In a recent interview with Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio Chief Director Ryosuke Horii, the conversation turned to one of Yakuza Kiwami 3’s most memorable figures: Yoshitake Mine.

Yoshitaka Mine’s Popularity and Character

Citing the decision to add a separate Dark Ties story to avoid the risk of Yakuza Kiwami 3 being too bland, Yoshitaka Mine was chosen to star in this new story because of many factors, such as popularity and the chance to delve into his story a bit more.

“He’s a character who has the looks and money, and seems to have everything, but on the inside, he always feels like there’s something missing. In his past, he used to be very poor, and he has no one that he can completely trust, so while he has everything, he is a very lonely character. I think that’s something that people look at and they can really empathize with.”

Horii also said, “This is the first time we have a Yakuza as the main character,” giving the team room to show the underworld and the inter-gang fights from a fresh perspective.

Yakuza Kiwami 3’s Hot Man and Future Antagonists

Horii brings up a funny point about Mine being popular and his “Hot Man” portrayal, saying it will not affect how future antagonists in the series are made.

“Looks are definitely a factor, especially with the young woman demographic. He’s definitely more popular than Kanda…“

“Just because Mine is very popular, we’re not going to make all future enemy characters very hot men, but if we see this new Dark Ties title selling like hotcakes, maybe we’ll be seeing RGG have just hot men on the lineup,” Horii jokes.

Read the full interview HERE.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is set to launch on February 12, 2026, for PS4, PS5, Switch 2, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam.