Will Lan Di appear in Shenmue 3?

[amiga1200]

wouldn't be shenmue without the cause, and the effect.
no lan-di, no shemnue, end of!

[SMDzero]

suzuki said that shenmue 3 will end with an 'encounter with the 4 bosses'

Can you link where Yu Suzuki says this?

[Hyo Razuki]

suzuki said that shenmue 3 will end with an 'encounter with the 4 bosses'

Can you link where Yu Suzuki says this?

Q: Tell us about the stretch goals up to $3.6m?
YS: Firstly, I’ll talk about the stretch goals up until around the $3.6m mark, which are the most basic goals. The stretch goals up to $3.6m will achieve a story-oriented Shenmue. As further goals are reached, the content for various areas will be correspondingly expanded, but even with the story-oriented version, the plot will develop to reach a confrontation with the 4 leaders {of the Chiyoumen}.

http://www.shenmuedojo.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=48103

Also here in the video, the question comes up about 26 minutes in. He clearly says "Duel against the 4 bosses".

phpBB [video]

[Three Blades]

I disagree that there was no reason for him to be in S2.
Him being present while Ryo defeated one of his strongest henchmen made the battle so much more dramatic and intense. I loved how he gestured for the helicopter to stick around but not leave, because he wanted to observe the battle. You could tell that Dou Niu was pissed off, because of how he was forced to prove his worth in front of his master.
Also, for Ryo to have even gotten that far, it must have made Dou Niu look really incompetent in front of LanDi.
Lan Di's appearance in S2 was a huge tease and that scene would have been much less memorable if he hadn't been there. Also, before that, he might not even have known that Ryo was after him.

[SMDzero]

I just meant that Land Di COULD have been absent in Shenmue II. Ryo just got incredibly lucky to make it to the roof of the building at the exact right time Lan Di was apprehending Zhu.

Of course by game design Lan Di absolutely should have been in SII however briefly to keep the narrative thrust focused. By that same Logic Lan Di COULD be absent from SIII because Ryo will slowly begin to not even care about getting his vengeance.

[Hyo Razuki]

He won't be absent in S3 so why even bother? I think Suzuki-San has said it clearly enough.

Of course the plot might work with Lan Di being absent, I agree on this one but why theorize on something Suzuki-San clearly said the opposite of?