Summary
Like a Dragon Gaidenreleased last week as an interquel in the beloved franchise. Following Kiryu’s perspective through the events followingYakuza 6and the seventh game in the franchise,Gaidenintroduces fans to a new cast of characters in what may be one of Kiryu’s final adventures. True to life, the Yakuza ofLike a Dragonhave tattoos. These tattoos are in traditional styles and carry a lot of cultural meaning. As such, the tattoos featured inLike a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Namecan tell players a lot about the characters. While fans are long equated with those of Kiryu, series newcomer Kosei Shishido’s tattoos may prove more of a mystery.
Tattoos have long been used as symbolism in theLike a Dragonfranchise.Kazuma Kiryuand Ichiban Kasuga, the two main protagonists of the series, both have tattoos that symbolize their values, and in the case of Kasuga, his role in the series.
Kiryu’s dragon tattoo represents his well-meaning nature, knowledge, and bravery.
Ichiban Kasuga
A Koi transforming into a dragon
Ichiban’s tattoo represents both his transformation into the series' protagonist and the fact that he is striving to be greater in the future than he is in the present.
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Shishido’s Tattoo Represents His Values
Shishido’s full name is written like so in Japanese: 獅子堂 康生. Importantly, the first two kanji, 獅子, pronounced Shishi, together mean lion. It makes sense then that Shishido’s tattoo is of a lion. These lions are associated with Shinto shrines where statues of them are placed to ward off evil. In Shishido’s tattoo, the lion is surrounded by peonies spanning most of his arms and torso. Peonies were traditionally seen as the king of flowers in Japanese culture. They are also associated with elegance, prosperity, and daring. The qualities associated with this symbolism fit the character behind some ofLike a Dragon Gaiden’s most difficult content.
Shishido’s Tattoo Represents His Role in the Story
The climax ofLike a Dragon Gaidencenters around the dissolution of the Tojo clan and Omi alliance. While the seventh entry also covered this content,Gaidenprovides fans with more insight intothe Daidoji factionand Kiryu’s perspective of these events. After Daigo Dojima and Masaru Watase announce the end of both the Omi and Tojo crime families, violence breaks out, as was expected. Following a scene where Ichiban and Kiryu are protecting the leaders and the two finally meet, the group is confronted again as they are leaving the building, this time by Shishido who was previously assumed dead or at least out of the picture for now.
Shishido is Protecting What He Believes In
The encounter, not included inYakuza: Like a Dragon,sees Shishido calling on the remaining Omi Alliance members who do not agree with the dissolution to fight back and protect their way of life. Kiryu calls on his comrades to beat the belief out of them rather than be dismissive. Kiryu sees the resistance as somewhat admirable; Shishido may be his enemy, but he is also someone whose values he can respect. Like the lion on his back, Shishido is both a leader and a protector. He may have been one of Gaiden’s villains, but he is not without honor.
The end ofLike a Dragon Gaidensees Shishido whisked off by the Daidoji faction to be made into an agent, meaning he could be one of thereturning characters inInfinite Wealth. Given Kiryu’s tenuous relationship with the group and the amount of world-building done around it, it seems likely that the Daidoji faction could be at the center of upcoming entries in the series. Another thing that seems certain is that even though the Yakuza as it existed in previous entries is no more, new characters with symbolic tattoos associated with such crime organizations will remain a series staple.
