Ryuji Goda

 ( Fictional Korean People In Video Games ) 

The character's popularity with the franchise's Japanese fanbase has encouraged the developers to present Goda in recurring appearances well after his canonical demise during the events of Yakuza 2. When Goda was announced as the fourth and final playable character for Dead Souls on August 18, 2010, Yakuza producer Toshihiro Nagoshi acknowledged the demand for further appearances for the character, noting his "manly, brawny" appeal as a "rival character who gives off a powerful aura" and that his story arc would follow the events of Yakuza 2. At the 2019 Tokyo Game Show, Goda's actor Iwasaki stated in a Q&A session that he rarely gets to play the characters he wants to play in the voice acting industry, but he managed to land the role of Ryuji Goda whom he really wanted to play after having auditioned for it, and is thus very fond of the character.

In an interview conducted by 4gamer staff with Renji Ishibashi, the voice actor of an elderly takoyaki cook who takes in Goda as an apprentice and serves as his father figure in Dead Souls, he explained that Goda's arc explores how he deals with the conflicting identities of his past and present, as a former criminal who now carries on a legitimate trade as a tradesperson, and what kind of future would he end up with. Ishibashi said one of the most important things taught by Goda's mentor, who is only ever referred to as "Oyassan" (おやっさん, an honorific title for "father") and knows more than what he lets on about Goda's history, is how to dispatch a live octopus in one blow. He opined that it may seem cruel at first, but suggested that one's opponent would needlessly suffer if they are not finished off in the most efficient manner possible, and that what Goda learns from his master is in fact an act of compassion. Ishibashi suggested that while Goda during his youth is not the same violent crime boss he eventually becomes, a part of his nature embraced the gangster role because it felt right, noting that the events of the game tests Goda's resolve and reveals his inner conflict as he is pulled back into the criminal underworld which he no longer wants to be involved in. He considered Goda's relationship with his mentor as a character study of two men who are both trying to move on from a difficult past and the highlight of Goda's story arc, being an example of a positive bond between men in spite of its sad conclusion.

On the developers' decision to shift the narrative of ONLINE away from current series protagonist Ichiban Kasuga to Goda as of March 2020, Takeuchi explained in an interview with Famitsu that he wanted to explore the story of a protagonist who is very different in temperament, and who is so strong he could effortlessly plough through his enemies. While other characters such as Shun Akiyama and Yoshitaka Mine were considered as candidates to succeed Kasuga, Takeuchi ultimately decided on Goda as he is a fan favorite whom he already has ideas for, and that the previous ONLINE sub story event involving the character was very well received, noting that the game itself was conceived as a form of fan service for longtime fans who might want to see more of Goda's adventures. At a panel event for ONLINE at the Tokyo Game Show 2019, panel members drew attention to the character's enduring popularity and his status as Kiryu's most impressive rival in the series as the reason for his renewed prominence, and noted that there are further opportunities to explore the character's backstory as he has not been featured much in franchise media outside of Dead Souls.

It is later revealed that Goda is the son of the Jingweon boss and his wife Suyeon, and that Kaoru is his half-sister. He wants revenge against Tojo Clan for the massacre of the Jingweon 26 years ago; to accomplish this, he collaborates with the Jingweon to destroy the Tojo and the city they operate in, though later states he hates associating with the Jingweon and has no interest in their agenda. At the end of the game, Kiryu and Goda fight on the top of the unfinished Kamurocho Hills. After his defeat, and the killing of Jin and Terada, he gets up and charges Takashima with a gun. Goda is shot multiple times before finally shooting Takashima in the head. He and Kiryu then have a final showdown, explaining to the protesting Sayama that both he and Kiryu are going to die anyway, either by succumbing to their wounds or the bomb exploding, which ends with a cross-counter. He then dies in Kaoru's arms.

An adolescent Goda makes a brief appearance in Yakuza 0, which takes place 18 years prior to the events of Yakuza 2, as part of an optional sub story encounter with protagonist Goro Majima, where he starts fights with high school students and steals their pants as the "Bontan Hunter". Majima would encounter Goda years later in Yakuza Kiwami 2, where Goda is impressed by Majima's integrity after he announced the disbandment of the Majima Family as atonement to appease the strained relations between the Tojo Clan and the Omi Alliance. Goda would also briefly run into Kiryu later on in another sub story, right after a fortune teller tells the latter that he will run into a young man whose fate would be entangled with his, foreshadowing the events of Yakuza 2.

In 2020, Goda is featured as the central character of a prequel story arc in the mobile title Ryu ga Gotoku ONLINE (龍が如く ONLINE, lit. "Like a Dragon ONLINE"), a freemium collectible card game spin-off exclusive to Japan.

Goda is mentioned in the 2023 sequel game , which is set after and before, during, and after the events of . During Like a Dragon Gaiden, Goda's battle with Kiryu is recreated in the title's in-game battle coliseum.