Near the end of 2024, it was confirmed that professional wrestler Samoa Joe, a former WWE United States Champion and AEW World Champion, would appear in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. This confirmation undoubtedly increased the excitement surrounding the forthcoming title, though Samoa Joe is certainly not the first celebrity to appear in a Yakuza game. Indeed, celebrity appearances are something of a tradition in the Like a Dragon series, and that tradition is set to be upheld by Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.
While readers need not have a comprehensive understanding of the naming conventions that are used for this series, it is important to know that "Like a Dragon" and "Yakuza" are essentially interchangable. Indeed, Like a Dragon games and Yakuza games are part of the same series, despite the fact that their differing names may suggest otherwise.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Side-Stepping One Infinite Wealth Controversy is a Great Sign
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii will be straying from Infinite Wealth's approach to one feature, setting a better precedent moving forward.
Celebrities in the Like a Dragon Series
There are several ways by which celebrities have appeared in Like a Dragon games over the years. To start, there are celebrities that play characters with roles in the games' stories. Celebrities who fall into this category include actor Danny Trejo, who appeared as Dwight Mendez in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and legendary filmmaker "Beat" Takeshi Kitano, who portrayed Toru Hirose in Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, and it seems that Samoa Joe will be the next to join their ranks.
There are also celebrities that appear in Like a Dragon games as themselves or caricaturized versions of themselves. In this category, players will find the celebrity chef Tatsuya Kawagoe, who is in Yakuza 5, and professional wrestler Saki Aki, who works at Club Shine in Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. Yakuza 6 also features a group called the Six Lunatics, and all of its members are portrayed by New Japan Pro-Wrestling stars, including Kazuchika Okada, Tetsuya Naito, and Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Several of the members of the Six Lunatics also appear in Yakuza Kiwami 2. Those characters are joined by other professional wrestlers in that title, including Keiji Mutoh, Masahiro Chono, and Riki Choshu. Additionally, Kenny Omega, a pro wrestler with no shortage of titles, appeared in Like a Dragon: Ishin!, further concretizing the relationship between wrestling and Yakuza games.
Samoa Joe in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
With the Like a Dragon series' history of celebrity appearances, and special affinity for wrestlers, it is not particularly surprising to see Samoa Joe in Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. While fans do not yet know everything about the character that Samoa Joe is playing, some details have been confirmed:
- He is Pirate King Raymond Law.
- He spends time in Madlantis, a location in Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii where pirates congregate
It remains to be seen if Pirate King Raymond Law is ultimately a friend or foe, though some wrestling fans will simply be pleased by Samoa Joe's presence, regardless of his alignment. In fact, some players may even opt to play Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii with English dialogue, when they would have otherwise selected Japanese, just to hear the pro wrestler's voice acting.
The Future of Cameos in the Like a Dragon Series
While Samoa Joe's appearance in Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii continues the tradition of celebrity cameos in Yakuza games, it does not seem that it will mark the end of that tradition. Indeed, a rumor that was circulating near the end of 2024 suggests that developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has its eyes on some big-name celebrities for future Like a Dragon titles. Among those celebrities are Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Keanu Reeves, and Seth Rogen, actors who would undoubtedly bring a lot of attention to any game in which they appeared.
However, before any future celebrity cameos are confirmed, the developer will need to reveal its next Like a Dragon game. Presumably, that game will be a mainline entry, not a spin-off like Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, and perhaps it will be announced during RGG Summit 2025. That event is not expected to occur until Fall, though, which means that it may be a while before fans receive official word about any celebrities that might appear in the series' next title.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 84%
- Released
- February 21, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
