One thing you can notice is that among the three lieutants, kiryu despises the other two but eventually pays his respect to kuze and calls him sir even after all the shit they went through, which adds another set of depth to this fight.

I love how simple this fight is. No fancy settting, no squad of Yakuza in the background cheering him on, just two guys in an empty street. Edit: And it's also down the street from where he got beat up in front of everyone in his 3rd fight.

One of my favorite parts of the game is how they first presented Kuze as this one dimensional asshole whose sole characteristic was being an obstacle in kiryu’s path, then showed he was probably the most honorable out of the three lieutenants.

Kuze's line about stepping into the deepest darkest pit of the Yakuza world was all too true. For the next nearly 30 or so years he was in a pit of carnage.

I like how unlike awano and shibusawa they show that kiryu clearly respects kuze even if they're enemies and calls him "sir" still

When the music starts playing and realized it's a completely different one, multiple emotions just surges through you. You realize this is really the last time you're going see "Dojima Family Lieutenant, Tojo Clan. Daisaku Kuze" You realize despite running to him so many times, you're going to miss fighting him. You realize that he's really giving it all, and not being a pushover. You realize that Kuze might be an antagonist, but he's not a villain. You realize that, just like Kiryu, Kuze is a proper, and honorable Yakuza, especially compared to Awano and Shibusawa.

Kiryu:you alone? Kuze:yeah Kiryu(wips out golden shotgun)

We need a spinoff featuring Kuze. Seeing him in his prime days and using his boxing style would be the best

5:04 This part gives a clearer definition of manliness than any dictionary can do.

That part where they were trading blows was fucking amazing. I honestly feel like Kuze taught Kyru a lot throughout the game.

6:35 I like Kuze equating Kiryu’s strength to a seal being broken. It’s an apt description coming from someone who fought Kiryu five times in his youth.

Can just take a moment to consider the fact that Kiryu took over Kuzes mentality with the line:"You better hit like you're tryin' to kill me!" throughout the series with :"If you want to die, then come at me!" ?

The fact that Kuze tanked a Tiger Drop during that QTE already tells enough that he should not be underestimated.

I wish there were rain to go with this battle, getting progressively more heavy as the battle went on. It would fit the music so well.

I'm sorry bro. But kuze is the realist yakuza in the series. After playing yak 0. I really couldn't take any of the other yakuza bosses seriously compared to the dojima lieutenants. Maybe ryuji in 2 but that's it.

For a real scale of how tough Kuze is compared to "those idiots downstairs", During the Punch Trade QTE, you can clearly see Kiryu doing the Tiger Drop and Kuze survives

When you think about it, Kazama is Kiryu's father figure for civilian life. Kuze is his Yakuza father.

6:17 it's because he has endless money to eat with his real estate business. What you thought he was gonna eat that chicken he won when he was bowling? Nah man he put that chicken to work so he can get more money to invest in himself in

1:45 Love that little detail referencing Yakuza 5's Kiryu vs. 100 Tojo Clan Members.

5:02 IMO the most impactful part

I gotta say, this fight made me respect Kuze a lot more. Like yeah he's vicious but he soon realizes no matter how many times he fights Kiryu, he just doesn't stand a chance. In the end he commends Kiryu for being so strong, and even after all the shit he and the Dojima Family put him through, Kiryu shows respect back.

Kuze was the first antagonist I hated in Yakuza 0. He's also the only one I liked and respected. XD

HOW MANY TIMES DO WE HAVE TO TEACH YOU THIS LESSON OLD MAN?

I really liked Kuze tbh. He was honestly the best antagonistic force in Yakuza Zero imo, none of the others even the final bosses made me like them the way Kuze did. He had this wonderful setup of being just an asshole with minimal character but as the game went on and built up to this point he showed character, and he was very honorable to the point that even Kiryu still called him "sir" despite his actions throughout. It's just DAMN, he was great

Yakuze 0 , Kuze ga gotoku 0

I've made it a policy to only use Kiryu's Brawler style in this fight. I do the same with Majima's Thug style in his penultimate boss.

I was really tearing the whole fight, Kuze was indeed an asshole like both, but he had something different: he was always himself, he never got corrupted like Shibusawa or became too lustful like Awano, he remained himself every time i fought him, he never bowed back and in the end, he didn't seem to fight Kiryu because pure revenge and pride, he knew a new generation of Yakuzas was going to be doomed if there was nobody who punched his way to protect his family, and he found it in Kiryu and wven more. What a man. A *REAL YAKUZA.*

Kuze ate a tiger drop and came back with a left hook this mans a legend

I will forever love the relationship between Kiryu and Kuze throughout 0. What starts off as a simple antagonistic scuffle with Kuze forcing authority on Kiryu blows up into a battle of ideologues and what it means to be a man. Both are made stronger from their numerous fights and both retain respect for the other after it's all said and done. Kuze may still have blood on his hands and is certain no saint but god damn if he is not one of the most fleshed out and likable antagonists this series has ever had. Fuck I love this game!

I just realized Kuze just *tanks* a tiger drop in that qte. Damn...

Kuze doesn't give up I like his determination

5:10 never noticed how Kuze actually rocked Kiryu. Pretty impressive

Kiryu is Kuze's masterpiece. I think deep down he resents and respects Kiryu because Kiryu is something he always wanted to be in his youth but could not. Straight up Yakuza

That "Oath of Enma," son. Listened to an extended track of it for days after I heard it in this game. xD

These battles feel so much more visceral than ones in Kiwami.

I just realize something, during the QTE just before Kuze charges at Kiryu, you could see Kiryu fighting stance looking like the Dragon of Dojima stance. So that tells me Kiryu has finally awakened himself and perfecting his brawler style to become the legendary fighting style he uses throughout the game of Y1 to Y5. Which is where you should be able to get the 4th style before this face off after dealing with the real estate mini game.

5:12 Kuze literally got tiger dropped and tanked it while also punching him back like it was nothing, holy shit

you can see Kuze gradually gaining respect for Kiryu over the course of the game and that’s why he’s definitely my favourite villain of the game

5:04 the best qte in any video game ever. It literally is the embodiment of everything kiryu is.

Dude I finally got the game this afternoon after school, man this game is fun! I already beat the Dojima family and Kuze once and made it Majima's chapter. The gameplay is just too much fun and I think I'm going to enjoy playing Majima a little more than Kiryu.

I love how even when he's losing, it still looks like Kuze is three inches from putting him in a hospital

1:42 FORESHADOWING!!!!

Going into this fight I had no health items at all, and I started with half health or so. And yet, I felt an obligation not to use a weapon. I had about 10 slime guns in my inventory, but I stuck to my fists. It’s weird how Yakuza 0 made me respect a villain so goddamn much that I refused to use a weapon against him.

I just realized Kiryu began to take his trademark "Come like you're trying to kill me!" after Kuze said it here. A respect for his involuntary "aniki".

In a way I guess Kuze prepped Kiryu for what was to come in the later Yakuza series by constantly picking fights with him lol

I'll give this much to Kuze, he was freakin persistent. Often I would end a fight with him and say "dude, just take the L" but then he comes back like five minutes later

4:48-5:23 It fits perfectly. :D

Someone else pointed out when Kiryu picks his Yakuza clothes that define "his" style, they're identical to Kuze except the color of the undershirt.

5:16 Kuze: "I've made a big mistake..."

I wish Kuze were the final boss of Kiryu's story. The way you kept beating him, yet he kept coming back for more even stronger than before reminds me of a Shonen anime protagonist. This stubborn attitude made him my favorite antagonist from this game, which is an impressive feat since I hated him so much at first.

The way the music syncs during the QTE is just beautiful, a perfect send off to one of the best yakuza fights

No Health Items, Rush Only. Doing this fight under those parameters was exhilarating. Anyone who hasn't done this fight under those parameters should.

Unspoken rule: Under any circumstance, you never heal in this fight, even if you die.

One of the best fights in the game, up there with Kuze 2, Lao Gui, and Shibusawa. Honestly, Kuze and Lao Gui shouldn't have had less health than the Media King and Tsukiyama since their boss fights were just plain better than those two. If anything, they should have had the third highest amount of health bars in the game, with only Shibusawa (5) and So/Jo Amon (12) having more since the former is the final boss and the latter are the fucking Amon Clan fights.

What an incredible antagonist. One of the best developed characters in the game for sure.

Kiryu: Just you is it? Kuze: Yeah...just me. *American Venom intensifies*

This BGM is my favorite in Yakuza 0 so far, it gives more emotion and last boss vibe for some reason. Even more with that one and only QTE that shows how much these two characters grow to that point and unleashed the beast inside Kiryu. The afterword also makes Kuze looks like Kiryu's last wall saying "If you can't beat me, you're not worthy to proceed"

5:03 the most badass trade of blows I’ve ever seen

"Don't underestimate me. Bring everything you've got!"

I respect that shit out of kuze and would love to see him return in another yakuza title

It’s interesting that Kuze says “殺す気でかかってこいや” literal translation “Come at me *like* you’re going to kill me” not “come and kill me”. He knows Kiryuu well enough by now. Just thought that was a neat little thing

Someone pointed out in another video that in the final QTE of this fight in the middle of it Kiryu does what's essentially his first tiger drop. It's so hype

5:02 - 5:22 ... inadvertent musical synchronization!

dude the music sync at 4:35 tho

Kuze is a fucking G. This nigga just didn't give up and wanted to save his pride more than anything. And the end of the fight made me tear a little bit when Kiryu addressed him as sir and Kuze demanding he go finish the job. After all that beef, there was respect and admiration for each other.

5:51 I wish Kiryu kept that move in later Yakuza games.

favorite boss in the game... best fighting theme...

Two men beating the shit out of each other in the streets of Kamurocho fighting for what they stand for, if that ain't the most Yakuza thing ever I don't know what is...

5:03 is the best part

Yakuza is regarded as one of THE best video game series to ever exist but man no one talks about their soundtracks. What a gem!!

If Kiryu turned into a villain, and was in his fifties, that's what Kuze pretty much is.

My mom: Clean your room. Me: Clean it yourself. My mom: 5:33

It's really cool. At the very beginning of the game I hated Kuze and Loved Shibusawa, but then as time went on I realized that Shibusawa was nothing but a pathetic rat. Kuze is the perfect opponent for Kiryu, because both him and Kiryu have extreme willpower. They both fight until the very end. Kiryu beats Kuze but from then on you can see that Kuze has learned to respect Kiryu, and Kiryu respects Kuze. He even calls Kuze "sir" at the end. Loved the character.

Kiryu: "I'd rather fight a hundred Tojo punks than go one-on-one with you.." 24 Years later: Fight a hundred Tojo punks

Kuze cannonically straight up ate Tiger Drop and managed to deliver a punch after that. You could say it's imperfect Tiger Drop since Kiryu learned the move 20 years later, but it's still a Tiger Drop

If you think about it. The 3 Lieutenants were all of the personality traits that Kiryu had throughout the entire franchise. They pretty much showed us how the Dragon of Dojima was made, and why no one (with the exception of 18 Count Saejima ) can beat him down.

4:49 that music sync

Kuze might be in the top 10 strongest Yakuza characters since he can resist Kiryu's punches fairly well.

A great conclusion to a great antagonist. Kuze was alpha af, big respect to him. He outshines every other boss in yakuza zero.

Damn that Kuze everywhere system were so good

All 3 lieutenant villains are so despising (Especially Awano, imo), which is brilliant for the game. But Kuze... He starts as the first big guy who you just want to smash his head in, but eventually I find that he is actually the coolest and most transparent of the 3. After this fight and its own OST, it just had me respect the man's character regardless.

This is still one of my favorite encounters in all of the Yakuza series. Just a straight out brawl in the middle of Tenkaichi Street. The music is also my favorite track from Yakuza 0.

"I'd rather fight a hundred Tojo punks than go one-on-one with you right now." Woooo, boy, that's gonna turn against him some decades ahead.

5:02 anyone else notice Kiryu do the komaki tiger drop during the qte sequence (or at least something similar to the tiger drop)

I feel like if things went differently, they could have definitely been friends.

Funny how at the start Kiryu hated him the most out of the 3 lieutenants but by the end is the one he respects most.

Kuze no Aniki. You wont hear Kiryu calling anybody aniki after this.

I just love how Kuze is immediately in heat mode, going all out. He doesn’t have a second stage just an honorable fist fight

Absolutely epic battle & soundtrack

5:12 If you look closely Kiryu did a tiger drop(He didn't learn that move yet) but Kuze just eat it.

cmon now, this last fight with kuze is too lit. plus with the badass music too.

The music fits very well with this fight

"Don't underestimate me." *does the bruce lee nose flick* aw hell yeah shit is about to go down

Oath of Enma, reminds me of my feelings when I heard Lyricism Without Tears...

Well it's late I know, but I just went and search for "aniki" since everyone was talking about it, and despite in the game, "aniki" means "sir", it goes way beyond that, as you can state "aniki" in the Yakuza (even irl) as a captain from your family, or you can even say that "aniki" means also "older brother". It's funny how Kiryu does show this much of respect through the entire game to Kuze, and along with me, he also got my respect. May not be the best boss, but surely is someone who wants to surpass Kiryu and doesn't give up until the 5th fight. And also you can see him changing and getting "soft" like Shibusawa said, when he didn't let Tachibana get tortured and even helping Kiryu in the end. You could see that he isn't that much of a scumbag. Just a guy with a pride and trying to protect it, in the most respectful way possible. I'd love to see this guy again someday, even if it's just an Easter Egg. It's also worth mentioning (by what y'all are sayin') that in the 3rd fight, he did get recognition for Kiryu's strength and determination. He may have used his dirty tricks, and the bike one was the dirtiest of them all, but the last two fights you could see they were fair, mainly the last one, since he wanted to solve this once and for all. Somehow reminds me of Goku and Vegeta's rivalry.

I like how in this QTE, Kiryu does an early version of the tiger drop. It has the form but he does it too early, striking Kuze before he actually goes for an attack which takes away alot of the power as Kuze is prepared for the punch

that trading sequence is BIG FYEEE

I like the implications of this fight. Kuze hasn’t been getting weaker. You’ve just been getting stronger. Stronger enough to at least put up a good fight against Kuze

I only went to go get the legendary style early on for 2 reasons to kick ass and when fighting kuze only using the legendary style he deserves that much from me

Christ that was beautiful