Yuki Tsuruno

Yuki Tsuruno is a highly intelligent, loyal, and strategic Omi Alliance captain who acts as a crucial "right-hand man". While initially appearing as a tough, ruthless yakuza, he is a contemplative character who respects honorable individuals like Kiryu and accepts the necessary, often tragic, end of his way of life as a Yakuza, and having to start a new one as a civilian.

Key Personality Traits
Strategic & Intellectual: Unlike pure combat-focused Yakuza, Tsuruno is described as intellectual and tactical, often favoring planning over raw violence.

Deep Loyalty: As the captain of the Omi Alliance’s Watase Family, he shows unwavering commitment to his boss, Masaru Watase.

Contemplative & Moral: Tsuruno represents a "new school" of thought, reflecting on the cruel nature of his work. He acknowledges that the yakuza world doesn't reward good people, showing self-awareness of his own brutality while aiming for a better future.
Humbled Respect: He humbles himself before Kiryu, eventually viewing him with respect and adopting a "softer" or more reasonable attitude toward the end of his arc.

Tough and Ruthless When Needed: Despite his thoughtful nature, he is capable of dirty work, such as threatening to hold civilians hostage to get his way, or torturing even.

Idiosyncratic Fighter: He is known for using unique fighting methods, including a dramatic transition from martial arts to using tools like a saw and a branding iron in combat.

Aliases: Mr. X
Other Names: Man in Suit/Man in a Suit

Biographical
Age: 45
Date of Birth: July 24, 1974

Physical

Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
Blood Type: A

Associations

Relationships: Masaru Watase (patriarch: Alive)
Kosei Shishido (former second-in-command?, enemy: in prison)
Homare Nishitani III (former complicated ally?, enemy: in prison, but will not last too long)
Ukita (subordinate)
Kubota (subordinate)
Yao (subordinate)
Sakuma (subordinate)
Kazuma Kiryu (complicated enemy?, ally)

Occupation

Captain of the Watase Family (formerly)
Civilian (currently)

Affiliation
Omi Alliance (Formerly)
Watase Family (Formerly)

Other
Fighting Style: Kyokushin Karate

His combos are four in number, including:

-Rush Combo 1: a right reverse punch, a left hook, and an overhand right;

-Rush Combo 2: a right reverse punch, followed up by a left gut punch, and a right Thai roundhouse kick-spinning right heel kick combo,

-Rush Combo 3: a right reverse punch, followed up by a left gut punch, right gut punch, a hopping left front kick-right question mark kick combo; and

-Rush combo 4: he uses a right reverse punch, followed up by a left gut punch, a right gut punch, a spinning right heel kick, a left jab-right cross, and a jumping right spinning heel kick.
The remainder of his attacks consist of:

-a right hook kick,
-a rapid left jab-right reverse punch,
-taking a low block stance before throwing a hopping right roundhouse kick,
-a spinning right back kick as a guard reversal,
-a hopping left roundhouse kick after quickstepping backward, and
-An attack of a right punt kick against an enemy on the floor.

Tsuruno will retaliate with his hopping roundhouse kick if he is knocked back.

His taunts are listed as follows:

-one where he steps forward and nods his head up,
-a second taunt where he crouches down and beckons his foe with his left hand,
-a third taunt where he steps back and holds his arms out,
-a fourth taunt where he massages his neck with his right hand and steps forward, and
-a fifth taunt where he steps forward and raises his fists in the air.

For his Mortal Attack, he takes a low block stance before throwing a left axe kick and a right roundhouse kick.

Tsuruno is fought twice throughout Gaiden. He also joins Kiryu as an ally during Operation Party Hardy, the Castle raid, the construction site battle, and the first half of the Omi Alliance HQ battle. He is unarmed and alone in his initial boss fight. His aura in Rage Mode is neon purple, and his attack trails are medium and dark purple entwining.

Using Kyokushin Karate as his main style, Tsuruno is a smooth hand-to-hand fighter, attacking predominantly with swift kicks and occasional punches, he sometimes wears a pair of Brass Knuckles, but fights bare-fisted every other time.

His stance has him standing upright, his right fist covering his chest, and his left palm leads slightly outstretched.

To further anger Nishitani, Tsuruno organized a small squad of Watase family men disguised in extravagant masks to take over the castle. When Nishitani was located on the mainland, Shishido and Kiryu apprehended him while the Watase family set his hideout ablaze. Tsuruno had ordered Shishido to murder Nishitani, unaware that Shishido had no intention of killing him and even faked his death, Tsuruno presumed the patriarch was dead. When confronted by Kiryu he refused to apologize for the conspiracy and explained his past encounter with Nishitani.

When the two reunited a month later he apologized profusely for lying and begged for forgiveness. He later met up with Patriarch Watase in a construction site where he learned of Nishitani's survival and Shishido's plan to stop the dissolution. He was slashed in the leg by the furious Nishitani but had his wound patched up by Hanawa. He watched Watase announce the dissolution and helped Kiryu defend the injured Patriarch.

Tsuruno ordered Shishido to kidnap Kihei Hanawa in order to draw Kiryu out.

Upon learning that Kiryu was spotted in Yokohama, Tsuruno has him tailed and eventually assaults him in Ijincho with his subordinates in tow. He was captured by the faction but rescued by Shishido who rammed the Daidoji car off the road. Tsuruno proceeded to kidnap Hanawa before giving Kiryu a burner phone so they could stay in contact. Later that night he contacted Kiryu and arranged a meeting at Ijincho's Survive bar. He offered to free Kiryu of the Daidoji's influence by faking his death a second time, but his plan required the death of Hanawa too. He denied the offer but agreed to travel to Sotenbori to find Hanawa.

The Watase family hid Hanawa in Namiki No. 3. Shishido was initially in charge of interrogating him but Tsuruno removed him from the position and took over. After Kiryu arrived at the building and defeated Tsuruno, the Watase family captain disclosed to him the plan to dissolve the Omi Alliance and the Tojo Clan and continued to urge Kiryu to fake his death again and leave the faction. He was then taken into Daidoji custody and held in one of the group's Sotenbori hideouts. After Kiryu defied orders and helped Tsuruno escape he retrieved 50 billion yen and gave it to Boss in exchange for Kiryu's life. Boss accepted the deal and Kiryu was now at the Watase family's disposal.

Tsuruno met Kiryu at the Castle's V.I.P lounge and explained to him the danger Nishitani posed to the dissolution plan. Nishitani caught onto the two's conspiracy so Tsuruno allowed Kiryu to punch him in the face to fabricate the narrative that Joryu had gone rogue. He was then chased to the helipad by castle staff and attempted to calm Nishitani down as he challenged Kiryu to a fight. He joined Kiryu and Shishido as they partied in Sotenbori in an attempt to lure out Nishitani, first attending the Cabaret Grand then going for a meal and challenging Joryu to a game of pool, among other debauchery.

In the past, Tsuruno had planned to let go of a young Watase Family member who wanted to leave the yakuza, but learned that Homare Nishitani III had tortured the young man, after which Tsuruno decided to kill him to end his suffering. He rescued Kosei Shishido from Nishitani, which earned him Shishido's loyalty.

Tsuruno was filled in on Masaru Watase's plan to dissolve the Omi Alliance, and agreed to carry it through, displeased with the current direction of the yakuza. He was told to find Kazuma Kiryu, who was supposedly dead.

Tsuruno is a middle-aged man of above-average height with a slim, muscular build, tan skin, brown eyes, a short black undercut parted to the left and slicked back, and a goatee. Tsuruno's signature attire consists of a black wide-pinstriped suit worn over a partly-unbuttoned black dress shirt adorned with a primarily gold, white, and earth-toned floral pattern and a gold chain. A Watase Family crest pin adorns his lapel. He also wears aviator sunglasses, a black leather belt with a gold buckle, black dress shoes, and brass knuckles on both fists.