Kazuma Kiryu (Japanese: 桐生 一馬 | Hepburn: Kiryū Kazuma) is a fictional character and the initial main protagonist of Sega's action-adventure beat 'em up Japanese role-playing game series Yakuza / Like a Dragon. He is popularly known as "the Dragon of Dojima" (Japanese: 堂島の龍 | Hepburn:Dōjima no Ryū) due to the tattoo of a dragon on his back and him originally being a fearsome member of the yakuza group known as the Dojima Family, a subsidiary of the Tojo Clan. He was introduced in the series' 2005 debut game, where he took the blame for his boss's death to protect his sworn-brother Akira Nishikiyama, resulting in his expulsion from the clan and a ten-year stay in prison. After leaving prison, he fights against the new threats in his life, during which he meets Haruka Sawamura, to whom he eventually becomes an adoptive father. He is voiced by Takaya Kuroda in Japanese and by Darryl Kurylo (2005, 2020) and Yong Yea (2023-present) in the series’ English-dubbed releases. Besides the main series, Kiryu has also appeared in two “Like a Dragon” live-action films, as well as other video games including Project X Zone 2 and as downloadable content in the spin-off game, Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise.
Sega producer Toshihiro Nagoshi stated he was created to appeal to a broad audience. Kiryu was the sole playable character for the first three games; in the next three, additional playable characters are included, causing him to take on a smaller role. He was once again the sole playable character in the series' seventh main installment, Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. The eighth installment, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, stars a new protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga, though Kiryu makes an appearance as a supporting character. Kiryu returns as the primary protagonist in the spinoff title Like a Dragon Gaiden, and is one of the two primary protagonists, alongside Kasuga, in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
Critical reception to Kiryu has been generally positive. Several critics have praised how Kiryu, despite his history as a yakuza, stood out because of his kindness and character development across the series' story. On the other hand, he has also been viewed as a somewhat typical gaming protagonist. Kiryu is also often considered a PlayStation mascot.
