Yakuza: Like A Dragon – How To Defeat Kiryu – RPG Overload (2023)

After defeating yakuza stars Majima and Saejima in Chapter 12, another big test comes in Chapter 14 in the form of Kazuma Kiryu. As the hero of the previous titles in the series, it comes as no surprise that Kiryu is one of the strongest enemies in the game. His high HP, raw strength, and multiple combat stances mean he will be put to the test if he isn't ready.

Kiryu can be downright rude, but with the right tactics, he's actually quite easy to take down. Here is everything you need to know about how to defeat Kiryu in Yakuza: Like A Dragon.

• TIED TOGETHER:Yakuza: Like a Dragon Review

Kiryu never attacks female characters.

The Dragon of Dojima is a true gentleman who doesn't take advantage of women, but that's a double-edged sword. If you put Saeko and Eri in the group, Kiryu will always attack Ichiban and the other male member of the group. Since the game is over if Ichiban is defeated, having Kiryu focus more attacks on him is a bit risky. Still, it's worth it, as we'll see in the next section.

As an interesting aside, Kiryu's canonical refusal to hit women is known to bethe reason it didn't make it to Smash Bros and Tekkenwhile that!

Party and recommended works

The recommended group for this fight isIchiban, Joon-gi, Saeko y Eri🇧🇷 If you haven't unlocked Eri yet, it doesn't matter who else you choose. I would probably choose Adachi for the higher HP of him.

As always, Ichiban should continue the hero work that I hope you've been using up until now. This provides significant healing abilities, as well as unmatched determination.

Joon-gi's default assassin job unlocks the Phantom Shift character ability at level 24, which means you can use it with other jobs once you learn it. This gives a powerful dodge boost and is a great tactic for wasting Kiryu's turns. If Ichiban and Joon-gi are the only male members, it is very likely that he will attack Joon-gi and miss. Joon-gi also has Poison Shot as a learned skill at level 35, regardless of job, which is a useful way to reduce Kiryu's health.

Kiryu is weak to ice/cold attacks., what he doesHostessjob is your best friend Even if you haven't used jobs on Saeko or Eri yet, you should equip them on both. At level 1, he offers the Sparkling Cannon attack that can target Kiryu's weakness. There's no way Saeko and Eri can be attacked, so it doesn't matter if you use a low-rank job. Sparking Cannon may be the lowest MP ice option, but I've actually found that it generally does more damage than the more expensive ice attacks at higher levels. So you should keep using it even if you have other ice attacks to save MP in the process.

Also, be sure to stock up on as many Tenacity, Stamina, and Taurine items as possible; you will probably need them.

recommended level

Kiryu is at level 57, but you can beat him at levels lower than this. In fact, as a solo opponent, it's probably not as difficult as Majima vs. Saejima, then you should be fine.

I'd recommend being around level 55, but don't worry if you're a few levels below - with the tactics we'll discuss, you'll still be able to succeed.

Kiryu's Man in the Yakuza: Like a Dragon Beleaguered

Kiryu has four distinct phases that reflect the different fighting styles he used in previous games. Each one has different strengths and attacks. However,Kiryu is weak to ice in all phases.🇧🇷 Each phase is listed individually here.

Kiryu Boss First Stage - Brawler Style

Kiryu's first stage is nothing special. He just goes for some moderately potent melee attacks that shouldn't put him in immediate danger.

Hit Kiryu with your ice attacks and try to poison him with Joon-gi. After poisoning Kiryu, he uses Phantom Shift to keep Joon-gi relatively safe. In theory, Ichiban will now be the only party member in trouble, so keep him healed if he drops below half health.

Use Peerless Resolve on Ichiban early on to protect him from a deadly attack. This isn't necessary yet, but in the later stages of the fight, you'll have an insurance policy in case Kiryu defeats Ichiban with her most powerful abilities.

If you have Essence of Orbital Laser, you probably don't need to waste MP and MP recovery items just yet. It's smarter to save it for later stages when killing Kiryu faster is more important. Only use Sparkling Cannon on Eri and Saeko and any other Essence attacks on your male characters when you get the chance.

Kiryu Boss Second stage - Rush Style - 3/4 HP

At about 3/4 HP, Kiryu will change his stance to Rush style. This isn't drastically different, but Kiryu gets slightly stronger and faster. He is unlikely to get consecutive turns and usually attacks with hooks that can deal 200+ damage. He can also use Stun Combo, which has the potential to annoyingly stun your character when he gets hit.

You often only get one turn between Kiryu's attacks, so keep an eye on your HP. They should still be fine until you drop below half when it's time to start healing. With Saeko and Eri safe and Joon-gi frequently dodging, Ichiban should be the only one in danger.

Keeping the exact same tactics as before: keep using ice attacks like Sparkling Cannon, keep Kiryu's Poison stat up with Poison Shot, and upgrade Joon-gi's Phantom Shift every time it passes. You may need to start refilling MP at this stage, which is a good thing as the fight will soon get tougher.

Kiryu-Boss dritte Phase – Bestienstil – 1/2 HP

At half health, Kiryu transitions into Beast Style and this is where things get serious. Kiryu can now attack with Beast Throw, smashing your characters with a barrel and dealing heavy damage. Worse yet, he'll start making back-to-back moves. It's not uncommon for him to have two moves followed by another right after his move.

Therefore, it is imperative to keep Ichiban's health at its best. Kiryu's consecutive attacks can knock him out while he hits Ichiban consecutively, so he heals when he's down to about two-thirds. Beast Throw is dangerous but relatively easy to perfect, so stay focused and try to block as much as possible. He can hit multiple party members at once, and sometimes it's not immediately obvious that he hit someone else.

At this point in the fight, it's probably best to have a dedicated healer that takes turns healing each time, like Ichiban using Hero's Compassion or Hero's Embrace. Keep using the tokens to attack with ice, only decrease when it's someone's turn to restore MP with an item. If your healer doesn't turn around between Kiryu's attacks, you simply need to use some items. For example, if Kiryu attacks Ichiban twice and you only have your turn with a non-healer before his next turn (the Hostess job has no healing abilities unless you learned them elsewhere), you'll need to draw an item in Ichiban. At worst, Ichiban's unmatched determination will keep him alive before a fatal blow, so recast him immediately when he's exhausted.

If you get the chance, now is the time to get started with Ichiban's Essence of Orbital Laser. Do this when it's Ichiban's turn with a lot of health, and of course make sure to replenish his MP right after so he can heal again if necessary. With Joon-gi, continue the pattern of poisoning Kiryu and keeping Phantom Shift active. Lowering attack power during this phase is also helpful, but not strictly necessary. Hit the Sparkling Cannon until you reach the final stage.

Kiryu Boss Quarter Phase – Dragon of Dojima-Style – 1/4 HP

Once Kiryu is reduced to a quarter of his HP, he will be engulfed in blue flames, marking his most dangerous final stage.

In true Dragons of Dojima fashion, Kiryu continues to hit hard and once again easily chains back to back turns, so keeping HP up is imperative. The tactics should be more or less the same as in the third phase, with one important caveat:Don't use physical abilities on male characters.– Kiryu will dodge and counterattack, which is the last thing you want.

It is especially dangerous when using Dragon's Gaze, where it sets up for a counterattack. Again, you should avoid using physical abilities, but Essence's attacks are harmless. It will relax on your next turn and sometimes waste consecutive turns activating Dragon's Gaze and immediately deactivating it again!

You're almost there, so keep up with Saeko and Eri's ice magic attacks and essence abilities as long as anyone can attack, including orbital lasers. Keep the same healing approach - Ichiban over two-thirds health as much as possible. You will eventually defeat him and win the Kiryu boss fight.

When All Else Fails, Employ These Cheap Tactics

There is no wrong way to win, right?

If you keep losing and you are desperate, you can try something different: go with Ichiban, Adachi, Saeko and Eri.

Since each attack will focus on Ichiban and Adachi, you simply need to protect both of them each turn. Make sure one of the ladies is a host and the other has a job with healing abilities, for example. B. an idol.

Use Peerless Determination on Ichiban early in the fight and equip him with a Sacrificial Stone as a backup plan. Have your host attack with Sparkling Cannon every turn and heal males with your other female limb when they are near half health. Heals more frequently in the last two stages, when Kiryu is more likely to chain back to back turns.

As long as you keep your guard up, you can withstand many attacks and can also heal with Ichiban if it's an emergency. When MP is low, sacrifice your Hostess turn to use a Taurine to replenish.

Rinse and repeat at each stage and you will slowly but surely win the battle. This strategy isn't pretty and will require a bit more item consumption and a lot more time. However, in the end it works.

recapitulate

Here is a simplified summary of the strategy on how to defeat Kiryu in Yakuza: Like A Dragon:

• Replenish HP and MP healing items
• Put Eri and Saeko in the party, both in the role of hostess (even if you've never used it before)
• Use Joon-gi as your other party member; Make Ichiban work as a hero
• Defeat Kiryu in every level with the Sparkling Cannon with Eri and Saeko
• Use Poison Shot and Phantom Shift on Joon-gi in all stages to keep both effects active.
• Use Peerless Resolve on Ichiban and he usually heals when he is below half health.
• Heals more regularly in Kiryu's last two stages (starting at half health) due to Kiryu's consecutive turns
• Do not use melee abilities on male characters in the final stage of Kiryu's Dragon of Dojima

I love how Yakuza: Like A Dragon respects the history of the series, ensuring that Kiryu is as legendary as ever. The music for the fight is also great. I hope that by following this guide you can defeat him and get closer to the endgame.

As a welcome bonus, defeating Kiryu in the boss fight and completing Chapter 14 will unlock him later as a Libra companion for the sale price of one million yen! At least you get a first use for free.

Check out some of our other Yakuza: Like A Dragon picks below:

• TIED TOGETHER:Yakuza: Like A Dragon - How to Maximize Every Romantic Relationship
• TIED TOGETHER:Yakuza: Like A Dragon - The best ways to earn money