Yami Bakura

Yami Bakura, known as Dark Bakura in the manga and Japanese version, is the evil spirit of the Millennium Ring.

After Ryo Bakura came into possession of the Millennium Ring, his body became host to the spirit, allowing Yami Bakura to freely take control of Ryo. Yami Bakura is the longest running, and most prominent villain in the entire series present for nearly every season but does not act as the major antagonist until the final season. His role towards the heroes consistently shifts from secondary villain to the primary antagonist during the final season of the original Yu-Gi-Oh series.

Design


Yami Bakura's character design was overseen by Kazuki Takahashi.

Yami Bakura usually wears whatever Bakura was dressed in. In the Duelist Kingdom arc he wears a white wool sweater and green undershirt. His usual outfit in following seasons consists of a blue open shirt over a blue and white horizontally striped t-shirt. His white hair is pointed downwards in various directions and trails half way down his back.

His hair points in more directions than Ryo Bakura's and becomes noticeably more stiff and rigid rather than Ryo's smooth flowing hair. Part of his bangs angle upward like horns when Yami Bakura is in control. He wears the Millennium Ring on a cord around his neck. In the Battle City arc as Yami Bakura he often wears a KaibaCorp Duel Disk on his left arm.

In the Millennium World arc, Yami Bakura wore a black trenchcoat with the collar flipped up, as an addition to this outfit. However, during his final duel with Yugi he reverts to his Battle City attire.

Origin
Pharaoh Atem defeated Zorc Necrophades by sealing Zorc's soul in the Millennium Ring. Although he did not remember being Zorc Nechrophades, he knew that for some reason he wanted to collect all of the Millennium Items.

Murder of Shadi
An unknown number of years before the events of the series Thief King Bakura murdered Shadi the guardian of the Millennium Items, most likely because Bakura wanted the Millennium Items from him but couldn't get Shadi to give the items to him. However Shadi lived on as a spirit.

Reawakening
3,000 years later (5,000 in the English anime), Ryo Bakura's father bought the Millennium Ring, which he passed onto Ryo.

The spirit of Zorc in the Millennium Ring, which came to be known as "Yami Bakura" ("Dark Bakura" in the manga and Japanese versions) became able to take control of Ryo Bakura's body, while Bakura was in possession of the Ring.

Monster World
In the first anime series through his host Bakura, Dark Bakura played RPGs including Monster World with many people, though Yami Bakura turned the innocent sounding games into Shadow Games. As a Penalty Game, the loser often had their soul trapped in a miniature to be used as a Monster World non-playable character, leaving the victims' bodies in comas. Bakura often had to change schools as a result of this.

After transferring to Domino High School, Ryo Bakura is picked on by Mr. Karita, a teacher at the school. Dark Bakura plays a Shadow Game with Karita, turning him into a miniature. That night, Dark Bakura talks to Bakura for the first time, telling Bakura that he is his new host and that he has his sights set on acquiring Yugi Mutou's Millennium Puzzle.

Bakura sets up a miniature "Monster World" game, to play with Yugi, Katsuya Jonouchi, Hiroto Honda and Anzu Mazaki (in the Toei anime, Miho Nosaka also plays). Bakura tries to warn his friends, and get them to leave, but Dark Bakura takes over and invites them in, while pretending to be Bakura.

Each of the group picks a type of monster they wish to play as, and Bakura seals them inside miniatures of their selected monsters.

Ryo Bakura managed to emerge during the RPG, taking control of the body's left hand. Ryo Bakura intentionally fumbled several critical dice rolls, giving Yugi an edge in the game. Once Dark Bakura realized this, he impaled his good self's controlled hand on a tower spire of the game board's castle, laughing madly. Ryo Bakura then sealed his soul into a pair of possessed dice. He caused the dice to shatter, effectively ending the game, though killing himself in the process.

The good Bakura is dead when Dark Yugi reaches him. His avatar in the RPG is still animated, however, and White Mage Bakura uses his power as a level 13 mage to bring him back to life. When doing this, Dark Bakura is also placed back together with him.

Duelist Kingdom
Yami Bakura is a minor villian in this arc. Although not a participating player, Bakura snuck onto the Duelist Kingdom island for the tournament.

In an anime only part of the storyline, Yami Bakura traps Yugi Muto, his friends and Ryo Bakura in their favorite Duel Monsters cards, in an effort to take Yugi's Millennium Puzzle, thus forcing Yami Yugi to face him in a Shadow Game in order to free them. Bakura uses serveral Morphing Jar's to discard Yugi's monsters he also uses card like Man-Eater Bug to destroy monster and Change of Heart to turn opponent's monster against each other.

However the duel ended with Yami Yugi switching evil Bakura and good Bakura's places then Yugi Muto attacks Evil Bakura and sends him to the Shadow Realm. The events of this Duel were similar to those of the Monster World RPG. This Duel was used to make up for the second series anime not including the Monster World storyline.

When Yami Bakura tried to use "Change of Heart" to turn Yugi, as the Dark Magician, against his friends, Ryo Bakura took the form of the card and interfered with the Duel. He attempted to sacrifice himself so Yugi could win, but Yami Yugi switched the places of Bakura and Yami Bakura's souls, resulting in Yami Bakura's defeat and him being sent to the Graveyard. Afterward, he was assumed to be dead, trapped in the Shadow Realm.

Ryo Bakura then stayed with the group until the night of the finals of Duelist Kingdom, at which point he, Tristan Taylor, and Téa Gardner go on an adventure through Pegasus's castle. Pegasus catches them and sends the three of them to the Shadow Realm, along with himself. Yami Bakura takes this opportunity to take back Bakura, then sends everybody back to their rooms, plotting to take both Yugi's Millennium Puzzle and Pegasus' Millennium Eye.

The manga differs significantly in regards to Bakura's involvement within the Duelist Kingdom. Having seemingly overcome the power of the Milennium Ring after the Monster World incident, Bakura keeps the item with him under the belief that he will not be possessed unless he wears it. As he travels with Yugi and his friends he begins to fall under the influence of the ring once again. Yami Bakura makes his presence known to Ryo once more after the battle with Para and Dox. As the group searches for the right exit from the labyrinth, the spirit of the Ring tells Ryo that they would remain trapped in the maze forever unless Bakura were to put the ring on again and let the spirit use him once more. Reluctantly, Bakura accepts, allowing Yami Bakura to point out the correct exit (something which Yami Yugi himself had not figured out) before seemingly letting Bakura have control again.

Later, at the beginning of Yugi's duel with Pegasus, Bakura hears Tristan's idea of trying to find the bodies Pegasus took the souls from, and Yami Bakura is intrigued about the plan, taking over Bakura's body again. Somewhat ironically he actually saves Tristan from Pegasus' guards while the two of them searched for a way to escape, utilizing the card Man-Eater Bug, and his shadow magic. Tristan is still somewhat disturbed by Bakura's sadistic enjoyment that he got from torturing the guards before he killed them (in the English version he sent them to the Shadow Realm). After Tristan realizes who he is, Yami Bakura revealed that he intended to use the soulless Mokuba, which Tristan had previously rescued, as a host, and threatens to kill Tristan if he tries to stop him. Tristan, however, manages to catch Yami Bakura off guard, knocking him out. Tristan then threw the Millennium Ring into the jungle.

Somehow, however, the ring still reappeared on Bakura, and Yami Bakura was still in control, which went unbeknownst to Yugi and company until Yugi and Bakura's rematch in the Battle City finals. After Pegasus' defeat at the hands of Yami Yugi, Yami Bakura challenged Pegasus to another Shadow Game, for possession of Pegasus' Millennium Eye. This involved lasers that came from their items. Yami Bakura easily wins. Pegasus is freaked out when Bakura tells him that he has lived for centuries, Bakura then told Pegasus his intentions and took his Millennium Eye. In the Manga this act kills Pegasus but in the Anime he survives but goes properly unseen until the Waking the Dragons. When Yugi and the gang left the island on Kaiba's helicopter, Bakura looked at the Eye and licked it.

Sealing a part of his soul in the Puzzle
In the manga, Dark Bakura witnesses some of Yugi's game of Dungeon Dice Monsters against Ryuji Otogi. He declares Otogi doesn't stand a chance against Yugi and supports Yugi throughout the game. After Mr. Clown smashes the Millennium Puzzle, Dark Bakura manages to use the power of his Millennium Ring to seal a part of his soul in one of the pieces, before Yugi reassembles it.

In the anime, Dark Bakura detects the Millennium Puzzle is nearby, when Yugi duels Bandit Keith, possessed by Marik Ishtar. He uses the power of his Millennium Ring to free Keith from Marik's Millennium Rod. Though Keith manages to end the duel and run off, Marik gets one chance to have Keith shatter the Millennium Puzzle in rage. Ryo Bakura comes to Yugi's rescue, knocking Keith back. Yami Bakura takes advantage of the opportunity to seal a fragment of his soul into a piece of the Millennium Puzzle.

Battle City
Yami Bakura plays a much bigger role in this arc. He teams up with Marik Ishtar in a verbal deal consisting of Marik's relinquishment of the Millennium Rod if Bakura obtained "Slifer the Sky Dragon" for Marik. As part of their plan, Yami Bakura stabbed himself and then released Ryo Bakura. Marik, who took the guise of Namu, pretended to save Bakura and took him to Joey and Téa.

While Bakura is sleeping in the hospital, Marik appears in his mind.

(In the Japanese version, Baruka protests to Marik by saying: "I lent you my strength to get rid of Yuugi, and you were supposed to hand me your Millenium Rod.")

Marik tells Yami Bakura that he now needs to enter the Battle City finals in order to receive the Millennium Rod. Bakura is awoken by Solomon Muto, and turns into Yami Bakura. Solomon tells him that Yugi and Joey are qualified for the finals. When Yami Bakura gets up to leave to try to find them, he is stopped by Solomon. Yami Bakura knocks out Solomon with his Millennium Ring and leaves the hospital.

Yami Bakura acquires a place in the Battle City finals by stealing another duelist's Duel Disk and locator card. He finds out from a group of teenagers that Bonz and his gang are in the cemetery, wanting to take there locator cards he sets out to find them. When he finds them they use the scare tactics they used on the other duelist to obtain the 5 Puzzle Cards they had. But Bakura is not scared and sees through their disguise. Bakura then challenges Bonz to a duel in a winner-takes-all duel where the winner takes the 6 Puzzled Cards they had. Without telling them he turns the game into a Dark Game. Bakura lauches his Headless Knight at Bonz a few times but Bonz calls out Great Mammoth of Goldfine. Bakura summons Earl of Demise and doubles its ATK and destroys it. Bonz traps Bakura in a Nightmare's Steelcage but Bakura activates Ectoplasmer to attack them directly and win. Bakura obtains 6 Puzzle Cards and sends Bonz, Zygor and Sid to the Shadow Realm.

(In the Japanese version, he claimed both that he was going to send them to the 'Dark World' instead by summoning Grim Reapers inside of the Dark Game's space and that he was going to send them to Hell.)

During the quarter-finals he and Yami Yugi duel each other. Bakura lets most of his Life Points and 4 of his monsters be destroyed but activates Dark Sanctuary to turn Yugi's monsters against each other. But Yugi summons Slifer the Sky Dragon. As Bakura is about to lose Odion Ishtar who is pretending to be Marik releases Bakura from the spirit knowing that Yugi wont attack Ryo Bakura when he is still injured. However, when Marik mentions that Yugi may still attack with the fate of the world at stake, Yami Bakura decides that leaving Ryo Bakura in his vulnerable state poses too much of a risk, and he again takes over his body, challenging Yugi to attack. When Yugi does attack, he wins the duel, but also leaves Bakura in a coma. The Ring was lost in the Duel, but was returned by Téa, who was being controlled by Marik.

In Téa's body, Marik insists on Bakura's assistance, for an evil part of Marik had gained control of his body. Yami Bakura then challenged Yami Marik to a shadow game, teaming up with Marik to vanquish the greater evil despite doing so from evil intent. Bakura lost quite a bit of Life Points, but obtained The Winged Dragon of Ra Despite this, Marik weakened it to be useless. Bakura got rid of it but Marik brought it back from Graveyard, which was then used to bring the duel to an end, the result being Bakura destroyed by Marik's "The Winged Dragon of Ra". Yami Bakura had earlier held and sealed a part of his soul into a piece of Yugi's Millennium puzzle, resulting in him to continue existing by secretly residing in the Millennium Puzzle.

Battle City Finals
The Ring then fell into the hands of Yami Marik, and eventually ends up in the hands of Yugi after Yugi defeats him. After Yami Marik was destroyed Bakura's body returned from the Shadow Realm, however, Yami Bakura didn't return to Ryo Bakura straight away as Yami was exploring the Millennium Puzzle and eventually discovered how to resurrect Zorc Necrophades with ease.

Waking the Dragons
During Yami Yugi's duel with Dartz he was shown Thief King Bakura (Yami Bakura in the past) and Atem (Yami in the past). First was when Atem's Obelisk the Tormentor fought Bakura's Diabound. And then when Bakura's Diabound fought Atem's Slifer the Sky Dragon.

During a vision of Yugi finishing the Millennium Puzzle, Yami Bakura briefly appeared behind Yugi along with Kaiba and Yami.

Dawn of the Duel
Bakura acts as the main antagonist of this story along with Zorc Necrophades In the manga, a thief stole Yugi's Egyptian God Cards. Yami Bakura assaulted him and took the cards. He returned the cards to Yugi, but still kept the Millennium Ring, as he said it was rightfully his. However, he gave Yugi the Millennium Eye, stating it to be his oath of loyalty, and that he will lend a hand in solving the mystery of the Pharaoh's memory.

In the anime, Ryo Bakura was running after hearing the spirit of the Ring, not wanting to be possessed again. He ran into a church. However, Yami Bakura entered and told Ryo that their mission was incomplete. He then reminded Ryo that the only Millennium Item they had was the Eye that he took in Duelist Kingdom. Ryo didn't want to be possessed, but Yami Bakura still took over his body.

(In the Japanese version, the ones speaking to Ryou were Yami Baruka and Zorc in a simulatenous manner. The voices told Ryou that the remaining Millennium Items were in possession of both Shadi and the Pharaoh. Shadi would ultimately hand them over to the Pharaoh. All of the Millennium Items would be claimed by either Shadi or Ryou himself. However, the seven Millennium Items per se were not enough to open the door of the Beyond. Ryou had to find the eight key, the secret of which was hidden somewhere in the Pharaoh's world of memories. Both then possessed Ryou and claimed the following:

"Nameless Pharaoh! When the doors of your memory open, the Ultimate Dark Game spanning 3,000 years shall begin!")

He takes the Millennium Ring back from Rex Raptor and Weevil Underwood, who mistakenly took Yugi's Millennium Items while trying to steal his Egyptian God Cards, and then sends them to the Shadow Realm. Yugi eventually catches up with Rex and Weevil and finds Bakura there. Bakura returns Yugi's Items and the God cards that were in the box the Millennium Puzzle came in.

(In the Japanese version, he merely knocked them out and then scolded Yugi for failing to protect the Items and the God Cards.)

However, Bakura kept the Millennium Ring, as he was not ready to part with it. Yugi demanded it back, but Bakura told him to gather the rest of the items and Bakura would give him the Ring. But Yugi had little faith in his words. Bakura also told Yugi that if the Items are returned to the Millennium Stone, then a doorway to the Beyond would open. Not believing him, Yami Yugi then took over and told Bakura to stop poisoning Yugi's mind. Bakura then taunted Yugi, telling him that he knows more than Yugi, and they are a lot alike. But Yugi stood his ground, telling Bakura that they are nothing alike. Bakura then left for KC.

(Japanese version: Bakura merely announces that he is a soul sealed in the Millennium Ring. However, he adds, like Yami, he doesn't remember his origins. He adds that by snooping inside of Yami's memories, he 'may' find the answer. In truth, he is perfectly aware of it, but doesn't want Yami to be too careful and even get cold feet.

Bakura then challenges Yami to settle their 'pending scores' in a fitting place for them: the Pharaoh's world of memory. Once there, they will both take part in the Ultimate Dark Game. He keeps on taunting Yami by claiming that "Although you don't remember it, you were the one who started that Game." Yami is surprised, but he's not convinced. Nevertheless, he accepts the challenge. Bakura departs by saying that the Game would begin once the doors of Yami's memory opened.)

He later challenges Seto Kaiba to a Duel in the Shadow Realm in an effort to obtain the power of Blue-Eyes White Dragon. He first abducted Mokuba Kaiba to get Seto to the room. Once there Bakura sends Mokuba to the Shadow Realm and Seto demands Bakura hand him over after their Duel finishes. He almost beats Kaiba with Diabound Kernel, and Diabound destroyed Blue-Eyes, giving it the power of the dragon and because Diabound is part of Bakura it gives Bakura the power of Blue-Eyes. However, he leaves before they can finish resulting in a draw. At that rate Bakura most likely would have won, but before he leaves he gives Kaiba the Millennium Eye that he took from Pegasus in Duelist Kingdom, so Kaiba too may enter the Millennium World.

(In the Japanese version, Bakura merely left Mokuba K.O. and Kaiba claimed the following:

"However, your luck ends here. Don't think that you'll be able to leave this place safely, lowlife."

Bakura then thinks on his own that his real purpose was to gain the power of the Blue-Eyes to stand up to the Egyptian Gods. When the sun begin to rise, he inwardly complains than it's getting late, so he hands Kaiba the Millenium Eye and departs by taunting him with the following phrase:

"But... Aren't you interested in knowing what kind of bond exists between you and the Blue-Eyes?")

Yami Bakura figures out that it would be easier to get all seven Millennium Items in the Memory World as he controlled everything and already knew what would happen as his memory was still intact unlike Atem's. After Yami Yugi enters this world, Bakura, who followed them reunited with the piece of himself that he sealed in the Puzzle and follows Yami into the Millennium World. Yami Bakura takes over the body of Thief King Bakura (Ryo Bakura's past incarnate) in order to revive Zorc Necrophades, yet simultaneously controls the Dark Game from above.

As Thief King Bakura he also possessed Tristan Taylor (Hiroto Honda) to keep an eye on Yuugi who managed to get into the Millennium World. He also possessed Aknadin to help Bakura get the items. Bakura also had the ability to freeze and reverse time but once Hassan came along he destroyed the hour glass token that allowed Bakura to freeze time.

In the game he stomps into Pharaoh Atems court and attacks them but is forced to retreat after Diabound and Obelisk the Tormentor clashed. They had another encounter on horses and Atem fights Bakura with Slifer the Sky Dragon but Bakura steals his Millennium Puzzle.

After a while, he collected all the Millennium Items and resurrected Zorc by sacrificing his Thief King Bakura game piece. Zorc destroyed every thing and every monster he came along (including Exodia and the Egyptian Gods) Eventually, he announces that the Game Table is no longer necessary and that he shall assume his real form. Yami gets his suspicions confirmed:

"This table is no longer necessary! I shall assume my true form...!"

"I thought as much! You lowlife really are Zorc!"



However the other half of Bakura which he sealed in the Ring was inside the Pharaoh's tomb were he attempted to stop Yuugi from telling Yami what his real name is, which was the key to stopping Zorc.

Bakura used Necro monsters and had a Deck focused on a Deck Out strategy. He reduces Yuugi to 1 Card but that Card turns out to be Gandora the Dragon of Destruction which destroys Bakura's Cards and his strategy.

Yuugi is then able to summon Silent Swordsman LV0 with 4500 ATK to defeat Bakura and destroy his other half. After his defeat, it was revealed that Yugi was fighting a possessed Tristan Taylor.

Zorc's destruction at the hands of The Creator God of Light, Horakhty also destroyed Yami Bakura.

After Yugi and the gang returned, they mistook Ryou Bakura for Yami Bakura, but realized it was Ryou. Atem then thought that, because Zorc had been destroyed, Yami Bakura had been destroyed as well.

Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Yami Bakura appeared in a flashback in episode 85 after Franz stole the copy of "Winged Dragon of Ra". He told Jaden about the God cards and when he brought up Slifer, Footage from Yami Yugi's duel with Yami Bakura from Battle City was played.

Deck


Yami Bakura often uses cards that resemble ghouls or specters, undead creatures (though not necessarily Zombies), and demons of the underworld or undead. His Decks often perform locks, attempting to prevent his opponent from making many moves while trying to either instantly win through "Destiny Board" or through a mill strategy, like "Cursed Twin Dolls."