Kazuma Kiryu

Favorite Fictional Fellas (300 items)
list by SwornShadow

Kazuma Kiryu (桐生 一馬 Kiryū Kazuma) is a fictional character and main protagonist in Sega's 2005 action-adventure JRPG series, Yakuza. Kiryu is a yakuza who takes the blame for his boss' death to protect his best friend, resulting in his expulsion from the clan and a ten-year stay in prison. After leaving prison, Kiryu realizes the crime world has changed and fights against the new threats in his life. Kazuma is the protagonist of the following Yakuza games which follow his attempts to aid his former family. He is voiced by Takaya Kuroda in Japanese and by Darryl Kurylo in the English version of the first game.

Kiryu has been created to appeal to a broad audience as a result of being the series' only playable character during its first three games. Critical reception to Kiryu's character has been positive; he is considered by some as a PlayStation mascot. Several writers liked how despite his occupation as Yakuza, Kiryu stood out thanks to his kindness and character development across the story. On the other hand, he has also been viewed as a typical, generic hero in gaming.