Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is an exciting prospect for many fans, if first and foremost for the return of Kazuma Kiryu to the fore. Players will be able to step into the Dragon of Dojima's shoes once more, as he assumes the moniker of Joryu and serves as someone's bodyguard for reasons as yet unknown. This recent news has fans excited, especially since the title releases this November, and one reason seems to propel at least a portion of the fanbase: to discover why Kiryu's hair is gray in Like a Dragon 8.
There's an obvious answer to that, with it being his age. Kiryu is no spring chicken, born in 1968 with Like a Dragon 7 taking place in 2019. In other words, his last minor appearance in the franchise saw him at the age of 51, and Kiryu was still able to stomp Ichiban. It's uncertain what year Like a Dragon 8 takes place, as it could feature a time skip that explains away the sudden gray hair of Kiryu. Like a Dragon Gaiden is set to answer many questions about the franchise's future, but not why Kiryu goes gray (and looks all the more distinguished for it), not how he returns in LAD8, and what the future holds for him.
Like a Dragon Gaiden Takes Place in 2018
At least to some degree, Like a Dragon Gaiden is confirmed to take place in 2018, after Yakuza 6: The Song of Life and before Yakuza: Like a Dragon. This roughly puts it two years after the events of the sixth game and one year before Yakuza: Like a Dragon. As such, it's likely to explain how Kiryu was found and able to assist in the deconstruction of the Tojo Clan and Omi Alliance. However, at that time, he was still very much protective of his identity. As many know, Kiryu "erased his name" and effectively his reputation as the Dragon of Dojima to protect Haruka and her son. He wouldn't and doesn't take this lightly, given his profound love as her adoptive father.
Obviously, something gives somewhere though. Like a Dragon 8 is confirmed to feature Kiryu and Ichiban as protagonists, meaning something thrusts him back into the public eye--to some degree. He could still be super secretive, he could still have the moniker Joryu, or something could have brought his prior agreement to an end. What's clear though is those questions will be answered in Like a Dragon 8 and not Like a Dragon Gaiden.
Still, before taking Kiryu for a spin in turn-based gameplay, it'll be great to fill in the years between his faked death and his sudden reappearance in the Yakuza lifestyle with the franchise's classic gameplay. Like a Dragon Gaiden will play a big role in developing his time as an "agent" and someone who erased his name, fitting in the blank years before Yakuza: Like A Dragon. But for Kiryu's future and what that means for the franchise, fans will have to wait for Like a Dragon 8.
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name is set to release November 9th for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.