Ryo Bakura | Yami Bakura

Name: Steve
Personal LJ: darkspineshadow
Contact Info: DarkspineShadow for AIM, or you can find me here on Plurk!
Other Characters Played: Edward Nigma / The Riddler
Preferred Housing: If possible, in the same house as the Tea Gardner that’s applying this round. I’ve already gotten permission from her mun.

Character Name: Ryo Bakura / Yami Bakura
Character Series: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters
Character Age: Ryo himself is about 19, while Yami Bakura is over 5,000 years old.
Background: Here is an article about Ryo and an article about the evil spirit that possesses him.
Personality: It’s like a modern day Jekyll & Hyde tale. Or you could compare it to the Incredible Hulk, were the Hulk young, handsome, British, and evil. Bakura: One body, two minds, and two completely separate personalities.

Let’s begin with Ryo. He’s a good-natured young man. A polite, charming transfer student who quickly wins the hearts of practically every girl in school. He’s rather timid and meek, but it’s made clear over the course of Yu-Gi-Oh! that he has a lot of heart. He’s quick to make friends and, even after unintentionally putting his friends through countless ordeals, he’s able to maintain his friendships. He’s also an avid gamer and a fan of the Duel Monsters trading card game---his favorite card being the “Change of Heart,” a card that allows the player to take direct control of his opponent’s monster. It’s rather ironic, given the secretive, sinister nature that dwells deep within him.

You see, Ryo once received a gift from his father during his travels in Egypt: a strange golden artifact known as the Millennium Ring. He had thought Ryo would appreciate it, given how it ties in with the Duel Monsters card game. Little did they know, however, that the Ring houses an evil spirit known as the Thief King, Bakura. Whenever it takes control, the boy becomes Yami Bakura (or Dark Bakura), a vindictive, twisted psychopath with an uncontrollable lust for power. Unlike his classmate Yugi Muto, who possesses another Millennium Item that houses an ancient Egyptian spirit, Ryo finds himself a constant puppet and tool of his other self, always completely suppressed. Whereas Yugi and his other self form a symbiotic relationship, Bakura’s other self is a vicious parasite.

In essence, the dark spirit of Bakura is very much a chameleon. A skilled manipulator, he’s demonstrated an uncanny ability to mimic his host’s voice and speech patterns in order to trick Ryo’s friends into believing that they’re speaking with the good Bakura. Horrifyingly, Ryo and his other self are practically inseparable. Every time Ryo loses the Ring, it finds its way back to him. Every time Yami Bakura is defeated in battle, he always finds a way back. As he utters to a possessed Marik Ishtar upon his defeat, he is darkness incarnate, and the shadows will never die. It’s this sort of dedication and perseverance that keeps Yami Bakura going, really---this hunger for power and a desire to claim all seven Millennium Items to gain it.

As inhuman a monster as Bakura may be, though, he does show several moments of humanity over the course of Yu-Gi-Oh! Looking at Bakura’s past, the Millennium Items themselves were crafted as a result of a horrible massacre in of the village, Kul Elna---a massacre that only Bakura had survived. Claiming that the Pharaoh and his Secret Council, the wielders of the seven Items, were wicked and corrupt, Bakura sought to take that power for himself, to honor his fallen village and to take what should have rightfully been his. Of course, it gradually becomes less of a need to honor his fallen village and more of a need to make himself almighty. One last thing to note? More often than not, he winds up helping out his enemies in one way or another---assisting Tristan Taylor in Duelist Kingdom and Marik Ishtar in Battle City---although both of these instances were for his own personal gain.

Perhaps the most interesting example occurs towards the end of Battle City, where Bakura disregards Marik’s diabolical plans in order to help Yugi and the Pharaoh win the first round of the finals---had he not intervened and allowed Yugi the opportunity to win, he would have lost his host permanently. Cruel and uncompromising as he may be, he understands that he does need Ryo in order to follow through in his plans, even though it’s safe to say that Ryo certainly doesn’t return the sentiment.

Abilities: Ryo Bakura himself is just your average human teenager. Nothing too special. His evil alter ego, on the other hand, has plenty of powers at his disposal. Though the specific scope and range of his powers is never clearly defined, the King of Thieves has demonstrated numerous powers thanks to his Millennium Ring.

The Ring itself has several handy abilities, most notably the ability to point its wearer in the direction of whatever he or she seeks like a compass. Additionally, Yami Bakura is able to call upon the Ring’s powers of darkness to engage his victims and enemies in Penalty Games (or Shadow Games). One such example is the Penalty Game he inflicted upon the duelist “Bonz,” summoning a mob of dark spirits to drag the poor boy down to Hell. Another power of the Millennium Ring? Taking images of monsters from the popular Duel Monsters Trading Card Game and using the Ring to bring these monsters to life.

Again, the nature of the Millennium Ring’s powers is never fully explained; as the Ring has a multitude of powers at its disposal, it’s likely going to be pretty heavily nerfed as a regain---initially starting off as a means with which Yami Bakura can possess Ryo, then gradually gaining powers over the course of their stay. I intend to put up a permissions post regarding Shadow / Penalty Games and, should Bakura get into any with other players, the punishments and the circumstances surrounding them will also be thoroughly discussed so as not to take advantage of the vague nature of his powers.

Aside from a bevy of supernatural powers, Yami Bakura is a skilled and accomplished duelist when it comes to card games, delivering deadly strategies in his and even deadlier punishments.
Sample Entry: Here!