The Mad Dog of Shimano

Yakuza Kiwami, an action-adventure role-playing game, allows players to

experience Japan through the eyes of a Yakuza. Yakuza are set up similarly to the

Italian-American Mafia, in the sense that there are large clans that have multiple

smaller families that partake in an animalistic fight to the top. The game’s storyline

focuses on two rival clans, the Tojo Clan and the Omi Alliance. Throughout the series,

both clans fight for power over Japan’s bustling Kamurocho with intentions of hitting it

big.

Caught in the middle of these disputes is one of the game’s main characters,

Goro Majima, the series’s most influential character. Throughout the games’ seven main

releases and multiple remakes, he showcases his extremely dynamic character and

ever-changing personality traits that have helped shape the franchise into what it is

today.

In 2018, SEGA conducted an official vote to determine the popularity ranking of

some of the game’s most recognizable characters, Goro Majima ranked number one

with a five thousand vote gap between him and the games main character, Kazuma

Kiryu. Toshihiro Nagoshi, the creator of the franchise, has spoken on the subject

vaguely and suggests that his popularity stems from how dynamic and unexplained the

character is. In many works, there tends to be a sense of attraction when it comes to

characters with especially hard backgrounds or unexplainable personalities Majima

happens to fit into both of these characteristics as well as putting a realistic twist on the
game’s events. It can be easy to look at Majima and assume that because he doesn’t

have a well-explained background he couldn’t possibly be a complex character, the

reality is quite the contrary, his unexplained background allows him to be mysterious

enough so that when paired with his unexplainable personality, it forms an extremely

dynamic character. Majima is forced to overcome various hardships throughout the

game and as a result, he’s adapted multiple times.

Although always adapting, Majima’s never grows out of his most prevalent trait,

being extremely protective of his history. He may live as if he’s ready to die but he could

never truly bring himself to confront any part of his past which is why, naturally, it’s

rarely discussed in the game. He would rather live his life with the world on his

shoulders whilst still providing 24/7 life support to the Tojo Clan than confide in

someone about even a small part of past or even his current hardships. The closest

Majima has ever gotten to confiding in someone only comes about after he forces them

to fight him and even then he manages to deflect the question at hand and turn it

around on the other party. A prime example of this is when Saejima asks him what

happened before the Ueno hit that disabled him from showing up; Majima forces

Saejima to fight and even after he loses he never goes into detail on how terribly he was

treated in the hole and rather uses the opportunity to claim that he’s getting old and

urges Saejima to continue maintaining his health while he can. Throughout the game,

Majima showcases an intense amount of loyalty to those he respects as well as those

he doesn’t. This sense of loyalty seems to stem from his perception of what makes a

true Yakuza and his quest to become a worthy Yakuza in his own eyes. Near the end of
Yakuza 0, during a conversation with Awano, Majima talks about how Sagawa, Lee,

and Nishitani taught him to be the unpredictable Mad Dog we know today. Not only did

these three characters play a key role in his reentering of the Yakuza, but they all also

seem to carry themselves with the same morals. They’re all more than prepared to die

as long as it serves a purpose related to someone or something they’re loyal to, they

fully invest themselves in their jobs and protecting other individuals rather than

themselves. When Awano claims that Majima is a “balls-first idiot” Majima explains that

he wasn’t like this all along and that he gained his careless outlook on life from the three

he had previously alluded to, “I ain’t exactly been the oblivious fool myself. But lately… I

seen a few guys who lived like idiots… and they died like idiots. But that batshit crazy

lifestyle… I’d say it made ‘em some of the finest bastards I’ve ever known.” Even in the

closing scene with Sagawa, a man who tortured Majima relentlessly during his time

imprisoned in Sotenbori, Majima thanks him for being somewhat of a mentor to him,

“You never gave up when shit hit the fan. You’re tenacity incarnate, man. Watchin’ you,

I figured out how important hangin’ on really is. So I’ll be tenacious too. Goro Majima is

gonna live his own way.” The scene ends with a defining line that will shape the rest of

the series forever, “Right, wrong… Nobody’s got a clue what the difference is in this

town. So I’m gonna have more fun and live crazier than any of ‘em.”

The transition Majima undergoes within the last few chapters is rather

controversial amongst fans and many argue that it was too forced. One fan argued that

the transition, although forced, was natural in its’ own way because of how seamlessly it

fits in with his personality. As I mentioned previously, adopting personas is something

that he’s well known for doing as well as something he can effortlessly do at his own

will. Although being ballsy and careless isn’t a part of his natural persona, it makes

sense that he could change his personality, way of living, and even his appearance so

easily because of his history with changing himself to fit in more. The fan also mentions

how Majima carries himself as an actor that’s never off stage which ties back to a scene

in one of the substories, Everyone’s Idol Goro, where, in response to Kiryu being

concerned of the injuries he may have acquired during their fight, Majima claims that “ A

true performer can never show their pain or even their real damn self to the audience.”

This ties back to the idea of him carrying himself as an actor 24/7 because as an actor,

a performer, he must stand by his morals of never allowing the audience, other Yakuza,

to see his true pain. Other fans seem to overlook that by disregarding all of the losses

he endured in Yakuza 0 and saying that the transition was from Lord of the Night

Majima, when he managed Sotenbori’s best club, to Majima Everywhere, where he

picked fights with Kiryu for no specific reason throughout the game.

Between Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami, Majima becomes the head of his own

family where he stands by his strict beliefs on punishment and lack of reasoning in the

world. When Kiryu is judgmental towards Majima’s method of controlling his

subordinates, he seriously replies “You think the world gives two shits if there’s a point

or not? Keep that up, and it’ll break you.” before quickly switching back to his carefree

persona. Although he doesn’t play a large role in the game, this is one of his most

impactful lines since it ties back to his own experiences of struggling with distinguishing

right from wrong and suffering from it as well as his sense of personal responsibility.
Being in the Yakuza for so long, Majima has a firm understanding on what does and

doesn’t work when running a family; in Yakuza 0 when Shimano blatantly expresses

how little Majima means to the family and how replaceable he is, it is also shown by

how distant he is with managing his own family.

Majima is a tactic person yet doesn’t often show it much, often opting to only

show off his careless facade. A prime example of this was at the beginning of Yakuza 0,

while still managing the Grand, he uses a problematic customer to boost the night’s

sales tremendously, rather than sending the man to the police he compromises and

says that the man can cover every one of the customer’s bills for the night. Another

great example was inYakuza Kiwami, after inheriting Purgatory from the Florist, Majima

is able to decipher all of Tereda’s plans of splitting the Tojo Clan and handing off the

territory to the Omi Alliance single-handedly. Even in Yakuza 2, he manages to start up

his own construction company in order to build Kamurocho’s next big neighborhood, this

company also shows up in future games. His tactfulness can be tied back to the sense

of self-responsibility he has as well as his will to survive, especially in the Yakuza

career. Looking back on his final conversation with Sagawa, it’s clear that he’s kept his

word on persisting through tough times throughout the game and likely plans to until his

final moments.

As the game progresses, Majima gets increasingly more trusting, especially with

Kiryu. Although they’re nearly always fighting, their relationship is equally beneficial for

both parties. One of the biggest indications of this is when Majima gets offended that

Kiryu is leaving him and Kamurocho to work at Sunflower Orphanage in Okinawa,

although he has nothing against the orphanage it makes sense that he would be mad

about his friend leaving so quickly without warning. In addition to the fights, their

relationship is the sole reason Majima continuously rejoins the Tojo Clan in order to

save them, time after time. Each time, it was Kiryu who requested Majima’s help

claiming that he was the only one capable of the job and in many cases, he was the

only one capable.

Between Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami, Majima was able to rise through the

ranks and become the head of the Tojo Clan’s largest and most powerful family. Just

like him, the members of the Majima Family were extremely loyal and when Majima left

as did they which is why Majima siding with the Tojo Clan was crucial to preserve the

clan amidst all of the corrupt family heads. His tactfulness and strict morals allowed him

to be personable enough for people to trust but not overly gullible so that people walk

over him, this made him the best family head the Tojo Clan had and will ever see. He

could quite honestly make a great Patriarch but because of his hatred of being tied

down to responsibilities, that isn’t possible.

In closing, Majima truly is the most influential character in the Yakuza series.

He’s the sole reason the Tojo Clan hasn’t gone completely under and is a glimpse of

hope when it comes to powerful leaders within the Yakuza. His weathered heart, as well

as his straight forward views of reality, make him one of the most tactic, realistic, and

caring characters in the game making him the games most physically and mentally

powerful. His character has intrigued thousands of people and has not only helped
promote the franchise to become as big as it is today but has also become a pillar in the

franchise itself.

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