The newest installment of the Yakuza franchise tests its characters in many ways. Though Ichiban Kasuga gets more time in the spotlight, Kazuma Kiryu arguably endures the most in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. The stoic ex-yakuza left everything behind including his identity in The Man Who Erased His Name, and the Dragon of Dojima faces even harsher realities here. His adventure with Kasuga spans from Japan to Hawaii and back, but what becomes of him at the end of everything? Does Kiryu die in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth or does the Dragon live to fight another day?
**Major Story Spoilers Follow!**
Kiryu’s Fate in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
No, Kiryu doesn’t die in Infinite Wealth, but you might think he does if you skipped the final cutscene (or didn’t realize it was there in the first place). The Dragon of Dojima faces two major threats to his life throughout the game. The first is the legion of deadly yakuza belonging to the Seiryu Clan. Masataka Ebina, the Seiryi Clan’s captain and acting chairman, serves as the game’s shadowy antagonist and Kiryu’s final boss, doing his best to put the Dragon in the ground. The party splits before this final confrontation, leaving Kasuga to face Palekana sage Bryce Fairchild. With the aid of Seonhee, Nanba, and Saeko, Kiryu takes Ebina on head-to-head.
Before their final battle, Ebina reveals the truth of his activities throughout Infinite Wealth. His goal has been the eradication of the yakuza and revenge against Masumi Arakawa for leaving his mother to die. The Great Dissolution disrupted his plans, but Ebina hatched a plot to draw the scattered yakuza back together. He also exploited the toxic waste dumping operation on Nele Island for power and profit. That particularly stings when you realize that Kiryu’s handling of radioactive waste may have contributed to the second threat he’s faced throughout the game: cancer. After striking a final blow against Ebina, Kiryu collapses motionless to the floor.
Post-Credits Cutscene
In a post-credits cutscene, Haruka and Haruto pay a visit to Kiryu’s hospital room. When they arrive, however, the bed is empty. For a moment it seems like Kiryu might have died. Then we see a hospital employee pushing him in a wheelchair. In the game’s final moments, Kiryu speaks with a doctor, revealing that not only is he alive and consenting to chemotherapy but also he has returned to using his real name. How effective the treatment will be and whether or not he can achieve remission is a story for another game, it seems, but we know that Kiryu does not die at the end of Infinite Wealth. Based on this ending, it seems unlikely that Kiryu will get the starring role in another Yakuza title, but honestly, he’s earned a well-deserved rest.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is available for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5,
