Character Profile: Yami Bakura

The much more sinister soul hidden within the Millennium Ring, Yami Bakura is the soul of a grave robber who had been on a quest to seek out the seven Millennium Items in order to throw open the dark gates that they sealed.

But something went wrong. His soul became trapped within the Millennium Ring.

As time went by, the Ring changed hands, until it eventually came into the possession of a boy named Ryou Bakura. It was around this time that the other Millennium items (such as Yugi's Millennium Puzzle) began to awaken to their power. The Ring (and this Yami Bakura) could sense those items, and so he began to "nudge" his host towards the items.

When necessary, he can awaken from the Millennium Ring and take over his host's body, and this was how he and Yami Yugi first met. He had sealed Yugi Moto's soul in his own Dark Magician card, but this automatically caused Yami Yugi's soul to emerge from the Puzzle and set the stage for a dangerous Shadow Game. It didn't turn out so well for him, and he had to spend precious time getting out of the Shadow Realm before returning to the Ring...just in time to come up with a new plan. Seeing the vulnerable Mokuba Kaiba ripe for the taking, he tried to get Ryou over so he could switch, but Tristan unexpectedly set him back when he snatched the Ring and threw it away. By the time the Ring was magically returned to its keeper, his opportunity had passed...but a new one had emerged. He sought out the just-defeated Pegasus and challenged him to a test of wills. He knew he could best the powerless Pegasus easily, and with that, he claimed the Millennium Eye.

As time passed, Yami Bakura could sense powers growing as the Battle City tournament progressed, but as he continued his search, another dark soul confronted him: Marik Ishtar. They soon realized that they were after different goals (Bakura the Millennium Items, Marik the God Cards) and agreed on a temporary alliance so that each could claim his prize (each thinking that he was getting the better of the deal). Bakura kept up his end of the deal, helping Marik get to Yugi's friends and then joining him in the Battle Ship. But does Yami Bakura really know what he is getting himself into?

Like Yami Yugi, Yami Bakura is a bit of an unknown. All that is known about him is that he seeks the seven Millennium Items, which when brought together open a gateway to unimaginable dark powers. He seems extremely ruthless in his quest for the items (we see that both in Duelist Kingdom and in Battle City). But is that all there is to Yami Bakura?

Note: Some people think Thief King Bakura's ancient name is Akefia, but that name actually comes from Japanese fansites and is not his official name.

Yami Bakura grew up in the village of Kul Ena (Kuru Eruna), a town of lowlifes and thieves. He originally was a normal boy with white hair. One day when he was five, soldiers rode into the town and started slaughtering the villagers, with Bakura hiding out of the way. His whole town was destroyed because Pharaoh Akunumkanon approved of the creation of the Millennium Items in order to stop an invading army that was after the book that contained the recipe for the Millennium Items. Priest Akunadin told Akunumkanon about items that could be used to control an army of Gods and Demons, but no other specifics. Atemu (Yami Yugi) was just born when this happened, so Akunamukanon didn't ask any questions.

Bakura thought that it was Yami (the pharaoh) who did it (even though it wasn't Yami that did it, but rather Pharaoh Akunumkanon's brother). He thought of a plan to get revenge. When everything was set, he went off to the palace. He got there and got past many of the guards, killing whoever got in his way. He made it to Yami. They then had a shadow duel.

Tomb Robber Bakura escaped the shadow duel he and the Pharaoh had the first time. As the Pharaoh and his priests searched for him, he started attacking the priests to make it easier to crush the Pharaoh (guerilla tactics). He fought the priest Mahaado in a tomb, killed him, and took the Millennium Ring. Then he influenced the priest Akunadin with the Millennium Items' evil, thus taking away another priest from Pharaoh Yami's side. Finally, Bakura fought the Pharaoh and defeated him and took the Millennium Puzzle. Everyone presumed Yami dead, but he survived, tracked down Bakura, and they fought the final duel where the Millennium Items were created... the village of Kuru Eruna. Bakura lost eventually, and one of the penalties of the shadow duel was that he be sealed in the Millennium Ring for the 5000 years until Ryou Bakura released him.

Now, 5,000 years later, Yami Bakura comes back, but unlike Yami, his memory hasn't been completely erased of what happened. He still remembers his mission for obtaining the Millennium Items, though he doesn't remember why he is getting revenge on Yami, he just has this urge to. He does remember Zork, and his memory returns after Battle City, after he sealed a part of himself in the Millennium Puzzle.

In Ancient Egypt, when the priest Akunadin created the seven Millennium Items, the ritual also created a being of pure evil. This being's name was Zork Necrophidius and he dwelt inside of the Millennium Ring. Zork Necrophidius used Thief Bakura and controlled Akunadin's mind in an attempt to destroy the world. But Pharaoh Atem sealed Zork back inside the Millennium Ring.

Atem's uncle tricked the Pharaoh (Atem's father) into giving him permission to make the Millennium Items, but he didn't tell the Pharaoh that they needed 99 human sacrifices, around 15 for each Item. Yami Bakura's village consisted of thieves, so Akunadin (Atem's uncle, Seth's father) figured that no-one would care if it was destroyed. Yami Bakura hid while the Pharaoh's guards slaughtered his village. Yami Bakura knew from the beginning why his village was killed, he saw their bodies get melted down and turned into gold. The procedure was a form of alchemy.

He started hating the Pharaoh (Akunumkanon) and wanted him to pay for his crimes. Yami Bakura didn't know that the Pharaoh didn't order the destruction of his village. When Akunumkanon died, Yami Bakura was angry because he wasn't the cause of death. His hate transferred to Atem, and when he found out what the bodies of his loved ones were used for, he went after the Items. First it was to lay his village to rest, then it was to destroy Atem, and then it was for power. Zork came along before the last one and offered Yami Bakura power to defeat the Pharaoh in exchange for his service, or something along those lines.

3000 years later, Ryou Bakura gains the Millennium Ring. Zork possesses Bakura as he did Thief Bakura back in Ancient Egypt. Zork wishes to gain all seven Millennium Items so that he may return to his former power. In the Memory World arc, Yami Bakura reveals to Yami Yugi that he is Zork and merges with the past incarnation of himself. When that incarnation of Zork is destroyed, so is Yami Bakura.