So you’re standing in the middle of Kamurocho. It’s raining, the neon lights are reflecting off the puddles, and Kiryu Kazuma just got out of the joint after ten years. You’re probably wondering how much game you actually have left before the credits roll. It’s a fair question. Honestly, the pacing in this remake is a bit of a rollercoaster. If you’re looking for a quick answer on yakuza kiwami how many chapters are in the game, the magic number is 13.
Thirteen chapters. That’s it.
But don’t let that number fool you into thinking this is a weekend sprint. While the original 2005 PlayStation 2 version was a bit leaner, Kiwami stuffs a lot of extra meat onto those old bones. You've got the Majima Everywhere system, the pocket circuit racing, and those oddly emotional substories that make you forget you were supposed to be finding a missing ten billion yen. Some chapters will fly by in thirty minutes if you’re just chasing the pink objective markers. Others? They’ll eat your entire evening because the boss fight at the end is a massive spike in difficulty.
Breaking Down the 13 Chapters of Kiryu’s Redemption
It starts slow. The first couple of chapters are basically a massive tutorial disguised as a tragedy. You’ve got Chapter 1: Fate of a Kinslayer, which sets the whole "ten years in the hole" plot in motion. By the time you hit Chapter 4: An Encounter, the game finally takes the training wheels off. This is where Haruka enters the picture, and the real soul of the game begins to show.
The middle stretch is where things get weirdly dense. Chapter 7: The Dragon and the Koi is a fan favorite for a reason, but it’s also a narrative pivot point. You’re dealing with the fallout of the Tojo Clan’s internal power struggle while trying to figure out why your best friend turned into a sociopath. If you’re rushing, you might finish the main plot in 15 to 20 hours. But honestly, who plays Yakuza like that? If you’re actually diving into the side content, you’re looking at 50 hours easily. The chapter count is just a skeleton. The meat is in the distractions.
Why Some Chapters Feel Longer Than Others
Let’s talk about the "Majima Factor." In the original game, Goro Majima was a recurring boss, sure, but in Kiwami, he’s a lifestyle. Because of the Majima Everywhere system, your progress through the yakuza kiwami how many chapters list will be constantly interrupted by a man jumping out of a giant traffic cone or pretending to be a bartender.
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This isn't just flavor text. To unlock Kiryu’s most iconic fighting style—the Dragon style—you have to engage with these interruptions. You might be in Chapter 8: Scheming, ready to go talk to Date-san, but then Majima shows up with a baseball bat. Suddenly, your "short" chapter just gained forty minutes of frantic dodging and heat actions. It creates this weird, beautiful friction where the urgency of the plot (saving a little girl) clashes with the absurdity of the world (winning a slot car race against a child).
The Difficulty Spikes You Need to Prep For
If you’re counting chapters because you’re struggling with a boss, you aren't alone. The remake introduced "Kiwami Extremes," which are those annoying moments where a boss starts regenerating health and you need a specific Heat Action to stop them.
- The Shimano Fight (Chapter 3): This is the first "wall." He’s a tank. He has way too much health for where you are in the game. It’s tedious. It makes the chapter feel three times longer than it actually is.
- The Arase Fight (Chapter 10): This guy has dual pistols and moves like he’s in The Matrix. It’s frustrating. It’s one of those moments where the chapter count feels like a threat rather than a progress bar.
- The Finale (Chapter 13): No spoilers, but the final gauntlet is a test of your inventory management. If you don't have enough Staminan Spark, you’re going to have a bad time.
There is a psychological shift that happens around Chapter 11: Honor and Humanity. You realize the end is near, and suddenly the map feels smaller. You start frantically finishing up those substories you ignored. Did you help the guy who needed toilet paper? Did you finish the "My Lover is a Showgirl" quest? The game rewards this. If you just blast through the 13 chapters, you’re missing the point of being the Dragon of Dojima.
The Content Beyond the Numbers
Most players asking about the chapter count are trying to gauge if they're "almost done." If you just reached the Purgatory area in Chapter 5, you’ve barely scratched the surface. Purgatory is where the game truly opens up. It’s where you find the underground coliseum and the high-stakes gambling dens.
The developers at RGG Studio (Ryu Ga Gotoku) are masters of the "one more thing" philosophy. You think you're done with a chapter, but then a phone call triggers a substory about a cult, or a fake tax collector, or a girl who thinks you're her boyfriend. These aren't just filler. They are the texture of Kamurocho. Without them, the 13 chapters are just a standard crime drama. With them, it’s a living, breathing neighborhood.
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Mapping Your Progress: A Rough Guide
To give you a better sense of where you stand without spoiling the big twists, think of the game in three acts.
The first act (Chapters 1-5) is the setup. You're weak, you're broke, and everyone wants you dead. This part feels the longest because you're still learning the combat rhythms.
The second act (Chapters 6-10) is the mystery. You’re chasing leads, protecting Haruka, and seeing the cracks in the Yakuza hierarchy. This is the "meat" of the game. If you're here, you're in the thick of it.
The final act (Chapters 11-13) is the payoff. The stakes go through the roof, the deaths start piling up, and the combat gets genuinely intense. By the time you hit Chapter 13: The End of the Battle, the game stops letting you roam freely at certain points, forcing you toward the massive climax at Millennium Tower.
Comparing Kiwami to the Rest of the Series
If you’re coming from Yakuza 0, 13 chapters might seem short. Zero had 17 chapters and two protagonists. Compared to Yakuza 5, which is an absolute behemoth with five characters and multiple cities, Kiwami is a tight, focused experience. It’s a remake of a game from a simpler era, and it shows. There's a purity to it. You aren't managing a cabaret club or a real estate empire (well, not in this one). You’re just a guy with a suit and a very heavy fist trying to find out what happened to his family.
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Don't Just Rush to the End
The biggest mistake you can make when looking at yakuza kiwami how many chapters there are is treating the game like a checklist. The "Ending" isn't the goal; the journey through the streets of Tokyo is.
Take your time in Chapter 6: Father and Child. It’s a slower chapter, but it’s crucial for the emotional weight of the finale. Spend some time at the batting cages. Go to the Sega Arcade and play Mesuking: Battle Bug Beauties. It’s ridiculous, yes, but that’s the Yakuza DNA.
If you find yourself at the start of Chapter 12 and you haven't touched the side content, stop. Go back. Once you trigger the point of no return in Chapter 13, you're locked into the finale until the credits roll. While you can finish things up in Premium Adventure mode after the game ends, it doesn't have the same narrative weight.
Actionable Insights for Your Playthrough
Instead of just watching the chapter counter, focus on your build. By Chapter 7, you should have a solid grasp of the Rush, Brawler, and Beast styles. Don't neglect the "Soul" upgrades—getting your Heat gauge to fill faster is more important than a 5% damage boost.
If you're hitting a wall, go find some side stories. They often reward you with unique items or massive chunks of XP that can push you over the edge. Also, buy the "Digestive" medicine from the pharmacy so you can keep eating at restaurants to grind XP. It’s the fastest way to level up Kiryu before the late-game bosses start getting really cheap with their moves.
Thirteen chapters is the framework. How you fill them is what determines if you're just playing a game or if you're actually experiencing the legend of Kazuma Kiryu. Keep your health items stocked, keep your eye on Majima, and don't be afraid to get distracted by a crane game. That's the real Kamurocho experience.
Next Steps for Your Journey:
Check your current save file. If you're before Chapter 10, head to the Bob Utsunomiya clown NPC near the Tenkaichi Street entrance to claim any DLC packs or "CP" rewards you've earned; these upgrades make the mid-game much smoother. If you're past Chapter 10, focus on maxing out your favorite combat style's speed upgrades to prepare for the fast-paced gun-wielding enemies in the final stretch.