Dante Ryuzaki

>
> "*Abandon all hope ye Draguz who enter.*"
> — Dante Ryuzaki, Dragoma Exivus.
>

* Draguz Tamer
* Dragon Star Dancer
* Rising Inferno

**Dante Ryuzaki** *(ダンテ竜崎 Dante Ryūzaki)* lit. **Rising Inferno DANTE** is a hot headed and tactical member of Team Infernolab. His partner Draguz guardian is Inferno Dragonis Tesseract 2A.

## Profile

Born in Adachi, Zenin, Dante was a hot headed kid with pyromanic issues. He would always experiment with various objects on fire such as toy cars and plane building kits dented from the tiny spark of heat along with his older brother, Galen. His parents, Yuji and Kana, found this behavior atrocious and one day during the cold winter over Adachi, ordered their son to empty the fuel from an old lawnmower. Visibly annoyed, Ryuzaki obliged and emptied out the mower's tank, exhilarated in awe at the sight of the strange liquid snaking down the path. One snap of his finger and a flurry of red flames reflected from his brown eyes.

The 7 year old had the ability to harness Pyrokenisis, the power of fire.

Years pass by as Yuji travels with both Dante and Galen to several fan favourite theme parks, Nara Dreamland and Toshimaen to attend Kana's classical symphonies and Dante's Little League baseball games. Feeling extremely connected to the two parks, they go for a hike towards the Temple of the Rising Dragon, where Dragon Queen of the West Sea, Shinrya Koryu blesses him with a vivid power of controlling fire and Technokinesis, the power to control metal through machines. Puzzled by the sudden commotion, they return home to find out about Dante's creations out of LEGO prototypes of various robots. Utilizing them in a home made video for Vlare and Nico Nico, his method of using inspiration from the toys he played with during his childhood drove him forward to majoring his degree in mechanical engineering at UYSZ.

After the tragic death of his mother, Dante moved to Yakuwara alone, hoping to find comfort in continuing his journey in ME. That's when Zenin hosted minor robotic combat tournaments and special events, some of them led and judged by Dante himself. He even made one of his classmates happy, granting him with a childhood book from Elementary school. *ロングネックと絶望の地獄のレンガ Rongu nekku to zetsubō no jigoku no renga (Longneck & The Infernal Brick of Despair)* told a tale about a giraffe named Longneck who desperately longed for the special fruit suspended on a frail branch. The tree however was obstructed by the The Infernal Brick of Despair, where it concluded to heavy problem solving plots and a sublime lesson. "Always reach for the sky, no matter how tall you are."

During his last years of UYSZ, Dante continued to complete his PhD degree, meeting friends along the way. One in particular caught his eye while he was shopping for mechanical parts at Mitsui Paradise Mall. The blonde introduced himself as Christian Wolfberg and the two instantly became friends. The leader of *Cool Wolf Robotics* introduces Dante to his helpers, Rei Shimoda and Renoa Mirahara. They instantly merge into one team known as *The Infernolab*. Robotic combat, mechanical design, and other projects drove their ambitions to helping out in the Blitz Academy where both of them received the same dream. A blue white tail bladed wolf trapped within a bubble, a jet black dragon king rising from the flames, ascending to the sky like a pillar of fire. The splintered dome shatters.

On the job training during Re:con, both Dante and Christian were classified as official Draguz shifters by Zane. The black dragon that Dante saw in his dream was meant to be Inferno Dragonis Tesseract 2A as his partner Draguz guardian.

Inspired by the Draguz, Ryuzaki gathers metal from all sources he could find: various local machine shops, surplus stores, around his 2 bedroom apartment, and even the titanium recycling dumpster at UYSZ. Dante expertly crafts Fafnir, a life size mechanical dragon out of Grade 5 Titanium, with additional carbon fiber plates. All of his classmates in the ME department, his family, and other friends marvel in awe at how large the dragon was, his professor puzzled at how it was easily going to transport students around Zenin. Dante briefly explains that dragons of steel are like planes and helicopters with the exception of safety. He even adds a warning label in Japanese that reads "Caution! Don't make me mad on a flaming spree!"

After receiving his PhD degree in mechanical engineering from UYSZ, he composes a classifieds list and moves back to Adachi, reacquainted with old friends and families. Dante resorts to many different machine shops, designing and evaluating technology with composite materials from different companies and events such as OCTA Regulus, Leostar Avionics, Cosmicgate, and REIA. He even gave out public and private lectures to well known schools and organizations as well as to the homeless in Shirakawa regarding his years of building robots. His skateboard / robotic combat team, *The Infernolab*, have completed in different tournaments and have won over 5 weight class trophies. As chairman and leader of ''The Infernolab Enterprises'' in Adachi, he uses his skill set in composite CADs for designing and evaluating quality furniture products. His relationship with Renoa Mirahara leads him to a married life.

### *The World Ends with You ~ Infernolab*

*Main article: The World Ends with You ~ Infernolab*

Dante makes a major appearance in the movie, finding his connection with both legendary weapons of Zenin while escaping from a tyrannical power led by his father. His sorrow and complexion is soon converted to bravery and inquisition throughout the movie, setting his fears aside from the Re:Genesis Organization. Albeit weak to Aziraku's powers channeled through Yuji, Dante struggles to find his center point of resolving "Dies Infernum", a spiritual war between Shinrya Koryu and Aziraku on the grounds of Zenin. With the help from his friends and Fafnir, Dante uncovers his potential to fuse both relics and successfully defeat the Re:Genesis Organization.

### *Rise Above the Storm ~ Infernolab*

Dante and the Infernolab return in the second movie where they race against Rin Kagamine in acquiring the Rings of Infernum. Informed by his father about the rings stolen from a museum vault in Miyazaki, he and his team venture across Zenin, keeping each ring in check. His emotional surprise occurs at the abandoned Toshimaen, where he encounters his long lost older brother, Galen. Careless for his younger brother's aid to save Kana from her tragic death, Dante berates Galen for his cowardness but then begins to forgive for his careless mistakes in the past. Teamed up with the Infernolab, Dante connects the rivalship between Longneck and Shozaku to the rings, having originated from all across ancient Zenin.

### *Hunter's Video Vlogs*

After attending Blitz Academy years later, Dante invites both Romain and Hunter to explore around Zenin. He introduces them to Fafnir, his hometown Adachi, and even UYSZ. Romain agapes at the mention of BattleBots, Dante following ex bot builder, Jason Bardis as his biggest role model and awe inspiring fan. Their vlogs spell different moments such as spicy ramen challenge, exploring haunted and abandoned locations, and even a night out at Yakuwara's Shojuka district. Weeks later, Dante is intrigued to visit Vaduz where Romain and Hunter welcome him with chill days, skateboarding with the Shredders, and exploring more abandoned locations.

### *Ignite the Fire ~ Dragoma Inferno*

Dante appears in the special anime short where he and his family take a roadtrip across the winter mountains in Hokkaido. An unexpected kidnapping attempt brings both of the young Ryuzaki royals to utilize their powers against a small tyrannical group.

### *The Somber Phoenix*

Ryuzaki appears in the short dramatic manga / play where he dramatically demands Kagamine a set of magic arrows snatched from Yakunagawa.

### *Academy Infernolab!*

Dante is assigned as head leader of the academy, training a new set of students into the fray against demons spawning from Zenin's opposite realms across the Infernoverse.

### *Attack on Zenin*

Dante appears in the Attack on Titan crossover manga where he leads both the Infernolab and the Royal Dragon Order to slay Ragnavatar Titans across Zenin.

### *Dragoma Inferno Playing Cards*

Dante is represented in the card game as the *King of Aces*.

### *Likes and Dislikes*

**Likes:** robotic combat, dragons, Zoids, LEGO, skateboarding, calligraphy, playing with fire, burning old stuff, visiting childhood theme parks, exploring abandoned places, swing dancing, disco dancing, watching his victories, reading novels, eating Zaru Soba noodles out of an ice cream bucket, sipping on Lemon Ramune soda, Kirin Ichiban beer, and Sake Inugami Sochu and Kizakura "Junmai Daiginjo Yamadanshiki" flavour.

**Dislikes:** Water (element), the Trinity / Saint Dragon lore (firmly believes that Shinrya Koryu created Exivus and everything in it was filled with her heavenly breath), losing in a Dragoma / robot combat battle and uncle Tohjo.

### Personality

Dante is known to be very scrupulous during his job at killer robots / Draguz shifting. Though he can be a goofball at all times, he's shown to forge a tactical method every time he's strung around trouble. His innovation with toys during his childhood (more or less with fire) drove him forward to use various composite materials in his machines. He is viewed by his pal Christian as "a lanky goofball with the brains of a mad pyromaniac."

### Resume

Dante's resume in detail can be viewed here along with his degree. It is highly inspired by Jason's resume.

## Appearance

* Normal Appearance
* Ardent Flame
* Dragon Star Dancer
* Dragon Prince Tyranny
* All Star Slugger
* Rising Inferno

Dante Ryuzaki is a 23 year old combat bot builder / Draguz shifter who always fares attention and fame. His jet black spikes gelled and slicked back in a similar manner to Retsu's hairstyle. Brown eyes, killer smile, gray finger free glove and a fiery passion is what drives him forward for metal mayhem. A maroon collared, jet black open polo with flames emblazoned on the lower section and sleeves is layered over his black Infernolab shirt. "J. Bardis" is written across the right side of his chest. Maroon TRIPP cargo jeans with lots of chains and zippers, along with flaming Onitsuka Dragon shoes completes his builder profile.

His Ardent Flame appearance consists of ???.

His *Dragon Star Dancer* appearance consists of a white disco jacket layered over a flaming orange and yellow tuxedo vest. The Disk O' Inferno's logo along with the Flaming Disco Ball logo is printed on the back of the jacket. Long and elongated disco pants followed by jet black disco shoes complete his swanky profile.

His *Dragon Prince Tyranny* outfit consists of a cyberpunk leather jacket with spikes dotted on each shoulder. Followed by leather pants and jet black boots bearing the same spikes, a computer keyboard suspended by a thin chain is sashed diagonally around his body. A set of shades complete his somber appearance.

His uniform is based off of his junior league baseball jersey where he played for the Jidosha Adachi Dragons team. He sports a black baseball jersey with orange stripes and yellow stripes rim around the sleeves. His pants are of the same color, ending with white baseball cleats adorned with black flames. The Blazing Star bat is added last to his complete profile.

His *Rising Inferno* outfit consists of a black yukata with phoenix like sleeves, one of them printed with the Infernolab Flaming Gear symbol. The words "J. Bardis" written across the upper right section. An orange and yellow scarf adorns his neck, a ribbon sashed around his waist of the same color. His maroon red cargo pants remain, followed by his Onitsuka Dragon shoes.

Diagnosed with *Sciatica*, he is sometimes seen wearing a vest for back support, given by his Shiatsu massage therapist. It appears as a wearable accessory in *Dragoma Inferno*.

## EVERSTAR: Dragoma Banner Titles

### *Ardent Flame (Harvest)*

*"An array of Pumpkin buckets on Fingertech Vipers zoom in, clapping in glee as Dante wishes everyone across Zenin with his flaming candy. A harvest tradition from Adachi to make friends and family happy by wishing them good luck."*

### *Dragon Star Dancer (New Year's)*

*"Time to get swanky with Dante and the Disk O' Inferno! Bust out those moves on the dance floor as tiles of colourful lights and the sparkling ball signals a funky New Year!"*

### *Dragon Prince Tyranny (Rebellion)*

*"Tainted with the blood of Aziraku, Dante's selfish pride swarms over Zenin, clad in his spiked leather jacket, a corrupted katana smothered in red, a smile of wickedness edged in pure darkness."*

### *All Star Slugger (Sports)*

*"Flames burn across the diamond field as Dante is geared in his baseball uniform, ready to send a homerun with the Blazing Star bat. Together with his team, the Adachi Dragons celebrate in victory towards his confidence and fierce skills."*

### *Rising Inferno (Hero)*

*"Like the phoenix of everlasting flames, Dante, mounted on Fafnir, towers over a cliff overlooking Zenin. Armoured in pure steel, his confidence and high tide bravery guides his solitude into a legendary mercenary draguz fighter, deeming to spar with the silver haired exalt himself."*

## Draguz Shifter Roles

* Carbon Strike
* Demon Slayer
* Wicked Talon
* Bowfire Shock
* Blasting Zone
* Spine shatter Dive
* Dragonfire Dive
* Roaring Inferno

* Flaming Gear
* Raourblaze
* Dies Infernum
* Zenshin Dragon Fang (DRDI only)

## Merchandise

* *Dante Ryuzaki / Exivus Legend Collection*
* *Dante Ryuzaki / Royal Deluxe*
* *Dante Ryuzaki / Legends Diorama*
* *Dante Ryuzaki / Nendoroid*
* *Dante Ryuzaki / Vibration Stars*
* *Dante Ryuzaki / Q Posket*
* *Dante Ryuzaki / Amiibo*
* *Dante Ryuzaki / FUNKO POP!*
* *Dante Ryuzaki / Infernolab Figuarts ZERO*
* *Dante Ryuzaki / INFERNO POP!*
* *Dante Ryuzaki / CHIBEEZ!*
* *Dante Ryuzaki / Sanei plush*
* *Dante Ryuzaki / Beanie Pals plush*
* *Dante Ryuzaki / YOUTOOZ plush*
* *Dante Ryuzaki / Sanrio*
* *Dante Ryuzaki / Demon Slayer*
* *Dante Ryuzaki / Attack on Titan*
* *Dante Ryuzaki / Loungefly Mini Backpack*
* *Dante Ryuzaki / Infernolab LEGO*
* *Dante and Fafnir / FUNKO POP RIDES!*

Dante is preplanned in the process of being released as small trade figurines in Japan as part of *Dragoma Exivus Legend collections*. The figure measures approximately 7" tall with a display base, equipped with the Draco Inferno and is sculpted for Kotogiyama by Takayuki Takeya. The Dante figurine, part of the *Infernolab* "Royal Deluxe" collection, appears in his *Rising Inferno* attire, measuring approximately 7" tall with a display base, equipped with the both the Draco Inferno and Ryuzaki while optionally mounted on Fafnir. The figure is sculpted for Kotogiyama by Takayuki Takeya. Dante is also part of the Legends Play Arts Kai Vol. 1 collection.

Along with the release of *The World Ends with You ~ Infernolab*, a special bonus Nendoroid figurine of Dante is included, clad in his Infernolab coat. Equipped with the Ryuzaki and the Draco Inferno, Dante is poseable in many different ways. In follow up to the movie, a special light up diorama with Dante, the Draco Inferno and Shinrya Koryu is released as part of the *Dragoma Legends Diorama collection*. Dante is posed performing an uppercut with the blade, Shinrya following after. All lights and special effects appear in the background, run by a special circuit board. When conjoined with Yuji's diorama, it creates a stunning visual digital clock. Each diorama piece retails for 230 each.

## Non-Canon Appearances

### Dragoma CIPHER

Dante is illustrated in the trading card game *Dragoma CIPHER* with the following cards:

* P05-012PR
* P20-004PR
* B03-085SR
* B03-085SR+
* B06-072R
* B06-072R+
* B06-073N
* B15-064HN
* B22-085HN

## Name Etymology

* **Dante** is a contracted form of the Italian Durante. It shares its meaning of "steadfast" or "enduring" from the Latin root *Duras*. The name also derives from italian poet and critic, Dante Aligheiri, who wrote about the Divine Comedy, which includes a trip to the Inferno.
* **Ryuzaki** is a combination of two Japanese words meaning "Imperial Dragon."

His name overall means "Steadfast Imperial Dragon"

## Shifter Based Inspiration

* Jason poses with Dr. Inferno Jr. for UCSB's Daily Nexus.
* Jason demonstrates 2A for an upcoming LEGO Mindstorms event.
* Jason holding the RCX receivers to his LEGO bot.
* Jason with Hell on Wheels during a fancy photoshoot.
* The constipated yell in Glory of the Giant Nut.
* Dante gives out a helping hand.
* Jason holding the Missing Link's wheels after it's fight with Ziggo.
* Tired judge Jason Bardis asks "Is it over yet?"
* Jason and Mini Inferno during Robotica Season 1.0
* Jason lookin swanky sober during Robotica.
* Jason's concerned expression during Robotica.
* Jason as Dr. Inferno Jr. (BB Magazine Vol 1)
* Jason smiling before facing Gamma Raptor (BB Season 5.0)
* Jason's intro with Dr. Inferno Jr. (BB Season 5.0)
* Dante as LEGO minifig.
1/15
Dante Ryuzaki is loosely based off of Team Infernolab's 3 time champion Battlebot builder, Jason Dante Bardis. Though the both of them share a similar appearance, they portray different personalities.

## Trivia

* Dante's attire mimics Jason's Season 4.0 appearance: jet black polo with the trademark flame design layered right over his old Infernolab shirt, dark red cargo pants and flaming shoes.
* Dante's eyes turn from brown to red during his Zenith Break mode, followed by a fiery aura.
* His star sign is Sagittarius which reflects his element and weapon (Fire and the Draco Inferno bow) along with his birthday (December 15th). This also ties in with references with Inferno Sagittario from *Metal Fight Beyblade.*
* The university that Dante attends and majors in mechanical engineering at UYSZ (University of Yakuwara Seoul Zenin) is modeled after UCSB. (University of California, Santa Barbara)
* Dante started attending university at the age of 16. For 7.5 years, his journey for an ME degree at UYSZ makes him officially titled Dr. Dante Ryuzaki.
* The dragon katana seen hanging on Dante's bedroom wall is a family heirloom passed down through many generations from the Shinrya Koryu dynasty. 竜崎 is written on the blade close to the hilt.
* Some of Dante's hot headed quotes refer to Jason's minor bots, Rampage, Bot Will Eat Itself, and Slugger.
	+ "What are we waiting for? Let's Rampage!"
	+ "Looks like that Bot will Eat Itself!"
	+ "Such a Slugger."
* "Longneck & The Infernal Brick of Despair" is Dante's storybook from elementary school about a long necked Giraffe that couldn't reach for the tree due to the brick obstructed wall. The title also references to Jason's LEGO bot of the same name.
* Dante's ping pong paddles, "Itchy" and "Scratchy" references to Jason's LEGO bots of the same name.
* A LEGO model of "Dragonis Hammer Hit" seen on Dante's bedroom shelf references to Jason's battlebot, Towering Inferno. Not to mention "Dr. Dragonis Jr." reminiscent in design to "Dr. Inferno Jr."
* In one of Dante's support quotes, he mentions working for "2 Hours and Zero Dollars" as a joke. This also refers to one of Jason's LEGO bots by the same name.
* Dante is the only Ryuzaki royal to be born with a misaligned spine. Later diagnosed with *sciatica*, a life long spinal condition in his lower back, results with constant pain, preventing him from simple tasks. Before his visit to Vaduz, Dante's successful back surgery spells happiness as he returns to bot building and skateboarding.
* As an avid skater, Dante used to own a Powell Peralta Skull & Sword deck before it was stolen from his car during a rock concert. He later bought a used board from a friend but it turned out to be too big for him.
* Besides robot combat, he was also on Jidosha Racing, an autocross team in 2009 that championed 13th place from a major event with Erwin, an upbeat 1991 BMW 318is. The team is based off of Heisenberg Racing, where Jason championed 4th place with the same car.
* Dante's EVERSTAR Dragoma banner titles references to Jason's attire throughout his years. Ryuzaki's Dragon Star Dancer suit reflects off of Jason's disco suit from Battlebots 2016 while the Dragon Prince Tyranny reflects off of Jason's cyberpunk spiked leather jacket and boots as pictured in his 1992 Halloween photoshoot.
* Dante's faviourite fruit are bananas, snacking on them whenever possible.
* He even owns a cute *Hokkaido Inu* named Akira, the only dog with lunar blue eyes and tufts of polar white fur.
* In *The World Ends with You ~ Infernolab,* there is a scene where Dante watches a Japanese dubbed Battlebots match on TV, ironic enough to be Dr. Inferno Jr. vs Toe Crusher. An Easter egg during another scene shows a magazine depicting the Design News April 2001 issue with Jason and Towering Inferno could be seen on the bookshelf behind the Ryuzaki katana.
* All tools in Dante's garage are Makita branded. This refers to Jason's preference for the Craftsman brand.
* Dante is the third character in the series known to drink an alcoholic beverage. He favours Japanese Sake like Marco / Yura would do with Dranian vodka, and Romain would with Bailey's Irish cream.
* His personal faviourite TV Shows, movies, and games are: *Attack on Titan*, *BattleBots*, *SK8 the Infinity*, *Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba*, *Ginga Densetsu Weed*, *Tsuri Baka Nisshi*, *Rudolf the Black Cat*, *Toshimaen: Haunted Park*, *Isle of Dogs*, *Bomberman (Arcade), Rampage (Arcade), Bishi Bashi (Arcade), Taiko no Tatsujin (Arcade), Inugami: Doggy Dojo, Draglia Lost, Final Fantasy*, *Dragon Raja*, and *Demon Blade*.
* Dante's taste of music falls under various categories including Vocaloid. His faviourite Zeninian bands are *Shonen Knife*, *Pizzicato Five*, & *Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra*. His faviourite Vocaloid artists range from *Hatsune Miku*, *Kagamine Rin and Len* to *MEIKO*, *DAOKO*, and *Utsu-P*. His favoured songs from his personal playlist are *Ministry - Thieves*, *Front242 - Religion (Pussy whipped mix)*, *KMFDM - Beast,* and *Fortuna All Stars - Reincarnation*.
* When Dante uses Draco Inferno, the motto "Abandon all hope ye Draguz who enter." in japanese kanji is emblazoned in fire around the arrow, followed by *"Anata gata ga hairu subete no kibō o suteru!"*