Kotori Mizuki (manga)

Kotori Mizuki (観月小鳥 Mizuki Kotori) is a character and one of the main protagonists of the Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL manga. Although not Dueling, Kotori has a big role in the series, serving as Yuma Tsukumo's important friend and main support.

Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL
Kotori is part of Yuma's circle of friends, together with Tetsuo, Cathy and Takashi. At school, when Yuma keeps challenging himself with impossible tasks with his "Kattobingu" spirit, while Tetsuo usually makes fun of him, Kotori is always worried. She reprimands Yuma for being so reckless, but at the same time encourages him, and is always on his side. Kotori once asked why he tries to do those impossible things, and he answers saying that the important thing is to challenge, and that when he is with the pendant his parents gave him, he feels like he could do anything.

One day, Kotori and Yuma find Tetsuo has been forced to Duel a guy nicknamed Shark, and after being defeated, he takes Tetsuo's Deck. Yuma confronts him, but Shark takes his pendant and breaks it. Enraged, Yuma challenges him to a Duel. Shark accepts it, and says that they will Duel on Sunday, in the train station.

Later, Yuma keeps searching for the other half of his broken pendant until late, and Kotori stays with him all the time. Tetsuo then appears and tells Yuma not to go, as he would never be able to win, and that it was a problem of his. But Yuma declines, saying that that's already a problem of his as well, as Shark broke his most important thing. Tetsuo then gives Yuma the other half of the pendant, saying that he found it accidentally. However, it can be clearly seen that Tetsuo was searching for it as well, judging by its hands. Sunday, when Yuma goes to Duel Shark, Kotori and Tetsuo go to watch the Duel and cheer Yuma up. During the Duel, as Astral appears to Yuma, Kotori gets worried about him talking "to himself". Yuma then asks if she and Tetsuo can't see Astral, and they say they can't. Later, when Yuma defeats Shark, Kotori and Tetsuo then congrats him in joy.

In the next day, at school, Yuma is greeted by Cathy, Kotori, Takashi and Tetsuo. Takashi says he heard Yuma won against Shark, surprising Yuma, while Tetsuo says he let it slip. Takashi says he didn't know that Yuma was actually a good Duelist and that he must have hidden, undiscovered talent. Cathy grabs Yuma's arm, saying he must have won through his power of "Kattobingu". Kotori asks if Cathy isn't getting a little too close to Yuma and Cathy asks why she has a problem with that. Kotori and Cathy begin to yell at one another, as Yuma falls over. At that time, Tokunosuke, who was hidden, watching him, determines that his next target will be Yuma, and he believes something fishy must have happened for Yuma to beat Shark. He soon later runs over to Yuma, asking him for his autograph, and gives him a "Baby Tiragon" card in gratitude.

The next day at school, Kotori tells Yuma that Tokunosuke was looking for him a minute ago to challenge him to a Duel after school. She tells him to be careful, as Tetsuo had heard many bad rumors about Tokunosuke. Yuma refuses to believe this, saying that Tokunosuke is a good guy. Later, Yuma meets him, telling him that he'd be happy to Duel. He responds that Duel will be held where everyone can see. Yuma and Tokunosuke then Duel. However, Tokunosuke uses "Baby Tiragon" to take control of Yuma's "Numbers", and reveals that the paper which Yuma signed was an agreement to bet on their best cards for the Duel. But Yuma uses "Baby Tiragon" together with "Stinging Swordsman" and manages to win. After the Duel, Yuma offers Tokunosuke "Baby Tiragon" back, but Tokunosuke lets it to Yuma. Tokunosuke then becomes friends with Yuma and the rest of the gang.

After a Numbers holder attempts to rob a shopping mall, Kaito Tenjo a Numbers Hunter, defeats him and absorbs his "Number", alongside with his soul. Akari was investigating about the incident and commented with Yuma about a "Numbers Hunter". Later, at school, Astral discussed with Yuma about that "Numbers Hunter", worried about what is his goal and if he would come after Yuma. However, Yuma didn't worry about that. As it was raining, everybody was in the class, wanting to go out and Duel. One of Yuma's classmates than suggests going to the gymnasium, and all rushed out towards there. In the way, it started raining more, and Kotori was getting behind. Yuma then told her to run, but when she was crossing the street, a truck was passing on it. Yuma immediately ran and pushed her out of the way, but now the truck was going to hit him. Yuma then notices he wasn't hit, and Astral finds the time has been stopped. Then, Kaito, the Numbers Hunter, appears. Kaito explains his servant robot, Orbital 7, has caused the time freeze, and then, forces Yuma to a Duel, betting his "Numbers" and his soul. With no option, Yuma Duels him. However, even with his "Kattobingu" spirit, he wasn't a challenge to Kaito, who dominated the Duel. When Kaito was about to win, Orbital 7 warns him his brother Haruto is in bad conditions, and Kaito immediately cancels the Duel and goes after him. With that, time goes back to normal, and Yuma falls on his knees, shocked on noticing how weak he is.

Upon his loss to Kaito, Yuma's spirit is totally broken. Kotori gets upset with that, and tries to do many things to cheer him up. First, she tries to Duel, but she fails at using the D-Pad. Next, she tries to jump over 20 blocks in the P.E. class, but hits her head at them. Later, she leaps form a high height at the pool, but ends up injured. Yuma and the whole gang take her to the hospital. Yuma yells at her saying to stop doing that dangerous things, and she yells back that its because Yuma is becoming a loser, and cries. This makes Yuma awkward, and he says that she is right and that he will do "Kattobingu" back from that on. Cathy than gets jealously, and start arguing with Kotori. Yuma explains about the "Numbers", and the gang start discussing about that. They then come up with the idea of creating the Numbers Club in order to help Yuma. The Club then start looking for clues about the "Numbers", and Tokunosuke finds an information that "Numbers" exist in the Heartland Theme Park. By that way, they take Yuma to the park. However, the owner of the park, Mr. Heartland, hired three Numbers Hunters, who work in the park, collecting "Numbers" secretly disguised as employees.

Yuma and his friends than go to the park, and have fun in many attractions. After trying many of them, they go to a roller coaster attraction called "Nature Crooz", owned by a popular character from the Theme Park, Captain Corn. However, Captain Corn is one of the Numbers Hunters from the park, and as soon as Yuma enters in the roller coaster, he splits the wagons, separating Yuma from his friends, and challenging him to a Duel betting the "Numbers".

While Yuma and Corn Duel, Kotori, Tetsuo, Cathy and Tokunosuke notice Yuma's missing, and try to leave to look for him. But Captain Corn traps and almost kills them. However, Cathy's agility saved the group, while Yuma managed to defeat Captain Corn. Yuma and his friend then meet, and eat Captain Corn, who exploded into a pile of popcorn due the explosion of Yuma's "Hope Buster".

When Astral absorbs Captain Corn's "Number", Mr. Heartland appears and reveals he is hunting the "Numbers" to destroy Astral's home, the Astral World, because it is evil, and Astral is the "messenger". Yuma defends Astral, which makes the others do as well, but Mr. Heartland clicks his fingers, and a kind of door opens in the floor, making them fall in the "Speed Loader", another attraction in the Theme Park. There, they find another Numbers Hunter from the Park, Thunder Spark, who challenges Yuma to a "Speed Duel" in the "Speed Loader". While Yuma and Astral Duel Spark, Kotori and the rest of the gang watch it from a helicopter offered by the attraction. When Yuma fell in the water, both Cathy and Kotori jumped from the helicopter to the water, doing "Catbingu", in order to save him. However, he soon came back on his own, making the girls' effort useless.

After jumping into the Speed Loader's river field in order to save Yuma, Tori and Cathy are soaked. They are inside a dark stone building, and notice a door in the opposite site of the building. It appears to be a dressing room, full of female clothes. Cathy and Kotori then borrow a dry dress for each. Tetsuo comments that the girls kept arguing the whole way to there, and that its odd how they suddenly look like friends, while Takashi complements saying that the situation shows how complicated a girl can be. Cathy and Kotori then ask Yuma if they are cute with that clothes, and start arguing about that. Seeing that the girls ahve a good relation, but keep arguing, Astral comments that its seems to be complicated to maintain a friendship. Takashi and Tokunosuke then notice a big door there, which they all pass by, entering a dark room, decorated with lots of creepy dolls, and featuring a big stairway leading to a Doll House. Suddenly, Cologne comes down the stairs, holding a candlestick. She welcomes them to her House of Dolls, and Astral notes she is Princess Cologne, who was known as the mascot of Heartland. They then notice she was also an enemy, and she confirms it, saying that Yuma and Astral won't get out of there. But when Cathy replies saying that a short like her cannot intimidate them, Cologne notices Tori and Cathy are using clothes from hers. The girls try to excuse, but Cologne doesn't listen to them, and enraged, throws the candlestick, which surrounds them with flames, and challenges Yuma to a Duel.

During the Duel, Cologne reveals about her past. Cologne was once a doll, who was bought by a rich girl. However, that rich girl soon bought a new doll, forgetting about Cologne, and abandoning her. She was then sent to the disposal plant of Heartland. There, Dr. Faker picked her up and gave her a life. And then, crying, yells that she doesn't want to be a miserable doll anymore. This feeling strike Yuma and the others, making Yuma hesitate about the Duel. At that time Cathy notes she was the girl who abandoned Cologne. She gets awkward and confused about what to do, but when she decides telling the truth, Kotori says that she was the one who abandoned her, and apologizes. She did this so that Cologne soothed her anger, and that Yuma could concentrate in the Duel, but Cologne knows she is lying, and gets even angrier, throwing oil in the fire surrounding them so that it gets higher, almost hitting them.

When Yuma defeats Cologne, the impact of his "Number" throws her to inside the Doll House, which was in fire. At that time, Cathy dove into the flames and tries to save her, saying that she was the one who abandoned Cologne, and had to save her. Cathy's noble attitude makes shocked Yuma and Kotori. In her haste, Cathy mistakenly grabbed one of Cologne's dolls instead of Cologne. This time, Yuma decides to go save Cologne, but, who comes out of the Doll House carrying her in his arms is Grandpa Demetto. Cologne's soul was supposed to leave her body, but Demetto gave her his own soul, which allowed her to keep alive. While he sends Cologne out of the fire towards Yuma, he is engulfed by the flames together with the field.

Cologne mourns the death of Demetto, who she loved. As she had nowhere to go now, Yuma invites her to live with him in his house. Cologne asks him why he is doing that, and he answers saying that everybody that Duels him becomes his friend. Cologne accepts Yuma's invitation, becoming friends with him and the rest of the gang.

Later, Yuma and the members of the Numbers Club gather in Cathy's house. Everyone get impressed at her mansion. Astral comments that it is much better than Yuma's house. Cathy then tells Yuma that if he marries her, all that would be his, and Kotori doesn't believe she said that and yells at her. Cathy apologies with Cologne, and tells her that she can live there if she wants to. However, she just turns around and says that she likes Yuma's house better, and that she prefers love to money. Tetsuo then asks Cathy what she wanted to show them. She then presses a cat paw-like button, which opens a door leading to a big room, with many researchers and big computers. Cathy explains that as an apology for the trouble she caused, the Numbers Club's headquarters would be established there, where they can look up mysterious phenomenons happening throughout the world, and therefore, locate the "Numbers". While the guys get amazed on the technology and say how Cathy is really put into it, Kotori sarcastically says Cathy is letting her money do the talking, while she replies saying asking if Kotori could do that. Yuma says that finding the "Numbers" is not a game, to which Astral replies saying that yet it was heartening, and advising Yuma to tell the others about the previous day.

Yuma then tells them that Astral told him that now he got three "Numbers", some of his memories have returned. Yuma asked what he remember, and Astral says his enemy is Dr. Faker, who plans on using the hidden powers of the "Numbers" to destroy the Astral World; However, it is linked to this world. So, if the Astral World dies, this one will die as well. Kotori asks if that's for real, and Yuma answers saying that Astral doesn't lie - in fact, he can't lie. Cathy asks what is that hidden power of the "Numbers", but Astral haven't regained that much memory yet. Takashi asks if Dr. Faker knows both worlds are connected, and Cologne says that he brought her to life, but that he is a really scary scientist, and that she wouldn't put it past him. Takashi and Tokunosuke get scared on how he knows about that fact but still wants to destroy the Astral World, and on how a man like that is collecting the "Numbers". Yuma says that they have to get the "Numbers" first to stop Dr. Faker's plans, and Tetsuo then deduces the fate of the world is riding on this. Then, everyone, except for Tokunosuke, gets spirited up and say that they will keep on collecting the "Numbers", and that the Numbers Club will protect the world.

Yu-Gi-Oh! D Team ZEXAL


In the spin-off manga Yu-Gi-Oh! D Team ZEXAL, Kotori forms a Dueling Team with Tetsuo, Takashi and Yuma, called Team ZEXAL. Yuma is accompanied by a Dueling Ghost called Astral, but he can only be seen by Yuma. By that way, when Yuma talks to him, the others think he is talking to himself. This, in addition with Yuma's arriving late for the team's first meeting, makes Kotori and Takashi worry about Yuma being the leader, and Tetsuo challenges him to a Duel - if Tetsuo wins, he will be the leader. Yuma accepts the challenge, and wins, so that others accept him as the leader.