Espa Roba
Espa Roba, known as Esper Roba (エスパー絽場, Esupā Roba) in the Japanese version, is a Duelist in Yu-Gi-Oh who claims to have psychic powers. In reality, he is a fraud who relies on his younger brothers to spy on his opponents' hands and relay the information back to him, allowing him to "predict" their moves before they make them.
| Names | Espa Roba, known as Esper Roba (エスパー絽場, Esupā Roba) |
| Gender | Male ♂ |
| Race | Human |
| Occupation | Duelist |
| Origin | Yu-Gi-Oh! Chapter 150: The Gathering, (集いし者共 集いし者共, Tsudoishi Monodomo) (March 5, 2000, tankōbon volume) |
| Alignment | Mixed |
| Age | 17[1] |
| Height | 172 cm (5ft 7in)[1] |
| Weight | 48 kg (105.82 lbs)(kg (7.55 st)[1] |
| Created By | Kazuo Takahashi (Japanese: 高橋 一雅) |
| Personality Type | INTP, 6w7 (Enneagram) |
| Voice Actors |  Japanese: Maiko Itou
|
Appearance
Espa Roba has a distinctive look that sets him apart from other Duelists. He has spiky, silver-blue hair with bangs that frame his face, and his eyes are usually depicted as sharp and focused. He wears a futuristic-looking, high-collared blue jacket with white accents, paired with dark pants. His overall appearance gives off an air of mystery, complementing his fraudulent claims of possessing psychic abilities.
Personality
Espa Roba is confident and theatrical, maintaining an air of mystique to convince others of his supposed psychic powers. His over-the-top persona is a defense mechanism, as he uses his "ESP" gimmick to intimidate opponents and protect his younger brothers. Despite his deception, his intentions are not entirely malicious—his actions are driven by a deep sense of responsibility toward his siblings.
Although he initially relies on trickery to win duels, he proves to be a capable Duelist even without cheating. After being exposed during his duel with Joey Wheeler, he accepts his loss with dignity and promises to compete fairly in the future. This moment highlights his willingness to change and his genuine love for dueling.
Espa is also protective of his brothers, as seen when he tries to maintain his reputation to shield them from bullying. His actions suggest that, beyond his bravado, he is a caring and determined individual who values family above all else.
Biography
Espa first appears briefly in a non-speaking role in the town square when Mai Valentine points out Battle City participants to Yugi Muto and Téa Gardner, describing their decks and strategies. She claims that Espa duels using psychic powers.
A young Duelist, Espa enters Battle City to uphold his reputation and protect his younger brothers. He is first shown defeating Rex Raptor and claiming Serpent Night Dragon as his prize. Rex warns Joey Wheeler not to duel Espa, believing that his supposed psychic abilities allow him to read an opponent’s hand. Skeptical of these claims—having already experienced similar deception with Mai—Joey confidently accepts the challenge.
Espa initially gains an advantage by knowing the cards in Joey’s hand and field. However, Joey quickly deduces the trick and attempts to confuse Espa’s watchers by keeping Skull Dice and Graceful Dice close together. Mokuba Kaiba eventually uncovers the source of Espa’s "psychic" abilities: his younger brothers spying from a high-rise building. When confronted, the brothers plead with Mokuba to let their older brother continue, insisting that he is a strong Duelist despite his deception.
Espa had cultivated his "psychic" reputation to appear unbeatable, shielding himself and his brothers from the bullying they endured as carnival performers. Seeing a parallel between Espa’s bond with his brothers and his own relationship with Seto, Mokuba allows the duel to continue—on the condition that Espa stops cheating. This revelation tarnishes Espa’s reputation, but he chooses to continue the duel fairly.
Espa eventually summons Jinzo, severely disrupting Joey’s strategy by nullifying Trap Cards. However, Joey counters with Roulette Spider, forcing Jinzo to attack a random card. Jinzo ends up attacking Reflect Bounder, which reflects the attack back, destroying them both and causing Espa to lose.
Due to Battle City’s rules, Espa forfeits his rarest card, Jinzo, to Joey. Accepting defeat, he vows to stand up for his brothers without cheating and promises Joey a fair rematch in the future.
Espa later appears among the spectators during Yugi and Kaiba’s semifinal match in Domino City. He also makes a brief cameo in the Japanese epilogue, challenging Mako Tsunami to a duel.
Trivia
- In the Singaporean English dub, Espa Roba speaks with a Spanish accent.
- Both his English and Japanese names are derived from extrasensory perception, or ESP.
- In Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s, a parody of him named Esper Rouba is listed as one of the Duelists defeated by Hunter Pace.
- ↑ Jump up to: 1.0 1.1 1.2 Yu-Gi-Oh! Character Guidebook: The Gospel of Truth profile;
