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"Mature Content Warning!" |
Kondo Isami is a major character in the Like a Dragon spin-off video game Ryū Ga Gotoku Ishin! and its 2023 remake Like a Dragon: Ishin! (known as Ryū Ga Gotoku Ishin! Kiwami in Japanese).
He is the cunning yet hedonistic chief of the Shinsengumi, a police force previously known as the Miburoshigumi and that is linked to the Tokugawa Bakufu. He is also the heir to the Tennen Rishin style, a swordsman technique.
In the original game, he was voiced by Eiichiro Funakoshi, and in the 2023 remake, he was voiced by Akio Otsuka, whom also voices Like a Dragon series character Koichi Adachi, whom Kondo's appearance in the remake was made to resemble.
What Makes Him Magnificent?[]
- After Kondo's pupils Serizawa Kamo, Hirayama Goro and Hirama Jusuke kill Inoue Genzaburo, Okita Soji and Nagakura Shinpachi due to a conflict, in order to protect the Shinsengumi's (or Miburoshigumi's as it was called then) reputation, Kondo had the former three take the identity of the latter three.
- In order to lessen the amount of power the Loyalists have and thus prevent them from starting an anti-Bakufu civil war, he planned to move the Emperor of Japan and the country's capital from Kyo (the city known now as Kyoto) to Edo (the city known now as Tokyo).
- He baits Sakamoto Ryoma into fighting him by suggesting he was the mysterious masked man who assassinated his adoptive father, Yoshida Toyo.
- After hearing a suggestion from Ryoma, he decides to halt the Satcho Alliance (the newly formed union between the Satsuma Domain and the Choshu Loyalists) and Sakamoto Ryoma's impostor from starting a civil war by writing a letter for the shogun that details his plan for a "Great Restoration" for the country, which Ryoma delivers to the shogun who reads it and agrees to Kondo's ideas.
- When Kondo is fatally harmed by Tosa Loyalist Okada Izo, who is working with Ryoma's impostor (in truth Takechi Hanpeita, the Tosa Loyalist's leader and Ryoma's adoptive brother who was thought to be dead) in order to frame Kondo for killing the Emperor and thus start an anti-Bakufu war, Kondo gives Ryoma a blood-stained letter in his dying moments, calling it his final move. This move is revealed to be for Hijikata Toshizo, the Shinsengumi's deputy chief, to host a meeting in the Shinsengumi, where he names Sakamoto Ryoma, or "Saito Hajime", as the next chief. This was actually to prompt Ito Kashitaro, the Shinsengumi's military advisor whose desires to become the next chief by any means necessary are as clear as day, to speak up about this. When explaining why he should be the next chief instead, Ito accidentally outs himself by revealing he was aware that Kondo has been murdered, indicating he was in on Kondo's murder.
- After Ito escapes Hijikata, Ryoma, Okita and Nagakura's threat to slice him down for his treachery due to Todo Heisuke helping him out as they have been working together and have formed a new private faction, along with Takeda Kanryusai, known as the Goryo-Eji, it is revealed Todo is actually on the heroes' side, having been sent by Kondo to get close to Ito in order to find out his motivations and who he has been conspiring with, which turns out to be the false Sakamoto Ryoma, who is planning to hold a meeting with both leaders of the Satcho Alliance. All of this means that, due to Kondo's planning, Ryoma and his allies know of all of the players involved in his impostor's scheme, and thus they are able to attempt to draw out said players by having that meeting set in a new building known as Omiya.
- While he did distance himself from the Shinsengumi and indulges in hedonistic activites, this ultimately does not lessen his intelligence as he is still able to be his cunning self, such as baiting Ryoma into fighting him and initiating his "final move".
What Makes Him A Baddie?[]
- Kondo is the leader of the Shinsengumi, an organization nicknamed the "Mibu Wolves" as they are known for the ruthlessness, for example slicing down anyone who dares to betray them.
- His initial plan to stop the Loyalists from starting a civil war was to have the Shinsengumi set fire to the city of Kyo so the Emperor can move to Edo, which even disgusts Ryoma for the amount of lives it would at the very least endanger.
External links[]
- Kondo Isami at the Yakuza/Like a Dragon wiki.
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 Magnificent Baddies
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Main Series Spin-offs Like a Dragon: Ishin! |
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