Yami Bakura

Yami Bakura, aka Dark Bakura in the manga and Japanese version.

He 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 central villain until the final season.

Background

Thief King Bakura was born in a village call Kul Elna to two unnamed parents. One day, his home was attacked and was its only survivor when Akhenaden and three other magicians massacred the village, by sacrificing 99 humans to create the Millennium Items. At the time, he was only a child and watched in horror as his family and friends were killed and their bodily components used to create the seven Millennium Items. However, Bakura soon acquired a powerful Ka, "Diabound", created from both his own hate and the vengeful spirits of Kul Elna. He soon developed a violent grudge for Pharoah Ahknamkamon by believing that the latter ordered the massacre, and the royal family as well. Therefore Bakura trained to become a thief by easily stealing items and food to survive. He also trained his spirit to have a strong Ka. When Atem became pharaoh, Bakura soon waged war on Pharoah Atem's forces.

The full details of this conflict aren't known, but Bakura's Diabound engaged Atem's "Obelisk the Tormentor", and later Bakura's Diabound battled Atem's "Slifer the Sky Dragon". During this conflict, Bakura somehow sealed his own soul within the Millennium Ring, presumably after his death at the hands of the High Priests and Atem, alongside a portion of Zorc Necrophades' soul, eventually merging to make a composite entity.

3,000 years later (5,000 in the English version), when Ryo Bakura was very young. He saw his father puts the Millennium Ring on. However his father is thrown across the room, with the ring detaching from him. Upon seeing his father be attacked by shadows in the shape of snakes. Bakura emerges from his hiding place to help him. He runs to his father, who begs him to get the ring. As Bakura puts on the ring, Yami Bakura takes over his body.

Yami Bakura awakens, while the Millennium Ring fuses into Bakura's body, disappearing under his skin. Yami Bakura thanks Shadi for bringing him a nice landlord and proceeds to attack and fatally wound Shadi. However a young Aigami, Sera and Mani run to Shadi. Before dying, Shadi gives the Quantum Cube to Aigami. Soon after Yami Bakura continues to attack the children, with Aigami and Sera managing to survive. Due to this, he lost many memories as Bandit King Bakura and Zorc Necrophades. Therefore he seeks to only obtain all seven Millennium Items so he can resurrect Zorc Necrophades, and reunite the shard of Zorc with Zorc so he can be complete.

Personality

As a child, Bakura was kind to his family and friends. But his village was massacre with him as the only survivor, he became mean and isolated. His only goal was to kill Atem and his family, since he believed that Atem's father ordered the massacre. But Bakura didn't know that Atem's uncle was the one who ordered the massacre of his village. While plotting his revenge, he became a skilled thief and trained his Ka to be stronger. He even merge with Zorc to show how much he hated Atem and the higher priests.

But once he seal himself in the Millnnenium Ring, his goal was to obtain all seven of the Millnnenium items. As Yami Bakura, he is able to mimic his host's personality almost perfectly that he's able to fool Bakura's friends. Since his soul is in the Ring, he comes back many times to have Ryo possess his body, even though Yugi's friends always true to get rid of the ring. While putting his plans into motion during the Duelist Kingdom arc, he saves Tristan and Tea from Pegasus by wiping out their memories of when they suspected that the latter cheated during his duel against Kaiba. Bakura uses his duel monster cards to kill anyone who gets in his way. He even saves Tristan again from Pegasus' guards when he carry an unconscious Mokuba. After saving Tristan, Bakura decides to use Mokuba's body but Tristan knocks him out. However he is able to come back after Pegasus lost to Yami Yugi, he steals the formers Millnnenium eye, but keeps him alive. Nevertheless he is happy that he obtained one of the items. He even tries to get Yugi and the others to help with his goal but to no success.

Appearance

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 wings or 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, after the arc Yami Bakura is no more and so Ryo Bakura reverts back to his battle city getup during Yugi's Final Duel.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist Manga

Around 1000 B.C., the Millennium Ring contained the souls of Bakura, King of Thieves and Zorc Necrophades, resulting in the formation of a composite spirit within the Millennium Ring.

3000 years later, Ryo Bakura came into possession of the Millennium Ring. While Bakura held the Millennium Ring, the composite soul became able to take control Bakura's body as Yami Bakura. Yami Bakura had lost many of his memories as Zorc Necrophades and Thief King Bakura, commonly referring to himself as the "spirit of the Millennium Ring" or simply Bakura even after people became aware that he was a different mind than Ryo Bakura. However, Yami Bakura was able to recall that he was once a thief. He intends to obtain all the Millennium Items to resurrect Zorc Necrophades to reunite the shard of Zorc with him so he may be complete.

When Ryo Bakura got into middle school, he used to play Monster World with his friends. However Yami Bakura would take control, without him knowing, and turn the games into Shadow Games. As Yami Bakura defeated Bakura's friends, he inflicted the "Mind Doll" Penalty Game on his opponents, trapping their souls in Monster World miniatures, leaving their human bodies in comas. As a result, Bakura had to keep changing schools and isolated himself by living in an apartment.

When Bakura transferred to Domino High School, he befriended Yugi Muto, the owner of the Millennium Puzzle. Yami Bakura gained the ability to communicate with Bakura as a voice in his head. He theorized that it was a result of the Millennium Items resonating off of each other. Later that day, Yami Bakura introduced himself to Bakura. Bakura then tried removing the Millennium Ring, only to find Yami Bakura had pierced its prongs into his body. Yami Bakura claimed to care for Bakura and to "pay [his] rent" he took over Bakura's body in order to exact revenge on Mr. Karita, the gym teacher who had bullied Bakura earlier that day.

Yami Bakura returned to the school, where he confronted Karita and inflicted the "Mind Doll" Penalty Game on him. Yami Bakura sealed Karita's soul in a Monster World piece and laughed that Karita would live as a living game miniature.

Bakura stayed home from school the next day. However his new friends, Yugi, Joey Wheeler, Tea Gardner and Tristan Taylor, came to visit him after school, hoping to play Monster World. Bakura tried warning them to leave, but Yami Bakura took over and invited them in to play.

Yami Bakura set up the game. He took on the role of Dark Master and used Zorc as his avatar. He also narrated the events of the game. The others played the adventurers and he helped them create their avatars; Yugi, Joey, Tea and Tristan. Among the non-player characters, he added was Karita in the role of "Villager D".

When the adventures entered the bar, they encountered Karita's character. Karita tried telling them what happened to him and asking for help. However Yami Bakura warned him to play his role or he would kill him.

Yami Bakura disguised his avatar, Zorc, as an innocent man lying unconscious in the adventurers' path. When the adventurers woke him, he lied that he had been traveling to the village to give the hero a holy sword capable of defeating Zorc, but he had been attacked in the forest and had it stolen. Despite Yugi's suspicions of a trap, the adventurers agreed to help him and were led into the forest. After they battled a group of monsters and tamed Pokii, Yami Bakura revealed that the man was in fact Zorc in disguise. Zorc switched to his true form to battle the adventurers and won initiative, having caught them off guard.

Yami Bakura rolled a super critical, 00, for Zorc, allowing him to inflict the "Mind Doll" Penalty Game on Anzu, trapping her in her miniature. This was soon followed by Joey rolling a fumble, 99, causing him to be trapped in his miniature too. Yami Bakura proceeded to mock Honda, calling his character cowardly as he failed to roll high enough to overcome Zorc's aura and then rolled another 00, trapping Tristan in his miniature too. Yugi suspected foul play on Yami Bakura's behalf and requested to be sealed in his miniature too. Yami Bakura obliged, as Game Master, and then thought he had won, having no opponents left capable of rolling the dice. However, Yami Yugi then took over for Yugi.

Using the double hit, technique, Yami Yugi rolled a critical, allowing Honda to blast off Zorc's left hand, causing it to mutate into more monsters. Yami Bakura then got Zorc to retreat to Zorc Castle, where he had prepared a special place for their final battle. Using more double hits, Yami Yugi got his friends to tame Pao and dispose of the remaining monsters. After the double hit had been exposed, both players agreed to drop the dice in a manner that made the technique impossible.

When the adventurers made it to Zorc Castle, Yami Bakura trapped them in a tower by dropping a ceiling on their heads. Seeing instant death traps as amateurish, he gave them three turns to roll a number to complete the supporting column before the weight of the ceiling crushed the miniatures. While they were trapped, he even got Zorc to attack them. Yami Yugi managed to roll the necessary 33, completing the column. Yami Bakura underestimated the speed of the adventurers and had Zorc slice the tower in two in an attempt to kill them before they escaped. The adventurers escaped in time and caught Zorc off guard, winning initiative.

Channeling the others' emotions into the dice, Yami Yugi rolled more criticals for his friends and had them attack Zorc. However this proved futile due to the difference in levels and Zorc wasn't too badly injured. With the power of the Millennium Ring, Yami Bakura had previously sealed the souls of some of Bakura's former gaming companions in dice. These "brainwashed dice" allowed him to roll a super critical. This caused Zorc to use his "Dark Catastrophe" attack, which normally means instant death for any victim with less than 50 HP. However Ryo Bakura had managed to gain control of Yami Bakura's left hand, which Yami Bakura had lost due to his connection with Zorc. Bakura used the left hand to interfere with the calculation leaving the adventurers with 1 HP each. Using his left hand to type, Bakura told Yami Bakura that he wasn't going to be controlled anymore or let him harm his friends. Yami Yugi rolled another critical, allowing Joey to stab out Zorc's left eye. Due to his connection with Zorc, Yami Bakura lost the use of his own left eye. To prevent Bakura from interfering, Yami Bakura slid the computer away from his left hand.

Zorc and Tea tired on initiative for the next move, so the players had to roll to see who won initiative. Yami Bakura tried rolling the brainwashed dice to force a super critical, 00. However Bakura had swapped them with the regular dice and he only rolled a 10, which lost to Yami Yugi's 09. After Tea healed the party, Yami Bakura prepared to take his turn, but Bakura used his left hand to roll the brainwashed dice, forcing a fumble, 99, causing Zorc's attack to backfire and hit himself. Frustrated, Yami Bakura impaled his left hand on one of the diorama towers to prevent Bakura from interfering.

Yami Yugi and his friends began to suspect that Yami Bakura was a different person than the Bakura that they knew. Yami Yugi rolled a 05 and got Yugi to use his training hand on Zorc. Yami Bakura misunderstood this a futile attempt to tame Zorc. However, the training hand pulled the White Wizard Bakura, the Monster World avatar of Ryo Bakura out of the wound in Zorc's left arm. Bakura used his magic to lower Zorc's defenses, allowing Tristan to inflict serious damage on Zorc.

With Zorc's hit points low, Yami Bakura transformed Zorc into Last Zorc as a final resort. He then rolled a super critical, allowing Zorc to use his "Zorc Inferno" attack. However Bakura used his white magic to shield the party, allowing them to survive the attack with minimal HP remaining. Yami Yugi discovered that the muzzle from Last Zorc's attack was his weak point, so Pokii flew into the hole to stop it closing. Afterwhich the adventurers punched through the weak point and sliced Last Zorc in half.

Last Zorc survived the onslaught and Yami Bakura prepared to make him self-destruct. He and Yami Yugi rolled for initiative on the next attack. Yami Bakura sealed a part of his own soul in his dice, making them "doppelganger dice" and rolled a 00, which tied with Yami Yugi's roll. However Bakura had also sealed his own soul in the doppelganger dice and with that was able to make the dice self-destruct. This allowed Yami Yugi to make the next roll, which he used to make Tea slay Zorc. Yami Bakura lost control of Bakura with Zorc's death and everyone he sealed in miniatures returned to their bodies. Bakura's body seemed to be dead, but Yami Yugi rolled for the Wizard Bakura who returned his soul to his own body.

Following the Monster World game, Ryo Bakura stopped wearing the Millennium Ring, while thinking that it would be sufficient to prevent Yami Bakura from surfacing.

Bakura then went to the Duelist Kingdom tournament to support Yugi and Joey, but also to learn about the Millennium Items from Maximillion Pegasus. At times that the Millennium Ring would point in the direction of Pegasus Castle. Yami Bakura claimed that he was guiding Bakura towards the Millennium Eye.

After Yami Yugi and Joey's victory against the Meikyu Brothers, they and their friends had to solve a riddle to determine the correct door to exit the dungeon. While Bakura, Tea, Tristan and Joey searched the chamber for clues, Yami Bakura began to communicate with Bakura. He requested that Bakura allow him to take control. Since being a thief, he stated that he would have no problem determining the exit. Bakura refused, despite his claims to have changed. Yami Bakura reminded him that his friends would be trapped if he didn't accept his help. Bakura reluctantly allowed Yami Bakura to take control. Upon using a coin trick, Yami Yugi had the brothers think that he guessed the "Mei" door. Yami Bakura shouted that he was wrong; the "Kyu" door was correct, but the brothers disallowed a change of answer and revealed that the Kyu door was correct. However Yami Yugi then revealed that he had actually chosen the "Kyu", knowing they would say whichever door they though he guessed was wrong. Although thinking it was done by Bakura, Yami Yugi credited Yami Bakura's disruption to the Meikyu Brothers not detecting his coin trick. As they left, Yami Bakura returned control to Bakura, who was unaware of what happened.

In the night before the tournament finals, Yami Bakura possessed Bakura and began searching the castle. He saw Pegasus' portrait of Shadi and laughed that he did not expect to see his face there. At some point, he gave control back to Bakura, who was spotted by Pegasus' guards and told to go back to his room. Later in the night, Yami Bakura resumed control. He knocked a guard unconscious and freed Tristan from a dungeon cell. The two of them spent the night looking for Mokuba Kaiba's body, which Pegasus had stripped of its soul. Tristan noticed Bakura had been acting different, but decided not to speak up. After the tournament, Yami Bakura confronted Pegasus and proceeded to gouge out the Millennium Eye, which killed him. He took the eye with him while licking it, and left a replica behind.

The Millennium Ring alerted Yami Bakura that something had happened to the Millennium Puzzle while Yugi was playing Dungeon Dice Monsters against Duke Devlin. Yami Bakura now considered the survival of the Millennium Puzzle and its wielder important to his plan. He entered the Black Clown, easily dispatching of the two guards and found his way to Yugi and Duke's game.

Yami Bakura mocked Duke for thinking he was capable of handling the Millennium Puzzle. Yugi realized that this wasn't the regular Bakura talking. Yami Bakura claimed to have turned over a new leaf and that he was now an ally of Yugi. He inspected the game and saw that the odds were against Yugi, but predicted that Yugi would still turn the game around. As Yugi doubted this, Yami Bakura insisted that this was just another test to see if Yugi is the true successor of the Millennium Puzzle and the one capable of awakening the king's memories.

When Yugi won the game, Yami Bakura helped him gather the pieces of the disassembled Millennium Puzzle. Secretly he used the Parasite Mind ability of the Millennium Ring to seal a part of his soul in one of the pieces. This part of him was to serve as a spy in Yami Yugi's soul room after the Puzzle was reconstructed.

During the Battle City tournament, the Millennium Ring reacted to the nearby presence of the Millennium Rod. Yami Bakura took control of Bakura and separated from Joey, Tea and Sokomon as they went to the aquarium. He knocked out a participant and stole his Duel Disk and Puzzle Card in order to take part in the tournament. He then located Marik Ishtar and asked him to hand over the Millennium Rod. When questioned as to who he was, Yami Bakura replied that he was the person who would kill Marik if he interfered with his plan.

Yami Bakura and Marik went to a pier to discuss the Millennium Items. Yami Bakura explained that he was collecting them for power; by inserting the seven Millennium Items into the Millennium Stone the Door of Darkness, granted evil power to the one who opened it. Marik was surprised that Yami Bakura knew that much, but informed him that more than just the Millennium Items were necessary to open that door. Marik claimed that he was not interested in gathering the Millennium Items and only wanted to kill Yugi. If Yami Bakura helped, Marik would happily give him the Millennium Rod once it was over. If Yami Bakura refused, Marik threatened to kill him. Yami Bakura was given five minutes to decide.

Yami Bakura said that he would side with Marik and explained that the best way to hurt Yugi was to go through his friends. Although Marik already had a plan for this, Yami Bakura thought that Marik would still need to win their trust, before he could deceive them. He then stabbed himself in the arm and returned control to Bakura, who fell unconscious, so that Marik could use Bakura to get to Yugi.

Marik brought Bakura to where Tea, Joey and Solomon would notice them. He explained that he found Bakura lying in the street and treated him as best he could. The original owner of Yami Bakura's stolen Duel Disk then showed up with a friend and tried attacking Bakura. Marik, under the alias "Namu", got injured protecting him, winning Joey and Tea'a trust. Solomon took Bakura to the hospital to get treated, but when Solomon was not looking, Yami Bakura took control and left.

Yami Bakura defeated a number of participants, taking their Puzzle Cards. The last opponent was Bonz, resulting in him taking Bonz's life as a Penalty Game.

With six Puzzle Cards, he proceeded to the Battle City finals. Bakura's friends were surprised to see him at the finals. Yami Bakura released control to Bakura, partially brainwashed by Marik, and claimed to have won the Puzzle Cards himself.. Yami Bakura was paired up to Duel Yugi in the first round of the Battle City finals. When Yami Yugi realized who his opponent was, Yami Bakura is asked how long he had been controlling Bakura and if he was after the Millennium Puzzle again. Yami Bakura said that he wasn't. Marik thought if things did not go well, Marik would take control of Bakura to win the Duel, but Dark Bakura told Marik to stay out of the Duel.

On his first three turns, Yami Bakura Summoned monsters in Attack Mode, which Yami Yugi easily destroyed and drastically lowered Yami Bakura's Life Points. Some of the spectators began to wonder if Yami Bakura had a strategy, or if he even understood the basics of the game. Yami Bakura laughed that Dark Yugi had fallen for his trap, as those three monsters were a necessary sacrifice to Summon "Dark Necrofear".

Yami Yugi destroyed "Dark Necrofear", but Yami Bakura had hoped for this, as it allowed him to use her effect. Her marionette's soul began possessing Yami Yugi's monsters causing their attacks to backfire, both lowering Yami Yugi's Life Points and increasing Yami Bakura's. With "Dark Necrofear" destroyed, Yami Bakura was also able to use "Destiny Board". This caused the spirit of "Dark Necrofear" to start spelling out the word "DEATH" on a Ouija board, one letter per turn.

Using "The Dark Door" and "Dark Spirit of the Silent", he restricted Yami Yugi's attacks to one per turn, which he would force to be the possessed monster. He quickly managed to get his Life Points grossly higher while Yami Yugi's lost the same amount Yami Bakura gained with each attack.

Yami Yugi used "Monster Recovery" to clear his own field and Summoned "Kuriboh", the only monster possessed by the marionette's spirit. Yami Yugi used "Chain Destruction" to destroy "Kuriboh" and the spirit as well. Yami Yugi also used "Monster Reborn" on "Dark Necrofear", preventing her from operating the Ouija board from the grave. However, Yami Bakura used "Deja Vu" to return the field to its previous state.

With one turn left, before Yami Bakura won via "Destiny Board", Yami Yugi Summoned "Slifer the Sky Dragon". Yami Bakura tried to use the marionette's spirit to possess it. However it was not powerful enough to possess and left him wide open for Yami Yugi's attack. As Yami Bakura was about to lose, Odion (pretending to be Marik) arrived at the Duel. Odion claimed that Bakura was being possessed by the Millennium Rod and then returned control to Bakura. Bakura's stab wound had more of an effect on him than Yami Bakura. With Bakura's very life at stake, Yami Bakura was unhappy with Marik's plan, resuming control of Bakura's body and allowing Yami Yugi to attack him, insisting that he wouldn't let Bakura die. Yami Yugi complied and won the Duel.

After the Duel, Bakura was taken away to be treated while Tea (possessed by Marik) took the Millennium Ring.

After Marik is consumed by Yami Marik, a piece of Marik still existed in Bakura's body from when the prior possession. Yami Bakura and Marik made an agreement; Yami Bakura would help Marik save Odion's life in exchange for the Millennium Rod and reading the secret's carved on the back of Marik's body.

During the night after the quarter finals, Yami Bakura demanded Yami Marik hand over the Millennium Rod and show him Yami Marik's back, offering to spare Yami Marik's life if complying. They began to try over powering each other with the power of their Millennium Items, before agreeing to play a Shadow Game where the loser was to be killed.

Yami Bakura relied on the regular Marik form information about Yami Marik's Deck. As Marik realized that Yami Marik had killed Marik's father, Yami Bakura was surprised to hear that Marik had met Shadi after the murder as Shadi was supposed to have died long ago. Before the Duel, Yami Bakura also said that he would burn Yami Marik's body if he won, a condition which Marik was okay with.

As players lost Life Points, parts of their bodies disappeared and they were to be consumed by darkness when they lost. Since Yami Marik knew about Yami Bakura's "Destiny Board" strategy, Yami Bakura used his Deck's other tactic. He used "Dark Designator" and "Multiple Destruction" on Dark Marik. Yami Bakura Summoned "Puppet Master" and used its effect to revive cards he had destroyed or discarded; "Gernia", Headless Knight" and "Dark Necrofear". His Life Points were greatly lowered by his own actions but still had the advantage and he planned on winning on the next turn. However, Yami Marik revived "The Sun Dragon Ra" from the Graveyard with "Monster Reborn" and activated the One Turn Kill effect, transferring 3999 of Dark Marik's 4000 Life Points to ATK, proceeding to destroy all of Yami Bakura's monsters and drop his Life Points to 0. Yami Bakura and Marik were consumed by the shadows, but Yami Bakura vowed to be revived again, claiming to be "the darkness".

When Yami Yugi defeated Yami Marik in the Battle City finals, the Millennium Ring was given to Yami Yugi while Bakura was also revived. Bakura later found and retrieved the Millennium Ring, allowing Yami Bakura to return. Yami Bakura's murder of Maximillion Pegasus led Yako Tenma down the path for revenge, and Keith Howard's false account caused Yako to target Yugi Muto.

Yami Bakura took advantage of Ryo Bakura's diorama building hobby and the fact that his host father owned the museum. Behind the Millennium tablet, he got Bakura to construct a diorama of an Ancient Egyptian city in a secret room and a coffin on chains for Akhenaden's mummy.

One night someone tried to steal the Egyptian God cards from the Kame Game, Yami Bakura became aware of this and assaulted the thief, reminding Yugi that the Egyptian God cards were central. Yugi thanked him, but pointed out that he's wearing the Millennium Ring again. Yami Bakura was aware that Yugi would be needing all seven Millennium Items at some point and said that he would give the Millennium Ring no sooner than that time. To make up for it, he gave Yugi the Millennium Eye as his apparent way of swearing loyalty.

When asked, Yami Bakura told Yugi that the Millennium tablet in Kul Elna links their world to the afterlife when the Millennium Items are placed in the Millennium tablet. Yugi then asked Yami Bakura why he was helping; Yami Bakura explained that he (like the Pharaoh) is a spirit from 3000 years ago sealed in a Millennium Item and apparently wants to return to the afterworld. Before leaving, he told Yugi that Bakura would be going to the museum with Yugi's friends tomorrow but would be watching from the shadows.

The next day, Yami Bakura secretly watched as Yami Yugi presented the Egyptian God cards to the Millennium tablet in the museum and getting sucked into the Memory World. When Bakura's friends were committed about entering the Memory World too by finding the true door in the Pharaoh's soul room, Bobasa used the Millennium Scale to check for evil in their hearts before using the Millennium Key to let them enter the soul room; Yami Bakura's evil was detected in Bakura's heart and was not permitted to enter. This didn't bother Yami Bakura as a shadow of his soul was already existing within the Millennium Puzzle.

Within the Millennium Puzzle, Yami Bakura's fragment that was sealed in the Puzzle earlier spied on the others when they entered and learned that the Pharaoh's real name was the key to open the underworld's door. When they found the Memory World's true door, he followed through as well but (like the Pharaoh's friends) was invisible and intangible to the indigenous people of the Memory World.

Inside the museum's secret room, Yami Bakura was prepared to face part of Yami Yugi's soul while another part existed within the Memory World as the Pharaoh. Yami Bakura's Shadow RPG was able to allow Yami Yugi exist outside of his own vessel's body. The Memory World was constructed using the memories of the Pharaoh and Zorc Necrophades via Akhenaden's mummy. The events of the Memory World were controlled by the Shadow RPG. Yami Bakura had also taken the bodies of Yugi's friends in coffins of the room, while they existed in the RPG as non-player characters. Yami Bakura compared the Shadow RPG to their previous game of Monster World as a warm-up for this game.

Yami Bakura and Yami Yugi each had a Deck of blank cards. As they envisioned significant people or items from their memories, the blank cards would fill in. Each person had a ba gauge on their card, which when emptied resulted in the person's death. Yami Bakura's main cards were Thief King Bakura and Akhenaden, while Yami Yugi's main card was the Pharaoh.

The fragment of his soul was watching his ancient self several times. He also later contacted Akhenaden's true form (whose soul had merged with that of Zorc Necrophades) about the Pharaoh's unplanned victory. After Akhandaden rewinded time, which was actually the Yami Bakura at the RPG table using an Hourglass Token to use Zorc's "Memory Reverse" ability to rewind time, Yami Bakura's fragment stood before Yugi's friends to stop interfering again. He explained how he was a part of Zorc Necrophades' soul, and reviving his true self had been his plan all along. Since the Memory World's non-natives had some reality warping skills through willpower, Dark Bakura made a Duel Disk grow on his arm and challenged them to a Shadow Game of Duel Monsters in which the loser would die.

Joey volunteered to Duel Yami Bakura. Although Jonouchi defeated Yami Bakura's "Death Spirit Zoma", this activated Yami Bakura's monster's effect which would possess the opponent and devour their soul. However, Joey avoids death when the Memory World temporarily goes black. Yami Bakura had left by the time the darkness lifted.

The Yami Bakura at the RPG table used another Hourglass Token to use Zorc's freeze time ability, causing Zorc Necrophades to be reborn in the Memory World. Yami Bakura's fragment appeared and explained to the Pharaoh that this all the Shadow RPG. The Yami Bakura at the RPG table eventually accomplished his ultimate goal of Zorc Necrophades' revival. Yami Bakura thought he victorious until a non-playable character intervened, but was unfazed from the NPC's meddling.

Yami Bakura's fragment meanwhile waited in the Valley of the Kings inside the Pharaoh's tomb. He managed to discover the Pharaoh's name, which was the key to summoning Zorc. To prevent the revelation of the Pharaoh's true name, Yami Bakura challenges Yugi Muto to a Shadow Game Duel, where the loser would die. During the Duel, Bakura utilizes Necro monsters, limited Yugi's attacking options via "Narrow Corridor", and focused on a Deck Out strategy via "All Killing Death Card". However, Yugi Summons "Gandora the Dragon of Destruction" which destroys Bakura's strategy. Yugi is then able to use "Silent Swordsman LV0" with 4500 ATK, killing Yami Bakura's shadow.

The Yami Bakura at the RPG table felt his shadow's death. Despite being surprised from his shadow's demise, Yami Bakura used the final Hourglass Token to use Zorc's natural catastrophe ability. Yami Bakura thought he was victorious over Yami Yugi, until Yugi and his friends discover his real name, and after Akhenaden and Zorc were killed, he lost the Shadow RPG, resulting in his death once and for all.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime)

Duelist Kingdom arc

Although not a participating player, Bakura snuck onto the Duelist Kingdom island for the tournament. 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 several "Morphing Jars" to discard Yugi's monsters while also using cards like Man-Eater Bug to destroy his opponent's monsters and "Change of Heart" to turn his opponent's monsters against each other.

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 Castle. Pegasus catches them and sends the three of them to the Shadow Realm, along with himself for a Shadow Game. Yami Bakura takes this opportunity to take over Bakura, then sends everybody back to their rooms, plotting to take both Yugi's Millennium Puzzle and Pegasus' Millennium Eye.

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 by this plan, taking over Bakura's body again. 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 the magic of his Millennium Ring. 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 his host (in the Japanese version, he wants the key to KaibaCorp, which is the card picture that Mokuba wears on his neck), and threatens to kill Tristan if he tries anything. Tristan, however, manages to catch Yami Bakura off guard, knocking him out. Tristan then throws 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. When Yugi and the gang left the island on Kaiba's helicopter, Bakura looked at the Eye and licked it.

Battle City arc

Yami Bakura detected the Millennium Puzzle was nearby when Yugi Duelled Bandit Keith while he was possessed by Marik Ishtar. He used the power of his Millennium Ring to release Keith from Marik's Millennium Rod. Though Keith managed to end the duel and ran off, Marik got one chance to have Keith shatter the Millennium Puzzle in a rage. Ryo Bakura came to Yugi's rescue, knocking Keith back. Yami Bakura took advantage of the opportunity to seal a fragment of his soul into a piece of the Millennium Puzzle.

He cooperated with Marik Ishtar in a verbal pact 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 rescue Bakura and took him to Joey and Téa.

While Bakura was sleeping in the hospital, Marik appeared in his mind.

In the Japanese version, Bakura protested to Marik by saying, "I lent you my strength to get rid of Yugi, and you were supposed to hand me your Millennium Rod."

Marik told Yami Bakura that he needed to enter the Battle City finals in order to receive the Millennium Rod. Ryo was awoken by Solomon Muto, and turned into Yami Bakura. Solomon told him that Yugi and Joey are qualified for the finals. When Yami Bakura got up to leave to try to find them, he was stopped by Solomon because he was still injured. Yami Bakura knocked out Solomon with his Millennium Ring and left the hospital.

Yami Bakura acquired a place in the Battle City finals by stealing another duelist's Duel Disk and locator card. He found out from a group of teenagers that Bonz and his gang were in the cemetery; wanting to take their locator cards, he set out to find them. When he found them, the gang used their scare tactics they previously used on other Duelists, but Bakura was not fazed and saw right through their disguises. Bakura then challenged Bonz to a winner-takes-all duel, where the winner took the 6 Locator Cards the opponent had. Without telling them he turned the game into a Shadow Game. Bakura launched his "Headless Knight" at Bonz several times but Bonz called out "Great Mammoth of Goldfine". Bakura summoned "The Earl of Demise" with twice its ATK and destroyed Bonz's monster. Bonz trapped Bakura in "Nightmare's Steelcage" but Bakura activated Ectoplasmer to attack them directly and win. Bakura obtained 6 Locator Cards and sent 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 dueled each other. Bakura allowed Yugi to destroy four of his monsters, losing most of his Life Points in the process, but activated "Dark Sanctuary" to turn Yugi's monsters against each other, as well as "The Dark Door" to limit Yugi's attacking choices. He also used "Destiny Board" to allow him to declare an automatic win after playing all five "Spirit Message" letters. Before the final letter was placed on the field, Yugi summoned "Slifer the Sky Dragon", shocking Bakura. As Bakura was about to lose, Odion Ishtar, who was pretending to be Marik, released Bakura from the spirit, knowing that Yugi would not attack Ryo Bakura when he was still injured. However, when "Marik" mentioned that Yugi may still attack with the fate of the world at stake, Yami Bakura decided that leaving Ryo in his vulnerable state posed too much of a risk, and he again took over his body, challenging Yugi to attack. When Yugi declared the attack, he won the duel, but left Bakura comatose. The Ring was lost in the Duel, but was returned by Téa, who was being controlled by Marik.

In Téa's body, Marik went to Bakura for help, 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 with evil intent and motive. Bakura lost most of his Life Points, but obtained "The Winged Dragon of Ra" Despite this, Yami Marik weakened it to be useless.

Bakura got rid of it by Tributing it to summon "Dark Ruler Ha Des", thinking that with Ra buried in the Graveyard, no one could use it, but Marik brought it back from Graveyard with "Monster Reborn", and then used it to end the Duel, resulting in Bakura destroyed by Marik's "The Winged Dragon of Ra". Yami Bakura previously sealed a portion of his soul in the Millennium Puzzle, allowing him to continue existing in secret.

Battle City Finals arc

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 right away, as he was still exploring the Millennium Puzzle and eventually discovered how to resurrect Zorc Necrophades with ease.

Waking of the Dragons arc

During Yami Yugi's duel with Dartz he was shown Thief King Bakura (Yami Bakura in the past) and Atem (Yami Yugi 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 Yugi (In the English version, Dartz mentions that when the Pharaoh was reborn, so were his rivals).

Dawn of the Duel arc

Ryo Bakura was running away from the spirit of the Ring, not wanting to be possessed again, attempting to hide in a church. However, Yami Bakura cornered Ryo and told him that the remaining Millennium Items were in possession of both Shadi and the Pharaoh; while Shadi would ultimately hand his items over to the Pharaoh, he mentions that the seven Millennium Items were not enough to open the door of the Beyond. Ryo had to find the eight key, the secret of which was hidden somewhere in the Pharaoh's world of memories. Yami Bakura then possessed Ryo and claimed the following: "Nameless Pharaoh! When the doors of your memory open, the Ultimate Dark Game spanning 3,000 years shall begin!" (In the English version, 5,000 years)

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 Yami Bakura there. Yami 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, Yami Bakura kept the Millennium Ring, as he was not ready to part with it. Yugi demanded it back, but Yami Bakura told him to gather the rest of the items and Yami Bakura would give him the Ring. But Yugi had little faith in his words. Yami Bakura also told Yugi that if the Items are returned to the Millennium Stone, then a doorway to the spirit world would be opened. Not believing him, Yami Yugi then took over and told Yami 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 Yami Yugi stood his ground, telling Yami Bakura that they are nothing alike. Yami Bakura then left for KC. In the Japanese version, Yami Bakura merely announces that he is a soul sealed in the Millennium Ring. However, he adds, like Yami Yugi, he does not remember his origins. He adds that by snooping inside of Yami Yugi's memories, he 'may' find the answer. In truth, he is perfectly aware of it, but doesn't want Yami Yugi to be too careful and not hesitate.

Yami Bakura then challenges Yami Yugi 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 Shadow Game. He keeps on taunting Yami Yugi by claiming that "Although you don't remember it, you were the one who started that Game." Yami Yugi is surprised, but he's not convinced. Nevertheless, he accepts the challenge. Yami Bakura departs by saying that the Game would begin once the doors of Yami Yugi's memory opened.

He later challenges Seto Kaiba to a Duel in an effort to obtain the power of Blue-Eyes White Dragon. He first abducted Mokuba Kaiba (In the Japanese version, he knocks out Mokuba.) to get Seto to the room. Once there, Seto demands Yami Bakura hand Mokuba over after their Duel finishes. He almost beats Kaiba with Diabound Kernel, and Diabound destroyed Blue-Eyes, giving it the power of the dragon. However, he leaves before they can finish resulting in a draw. However, 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.

Yami 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 Millennium 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 to keep an eye on Yugi 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 when 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 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 and Yugi will enter the game directly, revealing his identity as a part of Zorc as he fuses with Zorc and Yami Yugi fuses with his ancient self in the game world.

Meanwhile, the piece of his soul that he had possess Tristan reveals himself and challenges Yugi to a Duel before the latter can find Yami Yugi's true name. During the Duel, Yami Bakura utilises Necro monsters, limited Yugi's attacking options using Narrow Corridor, and focused on a Deck Out strategy with Counterbalance. He ultimately reduces Yugi to 1 card, but that card turns out to be Gandora the Dragon of Destruction which destroys Yami Bakura's Cards and his strategy. Yugi is then able to Summon Silent Swordsman LV0 with 4500 ATK to defeat Yami Bakura and the portion of the spirit that was possessing Tristan fades away and dies.

Ultimately, Zorc is obliterated by the divine powers of The Creator God of Light, Horakhty the fusion of the 3 Egyptian Gods, and since he had been fused with Zorc, Yami Bakura was killed as well. After Yugi and the others returned from the Dark RPG, Yugi mused that with Zorc's death, Yami Bakura was dead. This released Ryo Bakura from the malevolent spirit's possession once, and for all.

Yu-Gi-Oh! GX (Anime)

Yami Bakura appeared in a flashback 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.

Video Games

Yami Bakura appears in the following video games:

• Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links

Knownable Relatives

• Unnamed Mother (dead)
• Unnamed Father (dead)
• Ryo Bakura (Future Incarnation)

Trivia

• Yami Bakura shares the same English voice actor as Jack Atlas from Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's.

Voice Actresses & Actors

• Japanese voice actress : the late Yo Inoue (Duelist Kingdom arc), Rica Matsumoto (for the rest of the anime series successing the role after Yo Inoue's tragic death from cancer on March 28, 2003), Tsutomu Kashiwakura (Season 0)
• English : Ted Lewis (all media), Michael Crouch (child)

all information on Yami Bakura came from http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Yami_Bakura