Ishizu Ishtar
Ishizu Ishtar (イシズ・イシュタール, Ishizu Ishutāru), also rendered as Ishizu Ishutarl in the bunkoban, is a character in the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga.
Born into a family of Tomb Guardians, Ishizu was entrusted with the duty of aiding the Pharaoh in regaining his lost memories upon his return. She worked for Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities and wielded the Millennium Necklace, an ancient relic that granted her the ability to foresee the future.
Over time, Ishizu became estranged from her younger brother, Marik, and their family’s loyal servant, Rishid, after Marik's deep-seated hatred gave rise to the malevolent entity, Yami Marik. Determined to save Marik and put an end to Yami Marik’s destruction, Ishizu orchestrated a plan to alter fate. She convinced Seto Kaiba to organize the Battle City tournament, even though she had foreseen his eventual defeat. However, Kaiba unexpectedly triumphed over her in their duel, defying her prediction. This pivotal moment led Ishizu to believe that the future was not set in stone, allowing her to persuade Kaiba to aid Yami Yugi in stopping Yami Marik.
Recognizing Yami Yugi as the reincarnation of the Pharaoh, Ishizu, along with Marik and Rishid, later accompanied him to Egypt, where he undertook the Ceremonial Battle to complete his journey into the afterlife.
| Names | Ishizu Ishtar (イシズ・イシュタール, Ishizu Ishutāru), Ishizu Ishutarl |
| Gender | Female ♀ |
| Race | Human |
| Occupation | Tomb Guardian, Secretary general |
| Origin | Yu-Gi-Oh! Chapter 146: The Ancient Stone, 古の石版 Inishie no Sekiban (March 3, 2000, tankōbon volume) |
| Alignment | Good |
| Age | 20[1] |
| Height | 167cm (5ft 5in)[1] |
| Weight | 43 kg (94.7 lbs) (6.77 st)[1] |
| Created By | Kazuo Takahashi (Japanese: 高橋 一雅) |
| Personality Type | INFJ, 1w2 (Enneagram) |
| Voice Actors |  Japanese: Sumi Shimamoto, Sakura Nogawa (Younger)
|
Appearance
Ishizu has long, straight black hair that falls just below her shoulders, with two distinctive locks wrapped in gold rings extending from behind her ears and resting at her neck. She has a slender build, tanned skin, and wears the Millennium Necklace around her neck before eventually passing it on to Yugi.
Her initial outfit consists of a long, ankle-length dress that partially exposes her shoulders, adorned with black patterns around the neckline and sleeve rims. She accessorizes with a golden headpiece encircling her forehead, featuring an emerald at the center.
During the Battle City tournament, Ishizu wears a cream-colored, sleeveless one-piece dress with a sarong-like bottom, paired with a matching waist-length veil that widens over her shoulders. She completes her attire with gold sandals, bracelets, ankle bands, armbands, and a brooch displaying the Eye of Wdjat on her veil. To conceal her identity at first, she also covers her mouth with a piece of cloth.
In the original Japanese version, Ishizu uses the pronoun watakushi, a formal and somewhat archaic form of self-reference.
Personality
Ishizu is depicted as a kind, wise, and compassionate woman with a deep sense of spirituality and intelligence. She exhibits strong maternal instincts and a selfless concern for the well-being of others.
She is particularly devoted to her family, showing unwavering care for her younger brother, Marik, especially when she enters the Battle City tournament in an attempt to save him. Her loyalty to her family's sacred duty to the Pharaoh is unshakable.
Spiritually, Ishizu is a firm believer in fate and destiny, often speaking about their power and influence. She places great trust in her visions, follows the guidance of the Millennium Necklace, and remains steadfast in her family's mission to serve the Pharaoh.
Biography
Background
Ishizu was born into a lineage of Tomb Guardians, a family whose origins traced back to the first guardian who served Pharaoh Atem's dynasty. Their sacred duty was to protect a prophecy foretelling the Pharaoh’s return, identifying him by his command over the stone slabs of the three Egyptian God Monsters. For generations, Ishizu's family safeguarded two Millennium Items—the Rod and the Necklace—intended to aid the Pharaoh in restoring his lost memories when the time came.
Her family lived in an underground tomb, isolated from the outside world. Because the Rite of the Tomb Guardians required a male heir, her birth was a disappointment to her parents. When Ishizu was four, her brother Marik was born, but their mother tragically died in childbirth.
Despite the strict traditions of their upbringing, Ishizu had a close bond with both Marik and their family’s loyal servant, Rishid. She and Marik would often play Duel Monsters, and she once defeated him using a Deck-Graveyard switching strategy. When the time came for Marik to undergo the painful Rite of the Tomb Guardians, Ishizu stood nearby and prayed for him.
Family Tragedy
Having never seen the world outside the tomb, Marik longed to experience it firsthand. One night, he, Ishizu, and Rishid devised a plan for him to sneak out. Marik feigned a fever, and once their father had fallen asleep, Ishizu led him outside just after sunrise while Rishid stayed behind to cover for them. She showed Marik the bustling streets and explained the modern world, including motorcycles, which he had only seen in books.
Before returning to the tomb, they encountered Shadi, who cryptically warned them that their fate would bring tragedy and divide their family, as decreed by the Pharaoh’s will. When Ishizu attempted to question Shadi, he vanished into the crowd. Marik noted the resemblance between Shadi’s Millennium Key and the sacred artifacts their family protected, but Ishizu sternly reminded him that they must never speak of the Millennium Items beyond their home. She urged him to forget everything he had seen that day, including Shadi.
The Birth of Yami Marik
Upon their return, Ishizu immediately noticed a trap mechanism at the entrance—a sign that their father had discovered their absence. Inside, they found him punishing Rishid, branding his back with a heated knife. Believing Rishid to be dead, he prepared to inflict the same fate on Marik.
However, witnessing Rishid’s suffering triggered something deep within Marik, awakening his sinister alter ego—Yami Marik. Seizing the Millennium Rod, Yami Marik used its power to immobilize their father, pinning him to a pillar. When Ishizu tried to intervene, he did the same to her. Realizing that this entity was not her true brother, Ishizu closed her eyes as Yami Marik mercilessly murdered their father, carving the Seal of Memories from his back and dropping the skin onto Rishid’s unconscious body.
Yami Marik’s rampage ceased when Rishid regained consciousness, allowing Marik’s original self to resurface. As Marik collapsed, weeping over their father’s corpse, Shadi appeared, declaring that his death was the will of the Pharaoh.
Ishizu regarded Yami Marik as a demon who had shattered their family. Determined to save her brother, she resolved to destroy his dark persona at any cost—even if it meant enduring the Shadow Games and using the Millennium Necklace to manipulate fate. Fully prepared to face divine punishment for her actions, she was willing to sacrifice her life to the gods.
Guardian of the Pharaoh’s Legacy
In adulthood, Ishizu became the Secretary General of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities. Under orders from Maximillion J. Pegasus, the council was entrusted with hiding the three Egyptian God Cards. However, Yami Marik’s secret organization, The Ghouls, managed to steal two of them. Ishizu, however, successfully safeguarded Obelisk the Tormentor, keeping it out of enemy hands.
Battle City
Prior Events
The Millennium Necklace granted Ishizu the ability to foresee the future. She had a precise, turn-by-turn vision of her Duel against Seto Kaiba, foreseeing his defeat due to his reliance on Obelisk the Tormentor.
Ishizu traveled to Japan to oversee The Art of Egypt, an exhibition at the Domino City Museum showcasing ancient stone slabs depicting Ka battles—the origin of Duel Monsters. She invited Kaiba to the museum and revealed the slabs to him. Kaiba was astonished to see that the nameless Pharaoh depicted on them bore a striking resemblance to his classmate, Yugi Mutou. When he questioned Ishizu about it, she feigned ignorance.
She then told Kaiba about the Egyptian God Cards and urged him to host a Duel Monsters tournament to lure out The Ghouls, an underground organization that had stolen two of the three God Cards. As bait, she entrusted him with Obelisk the Tormentor. Kaiba questioned what would happen if he refused to relinquish the God Cards after obtaining them, to which Ishizu replied that she trusted him. However, she secretly gave him Obelisk in anticipation of his downfall, expecting to reclaim the card and later face Yami Marik—her last opportunity to destroy him. Though she felt guilty for deceiving Kaiba, she was willing to do whatever it took to save Marik.
With the Millennium Necklace, Ishizu also foresaw that Yami Yugi would visit the museum. When he arrived with Téa Gardner, she approached him, revealing that a great battle was approaching and that he needed to gather all Seven Millennium Items to regain his lost memories. When Yami Yugi noticed her own Millennium Item, he questioned whether she was an enemy. She denied it but warned that the enemy he would soon face possessed the final Millennium Item in his quest.
Battle Ship
Ishizu participated in Kaiba’s Battle City tournament and was the last duelist to qualify for the quarterfinals. However, she deliberately abstained from attending the lottery selection, as she had already foreseen the matchups and their outcomes.
She remained absent during the first three quarterfinals, keeping her identity as a finalist a mystery. Before the final match, Kaiba dismissed the importance of his opponent’s identity, vowing to crush them regardless—only to be visibly surprised when Ishizu was announced as his challenger.
She informed Kaiba that the Millennium Necklace had already predicted the outcome of their Duel, stating that he was destined to lose. Kaiba scoffed at the irony—she had urged him to host the tournament to defeat the Ghouls, yet now intended to defeat him herself. Still, he admired her boldness. Unfazed by her talk of destiny, Kaiba declared that he would rewrite fate and deliver an iconic victory with the very power she had given him.
Meanwhile, Yami Yugi and Téa recognized Ishizu from the museum. Téa wondered if the Necklace's prophecy meant that her victory was inevitable, but Yami Yugi disagreed, asserting that if he were in Kaiba’s position, he would refuse to accept fate. Elsewhere, Ishizu’s presence momentarily stirred Marik’s true self before Yami Marik suppressed him once again.
During their duel, Yami Marik recognized Ishizu’s strategy as the same one she had once used to defeat Marik. She corrected herself when addressing him, no longer referring to him as Marik, but as the evil entity dwelling within her brother. Through their Millennium Items, they communicated telepathically. Ishizu declared her intent to defeat him, while Yami Marik mocked her, questioning whether she truly believed it was possible.
Ishizu allowed Kaiba to send a large portion of her Deck to the Graveyard using Crush Card Virus and Virus Cannon. She then activated Exchange of the Spirit, swapping both duelists’ Decks with their Graveyards, turning Kaiba’s advantage into his downfall. She continued to foresee and counter his every move, setting him up for his inevitable defeat.
She even manipulated Kaiba into summoning Obelisk the Tormentor using her own monsters as sacrifices. However, she had secretly placed Blast Held by a Tribute on one of them, ensuring Obelisk’s destruction when it attacked.
Just as Kaiba prepared to strike, he was overcome by a vision of Kisara and the ancient Blue-Eyes White Dragon stone slab. This moment of revelation led him to sacrifice Obelisk in favor of summoning Blue-Eyes White Dragon, circumventing Blast Held by a Tribute and securing his victory.
Despite her defeat, Ishizu was not disheartened. She congratulated Kaiba on defying fate and declared that he was now the true owner of Obelisk the Tormentor. Thanking him for showing her a glimpse of hope, she realized that the bleak future she had foreseen with the Millennium Necklace was not set in stone.
Kaiba dismissed the notion of destiny, telling her that anyone who simply accepts their future will never find the light.
Concerned about Mai Valentine, who had fallen into a coma after her Duel with Yami Marik, Ishizu asked Yugi Mutou and his friends for permission to visit her. In Mai's hospital room, Serenity Wheeler was deeply distressed by the suffering she had witnessed. Ishizu comforted her, explaining that war and suffering had persisted for thousands of years, with history repeating itself, yet people still reached out in hopes of a brighter future. Yugi deduced that Ishizu was Marik's sister and asked why Marik was trying to kill them. In response, she revealed the tragic history of their family.
While discussing the possibility of Yugi Dueling Joey Wheeler, Serenity suggested asking Ishizu to predict the winner. However, Ishizu explained that the Millennium Necklace had lost its power after her Duel with Kaiba altered the future. She urged Yugi and Joey to do whatever it took to restore Marik to his former self. Fulfilling her duty as a Tomb Guardian, she entrusted the Millennium Necklace to Yugi, knowing he would need all seven Millennium Items to restore the pharaoh’s memories. After parting ways with Yugi and his friends, Téa followed Ishizu and asked what would happen to Yami Yugi once the Millennium Items were placed in their resting place. Ishizu reassured her that he would have a place to return to.
Later that night, Téa, possessed by Marik, visited Ishizu. Through Téa, Marik pleaded with Ishizu to help save Rishid, whom Yami Marik intended to kill. Moved by his request, Ishizu relocated Rishid’s unconscious body to another room for safety.
Virtual World
During the Noah Kaiba incident, Ishizu remained aboard the airship while most of the passengers were forced to disembark and enter Noah’s Virtual World.
Later, when the ship’s magnetic restraints were suddenly released, she realized that Yami Marik—who had left to search for the others—was responsible.
As the arc concluded, she remained composed in her room, calmly sitting as the airship escaped from the exploding undersea fortress.
Battle City Finals
As the final rounds of the Battle City tournament took place in the Duel Tower, Ishizu initially remained aboard the Battle Ship, watching over Rishid. While gazing at the tower during Yami Yugi and Kaiba’s Duel, she saw "Slifer the Sky Dragon" and "The God of the Obelisk" clashing. Recognizing this as the prophesied "Battle of the Gods," she believed Yami Yugi had to win in order to reclaim his lost memories.
After Kaiba's defeat, Ishizu met him in the tower and asked if he believed Yami Yugi could defeat Yami Marik in the finals. Kaiba dismissed the notion, calculating the probability of success as extremely low and declaring that it was no longer his concern. He then revealed his plan to detonate Alcatraz Island and invited them to leave aboard the Battle Ship. As he turned to leave, Ishizu urged him to assist Yami Yugi. When Kaiba showed no interest, she asked if he had translated the prayer of the dead inscribed on the Pharaoh’s Memory Tablet. She explained that it was a dedication signed by Seto, the pharaoh’s loyal priest, who bore a striking resemblance to Kaiba. However, Kaiba remained unconvinced. He remarked on how Ishizu had once hoped to defeat him to save Marik, but now her only hope lay in Yami Yugi. Ishizu admitted that she had prepared for the worst. Kaiba realized she was willing to die if it meant saving her brother, a resolve that reminded him of his own sacrifices for Mokuba. Though he maintained a cynical front, Kaiba returned to the Duel field to give Yami Yugi the card "Devil’s Sanctuary," claiming he did so only to disprove the existence of miracles and the power of friendship.
During the climactic Duel between Yami Yugi and Yami Marik, Marik finally accepted that his father’s death had been caused by Yami Marik, not the pharaoh. Possessing Téa’s body, he conveyed this revelation and expressed his willingness to die if it meant destroying Yami Marik. He apologized to Ishizu, asking why she had not told him the truth earlier. Marik believed that she had accepted their family's fate—that he was destined to challenge the pharaoh in Battle City. Ishizu, however, insisted that the only future she wanted for him was one where he lived, even if he had been consumed by revenge.
As Marik struggled to suppress Yami Marik, he informed Ishizu that the Duel was a Shadow Game, where either he or Yugi would be sacrificed if their darker halves lost. Rishid's intervention helped Marik regain control, and when Yami Yugi defeated "The Winged Dragon of Ra," Ishizu was relieved to see Marik reclaim his body while Yami Marik was erased. Marik surrendered the Duel, ensuring Yami Marik's destruction, and Ishizu thanked Yami Yugi.
As Marik hung his head in shame, Ishizu and Rishid approached him. Ishizu reminded him that their family had lived in darkness for thousands of years, but it was his destiny to end that cycle. She emphasized that revenge should not last for generations or even a lifetime and suggested that their family’s duty of guarding the pharaoh’s memories might have been intended to teach them this lesson. Marik questioned whether they could truly live outside the darkness, and Ishizu reassured him that, no matter where they lived, they would always be Tomb Guardians and family. Rishid, who had long yearned to be accepted as a true member of the family, was deeply moved by her words.
To fulfill their duty as Tomb Guardians, Marik revealed the Seal of Memories inscribed on his back to Yami Yugi. Ishizu explained that the hieroglyphs contained a prophecy foretelling the pharaoh’s return and that the true pharaoh would be the one to wield the three God cards. Since the modern incarnations of the stone slabs were now in Yami Yugi’s possession, Ishizu confirmed that he was indeed the pharaoh and had the right to reclaim his lost memories.
With their duty fulfilled and their family reunited, Ishizu, Marik, and Rishid departed for Egypt to begin a new life.
Ceremonial Battle
Upon learning that Yugi had gathered all the Millennium Items except for the Millennium Key and Scales, Ishizu sent him a letter detailing the location of Atem’s final trial as pharaoh. She included a photograph of the Door to the Underworld, while distant relatives from another branch of the Tomb Guardians delivered the missing Key and Scales to the Shrine of the Underworld.
Ishizu, along with Marik and Rishid, arranged for Yugi and his friends to travel to the Valley of the Kings by plane. However, when a sandstorm forced the closure of Cairo National Airport, she secured government assistance to provide a ship for their journey across the Nile. Suspecting the storm held symbolic significance—since ancient Egyptians believed a ship carried the pharaoh and others to the afterlife—she met the group upon their arrival and welcomed them to Egypt.
When Yugi inquired about the photograph, Ishizu explained that the hieroglyphs surrounding the Door to the Underworld detailed the method for opening it and guiding the pharaoh’s spirit to the afterlife. She translated the inscription: "Place the seven Millennium Items in the Tablet of the Pharaoh’s Memories and speak the pharaoh’s name to open the door." Marik further elaborated that it also foretold a Ceremonial Battle, in which the pharaoh had to lose in order to pass on.
The morning after their voyage, Ishizu led Yugi and his friends to the Shrine of the Underworld, instructing Atem to place the Millennium Items into the stone tablet. As the eye on the Door to the Underworld began to glow, she explained that it would witness the Ceremonial Battle and determine the legitimacy of Atem’s defeat. She then observed as Yugi and Atem physically separated into two individuals to face each other in the duel.
As the battle reached its final turn, Yugi revealed that he had sealed Monster Reborn within the Gold Sarcophagus, preventing Atem from reviving Slifer the Sky Dragon from the Graveyard. While Yugi’s friends were stunned by his decision, Ishizu suspected it was Yugi’s way of telling Atem that the souls of the dead must not remain in the world of the living.
Following Atem’s defeat, the Eye of Wadjet on the door reacted. Ishizu instructed him to speak his true name, which caused the door to open. She watched sympathetically as Yugi and his friends pleaded for Atem to stay, but ultimately bid him farewell. As Atem stepped through the door, the Tablet of the Pharaoh’s Memories sank into the earth along with the Millennium Items. Outside the shrine, Ishizu solemnly declared that the era of the Millennium Items had come to an end and that the Door to the Underworld had closed forever.
Deck
Ishizu primarily uses an Egyptian-themed Fairy Deck, but unlike traditional Fairy monsters, hers are EARTH-attribute and designed with Egyptian aesthetics.
In her Duel against Kaiba, Ishizu’s strategy revolves around allowing him to destroy her Spell and Monster cards, only to turn his tactics against him using Exchange of the Spirit. This move drastically alters the game by restoring her cards while leaving Kaiba with only six remaining in his deck. She then relies on Muko to negate his draws, forcing him into a position where he must summon Obelisk the Tormentor.
Ishizu’s plan was to counter Obelisk with Sacrifice’s Blast, but a vision from the Millennium Rod influenced Kaiba, compelling him to achieve victory with Blue-Eyes White Dragon instead. Unintentionally, this decision thwarted Ishizu’s strategy, as Kaiba sacrificed Obelisk to summon his dragon, bypassing her intended counterattack.
Theme
References
- ↑ Jump up to: 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Chapter 1: Character Directory" (in Japanese). Yu-Gi-Oh! Character Guidebook: The Gospel of Truth. Shueisha. p. 68.
