Will Like a Dragon 8 Kill Off Kazuma Kiryu?

We are just over a month away from Like a Dragon 8 my most anticipated game of the year and it looks like it will be an emotional rollercoaster. One of the biggest parts of the game looks to be around Kazuma Kiryu and his cancer diagnosis leading to a lot of speculation for if he will die or not. With this post I wanted to have a look at why this could be the game where the story of Kazuma Kiryu ends but at the same time look at how this story may not end here for the Dragon of Dojima. 

Yes

It’s certainly being built by what we’ve seen as the last hurrah of Kazama Kiryu. Receiving a cancer diagnosis and seemingly wanting to go out with one last major quest this feels like the real passing of the torch game. It feels odd but most of the major games I’ve played seemingly are doing some sort of passing of the torch story for a new protagonist in the series. God of War has this with Kratos (another protagonist that may die or retire in their next game possibly) and his son Atreus/Loki and Spider-Man having Miles Morales as it’s main Spider-Man and Peter Parker taking a step back. Maybe RGG Studios want a clean break when it hits 9 numbered games in so that new players don’t have so much backstory to catch up on.

I also think some of the gameplay parts seem to be indicating closure for Kiryu. Him being revealed as alive means he can go to Okinawa and see all of his kids again which is something Gaiden sets up, the story trailer seems to hint Kiryu still wants one last reunion and maybe he’s written out spending his final days back at the Morning Glory orphanage. Karou Sayama also is returning for the first time since Yakuza 2. Her story seemed rushed out of the door and written out at the start of Yakuza 3 but will return at least as a poundmates ally. She is one of the parts of Kiryu’s that I feel never got a resolution so we could wrap that up.

One other thing and it may not mean much but a sequel song to Baka Mitai will be part of the karaoke line up. While it may not be much maybe this was the last time Takaya Kuroda will be in the game so wanted to go all out with the songs they do and I imagine a follow up to Baka Mitai might be a high request. On that note as well Judgement makes it return. A song not seen since 0 as Kiryu won’t sing it without Nishiki but now will with Ichiban (just helps they share the same Japanese voice actor). Why bring this back now? Bringing a favourite back as it’s the last time as it is the last time to bring it back does seem a real possibility.

No

While there’s a lot of evidence to point that Kiryu will die by games end of Yakuza 8 I don’t think it is as clear as that. I think it’s certainly ambitious to kill Kiryu off and would applaud RGG Studios for taking such a gamble but do feel there are a few reasons this won’t happen.

First of all my mind goes to the post game. Would be odd to have it and just lock one party member out fully. Sure you could get around this by saying you’re moved to just before the final battle in the post game as some JRPG’s do but that doesn’t feel like something that will be done. I think that if Kriyu would want a clean start right then but that would mean two lots of dialogue for some side quests and is that worth the extra time as you won't lock away quests if Kiryu dies. While they could make it so Kiryu doesn't have side quests centered around him I just cannot see that he is the secondary main character. 

While it is pretty serious that Kiryu has cancer it isn’t out of this world to say he could recover and it goes into remission. People do recover from cancer and while it isn’t 100% it is something they could do. Could he be taken out before the final battle and then have him come back after saying he is in remission but giving this all up and going back to the orphanage in Okinawa to live out the rest of his life in peace, that's something that could happen.  

This is also Kazuma Kiryu we are talking about. The character has become such an icon that it seems almost impossible to kill him off. It's such a gamble to kill such a popular and beloved character that while I would applaud how daring it would be I always feel it's such a risk I do doubt they would do it. You can always go back for more Kiryu as a spin off in the old combat style with what happened with Gaiden it feels a safe bet to have in the back pocket at times.

If you asked me when I initially wrote this my odds on Kiryu dying I would've gone 75% chance he would, a lot more evidence points to it being a last hurrah. However, this was before the Bucket List story trailer that moved that to 90%. In it we see that Kiryu is getting a final farewell with a lot of key characters in his story. I thought these would just be side stories into poundmate allies but it looks like Kriyu's farewell are a key part of the story. This really makes me feel that they are looking to wrap everything up here including having Haruka as part of that. 

As I see it we have two options Kiryu by the time the end credits roll on Like a Dragon 8. It will either be the death and funeral of Kazuma Kiryu with all of his greatest friends and allies pay tribute leading the way for this to full be Ichiban's story going forward or Kiryu will be alive and in remission from cancer living and recovering in Okinawa back in the Morning Glory Oprhanage finally getting a happy ending until it's decided to bring him back once again. I guess we will see come January.