Yakuza games in order – Yakuza, first out on PlayStation 2, is a game about Kiryu Kazuma in a made-up city called Kamurocho, Tokyo. He is part of the Dojima family, linked to the Tojo Clan, dealing with mob troubles alongside pals and allies, trying to steer clear of the problems of other tough gangs.
The Yakuza games took a while to get famous globally, but now they are super popular. The series got more love with different versions and new games, such as the upcoming Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. If you want to know the Yakuza Games in order and play them all, this article has got you covered.
Yakuza Games’ Number
There are eight main Yakuza games and two remakes by Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku studio since 2005. They started on PlayStation but later came to Xbox and PC. The new games, like Yakuza: Like a Dragon, are released on all systems at once, except for Nintendo Switch.
Then there is a spin-off called Yakuza: Dead Souls with Zombies, where the usual characters face challenges in a messed-up world. Yakuza Online is a free game on mobile and PC. You play as Ichiban Kasuga from Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
Fist of the North Star, a famous Japanese series, has a Yakuza-style game called Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise. It is like Kiryu’s games with the same gameplay and structure.
Also, there are two spin-offs in old Japan with historical figures as leads: Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! and Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin! Ishin! is out in the West as Like a Dragon: Ishin! in 2023.
Just a heads up, after Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the series uses ‘Like a Dragon’ as its name, translating to ‘Ryu ga Gotoku.’
Yakuza Games in Order
Yakuza 0 (2014)
The sixth game released is actually the first in the story. In Yakuza 0, we follow two main characters. First is young Kiryu Kazuma in the late 1980s. He is wrongly accused of murder by a fellow Dojima family member. The reason is a piece of land called the ‘Empty Slot,’ a valuable asset.
As Kiryu faces trouble with his own yakuza family, Goro Majima, a former yakuza, is working in a cabaret as punishment. His task is to kill a blind woman whose name is Makoto, later revealed as the true owner of the Empty Lot.
By the game’s end, Kiryu sorts things out with the Dojima family, Majima lets Makoto go, and the Empty Lot gets destroyed to make way for the Millennium Tower, an important place in the series.
Yakuza (2005):
In the first Yakuza game, Kiryu Kazuma is the main guy. He gets sent to jail for a murder he did not commit. The victim was his boss, Sohei Dojima, killed by Kiryu’s best friend, Akira Nishikiyama. Why? Because Dojima tried to harm Yumi Sawamura, who is friends with Kiryu and Nishikiyama.
After ten years in jail, Kiryu is out, but he is kicked out of the Tojo Clan. Someone stole ten billion yen from the clan, and Yumi’s missing. In the mix, Kiryu meets Haruka, Mizuki’s daughter. She has a pendant linked to the missing money. Also, Nishikiyama turns against Kiryu, shooting his adoptive father.
In the big showdown, Kiryu finds Yumi, the missing money, and battles Nishikiyama. They want Kiryu to be the big boss of the Tojo Clan, and he says yes. However, then, he changes his mind and picks Yukio Terada, an ex-member of the Omi Alliance, as the new boss.
Kiryu decides to quit being a yakuza and becomes Haruka’s adopted dad instead.
Yakuza 2 (2006):
In Yakuza 2, Terada, the boss of the Tojo Clan, asks Kiryu for help to avoid a fight with their long-time enemies, the Omi Alliance. But then, Terada gets shot, and it looks like he has gone. Kiryu tries to find Daigo Dojima, Sohei Dojima’s son, to be the new boss.
Yakuza 3 (2009):
Yakuza 3, the first game on PlayStation 3, starts in a different way. Kiryu is far from the yakuza world, taking care of an orphanage in Okinawa named Morning Glory. Haruka helps him, and they look after many new kids there.
However, the calm does not stay. Kiryu deals with a bunch of problems involving new yakuza groups, lots of assassinations, an arms smuggling gang, shootings, betrayals, and even the CIA.
Yakuza 4 (2010)
A year after the last game, Yakuza 4 brings a new twist to the story. It is still about families, crimes, and betrayals, but this time, we see it through the eyes of four main characters.
Besides our friend Kiryu Kazuma, three new folks show up in Kamurocho. First is Shun Akiyama, a loan shark with his firm, Sky Finance. He gets tangled in a mess between the Ueno Seiwa Clan and the Tojo Clan. A mysterious woman named Lily asks him for a 100 million yen loan.
Taiga Saejima, Goro Majima’s blood brother, did a job for the Ueno Seiwa Clan in 1985 and ended up in prison. Twenty years later, he escapes and looks for Majima, who left him hanging during that job.
Yakuza 5 (2012)
If Yakuza 4 had a complex story with many main characters, Yakuza 5 takes it even further. This time, you play five characters in different places.
First, you follow Kiryu, who moved from Kamurocho to Fukuoka without Haruka. He left the orphanage behind. Soon, he finds out Daigo is missing, and the Omi Alliance and the Tojo Clan is in danger.
Saejima is back in prison, but he wants to escape with his cellmate, Shigeki Baba. He learns that his real brother Majima is dead. Meanwhile, Haruka is now a teenager, chasing her dream to be a J-Pop Idol.
The Song of Life: Yakuza 6 (2016)
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life is like the final chapter in Kiryu Kazuma’s Yakuza story. Kiryu goes to jail again, but this time, it is for his own past mistakes, not because someone set him up. In the last game, Haruka told everyone in a concert that Kiryu was her dad and used to be a yakuza.
After leaving jail, Kiryu goes back to Kamurocho for a bit. He finds out Haruka is in a coma from a supposed car crash, and she has a kid named Haruto.
While searching for answers, important folks like Daigo, Majima, and Saejima end up in jail. Also, the Jingweon Mafia and Chinese Saio Triad, rival groups, are making moves in Kamurocho.
Yakuza: Like a Dragon (2020)
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a big change in the series. Kiryu is not the main guy this time; it is Ichiban Kasuga, a Tojo Clan member. He spent 18 years in jail to protect his captain, Jo Sawashiro.
This is where Ichiban’s new story begins. He forms a group with new friends to figure out why Arakawa did what he did. They also deal with three criminal groups: the Yokohama Liumang, the Seiryu Clan, and the Geomijul Mafia.
People May Ask
Which one should I begin with, Yakuza 0 or Kiwami?
The better choice is to start with Yakuza Kiwami. The fighting style is a continuation of Yakuza 0, which is the best in the series.
How should I start playing Yakuza games?
Begin with Yakuza 0, then go through them mostly in Yakuza Games in order: Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami, and Yakuza Kiwami 2.
What is the right Yakuza Games in order?
To follow the story step by step, start with Yakuza 0, then Yakuza Kiwami, Yakuza Kiwami 2, Yakuza 3, Yakuza 4, Yakuza 5, Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, Yakuza: Like A Dragon, and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
Do I have to play Yakuza 0 first?
You can start with either. Yakuza 0 happens before Yakuza 1/Kiwami, but it was made later. There are some things you might understand better if you play the other games first, but Yakuza 0 is still a good starting point.
Is Yakuza Kiwami 1 a good game?
It has a nice story, lovable characters, plenty of opportunities, and the fighting is okay, though some fights can be frustrating due to clumsiness. Overall, Yakuza Kiwami is a very good game with a great story.
