Thinking about some Yas HCs just going to info dump below.
I've been RPing Yasuo for years now and I've always stood firmly by using Bushido as a set of core values for him. You'll note in a lot of his stories / canon writing and his voice lines, he holds these values very dearly so Riot also drew clear inspo from Bushido and Miyamoto when creating him. That's why I can't write him as a jerk, I don't think a Samurai would behave anything short of kind, compassionate, and fair.
Being more specific to dragon verse, as I'm just going default him to that verse, I believe in this verse he has more or less mastered Bushido whereas when he was younger (which I'd be happy to offer writing him younger if requested) I think his pride, impulsiveness, and depression often got in the way of him fully acting out his passion towards following Bushido and good nature as a character.
The reason I believe he has "mastered" Bushido at this point is because of the lore behind dragon verse. How I essentially see it, and how it reads to me, is Yasuo continued to wander after his confrontation with Yone (and Ruined King if that even technically happened? I was not a fan of him in Ruined and it felt off base, Ruined Event felt kinda everywhere so I don't draw a lot from it other than Yasuo went to Bilgewater with Ahri for a time).
Anyway, Yasuo continued to wander, right? At this point he confronted his demon and has to realize like.. Hey, I live like this?
So he takes that realization that Yone caused and he looks to further better himself, he strayed away from Bushido for such a long time and now realized why this happened ("no more running"). He starts travelling to help others and better the world, in this, we look several years down the line where Yasuo sees a village and helpless people about to be attacked by an army and stands between the two. He wins the battle with the help of one dragon, he almost dies and another dragon is moved by his music and saves him.
I believe this act was the biggest testament to Yasuo's over all growth as a character, honestly, no one can tell me DD/TD (truth dragon and dream dragon) Yasuo is not just an older and "good timeline" Yasuo. That's why I'm such a fan of writing him to this verse (even though I technically just consider this canon verse for him), I think it really showcases his character.
So, who really is Yasuo now?
He has gone from, as I said, impulsive, prideful, and depressed to showcasing his patience, kindness, loyalty, and now much more positive outlook. He looks to make the world a better place with the strength he was gifted and has a wide array of ability that surpass his younger self with the power of the dragons.
I believe the Truth Dragon gifts him stronger prowess in battle, although he has still at this point mastered his wind / sword technique, I believe it is heightened with the TD. I believe as well, judging from his lines, this dragon brings out an ability to read someone with clarity. Yasuo already valued Makota (honesty / sincerity) but TD brings a whole ass power to it where the TD can help he see through deceit and be the judge / jury for evil intent.
I believe TD also speaks to Chu (Duty + Loyalty), Yu (Heroic Courage), and Meiyo (Honor).
Looking more toward Dream Dragon, I don't think this dragon gives him any sort of combat prowess; we will leave that more towards TD's area of expertise. I believe DD is more associated towards his passion, speaking most to Jin (Compassion) for the Bushido principles. I believe this dragon does give him ability to heal at accelerated rate and provides protection, which could be used in defensive combat but it's very minimal as Yasuo is still mortal.
In terms of actual power, I believe DD provides ability to sooth with his music / voice and see the dreams / ambitions of those he meets. This may seem not as powerful and cool as TD but it offers a lot in cases of strategic battling and help in social situations. DD is also his default when he's not in combat as it's just... Every day Yasuo being his passionate, kind self. TD gets pulled out when it's time to battle, DD dictates when it is time to battle and at what cost.
DD Yasuo has a strong sense of empathy, compassion, and looking more towards the greater good. Again, this is his default unless he is met in battle. TD is "it's time to fight because I must fight for the greater good", that fit only comes out sometimes when necessary.
Some bonus thoughts.
Yone? That's the question, Yone?
Yasuo, at this point and every point since his brother departing him after the fight with his demon, has wanted to build on a relationship with Yone. He wants Yone to see him, noted in this skin as well.
"Do you know my face, brother? Will I ever meet yours?"
"When I close my eyes I see you, my brother. Now you stand before me, like a stranger..."
At this point we ask ourselves, is Yasuo still the bad guy? Does he really deserve to pretty much not have a brother?
I think Yasuo is in a position where he can rebuild and maintain a relationship. However, it is hard to say Yone is in a position where he will pursue that and thus why having this relationship with Yone is referred to merely as a dream for Yasuo. Yasuo is willing to confront Yone, but I don't believe Yone wants anything with Yasuo. I don't think either are the bad guy right now, but I think Yasuo wants more from their relationship.
Yone really living up to the "Unforgotten" title, even after all this time, Yasuo still wants to be apart of his life. I'm sure deep down, Yasuo wants Yone to see that he has become the man Yone wanted from him when he was younger; sadly, Yone may be too far gone in his attitude and his duties with the Azakana to see that in his brother.
...Riven....?
This character I don't bring up too much, Riot introduced the narrative that Yasuo moved on from her and I respect that decision. Yasuo has better things to do and concern himself with instead of proving he wasn't the killer, he knows now that proving that wasn't the point and it was to atone for everything that followed and abandoning his post. Riven is dependent on any Riven I RP with, but I don't necessarily see them as instant friends at the moment. He knows her, he sees her, he accepts her - he would not actively seek anything with her but he passes no blame.













