Akiza Izinski

Akiza Izinski, known as Aki Izayoi in the Japanese version, is a character from Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, and one out of 5 of the mysterious Signers. She is known widely under the alias Black Rose, known as Black Rose Witch in the Japanese version.

Akiza possesses a "special power" which sets her apart from the rest of humanity, and even the rest of the Signers. This power enables the effects of Akiza's cards to become a reality, which can cause serious harm to others. Although its exact name and limits are currently unknown, it is now known that her psychic dueling power is linked directly to the violent nature of her mind. Mainly this is the reason why it continues to exist and grow over the years. However it appears it can decrease as well as a result of some change, mainly coming from her violent mind.

Over the years as her powers constantly grew, she didn't have any control over them whatsoever. However everything began to change after the second duel between her and Yusei Fudo. This is due to the fact that Akiza finally gains control over her psychic powers when she wanted to protect her father from serious harm that would have occurred because of them.

Akiza originally despised her Mark of the Dragon, believing it to be the cause of her unwanted power and even noted it as a "wretched mark." She later changed her opinion after her second duel with Yusei, who believes it to have brought the other Signers together as friends.

Design
Akiza has dark, violet hair with two long, elbow-length bangs. She rolls her hair with a device similar to a hair curler behind her bangs, which helps her restrain her powers. When she duels under the alias of the "Black Rose", she splits her two large bangs into about six smaller ones. Akiza also makes use of a white masquerade, phantom-like mask and a long, tattered black cloak to hide her true identity while Dueling as the "Black Rose". She has unusually shaped brown eyes which resemble a cat's eyes. Her wardrobe appears to have Victorian influences, but also bears resemblance to uniforms that were worn by female military generals during the 1980's. Akiza wears a low-cut red corset with short, white puffy sleeves and a high collar. She also sports a sleeveless magenta trench coat that flares behind her which is shorter and pleated in the front. She wears a emerald crested, golden cross-shaped medallion, as well as a pair of dark, elbow-length gloves with a pair of gold bracelets above them. Her stockings are the same color as her gloves with which are connected to her skirt and she wears red high heels with them. (In the dub version, her cleavage is covered.) Akiza's Duel Disk has pink, purple, and red trim.

Early life
When Akiza was young she was raised in New Domino City. Having been neglected by her overworking father throughout her childhood, the overbearing sorrow that swelled in her heart caused Akiza's powers and birthmark to manifest during her first duel, injuring Hideo in the process. Since then, people started fearing her powers and refused to duel her.

Akiza eventually gained entrance to a Duel Academy. Her parents hoped some one there could teach her to control her powers. It was not to be as Akiza caused many accidents and hurt many of her fellow classmates. Akiza became feared in the Academy and did not have any friends. She then runs away back to her family only to find that they are living happy without her. As a response, Aki used her powers to destroy her family's home and decides to continue living without them.

Akiza gained entrance in the dueling underground and quickly made a name for herself. Her powers kept growing unchecked and hurt many on the battlefield. She eventually decided she could not handle the guilt anymore and created the "Black Rose" persona to deal with the rejection and terrorize the duelists. Misty Lola's brother was believed to have been killed by the Black Rose.

Akiza was eventually found by Sayer, the leader of the Arcadia Movement, an organization of Psychic Duelists who claims to have powers similar to Akiza's; he takes her in, proclaiming her to be the "future" of all psychic duelists. Sayar hoped to use her to destroy Goodwin and create an army of Psychic duelists.

Fortune Cup
Leo and Dexter later decide to challenge the Black Rose to a Duel. It is during this encounter that Akiza first sees Yusei Fudo and his own Mark of the Dragon. She expresses surprise to the fact that another individual also possesses such a birthmark, and after a brief confrontation, Akiza uses her mighty powers to disappear in a powerful explosion telling Yusei to leave her alone.

Akiza is invited to participate in the Fortune Cup, and faces Sir Randsborg in the first round. Here she proved her Psychic Duelist powers when she cuts Randsborg on the cheek with the effect of her Trap Card, "Doppelganger". She wins the Duel using her signature monster, "Black Rose Dragon". After Randsborg is severely scorched due to her signer dragon's attack, Akiza is completely exposed as the feared "Black Rose", thanks to Lazar and Rex Goodwins's plot to unmask her. They also had the intention to expose Akiza as a Signer; however, even though she used her powers during the Duel, Zigzix's D-Sensor received no reading.

Prior to Akiza's next Duel, she confesses to Divine into being reluctant to duel again, since she knows someone is going get hurt. Divine assures her that any damage she inflicts is necessary to the Arcadia Movement's success; consequently, he also takes the mask Akiza had been using to Duel as the "Black Rose", claiming that she no longer needs to hide her beautiful face from the world.

Akiza's next opponent in the Fortune Cup, and second round in the Fortune Cup, is the Duel Profiler, Commander Koda, a mysterious man who attempts to confuse and manipulate Akiza with tragic insights from her dark past. Goodwin and Lazar hope that this strategy will finally confirm Akiza as a Signer by angering her and triggering her special power. After being pushed to her psychological limits, Akiza loses control and becomes even more unstable than usual. The pin-like object she uses to hold her hair, and powers, in place falls off, leaving Akiza's long bangs trailing over her face, and an intense pink aura forms around her. Her birthmark as well activates, and Zigzax's D-Sensor finally gets a powerful reading. Ultimately, she claims victory and moves on to the tournament finals against Yusei Fudo.

Before the Duel, the audience screams angrily at Akiza and demands that Yusei defeats her, despite their original dislike of him at the start of the tournament. Several of the spectators closest to the Duel flee after Akiza's ferocious attack on Yusei becomes a reality. After her first crippling attack against Yusei, he angrily exclaims that Akiza enjoys inflicting pain on others. With a mildly insane smile, Akiza gasps for breath and realizes that this was the hidden emotion that had been lying dormant within her; she replies that she is the "Black Rose", a fearful lady who delights in inflicting pain. However, she seems to accept this as her fate after the audience insults her again, screaming for her slaughter. However, Yusei isn't perturbed, and knows that the hidden emotion that he is looking for still remains locked deep inside of Akiza.

As the Duel between the two proceeds, Akiza Summons her "Black Rose Dragon" and Yusei Summons his "Stardust Dragon". With the two Dragons pitted against each other, both Akiza and Yusei's dragon birthmarks glow, along with those of Luna and Jack. After being pressured by Yusei, Akiza reveals that she created an entirely new personality - one that loved destruction - that of the "Black Rose". She continues to add that she no longer needs to think, and that Divine will do all her thinking for her - all she needs to do is live and feel. Akiza's hair curler topples off, which is said to hold her psychic powers in check, and Akiza starts to attack Yusei fiercely.

Ultimately, Yusei claims victory. Akiza's mask breaks in half and she begins to cry begging for help. Before Yusei can say anything, Divine intervenes and gently guides Akiza out of the arena, leaving the enraged spectators screaming their obscenities to Akiza. She's then back to the Arcadia Headquarters mobile and placed in a tank to help her recover from the duel. When Jack and Yusei battle it out her birthmark glows and she is transported to a different dimension where she witnesses Satellite be destroyed by a spider mark. Divine takes Akiza back the Arcadia building to finish recovering from the duel between her and Yusei.

Special episode
In the anime tour special episode, Aki sits with Lua and Luca (Leo and Luna) in the Duel Stadium, as they watch Yusei and Jack in a Duel King Title Match. Here, she is friendly to Lua and Luca, as well as being more supportive of Yusei.

Dark Signers
Before Yusei's confrontation with Kyosuke Kiryu, a Dark Signer, his birthmark begins to react inside of the B.A.D area. This triggers Akiza's birth mark to burn and glow as she sleeps. Jack's and Luna's birthmarks burn and glow and everyone figures out that Yusei likely triggered the glowing. Akiza knows that it is related to the vision they witnessed during the Fortune Cup with the Crimson Dragon. After Yusei nearly loses and crashes by the hand of the Earthbound God - Ccapac Apu, her birthmark stops glowing and worries about Yusei.

However after the final Fortune Cup duel against Yusei it seems that she has begin to change just like Yusei said, that's because her power has began to weakened. After her latest practice Divine encounters Akiza on the elevator then tells her that nobody but he can help her. He also tells her that Yusei will not come and "save" her. After hearing his words, Akiza contemplates about Yusei.

Afterward, Leo, Luna, Yanagi, and Tanner agree to go to the Arcadia Movement in an attempt to convince Divine to help them in their battle against the Dark Signers. However, they are tricked by Divine; it is later revealed that he has other plans for Leo and Luna, as he wants her to be a member of the organization. Akiza later explains to Luna that Divine wants to test Leo in order to determine if he possesses any sort of ability like her. If he does, then they might still be dormant and in any chance they might be awakened when he comes to face some sort of difficulty.

Akiza watches Divine defeat Leo and Leo faints from the stress of the duel. After the duel ends with Divine's victory, Akiza talks to Luna stating that his brother isn't in danger as the duel was just a test. She also clarifies to her that the Arcadia Movement will be her new home, as Akiza doesn't wish for Luna to walk through the same path she did, the path of being feared and abandoned by others because of her powers.

While Akiza is searching for Divine, Misty Lola, now one of the Dark Signers, engages Akiza in a Duel. They both are able to Summon their most powerful monsters; Although Akiza was able to Summon "Black Rose Dragon" on her first turn, Misty is able to counter it by using her "Reptiless Gorgon" and bring the legendary dragon's power to zero. Misty is able to activate the Field Spell Card "Savage Colosseum". During the Duel, Misty tells Akiza that the boy she had killed before was her brother and she is now seeking revenge.

Carly finishes her Duel with Divine and sends him falling the entire length of the Arcadia building with Akiza looking in horror as Divine is killed. Misty postpones the duel due to the building finally collapsing. Part of the building falls on Akiza and she is knocked out. Jack finds Akiza unconscious under some rubble and he rides out with her just as the building collapses down. Jack takes Akiza to the hospital to help her. Akiza is left badly injured and in a coma. Akiza's parents become anxious over her being taken to the hospital. As her father goes to Satellite for Yusei help, he reveals to him the history behind their disastrous past.

However after Yusei is able to wake her up due to the Mark of the Dragon, Akiza realizes that she doesn't have a home anymore. Therefore refusing Yusei's help and is so angered that she challenges him to a duel. Yusei agrees to it figuring out that once again, it is the only way for him to reach out to her. As the duel progresses, Yusei notices that Akiza's powers are far beyond her control. When she noticed this too, Akiza finally gains control of her powers while trying to protect her father from the damage it caused.

After helping Hideo, she tells Yusei to finally end the duel, and he does. After the duel, she makes up her mind to help Yusei and the Signers, and becomes friends with Yusei. After that, Akiza along with the others are invited by Rex Goodwin to his house. However before their trip, Akiza learns about Divine's true motives as the leader of the Arcadia Movement. Which involves abducting children and performing experiments on them, which she then thinks, what truly happened to Misty's brother from the beginning? Although Mina tells her about the Divine's plan of using psychic duelists as soldiers including her, she stills continues to value him. None the less Yusei comforts Akiza by reminding her that they're still friends no matter what happens and that he cannot change her feelings toward Divine.

Later after arriving at Goodwin's home he reveals to them a secret, being that the Crimson Dragon influenced the events in the Signers's lives so that they would all meet one day. This is further explained to Akiza as Goodwin says that if it weren't for her powers, she would have never met Yusei and the other Signers. Thus the Signers's fates are intertwined. Goodwin also reveals that the Signers are not only duelists chosen by the Dragon God, but they are also the reincarnations of the original Signers themselves. Also it was already predicted thousands of years ago that the Signers would meet up one day.

Akiza also learns about the Dark Signer's powers and the reason of why they bypass her own, as they originate from the Underworld itself. The Signers also learn that many casualties have occurred in the City, just like in Satellite. Also that the person transformed into a Dark Signer can't be turned back into their former selves. That's because they are actually already dead and only became alive again because of the powerful phenomenon occurring on the other side of the Underworld. After the Dark Signers cast a ritual on Satellite which not only encovers it all, but also somehow vanquish its residents. The Signers finally decide to hurry up and so Akiza along with Yusei, Jack, Luna and Leo aboard a helicopter flighted by Trudge. With their destination set out to defeat their rivals.

Later on when all 4 Signers along with Leo, Trudge and Mina are in Satellite they are greeted by Martha. The reunion is cut close as Yusei finds out that Rally and the others along with Crow have disappeared. She notices that Akiza is too there meaning that Yusei was able to open her closed heart as well. Thus as everyone is later sitted on the table and having supper, Rudger suddenly appears in order to duel.

As Yusei has accepts to duel Akiza tells him that she'll go with him, as Jack and the rest takes Martha and the kids to safer place. However as 3 of the children has decided to watch the duel; Martha notices this and along with Trudge are gone looking for them to where Rudger and Yusei's duel is taking place. Meanwhile as Rudger and Yuseis Shadow Duel begins as the spider geoglyph materializes, Akiza is concerned that is the one they saw on the vision on the Fortune Cup. As the duel unfolds she notices 2 of the kids near them wandering how they got close if their not Signers. As Rudger activates a trap that wiil allow him to special his Earthbound Immortal, she fears that it will summoned using the kid's soul as a sacrifice. After Martha and Trudge are near Akiza tells them this.

Deck
Akiza runs a Black Rose Deck, centering around the Summoning of her powerful Synchro Monster and namesake, "Black Rose Dragon". She also utilizes several Plant-Type monsters and the Field Spell, "Black Garden". Another noticeable trait is that most of the effects of her more powerful cards involve removing Plant-Type monsters from play in order to access their effects. In her Duel against the Duel Profiler, Kodo Kinomiya, Akiza reveals an alternate strategy which inflicts Effect Damage to the opponent using "Rose Flame", "Curse of Rose", and "Death Petal Countdown". In her first Duel against Yusei, she used "Wall of Ivy" and "Cursed Ivy" to generate several "Ivy Tokens" to his field. She later destroyed all four of these Tokens in one turn with "Rose Tentacles", inflicting major damage to Yusei's Life Points. Akiza also uses several support cards to maximize her "Black Rose Dragon's" efficiency, like "Wicked Reborn", "Synchro Back", and Thorn of Hatred".