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Episode
GuideEpisode 214: Name of the Game (White Dragon)
Yugi and the others watch as the door at the back of the Pharaoh's tomb rises. Joey wonders what the heck could be in there! Yugi hopes the Pharaoh's name. (Japanese Jounouchi has no dialog here. Yugi says, the Pharaoh's name is inside.) Tristan runs past them into the secret room, as Yugi warns him that the room could be filled with traps. The others follow Tristan, who stops, surprised, as they all see that the room is empty. Yugi reminds them that his Grandpa said that things in the tomb aren't always what they appear to be, as Joey moves forward, then exclaims, what are they? Téa says sometimes you have to look beyond the obvious. (Japanese Yugi says "This..." Jounouchi says, there's nothing here, and Anzu wonders if the other Yugi's name is really here. Yugi says, it must be here.)
Tristan says he's found a clue—they're standing on it. A design is painted on the floor: a row of drawings, with an inscription in the center and a large eye on either end. Téa says Tristan's right, but Joey says it's written in chicken scratch Tristan tells them it says that he who solves the Millennium Puzzle must return the wish he was granted. Only then is he able to pass. Joey wants to know, since when can Tristan read hieroglyphics? Tristan rudely tells Joey there's a lot he doesn't know about him, then he kneels down in front of Yugi, and says that if he expects to save the Pharaoh, he'd better give back whatever it is the Puzzle gave him.
Yugi says it doesn't make any sense. The wish that was granted to him by the Puzzle can never be given back! It's impossible!
Meanwhile, Seto finds himself whirling through a vortex, as a voice says that the age of darkness is upon them, and their kingdom needs a new leader—Seto! (The Japanese voice of Aknadin tells Seto to accept his destiny. He says that Seto's and the Pharaoh's fates are like light and darkness. With the awakening of darkness, the world will enter a new age. Seto will become the new Pharaoh and rule the land.) Seto wakes up to find himself lying on the ground in a strange place. He sits up, asking where he is, and sees the Shadow Magus standing nearby. The Magus says Seto is with him, where he belongs. He tells Seto to rise, and says that the new Pharaoh deserves the power of a new Egyptian god.
Seto stands up, and finds that they're on the rooftop of a building in the middle of the desert. The Shadow Magus says that a messenger comes bearing a gift. Only after Seto has accepted her offering can he serve as the new King of Egypt.
Across the sands, Kisara is running towards them. Seto recognizes her and calls out her name. The Shadow Magus says she holds the key to the throne, and Seto must take it from her.
As Kisara runs to Seto, present-day Kaiba follows, watching her.
The Pharaoh rides through the desert on his horse.
Kisara reaches the building as Seto comes down the steps to greet her. She runs up to him, saying she knew she'd find him. He tells her it isn't safe for her to be there. Kisara says he saved her life the night her village was destroyed, and now it's her turn to save him. Meanwhile, present-day Kaiba approaches, hiding behind a column to observe.
Standing above them on the roof, the Shadow Magus laughs and tells Seto not to be fooled by her innocence. She wields a mighty creature, the Shadow Magus says, and commands Seto to take it. Kisara tells Seto not to listen to him. (Japanese Zork Necrophades says that the White Dragon lives in Kisara. She has brought Seto the proof that he is destined to be king. Kisara tells Seto that that man is full of evil, and tells Seto not to listen to him. This long shot of Seto and Kisara from behind Zork Necrophades is cut from the US version.)
The ground beneath them begins to shake, and the columns crumble. The Shadow Magus says that Zorc's resurrection has begun. He tells Seto he must act swiftly and use his Millennium Rod to seize the White Dragon. (Japanese Zork Necrophades says that Zork is beginning to awaken. He tells Seto to kill that woman, in worship of his god. Then his son will become king with the White Dragon.)
Seto says he's not the Shadow Magus' son. His father left him when he pledged his loyalty to the Shadows. (Japanese Seto says that even if Aknadin is his father, he won't sell his soul to the darkness.) He starts to leave with Kisara, but the Shadow Magus isn't about to let them get away. He raises his hand and barriers of stone rise up from the sand before Seto and Kisara. Seto activates his Diadiankh and calls forth Duos to slash at the stones with his sword, knocking them away. Seto and Kisara start running again, but the Shadow Magus leaps from the roof to land in front of them. He says Seto is no match for him. Seto asks if that's so, as Duos takes his place before him.
The Shadow Magus summons a huge purple monster, its body rippling as if made of flames. (It looks like the flame beast virtual Gozaburo turned into in Episode 121.) The Flame Beast takes Duos in its hands and crushes him. Seto hunches over in pain, and the Shadow Magus says that if Seto won't take her power, he will. (Japanese Zork Necrophades says that it's all Kisara's fault. She lied to his son.)
An image of the Millennium Eye forms in the Flame Beast's face, as the Shadow Magus orders Kisara to surrender her power to his son. (Japanese Zork Necrophades says he won't let her have his son.) Kisara closes her eyes and the White Dragon appears. Behind the column, Kaiba exclaims, his Blue-Eyes White Dragon! Riding closer, the Pharaoh hears the dragon's roar, and calls out to Seto that he's coming!
The White Dragon attacks, but the Flame Beast evades the attack, dissolving and re-forming in the sky to attack Kisara, who is thrown to the ground at Seto's feet. The Flame Beast reappears behind the Shadow Magus as the White Dragon prepares another blast, but the Shadow Magus says, not so fast! and creates a Spellbinding Circle to trap the dragon. (As usual, Spellbinding Circle's six-pointed star is given extra star points in the US version.)
A sealing stone rises from the sands, and the White Dragon is drawn into it. Kisara stands up, ready to continue the fight, but Seto tells her she mustn't do this—she no longer has the strength to fight. But Kisara insists she knows what she's doing. No matter what it takes, she won't allow the Magus to hurt Seto. (Japanese Seto tells Kisara to stop, or her soul will be torn out. She says it doesn't matter, she'll protect Seto. Cut from the US version is this shot of Seto reacting in surprise at Kisara's determination to protect him at all costs, and the long shot of Zork Necrophades as he repeats his demand that Seto kill that woman and take her power.)
The Shadow Magus protests, hasn't she been listening? He plans to transform Seto into the most powerful king that ever lived! (Japanese Zork Necrophades tells Seto to use the White Dragon's power to become Zork's Dark King.)
But at what cost, Seto asks. So he can become like the Magus—a puppet of Zorc? He says Kisara has made him realize something—he'd rather be a peasant in a world shining with hope, than a king in a world contaminated by darkness. (Japanese Seto asks Aknadin, what's the point of a world of darkness ruled by Zork? Since he met Kisara, he realizes how dry and dark this world is. The way to light up the darkness is the light of love.) Furious, the Shadow Magus asks if Seto's choosing this riffraff over his own flesh and blood. Pulling off his mask to reveal the shriveled face beneath, the Shadow Magus says he brought Seto into this world, and he has the power to remove him. (Japanese Aknadin calls Seto a fool, and says if left up to him, the failure of their blood will be renewed.)
Seto insists that the part of the Magus that was once his father is long gone, and now he sees what's left in his place—a weak old man with a heart full of darkness. (Japanese Seto says that he and Kisara are not Aknadin's tools of vengeance. The father he's proud of died bravely on the battlefield.) The Shadow Magus raises his hand, and the Flame Beast shoots a blast at Seto from its eye. Kisara leaps in front of Seto and takes the blast herself. (The shot of the blast striking Kisara is obscured by a bit of shiny green stuff in the US version.)
Kisara falls into Seto's arms. The White Dragon sinks completely into the stone, and appears as a carving. Seto pleads with Kisara to wake up, and says he's sorry. She opens her eyes and touches his face, telling him it's not his fault. (These shots of Kisara's hand falling away from Seto's face as she collapses, and the close-up of Kisara, are cut from the US version.)
The Flame Beast dissolves away, and the Shadow Magus approaches Seto and Kisara, laughing. He says he knew if he took aim at Seto, that fool would try to protect him. It was for Seto's own good—now they can use her power to rule the new world as father and son.
Laying Kisara on the ground, Seto gets up and walks over to the Shadow Magus. Thinking that Seto has come to join him, the Shadow Magus exults, but Seto insists he'll never join the Magus. (Japanese Seto says that his father died when he was little. Cut from the US version is this sequence showing Seto pulling his sword and stabbing Aknadin.)
(As he dies, Aknadin asks Seto, is this his answer? and embraces his son. He says Seto's flesh and blood came from him. Let him give Seto his soul and power in the end. He tells Seto that he loves him from the bottom of his heart.)
(Aknadin says, let his love boil Seto's blood, and ignite a hatred for the Pharaoh. Let Seto unite with his soul and become the king of darkness.)
The Shadow Magus, however, laughs, then his body dissolves and flows into Seto's. (Japanese Aknadin is not laughing, but screaming Seto's name. The sword flying from Seto's hand as Aknadin's spirit flows into him is removed from the US version.)
The Pharaoh rides his horse up the steps to the courtyard where Seto stands. Behind the column, Kaiba watches, saying that it's Yugi.
The Pharaoh stops his horse and goes to Seto, who's kneeling in front of Kisara, and asks if he's all right. Seto says he's been waiting for the Pharaoh—Zorc's arrival is upon them, and he deserves to be greeted by a king worthy of his greatness. Startled, the Pharaoh asks Seto what he's talking about. He's even more startled when Seto stands up, and he sees Kisara lying on the ground. He asks what happened to her, then notices the White Dragon sealed in the stone. He says he knows who did this, and demands to know where Aknadin is. Seto says, Right here.
Within Seto's mind, Aknadin stands over his son's unconscious form. He tells the Pharaoh that he's infiltrated Seto's mind. His son was having trouble accepting his destiny, so he decided to help him. The time has arrived, Aknadin says, and the power of the White Dragon is his. Aknadin orders Seto to destroy the Pharaoh and take his place. Grinning wildly, Seto says, let's duel!
The Pharaoh tells Seto not to do this—his mind has been clouded by darkness. Seto says that for the first time, everything is clear, and calls forth the White Dragon. Lightning flashes and the stone glows, and the White Dragon appears in the sky above Seto. With no choice but to fight, the Pharaoh summons Mahad, the Dark Magician. Seto tells them to prepare to feel the power of two generations in one attack! Mahad says he's right—their magic is twice as strong now. The White Dragon attacks with White Lightning, and Dark Magician responds with Dark Magic Attack. The attacks meet, but Dark Magician is overwhelmed by the White Dragon's power, and he wishes the Pharaoh good luck as he's destroyed. (Japanese Black Magician calls out, "Pharaoh!")
The Pharaoh falls to his knees in pain from losing Mahad. Seto tells him his reign ends now. The Pharaoh has disgraced the throne of Egypt, just like his father, but Aknadin is about to take what was meant to be his! (Japanese Seto tells the Pharaoh he looks good stripped of his power. Inside his mind, Aknadin tells Seto to wake up.) The Pharaoh stands up, telling Seto to listen to him and break free of his father's control, or Egypt is doomed. He reminds Seto of his vow to protect their land. (Japanese Pharaoh asks Seto if he's forgotten the hope inside his heart, and his mission to protect their land. Does he want to live as king imprisoned in a jail of the heart? Cut from the US version is this close-up of the Pharaoh as he tries to reason with Seto.)
Seto says he is protecting their land—from the Pharaoh! He orders the Blue-Eyes to attack. (Japanese Seto says whatever the Pharaoh says is useless, and orders the White Dragon to attack.)
Barely conscious inside his own mind, Seto begs the dragon to stop. (Japanese Seto murmurs, "Kisara.") The Pharaoh looks up, surprised that the dragon is not attacking. Aknadin repeats his order to attack. The White Dragon struggles, then dissolves away. The Pharaoh thanks Kisara, while Aknadin rages. (Japanese Pharaoh says that the Blue-Eyes is leaving. As a side note, in the Japanese, the Pharaoh and present-day Kaiba are the only ones who call the dragon "Blue-Eyes." Its ancient Egyptian name is simply "White Dragon." Also, the characters always say "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" in English, but White Dragon is said in Japanese as "Shiroki Ryuu.")
The White Dragon reappears inside Seto's mind, facing Aknadin, who doesn't understand how this can be happening! (Japanese Aknadin wonders, what is this light?) Calling out for Seto, Aknadin is destroyed. (In the Japanese, Aknadin is shown crumbling like a stone. In the US version, this is changed to show him dissolving in bubbles of light.)
The White Dragon comes to rest over the unconscious Seto. Kisara appears over the White Dragon's, and she tells Seto he's free. Aknadin will never harm him again. Her power rests with him now. (Japanese Kisara tells Seto that his heart will not be imprisoned in darkness.) The dragon dissolves again, its light settling over Seto. Seto's eyes open, and he whispers Kisara's name.
Once again in control, Seto takes Kisara's body in his arms, and stands with her before the stone tablet. Her spirit now lives within the White Dragon. (A glow is added around Kisara's body in the US version, and the shot of Seto's tears falling onto her face is cut.)
As he kneels before the stone, Kaiba comes up to the Pharaoh. Surprised to see Kaiba there, the Pharaoh asks what he's doing in this world. Kaiba says he's been asking himself that same question—he certainly didn't choose to come here. He asks why everyone's running around in these ridiculous costumes, and speaking like they're in some bad Shakespearean play. Indicating Seto, he adds, is he supposed to believe that that's some ancient version of himself? (Japanese Kaiba says that he saw the "bonkotsu" lying in front of the stone, and then Bakura's supernatural powers transferred him to the world of the vision he saw on top of the Duel Tower. He thought this supernatural theory was nonsense, but here he is in the world of three thousand years ago. But things are a little different than he saw in his vision.)
His name is Seto, the Pharaoh says, and five thousand years ago he fought bravely at the Pharaoh's side to save Egypt. The Pharaoh also learned that their fathers were brothers. Kaiba asks if he's saying they're cousins. The Pharaoh says that all he knows is that they've gone back in time, and the same evil force that once tried to destroy mankind has come back. He suggests that Kaiba go home—it isn't safe for him to be here. Kaiba gets all huffy and says that, Pharaoh or no Pharaoh, no one tells Seto Kaiba what to do! (Japanese Pharaoh says that this world is a Dark Game formed from his memories of three thousand years ago. There might be some changes from the real world of the past. Kaiba asks, Dark Game? The Pharaoh tells him to believe it or not, but in this world, the Dark Lord Zork is about to be revived, and Kaiba had better get out of this world. Kaiba says that whatever Yugi is in this world, he doesn't listen to anyone. Kaiba says, let's see how powerful this Dark Lord is.)
Back to the RPG table. (Cut from the US version are these shots of Bakura and Yami, as Bakura says it's unbelievable that the Great Priest of Darkness should lose. Yami says, so Bakura's plan to use Seto has failed.)
Bakura tells Yami he's made quite the comeback. But there's nothing he or the Kaiba twins can do to stop Bakura now. The sands of the hourglass have almost emptied, and in a matter of moments, the Dark One will return! (Japanese Bakura tells Yami not to be so happy. The hourglass is still running the countdown to death. Yami is meant to lose.)
Yami thinks that Bakura's right. Their only hope is to unlock his hidden power by uncovering the greatest secret of his past—his true name. (Japanese Yami thinks, Dark Lord Zork—when the hourglass runs out of sand, the real terror will fall upon the world. No one knows how terrible its power will be. But even if it's loosed upon the world, there might be a way to defeat it. And that is... He looks down at the blank cartouche he's wearing.) Bakura says if Yami's thinking of a last-minute plan to win the game, he's wasting his time. (Japanese Bakura says he sees that Yami's figured out the secret of Zork's seal.) Yami says that every challenge in a game has a solution—and Bakura's playing with the King of Games! He reviews the clues: five thousand years ago, he locked Zorc's spirit away, along with his own, using his name as the key. Then, as a safety measure, he erased his own mind.
Bakura agrees, and says that unless Yami miraculously regains his memory in the next few moments, he'll lose the Shadow Game. There is another way to unlock the mystery, but Bakura's taken measures to make sure it never happens. It involves Yami's meddlesome friends—they've stumbled on his old tomb, within which is inscribed the Pharaoh's name. (Japanese Bakura says, it's too bad—Yami doesn't have any idea where his name is. But there is one tiny hope—Yami's four friends have entered his tomb to find his real name. In this world, only those to whom Yami has opened his heart can enter his tomb.) Yami asks why Bakura's telling him this, and Bakura says if he gives Yami a glimmer of hope, he'll be that much more devastated when it comes crumbling down. The moment they discover the Pharaoh's true name, they'll be stopped by Bakura's newest pawn—who was a faithful friend of Yami's until he lost his mind.
Tristan, still kneeling before Yugi, urges Yugi to tell them what it was that he first wished for the day he solved the Millennium Puzzle. With tears in his eyes, Yugi admits that he wished for true friends—and his wish was granted. Remembering good times with each of his friends, he tells them that they were his wish. Surprised, Joey asks if Yugi means that, and Téa says he never told them that. How precious, Tristan says, briefly pulling Yugi towards him as if to hug him, then suddenly pushing him away. Yugi flies back to land on the eye design, as Téa and Joey angrily ask Tristan what the deal is. Grinning maliciously, Tristan shoves the two of them down onto the other eye, then walks over to join them. The floor trembles and cracks, falling away to leave only the part outlined by the design balanced precariously on a slender needle of stone, with Yugi on one end and his three friends on the other. (Purple Shadow stuff is added to the pit below the balance in the US version.)
As the balance slowly spins, another door opens on the far side of the chamber.
Tristan tells Yugi to go through that door and he'll find what he's looking for. But Joey says that to go in there, Yugi has to give up his wish—so when Yugi leaves the balance beam, they're out of his life for good. Joey tells Yugi to do what he's got to do, but Yugi says he can't do that. If he leaves, they'll fall into the pit of Shadows. (As usual, there's no "Pit of Shadows" in the Japanese—just a long fall to the ground far below.) Tristan tells Yugi he's pathetic—he finally has the chance to find the Pharaoh's name, and he's worried about these fools. (Japanese Honda says it figures—Yugi is too gentle to sacrifice his friends.) Joey tells Tristan to back off, and Tristan obliges—by leaping from the balance to the doorway. His exit causes the balance to tip, and the others teeter as balance shifts. Joey calls out to Yugi that this thing's going down—run for it! He and Téa jump from the rising end of the balance, just catching onto the ledge in front of the doorway. Yugi runs up the balance and leaps, landing on Joey's back as the balance falls into the Shadows.
Joey looks over his shoulder at Yugi holding tight to his waist, and says it's true what they say—you've got to hang onto your friends. Téa climbs up onto the ledge and helps Yugi climb over Joey's back. Then the two pull Joey up onto the ledge. The three of them run into the new chamber, where a golden panel carved with hieroglyphics stands. That must be the Pharaoh's name, Yugi says. Téa asks, but what's it say? Joey knows—it says, "Bird, rock, lamb chop, bird, and a bigger bird." But what's that mean? Téa suggests they just memorize the symbols, then says they have to find Tristan and get out of there. (Japanese Jounouchi says he's memorized it. But where's Honda? Anzu tells them to look over here. She's found an exit.)
They follow a stairway down into a large cavern with a stone bridge crossing it. Tristan walks towards them from the other side, saying he thought they were down for the count. But apparently, they don't know when to quit. (Japanese Honda says he thought they were dead.) Joey's had enough, and tells Tristan to consider this friendship over. But Yugi says he doesn't think that's Tristan.
Tristan says he's right, and turns back into Bakura. (A glow is added to the shot of Tristan turning into Bakura in the US version.)
Now the real fun can start, Bakura says.
Back at the RPG table, Bakura says that, unfortunately, they're unable to see what goes on in the Pharaoh's tomb. But he guesses that Yami's friends were sent plummeting into the Shadows by his other half. (Japanese Bakura says, even he can't see what's happening in the pyramid, but this part of him can easily kill Yugi without the Pharaoh inside him.) They might have located Yami's name first, but that information will never make it to him. Not only that, but time is up. The remaining sands fall through the hourglass, and Bakura laughs as Yami shouts, No!
The skies turn dark over the Pharaoh and Kaiba, and the chamber where Bakura faces Yugi and the others quakes. Bakura tells them that the Dark One is about to make his grand entrance. Yugi says they have to stop him, but Bakura tells him it's impossible—there's only one way to do that, and there's no way they're leaving there with the Pharaoh's name.
A Duel Disk forms on Bakura's arm, and he tells Yugi to prepare himself for his final duel!
