Marik Ishtar

Name: Marik Ishtar

Age: 16

Nationality: Egyptian

Special Skills: Gaming, translating ancient Egyptian

Likes: Motorcycles, family, friends, being free, the light

Best Friends: Rishid Ishtar, Ishizu Ishtar, Mokuba Kaiba

Image Songs: It's the Fear by Within Temptation

Forgive Me by Evanescence (Marik to Rishid)

October by Evanescence

I Must Be Dreaming by Within Temptation (Marik to Yami Marik)

Demons by Imagine Dragons

Background: Marik was fated to be the heir to the Tomb Keeper clan and live underground for all his life, guarding the Pharaoh Atem's tomb and waiting for him to return. It was never a task he wanted, for many reasons. He didn't think it fair for his family to have to suffer underground and never live in the light. And the thought of the incredible pain from having the Pharaoh's Memories engraved on his back terrified him to no end.

He loved his family, even his fanatic father, although a part of him began to hate the man after he forced Marik to have the Tomb Keepers' Initiation in spite of his terror over the pain. In pain and anguish, feeling desperately alone, Marik created another personality, Yami Marik, to look out for him.

It was always Rishid who could keep Yami Marik at bay. When he revealed that he had performed his own ritual on himself to show his undying loyalty to Marik and his willingness to take upon himself Marik's pain, he drove Yami Marik into the recesses of Marik's mind. The demon didn't emerge again until the fateful day when Marik begged to be allowed to see aboveground just once and Ishizu and Rishid finally agreed. Mr. Ishtar discovered Marik and Ishizu were gone and began to viciously attack and whip Rishid as punishment, planning to kill him. When Marik and Ishizu returned and found that horror, Marik lost control over his outrage at seeing Rishid being harmed. Yami Marik came out, killed Mr. Ishtar, and was about to do the same to Rishid when he regained consciousness and was able to call Marik back again.

Marik never had any memory of Yami Marik's antics, and when he saw his father laying dead in spite of Rishid's efforts to shield him from the sight, he was stricken with horror. Shadi's appearance on the scene to deliver a cryptic message left Marik convinced that the Pharaoh whose tomb they had guarded for 3,000 years had killed his father. For Marik, this was the final outrage after all the suffering his family had endured, and he set out to find and kill the Pharaoh for vengeance. Horrified, yet fearing Yami Marik would come out again if Marik learned the truth of his father's death, Rishid vowed to follow him no matter what. In his heart, he prayed that he and Ishizu could find a way to break through Marik's hatred before he carried out his plan of revenge.

Eventually, he and Ishizu were indeed able to get through to Marik, but only after he had caused much heartache for the Pharaoh Atem and his friends and after Rishid was badly hurt, resulting in Yami Marik once again coming forth and taking over Marik's body. What had once been a split personality had decided he was his own person and could survive without Marik, and Yami Marik betrayed the boy he had been created to protect. Marik was completely kicked out of his body. In this state, he wandered the Battle Ship, sticking close to Tea (whom he had mind-controlled) and Bakura. He learned the truth of his father's death, and from that point on, horror and grief-stricken, he vowed to change his ways and help the Pharaoh whom he had wanted so badly to destroy. But as Yami Marik rampaged and hurt more and more people, Marik lost the will to live. It was only when Rishid finally regained consciousness and desperately spoke to him of fighting against Yami Marik and that people had hope because they lived, that Marik began again to fight. He took control of his body, sent Yami Marik into the shadows, and surrendered their duel to the Pharaoh.

Although he, Ishizu, and Rishid returned to Egypt for a time to prepare for the Pharaoh's arrival to reclaim his memories and move on to the afterlife, they moved to Domino soon afterwards when Ishizu was offered a job as the curator of the Domino Museum.

Personality: Marik is serious and sober, often weighed down by the evils he committed while bent on revenge against the Pharaoh. At the same time, he is happy to be free to live in the light and embraces this blessing along with his siblings. Mokuba Kaiba, with whom he has formed an unexpected friendship, also helps him to loosen up and enjoy life. When trouble strikes, he is firmly on the frontlines, determined to help bring a stop to it and deeply protective of his family and friends. He can be very tense and sarcastic during such times, sometimes muttering "Oh joy" in utter frustration as things go wrong around him. He is also, however, a rational voice of reason during such times and one of the more practical of Yugi's group.

Differences between the timelines: Marik in the old timeline was a lot like his fake personality Namu, friendly and sweet and maybe a lot like Bakura, only more open. (Marik in the old timeline was also completely idolized by me and that clearly comes through in the writing!) Marik in the current timeline is more as he was depicted in season 5, friendly and sweet, but not to Bakura levels. He is more serious and tense (understandably, since something always seems to be going wrong). Both Mariks are devoted friends of Mokuba Kaiba and voices of reason when trouble strikes. Both Mariks are also, as per the official stats, vegetarians.