The Yakuza franchise has historically centered itself around being a narrative-driven, beat-em-up experience focusing on the feuds of rivaling gangs as they vie for control of industry in Japan at the turn of the 20th century and into the 21st. Yakuza mostly focuses on the varying Tojo Clan members, both current and past, as they uncover hidden truths of their clans whilst trying to navigate an ever-changing socioeconomic Japan.

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From the multi-faceted, melee combat tactician Kazuma Kiryu, to the wild-haired, bat-wielding, newcomer, Ichiban Kasuga, the Tojo Clan has proven, time and time again, that they have employed some of the strongest members among gangs in the franchise. While many of the Tojo Clan members have proved themselves as worthy foes to the franchise's varying protagonists, we'll examine the strongest members, both past and present, in its ranks.

Updated July 12, 2021 by Johnny Garcia: The Yakuza franchise continues to grow, with the next entrance to the universe, Lost Judgement just a few months away from release. The new game with put Yagami in Ijincho, the primary area for Yakuza: Like A Dragon, and the possibility for cross-over between Judgement and Yakuza may finally come to fruition. In addition, it was recently revealed that the Yakuza series will continue to use turn-based combat after the wild success of Yakuza: Like A Dragon. As the franchise grows and expands, the members of the Tojo Clan continue to grow, and after a notable absence in Yakuza: Like A Dragon, remnants of the Tojo Clan may be making an appearance in Yakuza 8.

15 Daigo Dojima

yakuza daigo dojima at omi hq

Daigo Dojima spent much of his early life pushing away his fate in the Tojo Clan. It wasn't until Kiryu drags him into the world during the events of Yakuza 2, where the game ends with Daigo taking the reigns as the Sixth Chairman.

While he is hindered by his inexperience, Daigo quickly falls into his leadership position and is not afraid to take action into his own hands. He is incredibly smart and able to hold his own in a fight with multiple protagonists such as Kiryu and Shinada.

14 Masato Aizawa

yakuza 5 aizawa on chairman throne

Aizawa's only appearance is in Yakuza 5, where he quickly showed that he is one of the strongest Yakuza characters out there. While Daigo is missing, Aizawa takes a chance to claim the throne as head of the Tojo Clan.

Aizawa's grit and determination helped him to get in such a position, and he is one of the few Yakuza characters who are strong enough to go toe to toe with Kiryu, pushing him to his absolute limits. Aizawa proved from the get-go his resolve and his training make him an invaluable asset to the Tojo Clan before his betrayal.

13 Takumi Someya

yakuza Takumi omeya welcoming at tojo hq

Someya is one of the antagonists of Yakuza 6 and serves as the right-hand man to Sugai, the acting Tojo Clan chairman while Daigo is in prison. Someya and Kiryu butt head multiple times over the course of Yakuza 6, before coming to respect each other in the end.

Someya is willing to do anything for the ones he cares about. He is one of the strongest Yakuza characters in both mind and body, all the way to the end of the game. He's also one of the few members of the Tojo Clan who is fighting capable with a sword.

12 Tsuyoshi Kanda

yakuza kanda in hotel room

Kanda is one of the villains of Yakuza 3, acting as the third and final Patriarch to the Nishikiyama Family before it would be disbanded. Kanda is out for blood in Yakuza 3, intent on taking out rival families before gunning for Daigo's seat as the Chairman of the Tojo Clan.

Kanda is known for his brute force, able to tear through his enemies easily with his strength. He is one of the strongest Yakuza characters, and while he isn't the smartest character in the series, he is certainly one of the most powerful.

11 Futoshi Shimano

Shimano in Yakuza

Shimano acts as a supporting antagonist in both Yakuza 0 and 1 as the Patriarch of the Shimano Family, a Tojo Clan Subsidiary. Shimano is built like a tank and has the strength to support it. Shimano quickly establishes himself as one of the major players in the Tojo Clan's race for power, especially when the Chairman seat is opened up.

Shimano doesn't fight often, but when he does, it's easy to see how he got into his position of power. Shimano is one of the strongest Yakuza characters there is, and many members of the Tojo Clan fear him because of his power.

10 Hiroki Awano

Hiroki Awano post fight sweating and bloody shirtless

Alongside his eccentric appearance, Hiroki Awano is one of the Tojo Clan's strongest lieutenants. He has been known to punch various animate and inanimate objects without hesitation or harm caused to himself. Although Hiroki Awano enjoys living the high-class Yakuza lifestyle, he remains a completely capable fighter in peak physical condition.

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In Yakuza 0, Hiroki Awano utilizes a brawling-centric style when fighting Kazuma Kiryu. He utilizes a bevy of punches and kicks in an attempt to defeat the player. Although his fight is relatively easy in-game, in the overall lore of Yakuza, Hiroki Awano is one of the Tojo Clan's most formidable fighters.

9 Keiji Shibusawa

Keiji Subusawa Wearing Glasses Looking At Camera Wearing Grey Suit With Pinstripes

Keiji Suibusawa is a man that cares about nothing but results. Alongside being an absolute monster in combat, Keiji is the business mastermind behind the Tojo Clan financial success. Keiji's cutthroat personality makes him one of the cruelest members of the Tojo Clan.

Keiji utilizes three different fighting styles in Yakuza 0. Keiji utilizes a rush stance consisting of fast combos to inflict as much damage as possible. Alongside this, he utilizes the beast mode where objects in the environment are used against the player. His final style is brawler, where heavy punches and kicks are his primary source of damage, much akin to Hiroki's style of fighting.

8 Daisaku Kuze

Daisaku Kuze Angry Open Grey Shirt With Chest Tattoos

Of the three Tojo Clan lieutenants, Daisaku Kuze delivers the brawn and muscle the most obviously. He is an open shirt-wearing, aviator sporting, tattooed badass with an absolutely shredded physique considering his older age.

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He is unwavering in combat, fighting tooth and nail to defeat Kazuma Kiryu on multiple occasions. He is a boxer by nature and at times doesn't hesitate to utilize weapons to fend off his opponents. Daisaku is easily the strongest of the three Tojo Clan lieutenants.

7 Akira Nishikiyama

Yakuza Akira Nishikiyama Looking Intensely Long Black Hair

Although he doesn't look the part, sporting his signature long, slicked-down hair and relatively young looks, Nishiki is one of the Tojo Clan's most formidable members. He has stood toe-to-toe with the likes of Goro Majima and Kazuma Kiryu on multiple occasions throughout the franchise's history.

In terms of battle style, Nishiki utilizes powerful punches and kicks to best his opponents. He also is a defensive fighter taking advantage of dodging tactics, waiting for his opponents to make the first move.

6 Yoshitaka Mine

Yoshitaka Mine Looking Frustrated in Maroon Suit Black Slicked Back Hair

Much like Nishiki, Yoshitaka Mine doesn't look like he would be a strong fighter from the get-go. Mine is known for being the treasurer of the Tojo Clan, so alongside his fighting prowess, he brings knowledge of finance to the organization.

Mine is a trained fighter utilizing a combination of mix-martial arts attacked to best his foes. He is the one notable fighter who almost defeated Kazuma Kiryu in hand-to-hand combat and has an insane physique that is oftentimes masked by his signature maroon suit.

5 Shintaro Kazama

Shintaro Kazama Yakuza Boss Nervously Looking Wearing Black Suit with Tie

Kazama-san is the captain of the legendary Dojima family and the patriarch of the Kazama family. Most importantly, he is an absolute beast of a man known for his ruthless assassination tactics. Shintaro Kazama is probably most remembered for sporting an iconic mustache and grey three-piece suit.

After years of regret due to his merciless assassinations, Kazama decided to finance an orphanage to help the children of those he killed, whilst using it as a front to recruit young, promising Yakuza members. Although the player doesn't fight Kazama in the games, his nefarious backstory, alongside the respect he's garnered by Tojo Clan members, makes him one of the clan's most legendary soldiers.

4 Taiga Saejima

Taiga Saejima Wearing Green Jacket with Fur Lining and Black T-shirt looking away from camera

Taiga Saejima is the textbook definition of what it means to be an absolute unit. He is a large framed, menace known for carrying out a massacre that left 18 rival gang members slain. Taiga's face is riddled with scars from his numerous confrontations.

Alongside his past, Taiga consistently holds up to Kiryu in hand-to-hand combat utilizing powerful attacks that match his equally dominating stature. He charges forward ruthlessly, lacking precision, trying to inflict the most pain possible to whoever is in his way.

3 Ichiban Kasuga

ichiban kasuga

Ichiban Kasuga is the newcomer to the Yakuza franchise making his debut in the 2019 release of Yakuza: Like A Dragon. Ichiban, and his bloodthirsty baseball bat, provide him with a unique fighting style in that he prioritizes using weapons before hand-to-hand combat.

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Ichiban is one of the Tojo's strongest members simply due to the fact that in Yakuza: Like A Dragon, alongside Yu Nanba and Koichi Adachi, almost take down every single rival gang in Isezaki Ijincho. He is ranked 3rd simply because he has not had the same room for character development as the top 2 choices.

2 Kazuma Kiryu

Kazuma Kiryu from the Yakuza series

Kazuma Kiryu's story spans the better part of 6 entries in the Yakuza franchise with his absolute ruthlessness in combat leading to much of his accomplishments in the Tojo Clan. Above all else, Kazuma Kiryu seeks honor in his life, a trait that eventually leads him to become the fourth chairman of the Tojo Clan.

The Dragon of Dojima comes in as the second strongest member of the Tojo Clan due to his almost unmatched combat ability. Kazuma Kiryu utilizes a plethora of combat styles ranging from a balanced brawler to a speed/combo-centric rush fighter.

1 Goro Majima

yakuza kiwami majima coming out of manhole

The Mad Dog of Shimano is the strongest Tojo Clan member simply due to his nature of embracing sheer violence and respecting those who are physically strong. Unlike Kiryu, Goro earned his nickname and respect among the Tojo Clan due to his combat ability above all else.

Goro Majima utilizes distinctly different fighting styles than Kiryu, such as his masterful ability to wield melee weapons. Alongside this, Goro is known for being a combat savant, utilizing his speed and nimbleness to defeat his foes. While Kiryu strikes hard, Majima strikes swiftly and accurately.

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