| Ryuji Goda | |
|---|---|
| Yakuza / Like a Dragon character | |
 Ryuji Goda as he appears in Yakuza Kiwami 2 | |
| First appearance | Yakuza 2 (2006) |
| Last appearance | Ryu ga Gotoku ONLINE (2018) |
| Portrayed by | Sho Jinnai (Ryu ga Gotoku stage play) |
| Voiced by | Masami Iwasaki |
| In-universe information | |
| Nationality | Korean Japanese |
Ryuji Goda (Japanese: 郷田 龍司, Hepburn: Gōda Ryūji) is a fictional character from Sega's action-adventure game Like a Dragon series, previously known as Yakuza outside of Japan, first appearing in 2006's Yakuza 2. Goda also appears as one of the main characters in a spin-off title of the series, Yakuza: Dead Souls, which does not follow the series' canon and is set in an alternate timeline where Goda survives his wounds at the end of Yakuza 2. Goda is voiced by Masami Iwasaki in all media.
Within the series, Goda is the patriarch of the Go-Ryu Clan, an organized crime yakuza group that is a subsidiary of the Omi Alliance, the dominant yakuza association based in Osaka. Ryuji is the adopted son of Jin Goda, chairman of the Omi Alliance, and is often referred to as the "Dragon of Kansai" (関西の龍, Kansai no Ryū) due to the tattoo of a golden yellow dragon on his back. He expressed dissatisfaction towards the sobriquet however, as he believes that there could only be "one true dragon" in Japan. To this end, his primary motivation in Yakuza 2 is to defeat series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu, the "Dragon of Dojima", who is presented as his premier rival.
Goda has received a positive reception. The character's popularity in Japan has seen the character being periodically re-introduced into the franchise in spite of his death in Yakuza 2 and its 2017 remake, Yakuza Kiwami 2. Many reviewers called Goda the best villain of the franchise and consider the character's depiction in Yakuza 2 and its remake to be a series highlight.