Editing Ryōma Kuroda (section)

=== Personality/morality ===
Ryōma Kuroda is widely regarded as one of the least criminal figures within San Andreas’s underworld, a quiet anomaly in a world of egos, violence, and greed. Though affiliated with the Yakuza, Ryōma consistently operated by a strict personal code. He avoided unnecessary violence, refused to harm civilians, and only participated in actions targeting known criminals. His involvement in crime was never about ambition, it was about duty, particularly to support and protect his aging mother back in Japan.

Socially awkward and often the subject of mockery, Ryōma stood out for his unwavering love of anime, particularly Princess Robot Bubblegum and his soft-spoken, almost childlike demeanour. Many peers viewed him as unserious or strange, calling him “the weeb” behind his back. Yet Ryōma never retaliated or lashed out. He was patient, humble, and grounded, preferring solitude in mechanic shops or quiet corners of the city to the spotlight of underworld meetings.
Despite his timid nature, Ryōma was deeply principled. He possessed a rare sincerity, one rooted in empathy and a quiet desire to do good, even in a world that demanded otherwise. While others chased power, Ryōma sought clarity. He questioned orders when they crossed moral lines and became increasingly disillusioned with the Yakuza’s growing cruelty. His decision to intervene during Yorinobu’s brutal assault on a civilian and later question his leadership marked a turning point, not just in his own arc, but in the collapse of the Yakuza’s internal unity.

Tragically, Ryōma’s kindness became his undoing. His accidental honesty during a confrontation with Edward, and his growing dissent, led to his execution by Yorinobu, a betrayal that underscored just how out of place Ryōma truly was in the underworld. Yet, even in death, Ryōma left behind a lasting impact. Yue’s defection from the Yakuza was spurred by his memory, and the pendant he once wore became a symbol of integrity in a world starved of it.
Ryōma Kuroda may have been mocked, ignored, or underestimated, but to those who knew him, he was the rarest kind of man: decent, loyal, and moral, even when surrounded by monsters.

[[Category:Minor Characters]]