Before its release back in 2018, nothing suggested that Judgment could become one of the best Yakuza-related games in recent years. However, the backstory of Takayuki Yagami and the wide-reaching conspiracy revolving around AD-9, the mysterious Alzheimer's medicine, has proven to be one of the most engaging narrative-driven experiences in recent years.
A lot of Judgment's greatness is conveyed through the protagonist himself. Yagami is an incredibly likable character, with an unusually strong moral spine, a quality that oftentimes gets him in trouble. Many games turn similar characters into boring cliches. Thankfully, Ryu Ga Gotoku's writers have done a great job conveying his colorful personality with memorable dialogue.
10 "You're Still Going To Sue? You Won't Know What Hit You"
The very first mission players are tasked with in Judgment is chasing after a reckless private investigator, who is knee-deep in debt that he accrued because of his gambling addiction. Yagami was hired by his creditors to collect their dues. However, once he catches up to him, a fistfight breaks out.
Upon defeating the corrupt detective, he threatens Yagami with a lawsuit. His response is a testament to his unrelenting confidence and the perfect introduction to the game's protagonist.
9 "A Neon City, But The Brighter The Lights, The Darker The Shadows"
This sentence encapsulates a lot of what Kamurocho, Tokyo's fictional red-light district, is all about. Full of bars, brothels, and other shiny entertainment establishments, it seems like heaven for someone who's looking for a good time.
However, the longer one spends in Kamurocho, the more evident it becomes that nearly every business, even the seemingly innocent ones, like arcade parlors, is run by the mob. The shinier and more profitable they are, the more dependent they are on the Yakuza's protection and their dirty money.
8 "My Search For The Truth Doesn't Stop Until I Say It Does"
All throughout Judgment's tumultuous story, various characters advise Yagami to abandon his investigation into the AD-9 and the Kyorei Clan murders. Some of these pieces of advice are veiled threats, whereas others arise out of genuine concern for Yagami's well-being.
Regardless of whether he is addressing friends or foes, Yagami's response to that advice is always the same. He will not abandon his search for the truth unless it is him who decides that it needs to be stopped. His actions will not be influenced by anyone else other than his own free will.
7 "What A Waste"
While it's not really one of the most insightful or profound quotes from Yagami in the entire game, it is one that players are bound to hear very frequently in the game. Too frequently, according to some individuals. After nearly every single successful combat sequence, Yagami utters "what a waste" while standing above his beaten enemies.
It can get pretty annoying, especially in the later parts of Judgment, where combat encounters can occur as frequently as every 5-10 minutes. Yagami has some other things to shout out after each fight, too, but for every "really, guys?" he says, there are about five "what a waste" moments just around the corner.
6 "You Do You. I'm Gonna Do The Right Thing"
Close to the end of chapter 4, Yagami and Shintani have a heated exchange regarding Yagami's continued pursuit of the Mole and his investigation into the Kyorei Clan killings. Shintani advises his ex-colleague to drop the case, saying that it reaches deeper than Yagami can even imagine.
Judgment's protagonist responds, in a true Takayuki Yagami manner, that he is not interested in anything other than uncovering the truth, not even his own safety. Not long after this conversation, Shintani is brutally killed by the Mole, making this Yagami quote even more heavy-hitting.
5 "If You Want Me To Shut Up, You're Going To Have To Kill Me"
In the final chapters of the game, Yagami struggles with finding enough evidence to prove the involvement of the Health Ministry in the Kyorei Clan murders as part of the human experimentation for the AD-9 drug. Given the high profile of the case, he quickly gets some pretty prominent figures addressing him to halt the investigation.
At one point, it becomes evident that Chief Prosecutor Morita is also involved in the conspiracy. When they clash in Doctor Shono's secret laboratory, Yagami tells him that the only way for the prosecution to bury the case is over his dead body. In light of the sheer amount of money and high-profile individuals that are mixed up in the AD-9 business, this quote only reinforces what players already knew very well: nothing, not even the most powerful people in Japan can shake Yagami's principles.
4 "Not Bad? You, My Friend, Have Some Incredibly High Standards"
In one of Judgment's main quests, Yagami and Kaito are desperately trying to get inside information from one of Kamurocho's host clubs. In order to do that, they enlist the help of Saori from the Genda Law Office, to get employed as a hostess and befriend the woman who has some intel on the Toru Hashiki killing.
However, before they decide on Saori, Yagami shows Mafuyu's picture to the host club owner, thinking that she is more likely to be accepted than Saori, to which the man simply replies "not bad". Yagami's response to that illustrates just how enamored he still is by his ex-girlfriend, one of the most promising prosecutors in Tokyo.
3 "You Pushed Countless People Down On Your Way To The Top. Now It's Your Turn To Fall"
The finale of Judgment plays out in the courtroom, with Yagami defending the corrupt policeman Ayabe, who was being framed for murdering Shintani. During that trial, the Vice Minister of Health, Ichinose is called to the stand as a witness. Yagami's cross-examination of Ichinose results in revealing the minister's involvement in the AD-9 murders.
After the truth is revealed, Yagami hits the final nail in Ichinose's coffin by making him realize that advancing one's career by deception and murder will ultimately result in that person's downfall.
2 "When Someone Thinks They're In The Right, That's When The Real Cruelty Starts To Come Out"
Doctor Shono, the scientist spearheading the development of AD-9, is a tragic character. Motivated by his difficult past, his desperate mission to find a cure for Alzheimer's prevented him from objectively looking at his drug's shortcomings.
Since he believed he was doing the right thing by developing a drug that could potentially save millions of lives, he did not hesitate to murder people to get the results he wanted. Ultimately, it was his delusion that led to his demise, as he injected himself with his own, toxic creation and dying on the spot.
1 "I'm Gonna Find Out The Truth. Even If It's The Last Thing I Do"
Much of the most memorable quotes from Takayuki Yagami are related to his relationship with the truth. All throughout Judgment, he is adamant about uncovering it, not only out of his conviction that it is the right thing to do but also as a way to find redemption for his supposed mistake in letting Shinpei Okubo free, which led to Emi Tarasawa's death.
This is why his disdain for deception and devotion to protecting innocence is so apparent in the game's main story. In fact, it is so strong that he is willing to sacrifice his own life if it is the only way to break through the lies.