Sartorius

Character

Sartorius is a mysterious figure introduced in the second year who is Aster Phoenix's (Ed Phoenix) manager, and the leader of the Society of Light. On the surface, the aim of Sartorius and his organization appears to be world domination starting with Duel Academy (Duel Academia) via expansion of their syndicate, but the man's gravest concerns lie in putting his stalled Wheel of Fate (a metaphor for his fate) back into motion through the powers of Jaden Yuki (Judai Yuki) and his childhood friend, Aster, as means of escaping the destructive future that destiny had set for him. Although this goal was always on his mind, he was pushed towards an ultimate motive of eradicating the "age of darkness" that had befallen the planet. It was his task to blanket the globe in light, destroy it, and kill all its inhabitants to restore balance to its imperfect state and create the world (or on a greater scale, the universe) anew.

Sartorius wields supernatural powers, including the ability to insinuate his spiritual energy into inanimate objects (as he did with Aster's deck), as well as other people. He can also temporarily render others motionless either from a distance or with a single touch. His primary power, however, is seeing into the future with the aid of his tarot deck, a divination technique he shares with his sister, Sarina (Mizuchi Saiou), though she instead uses mirrors to channel her powers. He is also a master manipulator, able to say exactly what is needed to be said to get anyone he or his associates in the Society comes into contact with to do his bidding. In addition to these skills, Sartorius' "other self" displays a form of light-based telekinesis.

In the English version, Sartorius' voice is reminiscent of a young Hannibal Lecter, while his original series counterpart occasionally replaces certain Japanese words with anglicisms, the most common being his substitution of the words "shōkan" (召喚) and "hatsudō" (発動) with "play," an English equivalent to both "summon" and "activate," respectively. In his debut duel, Sartorius set his sights on Chazz Princeton (Jun Manjoume), frightening his opponent by displaying his ability to see straight through his own cards, and claiming that he already knew the outcome of their battle from the start. Chazz did not falter, gaining the advantage with his Armed Dragon monsters and delivering a fatal blow to Sartorius. With a startling move, however, Sartorius summoned Arcana Force XII - The Hangman, a card most dreaded by Chazz for it represented himself, without so much as a flick of his wrist. Chazz's stagnant fate was brought to a close when he concluded that he still wanted to defeat Jaden, thereby admitting him to the Society of Light.

Subsequently, Sartorius learned that Tyranno Hassleberry (Tyranno Kenzan) shared a connection with Jaden and Aster in terms of their power to influence his fate. He challenged Tyranno to a duel that he assured would not force him to become one of his Society's members. Although Hassleberry was overwhelmed by Arcana Force VIII - The Strength, which turned his own power against him, Sartorius was unable to make him join the Society as secretly intended.

At the end of episode 73, it was announced that Sartorius would be placed in Obelisk Blue as a first-year (third-year in the Japanese version) transfer student, making him one step closer to taking over Duel Academy. By episode 79, Sarina reveals the troubled past that she and her brother share. When the two were younger, they were shunned and humiliated by others (even driven to run away from home) out of fear of their abilities to tell the future, but this fact only strengthened their bond. Sarina emphasized that her brother had once been a kind and caring person, and that it was because of a Hero card shown to him by a guest duelist that he began acting with evil intentions. Aster believes that it was most likely the Destiny Hero stolen at the time of his father's kidnapping (murder in the Japanese version), and his suspicions are later confirmed, as the "Ultimate D-Card" surfaces as a carrier of the energy that infected both Sartorius and Pro League king, DD. Sarina continues, stating that the card is no longer in her brother's possession, as it disappeared shortly thereafter. Upon hearing of his sister's failure to deal with Jaden and Aster, Sartorius displays the first signs of dissociative identity disorder; within him, the true Sartorius contends with the dominant evil persona1 brought on by the will of the dangerous alien energy known as the Surge of Light (光の波動 Hikari no Hadō) / Light of Ruin (破滅の光 Hametsu no Hikari). Sartorius selects Prince Orgene as his first opponent in the Genex tournament, wishing to obtain the destructive satellite technology of the prince's country. He predicted that the duel would end before his first turn came, while his opponent believed that he would be the one to claim victory in one turn. Playing only three cards during his opponent's first turn, Sartorius zeroed Orgene's Life Points. He thus earned the title of the first duelist in the history of the anime to have ever performed, as Bastion (Daichi Misawa) calls it, a "Zero Turn Kill." With Orgene's defeat, the wealthy duelist obediently relinquishes the briefcase containing the control switch for his laser satellite, Sora, and the two keys for its activation.

In order to prevent his evil side from instigating world destruction, Sartorius approaches Jaden and Aster, giving them the keys. Furious over the fact that his plans have been delayed, his evil personality sends duelist after duelist to contend with Jaden, but is unable to recover his key. He is eventually sought by Aster in episode 100, who breaks into Obelisk Blue to find him in the Society of Light's private duel field. It is revealed that Aster made a promise to his friend when they were young to save him from his destiny of becoming a destroyer, and that DD was indeed the visitor that imbued him with the Light of Ruin, but merely by accident, as he came before the fortune teller due to his fear of the corrupt Ultimate D-Card. As Aster is about to give Sartorius his key to Sora, Jaden intervenes and tells him its true purpose, prompting the boy to wager it in a duel instead. Recognizing the present Sartorius as an impostor posing as his lost companion, he struggles against the Arcana Force monsters, who deny him control over his fate by stopping their own rotations in their master's favor. Although Aster makes a comeback with timely help from Sartorius' good-hearted alter ego, the Light of Ruin unleashes Arcana Force EX - The Light Ruler to end the duel.

Beginning in episode 102, Sartorius and Jaden face one another to determine the fate of the world. Similar to the preceding match with Aster, the diviner's cards continue to stop their own rotations. Having obtained both keys to Sora due to a blunder on Jaden's part, Sartorius sends Orgene to arm the laser satellite while he keeps the boy distracted. With the combined efforts of Elemental Hero Neos, Tyranno, and the returning Sarina, the weapon is dispatched, and Jaden defeats Sartorius, sealing away the Light of Ruin. Finally free from his fate of ruin and the burden of seeing into the future, Sartorius thanks both Jaden and Aster for their kindness, and is reunited with his sister. The two are then transported to a KaibaCorp hospital to recuperate.

Card List

Sartorius plays a Tarot deck, composed largely of Arcana Force monsters based off the Major Arcana, with Spells and Traps based off the Minor Arcana. His cards have the unique ability to appear in either upright (normal) or reversed (upside-down) positions, which dictates their effects. When activated, Sartorius' cards rotate, and it is up to the opponent to decide when to end the rotation, in turn deciding his/her own fate. The design of cards in the Arcana Force series has links to the Cthulhu Mythos. (Note: In the Japanese version, the names of the Arcana Force monsters are separated by underscores instead of hyphens).

Monster Cards

• Arcana Force XII - The Hangman [The Hanged Man]
• Knight of Pentacles
• Arcana Force I - The Magician
• Arcana Force VII - The Chariot
• Arcana Force VIII - The Strength [Strength]
• Arcana Force XIV - Temperance
• Arcana Force III - The Empress
• Arcana Force IV - The Emperor
• Arcana Force XVIII - The Moon
• Arcana Force XXI - The World
• Arcana Force XV - The Devil
• Arcana Force EX - The Light Ruler
• Arcana Force VI - The Lovers

Spell Cards

• Vision
• Monster Reincarnation (Reincarnation of the Dead)
• Suit of Sword X
• Selection of Fate
• Future Vision (Vision of a Future World)
• Pentacle of Ace
• Necro Sacrifice
• An Intervention of Destiny
• Ace of Sword
• Reverse Reborn
• The Heavens Road
• Foresight of Fate
• The Bounds of Light
• Cup of Ace
• Arcanatic Deathscythe
• Magician's Scales

Trap Cards

• Ace of Wand
• Reversal of Fate (Reversing Fate)
• The Material Road
• The Spiritual Road
• Hierophant's Wand

Tarot Readings

* The Fool Episode 61 (Upright): Jaden will begin a new journey (his journey to discover Neo Space). 

• Episode 71 (Upright): Jaden will play an important role in Sartorius' plans, but whether he will stand at his side or stand in his way remains to be seen.
• Episode 73 (Upright): Represents Jaden, the first person who has the ability to affect Sartorius' fate.

 * The Fool / The Emperor Episode 99 (Upright): Represents the duel between Jaden (The Fool) and Orgene (The Emperor). Whereas Orgene was previously opposed to the notion of world destruction, he is now Sartorius' loyal servant, and must crush Jaden to retrieve his key to Sora. 

* The Emperor Episode 96 (Upright): Sartorius sees that Jaden's duel with Zweinstein has stirred his power to put his Wheel of Fate into motion, and that Orgene is suited to be Jaden's next opponent. 

* The Prince (The Hierophant) Episode 70 (Upright): The person that Sartorius needs to further his plans is not Aster, but Jaden. 

• Episode 73 (Upright): Represents Aster, the second person who has the ability to affect Sartorius' fate.
• Episode 100 (Upright): Seen in flashback. Aster is destined to save Sartorius from his fate of ruin.

* The Chariot Episode 53 (Reversed): Aster will lose the duel against Jaden. 

• Episode 57 (Upright): Aster will claim victory in the duel with Zane (Ryo Marufuji).

* The Strength (Strength) Episode 73 (Upright): Represents Tyranno, the third person who has the ability to affect Sartorius' fate, of whom Sartorius must discover. 

* The Hermit Episode 96 (Upright): Represents Zweinstein, the person Sartorius believes will be able to overcome Jaden's "miracle draw." The card's plummet to the floor at the end of the episode signifies Zweinstein's failure. 

*The Wheel of Fate (The Wheel of Fortune) Episode 61 (Upright): Although Jaden was defeated and his deck left blank in the duel against Aster, Sartorius has not been able to take full control of the situation for benefit. 

• Episode 61 (Reversed): A turn of events unexpected by Sartorius will occur in the future.
• Episode 68 (Reversed): An unexpected turn of events (Aster is defeated by Jaden).
• Episode 73 (Upright): Represents Sartorius himself, and his fate.
• Episode 74 (Upright): The duel between Jaden and Rose will demonstrate to Sartorius the great power of those who can see Duel Monster spirits.
• Episode 75 (Upright): To escape the stagnation of their respective fates, Sartorius and Aster find themselves at Duel Academy. Aster should be silent, and await the guidance of destiny.

* The Hangman (The Hanged Man) Episode 61 (Upright): Represents Chazz, the other sacrifice that should be taken, who possesses the same power to see Duel Monster spirits as Jaden. 

* The Reaper of Souls (Death) Episode 53 (Reversed): Aster should let his victory falter. 

• Episode 62 (Upright): Despite obstacles to be overcome, Sartorius retains greater control over the situation.
• Episode 72 (Upright): At the beginning of the episode, Sartorius wonders whether or not Jaden can truly tip the balance of his fate. He adds The Reaper of Souls card to the spread, representative of the fate set out before Jaden (his duel with X), and by overcoming that fate, he will prove to Sartorius that he does possess such power. By the end of the episode, Sartorius realizes that Jaden does indeed have the ability to interfere with his fate, but is also seemingly unconcerned, intrigued by the prospect.

* The Devil Episode 100 (Upright): Seen in flashback. Sartorius is destined to fall to wickedness, dishonesty, temptation, and confinement, and bring ruin in the future. 

* The Tower Episode 74 (Upright): Catastrophe awaits in Domino City. 

* The Sun Episode 93 (Upright): Represents Alexis (Asuka Tenjouin), who is figuratively a midnight sun, the brightest source of light in the darkest abyss. She therefore has the strength to overtake darkness and its wielder, Jaden. Sartorius thus envisions light's triumph over darkness. 

Representations

The cards that Sartorius play during each of his duels reflect his opponent's character and/or his decided path over the course of the series. In episodes 100 and 101, they instead present the reality that he himself has seen "everything destiny has to offer."

Duel Card Interpretation

• VS Chazz Vision Gave Chazz the opportunity to see his present incarnation clearly.
• VS Chazz Knight of Pentacles Stubborn, pessimistic, obsessive.
• VS Chazz Suit of Sword X Chazz gave up trying to defeat Jaden.
• VS Chazz Selection of Fate Allowed Chazz to change his destiny by joining the Society of Light to defeat Jaden.
• VS Chazz Arcana Force XII - The Hangman Stagnation. Victory from surrender (Chazz admits that he still wants to defeat Jaden, and by joining the Society of Light, he has the chance to do so). Sacrifice for others.
• VS Tyranno Arcana Force I - The Magician Skilled, able to make things happen.
• VS Tyranno Future Vision Sartorius saw that Tyranno's fate was intertwined closely with his affinity for his dinosaurs.
• VS Tyranno Pentacle of Ace Trust (Tyranno's trust in his companions).
• VS Tyranno Arcana Force VII - The Chariot Conviction, patience, hard work. Powerful forces of the interior (Tyranno's dinosaur DNA) and exterior (Tyranno's friendships).
• VS Tyranno Suit of Sword X Reference to episode 64, dueling against Syrus (Sho Marufuji), Tyranno allowed himself to be defeated after he witnessed Syrus' devotion to Jaden.
• VS Tyranno Ace of Wand Courage, personal power.
• VS Tyranno Necro Sacrifice Granted Tyranno a monster. A reflection of the friendship he developed with Jaden.
• VS Tyranno Arcana Force VIII - The Strength Determination, discipline, control (the card's ability to control monsters). Weakness (the card's ability to leave its controller with nothing while reversed).
• VS Tyranno Reversal of Fate Represents Sartorius' willpower and influence which could tip the balance of the fates of others.
• VS Prince Orgene Arcana Force XIV - Temperance Moderation (the card's ability to moderate attacks). Extremes (the extreme lengths to which Orgene goes in order to defeat Sartorius in one turn).
• VS Prince Orgene An Intervention of Destiny Orgene's impulsiveness leading him to his downfall.
• VS Prince Orgene Ace of Sword Misuse of intellect against others, bad ideas.

VS Aster Arcana Force XV - The Devil Represents the Light of Ruin's grasp over Sartorius' fate. Hopelessness (the prejudice and fear associated with Sartorius' childhood). Facing the light of truth.

• VS Jaden The Bounds of Light The end of the Fool's journey, congregating at the World's completeness. The essential human need for destruction is made clear, and the cycle of destruction (the universe is born, destroyed, born again, destroyed...) comes full circle. A perfect universe can only be forged if the presently imperfect universe is filled with light, and the world returned to its white state at origin.