Akira Zaizen

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Akira Zaizen
Akira Zaizen
Names
Japanese
Japaneseざいぜん あきら
Base財前 晃
Furiganaざいぜん あきら
RōmajiZaizen Akira
Personal
Age26[1]
Gender
  • Male
Relatives
Skye Zaizen (younger step-sister)
  • Career
OccupationSOL Technologies Chief
Previous occupationSOL Technologies Security Manager
Hacker
  • Duelist
DeckTindangle
Appearances
Anime debutYu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 0011: "Link into the VRAINS"
Appears in
Anime
Voice actors
English
Japanese
Other languages
Portuguese
  • Márcio Araújo
Zaizen, Akira

Akira Zaizen (ざいぜん あきら, Zaizen Akira) is a character appearing in the Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS anime and is the older step-brother of Yusaku Fujiki's classmate Skye Zaizen. Zaizen is the chief of security of SOL Technologies; he was demoted in favor of Kitamura after his failure to apprehend Playmaker, but reinstated after the Hanoi Incident. In the second season, he is put in charge of the Bounty Hunters assigned to hunt down the Ignis, much to his chagrin, and in the dub this causes him to actively act to impede SOL Technologies' efforts and attempt to save the Ignis himself. During the third season, he is promoted to Executive Director of SOL Technologies due to his role in saving LINK VRAINS from Bohman, and subsequently his possession of one of the two keys to SOL Technologies causes him to be targeted by Ai.

Design[edit]

Appearance[edit]

Full body view of Zaizen.

Zaizen is a fair skinned young man with blue hair that has a green underlayer and pink eyes. He wears a teal suit which consists of a teal coat with a darker one underneath, a white shirt, and a black tie. He also sports teal trousers and black shoes.

Zaizen does not change his appearance while he is in LINK VRAINS, though he previously wore more practical clothing during his tenure alongside Ghost Gal and The Shepherd in a different network. He wore a dark blue jumpsuit that covers his hands, with blue markings on his forearms and aquamarine shoulders, a triangular shape on the collar, a "V"-shape on his chest, and wristband on his right wrist (with his Duel Disk on the left). Zaizen also had a grey section of his outfit with a blue collar that appears to be separate from his jumpsuit at the sleeves and collar, but merges with the jumpsuit below it, and a grey belt similar to the one that Playmaker wears.

Personality[edit]

Zaizen is a man who values work above all other things. Despite this, he genuinely cares for Skye, and is rather protective of her as he advises her to quit Speed Dueling out of concern for her safety, and when he is asked whether Blue Angel will Duel Playmaker, he says no so as to protect her. Zaizen is generally calm and cool headed most of the time but he can also be stubbornly aggressive, especially when Skye is in danger. This is seen when he lost his cool when he was unable to stop the Duel between her and Playmaker, and when she fell into a coma after the Duel he ruthlessly tortured Playmaker whom he believed was responsible for her condition. He is not above admitting his mistakes however and felt remorse for what he did to Playmaker after learning the truth. He held deep sympathy for Playmaker after learning of the Lost Incident, and desired to get justice for him himself while allowing Playmaker to live a normal life.

In the second season Zaizen is quietly loyal to his task set by the company, but is resentful at having to hunt down Playmaker after he saved them from the Knights of Hanoi. Despite this, he accepts a request to meet Playmaker without hesitation and he later cooperates with him extensively after Mirror LINK VRAINS is revealed. As the events of the season progress, Zaizen becomes more and more openly rebellious against Queen; the termination of Earth and the disregard for George Gore's safety in particular causes him to defy Queen directly by logging Gore out to save his life. In the dub, Zaizen's rebellion is far more apparent from the beginning; he outright tells Emma and Skye that if the Ignis are not a threat to humanity, he intends to save them from SOL Technologies and is scornful of Gore's belief that he can defeat Playmaker and does not offer him advice, instead telling Gore Playmaker's past to explain why Gore can't defeat him. He later outright tells Emma and Skye that he doesn't want Playmaker to be captured.

Etymology[edit]

"Akira"「晃」means "bright" or "clearness". "Zaizen"「財前」can be translated as "before wealth" or "before riches". In both versions, Zaizen is referred to by his last name by other characters, with the exception of Emma and Skye.

Biography[edit]

History[edit]

Akira and Skye homeless.
Akira is paid for hacking.

Ten years ago, Akira and Skye's parents had a wedding and as they went to an anniversary, their parents died in a car crash. Akira and Skye were left alone, and their possessions were sold, including their manor. Akira had to do a lot of illegal work, but Skye made him happy, and Akira swore to protect that smile.[1] Skye only had a single friend, Miyu Sugisaki, but after taking the blame for Miyu losing her mother's ring, they weren't allowed to see one another again. Akira reassured Skye that he didn't blame her for the ring's loss.[3]

Among the work Zaizen undertook was working as a Bounty Hunter alongside Emma Bessho and Kenneth Drayden. They entered a network world to capture an evil hacker, pursing him to a tower where he threatened to use a program that he'd modified into a bomb on them. The Shepherd convinced Zaizen and Ghost Gal to charge at the count of three, but when they did, Shepherd remained in cover, and the hacker trapped Zaizen and Ghost Gal. Shepherd then charged from hiding and destroyed the hacker's body, before protecting Ghost Gal from the program bomb. Zaizen angrily cursed at Shepherd for using them as decoys, but Shepherd simply stated that their mission was over and he logged out.[4]

Akira worked hard and was promoted to security manager for SOL Technologies - all to protect Skye from suffering.[5] Skye cried a lot for the disappearance of her parents, feeling alone and miserable. To cheer her up, Akira read her the story of "Blue Angel", which made Skye happier.[6]

Knights of Hanoi[edit]

Zaizen watches the Duel between Playmaker and Number 10.

At SOL Technologies' headquarters, Zaizen informed Bishop that the Ignis had been detected inside the network. Bishop reminded him that SOL Technologies had been the leading force in the network for many years thanks to the data material that had been created from the Cyberse, but five years ago due the attack of the Knights of Hanoi, the Ignis hid the Cyberse somewhere inside the network. Zaizen admitted that due to the removal of the Cyberse the supply of data material had steadily been decreasing and the performance of the network had fallen. To save their company, Bishop ordered Akira to find the Ignis and to determine the location of the Cyberse. Zaizen made preparations to scan the network, and he informed Bishop that their preparations were complete, but he was worried about the decline of the security during the scan and the potential for damage if the Knights were to attack. Bishop gave him the go-ahead, but just as Zaizen had feared, a Knight of Hanoi attacked LINK VRAINS, searching for the Ignis. The Knights' attack was stopped by a Duelist who called himself Playmarker, and who had captured the Ignis in his Duel Disk. To Zaizen's shock, a mysterious light emerged from Playmaker's Duel Disk; the first Data Storm to be seen in years.[2] He watched the ensuing Speed Duel, and to his surprise, Playmaker used Cyberse monsters.[7]

After Playmaker defeated the Knight, Zaizen wondered if Playmaker and the Ignis had teamed up. He, Bishop, Knight and Rook discussed the incident caused by the Duel between Playmaker and Knight of Hanoi. Rook and Knight proposed to close Link VRAINS down to perform maintenance, but Zaizen explained that they would lose profits and that the presence of a Data Storm confirmed that the Cyberse still existed. He informed them of Playmaker, and that they were devoting all their resources into investigating his identity. Rather than risk losing the Cyberse forever, Zaizen suggested that they restrict LINK VRAINS as a battlefield for Playmaker and Hanoi to capture the Ignis. Bishop agreed but warned that they wouldn't accept failure.[8]

Zaizen met with Emma and asked her to get information about Playmaker. Meanwhile, he turned to Celebrity Duelists to find someone capable of defeating Playmaker. He visited George Gore in his warehouse, and expressed surprise that Gore didn't have more lavish accommodations Gore's manager explained that Gore wasn't a Duelist who was after money. Zaizen asked Gore to defeat Playmaker and retrieve the AI Program that he had, offering him a Duel Board for Speed Duels and explained Playmaker's AI program was originally created by SOL Technology, but due to certain events it fell into Playmaker's hands. He added that this AI program would determine the future of LINK VRAINS and if it fell into Hanoi's hands, LINK VRAINS would be destroyed. Zaizen wished for Gore to protect LINK VRAINS and if he succeeded, SOL Technology would become his main sponsor. Gore refused and asked Zaizen to leave; Zaizen did so, but noted that many wanted Gore to be champion. He assured Gore that if he changed his mind, he could contact him anytime.[8]

Gore later visited Zaizen's office as Zaizen was looking through potential candidates to defeat Playmaker, accepting Zaizen's offer. Zaizen provided him with the Avatar of a Knight of Hanoi to lure out Playmaker. When The Gore met with Playmaker, Zaizen activated a trap to prevent him from logging out and watched the entire Duel between Playmaker and The Gore.[9] He was concerned that The Gore was not defeating Playmaker quickly enough, and Playmaker eventually defeated the Gore. His plan having failed, Zaizen left his office.[10] He was pursued by the media, feigning ignorance that he was responsible for setting up the Duel between The Gore and Playmaker. They asked him whether there would be a match between Playmaker and Blue Angel, and Zaizen told them that it would never happen. Having seen his sister Speed Dueling as Blue Angel, he called Skye and asked why she was unhappy. He advised her to quit Speed Dueling, not wanting her to get hurt. Skye timidly agreed, and Zaizen lamented that he was only trying to keep her safe.[11]

Zaizen tightens his grip on Playmaker.

To his shock, Blue Angel wound up Speed Dueling Playmaker. He was furious that Skye disobeyed his orders, but his anger turned to horror when Blue Angel was infected by a card tainted by the Knights of Hanoi. Panicking, Zaizen tried to stop the Duel, but a system error prevented him from interfering, leaving him powerless to watch as Playmaker defeated his sister.[5] Zaizen immediately called Skye, but someone else answered his call, stating that they had found Skye's unconscious body and taken her to the hospital. Zaizen burst into the hospital, attempting to follow Skye to the emergency room, but the nurses refused to allow him in. Zaizen met Yusaku Fujiki, the student who had saved his sister, and he thanked him for saving his sister. The doctors informed Zaizen that Skye was in a coma, and that they didn't know when she would wake up.

Zaizen was later interrogated by Bishop, Knight, and Rook after they found out that Blue Angel was related to him, and they wondered if she was secretly working with Hanoi. They threatened him with losing his position if that were the case, but Zaizen managed to convince them that Playmaker was responsible. Zaizen met with Emma, who had informed his higher-ups of his relationship to Blue Angel, and he asked her to help him trap Playmaker. Emma lured Playmaker into LINK VRAINS by disguising herself as Blue Angel, capturing Playmaker and bringing him into a church. Once Ghost Gal returned to her normal Avatar, Zaizen interrogated and tortured Playmaker, who insisted that Hanoi caused Skye's condition, though Zaizen was too blinded by rage to believe him. To his shock, Varis, the leader of the Knights of Hanoi, appeared and confirmed that the Hanoi were indeed responsible, taunting him that he could capture the Ignis or save Skye. He claimed that he would give Zaizen a program to cure Blue Angel if Playmaker defeated him in a Duel. Zaizen reluctantly freed Playmaker and apologized to him for torturing him, pleading for Playmaker to save his sister and fight for him even if he hates him. To his surprise, Playmaker replied that he didn't hate him; only Hanoi.[12]

Zaizen places his faith in Playmaker to save Skye.

As Varis and Playmaker left on their Duel Boards, Zaizen had Ghost Gal follow them and record footage of their Duel. He watched the Duel, observing[13] a Data Storm's summoning as when he had first seen Playmaker Duel. The Data Storm eventually swallowed Playmaker and Varis, and Zaizen ordered Ghost Gal to follow them, but Ghost Gal was unable to enter the Data Storm.[14] Ghost Gal was eventually able to get in with outside aid, and she had her cameras record the Duel between Varis and Playmaker, allowing Zaizen to see it.[15]

Despite his struggles, Playmaker was able to defeat Varis, and he returned with the program to cure Blue Angel. The program caused her to vanish, and Ghost Gal reassured Zaizen that Blue Angel had logged out of LINK VRAINS. Before Zaizen could thank Playmaker, he logged out, and Zaizen logged out as well. Zaizen stormed out and met up with Nathaniel who had been sent by Ghost Gal to take him to the hospital. Zaizen made it to Skye's side and he watched as she woke up from her coma. Skye apologized for her actions, but Zaizen asked her to rest, sobbing in joy at his sister's restoration, and prompting Skye to smile.[16]

Zaizen meets with Emma.

Zaizen was demoted after Varis's defeat despite his role in saving LINK VRAINS, though he retained a position of some authority and intended to look into the Incident that Varis had mentioned. One day as Hayami served him coffee, she spilled it by accident. Zaizen forgave her, and asked about her work history, but Hayami had only been employed for three years, and thus knew nothing of the incident. He conferred with Emma, explaining that he was not displeased as Skye's life had been saved. Emma informed Zaizen that he had been replaced by his former boss Kitamura, whom Zaizen believed to be the one making an AI Duelist army and would do anything to get results. To Zaizen's shock, Emma revealed that she wanted to know about the Incident ten years ago; as Zaizen knew nothing about it she had decided to search on her own by hacking into SOL Technologies' data bank. Emma claimed this was just to make connections with that company. Zaizen asked her to give any data she found to him, but Emma replied that she didn't have to, though she suggested he could pay her. Zaizen refused, and Emma left, warning Zaizen that Playmaker could pay for such data.[17]

Zaizen and Emma link into the VRAINS.
Zaizen activates a program, ignoring Ghost Gal's warning.

Zaizen later logged into LINK VRAINS, where Ghost Gal revealed that she had given a backdoor program to Playmaker. Zaizen was furious, and Ghost Gal defended herself, protesting that Zaizen also wanted the data in the mother computer, but had no authority after his demotion. Ghost Gal claimed that Kitamura would be held responsible, and would be focused on stopping Playmaker. Zaizen realized that Ghost Gal was using Playmaker as a decoy, and agreed to her plan before logging out. Later, he and Emma watched Playmaker's infiltration into the system on Emma's computer. Once Kitamura sent two AIs to Duel Playmaker, Zaizen and Emma logged into LINK VRAINS, and went deeper into the mother computer to access the data bank.[18] Ghost Gal revealed that Blue Angel had also come to the mother computer system, much to Zaizen's shock. He began to leave to save her, until Ghost Gal reminded him this was their only chance to learn about the Incident, and she stated that Blue Angel was not a child. Zaizen and Ghost Gal managed to get to the data bank first, and Zaizen learned about the Hanoi Project from the data contained within in addition to the identity of Kiyoshi Kogami, the man behind the Incident.[19][20] Playmaker soon arrived, but instead of hiding, Zaizen activated a program, and awaited Playmaker to Duel him.[19]

Zaizen Summons his "Tindangle Acute Cerberus".

Playmaker asked Ghost Gal and Zaizen why they were in the data bank, and Ghost Gal explained that they were after the data as well. Playmaker ordered Zaizen to move aside, but Zaizen refused, admitting that he had obtained the data and learned what happened to Playmaker ten years ago. As Ai started to complain about Zaizen, Zaizen wondered if Ai actually had free will as Varis claimed. Zaizen asked Playmaker to hand over the Ignis and leave. He wanted to shed some light over the incident, and Ghost Gal added Zaizen was demoted, due to the incident with Varis. Playmaker claimed that he would be the one to reveal the truth, as it didn't personally involve Zaizen. Playmaker challenged him to stop him, betting Ai for the data, and Zaizen accepted, seeing this as the only way to defeat Playmaker. Zaizen swiftly reinforced his defenses by Setting a monster, a card and Special Summoning "Tindangle Base Gardna". Playmaker prepared his offence, but Zaizen brought out "Tindangle Hound" to weaken Playmaker's monsters, then used "Lemoine Point" to prevent Playmaker from attacking face-down monsters. Playmaker Link Summoned "Flame Administrator", whose effect increased the ATK of "Decode Talker" and allowed it to destroy "Tindangle Hound", though Zaizen was able to use its effect in combination with his Set "Tindangle Angel" to revive "Tindangle Hound" face-down and end the Battle Phase. Zaizen wondered how old Playmaker was, deducing that he was the same age as Skye. He claimed that he knew the pain Playmaker bore, as he and Skye lost their parents. Though he swore to protect Skye and keep her happy, he admitted if Skye was kidnapped by strangers as Playmaker had been he would be terrified. Playmaker replied that Zaizen was a good person, but doubted he knew anything about the pain he bore. Zaizen was surprised Playmaker would continue fighting, though he swore he wouldn't fall and continued his turn. Zaizen Flip Summoned "Tindangle Hound", and re-Set "Tindangle Angel", weakening Playmaker's monsters again and destroying "Flame Administrator". Playmaker claimed that Zaizen knew nothing of his goal, and he Link Summoned "Firewall Dragon"; the monster that Playmaker had used to defeat Varis.[1] Playmaker destroyed Zaizen's monsters with "Linkage Hole" and attacked Zaizen directly with "Decode Talker". Zaizen was able to come back with "Tindangle Delaunay", destroying "Decode Talker" and allowing him to Summon his ace, "Tindangle Acute Cerberus". He attacked "Firewall Dragon", whom Playmaker protected with "Doppler Phase Coating"; Zaizen likewise protected his own monster with "Gergonne's End". Playmaker tried to destroy Zaizen's "Tindangle Token" to inflict damage, but Zaizen prevented damage with "Morley's Shield" and "Nagel's Protection" to protect his Tokens. "Tindangle Acute Cerberus" attacked again, reducing Playmaker's LP to 500. As Playmaker drew a card and Set it as his only move, Zaizen swore to uncover the truth himself and asked Playmaker once more to end his revenge and return to his normal school life with his friends. He stated Playmaker must cherish his memories and not remain obsessed with the past or else he would not find happiness, just as Zaizen hadn't.[20]

To Zaizen's surprise, Blue Angel suddenly revealed her presence, asking to hear the truth about the Incident before the Duel ended. Zaizen began to describe the Lost Incident, but refrained from explaining further after Playmaker told him to stop and recounted the story himself. Zaizen explained that Playmaker was rescued and that the Incident had been covered up. Playmaker stated that he wasn't rescued and that he needed to uncover the truth for the sake of the people hurt in the incident, as well as save the person whose voice encouraged him to fight and who may still be trapped. Playmaker claimed even if Zaizen believed revenge was pointless, he had still discovered that the Knights of Hanoi had been involved in the Project. Zaizen admitted that the data bank contained the name of the mastermind behind the Hanoi Project, much to Playmaker's shock.[20]

Playmaker demanded that Zaizen reveal the name of the mastermind, but Zaizen refused, fearing this would only feed Playmaker's hatred and desire for revenge. Zaizen decided to end the Duel by having "Tindangle Acute Cerberus" attack "Firewall Dragon", but Playmaker avoided the defeat by banishing his dragon with "Cynet Backdoor", triggering the effect of "Doppler Phase Coating" to end the Battle Phase. Zaizen turned the tables with "Euler's Circuit", preventing Playmaker from attacking and allowing him to complete his combo next turn. Playmaker stated that this was a Duel for justice and Zaizen swore to solve the Incident and hold the ones responsible, but Playmaker doubted he knew anything, as he trusted his own justice that would make him prevail and win. Playmaker brought out "Link Spider", "Recovery Sorcerer" and "Security Gardna", moves Zaizen deemed pointless as Playmaker was unable to attack. As "Security Gardna" was placed in the zone "Tindangle Acute Cerberus" pointed to, Zaizen used "Gergonne's End" to destroy all monsters that "Acute Cerberus" pointed to to inflict its ATK to Playmaker, but the effect of "Security Gardna" prevented all effect damage that turn. As his Trap had destroyed "Euler's Circuit", it allowed Playmaker to attack again, but though Playmaker could have finished Zaizen off with "Firewall Dragon's" granted direct attack, he instead used its effect to return Zaizen's "Tindangle Hound" and "Tindangle Angel" from the Graveyard to his hand, reducing the ATK of "Tindangle Acute Cerberus" to 0. As Playmaker attacked "Tindangle Acute Cerberus" with "Firewall Dragon", Blue Angel rushed to protect Zaizen from the blast, only for him to protect her as he fell to his knees in defeat. Playmaker acquired the data from the bank, and warned Zaizen to stay from away him and the Incident. Zaizen asked Playmaker why he didn't attack directly with "Firewall Dragon", and Playmaker replied that Zaizen's "Tindangle Hound" and "Tindangle Angel" represented him and his sister, who should turn and walk towards the light, rather than the darkness of the Graveyard. After Playmaker and Ghost Gal logged out, Zaizen lamented that he couldn't do anything in the end, though Blue Angel cheered him up by saying she knew what Zaizen was feeling. She noted that just as nobody would stand up to Playmaker, nobody would prevent her brother from protecting her, and Zaizen smiled.[21]

Zaizen joins his sister for dinner.

Zaizen and Skye were eating dinner together one evening, an act that had become more common due to Zaizen's demotion. On the news, they saw that Kitamura had developed an A.I. army to confront the Knights of Hanoi, and Zaizen told Skye that unlike her, the A.I. could not be turned into the Deleted. He forbade Skye from entering LINK VRAINS, and though she was saddened by his request, Skye agreed. The two watched as Kitamura's A.I. army battled the Knights of Hanoi; after the army was defeated by two new Knights of Hanoi, Zaizen headed back to work to assist SOL Technologies with the crisis.[22] Before he left the office the next day, Zaizen heard news about Blue Angel Dueling a Knight of Hanoi. Zaizen was shocked to see this, and asked why Skye would even do this.[23] Zaizen and Hayami nervously watched the Speed Duel between Blue Angel and the Knight, Baira. After witnessing Blue Angel being slightly injured he became worried that she would be Deleted again, and he decided to log into LINK VRAINS and stop the Duel. Hayami stopped him and encouraged him to watch the Duel instead. To his relief, Blue Angel won, obtaining the cure for the Deleted from Baira. The following day during breakfast, he and Skye watched the news about the Deleted getting cured. Skye attempted to apologize him for her actions, but Zaizen was pleased that she was able to cure the Deleted and praised her, making Skye smile happily.[24]

Zaizen and Emma discuss events in Green Park.

After Playmaker defeated Faust, the final Commander of the Knights, peace appeared to have returned to LINK VRAINS, but Zaizen felt that their defeat had been too easy. Zaizen met up with Emma, reporting with the Knights of Hanoi gone, peace returned to LINK VRAINS. Emma wondered if Zaizen came here just to tell her that, and Zaizen admitted that despite the reported victory, SOL Technologies had been looking for more employees. Zaizen believed that the Knights of Hanoi wouldn't retreat that easily, and added Varis was still loose. Emma agreed to search through LINK VRAINS for any treasures, and promised to sell it to Zaizen. Zaizen suggested she give him a discount, and Emma claimed she'd think about it.[25]

Emma never returned, but a massive construct called the Tower of Hanoi appeared in LINK VRAINS, absorbing Avatars and the Avatars of Duelists who lost near it. Zaizen learned that Kitamura was defeated by a Knight of Hanoi and absorbed in this fashion. Hayami later alerted Zaizen about a footage of a Duel in LINK VRAINS. He came to the computer, finding that Skye was Dueling Spectre, the Knight who had defeated Kitamura.[6] Although Hayami encouraged Zaizen to believe in Blue Angel, to his horror she was brutally defeated by Spectre and badly injured.[26]

Zaizen rushed back to their home and found Skye's unresponsive body on the couch. He immediately logged into LINK VRAINS and rushed to Blue Angel's body, but the ground erupted beneath his feet and a cage of thorny vines trapped him. As he raised his hand to touch them, Kiyoshi Kogami arrived, warning him that a strong computer virus was in the vines. Zaizen was shocked that Kogami was alive, believing that he was dead, and Kogami claimed that SOL Technologies had killed him, but he had resurrected, much to Zaizen's shock. He explained that though SOL Technologies had not ordered the Lost Incident, they covered it up to prevent the police from seizing the Ignis as they wished to monopolize them, and that they infected him with a computer virus to put him into a coma, but his son had removed the virus and recreated his mind. Zaizen asked if Kogami had formed the Knights of Hanoi to get revenge on SOL Technologies, but Kogami revealed that they had formed to destroy the Ignis. Zaizen asked what would happen to his sister, and Kogami claimed that once imprisoned, she could not escape, and when the Tower of Hanoi was complete, data worldwide would be destroyed, shocking Zaizen that they would go that far. Kogami then departed, telling him to stay there if he wanted to witness the end of the world. After Kogami left, Blue Angel was absorbed by the Tower of Hanoi as Zaizen watched helplessly.[27]

The trapped Zaizen is shown to Playmaker.

Spectre later showed Zaizen and his prison to Playmaker, while also giving Zaizen a view of the Duel between him and Playmaker. On the verge of losing, Spectre threatened to make the vines touch Zaizen and infect him. Zaizen told Playmaker not to worry about him,[28] but to his shock, Playmaker ended his turn. Zaizen continued to beg Playmaker to ignore his safety and not make his sister's sacrifice be in vain, but Playmaker still refused to attack Spectre. To Zaizen's surprise, one of Playmaker's allies attempted to break the prison and log him out, but their efforts failed. Telling Playmaker that he had to win, else the sacrifices of Skye and the other victims be in vain, Zaizen voluntarily grasped the vines, infecting himself with the virus, and being absorbed by the Tower of Hanoi as a result. His sacrifice motivated Playmaker to defeat Spectre.[29] Akira and Skye were both released after Playmaker defeated Varis, who stopped the Tower of Hanoi, and they woke up next to one another in their apartment.[30]

Ignis[edit]

Zaizen is given his new assignment by Queen.

After the Hanoi Incident, Zaizen was promoted back to his former position of chief of security and his staff were all reshuffled. During the media buzz around the heroes who had saved LINK VRAINS, Gore called him regarding the media continually asking about Playmaker, and Zaizen noted that they were bound to attract attention and asked Gore not to allow the press to delve into how close LINK VRAINS had come to destruction.[31] Three months later, Zaizen met with Queen, asking her why they had to hunt for Playmaker. Queen commented that he'd been quite bold since returning to his former position and explained that with the Knights of Hanoi defeated and the Cyberse discovered but empty, Playmaker was their only link to finding the Ignis, who were vital for the company's future. She informed Zaizen that he would be in charge of a special team to hunt down Playmaker and warned him not to fail. In the dub, Zaizen decided to instead assist Playmaker as best as he could from behind the scenes and prevent SOL Technologies from obtaining the Ignis. Zaizen later met with the team when Hayami admitted them; Gore, Kenchi and Yozaka, and he greeted Gore politely, but was miffed by Gore's standoffish attitude. They both admitted that they never thought they'd be in this position. Gore requested his affairs to be kept private, and asked where the last bounty hunter was. Zaizen described The Shepherd to Gore, calling him a dangerous pro among pros.[32] Zaizen later watched a mysterious Duelist with an Ignis Speed Dueling a Duelist who used Cyberse monsters that weren't in the SOL Tech database and a Reincarnation Link Summon, causing Zaizen to wonder if the Duelist had been involved in the Lost Incident.[33]

After the Duel, the opponent Playmaker had Dueled escaped into the Restricted Area of LINK VRAINS. Zaizen conducted an analysis, finding that a gate to another world had appeared in the depths of the Restricted Area. He sent a two-man research team to the world, but they never returned. Kenneth eventually showed up and he and Gore immediately began butting heads. Gore claimed that he would be the one to defeat Playmaker, lamenting that Playmaker was always a step ahead of him. Kenneth ignored Gore, but reminded him not to order him around, as he did his things at his own pace. Hayami was unnerved by Gore and Kenneth's hostility, but Zaizen was amused, having never expected them to get along. Zaizen showed the Bounty Hunters footage of Playmaker's opponent as Kenneth believed it would help them track Playmaker down. Gore was alarmed at the figure, while Kenneth noted that the figure had not logged out. Zaizen explained that the figure had gone beyond the Restricted Area of LINK VRAINS.[34] Before Gore left, Zaizen asked him to remain behind, and they talked in private, Zaizen asking why Gore had thrown away his career and become a Bounty Hunter. Gore claimed that he couldn't get his pride back until he defeated Playmaker, and Zaizen offered to reveal the secret of Playmaker's power. Zaizen revealed that Playmaker's past and claimed that it had caused him to equate Dueling with living, which was where his determination came from.[31]

After dismissing the Bounty Hunters, Zaizen met with Emma and Skye in Green Park.[34] He explained about the scattered Ignis and explained that he wanted Emma to find them so that he could negotiate peacefully and determine their motives without SOL Technologies' involvement. He showed them the gate and explained about the research team that he'd sent, giving Emma a logout program to prevent her from being trapped in the world the gate led to. Skye also downloaded the program, asking Zaizen to allow her to go despite Emma's protests. She stated that she wanted to fight so Zaizen could learn the truth, and Zaizen agreed to let her go, patting her head and reminding her that the future of humanity rested on their mission.[4]

Zaizen oversees the pursuit of Playmaker.

Emma sent Playmaker the info that Zaizen had given her so that she would simultaneously be able to avoid the Bounty Hunters and they would be able to capture Playmaker.[34] The Gore's team found Playmaker and the FIRE Duelist first, and Zaizen ordered a trap set for Playmaker, but their quarries evaded the trap, which actually logged out Kenchi and Yozaka. Hayami then revealed that they had information on the other Duelist; his account name was Soulburner. Zaizen ordered the trap removed and for them to observe the Duel between Soulburner and The Gore.[31] During the Duel as Zaizen was keeping track of Playmaker, The Gore and Soulburner were suddenly attacked by traps, and when Gore blocked one of them, ordering SOL Technologies to stop the attack, Hayami cried out in horror, and Zaizen took her tablet and saw that she had been attacking them. She sobbed that she didn't want him to get demoted again, and the taken aback Zaizen told her not to worry about him and warned her not to interrupt a Duel again. However, Soulburner defeated Gore.[35] Ghost Gal and Blue Gal's signals later disappeared on Zaizen's monitor, and he noted that they had entered the gate to the unknown world and were beyond his help, wishing them luck. Hayami later came in, informing Zaizen that the research team had woken up, and Zaizen deduced that Skye had used the logout program to free them. He was confident that they would be able to find a lead on what was happening.[36]

Unfortunately, Skye and Emma returned empty-handed, and the gate disappeared. Zaizen met with The Gore and The Shepherd in LINK VRAINS, explaining about the gate to them. Gore asked why Zaizen hadn't told them about it, and Zaizen replied that he didn't have to tell Gore everything, as his duty was to capture Playmaker and his Ignis. Shepherd asked about Soulburner, and Zaizen admitted they had no info on him, but that he was likely another Lost Incident victim. He suggested waiting for the gate to reappear, but Shepherd announced he would do as he pleased and logged out, telling Zaizen that he would have no complaints after he brought back Playmaker and his Ignis. Gore asked if Zaizen could trust The Shepherd, and Zaizen replied that he could trust him as a hunter. Zaizen later met with Emma and Skye at Green Park again, and Emma revealed that Playmaker was searching for someone's consciousness data, though she didn't know whose. Skye suggested that there was likely a link between that and the Ignis, and Zaizen reflected that Playmaker was the key to finding the other Ignis. He noted that SOL Technologies' higher-ups would likely continue pursuing Playmaker, and Emma commented that he seemed worried. Zaizen replied that he owed Playmaker, and Emma stated that they just had to wait for the gate to reappear. Zaizen lamented that he couldn't get in touch with Playmaker directly, and they discussed the possibility of finding him in the real world.[37]

The gate later reappeared, and unable to contact The Shepherd, Zaizen ordered Gore back before he could make contact with Playmaker and Soulburner, as he wanted to show Gore something.[37] Under Queen's orders, Zaizen and two SOL Tech researchers showed the A.I. Dueling Chip to Gore, offering it to him to increase his Dueling skills. Gore was at first incensed by the notion of needing an A.I.'s help to Duel, and Zaizen pointed out that Gore could always refuse, but Gore decided to use the chip.[38]

The gate captured Soulburner within it, and Zaizen realized that The Shepherd had been able to modify the Ignis program into a trap. Hayami suggested that The Shepherd was following the idea that to fool one's enemies, he also had to fool his allies, but Zaizen remarked that he doubted Shepherd considered them allies. Zaizen's staff were unable to break through the high-level program, and Zaizen noted that Shepherd's intellect rivaled that of Dr. Kogami. Meanwhile, Kenchi engaged Playmaker in a Speed Duel and was swiftly defeated.[39] Zaizen later left Hayami in charge of the search for the Ignis as he met with Queen in his office via hologram, and Queen noticed that he and his Bounty Hunters hadn't made any progress and asked about The Gore. Zaizen stated that Gore was undergoing the program that Queen had requested, and apologized for his lack of results. Queen warned him that SOL Technologies had no place for failure before cutting her connection to him. Zaizen then returned to his staff, asking if there had been any updates, and Hayami stated that there had been none.[40]

Zaizen continued to monitor Gore's training, though initial results were unsatisfactory and Gore's body initially rejected the chip. Zaizen respected his determination, but believed that Gore was going to far, though Gore insisted on continuing and eventually began to succeed. Despite this, Zaizen still felt the risk to Gore's safety necessitated the experiment be stopped, but both Queen and Gore overruled him.[38]

Zaizen and Hayami both received a message from the Knights of Hanoi showing them Playmaker and Soulburner pursuing a Duelist with a new Ignis. Zaizen ordered Hayami to have the Bounty Hunters sent to investigate even though it might be a Hanoi trap.[41]

Zaizen meets with Playmaker in the real world.

Afterwards, Zaizen was called to meet Playmaker in the real world, who explained that they were meeting in real life due to the threat of two new Ignis, the Light and Wind Ignis, who intended to conquer humanity. Zaizen was shocked that the Ignis had turned on humanity, noting the irony of the Knights of Hanoi's theories coming true. Playmaker stated that the coming battle could affect LINK VRAINS itself, which would leave Zaizen as their only hope to save LINK VRAINS. Zaizen quickly visited Emma and Skye afterwards, bringing them up to speed and asking them to find the remaining two Ignis, who were at this point neutral. Unfortunately, The Gore ended his training early and logged into LINK VRAINS to pursue the Earth and Water Ignis. Zaizen was shocked that Gore had logged in without recovering properly, and Hayami explained that Queen had ordered him to be sent.[42] Zaizen watched the Duel between Gore and the Earth Ignis, Earth, with trepidation for Gore's physical and mental condition, and his staff informed him that Gore's condition was deteriorating. Blue Gal also showed up during the Duel, Zaizen hoping that she wouldn't do anything rash. Gore was able to defeat Earth and capture him, and Queen had him logged out by force to ensure the Earth Ignis's retrieval. That night, Zaizen watched Earth's dissection, unable to look at the horrifying process and unable to act to stop Earth's death.[38]

Skye and Emma met up with Zaizen near the coast the next day, and Skye asked if the Ignis were truly alive. Zaizen was delicate about the issue, but he ultimately concluded that the Ignis had free will and believed that they were alive and that they feared death. Emma asked Zaizen if this was why he'd wanted them to find the Ignis, and Zaizen admitted that SOL Technologies didn't believe the Ignis to be alive and that he hadn't thought they would go so far. Skye suggested that it might be natural for the Ignis to hunt humanity, much to Zaizen's surprise.[43] As Zaizen read a note from Skye discussing her feelings regarding the Ignis and asking him to let her be alone for a while, Kenneth Drayden stormed into his office with Hayami on his heels. Zaizen reassured Hayami that it was all right and dismissed her, and Kenneth asked Zaizen if SOL Technologies intended to kill the Ignis. Kenneth showed Zaizen information he had found in SOL Technologies' data bank, detailing SOL Technologies' intentions to combine the six Ignis into a more powerful one, something that Zaizen had heard rumors of but didn't believe to be true. Kenneth accused Zaizen's superiors of hiring him under false pretenses, and he asked Zaizen what he would do. Zaizen told Kenneth not to expect much from him, and Kenneth left, muttering that it had been a waste of time and deciding to consider what he should do. Zaizen bitterly noted that he'd understand if Kenneth wanted to leave SOL Technologies, though he still had his own responsibilities.[44]

File:Zaizen logs Gore out himself to save his life.png
Zaizen defies Queen and logs The Gore out to save his life.

The Shepherd was defeated and his data erased, leaving Gore as SOL Technologies' only operative capable of capturing the Ignis. Playmaker's team appeared in LINK VRAINS, and Zaizen informed Queen of their appearance. He tried to dissuade her from sending Gore, believing his life to be at risk, but Queen revealed she had already logged him in and had given him data to test. Gore Dueled Playmaker, and Link Summoned "G Golem Crystal Heart", one of Earth's monsters. To his shock, Zaizen learned that Queen had ordered Earth's data had been added to Gore's chip. Zaizen protested, but Queen claimed she was simply using her data efficiently.[45] As the Duel continued, Gore's condition began to worsen and Zaizen ordered him to be logged out. Queen intervened and ordered Zaizen to leave it he couldn't be silent. Gore was defeated, and Zaizen ordered him logged out, but Queen instead had the staff activate a capture unit to capture Playmaker and Ai. This was the last straw for Zaizen, who openly defied Queen by manually logging Gore out and furiously asked if she wanted to make them murderers.[46]

The incident did not dissuade Zaizen from taking the measures he believed necessary to safeguard LINK VRAINS. Despite Hayami's misgivings, he defied the wishes of his superiors again and began examining LINK VRAINS' security protocols, keeping Playmaker's warning of a potential calamity in mind.[47] Zaizen continued to example the security protocols, but he was caught off-guard when LINK VRAINS began to glitch after they detected a powerful scan program.[48] Zaizen decided to monitor the situation from LINK VRAINS, leaving Hayami in charge at SOL Technologies.[49] He joined Ghost Gal on a rooftop near Central Station as LINK VRAINS realigned.[50] Zaizen asked Ghost Gal what was going on as LINK VRAINS began to glitch, and Ghost Gal explained that the Ignis has created a mirror world, Mirror LINK VRAINS, and Playmaker's team had allied with the Knights of Hanoi to invade it. She showed Zaizen footage of a Duelist named Blue Maiden Dueling Bohman, the figure that had escaped into the Restricted Area, and explained that Blue Maiden was Skye, much to Zaizen's shock. Zaizen was surprised to learn that Blue Maiden was fighting for Miyu Sugisaki, who he remembered from their childhood. Zaizen realized that rather than involving Skye in the battle due to his job, she had instead been involved by factors beyond his control. To his shock, Bohman claimed to have become one with LINK VRAINS and caused the world to glitch violently, preventing people from logging out. Zaizen contacted Hayami to assess the situation, but learned that someone else had taken control of the server.[51]

Zaizen embraces Blue Maiden as her data is absorbed by Bohman.

Zaizen and Ghost Gal went to Central Station to access the LINK VRAINS Control Center and use emergency procedures to log everyone out, but Bohman blocked Zaizen's sign-in and projected the Duel on the monitor. Zaizen realized that Bohman was telling him to watch, and became fearful for his sister's safety as she was forced into an impossible choice. Zaizen screamed at Skye not to give up, reaching Blue Maiden, and to Zaizen's relief she was able to escape her predicament. Blue Maiden came close to defeating Bohman, but he was able to survive and strip away the protections of her ace monster, eventually defeating her. Bohman then projected Zaizen's image into their arena, allowing Zaizen to embrace Blue Maiden before her data was absorbed by Bohman.[52] Zaizen immediately ordered Hayami to use all their resources to rescue Blue Maiden, but Ghost Gal convinced him that he needed to save the people trapped in LINK VRAINS first. The monitor then showed Playmaker Dueling a man that Zaizen didn't recognize.[53]

Zaizen and Ghost Gal are contacted by Faust.

Playmaker defeated his opponent, but Soulburner and Varis were both defeated, leaving only Playmaker and Bohman in LINK VRAINS. As Playmaker Dueled Bohman, Zaizen and Ghost Gal decided to hack the system of LINK VRAINS and shut it down to forcibly log everyone out, though Ghost Gal noted the users would likely suffer mental damage. A strange Ignis algorithm appeared in both LINK VRAINS and Mirror LINK VRAINS and began striking users down with green lightning as to Zaizen's shock, Bohman Link Summoned a Link-5 monster, "Chimera Hydradrive Dragrid" and explained that he had used the algorithm, a Neuron Link, to create it, which was using the humans that it trapped to power his Skill.[54] As Zaizen and Ghost Gal worked, Hayami contacted them and informed them that the number of logins had increased due to curious users logging in. As more people were trapped by the Neuron Link, Ghost Gal worried that their turn would come eventually, though Zaizen theorized that he and Ghost Gal were likely safe if the Neuron Link was selecting victims in user account order. Faust then contacted them, informing them of a plan to destroy the Neuron Link by destabilizing the overlap between LINK VRAINS and Mirror LINK VRAINS by attacking it from both within and outside LINK VRAINS. Zaizen was unwilling to trust the Knights after their past actions, but Ghost Gal convinced him to agree, producing a virus bomb to attack the system from within.[55] LINK VRAINS security prevented the virus bomb from activating, forcing Zaizen to hack it to detonate the bomb manually, but this attracted the attention of Bohman, who attacked them with the Neuron Link. Ghost Gal saved Zaizen, much to his horror, and he seized the chance to finish hacking and prepared to detonate the virus bomb, but his consciousness was taken by the Neuron Link as well. As Zaizen's unconscious body fell, his finger hit the final keystroke he needed to launch the virus bomb, stopping the Neuron Link.[56]

Zaizen and Ghost Gal were revived after Playmaker defeated Bohman, and they ran outside to find Playmaker, Ai, Soulburner, Blue Maiden and The Shepherd as Mirror LINK VRAINS vanished in the distance. Zaizen asked why Bohman had revived his victims, and Ai speculated that it was probably out of pride, but he fled into the network after being asked where the other Ignis were, who had perished during the battle with Bohman.[57]

Ai[edit]

Zaizen's role in saving LINK VRAINS from Bohman earned him a promotion to Executive Officer of SOL Technologies, granting him stewardship of one of the two keys to the company.[58] He kept Hayami on as his assistant, but with LINK VRAINS shut down after the dangerous events that had occurred there, Zaizen soon became busy overseeing the release of SOL Technologies' latest product; the SOLtiS androids.[57] Hayami showed him the latest sales of the SOLtiS', which had become a grand success, though Zaizen recalled Playmaker's words about how people would not like sudden changes like the one the SOLtiS' represented in society. Hayami reassured Zaizen that he didn't need to worry about such matters, only direct the company through the times with her at his side, though Zaizen did not understand Hayami's metaphor.[58]

As Skye left for school the next day, Zaizen received a call from SOL Technologies, informing him that Queen had been defeated. He told Skye what had happened, reassuring her that she didn't need to worry about it, and he and Hayami immediately flew to the cruise liner where Queen had been attacked. The ship's captain explained that Queen had been taken to the hospital in critical condition and that the culprit had left behind data revealing their identity, showing Zaizen the message they had left.[58] The culprit revealed themselves to be Ai and he congratulated Zaizen on being the highest-ranking executive at SOL Technologies now that Queen was catatonic, but stated that he would also be coming for Zaizen's key in three days. Zaizen was called to an emergency meeting by the Kings, who ordered him to deal with the incident and prevent the public from finding out, but as Zaizen knew Ai would be almost impossible to find, he instead decided to focus on protecting himself from Ai's imminent attack. He was able to enlist the services of Skye, Emma, Kenneth and the recovered Gore, who had removed his A.I. Dueling Chip, and he asked Emma to contact Playmaker as well. Playmaker agreed to meet with Zaizen, and Zaizen and Blue Maiden logged into the defunct Central Station to meet Playmaker, Soulburner, and Playmaker's support ally, Unnamed. After Ghost Gal, The Shepherd and The Gore arrived, Zaizen explained that he wanted their protection and showed them Ai's message, requesting Playmaker's help. Playmaker asked to be given time to consider his decision, something Zaizen agreed with. Zaizen also contacted the Knights of Hanoi for aid, meeting with Varis personally in their control room. Varis agreed to help and he introduced him to Pandor, an A.I. with free will he had created, and gave one of her four copies to Zaizen.[59] Varis also aided Zaizen in preparing to keep his body safe in the real world; the copy of Pandor he gave to Zaizen would inhabit a SOLtiS and protect his and Skye's bodies on board an airplane, out of Ai's physical reach.[60] The next day, Zaizen went for a walk in the streets, and Skye met him after school, concerned that he was out in the open. Zaizen explained he wanted to burn where he lived into his memories, and Skye took him to a hotdog stand, Café Nom, in the plaza. Zaizen recognized the attendant, Cal Kolter, as the Duelist that Playmaker had Dueled in Mirror LINK VRAINS, and they then encountered Yusaku Fujiki, the boy who had called the ambulance for Skye after she was infected with the Deleted virus. Zaizen realized that Yusaku was Playmaker, and the three of them adjourned to a nearby playground to talk. He thanked Yusaku for saving Skye, though Yusaku claimed he had been fighting for himself. Zaizen then received a call from work, and he left, telling Yusaku he was glad to have met him.[59]

The time of Ai's attack arrived, and after boarding the airplane in the real world with Skye, Hayami and Pandor, Zaizen was joined by Blue Maiden, Ghost Gal, The Shepherd, Soulburner and The Gore in Central Station.[60] Playmaker was absent, though Zaizen was not surprised. Varis and the other Knights of Hanoi arrived as well, and Zaizen explained he had requested their help. Blue Maiden and Ghost Gal were skeptical, but Varis reassured them the Knights didn't hold any grudges against SOL Technologies as Lightning had been revealed as the culprit who infected Dr. Kogami with the virus that had crippled him, and that they would turn themselves in after Ai was dealt with. Ghost Gal realized that this would implicate SOL Technologies as well and Zaizen would take the fall for the company due to being the current top executive, though Zaizen was aware of the outcome and had made peace with it. He revealed their plan; he and Blue Maiden would remain at the center, while Ghost Gal, Shepherd, and Spectre would cover the eastern interior gateway with Soulburner at the eastern exterior, and The Gore, Faust, Baira and Dr. Genome would cover the western interior gateway with Varis at the western exterior. As everyone moved out to their assigned positions, Playmaker suddenly arrived, much to Zaizen's joy.[59] As Zaizen and Blue Maiden observed the start of the battle, Zaizen declared that he was counting on them. A signature approached, but to Zaizen's shock, it split into three and Playmaker, Soulburner and Varis each encountered a copy of Ai. Zaizen told them that they would have to Duel them to determine which was the true Ai, but when all three copies used the exact same stall strategy, Varis realized that the copies intended to distract them from the real Ai. Sure enough, the true Ai and Roboppi approached Central Station, and Ai easily defeated Baira and Dr. Genome and took their data before engaging Faust, while Ghost Gal and The Shepherd found Roboppi.[61] Zaizen was encouraged by how well Ghost Gal and The Shepherd worked together, explaining that a Tag Duel took advantage of a strong bond. However, Roboppi defeated Ghost Gal and Shepherd, while Ai also defeated Spectre and Faust, leaving only The Gore to oppose Ai.[62] Gore nearly defeated Ai, but Ai was able to survive and defeat Gore, so the Zaizens cut their broadcast to Central Station.[60]

Ai soon found them, having boarded their aircraft and defeated Pandor, then entered their realm through Zaizen's mind.[63] He showed them Hayami's unconscious body and demonstrated his control over the plane, suggesting Zaizen and Blue Maiden Tag Duel him over the code key, linking Playmaker, Soulburner, Varis and Kolter to watch the Duel. Blue Maiden began strongly with "Marincess Marbled Rock" and Ai began with "Dark Templar @Ignister" and "Fire Phoenix @Ignister", his usual combo. Pandor explained to everyone that Ai's monsters represented the Ignis, and Ai responded by using a card none of them had seen him use; "Judgment Arrows". Although Blue Maiden was able to deflect Ai's first attack, Ai's second prevented her from using the effect of "Marbled Rock" to stop him and reduced the Zaizens to less than half their starting LP. Ai and Blue Maiden's exchange over the guilt they both felt for letting Aqua die got to Zaizen, and he apologized to Ai on behalf of SOL Technologies for what had been done to Ai and his friends, though he noted he couldn't abandon the employees of SOL Tech and their families. Zaizen used an accelerated strategy with "Stairs of Mail" to quickly Summon and trigger the Flip effects of his "Tindangle" monsters, Flip Summoning "Tindangle Hound" and increasing its ATK beyond even the "Judgment Arrows"-boosted "@Ignister" monsters. He destroyed "Dark Templar", then used his sister's "Marincess Decision" to Link Summon "Tindangle Acute Cerberus" with her.[64] Zaizen used the other effect of "Marincess Decision" to reduce the ATK of "Fire Phoenix" to zero, depleting most of Ai's LP in one attack, but Ai treated the destruction of "Fire Phoenix" as destruction by an effect with "Achichi @Ignister" to trigger its effect and destroy "Tindangle Hound". Fortunately Zaizen was able to protect it with another of Skye's cards and increase the ATK of "Acute Cerberus" even further, but to his shock Ai Ritual Summoned "Water Leviathan @Ignister" and used its effect to return "Acute Cerberus" to Zaizen's Extra Deck, then its other effects to sap the ATK of "Tindangle Hound". Skye saved Zaizen with "Marincess Bubble Circle" and used his cards in combination with hers to Link Summon "Marincess Great Bubble Reef", then steadily banish cards to increase its ATK and damage Zaizen, vowing she would protect him. However Ai turned the effect damage against them and defeated them, and as the Zaizen siblings reached for one another Ai took Zaizen's data and his code key.[65]

Zaizen and Hayami observing the new LINK VRAINS.

Zaizen's comatose body was returned to their apartment, where Skye, who Ai had spared, watched over him.[66][67] Playmaker eventually defeated Ai, restoring Zaizen's data. Three months afterwards, Zaizen had been promoted to CEO of SOL Technologies and under his direction, LINK VRAINS became a global networking hub. Zaizen was also motivated to protect LINK VRAINS until Playmaker eventually returned.[68]

Relationships[edit]

Skye Zaizen (Blue Angel)[edit]

Young Akira and Skye.

Akira deeply cares about Skye and works very hard so she won't go through hard times, but in doing so he unknowingly neglects Skye, causing her to think he doesn't care about her. He is completely oblivious to her wanting him to recognize her and her abilities.

He was dismayed about Skye being comatose and became desperate to save her, going as far as claiming he wouldn't care if he was fired from SOL in the process. When Varis blackmailed Akira with Skye's safety he quickly caved in to Varis's demands.

Yusaku Fujiki (Playmaker)[edit]

Despite having a brief interaction with Yusaku at the hospital he was grateful to him for locating his sister and informing him about her comatose status. He questioned Yusaku about his relationship to Skye and the latter responded they are only classmates.

On the other hand, Zaizen dislikes Yusaku's alter ego "Playmaker" for having stolen Ai. Zaizen grew to utterly hate Playmaker after his Duel against Blue Angel which resulted in Skye falling comatose. Zaizen immediately assumed that Playmaker was the culprit for Skye's predicament and worked with Ghost Gal to turn all of LINK VRAINS into a trap to capture Playmaker. Zaizen then mercilessly tortured Playmaker and refused to believe Playmaker's explanation that it was the Knights of Hanoi's fault for Skye being comatose. However, upon being informed of his mistake by Varis, Zaizen reluctantly freed Playmaker and was surprised that Playmaker didn't hate him for what he did. After Playmaker defeated Varis and used the removal program to permit Skye to awaken in the real world, Zaizen thanked Playmaker.

In their next encounter inside SOL Technology's database, Akira displayed pity for Playmaker after discovering the data he was after, even insisting that Playmaker trust him and reveal the truth in his stead. Compared to their previous encounter, Akira even demonstrates sadness for Playmaker, especially when he figured out that Playmaker is around Skye's age. Akira felt that Playmaker shouldn't waste his youth chasing after the Hanoi Project and wanted to handle the situation himself, only for Playmaker to immediately refute Akira's claims and maintain that he deserved to learn the truth himself.

Emma Bessho (Ghost Gal)[edit]

Akira considers Emma his only ally even though he's aware of her double-crossing nature and tendency to come up with schemes that only benefit her behind his back, such as when she informed the heads of SOL Technologies that his sister is Blue Angel. When Nathaniel said that he got an anonymous tip to pick Akira up and take him to the hospital, Akira guessed it was Emma and seemed grateful.

George Gore (The Gore)[edit]

Zaizen ends up working extensively with Gore. He is highly respectful of Gore initially, but their relationship sours during the second season due to Gore's abrasive attitude, particularly in the dub, where Zaizen is outright dismissive of Gore's ability to defeat Playmaker. Despite this, Zaizen still remains concerned for Gore's safety and he keeps an eye on Gore following his implantation with an A.I. chip, logging him out forcibly from LINK VRAINS in open defiance of Queen after he lost to Playmaker again to save Gore's life.

Kenneth Drayden (The Shepherd)[edit]

Zaizen respects The Shepherd's skills, but dislikes his methods of operating as Shepherd tends to leave him in the dark; using him as bait on a mission once and setting up a false gate without informing Zaizen. Zaizen in return does not divulge anything regarding SOL Technologies' plans for the Ignis when Shepherd asks him about it, resulting in Shepherd striking out on his own against the Ignis. Despite this, The Shepherd returns to work for Zaizen to protect him from Ai in the third season.

Deck[edit]

Zaizen runs a "Tindangle" Deck, focused on Flip monsters and Lockdown strategies. He utilizes a variety of Trap Cards to not only prevent the destruction of his monsters, but strengthen his own arsenal as well. His ace monster, "Tindangle Acute Cerberus", which he can summon on his opponent's turn, allows him to summon Tindangle Tokens, which in conjunction with his Trap effects not only limit the actions his opponents can take, but help prepare for massive offensive strikes by increasing the already high ATK of "Tindangle Acute Cerberus".

Duels[edit]

Opponent(s) Episode(s) Outcome
Yusaku Fujiki/Playmaker 18-20 Lose
Ai 110-111 Lose (With Skye Zaizen/Blue Maiden)

References[edit]

  1. a b c Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 01818: "Dueling for Answers"
  2. a b Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 0011: "Link into the VRAINS"
  3. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 07777: "A Family Reunion"
  4. a b Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 05353: "The Shepherd"
  5. a b Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 0077: "Fallen Angel"
  6. a b Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 03333: "Once Upon A Time"
  7. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 0022: "Seize the Wind!"
  8. a b Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 0033: "Contact"
  9. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 0044: "Pain and Gain"
  10. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 0055: "Down for the Count"
  11. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 0066: "True Blue"
  12. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 0088: "A Storm is Coming"
  13. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 0099: "Malicious Mayhem"
  14. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 01010: "Eye of the Storm"
  15. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 01111: "Neutralized"
  16. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 01212: "Link the Circuit"
  17. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 01414: "An Invitation"
  18. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 01616: "Hack Attack"
  19. a b Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 01717: "Blue's Back"
  20. a b c Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 01919: "The Lost Incident"
  21. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 02020: "A Piece of the Puzzle"
  22. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 02424: "To Gore Or Not To Gore"
  23. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 02525: "Suture the Circuit"
  24. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 02626: "Diagnosis: Deletion"
  25. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 03030: "Under VRAINS"
  26. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 03434: "Roots of Evil"
  27. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 03535: "The Hollow"
  28. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 03636: "A Bridge Too Far"
  29. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 03737: "Out on a Limb"
  30. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 04646: "Link to the Future"
  31. a b c Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 05151: "Bounty Hunting"
  32. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 04747: "LINK VRAINS 2.0"
  33. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 04949: "Bring the Heat"
  34. a b c Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 05050: "A Common Cause"
  35. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 05252: "Tapping Out"
  36. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 05555: "A Windy Welcome"
  37. a b Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 06060: "Sidekick Showdown"
  38. a b c Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 07575: "Earthfall"
  39. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 06262: "Fearing the Worst"
  40. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 06666: "Contact"
  41. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 07171: "A Logical Decision"
  42. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 07474: "Captured Ignis"
  43. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 07676: "Memories Brought Back"
  44. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 07878: "Rebellious Bounty Hunter"
  45. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 08181: "Arrived at the Summit"
  46. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 08282: "Gored"
  47. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 08383: "Irregular Meeting"
  48. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 08484: "Payback"
  49. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 08585: "My Brother's Keeper"
  50. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 08686: "The Weakest Link"
  51. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 09090: "Creator of the Next Generation"
  52. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 09191: "Proud Maiden"
  53. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 09292: "Big Test"
  54. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 09999: "Door to the New World"
  55. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 100100: "I Know Everything"
  56. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 101101: "Ai of the Beholder"
  57. a b Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 103103: "Reflections"
  58. a b c Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 104104: "Your Reign is Over"
  59. a b c Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 105105: "Intercept"
  60. a b c Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 108108: "Smash and Mash"
  61. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 106106: "Roboppi Mops Up"
  62. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 107107: "Slay the Demon"
  63. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 109109: "The Ignis Hunter"
  64. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 110110: "Siblings and Circuits"
  65. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 111111: "Stronger Together"
  66. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 112112: "All Hail Roboppi!"
  67. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 117117: "Forced Hand"
  68. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 120120: "Journey's End"