Shadow Riders
Encyclopedia
The Shadow Riders, known as the in the original Japanese language
version, are a fiction
al group of villain
s in the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
anime
series, appearing between episodes 29-49.
Composed of seven duelists and their leader of varying origins and backgrounds who each have their own agendas, the Shadow Riders serve as the main antagonist
s of the series' first season, intent on resurrecting the Sacred Beasts.
However, one of them returns in the fourth and final season as the true mastermind behind the mysterious attacks that take place in Duel Academy and Domino City.
The Shadow Riders' character designs were overseen by Kenichi Hara. An example of one of these concepts can be seen in Nightshroud, who wears a tight-fitting overcoat with raised shoulders and waistline and gold and green trimmings. His dark dragon mask, similar to that of his signature monster Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon, is completely black with the exception of blue eye-pieces and a red stone in the center of the forehead. In this incarnation, the bangs closest to his face are positioned in front of the mask. He carries an Academy-issued Duel Disk
on his left hand.
Another example can be seen in Amnael, who wears a hooded tunic with a flowing red scarf, boots, and a mask with yellow eye-pieces. On his right hand is a glove made of heavier material, and he carries a black model of the Academy-issued Duel Disk on his left despite the second Japanese opening sequence featuring his alter ego with the standard Disk given to all students and staff before his official debut as Amnael. In this incarnation, he has white hair, and the sides of his face are covered in pronounced veins and cracks.
anime, enlisted by the elderly Kagemaru in his quest to retrieve his lost youth, the Shadow Riders are a collection of elite duelists who work towards the goal of reviving the Sacred Beast Cards. Each of the members that Jaden Yuki
and company face possess a "Shadow Charm," similar to the Millennium Items in terms of supernatural power, but of unknown origin. These relics bestow upon their owners different abilities depending on the Shadow Rider in question.
In the past, Kagemaru was forced to seal the Sacred Beasts away behind the Spirit Gate underneath Duel Academy due to their inability to grant his wish at that time. In order to access their true abilities, he bestows upon Chancellor Sheppard the seven Spirit Keys capable of unlocking the gate, and pits his subordinates against the school's finest to create the strong dueling presence needed to unleash the Sacred Beasts.
(older) and Marc Thompson (younger), while Mugihito
(older) and Nobutoshi Canna
(younger) take the role in the Japanese version.
In horrible health, Kagemaru hoped to attain eternal youth by sacrificing Duel Monster spirits to the Sacred Beasts. During his Duel with Jaden, his youth gradually returned. After being defeated, however, he returned to his aged state. He then asked forgiveness and promised to renounce his former ways, carried off to the hospital by helicopter. He appears again as his younger self in episode 84.
Kagemaru plays a Sacred Beast deck. He carries a basic Fiend deck to support Raviel, and plenty of Spell and Trap Cards to support Uria and Hamon.
version, is the first Shadow Rider. But in reality, Nightshroud is an entity of unknown origin tied to the darkness itself and the final antagonist in the series. He entered the body of Atticus Rhodes and took control. Nightshroud is voiced by Hozumi Gōda in the Japanese version. While possessing Atticus' body, Nightshroud is voiced by Jason Anthony Griffith
in the English version, while Kouji Yusa takes the role in the Japanese version.
Being the owner of the other half of the Shadow Charm pendant in Jaden's possession, Nightshroud sets a Shadow Game for both of them where the loser has his soul sealed in a card. When defeated, Nightshroud's soul (represented by his mask) is sealed away, and Atticus is freed.
During the GX Tournament, Atticus uses Nightshroud's deck in hopes of convincing his friend, Zane Truesdale
, that the dark path taken by a duelist is a terrible course. As a result, Nightshroud's influence (that lay dormant within his cards) is once again able to take control of Atticus, only to be banished following his defeat.
In the fourth season, Atticus again uses Nightshroud's deck to duel Jaden, revealing he still has nightmares about his alter-ego. During the duel, Atticus remembers that one of the missing students at the academy, Yusuke Fujiwara, was the original host of Nightshroud and before he vanished, he made Atticus into a temporary host for Nightshroud to inhabit. But Nightshroud eventually returns in the body of Fujiwara, and though he loses to Atticus in a one-on-one duel, he cheats reversing time and preventing Atticus from playing Red-Eyes Burn. But after losing to Jaden when he and Jesse double teamed Fujiwara, Nightshroud left his vessel and duels Jaden in a match with the world at stake. Jaden reverses all of Nightshroud's evil doings and finally destroys him. Though beaten, Nightshroud boasts that as long there's darkness in humans, he would return, but Jaden counters by claiming that as long as there are bonds between humans, Nightshroud won't return. In his final duel, Nightshroud is portrayed as megalomania
c or simply insane
, once he claims he is God
and the Savior.
Nightshroud, while possessing Atticus, plays a Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon deck, which focuses on quickly summoning the eponymous card and strengthening it by placing a large number of Dragon-type monsters in his Graveyard. Once within the body of Fujiwara, Nightshroud uses a Clear deck which shuts down the opponent's strategies based on the attributes of the monsters they summon. Once without a host, Nightshroud uses his personal Darkness deck, which controls the field through its "Darkness" field spell card.
. In the English version, Camula is voiced by Bella Hudson, while Kanako Irie takes the role in the Japanese version.
A vampire
, Camula is very serious when it comes to dueling, as she hopes to revive her race from its destruction by the people of Medieval Times
. She had been asleep within her coffin until Kagemaru uncovered it and invited her to join the Shadow Riders. She captures the souls of her opponents following their losses within dolls to fuel her cause, and uses the Shadow Charm strangler around her neck to bet the souls of others in conjunction with the Shadow Game-exclusive Illusion Gate to ensure victory. She manages to obtain the keys of Crowler and Zane, but during her Duel with Jaden, her Shadow Charm's power is negated by the completed item that Jaden possesses. Out of self-confidence, Camula places her own soul on the line, and it is dragged into the gate after she loses, leaving her body empty and turning it to dust.
Camula plays a Vampire deck. Several of her monsters (such as Zombie Werewolf and Vampire Bat) can feint revival by either summoning or discarding additional copies of themselves when destroyed through battle. Camula is also able to combine the recursion ability of Vampire Genesis with Genesis Crisis to repetitively raise her undead army from the grave.
takes the role in the Japanese version.
A white tiger that assumes human form with her Shadow Charm gauntlet to find a worthy duelist to be her husband, Tania travels with another tiger named Bass, who resembles the Amazoness Tiger. She falls in love with Bastion Misawa, and after some sweet talking and showing off her amazing dueling skills, defeats him and makes him her bridegroom for a short time until she grows tired of him. Tania then fights Jaden in a soul match with the effect of Amazon Arena, and eventually resumes her true form and runs off. She appears before Jaden and his group during the third year as her human self, having been sucked into the second alternate dimension
they visit since their last meeting. She serves as their guide through the first town they encounter, and stays behind with Bastion after Jaden liberates it.
Tania's Amazoness cards, based on the Amazons
of Greek mythology
, are divided into two decks: Courage and Knowledge (the former focusing on offense with more damage inflicted via Amazoness Arena, while the latter is more based on turning the opponent's battle strategies against them). She uses the Knowledge deck against Bastion, and the Courage deck against Jaden.
who impersonates Christopher Walken
, while Taiten Kusunoki
takes the role in the Japanese version.
Zaloog is actually a Duel Monster spirit brought to life by the power of the Shadow Charm eyepatch he wears. He is also the leader of the band of thieves known as the Dark Scorpion Gang ( in the original Japanese language
version), who were also brought to life by the item. He masquerades as a detective named Detective Zaloog (Police Inspector Manguer), sent to assist the students in hiding the remaining Spirit Keys, while his posse work on taking the keys incognito. However, since they fail to obtain the keys in a Duel, they are unable to unlock the Spirit Gate of the Sacred Beasts. When Zaloog and his gang are discovered, he and Chazz Princeton duel with all the remaining keys on the line. In the end, he and his cohorts are defeated, and the power of his Shadow Charm is nullified. After reverting back to their spirit forms, the Dark Scorpions join the many weak monsters in Chazz's care, to the young duelist's annoyance.
Zaloog plays a Dark Scorpion deck, themed on bringing together the members of the Dark Scorpion Gang and triggering their five effects in unison, with support from cards such as Mustering of the Dark Scorpions and Dark Scorpion Combination. Like his card, however, in the English anime, he wields twin swords and in the Japanese version, he wields guns.
. In the English version, Abidos is voiced by Darren Dunstan
, while Mamoru Miyano
takes the role in the Japanese version.
An ancient pharaoh
who never lost a single Duel, Abidos regained physical form through the powers of the Shadow Charm headband he wears. With an army of mummies, Abidos gathers Jaden and company on his celestial yacht for a Duel. During the Duel with Jaden, Abidos realizes that the only reason he kept winning was because his opponents always lost on purpose, simply because he was pharaoh. Jaden, however, manages to give Abidos a real Duel in which the opponent actually tries to win. Satisfied with his defeat, Abidos departs for the afterlife, giving Jaden his Shadow Charm, the latter making a promise to meet him again in one-hundred years time, presuming that Jaden will be dead within that time.
Abidos plays a Servants of the Pharaoh deck, themed on gathering three Sarcophagus cards to summon Spirit of the Pharaoh.
, while Norio Wakamoto
takes the role in the Japanese version
A hitman
originally hired by Crowler to deal with Jaden, Titan captured Alexis Rhodes
to force Jaden into a Duel for her life. Despite his reputation of possessing the power of a Millennium Item, the "Millennium Item" turned out to be a fake Millennium Puzzle, and Titan used various tricks to mimic a Shadow Game. He became the victim of a real Shadow Duel, however, but was saved by Kagemaru, wearing a Shadow Charm mask to bind him to the real world. Taking advantage of Alexis' desire to restore her brother's memories, Titan challenges her in the abandoned dorm where they first met. He is ultimately pulled back into the pits of darkness when he is defeated.
Titan plays an Archfiend (Demon) deck, composed largely of monsters based on chess pieces, in his first encounter with Jaden, which is later supported by Fiend Bullfighter (Demon's Matador) cards in his Duel with Alexis; this last deck is inspired by Spanish traditions with names related to bullfighting
, such as "Picador", "Matador" and "Banderillero".
, while Kappei Yamaguchi
takes the role in the Japanese version.
A homunculus
inhabited by Lyman Banner's soul. Unable to find Banner's Cat, Pharaoh, Alexis, Chazz, Jaden and the others start looking for him. While looking, Amnael challenges and defeats both Chazz Princeton and Alexis Rhodes in a duel, who then get sucked into Amnael's book as a result. Jaden gets lead to the abandoned dorm where he defeated Titan. There he finds a mummified body that resembles Banner, and Amnael who later reveals himself to be the spirit of Banner. Both Amnael and Jaden duel which results in Jadens victory. After giving Jaden his Emerald Tablet which previously held his Shadow Charm, Banner is reduced to dust along with his original mummified body. His spirit, however, lives on in the stomach of his cat, Pharaoh. His appearance is seen when the cat is clueless causing its body to revieve Banner's spirt for a short amount of time.
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
version, are a fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al group of villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
s in the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, known in Japan as , is an anime spin-off and sequel of the original Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters anime. It aired in Japan on TV Tokyo between October 6, 2004 and March 26, 2008, and was succeeded by Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's...
anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series, appearing between episodes 29-49.
Composed of seven duelists and their leader of varying origins and backgrounds who each have their own agendas, the Shadow Riders serve as the main antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
s of the series' first season, intent on resurrecting the Sacred Beasts.
However, one of them returns in the fourth and final season as the true mastermind behind the mysterious attacks that take place in Duel Academy and Domino City.
Character design
Duel Disk
The Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Disk, sometimes referred to as the Duel Disk Launcher, as marketed in the United States, is a card-holding device attached to the left forearm by way of Velcro straps and plastic plate. It consists of two movable "wings" into which one can slip Yu-Gi-Oh! cards in either attack or...
on his left hand.
Another example can be seen in Amnael, who wears a hooded tunic with a flowing red scarf, boots, and a mask with yellow eye-pieces. On his right hand is a glove made of heavier material, and he carries a black model of the Academy-issued Duel Disk on his left despite the second Japanese opening sequence featuring his alter ego with the standard Disk given to all students and staff before his official debut as Amnael. In this incarnation, he has white hair, and the sides of his face are covered in pronounced veins and cracks.
History
In the timeline of the Yu-Gi-Oh! GXYu-Gi-Oh! GX
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, known in Japan as , is an anime spin-off and sequel of the original Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters anime. It aired in Japan on TV Tokyo between October 6, 2004 and March 26, 2008, and was succeeded by Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's...
anime, enlisted by the elderly Kagemaru in his quest to retrieve his lost youth, the Shadow Riders are a collection of elite duelists who work towards the goal of reviving the Sacred Beast Cards. Each of the members that Jaden Yuki
Jaden Yuki
Jaden Yuki, known as in the original Japanese version, is a fictional character and the main protagonist in the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX anime and manga series. His name is meant to be a pun in Japanese, as "jūdai" is the word for "teenager"...
and company face possess a "Shadow Charm," similar to the Millennium Items in terms of supernatural power, but of unknown origin. These relics bestow upon their owners different abilities depending on the Shadow Rider in question.
In the past, Kagemaru was forced to seal the Sacred Beasts away behind the Spirit Gate underneath Duel Academy due to their inability to grant his wish at that time. In order to access their true abilities, he bestows upon Chancellor Sheppard the seven Spirit Keys capable of unlocking the gate, and pits his subordinates against the school's finest to create the strong dueling presence needed to unleash the Sacred Beasts.
Kagemaru
is the leader of the Shadow Riders and former superintendent of Duel Academy. The "Kage" portion of his name is derived from the Japanese word "kage" (影), meaning "shadow". In the English version, Kagemaru is voiced by David WillsDavid Wills (voice actor)
David Wills is an American voice actor, who works with 4Kids Entertainment and NYAV Post. He was formerly a disc jockey under the name Ghosty for Sirius Satellite Radio and was the host of channel 118: Radio Classics under the name Dave Wills...
(older) and Marc Thompson (younger), while Mugihito
Mugihito
, better known by his stage name of is a Japanese voice and stage actor from Musashino, Tokyo. He is employed by Media Force. Mugihito was formerly credited under his birth name and also...
(older) and Nobutoshi Canna
Nobutoshi Canna
is a seiyū who was born on June 10, 1968 in Tokyo. Canna is currently affiliated with Aoni Production.He is most known for the roles of Tasuki , Ban Mido , Nnoitra , Basara Nekki , Kabuto Yakushi , Guts , Knuckles the Echidna Lee...
(younger) take the role in the Japanese version.
In horrible health, Kagemaru hoped to attain eternal youth by sacrificing Duel Monster spirits to the Sacred Beasts. During his Duel with Jaden, his youth gradually returned. After being defeated, however, he returned to his aged state. He then asked forgiveness and promised to renounce his former ways, carried off to the hospital by helicopter. He appears again as his younger self in episode 84.
Kagemaru plays a Sacred Beast deck. He carries a basic Fiend deck to support Raviel, and plenty of Spell and Trap Cards to support Uria and Hamon.
Nightshroud
Nightshroud, known as in the original Japanese languageJapanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
version, is the first Shadow Rider. But in reality, Nightshroud is an entity of unknown origin tied to the darkness itself and the final antagonist in the series. He entered the body of Atticus Rhodes and took control. Nightshroud is voiced by Hozumi Gōda in the Japanese version. While possessing Atticus' body, Nightshroud is voiced by Jason Anthony Griffith
Jason Anthony Griffith
Jason Anthony Griffith is an American actor and voice actor who has worked on several animated TV series, and was the voice of SEGA mascot Sonic the Hedgehog, as well as Shadow the Hedgehog and Jet the Hawk, in the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series, where he is credited as Jason Griffith and...
in the English version, while Kouji Yusa takes the role in the Japanese version.
Being the owner of the other half of the Shadow Charm pendant in Jaden's possession, Nightshroud sets a Shadow Game for both of them where the loser has his soul sealed in a card. When defeated, Nightshroud's soul (represented by his mask) is sealed away, and Atticus is freed.
During the GX Tournament, Atticus uses Nightshroud's deck in hopes of convincing his friend, Zane Truesdale
Zane Truesdale
Zane Truesdale, known as in the original Japanese language version, is a fictional character in the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX anime and manga series. In the English version, Zane is voiced by Scottie Ray, while Takeshi Maeda takes the role in the Japanese version....
, that the dark path taken by a duelist is a terrible course. As a result, Nightshroud's influence (that lay dormant within his cards) is once again able to take control of Atticus, only to be banished following his defeat.
In the fourth season, Atticus again uses Nightshroud's deck to duel Jaden, revealing he still has nightmares about his alter-ego. During the duel, Atticus remembers that one of the missing students at the academy, Yusuke Fujiwara, was the original host of Nightshroud and before he vanished, he made Atticus into a temporary host for Nightshroud to inhabit. But Nightshroud eventually returns in the body of Fujiwara, and though he loses to Atticus in a one-on-one duel, he cheats reversing time and preventing Atticus from playing Red-Eyes Burn. But after losing to Jaden when he and Jesse double teamed Fujiwara, Nightshroud left his vessel and duels Jaden in a match with the world at stake. Jaden reverses all of Nightshroud's evil doings and finally destroys him. Though beaten, Nightshroud boasts that as long there's darkness in humans, he would return, but Jaden counters by claiming that as long as there are bonds between humans, Nightshroud won't return. In his final duel, Nightshroud is portrayed as megalomania
Megalomania
Megalomania is a psycho-pathological condition characterized by delusional fantasies of power, relevance, or omnipotence. 'Megalomania is characterized by an inflated sense of self-esteem and overestimation by persons of their powers and beliefs'...
c or simply insane
Insanity
Insanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
, once he claims he is God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
and the Savior.
Nightshroud, while possessing Atticus, plays a Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon deck, which focuses on quickly summoning the eponymous card and strengthening it by placing a large number of Dragon-type monsters in his Graveyard. Once within the body of Fujiwara, Nightshroud uses a Clear deck which shuts down the opponent's strategies based on the attributes of the monsters they summon. Once without a host, Nightshroud uses his personal Darkness deck, which controls the field through its "Darkness" field spell card.
Camula
is the second Shadow Rider. Her name is derived from the title of Joseph Sheridan le Fanu's novel, CarmillaCarmilla
Carmilla is a Gothic novella by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. First published in 1872, it tells the story of a young woman's susceptibility to the attentions of a female vampire named Carmilla...
. In the English version, Camula is voiced by Bella Hudson, while Kanako Irie takes the role in the Japanese version.
A vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
, Camula is very serious when it comes to dueling, as she hopes to revive her race from its destruction by the people of Medieval Times
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. She had been asleep within her coffin until Kagemaru uncovered it and invited her to join the Shadow Riders. She captures the souls of her opponents following their losses within dolls to fuel her cause, and uses the Shadow Charm strangler around her neck to bet the souls of others in conjunction with the Shadow Game-exclusive Illusion Gate to ensure victory. She manages to obtain the keys of Crowler and Zane, but during her Duel with Jaden, her Shadow Charm's power is negated by the completed item that Jaden possesses. Out of self-confidence, Camula places her own soul on the line, and it is dragged into the gate after she loses, leaving her body empty and turning it to dust.
Camula plays a Vampire deck. Several of her monsters (such as Zombie Werewolf and Vampire Bat) can feint revival by either summoning or discarding additional copies of themselves when destroyed through battle. Camula is also able to combine the recursion ability of Vampire Genesis with Genesis Crisis to repetitively raise her undead army from the grave.
Tania
is the third Shadow Rider. In the English version, Tania is voiced by Alyson Johnson, while Kazue KomiyaKazue Komiya
is a Japanese voice actress who is affiliated with Theater Echo.-TV anime:*Aim for the Ace! *Ashita no Nadja *Combat Mecha Xabungle *Fullmetal Alchemist *Hiatari Ryōkō!...
takes the role in the Japanese version.
A white tiger that assumes human form with her Shadow Charm gauntlet to find a worthy duelist to be her husband, Tania travels with another tiger named Bass, who resembles the Amazoness Tiger. She falls in love with Bastion Misawa, and after some sweet talking and showing off her amazing dueling skills, defeats him and makes him her bridegroom for a short time until she grows tired of him. Tania then fights Jaden in a soul match with the effect of Amazon Arena, and eventually resumes her true form and runs off. She appears before Jaden and his group during the third year as her human self, having been sucked into the second alternate dimension
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
they visit since their last meeting. She serves as their guide through the first town they encounter, and stays behind with Bastion after Jaden liberates it.
Tania's Amazoness cards, based on the Amazons
Amazons
The Amazons are a nation of all-female warriors in Greek mythology and Classical antiquity. Herodotus placed them in a region bordering Scythia in Sarmatia...
of Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, are divided into two decks: Courage and Knowledge (the former focusing on offense with more damage inflicted via Amazoness Arena, while the latter is more based on turning the opponent's battle strategies against them). She uses the Knowledge deck against Bastion, and the Courage deck against Jaden.
Don Zaloog
is the fourth Shadow Rider. In the English version, Zaloog is voiced by Darren DunstanDarren Dunstan
Darren Dunstan is a Canadian born voice actor and an occasional stage actor currently based in New York City. He has provided voice-over and voice direction on several properties of 4Kids Entertainment....
who impersonates Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken is an American stage and screen actor. He has appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows, including Joe Dirt, Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter, The Prophecy trilogy, The Dogs of War, Sleepy Hollow, Brainstorm, The Dead Zone, A View to a Kill, At Close Range, King of New...
, while Taiten Kusunoki
Taiten Kusunoki
is a male Japanese voice actor and actor from Machida, Tokyo. He is affiliated with Miki Productions.-Television animation:*Bleach as Edrad Leones, Zommari Leroux*Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z *Digimon Savers as Commander Rentarō Satsuma...
takes the role in the Japanese version.
Zaloog is actually a Duel Monster spirit brought to life by the power of the Shadow Charm eyepatch he wears. He is also the leader of the band of thieves known as the Dark Scorpion Gang ( in the original Japanese language
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
version), who were also brought to life by the item. He masquerades as a detective named Detective Zaloog (Police Inspector Manguer), sent to assist the students in hiding the remaining Spirit Keys, while his posse work on taking the keys incognito. However, since they fail to obtain the keys in a Duel, they are unable to unlock the Spirit Gate of the Sacred Beasts. When Zaloog and his gang are discovered, he and Chazz Princeton duel with all the remaining keys on the line. In the end, he and his cohorts are defeated, and the power of his Shadow Charm is nullified. After reverting back to their spirit forms, the Dark Scorpions join the many weak monsters in Chazz's care, to the young duelist's annoyance.
Zaloog plays a Dark Scorpion deck, themed on bringing together the members of the Dark Scorpion Gang and triggering their five effects in unison, with support from cards such as Mustering of the Dark Scorpions and Dark Scorpion Combination. Like his card, however, in the English anime, he wields twin swords and in the Japanese version, he wields guns.
Abidos
is the fifth Shadow Rider. His name is derived from the name of the ancient Egyptian city, AbydosAbydos, Egypt
Abydos is one of the most ancient cities of Upper Egypt, and also of the eight Upper Nome, of which it was the capital city. It is located about 11 kilometres west of the Nile at latitude 26° 10' N, near the modern Egyptian towns of el-'Araba el Madfuna and al-Balyana...
. In the English version, Abidos is voiced by Darren Dunstan
Darren Dunstan
Darren Dunstan is a Canadian born voice actor and an occasional stage actor currently based in New York City. He has provided voice-over and voice direction on several properties of 4Kids Entertainment....
, while Mamoru Miyano
Mamoru Miyano
is a Japanese voice actor, actor, and singer from Saitama. He is best known for his roles on Ouran High School Host Club, Death Note, Mobile Suit Gundam 00, and Kōtetsu Sangokushi. At the 2007 Seiyu Awards he was nominated for two awards for his role as Light Yagami in Death Note, and in 2008, he...
takes the role in the Japanese version.
An ancient pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
who never lost a single Duel, Abidos regained physical form through the powers of the Shadow Charm headband he wears. With an army of mummies, Abidos gathers Jaden and company on his celestial yacht for a Duel. During the Duel with Jaden, Abidos realizes that the only reason he kept winning was because his opponents always lost on purpose, simply because he was pharaoh. Jaden, however, manages to give Abidos a real Duel in which the opponent actually tries to win. Satisfied with his defeat, Abidos departs for the afterlife, giving Jaden his Shadow Charm, the latter making a promise to meet him again in one-hundred years time, presuming that Jaden will be dead within that time.
Abidos plays a Servants of the Pharaoh deck, themed on gathering three Sarcophagus cards to summon Spirit of the Pharaoh.
Titan
is the sixth Shadow Rider. In the English version, Titan is voiced by Eric StuartEric Stuart
Eric Stuart is a voice actor, voice director, singer, songwriter, and guitarist. As the lead singer of his own band, the Eric Stuart Band , he is an award-winning independent artist with a growing US and international fan base.Stuart gained acclaim as a voice actor not only because of his...
, while Norio Wakamoto
Norio Wakamoto
is a veteran male seiyū and budō expert affiliated with Sigma Seven. He was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and was raised in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. He graduated from Waseda University...
takes the role in the Japanese version
A hitman
Contract killing
Contract killing is a form of murder, in which one party hires another party to kill a target individual or group of people. It involves an illegal agreement between two parties in which one party agrees to kill the target in exchange for consideration, monetary, or otherwise. The hiring party may...
originally hired by Crowler to deal with Jaden, Titan captured Alexis Rhodes
Alexis Rhodes
Alexis Rhodes can refer to:*Alex Rhodes , Australian cyclist*A character in Yu-Gi-Oh! GX...
to force Jaden into a Duel for her life. Despite his reputation of possessing the power of a Millennium Item, the "Millennium Item" turned out to be a fake Millennium Puzzle, and Titan used various tricks to mimic a Shadow Game. He became the victim of a real Shadow Duel, however, but was saved by Kagemaru, wearing a Shadow Charm mask to bind him to the real world. Taking advantage of Alexis' desire to restore her brother's memories, Titan challenges her in the abandoned dorm where they first met. He is ultimately pulled back into the pits of darkness when he is defeated.
Titan plays an Archfiend (Demon) deck, composed largely of monsters based on chess pieces, in his first encounter with Jaden, which is later supported by Fiend Bullfighter (Demon's Matador) cards in his Duel with Alexis; this last deck is inspired by Spanish traditions with names related to bullfighting
Bullfighting
Bullfighting is a traditional spectacle of Spain, Portugal, southern France and some Latin American countries , in which one or more bulls are baited in a bullring for sport and entertainment...
, such as "Picador", "Matador" and "Banderillero".
Amnael
is the seventh and final Shadow Rider. In the English version, Amnael] is voiced by Wayne GraysonWayne Grayson
Vinnie Penna is an American actor and voice actor who is mostly known for voice over under the name Wayne Grayson and has worked with 4Kids Entertainment, NYAV Post and DuArt Film and Video....
, while Kappei Yamaguchi
Kappei Yamaguchi
, better known by his stage name of , is a Japanese voice actor and actor from Fukuoka, affiliated with Gokū and 21st Century Fox.He is best known for the roles of Ranma Saotome , Jackson Neil , Tombo , Yattaro , InuYasha , Ryuichi Sakuma , L , Usopp...
takes the role in the Japanese version.
A homunculus
Homunculus
Homunculus is a term used, generally, in various fields of study to refer to any representation of a human being. Historically, it referred specifically to the concept of a miniature though fully formed human body, for example, in the studies of alchemy and preformationism...
inhabited by Lyman Banner's soul. Unable to find Banner's Cat, Pharaoh, Alexis, Chazz, Jaden and the others start looking for him. While looking, Amnael challenges and defeats both Chazz Princeton and Alexis Rhodes in a duel, who then get sucked into Amnael's book as a result. Jaden gets lead to the abandoned dorm where he defeated Titan. There he finds a mummified body that resembles Banner, and Amnael who later reveals himself to be the spirit of Banner. Both Amnael and Jaden duel which results in Jadens victory. After giving Jaden his Emerald Tablet which previously held his Shadow Charm, Banner is reduced to dust along with his original mummified body. His spirit, however, lives on in the stomach of his cat, Pharaoh. His appearance is seen when the cat is clueless causing its body to revieve Banner's spirt for a short amount of time.