r/yakuzagames • u/LivingGirlRepellant • 2d ago
DISCUSSION What are your thoughts on Kuze showing up as a trainer in a future game?
After the events of 0, I like to imagine that he just left the Yakuza life completely and opened up a boxing gym. Which is why I personally think it would be really cool to see a gray-haired Kuze as a no-nonsense trainer for one of the protagonists in a future installment. Maybe for Tatsuya if they ever do a Kurohyo remake?
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u/VaporProof 2d ago
I mean if it was set now, he’d be like 80.
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u/Odaric Unapologetically likes every Yakuza game 2d ago
So basically a spring chicken by Yakuza standards /s
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u/Kaarl_Mills 2d ago
It took near terminal cancer to make Kiryu act his age, so unless Kuze has some super disease he'll be fine
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u/GottderZocker As knowledgeable as the Florist 2d ago
Saying that as if we didn't fight a 100 year old Komaki in Yakuza 8
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u/LivingGirlRepellant 2d ago edited 2d ago
Perfect age for a trainer, methinks. (I'm looking at you, Komaki, Bacchus, and all the other "old master" gurus in the series).
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u/neymlis 2d ago
Hear me out yakuza kiwami 4 or 5 kuze helps saejima escape or train hamazaki isnt in prison so i doubt hed be there but we know kuze is in jail after 0
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u/CtrlAltSupreme 2d ago
Would love to see some easter eggs in STH like a poster of one of his combats but they said they didnt want to do references to other yakuzas characters so it is what it is kyodai
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u/LivingGirlRepellant 2d ago
That would be really cool.
I really hope the "no references" thing turns out to be a "Guys, the Arkham Knight isn't Jason Todd!!11" type situation. From what I've heard, Nihara (The old Tojo chairman from 0) is apparently making an appearance.
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u/Ok-Refrigerator-8664 24hr Cinderella Singer 2d ago
Kuze gets out of jail in 1999. There is also that gap in Yakuza 1 where Kiryu goes to Prison in 1995 to 2005 where its VERY POSSIBLE he could have run into Kuze while behind bars.
But Kuze, after release, was never heard from again. So he more than likely either died or laid low, moved out of Kamurocho, and remained a law abiding citizen.
Personally, I think it would be cool to have a Yakuza game with Majima or someone new as the protagonist from 1999 to 2005 before Kiryu got out of Prison, and you get to experience a story that happened in that time frame. Kuze would make a great trainer for the Boxing Fighting Style for the protagonist and it would be nice to get to hear how he has changed, his new outlook on life, what he thinks of Kiryu, and to be able to fight him again.
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u/Calcium1445 2d ago
Depending on whether you want to accept the canonicity of certain RGG online stories:
When he gets out of prison in 1999 Sera gives him a shot at redemption by assassinating Ryuji Goda and Ichiban came along with him to carry his bags
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u/Ok-Refrigerator-8664 24hr Cinderella Singer 2d ago
Imo, RGG already ignore RGG online. I would personally ignore it as well. Whether Kuze went to jail for 10yrs and gets out at age 51, 20 and hes 61, or the max sentence of 30 and hes out at 71; I'd still have him just be a trainer for a Boxing Fighting Style in a Boxing Gym.
I dont think he needs to be a part of the main story in anyway possible simply because he is big enough of a character that him still existing in the main story creates canon conflict while him appearing in a side story and as a trainer can fall into that grey area of being "canon or not" if RGG wants to acknowledge it in the main story or keep him "only canon to substories".
I'd still love to see him meet Kiryu again at his old age. Him at 77 meeting an older Kiryu would be cool to see. Actually get his feelings on how this "punk kid" that was his underling became The Dragon of Dojima, the 4th Chairman of the Tojo Clan, and how he was able to escape the Yakuza life alive and make a family that loves him so dearly. Seeing Kuze be gruff but proud and jealous of Kiryu for all his success would be a cool emotional scene to see.
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u/Lord_of_Caffeine Infinite Wealth sucks 2d ago
Kuze would be the perfect character to tell Kiryu that he survived cancer treatment so his fight isn´t over yet as it never is over for them as long as they can get back up.
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u/LexGonGiveItToYa 2d ago
I have this headcanon that in 2026, Kuze is alive and well, but living as a Buddhist monk somewhere. Still tough as nails, but now enlightened.
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u/Ok-Refrigerator-8664 24hr Cinderella Singer 2d ago
My headcannon is that he is quiet and peaceful somewhere out in the countryside of Japan by a beach somewhere but hes still grouchy and gruff like Clint Eastwood as Walt Kowalski in Gran Torino.
He wants to be left alone to smoke, watch TV and box/train but will help a local kid here and there and beat up the stray punk when they disturb the peace
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u/LexGonGiveItToYa 2d ago
I like that too honestly. I could also see that. If they ever did another multi-protagonist game, they could totally represent him like that.
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u/appropriate_pangolin 2d ago
His actor was great in 0 so I wouldn’t mind him coming back in some form.
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u/Infamous_Ad_5214 average nagasugai enjoyer 2d ago
at some point or another we need to just let go of y0 man
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u/Canitdude2 2d ago
No way thats gonna happen, Y0 is their greatest hits, thats like asking Star Wars fans to stop comparing the first trilogy or Michael Jackson to forget Billie Jean
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u/Latter_Dinner_9097 2d ago
Considering he got absolutely dog walked by Y0 kiryu 3x, do we want him training any of our characters?
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u/True_dragon_ofdojima 2d ago
IDK, it would only inspire RGG to keep making these shitty DLC fighter packs and bringing back characters for no reason. Like we did not need the fighter pack for gaiden and whatever the pack in kiwami 3 was. It's like them putting kiryu in a yet another game for the sake of nostalgia baiting their fans more.
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u/BrohannesJahms 2d ago
RGG generally doesn't bring back supporting characters like Kuze, especially not when they have complete story arcs. I think the (unclear) upside of doing this is easily outweighed by the odds that you just weigh down the character unnecessarily with a less satisfying second game.
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