Bandit King Bakura Bandit King Bakura , known as Bakura , King of Thieves ( バクラ " Tōzokuō Bakura " ) in the Japanese version , and usually referred to as Bakura , is a character and one of the main antagonists of the Pharaoh ' s Memories arc of the anime and manga . He is the original identity of the being known as Yami Bakura . Design . Bandit King Bakura has a similar design to Bakura Ryou , being his Ancient Egyptian counterpart . Thief King Bakura has shorter , gray hair , in contrast to Ryou ' s long white hair , dark skin , purple - grey eyes , and a 4 - stitched scar under his right eye . He also wears an opened red flowing robe , exposing his muscular chest , a kilt , and slippers . He is sometimes seen wearing the Millennium Ring or holding the Millennium Pendant . Biography . History . Bakura was a villager in Kul Elna , and was its only survivor when Akhenaden and three other magicians massacred the village , sacrificing 99 humans to create the Millennium Items . At the time , he was only a child and watched in horror as his family and friends were killed and their bodily components used to create the seven Millennium Items . However , Bakura soon acquired a powerful Ka , " Diabound " , created from both his own hate and the vengeful spirits of Kul Elna . He soon developed a violent hatred felt grudge for Pharaoh Aknamkanon for ordering the massacre , and the royal family as well . Bakura soon waged war on Pharaoh Atem ' s forces . The full details of this conflict aren ' t known , but Bakura ' s Diabound engaged Atem ' s " Obelisk the Tormentor " , and later Bakura ' s Diabound battled Atem ' s " Slifer the Sky Dragon " . During this conflict , Bakura somehow sealed his own soul within the Millennium Ring , alongside a portion of Zorc Necrophades ' soul , eventually merging to make a composite entity . Memory World . During Pharaoh Atem ' s celebration , Bakura is taken to be punished for grave robbing , however , his modern form takes over his body . After he collected various treasures from the late Pharaoh Aknamkanon ' s royal tomb , he and his minions assaulted Pharaoh Atem ' s Palace . Arriving in the central hall , he deposits his stolen treasures and demands that the seven Millennium Items be returned to him . The Pharaoh ' s six guardians adamantly refuse and challenges his " Diabound " . Seto ' s " Galestgoras " is destroyed when Bakura calls forth " Winged Sage Falcos " , a " Ka " of the late Pharaoh . Bakura reveals that he took the DiaDhank from Ahknamkamon ' s tomb as well as the capacity to use the former Pharaoh ' s favorite creatures . The rest of the guardians are inflamed and summon various creature to battle Diabound . Mahad ' s " Illusion Magician " easily destroys the Winged Sage Falcos , but Bakura ' s assault crushes Aknadin ' s , Karim ' s and Shada ' s various creatures . Seto then has Karim fuse Seto ' s " Battle Ox " and " Mystic Horseman " to form " Rabid Horseman " which Bakura ' s Diabound disables with its serpent ' s tail but Mahad ' s Illusion Magician then seals Diabound . However , Diabound breaks free with its attack and crushes Seto ' s and Mahad ' s creatures . In an attempt to finish off the guardians , Bakura instructs Diabound to finish them but the attack is stopped by Isis ' s " Spiria " which is destroyed . Atem then steps forward and summons " Obelisk the Tormentor " . Obelisk attacks but Bakura tells Diabound to attack using the power of the " Blue - Eyes White Dragon " from Yami Bakura ' s Duel with Seto Kaiba . Obelisk is stopped by the assault although Diabound is banished from the battle . Bakura retreats and later attempts to raid another tomb , only to find Mahad waiting in ambush . The battle between Bakura and Mahad is fierce , as Mahad is able to access the Millennium Ring ' s power that had sealed there , becoming much more powerful in the process . Therefore , Illusion Magician is able to fight against Diabound with some success , especially after " Shadow Ghoul " joins the fray on Mahad ' s side with attacks from the shadows . However , Bakura ' s Diabound is able to evade and destroy Shadow Ghoul , severely weakening Mahad . Bakura ' s Diabound then deals a serious blow to Illusion Magician , sending Mahad nearly to his own death . Bakura is then struck with one of the traps in the tomb but frees himself with one of the hanging blades . He then instructs Diabound to attack from the shadows , due to gaining the ability of the destroyed Shadow Ghoul . Illusion Magician is nearly destroyed , and in desperation , Mahad ' s remaining power fuses with the Illusion Magician to form the " Dark Magician " . Mahad blasts Bakura and Diabound out of the tomb with a massive assault , and Bakura is believed to have died in the rockslide that followed . However , Bakura survived the assault and raids the city once more . Furthermore , he has acquired the Millennium Ring and uses its power to evade the guards and enter Aknadin ' s monster shrine . There , he speaks to Aknadin about the assault on Kul Elna and awakens the darkness that was placed when Aknadin created the Millennium Items . Bakura then instructs Diabound to cause utter devastation and flees , with Atem in pursuit and summons " Slifer the Sky Dragon " . Slifer engages Bakura ' s Diabound . Due to the fact Diabound defeated Mahad ' s Shadow Ghoul , Diabound is able to disappear into darkness , and Bakura utilizes this to hide Diabound from Slifer ' s power . Although Diabound is hit by Slifer after it reveals itself to attack , it disappears again and begins to lay waste to the city . Atem instructs Slifer to protect the citizens , although Atem and Slifer are badly injured when Diabound assaults again . Atem attempts to end the battle by having Slifer attacking Bakura directly but Diabound is revealed to be right behind Atem . Atem is saved by the swift arrival of Seto ' s " Duos " , and the guardians help fight Diabound out of the city . As Bakura ' s Diabound reveals itself , Atem tells Slifer to quickly attack , something that likely could have destroyed or severely crippled Diabound . But when Aknadin ( fully engulfed in the dark side ) cripples Slifer , Diabound then was able to destroy Slifer and Atem appeared to have been rendered powerless . Much to Bakura ' surprise , however , the arrival of the Pharaoh ' s modern - day friends rejuvenates Atem and calls upon " The Winged Dragon of Ra " , mightiest of the three Egyptian Gods . Ra ' s inherent nature of being the sun god results in the battlefield being engulfed in light , revealing Diabound . Bakura , still confident , reveals that Diabound now has the power of an Egyptian God due to Slifer ' s destruction . It then assaults Ra , but is repelled by Seto ' s Duos . Ra then transforms into Egyptian God Phoenix mode and incinerates Bakura ' s Diabound , killing him . However , Yami Bakura on the Dark RPG table activates a Master Item to reverse time to the moment where Diabound was about to attack Slifer . Slifer is destroyed again , Atem is crippled , and Bakura is alive once more . Atem then falls into an abyss , barely holding on , and Bakura takes Atem ' s Millennium Pendant before sending Atem to his apparent doom . Bakura also has Tristan Taylor possessed by his modern form ' s splintered fragment . Bakura returns to Kul Elna and inserts the Millennium Ring and the Millennium Pendant into the Millennium Stone ( in the dub , he converses with Zorc Necrophades to find the eighth key ( the Pharaoh ' s true name ) . Bakura then awaits the arrival of Atem and the guardians in Kul Elna and calls upon Diabound to fight Atem . Mahado ( as the " Dark Magician " ) arrives to aid Atem and Mana comes with the " Dark Magician Girl " to help as well . Although the spellcasters ' attacks are powerful , Diabound is protected by a shield created by the spirits of the Kul Elna incident . Seto , Karim and Isis arrive , and Seto and Karim combine Duos and " Curse of Dragon " to create " Duos Dragon " with Dark Magician at the helm that is able to combat Diabound until Bakura uses a small monster to attack Karim himself , bringing Karim close to death and destroying Curse of Dragon and separating the fusion . As Bakura tells the spirits to slay Atem , Ahknamkamon ' s spirit appears and repels the spirits . This also empowers the Dark Magician literally ripping apart Diabound . With Diabound defeated , Bakura is on the verge of death and desperately attempts to put the Millennium Items back into the Millennium Tablet . But due to the fact that some of the Millennium Items are still with their respective guardians , this was fruitless for Bakura until Aknadin arrives and paralyzes Atem ' s entire group . At this point , his modern form abandons his ancient counterpart ' s body ; the real Bakura has outlived his usefulness and is reduced to sand . After Aknadin transforms into the High Priest of Darkness , the power of Zorc revives Thief King Bakura . Bakura summons Diabound , revealing that the power of Zorc is so great that even Diabound can still be summoned despite its tablet destroyed . Bakura then proceeds to toy with Atem ' s group , putting them in different parts of Kul Elna . He then appears in the middle of the village and sacrifices himself to grant Zorc Necrophades a physical body on Earth .