Akhenaden (manga)

Akhenaden

English name	Akhenaden
Japanese name Japanese アクナディン Rōmaji Akunadin
Gender	Male
Relatives
Akhenamkhanen (brother) Seto (son) Atem (nephew)
Occupation	High Priest of Darkness
Previous occupation	High Priest
Manga debut	Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 282 (Millennium World Duel 4): "Voyage into Memories"
Appears in Manga Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium World Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Akhenaden (manga)

Akhenaden is a character in the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga. This is the original depiction of Akhenaden, known as Aknadin in the English anime.

Biography

History

Akhenaden was the adviser and brother of Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen. While he loved his brother, he was secretly resentful of his brother for being pharaoh while he was relatively unimportant. When Egypt was under attack, Akhenaden pushed his brother to fight back and protect his people, but Aknamkanon refused on the grounds he wanted peace. Eventually the invading armies grew too close to the palace to be repelled, and Akhenaden suggested using a spell from the Millennium Tome to create the Millennium Items. Faced with the undeniable fact his kingdom may be destroyed, Akhenamkhanen agreed. It is later revealed that Zorc Necrophades had lured Akhenaden (most likely with promises of his legacy obtaining the throne from his brother) to translate the Millennium Tome (hence the Shadow Alchemy and the events of Kul Elna) in order for him to be brought back into the world.

Akhenaden abandoned his son Seto and his wife for fear his actions would later cause criminals to target them, as well as to shield them from prejudice. Akhenaden led a group of soldiers to the village of Kul Elna, where he ordered the thieves there killed, and their blood collected for the ritual to create the items. The only survivor of this slaughter was Bakura. The slaughter was so horrific that Aknadin never told his brother of it.

Akhenaden succeeded in crafting the Millennium Items, but a chasm opened in the chamber where the ritual took place. It was said that whoever wears the Millennium Eye is granted one wish, which Akhenaden doubted, but nevertheless wished for his son to become king. On the journey back to the palace, all the soldiers but Akhnaden fell, and only he survived. Upon the invading army's attack, Akhenaden, his brother and five other priests used the Millennium Items to hold them at bay and defeat them.

Akhenaden remained a member of the High Priests after his brother sacrificed himself and his son Atem took the throne. Akhenaden also witnessed his son Seto's rise to power as a High Priest, the holder of the Millennium Rod. Akhnaden was amazed his son had made his way from peasant to priest despite him abandoning him, and spent all his spare time training Seto, although he never told him they were related. Both Seto and Atem were unaware that they were cousins, although if Atem knew Akhenaden was his uncle or not is not addressed. Despite his outward personality of being loyal to the pharaoh and his kindness and mercy to criminals, Akhenaden's inner jealousy caused him to desire Seto becoming the pharaoh more than anything else, and Akhenaden would in truth despise his brother and nephew, who took the kingship that Akhenaden desired for himself and his son. Despite the extremes he took, he did end up getting his wish, but ironically it came from Atem's own will and generosity. It is assumable that Akhenaden was very happy about this and that his anger, envy and corruption, was finally laid to rest, since he no longer had a reason to feel those emotions.

Millennium World

Akhenaden took part of the exorcism of Dark Spirit of Chaos, from a criminal. He used the Millennium Eye to expose Dark Spirit of Chaos' true form. When the exorcism was complete, Seto suggested that the criminal be executed for the amusement of the pharaoh and to set a warning for future thieves. However Akhenaden argued that it was unnecessary, as the evil ka had been removed and that it was the duty of a priest to show mercy. He then sentenced the criminal to seven years hard labor.

File:Zorc.png

Akhenadnen's future self claims that he is Zorc Necrophades.

When Bakura, King of Thieves attacked the royal palace and accused Atem's father of slaughtering his village, the High Priests denied such claims, but Akhenaden was horrified to realize Bakura must have survived the destruction, and as a result of the rage and evil that surely had taken root in him, the power of his ka "Diabound" would be nearly limitless. Using the power of his Millennium Ring to get past the guards, Bakura later attacked Akhenaden at the palace and promised Akhenaden's dark side would be brought out. It is implied that Bakura infused a part of Zorc's essence into Akhenadnen's eye. A future version of Akhenaden claiming to be Zorc Necrophades, sealed away into the Millennium Puzzle 3,000 years ago, later visits Akhenaden and tempts him into betraying his pharaoh while he is unconscious. Akhenaden's jealousy towards his brother is exposed by Zorc and he eventually becomes convinced that his son should be Pharaoh instead.

Akhenaden then had several prisoners, including Kisara, taken to the underground prison where he made them battle each other using their ka. When Seto found him, Akhenaden explained Seto would be the next pharaoh and he was simply doing his duty to him by creating an army for him; by having the prisoners fight, their evil souls grew stronger and their ka more deadly. When Akhenaden ordered Kisara to battle, Seto stepped in to save her at the risk of his own life.

Akhenaden accompanied the rest of the High Priests to the attack on Kul Elna, experiencing a horrifying illusion of the spirits of the villagers attacking him. Overseeing the events, Dark Bakura used an hourglass to freeze time, allowing Akhenaden to collect the remaining Millennium Items from the incapacitated High Priests and place them in the Tablet of the Pharaoh's Memories to call Zorc.

Transformation into the High Priest of Darkness

Zorc endowed Akhenaden with the power of the shadows by infusing him with a part of his soul, and transformed him into the High Priest of Darkness. Akhenaden fought alongside Zorc, summoning an army of the undead, and teleported Seto to the palace. He proceeded to tell Seto of his royal lineage, encouraging him to join him and rule the world with him and Zorc.

Akhenaden sealed The White Dragon in stone before killing Kisara. After Zorc was destroyed, he killed himself by stepping into a fissure and Akhenaden sent his spirit into Seto, and controlled him to attack Atem, who had just arrived. Atem was overpowered, but the spirit of Kisara, in the form of The White Dragon entered Seto's mind, where she killed Akhenaden for good. At the end of the Ceremonial Battle, Akhenaden is among the souls waiting for Atem in the underworld.

Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Akhenaden appears as one of three High Priests, who seal Tragoedia after judging him. Akhenaden makes the decision not to inform his brother of the event and to have the still-conscious Tragoedia's stone shattered and sealed away.

Monster ka

Akhenaden has summoned the following monster ka:

• Dark Ushebti
• Gadius