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| “ | I'll let you in on a little something. The yakuza game, it's not like boxing. The man who gets beat down isn't the loser. The guy who can't tough it out to the end, he's the one who loses. Eh? Don't you think? In the yakuza life, there are no KO's. I'll tell you what, Kiryu. To me, a finger or two don't mean shit. Having Awano or Shibusawa beat me to the captain's spot? Couldn't give a f***... As long as I'm alive, I'll keep getting back up for more. Which is why you, a half-ass like you, is the the one thing I can't stand. Now DIE, you little shit! | „ |
| ~ Kuze before his second fight with Kiryu; his most famous speech. |
Daisaku Kuze is a major antagonist in the 2015 beat-em up drama video game Yakuza 0, being the secondary antagonist of Kiryu's scenario.
He is a member of the Tojo Clan, one of the three lieutenants of the Dojima Family and the patriarch of the Kenno Clan. He is the first arch-rival of Kazuma Kiryu, having a strong obsession with defeating the young ex-yakuza after being beaten by him for the first time.
He was voiced and modeled after Hitoshi Ozawa.
Biography[]
Kuze is first encountered when Kiryu goes to the Dojima Family HQ to meet with the three lieutenants regarding the murder he allegedly committed in the Empty Lot. Kiryu insists he didn't do it when the other two lieutenants Awano and Shibusawa bring up the venue in which Kiryu allegedly did the killing. The other two lieutenants storm off in anger while Kuze remains and says he believes Kiryu generally didn't know anything about the venue.
Kuze explains that Sohei Dojima (the Dojima family patriarch) is attempting to buy up the empty lot and has promised Shintaro Kazama's spot as captain in the Dojima family to whichever one of the lieutenants brings it to him.
When Kiryu goes to visit the CEO of the loan shark company that told him to collect a debt from the victim of the murder in the empty lot to ask why he made him do it in that spot Kuze interupts and tells the CEO to leave. He does so leaving just Kiryu and Kuze in the room. Kuze says that he needs information about the empty lot that Kazama has and if Kiryu joins the Kenno Clan and gets him said information from Kazama he will ensure Kiryu doesn't lose his standing in the Dojima Family due to the inconvenience the murder in the empty lot has caused it. Kiryu refuses this deal and walks off.
While Dojima watches TV in the family's HQ Kuze takes over his operations temporarily with some of his minios. Kiryu turns up and requests to see Dojima and be expelled from the family. Kuze offers Kiryu one last chance to take up on his offer or be killed by his minions. Kiryu again refuses the offer. Kuze walks off despite Kiryu insisting that he still wants to talk to him. Kuze says he will listen to what Kiryu has to say if he makes it up alive to meet him.
Kiryu manages to defeat Kuze's minions and meets him on the top floor. Kuze attempts to kill Kiryu but the latter defeats him in combat. After this Dojima, Awano and Shibusawa come into the room and the two lieutenants tell Dojima that Kuze expelled Kiryu from the family without his permission. As punishment Kuze is ordered to cut his pinky finger off, which he reluctantly does. He then storms off angrily and grows obsessed with killing Kiryu, blaming him for his mutilation and humiliation.
Kuze gets a woman working at a strip club to send Kiryu through the club's underground sewer passage so that he may ambush him there and kill him. As Kiryu is running through the sewer Kuze rides a motorbike and whacks Kiryu with an iron pipe. He dismounts the bike and again tries to kill Kiryu, to no success once again. Kiryu decides to spare Kuze's life, making him vow he will make Kiryu regret not killing him.
Kuze and the Kenno Clan take part in the manhunt Hiroki Awano leads to kill Kiryu. When the Dojima Family ambushes him Kuze and some of his minions fight Kiryu again trying to kill him but still fail. One of the minions then brings Kiryu to his knees and gives Kuze an iron pipe. About to kill Kiryu, Kuze fails as Tachibana drives in a car and rescues Kiryu. The two drive off.
After the Dojima Family kidnaps Tachibana, Kuze and the Kenno Clan are given the job of torturing the whereabouts of Makoto Makimura, the owner of the empty lot, out of him. Despite this Tachibana does not reveal the information. Kuze eventually gives up and unties Tachibana and tells his minions not to kill him. Despite this one of them fatally strikes Tachibana with a sledgehammer, and Kuze kills said minion seconds later.
Kiryu and Nishiki come in and upon seeing Tachibana's condition, Kiryu punches Kuze in anger. Kiryu and Nishiki fight Kuze and his minions, and Kiryu is victorious. Tachibana dies bringing Kiryu to tears. Kuze gets up, and tells Kiryu that someone from within the Tojo Clan is leaking information to the Omi Alliance, and unless they obtain the empty lot the Omi Alliance will invade the city and wipe out the Tojo Clan. Kiryu carries Tachibana away.
When Shibusawa arranged to have his subordinates invade and kill everyone in the Kazama family headquarters, Kuze decided to rebel to do what was right, instead entering the building and warning everyone about this, knowing that Kiryu will turn up. His intent is to fight Kiryu alone as a final challenge.
When Kiryu turns up, Kuze fights him one last time, with Kiryu being victorious once again. Defeated, Kuze acknowledges that Kiryu has finally become a real yakuza, and informs him of Shibusawa's raid on the Nikkyo Consortium's yacht at Shibaura. He then warns that, should Kiryu continue on his path, he won't be able to turn back from it, but if he desires to walk this path, then he should go on. Kiryu agrees, and sets off for Shibaura with Nishiki to mount a counterattack against Shibusawa and his forces.
Kuze is revealed to have been arrested at the end of the game.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Kuze is often known as one of the most fan-favorite villains in the Like a Dragon franchise, mainly due to his boss fights and his incredible sense of determination.
- Kuze is one of the fewest villains to have the longest recurring boss fights in the entire franchise, with the total being five - tied with Yutaka Yamai.
External links[]
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 Villains
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Tojo Clan Chairmen: Masaru Sera | Yukio Terada | Daigo Dojima Dojima Family: Sohei Dojima |
Daisaku Kuze |
Hiroki Awano |
Keiji Shibusawa |
Lao Gui |
Yoneda Others Omi Alliance Go-ryu Clan (Ryuji Goda | Hiroshi Hayashi) | Tsubasa Kurosawa | Hiroshi Kugihara | Shigeki Baba | Homare Nishitani | Homare Nishitani III | Kamon Kanai | Tsukasa Sagawa | Toranosuke Sengoku | Ryo Takashima | Jo Sawashiro | Kosei Shishido | Reiji Ishioda | Yosuke Tendo Daidoji Faction Other Criminal Organizations Jingweon Mafia: Daejin Kim |
Yeongmin Ji |
Joon-gi Han Police Bleach Japan Mr. Shakedowns Mutoh Realty Order of Munan Chohept Onast Amon Clan Other Spin-offs See Also | ||