Summary
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealthis set to unite two of the series' most iconic characters in a team-up worthy of a legendary yakuza. Alongside Kasuga and Kiryu, a handful of other fan-favorite characters will be returning inLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealthfrom the series' past as both allies and foes. Not all of these returning characters will be playable, but fans of the series will be happy to see some familiar faces as they head to Hawaii during the story ofLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
Based on the trailers that have been shown for the game so far, there are at least 13 characters from the series' past that will be present inLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. However, there could be more thatdeveloper Ryu Ga Gotoku Studiois keeping under wraps for a surprise in-game twist. Additionally, several other characters won’t appear as part of the game’s main story but will have cameos as part of the Poundmates mechanic that was first introduced inYakuza: Like a Dragon.
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All Currently Confirmed Returning Characters in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Aside from the dual protagonists of Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu, fans will be glad to see that many of these heroes' past allies will be returning forLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Most of Kasuga’s party members fromYakuza: Like a Dragonincluding Yu Nanba, Koichi Adachi, Saeko Mukoda, Tianyou Zhao, and Joon-gi Han will once again be playable. The leader of the Geomijul, Seonhee, also returns, this time as a playable party member. Kiryu’s legendary formerTojo Clan allies such as Goro Majima, Taiga Saejima, and Daigo Dojima are also present inLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, but they don’t appear to be playable.
One of the more interesting characters to make his return in this title is the antagonist Jo Sawashiro, former captain of the Arakawa Family who has joined the Seiryu Clan inLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Sawashiro played a major role in unraveling the mystery at the heart ofYakuza: Like a Dragon, and it appears he will play another key role inKasuga’s journey inLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealthas well. A side character some fans might be happy to see return is Osamu Kashiwagi, who currently goes by The Bartender as owner of the Survive Bar in Ijincho to maintain his anonymity as a former captain of the Tojo Clan.
Characters Returning Via Poundmates Cameos
While these characters won’t be directly playable inLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, players will be able to summon them temporarily to assist in battle via the Poundmates mechanic. Former playable protagonist fromYakuza 4 and Yakuza 5Shun Akiyama is one of these characters, as are notable side characters from the series, like detective and longtime ally of Kiryu, Makoto Date, as well as detective Kaoru Sayama fromYakuza 2. Series fans will even get the chance to summon former Stardust owner Kazuki and his manager Yuya to battle, as well as the lovable crawfish Nancy-chan who debuted as a Poundmate inYakuza: Like a Dragon.
There are likely even more Poundmates cameos that have not yet been shown in promotional material forLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealththat players will have to uncover once the game releases. Confirmation from RGG Studio Head Masayoshi Yokoyama thatLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealthwill be the longest game in the seriesyet, along with the large number of returning characters and character cameos, shows that the game is shaping up to be a dream for fans of the series.
