Difference between revisions of "Marik Ishtar"

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{{Infobox/Yu-Gi-Oh!/Character
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{{For|other versions of this character|Marik Ishtar (disambiguation)}}
| image name          = Marik.PNG
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{{Infobox character
| english              = Marik Ishtar
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| headers                  = true
| japanese name        = マリク・イシュタール
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| image                    = Marik.png
| romaji name          = Mariku Ishutāru
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| en_name                  = Marik Ishtar
| english name        = Marik Ishtar
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| other_names              =
| alternate name      =
 
 
* Namu
 
* Namu
 
* Maric Ishutarl ([[Yu-Gi-Oh! (bunkoban)|bunkoban]])
 
* Maric Ishutarl ([[Yu-Gi-Oh! (bunkoban)|bunkoban]])
* Malik Ishtar ([[fanslation]])
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* Malik Ishtar
| arabic name          =
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| ja_name                  = マリク・イシュタール
* ميريك إشتار
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| romaji_name              = Mariku Ishutāru
* ماريك إشتار
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| ar_name                  = مِريك إشتار
| manga debut          = {{chapter|Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist|92|ref}}
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| ko_name                  = 마리크 이슈타르
| anime debut          = {{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh!|51|ref}}<sup>?</sup>
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| birthdate                = December 23<ref name="GoT">''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! Character Guidebook: The Gospel of Truth]]'' profile; [[:File:Gospel of Truth - Marik Ishtar profile.jpg]] {{icon|Japanese}}</ref>
| appears manga        =
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| age                      = 16<ref name="GoT" />
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist]]
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| gender                  = Male
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! Millennium World]]
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| height                  = 180 cm <ref name="GoT" />
* [[Yu-Gi-Oh! R]]
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| weight                  = 55 kg<ref name="GoT" />
| appears anime        = [[Yu-Gi-Oh! (second series anime)]]{{!}}|Yu-Gi-Oh! (second series)
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| blood_type              = B<ref name="GoT" />
| birthdate           = December 23
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| favorite_food            = Koshary<ref name="GoT" />
| age                  = 16
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| least_favorite_food      = Meat dish<ref name="GoT" />
| height              = 180 cm
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| relatives                =  
| weight              = 55 kg
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* [[Ishizu Ishtar]] (older sister)
| gender              = male
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* [[Odion]] (adoptive older brother)
| blood type          = B
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* [[Mr. Ishtar]] (father; deceased; sent to the [[Shadow Realm]] in the dub)
| deck                = Immortality
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* [[Mrs. Ishtar]] (mother; deceased)
| relatives            =
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| previous_occupation      = [[Tomb Keeper]]
* [[Ishizu Ishtar]] (elder sister)
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| previous_organization    = [[Rare Hunters]]
* [[Odion Ishtar]] (adoptive older brother)
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| tournament1              = [[Battle City]]
* [[Mr. Ishtar]] (father, deceased)
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| result1                  = Runner-up
* [[Mrs. Ishtar]] (mother, deceased)
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| anime_deck                =
| favorite food        = Koshary
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* [[Machine]] (through [[Bandit Keith]])
| least favorite food  = Meat dish
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* Slime/Slifer (through [[Strings]])
| japanese voice      = {{voice actors|ja|[[wikipedia:Tetsuya Iwanaga|Tetsuya Iwanaga]]|[[Wikipedia:Akiko Kimura|Akiko Kimura]]|e2=(young Marik)}}
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* [[Burn]] (through [[Joey Wheeler]])
| english voice        = {{voice actors|en|[[wikipedia:Jonathan Todd Ross|Jonathan Todd Ross]]|[[Wikipedia:Taaz Gill|Taaz Gill]]|[[Wikipedia:Brian Zimmerman|Brian Zimmerman]]|e2=(Marik, Singapore)|e3=(Yami Marik, Singapore)}}
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* Immortality/Torture (as [[Yami Marik]])
}}
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| wc4_deck                  = Darkness
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| ntr_deck                  =
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* Keeper's Judgment
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* Roar of Ra
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* Dark Destroyer
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| anime_debut              = {{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh!|50|ref}}
 +
| video_game_debut          = ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel Stories]]''
 +
| hide_appearances          = true
 +
| appears_in_anime          = [[Yu-Gi-Oh! (anime)|''Yu-Gi-Oh!'' (second series)]]
 +
| appears_in_gbc           = ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel Stories]]''
 +
| appears_in_gba            =
 +
* ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! The Eternal Duelist Soul]]''
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* ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! Reshef of Destruction]]''
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* ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! Worldwide Edition: Stairway to the Destined Duel]]''
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* ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sacred Cards]]''
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* ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! 7 Trials to Glory: World Championship 2005]]''
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* ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2004]]''
 +
| appears_in_nds            = ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! Nightmare Troubadour]]''
 +
| appears_in_ps2      = ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monster Coliseum]]''
 +
| ja_voice                  = {{voice actors|ja|Tetsuya Iwanaga|Akiko Kimura|e2=(child)}}
 +
| en_voice                  = {{voice actors|en|Jonathan Todd Ross|Taaz Gill|Brian Zimmerman|e2=(Marik, Singapore)}}
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|de_voice = Charles Rettinghaus
 +
|it_voice = {{voice actors|it|Patrizio Prata}}|fil_name = Malik Ishtar
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|tl_voice = Michael Punzalan}}
 +
 
 +
'''Marik Ishtar''' (マリク・イシュタール ''Mariku Ishutāru'') is a character in the ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! (anime)|Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'' anime and the main antagonist of the [[Battle City]] and [[Battle City Quarterfinals]] arcs, until the defeat of [[Odion]], when Marik's alter ego [[Yami Marik]] takes over his body and replaces him as the main antagonist. He is the leader and founder of the [[Rare Hunters]] and heir to the [[Tomb Keeper]]s.
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Marik is the younger brother of [[Ishizu Ishtar]] and the adoptive younger brother of [[Odion]].
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== Design ==
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===Appearance===
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[[File:MalikConceptart.png|thumb|left|Marik linework.]]
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Marik's initial outfit consists of purple hooded robes with the [[Eye of Anubis]] on it, and a long purple cape with a gold chain at the front. He wears golden earrings, three bands of neckwear, an armband on each arm, and five bracelets on each arm starting from close to his elbows down to his wrists. He has dark skin, purple eyes and white-gold hair that occasionally appears as more light gray hair, especially in the Battle City tournament and at night.
  
'''Marik Ishtar''' is the main villain of the [[Battle City]] arc. He has [[wikipedia:Dissociative identity disorder|dissociative identity disorder]] with two distinct identities. His alter ego '''Dark Marik''' (or '''Yami Marik''' in the English anime) was created by Marik's hatred for being a tombkeeper and for his father who strictly enforced that he continue his family's lineage. Dark Marik slowly grew by Marik's hatred. Marik is often considered to be one of the foremost adversaries in the series.
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When he arrived in Domino City, he wore a sleeveless light purple hoodie with two gold chains on the front, black pants, and black shoes. While in [[Battle City]], he acquires a [[Duel Disk|KaibaCorp Duel Disk]] on his left arm. In the manga, his pants are beige, and he wears a black tank top underneath his hoodie, which would come to be the clothes his split personality would wear, minus the hoodie.  
  
==Character design==
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When he was switched with Dark Marik as his sacrifice during his battle against Yami Yugi, he wears the outfit that Dark Marik wore but he removes the purple cloak before he destroys his dark self in the shadow game.  
[[Image:Dark Marik Linework.jpg|thumb|left|180px|Yami Marik's design incorporates multiple layers of clothing and a wide range of expressions. Depicted here is the duelist in full regalia from front, side and rear views and alongside views of his head from different angles.]]
 
  
Marik's usual outfit consists of a long purple cape with a gold chain at the front worn by the rare hunters, a sleeveless black shirt and beige combats. He wears gold earrings, neckwear, armbands and bracelets all up his wrists. His white-blond hair is neatly arranged as Marik. As Yami Marik his face features various veins which seem to become more prominent over time, his hair is spiked upwards and points in all directions and he bears the Eye of Wdjat on his forehead. Whilst dueling, faint, ghastly images of his face frequently stretch out from his head. In the [[Battle City]] arc he often wears a [[Duel Disk 2|KaibaCorp Duel Disk]] on his left arm.
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Throughout Season 5, Marik eventually changed in a steel blue shirt with a black vest over it, two black and gold bracelets, light gray pants, and black shoes.
  
==Personality==
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{{clear left}}
===Marik Ishtar===
 
As a child, Marik was an innocent boy who desired to see the outside world, despite his clan's laws forbid him from doing so, and was willing to sneak out to fulfill his desire. He cared for his siblings very much. Marik also considered Rishid to be his brother, despite being not blood related.
 
  
Marik bore a grudge towards [[Atem|the pharaoh]], who he was forced to guard with his life, robbing him of his freedom. Marik's hatred only intensified when he was forced to take the family's ritual of having the carvings cut onto his back.(In the English version the carvings were marked on with permanent ink). The pain was so intense that he gave birth to his alter ego, '''Dark Marik'''. When his father brutally tortures Rishid for helping Marik and Ishizu to sneak outside for a view, Dark Marik woke up and killed the man. (In the English Version, Yami Marik banished him to the Shadow Realm.) Marik, who had no recollection of the murder, thought Shadi, a loyalist to the Pharaoh, was the killer, and thus leading to Marik's betrayal to the clan to get revenge against the Pharaoh.
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===Personality===
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As a child, Marik was an innocent boy who desired to see the outside world, despite his clan's laws forbidding him from doing so, and was willing to sneak out to fulfill his desire. He cared for his sister [[Ishizu Ishtar]] very much and also considered [[Odion]] to be his brother, despite not being blood related.
  
While leading the [[Rare Hunters]], in his quest for world domination and freedom, Marik became rather cruel and uncaring, willing to brainwash people to do his bidding, and force them to cheat and use cruelty on his behalf, victims being [[Keith Howard]] and [[Joey Wheeler]] and [[Strings]]. He was not above using death to punish his subordinates for failure, such as [[Arkana]] and [[Lumis]], nor did he care about sacrificing them to test the fake [[The Winged Dragon of Ra]] cards, which produced severe injuries and death. He even threatened his sister with the Millennium Rod for getting in his way, and ordered Rishid to use the fake Ra card against his will. However, he still retained his love for his family, despite his mistreatment to them.
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Marik bore a grudge towards [[Pharaoh Atem|the Pharaoh]] because he was forced by [[Mr. Ishtar|his own father]] to guard the family's carving with his life via a ritual of having carvings (in the anime's Japanese version and the original manga) or tattoos (in the anime's dub) onto his back which brought intense pain during and after the ritual and robbed him of his freedom.  
  
===Dark Marik===
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With the intense pain and his hatred towards the Pharaoh, he spawned his second personality [[Yami Marik]] to deal with it all. Such as a year later when his father brutally tortured Odion for helping Marik and Ishizu to sneak outside, Marik was unconscious while Yami Marik killed his father and woke up with no recollection of his father's murder. Immediately afterwards, he sees [[Shadi|a loyalist to the Pharaoh]], Shadi, had come to warn him about the dangerous path he had taken. Marik thought that Shadi had murdered his father, leading to Marik's betrayal of the clan to get revenge against the Pharaoh (this aspect is removed from the dub).
[[File:Yami Marik.jpg|thumb|left|Dark Marik]]
 
As '''Dark Marik''', he becomes a person of pure cruelty and insanity who cares for no one but himself, as he was born of hate, anger and envy. Dark Marik ruthlessly murdered his father, and was constantly trying to kill Rishid for being a hindrance to his existence in the outside, and even threatened Ishizu with death for hiding their brother. Dark Marik showed no interest for Kaiba's past, something which his alter ego wanted to know. It is not said what Dark Marik's goals were in the original Japanese version, but he desired to kill Yugi more than anything, as he was born by Marik's hatred towards the pharaoh. In the English dub anime, he wanted to rule the world.
 
  
Aside from his lack of empathy, he also seems to be a sadist, building his deck around torture-themed cards, and using the shadow powers to manifest them into reality, painfully hurting his opponents for his own pleasures. He even tried to kill [[Mai Kujaku]] in order to make Yugi suffer, and then placed her in a [[Shadow Game]], despite her having no involvement in Marik's grudge against the pharaoh.
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While leading the [[Rare Hunters]] in his quest for world domination and freedom, Marik became cruel and uncaring, willing to brainwash people to do his bidding, force them to cheat, and use cruelty on his behalf, the victims included [[Bandit Keith]] and [[Strings]]. He was not above using death to punish his subordinates for failure despite them pleading to Marik they tried their best, such as [[Arkana]] and [[Lumis]], nor did he care about sacrificing Rare Hunters to test the fake "[[The Winged Dragon of Ra (anime)|The Winged Dragon of Ra]]" cards which produced severe injuries and death. He even threatened his sister Ishizu with the [[Millennium Rod]] for getting in his way and ordered Odion to use the fake Ra card against his will when was so close to winning against Joey. This may all stem from his other persona influencing him as when they met during Yami Marik's duel with Yami Bakura, the former said that he caused him to not feel guilty over his actions. Though He still retained his love for his family, despite his mistreatment of them.
  
In the [[Virtual World]] fortress of [[Noah Kaiba]], Dark Marik showed that he can be a reckless person, as he destroyed the fortress' computer, the only way of stopping a missile is programmed to fire at the place.
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=== Etymology ===
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His given name "Marik" is derived from the Arabic name [[wikipedia:Malik|Malik]] (مالك ''Mālik''), meaning "owner" or "holder". It was likely also influenced by the distinct Arabic title "Malik" (ملك ''Malik''), which means "king". The use of "r" rather than "l" comes from the two consonants being represented by the same speech sound in Japanese. He uses the name "Malik" in the Filipino and Indonesian versions.
  
Despite his cruelty and evilness, he valued his own life dearly, and tried to kill Rishid so he would not be sealed back in. He also tried to plead for Marik to help him win against Yugi.
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His surname "Ishtar" comes from [[Wikipedia:Ishtar|Ishtar]], a [[Wikipedia:Mesopotamia|Mesopotamian]] goddess of fertility, love, war, and sex.
  
 
==Biography==
 
==Biography==
Marik's family guarded the tomb of the pharaoh for generations and two of the [[Millennium Items]], the [[Millennium Rod|Rod]] and [[Millennium Necklace|Necklace]] were passed on to Marik and his sister [[Ishizu Ishtar]]. Marik was forbidden to leave the Pharoah's tomb due to his father's fear that the freedom and marvels of the outside world would further divert Marik's attention away from his heritage. Marik no longer wanted to become a Tombkeeper, so his adoptive brother [[Odion Ishtar]] asked if he could take Marik's place but was refused. When Marik was forced to take the initiation ritual to become a full Tombkeeper, Dark Marik was created from the pain he endured. After the forbidden trip to surface, [[Mr. Ishtar|Marik's father]], having found out, attempted to kill Odion. At this, Dark Marik emerged for the first time to resisted punishment and claimed the [[Millennium Rod]] for himself. Ignoring his father's orders to put the item down, Dark Marik used its powers to smash him against the wall. When Ishizu protested, she suffered the same strike. Marik then proceeded to his father with a killing blow. In the manga Dark Marik specifically skinned his father with it and then threw his father's back onto Odion. In the Japanese anime he killed his father to stop him from killing Odion (in the English anime he sent his father to the [[Shadow Realm]]). Dark Marik was sealed away in Marik's body by Odion.
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===History===
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Marik's family guarded the tomb of the Pharaoh for generations and two [[Millennium Items]] (the [[Millennium Rod]] and [[Millennium Necklace]]) were passed on to Marik and his sister [[Ishizu Ishtar]]. Marik was forbidden to leave the Pharaoh's tomb due to his [[Mr. Ishtar|father]]'s fear that the freedom and marvels of the outside world would further divert Marik's attention from his heritage. Marik no longer wanted to become a Tombkeeper, so his adoptive brother [[Odion Ishtar]] asked if he could take Marik's place but Marik's father rejected the thought of Odion taking Marik's place. When Marik was forced to take the initiation ritual to become a full Tombkeeper, Marik spawned his second personality [[Yami Marik]] from the pain he endured. A year later, Marik and Ishizu took a forbidden trip to the surface but their father found out and attempted punish Odion for not stoping Marik and Ishizu, by killing him. In the midst of his father's torturing Odion, Marik blanked out and his second personality Yami Marik emerged for the first time to resist his father's punishment and claimed the Millennium Rod for himself. Ignoring his father's orders to put it down, Yami Marik used its powers to smash him against the wall. When Ishizu protested, she suffered the same strike. Yami Marik then proceeded to kill his father. After Yami Marik was sealed away in Marik's body by Odion, Marik believed that the Pharaoh had ordered the loyalist [[Shadi]] to kill his father, due to Odion saying Shadi had killed him, trying to be a big brother and hiding from Marik that it was actually his alter ego who had done so. This increased Marik's grudge and resentment to the Pharaoh, causing him to create the Rare Hunters.
  
In the [[Battle City]] arc, Marik was the leader of the [[Ghouls]] organization, he wishes to obtain the three [[Egyptian Gods|Egyptian God Cards]], and with them, unlock their power for himself so he can gain the title of "Pharaoh" and set his family free. He also has a hidden agenda - to get revenge on the ancient Pharaoh's soul, which currently resides in [[Yugi Mutou|Yugi]]'s body, for killing his father, as he was made to believe. In the English anime, he is considerably more fiendish. He wants the God Cards and the [[Millennium Puzzle]] to gain the power of the Pharaoh and rule the world, though he retains his hate of the Pharoah. Marik uncovers two of the three Egyptian Gods, ''[[The Winged Dragon of Ra]]'' and ''[[Slifer the Sky Dragon]]'' from where [[Maximillion Pegasus|Pegasus]] had hidden them away due to danger associated with them. The third Egyptian God, ''[[Obelisk the Tormentor]]'', is taken by Ishizu, who gives it to [[Seto Kaiba]].
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As a teenager, Marik was the leader of the [[Rare Hunters]] organization as he wished with the Millennium Rod to obtain the three [[Egyptian Gods|Egyptian God Cards]] so that he could unlock their power for himself, gain the title of "Pharaoh" and set his family free from the duty of the Tombkeepers (In the dub, he wants the God Cards and the Millennium Puzzle, so he can unlock the Pharaoh's power for himself and use it to rule the world). He also had a hidden agenda - to get revenge on the [[Yami Yugi|Nameless Pharaoh]]'s soul for killing his father as he mistakenly believed that it was the Pharaoh's fault. Although he and his Rare Hunters uncovered "[[The Winged Dragon of Ra (anime)|The Winged Dragon of Ra]]" and "[[Slifer the Sky Dragon (anime)|Slifer the Sky Dragon]]" from where [[Maximillion Pegasus]] had hidden them, they were unable to uncover "[[Obelisk the Tormentor (anime)|Obelisk the Tormentor]]", which was taken by Ishizu and given to [[Seto Kaiba]].
  
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===Battle City===
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During [[Battle City]], Marik and his Rare Hunters hacked into Battle City's computer system and entered themselves in the tournament. After the Pharaoh defeated [[Seeker|the weakest Rare Hunter]], Marik used the Millennium Rod to take over the Rare Hunter's body to introduce himself to the Pharaoh. After the Pharaoh defeated [[Arkana]], Marik used the Millennium Rod to take over Arkana's body to introduce himself to [[Yugi Muto]]. While arriving at Domino City, Marik used the Millennium Rod to have [[Strings|a Rare Hunter]] use Slifer against the Pharaoh to win the Millennium Puzzle from him. Marik has a huge advantage up his sleeve,  with the Egyptian God Card "[[Slifer the Sky Dragon (anime)|Slifer the Sky Dragon]]". Using a five card combo involving "Slifer", "[[Revival Jam (anime)|Revival Jam]]", "[[Infinite Cards (anime)|Infinite Cards]]", "[[Jam Defender (anime)|Jam Defender]]", and "[[Card of Safe Return (anime)|Card of Safe Return]]", Strings puts Yami in a tight situation. Every time he attacks, Strings can redirect the attack to "Revival Jam", which regenerates itself after being destroyed (this is neither an automatic nor immediate effect in the OCG/TCG) and thanks to "Card of Safe Return", he draws three cards from his Deck whenever this happens and because of "Infinite Cards", he can hold as many cards as he wants. With Slifer's ATK and DEF proportional to the number of cards its controller holds, and with "Revival Jam" able to absorb and reform from any attack Yugi is able to make with the aid of "Jam Defender", Marik boasts the strategy is unbeatable.
  
Marik and his Ghouls hack into to the Battle City computer system and enter themselves in the tournament. He has his Ghouls duel Yugi and Kaiba to take the [[Millennium Puzzle]] and ''[[Obelisk the Tormentor]]'' from them. One of his Ghouls included [[the Pantomimer]] (Strings in the English anime, though he was only referred to as "The Quiet One"), who he controlled using the [[Millennium Rod]] and included ''[[Slifer the Sky Dragon]]'' in his deck. But was defeated by Yugi allowing him to take Slifer. [[Ryo Bakura|Dark Bakura]] (Yami Bakura) teams up with Marik Ishtar in a verbal deal consisting of Marik's relinquishment of the Millennium Rod if the Dark Bakura got back ''[[Slifer the Sky Dragon]]''.
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Yami is just about to give up until Kaiba arrives and encourages him to fight on. The two manage to figure out the weakness of this combo and turn it against Marik. Yami attacks "Revival Jam" with "[[Buster Blader (anime)|Buster Blader]]", and then uses "[[Brain Control (anime)|Brain Control]]" to take control of "Revival Jam" as it regenerates so it regenerates under his control, forcing "Slifer" to attack it with its second mouth. Then "Revival Jam" is destroyed and regenerates, forcing Strings to draw three more cards due to "Card of Safe Return". Then "Slifer" must attack "Revival Jam" again, since it reformed under Yami's control, destroying it and allowing it to regenerate again, and forcing Strings to continue drawing due to "Card of Safe Return". This continues in a never-ending loop until Strings' Deck is empty, and thus he loses the Duel through a Deck Out. Yami gets "Slifer the Sky Dragon" for his victory. When he was getting ready to brainwash Joey, [[Yami Bakura]] stood in his way, telling him to hand over the Rod. Instead, they made a deal where if Bakura obtains Slifer for him and defeat Yami Yugi, he would give him the Millennium Rod. Yami Bakura then stabbed himself in the arm and gave control back to his host, [[Bakura Ryou]]. He showed the injured Bakura to Joey, Solomon, and Téa, gaining their trust and taking the guise of Namu. While Kaiba and the Pharaoh Dueled [[Lumis and Umbra]], Marik used his Millennium Rod to brainwash [[Joey Wheeler]] and [[Téa Gardner]]. After Kaiba used Obelisk to defeat Umbra, Marik used the Millennium Rod to take over Lumis's body and brag about having Yugi's friends. Having a Rare Hunter hold Tea hostage, the deadly Duel between the Pharaoh and Joey went through much to Kaiba's horror. In the midst of the Duel, Yugi took over for the Pharaoh much to Marik's anger as he wanted to see the Pharaoh's demise not his teenage vessel's. When Marik forced Joey with the Millennium Rod's full power, Joey was able break free with his willpower.
  
Marik, Bakura, and Odion get places in the quarter-finals. Marik has Odion pretend to be himself (nobody except for Yami Bakura had actually met him in person), while he took on the disguise '''Namu'''. Bakura is defeated by Yugi. Marik has Odion use a counterfeit ''[[The Winged Dragon of Ra]]'' card in his quarter-final against [[Joey Wheeler]]. Joey suspects he is not dueling the real Marik so Odion attempts to win using the counterfeit to prove he is Marik. Ra is angered by this and strikes both duelists, leaving Odion in a coma. With Odion knocked out Dark Marik was able to take control of Marik. In Marik's quarter-final match, Dark Marik traps the soul of [[Mai Valentine]] and has several brain insects slowly devour her body after he beats her in a shadow game (in the English version, he banished her soul to the Shadow Realm). After this, Joey is determined to duel Marik and save Mai no matter how high the cost.
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Marik, Bakura and Odion took places in the quarter-finals. Marik took the guise of Namu while Odion pretended to be "Marik" as nobody had actually met him in person and known his true name (sans Yami Bakura, since although Téa, Joey, and Bakura Ryou technically met him, he pretended to be a boy named Namu). After Bakura was defeated by the Pharaoh in the first quarter-final match, Marik had Odion use a counterfeit Ra card in his quarter-final against Joey. When Joey suspected that he was not Dueling the real Marik, as Odion had been Dueling with honor while Marik was cruel, sadistic and as by far as Joey was concerned, a dirty cheater; Marik ordered Odion to use the counterfeit Ra to "show" he's Marik but Ra was angered by this and wrathfully struck both Duelists with lightning, ultimately rendering Odion and Joey unconscious. After Joey defeated Odion, the latter reveals to the Pharaoh and Joey that he is really Marik's servant while Marik began to suffer sudden headaches. After Odion was further rendered unconscious, Marik revealed himself to the Pharaoh, Joey, Kaiba, Téa, [[Tristan Taylor]], [[Duke Devlin]], [[Mokuba Kaiba]], [[Serenity Wheeler]] and [[Mai Valentine]]. Suddenly, Marik cried out in pain as his darker personality gained control of his body. While Ishizu Dueled Kaiba in the fourth quarter-final match, Marik tried to call out to Ishizu but his dark personality trapped Marik in a "prison" built out of his own fear and pity. During his sister's Duel with Kaiba, the Millennium Rod began activating on its own, causing Yami Marik to wonder why; although Yami Marik had already taken control of him, there is a large possibility that Marik, by somehow knowing what was happening through his alter ego, wondered as well why Kaiba had a connection to his Rod. In the manga, one of Marik's goals before his darker personality awakened ''was'' to discover why the figure on the mural looked like Kaiba holding his Millennium Rod. Through Tea's mind, Marik listened to Ishizu's story of how he became evil and created his darker side, thus beginning to reform himself. After the quarter-finals, his reformed soul confronted his other self, claiming that he would make up for everything he had done and apologizing to his father, before a Duel with him. In this Duel, Marik teamed up with Yami Bakura to stop him, but failed when Yami Marik used Ra's other abilities, which were unknown to Marik. However, Marik (through Téa) warned Ishizu to hide Odion from Yami Marik in order to save his life.
  
[[Image:Marik'sBack.jpg|thumb|200px|The carving (tattoo in the English anime) of the Pharaoh's memory.]]
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=== Battle City Finals ===
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[[File:Marik'sBack.jpg|thumb|200px|Marik's carving/tattoo of the Pharaoh's memory.]]
 +
In the final Duel between Yami Marik and the Pharaoh, their weaker selves were the victims of the [[Shadow Game]] being played. As the Duel went on, Yami Marik became the dominant host of Marik's body while the real Marik's soul slowly faded out of existence. This Shadow Game gave him a clear edge, for when the Pharaoh lost [[Life Points]], Yugi's body would fade away, and when Yami Marik lost Life Points, the original Marik would fade away. As Marik realizes his mistakes of making people suffer, he speaks out through Téa, begging the Pharaoh for his forgiveness and asks him to defeat Yami Marik, even if it meant he would go to the Shadow Realm. While they Dueled, Odion woke up and made Marik realize he had to accept his responsibility for being a Tombkeeper. With this confidence, Marik overpowered his evil self and made him the victim of the Shadow Game, and then forfeited, destroying Yami Marik. Marik gave the Pharaoh the Millennium Rod and the Ra card.
  
Dark Bakura teams with Marik's soul to stop Dark Marik, but fails as well and loses the [[Millennium Ring]]. In the semi-finals dark Marik duels Joey, who becomes severely injured by ''[[The Winged Dragon of Ra]]'' and is unable to continue to claim victory. As time goes on, Dark Marik becomes the dominant host of Marik's body, with the real Marik's soul slowly fading out of existence. Yugi faces Dark Marik in the finals. Dark Marik turns the duel into a Shadow Game that gave him a clear edge, when the Pharaoh lost life-points, Yugi's body would fade away, when Dark Marik lost life points, the original Marik would fade away. While they duel, Odion wakes up and he makes Marik realize he had to accept his responsibility for being a Tombkeeper. With this confidence, Marik overpowers his evil self and forfeits, destroying Dark Marik. Marik gives Yugi the [[Millennium Rod]] and ''[[The Winged Dragon of Ra]]''. Marik then reveals the Tombkeeper's initiation. The carving of the pharaoh's memory onto the back of a tomb guardian involves using either a hot dagger (as in the manga), a normal dagger (in the Japanese version of the second series anime), or a tattoo (in the English second series anime, though the dagger was still seen in the flashback) on his back. Fulfilling his duty as a Tombkeeper, Marik returns to Egypt to start a new life.
+
Marik then revealed the Tombkeeper's initiation. The carving of the pharaoh's memory onto the back of a tomb guardian (using either a hot dagger in the manga and the Japanese version of the second series anime, or a tattoo in the English second series anime although the dagger was still seen in the flashback) on his back. Fulfilling his duty as a Tombkeeper, Marik returned to Egypt to start a new life with his sister and Odion.
  
In the Millennium World arc, Marik, Ishizu, and Odion lead Yugi and his friends to the tomb of the Pharaoh in order for Pharaoh Atem and Yugi to have a final duel in order to determine if the spirit will move on to the afterlife or remain in the present.
+
===Pharaoh's Memories===
 +
[[File:Reformed marik.jpg|thumb|Marik's appearance in [[Dawn of the Duel]]]]
 +
In the [[Pharaoh's Memories]] arc, Marik, Ishizu, and Odion lead Yugi and his friends to the Tablet of Memories, so Yami Yugi may enter the Memory World and regain his memory.
  
==Naming==
+
=== Ceremonial Battle ===
Marik's name is also commonly read as Malik by fans. Some fans believe that it was made fairly obvious that it was meant to be romanized as "Malik", given the meaning of the name "Malik", and given the fact that Malik is a fairly common Arabic name. Additionally, "Malik" can be defined in Arabic as "the controller," "king", or "one who rules", a well-fitting name given his excessive use of the Millenium Rod, mind slaves, and his portrayal as a dominating villain. Marik Ishtar is known as "Malik Ishtar" in Indonesia.
+
Marik, Ishizu, and Odion lead Yugi and his friends to the tomb of the Pharaoh in order for Yugi and [[Pharaoh Atem|Atem]] to have a final Duel in order to determine whether Atem will move on to the afterlife or remain in the present. Atem loses, allowing him to pass on to the afterlife. After he left, the Millennium Items sank into the ground and the tomb collapsed. Marik and the others managed to escape and Marik and his family end up staying in Egypt.
  
Likely Marik comes from the fact that often "l" and "r" alternate in names from Japanese to English, though this was not necessarily the intended substitution.
+
{{clear}}
 +
==Other appearances==
 +
{{Character other appearances}}
  
Marik's name is derived from the Arabic word [[Wikipedia:Malik|Malik]] ("king") and the Mesopotamian deity [[Wikipedia:Ishtar|Ishtar]].  Ishtar is a vengeful Babylonian goddess according to the 3000 year-old epic of Gilgamesh.
+
==Decks==
 +
Marik's own Deck is only shown once in a Duel, before Yami Marik modifies it prior to his second Duel. Marik himself uses several Decks while controlling the bodies of others through his [[Millennium Rod]].  
  
'''Malik''' is considered a correct Romanization of 3 different Arabic words. These include:
+
===Through Keith===
*(ملك) '''Malik''' (also '''Malek''' or '''Melik'''), an Arabic word and title, meaning "king", "monarch", and "sovereign". Notably ''not'' used as a given first name, but rather as a title.
+
While controlling [[Bandit Keith]], he utilizes Keith's '''[[Machine]] Deck''', albeit modified to include powerful cards obtained by his [[Rare Hunter]]s, such as "[[Zera the Mant (anime)|Zera the Mant]]", "[[Seiyaryu (anime)|Seiyaryu]]" and "[[Graceful Charity (anime)|Graceful Charity]]".
*(مالك) '''Mālik''' (also '''Maalik'''), an Arabic word and name, meaning "owner", "proprietor", "proprietary", "possessor", and "holder". It is the the most common among the three to be used as a first name for a person, and its use as a name dates back to ancient times.
 
*(مليك) '''Malīk''' (also '''Maleek'''), can mean either of the two words above. Although mostly ''not'' used as a given first name.
 
  
If Marik's name was based on Arabic, then the second one (مالك) is the most correct equivalent naming-wise. It could have been chosen based on the meaning of the other two names though, as the three words are usually written with no clear differentiation in English.
+
{{Decklist|Machine Deck
 
+
|normal monsters =
==Deck==
+
* [[Ground Attacker Bugroth (anime)|Ground Attack Bugroth]] x2<ref group=Notes name=hand2>The second copy can be seen in his hand after the first is [[Tribute]]d for "[[Zera Ritual (anime)|Zera Ritual]]" in [[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 051|episode 51]].</ref>
Marik's own deck is never shown in a duel, as Yami Marik makes modifications to it prior to his dueling debut, but glimpses of it are shown through the decks the [[Rare Hunter|Rare Hunters]] use.  Cards such as "[[Revival Jam]]", "[[Jam Defender]]" (both played by [[Strings]]), and "[[Masked Beast Des Gardius]]" (played by [[Lumis]] and [[Umbra]]), reappear as part of Marik's own deck during the [[Battle City]] arc.
+
* [[Mechanicalchaser (anime)|Mechancialchaser]]
 +
* [[Megasonic Eye (anime)|Megasonic Eye]]
 +
* [[Seiyaryu (anime)|Seiyaryu]]
 +
|effect monsters =  
 +
* [[Cyber Jar (anime)|Cyber Jar]]
 +
* [[Machine King (anime)|Machine King]]
 +
|ritual monsters =  
 +
* [[Zera the Mant (anime)|Zera the Mant]]
 +
|magic =
 +
* [[Curse of Fiend (anime)|Curse of Fiend]]
 +
* [[Graceful Charity (anime)|Graceful Charity]]  
 +
* [[Machine Conversion Factory (anime)|Machine Conversion Factory]]
 +
* [[Stop Defense (anime)|Stop Defense]]
 +
* [[Tribute to the Doomed (anime)|Tribute to the Doomed]]
 +
* [[Zera Ritual (anime)|Zera Ritual]]
 +
|traps =
 +
* [[Magic Jammer (anime)|Magic Jammer]]
 +
* [[Solemn Judgment (anime)|Solemn Judgment]]
 +
}}
  
Yami Marik runs an '''Immortality-Torture Deck''', which focuses on slowly torturing his opponents and watching them squirm, until ultimately playing "[[The Winged Dragon of Ra]]" in ways he finds most evoking of pain, i.e. using [[The Winged Dragon of Ra|Ra's]] "[[Egyptian God Phoenix]]" (introduced when he dueled [[Joey Wheeler]]) and "[[Point-to-Point Transfer]]" abilities (introduced when he dueled [[Yami Bakura]]).  When he proceeds to duel [[Yami Yugi]], Yami Marik's strategy focuses primarily on reviving [[The Winged Dragon of Ra|Ra]] from the [[Graveyard]] with "[[Monster Reborn]]" and continually transferring that card to his [[hand]] with cards like "[[Left Arm Offering]]", "[[Zombie's Jewel]]", and "[[Magical Stone Excavation]]".  He also focuses on increasing his [[Life Points]] so he can activate both of [[The Winged Dragon of Ra|Ra's]] abilities, resulting in a massive [[ATK]] for [[The Winged Dragon of Ra|Ra]] to deliver the finishing blow, critical injury to his opponents—since he has played all of his Duels as [[Shadow Game|Shadow Games]]—and sometimes both.
+
===Through Strings===
 +
While controlling the body of [[Strings]], Marik uses a '''[[Slifer the Sky Dragon (anime)|Slifer]]/[[Slime]] Deck''' tooled to Summoning and powering up the [[Egyptian Gods|Egyptian God Card]] "[[Slifer the Sky Dragon (anime)|Slifer the Sky Dragon]]" using a five-card combo known as the '''"God Five"''':
  
Besides this, his [[Deck]] is largely composed of [[Fiend]]-[[Type]] monsters, and his cards rely on draining an opponent of strength: "[[Helpoemer]]" [[discard|discards]] cards; "[[Plasma Eel]]" lowers the [[ATK]] of an opponent's monster every turn; cards like "[[Bowganian]]", "[[Lava Golem]]", and "[[Coffin Seller]]" can [[Effect Damage|burn]] through his opponent's [[Life Points]].  In particular to the theme of pain, many cards like "[[Byser Shock]]", "[[Viser Des]]", and "[[Nightmare Wheel]]" are all modeled after torture devices.
+
* "[[Slifer the Sky Dragon (anime)|Slifer the Sky Dragon]]": The main attack force with near infinite attack power.
 +
* "[[Revival Jam (anime)|Revivial Jam]]": The ultimate defense, to defend "Slifer" if necessary.
 +
* "[[Jam Defender (anime)|Jam Defender]]": To allow "Revival Jam" to automatically defend "Slifer".
 +
* "[[Card of Safe Return (anime)|Card of Safe Return]]": Every time "Revival Jam" is [[Special Summon]]ed from the [[Graveyard]], Strings must draw three cards, and "Slifer" gains 3000 ATK.
 +
* "[[Infinite Cards (anime)|Infinite Cards]]": Removes hand limit, allowing the ATK of "Slifer" to climb virtually infinite.
  
{{Decklist|Anime/Manga Deck
+
The sheer draw power of this deck ended up being its downfall, as Yami Yugi was able to create an infinite loop causing Strings to [[Deck Out]].
|monsters =
 
<u>Normal Monsters</u>
 
* [[Drillago]]
 
* [[Gil Garth]]
 
* [[Juragedo]]
 
* [[Melchid the Four-Face Beast]] (Only in the anime)
 
* [[The Earl of Demise]] (Dub only; not played)
 
* [[The Portrait's Secret]] (Dub only; not played)
 
  
<u>Effect Monsters</u>
+
{{clear}}
* [[Bowganian]]
 
* [[Byser Shock]] (Only in the manga)
 
* [[Dark Jeroid]]
 
* [[Helpoemer]]
 
* [[Lava Golem]]
 
* [[Legendary Fiend]]
 
* [[Holding Arms]] (Only in the anime)
 
* [[Holding Legs]] (Only in the anime)
 
* [[Lekunga]]
 
* [[Lord Poison]]
 
* [[Makyura the Destructor]]
 
* [[Masked Beast Des Gardius]] (Only in the anime)
 
* [[Morphing Jar]] (Dub only; not played)
 
* [[Newdoria]]
 
* [[Plasma Eel]] x3 (Only in the anime)
 
* [[Revival Jam]]
 
* [[Sacred Stone of Ojhat]] (Only in the anime)
 
* [[Swallow-Tailed Spike Lizard]] (called "Granadora" in OCG/TCG)
 
* [[The Winged Dragon of Ra]] (Lost to Yugi Muto in episode 142)
 
* [[Vampiric Leech]]
 
* [[Viser Des]] x3 (Only in the manga)
 
  
<u>Fusion Monsters</u>
+
{{Decklist|Slifer Deck
* [[Egyptian God Slime]]
+
|normal monsters =
|spells =
+
* [[Humanoid Slime (anime)|Humanoid Slime]] x2 <ref group=Notes name=hand1>A second copy can be seen in the anime after Strings drops his hand while Yami is explaining his infinite loop combo in [[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 057|episode 57]].</ref>
* [[Bait Doll]] (Seen in hand; not played)
+
* [[Slime King]]<ref group=Notes name=manga1>This card was only used in the manga.</ref>
* [[Beckon to Darkness]]
+
* [[Worm Drake (anime)|Worm Drake]] x2 <ref group=Notes name=hand1/>
* [[Black Pendant]]
+
|effect monsters =
* [[Card of Sanctity]]
+
* [[Revival Jam (anime)|Revival Jam]]  
* [[Class System]]
+
* [[Slifer the Sky Dragon (anime)|Slifer the Sky Dragon]]
* [[Dark Spell Regeneration]]
+
|fusion monsters =
* [[Dark Wall of Wind]]
+
* [[Humanoid Worm Drake (anime)|Humanoid Worm Drake]]
* [[Jam Breeding Machine]]
+
|magic =
* [[Machine Duplication]]
+
* [[Card of Safe Return (anime)|Card of Safe Return]] x2
* [[Mining for Magical Stones]] (called "Magical Stone Excavation" in OCG/TCG)
+
* [[Infinite Cards (anime)|Infinite Cards]]
* [[Monster Reborn]]
+
* [[Jam Breeding Machine (anime)|Jam Breeding Machine]] x2
* [[Polymerization]]
+
* [[Nightmare's Steelcage (anime)|Nightmare's Steelcage]]
* [[Pot of Greed]]
+
* [[Polymerization (anime)|Polymerization]]<ref group=Notes name=artwork1>The artwork of this card was that of "[[De-Fusion (anime)|De-Fusion]]" in the dub.</ref>
* [[Premature Burial]]
+
* [[Pot of Greed (anime)|Pot of Greed]]<ref group=Notes name=anime1>This card was only used in the anime.</ref>
* [[Remove Trap]]
+
* [[Quick Attack]]
* [[Spell of Pain]]
 
* [[Surprise Attack from Beyond]]
 
* [[The Mask of Remnants]]
 
* [[Tribute Burial]]
 
* [[Vengeful Bog Spirit]]
 
 
|traps =
 
|traps =
* [[Card of Last Will]]
+
* [[Jam Defender (anime)|Jam Defender]]
* [[Coffin Seller]]
 
* [[Fearful Earthbound]] (Seen in hand in Episode 96; not played)
 
* [[Gift of the Mystical Elf]] (Dub only; not played)
 
* [[Hidden Soldiers]]
 
* [[Jam Defender]]
 
* [[Joyful Doom]]
 
* [[Left Arm Offering]]
 
* [[Malevolent Catastrophe]]
 
* [[Metal Reflect Slime]]
 
* [[Mirror Force]]
 
* [[Nightmare Mirror]]
 
* [[Nightmare Wheel]]
 
* [[Relieve Monster]]
 
* [[Rope of Life]]
 
* [[Zombie's Jewel]]
 
 
}}
 
}}
<br />
+
 
{{Decklist|Yami Marik's World Championship Tournament 2004 Deck {Flip-Effect Destruction Deck}
+
===Through Joey===
|monsters =
+
While controlling [[Joey Wheeler]], Marik plays a modified version of Joey's own Deck, which includes cards that are banned by [[Battle City Rules]], such as "[[Hinotama (anime)|Hinotama]]", "[[Raigeki (anime)|Raigeki]]" and "[[Meteor of Destruction (anime)|Meteor of Destruction]]".
* [[Cyber Jar]]
+
 
* [[Magician of Faith]] x2
+
{{Decklist|Joey's Deck
* [[Man-Eater Bug]] x2
+
|normal monsters =
* [[Mask of Darkness]] x2
+
* [[Alligator's Sword (anime)|Alligator's Sword]]
* [[Morphing Jar]] x3
+
|effect monsters =
* [[Morphing Jar #2]] x2
+
* [[Gearfried the Iron Knight (anime)|Gearfried the Iron Knight]] (in hand)
* [[Muka Muka]] x3
+
* [[Panther Warrior (anime)|Panther Warrior]]
* [[White Magical Hat]] x3
+
* [[Rocket Warrior (anime)|Rocket Warrior]]
|spells =
+
|magic =
* [[Card Destruction]]
+
* [[Attrition]]
* [[Change of Heart]]
+
* [[Graceful Dice (anime)|Graceful Dice]]
* [[Dark Hole]]
+
* [[Hinotama (anime)|Hinotama]] x3
* [[Delinquent Duo]] x2
+
* [[Meteor of Destruction (anime)|Meteor of Destruction]]
* [[Gravekeeper's Servant]] x3
+
* [[Raigeki (anime)|Raigeki]]
* [[Harpie's Feather Duster]]
+
* [[Skull Dice (anime)|Skull Dice]]
* [[Infinite Cards]]
 
* [[Monster Reborn]]
 
* [[Mystical Space Typhoon]] x2
 
* [[Raigeki]]
 
* [[Snatch Steal]]
 
 
|traps =
 
|traps =
* [[Call of the Haunted]]
+
* [[Magical Arm Shield (anime)|Magical Arm Shield]]
* [[Fairy Box]] x2
 
* [[Gravity Bind]]
 
* [[Magic Cylinder]]
 
* [[Mirror Force]]
 
* [[Ring of Destruction]] x2
 
* [[Torrential Tribute]] x3
 
 
}}
 
}}
<br />
 
{{Decklist|Normal Marik's World Championship Tournament 2004 Deck
 
|monsters =
 
<u>Normal Monsters</u>
 
* [[Summoned Skull]] x2
 
* [[Vorse Raider]] x3
 
  
<u>Effect Monsters</u>
+
===As Yami Marik===
* [[Cyber Jar]]
+
{{main|Yami Marik#Deck}}
* [[Magician of Faith]] x3
+
Yami Marik runs an '''Immortality-Torture Deck''', which focuses on slowly torturing his opponents and him watching them squirm. His Deck's signature card is "[[The Winged Dragon of Ra (anime)|The Winged Dragon of Ra]]".
* [[Man-Eater Bug]] x3
+
 
* [[Morphing Jar]] x2
+
==Duels==
* [[Morphing Jar #2]]
+
{| class="wikitable card-list"
* [[Slate Warrior]]
+
|-
* [[The Bistro Butcher]] x3
+
! scope="col" | Opponent(s)
* [[White Magical Hat]] x2
+
! scope="col" | Episode(s)
|spells =
+
! scope="col" | Outcome
* [[Card Destruction]]
+
|-
* [[Change of Heart]]
+
| [[Yugi Muto]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 050|50]]-[[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 051|51]] || No result (possessing  [[Bandit Keith]])
* [[Dark Hole]]
+
|-
* [[Delinquent Duo]] x2
+
| [[Yugi Muto]]/[[Yami Yugi]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 065|65]]-[[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 067|67]] || Lose (possessing [[Strings]])
* [[Monster Reborn]]
+
|-
* [[Mystical Space Typhoon]] x2
+
| [[Yugi Muto]]/[[Yami Yugi]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 075|75]]-[[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 078|78]] || [[DRAW]] (taken over by [[Joey Wheeler]])
* [[Premature Burial]] x2
+
|-
* [[Raigeki]]
+
| [[Yugi Muto]]/[[Yami Yugi]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 142|142]] || Lose (taken over from [[Yami Marik]])
* [[Snatch Steal]]
+
|}
* [[Tribute to The Doomed]] x2
+
 
|traps =
+
==Notes==
* [[Just Desserts]] x2
+
<references group=Notes />
* [[Magic Cylinder]]
+
 
* [[Magic Jammer]] x2
+
==References==
* [[Magical Thorn]] x2
+
<references />
* [[Mirror Force]]
+
 
* [[Ring of Destruction]]
+
{{Marik Ishtar pages}}
}}
+
{{Battle City}}
<br />
 
{{Characters/manga}}
 
 
{{Characters/ssa}}
 
{{Characters/ssa}}
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ishtar, Marik}}
 
[[Category:Yu-Gi-Oh! characters]]
 

Latest revision as of 03:52, 16 April 2024

Marik Ishtar
Marik Ishtar
Names
English
  • Marik Ishtar
Other
  • Namu
  • Maric Ishutarl (bunkoban)
  • Malik Ishtar
Japanese
Japaneseマリク・イシュタール
RōmajiMariku Ishutāru
Korean
Hangul
  • 마리크 이슈타르
Other languages
Arabic
  • مِريك إشتار
Filipino
  • Malik Ishtar
Personal
Birth
Age16[1]
Height
  • 1.8 m <br />5.906 ft <br />70.866 in <br />180 cm [1]
Weight
  • 121.254 lb <br />55 kg[1]
Gender
  • Male
Blood type
Favorite foodKoshary[1]
Least favorite foodMeat dish[1]
Relatives
  • Career
Previous occupationTomb Keeper
Previous organizationRare Hunters
  • Duelist
Tournament Position
Battle City Runner-up
Anime Deck
Other Decks
Nightmare
Troubadour
  • Keeper's Judgment
  • Roar of Ra
  • Dark Destroyer
WC 2004
  • Darkness
Appearances
Anime debutYu-Gi-Oh! episode 05050: "The Mystery Duelist, Part 1"
Video game debutYu-Gi-Oh! Dark Duel Stories
Voice actors
English
Japanese
  • Tetsuya Iwanaga
  • Akiko Kimura (child)
Other languages
GermanCharles Rettinghaus
Italian
  • Patrizio Prata
TagalogMichael Punzalan
Ishtar, Marik

Marik Ishtar (マリク・イシュタール Mariku Ishutāru) is a character in the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime and the main antagonist of the Battle City and Battle City Quarterfinals arcs, until the defeat of Odion, when Marik's alter ego Yami Marik takes over his body and replaces him as the main antagonist. He is the leader and founder of the Rare Hunters and heir to the Tomb Keepers.

Marik is the younger brother of Ishizu Ishtar and the adoptive younger brother of Odion.

Design[edit]

Appearance[edit]

Marik linework.

Marik's initial outfit consists of purple hooded robes with the Eye of Anubis on it, and a long purple cape with a gold chain at the front. He wears golden earrings, three bands of neckwear, an armband on each arm, and five bracelets on each arm starting from close to his elbows down to his wrists. He has dark skin, purple eyes and white-gold hair that occasionally appears as more light gray hair, especially in the Battle City tournament and at night.

When he arrived in Domino City, he wore a sleeveless light purple hoodie with two gold chains on the front, black pants, and black shoes. While in Battle City, he acquires a KaibaCorp Duel Disk on his left arm. In the manga, his pants are beige, and he wears a black tank top underneath his hoodie, which would come to be the clothes his split personality would wear, minus the hoodie.

When he was switched with Dark Marik as his sacrifice during his battle against Yami Yugi, he wears the outfit that Dark Marik wore but he removes the purple cloak before he destroys his dark self in the shadow game.

Throughout Season 5, Marik eventually changed in a steel blue shirt with a black vest over it, two black and gold bracelets, light gray pants, and black shoes.

Personality[edit]

As a child, Marik was an innocent boy who desired to see the outside world, despite his clan's laws forbidding him from doing so, and was willing to sneak out to fulfill his desire. He cared for his sister Ishizu Ishtar very much and also considered Odion to be his brother, despite not being blood related.

Marik bore a grudge towards the Pharaoh because he was forced by his own father to guard the family's carving with his life via a ritual of having carvings (in the anime's Japanese version and the original manga) or tattoos (in the anime's dub) onto his back which brought intense pain during and after the ritual and robbed him of his freedom.

With the intense pain and his hatred towards the Pharaoh, he spawned his second personality Yami Marik to deal with it all. Such as a year later when his father brutally tortured Odion for helping Marik and Ishizu to sneak outside, Marik was unconscious while Yami Marik killed his father and woke up with no recollection of his father's murder. Immediately afterwards, he sees a loyalist to the Pharaoh, Shadi, had come to warn him about the dangerous path he had taken. Marik thought that Shadi had murdered his father, leading to Marik's betrayal of the clan to get revenge against the Pharaoh (this aspect is removed from the dub).

While leading the Rare Hunters in his quest for world domination and freedom, Marik became cruel and uncaring, willing to brainwash people to do his bidding, force them to cheat, and use cruelty on his behalf, the victims included Bandit Keith and Strings. He was not above using death to punish his subordinates for failure despite them pleading to Marik they tried their best, such as Arkana and Lumis, nor did he care about sacrificing Rare Hunters to test the fake "The Winged Dragon of Ra" cards which produced severe injuries and death. He even threatened his sister Ishizu with the Millennium Rod for getting in his way and ordered Odion to use the fake Ra card against his will when was so close to winning against Joey. This may all stem from his other persona influencing him as when they met during Yami Marik's duel with Yami Bakura, the former said that he caused him to not feel guilty over his actions. Though He still retained his love for his family, despite his mistreatment of them.

Etymology[edit]

His given name "Marik" is derived from the Arabic name Malik (مالك Mālik), meaning "owner" or "holder". It was likely also influenced by the distinct Arabic title "Malik" (ملك Malik), which means "king". The use of "r" rather than "l" comes from the two consonants being represented by the same speech sound in Japanese. He uses the name "Malik" in the Filipino and Indonesian versions.

His surname "Ishtar" comes from Ishtar, a Mesopotamian goddess of fertility, love, war, and sex.

Biography[edit]

History[edit]

Marik's family guarded the tomb of the Pharaoh for generations and two Millennium Items (the Millennium Rod and Millennium Necklace) were passed on to Marik and his sister Ishizu Ishtar. Marik was forbidden to leave the Pharaoh's tomb due to his father's fear that the freedom and marvels of the outside world would further divert Marik's attention from his heritage. Marik no longer wanted to become a Tombkeeper, so his adoptive brother Odion Ishtar asked if he could take Marik's place but Marik's father rejected the thought of Odion taking Marik's place. When Marik was forced to take the initiation ritual to become a full Tombkeeper, Marik spawned his second personality Yami Marik from the pain he endured. A year later, Marik and Ishizu took a forbidden trip to the surface but their father found out and attempted punish Odion for not stoping Marik and Ishizu, by killing him. In the midst of his father's torturing Odion, Marik blanked out and his second personality Yami Marik emerged for the first time to resist his father's punishment and claimed the Millennium Rod for himself. Ignoring his father's orders to put it down, Yami Marik used its powers to smash him against the wall. When Ishizu protested, she suffered the same strike. Yami Marik then proceeded to kill his father. After Yami Marik was sealed away in Marik's body by Odion, Marik believed that the Pharaoh had ordered the loyalist Shadi to kill his father, due to Odion saying Shadi had killed him, trying to be a big brother and hiding from Marik that it was actually his alter ego who had done so. This increased Marik's grudge and resentment to the Pharaoh, causing him to create the Rare Hunters.

As a teenager, Marik was the leader of the Rare Hunters organization as he wished with the Millennium Rod to obtain the three Egyptian God Cards so that he could unlock their power for himself, gain the title of "Pharaoh" and set his family free from the duty of the Tombkeepers (In the dub, he wants the God Cards and the Millennium Puzzle, so he can unlock the Pharaoh's power for himself and use it to rule the world). He also had a hidden agenda - to get revenge on the Nameless Pharaoh's soul for killing his father as he mistakenly believed that it was the Pharaoh's fault. Although he and his Rare Hunters uncovered "The Winged Dragon of Ra" and "Slifer the Sky Dragon" from where Maximillion Pegasus had hidden them, they were unable to uncover "Obelisk the Tormentor", which was taken by Ishizu and given to Seto Kaiba.

Battle City[edit]

During Battle City, Marik and his Rare Hunters hacked into Battle City's computer system and entered themselves in the tournament. After the Pharaoh defeated the weakest Rare Hunter, Marik used the Millennium Rod to take over the Rare Hunter's body to introduce himself to the Pharaoh. After the Pharaoh defeated Arkana, Marik used the Millennium Rod to take over Arkana's body to introduce himself to Yugi Muto. While arriving at Domino City, Marik used the Millennium Rod to have a Rare Hunter use Slifer against the Pharaoh to win the Millennium Puzzle from him. Marik has a huge advantage up his sleeve, with the Egyptian God Card "Slifer the Sky Dragon". Using a five card combo involving "Slifer", "Revival Jam", "Infinite Cards", "Jam Defender", and "Card of Safe Return", Strings puts Yami in a tight situation. Every time he attacks, Strings can redirect the attack to "Revival Jam", which regenerates itself after being destroyed (this is neither an automatic nor immediate effect in the OCG/TCG) and thanks to "Card of Safe Return", he draws three cards from his Deck whenever this happens and because of "Infinite Cards", he can hold as many cards as he wants. With Slifer's ATK and DEF proportional to the number of cards its controller holds, and with "Revival Jam" able to absorb and reform from any attack Yugi is able to make with the aid of "Jam Defender", Marik boasts the strategy is unbeatable.

Yami is just about to give up until Kaiba arrives and encourages him to fight on. The two manage to figure out the weakness of this combo and turn it against Marik. Yami attacks "Revival Jam" with "Buster Blader", and then uses "Brain Control" to take control of "Revival Jam" as it regenerates so it regenerates under his control, forcing "Slifer" to attack it with its second mouth. Then "Revival Jam" is destroyed and regenerates, forcing Strings to draw three more cards due to "Card of Safe Return". Then "Slifer" must attack "Revival Jam" again, since it reformed under Yami's control, destroying it and allowing it to regenerate again, and forcing Strings to continue drawing due to "Card of Safe Return". This continues in a never-ending loop until Strings' Deck is empty, and thus he loses the Duel through a Deck Out. Yami gets "Slifer the Sky Dragon" for his victory. When he was getting ready to brainwash Joey, Yami Bakura stood in his way, telling him to hand over the Rod. Instead, they made a deal where if Bakura obtains Slifer for him and defeat Yami Yugi, he would give him the Millennium Rod. Yami Bakura then stabbed himself in the arm and gave control back to his host, Bakura Ryou. He showed the injured Bakura to Joey, Solomon, and Téa, gaining their trust and taking the guise of Namu. While Kaiba and the Pharaoh Dueled Lumis and Umbra, Marik used his Millennium Rod to brainwash Joey Wheeler and Téa Gardner. After Kaiba used Obelisk to defeat Umbra, Marik used the Millennium Rod to take over Lumis's body and brag about having Yugi's friends. Having a Rare Hunter hold Tea hostage, the deadly Duel between the Pharaoh and Joey went through much to Kaiba's horror. In the midst of the Duel, Yugi took over for the Pharaoh much to Marik's anger as he wanted to see the Pharaoh's demise not his teenage vessel's. When Marik forced Joey with the Millennium Rod's full power, Joey was able break free with his willpower.

Marik, Bakura and Odion took places in the quarter-finals. Marik took the guise of Namu while Odion pretended to be "Marik" as nobody had actually met him in person and known his true name (sans Yami Bakura, since although Téa, Joey, and Bakura Ryou technically met him, he pretended to be a boy named Namu). After Bakura was defeated by the Pharaoh in the first quarter-final match, Marik had Odion use a counterfeit Ra card in his quarter-final against Joey. When Joey suspected that he was not Dueling the real Marik, as Odion had been Dueling with honor while Marik was cruel, sadistic and as by far as Joey was concerned, a dirty cheater; Marik ordered Odion to use the counterfeit Ra to "show" he's Marik but Ra was angered by this and wrathfully struck both Duelists with lightning, ultimately rendering Odion and Joey unconscious. After Joey defeated Odion, the latter reveals to the Pharaoh and Joey that he is really Marik's servant while Marik began to suffer sudden headaches. After Odion was further rendered unconscious, Marik revealed himself to the Pharaoh, Joey, Kaiba, Téa, Tristan Taylor, Duke Devlin, Mokuba Kaiba, Serenity Wheeler and Mai Valentine. Suddenly, Marik cried out in pain as his darker personality gained control of his body. While Ishizu Dueled Kaiba in the fourth quarter-final match, Marik tried to call out to Ishizu but his dark personality trapped Marik in a "prison" built out of his own fear and pity. During his sister's Duel with Kaiba, the Millennium Rod began activating on its own, causing Yami Marik to wonder why; although Yami Marik had already taken control of him, there is a large possibility that Marik, by somehow knowing what was happening through his alter ego, wondered as well why Kaiba had a connection to his Rod. In the manga, one of Marik's goals before his darker personality awakened was to discover why the figure on the mural looked like Kaiba holding his Millennium Rod. Through Tea's mind, Marik listened to Ishizu's story of how he became evil and created his darker side, thus beginning to reform himself. After the quarter-finals, his reformed soul confronted his other self, claiming that he would make up for everything he had done and apologizing to his father, before a Duel with him. In this Duel, Marik teamed up with Yami Bakura to stop him, but failed when Yami Marik used Ra's other abilities, which were unknown to Marik. However, Marik (through Téa) warned Ishizu to hide Odion from Yami Marik in order to save his life.

Battle City Finals[edit]

Marik's carving/tattoo of the Pharaoh's memory.

In the final Duel between Yami Marik and the Pharaoh, their weaker selves were the victims of the Shadow Game being played. As the Duel went on, Yami Marik became the dominant host of Marik's body while the real Marik's soul slowly faded out of existence. This Shadow Game gave him a clear edge, for when the Pharaoh lost Life Points, Yugi's body would fade away, and when Yami Marik lost Life Points, the original Marik would fade away. As Marik realizes his mistakes of making people suffer, he speaks out through Téa, begging the Pharaoh for his forgiveness and asks him to defeat Yami Marik, even if it meant he would go to the Shadow Realm. While they Dueled, Odion woke up and made Marik realize he had to accept his responsibility for being a Tombkeeper. With this confidence, Marik overpowered his evil self and made him the victim of the Shadow Game, and then forfeited, destroying Yami Marik. Marik gave the Pharaoh the Millennium Rod and the Ra card.

Marik then revealed the Tombkeeper's initiation. The carving of the pharaoh's memory onto the back of a tomb guardian (using either a hot dagger in the manga and the Japanese version of the second series anime, or a tattoo in the English second series anime although the dagger was still seen in the flashback) on his back. Fulfilling his duty as a Tombkeeper, Marik returned to Egypt to start a new life with his sister and Odion.

Pharaoh's Memories[edit]

Marik's appearance in Dawn of the Duel

In the Pharaoh's Memories arc, Marik, Ishizu, and Odion lead Yugi and his friends to the Tablet of Memories, so Yami Yugi may enter the Memory World and regain his memory.

Ceremonial Battle[edit]

Marik, Ishizu, and Odion lead Yugi and his friends to the tomb of the Pharaoh in order for Yugi and Atem to have a final Duel in order to determine whether Atem will move on to the afterlife or remain in the present. Atem loses, allowing him to pass on to the afterlife. After he left, the Millennium Items sank into the ground and the tomb collapsed. Marik and the others managed to escape and Marik and his family end up staying in Egypt.

Other appearances[edit]

Decks[edit]

Marik's own Deck is only shown once in a Duel, before Yami Marik modifies it prior to his second Duel. Marik himself uses several Decks while controlling the bodies of others through his Millennium Rod.

Through Keith[edit]

While controlling Bandit Keith, he utilizes Keith's Machine Deck, albeit modified to include powerful cards obtained by his Rare Hunters, such as "Zera the Mant", "Seiyaryu" and "Graceful Charity".

Through Strings[edit]

While controlling the body of Strings, Marik uses a Slifer/Slime Deck tooled to Summoning and powering up the Egyptian God Card "Slifer the Sky Dragon" using a five-card combo known as the "God Five":

The sheer draw power of this deck ended up being its downfall, as Yami Yugi was able to create an infinite loop causing Strings to Deck Out.

Through Joey[edit]

While controlling Joey Wheeler, Marik plays a modified version of Joey's own Deck, which includes cards that are banned by Battle City Rules, such as "Hinotama", "Raigeki" and "Meteor of Destruction".

As Yami Marik[edit]

Yami Marik runs an Immortality-Torture Deck, which focuses on slowly torturing his opponents and him watching them squirm. His Deck's signature card is "The Winged Dragon of Ra".

Duels[edit]

Opponent(s) Episode(s) Outcome
Yugi Muto 50-51 No result (possessing Bandit Keith)
Yugi Muto/Yami Yugi 65-67 Lose (possessing Strings)
Yugi Muto/Yami Yugi 75-78 DRAW (taken over by Joey Wheeler)
Yugi Muto/Yami Yugi 142 Lose (taken over from Yami Marik)

Notes[edit]

  1. The second copy can be seen in his hand after the first is Tributed for "Zera Ritual" in episode 51.
  2. a b A second copy can be seen in the anime after Strings drops his hand while Yami is explaining his infinite loop combo in episode 57.
  3. This card was only used in the manga.
  4. The artwork of this card was that of "De-Fusion" in the dub.
  5. This card was only used in the anime.

References[edit]