Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth has reignited the never-ending fan debate about Kazuma Kiryu's toughest foe

Warning: Spoilers for Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth lie ahead.

If you’re playing Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, you might be aware that, at a certain point in the game, Kazuma Kiryu begins to wander around in a very nostalgic mood. Well, one of his nostalgic thoughts has casually reignited fan debate regarding which of the baddies he’s battered over the years was the toughest.

Yup, if there’s one debate that’s long had the ability to make people who like the Yakuza/LAD series argue until they’re blue in the face, it’s the one regarding which tattooed bloke Big Kaz had to punch hardest to make them stop hitting him back. Kiryu’s been pretty mum on the subject over the years, which is probably why something he’s said in Infinite Wealth has sparked a lot of interest.

The line in question comes from one of the many recollections that come to The Dragon of Dojima as you explore Yokohama and Kamurocho with him during the sections of the game that are set in Japan. One of these sees Kiryu be reminded of Ryuji Goda - his foil in Yakuza 2 - by a visit to Kamurocho Hills, and say: “He was powerful…more so than anyone I’ve ever faced before.”

Naturally, Yakuza fans on reddit have been quick to start discussing whether this line definitively puts to bed the debate as to whether Goda was tougher than the likes of Yakuza 3’s Yoshitaka Mine and Yakuza 5’s Masato Aizawa, or even allies like Taiga Saejima and Goro Majima that Kiryu’s scrapped with on occasion. Yes, this is something that people have put serious thought into over the years.

Many of those who’ve long backed Goda, whose nickname, The Dragon of Kansai, definitely made him sound like a good candidate to be Kiryu’s top nemesis, have done a bit of a victory lap in the thread. However, as one fan has pointed out, the line’s interesting phrasing might still leave some doubt as to whether Goda holds the all-time crown, or might just be being acknowledged as the strongest foe Kiryu had faced up until the events of Yakuza 2.

So, the debate might not quite be entirely settled quite yet, but it is nice to see Ryuji get his props from Kiryu himself at the very least.

If you’re busy barring your way through the array of tough opponents Infinite Wealth has to offer, make sure to check out our guides to its best jobs and how to unlock them, as well as substories like the one that sees you tasked with delivering a love letter to someone buried neck-deep in sand.