For nearly two decades, the Yakuza franchise has become a highly successful video game series by selling over 14 million copies. The SEGA franchise contains ten main games, two of which are remakes, along with three spin-off titles. Created by Toshihiro Nagoshi, the purpose behind Yakuza was the telling of what life's like as a Japanese gangster.
The Yakuza games are the typical beat 'em up action games but with some open-world, role-playing elements sprinkled in. Coming off the success of Yakuza: Like A Dragon in 2020, both new players and returning fans have flocked toward the game that started it all: Yakuza 0. Yakuza 0 takes place in 1988, seven years before the events of Yakuza, or Yakuza Kiwami, the remake of the original game. While adding Yakuza 0 provides a deeper look into main characters Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima, there are quite a few things that occur during the seven-year span between the two games that fans have to simply figure out themselves.
10 Tamura and Aoki
Shortly after Kiryu helps fellow Dojima Family member Shinji Tanaka collect on an overdue debt, the Lieutenant Advisor runs into Tamura and Aoki. Tamura is one of the top information brokers in Kamurocho, while Aoki is an up-and-coming journalist. Tamura introduces Aoki to Kiryu and tells him that Aoki asked what the hottest news was, and Tamura told Aoki all about Kiryu.
Tamura did not make an appearance in Yakuza 0, so any sort of relationship he clearly has with Kiryu was developed during the seven-year gap. Also, Tamura proudly tells Kiryu how he immediately thought of him when asked for the hottest news by Aoki. For better or worse, that implies Kiryu has a well-known reputation throughout Kamurocho.
9 Makoto Date
When Kiryu is apprehended and charged by the police, there's only one person who thinks Kiryu is actually innocent: detective Makoto Date. The Tokyo detective did not appear in Yakuza 0, so similar to Tamura and Aoki, any interaction with Kiryu would've occurred offscreen before the events of Yakuza Kiwami. Date believes Kiryu is covering for someone because he was on the verge of becoming a patriarch.
While Date is smart for applying common sense and critical thinking to the case, it's still puzzling that a member of the police force would care that a member of the yakuza was being wrongfully charged. It would be one less gangster on the street, regardless if he committed the crime, right? Clearly, that's not how Date operates. Either the 31-year-old detective has some connection with Kiryu, maybe as his yakuza informant, or Date simply has a heart of gold.
8 Dojima Family Reputation
In Yakuza 0, the ultimate prize is the elusive Empty Lot. This small patch of land was an essential piece in completing the Kamurocho Revitalization Project, a project that would produce massive profits. Sohei Dojima, the patriarch of the Dojima Family, frames Kiryu for killing a civilian on the Empty Lot. To clear his name and prove his innocence, Kiryu requests to be expelled from the family.
Yakuza Kiwami begins similarly with Kiryu assisting Shinji to collect an overdue debt. The debtor begs for his life, claiming that the Dojima Family kills anyone who doesn't pay their debts. Either the debtor is embellishing these claims or the Dojima Family has had a drastic change in their morals since the Empty Lot fiasco. Dojima was quick to denounce, and subsequently, condemn Kiryu to death for the murder in the Empty Lot. Granted, that could've been a ploy to effectively remove the Kazuma Family from the Tojo Clan, but it's still strange that the Dojima Family seemingly grew a reputation for killing debtors.
7 Sohei Dojima
The main antagonist in Yakuza 0, Sohei Dojima was on the cusp of acquiring the Empty Lot and becoming the Third Chairman of the Tojo Clan. But thanks to Kiryu and Majima, the Empty Lot fell into the hands of the Nikkyo Consortium, and Masaru Sera was appointed chairman. After Dojima's plan fails, the once-powerful, ruthless patriarch slowly becomes a shell of himself by the start of Yakuza Kiwami.
Akira Nishikiyama, Kiryu's oath brother and childhood friend, tells Kiryu how Dojima just reminisces about his glory days. His failure in securing the Empty Lot was the straw that broke Dojima's back. Surprisingly, Dojima wasn't expelled from the clan as a result of his actions in Yakuza 0, but in the end, the disgraced patriarch gets what he deserved.
6 Mentoring Shinji Tanaka
Separate from the main plot are side missions called Substories. One Substory in Yakuza 0 called A Shining Example finds Kiryu facing off against Shinji, who at the time was a member of a biker gang. After defeating Shinji, he's sold out and has to rely on Kiryu to save him (which, of course, he does). This whole ordeal makes Shinji rethink his life, and he decides to be more like Kiryu.
Yakuza Kiwami starts with Kiryu helping Shinji collect an overdue debt, and insinuates that Kiryu took Shinji under his wing once he became part of the Dojima Family again. Kiryu is Shinji's role model and it's clear that Shinji is loyal to his mentor.
5 Akira Nishikiyama Losing Himself
From the moment Nishiki is introduced, it's evident how much he admires Kiryu. Throughout Yakuza 0, there's not a whole lot Nishiki does to help Kiryu in clearing his name. After Kiryu gets expelled, he essentially cuts Nishiki off after a brief lapse in judgment by Nishiki. However, once Kiryu is reinstated back to the Dojima Family, it seems their friendship is restored.
Over the next seven years, it's assumed that Nishiki didn't do much to improve his status in the Tojo Clan. Other members of the clan simply think he's useless compared to Kiryu. With how assertive and dominant Kiryu can be, it's unsurprising that Nishiki lost himself in Kiryu's shadow leading up to Yakuza Kiwami.
4 Yumi Sawamura
In Yakuza 0, Kiryu and Nishiki used a bar called Serena as their main hideout. Reina, the owner, helped both of them, and after Kiryu was proven innocent, they became regulars at the bar. During the seven-year gap, Kiryu and Nishiki's childhood friend Yumi Sawamura starts working at Serena.
Kiryu grew up with Yumi and Nishiki at Sunflower orphanage. Yumi is special to Kiryu, which makes her non-appearance in Yakuza 0 that much more strange. It's possible Yumi simply didn't live in Kamurocho during the events of the prequel, and, once she moved back, got in touch with Kiryu and began working at Serena. With so much happening in Yakuza 0, maybe it was for the better that Yumi was brought into the picture during the time gap.
3 Nishiki's Dying Sister
Early in Yakuza Kiwami, Nishiki tells Kiryu that his sister, Yuko Nishikiyama, has her "final surgery" soon. The reason behind this surgery is unknown, but her condition either started or worsened after the events of Yakuza 0.
Yuko wasn't mentioned at all during the prequel, which could be even more of an indication she wasn't in danger. Yuko's condition is the main factor in Nishiki's drastic change in character in Yakuza Kiwami.
2 Kiryu's Yakuza Rank
Kiryu started as a lowly yakuza grunt in Yakuza 0, which is why Dojima tried framing him for the murder on the Empty Lot. Once Kiryu is reinstated back into the Dojima Family, he swiftly rises through the ranks until he is a Lieutenant Advisor and on the verge of becoming a patriarch of his own family. Throughout the seven years, Kiryu gained the respect of countless yakuza until he was regarded as the Dragon of Dojima.
1 Goro Majima's Obsession With Kiryu
Arguably the most featured character in the series, Goro Majima is obsessed with fighting Kiryu. Seen as a very enthusiastic person in Yakuza Kiwami, Majima had a calm demeanor about him throughout the majority of Yakuza 0. After he learned Makoto forgot who he was as a result of all the trauma with the Empty Lot, something snapped inside of him and he embraced the title of The Mad Dog of Shimano.
When Kiryu first runs into Majima in Yakuza Kiwami, Majima is already itching at fighting Kiryu. It's safe to assume that Kiryu and Majima have had many encounters throughout the seven-year gap, otherwise it's kind of weird how badly Majima wants to fight Kiryu.