The Big Five
The Big Five, initially known at the "Board of Directors for Kaiba Corporation" are a group of five businessmen that used to work for Gozaburo Kaiba, producing weapons of mass destruction for KaibaCorp, and then later for Seto Kaiba making video game-related software.
Contents
KaibaCorp & Duelist Kingdom
When Gozaburo's step-son Seto decides to make his play for power, he convinces the Big Five he'll restore them to their former power and claims that Gozaburo does not give them the respect or power they deserve. The Big Five agree, and thus buy 49% of Kaiba Corporation. Combined with 2% that Gozaburo had previously given to Seto for a test to prove his business skill, the Big Five vote out Gozaburo and vote in Seto as the president of the company.
However, Seto quickly backs out on their deal, stripping them of their power and leaving the Big Five little more than figureheads and consultants. Furious over their betrayal, the Big Five strike a deal with Maximillion Pegasus, similar to their previous deal with Seto: if Pegasus defeats Seto and Yugi Mutou in duels, then they will use their 49% to vote Pegasus into power of the company by kidnapping Seto's brother Mokuba, who has been entrusted with the security codes to the two percent the Big Five need.
However, the plan fails, and when Seto learns of their betrayal he threatens to fire them. The Big Five offer Seto his complete Virtual Reality game as a peace offering, sparking the Legendary Heroes arc. After being rescued, what Seto did to the Big Five is not known (in the manga, they were fired and were never seen again). Presumably their minds were trapped in the Virtual World as they had intended to do to Seto, as this sets the stage for their next appearance.
Virtual Realm
For some time, the Big Five wander Kaiba Corporation's computer banks until they are found by Gozaburo's biological son Noah. Noah also desires to take control of Kaiba Corporation from Seto, and the two strike a deal. Noah lures Seto, Yugi and his friends to an underground military base, and there forces them to enter his version of the Virtual World. The Big Five greet them and reveal the deal they have made with Noah: after being trapped in the Virtual World, they have lost their connection to their bodies and thus need new ones. In exchange for being allowed access to the bodies of Seto, Yugi and his friends, the Big Five will defeat each of them in a duel.
One by one the Big Five fail to defeat their chosen opponents, and Noah is furious. As a last ditch effort, the Big Five use the body of Tristan to unite into one and duel Yugi and Joey in a two-on-one match. They once again fail to defeat them, and are summoned back to Noah's headquarters after trying to take the gang's bodies by force, which infuriates Noah. Noah refuses to give them a third chance, and as punishment seals each of the Big Five in an isolated portion of the Virtual World. Following this they are never seen again and are presumably deleted when the fortress the Virtual World is stationed in explodes.
Members
Gansley
Gansley, known in Japan as Konosuke Oshita is the former vice-president of KaibaCorp and the leader as well as the founder of The Big Five. He chooses to duel Yugi, and claims to have perfected a strategy to defeat him. He approaches the duel as a business, referring to his monsters as his employees. In the English dub, Gansley gives Yugi advice on business while in the Japanese version, he quotes various warlords and philosophers on how to build a successful army. Another interesting change between the English and Japanese versions of the anime is that while his Japanese counterpart knows about Yami Yugi (he refers to them as Type-A Yugi and Type-B), Gansley shows no knowledge of the spirit.
Gansley uses a Reptile/Water Deck that relies on summoning many monsters to use the ability of his Deck Master Deep Sea Warrior called "Reflector Hole" which negates an opposing attack and inflicts damage to the opponent equal to the attacking monster's ATK at a cost of two Tributes (very similar to Magic Cylinder). He was defeated when Yugi's use of Kuriboh, combined with the Magic Card Rainbow Blessing, allowed him to bypass Gansley's monsters and attack his life points directly with Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight, an attack that Gansley's Special Ability couldn't protect him from.
In the Japanese version, he is voiced by Noboyuki Saitou in the Virtual Realm arc and by Shintaro Sonoda in the Noah arc. While in English version, he is voiced by Marc Thompson.
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Crump
Adrian Randolph Crump III, known in Japan as Shuzo Otaki is the former KaibaCorp accountant who oversaw the company's finances before he was fired. He took the form of Nightmare Penguin to duel Téa. Crump was neglected as a child, but found a love for penguins when he read about how they cared for their young. His dream was to build a penguin theme park, but Seto Kaiba refused to finance the project.
Crump uses an Ice Deck that relies on various Water-themed cards. His Deckmaster Nightmare Penguin can increase the ATK of each water monster by using his Deckmaster's abilities. He was defeated when Tea's Dark Magician Girl, combined with the Magic Card the Sage's Stone, allowed her to summon Yugi's Dark Magician to the field to destroy Crump's monsters.
In the Japanese version he is voiced by Satoshi Tsuruoka in the Virtual Realm arc and by Ryousuke Ootani in the Noah arc. While in English version, he is voiced by Mike pollack.
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Johnson
Johnson, known in the Japan as Chikuzen Oka, was the legal advisor for the KaibaCorp and an expert lawyer. He once convinced a jury that a man who was afraid of water stole a boat. To lure Joey to a duel, he disguised a setting of the blimp and disguised himself as Mai until he reveals himself. He duels Joey Wheeler in a courtroom setting. Johnson claims that Joey is on trial for gambling too much with his deck and takes the form of Judge Man to duel. During the duel, Johnson secretly rigs Joey's dice rolls and coin flip in his favor, until Noah teleports in and threatens to disqualify him for cheating. Joey asks that Noah let the duel continue, and Noah does so. Joey plays another game of chance with Johnson in which he loses one of the true or false questions he claims to be an expert in- picking a monster card rather than a magic card, thus allowing Joey to transfer the card's attack points to his Flame Swordsman to strength his monster and thus win the duel.
Johnson uses a Fusion Deck that relies on increasing his Life Points in order use his Deck Master's ability "Clear the Courtroom" which can destroy all monsters on the opposing field at a cost of 1000 points, inflicting 500 points of damage to the opponent for every monster destroyed.
In the Japanese version he is voiced by Shin'ichi Yashiro. While in English version, his voiced is Marc Diraison.
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Nesbitt
Nesbitt, known in Japan as, Soichiro Ota, was the technical expert of KaibaCorp and oversaw the military factories before Seto took power. Seto ordered Nesbitt to destroy his lab after coming to power and had him build the Duel Tower in its place. Nesbitt is furious over his technological genius being used for games, and has vowed revenge and is the most ruthless duelist of the Big Five. Nesbitt took the form of Robotic Knight and later Perfect Machine King to duel Duke, Serenity and Tristan in a three-on-one duel. As Tristan and Serenity have little knowledge of dueling, Nesbitt is sure he'll win easily. He manages to defeat Tristan before losing, and unfairly claims his body in the process- the entire Big Five going on to use it against Yugi and Joey in a duel, but he is nevertheless defeated thanks to a card that Tristan had played earlier. Despite having never dueled before (which is why he originally intended to duel her alone) it is Serenity whose monster deals the finishing blow.
Nesbitt uses a Machine Deck. His Deckmaster's special ability is Final Artillery, which deals 500 points of damage to his opponent's Life Points each time he discards 1 Machine-Type monster from his hand. In a Tag-Team Duel, he was evidently able to choose which opponent took each hit of 500 Life Points of damage.
In the Japanese version he is voiced by Hiromi Sugino. While in English version, he is voiced by David Wills.
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Lechter
Lechter, known in Japan as Kogoro Daimon, was the former assistant to Gozaburo himself and later Seto. Lechter is the best duelist of The Big Five and challenges Seto as his opponent, intending to settle a personal grudge. Lechter claims that he did all the hard work to make Seto look good for Gozaburo while all Seto did was give him orders. Lechter also reveals Seto's manipulation of Mokuba to oust Gozaburo from power, which Seto denies.
Lechter uses a Control Deck and utilizes a wide array of cards that lockdown the opponent's abilties, using a variety of cards to increase his life points after giving them up to defeat his opponents, and highlighted by his Deck Master Jinzo. Despite this, he was defeated when Seto managed to summon his Blue-Eyes White Dragon, using it to destroy Lechter's Satellite Cannon and thus eliminate his greatest advantage.
His english name may be a pun on Hannibal Lector, as the monster he is in the virtual world whears a similar mask to Hannibal.
In the Japanese version he is voiced by Eiji Takemoto in the Virtual Realm arc and by Shoji Izumi in the Noah arc. While in English version, he is voiced by Sean Shcemmel.
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The Big Five United
When they faced Yugi and Joey, the Big Five dueled as one in the body of Tristan Taylor, rotating their Deck Masters in turn, as well as which member of The Big Five had control, until they reached Lector, with his Deck Master, Jinzo. In this duel they use a deck of their combined powers, highlighted by Five-Headed Dragon, the monster they attempted to use to trap Seto in the Virtual World before he fired them. They were nevertheless defeated when Yugi and Joey combined their Deck Masters to form Dark Flare Knight, subsequently using its special ability to summon Mirage Knight to destroy Five-Headed Dragon, before destroying their Berserk Dragon by transforming Dark Magician into the Dark Magician Knight and transferring Flame Swordsman's attack points to him, thus giving him the strength to defeat the Berserk Dragon.
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