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| Bakura Ryou |
| Age: 15/16 (has a birthday mid-season) Birthday: September 2 Height: 5' 9" Weight: 116 lbs Blood type: AB Siblings: Bakura Amane, deceased Now that you have the basic physical stats, here's a bit more in-depth and character-analysis information: In my opinion, Ryou is one of the more dimensional characters in the series (aside from Bakura). Unlike Shadi, who seems complex only because he is mysterious and not much is known about him, Ryou has a background and history that relates to his personality and actions in a way that makes sense. Obviously, he is quite and doesn't like to agitate situations. He would rather avoid a conflict and deal with the reprocussions later than start a fight and have to finish it. Because of this, he seems to 'run away' from problems quite a bit -- or, as with the Ring and his possession by Bakura, ignore them or deny their existence. However, people do not have these patterns of action without reason and influence. His shy, self-effacing nature is probably from insecurities, either cause by the death of his mother and sister, or by the fact that he can't seem to control this presence inside of him, and he fears it will harm anyone he gets close to. Despite this, Ryou finally manages to take a stand against Bakura when the spirit traps his friends in "Monster World". This marks a turning point in his strength of character; however, he retains his polite, docile attitude and mannerisms. Having a strict upbringing, Ryou is both very formal and at the same time warm and kind to everyone. Although he hates to see people hurt, he's been around it enough and been hurt himself to such an extent that he would most certainly not be traumatized by it. However, this does not mean that he is innured to cruelty or doesn't feel empathy towards those around him who suffer; indeed, it makes him even more accutely attuned to the grief of others. From this sense of humanity, his protective and self-sacrificing side evolves, where he would rather risk himself than allow harm come to those who he considers friends. As a brief history, Ryou was raised in England by his father, and archaeologist, and his mother, a Japanese lady of some standing. He and his sister, Amane, were very close; they shared a sibling bond almost akin to that of twins. But life was not to remain a wonderful fairytale for Ryou: on the night of his sister's tenth birthday (his twelfth), she and his mother were both killed in a horrific car crash. Shortly after, while he was still emotionable vulnerable from the tradgedy and his young mind impressionable and maleable, he recieved the Sennen Ring from his father, who had no idea of its effects, or of his wife and daughter's deaths (he was on a dig in Egypt; word would have had a hard time reaching him quickly). Ryou, in his weakness, was fed upon by the spirit, until it was too late for him to fight back when he realized what was happening. Becoming frightened by lapses in his memory and strange "dreams" (actually streams of consciousness leaking through from when Bakura controlled him), somehow connected it to the Ring and tried to dispose of it, without success, and suffering severe mental (and, possibly, physical) punishments from Bakura. This was when he realized the tomb robbers existence, perhaps for the first time truly acknowledging it. So, there you have it. Whether you prefer this story, or a happier, dub-style one where his sister is just away on a trip and he is a normal teenage boy, I cannot dictate. But these are events as I understand them, and, to my mind, as they happened. If you know otherwise, feel free to send me and e-mail! |
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| Bakura (Yami Bakura) |
| Age: approximately 3,000 years Birthday: unkown Height: 5' 9" (original unknown) Weight: 116 (original unknown) Blood type: AB (original unknown) Notice that everything's the same as Ryou -- they share a body. Thus, physical status would be identical. Their souls and minds, however, could not be more different. . . |
| I like to think of Bakura as the "anti-Ryou". They seem to be exact opposites: where Ryou is calm and docile, Bakura is rash, loud and excitable. Ryou's gentle, soft demeanor is kitty-corner of Bakura's harsh, cruel, sadomasochistic impulsiveness. However, with these two, there is not simple, one-sided, black and white answer. Bakura is one of those characters whom you just can't seem to put your finger on. Just when you think you have him figured out and can predict what he'll do next, he does something completely unexpected and contradictory to all his previous actions. For me, though, this only serves to make him all the more fascinating. What are his motives? What drives him to change his approach so rapidly? How is it that he will help someone whom he appeared to consider his enemy? A confusing oxymoron, he's like a puzzle, waiting to be put together. . . And here, I plan to attempt to do just that. So, we'll start with one question: why? Anyone can be figured out by going off this single question (or so we hope XP). So, why does Bakura hate Yugi so much? Because of Yami. Why does he hate Yami? It could be any number of things, but all of them would have been from ancient Egypt, the series of which I am fairly ignorant. I believe the happenings are thus: When Yami's father created the Sennen Items, it destroyed Bakura's home village of Kuru Eruna (though Akunumkanon did not know it). The massacre, which young Bakura witnessed, caused Bakura to defile the deceased pharaoh's tomb and drag the spoils before Yami, who then probably ordered Bakura put to death. It goes deeper than that, though. In the Battle City arc, at the beginning, Bakura protects Yugi, a complete switch of tactics, and aids him by handing over the Sennen Eye. Although suspicious, the motives behind this are not entirely clear. However, we suppose that Yugi is inadvertantly helping Bakura's cause -- and that can't be good. Then, going once more against his supposedly "evil" nature, he battles against Marik (although this is on behalf of his accomplice Malik, to regain Malik's body). However, his alliance with Malik, who happens to be the current antagonist, makes him again of questionable intent. While we hope that more about Bakura will be revealed as the series progresses, it seems the unfathomable Bakura has eluded us once again. *sigh* Oh well! We love a man of mystery! ^_~ |