Kosei Shishido was a Japanese yakuza who served as acting captain of the Omi Alliance's Watase-gumi subsidiary from 2017 to 2019. A former coliseum fighter for the Kijin-kai, he became the most feared member of the Omi's largest subsidiary and served as acting patriarch Yuki Tsuruno's right-hand man during the crisis that preceded the "Great Dissolution" of 2019. Shishido secretly opposed the dissolution and allied with his former tormentor Homare Nishitani III to assassinate acting Chairman Masaru Watase before he could end the Omi, but he was defeated by Kazuma Kiryu and he and Nishitani were kidnapped by the Daidoji Faction and pressed into their service.
Biography[]
Shishido playing Russian roulette
Kosei was born in the Kansai region of Japan to impoverished parents. At the age of 15, his father sold him into slavery to pay off his debts to the Omi Alliance, and Kosei was forced to fight for his survival in death matches against other children his age in the Kijin-kai's coliseum. Kosei came to see strength as the only means of survival, causing him to become a savage and fearsome fighter; however, he dreamed of being free and living a glamorous life one day, with the yakuza being the only means of achieving that freedom. He was physically, psychologically, and sexually abused by Homare Nishitani III for decades, forcing him to fight in constant fear of losing and being subjected to Nishitani's torture or signature torture routine.
Eventually, Yuki Tsuruno stepped in and freed Kosei from slavery, as Tsuruno recognized his strength. Kosei swore an oath to Watase-gumi patriarch Masaru Watase and was given the new surname "Shishido" to symbolize leaving his past life and being reborn. He rose to be a lieutenant of the Watase-gumi, and, on Watase's arrest in 2017 and Captain Tsuruno's rise to acting Patriarch, Shishido became acting Captain and served as Tsuruno's right-hand man. In 2019, the imprisoned Watase, who was secretly plotting with Chairman Daigo Dojima of the Tojo-kai to dissolve both of their organizations rather than let them serve as political pawns for Governor Ryo Aoki, gave Tsuruno orders to procure the aid of Kazuma Kiryu for his scheme. The plan was for the Watase-gumi to draw out and assassinate Nishitani, who would likely serve as the Watase Family's main obstacle in dissolving the yakuza due to the power of his clan. Secretly, Shishido resented Watase's decision, as he felt that being a yakuza was his only way to live, and that his hard work towards becoming a wealthy and womanizing man of power would have been for nothing if the Omi died out.
Shishido wearing a Hannya mask
In order to rope in Kiryu, Tsuruno posed as a member of an Asian revolutionary movement and approached the CIA for a large shipment of gold bullion to finance their activities. The CIA had Japan's secretive Daidoji Faction arrange the delivery at the Yokohama docks, where a masked Shishido and his men ambushed the Daidoji and their agent Kiryu, who had been going by "Joryu" since faking his death in 2016. While Kiryu fought off Shishido's men and prevented them from capturing his handler Kihei Hanawa, Shishido tracked Kiryu down to the Seiryu-kai headquarters as Kiryu investigated their potential role in the attack. Kiryu and Hanawa succeeded in kidnapping Tsuruno before Shishido rammed their car with a truck, kidnapped Hanawa, and fought Kiryu to a draw before Tsuruno threatened to kill Hanawa. Kiryu was forced to stand down and keep in contact with Tsuruno over the phone, with Tsuruno deciding to test Kiryu's strength by inviting him to compete in the coliseum fights at "the Castle" floating pleasure district. After Kiryu emerged as the champion in several prize fights, Shishido met with him to give up Hanawa's location. While Shishido divulfed the horrific events of the past, Nishitani's torture of him, and Tsuruno's rescue of him, Kiryu was unmoved and forced Shishido to reveal that Hanawa was being kept under heavy guard at Namiki No. 3 in Dotonbori, Osaka. Kiryu once again proved himself by taking down Tsuruno and his guards, and he rescued Hanawa. However, Tsuruno secured Kiryu's support by bribing the Daidoji with 50 billion yen to lease Kiryu to the Watase Family so they could bring about the dissolution.
Kiryu confronting Shishido over Nishitani's murder
A few days later, Shishido reunited with Kiryu and Tsuruno in Dotonbori, where they and several Watase-gumi officers attempted to attract Nishitani's attention by spending lavishly on debauchery, from womanizing and drinking to karaoke, golf, and dining. When Nishitani failed to materialize, the group raided the Castle and threatened to expose its existence to the public through the Daidoji Faction's connections, luring Nishitani to the Kijin-kai headquarters at the Osaka docks. There, Shishido and Kiryu raided the warehouse, overcame Nishitani's guards, and confronted the man as Tsuruno set the warehouse on fire. While Kiryu bested Nishitani in a one-on-one fight and persuaded Shishido to help him rescue the unconscious patriarch (Kiryu had been promised that beating Nishitani within an inch of his life would suffice to secure his obedience), Shishido stabbed Nishitani several times as Kiryu turned away, causing Kiryu to think that Shishido had murdered Nishitani. In reality, Shishido had purchased a prop knife that shot out blood, staging Nishitani's murder so that Kiryu would think him dead. Kiryu was infuriated with Shishido and Tsuruno for their betrayal, feeling guilt over his opponent's murder and anger over his Omi allies' broken promises.
Shishido blackmailing Watase
However, Shishido privately contacted Nishitani and informed him that the whole purpose behind the Watase-gumi's attacks on the Kijin-kai was because Watase intended to eliminate Nishitani and enable the disbanding of the Omi and the Tojo-kai in a "Great Dissolution." Nishitani, betrayed that his mentor had turned on him, allied with his former victim to assassinate Watase, Tsuruno, and Kiryu as a recently-released Watase met with his friends at a construction site to change into a suit before his welcome-home ceremony. At the ensuing meeting, Shishido recorded Watase and Kiryu's reunion and Watase's dissolution plan, and he revealed that he intended to bring light to the conspiracy and use it to take over the Watase-gumi and then the Omi Alliance. Watase's men turned on him, as arranged by Shishido, and Nishitani then arrived with several Kijin-kai soldiers. Shishido then berated Tsuruno for thinking that he deserved any gratitude for helping him, claiming that he carved out his place in the world with his own two hands. While Kiryu accused Shishido of being a hypocrite who served as a bootlicker for Nishitani, Shishido admitted that he had done so to survive and gain power.
Kiryu punching Shishido
Shishido and Nishitani proceeded to loose their henchmen on Kiryu, Watase, and Tsuruno, but the trio fought off the Omi until Daidoji agent Kihei Hanawa could arrive in a limousine and strike Nishitani, whom he proceeded to kidnap. Kiryu also battled Shishido and punched him in the head, with his uppercut sending Shishido into a gravel pit, where he was presumed dead.
Shishido confronting Kiryu
However, Shishido climbed his way out of the hole and took up an unconscious Nishitani's katana before journeying to the Omi headquarters. He arrived just as Kiryu, Watase, Tsuruno, Goro Majima, Taiga Saejima, and Daigo Dojima left the building, having announced the dissolution and defeated the rebellious Omi officers in attendance. Shishido swore to make the plotters pay for their actions, charging at Watase to slash at him. Majima and Saejima blocked him, and, while he took Majima's dagger through his hand, he was able to force his way past them before being confronted by Kiryu. He removed the dagger from his hand with his teeth and rallied the recovered Omi officers to his side for one last battle, in which Shishido removed his jacket and revealed his tattoos.
Kiryu and Watase standing over a defeated Shishido
After helping his friends dispatch the Omi officers, Kiryu confronted Shishido in the Omi headquarters, where he explained how people like him could not live without the yakuza, and that Kiryu - who had so cheaply given away the Tojo chairmanship - could never understand what he had taken from them. Kiryu said that the two men were the same, as they were both eager to prove their might when they learned of someone stronger, but the yakuza had to go for the sake of those trying to live an honest life. An infuriated Shishido swore to kill Kiryu, his friends, and his adoptive children in Okinawa before charging at Kiryu, sword in hand. The two engaged in a brutal clash throughout the Omi headquarters until Kiryu felled Shishido in the courtyard. Shishido was promptly knocked unconscious by Agent Yoshimura of the Daidoji Faction, who taunted him about being forced into servitude to the Daidoji for eternity, with Nishitani at his side.
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