MILLENNIUM SECRETS

The story of Yu-Gi-Oh is a long and complex one, centering on Yuugi Mutou and the spirit inhabiting his recently-assembled Millennium Puzzle. But the Millennium Puzzle is only one of seven items that are part of the mystery that is the spirit inside Yuugi --and his puzzle! Read all about the secrets of the Millennium Items here!

Items: PUZZLE - EYE - RING - SCALES - ANKH/KEY - TAUK/NECKLACE - ROD

Characters: ATEM - AKUNADIN - MAHAAD - BAKURA - KALIM - SHADA - SHIMON MURAN - ISIS - SETO - KISARA - GEBELUK

MILLENNIUM PUZZLE

The millennium puzzle is the first item that Yuugi Mutou encounters. The puzzle was given to him in pieces, as a gift by his grandfather, Sugoroku Mutou, who found it in an Egyptian Crypt many years ago. Yuugi diligently tries, for eight whole years, to assemble the puzzle, but has no luck. Then, one night after he gets beaten up, he somehow solves the puzzle-- but he is missing one last piece! After an unexpected act of friendship, Yuugi obtains the final piece of the puzzle, and unlocks the 3000 year old spirit inhabiting the object...

The exact powers of the puzzle are unknown, considering the spirit who inhabits them seems to have some powers of his own which probably have nothing to do with the Millennium Puzzle itself. Considering the spirit of the Pharaoh himself is sealed within the puzzle, it is indeed a very powerful item, linking Yuugi to the Pharaoh who becomes his friend, confidante, and partner. In the anime and the manga, Yuugi uses the puzzle as a focal point to "transform" from his usual self into the Pharaoh (Yami Yugi in the English dub). In the manga, the change isn't quite so dramatic and flashy, and the "other half" of Yuugi appears, initially, without Yuugi's consent. He has no memories of his past as the Pharaoh, but seeks, with Yuugi and his friends' help, to unlock the mystery behind them.

One of the original possesors of the puzzle was the Pharaoh (known as Yami Yuugi, or simply Yami in the dub), who currently resides inside the puzzle as a spirit. After his death/sealing, the puzzle was broken up into many pieces, and locked away in a golden box that read 'The one that solves me shall gain the power and knowledge of darkness...' Many years passed, and in his younger years, Suguroku Mutou braved a dangerous Egyptian Crypt, nearly losing his life in the process, and got the puzzle. Who knows why he gave up his adventuring days to become a game store owner, or why he passed the obviously-dangerous puzzle onto his grandson, but it was little Yuugi Mutou who solved it, and 'gained the power...'

Many people have come after the puzzle, but they aren't usually after it for reasons against Yuugi-- rather, they want to collect all seven Millennium Items in order to harness their power. What exactly will happen when all seven items are brought together is unknown, however...

MILLENNIUM EYE
The millennium eye is the second item Yuugi and his friends encounter (in the animated series); it is in the posession of Pegasus J. Crawford (Maximillion Pegasus), a young American CEO responsible for the creation of the wildly popular Duel Monsters (Magic and Wizards) game. One thing is clear, the eye gives its holder the power to extract souls from living people, and seal them into an inanimate object, and it also gives its holder the power to look into the mind of a single person.

Pegasus exploits this power in all of his duels, using it to defeat even the powerful Seto Kaiba and sealing his soul in a card. However, Yuugi Mutou, with the help of the spirit in his Millennium Puzzle, defeats Pegasus at his own game, and frees Seto Kaiba, his brother Mokuba, AND his Grandfather.

Unbeknownst to Yuugi until later in the series, another holder of a Millennium Item goes after Pegasus after his defeat, and kills him, ripping the Millennium Eye from its socket. Take a wild guess who...

MILLENNIUM RING
A transfer student to Yuugi's school, Ryou Bakura is a shy and quiet boy who happens to like the game of Monster World. He is also interested in the occult... and is the possessor of the Millennium Ring. He was given the ring by his father, the Domino City Museum owner, who picked it up in an Egyptian market, for some reason thinking it would be a good gift for his son. The spirit inhabiting the ring is quite unlike the Pharaoh's spirit inhabiting the puzzle, as it forcefully takes over Bakura's body whenever he pleases, and does whatever he wants.

The spirit, known to English audiences as Yami Bakura, is sadistic and power-hungry, though his exact reasons for wanting all the Millennium Items is unknown. In the manga, the spirit was originally a self-proclaimed 'King of Thieves,' who dared to confront the Pharaoh and his circle of 6 Priests, and for daring to rob the Pharaoh's father's tomb, he was supposed to be punished by one of the Priests, the original holder of the Millennium Ring. However, said Priest was unaware that Bakura had the assistance of one dark force, known as Zork Necrophidias, and had his OWN soul put into a tablet, while Bakura made off with the Millennium Ring.

The Millennium Ring resembles something like a Dreamcatcher-- it's not the king of ring you wear on your finger. Rather, Bakura suspends the ring from a chain, which goes through a circle at the top of the ring. The ring itself is a metal circle with a Pyramid with the embosses Eye of Horus (the mark of the Pharaoh) on it, with several small metal prisms hanging from the bottom.

The powers of the Millennium Ring include being able to channel the power of other Millennium Items, and lead the user to Millennium Items in the vicinity.

In the McDonald's Mighty Kids Meal special CDs, the Millennium Ring was called the Millennium Bracelet, even though there is no place for one to slide their wrist through.

MILLENNIUM SCALES
The Millennium Scales, along with the Millennium Ankh (Key) are in the possession of one mysterious Shadi, from Egypt. Shadi is a mysterious character who hails from Egypt, part of the Gravekeeper or Tombkeeper clan, a group of people descended down from the Pharaoh's time, destined to protect the Pharaoh's tomb and prevent the gathering of the Seven Millennium Items again. However, it seems as if there are factions within the clan, and Shadi's own history is a mystery-- after all, why is he walking around with the scales, testing people's souls to see if they're worthy of holding Millennium Items?

The scales may or may not have a spirit; it has been stated (in the manga, I believe) that not EVERY Millennium Item has a spirit within it. However, in ancient times, it belonged to one of the 6 Priests in the Pharaoh's circle, Kalim.

The scales' ability is that of judgment-- it weighs the purity of a human soul by allowing the holder to ask three questions-- for every lie that is told, the scale gets weighed down, against the feather of Ma'at. Should a human soul not pass judgment (in other words, the soul would NOT be equal to the weight of the feather), the holder is permitted to feed the human to Ammit, a legendary monster that is part hippo, part crocodile, and part lion.

The scales are either based off of or ARE the same as the Scales of Truth used in the Underworld by the Egyptian God of Death, Anubis. But instead of asking 3 questions, Anubis places the human heart (yes, the ORGAN) on one side of the scale, weighing it against the feather of Ma'at. In Ancient Egyptian times, the heart was believed to be the center of all important activity within the body-- it was regarded as the center of emotions. What the brain is thought of now, the heart was considered to be in Egyptian times-- which is why IT is weighed against the feather, since the "heart cannot lie."

In the Egyptian Memories arc of the manga, the scales also possess the ability to fuse multiple Seirei Ka (see below) together, to form a more powerful Seirei Ka...

MILLENNIUM ANKH (KEY)
Shadi, our mystery man from before, also possesses the Millennium Ankh (Key). The Ankh is the Egyptian symbol for death and rebirth, and is featured prominently in the tombs of great Pharaohs, their wives, and other important people. It is also the symbol in both the Japanese anime and manga for the Monster Reborn (Raise Dead) card.

As a Millennium Item, the Ankh has a small protrusion at the bottom, causing it to resemble a key. Its ability is to "unlock the door of one's soul," hence the key misnomer. Shadi uses the Ankh by pressing its tip to someone's forehead. He is then allowed entrance into their "soul room," and can "redecorate" it at will, turning the person into his puppet. However, there are some drawbacks-- in the case of "dual souls," like Yuugi and the Pharaoh, one might encounter not one, but TWO soul rooms, usually vastly different from one another. And, it is possible, depending on the person being "tested" by Shadi, that he could get lost inside one of the two soul rooms (as he nearly did upon first testing Yuugi). If such a thing occurred, his physical body (well, what we ASSUME is Shadi's physical body) would lapse into a coma.

MILLENNIUM TAUK/NECKLACE
The first time Yuugi and co. see the power of the Millennium Tauk (also known as the Millennium Necklace in the English release) is when Isis Ishtar, a woman from Egypt (who gives Seto Kaiba the Obelisk card, giving him cause to start Battle City... she is also in charge of the Egyptian Exhibit at the Domino City Museum, since the museum and the Egyptian Government are borrowing the artifacts from the private Ishtar family collection!) uses it to foretell the future. The necklace also seems to give its user a second sight that can look into the past, or any time, for that matter.

It is unknown why Isis possesses the Tauk, but she is from a Gravekeeper/Tombkeeper family herself (perhaps the same clan as Shadi?) and is sworn to protect the Pharaoh's tomb-- until he "reawkens." She is one of the key players in bringing about the final battle between Seto Kaiba and Yuugi Mutou, which would supposedly be a repeat of events in the past, between one of the Pharaoh's priests and the Pharaoh himself.

In the McDonald's Mighty Kids Meal Promotional CDs, the Tauk is called the Millennium Ring, which is totally wrong, since there already IS a Millennium Ring, and the Tauk is too big to be anything but a necklace.

MILLENNIUM ROD

The Millennium Rod is the device used by Malik (Marik) Ishtar in the Battle City arc, to control various people and his own team of "Ghouls," or Rare Hunters. Malik, like Isis, Pegasus, and probably Shadi, was NOT chosen by his Millennium Item, despite his having a Yami (dark) side. Malik's having a yami-half is because when he was a youth, he was formally "initiated" as a member of the Gravekeeper family by having part of the key that will unlock the Pharaoh's memories CARVED (not tattooed!) on his back. The pain, mixed with the mystical quality of the Ancient Heiroglyphics awakened a darker half to Malik. Whether Malik is ever in complete control is unknown-- but it is known that Rishid (Odion)'s presence somehow neutralizes the power of Yami Malik, preventing him from emerging.

Yami Malik does NOT exist as a result of Malik's possessing the Rod; in fact, when Malik has Rishid (Odion) pretend to be him, and even gives him a fake "Winged Dragon of Ra" and Millennium Rod, the REAL Rod causes Malik a great deal of pain. The same occurs in the battle between Seto Kaiba and Isis-- where the Rod's interference blocks the Tauk's ability, and both items become useless to their former holders.

It is not known how long the controlling abilities of the Rod last on a person, how damaging it can be, or how it must be used to exploit a person completely (that is to say, control their actions, thoughts, speech, etc). However, both Anzu and Jounouchi have been subject to the powers of the Rod, and even after they were released or broke free from the Rod's control (the strength of the Rod's control might depend on the user; Malik was not, as previously stated, the chosen user of the Rod, so his control over people was NOT absolute) they could hear Malik's voice in their mind.

The original user of the Rod, back in Ancient Egyptian times, was none other than Seto Kaiba-- or just plain 'Seto' as he went by back then. He used the rod to extract the souls of criminals and seal them inside tablets. Apparently, this power went awry when the destiny-foretelling monsters of the Shadow Games became too powerful to control; when the chosen users of the Millennium Items fused their ka (soul) with the spirit of their monster (or their Millennium Item?) it depicted the chosen user on the tablet of the monster, rather than your run-of-the-mill Egyptian art model. This is probably the reason why Yuugi and Seto are shown locked in battle, Yuugi bearing the Puzzle and Seto bearing the Rod, on some of the ancient tablets at Domino Museum-- that was how they were acting when they got sealed, and thus sealed the Shadow Games. Supposedly, if all the chosen users gain control of their items again and gather them together, the memories of the Pharaoh will be awakened-- as will the Shadow Games and their true nature (which is quite unlike the "fun" and "challenge" of the Duel Monsters game, since Pegasus invented it BASED off the Shadow Games). The Shadow Games previously came close to destroying the world, and Yuugi and Seto's previous incarnations were dead-set on fighting to the death, even if the world was getting destroyed around them. So, despite saying they live to see the reawakening of the Pharaoh, the Tombkeepers are actually supposed to PREVENT such an occurrence, since the Pharaoh's reawakening pretty much spells the end of the world. Yay.

However, our current Seto Kaiba, while just as power-hungry as his previous incarnation (though his Priest-self's greed can be explained by the need of all of the 6 Chosen Users to give up a part of their soul in order to hold a Millennium Item) doesn't seem to care for the Millennium Items much, even though he DOES bear a striking resemblance to the man depicted fighting Yuugi...

MAJOR SPOILER ALERT! CHARACTER BACKGROUNDS REVEALED!!

ATEM

Atem is none other than Yami Yuugi, or Yami as he is known in the dub series. Atem is the name of the Pharaoh in his previous incarnation. His name, which was proven to be the "final key" in unsealing the power of the Millennium Items and the Shadow Games, was revealed in a battle with Bakura in Battle 333.

Atem became Pharaoh after his father, Akunamukanon (Aknamkanon) passed away from illness. Atem was always taught the value of justice and peace, and always strove to keep his kingdom peaceful, despite being thrust into a position of such high power at a young age. However, Atem never learned the truth of the creation of the Millennium Items... until Mahaad, one of his faithful priests that had been sacrificed by Bakura, appeared in the form of the Black Magician. Mahaad told Atem that while Aknamkanon was ill, Mahaad became one of Atem's priests, sealed the evil within in, and discovered the truth behind the creation of the Millennium Items. He then told Aknamkanon the entire story, but the dying Pharaoh didn't want the truth passed onto his son...

Atem possesses at least three Seirei Ka, including Ra, Osiris, and probably Obelisk. Later on, his guardian Mahaado appears to him as a Seirei Ka, in the form of the Black Magician. Atem's father, Aknamkanon, possessed the power over the Seirei Ka Exodia.

AKUNADIN

Akunadin is the original holder of the Millennium Eye, and also Priest Seto's father. He is also responsible for the creation of the Millennium Items. During Ancient Egyptian times, the kingdom was going to be invaded by outsiders wanting a mysterious book that had been found many years ago. The book was supposed to contain very powerful magic that could cause the destruiction (or distortion) of the entire world. However, no one was able to translate it... no one except Akunadin.

Akunadin revealed to the Pharaoh (his brother!) that he could translate the book and perform a ritual that would save the kingdom --but it would take 7 days, the same amount of time it would take for the invaders to reach the kingdom's borders. The Pharaoh trusted in his brother wholeheartedly, and allowed his brother to go. However, Akunadin didn't inform the Pharaoh that the ritual required the sacrifice of 99 lives...

The ritual entailed the sacrifice of 99 lives, with human bodies used to forge special metals that would create seven treasures... each of them concealing a power of darkness.

Before Akunadin left the kingdom, he looked sadly at his son, Seto, then a young boy (probably between 3 and 6 years old). He realized that his brother and his nephew (Atem) would always have the power, while he and Seto would always be in the shadows, protecting the Pharaoh from the dark. They would never rise to power...

Akunadin led the army to a village known as Kuru Eruna-- a village of thieves. Akunadin ordered the slaughter of 99 thieves, and used their bodies as part of the ritual required to give the 6 Chosen Guardians power to defeat the invaders. However, Akunadin was not aware of a witness to the ritual... a young Bakura.

The heirarchy and distribution of the items was decided-- though only three of the holders' names are known. Akunadin took the Millennium Eye, Shimon Muran took the Millennium Ankh/Key, and the Pharaoh took the Millennium Puzzle. Only five people (including Akunadin) were present at the ritual, meaning the Pharaoh and the eventual holder of the Millennium Necklace (a woman, probably Isis' mother). When Akunadin gained control of the Eye, he made a wish... a wish he himself recognized as foolish.

'It's foolish... but if it [the Eye] can truly grant my request... then... I wish for my son to become King...'

Akunadin is taken advantage of by Bakura and Zork, and forced to become an avatar for the dark power that is Zork Necrophidius. He takes control over his own son, Seto, and forces him to kill Kisara for her Seirei Ka, the White Dragon. He controls Seto from the shadows, but during the duel, Kisara appears and halts the White Dragon's attack, saving both Seto and the Pharaoh Atem, and destroying Zork-Akunadin.

MAHAAD

Mahaad, or Mahaado, is the second bearer of the Millennium Ring, after its original holder (name unspecified). However, when Bakura started to attack the kingdom, Mahaad was one of his first victims, and Bakura stole his Millennium Ring. What exactly happened to Mahaad's body isn't known, but his Ka, the Black Magician [Magician of Illusion], appeared to the Pharaoh, and now acts as one of his Seirei, or Spirits. These are the same type of spirits used in the Legendary Duels.

Mahaad is the one to remind Atem during his battle with Bakura (Battle 313) that he must have the will to fight --to bring justice and peace to the kingdom, regardless of how the Millennium Items were created. The Pharaoh realizes that if he doesn't fight, then his kingdom will be brought into darkness by Bakura's hand, and that is NOT something he desires.

Mahaad also is the spirit that becomes permanently associated with Pharaoh Atem, in the same way Kisara's White Dragon becomes associated with Seto. In the final duels between the two, Mahaad continues to watch over and protect Atem, in the form of the Black Magician...

Mahaad also had a student, Mana, who possessed the Ka of the Black Magician Girl. When Mahaad fought Diabound via Atem and Bakura, Mana's Seirei Ka came in and saved him.

BAKURA

Bakura is the third original holder of the Millennium Ring, and the one we all know as holding it today. As a child, he witnessed the brutal slaughter of his fellow villagers (and likely more than one relative) for Akunadin's ritual to bring power through darkness to the Millennium Item holders. It is not known when Bakura became aware of the darker powers the Items possessed, but he found a way to tap into that power -- through Zork Necrophidius.

Bakura forms a contract of darkness with Zork, aiming to gather all the power of the darkness contained in the Millennium Items by gathering them again, and by placing them inside the same device in which they were created. But how can he do that, you ask, if the past has already happened? Well, when everyone ventures into Yuugi's mind to learn the truth about the Pharaoh's past, the past repeats itself. Only this time, Bakura aims to WIN the battle and set Zork free from the Millennium Puzzle, where he has been trapped with the Pharaoh Atem's mind. In doing so, he will change all of history...

Bakura is the original possessor of the Seirei [Spirit] Ka known as Diabound. It looks a bit like a psychotic Obelisk, if you ask me, but it has special abilities, much like the Deck Masters in the Virtual Battle City arc of the anime have special abilities. Diabound is an incredibly powerful Seirei Ka, one that nearly destroyed the royal palace, and is able to absorb the powers and abilities of the other Seirei it battles against. In Bakura's first encounter with Pharaoh Atem, he absorbs Osiris [Slither]'s Thunder Force ability. Diabound also possesses the ability to "warp" through physical objects, such as walls, and redirect power in that same manner. However, every Seirei has a weakness...

KALIM

Kalim is the second holder of the Millennium Scales, and greatly resembles the previous holder (probably his father). He doesn't have a very large role in the manga, as Seto, Atem, and Akunadin do, but he is witness to when Akunadin is discovered after an attack on the Kingdom by Bakura-- and Akunadin's Millennium Eye is nearly ripped from its socket.

Kalim possesses the Seirei Ka Chaos of Dragon.

SHIMON MURAN

Shimon Muran is the first holder of the Millennium Ankh/Key, and bears a startling resemblance to Yuugi's grandfather, Sugoroku Mutou. It is believed that when Sugoroku first discovered the Millennium Puzzle, he encountered the ghost of the Pharaoh, who saved his life. The Pharaoh supposedly said, "Shimon, you have returned..." to Sugoroku, and then vanished. It is not known whether Shimon has any relation to the second holder of the Millennium Ankh, Shada, or the Pharaoh and his family.

However, he continues to serve under Pharaoh Atem, though he is masked. It is likely that Atem, Seto, Isis, Mahaad, Kalim, and Shada have no idea who Shimon truly is, or the fact that he was once one of Pharaoh Aknamkanon's chosen Guardians. However, Akunadin, the first and current holder of the Millennium Eye likely knows, but chooses to keep Shimon's secret for reasons as-yet-unknown.

SHADA

Shada is the second holder of the Millennium Ankh/Key, after Shimon Muran. Shada very well may be the past incarnation of the man we now know as Shadi, the current Millennium Ankh/Key holder; however, since we never see Shadi with his turban off, we can't know for sure. Shada, like Kalim, plays a smaller role in the manga than do the other members of Pharaoh Atem's Chosen Guardians, but he does work alongside Priest Seto, and was present when Seto discovered the girl with the powerful White Dragon Ka.

ISIS

Isis, the sole female member of Pharaoh Atem's Chosen Guardians, isn't taken very seriously by the other Guardians, probably because when she recieves information from the Millennium Tauk/Necklace, it comes out in riddles. However, when the Pharaoh goes missing, Isis bluntly insists that her powers will be necessary in restoring the Pharaoh to the throne, and indeed, her powers lead the Guardians to where the Pharaoh was. Possessing great control over the Millennium Necklace, Isis can see things that no one else can...

Isis possesses the Holy Elf Seirei Ka, though she is known to summon other Seirei spirits (same as the Pharaoh). The only other Seirei she is seen to have summoned is the one that finds the Pharaoh Atem after his initial battle with Bakura; the Seirei Spira.

SETO

Seto is the past incarnation of the duelist we all know as Seto Kaiba. One of Pharaoh Atem's Chosen Guardians, Seto acts as a High Priest, alongside five other members, including his own father Akunadin, though Seto doesn't find out until he is older that he is Akunadin's son. This makes Seto the Pharaoh's cousin, though Seto isn't aware of this fact, and Akunadin knows Seto will never gain the throne unless something happens to Atem. Seto isn't quite as crazy as his future self is; in fact, a lot of the reason why he is considered such a fierce enemy to Atem is because he was manipulated by outside forces (Akunadin and Zork, to name a few).

The second holder of the Millennium Rod, Seto also possesses a great deal of power and control-- he is responsible for the capturing of criminals in the kingdom, and the extraction of their Ka. However, it turns out that Seto merely delivers criminals to Gebeluk, who pits the criminals against one another for endless days until one's power outgrows the others. When he goes down to watch Kisara duel against two other criminals, he stops the battle, and is saved by Kisara when she falls unconscious and summons her own Ka, the White Dragon. It blasts the criminals and their Ka away, and also tears a huge hole in the palace, reaching all the way out to the surface.

Seto is amazed and drawn to Kisara's immense power, but has reluctance when it comes to exploring it further. He is astonished to discover that Akunadin is his father, and that, despite Akunadin having given up part of his soul to the darkness, he wants the best for his son-- namely, Kisara's powerful Ka, which is powerful enough to oust Atem from his throne --if he ever returns.

It is believed that Seto fell in love with Kisara sometime between Batlle 297, when he discovered her, and Battle 335, shortly after Kisara was killed so Seto could possess her Ka. Images are shown as early as the Batle City arc that depict Seto on his knees, with Kisara in his arms, before a Blue Eyes White Dragon tablet, begging the Gods for something...

It is known that Seto is the writer of a poem found on a tablet (Battle 267, I believe), and outlived the Pharaoh, recognizing the need for the Shadow Games and the Realm surrounding it to be sealed once more.

Seto is the weilder of the powerful Seirei Ka Deios.

KISARA

Kisara is a young woman, probably between sixteen and eighteen, that is found being stoned by villagers in the Kingdom near Pharaoh Atem's palace. Reports of a powerful White Dragon Ka came to Seto and the other Guardians, and when they investigated it, there were surprised to learn that the holder was a young woman --an an Albino, no less. Albino in contrast to the other Egyptians, that is; Kisara has platinum blonde hair and white skin; it is also believed that she has blue eyes. Because of her stark differences in appearance from the average Egyptian woman, Kisara is shunned and stoned, to the point where she is very injured.

It is at this point that Seto steps in and saves her, bringing her to the palace. Seto is on the search for powerful Ka, and realizes that this girl possesses one that might be more powerful than even the three Gods (Osiris/Slither, Ra, and Obelisk) that the Pharaoh controls. However, Kisara's usage of her Ka is extremely taxing to her body, and she often sleeps for long periods of time. When she finally awakens, soldiers bring her to an underground chamber where Gebeluk tests criminals against one another, to strengthen their Ka. Kisara is forced to battle the last two remaining criminals, both of which possess powerful Ka. However, she is too terrified to react, and Seto saves her with his own Ka, Deios.

It seems that Kisara's White Dragon Ka is fused with her Ba, or her conscious mind, meaning that Kisara can't summon it at will, as Pharaoh Atem, Seto, and many others can with their Ka. The White Dragon only emerges when Kisara is unconscious (and she doesn't remember summoning it; it acts on its own free will), but its power is so terrifying, it can destroy almost anything...

GEBELUK

Gebeluk is the nasty maintainer of the underground training arena where criminals are pitted against one another on a suspended platform full of traps and dangers. He supervises battles between groups of criminals, and the last ones standing after days of nonstop battle are those with the strongest Ka. Many criminals start out with weak Ka, and are strengthened by Gebeluk's intense "training." Gebeluk believes that the only way to strengthen one's Ka is to put them through torture; to induce absolute fear and need for survival in one's person.

His area was closed off while Atem's father was Pharaoh, and yet the current Pharaoh is unaware of its existence. Gebeluk and Akunadin agree that the power of Kisara's Ka can belong to someone else; especially if her Ba (Conscious Mind) and Ka (Soul) are fused together. They both say that Seto would make an excellent holder of the White Dragon Ka, but they ALL know that if one's Ka is forcibly removed, their body dies...

A note on SEIREI and KA : Seirei is a Japanese word loosely translated as 'Spirit.' In context of the Yu-Gi-Oh Egyptian Memories arc, a Seirei is a spirit within one's soul, or a person's soul "personified." The power of one's Seirei is dependent one one's KA, or literal soul; KA is the Egyptian word for 'soul,' or one's 'vital essence.' One's KA is what is leftover to go to the Afterlife or Underworld when a person passes away; it is what takes the place of their physical body and lives on in the Otherworld. The reason why so many Egyptian tombs are filled with things like chairs, offerrings of food, beautiful clothes and jewelry, etc. is because Ancient Egyptians believed that a KA needed the same things a real person needed or would want in life. In the same way a person has a KA, things have spirits too, and by putting them in the tomb with the deceased, the dead person's KA continues to have those things in the Afterlife.

Many characters in the Egyptian Memories arc possess Seirei spirits; when any of the Chosen Guardians are killed, they take the form of their KA and become an alternate Seirei for the Pharaoh. This is what happens when Mahaad is killed by Bakura; his KA, the Black Magician [Magician of Illusion] becomes one of Atem's alternate Seirei, in place of Ra or Osiris. This is also why Seto was able to get rid of his usual Seirei, Deios, and replace it with Kisara's, the White Dragon. However, one MUST possess a KA in order to live, which is sort of ironic, considering the KA is the representation of one's physical form AFTER death. It is assumed that one must also possess a KA in order to have a Seirei; they don't always have to be the same.

All the Millennium Items were used in Ancient Egypt (according to the Egyptian Memories manga arc) to control and boost the power of one's Seirei Ka spirit. If anything happened to the user (i.e. the Chosen Guardians of the Pharaoh, or the Pharaoh himself... or anyone else possessing a Millennium Item, for that matter) then the Seirei would also weaken, and vice versa. Also, the transfer of energy to make a Seirei Ka more powerful tended to weaken the users...