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 inLike 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 aYakuzagame. Indeed, celebrity appearances are something of a tradition in theLike a Dragonseries, and that tradition is set to be upheld byPirate 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 Dragongames andYakuzagames are part of the same series, despite the fact that their differing names may suggest otherwise.
Celebrities in the Like a Dragon Series
There are several ways by whichcelebrities have appeared inLike a Dragongamesover 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 inLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and legendary filmmaker “Beat” Takeshi Kitano, who portrayed Toru Hirose inYakuza 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 inLike a Dragongames as themselves or caricaturized versions of themselves. In this category, players will find the celebrity chef Tatsuya Kawagoe, who is inYakuza 5, and professional wrestler Saki Aki, who works at Club Shine inYakuza 6: The Song of Life.Yakuza 6also 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 inYakuza 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 inLike a Dragon: Ishin!, further concretizing the relationship betweenwrestling andYakuzagames.
Samoa Joe in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
With theLike a Dragonseries' history of celebrity appearances, and special affinity for wrestlers, it is not particularly surprising to seeSamoa Joe inPirate Yakuza in Hawaii. While fans do not yet know everything about the character that Samoa Joe is playing, some details have been confirmed:
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 playPirate Yakuza in Hawaiiwith 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 inPirate Yakuza in Hawaiicontinues the tradition of celebrity cameos inYakuzagames, 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-namecelebrities for futureLike a Dragontitles. 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 nextLike a Dragongame. Presumably, that game will be a mainline entry, not a spin-off likePirate Yakuza in Hawaii, and perhaps it will be announced duringRGG 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.
