Dark Signer

The Dark Signers are a mysterious group of duelists, who serve as antagonists to the Signers and primary antagonists for the second arc of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's.

When a person dies, he or she is given a chance to live by becoming a Dark Signer at the time of death. If they display a great will to live or a reason for revenge, an Earthbound Immortal may spare them turning them into a Dark Signer in the process. However due to this phenomenon which derives from the Underworld itself, there's no way to revert the transformation. As a Dark Signer, those individuals are given a great power and a great lust for revenge. With all the Dark Signers, with the exception of Carly, they hold some form a grudge against a Signer, which would provide an answer to why the Earthbound Immortals chose them. They are said to be no longer of the living world and incapable of reverting to their former selves.

They are capable of using a distinctive new type of monsters known as Dark Synchro Monsters which are black lined. Their Signature Card are the "Earthbound Immortals", along with the use of Field Spell cards in order to maintain the effects of these powerful beasts in a Duel.

History
The Earthbound Immortals are evil entities that were sealed in the Nazca Lines by the Crimson Dragon and the Five Dragons. Each one bore a dark mark on to five individuals who are known as the Dark Signers.

The Dark Signers possess an inborn drive to defeat the Signers, who each has a marking of the Crimson Dragon, over the course of 5,000 years.

The Dark Signers serve as gatekeepers to the door that leads to the underworld. This door resides within the first Enerdy generator built, located in Satellite. The Dark Signers plotted to open this gate to release the Earthbound Immortals. Knowing this, Rex Goodwin built the utopia New Domino City away from Satellite and restricted access between the two cities so that only those left in the Satellite would be harmed when this time came.

Rex's older brother, Rudger, was placed in charge of the first Enerdy System developed by Professor Fudo prior to the Zero Reverse incident that released the sealed Immortals from their 5000 year imprisonment. Having to be presumed killed by the accident, Rudger was reawakened as a Dark Signer.

Kyosuke Kiryu then became a Dark Signer after being sentenced to death but came back fueled with revenge against his former friend Yusei Fudo.

At some time Misty Lola was also transformed while suffering in hospital. After being spared, she was told by Ccarayhua to kill the servant of the Crimson Dragon, "Black Rose Dragon". Her hatred for the Black Rose duelist for allegedly killing her brother easily put Misty on this task.

After the Crimson Dragon appeared during the Fortune Cup, the Dark Signers began preaching in Satellite that the Crimson Dragon is evil and encouraging the people to stand with them for the sake of Satellite.

Using brainwashed victims, they began targeting the Signers, including Yusei Fudo and Jack Atlas, who were made to duel Dick Pitt and Trudge respectively. However, Jack dueled with Carly Nagisa's assistance, in both cases, the Signers emerged victorious.

Kiryu targeted Yusei, in Satellite and faced him in a Shadow Turbo Duel. He Summoned his Earthbound Immortal, "Ccapac Apu", which took the souls of many residents. Yusei was unable to finish the Duel due to an injury caused by his Duel Runner failing.

Carly was thrown off the Arcadia Movement building to her death by Divine, but was spared by an Earthbound Immortal. Misty sensed this and proceeded to the Arcadia Movement to face the Black Rose, Akiza Izinski. Carly faced Divine in a rematch. Both Dark Signers Summoned their Earthbound Immortals which took the souls of bystanders. Meanwhile, Demak was able to free Greiger from a police wagon because the guards' souls had been taken. Carly defeats Divine with her Earthbound Immortal, "Aslla piscu", causing the building to fall apart, and Divine falling down the building past the inside balconies. Misty and Akiza's Duel is interrupted and postponed due to the collapsing building.

The Signers learn from Rex Goodwin that the nature of Dark Signers dueling powers. Yusei is determined to return Kiryu to normal, questions Goodwin about returning them to normal. Goodwin reluctantly tells them that the change cannot be reverted as they are no longer of this world.



After a dark ritual, performed by the Dark Signers in the B.A.D. area, mysterious black fog covers all of Satellite, absorbing all residents near to this zone, apparently including Crow.

After Rudger's Shadow Duel against Yusei concludes, the rest of the Dark Signers show themselves to their rivals, the Signers as their final battle is about to begin. Currently, each Signer travels to one of the 4 controller for the Old Momentum where their corresponding rival is awating. However as Luna and Leo are taken by Trudge to controller where Demak is, she instead travels back to the Minus World in order to free Ancient Fairy Dragon. Thus because of this Leo who stumbles upon the controller with the monkey mark, finds Demak only to duel him in her place, trying to fulfill his promise of protecting her. After Demak summons his Earthbound Immortal - Cusillu, Luna returns from the Spirit World and takes Leo's place. Once Dark Signer sacrifice Ancient Fairy Dragon, so Cusillu's effect can be activated, Luna uses Respect Synchron, to summon Ancient Fairy Dragon to her side of the field, thus releasing her and using both Dragons to destroy Cusillu and defeat Demak.

Despite Demak's defeat and the apparent destruction of Cusillu, the Dark Signers prove to have a contingency plan. Greiger soon becomes his replacement, using a sixth Earthbound Immortal, Earthbound Immortal - Chacu Challhua. Later Greiger duels against Crow, who managed to have escaped the fog. However, Greiger was also defeated by Crow in a Turbo Duel where Chacu Challhua was apparently destroyed as well, and it is doubtful that the remaining Dark Signers will be able to obtain another replacement for both.

Brainwashing
Rudger has the ability to brainwash other people, by having a black spider latch onto a victim. The victim believes themself to be a Dark Signer, gains the spider dark mark and does the bidding of the real Dark Signers. While brainwashed, the victim's Duels become Shadow Duels and their Deck is changed to one more fitting to a Dark Signer.

The spell is lifted when the victim loses a Duel. At this point the spider is ejected from their body and erupts in a powder. The victim's Deck is then restored to normal and they have no memory of what happened while they were brainwashed.

People who become real Dark Signers are believed to brainwashed. Their motives are fueled by revenge. While some accept it to be their own free will, in Carly's her actions are not always as she wishes and appears as though she is possessed. Also, in Episode 53, Chacu Challhua openly possessed Greiger after he no longer wanted to continue fighting.

Shadow Duels

 * Main article: Shadow Duel.



When a Dark Signer engages in a Duel, the arena is surrounded by a forcefield of light, taking the shape of the Dark Signer's respected geoglyph and becomes a Shadow Duel. When a brainwashed Dark Signer servant engages in a Duel, the arena is instead surrounded by a purple glow.

During a Shadow Duel, players suffer real damage when attacked by monsters. The blasts from the attacks are fatal and often cause damage to the surroundings. Also, according to Divine during his duel with Carly Nagisa in episode 39, the effects from a Shadow Duel are more powerful and deadlier than that of Psychic Dueling.

Dark Synchro Summoning

 * Main article: Dark Synchro Summon.

The Dark Synchro and Dark Tuner monsters are exclusive to the Dark Signers. Dark Synchro Monsters are Synchro Summoned by sending to the Graveyard 1 Dark Tuner monster and 1 non-Dark Tuner Monster. The non-Dark Tuner Monster's Level minus the Dark Tuner Monster's Level must be equal to the Dark Synchro Monster's Level, which is negative. Currently Negative Levels do not exist in the real life card game.