Dimitri
Dimitri, known as Kagurazaka (
 Dimitri with "Dark Magician" | |||||||||
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| Japanese translated |
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| School | Duel Academy | ||||||||
| Dormitory | Ra Yellow | ||||||||
| Anime Deck | Cookie Cutter | ||||||||
| Anime debut | Yu-Gi-Oh! GX episode 18: "The King of the Copycats, Part 1" | ||||||||
| Video game debut | Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Duel Academy | ||||||||
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| English voice | Marc Thompson | ||||||||
| Japanese voice | Satoshi Hino | ||||||||
| Dimitri | |||||||||
Contents
DesignEdit
AppearanceEdit
His appearance mimics Yugi - he has similar, but smaller bangs that fall over his face, his jacket flares out from the waist just like Yugi's did and the patch on his shirt bears the shape of the Millennium Puzzle. When impersonating Jaden, he uses Jaden's Slifer Red wardrobe and even styles his hair in a similar, albeit messier, fashion.[1]
PersonalityEdit
His personality changes depending on who he is impersonating. His tendency to copy others' Decks and personalities appear to stem from deep-seated confidence or persistence issues, no doubt intensified by the remarks his Ra Yellow classmates make following his loss to Syrus Truesdale.
Coincidentally, his hair is of a similar style to that of Yugi Muto, possibly an additional attempt at emulating such a prestigious Duelist.
In the dub, Dimitri mimics Yugi's voice when he uses Yugi's Deck, and Crowler's when using his. He also refers to his Spell Cards as "Magic Cards", as this was the term used in the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime before the revised printing format of the TCG took effect. Also during his turns, the Duel score from the original series is played as opposed to the GX score.
EtymologyEdit
"Dimitri" is a Russian given name meaning "dedicated to/follower of Demeter", the "follower" portion likely signifying how Dimitri follows excessively in the footsteps of more successful Duelists rather than carve out his own identity or niche, per the phrase "Follower, not a leader".
"Kagurazaka" is a combination of "kagura" (music played during Shinto rituals) and "zaka" (hill or slope).
BiographyEdit
Dimitri is first seen in the Duel Academy commons area Dueling Syrus Truesdale for the final ticket on sale to see Yugi Muto's Deck on exhibition. Syrus had already gotten his own ticket, and Dueled to secure one for Jaden as a favor. Dimitri loses despite using a copy of Dr. Crowler's Deck, much to the chastising of his Ra Yellow peers as they walk away. That night, he ravages his dorm room in a fit of rage due to having researched the strategies of many strong Duelists (including but not limited to Yugi Muto, Seto Kaiba, Zane Truesdale and Dr. Crowler), yet still is unable to win Duels. Inspiration strikes him upon seeing the poster for the exhibition, as he plots to steal Yugi's Deck from its display case during the exhibition, believing the one and only King of Games' Deck would surely bring him victory.[2]
The night before the exhibition, Dimitri successfully bypasses security and steals the Deck, leaving its glass case visibly shattered for a bewildered Dr. Crowler to find. After mistakenly accosting Crowler for the burglary, Syrus catches Dimitri with the Deck outside on the rocky harbor area and is challenged to a Duel by him to test out said Deck's power. This proves fruitful as Dimitri defeats Syrus, but is then challenged by a determined (and fashionably late) Jaden to recover the stolen Deck.[2]
During the Duel he actually manages to convince himself that he truly is Yugi, going as far as to emulate his voice and mannerisms to a T (In the Japanese version this happened towards the end of his Duel with Jaden, while in the English dub it happened beforehand). Despite a promising early lead and dramatic Summon of "Dark Magician of Chaos", Dimitri is defeated by Jaden, whom cites that he lacked the same heart that Yugi put into creating his Deck as well as the Heart of the Cards he boasted considering said cards were never Dimitri's to begin with.
Apparently the message doesn't get through, as Dimitri then goes on to impersonate Jaden the next morning. In both the English and Japanese versions, he proceeds to mess up Jaden's signature pose and catchphrases (respective to each language's version), much to Jaden's ire and fervent correction.[1]
He made a cameo in episode 179 watching Jaden's Graduation ceremony in his original clothing.[3]
DeckEdit
Cookie CutterEdit
Dimitri lacks an original Deck of his own and is seen playing Crowler's "Ancient Gear" Deck and Yugi Muto's stolen Deck. However, in both versions, he makes a quick reference to having used Seto Kaiba's and Zane Truesdale's Decks. After his final loss, he makes a Deck resembling Jaden's.
Yugi'sEdit
Dimitri steals Yugi's Deck, which is displayed in a special room within Duel Academy, and uses it in two Duels to "test" its strength. Due to the gaps left in the Deck by the missing Egyptian God Cards, it has since been modified to focus on the retrained versions of Yugi's "Chaos" Ritual Monsters.
DuelsEdit
| Opponent(s) | Episode(s) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Syrus Truesdale | 18 | Lose |
| Syrus Truesdale | 18 | Win |
| Jaden Yuki | 18-19 | Lose |
TriviaEdit
- Dimitri could be a jab to the phenomenon of netdecking and Cookie Cutter Decks, as his attempts to win Duels by copying the strategies and mannerisms of known professional Duelists are very similar.
ReferencesEdit
- ↑ a b Yu-Gi-Oh! GX episode 19: "The King of the Copycats, Part 2"
- ↑ a b Yu-Gi-Oh! GX episode 18: "The King of the Copycats, Part 1"
- ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! GX episode 179: "Farewell, Judai! A Tearful Graduation Ceremony"