Ending Discussion [Spolier]

[HandSoap]

Anybody else feel a bitter taste where they could not let go of Kiryu? The trailers showed it, the game showed that Kiryu had a clock ticking. I can't really explain it because I have so many questions at this point that they can maybe answer in the next game???

Since Kiryu is deciding to take treatment, is Daidoji gonna back off since they can't keep Kiryu in a leash anymore since he's already exposed from the media and news alike thanks to Ebina? Can he be left alone and spend time with his family in Okinawa?

Idk Game was fun, gameplay was great, did a lot of the side quest, bucket list, finished the dondoko island side business and got Everyone to Max

At this point there's so much to question what would be the next story. I'm hoping to finally close Kiryu's story since he wants to take another chance at life and realistically there shouldn't be anything coming after him anymore.

This game Did open up the doors for Ichiban but im hoping the next game can close for Kiryu and let him enjoy his time with his family in Okinawa since he's taking the chance to go through with his treatments to live longer. I'm hoping that Kiryu can just be looking on the side lines if Ichiban is in trouble. Idk I just don't want them to kick a dead horse. Let Ichiban Cook. Kiryu's ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up many times and Ichiban should be able to handle that ♥♥♥♥ by himself too.

[Lokaror]

Originally posted by Zirael:

Maybe he's cured an all good in the next game, maybe he isn't, time will tell. I personally think he may get cured but he'll be a "side" main character like for example the 'Jimas are, occasionally showing up to aid Ichiban but that's it.

I hope not. I hope he's dead. I'm seriously tired of this. They have given him plenty of closure. If they seriously want to milk the "oh kiryu is fading in obscurity and is actually handing the torch over while we have him come to terms with it all" for another game i'll seriously be pissed. Its bad writing at that point. He's had his story. Dragging it out any longer is a disservice to his story and any new stories they try and make.

[Oh!Zulkazkah]

Longtime fan of the series, played everyone of them. This game story is such terrible, its so bad it hurts when you think about it, same as the closure to Kiryu.
Fans only wanted a damn scene where he reunites with Haruka, even if it was for a second before die, yet all we got was another "perhaps" ending.

[BeefoTheBold]

Yeah, add me to the team of folks who basically just assumes that the Daidoji let Kiryu regain his name because, well, the secret was out anyway.

Cat was out of the metaphorical bag by that point with national news covering the story that he's still alive. That's a bell that can't be unrung. And Kiryu was not the one who broke the deal, and the Daidoji still ended up getting what they wanted in the end by humiliating their political opponents and tagging them with a major scandal.

Given that, plus Kiryu's sickness, I'm inclined to guess that they just let him go. Both no more use to them, and really not much of at threat to them anymore at that point.

[HandSoap]

I would be happy if they keep Kiryu as a mentor to Ichiban since this treatment is pretty much leaving him in a vulnerable state, he’s practically done. Im sorta getting what they wanted to do in the end but that also leaves more questions because im thinking kosei from man who erased his name maybe put in the next one since he was last seen kidnapped by daidoji and wasn’t done with Kiryu. I know it’s a copy and paste from someone else but I’m just curious about everyone else who completed the game.

[BeefoTheBold]

I think they wanted to move Kiryu offstage, but also knew that a substantial portion of the fanbase would riot if they killed Kiryu off due to something like cancer.

This allows them to basically do all the things they want to do.

1. Explain why Kiryu can no longer be the series lead anymore
2. Keep him around in case they need to make him the lead again at some point in the future (a lot of us still aren't sold on Ichi...because Ichi is an idiot)
3. Alternatively, keep him around if they need to use him at some point in another capacity to help advance Ichi's character arc. He's been the "older mentor" for two games in a row now. If it isn't broken...

Basically, this keeps all of their options open. They can move on from Kiryu...but always bring him back around if need be. "He got better! Finally whipped the cancer and is back to his old strength again."

Alternatively, they can instead go with "he lived, but just isn't his old self anymore and so Ichi needs to carry the banner forward" if they like.

No options completely closed off to the writing staff going forward.

[Haze]

I will just comment here instead of making another thread about this...

I really enjoyed the game overall but that ending really felt unfulfilling after all the build up. I was hoping he'd pass away surrounded by his kids or something, but now there's no closure as to what actually happens to him. It looks as if his cancer got worse, but they're not going to kill Kiryu off off-screen.


Really not sure how to feel about this game, to be honest. I thought it was a great opportunity to give Kiryu a more satisfying ending than Y6, but this has just left me feeling nothingness, which I've never experienced from the closing moments of a Yakuza game before.

[Legato Bluesummers]

idk how much more explicit you need them to get. His name tag at the hospital was Kiryu, he said his name was Kiryu. That's like the whole plot of Gaiden, they mention it multiple times in this game. Whatever the case, Kiryu is definitely done and can be visited by Haruka. I think that answers all those questions.

For RGG to even go that far defied my expectations. I think the only thing that was lacking was more Daidoji presence in the main story. I thought Ichiban would help Kiryu out more and that would be a central theme to Kiryu's part but we got a bit of a jobber. I get they wanted to go with the whole 'let my people go' angle for the Yakuza. but I don't feel like Ebina really filled that role very well. Bryce was an interesting character for sure, but we didn't learn much about him except in their long talk before the final fight. For how long the game was, there was definitely some pacing issues. I didn't mind because of all the side content, which seemed like it was paced around more than the main story. The best Yakuza stories usually have a much bigger antagonist presence. The only exception, imo, is Y0 since you really didn't get to know that guy nearly as much as the other two. but 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, Gaiden, all had antagonists that were built up properly. 1 and 4 didn't and suffered for it. Aside from that, I never felt the stakes once. Bryce should have the gang leaders with him or some trick up his sleeve but he just got pummeled. Same with Ebina.

[Trebor]

i think the ending was ok IMO, kiryu got his life and name back and realize that he wanna live, maybe the disappointing part is they(haruka and kiryu) didn't get to see each other in the end scene, atleast just 1 hug RGG studios dang, also the ending make sense cuz of the memories of a dragon, closure to all close to him, and because of that he wanted to live, like sayama still waiting for kiryu all this time, they always use the ending where you can only speculate what happened after the end, like maybe after he got his life back, kaoru sayama and kiryu got back together i wanna see that happening

[El Presidente]

Just so we are clear: It was the 2 or 3 time he "died / was on the brink of dying" I dont belive it anymore, stopped after the first one. Well they are introducing ichiban as a new protagonist and tbh it works. i was ready to let go this time. The Studio was not. And i can understand that. He became larger then the series. And some people would ask: Is Yakuza still Yakuza without the Dragon of Dojima?

That is the Reason for the new Name Like a Dragon, for the "new" Protagonist and the different Fighting style. The Studio is saying: Guys he will have to be dead at some point and we understand that a new character would have to meassure up to kiryu and would most likely not be accepted. So we start on a new way, kiryu is there to hold your hands as you get to know and love Ichiban. But i would say they missed the perfect point to just finaly let him die. We had the memory quests, we had the meet ups, we tied the loose ends and the man is just ready to die.

[Ruperto]

Originally posted by SHINRA-CORP:

The ending was really weak compared to LaD7. LaD7 had more resolve while this one was left way too open. Ichi and Saeko make up to just have Saeko storm off again. Kiryus ending is cryptic at best and I think he will be returning for sure in the next game probably fighting too. Cause hes pushing 60 and had been given 6 months to live but hes still able to sprint across a city and then get in a fight immediately afterwards.

The ending should have been Kiryu gets his old life back and retires in peace and gets to reunite with the kids from Sunflower. His ride off in to the sunset. Something meaningful.

But now we will have to wait another 3 years to see what happens.

The game itself is pretty mid. The story was stupid and it wasn't believable. I didn't find myself caring for any of the characters and often skimmed through the dialogue a lot of the time. Wasn't a bad game by any means but it wasn't the epic saga I was hoping for.

Plus the minigames this time rounf are some of the weakest imo. I finished Dodonko Island because I knew there would be a payday at the end of it then I never touched it again.

What was up with Saeko and Ichi anyway. As far as I remember there was no romance between them in LaD7 then all of a sudden Ichi is in love. It was kinda thrown in there. I'm happy to see them get together but it was clearly forced out of nowhere.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3142518781

[Legato Bluesummers]

Originally posted by SHINRA-CORP:

But now we will have to wait another 3 years to see what happens.

maybe not. There were a few of the table talks/walk and talks that had some interesting dialogue. Like Adachi's bingo ending, you can pick Okinawa and they talk about going. We may see some more Gaiden sized games that would really help instead of waiting 4 years between mainline games. One of which could definitely be Okinawa in a year or so to check in on Kiryu. I know people are saying he'll be back, but I don't think so. I don't even know if Ichiban should be back for Y9. I'm sure he will be but moving to another protagonist or group wouldn't be a bad thing imo.

[Dust]

Originally posted by Hajber:

Originally posted by HandSoap:

Anybody else feel a bitter taste where they could not let go of Kiryu? The trailers showed it, the game showed that Kiryu had a clock ticking

They did let go. The last scene was his sent off

Sure. Like 3's ending was his send-off. And 5's ending was his send-off. And 6's ending was his send-off. And 7's 3/4ths story beat was his send-off. And Gaiden and 8's ending was his send-off. It's comical at this point how they always show Kiryu passing the torch to someone else, and then in the next game the torch is, by some trick of fate, somehow back in Kiryu's hand.

They keep baiting you people and it always works, it's really no wonder why they can't let Kiryu go.

[Hajber]

Besides 6's, none of the rest are send offs. Youre getting worked up over nothing

[SHINRA-CORP]

Tbh with the route that they're taking with Ichiban I kinda wish Kiryu would stay. LaD7 had me thinking Ichiban could take Kiryus place. But in Infinite Wealth they made Ichiban so stupid and naive. He went from being very optimistic and a little childish to borderline retarded.

[InkabodCrane]

I keep saying this, Kiryu shouldn't be killed off. He is Yakuza/LAD. Just like Master Chief, or Batman, or Link in Zelda. They get rid of him, they lose their iconic character, and that is a net negative for Sega.

Aside from financial/IP reasons, I don't want him to go. I enjoy mowing through a entire skyscraper of enemies and seeing his stoic bada** reaction at the end. He is a superhero. Ichiban is okay, but he'll never be as cool as Kiryu.

I think a lot of you who keep wanting Kiryu gone, will regret it afterwards. I get that the stories have been hinting at it for years so it seems like it should happen, but if it does, this series will have a huge hole to fill, and Ichiban isn't going to fill it.

If he dies, they will have to reboot the series or make prequels to get Kiryu back. He's the Yakuza series icon. He's their Master Chief.