Tiger Toranaga

Tiger Toranaga (Japanese Khan Yakuza) - As a boy, Isao Toranaga watched his father’s fingers disappear one by one, victims of mistakes made in service to the Hiaku Gumi, a Tokyo yakuza clan. When the last mistake proved too much for the oyabun to bear, he had Isao’s parents murdered. The boy would have died, too, if Mikso, a “family friend” had not burst through the door in tiger form to rip the hit men to shreds and spirit young Isao into the night. She became the boy’s mother, extending the usual one-year apprenticeship into a 10-year fostering. During this time, Mikso taught him many martial arts forms and introduced him to a rival yakuza gang, the Oni No Miza Gumi. When he reached First Change, she led him to the local Khan overlord, as well. Naturally, Isao swore revenge for his parents when he reached maturity; moreover, he swore to demolish the entire Hiaku Gumi alone. He has yet to complete the task, but has a good head start.

Destroying an entire yakuza family isn’t easy; it takes a few well-placed kills, some selective bits of inside information, bribes and threats, and the occasional rampage of terror. With whispers in the shadows and claws in the night, Isao Toranaga, now grown into an impressive warrior, has thrown the Hiaku and their allies into a panic without exposing his identity. Now he wears two faces — the silent enemy, and The Tiger, a capable enforcer with an uncanny knack for patchinko. Working from the inside, he leaks family secrets throughout the Tokyo Bastet.

In time, those leaks become cracks; as the water streams from these many faults, the Hiaku’s walls crumble. The silent enemy adds to the damage with subtle kicks and slashes. The dam will burst soon and the Gumi will be washed away forever.

Tiger Toranaga resembles his namesake: powerfully built. He walks low to the ground, taking in everything around him. Inscribed in vivid inks across his shoulders, a tiger dances with each roll of Isao’s muscles. His features are as brutal as the bone-breaking punches and kicks he deals his foes. Unlike many yakuza, Tiger doesn’t like sunglasses; the sheen of his eyes has caused a few remarks, but a cold look and a display of strength are usually enough to silence them. Although he dresses in expensive tailored clothes, Toranaga seems to care only for gossip, gambling and war.