If you have ever played a game in the Yakuza series, you already know this: there are dozens and dozens of characters to meet, both new faces and old loved ones. Yakuza Kiwami 3, the remake of 2009’s Yakuza 3, presents the same characters, but some have been recast and received new faces.
Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties Review – Double Ki-Whammy
Yakuza Kiwami 3 enhances the original with new features and improved visuals, but some changes may frustrate longtime fans. Dark Ties is a fun, if brief, detour starring Yoshitaka Mine.
Don’t worry, Takaya Kuroda (Kiryu Kazuma) and Rie Kugimiya (Haruka Sawamura) are still reprising their legendary roles, but characters like Rikiya and Nakahara bring some big surprises. Let’s go over all the major characters and their voice actors in Yakuza Kiwami 3 in this article.
Kazuma Kiryu
Voiced By Takaya Kuroda
Kazuma Kiryu, the Dragon of Dojima, is the main protagonist in Yakuza Kiwami 3 (and in pretty much every Yakuza/Like a Dragon game, except for Y7). He’s voiced by no other than Takaya Kuroda, who has been in the role since the very first Yakuza in 2005, and it doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.
Kuroda is also famous for working on dozens of anime and other series, such as GōGō Sentai Bōkenger (from the original Japanese Power Rangers) and Transformers (he played Starcream in the Japanese animated series).
Haruka Sawamura
Voiced By Rie Kugimiya
Haruka has grown up since the first time she met Kiryu, when she was a little lost girl. Both characters created a strong family bond, and now she helps Kiryu in their new orphanage.
Rie Kugimiya, a legend in anime voice acting, once again voices Haruka in Kiwami 3. Kugimiya has been behind this sweet girl for more than two decades now, but you might also have heard her in some of her dozens of roles in anime (Fullmetal Alchemist, Gintama, Tokyo Ghoul, Fairy Tail, Bleach, etc.) or in other video games (Genshin Impact, Arknights, Honkai Impact 3RD).
Goro Majima
Voiced By Hidenari Ugaki
The Mad Dog of Shimano makes a return, although in a less central role this time around. The fights with Kiryu are still here, but he is in another, completely different role now: he has to protect his family.
Fortunately for us, Hidenari Ugaki is reprising his role as Goro Majima one more time. The actor is well-known for an absurd amount of roles in anime, but did you know that Yakuza isn’t the only video game series he has worked on? He has also voiced Zero in Mega Man Network Transmission, Birdie in Street Fighter V, and Ganryu in the Tekken series.
Rikiya Shimabukuro
Voiced By Show Kasamatsu
Rikiya is the family captain of the Ryudo Family, and he’s someone who starts on the wrong foot with Kiryu. But perhaps his genuine affection for Okinawa might allow him to see something different in this old man.
Rikiya is one of the handful of characters that have been recast in Yakuza Kiwami 3. He’s now played by Show Kasamatsu, a young actor who has been working for years in movies and series, but his overseas breakout role came with HBO’s Tokyo Vice in 2022. His beloved Akiro Sato became a sensation in the show.
Mikio
Voiced By Daisuke Miyagawa
Mikio is another member of the Ryudo Family, and he hugely respects his aniki Rikiya and his patriarch Nakahara (more about him in a second). He’s a trustworthy buddy, and he would do anything for his friends. He also plays the role of the comic relief of the game, but that doesn’t mean Mikio won’t have some memorable emotional scenes.
Contrary to Rikiya, Mikio is still played by the same VA, Daisuke Miyagawa. Miyagawa is a well-known actor and comedian who has worked in the Japanese Aka Medaka.
Shigeru Nakahara
Voiced By Ryo Ishibashi
Another character that has been recast is Shigeru Nakahara, the patriarch of the Ryudo Family. This old man is an antagonistic force for Kiryu because he wants to build a resort where the Morning Glory orphanage is. He might seem calm at first, but he won’t hesitate to get in a fight if he has to.
Ryo Ishibashi is the new voice actor for Nakahara, and he’s a very famous actor who has been in some memorable horror films, such as Audition (1999), The Grudge (2004), and The Grudge 2 (2006).
Tsuyoshi Kanda
Voiced By Hiroyuki Miyasako
A brand new character in Yakuza 3 and Kiwami 3, Tsuyoshi Kanda is the third patriarch of the Nishikiyama Family, and he’s the one who has led Yoshitaka Mine (one second!) to the Yakuza world. He has a new storyline in Kiwami 3’s new content, Dark Ties.
The Japanese comedian and actor Hiroyuki Miyasako repeats his role as Kanda, just like in 2009. He won awards for Best Supporting Actor for his smaller but impactful roles in Thirteen Steps (2003) and Wild Berries (2003).
Yoshitaka Mine
Voiced By Shido Nakamura
Yoshitaka Mine is the main antagonist of Yakuza 3, and he’s looking more refined in the latest Dragon Engine. You won’t only watch why he’s so interested in Kiryu and Daigo, but also get the chance to know more about his background and early steps in the underworld in the new expansion, Dark Ties.
The chairman of the Hakuho Clan is brought to life once again by Shido Nakamura, a Japanese Kabuki and movie actor. Nakamura is famous for his first film, Ping Pong (2002), and for working with legends like Clint Eastwood (2006’s Letters From Iwo Jima).
Goh Hamazaki
Voiced By Teruyuki Kagawa
Goh Hamazaki is the last relevant character who has received a new model and actor in Yakuza Kiwami 3. Even when he isn’t featured in many scenes, he has a strong presence because he wants to control Kamurocho and the Tojo Clan, with obscure motives. He’s the patriarch of the Hamazaki Family.
Hamazaki is played by Teruyuki Kagawa. Kagawa is one of the few recasts who went through the entire advanced motion capture process to bring new life to this villain.
It’s worth mentioning that Teruyuki Kagawa has been accused of sexual assault by multiple women, and RGG studios has yet to acknowledge the situation. Before the game’s launch, fans started the #REMOVEKAGAWA movement on social media. You can read more about the situation in this article.
Daigo Dojima
Voiced By Satoshi Tokushige
It feels so distant when we met Daigo in Yakuza 2. He was a bit more than a young punk, who didn’t want to know anything about his family or being a yakuza. Less than a game later, he’s the Sixth Chairman of the Tojo Clan, Kiryu’s former family. He’s back in this game with a much bigger role.
Daigo is voiced by Satoshi Tokushige, who has been in the series since the original Yakuza 2. Tokushige is a series and film actor, who has worked in plenty of projects in the last two decades. His most well-known works, apart from Yakuza, are Lady Joker (2004), Gion Bayashi 2005), and Godai – The Wunderkind (2020).
How Has It Taken So Long For Us To Get Yakuza Kiwami 3?
Fighting for relevance.
