Thread by @NateMing

after recently finishing a complete replay of the Yakuza series, I have a lot of thoughts... and emotions

but the one thing that stands out the most to me are the characters' tattoos, and how important they are to the world, story, and overall message of Kiryu's seven-game saga

there's no better place to start than with our hero, Kazuma Kiryu, the Dragon of Dojima

Kiryu's dragon is an ascending ou-ryu, soaring toward the heavens while seizing a pearl representing Kiryu's birth year of 1968, the Year of the Monkey

this dragon represents justice, power, balance, wisdom, and protection, and its coloring can also represent Kiryu's purity of heart and character

like his dragon, Kiryu destroys evil, stands up for the weak, and lives firmly by his ideals

the final boss of the first game, Akira Nishikyama, has a striking red koi

in Japanese mythology, the humble koi can become a mighty dragon if it completes the impossible task of swimming the length of a river upstream

Nishikiyama's koi represents that constant uphill battle

the secondary antagonist of the original Yakuza is Futoshi Shimano, a huge man with a tiger on his back

tigers are the opposite of dragons--feared instead of worshipped, earthly instead of heavenly

instead of inspiring by example, Shimano forces obedience through fear and force

did you know that we didn't get to see Majima's full tattoo until Y2?

Goro Majima, whose popularity may even eclipse Kiryu's, wears a Hannya on his back, with white snakes and spring blossoms

a Hannya is a wild and dangerous female demon, but is also sorrowful and melancholy

Majima is one of the most emotionally-complex characters in the series, and combining the Hannya with white snakes (symbols of immortality) and blossoms (symbols of impermanence) shows a man who lives in the moment so powerfully that his legacy will last forever

another newcomer to Y2 is Daigo Dojima, who wears a proud and powerful Fudo Myo-oh

also known as Acala, this is the "Immovable Protector" who wields a sword representing knowledge, wisdom, and power, guided by the Dragon (!), wreathed in cleansing flames with a rope to bind evil

Y2's main antagonist is Ryuji Goda, the Dragon of Kansai

like Kiryu, he wears a dragon, but his is larger, fiercer--it's a kouryu, a golden "ancient dragon" that actually isn't even part of Japanese mythology

it tracks--a major part of his story is that he isn't even Japanese

years later and now on the PS3, Yakuza 3 takes us to Okinawa, where we meet the homegrown boys of the Ryudo Family

Rikiya Shimabukuro (which is a common Okinawan last name) has a habu, or viper, a poisonous snake that's indigenous to Okinawa, repping his island

what's even more dramatic is Shigeru Nakahara's tattoo--as the leader of the Ryudo Family, he represents the pride of Okinawa and Okinawans with his shisa, a Ryukyu lion dog that defends homes from evil spirits

the lustful secondary antagonist of Yakuza 3 is Tsuyoshi Kanda, does not simply have a geisha on his back

this is Okame, the goddess of mirth, with tennyo (nymphs) on Kanda's arms and shoulders, cementing Kanda as a man who's always about having a good time, regardless of others

the tragic final boss of Y3 is Yoshitaka Mine, wearing a kirin

no, not a giraffe--the mythological kirin represents good fortune, and is a quiet and almost invisible force, able to walk on grass without bending a blade

Mine is a former stockbroker who clawed his way to prosperity and power, coming a long way from his days as an abandoned orphan

also, a "kirin-ji" (麒麟児) is a child prodigy, much like Mine himself

Yakuza 4 introduced a bunch of new playable characters, but the only new (heroic) tattoo was Taiga Saejima's tiger

this roaring tiger with bamboo leaves standing on a rock all represent strength, which fits Saejima to a T

unfortunately, we don't see a lot of Majima Family junior lieutenant Daisaku Minami, who wears a detailed, multi-part tattoo... also "HONOR" on his stomach in Olde English font

Minami's a wild guy, mixing eastern and western tattoo art--he's the new generation of yakuza

let's start Yakuza 5 with the fight-loving Masaru Watase

Watase wears an Asura on his back, a multi-armed demigod that's constantly at war with the gods

his arms feature a vajra and a wheel, both elements of meditation irl, but the gods use them as weapons to battle the Asura

former action star turned gang boss Katsuya is in a way the ideal yakuza: his "front" is a successful business, and yet keeps his crime family on a tight leash--thus, his elegant Japanese crane

his crane isn't just for show, either, as he is a brave man and a powerful fighter

the unexpected final boss of Yakuza 5, Aizawa, has a black carp

as usual, the carp can become the dragon, but the black carp can represent rebirth and transformation (while Nishiki's red carp can represent bravery and manliness)

we head back to the '80s with Yakuza 0, and Daisaku Kuze (who just KEEPS COMING BACK)

Kuze wears Enma-Daioh on his back, who judges whether you're going to heaven or hell after you die

throughout Y0, he hounds Kiryu, serving as the final arbiter of his future legendary status

Hiroki Awano has the folk hero Momotaro on his back, but unlike the brave hero, Awano only seeks pleasure

we learn that in the past, Awano loved violence and would hit someone just to feel their face break--but as he got older, he became all about luxury and comfort

rounding out the three Dojima lieutenants, Y0 final boss Keiji Shibusawa is a smart, rich man who seeks to become a legend

Shibusawa's green dragon is descending toward the Earth, bringing prosperity and riches--a perfect representation of Bubble Era Japan's excesses

one more for Yakuza 0! Wen Hai Lee shows up in Majima's storyline with an ornate tattoo of Guan Yu, a Three Kingdoms-era general who is also treated as a Chinese god of war and righteousness

the only new tattoo that shows up in Yakuza 6 belongs to final boss Tsuneo Iwami, who wears a bai ze, or hakutaku

it's a weird, wise creature that predicts calamity and eats nightmares, although in the case of a monstrous man like Iwami, the bai ze could be "the eater of dreams"

it's strange how well this fits for Iwami, a man who feels like a underwhelming final foe for Kiryu as a whole since he's so weak

Iwami was given everything--his father passed their shipbuilding company on to him so he wouldn't become a part of the family's side business: crime

but Iwami *wanted* to be part of the yakuza, he wanted to walk the extreme path and show his strength

so he has a bai ze, a creature that takes people's dreams to power his own

Yakuza is blessed with a lovable and inspiring cast, and while we learn about the characters by playing the game and experiencing the story, we gain whole new insights into them thanks to their ornate and thoughtful tattoo designs by Horitomo

there was a lot of reading for this thread, but two sources stand out for making sure I'm not 100% talking out my ass:

a Kotaku article by @Brian_Ashcraft breaking down some of the tattoos (he even has a book!)

and a great video by @Protoman85 with quick looks at everything

I'm sure there's something I have missed or misinterpreted, so please don't hesitate to comment if there's more light you can shed on these symbols or characters

thanks for reading!

ONE MORE since folks asked

new leading man (as of Ryu ga Gotoku 7/Yakuza: Like a Dragon) Ichiban Kasuga also has a dragon on his back!

his is a carp that's completed the impossible journey upstream and is transforming into a dragon

he's not a legend yet... but he's on his way