Pharaoh Atem or Yami Yugi
Atem is an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh who sealed his soul within the Millennium Puzzle. His soul took on the entity Yami Yugi, which resided in the body of Yugi Muto, after Yugi solved the Millennium Puzzle.
As son of king Aknamkanon, Atem became heir to the throne and the Millennium Puzzle. During his childhood he befriended Mana and was protected by Mahad.
Atem defeated Zorc Necrophades by using a spell which included his name, he then sealed Zorc in the Millennium Ring. He then sealed himself within the Millennium Puzzle, erasing his mind in the process to keep the spell from ever being used to resurrect Zorc. The Millennium Puzzle was shattered and sealed within his tomb.
3,000 years later, the Millennium Puzzle was found by Solomon Muto. According to Solomon his companion tried to kill him to take the Pharaoh's treasure for himself, but Solomon had been saved by the apparent spirit of Atem.[1]
Solomon's grandson Yugi Muto solved the Millennium Puzzle, causing Atem, now a disembodied, amnesiac spirit, to reside in Yugi's body.[2] He aided Yugi many times over the course of his adventures, in a form known as "Yami Yugi". Yugi attempts to return the favor by finding the secret of Atem's past.
After Yami Yugi completed all his tasks, he presented the Egyptian God Cards to the ancient tablet at the museum.[3] After doing so Yami Yugi was brought to a table, where he played a Shadow RPG with Yami Bakura.[4] Pharaoh Atem was one of Yami Yugi's characters and had all of Yami's memories.
Atem wakes up on the balcony of the Palace, where Shimon Muran Tells him the people are eager to meet their New Pharaoh. Although still stripped of his memories prior to sealing himself in the Millennium Puzzle. Atem Greets His subjects.[5] Shimon Muran takes Atem to the Throne room, and invites him to sit down on this throne, mentioning "The Big gold chair right in front of you". Atem sits and upon seeing Shimon's face, (he was wearing a vail/mask prior to Atem sitting down), mistakenly calls him Grandpa because of his resemblance to Yugi's Grandfather. Atem learns that there are six chosen priests in this world, who guard the Millennium Items.[5]
He is quick to learn the Ancient Egyptian style of dueling. He witnesses the priests extract the ba from a criminal and seal it in a tablet.[5] Thief King Bakura then arrives, after plundering the tomb of Atem's father, Pharaoh Aknamkanon and dragging the treasures and his corpse as far as the palace. Seto and Bakura Summon Monster Kas, which battle. Bakura's Diabound defeats Seto's dragon. He mocks Atem by trampling on his father's corpse. As the priests Summon more monsters to fight Diabound, Atem walks over and takes his father's body from Bakura. The priests desperately use their monsters to protect Atem as he does so. Atem steps in to avenge his father and summons Obelisk the Tormentor. Obelisk battles Diabound. Bakura realizes he can't win, so he and Diabound flee.
Atem spots Bakura leaving the palace, after he had snuck in to possess Aknadin with Zorc. Atem chases after Bakura on horseback and battles Diabound, now powered by the Millennium Ring.[6] Atem summons Slifer the Sky Dragon[6], but Bakura is able to take advantage of Slifer protecting the civilians.[7] Diabound manages to defeat Slifer and Atem runs out of ba.[8] Atem's friends from the modern world, Yugi, Téa, Joey and Tristan come to his assistance. Yugi combines ba with Atem and together they summon the third Egyptian God, The Winged Dragon of Ra.[8] Ra transforms into God Phoenix and manages to defeat Diabound[9], but Zorc, in control of Aknadin, reverses time bringing back Diabound and pulling Atem's friends away from him. Without Yugi's ba, Ra leaves. Diabound shatters the ground below Atem, leaving him hang off an edge. Here Bakura takes the Millennium Puzzle and leaves him fall.
Atem is left injured in an underground cavarn, believed to be dead for a while. He is guided out by Hassan and spotted by Isis' ka Spiria.
Atem orders the Priests and soldiers to go with him to Kul Elna to face Bakura, rather than let him prepare another attack in their city, with innocent lives at stake.
At Kul Elna, Bakura tells Atem how the Millennium Items were created, by sacrificing the lives of the villagers of Kul Elna. He tried attacking Atem with the ghosts of the villagers seeking revenge, but Mahad now fused with his Illusion Magician ka, returned from the dead as Dark Magician. The Dark Magician fends off the ghosts and fights Diabound. He assures Atem that his father had not known about how the Items were created. With the help of the priests and Mana, Atem and Mahad defeat Diabound,[10] but relinquish the Millennium Key[11] and Scales in the process[12]. Yami Bakura then freezes time in the RPG, allowing Aknadin corrupted by Zorc to gather the remaining Items off the other priests.[10]
Using the Items Aknadin performed the ritual to Summon Zorc Necrophades, while Atem watched helplessly[4]. Zorc attacked Atem and his companions, while they were still frozen, but Hassan arrived just in time to defend them from the attack.[13]
After Yugi defeats a manifestation of Bakura, Yami learns his own name (from the help of Joey, Tea and Yugi going in search for him), enabling Atem, in the game, to summon The Creator God of Light, Horakhty, to defeat Zorc before Bakura can summon him to the present
