Rikiya Shimabukuro (島袋 力也, Shimabukuro Rikiya) is a supporting character featured in Yakuza 3. He is the captain of the Ryudo Family. The viper tattoo on his back earned him the nickname "The Fighting Viper" (ステゴロのハブ, Sutegoro no Habu).
Profile[]
Appearance[]
Rikiya is a man of average height and powerful build. His hair is short, black, and styled into a punch permWP.
Tattoo[]
Rikiya's tattoo after the eye is filled in by Utabori.
Rikiya's tattoo depicts a viper - specifically the Okinawan habuWP, a pit viper native to the Ryukyu Islands - the eye of which remains unfinished until Kiryu brings him to have it completed by Utabori.
Attire[]
Rikiya wears a white and orange floral shirt along with a pair of black dress pants. When traveling to Kamurocho, he wears a charcoal gray pinstriped blazer. He also wears a silver watch, black dress shoes, gold chain, and yellow boa print snakeskin belt in both variations of his usual outfit.
While dressed as his wrestling persona, Ricky Mask, he wears blue and yellow spandex with bird wings on the eyes of the mask. He has リッキー (Rikkī, Ricky) across his behind, and the first character of his given name, 力 (riki, lit. power), on his forehead.
Personality[]
Rikiya is idealistic and naïve, oftentimes rushing headlong into danger and ending up hurt, relying on Kiryu to save him. This is likely due to his laid-back lifestyle in Ryukyu, where it appears he and Mikio Aragaki rarely came into contact with real danger. Despite this, he still manages to be a formidable fighter, and an invaluable ally during his time with Kiryu.
He is extremely proud of his Okinawan heritage, and seems to treat those who hail from Japan's mainland with disdain. Although initially hostile towards Kiryu, he gradually comes to respect him, referring to him as his aniki?. He looks up to Kiryu and holds him in high regard, though he has no qualms with opposing him if the two disagree.
His pride in the things that he believes in makes him extremely loyal to those he follows, and he is shown to be well-liked and respected by the community.
Involvement[]
Yakuza 3: 2008-2009[]
Rikiya first appears when he and Mikio deliver an eviction notice to Morning Glory Orphanage. Kazuma Kiryu runs into the two in town, and Rikiya proclaims his distaste for "arrogant mainlanders", instigating a fight with Kiryu. After Rikiya's loss, he brings Kiryu to the Ryudo Family office, where Kiryu meets with with his boss, Nakahara. He quickly warms up to Kiryu and the children at Morning Glory, taking to affectionately calling Kiryu "aniki?".
A year later, Rikiya rushes to the orphanage to deliver the news to Kiryu that Nakahara has been shot and is in surgery. Kiryu accompanies him to the hospital, where they discover that Saki has sketched the man responsible. With a lead on the shooter thanks to Kashiwagi's phone call, Rikiya begs Kiryu to allow him to accompany him to Kamurocho.
Kiryu tells Rikiya that they'll depart the next night, though he had planned to leave several hours earlier. Despite the setback and Kiryu's insistence on Rikiya staying back in Okinawa, he ends up following along shortly after Kiryu himself departs.
The two meet up and follow their lead to a love hotel where Tsuyoshi Kanda is staying for the night. Masquerading as a couple to get past the receptionist, they burst into Kanda's room and chase him down.
Kiryu takes Rikiya on a tour of Kamurocho, ending up back at New Serena where Kiryu leaves Rikiya while he goes to confront Goro Majima.
While Kiryu is down in Purgatory with Majima, Rikiya is kidnapped by Lau Ka Long's men in an attempt to get revenge on Kiryu, but he is saved at the last minute by Joji Kazama. The experience appears to traumatize Rikiya, and he does not object to Kiryu's request for him to return to Okinawa. Kiryu walks him to a taxi and says his goodbyes.
He and Mikio resist Yoshitaka Mine, Tetsuo Tamashiro and his men when the orphanage is attacked, but ultimately fail to fight them off, leading to its destruction. He argues with Kiryu, who tells him to stay behind as he goes to confront Mine and rescue the injured Nakahara, who has been taken captive. Rikiya refuses to sit idle as his patriarch is in danger and the source of their despair is so close by, but Kiryu tells him not to be so reckless, that there's no use throwing his life away for nothing. Rikiya reluctantly agrees to stay with the children at the orphanage.
Saki, determined to help rescue her foster father, sneaks away to follow Kiryu, and Rikiya trails close behind. He arrives at the bull ring and announces that he has called the police and they'll be there to arrest Tamashiro and his lackeys. Enraged, Tamashiro fires his gun and sets off the bulls in the pit with Nakahara.
After Tamashiro is seemingly defeated, Saki and Nakahara are reunited, causing Kiryu to turn his back to Tamashiro. Seizing the opportunity, he picks up his discarded gun and shoots at Kiryu, but the bullet is intercepted by Rikiya, who is shot through the chest. He tells Kiryu not to let Mine get away with everything he's done, and speaks his final words to a hysterical Kiryu.
Fighting Style[]
Rikiya is a decent street fighter. His moveset consists of a left jab-right cross-left uppercut combo, a right hook-left hook-flying right knee combo, a right push kick, a right hammerfist and a right uppercut. He quicksteps extremely frequently.
As Ricky Mask, his moveset takes multiple animations from Virtua Fighter 5's El Blaze, such as his 3-hit combos all being Blaze's combos. He also frequently does a hurricanrana.
His attack trails are bright pink.
Trivia[]
- The family name Shimabukuro is common in Okinawa, and is strongly associated with the Yamato peopleWP.
- The Viper tattoo on Rikiya's back appears eyeless when wrestling against him in Morning Glory, even if he had Master Utabori finish it beforehand.
Gallery[]
Yakuza 3[]
.png "Kiryu beside sleeping Rikiya (New Serena).png (1.87 MB)")
Ryu Ga Gotoku Online[]
.png "RGGO - Card - SSR Rikiya Shimabukuro (2009).png (395 KB)")
.png "RGGO - Card - SSR Rikiya Shimabukuro (Decisive Battle).png (385 KB)")
.png "RGGO - Card - KSR Rikiya Shimabukuro (Kiwami).png (411 KB)")
.png "RGGO - Card - KSR Rikiya Shimabukuro (Decisive Battle).png (417 KB)")
Notes[]
- ↑ The given birth year of 1984 is an estimate based on Shimabukuro's age and is not intended as a substitute for an official date.
References[]
- ↑ Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, “Chapter 2: The Ryudo Encounter”, Yakuza 3 Remastered (2009; Tokyo: SEGAWP, 2019), PlayStation 4/Xbox One/Windows.
- ↑ Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, “Chapter 2: The Ryudo Encounter”, Yakuza 3 Remastered (2009; Tokyo: SEGAWP, 2019), PlayStation 4/Xbox One/Windows.— Chatty Old Woman to Rikiya, Yakuza 3 Remastered
Riki-chan! Come say hello!
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, All-Star Tournament, Yakuza 3 Remastered (2009; Tokyo: SEGAWP, 2019), PlayStation 4/Xbox One/Windows.