Player Name: Zoki E-mail: keyzooazul, gmail Preferred Contact: PM this journal Timezone: EST (GMT -5) Current Characters in Victory Road: N/A
Character Name: Seto Kaiba Series: Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters (anime) Timeline: Post-final episode, immediately after the Ceremonial Duel Canon Resource Links:Wiki
(( The history on this page is largely for the anime version, which is what I'll be using. The major difference between the anime continuity and manga/Dark Side of Dimensions continuity is that in the anime, the Kaibas witnessed Atem passing on to the afterlife. In the manga, they arrived too late, and Kaiba missing his chance to say goodbye/settle the score is what fuels his desperate reality-breaking. He's had more closure than his manga counterpart, so post-series he's not so unhinged.))
Personality: In picturing what this character is like, consider these facts: Seto Kaiba is 17 years old, the CEO of the biggest gaming technology company in his country, and the number 2 ranked player of said country's most popular spectator sport. The basic assumptions a person is likely to make about his personality knowing only those facts would be largely correct: he's incredibly driven and competitive, has an ego the size of the sun, and he'd be that guy on Survivor who yells 'I'm not here to make friends!' at every contestant who even looks at him funny. But there's a little more to him than that, and he'll have to adjust for his huge change in circumstances.
First, his general demeanor and goals: Kaiba is a skilled strategist, and incredibly persistent in proving that he's the best. Losing his first duel against Yugi Mutou sent him into a revenge-fueled obsession with the guy, determined to rematch him until he could reclaim his title. Kaiba never gives up no matter how many times he loses against Yugi, throwing all his intense passion into every rematch.
You'd think Kaiba hated his opponent, and he sometimes claims he does. But behind the tangle of insults in their duels, there's an underlying layer of respect. Yugi is the one person who's ever given Kaiba an incredible (and mostly fair) fight, and Kaiba says repeatedly that he feels most alive during a thrilling match. Kaiba believes wholeheartedly in his superior ability, yet anyone who can challenge him is worthy of grudging respect.
In his journey as a new trainer, the first impression other travelers are likely to get of Kaiba is that he's resistant to the concept of altruism and overtures of friendship. After a lifetime of being betrayed by nearly every adult in his life, the 'trust no one and show no weakness' teachings of his toxic adoptive father, and the social isolation that came with having to raise his brother alone, he struggles to relate to most people. When he's pitted against his canon's optimistic friendship-powered protagonists, he often derides them for clinging to each other for support, claiming these attachments are weaknesses. He's so thoroughly indoctrinated in the belief that life is all about survival of the fittest that acts of kindness confuse him.
There is one glaring exception to his 'no kindness' rule: his younger brother Mokuba, who he swore to protect when their parents died. Mokuba's spot in Seto's heart is regularly exploited by the greater villains of the story: Mokuba is kidnapped, mind-controlled, and turned against him. In all these instances, Seto sets all other concerns aside. His brother's safety means everything, even if it means he has to forfeit a duel or work with Yugi's Friendship Brigade to save him. His softer treatment of Mokuba also extends to other children. Despite the hardening of his heart, he hung onto his childhood dream of building a fantasy theme park that orphaned kids could freely enjoy, and he made it a reality.
One important aspect of Kaiba's arrogance is that in canon, he has the wealth and power to back up his words. He's the richest person in the country, able to fling his wealth around to remove almost any obstacle, and holes up in his high tower because that wealth makes him and his brother targets. Coming to this world with nothing will be an entirely different experience.
Once he's at the bottom of the social hierarchy instead of the top, Kaiba will have a rude awakening. He's so conditioned to believe that weaker people will always be exploited by stronger people that he'll be fearful and defensive, and if that doesn't get him far enough, he can dig deep for that pragmatism and adjust. He didn't achieve all his business deals by being ruthless, there's some negotiation skill in there somewhere. He'll get as far as he can on his own, but if he resorts to asking for help...well, he'll be mentally drawing up a list of IOUs.
To sum it up, Kaiba can be a difficult person to be around. He's highly competitive (and will throw himself headfirst into the gym challenge), his ego's so powerful that he believes he can accomplish anything, and he's resistant to making friends. But he's just level-headed enough to be willing to work with others for a common good and recognize when he needs to mitigate a disadvantage. He might survive the road after all!
Pokémon Information Affiliation: Trainer Starter: Horsea Password: Atomic Fireball
Goldenrod City is many things: the location of a notoriously tough Gym, a shopping mecca, home of a baseball team...and apparently the place where Kaiba won't be catching a break today. Maybe he shouldn't have tried to take that side street shortcut, but time was money---
He's just been ambushed by an overzealous Rocket in the alley and barely escaped with his team intact, and he'll be needing those Pokémon Center services now. He yanks hard on the door and rushes his team to the waiting nurse with a quick plea for help, and as he sinks onto a chair in the waiting room...he presses his forehead into his palm, biting back a growl.
What gave the Rockets the right to be such corrupt cowards? Half the Trainers on the roads are young kids---sure, they had to be tough to make it this far unsupervised, but they'd trained their teams for too long just to lose them to some sniveling loser who couldn't be bothered catching and training Pokémon for themselves.
Just because they had all that power, it gave them the right to steal and cheat their way to the top....?
Kaiba shifts in his chair, and the Duel Monsters deck in his pocket starts to slip out. He reaches out to catch it, and the first card that slides across his fingers is his beloved Blue Eyes White Dragon.
He feels a brief twinge of cognitive dissonance. Hadn't he cheated, stolen, and thrown his wealth around to obtain the three dragon cards? Granted, he'd been through a magical coma and forcibly had his 'evil' shattered since then, but he's been where the Rockets are. And now that he's sleeping in the dirt every night and struggling to make it to the next town, a life of stolen luxury is tempting.
But then he spots another panicked kid running through the door of the PokéCenter, and he knows. No, he's not about that life. He'll get to the top the honest way or not at all.
"Mr. Kaiba, your Pokémon are ready," a nurse's assistant finally calls. His head shoots up and he hurries over to check on them--all well, as always. With a thankful nod, he reattaches the PokéBalls to his belt and slips out into the night---but he'll be staying close to the well-lit main streets this time.
seto kaiba | yu-gi-oh dm | reserved
Name: Zoki
E-mail: keyzooazul, gmail
Preferred Contact: PM this journal
Timezone: EST (GMT -5)
Current Characters in Victory Road: N/A
Character
Name: Seto Kaiba
Series: Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters (anime)
Timeline: Post-final episode, immediately after the Ceremonial Duel
Canon Resource Links: Wiki
(( The history on this page is largely for the anime version, which is what I'll be using. The major difference between the anime continuity and manga/Dark Side of Dimensions continuity is that in the anime, the Kaibas witnessed Atem passing on to the afterlife. In the manga, they arrived too late, and Kaiba missing his chance to say goodbye/settle the score is what fuels his desperate reality-breaking. He's had more closure than his manga counterpart, so post-series he's not so unhinged.))
Personality:
In picturing what this character is like, consider these facts: Seto Kaiba is 17 years old, the CEO of the biggest gaming technology company in his country, and the number 2 ranked player of said country's most popular spectator sport. The basic assumptions a person is likely to make about his personality knowing only those facts would be largely correct: he's incredibly driven and competitive, has an ego the size of the sun, and he'd be that guy on Survivor who yells 'I'm not here to make friends!' at every contestant who even looks at him funny. But there's a little more to him than that, and he'll have to adjust for his huge change in circumstances.
First, his general demeanor and goals: Kaiba is a skilled strategist, and incredibly persistent in proving that he's the best. Losing his first duel against Yugi Mutou sent him into a revenge-fueled obsession with the guy, determined to rematch him until he could reclaim his title. Kaiba never gives up no matter how many times he loses against Yugi, throwing all his intense passion into every rematch.
You'd think Kaiba hated his opponent, and he sometimes claims he does. But behind the tangle of insults in their duels, there's an underlying layer of respect. Yugi is the one person who's ever given Kaiba an incredible (and mostly fair) fight, and Kaiba says repeatedly that he feels most alive during a thrilling match. Kaiba believes wholeheartedly in his superior ability, yet anyone who can challenge him is worthy of grudging respect.
In his journey as a new trainer, the first impression other travelers are likely to get of Kaiba is that he's resistant to the concept of altruism and overtures of friendship. After a lifetime of being betrayed by nearly every adult in his life, the 'trust no one and show no weakness' teachings of his toxic adoptive father, and the social isolation that came with having to raise his brother alone, he struggles to relate to most people. When he's pitted against his canon's optimistic friendship-powered protagonists, he often derides them for clinging to each other for support, claiming these attachments are weaknesses. He's so thoroughly indoctrinated in the belief that life is all about survival of the fittest that acts of kindness confuse him.
There is one glaring exception to his 'no kindness' rule: his younger brother Mokuba, who he swore to protect when their parents died. Mokuba's spot in Seto's heart is regularly exploited by the greater villains of the story: Mokuba is kidnapped, mind-controlled, and turned against him. In all these instances, Seto sets all other concerns aside. His brother's safety means everything, even if it means he has to forfeit a duel or work with Yugi's Friendship Brigade to save him. His softer treatment of Mokuba also extends to other children. Despite the hardening of his heart, he hung onto his childhood dream of building a fantasy theme park that orphaned kids could freely enjoy, and he made it a reality.
One important aspect of Kaiba's arrogance is that in canon, he has the wealth and power to back up his words. He's the richest person in the country, able to fling his wealth around to remove almost any obstacle, and holes up in his high tower because that wealth makes him and his brother targets. Coming to this world with nothing will be an entirely different experience.
Once he's at the bottom of the social hierarchy instead of the top, Kaiba will have a rude awakening. He's so conditioned to believe that weaker people will always be exploited by stronger people that he'll be fearful and defensive, and if that doesn't get him far enough, he can dig deep for that pragmatism and adjust. He didn't achieve all his business deals by being ruthless, there's some negotiation skill in there somewhere. He'll get as far as he can on his own, but if he resorts to asking for help...well, he'll be mentally drawing up a list of IOUs.
To sum it up, Kaiba can be a difficult person to be around. He's highly competitive (and will throw himself headfirst into the gym challenge), his ego's so powerful that he believes he can accomplish anything, and he's resistant to making friends. But he's just level-headed enough to be willing to work with others for a common good and recognize when he needs to mitigate a disadvantage. He might survive the road after all!
Pokémon Information
Affiliation: Trainer
Starter: Horsea
Password: Atomic Fireball
Samples
RP Sample: Seto and Marik form a disaster duo
Victory Road Sample:
Goldenrod City is many things: the location of a notoriously tough Gym, a shopping mecca, home of a baseball team...and apparently the place where Kaiba won't be catching a break today. Maybe he shouldn't have tried to take that side street shortcut, but time was money---
He's just been ambushed by an overzealous Rocket in the alley and barely escaped with his team intact, and he'll be needing those Pokémon Center services now. He yanks hard on the door and rushes his team to the waiting nurse with a quick plea for help, and as he sinks onto a chair in the waiting room...he presses his forehead into his palm, biting back a growl.
What gave the Rockets the right to be such corrupt cowards? Half the Trainers on the roads are young kids---sure, they had to be tough to make it this far unsupervised, but they'd trained their teams for too long just to lose them to some sniveling loser who couldn't be bothered catching and training Pokémon for themselves.
Just because they had all that power, it gave them the right to steal and cheat their way to the top....?
Kaiba shifts in his chair, and the Duel Monsters deck in his pocket starts to slip out. He reaches out to catch it, and the first card that slides across his fingers is his beloved Blue Eyes White Dragon.
He feels a brief twinge of cognitive dissonance. Hadn't he cheated, stolen, and thrown his wealth around to obtain the three dragon cards? Granted, he'd been through a magical coma and forcibly had his 'evil' shattered since then, but he's been where the Rockets are. And now that he's sleeping in the dirt every night and struggling to make it to the next town, a life of stolen luxury is tempting.
But then he spots another panicked kid running through the door of the PokéCenter, and he knows. No, he's not about that life. He'll get to the top the honest way or not at all.
"Mr. Kaiba, your Pokémon are ready," a nurse's assistant finally calls. His head shoots up and he hurries over to check on them--all well, as always. With a thankful nod, he reattaches the PokéBalls to his belt and slips out into the night---but he'll be staying close to the well-lit main streets this time.