Yusei Fudo

Yusei Fudo is the 18 year old protagonist of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's and is one of the Signers. He is known for his genius style dueling, his considerable duel skill, and his cool and clever personality. He uses a Bike-themed Duel Disk called a Duel Runner.

In comparison to other series' protagonists, Yusei is very different than Jaden Yuki in personality, but quite similar to Yami Yugi. He has a far more calm and serious attitude than either of them, but is protective of his friends and shares a bond with his cards, like Yugi and Jaden.

Character design
Yusei's character is designed by Shuji Maruyama. He has startling blue eyes and black hair with yellow highlights. The upper layer of his hair points upward while the lower layer points down. Yusei wears a long-sleeved blue jacket with a high collar and amber gems over a sleeveless black shirt with a red symbol. His lower body consists of jeans and a belt. After Episode 5, he acquires a jagged criminal marker on the left side of his face. His Dragon Birthmark is a red outline of a tail.

Character biography
Jack Atlus, the Turbo Duel Champion and Yusei's former best friend in Satellite, stole the Duel Runner Yusei made himself and his best card, Stardust Dragon before becoming a resident of Neo Domino City and the "Turbo Duel King." Yusei vowed to get back his card at all costs, even sneaking out of Satellite and into Neo Domino to find Jack.

After building a new Duel Runner with the help of Rally Dawson, Yusei ventures to Neo Domino City to recover Stardust Dragon from Jack. In the process, he runs into Tetsu Ushio, a Public Order Security officer, who wrongfully accuses Yusei of stealing a Duel Runner and assisting in Rally's escape. Ushio agrees to duel Yusei under the condition that if Yusei won, he would forget the events of that day. After accepting the challenge and losing, Ushio swears to crush Yusei, but lets him go.

Yusei manages to find Jack, who tosses Stardust Dragon back to him, telling Yusei he can have it. Yusei refuses, saying that he would rather duel him for it to prove he can get it on his own. Jack agrees, but their Turbo Duel is interrupted by the appearance of a Crimson Dragon right before the winner is determined. The Dragon bestows both Jack and Yusei with a birthmark and Yusei is arrested shortly after for trespassing into Neo Domino while Jack leaves safely. Rex Godwin and Jeager, who had been monitoring the duel, reveal that if the Crimson Dragon hadn't appeared, Jack would've lost.

After his arrest, Yusei got a marker, signifying his criminal record, and was sent to a detention camp where he met Yanagi Tenzen. He informs Yusei of the Crimson Dragon and the Signers, telling him that those who have the birthmarks were chosen by the People of the Stars. Yusei's birthmark is the Crimson Dragon's Tail, which appears on his arm when he fights alongside Stardust Dragon or encounters another Signer. He also learns of Jin Himuro, a former Pro Duelist, from Tenzen who later duels him and loses. After Himuro calls Tenzen's cards "trash," Yusei offers a rematch against himself using Tenzen's deck. Yusei wins the duel and Himuro offers his assistance to him after defeating the corrupt warden Takasu and gaining their freedom. Although freed, Yusei retained his status as a criminal due to his marker, and therefore can be arrested by the authorities at any time.

Yusei is later given refuge by the twins Luka and Luna, but fearing that he would only cause them trouble, he leaves only to be threatened into not only staying, but also participating in the Fortune Cup by Rex Godwin's crony, Jeager. Yusei is later given more incentive to participate when Jack gives Stardust Dragon back and personally demands that he face him. In the quarter-finals of the Fortune Cup, Yusei faced Hunter Pace, disguised as Shira and won, moving to the semifinals. His opponent in the semifinals is Bommer.

After Yusei defeats Bommer, Bommer attempts to take revenge on Godwin for what he did to his village, but Yusei manages to stop him. Before security takes Bommer away, he tells Yusei to fulfill his own mission.

Yusei faces Akiza Izayoi in the finals. Previously he had thought that she only felt anger and rejection. But after Akiza's first move, he notices and points out, that she has a pleasure and joy for destruction. Akiza replies that that cannot be true, however later on the duel,after people insult her again,she accepts it all because of being the "Black Rose Witch". According to her,this other side of her is the one who enjoys destruction all because of the powers caused by the Dragon's Birthmark. He learns that after she was found by Divine he told her to feel but not to think,to let him do that for her. Even still she puts on her mask just to feel, this prompts Yusei to fight on this duel to change her.

Which by the end of the duel begins as he says that her pain which came from all the destruction she caused was turn into one that all of other Signers shared. Yusei tells her that the birthmark may hold the answer for her pain, but in order to find out she must think and love herself. Akiza still intends to deny this by winning the duel without noticing ,as pointed out by Yusei,who has seen through her,that she is crying. Thus he eventually wins, resulting in her mask cut in half due to Cosmic Blast and after she falls, Akiza tells him to "help her".

Deck
Yusei's Deck uses many speed themed cards and revolves around the Synchro Summoning of the "Warrior" Synchro Monsters, "Junk", "Nitro" and "Turbo". Most of his non-Synchro Monsters are low in Level, giving him more fine control over which Synchro Monster he is able to summon at a given time.

Yusei uses 2 decks, one for Turbo Duels and one for normal duels. Many of his cards run a theme on "Junk," possibly referencing his humble scrap-yard home and salvaging tendencies. This also reflects his often-stated personal belief that "there's no such thing as a worthless card."

In his Lightning Deathmatch against Takasu, Yusei used a Deck made of cards given to him by inmates at the detention center. Many of the monsters in this Deck are outlaws or otherwise unsavory.