8 Side Characters Who Are More POWERFUL Than You

The original protagonist of the Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise, Kazuma Kiryu, is without question one of its strongest fighters, with there being precious few who can even get close to matching him.

And so when the seventh game, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, introduced new protagonist Ichiban Kasuga, many were concerned that Ichiban would immediately supplant Kiryu as the top dog in town.

But thankfully Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio acutely appreciates Kiryu's legendary stature in the series, and so when he shows up later in the game as a side character, Ichiban proves to be no match for him.

Even though we as players technically "defeat" Kiryu in a late-game boss fight, the ensuing cutscene shows that Kiryu single-handedly holds off our entire party, leaving Ichiban a sweaty, confused mess.

After all, Kiryu is an almost supernaturally skilled fighter with decades of experience behind him - it'd be ludicrous for the wet-around-the-ears, fresh outta prison Ichiban to take him to school.

Though the gap between the two has definitely narrowed since, as Ichiban has become a more skilled fighter and Kiryu battles a cancer diagnosis, Kiryu's status as the series' GOAT fighter remains firmly intact - for now at least.