Difference between revisions of "Theodore Hamilton"

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| headers          = true
 
| headers          = true
 
| image            = TakeruHomura.png
 
| image            = TakeruHomura.png
| en_name          = Takeru Homura
+
| en_name          = Theodore Hamilton
 
| ja_name          = {{Ruby|穂|ほ}}{{Ruby|村|むら}} {{Ruby|尊|たける}}
 
| ja_name          = {{Ruby|穂|ほ}}{{Ruby|村|むら}} {{Ruby|尊|たける}}
 
| romaji_name      = Homura Takeru
 
| romaji_name      = Homura Takeru
| other_names      = Soulburner
+
| ja_trans_name    = Takeru Homura
 +
| other_names      =  
 +
* Soulburner (ソウルバーナー, ''Sourubānā'')
 +
* Teddy (dub, by Kiku)
 +
* Burnsy (dub, by Ai)
 
| relatives        =  
 
| relatives        =  
* [[Takeru's mother]] (deceased)
+
* [[Mr. Hamilton]] (deceased)
* [[Takeru's father]] (deceased)  
+
* [[Mrs. Hamilton]] (deceased)  
* [[Takeru's grandmother]]
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* [[Theodore's grandmother]]
* [[Takeru's grandfather]]
+
* [[Theodore's grandfather]]
| anime_deck      = [[Cyberse]] Beatdown<ref name="VRAINSED3">''Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS'' Ending 3: [[BOY]]</ref>
+
| anime_deck      =  
 +
* [[Cyberse]] Beatdown<ref name="VRAINSED3">''Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS'' Ending 3: [[BOY]]</ref> <!--@The Deck is officially called "Cyberse Beatdown" in the third Ending sequence. Do not alter this.-->
 +
* [[FIRE]] [[Warrior]] (past Deck)
 
| appears_in_anime = ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS]]''
 
| appears_in_anime = ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS]]''
 
| anime_debut      = {{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|48|ref}}
 
| anime_debut      = {{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|48|ref}}
 
| ja_voice        = [[Yuki Kaji]]<ref name="YGOrg More Info On Season 2">{{cite web | url = https://ygorganization.com/areyoureadyforvrainstogethotblooded/ | title = <nowiki>The Organization | [VRAINS] More Info On Season 2</nowiki> | publisher = YGOrganization | date = March 20, 2018 | accessdate = April 22, 2018}}</ref>
 
| ja_voice        = [[Yuki Kaji]]<ref name="YGOrg More Info On Season 2">{{cite web | url = https://ygorganization.com/areyoureadyforvrainstogethotblooded/ | title = <nowiki>The Organization | [VRAINS] More Info On Season 2</nowiki> | publisher = YGOrganization | date = March 20, 2018 | accessdate = April 22, 2018}}</ref>
 +
| en_voice        = [[Eddy Lee]]
 
}}
 
}}
  
'''Takeru Homura''' ({{Ruby|穂|ほ}}{{Ruby|村|むら}} {{Ruby|尊|たける}}, ''Homura Takeru''), known as '''Soulburner''' in [[LINK VRAINS]], is a character in the second season of the ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS]]'' anime. He is one of the victims of the [[Lost Incident]], and he is partnered with an [[Ignis]], [[Flame (character)|Flame]]. Inspired by [[Yusaku Fujiki|Playmaker]], [[Skye Zaizen|Blue Angel]], and [[George Gore|the Gore]]'s fight against the [[Knights of Hanoi]], he transfers to [[Den City High School]] to aid Playmaker.
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'''Theodore Hamilton''', known as '''Takeru Homura''' ({{Ruby|穂|ほ}}{{Ruby|村|むら}} {{Ruby|尊|たける}}, ''Homura Takeru'') in the Japanese version, and known as '''Soulburner''' (ソウルバーナー, ''Sourubānā'') in [[LINK VRAINS]], is a character introduced the second season of the ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS]]'' anime. He is one of the victims of the [[Lost Incident]], and he is partnered with an [[Ignis]], [[Flame (character)|Flame]], whom he is the Origin of. Inspired by [[Yusaku Fujiki|Playmaker]], [[Skye Zaizen|Blue Angel]], and [[George Gore|The Gore]]'s fight against the [[Knights of Hanoi]], he transfers to [[Den City High School]] to aid Playmaker.
  
 
==Design==
 
==Design==
 
===Appearance===
 
===Appearance===
{{double image|left|TakeruHomura-Normal-ConceptArt.png|200|TakeruHomura-VR-ConceptArt.png|200|Full views of Takeru, both in reality and as Soulburner.}}
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{{double image|left|TakeruHomura-Normal-ConceptArt.png|200|TakeruHomura-VR-ConceptArt.png|200|Full views of Theodore, both in reality and as Soulburner.}}
Takeru is a fair-skinned bespectacled teen with grey eyes and dual-layered hair; the more predominant top section is silver, while the bottom layer is reddish-orange. He has five prominent, but short, spiky locks in his bangs; the outer two frame his face, while the central three curve to the left of his head in a similar style to [[Yugo]]. He wears ovular green-rimmed spectacles that leave the base of the lens exposed. Takeru wears the [[Den City High School]] boys' uniform with a lavender-lined collar and pink tie, but more neatly than the disheveled [[Yusaku Fujiki]]; his shirt is tucked in, his coat is closed, and he wears more formal brown shoes.
+
Theodore is a fair-skinned bespectacled teen with grey eyes and dual-layered hair; the more predominant top section is silver, while the bottom layer is reddish-orange. He has five prominent, but short, spiky locks in his bangs; the outer two frame his face, while the central three curve to the left of his head in a similar style to [[Yugo]]. He wears ovular green-rimmed spectacles that leave the base of the lens exposed. Theodore wears the [[Den City High School]] boys' uniform with a lavender-lined collar and pink tie, but more neatly than the disheveled [[Yusaku Fujiki]]; his shirt is tucked in, his coat is closed, and he wears more formal brown shoes.
  
As Soulburner in [[LINK VRAINS]], he removes his spectacles and his eyes turn gold. His hair becomes slightly longer and his central bangs reverse direction and become more angular. The upper layer of his hair becomes turquoise, while the bottom layer and his eyebrows both become blue and more prominent. His bangs become red; the framing bangs are shot through with orange, while the central bang turns orange. Soulburner wears a grey jumpsuit patterned with orange flames licking the limbs, red rib sections, and a yellow arrowhead shape running down his chest with a triangular aquamarine gem in the center. He has red shoulder-pads, greaves, and a gauntlet on his left hand and an elbow-guard on his right arm, which is bare to the wrist. Soulburner wears gloves with a similar basic design; the one on his right hand is a fingerless red glove with orange knuckles and a square-shaped section missing from the back of the hand, and the one on his left is black, with red knuckles and a red patch on the back of his hand. He also wears red boots with grey, orange-lined tongues and orange soles. Soulburner wears an unusual scarf around his neck that appears to "flicker"; small sections either hover separately as if they were attached or are constantly emitted.
+
As a delinquent, he wore his hair slicked back and did not wear glasses. He wore a white jumpsuit with dark yellow zips and lines on the sleeve, a black shirt, a silver necklace, and black trainers with white soles. After he returns to his hometown at the end of the series, he begins wearing these clothes again, but retains his glasses and normal hairstyle.
 +
 
 +
As Soulburner in [[LINK VRAINS]], he removes his spectacles and his eyes turn gold. His hair becomes slightly longer and his central bangs reverse direction and become more angular. The upper layer of his hair becomes turquoise, while the bottom layer and his eyebrows both become blue and more prominent. His bangs become red; the framing bangs are shot through with orange, while the central bang turns orange. Soulburner wears a grey jumpsuit patterned with orange flames licking the limbs, red rib sections, and a yellow arrowhead shape running down his chest with a triangular aquamarine gem in the center. He has red shoulder-pads, greaves, and a gauntlet on his left hand and an elbow-guard on his right arm, which is bare to the wrist. Soulburner wears gloves with a similar basic design; the one on his right hand is a fingerless red glove with orange knuckles and a square-shaped section missing from the back of the hand, and the one on his left is black, with red knuckles and a red patch on the back of his hand. He also wears red boots with grey, orange-lined tongues and orange soles. Soulburner wears an unusual scarf that protrudes from his back that appears to "flicker"; small sections either hover separately as if they were attached or are constantly emitted. He can retract  and extend this scarf when necessary in a flash of flames. When he uses his [[Skill]], "[[Burning Draw (anime Skill)|Burning Draw]]", the gem on his chest glows red and glowing flame patterns spread from it across his right arm.
 +
 
 +
===Personality===
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As described by [[Bohman]], Theodore is generally a good, honest person. Theodore suffered immense trauma as a result of the Lost Incident, and while he has largely recovered, he believed his life to have been at a standstill for many years after the Incident. Consequently, he is somewhat unfamiliar with technology. He suffered an intense fear of the monster "[[Despair from the Dark (anime)|Despair from the Dark]]", which defeated him during the Incident, and was only able to get over this trauma with aid from [[Flame (character)|Flame]]. Despite this, Theodore still harbors other lingering issues from the Incident; like Yusaku he developed a burning hatred of the [[Knights of Hanoi]] that was brought to a head when he had to work alongside [[Roken Kogami|Varis]] and subsequently caused him to develop a rivalry with him, while he is also haunted by his last words to his parents having been a trivial argument that Theodore himself does not remember.
 +
 
 +
Following his inspiration by [[Yusaku Fujiki|Playmaker]], [[Skye Zaizen|Blue Angel]], and [[George Gore|The Gore]], he became fans of them, and he was saddened and angered to learn that Gore had joined SOL Technologies as a result. He became more cheerful and full of life, and as Soulburner more playful. He has a light relationship with Flame in comparison to Playmaker and [[Ai]]'s initially more hostile one; playfully bantering with and teasing him, but never insulting him. While Dueling as Soulburner, Theodore is extremely hot-blooded and energetic, in comparison to being quieter in real life.
 +
 
 +
When Playmaker is forced to Duel and defeat Kolter and is subsequently traumatized by his own actions, Soulburner becomes infuriated by the actions of Lightning and Bohman and erupts into a perpetual rage. This rage is only worsened after Flame sacrifices himself to save him from Windy, and Soulburner recklessly lashes out at Bohman despite him offering to end their Duel. After he is restored following Bohman's defeat, Theodore does manage to calm down, but is saddened by the loss of his friend and remains quieter and withdrawn for a time, particularly as Yusaku was dealing with Ai's departure at the time.
 +
 
 +
===Abilities===
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[[File:Vrains 049.png|thumb|250px|Soulburner uses "Burning Draw".]]
 +
In [[LINK VRAINS]], Soulburner demonstrates the ability to control flames for aesthetic purposes; flames often appear in his eyes and surround him when he uses his [[Skill]], "[[Burning Draw (anime Skill)|Burning Draw]]", which allows him to lower his [[LP]] to 100 and then draw a card for each 1000 LP lost. He can also run at superhuman speeds, leaving a trail of flames behind him when he does so.
  
 
==Biography==
 
==Biography==
 
===History===
 
===History===
[[File:YoungTakeru.png|left|200px|thumb|A young Takeru recovering in the hospital after the [[Lost Incident]].]]
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[[File:YoungTakeru.png|left|250px|thumb|A young Theodore recovering in the hospital after the [[Lost Incident]].]]
Takeru was one of six children kidnapped during the [[Lost Incident]], during which he was subjected to experiments via VR Dueling.<ref name="ep50">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|50|ref}}</ref> After being recused, he was taken to recover in the hospital. His grandparents came to visit him and later took him home, tearfully informing him that [[Takeru's mother|his]] [[Takeru's father|parents]] had died in an accident while searching for him.<ref name="ep52">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|52|ref}}</ref>
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Theodore was one of six children kidnapped during the [[Lost Incident]], during which he was subjected to experiments via VR Dueling.<ref name="ep50">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|50|ref}}</ref> The day Theodore was kidnapped, he argued with his parents and said something horrible to them that he later forgot (in the dub, he simply told them he wanted lasagne for dinner).<ref name="ep116">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|116|ref}}</ref> During the Incident, he was defeated using the monster "[[Despair from the Dark (anime)|Despair from the Dark]]", which caused him to develop an intense fear of that monster.<ref name="ep60">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|60|ref}}</ref> After being recused, he was taken to recover in the hospital. His grandparents came to visit him and later took him home, tearfully informing him that his parents ([[Mrs. Hamilton|Mr.]] and [[Mr. Hamilton]]) had died in a car crash while searching for him (in the dub, they disappeared while they were searching for him).<ref name="ep52">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|52|ref}}</ref>
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Theodore lived with his grandparents for ten years, but often skipped school and believed his life had effectively been at a stand-still since the Lost Incident. He also gave up Dueling.<ref name="ep52" /> [[Kiku Kamishirakawa|Kiku]] found him napping on the wharf one day and told him off for skipping school as the school had called his grandfather, but Theodore claimed it was pointless. As they walked through the marketplace, they saw [[Ridley]] and [[Taz]]'s gang harassing another boy, and Theodore scared them off. [[Flame (character)|A voice]] called Theodore's name from a television, but when Theodore looked again he didn't see anything, and Kiku hadn't heard anything. When he got home his grandmother sent him to the dojo, where he sparred with his grandfather, who admonished him for his decisions. Theodore managed to get an opportunity to throw his grandfather, but didn't. That night, he heard the voice speak to him through the television again, telling him the words "[[LINK VRAINS]]" and "[[Yusaku Fujiki|Playmaker]]" (though he mistook them for "Link Brain" and "Playmater"). The next day, he heard Ridley discussing the terms that the voice had mentioned, and he roughly asked what they were. Ridley explained that Playmaker was a famous Duelist who Dueled in a virtual world popular in [[Den City]] called LINK VRAINS, where he defeated the [[Knights of Hanoi]]. Intrigued by the prospect, Theodore met up with Kiku to read about them on her tablet, and he learned that Playmaker was a hero of LINK VRAINS, as were [[George Gore|The Gore]] and [[Skye Zaizen|Blue Angel]]. The voice spoke to him through the tablet, now also mentioning his past and the word "Duel", and Theodore nearly dropped the tablet, much to Kiku's anger.<ref name="ep61">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|61|ref}}</ref>
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Considering the possibility of Dueling for the first time in a decade, Theodore went to get his [[Duel Disk]] from his closet, only to find it inhabited by an A.I., the voice that had spoken to him. As the voice expressed relief that Theodore had finally found him, Theodore freaked out, believing it to be a ghost and tried to break the Duel Disk, but the A.I. told him that his past was connected to Playmaker. Theodore shut the A.I. back in his closet, and the A.I. explained that Playmaker was also a victim of the Lost Incident, but had been able to face his past and worked with one of the A.I.'s [[Ignis]] comrades. He asked to be let out, though Theodore claimed his eye form scared him. The A.I. projected his Avatar, but Theodore found that even more unnerving and decided he preferred the eye. The A.I. urged Theodore to find his path, but Theodore was unwilling, as this likely meant he would have to Duel. His grandmother then knocked on the door, forcing Theodore to shut the A.I. back inside the closet, and she informed him that a friend from class was there. [[Hana]] explained to Theodore that Ridley and Taz had kidnapped Kiku and asked Theodore to come alone with a Duel Disk.<ref name="ep61" />
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[[File:Vrains 063.png|thumb|250px|Theodore decides to reincarnate during his Duel with Ridley.]]
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Theodore took the Duel Disk with him to meet with Ridley and Taz, and told them to let Kiku go. Ridley claimed he'd knew Theodore would Duel due to being interested in Playmaker, and Taz told him to Duel Ridley. Kiku told Theodore not to be provoked, but the A.I. told Theodore that this Duel would decide his future. Theodore accepted his challenge, and as Ridley introduced himself as "the Mad Marsh", the A.I. noted his appreciation of the elaborate name. Theodore started strongly, Summoning "[[Phoenix Gearfried (anime)|Phoenix Gearfried]]" and "[[Valkyrian Knight (anime)|Valkyrian Knight]]", but failed to damage Ridley's [[LP]]. However, when Ridley [[Special Summon]]ed "[[Despair from the Dark (anime)|Despair from the Dark]]", it triggered Theodore's PTSD and he went into shock as the A.I. asked him what was wrong.<ref name="ep61" /> The A.I. begged him to calm down, as Ridley destroyed all of Theodore's monsters, and Theodore begged him to stop. The A.I. told him that he wasn't as weak as he thought, and that his fear of "Despair from the Dark" was all in his head, urging him not to be scared and reincarnate. Theodore found the strength to continue, drawing "[[Rising Fire (anime)|Rising Fire]]" and reviving "Phoenix Gearfried", then combining it with "[[Tempest Fire]]" to destroy "Despair from the Dark" and defeat Ridley. The A.I. congratulated his indomitable soul on not burning out, and Theodore pointed out that it was all thanks to him, before wondering if he had a name. The A.I. introduced himself as Flame, the [[FIRE|Fire]] Ignis, explaining its meaning in kanji, and Theodore teased him for taking an English word and forcing it to fit the kanji (in the dub, he initially didn't want to hear the acronym, but relented when he saw Flame was disappointed).<ref name="ep63">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|63|ref}}</ref>
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[[File:Takeru'sDecision.png|left|200px|thumb|Theodore deciding to take action.]]
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Now much livelier than before, Theodore came to admire Playmaker, Blue Angel, and The Gore as heroes who had fought those who hurt him and gave him hope, learning their real identities from Flame. As Theodore was reading articles about the heroes of LINK VRAINS again, he was confronted by Kiku again about skipping school. Theodore informed her he was leaving and asked that she look after his grandparents for him. She agreed, saying he seemed much more full of life than usual. He departed with Flame in tow, wishing to aide his heroes.<ref name="ep52" />
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===Ignis===
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[[File:A new Duelist appears - with an Ignis in his Duel Disk.png|thumb|250px|Soulburner makes his debut.]]
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Soulburner and [[Flame (character)|Flame]] observed [[Yusaku Fujiki|Playmaker]]'s Duel with a [[Bohman|glowing Duelist]]; Soulburner noted that Flame's [[Ai|friend]] was with Playmaker. Flame asked him not to associate him with that airhead. When [[Harlin]] sent two Duelists, [[Bit]] and [[Boot]] to deter Playmaker from pursuing him, Soulburner arrived to deal with them and allow Playmaker to continue pursuing Harlin and Bohman.<ref name="ep48">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|48|ref}}</ref> Soulburner challenged Bit and Boot simultaneously, and they merged into a single Avatar, BitBoot for their [[Speed Duel]].<ref name="ep49">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|49|ref}}</ref>
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BitBoot demonstrated both [[Cyberse]]-[[Type]] monsters and the [[Link Spell Card]] "[[Judgment Arrows]]" as Bohman had, bringing out "[[D-Scale Battle Coela]]" and using it in combination with "[[D-Scale Torpedo]]" to move it around the field and inflict 1600 damage to Soulburner. Flame noted that they could only take the combo three more times before losing, and Soulburner reassured him that he could break it. He attempted to destroy "Judgment Arrows" with the effect of his "[[Salamangreat Foxy (anime)|Salamangreat Foxy]]", but as BitBoot had activated it with their "[[Marker's Portal]]" [[Skill]], it could not be destroyed by card effects. Despite this, Soulburner [[Link Summon]]ed his [[Signature card|ace monster]], "[[Salamangreat Heatleo (anime)|Salamangreat Heatleo]]", using its effect to shuffle "Judgment Arrows" into the Deck before attacking and destroying "Battle Coela". On their next turn, BitBoot used their Skill again, despite normally only being able to use it once since Bit had used it the last turn and now Boot was using it this turn, reactivating "Judgment Arrows" in a zone that "[[D-Scale Fullmetal Dunkle]]" pointed to. "Fullmetal Dunkle" was so large that it damaged the buildings around them, but Soulburner was able to save himself and "Heatleo" with "[[Energy of Fire]]", which restored his LP and prevented the destruction of "Heatleo". Although he was pleased to draw "[[Monster Reincarnation (anime)|Monster Reincarnation]]" on his next turn, Soulburner's field was locked down by BitBoot's "[[D-Scale Chaff]]". Soulburner then used his own Skill, "[[Burning Draw (anime Skill)|Burning Draw]]", lowering his LP to 100 and drawing a card for every 1000 LP lost, drawing "[[Salamangreat Sanctuary (anime)|Salamangreat Sanctuary]]", allowing him to [[Reincarnation Link Summon]] another "Heatleo" and once again shuffle "Judgment Arrows" into the Deck. BitBoot attempted to set up "Fullmetal Dunkle" to destroy "Heatleo" next turn, prompting Flame to cry that they were doomed. Soulburner replied that the match was already over, using the Reincarnated effect of "Heatleo" to make the ATK of "Fullmetal Dunkle" the same as that of the "[[Salamangreat Meer (anime)|Salamangreat Meer]]" in his [[Graveyard]], lowering it enough for "Heatleo" to defeat them. Soulburner pursued Playmaker to the bottom of LINK VRAINS, where Harla and Bohman had escaped into the Restricted Area. As the area's defenses had been triggered, Soulburner suggested that they log out, and he told Playmaker his name and that they'd meet again before logging out.<ref name="ep49" />
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The next day, Theodore prepared to approach Yusaku at [[Den City High School]]. He passed [[Skye Zaizen]] in the corridor, noting that she was Blue Angel. Flame told him that the person she was talking to was [[Naoki Shima]], aka Playmaker's "best friend", The Brave Battler, but Theodore didn't care. He nervously approached Yusaku, but ducked into a classroom when he apparently noticed him. Flame informed Theodore that he had sent a message to the [[DARK]] Ignis, and his decision making annoyed Theodore. Yusaku then approached them, and Theodore greeted him as Playmaker, prompting Yusaku to ask who he was. Theodore reassured Yusaku that he was his ally and revealed both that he was Soulburner and that he had an Ignis. Flame and Ai traded barbs about their names, before Flame suggested they relocate. Flame revealed to Yusaku that the [[Cyberse (world)|Cyberse]] had been destroyed by a new enemy while they discussed whether to ally with humanity (Flame dissing Theodore's tech skills as he did) and that they were searching for the other Ignis. Flame revealed that the enemy that destroyed the Cyberse did so using "Judgment Arrows", suggesting that they might be the same people who kidnapped the consciousness data of one of the other Lost Incident victims, [[Jin Kolter]]. Flame suggested they work together, and Theodore decided that their priority was to find the escaped Bohman. They went to Jin's brother, [[Cal Kolter]] to ask where Bohman had escaped to, and Kolter served them coffee, welcoming them. Theodore sympathized with what Jin had gone through, and Kolter asked them to find the ones who had stolen his brother's consciousness. Theodore stated that they only had to ask, and Flame agreed that Theodore looked soft, but was really quite strong, prompting Theodore to mutter about how his partner thought he was better than him. Kolter revealed that Bohman had vanished in the Restricted Area, and that there was an unknown program there. Theodore didn't recognize it, and asked if Yusaku did (gaining first-name privileges with one another at the same time), and Flame and Ai realized that it was an Ignis program associated with the [[WIND]] Attribute. A hacker named [[Emma Bessho|Ghost Gal]] sent information to them about a gate in the Restricted Area leading to another world, in addition to a stealth program to get them into the Restricted Area, and despite Ai's fears that it was a trap, they decided to follow the lead.<ref name="ep50">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|50|ref}}</ref>
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Soulburner and Playmaker logged in and quickly entered the Restricted Area using the stealth program. Playmaker thought that Ghost Gal really wanted them to get to the gate, but Soulburner, noticing the incoming Bounty Hunters, pointed out that this wasn't necessarily the case.<ref name="ep50" /> [[George Gore|The Gore]], [[Kenchi]] and [[Yozaka]] pursued them, and Flame alerted them to a trap set by SOL Technologies. Soulburner and Playmaker were able to evade it, though Kenchi and Yozaka were logged out. With only The Gore left, Soulburner asked Playmaker to allow him to handle this, stating that while a match between Playmaker and The Gore would be appealing, he didn't want to see the heroes of LINK VRAINS fight. Playmaker agreed, and Soulburner politely asked Gore for a Duel, revealing Flame to him to entice him. Gore agreed to Speed Duel, and Soulburner eagerly wondered how his hero would Duel. Flame pointed out that it was impossible to know due to Gore's continually evolving strategies, but they were surprised when Gore used his Skill right away and used a "[[Dinowrestler]]" Deck instead of his "[[Gouki]]" Deck. Excited by the new Deck, Soulburner opposed him with "Heatleo", but The Gore easily blocked his attacks, though this only delighted Soulburner. To his shock, Gore Link Summoned "[[Dinowrestler King T Wrextle (anime)|Dinowrestler King T Wrextle]]" and destroyed "Heatleo", ranting that he had to defeat Playmaker to be appreciated again and become number one. Hurt by his hero's words, Soulburner protested that The Gore in his heart wasn't a stepping stone, but a great Duelist who had given him hope when he was suffering, and he asked where that Gore was, rather than the lapdog of SOL Technologies he was Dueling.<ref name="ep51">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|51|ref}}</ref>
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[[File:Vrains 052.png|thumb|250px|left|Soulburner Speed Dueling The Gore.]]
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Soulburner decided that he wanted to fight the real Gore, as he had reasons why he couldn't lose too.<ref name="ep51" /> As he [[Link Fire's Return|revived]] "Heatleo", they were suddenly attacked by SOL Technologies' traps again, and Soulburner was disappointed that Gore had stooped so low. Gore bitterly remarked that they thought low of him if they thought him responsible, and he protected Soulburner from one of the traps, yelling for them to be stopped. The attacks ceased as they moved deeper into the Restricted Area, and Flame noted that Gore wasn't responsible; Soulburner agreeing that The Gore he knew wouldn't do that. He Reincarnation Link Summoned "Heatleo" and weakened "King T Wrextle", prompting Flame to boast that this was Soulburner's special technique. Soulburner complained he was hogging the spotlight, but Flame claimed he was boasting in Soulburner's place to save face. Gore combined the effects of "K T Wrextle" and "[[World Dino Wrestling (anime)|World Dino Wrestling]]" to limit Soulburner's attacks and protect "King T Wrextle", and attacked "[[Salamangreat Jack Jaguar (anime)|Salamangreat Jack Jaguar]]" on his next turn. This allowed Soulburner to freely convert the ATK of "Heatleo" to LP with "Salamangreat Sanctuary" and survive the attack. Before drawing on his next turn, Soulburner reflected on his past and his recent change of outlook, then he used "Burning Draw" to draw an extra card, and he [[Ritual Summon]]ed "[[Salamangreat Emerald Eagle (anime)|Salamangreat Emerald Eagle]]" and [[Tribute]]d "Heatleo" to activate its effect, allowing "Emerald Eagle" to instantly destroy "K T Wrextle" and inflict its ATK to Gore, defeating him. Soulburner approached the fallen Gore, offering him a hand up, but Gore ignored his hand. Soulburner told Gore that he was still a hero to him, and Gore sharply advised Soulburner that he couldn't win forever and that he'd lose and reveal his true self eventually. He logged out, and Flame commented that Gore must lose a lot to be such a sore loser, much to Soulburner's disapproval.<ref name="ep52">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|52|ref}}</ref>
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After defeating The Gore, Soulburner met up with Playmaker in the depths of the Restricted Area, and they managed to enter the unknown world through the gate. Immediately after arriving, they were hit by strong winds, which forced Flame and Ai to protect them using Data Storms. At some point, the winds stopped, and they were able to reach a temple where they finally found [[Windy|the Wind Ignis]]. After showing them the world he had build, the Ignis (who decided to call himself "Windy") explained how he did that in order to attract his fellow Ignis, and also to lure the responsible for destroying the Cyberse. Despite not knowing who was the responsible, Flame pointed out they were after Bohman, who not only had stolen Jin's consciousness, but also had the card used to destroy the Cyberse, and suggested he could've escaped to a world inside Windy's world. They then asked Windy to join them, which he promptly refused, as those statements had no evidence. However, Windy said he could weaken the winds near the area where Bohman supposedly escaped to, under the condition that Playmaker and Soulburner defeat the two invaders, Ghost Gal and an unknown partner.<ref name="ep55">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|55|ref}}</ref>
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Upon making contact with the girls, Blue Gal presented herself as actually being Blue Angel. Soulburner was happy to meet another savior of the old LINK VRAINS, but Blue Gal stated they were actually seeking to retrieve the Ignis. While both Playmaker and Ghost Gal were willing to solve the situation without Dueling, Soulburner accepted Blue Gal's challenge.<ref name="ep55" /> Knowing of Blue Gal's "[[Trickstar]]" Deck and its burn tactics, Soulburner attempted to take the first turn by challenging Blue Gal to a small race, but was overwhelmed by the terrain and lost. From the very beginning of the Duel, Blue Gal was planning ahead to counter his strategies of swarming the field with "Salamangreat" monsters, and his Skill. Soulburner was pushed into a corner by all accumulated burn damage caused by "[[Trickstar Divaridis (anime)|Trickstar Divaridis]]" and "[[Trickstar Lycoris (anime)|Trickstar Lycoris]]", and even "Salamangreat Heatleo" was unable to destroy them due to Blue Gal using "[[Trickstar Calobane (anime)|Trickstar Calobane]]". Despite making no progress, Flame still assured him that they had an advantage, since Soulburner had Flame himself by his side. After nearly being defeated by Blue Gal's [[Fusion Monster]], "[[Trickstar Band Sweet Guitar (anime)|Trickstar Band Sweet Guitar]]", Soulburner listened to Flame's advice and used his Skill, managing to draw "[[Fusion of Fire (anime)|Fusion of Fire]]". By using it, he fused "Heatleo" and Blue Gal's "Divaridis" into "[[Salamangreat Violet Chimera (anime)|Salamangreat Violet Chimera]]". In the final attack, Blue Gal attempted to reduce the damage by using "Calobane" again, but this was predicted and countered by Soulburner, who used the effect of "Violet Chimera" to double its ATK, and drop her LP to 0 in a single attack. After the Duel, he approached the fallen Blue Gal to compliment her for becoming much stronger, before forcing her log out. Ghost Gal then returned, amazed by the Duel's outcome and aware she wouldn't be able to go any further without her partner. Flame then gave her a copy of Blue Gal's evacuation program, allowing Ghost Gal to log out safely.<ref name="ep56">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|56|ref}}</ref> Following that, they resumed travelling through the canyons towards the edge of the Wind World, Soulburner noticed that the winds were getting stronger, and Flame wondered if it was due to Playmaker Dueling. Soulburner suggested they hurry, and they reached Playmaker just after he defeated Bohman. The Wind World began to destabilize, and Flame suggested they log out; Soulburner immediately activated the escape program and did so.<ref name="ep58">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|58|ref}}</ref>
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After they logged out, Yusaku explained to Theodore, Flame and Kolter that Bohman had been given his memories, and Theodore deduced that Yusaku's past had been researched. Kolter revealed that he'd added another room to [[Café Nom]] for Theodore to use when he logged in, much to Theodore's pleased surprise, and they decided to wait for the gate to reappear. At school the next day, Theodore introduced himself to Skye, and marveled at how different she was outside of LINK VRAINS, expressing regret that he couldn't discuss their Duel with her. Yusaku told him not to, and Theodore reassured him that he wouldn't. Shima then approached them, berating Skye for missing Duel Club and claiming to be Playmaker's best friend.<ref name="ep60">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|60|ref}}</ref>
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The gate soon reappeared in one of the disused islands atop LINK VRAINS, and Soulburner and Playmaker logged in and headed for it. As they approached the gate, it began to draw Playmaker in with winds, and Soulburner and Flame realized that it was a trap. Soulburner shoved Playmaker aside and was drawn into the gate himself, the claustrophobia triggering his trauma of "[[Despair from the Dark (anime)|Despair from the Dark]]" as Flame asked what was wrong.<ref name="ep60" /> Soulburner woke up to find Flame urging him to awaken, and Flame explained that they were in a trap created by [[The Shepherd]] and that he'd connected to Soulburner's memories. The area changed into a lava chamber, and The Shepherd challenged Soulburner to a Duel, declaring that he was taking his Ignis. Soulburner warned Shepherd about looking into his soul and accepted the challenge, but before the Duel started, Shepherd fired a blast behind him to destroy a small bug.<ref name="ep62">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|62|ref}}</ref>
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The Shepherd began by protecting his "[[Duplicate Drone]]" with "[[Mirror Coat Unit]]", and his A.I. explained its two effects. Soulburner was annoyed that Shepherd's A.I. would be explaining every little effect, and Flame told him not to allow Shepherd to set the pace of the Duel. Soulburner quickly brought out "Salamangreat Heatleo" and returned "Mirror Coat Unit" to Shepherd's Deck, but this triggered its third effect and allowed Shepherd to amass his "Duplicate Drones" in his hand. Soulburner protested that Shepherd's A.I. had only explained two effects, but Shepherd explained that he hadn't let it say more. Flame explained that The Shepherd had done the same thing against Playmaker, and noted that at least the A.I. hadn't lied this time. The Shepherd asked them who decided an A.I.'s info was accurate, claiming that an A.I. was a tool that simply obeys humans. Soulburner prepared to attack directly, but the A.I. warned Shepherd of the likely attack, and Soulburner realized that the A.I. had been truthful that time; it would mix the truth with lies. Shepherd then activated "[[Drone Barricade]]" to prevent direct attacks, so Soulburner Reincarnation Link Summoned "Heatleo" to get rid of it. However the effect of "Drone Barricade" simply replaced itself, forcing Soulburner to end his turn without attacking. Flame noted that Shepherd had been prepared for them and that Reincarnating "Heatleo" wasn't a secret anymore, prompting Soulburner to wonder if this meant he was famous. To Soulburner's horror, The Shepherd Summoned "Despair from the Dark", and Soulburner remembered his traumatizing memories of the monster. Realizing that The Shepherd was trying to exploit his trauma, but that he was unaware that Soulburner had largely overcome it, Soulburner acted traumatized by the monster, which Shepherd duplicated using his "Duplicate Drones".<ref name="ep62" /><ref name="ep63" /> Soulburner was able to survive the consecutive attacks using "[[Salamangreat Parro (anime)|Salamangreat Parro]]", though "Heatleo" was destroyed and he was reduced to 200 LP. The Shepherd claimed that Soulburner's trauma had scarred his heart and took a long time to heal as it had happened in his childhood, and told Soulburner that he had no future as a Duelist and to give him the Ignis and leave his sight as Flame urged Soulburner to calm down. Refusing to give up, Soulburner drew "[[Rising Fire (anime)|Rising Fire]]" as he had when he overcame his trauma and revived "Heatleo", then Reincarnated it to trigger the effect of "Rising Fire" and banish all of Shepherd's "Despair from the Dark", bidding farewell to despair. Shepherd asked in shock what had happened to Soulburner's trauma, and Soulburner asked what he meant, revealing his deception. He claimed to be over his past, and with the effects of "Heatleo" and "[[Salamangreat Foxer (anime)|Salamangreat Foxer]]" he depleted Shepherd's "Drone Barricades". Flame warned Soulburner that Shepherd had a Set card, and Shepherd asked if he was scared. Soulburner declared that he wasn't, and would take a new step forward with Flame, much to Shepherd's derision. Soulburner attacked, but before Shepherd could activate his card, the trap began to shatter and The Shepherd fled. Playmaker called his name, and Soulburner lamented that they'd stopped him when he was about to win. They logged out before The Shepherd could return.<ref name="ep63" />
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Theodore met up with Yusaku after school, asking him if he was going to see Kolter, but Shima showed up and wanted to talk to Yusaku, claiming that he knew his secret. Theodore left Yusaku with Shima and headed to Café Nom, buying a hamburger for Kolter on the way to thank him for rescuing him from The Shepherd. As he and Flame arrived at the plaza, Ai crashed from the sky in Yusaku's Duel Disk, and Flame expressed admiration for its drone modifications and suggested Theodore add wheels to it, though Theodore was unimpressed by their puns. He gave the burger to Kolter, and though Ai claimed he shouldn't bring a burger to a hotdog stand, Kolter joked that it was a good way to keep an eye on the competition and thanked Theodore. After they ate, Ai asked Kolter how he and Yusaku met, and Kolter admitted reluctance to tell them for fear of reminding Theodore of the Lost Incident. Theodore reassured Kolter that he'd be fine, so Kolter told them of how he and Yusaku met while separately fighting the Knights of Hanoi, and how they had obtained Yusaku's Cyberse Deck from a secret dungeon.<ref name="ep64">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|64|ref}}</ref><ref name="ep65">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|65|ref}}</ref>
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Yusaku brought his helper robot [[Roboppi]] to Café Nom, explaining that Ai had gone missing. Theodore was surprised that Ai had escaped Yusaku's lock, and Yusaku revealed that it had been removed. Roboppi and Kolter revealed that AI and Roboppi had been on a crossword puzzle that offered an Ai pin as a reward, and Theodore commented that Ai had been targeted with pinpoint accuracy. Flame revealed that the puzzle itself was an Ignis algorithm, which lead to an unknown world. Theodore suggested they all go to see if the Ignis had a message for them, but Yusaku asked to go alone, as he didn't trust Windy, instructing Theodore to come after him if he took too long to return.<ref name="ep68">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|68|ref}}</ref> Yusaku didn't return, so Theodore noted that something must have happened and he decided to follow Yusaku. Kolter gave them code that could temporarily cut an Ignis program, just in case. He logged in and found the location in flames, with no sign of Playmaker or Ai.<ref name="ep69">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|69|ref}}</ref> Soulburner and Flame flew through the world, finding Windy's palace surrounded by destroyed Echoes. They met [[Spectre]] outside, and Soulburner realized who he was. Spectre reassured them that he didn't intend to fight them, but would guide them and show them the true nature of the Ignis, asking Soulburner to reconsider his partnership with Flame once he hand. They entered to find [[Roken Kogami|Varis]] Dueling Windy, and Playmaker and Ai imprisoned by Windy and the [[LIGHT]] Ignis, Lightning. Lightning attempted to imprison them and Spectre too, but Flame used Kolter's program to block his efforts and freed Ai and Playmaker. Varis then defeated Windy by [[Synchro Summon]]ing "[[Borreload Savage Dragon (anime)|Borreload Savage Dragon]]" and the Knights of Hanoi used a virus on Windy that began to erase him. Lightning saved Windy, and asked Flame if he was siding with humans. Soulburner insisted that Flame wanted to stop any conflict between humans and Ignis, and to his shock, Bohman and Harlin arrived, and Lightning revealed that he had Jin's data prisoner.<ref name="ep70">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|70|ref}}</ref>
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[[File:Soulburner and Flame are surrounded by Bits and Boots.png|thumb|left|250px|Soulburner and Flame are surrounded, preventing them from pursuing Lightning.]]
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Lightning revealed that [[Jin Kolter|Jin]]'s consciousness had been trapped deep within himself, and Soulburner and Flame realized that Lightning had been the one to give "Judgment Arrows" to Bohman and was thus behind the destruction of the Cyberse. As Lightning scoffed at the idea of some Ignis wanting to coexist after the Knights of Hanoi attacked them, Flame angrily snapped that he had believed that Soulburner had unlimited potential. Regardless, Lightning declared war on humanity and he fled to save Windy from the Hanoi's virus. Soulburner and Playmaker pursued Lightning, Bohman and Harlin, and Soulburner gave Playmaker Kolter's program as they did. SOL Technologies' Bounty Hunters arrived, and Lightning summoned swarms of Bits and Boots to deal with them, then had Windy conjure a Data Storm to separate Soulburner and Playmaker. As Bohman challenged Playmaker to a Speed Duel, Soulburner went after Lightning, vowing to help Flame avenge the Cyberse.<ref name="ep71">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|71|ref}}</ref> Soulburner was surprised when Flame told him that their real battle had only just begun, as he believed his battles before to have been real, but Flame insisted that the battle would only end with Lightning's defeat. They were eventually swarmed by Bits and Boots, allowing Lightning to escape. Soulburner was infuriated that the Bits and Boots had dared to interfere, and Flame suggested they log out rather than waste time dealing with the Bits and Boots.<ref name="ep73">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|73|ref}}</ref>
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Yusaku decided to inform [[Akira Zaizen]], Skye Zaizen's brother and head of security at SOL Technologies, of the threat that Lightning and Bohman posed and did so in person while concealing his identity. Theodore and Flame kept an eye on Yusaku and Zaizen from a warehouse rooftop in the harbor at night, though Flame wasn't happy that they were sharing information with SOL Technologies, as he believed that they were unable to be trusted. The next day, they decided to try to find [[Earth (character)|Earth]], who Yusaku and Ai had previously encountered, before Lightning could. Playmaker and Soulburner logged in near Earth's traces, and Soulburner searched the bottom of LINK VRAINS. Kolter eventually contacted them with Earth's location and urgently warned them he was in danger, but Soulburner was too far away to help Earth.<ref name="ep74">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|74|ref}}</ref> A few days later, Kolter found security footage depicting Blue Gal and [[Aqua (character)|Aqua]] fleeing from The Shepherd, and though they weren't sure why Aqua was with Blue Gal, Yusaku and Theodore quickly logged in to rescue Aqua from The Shepherd. They found Ghost Gal alone, who told them The Shepherd had logged out, and Soulburner asked where Blue Gal was. Blue Gal and Aqua revealed themselves, Aqua having taken up residence in Blue Gal's Duel Disk, and Blue Gal changed her Avatar to Blue Maiden. Soulburner was quite appreciative of the change, and he joined Playmaker and Blue Maiden in the skies as they vowed to fight together.<ref name="ep77">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|77|ref}}</ref> They headed to the location where Aqua had been imprisoned with Ghost Gal to search for any traces of Lightning's log, but Lightning had covered his tracks well and left no traces.<ref name="ep78">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|78|ref}}</ref> Their search proved fruitless until Kolter sent them coordinates to a portal that led to Lightning's palace, where he was Dueling The Shepherd. Soulburner was impressed by Shepherd's destruction of "Judgment Arrows", as he took advantage of it to destroy as many monsters as possible, though Lightning was able to blunt the effect.<ref name="ep79">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|79|ref}}</ref> Soulburner explained the purpose of Shepherd's moves to Blue Maiden, though Shepherd was eventually defeated and his data was erased after they learned he was Ghost Gal's brother.<ref name="ep80">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|80|ref}}</ref>
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As Theodore, Yusaku, Flame and Ai discussed the Duel between The Shepherd and Lightning at Café Nom, Earth's signal appeared in LINK VRAINS. Theodore and Yusaku logged in to protect Earth from SOL Technologies, only to find The Gore instead, who challenged Playmaker to a Duel and warned Soulburner that he would be next. Soulburner was shocked by his hero's malnourished appearance and obsession, and he and Flame watched the Speed Duel with Blue Maiden and Aqua once they arrived. To Soulburner's horror, Gore Link Summoned one of Earth's monsters; "[[G Golem Crystal Heart (anime)|G Golem Crystal Heart]]" and revealed that Earth's data was in his [[A.I. Dueling Chip]].<ref name="ep81">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|81|ref}}</ref> Gore used "Crystal Heart" to empower "Dinowrestler King T Wrextle" and reduce Playmaker to 1000 [[LP]], and Playmaker attempted to to counter first with "Neo Storm Access", and then again after Gore used "[[Anti Skill]]" to negate it, but Gore blocked both counters and reduced him to 100 LP, knocking him off his Duel Board. Soulburner and Blue Maiden attempted to save Playmaker, but were unable to catch him before he hit the ground. Playmaker was then able to use an additional effect of his Skill, [[Xyz Summon]]ing "[[Firewall eXceed Dragon (anime)|Firewall eXceed Dragon]]" and defeating Gore. Playmaker and Ai were almost trapped by a capture unit, but Ai was able to retrieve "Crystal Heart" and give it to Blue Maiden. Soulburner noted that Gore had been a victim of the battle.<ref name="ep82">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|82|ref}}</ref>
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Ghost Gal sent them footage of Earth's final moments. Theodore was horrified by the footage, while Yusaku bitterly remarked that SOL Technologies saw both Ignis and Duelists as tools and walked out of Café Nom. Theodore followed Yusaku outside and asked Yusaku if he was okay, handing him his Duel Disk. He reassured Yusaku that what had happened to The Gore and Earth wasn't his fault, as they had been Duelists with their own ideals. Theodore noted the increasing hostilities between humanity and the Ignis, and Ai admitted that Varis and Lightning's belief of war between them would likely happen Ai explained what Lightning had told him when they met in Windy's Cyberse, and Theodore was shocked to learn that Windy and Lightning had never intended to coexist with humanity and that Windy had attempted to eliminate his own partner. Yusaku admitted that he wasn't sure if humans and A.I. could ever live in peace, though Theodore, Flame, and Ai all urged him not to lose faith, Flame playfully teasing Theodore over his enthusiasm. Despite this, Yusaku still recommended that the Ignis go into hiding after their final battle, and Flame and Theodore discussed the notion of parting, admitting that it might be for the best.<ref name="ep83">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|83|ref}}</ref>
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The next day, Theodore and Yusaku logged into LINK VRAINS and met with Ghost Gal, Blue Maiden, and Aqua. Playmaker explained that Varis had contacted him, much to Soulburner's surprise, and Ai revealed that Varis knew both of their identities. Soulburner wasn't pleased about that, but Flame pointed out that it wasn't unusual given that they were both victims of the Lost Incident. Ai revealed that they knew Varis's identity as well, and Aqua suggested that it could be a trap. Ai believed that Varis didn't want to fight them now, as he had saved them previously, but Soulburner was still unsure, as he still bore a grudge against the Knights of Hanoi for the Lost Incident. Varis arrived, sealing them within a barrier to talk safely, and he requested their help to combat Lightning. The mere notion infuriated Soulburner, and enraged by the Knights of Hanoi's involvement with the Lost Incident, he challenged Varis to a Duel to avenge his parents' deaths.<ref name="ep83" /> He bet Flame if he lost, much to his partner's surprise, and brought out "Salamangreat Heatleo" on his first turn. Flame, unhappy that he'd been recklessly risked, tried to calm Soulburner down, and Soulburner brashly claimed that Flame didn't have to worry about Soulburner losing. To Soulburner's shock, Varis passed his turn, though Soulburner decided he didn't care if Varis didn't want to fight and Summoned "Salamangreat Jack Jaguar", attacking Varis directly with "Heatleo". Soulburner tried to attack with "Jack Jaguar", but found himself unable to and the Duel ended. Varis asked if Soulburner was satisfied, and Soulburner yelled that he wasn't, pointing out that he didn't even know who Varis was. Varis revealed his identity; Roken Kogami, the son of Dr. Kogami. Playmaker then revealed that Varis had only been eight during the Lost Incident, and had in fact been the one who saved them from it, while Dr. Kogami himself was already dead. As Soulburner agonized over what to do, Varis reassured him that they were only working together to defeat Lightning; afterwards they would have to battle one another. He asked them to follow him, and brought them to the former LINK VRAINS, where the [[Tower of Hanoi]] he had attempted to destroy the network with still stood. Varis stated that he intended to use the Tower to emit a scan program to find Lightning. Soulburner went along with Playmaker's decision to assist Varis, but remained suspicious. As Yusaku and Kolter coded the program, Flame asked Theodore to step out with him, and he asked Theodore why he thought Varis had invited him to talk, stating that unlike the others, he didn't need Theodore as a programmer. Flame suggested that Varis had wanted to apologize to Theodore, and Theodore commented that Flame seemed to understand humans better than he did, something that Flame was pleased to hear. Yusaku and Kolter finished coding the next day, and Kolter gave them a program that would allow them to communicate no matter where they ended up. Theodore reassured Kolter that he would protect Yusaku and help bring back Jin. They joined Blue Maiden, Aqua, Varis and Spectre at the Tower of Hanoi; Blue Maiden explained to Soulburner that Ghost Gal was keeping an eye on LINK VRAINS, while Spectre stated that the other Knights were backing them up from the real world. They activated the Tower's scan program, revealing that Lightning was hiding in a mirror world; "[[Mirror LINK VRAINS]]", and headed into a portal to the mirror world.<ref name="ep84">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|84|ref}}</ref>
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As soon as they arrived, they were accosted by BitBoots, who challenged them to Speed Duels.<ref name="ep85">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|85|ref}}</ref> Soulburner defeated a number of BitBoots easily, but his Duel Board stopped working when Mirror LINK VRAINS realigned with LINK VRAINS, trapping him and Flame in an airport runaway.<ref name="ep86">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|86|ref}}</ref> Soulburner and Flame watched Spectre's Duel with Lightning, shocked that Spectre was able to turn the tables on Lightning's [[Extra Link]] and Extra Link himself, but Spectre was defeated and his data taken by Lightning.<ref name="ep87">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|87|ref}}</ref>
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[[File:Vrains 089.png|thumb|right|250px|Soulburner Xyz Summons during his Duel with Windy.]]
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After the Duel, Soulburner and Flame began walking down the runway, but the planes around them moved to encircle them. Soulburner was nervous that they might be haunted by ghosts, but Windy and Echo then arrived to Duel them. Soulburner was excited, but Windy was dismissive of him, angering Soulburner and forcing Flame to calm him down. Flame reminded Soulburner that Windy had lost to Varis due to losing his cool, and recommended they exploit that. The Duel got off to a bad start, as Windy quickly Link Summoned "[[Stormridership Bahamut Bomber]]" and manipulated Soulburner's "[[Salamangreat Roar (anime)|Salamangreat Roar]]" to damage him, frustrating Soulburner. He prepared to reincarnate "Heatleo", but Flame urged him not to rush the Duel. Windy called Soulburner a nuisance just for being Flame's partner, and Soulburner angrily asked how Windy had felt when he eliminated [[Windy's partner|his own partner]]. Windy's claim that he'd felt nothing infuriated Soulburner, as he and the other victims of the Lost Incident had felt despair for months and eventually found hope after being rescued, but Windy had stolen it away. Flame admonished Windy for taking away the hope of his partner after being created from him, and both Soulburner and Flame vowed to crush Windy. They reincarnated "Heatleo" and negated the effect of Windy's "[[Stormrider Turbulence]]" with "[[Salamangreat Beat Bison (anime)|Salamangreat Beat Bison]]", but Windy replaced it with "[[Stormrider Blast]]", negating the effect of "Heatleo" and forcing it to battle "Bahamut Bomber". Soulburner was able to prevent "Heatleo's" destruction, but Windy destroyed both it and "Beat Bison" on his next turn and reduced Soulburner to 600 LP. Despite his situation, Soulburner vowed to get revenge for Windy's partner.<ref name="ep88">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|88|ref}}</ref> He revived "Heatleo" and set up a combo of [[Equip Spell Card]]s, playing around the effect of "Bahamut Bomber" and preparing to defeat the fearful Windy in a single turn, but Windy ended the Battle Phase once he had less than 1000 LP. Soulburner restored some LP and prepared to Set a card, though Flame asked him to reconsider it. Soulburner managed to communicate his intent to Flame and Set the card, though Windy interpreted the action as them arguing. To their shock, Windy used "Storm Access" during the Master Duel and acquired "[[Stormriderflagship Custom Bahamut Bomber]]", destroying "Heatleo" and all of Soulburner's [[Spell Card|Spell]] and [[Trap Card]]s. However, this allowed Soulburner to save himself with the effect of "[[Salamangreat Ascetic]]", though Soulburner admitted he was still in a desperate situation. Flame assured Soulburner that he believed in their future, and Soulburner drew "[[Salamangreat Gazelle (anime)|Salamangreat Gazelle]]", allowing him to [[Xyz Summon]] "[[Salamangreat Miragestallio (anime)|Salamangreat Miragestallio]]" and use its effect to bring "Beat Bison" back to negate the effects of Windy's cards. Soulburner then re-Summoned "Heatleo" and reincarnated it, allowing it to reduce the ATK of "Custom Bahamut Bomber" low enough for "Heatleo" to destroy it, defeating Windy. Flame told Windy that he had lost because he only fought for himself, while Soulburner and Flame respected one another as partners. Windy was then incinerated, and Flame absorbed his data as Windy claimed he would curse him. Soulburner asked about the curse, though Flame stated that A.I. didn't have curses.<ref name="ep89">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|89|ref}}</ref>
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Afterwards, Soulburner and Flame watched Blue Maiden Duel Bohman. Soulburner worried for Blue Maiden as she was pushed into a corner, but relieved when she was able to escape her predicament. Blue Maiden revealed that she was fighting to save Aqua's partner, [[Miyu Sugisaki]], and Soulburner realized that he and Playmaker weren't the only ones in their team fighting for someone. To Soulburner's shock, Bohman demonstrated that he had become one with LINK VRAINS by causing both worlds to quake and glitch.<ref name="ep90">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|90|ref}}</ref> Blue Maiden came close to defeating Bohman, but Bohman was able to strip away her "[[Marincess Wonder Heart (anime)|Marincess Wonder Heart]]'s" protections and destroy it, then defeat Blue Maiden.<ref name="ep91">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|91|ref}}</ref> After Bohman absorbed Blue Maiden, Aqua and Earth's data, the broadcast showed Playmaker Dueling Kolter; Soulburner and Flame realized immediately that Lightning was using Jin's data as a hostage to force Kolter to Duel. Playmaker Link Summoned "[[Decode Talker (anime)|Decode Talker]]", and Flame noted that he'd avoided Summoning it next to Kolter's "[[Codebreaker Zero Day (anime)|Codebreaker Zero Day]]", wondering if Playmaker was reluctant to fight; Soulburner pointed out that of course Playmaker was. However, he was shocked to see that Kolter was Dueling Playmaker seriously.<ref name="ep92">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|92|ref}}</ref> Playmaker admitted that he couldn't fight Kolter, and when Flame stated that he knew Playmaker would be unable to do so, Soulburner pointed out that Kolter was more than family to Playmaker, and he lamented his inability to help him. Playmaker attempted to buy time with "[[Link Satellite]]", but to Soulburner's horror Kolter easily destroyed it and reduced him to 600 LP. Although Playmaker was able to survive the turn, Soulburner noted that his spirit had been badly damaged by Dueling Kolter. Playmaker eventually made the decision to fight, bringing out "[[Decode Talker Extended (anime)|Decode Talker Extended]]" and combining it with "[[Decode Destruction (anime)|Decode Destruction]]" to defeat Kolter. Soulburner was horrified by Kolter's erasure, and shocked to learn that Kolter had anticipated that Lightning would blackmail him. Playmaker collapsed from the trauma, and Soulburner furiously vowed to never forgive Bohman and Lightning.<ref name="ep93">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|93|ref}}</ref>
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[[File:Soulburner erupts in flames as he vows to never forgive Bohman.png|thumb|left|250px|Soulburner vows never to forgive Bohman.]]
 +
Lightning had Jin throw Playmaker's Avatar around to wake him up to Duel, infuriating Soulburner even further. The barrier imprisoning them was suddenly destroyed, and Soulburner immediately left his island on his Duel Board to fight and Duel either Lightning or Bohman, uncaring which one he challenged. Bohman appeared and accepted Soulburner's challenge, and they Dueled in the depths of a dammed lake. Soulburner was well aware that he was at a disadvantage against Bohman's anti-Attribute Deck, but he was able to avoid Bohman's usual tactics with "[[Salamangreat Shrine]]" to protect his "Salamangreat" monsters from Bohman's FIRE monsters, shuffle "Judgment Arrows" into Bohman's Deck with "Heatleo" and destroy Bohman's "[[Twin Hydradrive Knight]]" and reduce him to 1700 LP. Despite Soulburner's early lead, Bohman remained confident and Soulburner's anger continued to blaze, forcing Flame to try to talk him down. Bohman then Link Summoned "[[Paradox Hydradrive Atlas]]", the monster he had used to destroy the Cyberse, infuriating Flame, who began to glitch, though he passed it off as nothing. Both Soulburner and Flame rejected Bohman's offer of acceptance, and Bohman caused Mirror LINK VRAINS to shake and glitch once again with his power as he activated the "Judgment Dice" effect of "Atlas".<ref name="ep94">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|94|ref}}</ref> The effect of "Atlas" allowed Bohman to alter his strategies, changing his monsters' Attributes to [[WATER]] to sidestep the protective effect of "Salamangreat Shrine". He sent "Heatleo" to the Graveyard with the effect of "[[Rousing Hydradrive Monarch]]" and attacked Soulburner directly, reducing him to 500 LP and causing Flame to glitch again. Soulburner began his next turn passionately, but Flame warned him that Bohman's use of dice-based effects was not random and suggested he may be manipulating the rolls. Despite this, Soulburner vowed to make luck his ally, using the effect of "Shrine" to draw a new hand and reviving "Heatleo". Bohman attempted to send it to the Graveyard again with the effect of "Rousing" to defeat, but Soulburner's luck held out and Bohman's roll did not succeed. He reincarnated "Heatleo" and reduced the ATK of "Rousing" to zero, but Bohman activated "[[Dice Logic]]", a Trap that would in theory give him a 50-50 chance to reduce the ATK of "Heatleo" to zero, but in reality gave him 1 in 6 odds due to having used a dice effect that turn. His roll succeeded, and the ATK of "Heatleo" was reduced to zero, sparing "Rousing". Bohman claimed that the evolutionary speed of A.I. was far greater than humanity, and Soulburner told him to stop pretending to be a God as he didn't care about the battle between humans and A.I.; only that Flame was his friend and that Bohman had hurt Playmaker.<ref name="ep95">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|95|ref}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
[[File:Despite his vows Soulburner is finally defeated.png|thumb|right|250px|Soulburner is defeated, his data absorbed by Bohman.]]
 +
Flame then doubled over in pain, disgorging the twisted form of Windy from his Avatar who revealed that he had rewritten Flame's code from the inside and he attempted to consume Soulburner as he began to reconstruct himself. Flame was able to save Soulburner and absorb Windy, but the effort proved too much for him and he told Soulburner that it was likely the end for him, asking him to promise to defeat Bohman before fragmenting into data. Despondent and enraged by Flame's death, Soulburner refused Bohman's offer to end the Duel to prevent Flame's sacrifice from being in vain, and he Super Reincarnation Link Summoned "[[Salamangreat Pyro Phoenix (anime)|Salamangreat Pyro Phoenix]]", destroying most of Bohman's cards, though the effect of "Atlas" prevented its destruction. Bohman then activated a Trap from his hand, "[[Judgment Roll]]", which would force Soulburner to roll a die that would either double the ATK of "Pyro Phoenix" or reduce it to zero. Declaring a "Burning Dice", Soulburner successfully rolled FIRE and doubled the ATK of "Pyro Phoenix", but Bohman had anticipated the possibility and activated another Trap from his hand, "[[Hydradrive Gravity]]", moving "Pyro Phoenix" to the zone that "Atlas" pointed to and making it WATER, thus reducing its ATK to zero and inflicting its original ATK to him with the effect of "Judgment Roll". Defeated and flung into the air, Soulburner could only lament his impending erasure and apologize to Flame for his failure to keep their promise, leaving the rest to Playmaker as he, Flame and Windy were absorbed by Bohman.<ref name="ep95" />
  
[[File:Takeru'sDecision.png|right|200px|thumb|Takeru deciding to take action.]]
+
Soulburner, Blue Maiden and The Shepherd revived in Central Station after Playmaker defeated Bohman and Zaizen and Ghost Gal met them as they saw the final remains of Mirror LINK VRAINS crumble. As Playmaker commented that it was finally all over, Soulburner asked what had happened to Flame, and Ai apologized and fled in shame.<ref name="ep103">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|103|ref}}</ref>
Takeru lived with his grandparents for ten years, but often skipped school and believed his life had effectively been at a stand-still since the Lost Incident. He also gave up Dueling. After seeing news reports of [[Yusaku Fujiki|Playmaker]], [[Skye Zaizen|Blue Angel]] and [[George Gore|the Gore]] battling the [[Knights of Hanoi]], he was inspired to take action himself and began Dueling again. He was contacted by [[Flame (character)|Flame]], an [[Ignis]] that was based on him that was created as a result of the Lost Incident. He was confronted by his friend, [[Kiku]] about skipping school and he informed her he was leaving and asked that she look after his grandparents for him. She agreed, saying he seemed much more full of life than usual. He departed with Flame in to, wishing to aide his heroes.<ref name="ep52" />
 
  
===Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS===
+
After LINK VRAINS was shut down, Theodore began to decide to move back home. He arrived at Café Nom one day as Skye left, commenting that she would be surprised to learn their identities, though Yusaku believed Skye didn't need to. They talked about Jin, Ai and Flame, Theodore suggesting Ai's backup had affected Roboppi, who had gone missing along with Ai. Yusaku apologized for Flame's death, though Theodore reassured him it wasn't his fault and noted that Ai likely felt responsible too, and that he and Roboppi might be adventuring in the network. As Theodore admitted he'd never expected to work with the Knights of Hanoi and he and Yusaku discussed the differences between humans and A.I., Theodore suggested that it might be impossible for humans and A.I. to coexist. Yusaku himself believed there was still hope given the bonds they'd formed with Ai and Flame, but then Roken Kogami and Spectre arrived, Roken warning them that they would continue to monitor the network for any problems, including Ai. He warned them that the Hanoi would show no mercy if they got in his way, and Theodore likewise warned Roken that they hadn't settled their own differences yet.<ref name="ep103" />
{{Incomplete}}
 
  
After defeating [[George Gore|the Gore]], [[Playmaker]] and Soulburner met again, and managed to enter the unknown world through its portal. Immediately after arriving, they were hit by strong winds, which forced [[Ai]] and Flame to protect them using Data Storms. At some point, the winds stopped, and they were able to reach a temple where they finally found [[Windy|the wind Ignis]]. After showing them the world he had build, the Ignis (who decided to call himself "Windy") explained how he did that in order to attract his fellow Ignis, and also to lure the responsible for destroying the Cyberse World. Despite not knowing who was the responsible, Flame pointed out they were after [[Bohman]], who not only had stolen Jin's consciousness, but also had [[Judgment Arrows|the card used to destroy]] the Cyberse World, and suggested he could've escaped to a world inside Windy's world. They then asked Windy to join them, which he promptly refused, as those statements had no evidence. However, Windy said he could weaken the winds near the area where Bohman supposedly escaped to, under the condition that Playmaker and Soulburner defeat the two invaders, Ghost Gal and [[Skye Zaizen|an unknown partner]].
+
===Ai===
 +
Theodore approached [[Yusaku Fujiki|Yusaku]] after school one day, intending to tell him that he was moving back home, but found himself unable to. Before the conversation could continue, [[Cal Kolter|Kolter]] called them to [[Café Nom]], explaining that [[Akira Zaizen|Zaizen]] had contacted them with a request to meet Playmaker. They logged into the defunct Central Station, Kolter entering as Unnamed as well, and met with Zaizen and [[Skye Zaizen|Blue Maiden]]. [[Emma Bessho|Ghost Gal]], [[The Shepherd]] and [[George Gore|Gore]] logged in as well, Gore thanking Playmaker but not elaborating. Zaizen explained he needed them to protect them as the CEO of [[SOL Technologies]], [[Queen]], had been attacked and her code key stolen, and the culprit intended to steal Zaizen's in three days. To Soulburner's shock, Zaizen revealed that [[Ai]] and [[Roboppi]], who were now using human forms, were behind the attack. Shepherd accused Playmaker of hiding Ai's location, though Soulburner and Gore both defended Playmaker, believing that he would have already pursued Ai had he known what he intended to do. Playmaker did not decide to help right away, requesting time to make his decision. That night, Theodore and Yusaku talked about the situation, and Theodore finally told Yusaku that he intended to return home after they stopped Ai.<ref name="ep105">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|105|ref}}</ref>
  
Upon making contact with the girls, Blue Girl presented herself as actually being Blue Angel. Soulburner was happy to meet another savior of the old Link VRAINS, but Blue Girl stated they were actually seeking to retrieve the Ignis. While both Playmaker and Ghost Gal were willing to solve the situation without Dueling, Soulburner accepted Blue Girl's challenge.<ref name="ep55">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|55|ref}}</ref> Knowing of Blue Girl's [[Trickstar]] Deck and its burn tactics, Soulburner attempted to take the first turn by challenging Blue Girl to a small race, but was overwhelmed by the terrain and lost. From the very beginning of the Duel, Blue Girl was planning ahead to counter his strategies of swarming the field with "Salamangreat" monsters, and his Skill. Soulburner was pushed into a corner by all accumulated burn damage caused by "[[Trickstar Divaridis (anime)|Trickstar Divaridis]]" and "[[Trickstar Lycoris (anime)|Trickstar Lycoris]]", and even "Salamangreat Heatleo" was unable to destroy them due to Blue Girl using "[[Trickstar Calobane (anime)|Trickstar Calobane]]". Despite making no progress, Flame still assured they had an advantage, since Soulburner had Flame himself by his side. After nearly being defeated by Blue Girl's [[Fusion Monster]], "[[Trickstar Band Sweet Guitar (anime)|Trickstar Band Sweet Guitar]]", Soulburner listened to Flame's advice and used his Skill, managing to draw "[[Fusion of Fire (anime)|Fusion of Fire]]". By using it, he fused "Heatleo" and Blue Girl's "Divaridis" into "[[Salamangreat Violet Chimera (anime)|Salamangreat Violet Chimera]]". In the final attack, Blue Girl attempted to reduce the damage by using "Calobane" again, but this was predicted and countered by Soulburner, who used the effect of "Violet Chimera" to double its ATK, and drop her LP to 0 in a single attack. After the Duel, he approached the fallen Blue Girl to compliment her for becoming much stronger, before forcing her log out. Ghost Gal then returned, amazed by the Duel's outcome and aware she wouldn't be able to go any further without her partner. Flame then gave her a copy of Blue Girl's evacuation program, allowing Ghost Gal to log out safely.<ref name="ep56">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|56|ref}}</ref>
+
Three days later, Soulburner returned alone to Central Station; Yusaku had not accompanied him. Zaizen revealed he had enlisted the [[Knights of Hanoi]] to assist them. Soulburner wasn't happy about working with the Knights again, but [[Roken Kogami|Varis]] reassured him that the intended to turn themselves in after Ai was dealt with, a decision Soulburner was uncomfortable with. Zaizen assigned Soulburner to patrol the eastern exterior gateway, meaning he would be the first to engage the enemy. As they moved out to their assigned positions, Playmaker arrived, much to Soulburner's glee.<ref name="ep105" /> Playmaker linked up with Soulburner and Varis outside Central Station, and they soon detected three enemies, wondering if Ai and Roboppi had a third ally. Playmaker quickly engaged Ai, and then Soulburner and Varis both also encountered Ai, the Ai that Soulburner encountered urging him to hate him for causing Flame's death. Soulburner replied that he didn't hate Ai, and Flame wouldn't have either, though Ai claimed there was no way to know now that Flame was gone. They decided to Duel the three Ai to determine which was the original. Ai swiftly [[Link Summon]]ed "[[Fire Phoenix @Ignister (anime)|Fire Phoenix @Ignister]]" and used "[[A.I. A.I. Wall]]" to prevent them from attacking, and his copies did the same in the other Duels. Ai confirmed that he and the other two were simply copies and that the real Ai was advancing towards Zaizen.<ref name="ep106">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|106|ref}}</ref> As they Dueled the copies, Kolter contacted them and asked them to hurry, as the other Duelists were in bad shape.<ref name="ep107">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|107|ref}}</ref> Kolter contacted Soulburner to warn him of Gore's defeat as Soulburner defeated the Ai copy with "[[Salamangreat Violet Chimera (anime)|Salamangreat Violet Chimera]]".<ref name="ep108">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|108|ref}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
Soulburner accompanied Playmaker and Varis as they returned to Central Station, but they found it empty. Soulburner asked where everyone was, and Varis explained that the Zaizens had been broadcasting from another location that Ai wouldn't be able to reach.<ref name="ep108" /> Varis informed them that Pandor was Dueling Ai on the Zaizen's plane and had the advantage, noting that she was almost as capable as the Ignis themselves. Playmaker asked Varis what would happen to Ai if he lost, and Varis replied that he would not show any mercy to Ai.<ref name="ep109">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|109|ref}}</ref> To Soulburner's surprise, he, Playmaker and Varis were suddenly shown Ai, Roboppi and the Zaizens; Ai had successfully defeated Pandor and gained access to the Zaizens and was Dueling them for Zaizen's code key. Soulburner was shocked to learn from Pandor that Ai's "[[@Ignister]]" monsters represented the Ignis, "[[Achichi @Ignister (anime)|Achichi @Ignister]]" specifically representing Flame and was horrified when Ai activated "[[Judgment Arrows (later anime)|Judgment Arrows]]", beliving Ai had crossed a line by using it. The Zaizens were able to survive Ai's use of "Judgment Arrows", and before taking his turn, Zaizen apologized to Ai for the actions of SOL Technologies, much to Soulburner's surprise. Zaizen used his cards in combination with Blue Maiden's to Link Summon "[[Tindangle Acute Cerberus (later anime)|Tindangle Acute Cerberus]]", a monster Soulburner called the Zaizen's ace monster, as they'd summoned it through teamwork.<ref name="ep110">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|110|ref}}</ref> Zaizen almost defeated Ai and Soulburner praised the siblings' teamwork, but was shocked to realize how lonely Ai was, prompting Varis to tell Ai off for pitying their enemy. Soulburner was worried when Ai [[Ritual Summon]]ed "[[Water Leviathan @Ignister (anime)|Water Leviathan @Ignister]]" until Playmaker reminded him it was a [[Ritual Monster]] and wouldn't be strengthened by "Judgment Arrows". Unfortunately the effects of "Water Leviathan" lowered the ATK of Zaizen's "[[Tindangle Hound (anime)|Tindangle Hound]]" enough to defeat them, though Blue Maiden was able to save her brother. Soulburner cheered Blue Maiden on as she used effect damage to deplete Ai's LP, but Ai countered her last attack and defeated the Zaizens, taking Zaizen's data but sparing Blue Maiden and the last Pandor. Soulburner begged Ai to wait as he left with Zaizen's code key, protesting he'd gone too far, but Varis insisted Ai had shown his true colors and vowed to destroy him.<ref name="ep111">{{episode|Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS|111|ref}}</ref>
  
 
==Deck==
 
==Deck==
 
===Cyberse Beatdown===
 
===Cyberse Beatdown===
[[File:Soulburner Deck Picture.png|thumb|200px|Takeru (as Soulburner) with "[[Salamangreat Heatleo (anime)|Salamangreat Heatleo]]".]]
+
[[File:Soulburner Deck Picture.png|thumb|200px|Theodore (as Soulburner) with "[[Salamangreat Heatleo (anime)|Salamangreat Heatleo]]" and "[[Salamangreat Pyro Phoenix (later anime)|Pyro Phoenix]]"]]
Takeru uses a '''[[Cyberse]] Beatdown Deck'''<ref name="VRAINSED3" />, focused on the "[[Salamangreat]]" [[archetype]]. His [[Skill]] is "Burning Draw", which allows him to give up [[LP]] to draw more cards, so he includes cards that restore his LP. His "Salamangreat" monsters often have effects to Special Summon themselves from the Graveyard, allowing him to amass them to [[Link Summon]] "[[Salamangreat Heatleo (anime)|Salamangreat Heatleo]]". Takeru can also use [[Ritual Summon]]ing, [[Fusion Summon]]ing, and [[Reincarnation Link Summon]]ing to bring out stronger monsters.
+
Theodore uses a '''[[Cyberse]] Beatdown Deck'''<ref name="VRAINSED3" />, focused on the "[[Salamangreat]]" [[archetype]].<!--@The Deck is officially called "Cyberse Beatdown" in the third Ending sequence. Do not alter this.--> His [[Skill]] is "[[Burning Draw (anime Skill)|Burning Draw]]", which allows him to give up [[LP]] to draw more cards, so he includes cards that restore his LP. His "Salamangreat" monsters often have effects to Special Summon themselves from the [[Graveyard]], allowing him to amass them to [[Link Summon]] his ace monster, "[[Salamangreat Heatleo (anime)|Salamangreat Heatleo]]". Theodore can also use [[Ritual Summon]]ing, [[Fusion Summon]]ing, [[Xyz Summon]]ing, and both [[Reincarnation Link Summon]]ing and [[Xyz Evolution#Reincarnation Xyz Summon|Reincarnation Xyz Summoning]] to bring out stronger monsters.
 +
 
 +
Initially, Theodore's strategies are very simple, focusing largely on "Heatleo", but as he grows more accustomed to his Deck, he begins using more complicated combos and his other Link Monsters to generate large quantities of advantage that are not dissimilar from combos used in real-life tournaments, focusing particularly on his [[Xyz Monster]]s in the third season in addition to his [[Link Monster]]s. In the third season, he also uses a high number of [[Equip Spell Card]]s with protective effects in combination with his ace monsters.
  
 
{{Decklist|
 
{{Decklist|
 +
|skill = [[Burning Draw (anime Skill)|Burning Draw]]
 
|effect monsters =
 
|effect monsters =
 
* [[Salamangreat Beat Bison (anime)|Salamangreat Beat Bison]]
 
* [[Salamangreat Beat Bison (anime)|Salamangreat Beat Bison]]
* [[Salamangreat Falco (anime)|Salamangreat Falco]] (later played with [[Salamangreat Falco (later anime)|a different effect]])
+
* [[Salamangreat Falco (later anime)|Salamangreat Falco]]
* [[Salamangreat Fowl (anime)|Salamangreat Fowl]]
+
* [[Salamangreat Fowl (anime)|Salamangreat Fowl]] x2
 
* [[Salamangreat Foxer (anime)|Salamangreat Foxer]]
 
* [[Salamangreat Foxer (anime)|Salamangreat Foxer]]
 
* [[Salamangreat Foxy (anime)|Salamangreat Foxy]]
 
* [[Salamangreat Foxy (anime)|Salamangreat Foxy]]
* [[Salamangreat Jack Jaguar (anime)|Salamangreat Jack Jaguar]]
+
* [[Salamangreat Gazelle (anime)|Salamangreat Gazelle]]
 +
* [[Salamangreat Jack Jaguar (later anime)|Salamangreat Jack Jaguar]]
 +
* [[Salamangreat Lemming]]
 
* [[Salamangreat Meer (anime)|Salamangreat Meer]]
 
* [[Salamangreat Meer (anime)|Salamangreat Meer]]
* [[Salamangreat Mole (later anime)|Salamangreat Mole]] (later played with [[Salamangreat Mole (later anime)|a different effect]])
+
* [[Salamangreat Mole (later anime)|Salamangreat Mole]]
* [[Salamangreat Parro (anime)|Salamangreat Parro]] (later played with [[Salamangreat Parro (later anime)|a different effect]])
+
* [[Salamangreat Parro (later anime)|Salamangreat Parro]]
 
* [[Salamangreat Raccoon (anime)|Salamangreat Raccoon]]
 
* [[Salamangreat Raccoon (anime)|Salamangreat Raccoon]]
 +
* [[Salamangreat Salamandra]]
 +
* [[Salamangreat Spinny (anime)|Salamangreat Spinny]]
 
* [[Salamangreat Wolvie (anime)|Salamangreat Wolvie]]
 
* [[Salamangreat Wolvie (anime)|Salamangreat Wolvie]]
 +
* [[Salamangreat Zebroid X (anime)|Salamangreat Zebroid X]]
 
|ritual monsters =
 
|ritual monsters =
 
* [[Salamangreat Emerald Eagle (anime)|Salamangreat Emerald Eagle]]
 
* [[Salamangreat Emerald Eagle (anime)|Salamangreat Emerald Eagle]]
 
|fusion monsters =
 
|fusion monsters =
 
* [[Salamangreat Violet Chimera (anime)|Salamangreat Violet Chimera]]
 
* [[Salamangreat Violet Chimera (anime)|Salamangreat Violet Chimera]]
 +
|xyz monsters =
 +
* [[Salamangreat Blaze Dragon (anime)|Salamangreat Blaze Dragon]] x2
 +
* [[Salamangreat Miragestallio (anime)|Salamangreat Miragestallio]]
 
|link monsters =
 
|link monsters =
* [[Salamangreat Balelynx (anime)|Salamangreat Balelynx]]
+
* [[Salamangreat Balelynx (anime)|Salamangreat Balelynx]] x2
 
* [[Salamangreat Heatleo (anime)|Salamangreat Heatleo]] x3
 
* [[Salamangreat Heatleo (anime)|Salamangreat Heatleo]] x3
* [[Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf (anime)|Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf]]
+
* [[Salamangreat Pyro Phoenix (later anime)|Salamangreat Pyro Phoenix]] x2
 +
* [[Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf (anime)|Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf]] x2
 
|spells =
 
|spells =
 +
* [[Burning Draw (anime)|Burning Draw]]
 
* [[Cybersal Cyclone (anime)|Cybersal Cyclone]]<ref group=Notes name="hand49">This card is [[draw a card|drawn]] in [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 049|episode 49]], but he is unable to play it due to the [[card effect|effect]] of [[Bit]][[Boot]]'s "[[D-Scale Chaff]]".</ref>
 
* [[Cybersal Cyclone (anime)|Cybersal Cyclone]]<ref group=Notes name="hand49">This card is [[draw a card|drawn]] in [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 049|episode 49]], but he is unable to play it due to the [[card effect|effect]] of [[Bit]][[Boot]]'s "[[D-Scale Chaff]]".</ref>
* [[Fury of Fire]]
+
* [[Fury of Fire (anime)|Fury of Fire]]
* [[Fusion of Fire (anime)|Fusion of Fire]]
+
* [[Fusion of Fire (later anime)|Fusion of Fire]]
 
* [[Link Fire's Return]]
 
* [[Link Fire's Return]]
 
* [[Monster Reincarnation (later anime)|Monster Reincarnation]]<ref group=Notes name="hand49" />
 
* [[Monster Reincarnation (later anime)|Monster Reincarnation]]<ref group=Notes name="hand49" />
 
* [[Rise of the Salamangreat (anime)|Rise of the Salamangreat]]
 
* [[Rise of the Salamangreat (anime)|Rise of the Salamangreat]]
* [[Rising Fire]]
+
* [[Rising Fire (anime)|Rising Fire]]
* [[Salamangreat Claw (anime)|Salamangreat Claw]]<ref group=Notes name="hand88">This card is seen in Soulburner's hand in [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 088|episode 88]], but not used.</ref>
+
* [[Salamangreat Burning Shell (anime)|Salamangreat Burning Shell]]
* [[Salamangreat Sanctuary (anime)|Salamangreat Sanctuary]] (later played with [[Salamangreat Sanctuary (later anime)|a different effect]])
+
* [[Salamangreat Claw (anime)|Salamangreat Claw]]
 +
* [[Salamangreat Fang]]
 +
* [[Salamangreat Kernel]]
 +
* [[Salamangreat Performance]]
 +
* [[Salamangreat Sanctuary (later anime)|Salamangreat Sanctuary]] x2
 +
* [[Salamangreat Shrine]]
 +
* [[Salamangreat Sparks]]
 +
* [[Salamangreat Sublimation]]
 +
* [[Salamangreat Tail]]
 +
* [[Salamangreat Transcendence (anime)|Salamangreat Transcendence]]
 +
* [[Will of the Salamangreat (anime)|Will of the Salamangreat]]
 
|traps =
 
|traps =
 
* [[Energy of Fire]]
 
* [[Energy of Fire]]
 
* [[Gate of Fire]]
 
* [[Gate of Fire]]
 +
* [[Salamangreat Ascetic]]
 +
* [[Salamangreat Geyser]]
 +
* [[Salamangreat Ring]]
 
* [[Salamangreat Roar (anime)|Salamangreat Roar]]
 
* [[Salamangreat Roar (anime)|Salamangreat Roar]]
 +
}}
 +
 +
Over the course of the series, some of the cards used by Soulburner have been changed with regards to their effect or type. This is the list of cards which he used previously.
 +
 +
{{Decklist
 +
| effect monsters =
 +
* [[Salamangreat Falco (anime)|Salamangreat Falco]]
 +
* [[Salamangreat Jack Jaguar (anime)|Salamangreat Jack Jaguar]]
 +
* [[Salamangreat Mole (anime)|Salamangreat Mole]]
 +
* [[Salamangreat Parro (anime)|Salamangreat Parro]]
 +
|link monsters =
 +
* [[Salamangreat Pyro Phoenix (anime)|Salamangreat Pyro Phoenix]]
 +
| spells =
 +
* [[Fusion of Fire (anime)|Fusion of Fire]]
 +
* [[Salamangreat Sanctuary (anime)|Salamangreat Sanctuary]]
 
}}
 
}}
  
 
===Past===
 
===Past===
In the past, Takeru played a different Deck, focused on [[FIRE]] [[Warrior]] [[Monster Card|monsters]].
+
In the past, Theodore played a different Deck, focused on [[FIRE]] [[Warrior]] [[Monster Card|monsters]].
  
 
{{Decklist|
 
{{Decklist|
Line 93: Line 216:
 
|spells =
 
|spells =
 
* [[Majesty of Fire]]
 
* [[Majesty of Fire]]
* [[Phoenix Gearblade]]
+
* [[Phoenix Gearblade (anime)|Phoenix Gearblade]]
* [[Rising Fire]]
+
* [[Rising Fire (anime)|Rising Fire]]
 
* [[Tempest Fire]]
 
* [[Tempest Fire]]
 
}}
 
}}
Line 104: Line 227:
 
! scope="col" | Outcome
 
! scope="col" | Outcome
 
|-
 
|-
| [[Ryujiro Mizunuma]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 061|61]], [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 063|63]] || Win (flashback)
+
| Unknown Duelist || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 061|61]] || Lose (flashback)
 +
|-
 +
| Unknown Duelist || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 061|61]] || Lose (flashback)
 +
|-
 +
| [[Ridley]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 061|61]], [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 063|63]] || Win (flashback)
 
|-
 
|-
 
| [[Bit]][[Boot]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 049|49]] || Win
 
| [[Bit]][[Boot]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 049|49]] || Win
Line 110: Line 237:
 
| [[George Gore|George Gore/The Gore]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 051|51]]-[[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 052|52]] || Win
 
| [[George Gore|George Gore/The Gore]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 051|51]]-[[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 052|52]] || Win
 
|-
 
|-
| [[Skye Zaizen|Skye Zaizen/Blue Girl]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 056|56]] || Win
+
| [[Skye Zaizen|Skye Zaizen/Blue Gal]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 056|56]] || Win
 
|-
 
|-
| [[Kengo Dojun|Kengo Dojun/Blood Shepherd]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 062|62]]-[[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 063|63]] || No result
+
| [[The Shepherd|Kenneth Drayden/The Shepherd]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 062|62]]-[[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 063|63]] || No result
 
|-
 
|-
| [[Ryoken Kogami|Ryoken Kogami/Varis]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 084|84]] || No result
+
| [[Roken Kogami|Roken Kogami/Varis]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 084|84]] || No result
 
|-
 
|-
 
| [[Bit]][[Boot]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 086|86]] || Win
 
| [[Bit]][[Boot]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 086|86]] || Win
 
|-
 
|-
| [[Windy]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 088|88]]-[[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 089|89]] || TBD
+
| [[Windy]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 088|88]]-[[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 089|89]] || Win
 +
|-
 +
| [[Bohman]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 094|94]]-[[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 095|95]] || Lose
 +
|-
 +
| [[Ai]] copy || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 106|106]], [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 108|108]] || Win
 +
|-
 +
| [[Roboppi]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 112|112]]-[[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 114|114]] || Win
 +
|-
 +
| [[Roken Kogami|Roken Kogami/Varis]] || [[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 115|115]]-[[Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS - Episode 116|116]] || Win
 
|}
 
|}
 +
 +
==Trivia==
 +
* When Soulburner's Avatar disintegrates into data in Mirror LINK VRAINS, his data is red; he and Flame are the only characters to do so, as most characters usually disintegrated into yellow data, Blue Maiden and Kolter disintegrated into blue data, and Varis into green.
 +
* Theodore's hair colors as Soulburner appear to be a combination of [[Yusaku Fujiki|Playmaker]]'s, [[Skye Zaizen|Blue Angel]]'s and [[George Gore|The Gore]]'s, all of whom he refers to as the heroes of LINK VRAINS for stopping the Knights of Hanoi.
 +
* Like many characters, Theodore says "Are you sure?" when he's about to turn a Duel around in the original. However, he says "Soitsu wa dou kana?" instead of "Sore wa dou kana?"
 +
* Theodore is the only character in ''VRAINS'' to use more than one [[Xyz Monster]].
 +
** Out of the characters in ''VRAINS'' that used Xyz Monsters, Theodore is the only one to never use [[Synchro Monster]]s.
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
Line 127: Line 269:
 
<references group="Notes" />
 
<references group="Notes" />
  
 +
{{Theodore Hamilton pages}}
 
{{Characters/VRAINS/Anime}}
 
{{Characters/VRAINS/Anime}}
 
[[Category:Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS characters]]
 
[[Category:Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS characters]]

Latest revision as of 11:13, 19 June 2023

Theodore Hamilton
Theodore Hamilton
Names
English
  • Theodore Hamilton
Japanese translated
  • Takeru Homura
Other
  • Soulburner (ソウルバーナー, Sourubānā)
  • Teddy (dub, by Kiku)
  • Burnsy (dub, by Ai)
Japanese
Japaneseむら たける
Base穂村 尊
Furiganaほむら たける
RōmajiHomura Takeru
Personal
Relatives
  • Duelist
Anime Deck
Appearances
Anime debutYu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 04848: "Shed Some Light"
Appears in
Anime
Voice actors
EnglishEddy Lee
JapaneseYuki Kaji[2]
Hamilton, Theodore

Theodore Hamilton, known as Takeru Homura (むら たける, Homura Takeru) in the Japanese version, and known as Soulburner (ソウルバーナー, Sourubānā) in LINK VRAINS, is a character introduced the second season of the Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS anime. He is one of the victims of the Lost Incident, and he is partnered with an Ignis, Flame, whom he is the Origin of. Inspired by Playmaker, Blue Angel, and The Gore's fight against the Knights of Hanoi, he transfers to Den City High School to aid Playmaker.

Design[edit]

Appearance[edit]

Full views of Theodore, both in reality and as Soulburner.

Theodore is a fair-skinned bespectacled teen with grey eyes and dual-layered hair; the more predominant top section is silver, while the bottom layer is reddish-orange. He has five prominent, but short, spiky locks in his bangs; the outer two frame his face, while the central three curve to the left of his head in a similar style to Yugo. He wears ovular green-rimmed spectacles that leave the base of the lens exposed. Theodore wears the Den City High School boys' uniform with a lavender-lined collar and pink tie, but more neatly than the disheveled Yusaku Fujiki; his shirt is tucked in, his coat is closed, and he wears more formal brown shoes.

As a delinquent, he wore his hair slicked back and did not wear glasses. He wore a white jumpsuit with dark yellow zips and lines on the sleeve, a black shirt, a silver necklace, and black trainers with white soles. After he returns to his hometown at the end of the series, he begins wearing these clothes again, but retains his glasses and normal hairstyle.

As Soulburner in LINK VRAINS, he removes his spectacles and his eyes turn gold. His hair becomes slightly longer and his central bangs reverse direction and become more angular. The upper layer of his hair becomes turquoise, while the bottom layer and his eyebrows both become blue and more prominent. His bangs become red; the framing bangs are shot through with orange, while the central bang turns orange. Soulburner wears a grey jumpsuit patterned with orange flames licking the limbs, red rib sections, and a yellow arrowhead shape running down his chest with a triangular aquamarine gem in the center. He has red shoulder-pads, greaves, and a gauntlet on his left hand and an elbow-guard on his right arm, which is bare to the wrist. Soulburner wears gloves with a similar basic design; the one on his right hand is a fingerless red glove with orange knuckles and a square-shaped section missing from the back of the hand, and the one on his left is black, with red knuckles and a red patch on the back of his hand. He also wears red boots with grey, orange-lined tongues and orange soles. Soulburner wears an unusual scarf that protrudes from his back that appears to "flicker"; small sections either hover separately as if they were attached or are constantly emitted. He can retract and extend this scarf when necessary in a flash of flames. When he uses his Skill, "Burning Draw", the gem on his chest glows red and glowing flame patterns spread from it across his right arm.

Personality[edit]

As described by Bohman, Theodore is generally a good, honest person. Theodore suffered immense trauma as a result of the Lost Incident, and while he has largely recovered, he believed his life to have been at a standstill for many years after the Incident. Consequently, he is somewhat unfamiliar with technology. He suffered an intense fear of the monster "Despair from the Dark", which defeated him during the Incident, and was only able to get over this trauma with aid from Flame. Despite this, Theodore still harbors other lingering issues from the Incident; like Yusaku he developed a burning hatred of the Knights of Hanoi that was brought to a head when he had to work alongside Varis and subsequently caused him to develop a rivalry with him, while he is also haunted by his last words to his parents having been a trivial argument that Theodore himself does not remember.

Following his inspiration by Playmaker, Blue Angel, and The Gore, he became fans of them, and he was saddened and angered to learn that Gore had joined SOL Technologies as a result. He became more cheerful and full of life, and as Soulburner more playful. He has a light relationship with Flame in comparison to Playmaker and Ai's initially more hostile one; playfully bantering with and teasing him, but never insulting him. While Dueling as Soulburner, Theodore is extremely hot-blooded and energetic, in comparison to being quieter in real life.

When Playmaker is forced to Duel and defeat Kolter and is subsequently traumatized by his own actions, Soulburner becomes infuriated by the actions of Lightning and Bohman and erupts into a perpetual rage. This rage is only worsened after Flame sacrifices himself to save him from Windy, and Soulburner recklessly lashes out at Bohman despite him offering to end their Duel. After he is restored following Bohman's defeat, Theodore does manage to calm down, but is saddened by the loss of his friend and remains quieter and withdrawn for a time, particularly as Yusaku was dealing with Ai's departure at the time.

Abilities[edit]

Soulburner uses "Burning Draw".

In LINK VRAINS, Soulburner demonstrates the ability to control flames for aesthetic purposes; flames often appear in his eyes and surround him when he uses his Skill, "Burning Draw", which allows him to lower his LP to 100 and then draw a card for each 1000 LP lost. He can also run at superhuman speeds, leaving a trail of flames behind him when he does so.

Biography[edit]

History[edit]

A young Theodore recovering in the hospital after the Lost Incident.

Theodore was one of six children kidnapped during the Lost Incident, during which he was subjected to experiments via VR Dueling.[3] The day Theodore was kidnapped, he argued with his parents and said something horrible to them that he later forgot (in the dub, he simply told them he wanted lasagne for dinner).[4] During the Incident, he was defeated using the monster "Despair from the Dark", which caused him to develop an intense fear of that monster.[5] After being recused, he was taken to recover in the hospital. His grandparents came to visit him and later took him home, tearfully informing him that his parents (Mr. and Mr. Hamilton) had died in a car crash while searching for him (in the dub, they disappeared while they were searching for him).[6]

Theodore lived with his grandparents for ten years, but often skipped school and believed his life had effectively been at a stand-still since the Lost Incident. He also gave up Dueling.[6] Kiku found him napping on the wharf one day and told him off for skipping school as the school had called his grandfather, but Theodore claimed it was pointless. As they walked through the marketplace, they saw Ridley and Taz's gang harassing another boy, and Theodore scared them off. A voice called Theodore's name from a television, but when Theodore looked again he didn't see anything, and Kiku hadn't heard anything. When he got home his grandmother sent him to the dojo, where he sparred with his grandfather, who admonished him for his decisions. Theodore managed to get an opportunity to throw his grandfather, but didn't. That night, he heard the voice speak to him through the television again, telling him the words "LINK VRAINS" and "Playmaker" (though he mistook them for "Link Brain" and "Playmater"). The next day, he heard Ridley discussing the terms that the voice had mentioned, and he roughly asked what they were. Ridley explained that Playmaker was a famous Duelist who Dueled in a virtual world popular in Den City called LINK VRAINS, where he defeated the Knights of Hanoi. Intrigued by the prospect, Theodore met up with Kiku to read about them on her tablet, and he learned that Playmaker was a hero of LINK VRAINS, as were The Gore and Blue Angel. The voice spoke to him through the tablet, now also mentioning his past and the word "Duel", and Theodore nearly dropped the tablet, much to Kiku's anger.[7]

Considering the possibility of Dueling for the first time in a decade, Theodore went to get his Duel Disk from his closet, only to find it inhabited by an A.I., the voice that had spoken to him. As the voice expressed relief that Theodore had finally found him, Theodore freaked out, believing it to be a ghost and tried to break the Duel Disk, but the A.I. told him that his past was connected to Playmaker. Theodore shut the A.I. back in his closet, and the A.I. explained that Playmaker was also a victim of the Lost Incident, but had been able to face his past and worked with one of the A.I.'s Ignis comrades. He asked to be let out, though Theodore claimed his eye form scared him. The A.I. projected his Avatar, but Theodore found that even more unnerving and decided he preferred the eye. The A.I. urged Theodore to find his path, but Theodore was unwilling, as this likely meant he would have to Duel. His grandmother then knocked on the door, forcing Theodore to shut the A.I. back inside the closet, and she informed him that a friend from class was there. Hana explained to Theodore that Ridley and Taz had kidnapped Kiku and asked Theodore to come alone with a Duel Disk.[7]

Theodore decides to reincarnate during his Duel with Ridley.

Theodore took the Duel Disk with him to meet with Ridley and Taz, and told them to let Kiku go. Ridley claimed he'd knew Theodore would Duel due to being interested in Playmaker, and Taz told him to Duel Ridley. Kiku told Theodore not to be provoked, but the A.I. told Theodore that this Duel would decide his future. Theodore accepted his challenge, and as Ridley introduced himself as "the Mad Marsh", the A.I. noted his appreciation of the elaborate name. Theodore started strongly, Summoning "Phoenix Gearfried" and "Valkyrian Knight", but failed to damage Ridley's LP. However, when Ridley Special Summoned "Despair from the Dark", it triggered Theodore's PTSD and he went into shock as the A.I. asked him what was wrong.[7] The A.I. begged him to calm down, as Ridley destroyed all of Theodore's monsters, and Theodore begged him to stop. The A.I. told him that he wasn't as weak as he thought, and that his fear of "Despair from the Dark" was all in his head, urging him not to be scared and reincarnate. Theodore found the strength to continue, drawing "Rising Fire" and reviving "Phoenix Gearfried", then combining it with "Tempest Fire" to destroy "Despair from the Dark" and defeat Ridley. The A.I. congratulated his indomitable soul on not burning out, and Theodore pointed out that it was all thanks to him, before wondering if he had a name. The A.I. introduced himself as Flame, the Fire Ignis, explaining its meaning in kanji, and Theodore teased him for taking an English word and forcing it to fit the kanji (in the dub, he initially didn't want to hear the acronym, but relented when he saw Flame was disappointed).[8]

Theodore deciding to take action.

Now much livelier than before, Theodore came to admire Playmaker, Blue Angel, and The Gore as heroes who had fought those who hurt him and gave him hope, learning their real identities from Flame. As Theodore was reading articles about the heroes of LINK VRAINS again, he was confronted by Kiku again about skipping school. Theodore informed her he was leaving and asked that she look after his grandparents for him. She agreed, saying he seemed much more full of life than usual. He departed with Flame in tow, wishing to aide his heroes.[6]

Ignis[edit]

Soulburner makes his debut.

Soulburner and Flame observed Playmaker's Duel with a glowing Duelist; Soulburner noted that Flame's friend was with Playmaker. Flame asked him not to associate him with that airhead. When Harlin sent two Duelists, Bit and Boot to deter Playmaker from pursuing him, Soulburner arrived to deal with them and allow Playmaker to continue pursuing Harlin and Bohman.[9] Soulburner challenged Bit and Boot simultaneously, and they merged into a single Avatar, BitBoot for their Speed Duel.[10]

BitBoot demonstrated both Cyberse-Type monsters and the Link Spell Card "Judgment Arrows" as Bohman had, bringing out "D-Scale Battle Coela" and using it in combination with "D-Scale Torpedo" to move it around the field and inflict 1600 damage to Soulburner. Flame noted that they could only take the combo three more times before losing, and Soulburner reassured him that he could break it. He attempted to destroy "Judgment Arrows" with the effect of his "Salamangreat Foxy", but as BitBoot had activated it with their "Marker's Portal" Skill, it could not be destroyed by card effects. Despite this, Soulburner Link Summoned his ace monster, "Salamangreat Heatleo", using its effect to shuffle "Judgment Arrows" into the Deck before attacking and destroying "Battle Coela". On their next turn, BitBoot used their Skill again, despite normally only being able to use it once since Bit had used it the last turn and now Boot was using it this turn, reactivating "Judgment Arrows" in a zone that "D-Scale Fullmetal Dunkle" pointed to. "Fullmetal Dunkle" was so large that it damaged the buildings around them, but Soulburner was able to save himself and "Heatleo" with "Energy of Fire", which restored his LP and prevented the destruction of "Heatleo". Although he was pleased to draw "Monster Reincarnation" on his next turn, Soulburner's field was locked down by BitBoot's "D-Scale Chaff". Soulburner then used his own Skill, "Burning Draw", lowering his LP to 100 and drawing a card for every 1000 LP lost, drawing "Salamangreat Sanctuary", allowing him to Reincarnation Link Summon another "Heatleo" and once again shuffle "Judgment Arrows" into the Deck. BitBoot attempted to set up "Fullmetal Dunkle" to destroy "Heatleo" next turn, prompting Flame to cry that they were doomed. Soulburner replied that the match was already over, using the Reincarnated effect of "Heatleo" to make the ATK of "Fullmetal Dunkle" the same as that of the "Salamangreat Meer" in his Graveyard, lowering it enough for "Heatleo" to defeat them. Soulburner pursued Playmaker to the bottom of LINK VRAINS, where Harla and Bohman had escaped into the Restricted Area. As the area's defenses had been triggered, Soulburner suggested that they log out, and he told Playmaker his name and that they'd meet again before logging out.[10]

The next day, Theodore prepared to approach Yusaku at Den City High School. He passed Skye Zaizen in the corridor, noting that she was Blue Angel. Flame told him that the person she was talking to was Naoki Shima, aka Playmaker's "best friend", The Brave Battler, but Theodore didn't care. He nervously approached Yusaku, but ducked into a classroom when he apparently noticed him. Flame informed Theodore that he had sent a message to the DARK Ignis, and his decision making annoyed Theodore. Yusaku then approached them, and Theodore greeted him as Playmaker, prompting Yusaku to ask who he was. Theodore reassured Yusaku that he was his ally and revealed both that he was Soulburner and that he had an Ignis. Flame and Ai traded barbs about their names, before Flame suggested they relocate. Flame revealed to Yusaku that the Cyberse had been destroyed by a new enemy while they discussed whether to ally with humanity (Flame dissing Theodore's tech skills as he did) and that they were searching for the other Ignis. Flame revealed that the enemy that destroyed the Cyberse did so using "Judgment Arrows", suggesting that they might be the same people who kidnapped the consciousness data of one of the other Lost Incident victims, Jin Kolter. Flame suggested they work together, and Theodore decided that their priority was to find the escaped Bohman. They went to Jin's brother, Cal Kolter to ask where Bohman had escaped to, and Kolter served them coffee, welcoming them. Theodore sympathized with what Jin had gone through, and Kolter asked them to find the ones who had stolen his brother's consciousness. Theodore stated that they only had to ask, and Flame agreed that Theodore looked soft, but was really quite strong, prompting Theodore to mutter about how his partner thought he was better than him. Kolter revealed that Bohman had vanished in the Restricted Area, and that there was an unknown program there. Theodore didn't recognize it, and asked if Yusaku did (gaining first-name privileges with one another at the same time), and Flame and Ai realized that it was an Ignis program associated with the WIND Attribute. A hacker named Ghost Gal sent information to them about a gate in the Restricted Area leading to another world, in addition to a stealth program to get them into the Restricted Area, and despite Ai's fears that it was a trap, they decided to follow the lead.[3]

Soulburner and Playmaker logged in and quickly entered the Restricted Area using the stealth program. Playmaker thought that Ghost Gal really wanted them to get to the gate, but Soulburner, noticing the incoming Bounty Hunters, pointed out that this wasn't necessarily the case.[3] The Gore, Kenchi and Yozaka pursued them, and Flame alerted them to a trap set by SOL Technologies. Soulburner and Playmaker were able to evade it, though Kenchi and Yozaka were logged out. With only The Gore left, Soulburner asked Playmaker to allow him to handle this, stating that while a match between Playmaker and The Gore would be appealing, he didn't want to see the heroes of LINK VRAINS fight. Playmaker agreed, and Soulburner politely asked Gore for a Duel, revealing Flame to him to entice him. Gore agreed to Speed Duel, and Soulburner eagerly wondered how his hero would Duel. Flame pointed out that it was impossible to know due to Gore's continually evolving strategies, but they were surprised when Gore used his Skill right away and used a "Dinowrestler" Deck instead of his "Gouki" Deck. Excited by the new Deck, Soulburner opposed him with "Heatleo", but The Gore easily blocked his attacks, though this only delighted Soulburner. To his shock, Gore Link Summoned "Dinowrestler King T Wrextle" and destroyed "Heatleo", ranting that he had to defeat Playmaker to be appreciated again and become number one. Hurt by his hero's words, Soulburner protested that The Gore in his heart wasn't a stepping stone, but a great Duelist who had given him hope when he was suffering, and he asked where that Gore was, rather than the lapdog of SOL Technologies he was Dueling.[11]

Soulburner Speed Dueling The Gore.

Soulburner decided that he wanted to fight the real Gore, as he had reasons why he couldn't lose too.[11] As he revived "Heatleo", they were suddenly attacked by SOL Technologies' traps again, and Soulburner was disappointed that Gore had stooped so low. Gore bitterly remarked that they thought low of him if they thought him responsible, and he protected Soulburner from one of the traps, yelling for them to be stopped. The attacks ceased as they moved deeper into the Restricted Area, and Flame noted that Gore wasn't responsible; Soulburner agreeing that The Gore he knew wouldn't do that. He Reincarnation Link Summoned "Heatleo" and weakened "King T Wrextle", prompting Flame to boast that this was Soulburner's special technique. Soulburner complained he was hogging the spotlight, but Flame claimed he was boasting in Soulburner's place to save face. Gore combined the effects of "K T Wrextle" and "World Dino Wrestling" to limit Soulburner's attacks and protect "King T Wrextle", and attacked "Salamangreat Jack Jaguar" on his next turn. This allowed Soulburner to freely convert the ATK of "Heatleo" to LP with "Salamangreat Sanctuary" and survive the attack. Before drawing on his next turn, Soulburner reflected on his past and his recent change of outlook, then he used "Burning Draw" to draw an extra card, and he Ritual Summoned "Salamangreat Emerald Eagle" and Tributed "Heatleo" to activate its effect, allowing "Emerald Eagle" to instantly destroy "K T Wrextle" and inflict its ATK to Gore, defeating him. Soulburner approached the fallen Gore, offering him a hand up, but Gore ignored his hand. Soulburner told Gore that he was still a hero to him, and Gore sharply advised Soulburner that he couldn't win forever and that he'd lose and reveal his true self eventually. He logged out, and Flame commented that Gore must lose a lot to be such a sore loser, much to Soulburner's disapproval.[6]

After defeating The Gore, Soulburner met up with Playmaker in the depths of the Restricted Area, and they managed to enter the unknown world through the gate. Immediately after arriving, they were hit by strong winds, which forced Flame and Ai to protect them using Data Storms. At some point, the winds stopped, and they were able to reach a temple where they finally found the Wind Ignis. After showing them the world he had build, the Ignis (who decided to call himself "Windy") explained how he did that in order to attract his fellow Ignis, and also to lure the responsible for destroying the Cyberse. Despite not knowing who was the responsible, Flame pointed out they were after Bohman, who not only had stolen Jin's consciousness, but also had the card used to destroy the Cyberse, and suggested he could've escaped to a world inside Windy's world. They then asked Windy to join them, which he promptly refused, as those statements had no evidence. However, Windy said he could weaken the winds near the area where Bohman supposedly escaped to, under the condition that Playmaker and Soulburner defeat the two invaders, Ghost Gal and an unknown partner.[12]

Upon making contact with the girls, Blue Gal presented herself as actually being Blue Angel. Soulburner was happy to meet another savior of the old LINK VRAINS, but Blue Gal stated they were actually seeking to retrieve the Ignis. While both Playmaker and Ghost Gal were willing to solve the situation without Dueling, Soulburner accepted Blue Gal's challenge.[12] Knowing of Blue Gal's "Trickstar" Deck and its burn tactics, Soulburner attempted to take the first turn by challenging Blue Gal to a small race, but was overwhelmed by the terrain and lost. From the very beginning of the Duel, Blue Gal was planning ahead to counter his strategies of swarming the field with "Salamangreat" monsters, and his Skill. Soulburner was pushed into a corner by all accumulated burn damage caused by "Trickstar Divaridis" and "Trickstar Lycoris", and even "Salamangreat Heatleo" was unable to destroy them due to Blue Gal using "Trickstar Calobane". Despite making no progress, Flame still assured him that they had an advantage, since Soulburner had Flame himself by his side. After nearly being defeated by Blue Gal's Fusion Monster, "Trickstar Band Sweet Guitar", Soulburner listened to Flame's advice and used his Skill, managing to draw "Fusion of Fire". By using it, he fused "Heatleo" and Blue Gal's "Divaridis" into "Salamangreat Violet Chimera". In the final attack, Blue Gal attempted to reduce the damage by using "Calobane" again, but this was predicted and countered by Soulburner, who used the effect of "Violet Chimera" to double its ATK, and drop her LP to 0 in a single attack. After the Duel, he approached the fallen Blue Gal to compliment her for becoming much stronger, before forcing her log out. Ghost Gal then returned, amazed by the Duel's outcome and aware she wouldn't be able to go any further without her partner. Flame then gave her a copy of Blue Gal's evacuation program, allowing Ghost Gal to log out safely.[13] Following that, they resumed travelling through the canyons towards the edge of the Wind World, Soulburner noticed that the winds were getting stronger, and Flame wondered if it was due to Playmaker Dueling. Soulburner suggested they hurry, and they reached Playmaker just after he defeated Bohman. The Wind World began to destabilize, and Flame suggested they log out; Soulburner immediately activated the escape program and did so.[14]

After they logged out, Yusaku explained to Theodore, Flame and Kolter that Bohman had been given his memories, and Theodore deduced that Yusaku's past had been researched. Kolter revealed that he'd added another room to Café Nom for Theodore to use when he logged in, much to Theodore's pleased surprise, and they decided to wait for the gate to reappear. At school the next day, Theodore introduced himself to Skye, and marveled at how different she was outside of LINK VRAINS, expressing regret that he couldn't discuss their Duel with her. Yusaku told him not to, and Theodore reassured him that he wouldn't. Shima then approached them, berating Skye for missing Duel Club and claiming to be Playmaker's best friend.[5]

The gate soon reappeared in one of the disused islands atop LINK VRAINS, and Soulburner and Playmaker logged in and headed for it. As they approached the gate, it began to draw Playmaker in with winds, and Soulburner and Flame realized that it was a trap. Soulburner shoved Playmaker aside and was drawn into the gate himself, the claustrophobia triggering his trauma of "Despair from the Dark" as Flame asked what was wrong.[5] Soulburner woke up to find Flame urging him to awaken, and Flame explained that they were in a trap created by The Shepherd and that he'd connected to Soulburner's memories. The area changed into a lava chamber, and The Shepherd challenged Soulburner to a Duel, declaring that he was taking his Ignis. Soulburner warned Shepherd about looking into his soul and accepted the challenge, but before the Duel started, Shepherd fired a blast behind him to destroy a small bug.[15]

The Shepherd began by protecting his "Duplicate Drone" with "Mirror Coat Unit", and his A.I. explained its two effects. Soulburner was annoyed that Shepherd's A.I. would be explaining every little effect, and Flame told him not to allow Shepherd to set the pace of the Duel. Soulburner quickly brought out "Salamangreat Heatleo" and returned "Mirror Coat Unit" to Shepherd's Deck, but this triggered its third effect and allowed Shepherd to amass his "Duplicate Drones" in his hand. Soulburner protested that Shepherd's A.I. had only explained two effects, but Shepherd explained that he hadn't let it say more. Flame explained that The Shepherd had done the same thing against Playmaker, and noted that at least the A.I. hadn't lied this time. The Shepherd asked them who decided an A.I.'s info was accurate, claiming that an A.I. was a tool that simply obeys humans. Soulburner prepared to attack directly, but the A.I. warned Shepherd of the likely attack, and Soulburner realized that the A.I. had been truthful that time; it would mix the truth with lies. Shepherd then activated "Drone Barricade" to prevent direct attacks, so Soulburner Reincarnation Link Summoned "Heatleo" to get rid of it. However the effect of "Drone Barricade" simply replaced itself, forcing Soulburner to end his turn without attacking. Flame noted that Shepherd had been prepared for them and that Reincarnating "Heatleo" wasn't a secret anymore, prompting Soulburner to wonder if this meant he was famous. To Soulburner's horror, The Shepherd Summoned "Despair from the Dark", and Soulburner remembered his traumatizing memories of the monster. Realizing that The Shepherd was trying to exploit his trauma, but that he was unaware that Soulburner had largely overcome it, Soulburner acted traumatized by the monster, which Shepherd duplicated using his "Duplicate Drones".[15][8] Soulburner was able to survive the consecutive attacks using "Salamangreat Parro", though "Heatleo" was destroyed and he was reduced to 200 LP. The Shepherd claimed that Soulburner's trauma had scarred his heart and took a long time to heal as it had happened in his childhood, and told Soulburner that he had no future as a Duelist and to give him the Ignis and leave his sight as Flame urged Soulburner to calm down. Refusing to give up, Soulburner drew "Rising Fire" as he had when he overcame his trauma and revived "Heatleo", then Reincarnated it to trigger the effect of "Rising Fire" and banish all of Shepherd's "Despair from the Dark", bidding farewell to despair. Shepherd asked in shock what had happened to Soulburner's trauma, and Soulburner asked what he meant, revealing his deception. He claimed to be over his past, and with the effects of "Heatleo" and "Salamangreat Foxer" he depleted Shepherd's "Drone Barricades". Flame warned Soulburner that Shepherd had a Set card, and Shepherd asked if he was scared. Soulburner declared that he wasn't, and would take a new step forward with Flame, much to Shepherd's derision. Soulburner attacked, but before Shepherd could activate his card, the trap began to shatter and The Shepherd fled. Playmaker called his name, and Soulburner lamented that they'd stopped him when he was about to win. They logged out before The Shepherd could return.[8]

Theodore met up with Yusaku after school, asking him if he was going to see Kolter, but Shima showed up and wanted to talk to Yusaku, claiming that he knew his secret. Theodore left Yusaku with Shima and headed to Café Nom, buying a hamburger for Kolter on the way to thank him for rescuing him from The Shepherd. As he and Flame arrived at the plaza, Ai crashed from the sky in Yusaku's Duel Disk, and Flame expressed admiration for its drone modifications and suggested Theodore add wheels to it, though Theodore was unimpressed by their puns. He gave the burger to Kolter, and though Ai claimed he shouldn't bring a burger to a hotdog stand, Kolter joked that it was a good way to keep an eye on the competition and thanked Theodore. After they ate, Ai asked Kolter how he and Yusaku met, and Kolter admitted reluctance to tell them for fear of reminding Theodore of the Lost Incident. Theodore reassured Kolter that he'd be fine, so Kolter told them of how he and Yusaku met while separately fighting the Knights of Hanoi, and how they had obtained Yusaku's Cyberse Deck from a secret dungeon.[16][17]

Yusaku brought his helper robot Roboppi to Café Nom, explaining that Ai had gone missing. Theodore was surprised that Ai had escaped Yusaku's lock, and Yusaku revealed that it had been removed. Roboppi and Kolter revealed that AI and Roboppi had been on a crossword puzzle that offered an Ai pin as a reward, and Theodore commented that Ai had been targeted with pinpoint accuracy. Flame revealed that the puzzle itself was an Ignis algorithm, which lead to an unknown world. Theodore suggested they all go to see if the Ignis had a message for them, but Yusaku asked to go alone, as he didn't trust Windy, instructing Theodore to come after him if he took too long to return.[18] Yusaku didn't return, so Theodore noted that something must have happened and he decided to follow Yusaku. Kolter gave them code that could temporarily cut an Ignis program, just in case. He logged in and found the location in flames, with no sign of Playmaker or Ai.[19] Soulburner and Flame flew through the world, finding Windy's palace surrounded by destroyed Echoes. They met Spectre outside, and Soulburner realized who he was. Spectre reassured them that he didn't intend to fight them, but would guide them and show them the true nature of the Ignis, asking Soulburner to reconsider his partnership with Flame once he hand. They entered to find Varis Dueling Windy, and Playmaker and Ai imprisoned by Windy and the LIGHT Ignis, Lightning. Lightning attempted to imprison them and Spectre too, but Flame used Kolter's program to block his efforts and freed Ai and Playmaker. Varis then defeated Windy by Synchro Summoning "Borreload Savage Dragon" and the Knights of Hanoi used a virus on Windy that began to erase him. Lightning saved Windy, and asked Flame if he was siding with humans. Soulburner insisted that Flame wanted to stop any conflict between humans and Ignis, and to his shock, Bohman and Harlin arrived, and Lightning revealed that he had Jin's data prisoner.[20]

Soulburner and Flame are surrounded, preventing them from pursuing Lightning.

Lightning revealed that Jin's consciousness had been trapped deep within himself, and Soulburner and Flame realized that Lightning had been the one to give "Judgment Arrows" to Bohman and was thus behind the destruction of the Cyberse. As Lightning scoffed at the idea of some Ignis wanting to coexist after the Knights of Hanoi attacked them, Flame angrily snapped that he had believed that Soulburner had unlimited potential. Regardless, Lightning declared war on humanity and he fled to save Windy from the Hanoi's virus. Soulburner and Playmaker pursued Lightning, Bohman and Harlin, and Soulburner gave Playmaker Kolter's program as they did. SOL Technologies' Bounty Hunters arrived, and Lightning summoned swarms of Bits and Boots to deal with them, then had Windy conjure a Data Storm to separate Soulburner and Playmaker. As Bohman challenged Playmaker to a Speed Duel, Soulburner went after Lightning, vowing to help Flame avenge the Cyberse.[21] Soulburner was surprised when Flame told him that their real battle had only just begun, as he believed his battles before to have been real, but Flame insisted that the battle would only end with Lightning's defeat. They were eventually swarmed by Bits and Boots, allowing Lightning to escape. Soulburner was infuriated that the Bits and Boots had dared to interfere, and Flame suggested they log out rather than waste time dealing with the Bits and Boots.[22]

Yusaku decided to inform Akira Zaizen, Skye Zaizen's brother and head of security at SOL Technologies, of the threat that Lightning and Bohman posed and did so in person while concealing his identity. Theodore and Flame kept an eye on Yusaku and Zaizen from a warehouse rooftop in the harbor at night, though Flame wasn't happy that they were sharing information with SOL Technologies, as he believed that they were unable to be trusted. The next day, they decided to try to find Earth, who Yusaku and Ai had previously encountered, before Lightning could. Playmaker and Soulburner logged in near Earth's traces, and Soulburner searched the bottom of LINK VRAINS. Kolter eventually contacted them with Earth's location and urgently warned them he was in danger, but Soulburner was too far away to help Earth.[23] A few days later, Kolter found security footage depicting Blue Gal and Aqua fleeing from The Shepherd, and though they weren't sure why Aqua was with Blue Gal, Yusaku and Theodore quickly logged in to rescue Aqua from The Shepherd. They found Ghost Gal alone, who told them The Shepherd had logged out, and Soulburner asked where Blue Gal was. Blue Gal and Aqua revealed themselves, Aqua having taken up residence in Blue Gal's Duel Disk, and Blue Gal changed her Avatar to Blue Maiden. Soulburner was quite appreciative of the change, and he joined Playmaker and Blue Maiden in the skies as they vowed to fight together.[24] They headed to the location where Aqua had been imprisoned with Ghost Gal to search for any traces of Lightning's log, but Lightning had covered his tracks well and left no traces.[25] Their search proved fruitless until Kolter sent them coordinates to a portal that led to Lightning's palace, where he was Dueling The Shepherd. Soulburner was impressed by Shepherd's destruction of "Judgment Arrows", as he took advantage of it to destroy as many monsters as possible, though Lightning was able to blunt the effect.[26] Soulburner explained the purpose of Shepherd's moves to Blue Maiden, though Shepherd was eventually defeated and his data was erased after they learned he was Ghost Gal's brother.[27]

As Theodore, Yusaku, Flame and Ai discussed the Duel between The Shepherd and Lightning at Café Nom, Earth's signal appeared in LINK VRAINS. Theodore and Yusaku logged in to protect Earth from SOL Technologies, only to find The Gore instead, who challenged Playmaker to a Duel and warned Soulburner that he would be next. Soulburner was shocked by his hero's malnourished appearance and obsession, and he and Flame watched the Speed Duel with Blue Maiden and Aqua once they arrived. To Soulburner's horror, Gore Link Summoned one of Earth's monsters; "G Golem Crystal Heart" and revealed that Earth's data was in his A.I. Dueling Chip.[28] Gore used "Crystal Heart" to empower "Dinowrestler King T Wrextle" and reduce Playmaker to 1000 LP, and Playmaker attempted to to counter first with "Neo Storm Access", and then again after Gore used "Anti Skill" to negate it, but Gore blocked both counters and reduced him to 100 LP, knocking him off his Duel Board. Soulburner and Blue Maiden attempted to save Playmaker, but were unable to catch him before he hit the ground. Playmaker was then able to use an additional effect of his Skill, Xyz Summoning "Firewall eXceed Dragon" and defeating Gore. Playmaker and Ai were almost trapped by a capture unit, but Ai was able to retrieve "Crystal Heart" and give it to Blue Maiden. Soulburner noted that Gore had been a victim of the battle.[29]

Ghost Gal sent them footage of Earth's final moments. Theodore was horrified by the footage, while Yusaku bitterly remarked that SOL Technologies saw both Ignis and Duelists as tools and walked out of Café Nom. Theodore followed Yusaku outside and asked Yusaku if he was okay, handing him his Duel Disk. He reassured Yusaku that what had happened to The Gore and Earth wasn't his fault, as they had been Duelists with their own ideals. Theodore noted the increasing hostilities between humanity and the Ignis, and Ai admitted that Varis and Lightning's belief of war between them would likely happen Ai explained what Lightning had told him when they met in Windy's Cyberse, and Theodore was shocked to learn that Windy and Lightning had never intended to coexist with humanity and that Windy had attempted to eliminate his own partner. Yusaku admitted that he wasn't sure if humans and A.I. could ever live in peace, though Theodore, Flame, and Ai all urged him not to lose faith, Flame playfully teasing Theodore over his enthusiasm. Despite this, Yusaku still recommended that the Ignis go into hiding after their final battle, and Flame and Theodore discussed the notion of parting, admitting that it might be for the best.[30]

The next day, Theodore and Yusaku logged into LINK VRAINS and met with Ghost Gal, Blue Maiden, and Aqua. Playmaker explained that Varis had contacted him, much to Soulburner's surprise, and Ai revealed that Varis knew both of their identities. Soulburner wasn't pleased about that, but Flame pointed out that it wasn't unusual given that they were both victims of the Lost Incident. Ai revealed that they knew Varis's identity as well, and Aqua suggested that it could be a trap. Ai believed that Varis didn't want to fight them now, as he had saved them previously, but Soulburner was still unsure, as he still bore a grudge against the Knights of Hanoi for the Lost Incident. Varis arrived, sealing them within a barrier to talk safely, and he requested their help to combat Lightning. The mere notion infuriated Soulburner, and enraged by the Knights of Hanoi's involvement with the Lost Incident, he challenged Varis to a Duel to avenge his parents' deaths.[30] He bet Flame if he lost, much to his partner's surprise, and brought out "Salamangreat Heatleo" on his first turn. Flame, unhappy that he'd been recklessly risked, tried to calm Soulburner down, and Soulburner brashly claimed that Flame didn't have to worry about Soulburner losing. To Soulburner's shock, Varis passed his turn, though Soulburner decided he didn't care if Varis didn't want to fight and Summoned "Salamangreat Jack Jaguar", attacking Varis directly with "Heatleo". Soulburner tried to attack with "Jack Jaguar", but found himself unable to and the Duel ended. Varis asked if Soulburner was satisfied, and Soulburner yelled that he wasn't, pointing out that he didn't even know who Varis was. Varis revealed his identity; Roken Kogami, the son of Dr. Kogami. Playmaker then revealed that Varis had only been eight during the Lost Incident, and had in fact been the one who saved them from it, while Dr. Kogami himself was already dead. As Soulburner agonized over what to do, Varis reassured him that they were only working together to defeat Lightning; afterwards they would have to battle one another. He asked them to follow him, and brought them to the former LINK VRAINS, where the Tower of Hanoi he had attempted to destroy the network with still stood. Varis stated that he intended to use the Tower to emit a scan program to find Lightning. Soulburner went along with Playmaker's decision to assist Varis, but remained suspicious. As Yusaku and Kolter coded the program, Flame asked Theodore to step out with him, and he asked Theodore why he thought Varis had invited him to talk, stating that unlike the others, he didn't need Theodore as a programmer. Flame suggested that Varis had wanted to apologize to Theodore, and Theodore commented that Flame seemed to understand humans better than he did, something that Flame was pleased to hear. Yusaku and Kolter finished coding the next day, and Kolter gave them a program that would allow them to communicate no matter where they ended up. Theodore reassured Kolter that he would protect Yusaku and help bring back Jin. They joined Blue Maiden, Aqua, Varis and Spectre at the Tower of Hanoi; Blue Maiden explained to Soulburner that Ghost Gal was keeping an eye on LINK VRAINS, while Spectre stated that the other Knights were backing them up from the real world. They activated the Tower's scan program, revealing that Lightning was hiding in a mirror world; "Mirror LINK VRAINS", and headed into a portal to the mirror world.[31]

As soon as they arrived, they were accosted by BitBoots, who challenged them to Speed Duels.[32] Soulburner defeated a number of BitBoots easily, but his Duel Board stopped working when Mirror LINK VRAINS realigned with LINK VRAINS, trapping him and Flame in an airport runaway.[33] Soulburner and Flame watched Spectre's Duel with Lightning, shocked that Spectre was able to turn the tables on Lightning's Extra Link and Extra Link himself, but Spectre was defeated and his data taken by Lightning.[34]

Soulburner Xyz Summons during his Duel with Windy.

After the Duel, Soulburner and Flame began walking down the runway, but the planes around them moved to encircle them. Soulburner was nervous that they might be haunted by ghosts, but Windy and Echo then arrived to Duel them. Soulburner was excited, but Windy was dismissive of him, angering Soulburner and forcing Flame to calm him down. Flame reminded Soulburner that Windy had lost to Varis due to losing his cool, and recommended they exploit that. The Duel got off to a bad start, as Windy quickly Link Summoned "Stormridership Bahamut Bomber" and manipulated Soulburner's "Salamangreat Roar" to damage him, frustrating Soulburner. He prepared to reincarnate "Heatleo", but Flame urged him not to rush the Duel. Windy called Soulburner a nuisance just for being Flame's partner, and Soulburner angrily asked how Windy had felt when he eliminated his own partner. Windy's claim that he'd felt nothing infuriated Soulburner, as he and the other victims of the Lost Incident had felt despair for months and eventually found hope after being rescued, but Windy had stolen it away. Flame admonished Windy for taking away the hope of his partner after being created from him, and both Soulburner and Flame vowed to crush Windy. They reincarnated "Heatleo" and negated the effect of Windy's "Stormrider Turbulence" with "Salamangreat Beat Bison", but Windy replaced it with "Stormrider Blast", negating the effect of "Heatleo" and forcing it to battle "Bahamut Bomber". Soulburner was able to prevent "Heatleo's" destruction, but Windy destroyed both it and "Beat Bison" on his next turn and reduced Soulburner to 600 LP. Despite his situation, Soulburner vowed to get revenge for Windy's partner.[35] He revived "Heatleo" and set up a combo of Equip Spell Cards, playing around the effect of "Bahamut Bomber" and preparing to defeat the fearful Windy in a single turn, but Windy ended the Battle Phase once he had less than 1000 LP. Soulburner restored some LP and prepared to Set a card, though Flame asked him to reconsider it. Soulburner managed to communicate his intent to Flame and Set the card, though Windy interpreted the action as them arguing. To their shock, Windy used "Storm Access" during the Master Duel and acquired "Stormriderflagship Custom Bahamut Bomber", destroying "Heatleo" and all of Soulburner's Spell and Trap Cards. However, this allowed Soulburner to save himself with the effect of "Salamangreat Ascetic", though Soulburner admitted he was still in a desperate situation. Flame assured Soulburner that he believed in their future, and Soulburner drew "Salamangreat Gazelle", allowing him to Xyz Summon "Salamangreat Miragestallio" and use its effect to bring "Beat Bison" back to negate the effects of Windy's cards. Soulburner then re-Summoned "Heatleo" and reincarnated it, allowing it to reduce the ATK of "Custom Bahamut Bomber" low enough for "Heatleo" to destroy it, defeating Windy. Flame told Windy that he had lost because he only fought for himself, while Soulburner and Flame respected one another as partners. Windy was then incinerated, and Flame absorbed his data as Windy claimed he would curse him. Soulburner asked about the curse, though Flame stated that A.I. didn't have curses.[36]

Afterwards, Soulburner and Flame watched Blue Maiden Duel Bohman. Soulburner worried for Blue Maiden as she was pushed into a corner, but relieved when she was able to escape her predicament. Blue Maiden revealed that she was fighting to save Aqua's partner, Miyu Sugisaki, and Soulburner realized that he and Playmaker weren't the only ones in their team fighting for someone. To Soulburner's shock, Bohman demonstrated that he had become one with LINK VRAINS by causing both worlds to quake and glitch.[37] Blue Maiden came close to defeating Bohman, but Bohman was able to strip away her "Marincess Wonder Heart's" protections and destroy it, then defeat Blue Maiden.[38] After Bohman absorbed Blue Maiden, Aqua and Earth's data, the broadcast showed Playmaker Dueling Kolter; Soulburner and Flame realized immediately that Lightning was using Jin's data as a hostage to force Kolter to Duel. Playmaker Link Summoned "Decode Talker", and Flame noted that he'd avoided Summoning it next to Kolter's "Codebreaker Zero Day", wondering if Playmaker was reluctant to fight; Soulburner pointed out that of course Playmaker was. However, he was shocked to see that Kolter was Dueling Playmaker seriously.[39] Playmaker admitted that he couldn't fight Kolter, and when Flame stated that he knew Playmaker would be unable to do so, Soulburner pointed out that Kolter was more than family to Playmaker, and he lamented his inability to help him. Playmaker attempted to buy time with "Link Satellite", but to Soulburner's horror Kolter easily destroyed it and reduced him to 600 LP. Although Playmaker was able to survive the turn, Soulburner noted that his spirit had been badly damaged by Dueling Kolter. Playmaker eventually made the decision to fight, bringing out "Decode Talker Extended" and combining it with "Decode Destruction" to defeat Kolter. Soulburner was horrified by Kolter's erasure, and shocked to learn that Kolter had anticipated that Lightning would blackmail him. Playmaker collapsed from the trauma, and Soulburner furiously vowed to never forgive Bohman and Lightning.[40]

Soulburner vows never to forgive Bohman.

Lightning had Jin throw Playmaker's Avatar around to wake him up to Duel, infuriating Soulburner even further. The barrier imprisoning them was suddenly destroyed, and Soulburner immediately left his island on his Duel Board to fight and Duel either Lightning or Bohman, uncaring which one he challenged. Bohman appeared and accepted Soulburner's challenge, and they Dueled in the depths of a dammed lake. Soulburner was well aware that he was at a disadvantage against Bohman's anti-Attribute Deck, but he was able to avoid Bohman's usual tactics with "Salamangreat Shrine" to protect his "Salamangreat" monsters from Bohman's FIRE monsters, shuffle "Judgment Arrows" into Bohman's Deck with "Heatleo" and destroy Bohman's "Twin Hydradrive Knight" and reduce him to 1700 LP. Despite Soulburner's early lead, Bohman remained confident and Soulburner's anger continued to blaze, forcing Flame to try to talk him down. Bohman then Link Summoned "Paradox Hydradrive Atlas", the monster he had used to destroy the Cyberse, infuriating Flame, who began to glitch, though he passed it off as nothing. Both Soulburner and Flame rejected Bohman's offer of acceptance, and Bohman caused Mirror LINK VRAINS to shake and glitch once again with his power as he activated the "Judgment Dice" effect of "Atlas".[41] The effect of "Atlas" allowed Bohman to alter his strategies, changing his monsters' Attributes to WATER to sidestep the protective effect of "Salamangreat Shrine". He sent "Heatleo" to the Graveyard with the effect of "Rousing Hydradrive Monarch" and attacked Soulburner directly, reducing him to 500 LP and causing Flame to glitch again. Soulburner began his next turn passionately, but Flame warned him that Bohman's use of dice-based effects was not random and suggested he may be manipulating the rolls. Despite this, Soulburner vowed to make luck his ally, using the effect of "Shrine" to draw a new hand and reviving "Heatleo". Bohman attempted to send it to the Graveyard again with the effect of "Rousing" to defeat, but Soulburner's luck held out and Bohman's roll did not succeed. He reincarnated "Heatleo" and reduced the ATK of "Rousing" to zero, but Bohman activated "Dice Logic", a Trap that would in theory give him a 50-50 chance to reduce the ATK of "Heatleo" to zero, but in reality gave him 1 in 6 odds due to having used a dice effect that turn. His roll succeeded, and the ATK of "Heatleo" was reduced to zero, sparing "Rousing". Bohman claimed that the evolutionary speed of A.I. was far greater than humanity, and Soulburner told him to stop pretending to be a God as he didn't care about the battle between humans and A.I.; only that Flame was his friend and that Bohman had hurt Playmaker.[42]

Soulburner is defeated, his data absorbed by Bohman.

Flame then doubled over in pain, disgorging the twisted form of Windy from his Avatar who revealed that he had rewritten Flame's code from the inside and he attempted to consume Soulburner as he began to reconstruct himself. Flame was able to save Soulburner and absorb Windy, but the effort proved too much for him and he told Soulburner that it was likely the end for him, asking him to promise to defeat Bohman before fragmenting into data. Despondent and enraged by Flame's death, Soulburner refused Bohman's offer to end the Duel to prevent Flame's sacrifice from being in vain, and he Super Reincarnation Link Summoned "Salamangreat Pyro Phoenix", destroying most of Bohman's cards, though the effect of "Atlas" prevented its destruction. Bohman then activated a Trap from his hand, "Judgment Roll", which would force Soulburner to roll a die that would either double the ATK of "Pyro Phoenix" or reduce it to zero. Declaring a "Burning Dice", Soulburner successfully rolled FIRE and doubled the ATK of "Pyro Phoenix", but Bohman had anticipated the possibility and activated another Trap from his hand, "Hydradrive Gravity", moving "Pyro Phoenix" to the zone that "Atlas" pointed to and making it WATER, thus reducing its ATK to zero and inflicting its original ATK to him with the effect of "Judgment Roll". Defeated and flung into the air, Soulburner could only lament his impending erasure and apologize to Flame for his failure to keep their promise, leaving the rest to Playmaker as he, Flame and Windy were absorbed by Bohman.[42]

Soulburner, Blue Maiden and The Shepherd revived in Central Station after Playmaker defeated Bohman and Zaizen and Ghost Gal met them as they saw the final remains of Mirror LINK VRAINS crumble. As Playmaker commented that it was finally all over, Soulburner asked what had happened to Flame, and Ai apologized and fled in shame.[43]

After LINK VRAINS was shut down, Theodore began to decide to move back home. He arrived at Café Nom one day as Skye left, commenting that she would be surprised to learn their identities, though Yusaku believed Skye didn't need to. They talked about Jin, Ai and Flame, Theodore suggesting Ai's backup had affected Roboppi, who had gone missing along with Ai. Yusaku apologized for Flame's death, though Theodore reassured him it wasn't his fault and noted that Ai likely felt responsible too, and that he and Roboppi might be adventuring in the network. As Theodore admitted he'd never expected to work with the Knights of Hanoi and he and Yusaku discussed the differences between humans and A.I., Theodore suggested that it might be impossible for humans and A.I. to coexist. Yusaku himself believed there was still hope given the bonds they'd formed with Ai and Flame, but then Roken Kogami and Spectre arrived, Roken warning them that they would continue to monitor the network for any problems, including Ai. He warned them that the Hanoi would show no mercy if they got in his way, and Theodore likewise warned Roken that they hadn't settled their own differences yet.[43]

Ai[edit]

Theodore approached Yusaku after school one day, intending to tell him that he was moving back home, but found himself unable to. Before the conversation could continue, Kolter called them to Café Nom, explaining that Zaizen had contacted them with a request to meet Playmaker. They logged into the defunct Central Station, Kolter entering as Unnamed as well, and met with Zaizen and Blue Maiden. Ghost Gal, The Shepherd and Gore logged in as well, Gore thanking Playmaker but not elaborating. Zaizen explained he needed them to protect them as the CEO of SOL Technologies, Queen, had been attacked and her code key stolen, and the culprit intended to steal Zaizen's in three days. To Soulburner's shock, Zaizen revealed that Ai and Roboppi, who were now using human forms, were behind the attack. Shepherd accused Playmaker of hiding Ai's location, though Soulburner and Gore both defended Playmaker, believing that he would have already pursued Ai had he known what he intended to do. Playmaker did not decide to help right away, requesting time to make his decision. That night, Theodore and Yusaku talked about the situation, and Theodore finally told Yusaku that he intended to return home after they stopped Ai.[44]

Three days later, Soulburner returned alone to Central Station; Yusaku had not accompanied him. Zaizen revealed he had enlisted the Knights of Hanoi to assist them. Soulburner wasn't happy about working with the Knights again, but Varis reassured him that the intended to turn themselves in after Ai was dealt with, a decision Soulburner was uncomfortable with. Zaizen assigned Soulburner to patrol the eastern exterior gateway, meaning he would be the first to engage the enemy. As they moved out to their assigned positions, Playmaker arrived, much to Soulburner's glee.[44] Playmaker linked up with Soulburner and Varis outside Central Station, and they soon detected three enemies, wondering if Ai and Roboppi had a third ally. Playmaker quickly engaged Ai, and then Soulburner and Varis both also encountered Ai, the Ai that Soulburner encountered urging him to hate him for causing Flame's death. Soulburner replied that he didn't hate Ai, and Flame wouldn't have either, though Ai claimed there was no way to know now that Flame was gone. They decided to Duel the three Ai to determine which was the original. Ai swiftly Link Summoned "Fire Phoenix @Ignister" and used "A.I. A.I. Wall" to prevent them from attacking, and his copies did the same in the other Duels. Ai confirmed that he and the other two were simply copies and that the real Ai was advancing towards Zaizen.[45] As they Dueled the copies, Kolter contacted them and asked them to hurry, as the other Duelists were in bad shape.[46] Kolter contacted Soulburner to warn him of Gore's defeat as Soulburner defeated the Ai copy with "Salamangreat Violet Chimera".[47]

Soulburner accompanied Playmaker and Varis as they returned to Central Station, but they found it empty. Soulburner asked where everyone was, and Varis explained that the Zaizens had been broadcasting from another location that Ai wouldn't be able to reach.[47] Varis informed them that Pandor was Dueling Ai on the Zaizen's plane and had the advantage, noting that she was almost as capable as the Ignis themselves. Playmaker asked Varis what would happen to Ai if he lost, and Varis replied that he would not show any mercy to Ai.[48] To Soulburner's surprise, he, Playmaker and Varis were suddenly shown Ai, Roboppi and the Zaizens; Ai had successfully defeated Pandor and gained access to the Zaizens and was Dueling them for Zaizen's code key. Soulburner was shocked to learn from Pandor that Ai's "@Ignister" monsters represented the Ignis, "Achichi @Ignister" specifically representing Flame and was horrified when Ai activated "Judgment Arrows", beliving Ai had crossed a line by using it. The Zaizens were able to survive Ai's use of "Judgment Arrows", and before taking his turn, Zaizen apologized to Ai for the actions of SOL Technologies, much to Soulburner's surprise. Zaizen used his cards in combination with Blue Maiden's to Link Summon "Tindangle Acute Cerberus", a monster Soulburner called the Zaizen's ace monster, as they'd summoned it through teamwork.[49] Zaizen almost defeated Ai and Soulburner praised the siblings' teamwork, but was shocked to realize how lonely Ai was, prompting Varis to tell Ai off for pitying their enemy. Soulburner was worried when Ai Ritual Summoned "Water Leviathan @Ignister" until Playmaker reminded him it was a Ritual Monster and wouldn't be strengthened by "Judgment Arrows". Unfortunately the effects of "Water Leviathan" lowered the ATK of Zaizen's "Tindangle Hound" enough to defeat them, though Blue Maiden was able to save her brother. Soulburner cheered Blue Maiden on as she used effect damage to deplete Ai's LP, but Ai countered her last attack and defeated the Zaizens, taking Zaizen's data but sparing Blue Maiden and the last Pandor. Soulburner begged Ai to wait as he left with Zaizen's code key, protesting he'd gone too far, but Varis insisted Ai had shown his true colors and vowed to destroy him.[50]

Deck[edit]

Cyberse Beatdown[edit]

Theodore (as Soulburner) with "Salamangreat Heatleo" and "Pyro Phoenix"

Theodore uses a Cyberse Beatdown Deck[1], focused on the "Salamangreat" archetype. His Skill is "Burning Draw", which allows him to give up LP to draw more cards, so he includes cards that restore his LP. His "Salamangreat" monsters often have effects to Special Summon themselves from the Graveyard, allowing him to amass them to Link Summon his ace monster, "Salamangreat Heatleo". Theodore can also use Ritual Summoning, Fusion Summoning, Xyz Summoning, and both Reincarnation Link Summoning and Reincarnation Xyz Summoning to bring out stronger monsters.

Initially, Theodore's strategies are very simple, focusing largely on "Heatleo", but as he grows more accustomed to his Deck, he begins using more complicated combos and his other Link Monsters to generate large quantities of advantage that are not dissimilar from combos used in real-life tournaments, focusing particularly on his Xyz Monsters in the third season in addition to his Link Monsters. In the third season, he also uses a high number of Equip Spell Cards with protective effects in combination with his ace monsters.

Over the course of the series, some of the cards used by Soulburner have been changed with regards to their effect or type. This is the list of cards which he used previously.

Past[edit]

In the past, Theodore played a different Deck, focused on FIRE Warrior monsters.

Duels[edit]

Opponent Episode(s) Outcome
Unknown Duelist 61 Lose (flashback)
Unknown Duelist 61 Lose (flashback)
Ridley 61, 63 Win (flashback)
BitBoot 49 Win
George Gore/The Gore 51-52 Win
Skye Zaizen/Blue Gal 56 Win
Kenneth Drayden/The Shepherd 62-63 No result
Roken Kogami/Varis 84 No result
BitBoot 86 Win
Windy 88-89 Win
Bohman 94-95 Lose
Ai copy 106, 108 Win
Roboppi 112-114 Win
Roken Kogami/Varis 115-116 Win

Trivia[edit]

  • When Soulburner's Avatar disintegrates into data in Mirror LINK VRAINS, his data is red; he and Flame are the only characters to do so, as most characters usually disintegrated into yellow data, Blue Maiden and Kolter disintegrated into blue data, and Varis into green.
  • Theodore's hair colors as Soulburner appear to be a combination of Playmaker's, Blue Angel's and The Gore's, all of whom he refers to as the heroes of LINK VRAINS for stopping the Knights of Hanoi.
  • Like many characters, Theodore says "Are you sure?" when he's about to turn a Duel around in the original. However, he says "Soitsu wa dou kana?" instead of "Sore wa dou kana?"
  • Theodore is the only character in VRAINS to use more than one Xyz Monster.
    • Out of the characters in VRAINS that used Xyz Monsters, Theodore is the only one to never use Synchro Monsters.

References[edit]

  1. a b Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS Ending 3: BOY
  2. "The Organization | [VRAINS] More Info On Season 2". YGOrganization. March 20, 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  3. a b c Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 05050: "A Common Cause"
  4. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 116116: "Stuck in the Past"
  5. a b c Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 06060: "Sidekick Showdown"
  6. a b c d Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 05252: "Tapping Out"
  7. a b c Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 06161: "Darkness Dawns"
  8. a b c Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 06363: "Scare Tactics"
  9. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 04848: "Shed Some Light"
  10. a b Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 04949: "Bring the Heat"
  11. a b Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 05151: "Bounty Hunting"
  12. a b Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 05555: "A Windy Welcome"
  13. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 05656: "Blue Gal Battles"
  14. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 05858: "Memory Games"
  15. a b Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 06262: "Fearing the Worst"
  16. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 06464: "The Beginning"
  17. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 06565: "Pieces of the Puzzle"
  18. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 06868: "Choosing Sides"
  19. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 06969: "Coexistence"
  20. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 07070: "A Storm Brews"
  21. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 07171: "A Logical Decision"
  22. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 07373: "Light Blade that Slices Despair"
  23. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 07474: "Captured Ignis"
  24. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 07777: "A Family Reunion"
  25. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 07878: "Rebellious Bounty Hunter"
  26. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 07979: "The Hunt Is On"
  27. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 08080: "Lightning Strikes"
  28. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 08181: "Arrived at the Summit"
  29. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 08282: "Gored"
  30. a b Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 08383: "Irregular Meeting"
  31. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 08484: "Payback"
  32. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 08585: "My Brother's Keeper"
  33. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 08686: "The Weakest Link"
  34. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 08787: "The Ultimate Connection"
  35. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 08888: "A Breezy Battle"
  36. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 08989: "Two Flames Unite"
  37. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 09090: "Creator of the Next Generation"
  38. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 09191: "Proud Maiden"
  39. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 09292: "Big Test"
  40. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 09393: "Promise With Each Other"
  41. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 09494: "Raging Soul"
  42. a b Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 09595: "Radiance of the Phoenix"
  43. a b Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 103103: "Reflections"
  44. a b Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 105105: "Intercept"
  45. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 106106: "Roboppi Mops Up"
  46. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 107107: "Slay the Demon"
  47. a b Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 108108: "Smash and Mash"
  48. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 109109: "The Ignis Hunter"
  49. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 110110: "Siblings and Circuits"
  50. Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 111111: "Stronger Together"

Notes[edit]

  1. a b This card is drawn in episode 49, but he is unable to play it due to the effect of BitBoot's "D-Scale Chaff".

Template:Theodore Hamilton pages