Haruka Sawamura

Although Kazuma Kiryu is the player character for Yakuza, writer Toshihiro Nagoshi refrained from calling him the protagonist as the narrative was focused on the character Haruka Sawamura who has a character arc instead in the game. The same basis was used for Yakuza 2 where the narrative focuses more on the new character Kaoru Sayama rather than Kiryu.[1] Nagoshi said that Kiryu and Haruka trying to live a "more 'human' life" throughout Yakuza 3.[2]

When Haruka was confirmed playable in Yakuza 5, Nagoshi refrained from revealing her gameplay, but still noted it would be too different the other members from the cast.[3] Sega claims that thanks to Haruka's characterization Sega was able to produce new types of gameplay in Yakuza 5.[4] When asked about the character in her debut as playable Nagoshi said "this is the first time we’ve included a female protagonist Haruka Sawamura. The game's overall theme is dreams, and the game follows the lives of those people who are pursuing their dreams."[5]

Yakuza 6 focuses on the family relationship between Kiryu and Haruka after years of being separated.[6] In retrospective Nagoshi stated that while Haruka aged in Yakuza 5 notably in comparison to her debut, she was still the same character. He added that while Haruka was originally "a presence that you constantly have to think about her at the centre of things", this type of focus was decreased in later games. As a result, with the appearance of Haruka's son, Haruto, in Yakuza 6, the write believes that Haruka was once again the center of attention to the audience even if she is not present. In regards to Haruka's presence, Nagoshi wanted the premise to focus on the new characters related to Haruka.[7]

Haruka's voice actress is Rie Kugimiya who found her character "refreshing" in the cast of the series.[8] Kugimiya's role was found challenging by the developers but in the end they found it appealing. Kugimiya regarded Haruka difficult due to Haruka's complicated background.[9]

Introduced in Yakuza, Haruka is a young girl searching for her mother, Mizuki, who evidence seems to indicate is Yumi's younger sister. Haruka is also somehow connected to the money that went missing before Kiryu's release. A combination of these reasons and pure chance leave Haruka in Kiryu's tentative custody. Across the story, Kiryu learns that Mizuki was actually Yumi who could no take care of her daughter due to the danger that surrounds her. Haruka's corrupted father tries to kill they but Yumi sacrifices herself. After Yumi's death, Kiryu decides to adopt Haruka and start a new life. Her father was Jingu, the head of the MBI. Haruka was abandoned at birth by her mother and grew up as an orphan until she met Kazuma Kiryu who took care of her as a father figure.

In Yakuza 2, she is 10 years old. Haruka has lived with Kiryu as her stepfather since the events of the first game. In the beginning of the game she decided to spend some time in Sunshine Orphanage to not be a thorn in the way of Kiryu's investigation of Terada's murder. In chapter 11, she is kidnapped by Senguku and his men as they attempt to lure Kiryu to the Osaka castle to kill him; in the end he manages to defeat Sengoku's men and rescue Haruka with Ryuji's help.

In Yakuza 3, Haruka now lives in an Okinawan orphange with Kiryu and a group of other orphans while attending to school. She does not pay a major role in the direct sequel Yakuza 4 with the exception of nursing the wounded Saejima Taiga with Kiryu's help and later is against about Kiryu returning to Kamurocho again due to her fear of losing her.

In Yakuza 5, she is 16 years old, and becomes one of the five playable characters. In 2012, Haruka has left the orphanage in Okinawa and is currently in Osaka pursuing her childhood dream of becoming an Idol. Despite the stress of the career, Haruka manages to rise in popularity while working in Sotenbori but is shocked when her aid Park is reported to have committed suicide. As she meets money lender Shun Akiyama, the two realize that Park did not kill herself and instead was murdered. As a result, Haruka and Akiyama go to search the true behind Park's murder. While debuting as an idol in Tokyo, Haruka regrets her life choices especially when learning she was still being aided by Kiryu due to a war within the yakuzas who were aiming to ruin the concert. As a result, Haruka quits her dream and returns to her adoptive father in the ending.

In Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, Haruka abandons Sunshine in regret for how she is being hummilliated by the media. Following his three year absence due to prisons, Kiryu returns to Kamurocho to search for Haruka, and finds out that she has been left in a coma after a hit and run incident, and that she has an infant son, Haruto. As a Kiryu travels to the town of Onomichi, he learns that Haruka has enjoying a friendly relationship with Yomei Alliance's Hirose family, entering into a relationship with Yuta Usami. However, upon learning of Yuta being the heir of the Saio Triad, she was attacked by Tatsukawa. During the story, Haruka recovers and decides to start a family with Yuta and Haruto in Sunshine but during a battle, Kiryu fakes his death to protect Onomichi's legacy and both of them.

Critical reception to Haruka has been positive. Vandal claimed that Haruka's meeting with Kiryu was the one of the biggest points from the series due to how their relationship develops until Yakuza 6.[11] RPGamer criticized that in her debut Haruka is kidnapped multiple times in the story, making the game ridiculous.[12] Destructoid reported that the cutscenes involving Kiryu and Haruka were the most entertaining parts of the series.[13] PCInvasion regarded Haruka's relationship with Kiryu as the strongest part from Yakuza Kiwami as they develop a strong bond with Haruka's traits making Kiryu less stoic to the point of comparing them as a daughter and a father, respectively.[14] In a 2018 popularity poll, Haruka was voted as the 17th the best Yakuza character.[15] GamesRadar listed her as one of gaming's best female character due to her care towards other members from the cast in Yakuza series.[16]

Many commenters focused on her debut as playable character. USGamer appreciated playing as Haruka in Yakuza 5 due to the change of pace Sega provided after multiple types of fighters in the narrative and felt that her long distanced relationship with her adoptive father was the most appealing area of the game.[17] HobbyConsolas stated while idols might not be interesting to Western gamers, Haruka still offered more variety to the game.[18] GameSpot also liked the handling of her story due to how the character has matured ever since her debut although the reviews had mixed opinions about Haruka's career.[19] Egmnow praised how Haruka's character stands out across the series starting with how Kiryu finds her in a store alone and how she grows into a popular idol in Yakuza 5. As a result, the writer believes Haruka added "a feminine touch" in into a narrative focused on masculine fighters.[20] Polygon wrote an article about how Haruka is relevant in a narrative filled with toxic masculinity, she is still depending on others including Kiryu and Akiyama despite achieving her dreams of becoming an idol.[21] IGN liked how surprising was the option to play as Haruka due to how different she is from other characters.[22] Meanwhile, RPGFan considered Haruka's gameplay to be most outstanding in the game due to how the mechanics emulate Kiryu's fight as Haruka has to keep her own health meter during dance fights.[23]

There has been commentary about Haruka's role in Yakuza 6.Destructoid liked the handling of Kiryu, due to his more serious personality caused by Haruka's crisis.[24] GameRevolution shared similar comments, mainly on how Haruka also has been developing in previous games to stay close to her adoptive father and it was this time Kiryu's quest to protect her in Yakuza 6.[25] Kotaku claimed while Haruka's newfound happiness with Haruto serves a positive note to close Kiryu's arc, the fact that Kiryu survives and leaves reduced the tension the player has.[26]