishiki]

I’ve been wondering ‘who is nishiki’s parents’

[@Shy_Abi]

10

[@ashton7308]

Years

[@whotookmari]

In

[@komisan5757]

the

[@zaink7037]

Joint

[@TMac817]

Nailed it with this vid bro!

[@lizdevilz7271]

Maybe Kiryu’s dad was KYODAIS we had made along the way…

[@SilverBld]

Man, I want a Kazuma stand-alone game that would be incredible I'm kinda surprised there's not a lot of requests for this

[@irtazakhan2243]

Imagine a Kazama prequel game where the final boss is Kiryu's father or smthn, that'd be cool!

[@EdoloChannel]

YOOOOOOOO YOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@dominadaemonisociopataenpr6498]

You don't find intriguing all about Kiryu been born in Yokohama as source for theories? It hasn't so much interes when it was revealed in those blogs as now that we know more about that city since LaD7 and 8 happened.

[@zizoplays334]

God, if kiryu's father had an actual Yakuza family, then the kiryu family is actually a real thing

[@thegoatishere5079]

A yakuza game were you don’t know if your kiryus dad would be insane

[@sanriobraincell]

to think this is essentially "How I Met Your Mother: Gaiden" is killing me

[@bigbruh307]

plot point for yakuza 12 🙏

[@onionbrotm570]

The Father of the Dragon.

[@Milty2001]

I remember having a fever dream that rgg made a spin off yakuza game where we play as Kazuma pulled a itachi move where he wiped out the Korean mafia but found out that among them were kiryu's parents and Kazuma didn't want kiryu to watch him take out his parents because he didn't want to traumatize him so instead he fabricated a story and adopted him

[@mr.frenzy3709]

If Kiryu is actually a Taira clan descendant, that would be so poetic

[@djmexicanodetx2195]

Interesting video!

[@tonyc.0451]

Hi, Leon. The Playstation 2 launch game Summoner and its sequel also had protagonists who had unnamed parents. Just wanted to throw that out. Anyway, I, too, sometimes wondered who Kiryu's parents were. Now I wonder if Kiryu considered reuniting with them in the afterlife now that the events of Infinite Wealth happened. I also wonder how Kiryu's life would have happened differently if he still had his parents or if he never joined the yakuza in the first place.

[@Szymon78976]

Hey Leon, i just wanted to say that I really enjoy the lore videos!!

[@devilleon7]

Aww thank you! Very happy to hear that

[@ttilah___]

i was obviously really surprised when it was revealed why sunflower orphanage is a thing, but that lead me to be super intrigued about the lore behind it. like its disappointing that we will never know how kiryu, nishiki and yumi’s parents were tied to the yakuza and what they did to be killed by kazama. i honestly wouldnt mind an entire game based around this plot hole.

[@walderoni9865]

Love your lore videos

[@klaus.sfc01official30]

Imagine for the 20th anniversary of yakuza/RGG/LAD "Like a dragon gaiden: the man who killed kiryu's parents"

[@RodgerSkelton]

Given How close the name Kazama and Kazuma are there’s always a part of me that thinks he is Kazama’s son. Hidden to not draw attention but close enough to keep an eye on. Probably having a similar story to Ichiban.

[@Rafe-ignacius]

Well, Kazama is the last name and Kazuma is the first name. Not impossible, though

[@suckassmork2972]

That's the only reason the eng dub of Yakuza changed Kazama into Fuma.

[@hammerdmx982]

Ngl, the movie with its setting and low budget, makes most of the scenes "feel like home" it has its charm cuz of it, places you could spend your everyday life

[@JohnnySilverhand-wd3rz]

What about majima

[@NarwhalRoger]

Cmon guys, we will see Kiryu’s parents as bartenders in Yakuza 12: limitless breth(ren)

[@cm6138]

I want to imagine for shits and giggles that his dad’s name is somehow Joryu

[@realzekrom2668]

His father must have been a beast, or maybe his mom

[@staticyba1]

ALMOST AT 100k SUBS BABY!!!!!

[@0p_leon]

Imagine game where you play as kiryus father and you find out all thease questions

[@ThijsVanAmstel]

So close to 100k

[@gianncmedina7805]

I like to believe hes actually part of the Amon Clan and Shintaro Has Honorable Battle with His Dad( a High Ranked Amon family Member lets say like So's Cousin Brother but is ill) and he gives him to Shintaro Kazama to hide away since lets say they wanted to leave that life behind (Kiryu's Dad and Mom). Kiryu Needing a new name is given well... Kiryu :).

[@Dragonfury3000]

A story about finding out his parents would be sweet.

[@bjhale]

It's a little strange to me that the games have made a far bigger deal out of Kasuga's parents than Kiryu's, despite Kiryu having been the main protagonist for far longer. But at this point, I don't think I'd want them going back that far into his past for a game in the present era.

[@SoPe_00]

1:44 he had what? like infinite?

[@faeronix]

They honestly should make a Yakuza -1 (not literally name it that) where we can play as papa Kazama, maybe kuze, and maybe Kiryu's actual dad? It'd be neat seeing Japan being restored after WW2 as the yakuza historically helped and also flourished after that time.

[@sandorbence2067]

His parents are totally irrelevant and they have to be. If they were even a least bit good it would contradict the Kazama being a saint angle. Especially considering that Kazama single handedly filled up a whole orphanage, that's a lot of dead parents overall and a lot of women too. And for a series that tries to avoid violence towards women (at least by the good guys) it's pretty hard to explain that role model and master tactician Kazama just casually killing (probably mostly civilian) women.

[@senhorpoposheipado]

Another set of parents that would be nice to know, would be Yagami parents and its murder, can be plot If any Judgment series game will be made in the Future

[@abdullahgamer7575]

Another video already? Bro is cooking

[@Nix_Abyss]

Yakuza 9: The Rubber Bullet Family A Kazuma Story

[@SarmInTheHat7030]

Nishiki sister is with nanba brother they are both daidoji agents lurking in the shadows Seriously this topic 8 never thought about as its never delved much into it while bonds are common them themes they are bonds of friendship or love chosen family as it may i think outside of ichiban we don't really know of other protags parents tanimura dad get mention but he dead and same goes for Yagami parents

[@kamarocho]

Kiryu is actually my and Chitose Fujinomiya's son.

[@Norrabal]

I like the implication of a mr and mrs kiryu

[@joshuabrien2970]

Im suprised they have never made a scene showing why kazama killed kiryus parents

[@yoloberto1025]

Lore video = peak video 😎 🔥

[@devilleon7]

Yoloberto comment = peak comment 😊

[@static759]

Somehow someway it’s Heihachi

[@derrkadurr473]

We need a RGG -1

[@ArcadeFanatic99]

If we were to go with what the movie claims about his parents being yakuza, then all the people (both jokingly and seriously) asking for a prequel with the top Dojima lieutenants in their prime, and Kazama as the protagonist, are heavily missing out on what would be the best Yakuza game ever made. Fuck the tojo clan, I want to see the story of the absolute monsters who created the genetic freak called Kiryu Kazuma.

[@XWhoeverX]

if that's what happened to Nishiki's parents that would make him far more tragic than he already is

[@memerboi7128]

They spent 10 years in the-

[@Quantum722]

The Kiryu's Billy Butcher to Ichiban's Hughie Campbell

[@slickfinisher123]

Did u know that his actual name is Smiryu Smazuma?

[@cman8995]

RGG needs to make a series out of Kiryu's father, just like how MGS made Big Boss into a secondary series protagonist They can easily make post-war'kuza with him thanks to that part of the lore being completely blank It's much better to milk Big Boss Kiryu in his prime, than continue milking 60 year old cancer patient

[@manukau5271]

I thought they were dragons

[@PsychicGirl]

If I know anything about these games it's that the answer is always secret Koreans.

[@MrJedroi258]

His parents are James Yakuza and Jane Like a Dragon

[@katakuna185]

Wat bout uncle Joji(yakuza 3)?, we gon just slap him as just an “evil” twin?

[@devilleon7]

He's just the cool uncle 🤣

[@suckassmork2972]

That evil twin has a private sr-71 black bird. He's cool in my books.

[@bruhmoment5083]

They were secretly Korean and so was killed by Kazama.

[@lonniecfireillbemayorsomeday]

Honestly I always thought you was going to be a secret Korean

[@MadDogSolo]

One thing for sure is we don’t know shit about them, besides the fact that Kazama killed them and all of the parents of the other kids too.

[@themomiuss]

Kiryu is related to Yuta

[@Max-qb5ui]

Have you seen the theory that Kashiwagi is Nishiki’s dad?

[@CallumsArmy]

theres no way he's old enough to be nishiki's dad tho surely

[@devilleon7]

I think I may have heard it somewhere once but there's no proof to it at all from what I know.

[@imbored2006]

@@CallumsArmy20 year gap

[@Max-qb5ui]

@@devilleon7 it’s just a theory but basically it’s about Kashiwagi being a target of Kazama and that’s how he got his scar, but for some reason Kazama spared him and let him work under him and took his kids (Nishiki) in to Sunflower. Kashiwagi was the one pushing for Nishiki to get his own family, he only appears in the Judgment cinematic when Nishiki is there, and he takes an immediate liking to Ichiban who resembles him. Probably not true at all but definitely interesting

[@robertbernard7844]

I forget where, but I somehow remember in one of the games Kiryu saying that he didn't even remember the faces of his parents, and that Kazama was the only father he knew. He must've been around 5 by the time, so whether or not his parents were good to him, he never bothered remembering as a child.

[@MrIsaac95]

I’m Kiryu’s dad

[@Moveset-Mastery]

Kazama was based

[@jeanguimaraes5527]

Could have yakuza -1. Kiryu’s dad saga

[@BOAHBOAH240]

[@necus64]

The only way to finally see Kiryu's parents is if RGG makes Ya-Kuze (or Like a Demon) and makes a substory where Kuze meets young Kiryu along with his parents and we learn more about his dad, precisely the probable reason why Shintaro had to kill them both

[@Sputnik_Man]

Kiryu's dad is John Yakuza and his mom is Jane Yakuza, both died by falling off of a *ruff*

[@hiagustres]

Mrs Like and Mr Adragon

[@Ranger23-b3t]

First

[@hello_nishiki]

Liar I am first

[@Ranger23-b3t]

​@@hello_nishikinah

[@uselesshumanbeing6962]

Me