Axel Brodie

Axel Brodie, known in Japan as Austin O'Brien (オースチン・オブライエン, Ōsuchin Oburaien) is a new student hailing from West Academy who enters Duel Academy in the third year. A battle-hardened and efficient mercanary, he is introduced as Professor Viper's right-hand man, but later joins Jaden after Viper's dubious actions caused him to betray Viper and subsequently to be imprisoned by Viper.

Axel wields a retractable Duel Disk resembling a gun which can be stored in a holster at his waist. In the past, he trained extensively with his father (a mercenary) on jungle terrain, learning the art of survival. During his time at West Academy, he adapted these skills to the performance of life-threatening wire stunts to master his drawing technique.

Character biography
Unlike the other overseas champions, Axel and Professor Viper do not leave their cabins for the duration of the journey to Duel Academy. The two of them do, however, meet to discuss matters in private. Shortly after the beginning of the third year, Viper orders Axel to engage in a Survival Duel (Dis-Duel) with Jaden Yuki. While Viper regards him as his "long-cherished hope," he does not care whether Axel claims victory or is defeated; his true interests lie in the realization of Jaden's full potential as a duelist, so that his Bio-Bands (Dis-Belts) may absorb all his duel energy. Before Axel has the opportunity to confront him, he is approached by Syrus Truesdale, who he takes hostage in order to gain Jaden's cooperation. During the duel, he is reminded of one of his father's teachings by Jaden's determination and spirit: although he is a "dog of battle," he must also protect his own life and be a passionate and burning warrior. He resolves to facing Jaden on his own terms, which Viper considers traitorous, but ultimately allows himself to be defeated in order to complete his mission.

Unsettled by the differences between the Survival Duels of West Academy and those taking place on the island, Axel searches Viper's hideout, discovering that he is operating out of the abandoned lab where Wheeler (SAL) was trained. Arriving there moments after the duel between Chazz Princeton and Adrian Gecko, he demands that Viper reveal his true intentions for coming to Duel Academy. When the man refuses and insults his father, Axel attacks him, but is locked in a pit for his insolence. He eventually escapes and assists Jaden and company in reaching Viper. He is later found alive after having seemingly been crushed under a facility door.

Axel joins Jaden and the others in a mission to rescue Jesse Anderson from the alternate dimension. After Jaden becomes the Supreme King, he and Jim Crocodile Cook team up to oppose him. Upon witnessing Jim's defeated, Axel is alarmed by Haou's strength and lack of remorse, and runs away scared from the castle with the Eye of Orichalcum in tow. Deeply disturbed, Axel tries to hide from Haou, but after encouragement from some villagers that opposes Haou as well as Jim's sacrifice, Axel defends the village from the Surpeme King Army, thus becoming a local hero. He then teams up with Aster Phoenix, Zane Truesdale, and Syrus Truesdale an assaults Haou's castle, bypassing The Duelists of Death and challenging Haou to a duel. The duel ends up as a stalemate, but Axel is able to lift Jaden's possession of Haou with the Eye of Orichalcum at the cost of his own life.

Voice/Mannerisms
In the Japanese version, he occasionally speaks in Engrish, and uses the word, "sōten" (送達) when sending monsters to the graveyard to activate the effects of his Blaze Accelerator cards, thereby "dispatching" them. In the English dub, Axel speaks in a voice imitative of Eddie Murphy. The character he is named for, Axel Foley, was played by Murphy in the "Beverly Hills Cop" films.

Deck
Axel plays a Volcanic Burn (ヴォルカニック・バーン, Borukanikku Bān) Deck, the concept of which is derived from the similarity between the words "Volcanic" and "Vulcan". With his Blaze Accelerator card, Axel is able to repetitively launch his "Volcanic" monsters at his opponent's field to destroy their monsters, though the often used Volcanic Shell and Volcanic Scattershot also possess built-in abilities that simulate the action of reloading a weapon, bringing more copies of the same cards to his hand when certain conditions are met. His signature card, Volcanic Doomfire, brings together a devastating combination of field destruction and Direct Damage capacities.