Kazuma Kiryu

Kazuma Kiryu is the main protagonist of Sega's Yakuza series.

Kiryu has appeared in every mainline Yakuza game to date, with him being either the sole protagonist or one of the main protagonists, the only exception being Yakuza: Like A Dragon, where he is a supporting character.

Originally a member of the Tojo Clan's Dojima Family, Kiryu was expelled due to supposedly killing his patriarch, Sohei Dojima. Since then, he has tried to distance himself from the yakuza, which usually ends up failing due to his legend status as "The Dragon of Dojima". Since then, he's spent his time running an orphanage, working as a taxi driver, and working as a bodyguard.

Profile
Kiryu is seen as one of the most elite contestants in all King of /v/, as shown by his consistently strong tournament runs and for being capable of blowing out other beloved contenders in votes with ease. However, this has made him develop an inversely infamous reputation, in due part for being considered a silent vote because of an almost total lack of presence during the tournament season - a common joke among tourneyfags is to talk about Kiryu's runs as if he had literally sleepwalked through the bracket. In spite of this, the yakuza remains a visibly popular choice.

Tournaments History
Starting in his first appearance during the inaugural tournament in 2019, the Dragon of Dojima had a mostly successful run and made it to the semi-finals stage without much toruble before losing to Doomguy, becoming a member of the original Elite Eight, placing 3rd after beating the acclaimed lawyer Phoenix Wright in the consolation match.

Kiryu would come back two years later in 2021 and expectably won most matches by wide margins, even taking down fan favorites such as Garland from Final Fantasy and AM from I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream. His run came to an end in the semi-finals, where he lost to Dr. Eggman. In the consolidation match, he beat Legend of Zelda merchant Morshu, placing third once again.

Kiryu will be eligible to compete again in King of /v/ 2023.