Yusei is the main protagonist of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, and was one of the Signers. He is known for and respected by many other characters in the show for his genius style of dueling, his considerable duel skill, and his cool and clever personality. He uses a Duel Runner, which is called the Yusei Go. In the English dub, "Let's rev it up!" is a common catchphrase that he uses when he summons a Synchro Monster. When he summons his signature Stardust Dragon in the Japanese anime, he often uses the catchphrase "Take flight, Stardust Dragon!". He is also the foster brother of Jack Atlas and Crow Hogan. He is very good friends with Kalin Kessler whom Yusei has history with.
Appearance[]
Yusei Fudo render
Yusei has tan skin, black hair with gold highlights, and Bleu de France blue eyes. The upper layer of his hair juts upward while the lower layer arches down. Yusei wears a long-sleeved blue jacket with a high collar and amber gems, over a sleeveless black shirt with a red symbol, and wears gloves below his elbows with an amber gem on them. His lower body consists of black jeans with amber knee pads, a belt with two Deck holsters hidden under his jacket (one for his standard Deck and one for his Turbo Duel Deck), and calf-high motorcycle boots. After episode 5, he acquires a jagged criminal marker on the left side of his face which later was somehow covered in episode 116 and episode 117, which is thought to be covered by makeup. His Mark of the Dragon was a red outline of the tail, which was permanently burned onto his right forearm after the events concluding the Fortune Cup story arc. It is later replaced by the dragon head mark upon his defeat of Goodwin, with Crow receiving his former mark.
During his time in Crash Town, Yusei replaced his Duel Disk with the Duel Disk revolvers used in the town, and he wore a brown poncho over his normal clothes with his Mark of the Dragon designed on it. He wears the poncho in the manga at the start of the D1 Grand Prix. However this poncho is white, lacks the Mark of the Dragon design, and is dirtier.
During the WRGP, he gets a new Turbo Dueling outfit that is similar to his old clothes but is more form-fitting. The new outfit consists of the same blue jacket with amber gems, but the bottom right part is replaced by a black strap with an orange outline. He wears blue jeans with amber gems at the knees and knee-high boots.
Personality[]
Yusei has an overall very noble and heroic personality. He is selfless and kind-hearted, and deeply values the safety of humanity and his friends. Because of this, he is seen by most other characters in the show as a dependable person they can always trust.
Yusei is also usually depicted as being serious, calm and collected; even in very dangerous situations. Due to this he rarely acts on impulse and usually thinks things through before he plays any cards, always trying to stay one step ahead of his opponent. This is made obvious during his duels, as he regularly visualizes card flowcharts in his mind in order to devise his strategies. He is also very selfless, and is hesitant to put the safety of his friends, or anyone else at risk.
Plot[]
Yusei was born in New Domino City, but he lived in the Satellite Sector for most of his early life. While in the Satellite Sector, he befriended Jack Atlas, Kalin Kessler, and Crow Hogan. They became the Enforcers. They went around, defeating Duel Gangs. But one day, Jack and Crow left after an arguement with Kalin. After Security came to the Satellite arresting Duelists, Kalin formed a plan to blow up the base of security. Yusei didn't like this plan at all, so Yusei left. Later, The Enforcers reunited, but later, Kalin Turbo Dueled a security officer and the officer ran into some crates. Security arrested Kalin, but Yusei insisted that he was the leader of the enforcers. The Sector Security Officer patted him on the back, and Kalin thought Yusei had told the officers.
Yusei constructed Duel Runner
Later: Yusei had a new team to live with: Jack, Rally, Blitz, Nervin, and Tank. He started getting very skilled at Hand to Hand Combat, Engineering, Computers, Motorcycle Riding, and he gets a card known as "Stardust Dragon". Later, he dueled his friend Jack and lost. Jack told Yusei that dueling wasn't just about the cards. Jack pointed toward his heart and said that all you need for victory is here. Yusei didn't understand at the time.
Yusei was able to pick up Television signals from New Domino City. He saw Turbo Duels, and he decided he would build a duel runner.
After he had built a duel runner, Yusei was informed that Rally was in trouble. He got in his Duel Runner and drove to help Rally. He saw Rally tied up in a boat, and he swam out to get him. Meanwhile, back on land, Jack Atlas stole Yusei's Duel Runner and his Stardust Dragon. When Yusei got back, Jack was gone. Yusei manages to find Jack. Jack tosses "Stardust Dragon" back to him, telling Yusei he can have it. Yusei refuses and tosses "Stardust Dragon" back to Jack, saying that he would rather duel him for it to prove he can get it on his own. Jack agrees, but their Turbo Duel is interrupted by the appearance of the Crimson Dragon right before the winner is determined, later revealed to have been Yusei. The Dragon causes Jack's already permanent Birthmark (Mark of the Dragon) to glow and burn as well as revealing Yusei's Mark, the Dragon's Tail.
Yusei is arrested shortly after for trespassing into New Domino while Jack leaves safely. Rex Goodwin and Lazar, who had been monitoring the Duel, reveal that if the Crimson Dragon hadn't appeared, Jack would have lost.
Yusei dueling in the Facilities
After his arrest, Yusei was scarred with a large mark on the left side of his face that signified his criminal record, and was sent to the Facility, where he met Tenzen Yanagi. Yanagi informs Yusei of the Crimson Dragon and the Signers, telling him that those who have the birthmarks were chosen by the People of the Stars. Yusei's birthmark is the Crimson Dragon's Tail, which appears on his arm when he fights alongside Stardust Dragon or encounters another Signer.
Yusei meets former pro Duelist, Bolt Tanner, who imposes a Duel. Since Yusei's cards had been taken, Yanagi duels Tanner. Disgusted at Yanagi's poor dueling and his cards, Tanner stamps on the cards, despite their sentimental value to Yanagi. Yusei knocks Tanner down and challenges him to a Duel, borrowing Yanagi's Deck. Yusei defeats him without ever attacking once and Tanner offers his assistance to him.Under Goodwin's orders, the warden Armstrong is made carry out tests on Yusei. Armstrong also has Yusei sent to a different part of the Facility.Yusei's new cellmate Alex offers Yusei a chance to escape through a tunnel he's been working on for months. Yusei agrees to come if they can take Tanner and Yanagi too. However Armstrong has Tanner and Yanagi beaten for knowing Yusei. Yusei stands up to Mr.
Armstrong, causing him to impose stricter rules. Goodwin then unexpectedly shows up, and grants Yusei freedom from the Facility - on the condition that he defeat Armstrong in a duel and come to work with him. Yusei, though feeling suspicious, accepts Goodwin's offer.Yusei refuses to escape with Alex, as Tanner and Yanagi are unable to come too and escaping wouldn't grant true freedom. Without a Deck to use against Armstrong, the other inmates give Yusei cards to use against Armstrong.
The next day Yusei faces Armstrong, using the Deck of random cards. The Duel is setup to shock players if they suffer damageYusei being shocked by the damage, but Armstrong rigs the arena to stop himself receiving shocks and uses surveillance cameras to see Yusei's cards. Alex, however uses his tunnel to sneak into a security room and switches Armstrong's shocks back on.
Despite Alex's effort, Yusei is ultimately defeated by Armstrong. Yusei falls on his hands and knees after recieving multiple shocks. Armstrong proceeds to ridicule Yusei, forcing him to beg for mercy.Goodwin, witnessing the entire event, decides to free Yusei because of Armstrong's cheating tactics during the duel.Yusei says goodbye to the friends he made at the Facility. Before his release, Yanagi gives Yusei his "Totem Pole" card. Tanner gives him his "Giant Ushi Oni", instructing him to go to Bootleg, order some milk, and ask for a guy named Blister, then use the card to prove he met Tanner. Tanner gives him his "Giant Ushi Oni", instructing him to go to Bootleg, order some milk, and ask for a guy named Blister, then use the card to prove he met Tanner. Yusei is followed by two men working for Goodwin at Bootleg, but is pulled away by Blister on his Duel Runner. Blister jams the signal emitted from Yusei's criminal mark to stop them being followed. Despite believing it to be suicide on Yusei's
part, Blister helps him in infiltrating an Impound warehouse to recover his Deck and Duel Runner. Disguised as an electrician, under the pseudonym Yusei Adams (Taro Daimon in the Japanese version), Yusei was able to sneak into the warehouse. When he gets to the crate, where his Duel Runner is held, he is ambushed by Trudge. Yusei hops onto his Duel Runner and smashes it through the crate. Trudge forces him into another Turbo Duel. While trying to escape, Trudge closes all the security doors, making Yusei's chances of escaping very slim. However, Blister blows up the elevator door and at ground floor, Yusei rides out while Trudge gets stuck in the elevator. Soon he catches up. After Trudge starts physically attacking Yusei, Blister arrives to help, having had a change of heart over what Yusei told him about friends. Yusei wins the Duel, but is electrocuted by a huge crowd of Security and left unconscious outside at the Tops, where the richest people live. Luna feels Yusei's pain and rushes outside with Leo, only to find Yusei outside their front door unconscious.Yusei is later given refuge by the twins Leo and Luna. In the Japanese version, he fears that he would only cause them trouble by staying, but they manage to talk him into a Duel and staying for the night. In the English version, Yusei has lost his memory after his Duel with Trudge and can't even remember his name. He duels Leo in the hopes of regaining his memory, whilst in the Japanese version, Yusei is reminded of Rally through Leo's personalities. After leaving the twins, he is threatened into participating in the Fortune Cup by Lazar, who holds his Satellite friends hostage. Yusei is later given more incentive to participate when Jack gives "Stardust Dragon" back and personally demands that he face him. In the quarter-finals of the Fortune Cup, Yusei faced Hunter Pace, disguised as Shira, and won, moving to the semifinals. His opponent in the semifinals is Greiger.
After Yusei defeats Greiger, Greiger attempts to take revenge on Goodwin for what he did to his village, but Yusei manages to stop him. Before security takes Bommer away, he tells Yusei to fulfill his own mission. In the English version, Yusei stops Greiger from knocking down the tower Goodwin was in to get revenge on what Goodwin did to his village, but a spike broke through the glass at the top of the tower (where Goodwin is) from the collision with Greiger's Duel Runner and Yusei's Duel Runner and Goodwin stopped it with his hand. As security takes Boomer away, he tells Yusei to be careful in the finals in the English Version. Yusei faces Akiza in the finals. Previously, he had thought that she only felt anger and rejection. But after Akiza's first move, he notices and points out that she has a pleasure and joy for destruction. Akiza replies that cannot be true, however, later on the duel, after people insult her again, she accepts it all because of being the "Black Rose". According to her, this other side of her is the one who enjoys destruction all because of the powers caused by the Mark of the Dragon. He learns that after she was found by Sayer, he told her to feel but not to think, to let him do that for her. But even still, she puts on her mask just to feel; this prompts Yusei to fight this duel to change her. During the duel, she used her powers to materialize her cards to inflict painful sensations to Yusei as he loses life points. Despite his valient efforts, he was ultimately no
match for Akiza and her Black Rose Dragon. She effortlessly defeats him without losing a single life point, humiliating him in front of the entire Neo Domino City. Yusei falls on his hands and knees after recieving multiple hits from Akiza's monsters. Akiza uses her psychic powers to force Yusei to bow before her, while begging more mercy. The entire crowd, including Jack, laughed and mocked Yusei. Akiza proceeds to exit the cental arena, leaving a humiliated and bent-over Yusei laying on the ground in pain. He faces Jack near the end of the Fortune Cup. Although he is pushed to a corner in the middle of the Duel, Yusei wins using various combos with "Stardust Dragon" to destroy Jack's "Red Dragon Archfiend" and becomes the new King of Turbo Duels. Following his victory against Jack, Yusei flees the stadium with Tanner, Yanagi, Luna, and Leo to avoid being mobbed by reporters and fans. They hide out at Blister's place at the edge of the city. Yusei spots a man with a glowing birthmark. Believing him to be a Signer, Yusei chases him to a construction site where he faces him in a Shadow Duel. The opponent, Dick Pitt reveals himself to be a Dark Signer and states their motives to destroy the Signers. After Dick loses, he has no memory of the Duel, his Deck changes and his dark mark disappears. Yusei runs away after Security appears to examine the damage caused by the Shadow Duel. After returning to the hideout, Security led by Trudge track him down. Yusei walks out to meet them and says he wanted to talk to Goodwin anyway (in the English version, Yusei called Trudge to take him to Goodwin).
Yusei is taken to meet Goodwin at an incomplete bridge pointing in the direction of Satellite. Here Goodwin tells him about the battle between the Crimson Dragon and the Earthbound Immortals, where the Five Dragons sealed the Earthbound Immortals in the Nazca Lines. Goodwin says that those bearing the mark of the Crimson Dragon and the Earthbound Immortals' servants, the Signers and Dark Signers have been battling for 5,000 years. Their battle is destined to determine the fate of the world. The old Enerdy system in Satellite is a door to the Underworld itself, which the Dark Signers plan opening, to release the evil sealed in the Nazca Lines. Yusei understands Goodwin deliberately isolated Satellite from New Domino to restrict the battlefield to Satellite, only harming the Satellite residents. Yusei requests that they evacuate Satellite, but Goodwin says can't, since it would allow the Dark Signers to target the city, insuring a greater amount of casualties. Goodwin arranged a helicopter to airdrop Yusei and his Duel Runner into Satellite.
After arriving in Satellite, Yusei is reunited with Crow. The two head back to Yusei's Satellite hideout, where he is reunited with Rally and the others. Security had been following Crow, so Yusei and Crow team up to get rid of them, beating them in a Tag Turbo Duel. After the Duel Yusei and Crow meet up with Rally and his others at Crow's base at Daedalus Bridge. here Yusei tells his friends about the disastrous vision shown by the Crimson Dragon and the story told by Goodwin. He listens along with the others the story about the man who made the bridge. During the night both he and Crow had head to the B.A.D., where the old Enerdy system is. They are confronted by Kalin, who is now a Dark Signer. Kalin shows great hatred to his old friends and forces Yusei into a Shadow Turbo Duel. Kalin takes the upperhand with "One-Hundred Eye Dragon". Yusei is able to comeback with "Stardust Dragon", but Kalin turns the tables and Summons his Earthbound Immortal, "Ccapac Apu". Before Yusei is defeated his Duel Runner breaks down and the Duel is canceled. Yusei is then found impaled in the abdomen by a large shard. Crow takes him to Martha's refuge facility, in order to receive the required surgery. Dr.Schmitz assisted by Martha manage to save Yusei's life. After waking up he sees that Rally and the others brought his Duel Runner all the way from the B.A.D. Yusei gets scolded by Martha for putting himself in danger, without asking his friends for help. She reminds Yusei of his idea of "believing in friends" as they will always be there supporting and helping him out. As he recovers, he checks his Duel Runner and thinks that Kalin is too powerful for him to defeat.
As Akiza is about to duel Misty, Yusei's mark reacts. He rushes outside and sees Hummingbird and Lizard Earthbound Immortal marks. He is aware a Duel between a Signer and Dark Signer is about to begin, but is unable to assist. After Akiza is taken to the hospital, her parents turn to Yusei for help. Yusei is initially reluctant, but prompted by Martha, who teases him, asking if he had a crush on Akiza and that if they did have a special connection with her, he should ask her out, agrees to try.
When Akiza awakens, she is initially glad to see Yusei, but after seeing her parents, turns against him. Unable to calm her, Yusei tries to reach her by dueling. Yusei takes damage through the Duel, but Hideo steps in to protect him. With Hideo's determination, Yusei is able to show Akiza that her parents love her.
Mina shows Akiza and Yusei information regarding the Arcadia Movement and Sayer's true motives, involving the abduction of children to create an army of Psychic Duelists. Yusei comforts Akiza from the devastation.
The Signers are invited to Rex Goodwin's house. Despite his distrust of Goodwin, Yusei decides to go, as this is the only way he get information on the Signers and Dark Signers. Yusei asks about reverting a Dark Signer back to normal. Goodwin reluctantly tells them that Dark Signers cannot be brought back as they are dead and no longer of this world (Otherwise is said in the English dub). Yusei loses confidence in returning Kalin back to normal and blames himself for Kalin's current state. Jack, who is sickened by Yusei's self-doubt, punches him in the hopes of returning some sense to Yusei. Jack's actions and words, along with some moral support from the twins, restores Yusei's confidence.
Trivia[]
The handsome and prideful Yusei was defeated and humiliated by Akiza. She forced him down on his hands and knees, bent over, with his rear protruding upward. He is begging for mercy and forgiveness
Yusei is the only Yu-gi-oh! hero that is defeated by the female protagonist of the series. As a matter of fact, Yusei suffered a total of three losses during Yu-gi-oh! 5d's, all of which were by Akiza. Yusei actually never won a single match against her despite his dueling prowess. When Yusei is defeated by Akiza, he always is force into a pose where he is on his hands and knees with his rear protruding upward. Fans often mock and ridicule Yusei, especially since he is a classified as a determined and strong protagonist, for entering such a humiliating position.