Yakuza & Like a Dragon Series: How Many Chapters in Each Game

The Yakuza and Like a Dragon series are renowned for their rich and diverse content, inviting players to explore a fictional version of Japan through the eyes of main protagonist Kazuma Kiryu and his companions. Each game in this series is not just about the main storyline; players are treated to a vast array of additional content. This includes engaging, sometimes heartwarming and typically hilarious substories and a wide range of minigames that can be either incredibly fun or drive completionists absolutely bonkers.

The series experienced a revival in popularity with the release of Yakuza: Like a Dragon. This game marked a significant shift from the traditional brawler-style combat of its predecessors and introduced players to a new, highly charismatic protagonist named Kasuga Ichiban. The latest installment, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, continues this trend and is likely to attract new players with its extensive and engaging content.

Technically, players new to the series can start with Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth without prior knowledge of the Yakuza and Like a Dragon games and still enjoy it. While Infinite Wealth provides some background on the characters and events from previous games, its main focus is on Ichiban’s adventures with his mix of friends, both old and new. This makes this new direction of the series accessible to newcomers, whether they have played any prior Yakuza games or not.

However, long-time fans of the series often suggest playing the previous titles to get the full experience, and they’re not wrong. While Infinite Wealth centers on Ichiban’s story, it also brings a conclusion to the saga of Kazuma Kiryu, the series’ long-time iconic hero. Therefore, to fully understand the depth and significance of certain events in Infinite Wealth, experiencing the entire backstory leading up to this point is ideal. Playing the earlier Yakuza titles is the best way to fully appreciate the narrative arc that culminates in Infinite Wealth.

How Many Chapters in Every Yakuza and Like a Dragon Game

The prospect of playing through all the previous Yakuza series titles can seem quite overwhelming. Including Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the Yakuza and Like a Dragon universe spans 11 games which have been localized and released in the West, nine of which are part of a continuous story of Kiryu Kazuma and his allies and the other two which are non-canon spin-offs. This number does not include Judgment and Lost Judgment; although they take place in the same universe, they are technically not part of the Yakuza saga.

Yakuza games should be experienced in numerical order, starting with Yakuza 0 and leading up to and including Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Each game is divided into chapters which unlock as players progress in the main story, with some games featuring chapters that focus on separate characters than the game’s primary protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu. Below is a list of how many chapters players will experience in all Yakuza and Like a Dragon games. We have excluded the chapter titles to avoid potential story spoilers for each game.