'''Seto Kaiba''' is the majority shareholder and CEO of his own multi-national company, [[KaibaCorp]], who aims to become the world's greatest player of the [[Duel Monsters card game, ]] by gaining the 3 of 4 [[Blue-Eyes White Dragon]] cards. To accomplish this goal, he must defeat his arch-rival, [[Yugi Muto]]. He is largely considered an anti-hero, as his motives are usually ego-centric, but in several cases towards a good cause.

Among one of the recurring plots in [[Yu-Gi-Oh! ]] [[Duel Monsters ]], [[Seto Kaiba ]] is being forced to deal with either people adversely affected by [[Gozaburo Kaiba]]'s actions wanting to take their revenge on [[Seto Kaiba, ]] or people from within [[KaibaCorp ]] attempting to take over the corporation.

[[File:Kaiba Linework.jpg|thumb|left|Kaiba's design incorporates multiple layers of clothing and a wide range of expressions. Depicted here is the [[duelist]] in the outfit he wears in the [[Battle City]] arc from front, side, and rear views and alongside views of his head from different angles.]]

[[Kaiba]]'s character design was overseen by [[Kazuki Takahashi]]. His usual outfit from the second series anime consists of a long white sleeveless [[KaibaCorp]] designed coat featuring shoulder pads and a raised studded collar, with black sleeves from his shirt coming out from under. He has extra belts in pairs strapped around his upperarms and shins. He often wears a [[Duel Disk 2|KaibaCorp Duel Disk]] on his left arm.

In the first series anime, [[Kaiba ]] has green hair, while in the manga, Toei's Yu-Gi-Oh! movie, and the second series, [[Yu-Gi-Oh! ]] [[Duel Monsters]], [[Kaiba ]] has brown hair.

[[Kaiba ]] is based on a collectible card games player whom a friend of [[Kazuki Takahashi]] met. Takahashi's friend asked this person to teach him how to play a card game, but he replied "Hmp! Come back when you've collected 10,000 cards". The story made Takahashi mad, but thought the player would make a good character.<ref>''Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist'' Volume 10: [[Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist - Volume 010|The Egyptian God Cards]]: foreword</ref>

In the original Japanese version Version of [[Yu-Gi-Oh!]], [[Kaiba ]] omits honorifics and has a "rude" pattern of speech. [[Kaiba ]] uses the word "''ore''" to mean "I" instead of the usual ''boku''; ''ore'' is a boastful way to say "I" in Japanese. [[Kaiba ]] usually calls Katsuya Jonouchi ([[Joey Wheeler]]) names, such as "''bonkotsu''" (mediocre), "''make-inu''" (pathetic dog, loser), "''uma no hone''" (a nobody), and "''zako''" (insignificant person, weakling). This name calling was carried over to the English anime[[Anime]].

In the English versionVersion, [[Kaiba ]] has a certain contempt for [[Yugi]]'s group of friends: he refers to them constantly with derisive nicknames such as "the dweeb patrol" or "the geek squad", and is fairly condescending and scathing to everyone, with the exception of [[Mokuba]], the only one he consistently cares about and shows his softer side around, going so far as losing a [[duel so as ]] to not endanger him.

[[Kaiba ]] dislikes other people using his cards, namely his "[[Blue-Eyes White Dragon]]" (his favorite and [[signature card]]; notably, he uses its motif to decorate a large portion of his personal effects - e.g., Kaibaland, his jet, and his clothing). This is shown in [[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 001]] when he rips up [[Solomon Muto]]'s [[Blue-eyes White Dragon ]] after winning it so that it could never be used against him, and also in [[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 136]] when [[Kaiba ]] becomes very angry due to [[Joey ]] using his "[[Blue-Eyes White Dragon" ]] in their [[Duel]]. [[Kaiba ]] goes so far as to attack [[Joey]]'s "[[Blue-Eyes White Dragon" ]] with his own, destroying both in the process, to prevent [[Joey ]] from using it for another [[turn]]. (He even says angrily, "I'm the only one with the skills necessary to wield a Blue-Eyes!" while doing so).) He also despises [[Pegasus]]' "[[Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon]]", saying it strips the original of all its pride. According to [[Kazuki Takahashi|Takahashi]], [[Kaiba]]'s obsession with the "[[Blue-Eyes White Dragon (character)|Blue-Eyes White Dragon]]" stems from the feelings between [[Kisara]] (the girl whose Ka housed the Blue-Eyes) and his ancient Egyptian incarnate, [[Priest Seto]] <ref>[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]] Bunkoban Volume 21</ref>.

One of [[Seto]]'s recurring traits in the English version Version is his absolute refusal to believe in the powers of magic often used in the series. Later on during sagas like [[Waking the Dragons]], he openly admits to believing in all the supernatural events occurring around him instead of just ignorantly saying they don't exist as he does in the English anime[[Anime]]. Also, in the Japanese version Version of the [[Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie: Pyramid of Light]], [[Kaiba ]] stated at the end that the only reason he tried to destroy the ''[[Pyramid of Light]]'' card during his [[duel ]] with [[Yugi ]] was because if the card really was magic, it would mean he didn't defeat [[Yugi ]] using his own strength and he refused to win that way. However, the closest the English [[Kaiba ]] has come to this is "Maybe there is some truth to this junk" in the final episodes; however, when questioned by [[Joey]], he quickly denies he ever said such a thing. He probably did this because of his arrogance and the fact that had he admitted to saying so knowing [[Joey]]'s occasional childish nature he would have been teased to no end by [[Joey ]] because of their rivalry. [[Kaiba ]] is much more accepting of the powers of magic in the Japanese versionVersion. In the [[Dawn_of the Duel|Memory World]] arc [[Kaiba]]'s past self, [[Priest Seto]], is introduced. Priest Seto is depicted as being less antagonistic than modern-day [[Kaiba, ]] and is portrayed as being very loyal with a strong sense of justice.

At a young age, [[Seto ]] and his younger brother [[Mokuba Kaiba|Mokuba's]] parents both died. Their relatives took everything from their will and sent [[Seto ]] and [[Mokuba ]] to the [[orphanage]]. (In the English version, it simply said that their parents disappeared and there was no mention of their relatives).<ref name="ep 20">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh!|20|ref}}</ref>

On their first day at the orphanage, [[Seto ]] comforts [[Mokuba, ]] who is crying. He tells him that he'll be his father from now on and vows to protect him no matter what. He advises [[Mokuba ]] to always stay on his guard, as he'll be finished if he shows any weakness.<ref name="ep 100">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh!|100|ref}}</ref>

Together at the orphanage, [[Seto ]] and [[Mokuba ]] would often play games, including [[chess]], which [[Seto ]] always won, but still encouraged [[Mokuba]].<ref name="ep 100"/> When [[Mokuba ]] was bullied by other kids, [[Seto ]] would stick-up for him and even jumped on another kid to retrieve a toy he'd stolen from [[Mokuba]].

One day they made a model theme park in the sandpit. [[Seto ]] said that one day , they would open real theme parks around the world, that everyone would want to visit<ref name="ep 143">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh!|143|ref}}</ref> and orphans would be allowed in free of charge.

The former head of [[KaibaCorp]], [[Gozaburo Kaiba]], arrived at the orphanage to perform a publicity stunt. [[Seto]], who was 10 at the time (12 in the English version), saw the chance to challenge him to a game of chess, with the stakes being that [[Gozaburo ]] was to adopt [[Seto ]] and [[Mokuba ]] together, should [[Seto ]] win. [[Seto ]] won since he had already studied [[Gozaburo]]'s chess methods. [[Gozaburo ]] then adopted both brothers.<ref name="ep 100"/>

When he adopted [[Seto]], [[Gozaburo ]] planned to only use his body as a shell for his son, [[Noah Kaiba|Noah]]. [[Noah ]] had been injured in an accident and had his mind uploaded into a virtual world, as he was unable to survive in his real body. [[Gozaburo ]] also used [[Seto ]] to motivate [[Noah ]] to work harder. However [[Seto ]] proved to be more capable of running [[KaibaCorp ]] than [[Noah]]. [[Gozaburo ]] abandoned his idea to transfer [[Noah]]'s mind into [[Seto]]'s body and focused his energies in training [[Seto]]. [[Gozaburo ]] forced [[Seto ]] into a rigorously accelerated school program.<ref name="ep 119"/>

When [[Gozaburo ]] asked [[Seto ]] what he planned to do with [[KaibaCorp]] after he inherited it, he said that he planned to build a [[KaibaLand]] theme park for underprivileged children. [[Gozaburo ]] called this boring, but [[Seto ]] protested that games purify the soul. [[Gozaburo ]] is not interested as games cannot be used to rule and orders [[Hobson]] to confiscate all of [[Seto ]] and [[Mokuba]]'s toys, refusing to let [[Seto ]] touch toys until he knows how to rule. (In the English versionVersion, [[Seto ]] couldn't keep up with the pace [[Gozaburo ]] wanted him to study at. [[Gozaburo ]] disallowed him from having weekends off. As [[Gozaburo ]] said that discipline is the only way to crush your enemies, [[Seto ]] protested that he has no enemies. [[Gozaburo ]] insisted that he does and he must learn that he can't even trust [[Gozaburo]]. He ordered [[Hobson ]] to confiscate all of [[Seto]]'s toys, so that they won't distract him from his studies.)<ref name="ep 103">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh!|103|ref}}</ref>

[[Mokuba ]] hid [[Seto]]'s [[Duel Monsters]] [[Deck ]] in a hollowed-out book, including a [[Mokuba's "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" drawing|drawing]] of a "[[Blue-Eyes White Dragon|Blue-Eyes White Dragon]]". He also left a note saying that their new family couldn't take everything away from them. [[Kaiba ]] stepped out onto a balcony and vowed to get obtain a real "[[Blue-Eyes White Dragon", ]] one day.<ref name="ep 103"/>

On [[Seto]]'s birthday, he was given a 2% share of [[KaibaCorp ]] (in the English anime[[Anime]], 10 million dollars) and was told that although he could spend the money any way he wished, he must return one hundred times (in the English anime[[Anime]],10 times) the amount in one year. [[Seto ]] returned all the money within a single day. He did this by buying 51% shares of a small company that cares for its employees, [[Seto ]] then made the president buy it back, under threat of it being shut down and leaving the employees jobless.<ref name="ep 108">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh!|108|ref}}</ref>

[[Seto ]] invented virtual software for playing video games. However, [[Gozaburo ]] intended to use it for war. [[Seto ]] confronted him over this, but [[Gozaburo ]] scolded him again for wanting to play games. [[Seto ]] is to inherit the company one day, [[Gozaburo ]] says, and the company is about beating enemies and rising to power, not making toys. [[Seto ]] calls him insane and [[Gozaburo ]] has his guards take [[Seto ]] away. Seto calls out "Father" as he's dragged away. That was the last time he called Gozaburo "Father".<ref name="ep 104">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh!|104|ref}}</ref>