Atem

Name: Atem, but will also answer to Yami Yugi or Yu-Gi-Oh

Age: 3,000+ (but doesn't look much older than Yugi)

Nationality: Egyptian

Special Skills: Gaming, loyalty, protectiveness

Likes: Gaming, justice, friends

Best Friends: Yugi, Joey, Tristan, Tea

Background: Atem is the central figure of the entire series, the mysterious Pharaoh searching for his memories and uncovering them at long last.

In ancient Egypt, Atem protected the world from many great dangers, including rogue creatures called Unown who trapped people in images of their dreams come to life. His biggest challenge came with the arrival of Thief King Bakura, the sole survivor of a massacre on his village performed by one of the Pharaoh's priests without the Pharaoh's knowledge in order to create the Millennium Items. The thief believed the Items were rightfully his, since his loved ones' bodies were used to forge them. He was bent on the destruction of Atem and the priests, and the problem only became worse when he defeated Mahad and claimed the Millennium Ring, the darkest of all the Items. Its evil overpowered him and Zorc Necrophades, who had sealed part of his spirit within the Ring, began influencing him to destroy the world in order to call Zorc forth. Already filled with hate, Thief King Bakura succumbed to the madness of the Ring and together with Zorc, nearly did destroy the world. Atem and the priests defeated the thief and sealed his soul in the Ring, not realizing they were condemning him to become fused with a part of Zorc for 3,000 years. The rest of Zorc's spirit was sealed into the Millennium Puzzle with Atem, as Atem couldn't find any other way to defeat him, and Atem erased his own memories and all usages of his own name to keep Zorc trapped with his name as the seal.

3,000 years later, Atem was still wandering the chambers of the Puzzle, trying to remember who he was. When Yugi put the Puzzle together and allowed him to re-enter the mortal world through Yugi's body, Atem fought for justice and tried to help Yugi and his friends. Soon they were all friends and going on adventures together. Atem wanted things to stay that way, yet deep down, he knew he had to learn his true identity.

During the eventual re-enactment of his memories, Zorc was summoned for real and not just in the Memory World. There was a tremendous battle and the being of darkness was at long last vanquished. Atem learned that while in the past he had fought alone and that was why Zorc had been sealed and not destroyed, Atem had destroyed him for good in the present by relying on the light of his friends to help him.

Atem fought a final duel against Yugi to make sure Yugi could stand without him before passing into the afterlife to be with the family and friends of his mortal life. He was happy to see them all again, and for a time he was content, but he soon realized that he had only convinced himself that this was where he belonged because everyone had insisted on it. In truth, he missed Yugi and the others so deeply that he wanted to return. He had become more comfortable in the modern world than in the past, despite recovering his memories.

Atem has finally been granted a rare second chance, if he wishes it, and he is taking it. He's going back to Yugi.

Personality: Atem is devoted to justice, and through Yugi's example, he has learned compassion and kindness as well. He is highly protective of his friends. Although in the beginning he abhorred Seto Kaiba, he came to understand the tortured boy well and wishes that Seto would accept his and the others' friendships. In the past, he felt he didn't have friends himself and believed he had to fight alone. Now he knows different and wants to share that knowledge with Seto.

Differences between the timelines: The old timeline didn't follow canon, since not all canon was yet known, and Atem was still around and didn't remember his past. He was able to generate a separate body for himself, which was a favorite fanon trope even though canon didn't support it. The new timeline follows canon, but as evidenced by the backstory, Atem is coming back. It's just too sad for him not to be there. And I honestly believe that he would miss Yugi deeply and would rather be with him. He was closer to Yugi than he ever was to anyone else, and for my part, I know I would rather be with the people I'm closest to.

In the old timeline, the traitorous zealot Khu was a member of Atem's court while secretly plotting against him with his brother P. Seto. In the new timeline, Khu is working alone and tries to befriend Atem during his years as prince, planning to assassinate him. Mahad discovers the plot and stops him in time.