Salamandra (archetype)

Salamandra
The original "Salamandra".
Japanese	サラマンドラ Saramandora (romanized)
French	Salamandra
German	Salamandra
Italian	Salamandra
Korean	사라만도라 Saramandora (romanized)
Portuguese	Salamandra
Spanish	Salamandra
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"Salamandra" (サラマンドラ Saramandora) is an archetype of cards that can equip themselves. They mostly support FIRE and/or Warrior monsters, and are closely related to the Flame Swordsman series. "Salamandra" Monster Cards are generally FIRE Dragons, except for "Evilswarm Salamandra", which is unrelated to the theme beyond its name.

Design

The name "Salamandra" is an intentional misreading of "salamander", referring not to the real-life amphibians, but to the mythical fire elementals of pre-modern worldviews. Fittingly, the various "Salamandra" cards depict a reptilian-shaped being with a body composed of pure flame, sometimes bound to a seemingly legendary magic sword (which may bear the same name). The original "Salamandra" card is even an Equip Spell Card rather than a Monster Card, perhaps alluding to it being composed entirely of magical energy and being unable to manifest as a physical opponent on its own.

Playing style

Main article: Flame Swordsman (series) § Playing style

"Salamandra" cards focus on providing ATK-boosting support effects when equipped, especially for "Flame Swordsman" monsters or similar cards. With low ATK stats of their own, the "Salamandra" monsters generally do not function well as beatsticks independent of other cards.

Trivia

• In the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime produced by Toei there is a Monster Card of similar theme and the same name.
• There are striking similarities in design and theme between this archetype and more than one unrelated card that also depicts draconic, flame-bodied beings.
  • "Darkfire Dragon" not only depicts a dragon with a physical form made of fire, but it is also a Fusion Monster like "Flame Swordsman" and "Fighting Flame Dragon" (the latter being an apparent evolution of the entity known as "Salamandra").
  • "Trigon", like the "Salamandra" monsters, is a FIRE Dragon composed of orange-burning energy. More notably, as a Union Monster it functions primarily to equip itself to other monsters in a similar way to the Salamandra cards.