Ryōma Kuroda

Background/History

Ryōma Kuroda
Biography
Full Name	Ryōma Kuroda
Alias(es)	Weeb
Gender	Male
Nationality / Ethnicity	Japan
Date of Birth / Age	May 5, 1998
Place of Birth	Ōita
Status	Deceased
Related to	None
Affiliations
Associated Characters	Yorinobu Honda Yue Kensuke
Faction(s)	Yakuza
Role in Faction	Shatei
Timeline
Key Arcs	The Yakuza Resurgence
Miscellaneous
Writer	ProudHumbleGamer

Ryōma Kuroda (Japanese: 黒田亮馬) was a minor character and a shatei of the Yakuza. Ryōma was born in 1998 in the Ōita Prefecture (on Kyushu) in Japan. From a young age, Ryōma showed little academic promise but possessed a mechanical mind and a deep love for anime and games. This mix of odd traits made him a target for mockery even before he joined the underworld. Ironically, these same traits, his hands-on intuition, his quirky enthusiasm, and his ability to blend into low-tier criminal settings would later define his unique place within the Yakuza's lower ranks.

Raised by a single mother named Emi Kuroda, Ryōma grew up in poverty and often struggled socially and academically. He had an older sister, Hikari, who mysteriously vanished after leaving for America to attend school and escape the poor conditions. He was frequently bullied in school due to his financial situation and developed a strong sense of shame over his upbringing. As a teenager, Ryōma began stealing from those who bullied him, not out of malice, but out of desperation and survival.

Throughout his youth, Ryōma found it difficult to fit in, partly due to his below-average intelligence. He was never book-smart and had trouble with complex reasoning, which limited his opportunities in life. However, Ryōma developed a strong sense of street smarts, using simple tricks, scams, and petty theft to make ends meet. One of the few sources of joy in his otherwise bleak life was watching the anime series Princess Robot Bubblegum. He became an avid fan, collecting merchandise and quoting episodes by heart. The show's quirky heroism and over-the-top style gave him a rare sense of escapism and colour in a world that often felt grey.

When he was 11, a fire broke out in the tenement building where he and his mother lived. Ryōma had just returned home when he saw the smoke rising from the lower floors. Though his mother was rescued by neighbours, the apartment and everything they owned were lost. The incident—believed to be arson tied to a local gang dispute—left them homeless. Ryōma and his mother left Ōita for Fukuoka in search of more opportunities. At the age of 18, Ryōma barely finished high school and began working at a small mechanic shop on the outskirts of Fukuoka. Not long after, his mother was attacked by local thugs demanding protection money. She was hospitalized for weeks, and Ryōma found himself once again powerless and enraged. When the authorities dismissed the case and social workers offered only generic pamphlets and shallow concern, Ryōma’s trust in the system shattered. He felt useless.

One evening, during a late shift at the shop, a well-dressed man in an expensive foreign car stopped by for emergency repairs. While Ryōma worked, a few local thugs approached, trying to shake the man down. Without thinking, Ryōma stepped in, fumbling, nervous, but unexpectedly fierce. Ryōma managed to scare them off with a wrench in hand and a threat he barely believed himself. The man, surprisingly amused and impressed, revealed himself to be a mid-level Yakuza associate. He had already been watching Ryōma for a while, noting his discipline, loyalty to his mother, and raw skills.

Seeing potential in someone who had no illusions about the world, he offered Ryōma a chance to do something more 'meaningful.' Desperate and feeling like this was the only path where his loyalty could actually protect his mother, Ryōma accepted. It wasn’t an official induction at first, he started as an outside helper, fixing cars and running minor errands for the group. But over time, his reliability and willingness to take on the 'bad' jobs no one else wanted made him stand out. A year later, after completing a dangerous smuggling run under pressure and refusing to abandon the cargo despite a police tail, Ryōma was invited to an initiation ceremony held in an izakaya deep in the backstreets of Hakata. There, in a quiet room filled with smoke and low voices, he took the oath of loyalty and officially became a shatei of the group.

Ryōma was not a violent member and never killed anyone. Instead, he specialized in non-violent, low-level operations. Ryōma became known for scamming other criminals, particularly street-level dealers and smugglers under the guise of being an independent middleman. He also used his practical know-how to modify and upgrade vehicles for Yakuza logistics, making their getaway and delivery cars more efficient. Additionally, he ran errands like collecting debts (peacefully when possible), transporting goods, managing warehouse inventory, and setting up temporary safehouses.

Despite his usefulness, many within the group considered him dim-witted, frequently calling him "stupid" as if it were his actual name. They often told him to "shut up" during meetings, rolled their eyes at his enthusiasm, and dismissed his suggestions without consideration. His obsession with Princess Robot Bubblegum made things worse, he was regularly mocked for referencing the anime or for showing up with themed keychains or lunchboxes. Some members called him "Baka-Chan," "Dumb-Kun," or even "Captain Weeb" behind his back. Still, Ryōma took the ridicule in stride, clinging to the hope that his loyalty and dedication would one day earn him true respect. Ryōma’s primary motivation has always been to provide a better life for his mother and himself. From petty crime to organized work, his actions are aimed at giving her and secondarily himself stability and comfort. Ryōma also draws a clear line: he refuses to harm innocent people. Whether working a scam or running an errand for the group, he always avoids causing pain to those who haven’t earned it.

Now in his late twenties, Ryōma has been sent abroad by his Yakuza associates, partly as a way to expand low-risk operations but also to keep him out of internal disputes. One notable assignment took him to South Korea, where he was tasked with collecting a long-standing debt tied to illegal horse betting. The debtor, however, turned out to have ties to a local gang, and the job went sideways fast. Ryōma barely escaped with his life, forced to flee through the back alleys of Busan with nothing but a burner phone and a fake passport. The failed mission became an embarrassment within the group, though Ryōma’s survival earned him a sliver of respect from a few senior members. While not ambitious or ruthless, Ryōma remains loyal and dependable but rarely unprepared.

Expedition to Los Santos

At 27 years old, Ryōma was sent to Los Santos to help the Yakuza deal with the syndicates in the city for the third time. Initially, Ryōma operated under Yorinobu Honda’s command, assisting in surveillance efforts and coordination as the Yakuza sought to regain dominance in San Andreas. But tensions began to rise, internally and externally as their efforts stalled. Frustrated by a lack of progress, Yorinobu decided to take matters into his own hands and ordered Ryōma to join him in tracking down Edward McHaggis, viewing the mission as a chance to restore momentum.

By coincidence, they spotted Edward in a brown Corvette and gave chase through Strawberry, only to lose him on the highway. Ryōma, ever hopeful, proposed they search Paleto Bay. After hours of failure, they slept in their car near the Great Ocean Highway, waking cold and empty-handed. They later travelled to McKenzie Airfield and took an old plane once used by Hans Naumann. As they flew over Blaine County, Ryōma suggested searching the coast near the lighthouse an idea that, against the odds, led them to Edward’s Corvette parked near a small coastal house.

Returning to confront him, the two discovered their car had been impounded. Ryōma offered to use his anime-themed car instead, which Yorinobu found humiliating, unleashing his temper on a random civilian in the process. Ryōma intervened to prevent the man’s death, straining their dynamic even further. Eventually, they arrived at the house and confronted Edward. After a tense standoff, Ryōma against Yorinobu’s direct orders accidentally revealed that the Yakuza had Marty. The slip shattered any trust and exposed Yorinobu’s hand. Following the confrontation, Ryōma met secretly with Yue at Manta Trading & Exports. Disillusioned and disturbed by Yorinobu's behaviour, he questioned their entire mission and expressed doubt in Yorinobu’s leadership. Yue explained that their superior, Kensuke, was still in Japan and out of reach. There was little they could do.

Three days later, Ryōma received a call from Yorinobu claiming to have found a hidden cache belonging to Edward. The two met and drove out to an abandoned mine in the hills. Inside, under the dim glow of a flashlight, Ryōma turned to speak—only to find Yorinobu aiming a pistol at his head. Without ceremony, Yorinobu accused him of "ruining it for us all" and pulled the trigger, killing Ryōma instantly. Ryōma’s body was left in the mine, lost to the darkness and never recovered.

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.