Latest Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Trailer Hints at Returning Fan-Favorite Characters

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth trailer features the return of several characters from Kiryu's past.

By Ricky Frech

Somewhat surprisingly, RGG Studios didn't have a presence at The Game Awards last week, but the team did unveil a new trailer after the show for its upcoming game Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. The trailer gave fans a look at one of the main side quests they'll have access to in Hawaii, Kiryu Kazama's Bucket List. There are some light spoilers in the trailer that you can see below, but with Kiryu dealing with a life-threatening illness, his friends help him put together a bucket list of things he wants to do before he dies. As part of this set of quests, it seems that Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth will be bringing back several fan-favorite characters from Kiryu's past.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Returning Characters

The first returning character we see in the trailer is Makoto Date. Of course, Date has been in every mainline Like a Dragon (formerly Yakuza) series to date, so it's not surprising to see him pop in to meet up with Kiryu. However, we do see Kiryu seemingly meeting up with the owner of Survive Bar. While this is obviously Kiryu's former captain Osamu Kashiwagi, the series cheekily never mentions that fact in Yakuza: Like a Dragon. It's also worth noting that the franchise went out of its way to keep this meeting from happening in Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, even though Kiryu visited Survive during the events of the game.

Later, we see a quick shot of what appears to be Yuya, who formerly worked at the Stardust Club. It looks like it's been purchased back from the Jingweon Mafia, who bought it in Yakuza 6, and Yuya is back to working there. Things get even wilder when the next character is introduced. Shun Akiyama hasn't been involved in the series since Yakuza 6, and many were upset that he wasn't involved in Like a Dragon: Ishin earlier this year. His coming back is going to be a massive moment for franchise fans.

That said, the final reveal might be the biggest one. Kaoru Sayama is one of the few true love interests Kiryu has had over the years, with the two even sharing a kiss during Yakuza 2. However, that's the only game she's played a major part in, but this trailer confirms she's making a return. In fact, Sayama says, "maybe a part of me is still waiting for him," while looking at her ring finger, hinting that she's remained in love with Kiryu this entire time. 

We also see some smaller, more expected hints, including Sotaro Komaki, one of Kiryu's former trainers, and the Pocket Circuit Fighter, but the reveal of Sayama and Akiyama is the highlight here for long-time fans. Either way, Infinite Wealth is quickly shaping up to be yet another incredible addition to the Like a Dragon franchise.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth launches on January 26, 2024, on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms. 

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