There's no point in denying it: we have a massive man-crush on Yakuza protagonist Kazuma Kiryu here at Push Square. We've known the guy since the days of the PlayStation 2, and our admiration seems to grow with every new Yakuza title that makes its way to Western shores.
For the heathens among you who don't know who Kazuma Kiryu is, allow us to briefly explain. As mentioned, he's the main playable character in the Yakuza games - a man of iron will who seemingly stops at nothing in his attempts to dish out sweet justice in the general direction of the Japanese criminal underworld. SEGA's series takes place over a number of years, with each instalment - barring prequel Yakuza 0 - seeing Kaz grow older and wiser. In Yakuza 6, which is heading West in 2018, our hero is approaching 50, and he's still kicking arse like there's no tomorrow.
With three decades of street fights and potentially fatal encounters under his belt, we reckon that there's a case to be made for Kaz to be crowned the hardest bloke that PlayStation has ever seen. Here are five reasons why we think that's probably accurate.
He's just a man
Much like Batman, Kaz is just a guy in an expensive suit - he doesn't have any superpowers, he's no chosen one, and he doesn't exist in some fantasy universe where the rules of physics don't apply. Okay, that last point might be pushing it a bit since Kaz has been known to pull off some truly preposterous fighting moves from time to time, but you know what we mean.
Unlike fellow PlayStation hard man Kratos, Kaz doesn't have the luxury of being a God. There are no magical weapons of legend here - just bare fists and the ocassional baseball bat. Kaz doesn't care, though - he just makes do with what he's got. He knows that he's only human, yet he still strives to push past his limits, obliterating everyone's expectations again and again as he avoids almost certain death at the hands of just about every gangster in Japan.
Kaz teaches us an important lesson in that if you're naturally built like a professional wrestler and you've spent your life kicking people to bits, you can achieve anything.
He can turn anything into a weapon
Have you ever seen Kaz fight? The man's a bloody monster. Being a self-taught street brawler, Kaz has learned that surviving usually means adapting to your situation, so much like a violent Ray Mears, he's quick to use anything and everything to his advantage in a fight.
Cornered in a tight alley? Use the nearest wall as a face-grater. Stumbled into the office of a murderous yakuza? Grab a three piece sofa and crush him with it. Stray salt shaker? Sprinkle its contents into the eyes of your enemies. Cinematic heat moves are the best part of Yakuza's combat, and Kaz has mastered hundreds of them over the years. It doesn't matter where he fights - the Dragon of Dojima will always find something to pulverise his opponents with.
He never kills
It would be too easy for Kaz to simply pull out a small pistol and shoot every mob boss who stands in his way. But if he resorted to killing people, he'd be no different to the ugly buggers that he's trying to stop - and that's the coward's way out. Instead, Kaz strives to spare the life of anyone that crosses him, unless he's left with absolutely no choice.
Admittedly, it can seem a little naive to walk away from a powerful adversary who swears vengeance after having every bone in their body broken, but that's the beauty of Kiryu's philosophy. He believes that no matter how many times he's opposed, he'll never stop fighting. If that means he has to go head-to-head with the same boss character four times in a single Yakuza game, then he's more than happy to throw down over and over again.
Okay, we know what you're thinking. We've all seen Kaz throw goons off the roof of a five storey building. We've seen him take a katana and slice some bozo straight across their body. Heck, even when he's just stomping on someone's head, you're sat there wondering whether they're ever getting back up. Brutal combat is the bread and butter of the series, but have you noticed how defeated enemies are always breathing after a battle wraps up? Yeah, there's our proof - it's a K.O. count, not a kill count.
Alcohol makes him more powerful
Kamurocho, Kaz's usual stomping ground, is packed with bars big and small. Finding a stiff drink isn't difficult, and Kiryu is always more than happy to knock a few back. Why? Because it powers him up in battle, obviously.
We've all been there. You've had a bit too much to drink and you feel like you could quite easily take on the world - but in reality you're a bloody mess and you should have a sit down before you embarrass yourself. Kaz is nothing like us - he can gulp the harshest of spirits all night long, and the only price he pays is that his vision goes a bit wonky when he's playing darts.
When tipsy, Kaz takes to the streets safe in the knowledge that his heat bar builds at a faster rate, meaning that he can dish out devastating special moves more frequently while under the influence. He doesn't head to the pub to unwind after a hard day's work - the local tavern's the very first port of call for our boy Kaz. Hard men, hard drinks.
He fights for what he believes in
This one's probably the most important point to remember when considering whether Kaz is PlayStation's hardest hero. Real tough guys don't go looking to cause trouble - they're not the street thugs running up to Kiryu and picking a fight. Kaz only raises his fists for what he believes in - to protect those he holds dear, or to drop a ton of justice upon those that need to be taught a lesson.
The thing with Kaz is that he's been down that darker path before. In his youth, he was collecting debts from Kamurocho's biggest losers, beating them half to death before picking their wallets clean - but he came to realise that he had to potential to blaze his own trail as a yakuza, without having to resort to such questionable traditions. You could say that Kaz is an enlightened criminal.
If Kaz didn't have such a keen sense of justice, he wouldn't have overcome the many hardships that have been thrown his way over the course of the series. Having something to fight for and never straying from his ideals, he's the hero that Kamurocho doesn't deserve, but definitely needs.
Do you have a dedicated shrine to Kazuma Kiryu in your office? Do you want to be just like Kazzy-chan when you grow up? Crack your knuckles in the comments section below.
Is Kazuma Kiryu the hardest man on PlayStation? (33 votes)
- Yes
- Absolutely
- Without a doubt
Please login to vote in this poll.
Comments 27
Great article, can't agree more. Although if I may add a sixth reason: he owns and runs an orphanage. What's harder than that?
@NintendoFan4Lyf Don't worry, Shenmue's coming back, and now's a great time to jump into Yakuza with Zero! That's a double win, right there!
@NintendoFan4Lyf If you like Shenmue, you'll probably love Yakuza. In many ways, you could argue that Yakuza is the modern Shenmue.
Definitely would get my vote for most badass character on PlayStation. I've actually always thought the Yakuza series does a better job than any of making the player feel like they're in complete control even when the odds seem overwhelming, and the beatdown you hand out is just made that much more satisfying with all the stylish animations. I love these games.
@shogunrok: mate you forgot the 4th option
"No, I am"
One vote on that please
@xX_RiscazZ_Xx Feedback noted.
not even close.he's good.but kratos is the best.most iconic badass PlayStation ever.
@playstation1995 it's easy to be a badass when you're the God of War, or just an extremely angry demi-god with access to overpowered weapons of legend and no conscience whatsoever.
What we are talking about here is the Andre 3000 of badassery.
@get2sammyb
You missed how in Y3 he chops onions without crying.
Easily yes. Largely because he is such a well rounded character. Following his journey has been so compelling over the years
And you forgot the mini game in yakuza where he has to act as a ramen chef, serving more and more demanding customers with each wave. Doesnt even break a sweat.
I'm in the second chapter of Yakuza 0...this game is bonkers, I love it! You punch people in the face left and right and the next time you know it you're playing those SEGA claw machines...Japan is the best
This article is hilarious and ridiculous! It's an awesome series, it's in my wish list!
@Gamer83 good call!
Absolutely. Although I want to choose all 3..
Kazuma may be hard but he ain't no Kratos.
He's one tough dude that's for sure.
Snake would give him a good going over !
Wei Shen is a contender.
@xX_RiscazZ_Xx He lost his powers a few times and got them back. And to be fair he fights other gods. Sorry for the terrible english.
Still i think i need to check out Yakuza 0 i always thought he was a lowlife thug.
Thx for the info all pushsquare i like to be good guy. So i hope the new Kratos will be better /nicer guy with more of a soul. And not the only revenge. I loved GoW 3 only the killing of everyone even the innocent made less of a fan.
That poll is disgraceful. I heard he can catch swords in his mouth?
@ShogunRok great article and I was torn between absolutely and without a doubt, I haven't played any since Yakuza 3 and I'm so glad I jumped back in now. This is like a modern day Shenmue with more side activities then the entire GTA series put together, frankly I could just play them and be very satisfied with my purchase. Such a great game and bring on number 6
Joel from The Last of Us.
@Splat Joel is a good shout, I'll admit.
I've never really been interested in the Yakuza series, but 0 has my attention...
He goes down with one hit against Mr. Shakedown in Yakuza 0. I'm having problems with that guy.
Lol, that poll though! The only thing wrong with it is that there isn't a fourth choice (with a variation of yes of course)
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