Introduction to the Early Story and Main Characters of Like a Dragon: Ishin!

SEGA is excited to introduce brand new information from Like a Dragon:  Ishin!, which is releasing on 2/22/2023 (Wed) on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X|S,  Xbox One, Windows, and Steam. This introduction will cover Tosa and Kyo, the setting for the game,  and the key characters of this turbulent Bakumatsu era tale, such as Sakamoto Ryoma. 

The Beginning 

Despite being a goshi, a low-ranking samurai, Sakamoto Ryoma‘s skill with the blade earns him  special permission to hone his swordsmanship in Edo. 

After a year of training, Ryoma returns to his hometown of Tosa. 

Upon returning, however, he sees another side of Tosa: an oppressive class system that hasn’t  changed since he was born. 

Having learned about the outside world while living in Edo, Ryoma decides to confront this  oppression with his own hands. 

But his resistance is in vain, and he is imprisoned for his actions.

At that time, a man appears: 

Magistrate Yoshida Toyo, the most important person in Tosa. 

Toyo secretly supports the children who have lost their parents or siblings due to the class system,  raising them as if they were his own. 

Ryoma was one of those children. 

Through Toyo‘s intervention, Ryoma is released from prison. 

Ryoma heads towards Kochi Castle with his “brother” Takechi, whom he grew up with, to discuss  future plans with Toyo. 

However, a masked man appears during the meeting and assassinates Toyo. When the guards  arrive, they mistakenly suspect Ryoma to be the killer. Ryoma manages to shake them off and  chases after the masked man, but the man is able to escape due to his Tennen Rishin sword style. 

Ryoma leaves Tosa in order to pursue the masked man and avenge his mentor. 

He conceals his identity and goes into hiding in the city of Kyo. There, he learns from an informant  that several Tennen Rishin users have gathered in a certain organization: 

The Shinsengumi, a notorious group of killers feared as the Mibu Wolves. 

Ryoma abandons his name and becomes “Saito Hajime”, prepared to risk his life to infiltrate the  organization.

Setting 

Tosa 

A prominent castle town in Japan, home to “Nankaido’s Greatest Castle” – Kochi Castle. While it  may seem simple, the town is full of energy, and people come and go constantly. However, a strict  class system has everyone living in fear of the high-ranking samurai, the Joshi. 

A land where the lines between dark and light are blurred. This setting will have a profound impact  on Ryoma‘s humanity. 

Kyo 

The heart of Japan and home to many important political locations, such as the Imperial Palace. There are many unique districts in the city of Kyo, such as Fushimi, which is filled with commoners  and inns; Rakunai, a bustling area that symbolizes Kyo; Rakugai, a suspicious stretch of land with  little traffic; Gion, a colorful town with many fine dining establishments and red-light districts; and  Mukurogai, a dangerous place that most does not dare to approach. 

It is said that those who conquer Kyo will become the leaders of Japan. Many have gathered at the  city to realize their ambitions.

Main Characters 

Tosa 

 

The “Dragon” of Tosa Searching for His Purpose Tosa Goshi 

Sakamoto Ryoma（Voiced by Takaya Kuroda） 

Ryoma was born as a “goshi”, the lowest class in Tosa. While Takechi Hanpeita and other youngsters in the same  situation as him are working hard to change their circumstances,  Ryoma struggles to find a purpose in life. 

However, his skill with the sword is peerless in Tosa,  and he is even allowed to train in Edo. 

Along with Takechi Hanpeita and Yoshida Toyo,  who sees promise on Ryoma,  he makes preparations to reform the domain.  

However, an incident occurs on the eve of the revolution  that drastically changes Ryoma‘s life. 

Leader of the Revolutionaries and Ryoma’s Sworn Brother

Founder of the Tosa Loyalist Party 【NEW CAST】 Takechi Hanpeita（Voiced by Hideo Nakano） 

Takechi is Ryoma‘s sworn brother who has looked  after him since they were children. 

Yoshida Toyo saw promise in Ryoma and Takechi,  and he supported them as they grew up. 

He stands equal to Ryoma who is considered the strongest in Tosa. 

Many members of the Tosa Loyalist Party joined because they admire Takechi. 

When Ryoma returns from Edo, Takechi invites him to  the Tosa Loyalist Party and entrusts him with the position of  “Party Representative”, second-in-command of the party. 

However, the two go their separate ways after the death of  their foster father, Yoshida Toyo.

Ryoma‘s Foster Parent and The Most Important Person in Tosa 

 

Tosa Clan Magistrate 

Yoshida Toyo（Voiced by Unsho Ishizuka） 

Known as the right hand of Yodo Yamauchi,  the lord of Tosa, Toyo is a central figure in the domain. 

Regarded to be an extremely strict ruler, he is feared by many. 

However, in reality, he is a very compassionate man with a strong sense of justice, and he despises the unjust ruling system more than anyone else. 

For many years, Toyo has secretly provided support to lower-class children who’ve lost their parents and face discrimination. 

All of this was done to gather the human resources needed to invoke change in the domain. 

Among these people were Sakamoto Ryoma and Takechi Hanpeita, his sworn brother. 

On the eve of the revolution, however, Toyo is cut down. 

His death has a drastic impact on the lives of his foster sons, Ryoma, and Takechi.

Shinsengumi 

The Absent Chief Shrouded in Mystery 

 Shinsengumi Chief 【NEW CAST】 

Kondo Isami（Voiced by Akio Otsuka） 

Kondo is the Chief of the Shinsengumi. 

He possesses the uncanny ability to unite  a group of outlaws into a cohesive organization. 

However, he rarely appears at the Shinsengumi Barracks and even some of the captains have  never seen his face. 

The Cruel and Merciless “Deputy Chief from Hell”

Shinsengumi Deputy Chief 

Hijikata Toshizo（Voiced by Nakamura Shido） 

As the second highest-ranking member of  the Shinsengumi, Hijikata manages the affairs of the group in place of the ever-absent Kondo. 

He created laws for the organization and mercilessly  disposes of members who violate them.  

Even Shinsengumi Captains aren’t shown any leniency. In addition to his ruthlessness,  

he rarely shows any emotion,  and members of the organization secretly refer  to him as the “Deputy Chief from Hell”.

The Mibu Wolf who is shrouded in mystery 

Shinsengumi Captain of the Third Division 

Saito Hajime（Voiced by Takaya Kuroda） 

Hajime is a mysterious ronin whose origins and real name is unknown.

Due to his reclusive lifestyle devoted to gambling and drinking, he regularly receives snide remarks from workers at the Teradaya Inn. 

However, his true identity is Sakamoto Ryoma,  who has abandoned his name and infiltrated Kyo to pursue the man who killed Yoshida Toyo. 

After a year long investigation, Ryoma concludes that the perpetrator is connected to the Shinsengumi,  and he steps into the wolves’ den to get closer to the truth. 

Key Characters 

The Unique Commander of Satsuma

Satsuma Military Commander 

Saigo Kichinosuke（Voiced by Masami Iwasaki） 

Saigo is a large man with a honed, muscular physique and golden hair. 

His striking appearance leaves an impression  on everyone he meets. 

While he has a warlike and dynamic personality,  he also has the aptitude to debate with  Bakufu officials and leaders of other domains. Not a single soul knows what Saigo and  the Satsuma domain are aiming to do.

A Mysterious Informant Lurking in the Streets of Kyo

Choshu Samurai 

Niibori Matsusuke（Voiced by Koichi Yamadera） 

Niibori is an aloof and elusive man. 

His name is a pseudonym, and only a few people  know his true identity. 

It seems that he has a shop somewhere in Kyo  that serves as his base of operations, but nobody is certain. 

Teradaya’s Poster Girl 

 

Oryo（Voiced by Manami Sugihira） 

Oryo is a worker at Teradaya, Ryoma‘s regular lodging  and one of Kyo‘s prominent inns. 

A beautiful and elegant woman, she has become a main  draw for the establishment, bringing in many of the regulars. 

Nobody in Kyo knows that Ryoma has infiltrated  the city in pursuit of his foster father’s murderer. To Oryo, he’s just another troublesome guest  who’s always behind on rent. 

After Ryoma joins the Shinsengumi, she begins to show  her true self to him. 

With her hatred for those who take the lives of others,  how will she respond to his choice?

Bakufu 

The Last Shogun, Who Faces a Greatest Challenge

15th Shogun of the Edo Bakufu 

Tokugawa Yoshinobu（Voiced by Satoshi Tokushige） 

During the most difficult period in the 300-year history  of the Tokugawa Bakufu, Yoshinobu takes the helm. Although he is young,  

he is the only one among those in succession  who possesses the wisdom and courage to do  “what needs to be done” for the country… 

Ryoma, who left Tosa and lives in hiding,  

and Yoshinobu, who stands at the top of the country. These two men come from backgrounds that  couldn’t be more different from each other. 

What will happen when their paths cross? 

The Leader of an Up-and-Coming Power 

Mimawarigumi 

Sasaki Tadasaburo（Voiced by Rintarou Nishi） 

The Mimawarigumi is an armed group in Kyo  that acts as a counterpart to the Shinsengumi. In contrast to the Shinsengumi, who welcomes the strong  regardless of their upbringing, the Mimawarigumi is  a prestigious organization that only consists of samurai  directly from the Shogun’s family. 

These two groups carry out the same mission  of maintaining order in Kyo. 

On the surface, they appear to have a cooperative  relationship, but in reality, they are engaging  in a fierce conflict for supremacy. 

Sasaki leads the Mimawarigumi and appears in front  of the Shinsengumi at every turn, standing in their way.

An Ambitious Man Lurking within the Bakufu 

Bakufu Navy Admiral 【NEW CAST】 

Katsu Rintaro（Voiced by Kosuke Toriumi） 

Katsu oversees the Bakufu’s Navy, which becomes the cornerstone of national defense as the threat of overseas powers draws near. 

On the surface, he is an influential figure who supports the Bakufu. However, he has been conducting some unsettling actions recently, such as personally introducing Satsuma Military Commander Saigo Kichinosuke to “Sakamato Ryoma”, a mysterious arms dealer who has connections with Britain. 

Other characters and more details can be found here： 

https://ryu-ga-gotoku.com/Ishin_kiwami/asia_en/cast/ 

*All still frames, and footage has been captured using the PlayStation®5 Version. 

Product Information:

Title	Like a Dragon: Ishin!
Release Date	2/22/2023 (Wed)
Platform	PlayStation®5 / PlayStation®4 / Xbox Series X|S / Xbox One /  Windows / Steam  *Only digital versions of the Standard Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition will  be released on the Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, and Steam.
Website	https://ryu-ga-gotoku.com/Ishin_kiwami/asia_en/
Copyright	ⒸSEGA