Yakuza is a popular video game series that has been around since 2005, and it has gained a dedicated fan base over the years. The games feature a complex story with a cast of fascinating characters, and they are set in a fictionalized version of Tokyo. However, with over ten games in the series, it can be overwhelming for newcomers to know where to start. In this blog post, we will provide a guide to the correct chronology of the Yakuza games, helping you to navigate the series and enjoy the story as it was meant to be experienced.
Number 1. Yakuza 0 (2014)
The Yakuza series is renowned for its immersive storytelling, memorable characters, and satisfying combat mechanics. With so many games in the franchise, it can be daunting to figure out the correct chronology to play them in. That’s where we come in. In this article, we’ll provide a comprehensive guide to playing the Yakuza games in the correct order. We’ll start with the first game in the series, which is actually the sixth released game, Yakuza 0. In this prequel, players take on the role of two protagonists, Kiryu Kazuma and Goro Majima, as they navigate the complex world of the yakuza in 1980s Japan. From there, we’ll guide you through the rest of the series, ensuring that you experience the full narrative in the proper order.
Number 2. Yakuza (2005)
In the first game of the Yakuza series, players follow the story of Kiryu Kazuma, who takes the fall for a murder he didn’t commit. Kiryu’s boss, Sohei Dojima, was actually murdered by Kiryu’s best friend, Akira Nishikiyama, after Dojima attempted to rape Yumi Sawamura, a mutual friend. After Kiryu is released from prison ten years later, he is expelled from the Tojo Clan, and he discovers that someone has stolen ten billion yen from the clan’s account. Meanwhile, Kiryu meets Haruka, the daughter of a woman named Mizuki, who possesses a pendant that is somehow related to the missing money.
As the story progresses, Nishikiyama becomes a menacing force by shooting Kiryu’s former captain and adoptive father. Eventually, Kiryu discovers the whereabouts of Yumi, the missing money, and engages in a final battle with Nishikiyama. After accepting the role of Fourth Chairman of the Tojo Clan, Kiryu quickly passes the title to Yukio Terada, a former member of the Omi Alliance, and decides to retire from the yakuza life to raise Haruka as his own daughter.
Number 3. Yakuza 2 (2006)
In Yakuza 2, Kiryu Kazuma returns as the protagonist, with a new mission to prevent a war between the Tojo Clan and their arch-nemesis, the Omi Alliance. After the assassination of the Fifth Chairman, Yukio Terada, Kiryu works to find and protect Daigo Dojima, Sohei Dojima’s son, to make him the new chairman of the Tojo Clan.
However, the task is complicated by the arrival of Ryuji Goda, the son of the Omi chairman, who opposes a truce with the Tojo Clan. As the conflict escalates, Kiryu must also contend with the mysterious detective Kaoru Sayama, who joins forces with him while seeking answers about her own past and the disappearance of her parents. The ensuing battles, twists, and revelations lead to a gripping conclusion that sets the stage for the next chapter in the Yakuza saga.
Number 4. Yakuza 3 (2009)
In Yakuza 3, the third installment of the series and the first released on PlayStation 3, we find Kiryu in an unexpected situation, far removed from the yakuza world. He is now the caretaker of Morning Glory Orphanage in Okinawa, alongside his adoptive daughter Haruka, where he tends to the needs of many new children living there.
However, their peaceful life is quickly disrupted as Kiryu is drawn into a web of chaos, encountering new yakuza families, assassinations, shootings, betrayals, an arms smuggling group, and even the CIA. Our protagonist is forced to use his skills and connections to navigate through these dangerous waters and protect his new family, all while facing unexpected enemies and betrayals.
Number 5. Yakuza 4 (2010)
Yakuza 4 takes place one year after the previous game and introduces four protagonists who share the spotlight. Alongside Kiryu Kazuma, three new characters enter the fray, each with their own storyline to follow.
Shun Akiyama, a loan shark running his own business called Sky Finance, finds himself entangled in a conflict between the Tojo Clan and the Ueno Seiwa Clan. He also receives a 100 million yen loan request from a mysterious woman named Lily.
Taiga Saejima, Goro Majima’s blood brother, had been imprisoned for twenty years after his hit on the Ueno Seiwa Clan. After his successful escape, he sets out to find Majima, who had abandoned him during the hit.
Detective Masayoshi Tanimura is investigating a murder related to the Tojo Clan when he encounters Lily, who turns out to be Saejima’s sister. She is being targeted by the Shibata family, who are connected to the hit Saejima was involved in.
As the story progresses, Kiryu joins forces with his new partners to uncover the truth behind the ongoing conflicts and what happened to each of the characters involved.
Number 6. Yakuza 5 (2012)
Yakuza 5 takes the complex narrative structure of Yakuza 4 to another level by featuring five protagonists, making it the largest game in the series. The storylines of the five characters are interwoven, creating a complex and compelling plot.
Kiryu has left Kamurocho for Fukuoka, leaving behind his orphanage and Haruka. However, he is soon pulled back into the yakuza world when he discovers that Daigo has gone missing, and the peace between the Tojo Clan and the Omi Alliance is in jeopardy.
Saejima is back in prison but is planning an escape with his cellmate Shigeki Baba. He learns that his blood brother Majima has been killed, and he sets out to investigate his death. Meanwhile, Haruka has grown up and is pursuing her dream of becoming a J-Pop idol. However, things take a turn for the worse when her talent agency president is found dead, and Akiyama comes to her aid to uncover the truth.
Finally, there’s Tatsuo Shinada, a former pro baseball player who was banned from the sport after being falsely accused of match-fixing. He is approached by a mysterious man who turns out to be Daigo, and tasked with uncovering the truth about what really happened in the past. All five protagonists’ paths eventually cross, leading to a thrilling conclusion.
Number 7. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (2016)
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life marks the final chapter of Kiryu Kazuma’s journey in the Yakuza series. Kiryu is sent to prison once again, but this time it’s for his own past crimes, not a set-up. During his time away, his daughter Haruka revealed to the world that Kiryu is her father and an ex-yakuza member.
Upon his release, Kiryu returns to Kamurocho briefly before learning that Haruka is in a coma following a car accident that also left her infant son, Haruto, behind. The accident occurred while Haruka was in Onomichi, so Kiryu heads there to investigate and uncover the truth behind Haruto’s father.
As Kiryu digs deeper, prominent figures like Daigo, Saejima, and Majima are imprisoned, and two rival groups, the Chinese Saio Triad and the Jingweon Mafia, are preparing to make their moves in Kamurocho.
Number 8. Yakuza: Like a Dragon (2020)
Yakuza: Like a Dragon marks a significant shift in the series as it introduces a fresh start with a new protagonist. Unlike the previous games, the main character is not Kiryu, but Ichiban Kasuga, a member of the Tojo Clan who went to jail for 18 years to protect his captain, Jo Sawashiro. Upon his release, Ichiban discovers that the Tojo Clan has been defeated by the Omi Alliance, and no one is looking for him.
Ichiban later learns that Masumi Arakawa, the patriarch of the Arakawa family, had betrayed the Tojo Clan by working with the Omi Alliance and had shot him when they met after almost two decades. As Ichiban wakes up in Ijincho, a homeless man called Yu Nanba takes care of him, and they begin their journey to uncover the truth behind Arakawa’s betrayal. Along the way, they will form a party with various new characters and face three criminal organizations: the Yokohama Liumang, the Geomijul Mafia, and the Seiryu Clan.
