Seto Kaiba

Seto Kaiba
Vital statistics
Names	Seto Kaiba 海かい馬ば 瀬せ人と, Kaiba-boy (by Pegasus) ,
Gender	Male
Race	Human
Occupation	Duelist, Chairman and CEO of KaibaCorp, Owner of Duel Academy
Origin	Yu-Gi-Oh! Chapter 9: "The Cards with Teeth (Part 1)" 牙を持つカード〈前編〉Kiba wo Motsu Kādo, (May 1, 1997 tankōbon volume)
Alignment	Anti-Hero
Age	18 as of DSoD, 20s in GX
Created By	Kazuo Takahashi (Japanese: 高橋 一雅)
Height	186 cm (6ft 1in)
Weight	65 kg (143 lbs)
Personality Type	INTJ, 8w7 (Enneagram)

Seto Kaiba (海かい馬ば 瀬せ人と, Kaiba Seto) is a central character in the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime. He is the elder brother of Mokuba and the modern reincarnation of Priest Seto, the original guardian of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

Adopted into the Kaiba family as an orphan, Kaiba quickly rose to prominence as the head of KaibaCorp, the world’s leading multinational gaming conglomerate, where he serves as majority owner and CEO. A child prodigy, Kaiba demonstrated exceptional intellect and creativity from a young age, designing groundbreaking virtual gaming software. Despite his brilliance, his turbulent relationship with his adoptive father, Gozaburo Kaiba, culminated in Seto outmaneuvering him in a strategic corporate takeover, securing his position at the helm of KaibaCorp.

With access to immense wealth, cutting-edge technology, and unparalleled expertise in business and science, Kaiba drives KaibaCorp’s expansion not only across Domino City but globally. A ruthless and visionary entrepreneur, Kaiba commands respect and fear within the corporate world, leveraging his sharp intellect and unyielding ambition to dominate his competitors. His ultimate personal goal, however, is to become the greatest Duel Monsters player in the world, which he believes can only be achieved by defeating his rival, Yugi Muto.

Kaiba is widely regarded as an anti-hero. While his actions are often self-serving and his demeanor is marked by arrogance and egotism, he occasionally aids Yugi and his friends, especially when their goals align against a mutual enemy.

Recurring challenges in Kaiba’s story include contending with individuals seeking revenge for the misdeeds of his adoptive father or thwarting internal attempts to wrest control of KaibaCorp.

Concept and Creation

Seto Kaiba’s character was inspired by a collectible card game player whom Kazuki Takahashi's friend encountered. When Takahashi’s friend asked this player for guidance on how to play a card game, the player dismissively replied, "Hmph! Come back when you've collected 10,000 cards." This incident angered Takahashi but also sparked the idea for a compelling character.

Initially, Takahashi envisioned Kaiba as the heir to a gaming company who would challenge Yugi with an array of bizarre games of his own invention. However, on short notice, he decided to have Kaiba duel Yugi in Duel Monsters for a second time. This shift marked the reconstruction of Kaiba into a semi-lead character and Yugi's primary rival.

The name "Seto" is derived from the Egyptian deity Set, whose name is pronounced "Seto" in Japanese. The connection between Seto Kaiba and the deity Set extends beyond the name. In Egyptian mythology, Set is infamous for his tumultuous and violent rivalry with his relative Horus over the Kingship of Egypt. Horus, the god of the sun and protection, is often depicted as wise and just, while Set, the god of war and chaos, is characterized as ruthless, violent, and willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals. These traits strongly parallel Seto Kaiba's personality and his dynamic with Yugi.

Additionally, Set is frequently depicted wielding a was-scepter, a symbol of dominion and control over individuals and forces, which aligns with the Millennium Rod carried by Priest Seto. The mythological rivalry and Set's traits likely served as key inspirations for Kaiba’s conception, emphasizing his ambitious, competitive, and occasionally antagonistic nature.

Appearance

Seto Kaiba is characterized by his brown hair, piercing blue eyes, and a slim but athletic build with broad shoulders. His expression is typically stern and condescending, reflecting his confident and often aloof personality.

At 1.86 meters tall, Kaiba is one of the tallest characters among the main cast. Early in the series, he wore the standard Domino High School uniform with his coat buttoned up, and he carried a steel briefcase instead of a school bag. Later, he adopted a white version of the uniform, featuring gold ornaments on the collar.

As his character evolved, so did his wardrobe, emphasizing his imposing presence. After his coma, Kaiba began favoring form-fitting long coats that accentuated his height. During the Duelist Kingdom arc, he wore a straightforward blue coat. In the lead-up to Battle City, he sported a high-shouldered purple coat. However, his most iconic outfit emerged during Battle City, where he donned a sleeveless white studded coat with dramatic flares, paired with belts strapped around his limbs, cementing his status as a stylish and commanding figure in the series.

Personality

Seto Kaiba's personality is complex and multifaceted, marked by his pride, ruthlessness, and intellectual prowess, but tempered by occasional moments of compassion and selflessness.

In the original Japanese version of Yu-Gi-Oh!, Kaiba's speech is characterized by a "rude" and boastful tone. He omits honorifics and uses the term "ore" (a confident and somewhat arrogant way to say "I") instead of the more neutral "boku" or "watashi." He frequently insults Katsuya Jonouchi (Joey Wheeler), referring to him with derogatory nicknames like "bonkotsu" (mediocre), "make-inu" (pathetic dog), and "zako" (weakling). This habit of name-calling carries over into the English dub, where he mockingly calls Yugi's group "the nerd herd," "the dweeb patrol," and other dismissive terms.

Kaiba is portrayed as arrogant, sarcastic, and condescending, with a sharp wit and a tendency to belittle others, particularly those he perceives as inferior. His pride is both his greatest strength and his most significant weakness, as he refuses to back down from a challenge and relentlessly pursues victory. Despite his cold demeanor, Kaiba demonstrates genuine affection and unwavering loyalty to his younger brother, Mokuba. Mokuba is the sole recipient of Kaiba's love and care, and Kaiba has risked his life on multiple occasions to protect him.

Kaiba's disdain for mediocrity and obsession with excellence extend to his dueling philosophy and his technological innovations. He is a perfectionist who consistently pushes himself to achieve greatness, whether by refining his skills as a duelist or by maintaining the cutting-edge quality of KaibaCorp's technology. His pride in his accomplishments and his belief in meritocracy are central to his character. He holds a strong ethical stance against theft and dishonesty, viewing hard work and determination as the only legitimate paths to success.

Kaiba's relationship with magic and the supernatural is marked by skepticism and denial. In the Japanese version, he is more accepting of the mystical elements, acknowledging their role in his duels and destiny. However, in the English dub, Kaiba frequently dismisses magic as "hocus pocus," even when confronted with undeniable evidence. Over time, his stance softens slightly, particularly during the Waking the Dragons arc and other later storylines.

Despite his elitist and often abrasive personality, Kaiba occasionally shows moments of selflessness. For example, he has demonstrated a protective instinct toward children and orphans, stemming from his own experiences as an orphan. While he maintains a conservative and uptight exterior, he occasionally performs acts of kindness, often masking them with sarcasm or denying them altogether.

Kaiba's obsession with the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, his signature card, reflects his deep connection to his past life as Priest Seto and his affinity for Dragon-Type monsters. He jealously guards the card's exclusivity, going so far as to destroy a Blue-Eyes White Dragon card to prevent anyone else from using it. This fixation symbolizes his desire for dominance and control, both in dueling and in life.

As a duelist, Kaiba is a strategic and formidable opponent who takes great pride in his skill. His rivalry with Yugi, particularly Yami Yugi, drives much of his motivation throughout the series. While he often clashes with Yugi's group, he occasionally allies with them when faced with a common enemy.

Despite his flaws, Kaiba's character evolves over time. He becomes slightly less antagonistic, and his moments of vulnerability and humanity become more apparent. By the end of the series, Kaiba remains a proud and ambitious individual but has shown growth in his relationships and outlook, cementing his role as one of the most dynamic and iconic characters in Yu-Gi-Oh!.

Biography

Background

Seto Kaiba's background reveals a tragic and determined origin, marked by his fierce loyalty to his younger brother Mokuba and his exceptional intellect.

Seto and Mokuba's parents died when they were very young, leaving them orphaned. In the Japanese version, it is mentioned that their relatives seized their inheritance and sent the brothers to an orphanage. In the English dub, their parents' deaths are acknowledged, but the details about their relatives are omitted.

At the orphanage, Seto quickly assumed a parental role for Mokuba, vowing to protect him and comfort him during difficult times. He advised Mokuba to remain vigilant and avoid showing any weakness, a philosophy that would guide much of Seto's life. Despite their hardships, the brothers found solace in each other's company, often playing games like chess, where Seto's superior intellect shone through. Even though Seto consistently won, he encouraged Mokuba to keep trying, showcasing his protective and supportive nature.

Seto was fiercely protective of Mokuba, intervening when other children bullied him and going to great lengths to ensure his brother's well-being. Mokuba later recounted that many couples showed interest in adopting Seto due to his intelligence and potential, but Seto refused any adoption unless Mokuba was included. This steadfast loyalty resulted in both brothers remaining at the orphanage, as none of the prospective adopters were willing to take them both.

Seto and Mokuba shared dreams of building a brighter future together. One day, while creating a model theme park in a sandpit, Seto envisioned constructing real theme parks worldwide, where orphans would be admitted for free.

Their lives took a pivotal turn when Gozaburo Kaiba, the head of KaibaCorp, visited the orphanage for a publicity stunt. Seizing the opportunity, 12-year-old Seto challenged Gozaburo to a chess match with high stakes: if Seto won, Gozaburo would adopt both him and Mokuba. Initially refusing, Gozaburo was goaded into accepting when Seto threatened to reveal his refusal to face a child in a game. Seto, who had studied Gozaburo's chess strategies in advance, defeated him. True to the agreement, Gozaburo reluctantly adopted both brothers.

This victory marked the beginning of Seto Kaiba's transformation from a protective older brother into a calculating and ambitious individual, determined to rise above his circumstances and reshape his destiny.

Seto Kaiba's adoption by Gozaburo Kaiba set the stage for his transformation into a cold and calculating corporate leader. Gozaburo's intentions for adopting Seto were manipulative from the outset. Initially, Gozaburo planned to use Seto's body as a vessel for his biological son, Noah, whose mind had been uploaded into a virtual world following a life-threatening accident. Gozaburo also sought to use Seto as a rival to push Noah to achieve greater potential. However, when Seto proved more capable and intelligent than anticipated, Gozaburo abandoned the plan to transfer Noah's consciousness and instead decided to groom Seto as the heir to KaibaCorp.

Life with Gozaburo was far from the luxury Seto and Mokuba had envisioned. Seto was subjected to an accelerated and grueling education program that encompassed subjects such as economics, social studies, game theory, and foreign languages. Determined to provide a better life for Mokuba, Seto endured this harsh regimen, often studying until he collapsed from exhaustion. Gozaburo's focus was on shaping Seto into a corporate leader, but he underestimated Seto's ambition and intellect, inadvertently creating a successor who would ultimately outsmart him.

When Gozaburo questioned Seto about his plans for KaibaCorp, Seto expressed his dream of building a theme park, Kaiba Land, for underprivileged children, a reflection of the values he had shared with Mokuba during their time at the orphanage. Gozaburo dismissed this as naive, confiscated Seto's toys, and insisted that Seto focus solely on power and domination. Despite this, Mokuba secretly preserved Seto's Duel Monsters deck in a hollowed-out book, including a hand-drawn "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" card, symbolizing their shared resilience and dreams.

Seto’s intelligence quickly gained recognition. During a party hosted by Gozaburo, Seto met Zigfried von Schroeder, another child prodigy who displayed his technological prowess by disrupting the event's security system. This encounter foreshadowed Seto's later expertise in technology and innovation.

On Seto's birthday, Gozaburo gifted him a 2% share of KaibaCorp (10 million dollars in the English dub) with the challenge of returning 100 times (10 times in the dub) its value within a year. Seto demonstrated his cunning and business acumen by achieving the goal in a single day. He acquired a controlling stake in a small company, threatened to shut it down unless its president bought back the shares at an inflated price, and thus multiplied the initial amount.

This period of ruthless training and hardship hardened Seto's resolve and set him on the path to seizing control of KaibaCorp, ultimately shaping his identity as a brilliant and relentless entrepreneur.

Seto Kaiba’s takeover of KaibaCorp marked a pivotal moment in his life, solidifying his transformation into a powerful and ruthless leader. Seto’s conflict with Gozaburo began when he invented a virtual system designed for video games. Gozaburo, however, saw its potential for war and intended to weaponize it, dismissing Seto’s vision of using the technology for entertainment and games. This clash of ideals led Seto to lose all respect for Gozaburo, deciding that he would take control of KaibaCorp to reshape its future.

To achieve his goal, Seto forged an alliance with The Big Five, a group of KaibaCorp executives disillusioned with Gozaburo’s leadership. Seto promised them better treatment under his rule and enlisted their help in a coup. Together, they acquired 49% of KaibaCorp’s shares, leaving Gozaburo with another 49% and Mokuba holding the remaining 2%.

Aware of Seto’s plot, Gozaburo sought to undermine him by turning Mokuba against him, accusing Mokuba of betraying Seto. For a brief time, this tactic drove a wedge between the brothers, but Mokuba’s unwavering loyalty to Seto and his dream of transforming KaibaCorp into a gaming company prevailed. At a critical moment, Mokuba shifted his 2% of shares to Seto, giving him the majority at 51%.

With the controlling stake in KaibaCorp, Seto ousted Gozaburo and claimed the company for himself. Unable to cope with the loss of power and the humiliation of defeat, Gozaburo committed suicide. In some versions of the story, Gozaburo’s mind was uploaded into the virtual world he had created for Noah before his death. In the English dub, Gozaburo fled in disgrace, never to be heard from again until later events involving the Virtual World.

This victory marked the beginning of Seto Kaiba’s reign over KaibaCorp. Under his leadership, the company shifted its focus from weapons manufacturing to gaming and entertainment, reflecting Seto’s childhood dream and his desire to create a better future. The takeover was not just a corporate triumph but also a deeply personal victory, symbolizing Seto’s resolve to overcome the oppressive forces of his past and forge his own destiny.

Yu-Gi-Oh!

Kaiba visited the Kame Game Shop, where he encountered Yugi Mutou and Joey Wheeler, classmates of his. When Joey discovered Kaiba played Duel Monsters, he invited him to join their group at school. However, Kaiba dismissed the idea, mocking Joey and calling his cards useless. He arrogantly boasted about competing at the national level and told Joey to return only after collecting at least ten thousand cards. Kaiba's attitude changed when he noticed Solomon Mutou's "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" card on the counter—a card he had believed was impossible to find. Convinced it would make him invincible, he offered all the cards in his briefcase in exchange, but Solomon refused, citing the card's sentimental value. Solomon also advised Kaiba to value all his cards to understand the true essence of the game. Frustrated, Kaiba stormed out, vowing to acquire the card by any means.

The next day, Kaiba watched Yugi and Joey duel at school. He deemed Joey's skills inferior to even elementary school competitors. Learning Yugi had brought Solomon's "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" to school, Kaiba pretended to have taken Solomon's advice to heart and asked to see the card. Yugi complied, but Kaiba switched it with a counterfeit. Yugi noticed but chose not to expose him in front of others. After school, Yugi confronted Kaiba privately. Denying at first, Kaiba eventually grew irritated, striking Yugi with his briefcase and dismissing the importance of loving cards. Instead, he emphasized that winning was all that mattered.

Yami Yugi then emerged, challenging Kaiba to a Shadow Game of Duel Monsters with altered rules. Kaiba was astonished when the monsters appeared as lifelike holograms. As defeat loomed, he played the stolen "Blue-Eyes White Dragon," lying that it wasn’t Solomon’s card. However, the card, remaining loyal to Solomon’s spirit, refused to attack and destroyed itself instead. Yami Yugi used "Monster Reborn" to revive "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" and ultimately defeated Kaiba.

As punishment, Yami Yugi inflicted the "Experience of Death" Penalty Game on Kaiba. Under its effects, Kaiba hallucinated becoming a Duel Monsters card, trapped in a world where he experienced repeated deaths at the hands of monsters. Yami Yugi intended this as a lesson to teach Kaiba the importance of understanding the heart of the cards.

Although Kaiba eventually awoke from the illusion, the traumatic experience left him haunted by nightmares, serving as a grim reminder of his arrogance and disregard for the game's true spirit.

Death-T

Before the events of Death-T, Kaiba obtained the four "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" cards through ruthless means. He forced an American to bankruptcy, made deals with the mafia, and manipulated one individual into suicide, claiming the three other cards along the way.

Kaiba dedicated significant resources to building Kaiba Land, spending 10 billion yen on a section of the park called Death-T. This attraction, designed to simulate the Experience of Death using Solid Vision technology, was intended as a twisted form of revenge against Yugi. To create the deadly game, Kaiba hired hitmen, a torturer, and even a serial killer to contribute to the design of the various stages of Death-T. Despite his concerns, Mokuba insisted on facing Yugi in one of the stages, hoping to earn Seto’s respect. The brothers wagered on the outcome, with Kaiba betting on Mokuba’s defeat by choosing the final stage, thus ensuring Mokuba’s loss.

Kaiba invited Yugi and Joey to his mansion the night before Kaiba Land’s grand opening, but unbeknownst to them, he had Solomon Mutou kidnapped. Exhausted from his relentless work, Kaiba fell asleep and had a nightmare about the Experience of Death, which he found ironic, given his plans for Death-T. Upon waking, he discovered Mokuba’s attempt to harm the guests, which he dismissed with a casual "boys will be boys."

At the opening event of Kaiba Land, which occurred three days before the park's public debut, Kaiba gave Yugi, Joey, and several children free access to the park. This gesture led Yugi and Joey to believe they had misjudged him. However, a former KaibaCorp employee confronted Kaiba, accusing him of driving his father to suicide, before being swiftly removed. After allowing his guests to enjoy the rides, Kaiba took them to a special show, revealing that he had kidnapped Solomon. In a cruel twist, he challenged Solomon to a Duel Monsters match in his new Battle Box simulators. Despite Solomon's use of his "Blue-Eyes White Dragon," he was easily overwhelmed by the holographic projections and Kaiba’s three "Blue-Eyes White Dragons."

In a shocking act of punishment, Kaiba tore up Solomon’s "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" card, symbolizing both Solomon’s defeat and the card’s betrayal. He then subjected Solomon to an artificial Penalty Game, where Solomon was attacked by holographic monsters. Kaiba coerced Yugi into agreeing to participate in Death-T to ensure his grandfather’s release, with Joey and Tristan Taylor also volunteering to help. Kaiba, ever confident in his plans, believed that this would only lead to Yugi and his friends' deaths. Meanwhile, the other children, unaware of the deadly purpose of Death-T, watched from the sidelines, thinking they were witnessing another of Kaiba’s theme park attractions. Kaiba monitored the events from a hidden control room, certain that the game would end in tragedy.

Death-T-1

In the first stage of Death-T, Kaiba set up a shootout game for Yugi and his friends against three hired hitmen: Johnny Gayle, Bob McGuire, and an unnamed individual. The goal was for the players to eliminate the opposing team by shooting sensors attached to their vests. However, Kaiba rigged the game by providing Yugi, Joey, and Tristan with ineffective guns, while the hitmen were equipped with lethal firearms.

Before the game started, an attendant was supposed to explain the rules to the participants. However, Kaiba was infuriated to learn that the attendant had been hired to be Téa Gardner, Yugi's close friend. This unexpected development did not sit well with Kaiba. As the game began, Kaiba appeared on monitors throughout the arena, warning Yugi that his opponents were mercenaries and telling him to enjoy his "last game." To fuel the tension, Kaiba offered the hitmen a ¥10,000 bounty for each opponent they killed, causing the mercenaries to act more independently rather than working together.

Despite the odds, Joey launched a surprise attack, followed by Tristan’s realization that their guns were ineffective. Tristan then used Téa's working gun to help turn the tide. With their teamwork, Yugi and his friends managed to win the shootout. Téa remained with Yugi and the others for the following stages of Death-T.

Death-T-2

In Death-T-2, Kaiba's butler, a former torturer, escorted Yugi and his friends to the Murderer's Mansion, where they were subjected to the Electric Chair Ride. On the ride, the players faced terrifying scenarios, with the threat of being electrocuted to death if they screamed. The butler was killed during this stage when Johji defecated on his lap, causing him to scream and triggering his demise.

Inside the Murderer's Mansion, Kaiba appeared via holographic projection. He likened Yugi's group to chess pieces being pushed closer to checkmate and warned them that a serial killer, known as the Chopman, was hidden inside the mansion. To find the exit, Kaiba told them they had to stick their hands through four holes in the wall and press the correct buttons on the opposite side. Once they had their hands inside the holes, Kaiba trapped them by cuffing their hands in place and revealed a guillotine above them. It was set to drop in five minutes or if an incorrect button was pressed. Before disappearing, Kaiba mentioned he had left a clue to finding the right button. Yugi deciphered the blood clue, revealing the exit and saving himself and his friends.

Before they could leave the mansion, the Chopman kidnapped Johji. Kaiba tricked Johji, a fan of his, into pretending to be alone in a room to lure Yugi and his friends inside. He instructed Johji to attach a handcuff to anyone who entered. The others were initially skeptical of Johji’s claim, so Kaiba appeared on a monitor attached to the Chopman’s torso, demanding that one person enter the room to face the Chopman in a game, or else he would order the Chopman to kill Johji. Joey stepped inside, and Johji attached the cuff, which was linked to a pedestal connected to the Chopman. Kaiba explained that the game would involve each player picking a weapon to fight to the death. Joey managed to win by picking the lock on the handcuff with a candlestick holder, ultimately tricking the Chopman into ripping open the door and incinerating himself.

Death-T-3

In Death T-3, as Yugi, Joey, Téa, Tristan, and Johji made their way to the next stage, Kaiba realized he had underestimated some key factors. He acknowledged their strong teamwork and the bond of friendship that had allowed them to succeed in the previous stages. However, Kaiba was determined to break this unity in the next challenge, convinced that friendship was just an illusion. He believed that people in danger would betray their friends to save themselves. The stage involved blocks falling from the ceiling, and the players had to avoid being crushed while climbing the blocks to reach the exit. Kaiba thought their numbers would be a liability, and that one player would have to be sacrificed for the others to escape. Everyone made it out safely, except Tristan, who became trapped. Kaiba then compared the group to chess pieces: Yugi as the king, Joey as the knight, and Tristan as the rook, with the rook now captured, signaling the beginning of their checkmate.

Death-T-4

Before Death T-4 began, Mokuba reminded Kaiba of their earlier bet and expressed anger at Kaiba's prediction that Yugi would win. Kaiba stood by his decision, accusing Mokuba of trying to show him up by challenging Yugi before. Mokuba revealed that he had done it in the hope of earning Kaiba's approval, but Kaiba angrily declared that there was no such thing as brotherly love in the world of gaming, and as long as Mokuba didn't understand that, he would always be a loser. Mokuba stormed off, determined to prove he could defeat Yugi and show Kaiba that he was a true gamer.

In Death T-4, Mokuba was defeated by Yami Yugi in a game of Capsule Monster Chess. Afterward, Kaiba appeared on monitors in the Battle Box, giving Yami Yugi directions to Death T-5, where he awaited. He addressed Mokuba, mocking him for his "pathetic loser's gaze" and reminding him of the warnings he had given over the years. Kaiba declared that only the winner could leave the Battle Box, while the loser would face a Penalty Game. To Mokuba's shock, Kaiba subjected him to the Experience of Death. Yami Yugi, equally stunned by Kaiba's actions, reached into the Battle Box and pulled Mokuba out, leaving Mokuba to reflect on how Kaiba had changed since their adoption. He wondered if Yugi could help return Kaiba to the person he once was.

Death-T-5

In Death T-5, Kaiba faced Yami Yugi in a high-stakes Duel Monsters match. He initially dominated the game, using "Saggi the Dark Clown" equipped with "Dark Energy" to great effect. However, Yami Yugi countered by summoning "Gaia the Fierce Knight," which defeated Kaiba’s monster. Kaiba then summoned his powerful "Blue-Eyes White Dragons," but Yami Yugi managed to hold two of them off with "Swords of Revealing Light." When the dragons were finally freed to attack, Yami Yugi drew the final piece of "Exodia" and used it to defeat Kaiba.

As punishment, Yami Yugi inflicted the "Mind Crush" on Kaiba, destroying his evil side and leaving him in a coma. Afterward, Mokuba revealed the troubled history between him and Kaiba to Yami Yugi, Joey, Téa, and Tristan. He explained how Kaiba had changed for the worse over the years. Yami Yugi, reflecting on Kaiba’s journey, explained that Kaiba was now trying to rebuild the shattered pieces of his heart, learning from his past mistakes. Mokuba, hopeful, vowed to wait for Kaiba’s return once he had completed the emotional puzzle, believing that Kaiba would change for the better.

Kaiba remained in a coma for six months. During this time, Mokuba sought to help Kaiba complete the emotional puzzle by constructing two lockets, using a torn photo from their orphanage days, and placing them around Kaiba’s neck, believing it to be the final piece. Yugi, hopeful that Kaiba would change once he awoke, visited him in the hospital and refrained from participating in Duel Monsters tournaments, wanting their eventual Duel to be fair. Kaiba was later transferred back to his mansion for round-the-clock care, where top doctors suggested he might remain in a coma for the rest of his life.

Kaiba's comatose state severely affected KaibaCorp, leading to a significant drop in stock prices. The company's image, which had been built on Kaiba's reputation as Japan's number one gamer, suffered a blow from his defeat by Yami Yugi. Seizing the opportunity, Maximillion Pegasus began making moves to take over KaibaCorp, partnering with the Big Five, the company's top shareholders. As part of their plan, the Big Five needed to steal important documents from Kaiba's safe, but first, they kidnapped Mokuba, who had swallowed the key to the safe. Before being taken, Mokuba managed to leave a report detailing the events in Kaiba’s absence with their maid. Meanwhile, Pegasus' spy within KaibaCorp, Saruwatari, stole Kaiba's Deck while he remained unconscious.

After Seto Kaiba took over KaibaCorp, he drastically altered its direction, transforming it from a weapons manufacturing company into a business focused on gaming and entertainment. This reflected Seto’s childhood aspirations and his vision for a better world.

1. Shutting Down the Military Division
   • Seto ordered Nezbitt, one of The Big Five, to destroy KaibaCorp’s military factory on Alcatraz Island. Afterward, he closed the military department entirely. In its place, he began constructing the iconic Duel Tower. Nezbitt, who had hoped for more authority, was relegated to managing material dispatch for the project.
2. Establishing Kaiba Land
   • Seto initiated plans to create amusement parks called Kaiba Land, designed specifically for orphaned and underprivileged children. By the beginning of the series, one park had been constructed in Domino City (though in the dub, Kaiba Land was described as the company’s headquarters).
3. Holographic Technology Development
   • Seto advanced KaibaCorp’s focus on holographic technology to enhance the experience of playing Duel Monsters, making it more immersive and visually spectacular.
4. Dealing with The Big Five
   • Despite their role in helping Seto overthrow Gozaburo, The Big Five received neither the respect nor power they had anticipated. Seto dismissed Crump’s request for funding to build a penguin-themed park and stripped Lector of his position as heir to the company presidency, reducing him to a figurehead.

Interactions with Pegasus

• Seto attended the Intercontinental Duel Monsters Tournament in New York City as a guest of Maximillion Pegasus, creator of Duel Monsters. During the finals, Pegasus used his Millennium Eye to read Bandit Keith’s mind and then had an audience member, Sam, defeat Keith using his own strategies.
• Inspired by the incident, Seto realized the potential disadvantage of mind-reading during duels and began developing Duel Disks. These portable devices allowed players to duel at a distance, mitigating Pegasus’s mind-reading advantage.

Rivalry with Zigfried von Schroeder

• Seto faced competition from Zigfried von Schroeder, who claimed Kaiba had stolen his concept for holographic dueling technology. This rivalry highlighted KaibaCorp’s competitive edge in gaming innovation.

Seto’s refocusing of KaibaCorp showcased his entrepreneurial acumen and determination to create a company aligned with his values, emphasizing creativity, entertainment, and accessibility. His projects, particularly holographic dueling and Kaiba Land, became cornerstones of his legacy.

Duelist Kingdom

After sneaking back into his mansion through a hidden passageway, Kaiba learned from a hidden computer lab that Mokuba was being held prisoner on Duelist Kingdom Island, and that Pegasus would be granted shares of KaibaCorp once Yugi was defeated in the Duelist Kingdom tournament. Kaiba also discovered that Yugi was Duelling an imposter Seto Kaiba, who even possessed the real Kaiba's Deck. Kaiba took action by infecting the imposter’s "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" with a virus, weakening it and aiding Yugi in the Duel.

Kaiba then flew to Duelist Kingdom to confront Pegasus. He brought his Duel Disks with him, prepared to counter Pegasus' mind-reading abilities. Upon arriving, Kaiba encountered Yugi and his friends, who returned Kaiba's Deck to him. While Yugi suggested they team up, Kaiba declined. Joey Wheeler confronted Kaiba, and the two ended up Duelling. Kaiba easily defeated Joey, mocking him and calling him a loser. Before leaving, Kaiba informed Yugi and Joey of the Duel between Pegasus and Keith, warning them of the challenge ahead.

The next day, Kaiba was confronted by Kemo, who pointed a gun at him. Kaiba used his "Gyakutenno Megami" card to jam the gun, took it from Kemo, and injured his hand. Kaiba then subdued Kemo and ordered him to take him to Mokuba. After a failed attempt to reach Mokuba’s cell, Kaiba snuck up on guards and freed his brother. However, Pegasus appeared and used the Millennium Eye to trap Mokuba’s soul in a "Soul Prison" card. Kaiba was given an ultimatum: defeat Yugi in a Duel before he could face Pegasus in a Duel to free Mokuba.

Kaiba confronted Yugi outside the castle, insisting on a Duel. Initially, Yugi hesitated, but after switching to Yami Yugi, he accepted. During the Duel, Kaiba Summoned "Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon," creating problems for Yami. However, Yami fused it with "Mammoth Graveyard," causing the dragon to decay and lose ATK each turn. In a moment of emotional turmoil, Kaiba saw a vision of Mokuba, who begged him to help. A younger Seto attempted to run to Mokuba’s aid, but it was too late. Determined to win and save his brother, Kaiba threatened to leap to his death if he lost. Yami almost attacked, but Yugi intervened, calling off the attack. Kaiba ultimately won the Duel, taking five of Yugi's Star Chips, which, combined with the five given to him by Pegasus, allowed Kaiba to enter the castle.

Kaiba prepared to Duel Pegasus, insisting on using the Duel Disks, but Pegasus refused, instead suggesting that Mokuba—whose soul was trapped—hold the Duel Disk for Kaiba. Kaiba rejected this, agreeing to Duel without the Disks. Despite his efforts, Kaiba was defeated by Pegasus, who used the Millennium Eye to manipulate the game. As Pegasus trapped Kaiba’s soul in a "Soul Prison" card, Kaiba privately apologized to Mokuba for failing to protect him.

When Yugi defeated Pegasus, Pegasus honored his promise and freed the souls of Seto and Mokuba, along with Solomon Muto. Kaiba thanked Yugi for rescuing his brother and insisted that they should have a fair Duel someday to determine who was the better Duelist. He then gave Yugi and his friends a lift home from the island.

Legendary Heroes

Kaiba was initially prepared to fire the Big Five for their attempt to take over KaibaCorp and the suffering they caused him and Mokuba. However, the Big Five pleaded with him and offered a complete virtual reality game as a peace offering. Intrigued by the game, Kaiba refrained from immediately firing them and decided to test the system despite Mokuba's doubts.

Inside the game, Kaiba encountered a Two-Headed King Rex, which he quickly defeated using his "Blue-Eyes White Dragon." However, an unexpected ambush from an Armed Ninja and a Dragon Capture Jar, which trapped his dragon, led to Kaiba being captured and chained to a pillar in the Castle of Dark Illusions by the Witty Phantom. He was informed that he was to be sacrificed to summon the Mythic Dragon, but his attempt to end the simulation failed when he discovered that the function had been disabled.

Mokuba, determined to rescue Kaiba, enlisted the help of Yugi and Joey. Together, they entered the castle, and Mokuba successfully freed Kaiba. Kaiba summoned a second "Blue-Eyes" to destroy the Witty Phantom and later freed his original "Blue-Eyes" from the Dragon Capture Jar using "Trap Master." Kaiba expressed annoyance at Mokuba for involving Yugi, but they continued their efforts to escape.

The group made their way to the final level, where the Big Five congratulated them but reprogrammed the game to force them to face the "Mythic Dragon." Despite their attempts, the group's dragons were ineffective against the Mythic Dragon, which began to defeat them one by one. When Mokuba sacrificed himself to save Kaiba, Yugi's persuasion helped Kaiba summon "Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon" and fuse it with "Black Luster Soldier" to create "Dragon Master Knight," which defeated the Mythic Dragon.

Kaiba and Yugi woke up in the courtyard of Edina’s palace, where they were celebrated for defeating the Mythic Dragon. Edina transformed into Mystical Elf and revived the fallen players: Joey, Mai, Mokuba, and Iru. Afterward, the group returned to the real world, while the Big Five remained trapped in the virtual world.

Battle City

Seto Kaiba was introduced to an ancient Egyptian exhibit brought to Domino Museum by Ishizu Ishtar, where she used her Millennium Necklace to show him visions from the past. These visions depicted a sorcerer resembling Kaiba battling the Nameless Pharaoh, resembling Yugi, using Duel Monsters Spirits. Ishizu explained the origins of Duel Monsters and revealed the powerful Egyptian God Cards, which had been made into Duel Monsters cards by Pegasus, though their power was too great for him to control. Ishizu possessed "Obelisk the Tormentor," one of the Gods, and offered it to Kaiba in exchange for him hosting a Duel Monsters tournament to attract thieves who had stolen the remaining two Gods. Kaiba, eager to gather all three Gods for himself and defeat Yugi, agreed to host the tournament with the intention of using the ante rule to claim the God cards.

To test "Obelisk," Kaiba dueled a Duel Computer, using his Duelist Kingdom Deck. He summoned "Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon," but ultimately, "Obelisk the Tormentor" proved to be too powerful, causing the computer to catch fire.

Kaiba invited duelists he considered worthy to participate in the tournament, providing them with the newest version of his Duel Disks. However, the Rare Hunters, who weren't invited, hacked into his computer system to enter the tournament as well. Although Mokuba suggested disqualifying them, Kaiba allowed it, seeing an opportunity to learn more about the Rare Hunters.

During the tournament, the first Rare Hunter dueled Yugi. Kaiba discovered that the Rare Hunter was using fake cards but still chose not to disqualify him. He focused on monitoring the other duels in search of the Egyptian God cards while also participating himself.

Kaiba encountered Koji Nagumo, a Duelist who was bullying another player into giving him a second card through the ante rule. Kaiba challenged Koji to a Duel and, in an effort to make the match more interesting, gave him rare cards to improve his Deck. Despite this, Kaiba quickly defeated Koji using "Obelisk the Tormentor."

During the tournament's preliminaries, Kaiba spent much of his time searching for Yugi to challenge him. He unexpectedly bumped into Joey Wheeler, who was wearing a Duel Disk despite not being invited to the tournament. Joey challenged Kaiba to a Duel, but Kaiba was called away after hearing that a God Card had been played. He found Yugi engaged in a Duel against Strings, a Duelist possessed by Marik Ishtar, who was using the Egyptian God card "Slifer the Sky Dragon." When Yugi seemed doubtful of his victory, Kaiba ordered him to live up to his reputation, asserting that he was the only one worthy of defeating Yugi. After Yugi's victory, Kaiba congratulated him but reminded him that he wouldn't have "Slifer the Sky Dragon" for long and challenged him to a Duel. However, Marik informed Yugi that his friends had been kidnapped, and Yugi had to postpone the Duel to find them.

Kaiba followed Yugi and caught up when Yugi was confronted by two Rare Hunters, unable to decide which of them would Duel first. Kaiba intervened, suggesting that they both Duel at once in a Tag Duel against him and Yugi. The Rare Hunters accepted, believing they would win both God Cards, but Kaiba quickly defeated them both using "Obelisk the Tormentor." He took their Locator Cards and gave one to Yugi. To assist in finding Joey's Duel Disk, Kaiba offered to use KaibaCorp's satellite system to trace its location.

As Kaiba and Yugi searched for their friends, they were confronted by Lumis, who revealed that they had kidnapped Mokuba. To get Mokuba back, Yugi and Kaiba were forced to Tag Duel Lumis and Umbra on top of a skyscraper, with the stakes being high—if a player lost, the glass roof beneath them would shatter, sending them to their death (in the dub, they would fall into the Shadow Realm). Kaiba's initial refusal to cooperate with Yugi hindered their progress, while Lumis and Umbra's Decks were designed to work together and prevent the Summoning of the Egyptian Gods. However, Kaiba eventually recognized the need for teamwork and sacrificed his "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" to prevent Yugi from losing.

By provoking Umbra and Lumis, Kaiba turned them against each other, and he and Yugi successfully summoned "Obelisk the Tormentor." Umbra, defeated, used a parachute to escape, while Marik took control of Lumis' mind after he surrendered. Kaiba demanded the release of Mokuba, but Marik broke his promise, leaving Lumis to fall unconscious. Kaiba then took "Masked Beast Des Gardius" and the locator cards from Lumis, handing one to Yugi to qualify for the finals.

Despite Marik's failure to keep his word, Mokuba arrived in a KaibaCorp helicopter, having escaped with Téa's help. To repay Yugi and his friends for saving Mokuba, Kaiba used the helicopter to help locate Joey's Duel Disk. On the way, Yami Yugi revealed to Kaiba that he was a separate personality from Yugi.

When they arrived at Domino Pier, they found that Joey and Téa were possessed by Marik, and Joey was about to Duel Yugi. Kaiba attempted to stop the Duel, but Marik disregarded his interference. As the Duel progressed, Kaiba disrupted the Rare Hunter's control over the crane holding a giant crate over Téa, causing it to drop. With the help of the KaibaCorp helicopter, they saved Téa. Once the Duel ended, Kaiba wished Yugi luck and said he would see him in the finals.

Kaiba then flew the KaibaCorp helicopter to the KaibaCorp Stadium, awaiting the arrival of the other finalists. After six of the seven finalists arrived, the true location of the finals was revealed to be the Kaiba Craft 3. Kaiba's men tried to prevent Yugi and Joey's friends from boarding, but Kaiba allowed them to join without hesitation. On board, Kaiba insulted Joey for making it this far by luck and advised Yugi to start using "Slifer" in their upcoming battles.

After Bakura Ryou was injured in his Duel with Yugi, Kaiba initially refused to make an emergency stop to take him to the hospital, even when his friends begged him. However, after Serenity pleaded for him to show compassion, Kaiba reluctantly allowed Bakura to receive medical attention.

Kaiba viewed Joey's quarter-final Duel against Odion (whom they believed to be Marik) as an opportunity to study the abilities of the Egyptian God card, "The Winged Dragon of Ra." When both players were struck by Ra's lightning, Kaiba declared that the first player to stand up would win, and if neither stood in five minutes, they would both be disqualified. During the Duel, Kaiba discovered that Marik was actually a finalist under the disguise of "Namu," and that Odion was using a fake version of Ra, while Marik held the real one. Kaiba refused to disqualify Marik, as he was determined to win Ra’s card for himself.

In Mai's Duel against the real Marik, Kaiba saw an opportunity to learn more about Ra's powers. Mai managed to add "Ra" to her hand and discovered hieratic text on the card that needed to be recited to Summon it. Kaiba had his satellites photograph the card so that they could have the text translated later, though Marik implied that Kaiba was already capable of reading it.

As Mokuba worked on translating the text, Kaiba faced Ishizu Ishtar in the last quarter-final Duel. Ishizu had predicted Kaiba's moves using her Millennium Necklace and foresaw her victory. In the Duel, Ishizu used "Exchange of the Spirit" to swap the contents of both players' Decks with their Graveyards, leaving Kaiba with very few cards. Kaiba was about to lose, but as Mokuba was near finishing the translation of Ra's text, Kaiba felt a mysterious connection with "Blue-Eyes White Dragon." Under the influence of the Millennium Rod, Kaiba saw a vision of the ancient sorcerer holding Kisara’s body up to a "Blue-Eyes" tablet. Driven by instinct, Kaiba ignored Ishizu's prediction and Tribute Summoned "Blue-Eyes White Dragon," defeating her with an attack from the dragon.

Later, when Mokuba was struggling to finish the translation of Ra's text, Kaiba surprisingly found himself able to read the final words. Remembering what Marik said about only chosen individuals being able to read the text and reflecting on Ishizu's words about his connection to an ancient sorcerer, Kaiba was left wondering what was happening to him.

Virtual World

As they traveled to the finals, the Battle City blimp was hijacked by Noah and crashed into a mechanical fortress at sea. The group, including Kaiba, Mokuba, Yugi, Joey, Tristan, Téa, Serenity, and Duke, were greeted by a projection of the Big Five, who revealed that they had been trapped in the Virtual World after a failed attempt to trap Kaiba during the Legendary Heroes game. With a shared hatred for Kaiba, the Big Five, using Noah's system, uploaded their minds into the virtual world to take control of their enemies' bodies in order to exist in the real world.

The group was transported to a virtual jungle, where Kaiba, unfazed by the illusion, allowed himself to be struck by a dinosaur, which had no effect on him. He then witnessed a demonstration of the new virtual world rules, in which a virtual Kaiba Dueled a "Total Defense Shogun." The Big Five separated the group by creating holes that swallowed them.

Seto and Mokuba found themselves in a forest and came across a door that led them to a virtual reconstruction of the orphanage where they had lived. They were shown projections of their past, including their time in the orphanage and eventual adoption. Mokuba, upset, ran away and said that he preferred the time before they were adopted when Seto had smiled more. Seto, determined not to dwell on the past, reminded Mokuba that it was all an illusion created by Noah. Mokuba, however, opened the door, leading to a cliff where he nearly fell. Seto caught him in time, and they realized the virtual world was not as safe as they had thought. Seto reassured Mokuba that, no matter what they saw, the past was over and they had to focus on moving forward.

The duo then found a log cabin in a forest, which displayed more projections of Seto’s past, including when he had been forced to study excessively under Gozaburo’s rule. When Noah appeared, Seto confronted him, demanding to know why they were being made to relive these memories. Noah stated that it was to remind Seto of how he had trapped Gozaburo in a corner, suggesting that one day Seto would face consequences for his actions.

Noah continued to manipulate their environment, sending them to a virtual recreation of a past argument between Seto and Gozaburo over the virtual software Seto had created. Seto accused Noah of using the same software that Gozaburo had stolen from him.

Next, Seto and Mokuba were transported to a beach, where they discovered a TV half-buried in the sand. The screen revealed Joey’s Duel with Johnson, and Noah chastised Johnson for cheating during the match.

Noah, having lived in Seto's shadow and seeking to prove his worth, sought to take control of KaibaCorp, feeling that he deserved the position of president more than Seto. Kaiba suspected that Noah's desire to compete with him was tied to Gozaburo, even though the latter was dead. Kaiba began to question Noah's true identity.

As Kaiba and Mokuba traveled through a desert, they encountered the ruins of KaibaCorp's old military center. Eventually, they arrived in a city, where they were attacked by Nezbitt, who had taken control of Tristan's body. After a brief struggle, the real Tristan, now in the body of a robot monkey, saved Kaiba. Yugi and his friends arrived, with Joey knocking Nezbitt through a warehouse door. However, Nezbitt escaped on a motorbike, kidnapping Mokuba in the process. Kaiba quickly pursued him on a motorbike of his own.

The chase led to a bridge, where Kaiba was confronted by Leichter, disguised as Jinzo. Leichter challenged Kaiba to a Duel, and Kaiba, determined to rescue Mokuba, accepted. After gaining access to Duel Monster cards (excluding the Egyptian Gods), Kaiba built his Deck and faced off against Leichter, who taunted him about using the Big Five and Mokuba to overthrow Gozaburo. Despite Leichter’s weapon-themed Deck, Kaiba summoned "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" to defeat Leichter's "Satellite Cannon," winning the Duel and gaining access to a tunnel leading to Mokuba.

Inside, Kaiba was confronted by Noah, who was disguised as Mokuba and claimed to have rescued him. However, Mokuba, brainwashed by Noah, sided with him against Kaiba. Yugi and Téa arrived and showed Kaiba a picture of Noah with Gozaburo. The picture revealed that Gozaburo had planned for Seto to challenge Noah academically to prove Noah’s intelligence was worthy of KaibaCorp, and Noah had called Gozaburo "father." Kaiba was shocked, refusing to believe that Noah was Gozaburo’s son.

Before Noah could explain further, an alarm sounded, and he left. Kaiba, Yugi, and Téa were reunited with the rest of Yugi’s friends, while Noah reprimanded the Big Five for failing to win their Duels and trying to steal bodies. Kaiba dismissed Yugi’s friends' questions about Noah, redirecting their attention to the Big Five, who were now inhabiting Tristan's body.

While Yugi and his friends were distracted, Kaiba ventured off on his own in search of Mokuba. At the top of a hill, he called out to Mokuba, but his brother refused to answer, instead siding with Noah as his only brother. As Kaiba stood there, the clouds parted, revealing a virtual Kaiba Land. (In the dub, Kaiba Land had not been built yet, and Kaiba had not shown anyone the blueprints.)

Inside Kaiba Land, Seto was shown a video of a young Noah spending time with Gozaburo, followed by footage of Noah's funeral, where Gozaburo expressed his hope that Noah could still be saved. Kaiba then took a train from Kaiba Land to a volcanic area, where he encountered Noah. Noah explained that after an accident (in the dub, referred to vaguely as an "accident"), his consciousness was uploaded into the virtual world. He sought to defeat Seto in a Duel, prove his superiority, and return to the real world in Seto's body, taking over KaibaCorp. Kaiba laughed off the idea and accepted Noah's challenge, selecting "Kaiser Sea Horse" as his Deck Master.

Yugi and his friends arrived to watch the Duel. During the Duel, Kaiba had an opportunity to win but hesitated when Noah used Mokuba as a human shield. Kaiba refused to attack Mokuba and ended his turn. He tried to reason with Mokuba, reminding him of their bond and how he had once saved Mokuba by giving him his deck, including the "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" card. Yugi encouraged Kaiba to keep fighting, reminding him of the situation with Marik possessing Joey, urging him to awaken his bond with Mokuba.

Kaiba eventually summoned "Blue-Eyes White Dragon," and Mokuba recognized it as the card he had once drawn for Seto. Mokuba, breaking free from Noah's influence, imagined himself and Seto riding on the back of the "Blue-Eyes." With his mind cleared, Kaiba played "Last Turn," setting up a final battle between their monsters. Kaiba's "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" (3000 ATK) faced off against Noah's Deck Master, "Shinato's Ark," which transformed into "Shinato, King of a Higher Plane" (3300 ATK). In the end, "Shinato" defeated "Blue-Eyes White Dragon," and Kaiba lost the Duel.

After defeating Seto in their Duel, Noah turned both Seto and Mokuba into stone. However, Yugi accused Noah of foul play, claiming that Seto had sacrificed his chance of winning to protect Mokuba. Yugi then challenged Noah to continue the Duel, stating that if he won, everyone Noah had trapped would be freed. Yugi combined his Deck with Seto's and resumed the Duel from where Seto had left off. As Yugi neared defeat, he imagined everyone Noah had turned to stone, including Seto, supporting him. Each of them handed Yugi a card, culminating in the "Card of Sanctity." With it, Yugi defeated Noah, freeing everyone from their stone forms. Seto and Mokuba embraced, and Kaiba, although angry that Yugi had used his Deck, was impressed by the outcome.

In a shocking twist, Gozaburo appeared in the sky, revealing that he had digitized his mind after losing control of KaibaCorp to Seto. He explained how he had used Seto to motivate Noah and had originally planned to take Seto's body. Now, with his mind digitized, Gozaburo revealed his new plan: to digitize the entire world and rule it.

Noah led the prisoners, claiming to be taking them to an exit. Kaiba, despite not trusting him, followed along. As Kaiba had predicted, Noah betrayed them and split the group up. Kaiba headed toward the virtual KaibaCorp headquarters to confront Gozaburo.

Upon reaching the headquarters, Gozaburo imposed a Duel Monsters game for Seto’s freedom. Seto struggled against Gozaburo’s powerful "Exodia Necross," but he managed to find its weakness and removed the "Exodia" pieces from Gozaburo's Graveyard, stripping it of its abilities. Seto then defeated "Exodia Necross" using "Blue-Eyes White Dragon," winning the Duel.

However, Gozaburo refused to concede and transformed into a monstrous form to attack Seto. Just as Gozaburo was about to strike, Yugi appeared and saved Seto. With the virtual world set to self-destruct, Noah, having had a change of heart, helped Yugi and Seto escape. He opened a gateway to the real world and urged them to jump off the KaibaCorp building. The two passed through the gateway just before hitting the ground. As they jumped, Kaiba declared, "I won't be buried with you, Gozaburo."

Yugi, Kaiba, and Mokuba raced to escape the fortress as missiles began to strike. Joey and Tristan helped them board the moving blimp, and they left Noah’s fortress just before it was destroyed.

Battle City Finals

At the Battle City finals, Kaiba, his colleagues, and other guests arrived safely at Alcatraz. To determine the semi-final matchups, Kaiba, Yugi, Joey, and Marik participated in a Battle Royal. Each Duelist excluded one monster from their Deck to determine the order of play. Kaiba excluded "Masked Beast Des Gardius" for the highest ATK, allowing him to go first. Kaiba’s plan was to win "Slifer the Sky Dragon" from Yugi, acquiring two Egyptian Gods for his showdown against Marik, who possessed "Ra."

Kaiba intentionally ensured that he and Yugi would be the last two standing in the Battle Royal, setting up their semi-final match. Before Joey's Duel with Marik, Kaiba doubted Joey's ability to defeat "The Winged Dragon of Ra" and referred to Joey's previous unconscious defeat by the monster. Kaiba had translated "Ra’s" effects using his computer and wanted to study Marik’s strategy by using Joey as a test subject. He believed Yugi would win "Slifer" if he faced Marik, making him a more difficult opponent in the finals. Yugi, confident, pointed out Kaiba’s plan would be futile if Kaiba couldn't defeat him first.

During Joey's Duel with Marik, Kaiba watched, refusing to intervene even when Marik’s "Ra" dealt a severe blow to Joey. Kaiba was stunned when Joey remained standing after taking the attack. Despite Joey preparing to attack with "Gearfried the Iron Knight," he collapsed before he could make his move. Kaiba allowed Joey 30 seconds to rise but ultimately disqualified him when Joey failed to get up. Kaiba, impressed with Joey's determination, acknowledged him as a Duelist.

In the second semi-final, Kaiba faced Yugi. Kaiba created a holographic Colosseum to enhance the spectacle of the Duel. Early on, Kaiba tried to Summon "Obelisk the Tormentor," but Yami Yugi managed to counter both attempts. Kaiba then used "Lullaby of Obedience" to steal "Slifer" from Yugi’s Deck, but Yugi reclaimed it with "Exchange." Both Duelists successfully summoned their Egyptian Gods, and the Duel became a battle of constant adjustments to their Gods’ ATK and defensive moves. They countered each other's attacks, making it impossible for either to destroy the other's God. Kaiba attempted to win by using "Obelisk's" effect to tribute two monsters and inflict 4000 damage, but Yami Yugi used "Kuriboh" to protect himself. Eventually, both Gods' ATK levels equalized at 4000, leading to a final clash where both "Obelisk" and "Slifer" were destroyed in a mutual annihilation.

The Duel between Kaiba and Yami Yugi reached its peak when their battle caused their consciousnesses to be transported to an ancient city. There, they saw "Obelisk" and "Slifer" turned to stone, while elsewhere, an ancient Sorcerer Seto and the Nameless Pharaoh were engaged in battle. The Sorcerer, having aligned himself with neither the Dark One nor the Pharaoh, summoned "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" from a tablet, and the Pharaoh countered with "Dark Magician." The vision ended, returning both Kaiba and Yami to the present.

Kaiba asked Yami if he had experienced the same vision, to which Yami explained that their current Duel was connected to the one that took place 3000 years ago (5000 years in the dub), making their battle feel destined. Kaiba acknowledged it as such, describing the vision as an illusion in the dub.

The Duel continued, with both Duelists quickly Summoning powerful monsters. Kaiba brought out "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" along with his other two using "Lord of Dragons" and "The Flute of Summoning Dragon," while Yugi Summoned "Red-Eyes Black Dragon" from Joey's hand. Yami countered by destroying two of Kaiba’s dragons and "Lord of Dragons." Kaiba then used "Monster Reborn" and "Polymerization" to Summon "Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon," but Yami copied Kaiba's spells using "Double Spell" and Summoned "Dark Paladin."

Yami warned Kaiba that if he stood atop his hatred, he would never find true victory, only more hatred. Kaiba attacked "Dark Paladin" with his "Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon," but Yami used "De-Fusion" to split the "Ultimate Dragon" into three "Blue-Eyes White Dragons," then used "Diffusion Wave-Motion" to destroy them all. With this, Yami won the Duel.

After the Duel, Kaiba reflected on how Battle City was meant to be his tournament, a chance to put his adoptive father’s memory behind him and claim victory as the world’s best Duelist. However, despite coming so close, the victory slipped away. Yugi complimented Kaiba on his skills, but Kaiba rejected his pity, stating that he didn't want friends slowing him down. Yugi suggested Kaiba’s defeat was due to the "monster" of hatred within him, while Kaiba insisted that everyone is alone in the world. Despite his anger, Kaiba accepted his defeat and begrudgingly handed Yugi his "Obelisk the Tormentor" card, as required by the tournament rules.

After his defeat by Yugi, Kaiba was initially uninterested when Joey, having awakened from his coma, challenged him to a third-place play-off. Kaiba dismissed the idea as a waste of time, but Joey persisted, calling out Kaiba for his selfish attitude. He reminded Kaiba that Yugi and his friends had always helped him in tough times, yet Kaiba had never once thanked them. Joey also pointed out that Kaiba had previously claimed he could face life without support, which especially hurt Mokuba, as it implied Kaiba could live without him. This emotional plea convinced Kaiba to accept the Duel, though he still considered it trivial.

At the bottom of Duel Tower, the two faced off. Kaiba used "Crush Card Virus" early on to eliminate Joey's stronger monsters, but Joey put up a strong fight, even managing to take control of one of Kaiba’s "Blue-Eyes White Dragons." Near the end, Joey used "Time Wizard" to evolve "Baby Dragon" into "Thousand Dragon," weakening Kaiba’s "Blue-Eyes White Dragon." Kaiba criticized Joey for trying to have fun in the Duel, which led Joey to realize that Kaiba was more miserable than he had thought. Kaiba eventually used "Interdimensional Matter Transporter" to save his dragon from "Time Wizard" and won the Duel on his next turn, still considering it a waste of time.

Although Kaiba had no intention of watching the final Duel between Yugi and Marik, Ishizu confronted him, urging him to help Yugi, who would need it to defeat Marik. Initially, Kaiba dismissed her, but Ishizu spoke an ancient Egyptian phrase, which surprised Kaiba as he understood it. She explained that the phrase was a prayer for the dead, linked to Kaiba’s past life as the Sorcerer Seto. She told Kaiba that history was repeating itself, as the Sorcerer had helped the Pharaoh save his people, and Kaiba was now in a similar position. Kaiba still resisted, but Mokuba’s tears about Kaiba’s hatred and lack of fun made him reconsider.

Kaiba decided to help Yugi, though he still doubted Yugi’s chances of winning. He gave Yugi the card "Fiend's Sanctuary," saying it could potentially help him defeat "The Winged Dragon of Ra." Kaiba believed Yugi’s chances would increase from 3% to 20% if he could figure out how to use the card. Kaiba watched the final Duel unfold, seeing the card he gave Yugi come into play, and he congratulated Yugi after his victory.

With the tournament over, Kaiba and Mokuba initiated the self-destruction of Duel Tower to erase the memories of Gozaburo and Kaiba’s loss to Yugi. As everyone else left in the helicopter, Kaiba and Mokuba took off in the Blue-Eyes White Dragon jet, ready to begin work on Kaiba Land in America.

Pyramid of Light

Seto Kaiba seeks to defeat Yami Yugi and obtain the Egyptian God Cards. In his pursuit of an advantage, he travels to the residence of Pegasus, the creator of Duel Monsters, to acquire the necessary cards to overpower Yugi's Gods. After defeating Pegasus, Kaiba believes he has the tools to win, but he discovers there is an extra card that Pegasus never mentioned. Kaiba accuses him of lying, unaware that the extra card was actually inserted by Anubis, a dark entity who is secretly manipulating events.

Throughout the duel against Yami Yugi, Anubis uses his powers to subtly influence Kaiba's strategy, making Kaiba believe these are his own thoughts. Kaiba eventually activates the Pyramid of Light, a powerful artifact that can negate the effects of Yugi's Egyptian God Cards. However, this move plays directly into Anubis' plan. When Kaiba tries to use the ability of his Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon to destroy the Pyramid of Light, Anubis intervenes, revealing himself to both Kaiba and Yami. In a violent confrontation, Anubis tosses Kaiba aside to take his place in the duel, seeking to finish what he started.

Despite the setback, Kaiba and Yami team up to defeat Anubis. They combine their efforts and successfully use Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon's ability to destroy the Pyramid of Light, ultimately taking down Anubis. Anubis, in his final form as a dark, jackal-like entity, is defeated for good, allowing Kaiba and Yami to triumph and end the threat he posed.

Waking the Dragons

In the Waking the Dragons arc, strange occurrences begin when real Duel Monsters start appearing in the world. Kaiba, who is still in America working on Kaiba Land, is bombarded with calls from people believing the monsters were created by his company's Solid Vision technology. Kaiba responds by announcing that KaibaCorp's system was shut down as a test, yet the monsters still appeared, suggesting the phenomenon was caused by something beyond their control.

Suspicious that someone might be attempting to undermine him, Kaiba initially suspects Industrial Illusions, the company behind Duel Monsters. He orders Roland to contact them, but before he can make progress, Mokuba bursts into his office with news that all of KaibaCorp's stocks have been bought. A man pretending to be Pegasus calls Kaiba, revealing himself as Alister and demanding a Duel at Duelist Kingdom. He threatens to sell the stocks and ruin Kaiba's goal of building Kaiba Land if Kaiba refuses to Duel.

Kaiba and Mokuba fly to Duelist Kingdom in the Blue-Eyes White Dragon jet, where they confront Alister, still disguised as Pegasus. Kaiba accuses him of being behind the monster appearances, but Alister turns the tables, claiming that it’s Kaiba’s fault. He challenges Kaiba to a Duel, and Kaiba accepts, choosing to use his Duel Disk over the Dueling Arena as he doesn’t trust the disguised Pegasus. Alister uses a Toon strategy, but Kaiba counters by destroying "Toon World" and accuses Pegasus of relying on old, predictable tactics. Alister then reveals his disguise and plays "The Seal of Orichalcos," a card that puts the loser’s soul at stake.

Alister explains his deep hatred for Kaiba, blaming him for the death (or disappearance in the dub) of his brother in a war where Gozaburo Kaiba sold weapons to both sides. Alister, having studied Kaiba, anticipates that Kaiba will rely on "Crush Card Virus" and prevents it with "Royal Decree." He then uses his power to take control of two of Kaiba’s "Blue-Eyes White Dragons" and stage the perfect revenge. Kaiba, realizing he has no card left that can save him, suddenly finds himself transported to a hall where he sees two dragons encased in crystals. After removing a sword from one of the dragons, Kaiba unexpectedly knows the dragon’s name is Critias.

Back in the Duel, Kaiba draws a new card: "Fang of Critias," a card not previously in his Deck. He uses it in combination with "Crush Card Virus" to summon "Doom Virus Dragon," which he uses to destroy Alister’s monsters. However, Alister plays "Contagion of Madness," causing the Duel to end in a draw. As a result, neither Kaiba nor Alister loses their soul, leaving the conflict unresolved.

In Waking the Dragons, Kaiba continues to search for answers regarding the mysterious card, "The Fang of Critias," and the strange occurrences surrounding it. After receiving an e-mail from KaibaCorp urging him to return, Kaiba chooses to visit Industrial Illusions instead to inquire about the card. On the jet, Kaiba reflects on the supernatural nature of the card, which continues to glow, while Joey Wheeler obtains another Legendary Dragon card, "Claw of Hermos."

Upon reaching Industrial Illusions' American headquarters, Kaiba encounters Yugi, Joey, Téa, Tristan, and Duke. He learns that Mai Valentine had earlier visited and taken Pegasus' soul using "The Seal of Orichalcos." Kaiba briefs the group about his encounter with the impostor Pegasus, suspecting that whoever is behind the plot aims to take over his company. The group, now joined by Rex and Weevil, enters a private room that Yugi unlocks with a card given by Pegasus. A hologram of Pegasus reveals information about Doma’s involvement in historical events. Kaiba recalls Gozaburo’s mention of a dark force controlling the world economy, now believing that Doma might be behind it. However, Kaiba dismisses the idea as a hoax, calling it a ploy by Pegasus in the dub. He learns that Yugi and Joey also possess Legendary Dragon cards like "Critias," and Yami believes it’s their destiny to unite to defeat Doma. Kaiba, however, leaves the group, determined to decide his own fate.

Back at KaibaCorp, Kaiba finds out that their stocks are plummeting, and nearly half the company has been bought out by an unknown investor, which he believes is the work of Doma. He orders his employees to research Doma. Meanwhile, Mokuba expresses concern about Kaiba facing Alister again, who he believes is only fighting for his brother. Kaiba, however, is resolute, stating that if he doesn't take down Doma, there will be no future for KaibaCorp or Kaiba Land. In the dub, Kaiba suspects Pegasus is behind the troubles, and Mokuba wonders if Alister could be the one causing the issues.

Kaiba receives a phone call from Joey, who asks for a lift to Florida in exchange for information about Doma. However, Joey excitedly reveals that someone has defeated Yugi and taken his soul. Kaiba becomes enraged, believing Yugi’s defeat at the hands of some "nobody" is disgraceful, and hangs up, deciding that the defeat is merely another reason to pursue Doma.

On a company plane, Kaiba and Mokuba notice strange light phenomena outside the window. The pilot, who is actually Alister in disguise, informs them of some turbulence. Upon investigating, Kaiba and Mokuba realize that the rest of the plane is empty. They finally confront Alister, who reveals that the other passengers were evacuated or were illusions, as he didn’t want them to interfere with the Duel. Alister demands a rematch and vows to hang Kaiba’s soul on Mikey's tombstone. Kaiba flips a switch to clear the space for the Duel, and the battle begins.

In the midst of the Duel between Kaiba and Alister, the activation of The Seal of Orichalcos unleashes a powerful green light that damages the plane, shutting off the autopilot and causing the sides of the plane to vanish. The seal lifts Kaiba and Alister to the roof, forming a dome around them.

Kaiba is transported into an illusion of a city, a battlefield created by KaibaCorp when Gozaburo was in power. In this vision, Kaiba meets Aaron, a character who resembles Mokuba, and together they attempt to play chess using empty weapon cartridges. This moment recalls Kaiba’s past when he and Mokuba used to play chess in the orphanage before being adopted. However, their moment is interrupted when the hideout they are in is bombed, and Aaron tries to rush to help his friends, Tony and Dennis. Kaiba tries to stop him, but Aaron turns into Mokuba, pleading with Kaiba to help. A tank then attacks them, which Kaiba realizes is one of Alister’s cards, and the Duel resumes.

Alister reveals that Aaron, Tony, and Dennis were his childhood friends, and that the attack from the tank had killed Aaron. He also mentions that Alister’s brother, Mikey, was killed in a similar way. The vision fades, and Alister accuses Kaiba of being like Gozaburo, claiming that a world free of war is impossible with people like him. He says that to create such a world, he needs Kaiba’s soul.

As Kaiba sends an SOS to Roland, Mokuba appears and begs Kaiba to stop the Duel to prevent Alister from losing his soul. Kaiba remains determined, claiming that he needs to defeat Alister for Kaiba Land's future. Roland and his team arrive later in the Duel to assist. Kaiba then confronts Alister, asking if he would destroy the world to hurt Mikey, telling Alister that it is an older brother's duty to protect the younger sibling. Alister, enraged, uses the Seal of Orichalcos to further damage the plane and send it plummeting. He refuses to end his turn, telling Kaiba that he can't protect his brother either. Mokuba intervenes, asking Alister to consider what Mikey would think of him. This causes Alister to see Mikey in Mokuba.

Kaiba, expressing that he will not let anything happen to Mokuba, challenges Alister to end his turn. Alister, finally giving Kaiba a chance, ends his turn. Kaiba then uses The Fang of Critias to summon Tyrant Burst Dragon, which powers up his Blue-Eyes White Dragon and defeats Alister. The plane continues its descent, and Kaiba rushes to the cockpit to try and land it safely. He calls out to Alister, wondering if he can hear him, as he promises to land the plane and protect Mokuba. At this moment, the three Legendary Dragons—Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos—appear and carry the plane safely to the ground.

Later, Kaiba sends his men to a museum in Florida to investigate the undersea ruins, seeking more clues about Doma’s activities.

After the plane lands safely, Kaiba and Mokuba are met by Joey, Téa, Tristan, and Yami, who followed the dragons to the site. Roland arrives in a helicopter and informs Kaiba that Doma has successfully bought out KaibaCorp. Yami tries to convince Kaiba that their paths are intertwined for a reason, but Kaiba, still skeptical of destiny, agrees that they might be useful and offers them a lift. Roland and Fuguta, though no longer working for Kaiba, pledge to help him.

Kaiba receives images of the undersea ruins from his men, who are attacked by ninjas shortly afterward. Kaiba sends the images to Rebecca’s laptop, but the ruins are too damaged for her and Arthur to decipher. Kaiba decides to take them to the United States KaibaCorp headquarters, which, despite being under Doma’s control, still has the technology needed to clarify the images.

The group meets Duke, Arthur, and Rebecca at the pier near KaibaCorp's building. Kaiba and Yami enter through an underground passage and are immediately attacked by Duel Monster Spirits. The two use their Duel Disks to summon monsters, fighting off the spirits until they are eventually cornered. However, Rebecca hacks into the security system, using the doors to their advantage and safely guiding them to the central computer mainframe. Kaiba uses the system to clean up the ruined images and sends them to Arthur, who decodes them as a prophecy about a returning black serpent and the rise of Atlantis. Kaiba identifies an insignia on the ruins as belonging to Paradius.

Dartz, the president of Paradius, appears before them, destroying the computers and revealing himself to be the leader of Doma. Kaiba deduces that Dartz is behind Doma's actions. Kaiba and Yami attempt to summon "The Eye of Timaeus" and "The Fang of Critias" to duel Dartz, but he vanishes before they can attack. The Duel Spirits then break into the room, forcing Kaiba and Yami to flee to the roof, where they board the Blue-Eyes White Dragon jet and crash-land.

Rejoining the group, Kaiba and Yami receive the location of Paradius’ headquarters from Rebecca. However, they are ambushed by Orichalcos Soldiers. Kaiba and Yami summon "Timaeus" and "Critias" to fend them off. Kaiba, now determined to face Dartz alone, reminds the group that they can use his satellite system to track Joey's location before departing to confront Dartz on his own.

Kaiba and Mokuba stop at a car dealership and drive off in a sports car after Kaiba pays the salesman $500,000 with a check. However, they are stopped by a group of Orichalcos Soldiers one block from the Paradius headquarters. Kaiba uses "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" and "The Fang of Critias" to fight off the soldiers, but they are forced to stop once again when they encounter Téa and Tristan, who are carrying Joey's soulless body. The group abandons the car and climbs a fire escape to escape a swarm of rats with glowing red eyes. They continue on foot to the Paradius headquarters, where they find Yami in the midst of a Duel with Rafael.

After the Duel, the building begins to collapse. Roland arrives in a helicopter just in time to rescue the group. As the building crumbles, an Atlantian structure is revealed beneath it. Yami gives Kaiba a chip that Rafael had handed him, which Kaiba uses to access a map of Dartz's lair. They prepare to fly to the lair, but military helicopters appear and instruct them to follow. They are led through a swarm of locusts (which is omitted in the dub) to the USS Courage.

The military asks for their help, explaining that Doma has been manipulating the country’s politics and preventing any direct military action (in the dub, Dartz had been leaving no evidence to justify an attack). The military then flies the group to Dartz's temple.

Inside the temple, they discover the souls of those taken by "The Seal of Orichalcos" sealed in slabs along the walls. Dartz appears and reveals that he has spent ten millennia collecting these souls to revive The Great Leviathan. To free the souls, Dartz explains, the Nameless Pharaoh must defeat him. Not wanting to face Dartz alone, Yami asks Kaiba for help. Together, they challenge Dartz in a Duel.

During the Duel, the Orichalcos generates another vision, this time of Atlantis ten millennia ago. The vision shows how the city was corrupted by the Orichalcos, which led to the Battle of Atlantis and ultimately the city’s sinking beneath the ocean.

Kaiba and Yami manage to work together during the Duel, but when Dartz's "Mirror Knight Tokens" take on the faces of those who were taken by "The Seal of Orichalcos"—Yugi, Joey, Mai, and Pegasus—Kaiba struggles with the emotional toll and is unable to convince Yami to attack them. Kaiba learns that Dartz had been disguising himself as Gozaburo in an effort to manipulate Alister into hating the Kaiba family. Eventually, Kaiba loses the Duel but uses "Wish of Final Effort" to transfer the ATK of his "Mirror Force Dragon" to Yami’s Life Points, allowing Yami a chance to win. Before Kaiba loses his soul, he tells Yami not to lose, since he fought so hard, and Yami promises that he won’t.

After Kaiba's soul is sucked into The Great Leviathan along with other lost souls, Yami uses the extra Life Points to defeat Dartz. The Legendary Knights then free Yugi, Joey, and Kaiba's souls from the Leviathan. Kaiba and Joey wake up, their souls restored, and Kaiba shares an emotional moment with Mokuba, embracing him.

Outside, Atlantis rises from the sea. Yugi returns the Legendary Dragon cards to Kaiba and Joey, and they enter a vortex that transports them to the heart of Atlantis. There, they find that Dartz has merged with The Great Leviathan after failing to capture the souls of the chosen Duelists.

Kaiba, Yami, and Joey summon a series of monsters to battle the Leviathan, joined by Dark Magician Girl's army from the Spirit World. However, the Leviathan strikes back, pulling the Duelists inside. By absorbing the strength of the souls within the Leviathan, Yami summons the Egyptian Gods and frees himself, Kaiba, and Joey. The Gods attack The Great Leviathan, freeing the souls it had consumed.

As Yami faces off with the remnants of The Great Leviathan, Kaiba and Joey are forced to leave Atlantis as a tidal wave approaches. They reunite with the others and escape in the KaibaCorp helicopter. After The Great Leviathan is defeated and Atlantis sinks once more, Kaiba's "The Fang of Critias" card disappears.

Grand Championship

Kaiba successfully regained the stock he lost to Doma, but KaibaCorp still suffered a blow to its reputation, and stock prices dropped significantly. To help recover, Mokuba suggested hosting a tournament during the grand opening of USA Kaiba Land, and Kaiba agreed, calling it the KaibaCorp Grand Championship. He sent invitations to some of the world’s top Duelists, but due to his busy schedule, he could not participate himself. The tournament was set up as a sixteen-player knockout, with the winner facing Yugi.

At the grand opening of Kaiba Land, Zigfried von Schroeder hacked into the Kaiba Dome's computer system. When Kaiba arrived, Yugi had already defeated the CPU in a Duel, restoring normal control. Unsure of who was behind it, Kaiba increased security and vowed to punish the hacker.

During the tournament, Kaiba arrived at the Kaiba Dome using a jetpack to introduce the competition as the ultimate test of survival, with Kaiba Land as its battlefield. As everything seemed to be running too smoothly, Kaiba grew suspicious that the hacker was already within Kaiba Land. He instructed Roland to perform background checks on all the tournament competitors. Kaiba became particularly suspicious of Zigfried, who entered the tournament under the alias "Zigfried Lloyd." Kaiba saw Zigfried make a statement to a surveillance camera, hinting at a special surprise for Kaiba, before watching him Duel Rex and Weevil, who had snuck into the tournament.

Kaiba, anticipating an attack on the computer system, took precautions to back up the system in case it was compromised.

During Joey’s Duel with Zigfried, Zigfried thought Kaiba was too slow in figuring him out and triggered a virus, causing electronics throughout the park to go haywire. Kaiba recalled his previous encounter with Zigfried at a party hosted by Gozaburo. After stopping the virus, Kaiba ordered Roland to perform a more detailed background check on Zigfried Lloyd, trying to uncover his connections to the Schroeder family.

The investigation didn’t reveal any personal or family details about Zigfried, but it did uncover his extensive tournament history. He had entered tournaments through the recommendation of several politicians, who were unavailable for comment. Kaiba, suspecting a connection to the Schroeder family, picked Bayern Governor Fravz from the list of politicians and instructed Roland to ask him again, this time mentioning that Kaiba remembered “what happened” (or, in the dub, "make him an offer he can't refuse"). After finishing the background check, Kaiba confirmed his suspicions about Zigfried’s true identity.

Before the final Duel between Zigfried and Leon von Schroeder, who had entered under the alias “Leon Wilson,” Kaiba interrupted the match. He exposed Zigfried as Zigfried von Schroeder of Schroeder Corp. and accused him of causing the park’s electronics to malfunction. Kaiba disqualified him for entering under a false identity. Zigfried accused Kaiba of being afraid of competition from Schroeder Corp., but Kaiba responded that he was kicking Zigfried out because he didn’t like him, not because he feared him. Kaiba then broke his promise to refrain from Dueling in the tournament, deciding instead to challenge Zigfried to a Duel to embarrass him on TV.

During the Duel, Zigfried claimed that KaibaCorp had always been one step ahead of Schroeder Corp., especially in developing holographic technology for Duel Monsters, just before Schroeder Corp. could secure a similar deal. With KaibaCorp’s stock low, Zigfried planned to defeat Kaiba, ruin KaibaCorp’s reputation, and force Pegasus to abandon KaibaCorp in favor of a partnership with Schroeder Corp. Despite Zigfried’s efforts, Kaiba won the Duel. Believing that Zigfried was no longer a threat, Kaiba chose not to have him removed, leaving him to deal with the consequences himself.

As Leon faced Yugi in the title Duel, Kaiba noticed that Leon was acting strangely. One of Kaiba’s employees conducted another background check on Leon Wilson and discovered that he was actually part of the Schroeder family. Zigfried appeared on Kaiba's balcony and revealed that Leon's victory had been part of his plan all along. However, Kaiba was unable to disqualify Leon because the tournament rules prohibited interference during a Duel.

Leon played the card "Golden Castle of Stromberg," which should have been illegal, but Zigfried had hacked the system to allow it. Unknown to Leon, Zigfried had also altered the card’s data, causing it to trigger a deadly virus in KaibaCorp's computer system once played. Kaiba attempted to launch an anti-virus program, but it was too late.

While Kaiba and his employees scrambled to prevent the virus from spreading, Yugi managed to destroy "Golden Castle of Stromberg," halting the virus and preventing further damage. Despite Leon’s loss in the Duel, Zigfried believed that the virus had already caused enough destruction to wipe out years of programming. However, due to Kaiba's earlier preparations, he was able to restore everything, thwarting Zigfried’s plan.

Millenium World

In "Dawn of the Duel," Yami Bakura appeared on Kaiba's computer screen, revealing that he had kidnapped Mokuba and challenged Kaiba to a Shadow Game of Duel Monsters on the roof of the KaibaCorp building. During the Duel, Kaiba was surrounded by a mysterious purple mist. Bakura explained that he had been playing the game 3,000 years ago, and when Kaiba Summoned his "Blue-Eyes White Dragon," Bakura showed him a vision of Priest Seto holding Kisara in front of the "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" tablet. Bakura then left before the Duel could be completed, throwing Kaiba the Millennium Eye and hinting that Kaiba should go to Egypt if he wanted to understand the nature of his connection with "Blue-Eyes."

Roland later informed Kaiba that Yugi and his friends were headed to Egypt. Initially uninterested, Kaiba became intrigued when Diabound used the "White Lightning" attack from "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" in the Memory World. As he thought about this, the Millennium Eye began to glow, and Kaiba saw a vision of Priest Seto standing on a balcony with the Pharaoh. Convinced there was more to this, Kaiba flew his Blue-Eyes White Dragon jet to Cairo.

In Egypt, Kaiba was greeted by Marik, Ishizu, and Odion Ishtar, who mistakenly assumed he had come to see the Pharaoh's tablet. However, Kaiba explained his involvement with Bakura and showed them the Millennium Eye. Concerned that Bakura was up to no good, they directed Kaiba to the tablet to uncover the truth.

Upon reaching the cavern where the tablet was located, Kaiba found the bodies of Yugi, Joey, Téa, and Tristan unconscious on the floor. The Millennium Eye lit up, firing a beam at the tablet, which triggered visions of Priest Seto and other Ancient Egyptians. In a shocking turn, Yami Bakura used the Dark RPG table to suck Kaiba into a vortex, sending him into the Ancient Egyptian Memory World in an attempt to absorb part of Kaiba’s soul to revive Thief Bakura.

After waking up in an alley, Kaiba found that others could pass through him as if he were invisible. However, Kisara, who was able to see him, mistook him for Priest Seto. She informed Kaiba of an impending evil force that threatened their land and urged him to act quickly. She then ran off, leaving Kaiba to follow her.

Kaiba observed Kisara warning Priest Seto of the danger, and the two were attacked by the Shadow Magus. He witnessed a battle between Kisara, Seto, and Pharaoh Atem against the Shadow Magus, which led to Kisara's death and the sealing of "Blue-Eyes White Dragon’s" spirit in a tablet. Afterward, Pharaoh Atem, whom Kaiba recognized as Yami Yugi, spoke to him. He explained that Kaiba was involved in a Dark Game connected to the memories of 3,000 years ago and advised Kaiba to leave because Zorc was about to be revived. Kaiba, indifferent to Kisara's death, shrugged it off and walked away, leaving her to perish.

Kaiba later saw the Egyptian Gods battling Zorc and was shocked to see them defeated. Seto Summoned "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" to fight Zorc, but it was destroyed, leaving Kaiba desperate. He followed Zorc as it attacked a city and tried to save two boys from Zorc’s fire, but failed to prevent their deaths. A Duel Disk then appeared in Kaiba’s hand, and he Summoned his own "Blue-Eyes White Dragon." Zorc reminded him that Seto had already tried that, but Kaiba fused all three of his "Blue-Eyes White Dragons" into "Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon." The souls of Kisara and Seto were drawn into the dragon, and a battle ensued between the Ultimate Dragon and Zorc.

The clash between light and dark created a bridge between worlds, with the real world visible in the sky. Atem, sensing Kaiba's power, used the Millennium Puzzle, Millennium Scale, and DiaDhank to fuse with Kaiba and summon "Master of Dragon Soldier" with the Ultimate Dragon. Together, they attacked Zorc, creating a massive burst of energy. However, despite the powerful strike, Zorc was not destroyed, and "Master of Dragon Soldier" vanished, leaving Kaiba and Atem to return to normal.

As Yugi and his friends tried to make the Pharaoh's hieroglyphic name appear on the cartouche, Zorc launched an attack, but Kaiba defended them using "Ring of Defense." Zorc retaliated by throwing another fireball at the ring, destroying it and knocking Kaiba back. With the cartouche's secret revealed, Atem learned his name and, with this knowledge, was able to summon the Egyptian Gods. The gods fused into "The Creator God of Light, Horakhty," who destroyed Zorc once and for all.

After the battle, Kaiba, Atem, Yugi, Téa, and Tristan flew into the sky, returning to their world. The group woke up back in the cavern, where Kaiba tossed the Millennium Eye to Atem, now back in Yugi's body. Joey, curious about how Kaiba obtained the Eye, was interrupted by the appearance of Bakura. They soon realized it was the "good" Bakura. As the others helped Bakura, Kaiba stayed with Atem, taking one last look at the ancient tablets.

Ceremonial Battle

Outside the cavern, the group met the Ishtars, who were prepared to take Atem to the Shrine of the Millennium Stone for his final resting place. The group traveled to a dock, where Kaiba was reunited with Mokuba.

On board the ship, Joey asked Kaiba why he was there. Although Kaiba didn’t answer, Ishizu explained that Kaiba, influenced by the gods, should witness this event. After learning that Atem's final test required him to lose a Duel, both Kaiba and Joey wanted to challenge him. However, Yugi insisted that he would face Atem. Kaiba, frustrated, remarked that Yugi couldn’t possibly beat Atem, saying he didn't come all this way to see Yugi lose to his "imaginary friend." Reluctantly accepting Yugi's decision, Kaiba offered him a briefcase of cards to help him build a real Deck, but Yugi chose to use his and Atem’s existing cards instead.

The next day, the group was led to the Shrine of the Millennium Stone, and Kaiba observed from the sidelines. He watched as the Pharaoh separated from Yugi's body, remarking that they were about to find out who the true King of Games was. Kaiba predicted that Atem would use the Egyptian God cards, and to his surprise, Atem managed to summon all three of them to the field at once.

Thinking the outcome was obvious, Kaiba prepared to leave. Joey, Téa, and Tristan tried to convince him to stay, but Kaiba was firm. He believed that if the Pharaoh won, it would at least set the stage for a future rematch. However, Yugi called Kaiba back, telling him that he owed it to the Pharaoh to stay and witness his loss. Kaiba, taken aback, was surprised that Yugi still believed he could win. Reluctantly, Kaiba agreed to stay, telling Yugi he would remain until the end.

Kaiba watched as Yugi, despite the overwhelming power of the God Cards, managed to destroy them all in one turn by using "Slifer the Sky Dragon’s" "Lightning Blast" and redirecting its effect. Astonished by Yugi’s unexpected strategy, Kaiba admitted that he now believed in Yugi's abilities. He even cheered for Yugi, much to Joey's surprise.

When the Pharaoh declared that he knew Yugi would overcome the Gods and that it was just the first stage of the Duel, Kaiba remained intrigued by the unfolding battle. As the Duel continued and Yugi battled the "Dark Magician," Kaiba was glad he had stayed to witness the event.

After Yugi’s victory, Kaiba watched as Atem passed into the afterlife. As the cavern began to collapse, Kaiba, Mokuba, and the others fled. Kaiba and Mokuba departed Egypt afterward in the Blue-Eyes White Dragon jet.

In the anime version of the final arc, this sequence shows Kaiba’s involvement up until Atem’s departure. However, in the manga, Kaiba is not seen again after Battle City and only reappears in the closing scenes, arriving in Egypt too late to witness Atem’s departure.

Trandscend Game

In Transcend Game, Kaiba developed a new Duel Disk model known as the Neurons VR system, which linked Duelists' minds to KaibaCorp's Crystal Cloud Network. This allowed participants to create images based on their brainwave activity and Duel in the Duel Links world. During a test session, Kaiba noticed Prana, a participant whose brainwave frequency surpassed that of an average person, enabling her to summon monsters with exceptionally high-pulse ATK. Intrigued by the potential danger she posed, Kaiba also observed Sera, another participant, who removed her Neurons gear during the session.

Weeks later, while working on the Neurons test model, Kaiba declared that once completed, he would reign as the king of the Duel Links world. At this moment, Sera appeared behind him and cryptically told him that he could never become the king. She revealed herself as a test subject whose role was to shape the new world Kaiba was creating and thanked him for the Duel Links concept. She spoke of an individual with superior consciousness taking control of the system, granting access to other dimensions, and hinted at Kaiba's interest in transcending the boundaries of life itself before vanishing.

Mokuba then appeared on a screen, warning Kaiba about unfamiliar data patterns in the Duel Links surveillance system. Kaiba saw a globe showing abnormal Neurons signals, which were being drawn toward an unknown consciousness, something Kaiba recognized as the dimensional ascension he'd been searching for. He logged into Duel Links through his VR pod to investigate.

Inside Duel Links, Kaiba boarded a "Blue-Eyes White Dragon"-themed jet and headed toward the dimensional ascension. There, he encountered Prana's avatar, who warned him of the danger ahead, questioning whether he was prepared to face a world beyond mortal comprehension. Kaiba, unshaken, told her that anyone who stood in his way would be eliminated. Prana challenged him to a Duel, warning that he would die if he lost.

Kaiba accepted the challenge. Initially, his "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" seemed outmatched by Prana's "Duza the Meteor Cubic Vessel," with its superior 8800 Pulse ATK. Kaiba criticized Prana for her lack of control, then harnessed his own brainwave frequency to boost his "Blue-Eyes'" ATK to 19900, destroying "Duza" and defeating Prana. As Prana faded, Kaiba acknowledged that she had been Sera all along.

Sera ceased her opposition to Kaiba, and they continued toward the realm of the deceased. Kaiba saw Atem, prompting him to summon his "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" to light the surrounding darkness. However, as the dragon began to vanish, Kaiba saw Kisara's image instead. In the real world, Mokuba initiated an emergency shutdown of Duel Links, as Kaiba's brain activity had become dangerously amplified.

Kaiba woke up in his VR pod, panting and convinced that his encounter with Atem had been real.

The Dark Side of Dimensions

Kaiba continued his efforts to communicate with Atem by creating a virtual reconstruction of him, based on his memories of Yami Yugi. Although Kaiba succeeded in defeating this digital version of Atem in a Duel, he remained unsatisfied, considering the reconstruction to be imperfect.

In another attempt, Kaiba commissioned an excavation at the Shrine of the Underworld to retrieve the pieces of the Millennium Puzzle. After the puzzle was recovered, Kaiba traveled to the site where it was being scanned by a computer. While waiting, Kaiba noticed an intruder, Aigami, and questioned how he had managed to travel from Domino City to Kul Elna in such a short time. This led to a confrontation, during which Aigami used his Quantum Cube, in combination with the collective consciousness of the Plana, to dissipate members of KaibaCorp. Kaiba protected himself from the cube's powers by amplifying his own ego through the technology in his Duel Disk, allowing him to repel the Plana's influence.

Kaiba and Aigami then Dueled using the Dimension Area ruleset and virtual cards. Aigami initially gained the upper hand, but Kaiba, determined not to lose his chance to Duel Atem, slammed his hand into the ground. Instead of accessing his digital deck from the Krystal Cloud Network, Kaiba accessed Atem's residual consciousness, materializing a holographic version of "Obelisk the Tormentor." Aigami was initially stunned, thinking it impossible for Kaiba to summon one of the Pharaoh's monsters, but he quickly speculated that Kaiba had tapped into Atem's consciousness. Kaiba sacrificed two monsters to deal 4000 points of damage to Aigami, while also destroying Aigami's "Buster Gundil the Cubic Behemoth," dealing an additional 3000 points of damage. The Duel was abruptly interrupted when the Millennium Puzzle pieces were being transported away.

While it took Yugi Mutou eight years to solve the Millennium Puzzle, Kaiba had a computer on his space station perform the reconstruction in just a few hours. The machine reported that two pieces were missing, leading Kaiba to realize that Aigami must have stolen them.

In response, Kaiba had his men abduct Aigami and bring him before him. Despite his efforts to extract information about the missing pieces, Kaiba failed to obtain them directly from Aigami. However, he deduced that one piece was in Aigami's possession and the other was likely with Yugi. Kaiba then had Aigami taken to Kaiba Land for further interrogation.

Kaiba approached Yugi at a crossing and demanded that he participate in a Kaiba Land exhibition showcasing his new Duel Disk model. He revealed to Yugi the near-reassembled Millennium Puzzle, stating that his goal was to face "the other Yugi" and that Yugi alone was of little interest to him.

At the exhibition, Kaiba wowed the audience by Summoning "Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon," using it to destroy Solid Vision jets. He then gave a speech about his new Duel Disk and introduced both Yugi and Aigami, explaining that they would Duel for the remaining pieces of the puzzle. Due to recent conflicts with Aigami, Yugi insisted on Dueling him instead and was given a Duel Disk. After Yugi's victory, Kaiba prepared to Duel him for the two missing pieces of the puzzle. He placed the Millennium Puzzle in the center of the field, where it floated in a beam of light. Kaiba dismissed Yugi's concerns about the Duel being pointless and that Atem was no longer inside the puzzle, until Yugi inserted the last two pieces to prove otherwise. Kaiba accused Yugi of deceiving him, but the Duel continued until they were interrupted by Aigami's reappearance, now mutated and corrupted by the evil of the Millennium Ring.

Yugi and Kaiba teamed up to Duel Aigami in a Shadow Game. Kaiba was defeated, but before vanishing, he handed the Millennium Puzzle to Yugi, urging him to bring Atem back before dissipating. Kaiba returned after Yugi, having successfully reincarnated Atem momentarily, defeated Aigami. Kaiba expressed curiosity when Yugi mentioned seeing Atem. When Yugi exclaimed that Kaiba never stopped believing, Kaiba bade him farewell.

Kaiba then took possession of the Quantum Cube and brought it to his space station. Inside a pod, he activated the cube, causing the station to be bathed in gold light as he shot down the elevator shaft. Kaiba awoke in a desert near a city containing Atem's palace. He walked directly across the desert, entering the city and heading straight to the throne room. There, he stopped before Atem's throne, activated his Duel Disk, and prepared for a confrontation. Atem rose from his throne and greeted Kaiba with an impressed smile.

Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Kaiba initiated a card illustration project, where the winning designs would be placed in a time capsule and sent into space. The cards would be produced once they received a wave aura from space.

Kaiba purchased Duel Academy, a prestigious institution dedicated to training students in the art of Duel Monsters.

Kaiba was only seen Duelling in a flashback during Gerard’s recollection, where he triumphed over Gerard using his signature "Blue-Eyes White Dragon."

The Duel Monster spirit "Kaibaman" was created based on Kaiba's persona. Kaibaman faced off against Jaden Yuki, utilizing the same Deck as Kaiba, including three "Blue-Eyes White Dragons."

Kaiba made a bold bet on his ownership of Duel Academy against Slade and Jagger Princeton. Confident in the abilities of Duel Academy’s representative, Chazz Princeton, Kaiba believed Chazz would win, despite the seemingly unfair odds. Kaiba remarked that any student from his academy should be capable of winning under any circumstances (in the dub, he humorously noted that Slade and Jagger still had much to learn about world domination).

During Lyman Banner’s history lesson, he highlighted Yugi and Kaiba as the top Duelists of their generation, showing sketches of both to the class. One of the girls remarked that they were among the best-looking, while another called them "dreamboats."

Kaiba generously allowed Sartorius to use Kaiba Land for a Duel Academy field trip, showing no interest in Sartorius' plans for its use. (In the dub, Sartorius mentioned Kaiba’s agelessness, prompting Kaiba to instruct his security to keep an eye on Sartorius due to suspicions about his motives.)

When Pegasus met Aster Phoenix at a party, he named Kaiba as one of the five greatest Duelists he had ever encountered, ranking him second only to Yugi.

Kaiba was depicted as the last surviving citizen of Domino City after Trueman’s devastating attack.

In a time-travel scenario, Jaden encounters a flyer from the past featuring a picture of Yugi, Téa, Tristan, Joey, and Kaiba, reminding him of the bond they all shared.

Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's

In Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, KaibaCorp plays a significant role in the story, particularly in the transformation of Domino City into New Domino City and the development of Turbo Duels. However, the identity of the CEO or who controls KaibaCorp during this time is not mentioned or shown in the series.

In the dub, Seto Kaiba is briefly referenced when Crow is investigating the disappearance of Robert Pearson. Upon arriving at a security facility owned by Bolton, one of the guards humorously remarks that they were scheduled to have lunch with Seto Kaiba later that day after hearing Crow mention he needed to speak with Bolton.

Powers and Statistics

Powers and Abilities: Peak Human Physical Characteristics, Proficient hand-to-hand combat, Hacking, Incredibly talented pilot, Dimensional Travel (with Technology)

Attack Potency: Street level (Easily defeated some of Pegasus' elite guards)

Speed: Athletic Human with Subsonic combat speed (Sent a chair flying to two men before they could open fire. Blocked a bullet with his suitcase. Interrupted a fire from a gun at point-blank range with his card)

Lifting Strength: Athletic Human (Easily tossed a Pegasus' guard with one arm)

Striking Strength: Street level

Durability: Street level (Survived jumping through a window)

Stamina: Peak Human

Range: Standard melee range physically, higher with his cards

Standard Equipment: Duel Monsters cards, Duel Disk, a suitcase for his several cards.

Kaiba mainly runs Decks that centralize on a beatdown strategy to aggressively overwhelm his opponents with high ATK monsters. During the first several arcs of the Yu-Gi-Oh anime, his Deck is composed of vicious-looking monsters, with most of them being DARK Fiend-Type. The Spells and Traps in his Deck normally serve to disrupt and counter any strategies his opponents would use. His monster lineup is spearheaded by his signature card, "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" and its Fusion form, "Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon". In the later arcs, he incorporates "Virus" Trap Cards such as "Giant Germ", "Crush Card", and "Virus Cannon" that give it the traits of a Virus Control Deck and swarm Deck, destroying all monsters in his opponent's Deck with more than 1500 ATK, further crippling their ability to defend against him.

As the series evolves, Kaiba's switches his focus towards Dragon-Type monsters. His later Decks incorporate an array of Dragon and Dragon-Type support cards such as "Spirit Ryu", "Spear Dragon", "Luster Dragon #2", "Different Dimension Dragon", "Paladin of White Dragon", and "Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End" while still maintaining "Blue Eyes White Dragon" and "Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon" as his most aggressive boss monsters. His later Decks still retain much of the aggressive beatdown strategies to wreak havoc upon his opponents with high ATK incorporated with Dragon-type support cards that contain inherent self-protection effects.

Intelligence: Extraordinary Genius (One of the most accomplished and formidable businessmen in the world. A child prodigy and polymorphic genius, he excels at virtually any skill or area of study he applies himself to. With natural aptitude and raw talent, he has both successful reinvented and ran his worldwide cooperation while also pursued his passion for games, having spent years as an undefeated world champion in various games including Duel Monsters and chess. In addition to his shrewd business acumen and gaming aptitude, while having no known degrees, Kaiba is incredibly skilled with science and technology, most noticeably programming and engineering. He specializes mainly in computer software programming and building cutting edge technology software and hardware such as the development of KaibaCorp's high-tech Duel Disks and advanced Solid Vision technology, which is literally hologram technology. He invented a method to travel between dimensions so that he could duel his rival in the 3000 year past, since his rival moved on to the afterlife. He also invented a device that prevented an opponent from magically sending him to a lesser dimension. He is a very advanced hacker, skillfully making his way through the Duelist Kingdom network.)

Weaknesses: Normal human weaknesses. He also lets his pride get the better of him, often underestimating his opponents.

Trivia

• The song "You're Not Me" is based on Kaiba.
• Aside from Duel Monsters, Kaiba is a champion at Chess.
• His blood type is A
• His favourite food is Filet Mignon with Foie Gras Sauce whilst his least favourite is Oden