Alister (Yu-Gi-Oh)
Alister, known as Amelda (アメルダ) in the Japanese version, is one of the primary antagonists in the Waking the Dragons arc of the Yu-Gi-Oh! second series anime, alongside Valon, Rafael, Dartz, and the Great Leviathan. After the defeat of the Great Leviathan and the fall of Paradius, he and his allies ultimately redeemed themselves.
Alister frequently clashes with Valon due to their differing motives for targeting their respective opponents. In the English dub, their arguments revolve around whose opponent is stronger. At one point, Alister acquires a controlling share of Seto Kaiba’s company, though it remains unclear whether he used Maximillion Pegasus’s funds or resources from the Paradius corporation.
| Names | Alister, Amelda (アメルダ) |
| Gender | Male ♂ |
| Race | Human |
| Occupation | Duelist, Doma Swordsman |
| Origin | Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters Episode 145: A New Evil - Part 1 (新たなる闇の鼓動, Aratanaru Yami no Kodō. lit, The Throb of a New Darkness) February 18, 2003 |
| Alignment | Anti-Hero |
| Age | Teens |
| Created By | Studio Gallop, Nihon Ad Systems |
| Personality Type | INFP, 6w7 (Enneagram) |
| Voice Actors |  Japanese: Yukishige Iemura, Hitomi Utahara (young)
|
Appearance
Alister wears a long, open-front coat with padded shoulders and belted sleeves, a cropped top that exposes his midriff, and fingerless gloves with studded knuckles. His Orichalcos Stone hangs from a lace necklace, and he wields a Chaos Duel Disk.
Personality
Alister is a cold, calculating, and vengeful individual, driven by his tragic past and deep-seated hatred for Seto Kaiba. Unlike his ally Valon, who enjoys battle, Alister is more methodical and composed, rarely allowing emotions to cloud his judgment—except when it comes to his grudge against Kaiba. He strongly believes in the concept of sins of the father, blaming Seto for the atrocities committed by Gozaburo Kaiba, despite Seto having no role in KaibaCorp’s past as a weapons manufacturer.
Alister is also manipulative, utilizing disguises and deception to get close to his targets. He is intelligent and strategic, adapting his dueling tactics based on the situation. While he maintains a serious demeanor, he does not hesitate to mock others, particularly those he considers beneath him. In the English dub, he frequently insults the lesser members of Doma, referring to Gurimo as "old man," Rex Raptor and Weevil Underwood as "twerps" and "nimrods," and Mai Valentine as "Little Miss Loudmouth."
Despite his cold exterior, Alister’s true motivations stem from a deep love for his younger brother, Mikey. His unwavering desire for revenge is fueled by the pain of losing his family, making him one of the more tragic figures among Dartz’s followers. In his final moments before the Seal of Orichalcos takes his soul, he mistakes Mokuba for Mikey and entrusts him with Dyna Dude, revealing a glimpse of the caring brother he once was. This moment suggests that, beneath his bitterness, Alister is capable of compassion—though his past prevents him from seeing beyond his vendetta.
Ultimately, after Dartz’s defeat, Alister is freed and last seen searching for survivors from his homeland, hinting that he may have begun to move forward from his past.
Biography
Waking the Dragons
As a child, Alister lived in a war-torn country. In the English dub, KaibaCorp purchased the land where he lived, and when the residents refused to leave, Gozaburo Kaiba resorted to forceful measures. Many civilians were displaced and had to resort to desperate means, such as digging tunnels and stealing food, just to survive.
Despite the hardships, Alister and his younger brother, Mikey, managed to endure. In the Japanese version, the war was fought between two rival nations, both of which were supplied with weapons by Gozaburo Kaiba. In the English dub, Alister's mother (briefly seen in episode 150 within his locket) and Mikey were eventually captured.
In the original version, Mikey was killed when the tank he was inside exploded, leaving Alister consumed by grief and hatred toward Seto Kaiba. Blinded by vengeance, he fixated on Kaiba as the one responsible for his suffering. Dartz discovered him in his lowest moments and offered him a place within his organization, a chance Alister readily accepted.
Unbeknownst to Alister, Dartz had disguised himself as Gozaburo Kaiba and orchestrated the attack that destroyed his home. One of Alister’s most cherished possessions is his brother’s broken action figure, Dyna Dude, which originates from the monster Air Fortress Ziggurat (where Dyna Dude serves as a Robot Token).
Alister engages in two duels, both against Seto Kaiba.
In their first duel, Alister disguises himself as Maximillion Pegasus and challenges Kaiba. Midway through the match, Kaiba deduces that his opponent is an imposter, prompting Alister to discard his disguise and reveal his true identity and motivations. The duel ultimately ends in a draw.
In their second duel, Alister takes on the guise of a pilot and boards a plane with Kaiba. Once in the air, he activates autopilot and challenges Kaiba once again. When Kaiba gains the upper hand, Alister refuses to end his turn, willing to let the plane crash and take his own life along with Kaiba and Mokuba. In the English dub, he believes the crash will cause the Seal of Orichalcos to absorb all three of them. However, Kaiba uses The Fang of Critias to win the duel, and the Legendary Dragons intervene to save the plane. As the Seal of Orichalcos claims his soul, Alister briefly mistakes Mokuba for his own younger brother and entrusts him with Dyna Dude before collapsing.
Following Alister’s defeat, Dartz takes control of KaibaCorp. Alister is eventually freed when Dartz and the Great Leviathan are defeated.
Grand Championship
Alister makes a brief appearance at the end of the Grand Championship arc, seen in the background near the Leaning Tower of Pisa during the celebrations following Yugi Muto’s victory over Leon von Schroeder.
Dawn of the Duel
In Dawn of the Duel, Alister is seen during Pegasus’ monologue, presumably searching for survivors from his town (or, in the English dub, looking for his family).
Powers and Statistics
Tier: 9-B physically. 2-C via The Seal of Orichalcos
Powers and Abilities: Peak Human Strength and Durability, Soul Manipulation, Sealing (The Seal of Orichalcos steals souls), Magic, Summoning, (The monsters summoned through the seal are real), Empathic Manipulation (Shadow Games reveal a person's true nature), Darkness Manipulation (the Seal amplifies the Darkness is ones heart), Vehicular Mastery
Attack Potency: Street level physically. Low Multiverse level via powers (Can summon monsters with various degrees of power and amplify their power with his spirit energy up to the strongest monster he has in his deck)
Speed: Street level
Lifting Strength: Street level
Striking Strength: Street level (By himself), Low Multiverse level with summons
Durability: Street level
Stamina: Superhuman
Range: Standard Melee Range physically; Tens of Kilometers with several monsters, spells, and traps; Planetary with the Seal of Orichalcos
Intelligence: At least Gifted. A tactical fighter
Weaknesses: Is vulnerable to the power of the light of the souls
Standard Equipment: Duel Monsters cards, Duel Disk.
Deck
Toon/Gorlag Deck
While disguised as Maximillion Pegasus, Alister employs a Toon Deck identical to Pegasus’ own, centered around Toon Monsters, which are immune to battle destruction and can attack directly. After Kaiba destroys Toon World with A Wingbeat of Giant Dragon, Alister reveals himself and unveils a modified strategy. His deck shifts focus to Gorlag, a monster that special summons any creature it destroys as a FIRE attribute monster while increasing its ATK for each FIRE monster on the field. He further strengthens Gorlag using cards like Aetonyx Flame and Fire Whip.
Army Deck
In his second duel with Kaiba, Alister switches to an Army Deck, composed of Machine-Type monsters as a symbolic reflection of his past trauma—when KaibaCorp-financed forces devastated his village and kidnapped his brother (or in the Japanese version, killed him). His ace monster is Air Fortress Ziggurat, a powerful Machine-Type creature with 2500 ATK that generates a Robot Token every turn, representing his brother’s beloved Dyna Dude action figure.
Theme
