Yakuza’s Kiryu is pitted against God of War’s Kratos in a Twitter debate

Just who would win in a fight between God of War’s Kratos and Yakuza’s Kazuma Kiryu? This frivolous question has invited debate between users on social media.

Kratos, also known as the “Ghost of Sparta,” is the protagonist of the God of War series. He is a true “god of war” and massacres humans, monsters, and gods alike. On the other hand, we have Kazuma Kiryu, a legendary Yakuza and one of the protagonists in the Yakuza series. Kiryu, too, boasts strength that seemingly surpasses any regular human.

The debate over which of the two characters would emerge victorious in a fight was brought about by the tweet shown below, which was posted on January 4. The user behind the tweet had created a thread called “Kratos vs other video game characters” that pitted Kratos against a variety of others. Out of all the different pairings, Kratos vs. Kiryu received the most overwhelming response and particularly stands out due to the fact that many predict Kiryu would be the victor.

Of the frequently mentioned reasons that Kiryu would win is the wide variety of combat techniques that he possesses. For example, many users claimed that the fight would be over as soon as Kiryu picked up a bicycle. During battles in the Yakuza series, players are able to pick up any items that are lying by the roadside and use them to hit their opponents. Bicycles are especially well regarded for their outstanding range and power. The bikes in Yakuza are weapons that could likely rival Kratos’ Blades of Chaos.

Additionally, you can instantly recover health in Yakuza games by opening up the pause menu and selecting healing items. You can even equip loads of items that fully heal you. Funnily enough, this concept of instantaneous healing was even used in the live-action Yakuza film. When you think about it, it’s pretty clear that Kiryu has the edge when it comes to healing ability.

Of course, there are also users that believe Kratos would win the fight, arguing that Kiryu wouldn’t stand a chance against someone whose fighting strength far exceeds that of any mere human. Even though Kiryu’s strength goes beyond a normal person, it is still doubtful as to whether he could withstand the brunt of a head-on attack from Kratos.

However, backers of Kiryu then countered that argument by insisting that the difference between a god and a man would be turned on its head if Kiryu used Tiger Drop. Tiger Drop is a beloved counter move from the Yakuza series. In most of the games, the move grants the user a period of invincibility against enemy attacks while also delivering a powerful blow.

If Kiryu were to continually use Tiger Drop and its ability to nullify attacks, then it would surely be possible for him to defeat Kratos. Although the real question is whether Tiger Drop could actually negate an attack from someone with as much power as Kratos.

All that said, Kiryu is himself a monster who, even if shot multiple times with a shotgun or a grenade explodes at his feet, can shrug off the damage by downing an energy drink. That doesn’t just apply to battle either—during the events of the story, Kiryu has lived through being shot and getting caught in massive explosions. Considering the almost superhero-like aspects of the character, those who are vouching for Kiryu’s victory are probably half joking and half serious.

One obstacle that lies in the way of a potential bout is the fact that Kratos is adventuring through an alternate world based on Norse mythology while Kiryu lives in Japan. Although it may be possible for their respective games to crossover in some way in the future, the chance of the two actually meeting each other appears quite low. Both characters also have a great deal of respect for those who are strong, so even if they were to meet, they might actually develop a surprisingly amicable relationship.

Written by. Marco Farinaccia based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2023-01-10 18:36 JST)