Jack Atlas (Yu-Gi-Oh!)

Jack Atlas
Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's character
File:Yu-Gi-Oh5DsEpisode14 PIC185.jpg
First appearance	Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's episode 1
Created by	Kazuki Takahashi
In-universe information
Alias	Former King Master of Faster (dub only)
Relatives	None

Jack Atlas (ジャック・アトラス, Jakku Atorasu) is one of the main characters of the anime series Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, and the rival of the main protagonist Yusei Fudo.

Character Biography

Jack Atlas appears as the Riding Duel Champion and Yusei's former best friend in Satellite. He first appeared in the first episode dueling Hunter Pace in a Riding Duel and wins. He appears to be overconfident in his duels and mostly declares himself as the only 'King of Duelists'.

Prior to the series start, Jack lived in the Sattelite, often wanting more, but still protecting people in need. He was a member of Team Satisfaction with Yusei, Crow and Kiryu Kyosuke, but leaves alongside Crow when Kiryu becomes more sadistic. One day, Lazar approaches him with the offer of fame and luxury in Neo Domino City, provided that he brings the 'Stardust Dragon' card owned by Yusei. He accepts the offer by knocking out Rally, sending him out to sea and giving Yusei the choice of either saving him, or defending his card. In the end, Yusei goes to rescue Rally and Jack leaves with his Duel Runner and Stardust Dragon.

Two years later, when Yusei challenges Jack to a Riding Duel for his 'Stardust Dragon' card, Jack accepts and brings him to the 'Duel Stadium', with Rex Goodwin, Lazar, and Mina watching them in the monitor room. After the Crimson Dragon appeared in the middle of the duel, both Jack and Yusei fell off from their D-Wheel and were surprised as they revealed to each other their dragon mark. After the incident from the 'Duel Stadium', he found out that Goodwin had been watching his duel with Yusei, and after Jack saw the last card he played ("Meteor Stream"), Jack believed that he had lost to Yusei.

Prior to the Fortune Cup, he returns the Stardust Dragon to Yusei. He faced him at the end of the tournament and lost the duel. When asking Yusei how he could lose to him twice, Yusei replied to him that his pride of being King is what led him to his defeat. Jack ends up hospitalized due to his injuries suffered during the duel but leaves his bedroom before being completely healed and is forced to face a brainwashed Trudge who was turned into a Dark Signer. As his right arm was not still recovered, he asks for Carly's help to draw and hold his cards for him, and together they manage to defeat Trudge. He ends up counting with Carly's help once more to evade the crowd waiting for him at the hospital's door. He decides to stay with Carly, despite Mina asking him to come home. Then after spending some time in the city with Carly, contemplating his actions up until now, he decides to throw away his title as King and find his own path. When Yusei is caught up in a duel with Kyosuke Kiryu, Mina arrives and takes Jack and Carly to the scene. Afterwards, Jack returns to New Domino City, telling Carly not to get involved in the Signer battles.

When Dark Geoglyphs appear in the city, Jack rides towards the action in order to investigate. He arrives at the Arcadia Movement's tower where he sees Leo, Luna, Yanagi and Tanner, who had just escaped after witnessing the duel between Akiza and Misty. He goes inside and is able to help Akiza, but then notices Carly's broken glasses on the floor, realising she was there too. He calls for her, but is unable to find her. When the Signers are united, they go to Goodwin to ask about the Dark Signers. Since Goodwin is unsure of what happens to those sacrificed for Earthbound God summons, Jack is worried about Carly's whereabouts, which lead to his reason to fight the Dark Signers. He also learns that Dark Signers are those resurrected from death. He later learns that Carly had, in fact, become a Dark Signer and decides to duel her to find out how she became one and since she guards the Aslla Pichu Momentum Controller.

When he duels her, he is initially reluctant to put up a defense. However he starts to fight back in order to stop himself from losing. Whilst dueling, Carly shows her a vision that if he were to be defeated, he would be revived by her as a Dark Signer, and he would rule as the Dark King with her at his side. However, noticing Carly's glasses, Jack decides to fight in order to bring out the true Carly, using a trap that lets her decide the outcome. He manages to get through to her, but the Earthbound Immortal possesses her, forcing the duel to continue. Facing against her Assla Piscu, Jack's feelings for Carly allow him to gather the power of the birthmarks, letting him summon Saviour Demon Dragon. Carly's spirit asks Jack to end the duel for her. He tries to end the game in a tie, hoping to go with her, but the true Carly activates a trap that just causes her to lose. Jack holds onto Carly tight as she disappears into dust.

Jack Atlas's demeanor and grudge with Yusei is comparable to that of Seto Kaiba a cold, self-centered character who only seems to care about his own gain. His large white jacket is also similar to that of Kaiba's, whilst he wears a racing suit during Turbo Duels. However, after meeting Carly, he decides to take a new path different from the path of the King. In the dub version Jack has somewhat of a British or Australian accent. Also Jack fell in love with Carly Nagasia and confessed to her shortly before she died.

Rivalry

Jack was once one of Yusei's friends and lived in the Satellite Ghetto with them, although it is ambiguous if Jack really treated or thought of them as friends at all. He was also a part of Team Satisfaction with Yusei, Crow and Kiryu, before Kiryu murdered a Security officer and the group split up. After Yusei made his first Duel Runner, Jack took interest in it and claimed it for himself after he accepted a deal with Lazar and at the same time, taking the latter's "Stardust Dragon" with him. He then became the Riding Dueling Champion and moved into the compound of Rex Goodwin who tries to conceal Jack's origins from the public, even junking the stolen duel runner under unspecified circumstances and replacing it with a new one. As he was the King of Duelists for years, he is adored by the New Domino City public.

Dragon Mark

Like Yusei, Jack is one of the "Signers" with a Dragon's Birthmark in the shape of the Crimson Dragon's Wings on his right arm. When Yusei ventures off into New Domino City to take back his "Stardust Dragon" card, he and Jack have a rematch, but it is interrupted by the appearance of a mysterious red dragon. He later learns from Goodwin that he is a "Signer", a savior predicted to prevent the resurrection of a dark god by a pre-Incan civilization. Although conflicted about maintaining his title even though he technically lost to Yusei, Jack forces himself to obey Goodwin in hopes of truly validating his title by defeating Yusei in the Fortune Cup and gives Stardust Dragon back to Yusei. Like Luna, he can use his mark to form a barrier around civilians to prevent their souls from being sacrificed by an Earthbound Immortal summoning.

Deck and Duel Runner

Jack runs a Red Archfiend deck, which focuses on quickly Synchro summoning his ace monster "Red Dragon Archfiend" (called Red Demons Dragon in the Japanese version) and mainly devotes its resources to performing grandiose displays with the purpose of making duels more entertaining for the audience. He also plays monsters that focus on dealing Piercing Damage, or generally speaking, as seen in the namesake of his deck, punishing defensive play. Like Yusei, Jack has two decks; one for Turbo Duels, one for normal Duels.

In the Jump Festa special, he uses a card called "Assualt Mode Activate" to further power his Red Dragon Archfiend to Special Summon his "Red Dragon Archfiend/Assualt Mode."

When Jack and Yusei meet again after many years, Jack reveals the duel runner he stole was junked a long time ago. His replacement is called 'Wheel of Fortune' and has a gyroscopic appearance. After crashing it in the Fortune Cup following his duel with Yusei, it was rebuilt with additional specs in order to combat the Duel Runners of the Dark Signers. Like Yusei, his emotions allows him to harness the birthmark's power and gain an additional Tuner monster, letting him synchro summon Saviour Demon Dragon.