Difference between revisions of "Rafael"

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{{Infobox/Yu-Gi-Oh!/Character
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{{Infobox character
| image name              = Rafael.JPG
+
| image                   = Rafael4.png
| english name            = Rafael
+
| en_name                  = Rafael
| japanese name          = ラフェール
+
| ja_name                  = ラフェール
| romaji name            = Rafēru
+
| romaji_name              = Rafēru
        | alternate name          = Raphael
+
| other_names              = Raphael
| arabic name            = رافايل
+
| ar_name                  = رافايل
| greek name              = ραφαήλ
+
| el_name                  =  Рαφαήλ
| anime debut            = {{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh!|145|ref}}
+
| zh_name                  = 拉斐爾
| video game debut        =
+
| anime_debut              = {{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh!|145|ref}}
| appears anime          = [[Yu-Gi-Oh! (second series anime)]]{{!}}Yu-Gi-Oh! (second series)
+
| appears_in_anime        = [[Yu-Gi-Oh! (anime)|''Yu-Gi-Oh!'']]
| appears video games    =
+
| gender                   = Male
| gender                 = male
+
| relatives               =  
| relatives               =  
+
* Unnamed parents (deceased in Japanese version only)
* Unnamed parents (deceased)
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* [[Julian]] (brother; deceased in Japanese version only)
* [[Julian]] (brother; deceased)
+
* [[Sonia]] (sister; deceased in Japanese version only)
* [[Sonia]] (sister; deceased)
+
| previous_organization   = [[Doma]]
| partner                = [[Guardian Eatos]]
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| anime_deck              = [[Guardian]]
| previous affiliation   = [[Doma]]
+
| ja_voice                = {{voice actors|ja|Yoshihisa Kawahara}}
| anime deck              = [[Guardians|Guardian]]
+
| en_voice                = {{voice actors|en|Marc Thompson}}
| japanese voice          = {{voice actors|ja|Yoshihisa Kawahara}}
+
| de_voice                = {{voice actors|de|Jörg Hengstler|Tobias Müller (young)}}
| english voice          = {{voice actors|en|[[Wikipedia:Marc Thompson (voice actor)|Marc Thompson]]}}
 
 
}}
 
}}
  
'''Rafael''', sometimes spelled '''Raphael''' among fans, is the strongest of Doma's Swordsmen and the most mysterious in his strategy. He is the only swordsman that defeated his target once. He is also the only swordsman not to lose his soul after he was defeated by his target. He and [[Alister]] were responsible for bringing [[Rex Raptor]] and [[Weevil Underwood]] to [[Dartz]]. He is also one of the few characters to ever defeat [[Yami Yugi]] in a Duel.
+
'''Rafael''' (ラフェール ''Rafēru'') is a character in the [[Yu-Gi-Oh! (anime)|''Yu-Gi-Oh!'']] anime and one of the main antagonists of the [[Waking the Dragons]] arc. He is the strongest of [[Doma]]'s Swordsmen and the most mysterious in his strategy. He is the only swordsman to have defeated his target once. He is also the only swordsman to not lose his soul after being defeated by his target, and was one of the first characters shown to be able to see Duel Spirits. He and [[Alister]] were responsible for bringing [[Rex Raptor]] and [[Weevil Underwood]] to [[Dartz]]. He is one of the few characters to have defeated [[Yami Yugi]] in a Duel, the others being [[Seto Kaiba]] and [[Yugi Muto]].
  
 
==Design==
 
==Design==
[[File:Rafael Linework.jpg|thumb|180px|left|Rafael's design incorporates multiple layers of clothing and a wide range of expressions. Depicted here is the [[duelist]] in "Doma Swordsman" regalia from front and rear views and alongside views of his head from different angles.]]
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===Appearance===
 +
[[File:Rafael Linework.jpg|thumb|190px|left|Rafael's design incorporates multiple layers of clothing and a wide range of expressions. Depicted here is the [[Duelist]] in "Doma Swordsman" regalia from front and rear views and alongside views of his head from different angles.]]
 +
Rafael's usual outfit consists of a large open full-body purple coat with padded shoulders and belted sleeves and fingerless gloves with studded knuckles. He wears this over a tight tan tank top, black pants and boots. His blonde hair is raised and points upwards behind his head it also features two locks in front of his ears turning through ninety degrees and pointing forward. His [[Orichalcos Stone]] is worn around his neck. He carries a [[Chaos Duel Disk]] on his left hand.
 +
{{Clear left}}
  
Rafael's usual outfit consists of a large open full-body coat with padded shoulders and belted sleeves and fingerless gloves with studded knuckles. His blonde hair is raised and points upwards behind his head it also features two locks in front of his ears turning through ninety degrees and pointing forward. His [[Orichalcos Stone]] is worn around his neck. He carries a [[Duel Disk#Chaos Duel Disk|Chaos Duel Disk]] on his left hand.
+
===Etymology===
 +
The names of Rafael and his fellows (known as Doma's Three Swordsman in the Japanese version) in addition to Dartz himself are drawn from [[wikipedia:The_Three_Musketeers|The Three Musketeers]]; Rafael's name is derived from [[wikipedia:Athos_(character)|Athos, Count de la Fère]].
  
 
==Biography==
 
==Biography==
Rafael came from a very wealthy family, and led a perfect life. He had a little sister and brother, and two parents. Rafael was separated from them when, on a luxury cruise, the boat went off course and directly into a tidal wave. As a result the family was killed and he was the only survivor (In the English version the story was changed to say that the family survived). In the Japanese version, [[Rebecca]] stated that when she became the American champion, there were rumors that it was actually Rafael instead, even though he never participated in public duels.
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<div style="float:right">[[File:GuardianEatos-EN-Anime-DM-2.jpg|thumb|190px|right|Rafael receives "[[Guardian Eatos (anime)|Guardian Eatos]]" as a birthday present.]]</div>
 +
Rafael came from a very wealthy family, and led a perfect life. He had a little sister and brother, and two parents. During his birthday when he received his gift of "[[Guardian Eatos (anime)|Guardian Eatos]]", Rafael was separated from his family, on a luxury cruise, the boat went off course and directly into a tidal wave. As a result the family was killed and he was the only survivor (in the dub the story was changed to say that the family survived and had forgotten about him). In the Japanese version, [[Rebecca Hawkins|Rebecca]] stated that when she became the American champion, there were rumors that it was actually Rafael instead, even though he never participated in public Duels.  
  
Rafael was stranded on a deserted island with only his Duel Monsters, which included "[[Guardian Eatos]]", "[[Guardian Grarl]]", and "[[Guardian Kay'est]]", which he treasured. As time passed, he ended up gaining longer hair with his only clothing being a tank top and what's left of his pants. During this time, his cards blew into the ocean and Rafael dove in and retrieved them. It appears at this time he began to see his cards duel monster spirits, but it was never shown if they talked back to him.
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[[File:Yugioh156.jpg|thumb|180px|left|A shipwrecked Rafael sees the [[Duel Spirit|spirits]] of "[[Guardian Eatos (anime)|Guardian Eatos]]", "[[Guardian Grarl (anime)|Guardian Grarl]]" and "[[Guardian Kay'est (anime)|Guardian Kay'est]]".]]
 +
Rafael was stranded on a deserted island with only his Duel Monsters, which included "[[Guardian Eatos (anime)|Guardian Eatos]]", "[[Guardian Grarl (anime)|Guardian Grarl]]", and "[[Guardian Kay'est (anime)|Guardian Kay'est]]", which he treasured. As the three years passed, he ended up gaining longer hair with his only clothing being a tank top and what's left of his pants. During this time, his cards blew into the ocean and Rafael dove in and retrieved them. It appears at this time he began to see his cards Duel Monster spirits, but it was never shown if they talked back to him. One day, Rafael saw a city right off the island. Upon building a raft, Rafael quickly sailed towards it. But as he got near, it disappeared and he was pulled down underneath the sea by a tidal wave. There, [[Dartz]]'s voice told him to remember his voice for they would meet again. Rafael became conscious aboard his raft and was then rescued by a fishing boat where his rescue was on the front page of the magazine.
  
One day, Rafael saw a city right off the island. He quickly sailed towards it, but as he got near, it disappeared, and he was pulled down underneath the sea by a tidal wave. There, [[Dartz]]'s voice told him to remember his voice, for they would meet again. Rafael became conscious aboard his raft, and was then rescued by a fishing boat.
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[[File:Rafaelskullsscene.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Rafael holding his siblings' skulls.]]
 +
In the original, Rafael's parents were presumed dead as he visited their graves. His surviving relatives took his dad's inheritance and wanted nothing to do with Rafael. Meanwhile, strangers simply wanted his fame. As a result he had no real friends. Rafael made his living by becoming a Duelist, eventually becoming the first Duelist to become the first national champion in the United States, a feat that was believed to be accomplished by [[Rebecca Hawkins|Rebecca]]. However, he never appeared in public outside of Duels since people simply wanted to take advantage of him. In the dub, his family survived but forgotten about him.
  
He traveled and eventually went with Dartz to a Graveyard, where he was convinced that his family had forgotten him and tortured by digging where he finds the skulls from his siblings corpses', confirming that his family had died in the shipwreck (The skulls were removed from the dub version). He was then seduced by a [[Guardian Dreadscythe|Dark Guardian]], and given "[[The Seal of Orichalcos]]" card and a [[Duel Disk#Chaos Duel Disk|Chaos Duel Disk]]. Rafael became one of Dartz's many minions. Until Yami Yugi and [[Seto Kaiba]] dueled Dartz, Rafael did not know that Dartz drove the ship that his family drowned on into the tidal wave.
+
He traveled more and eventually went with Dartz to a graveyard and tortured by digging where he finds the skulls from his siblings' corpses, confirming that his family had died in the shipwreck (the skulls were removed from the dub version). He was then seduced by a [[Guardian Dreadscythe (anime)|Dark Guardian]] and given "[[The Seal of Orichalcos (anime)|The Seal of Orichalcos]]" card and a [[Chaos Duel Disk]], and became one of the many minions of Dartz. Rafael did not know that Dartz drove the ship that his family drowned on into the tidal wave.
  
Rafael believed that he was following his set destiny, and proceeded to capture many souls, including Yugi and Mai's. He believes the pharaoh, Yami Yugi was evil and thus desires his soul above all others. To this end Rafael gave his "The Seal of Orichalcos" to Yami, using "[[Exchange]]". Yami Yugi played "The Seal of Orichalcos" out of desperation, but proceeded to lose the Duel. Yugi pushed Yami out of "The Seal of Orichalcos" and let the Seal take his soul instead.
+
At some point after joining Dartz, Rafael met [[Alister]] and [[Valon]]. Like Rafael, Alister and Valon had their childhoods tragically manipulated and destroyed by Dartz. Rafael obviously cared a great deal about his partners as he showed concern for Valon after he fell in love with Mai and was visibly upset when Alister lost his soul.
  
After discovering that he had taken the wrong soul, Rafael duels Yami Yugi again, this time playing the Seal himself. After Yami Yugi defeats "[[Guardian Eatos]]", Rafael calls forth "[[Guardian Dreadscythe]]". Rafael proceeds to sacrifice his monsters, like Yami Yugi did in their previous Duel. Yami plays "[[Underworld Circle]]", sparking a vision of Rafael's past that snaps him out of the "Orichalcos'" control. Rafael then concedes defeat by using "[[Soul Charge]]" to revive all his monsters and deplete his own [[Life Points]] as a symbolic apology to them. Had he not done so he would have won. Afterward the Orichalcos attempts to take his soul but his stone shatters and he is freed. It is revealed that because he had no negative emotions within him upon his defeat the seal could not take his soul. He rescues [[Mai Valentine]] and [[Valon]] from the collapsing building and confronts Dartz, who confessed that he was the one responsible for sinking the luxury cruise that he and his family were on, and for all of his and his friends' suffering all along. After this revelation, Rafael finally saw that Yami was right and that Dartz was the true evil, and as a result, Rafael was shocked, distraught, and angered. He used his remaining strength to use the "Seal of Orichalchos" against Dartz but it backfired on him and ended up taking his soul.
+
Rafael believed that he was following his set destiny, and proceeded to capture many souls. He believes the Pharaoh, [[Yami Yugi]], was evil and thus desires his soul above all others. During his Duel against Yami Yugi, Rafael gave his "The Seal of Orichalcos" to Yami, using "[[Exchange (anime)|Exchange]]". Yami Yugi activated "The Seal of Orichalcos" out of desperation, but proceeded to lose the Duel. [[Yugi Muto|Yugi]] pushed Yami out of "The Seal of Orichalcos" and let the Seal take his soul instead. Rafael didn't know about this until he returned to Dartz's base and Dartz and Valon revealed this to him. To make up for this, he goes after Yami Yugi after the latter and [[Téa Gardner]] fell into the Stone Wastelands. By Dartz's instructions, he throws his Orichalcos necklace where Yami Yugi and Yugi dueled in order for Dartz to summon an [[Orichalcos Soldier]]. Yami Yugi only barely manages to win after he uses "[[Eye of Timaeus|Eye of Timaeus]]" (something that surprised Rafael since in their last Duel Timaeus abandoned Yami Yugi for playing "The Seal of Orichalcos").
  
At the end of the arc he is set free along with all of Dartz's prisoners. He is last seen standing before the [[Wikipedia:Arc de Triomphe|Arc de Triomphe]].
+
[[File:Yugioh176.jpg|thumb|left|180px|Rafael seeing his family and his guardians.]]
 +
[[File:Rafaellastseem.jpg|thumb|180px|right|Rafael last seen at the Arc de Triomphe.]]
 +
Later in Florida, Rafael confronts [[Mai Valentine]] after she was freed from the Orichalcos's influence and arrived to defeat Dartz and free Joey's soul. Despite Mai's efforts, Rafael beats her and captures her soul. Rafael then Duels Yami Yugi again in order to take his soul, this time playing the Seal himself. After Yami Yugi defeats "[[Guardian Eatos (anime)|Guardian Eatos]]", Rafael calls forth "[[Guardian Dreadscythe (anime)|Guardian Dreadscythe]]". Rafael proceeds to sacrifice his monsters, like Yami Yugi did in their previous Duel. Yami plays "[[Underworld Circle]]", sparking a vision of Rafael's past that snaps him out of the control of "The Seal of Orichalcos". After "Dreadscythe" was destroyed, Rafael then concedes defeat by using "[[Soul Charge (anime)|Soul Charge]]" to revive all his monsters and deplete his own [[LP|Life Points]] as a symbolic apology to them.
 +
 
 +
Afterwards the Seal attempts to take his soul, but his stone shatters and he is freed. It is revealed that because he had no negative emotions within him upon his defeat, the Seal could not take his soul. When the building starts collapsing, Rafael hangs from an edge and gives Yami Yugi a computer chip with a map to Dartz's lair before he seemingly falls down.
 +
 
 +
He rescues [[Mai Valentine|Mai]] and [[Valon]] from the collapsing building and confronts Dartz, who confessed that he was the one responsible for sinking the luxury cruise that he and his family were on, and for the suffering he and his friends had experienced all along. After this revelation, Rafael finally saw that Yami was right and that Dartz was the true evil, and as a result, Rafael was shocked, distraught, and angered. He used his remaining strength to materialize Guardian Eatos to attack Dartz, but Dartz ended up taking his soul.
 +
 
 +
At the end of the arc he is set free along with all of Dartz's prisoners. He is last seen standing before the [[wikipedia:Arc de Triomphe|Arc de Triomphe]].
  
 
==Deck==
 
==Deck==
{| style="float:right;" border="1" width="50%"
+
Rafael uses a '''"[[Guardian]]" Deck'''. His "Guardian" monsters require that their corresponding [[Equip Spell Card]] is already on the [[field]] in order to be [[Summon]]ed. Rafael usually [[equip]]s the Equip Spell to "[[Backup Gardna (anime)|Backup Gardna]]" before Summoning the monster, then uses the effect of "Backup Gardna" to transfer that Equip Card to its corresponding "Guardian". Rafael will often use "[[Guardian Treasure]]" to access his cards more quickly.
! colspan="3" style="background: #00FF00; text-align: center;" | Record
 
|-
 
! Opponent(s) || Episode(s) || Outcome(s)
 
|-
 
| [[Yami Yugi]]/[[Yugi Muto]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 156|156]]-[[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 158|158]] || Win
 
|-
 
| [[Mai Valentine]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 174|174]] || Win (flashback)
 
|-
 
| [[Yami Yugi]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 174|174]]-[[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 176|176]] || Lose
 
|}
 
  
Rafael uses a '''[[Guardians|Guardian]] Deck'''. The majority of his cards are also very old and worn, and can be seen with wrinkled edges and numerous discolored spots on their faces. However, he replaced the backs of these cards so they won't be recognizable when face-down. His deck has various Equip Cards and many [[Monster Cards|monsters]] that require a specific [[Equip Spell Cards|Equip Magic Card]] to be on the [[Playing Field|field]] before they can be [[Summon]]ed. To help compensate for this, he [[equip]]s his "[[Backup Gardna]]" with the Guardian Equip Magic Cards, allowing him to [[Summon]] the "Guardian". He then uses "Gardna's" effect to transfer the Equip Magic to its respective "Guardian". Rafael has two monsters who represent his character; "[[Guardian Dreadscythe]]" represents his dark mind and "[[Guardian Eatos]]" his light mind. Following his "rebirth" by Dartz, "Eatos" was also "reborn", in a wicked, twisted sense, creating "Guardian Dreadscythe".
+
The majority of his cards are very old and worn, and can be seen with wrinkled edges and discolorations. These cards' wear and tear are enough to make Rafael glue pristine card backs onto them, so that he can use them without marking his Deck.{{citation needed}}
  
His utmost protection of his monsters also transfers to his dueling tactics. This means that he will use any means necessary to protect them, which is seen with cards such as "[[Rescuer from the Grave]]" and "[[Self Tribute]]". This is because Rafael's family died, and he doesn't want the monsters he has spent his life with to suffer the same fate. This serves another purpose, as his most powerful monster, "[[Guardian Eatos]]", can be Summoned with no [[Tribute]]s as long as his [[Graveyard]] is free of any [[Monster Cards]]. Eatos has the potential to gain immense strength through its effect, which absorbs the Attack Points of monster in the opponents' [[Graveyard]].
+
Rafael is very close to his cards and cannot tolerate their destruction, thus uses a variety of Spell and Trap Cards to protect them, even at the cost of his own Life Points and hand; card he uses to this end include "[[Rescuer from the Grave]]", "[[Self Tribute]]", and "[[My Body as a Shield (anime)|My Body as a Shield]]" (the latter of which was seen but never used). Rafael's dedication to protect his monsters is important due to his [[signature card]] "[[Guardian Eatos (anime)|Guardian Eatos]]", which can be Special Summoned without any sacrifice if Rafael has no monsters in his Graveyard.
  
His "[[Guardian Dreadscythe]]", which can only be Summoned when "Eatos" is [[destroy]]ed, causes Rafeal to completely change his tactics. This monster has impressive regenerative abilities, being able to return to the [[Playing Field|field]] as long as the [[controller]] [[discard]]s a card from their [[hand]] in the process except that the controller has no choice, if they can, they MUST discard a card to revive "Dreadscythe". Furthermore, for the sacrifice of other Guardian Monsters, "Dreadscythe" can increase its own attack strength. Rafael's willingness to sacrifice his own monsters at this point is due to the fact that "Dreadscythe" is the representation of Rafael's darker side and as such, is a completely different persona. He abandons his usual personal rule of always keeping his beloved monsters removed from play as opposed to in the Graveyard, similar to Yugi's reaction to Orichalcos in their first Duel, which eventually leads to his surrender, after being snapped back to his usual personality via the vision shown in Yami's "[[Underworld Circle]]".
+
When "Eatos" is [[destroy]]ed Rafael becomes desperate, Summoning "[[Guardian Dreadscythe (anime)|Guardian Dreadscythe]]", a twisted evil incarnation of "Eatos" that represents the darkness in his heart. At this point, Rafael no longer cares to protect his monsters, destroying them to empower "Dreadscythe", his hatred and determination to win overriding his bond with his monsters. While Rafael would willingly sacrifice himself to protect his Guardians, "Dreadscythe" forces him to do so by requiring him discard a card to prevent its destruction if it would ever be destroyed.
 
 
{{-}}
 
  
 
{{Decklist
 
{{Decklist
|monsters =
+
|effect monsters =
<u>Effect Monsters</u>
+
* [[Backup Gardna (anime)|Backup Gardna]]
* [[Backup Gardna]]
+
* [[Guardian Dreadscythe (anime)|Guardian Dreadscythe]]  
* [[Guardian Dreadscythe]]  
+
* [[Guardian Eatos (anime)|Guardian Eatos]]  
* [[Guardian Eatos]]  
+
* [[Guardian Elma (anime)|Guardian Elma]]
* [[Guardian Elma]]
+
* [[Guardian Grarl (anime)|Guardian Grarl]]
* [[Guardian Grarl]]
+
* [[Guardian Kay'est (anime)|Guardian Kay'est]]
* [[Guardian Kay'est]]
+
|spells =
|magic =
 
 
* [[Aid to the Doomed]]  
 
* [[Aid to the Doomed]]  
* [[Butterfly Dagger - Elma]]
+
* [[Butterfly Dagger - Elma (anime)|Butterfly Dagger - Elma]]
* [[Celestial Sword - Eatos]]  
+
* [[Celestial Sword - Eatos (anime)|Celestial Sword - Eatos]]
* [[Exchange]]
+
* [[Dimension Distortion (anime)|Dimension Distortion]]<ref group=Notes name=hand175>This card can be seen in his hand after [[Yami Yugi|Yugi]] Summons "[[Dark Magician Girl (anime)|Dark Magician Girl]]" during [[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 175|episode 175]].</ref>
* [[Gravity Axe - Grarl]]
+
* [[Exchange (anime)|Exchange]]
 +
* [[Gravity Axe - Grarl (anime)|Gravity Axe - Grarl]]
 
* [[Guardian Shield]]
 
* [[Guardian Shield]]
 
* [[Guardian Treasure]]  
 
* [[Guardian Treasure]]  
* [[Kishido Spirit]]<ref group=Notes name=necro/>
+
* [[Kishido Spirit (anime)|Kishido Spirit]]<ref group=Notes name=hand175/><ref group=Notes name=necro>This card can been seen in his hand after Yugi uses "[[Hand Control]]" to force him to activate "[[Necromancy]]" during [[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 158|episode 158]].</ref>
* [[Card Appearances:Monster Reincarnation|Monster Rebirth]]
+
* [[Monster Reincarnation (anime)|Monster Reincarnation]]
* [[Monster Reborn]]<ref group=Notes name=sword>This card is discarded to activate "[[Orichalcos Sword of Sealing]]" during [[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 176|episode 176]].</ref>
+
* [[Monster Reborn (anime)|Monster Reborn]]<ref group=Notes name=sword>This card is [[discard]]ed to [[activate]] "[[Orichalcos Sword of Sealing]]" during [[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 176|episode 176]].</ref>
* [[Morale Boost]]<ref group=Notes name=handduel1>This card can be seen in his hand during [[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 158|episode 158]].</ref>
+
* [[Morale Boost (anime)|Morale Boost]]<ref group=Notes name=handduel1>This card can be seen in his [[hand]] during [[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 158|episode 158]].</ref>
* [[My Body as a Shield]]<ref group=Notes name=hand175>This card can be seen in his hand after [[Yami Yugi|Yugi]] Summons "[[Dark Magician Girl]]" during [[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 175|episode 175]].</ref>
+
* [[My Body as a Shield (anime)|My Body as a Shield]]<ref group=Notes name=hand175/>
 
* [[Nightmare Binding]]
 
* [[Nightmare Binding]]
 
* [[Obedience]]
 
* [[Obedience]]
 
* [[Orichalcos Sword of Sealing]]
 
* [[Orichalcos Sword of Sealing]]
 
* [[Purity of the Cemetery]]
 
* [[Purity of the Cemetery]]
* [[Reaper Scythe - Dreadscythe]]  
+
* [[Reaper Scythe - Dreadscythe (anime)|Reaper Scythe - Dreadscythe]]  
 
* [[Rescuer from the Grave]]
 
* [[Rescuer from the Grave]]
* [[Rod of Silence - Kay'est]]
+
* [[Rod of Silence - Kay'est (anime)|Rod of Silence - Kay'est]]
* [[Rod of the Mind's Eye]]<ref group=Notes name=necro>This card can been seen in his hand after [[Yami Yugi|Yugi]] uses "[[Hand Control]]" to force him to activate "[[Necromancy]]" during [[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 158|episode 158]].</ref>
+
* [[Rod of the Mind's Eye (anime)|Rod of the Mind's Eye]]<ref group=Notes name=necro/>
 
* [[Self Tribute]]  
 
* [[Self Tribute]]  
* [[Shrink]]
+
* [[Shrink (later anime)|Shrink]]
* [[Soul Charge]]
+
* [[Soul Charge (anime)|Soul Charge]]
* [[Swords of Revealing Light]]  
+
* [[Spell of Pain (anime)|Spell of Pain]]<ref group=Notes name=hand175/>
* [[The Seal of Orichalcos]]
+
* [[Swords of Revealing Light (anime)|Swords of Revealing Light]]  
* [[Wicked-Breaking Flamberge - Baou]]<ref group=Notes name=necro/>
+
* [[The Seal of Orichalcos (anime)|The Seal of Orichalcos]]
 +
* [[Wicked-Breaking Flamberge - Baou (anime)|Wicked-Breaking Flamberge - Baou]]<ref group=Notes name=necro/>
 
|traps =
 
|traps =
 
* [[Crystal Seal]]  
 
* [[Crystal Seal]]  
Line 109: Line 112:
 
* [[Spirit Hunting]]
 
* [[Spirit Hunting]]
 
}}
 
}}
 +
 +
==Duels==
 +
{| class="wikitable card-list"
 +
|-
 +
! Opponent(s) || Episode(s) || Outcome(s)
 +
|-
 +
| [[Yami Yugi]]/[[Yugi Muto]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 156|156]]-[[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 158|158]] || Win
 +
|-
 +
| [[Mai Valentine]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 174|174]] || Win (flashback)
 +
|-
 +
| [[Yami Yugi]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 174|174]]-[[Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 176|176]] || Lose
 +
|}
  
 
==Notes==
 
==Notes==
<references group=Notes />
+
<references group="Notes" />
  
 +
{{Rafael pages}}
 
{{Characters/ssa}}
 
{{Characters/ssa}}
  
 
[[Category:Yu-Gi-Oh! characters]]
 
[[Category:Yu-Gi-Oh! characters]]

Latest revision as of 19:27, 16 April 2024

Rafael
Rafael
English name
  • Rafael
Other namesRaphael
Japanese name
Japaneseラフェール
RōmajiRafēru
Other language names
Arabic
  • رافايل
Greek
  • Рαφαήλ
Chinese
  • 拉斐爾
Gender
  • Male
Relatives
  • Unnamed parents (deceased in Japanese version only)
  • Julian (brother; deceased in Japanese version only)
  • Sonia (sister; deceased in Japanese version only)
Previous organizationDoma
Anime DeckGuardian
Anime debutYu-Gi-Oh! episode 145145: "A New Evil - Part 1"
Appears in
Anime
English voice
Japanese voice
  • Yoshihisa Kawahara
Other language voices
German
  • Jörg Hengstler
  • Tobias Müller (young)
Rafael

Rafael (ラフェール Rafēru) is a character in the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime and one of the main antagonists of the Waking the Dragons arc. He is the strongest of Doma's Swordsmen and the most mysterious in his strategy. He is the only swordsman to have defeated his target once. He is also the only swordsman to not lose his soul after being defeated by his target, and was one of the first characters shown to be able to see Duel Spirits. He and Alister were responsible for bringing Rex Raptor and Weevil Underwood to Dartz. He is one of the few characters to have defeated Yami Yugi in a Duel, the others being Seto Kaiba and Yugi Muto.

Design[edit]

Appearance[edit]

Rafael's design incorporates multiple layers of clothing and a wide range of expressions. Depicted here is the Duelist in "Doma Swordsman" regalia from front and rear views and alongside views of his head from different angles.

Rafael's usual outfit consists of a large open full-body purple coat with padded shoulders and belted sleeves and fingerless gloves with studded knuckles. He wears this over a tight tan tank top, black pants and boots. His blonde hair is raised and points upwards behind his head it also features two locks in front of his ears turning through ninety degrees and pointing forward. His Orichalcos Stone is worn around his neck. He carries a Chaos Duel Disk on his left hand.

Etymology[edit]

The names of Rafael and his fellows (known as Doma's Three Swordsman in the Japanese version) in addition to Dartz himself are drawn from The Three Musketeers; Rafael's name is derived from Athos, Count de la Fère.

Biography[edit]

Rafael receives "Guardian Eatos" as a birthday present.

Rafael came from a very wealthy family, and led a perfect life. He had a little sister and brother, and two parents. During his birthday when he received his gift of "Guardian Eatos", Rafael was separated from his family, on a luxury cruise, the boat went off course and directly into a tidal wave. As a result the family was killed and he was the only survivor (in the dub the story was changed to say that the family survived and had forgotten about him). In the Japanese version, Rebecca stated that when she became the American champion, there were rumors that it was actually Rafael instead, even though he never participated in public Duels.

A shipwrecked Rafael sees the spirits of "Guardian Eatos", "Guardian Grarl" and "Guardian Kay'est".

Rafael was stranded on a deserted island with only his Duel Monsters, which included "Guardian Eatos", "Guardian Grarl", and "Guardian Kay'est", which he treasured. As the three years passed, he ended up gaining longer hair with his only clothing being a tank top and what's left of his pants. During this time, his cards blew into the ocean and Rafael dove in and retrieved them. It appears at this time he began to see his cards Duel Monster spirits, but it was never shown if they talked back to him. One day, Rafael saw a city right off the island. Upon building a raft, Rafael quickly sailed towards it. But as he got near, it disappeared and he was pulled down underneath the sea by a tidal wave. There, Dartz's voice told him to remember his voice for they would meet again. Rafael became conscious aboard his raft and was then rescued by a fishing boat where his rescue was on the front page of the magazine.

Rafael holding his siblings' skulls.

In the original, Rafael's parents were presumed dead as he visited their graves. His surviving relatives took his dad's inheritance and wanted nothing to do with Rafael. Meanwhile, strangers simply wanted his fame. As a result he had no real friends. Rafael made his living by becoming a Duelist, eventually becoming the first Duelist to become the first national champion in the United States, a feat that was believed to be accomplished by Rebecca. However, he never appeared in public outside of Duels since people simply wanted to take advantage of him. In the dub, his family survived but forgotten about him.

He traveled more and eventually went with Dartz to a graveyard and tortured by digging where he finds the skulls from his siblings' corpses, confirming that his family had died in the shipwreck (the skulls were removed from the dub version). He was then seduced by a Dark Guardian and given "The Seal of Orichalcos" card and a Chaos Duel Disk, and became one of the many minions of Dartz. Rafael did not know that Dartz drove the ship that his family drowned on into the tidal wave.

At some point after joining Dartz, Rafael met Alister and Valon. Like Rafael, Alister and Valon had their childhoods tragically manipulated and destroyed by Dartz. Rafael obviously cared a great deal about his partners as he showed concern for Valon after he fell in love with Mai and was visibly upset when Alister lost his soul.

Rafael believed that he was following his set destiny, and proceeded to capture many souls. He believes the Pharaoh, Yami Yugi, was evil and thus desires his soul above all others. During his Duel against Yami Yugi, Rafael gave his "The Seal of Orichalcos" to Yami, using "Exchange". Yami Yugi activated "The Seal of Orichalcos" out of desperation, but proceeded to lose the Duel. Yugi pushed Yami out of "The Seal of Orichalcos" and let the Seal take his soul instead. Rafael didn't know about this until he returned to Dartz's base and Dartz and Valon revealed this to him. To make up for this, he goes after Yami Yugi after the latter and Téa Gardner fell into the Stone Wastelands. By Dartz's instructions, he throws his Orichalcos necklace where Yami Yugi and Yugi dueled in order for Dartz to summon an Orichalcos Soldier. Yami Yugi only barely manages to win after he uses "Eye of Timaeus" (something that surprised Rafael since in their last Duel Timaeus abandoned Yami Yugi for playing "The Seal of Orichalcos").

Rafael seeing his family and his guardians.
Rafael last seen at the Arc de Triomphe.

Later in Florida, Rafael confronts Mai Valentine after she was freed from the Orichalcos's influence and arrived to defeat Dartz and free Joey's soul. Despite Mai's efforts, Rafael beats her and captures her soul. Rafael then Duels Yami Yugi again in order to take his soul, this time playing the Seal himself. After Yami Yugi defeats "Guardian Eatos", Rafael calls forth "Guardian Dreadscythe". Rafael proceeds to sacrifice his monsters, like Yami Yugi did in their previous Duel. Yami plays "Underworld Circle", sparking a vision of Rafael's past that snaps him out of the control of "The Seal of Orichalcos". After "Dreadscythe" was destroyed, Rafael then concedes defeat by using "Soul Charge" to revive all his monsters and deplete his own Life Points as a symbolic apology to them.

Afterwards the Seal attempts to take his soul, but his stone shatters and he is freed. It is revealed that because he had no negative emotions within him upon his defeat, the Seal could not take his soul. When the building starts collapsing, Rafael hangs from an edge and gives Yami Yugi a computer chip with a map to Dartz's lair before he seemingly falls down.

He rescues Mai and Valon from the collapsing building and confronts Dartz, who confessed that he was the one responsible for sinking the luxury cruise that he and his family were on, and for the suffering he and his friends had experienced all along. After this revelation, Rafael finally saw that Yami was right and that Dartz was the true evil, and as a result, Rafael was shocked, distraught, and angered. He used his remaining strength to materialize Guardian Eatos to attack Dartz, but Dartz ended up taking his soul.

At the end of the arc he is set free along with all of Dartz's prisoners. He is last seen standing before the Arc de Triomphe.

Deck[edit]

Rafael uses a "Guardian" Deck. His "Guardian" monsters require that their corresponding Equip Spell Card is already on the field in order to be Summoned. Rafael usually equips the Equip Spell to "Backup Gardna" before Summoning the monster, then uses the effect of "Backup Gardna" to transfer that Equip Card to its corresponding "Guardian". Rafael will often use "Guardian Treasure" to access his cards more quickly.

The majority of his cards are very old and worn, and can be seen with wrinkled edges and discolorations. These cards' wear and tear are enough to make Rafael glue pristine card backs onto them, so that he can use them without marking his Deck.[citation needed]

Rafael is very close to his cards and cannot tolerate their destruction, thus uses a variety of Spell and Trap Cards to protect them, even at the cost of his own Life Points and hand; card he uses to this end include "Rescuer from the Grave", "Self Tribute", and "My Body as a Shield" (the latter of which was seen but never used). Rafael's dedication to protect his monsters is important due to his signature card "Guardian Eatos", which can be Special Summoned without any sacrifice if Rafael has no monsters in his Graveyard.

When "Eatos" is destroyed Rafael becomes desperate, Summoning "Guardian Dreadscythe", a twisted evil incarnation of "Eatos" that represents the darkness in his heart. At this point, Rafael no longer cares to protect his monsters, destroying them to empower "Dreadscythe", his hatred and determination to win overriding his bond with his monsters. While Rafael would willingly sacrifice himself to protect his Guardians, "Dreadscythe" forces him to do so by requiring him discard a card to prevent its destruction if it would ever be destroyed.

Duels[edit]

Opponent(s) Episode(s) Outcome(s)
Yami Yugi/Yugi Muto 156-158 Win
Mai Valentine 174 Win (flashback)
Yami Yugi 174-176 Lose

Notes[edit]

  1. a b c d This card can be seen in his hand after Yugi Summons "Dark Magician Girl" during episode 175.
  2. a b c This card can been seen in his hand after Yugi uses "Hand Control" to force him to activate "Necromancy" during episode 158.
  3. This card is discarded to activate "Orichalcos Sword of Sealing" during episode 176.
  4. This card can be seen in his hand during episode 158.

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