Character: Kai Toshiki

 "Just watch. This is who I really am! Burn everything in this world to ashes with your apocalyptic fire...Dragonic Overlord!"

Kai Toshiki/櫂トシキ
Age: 15¹
Birthday: August 28⁵
Voice Actor(s): Satou Takuya(Japanese)², Ryan Luhning(English)³, Kim Yeong Seong(Korean)⁴
Anime Biography: Four years ago he was a cheerful boy that helped Aichi cope with the bullying he was facing at school, but Kai moved away shortly after that. Having just moved back Kai now keeps little company, though Taishi insists on being Kai's friend.

Outside of official matches, Kai frequents the battlegrounds of the "underground fighters," intentionally going up against cheating players to make his fights more difficult.

Spoiler warning: Season 1 details follow.
Four years ago, Kai's parents died in a sudden accident. He was in fourth grade, and was taken in by his uncle's family, whom he moved away with. Three years later, in middle school, he befriended Suzugamori Ren and Shinjou Tetsu, becoming a founding member of Team Foo Fighter in a bid to enter the Vanguard national competition. For the duration of spring term they grew to be close friends, but as the autumn dawned on them Ren underwent a sudden transformation.

Suzugamori had been endowed with PSY Qualia, and this power very quickly devoured him at a much faster rate than it would later Aichi--within a day of acquiring it Ren was capable of causing physical harm to others through Qualia, even throwing his Tetsu across their practice room. Once Ren hired the Kashiwagi Construction company to build the Foo Fighter's headquarters, Kai decided he'd had enough; he challenged Ren to a fight, in which Ren used his powerful Shadow Paladins to overwhelm Kai.

While the fight ended prematurely due to Ren's sudden collapse, Kai chose to walk out on the Foo Fighters where Tetsu lingered. Emancipated, he moved out of his uncle's town and enrolled in high school, where he would meet Miwa Taishi and Sendou Aichi again. Having watched Ren become consumed by PSY Qualia once before, and found himself helpless then, Kai initially remains in denial as Aichi starts to develop his own powers. Toshiki ignores repeated warning signs, avoiding people out of guilt, afraid of the incident with Ren repeating.

Come ride 43 Kai fails to stop Aichi from being absorbed by PSY Qualia. Kai confronts his friend in a bout after the elimination round of the national tournament, using Aichi's own discarded Royal Paladin deck against the boy. With Alfred Early as his trump card, Kai makes Aichi realize that real strength comes from oneself and one's friends, not from supernatural forces.

While he keeps away from fighting in the national tournament out of respect for how far Q4 has come, on the night before the final match between Q4 and AL4, Kai makes an appearance at the Foo Fighter headquarters, and challenges Ren to a fight at the very stage where they once clashed one year ago. With the modern Foo Fighter team, Ultra Rare, and Aichi as witnesses, Kai brings out his avatar's crossridden form, Dragonic Overlord The End, in a bid to wrest Ren from Qualia's control.

Kai fails. Thanks to Suiko's prior intervention and Ren's highly evolved PSY Qualia, The End is slain by Ren's own crossride, Phantom Blaster Overlord. Kai walks away from the fight in an emotional valley, pleading on his knees for Ren to come back to his senses--Suzugamori disregards his old friend, stating that this "The End" of their friendship, and that all he needs now is the limitless power of Qualia.

In the finals Kai watches Q4's matches from the stands, and proves instrumental in preventing Aichi's powers from relapsing. Screaming across the stadium for Aichi to stop, he barely pulls the boy back from his other self's control. When the match closes with Sendou the victor, Kai shares a final silent moment with Ren before the Foo Fighters pull out of the competition.

Toshiki's final fight of season 1 is against Aichi, closing the season just as he began it.

Spoilers end here.

Kai encounters Tatsunagi Takuto at the start of the Asia Circuit just as Aichi did. Opening the season 2's first fight with Dragonic Overlord, Toshiki is surprised that a neophyte like Takuto could guard his attack.

Spoiler warning: Asia Circuit details follow.
In the aftermath of their fight, Kai's deck is replaced with a Kagerou one and his memories are sealed. Tatsunagi, having introduced Kai into a timeline where the Royal Paladins, Shadow Paladins and Kagerou never existed, takes his leave of the boy. Dismissing what he can recall of their fight as a dream, Kai departs, and after Aichi confronts him about the changes to his own deck the next day, challenges Sendou to a fight.

Using Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion and the powerful Limit Break skill for the first time, Kai defeats Aichi but finds nothing in the battle. Unfamiliar with and unwilling to use his new Gold Paladin deck, Sendou has already limited himself too deeply to seize victory. Though his memories of Blaster Blade briefly resurface, they are just as soon shut down and the two of them are interrupted by an announcement for the VF Circuit.

Aichi recognizes the Takuto advertising the Circuit as the same one who stole his deck. Though Kai no longer remembers the Royal Paladins, he trusts Aichi, and tells him to find his own path to Takuto as he will find his.

Kai eventually comes to join Team Foo Fighter New AL4, reforming the team with Ren and Asaka. He participates as a mainline member during the Seoul Stage of the VF Circuit.

Spoilers end here.

Manga Biography: Similar to the anime, Kai helped Aichi out when he was young in the manga, and he is currently a pro player revered for his strength. However, Kai is also much less cold in the manga, and more willing to hang around with the other customers of Card Capital.

Spoiler warning: Details for Volumes 2 through 5 follow.
Unlike in the anime, Kai's parents never died. Instead, Kai's father created a steep financial debt for his comapny, and Kai was abandoned by his parents, to be moved around between different relatives' homes. Meeting up with Ren and Tetsu and forming the original Foo Fighters restored some of his love for life, but Kai became further depressed and isolated after Ren became absorbed by PSY Qualia, from a chance encounter with Suiko. (Although not outright stated, it has been speculated that the company his father worked for was in fact the Tatsunagi corporation.)

Kai eventually chooses to confront Ren directly, allowing Tetsu and Asaka to entertain him in their apartment while he waits for Suzugamori's arrival. Chapter 14 closes with him having broken Asaka in a completely one-sided fight, but in his following match with Ren, Kai is dominated by Qualia, struck down by a rapid succession of The Dark Dictator's and Phantom Blaster Dragon's skills. Kai is completely drained by the battle, and while he tries with all his strength to prevent Aichi from fighting Ren and activating his Qualia again, Sendou goes against his wishes by fighting Ren in his place. Sendou eventually manages to defeat Phantom Blaster Dragon and bring Ren back to his senses, with the Foo Fighters and Team Q4 becoming friends.

The manga's first "season" ends with Kai and Aichi beginning one more fight, which becomes the first chapter of its second "season" (in terms of the plot's development when compared to the anime.) During their fight Sendou shows signs of losing control of his Qualia, being unable to restrain it versus Kai--Kai in turn encourages him to use the power, believing that he'll defeat it even so. However, in the second chapter it becomes readily apparent that Kai himself is developing symptoms of PSY Qualia.
Spoilers end here.

Universal Notes: Kai uses the Japanese pronoun "Ore," a very masculine and casual way of talking. Design-wise, his counterpart is Tetsu, who makes the exact opposite decisions that Kai does throughout the series.

Fan Culture: Kai has acquired a reputation in the English fanguard for his unintuitive name. While this is more obvious to Japanese fans due to how Japanese naming order works, "Kai" is his last name, and Toshiki is his first. Toshiki is a very unusual first name, but this is backed by how his name is written--in Vanguard, all surnames are written with kanji, and all given names with katakana.

Decks and Play Style
Kai's deck is a dragon-based Kagerou clan deck, built around retiring the opponent's rearguards and gaining bonuses from that. For most of season 1 he has no defined playstyle, alternating between different vanguards as necessary to suit each fight. However, this lack of cohesion is ultimately a weakness that goes unexploited by his opponents, and Kai refines his deck with the rest of Q4 in ride 35.

Rides 1-34, 49 & 57: Raging Dragon of the Empire (Anime) 48/50 cards
Grade 0
x1 Lizard Runner Undeux
x1 Lizard Soldier Conroe
x2 Dragon Dancer Monica DT
x3 Embodiment of Spear, Tahr CT
x1 Lizard Soldier, Ganlu ST
x2 Dragon Monk, Genjo HT
x2 Demonic Dragon Mage, Raksha CT
x1 Gatling Claw Dragon DT
x1 Blue-Ray Dracokid CT
Grade 1
x3 Embodiment of Armor, Bahr
x2 Flame of Hope, Aermo
x2 Wyvern Strike, Jarran
x2 Wyvern Guard, Barri
x2 Demonic Dragon Guru Kinnala
x2 Iron Tail Dragon
Grade 2
x2 Blazing Core Dragon
x3 Dragon Knight Nehalem
x1 Wyvern Strike, Tejas
x1 Dragon Knight Aleph
x1 Berserk Dragon
x2 Relentless Sutherland
Grade 3
x2 Dragon Monk Goku
x3 Dragonic Overlord (TD02/001)
x1 Embodiment of Victory, Aleph
x1 Vortex Dragon
x2 Blazing Flare Dragon
x2 Dual Axe Archdragon

Kai's second deck is built around the Amber Dragon line, which guarantees both grade security and hand advantage. Kai makes the dubious choice of using Lava Arm Dragon a rearguard, and brings Aermo in as a holdover from his old deck to help aid with draw power. While this deck has much more intense retire abilities than his old one, Kai mainly uses it to whittle down his opponent's hand in the two fights that it was featured in.

Rides 35-51: Empire II 34/50 cards
Grade 0
x1 Lizard Soldier, Conroe
x2 Embodiment of Spear, Tahr CT
x3 Gatling Claw Dragon DT
x1 Dragon Monk, Genjo HT
x2 Blue-Ray Dracokid CT
x1 Amber Dragon, "Dawn"
Grade 1
x1 Iron Tail Dragon
x2 Embodiment of Armor, Bahr
x2 Demonic Dragon Mage, Kimnara
x2 Wyvern Guard, Barri
x1 Dragon Monk, Gojo
x1 Flame of Hope, Aermo
x2 Amber Dragon, "Daylight"
Grade 2
x2 Dragon Knight, Nehalem
x1 Flame Edge Dragon
x1 Blazing Core Dragon
x1 Amber Dragon, "Dawn"
x1 Lava Arm Dragon
Grade 3
x1 Blazing Flare Dragon
x1 Dual Axe Archdragon
x1 Vortex Dragon
x3 Amber Dragon, "Eclipse"
x1 Dragonic Overlord

Kai's third deck, designed wholly to counter Ren's, is built on crossriding from Dragonic Overlord to Dragonic Overlord The End. In order to take advantage of being able to activates its skill following the drive check, Kai combines The End with the Flame of Hope, Aermo to cycle out cards from his hand. This lets him activate The End's Persona Blast mid-strike. Kai shows some difficulty using this deck compared to his previous ones, as his hand is practically empty by the time he crossrides.

Though not outright confirmed, Suiko implies both during her talk with Kourin in ride 58 and in her contract with Aichi that The End is the card of light she can entrust to fighters. However, Suiko never contracted Kai, so even she isn't sure where he gained his copies of it.

Rides 57-66: His Life As Fuel (31/50 cards)

Grade 0

x1 Lizard Soldier, Conroe

x3 Dragon Monk, Genjo HT

x2 Gatling Claw Dragon DT

x1 Embodiment of Spear, Tahr CT
x3 Blue-Ray Dracokid CT

Grade 1

x3 Embodiment of Armor, Bahr

x1 Flame of Hope, Aermo

x2 Flame of Promise, Aermo

x2 Demonic Dragon Guru, Kimnara

Grade 2

x2 Berserk Dragon

x1Dragon Knight, Nehalem

x3 Burning Horn Dragon

Grade 3

x3 Dragonic Overlord

x4 Dragonic Overlord The End

At the start of Asia Circuit Kai is given a new deck, this one filled with Narukami units. Geared toward all-out attacks on the vanguard and making use of counterblasts in exchange for power, his deck's trump card is Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion, which attacks the opponent's front row equally, blocking their intercept while clearing their field in the same move.

Rides 66-Current: Resonance of Thunder Dragon (36/50 cards)

Grade 0

x1 Lizard Soldier, Sisin (FVG: Ride 67)
x1 Lizard Soldier, Saishin (FVG: Ride 77-on)

x2 Old Dragon Mage DT

x1 Yellow Gem Carbuncle CT
x1 Demonic Dragon Nymph, Seiobo HT
x1 Malevolent Djinn CT

Grade 1

x2 Red River Dragoon

x1 Lightning Stone Jinn

x1 Thunder of Hope, Helena

x2 Lizard Soldier, Riki

x1 Wyvern Transport Corps
x2 Wyvern Guard, Guld
x1 Photon Bomber Wyvern

Grade 2

x1 Gale Thunderclap Jinn

x3 Thunderstorm Dragoon

x1 Shield Blade Dragoon

x1 Bright Jet Dragoon
x2 Demonic Dragon Berserker, Garuda
x3 Dragonic Deathscythe
x2 Hex Cannon Wyvern

Grade 3

x2 Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion

x1 Thunder Break Dragon

x1 Plasma Bite Dragon
x2 Djinn of the Lightning Flash

Like in season 1, his manga deck is also a Kagerou deck meant to clear the opponent's field of rearguards, but it supports the counterblast-heavy clan better with Bellicosity Dragon. This dragon's skill lets him unflip damage previously used to pay costs, allowing Kai to last in prolongued fights. Meanwhile, Hidden Dragon Striken is unable to attack, but confers additional power and critical on the vanguard that rides it. Kai demonstrates considerably more skill than his anime counterpart, combining Striken's skill with superior ride cards like Cruel Dragon to simultaneously gain the effects of Striken while also avoiding those superior ride's drawbacks; he faces and holds his own against multiple Qualia cardfighters throughout the manga, always pushing them to their breaking points before they can make any kind of comeback.

Chapter 1-Current: Raging Dragon of the Empire (Manga) 11/50 cards
Grade 0
x1 Lizard Runner, Undeux
x1 Demonic Dragon Mage, Raksha CT
x2 Embodiment of Spear, Tahr CT
x1 Lizard Runner, Nafud ST
x1 Red Gem Carbuncle DT
Grade 1
x1 Embodiment of Armor, Bahr
x1 Flame of Hope, Aermo
x1 Guard Gryphon
x1 Lizard Soldier, Raopia
Grade 2
x1 Dragon Armored Knight
x1 Bellicosity Dragon
x1 Hidden Dragon Striken
x2 Dragonic Gaiearth
x1 Berserk Dragon
Grade 3
x2 Dragonic Overlord
x2 Vortex Dragon
x1 Dragonic Waterfall
x1 Cruel Dragon

Citations and External Links
1. "櫂トシキ." KeroKero Ace Vol. 45 1 Sept. 2011: 8-9. Print.
2. Cardfight!! Vanguard Ride 1. Crunchyroll, 2011. Web. 14 Mar. 2012. 
3. "Cardfight!! Vanguard English Version - NicoNico Channel." NicoNico Channel. NicoNico Douga, 11 Mar. 2012. Web. 14 Mar. 2012. <http://ch.nicovideo.jp/channel/vanguard-dub>.
4. "Kai Toshiki." MyAnimeList. CraveOnline Media, LLC., n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2012. <http://myanimelist.net/character/39492/Kai_Toshiki>.
5. "Character birthdays." KeroKero Ace Vol. 50 1 Mar. 2012. Print. 

Character: Satomi Eiji

"The victorious and the defeated...I assume you know which of these is the more fantastic?"

"Look well, Teru. This is the defeated."

Satomi Eiji/里見英治
Age: Unconfirmed
Portrayed by: Namioki Kazuki (2012 Drama)
Drama Biography: Satomi is Teru's private tutor, as well as his mentor in Vanguard. Although not a major character upon his introduction, he is the drama's primary antagonist. Maintaining this role even in defeat, he is responsible for motivating Teru to bully and look down on other cardfighters.

Spoiler warning: Spoilers for the STAND UP! Vanguard live-action drama follow.

Initially shown giving Teru a lesson in cardfight, Satomi espouses his theory of victory; that among the world population between the victorious and the defeated, those who are always victorious are superior to any who think they can afford loss. He passes this idea onto Teru Socratically, asking leading questions that bring Teru to the same conclusion. Their lesson however, is interrupted by Daigo, seeking a revenge match with Teru.

Satomi does not allow this. Introducing himself as a genius who first presented his theory of the universe while working for NASA, he cardfights Daigo in Teru's place. Having defeated him in two successive matches, Satomi makes Daigo beg for another chance. Bored by the fight, he dismisses Daigo and returns to his lessons with Teru.

Satomi is next seen the night before a local tournament, giving Teru extra study material. Asking the boy to "picture it," he uses Kurumalord's megablast to end their game.

Satomi's "image" of Kuramalord's Ninjitsu Art: Meteor Storm.

The following day he and Teru participate in the local tournament on Team Teru. Alongside his prodigy student, Satomi is their primary fighter in the opening round, up until the finals where he plays second. Ultimately Satomi undergoes a complete breakdown after his defeat by Daigo, after which he is not seen again.

Spoilers end here.

As Daigo's counterpart, Satomi occasionally makes use of his own catch phrase, "Ya know?" spoken in English.

Decks and Play Style

Satomi fights with a Murakumo deck, making extensive use of hit-and-run tactics to rapidly fill his field while saving his hand up to become a stonewall against his opponent's attacks. Because of this, decks without heavy power gain have difficulty dealing damage to him later in the game. Satomi's primary strategy builds his soul with Kurama Lord, bringing out the fiend's megablast for three additional attacks. Against Daigo and many other competitors at their local tournament he rides Dueling Dragon, ZANBAKU, locking opponents out of crossriding.

STAND UP! Vanguard Drama: Ninjitsu Art: Meteor Storm (27/50 cards)

Grade 0

x1 Stealth Beast, Evil Ferret

x2 Stealth Beast, Cat Rogue DT

x1 Stealth Fae, Dart Spider ST

x2 Stealth Beast, Moon Edge CT

x2 Stealth Fae, Yukihime HT

Grade 1

x3 Stealth Beast, Million Rat

x1 Stealth Beast, Leaf Racoon

x3 Silent Stealth Rogue, Shijimamaru

x1 Stealth Beast, Leaves Mirage

Grade 2

x2 Stealth Fiend, Midnight Crow

x3 Stealth Beast, Bloody Mist

x2 Stealth Dragon, Cursed Breath

x2 Stealth Beast, White Mage

Grade 3

x1 Stealth Field, Kurama Lord

x1 Dueling Dragon, ZANBAKU

Character: Sendou Emi

"Which one is the real one? The Aichi that's here now, or the Aichi I know?"

"I ride Top Idol, Riviere!"

Sendou Emi/先導エミ
Age: 11/12 (Approximately) ¹
Voice Actors: Enomoto Atsuko(Japanese)²
Aichi's younger sister, who attends a girls' private school, Miyaji Academy. Initially Emi lacks interest in Vanguard, but after seeing his personal growth when facing the boys that used to bully him, she starts to come and watch his fights at Card Capital. Emi proves to be instrumental in holding Team Q4 together, and after a practice match with Morikawa, eventually becomes a skilled fighter in her own right.

In ride 15 Emi mentions the possibility of bringing a friend to Card Capital; this eventually does take place in ride 51, calling all the way back to her friend from ride 3, Mai.

Spoiler warning: Season 1 details follow.
After Misaki quits Q4, Aichi returns home in a depressed state. Taking note of this, but unaware of what took place the preceding day, Emi goes to Card Capital to investigate. Being invited by the manager to try out Card Capital's new constructed decks, Emi enters into her second cardfight, this time with Misaki.

During their fight Misaki is reminded of why her parents chose to run the shop in the first place; it's Emi who, having fun despite her loss, unknowingly convinces Tokura that she was deliberately trapping herself in the past and ignoring the friends she has now.

Emi accompanies Q4 to the regional and national competitions, as well as their training camp with Team Caesar. Though reduced to a bit role for much of season 1, Emi is nonetheless a powerful emotional support for Aichi and his friends, and takes part in several shop tournaments, even defeating Katsuragi Kamui while serving as a member of Team Overthrow. Late in the season as her brother is gradually devoured by PSY Qualia, Emi is pushed aside and made distant from her sibling, forcing her to worry alone over his strange behavior.

Spoilers end here.

For the duration of the Asia Circuit, Emi is projected to be left behind at Card Capital, as she is not a Q4 team member and thus cannot take part in the international league.

Decks And Play Style
During her practice fight with Morikawa, Emi borrows Misaki's deck to learn the game, and focuses her strategy toward the units she finds the cutest.

Ride 15: Perfect Cherry Blossom 32/50 cards 
Grade 0
x2 Lozenge Magus HT
x2 Oracle Guardian, Nike CT
x3 Dream Eater DT
x2 Miracle Kid DT
x2 Psychic Bird CT
Grade 1
x2 Battle Sister Cocoa
x2 Battle Sister Chocolat
x2 Oracle Guardian Gemini
x2 Weather Girl, Milk (BT01/055)
x1 Weather Girl, Milk (TD04/009)
x2 Luck Bird
Grade 2
x2 Silent Tom
x2 Maiden of Libra
x2 Oracle Guardian, Wiseman
Grade 3
x1 CEO Amaterasu
x2 Oracle Guardian Apollon
x1 Oracle Guardian Hermes

In her match with Misaki, Emi uses a constructed Oracle Think Tank deck. Emi's strategy here is focused on the Goddess of Flower Divination, Sakuya, whom returns cards to the hand in order to rearrange their formation, reuse skills, and gain hand advantage. As support the deck contains Dark Cat and Oracle Guardian, Apollon whose draw skills cycle through the deck quickly, and Meteobreak Wizard who counterblasts to gain extra power.

After her fight, Shin gives Emi the constructed deck free of charge. The cards in it go on to back her later deckbuilding.

Ride 25: Cherry Blossom Princess Maiden (20/50 cards)

Grade 0

x1 Victory Maker DT

x1 Lozenge Magus HT (BT01/27)

x1 Dream Eater DT

Grade 1

x2 Battle Sister Maple

x2 Dark Cat

x3 Luck Bird

x1 Weather Girl, Milk (TD04/009)

x1 Oracle Guardian Gemini

Grade 2

x3 Sword Dancer Angel

x2 Oracle Guardian Wiseman

Grade 3

x1 Goddess of Flower Divination, Sakuya

x1 Meteobreak Wizard

x1 Oracle Guardian Apollon 

In the second shop tournament Emi takes part as "Princess Maiden" of Team Overthrow, using a Bermuda Triangle-Oracle Think Tank mix deck primarily based on the constructed deck she received earlier in the series.

Ride 37: Princess Maiden (16/50 cards)
Grade 0
x3 Bermuda Triangle Cadet Caravel
x2 Lozenge Magus HT
x2 Oracle Guardian, Nike CT
Grade 1
x1 Blazer Pleasures
x1 Oracle Guardian, Gemini
x2 Dark Cat
x1 Battle Sister, Chocolat
Grade 2
 x1 Oracle Guardian, Wiseman
Grade 3
x1 Top Idol, Flores
x2 Goddess of Flower Divination, Sakuya

The third shop tournament is where Emi brings together what she's learned. Exchanging Caravel for Riviere, Emi dedicates her deck to an evolving ride line and brings in Top Idol, Pacifica as a finishing megablast to swarm the field with. Meanwhile Top Idol, Salem is an easy 20000-power attacker that forces her opponent to expend more cards to guard, which is supported by grade 3 Riviere's rearguard-empowering skill. Emi is a highly offensive cardfighter, skilled at backing her opponents to the wall.

Rides 51-Current: Drowning Your World (28/50 cards)

Grade 0

x1 Bermuda Triangle Cadet, Riviere (FVG)

x2 Drive Quartet, Flows HT

x2 Drive Quartet, Ressac ST

x2 Drive Quartet, Shuplu CT

x2 Drive Quartet, Bubblin DT

Grade 1

x1 Mermaid Idol, Ellie

x2 Mermaid Idol, Felucca

x2 Mermaid Idol, Sedna

x2 Mermaid Idol, Riviere

x1 Blazer Pleasures

x1 Pearl Sisters, Perle

Grade 2

x1 Top Idol, Aqua

x1 Pearl Sisters, Perla

x2 Mermaid Idol, Flute

x1 Super Idol, Riviere

Grade 3

x1 Top Idol, Pacifica

x3 Super Idol, Salem

x1 Top Idol, Riviere

Citations and External Links
1. "先導エミ." KeroKero Ace Vol. 45 1 Sept. 2011: 18-19. Print.
2. Cardfight!! Vanguard Ride 52. Crunchyroll, 2011. Web. 16 Mar. 2012.

Character: Nanbara Teru

"Hiroki...with all my power, here I come!"

"Mow him down, Phantom Blaster Overlord!"

Nanbara Teru/南原テル
Age: Unconfirmed
Potrayed by: Uchiyama Haruka (TV Drama)
Drama biography: A competitive Vanguard fighter, Teru glorifies victory over all else. Teru is studious in Vanguard, working to become one of the best fighters of his time, and he even has a private tutor for the game. Despite his skill, Teru is a bully and is the primary antagonist against Miura Hiroki.

Spoiler warning: Details for the STAND UP! Vanguard live action drama follow.
While Teru acts as the chief antagonist against Hiroki for much of the drama, looking down on him as weak and bullying him in school because of that, this hatred of the weak was ultimately instilled in him by his tutor, Satomi Eiji. Comprising Team Teru alongside Eiji and one of his peers, Teru enters into the local Vanguard tournament playing to win.

In the final rounds he witnesses his teacher's defeat at Daigo's hands, and begins to waver in his views after this. Admitting Hiroki's strength upon being forced into a corner by the boy, a last-minute heal and critical trigger allows him to outlast his opponent, using Phantom Blaster Overlord's persona blast to end the game. Ultimately coming out the champion, Teru interrupts the award ceremony to befriend Hiroki, offering him a revenge match.

In the tournament aftermath, Teru is seen making up for his previous bullying, inviting Hiroki into his circle and playing Vanguard after school with his friends.
Spoilers end here.

Decks and Play Style
Teru fights with a Shadow Paladin deck, gaining victory at the expense of his allies. With minor field assistance from Badhabh Catha and Macha, Teru's deck is notable for being the only ShaPala deck in any continuity to omit Skull Witch, Nemain. Instead opting for field-oriented skills, his main strategy is to bring out Phantom Blaster Overlord while gaining card advantage with Fullbau, Macha and Nemain, then roll Masquerade into the fray to press his opponent's hand and finish the fight using a persona blast.

His aggressive play style also includes Donnerschlag as an alternative to Masquerade, and he enhances the effect of this style by guarding most of his opponent's early attacks, often ending up going into his third turn with only one damage. This helps in managing his damage late in the game, ignoring powerful rearguards and completely stopping his opponent's vanguard attacks.

STAND UP! Vanguard: Shadow Erosion (38/50 cards)
Grade 0
x1 Fullbau (FVG)
x2 Abyss Freezer DT
x3 Darkside Trumpeter ST
x1 Abyss Healer HT
x1 Death Feather Eagle CT
x1 Grim Reaper CT
Grade 1
x3 Black Sage, Charon
x3 Blaster Javelin
x2 Nostrum Witch, Arianrhod
x3 Dark Shield, Mac Lir
x1 Apocalypse Bat
Grade 2
x1 Blaster Dark
x1 Darkness Maiden, Macha
x3 Demon World Castle, Donnerschlag
x2 Dark Knight, Rugos
x3 Knight of Nullity, Masquerade
Grade 3
x2 Phantom Blaster Dragon
x2 Dark Mage, Badhabh Catha
x1 Darkmetal Dragon
x2 Phantom Blaster Overlord

Character: Suzugamori Ren

"Despair to the powerless...And all the glory to the one with the power!"

"Swallow up everything in darkness, my avatar! I ride Blaster Dark!"

Suzugamori Ren/雀ヶ森レン
Age: 15/16 (Approximately)
Birthday: December 12¹
Voice Actor(s): Abe Atsushi(Japanese)², Roger Rhodes(English)³
Anime Biography: Founding member and rank 1 of the Foo Fighters. Ren is the national champion from two years ago, and enters this year's tournament registered on three separate FF teams, attempting to organize a Foo Fighter versus Foo Fighter final match. Tetsu believes Ren to be obsessive in his hatred of Kai.

Spoiler warning: Season 1 details follow.
Ren is only halfway successful. The final match is FFAL4 versus Team Caesar, the previous year's championship team. Ren fights Koutei in the finals, using his powerful Qualia to dominate the battle.

Two years ago Ren was Kai's closest friend, and together they comprised the three original members of Team Foo Fighter. However, driven by a desire to meet Kai's expectations for their team, Ren found himself gifted with a sudden and unpredictable case of PSY Qualia that rapidly evolved within him. During a training "accident" in which Tetsu was thrown across the room by Ren's powers, Kai began to first question his friend, and the reveal of Ren's master plan was what finally compelled Kai to turn on him. Ren had commissioned Kashiwagi Construction to build the Foo Fighter headquarters, where he would gather strong fighters and pit them against one another to selectively create the strongest team in the world to "conquer Japan." Disgusted by Ren's lack of faith in their team, Kai challenged him to a match in the still-incomplete HQ.

Ren first used his Blaster Dark to gain an advantage, but the fight was called off prematurely as a result of his collapse. Kai walked out on Ren that day, while Tetsu stood by his friend to prevent Ren's PSY Qualia from advancing even further. Filled with hatred for his betrayer, Ren continued to push his limits with his Shadow Paladin deck, gathering over five hundred individuals under the banner of Team Foo Fighter. Later that year, he would be crowned the national champion on Team FFAL4.

Approximately one to two years later, Ren is called in by Suiko to appear in the mysterious card shop, PSY, and be tested by Kourin in a mirror match. Ren agrees so readily, and crushes Kourin in a one-sided fight. Having displayed his Qualia sufficiently, he leaves the girls impressed, and then proceeds on to become the national champion in the August nationals of that year.

Sensing Sendou Aichi's Qualia, Ren makes a direct appearance before the boy and offers him a Shadow Paladin deck to further advance his powers. Aichi agrees, and Ren watches from the sidelines as Aichi grows in greater strength, feeding him his own Foo Fighters to spur on the Qualia. However, Kai interrupts this process by defeating Aichi in a fight firmly in the boy's favor, ruining Ren's intended plan by convincing him of Qualia's weaknesses.

Disregarding Aichi as a failed project, Ren returns to his original goals. While perturbed by Aichi's staunch refusal to use PSY Qualia against Team Caesar, Ren disregards Team Q4, stating that "the gate to hell is already open before all of you."

The evening preceding the match between AL4 and Q4, Ren is once more approached by Suiko of Ultra-Rare. Having previously warned him that it is time for "final judgment", Suiko offers Ren a choice of contracts; a card of darkness or a card of light. Ren firmly sides with darkness without a moment's hesitation, and is gifted several copies of Phantom Blaster Overlord, the crossridden form of his preferred grade 3. Ren demonstrates the card's strength, along with his PSY Qualia's final state, by crushing his old rival Kai Toshiki beneath his heels.

Against Dragonic Overlord The End, a crossride of comparable power, PSY Qualia is the difference that confirms Ren's absolute belief in his powers. Walking away from their clash satisfied, Ren declares that this is "The End" of their friendship, and all he needs now is the limitless power of PSY Qualia.

In his final match with Aichi, Ren's Qualia activates in synchrony with Sendou's, synchronizing Earth to the planet Cray. It's through this match that the outcome of the Royal Paladin-Shadow Paladin civil war is determined; while Ren, and in theory the Shadow Paladins are defeated, Aichi's use of Majesty Lord Blaster unites the two clans to work together peacefully rather than through the destruction of another. Having seen his almighty power fail him, Ren seemingly regrets his actions, reinviting the recently-fired Asaka into Foo Fighter and leaving the field after a moment of reminiscence with Kai. Along with Aichi, his Qualia seemingly enters dormancy following this, and Apex Limited 4 is disbanded.

Ren's primary character trait is ressentiment, falsely assigning blame for his frustrations on a source other than himself, which he believes to be outside his control—Kai Toshiki. In this way, Ren has cultivated an enemy that justifies his state of mind, and allows him to escape culpability for his actions by victimizing himself.

Throughout the first season, Suzugamori is firmly established as one of the most powerful cardfighters, representing the pinnacle of evolution for PSY Qualia and the final stage at which a Qualia-bearing fighter may ascend to. Until the season finale he is never featured as having lost a fight, and he has some capacity to predetermine the future.

Spoilers end here.

During the Asia Circuit, Ren resurfaces with the rest of AL4 once more, participating in the Seoul Stage of the Circuit.

Spoiler warning: Asia Circuit details follow.
Ren is joined by Kai and Asaka as part of New Apex Limited 4, with Tetsu taking a back seat during their fights in Korea. Like Aichi at the end of the first season, Ren's PSY Qualia has become subdued, and during his fight with Aichi in Seoul it is reawakened by Tatsunagi Takuto.

Absorbed into a vision of his victory as engineered by Qualia, Ren is consumed once more by power. Reverting into his original persona, he faces Aichi preparing to unveil his new Spectral Duke Dragon to the people of Seoul.

Spoilers end here.

Manga Biography: First seen in chapter 5, Ren is the leader of the Foo Fighter cardfight gang, and uses Vanguard Fight Gloves to torture players. He brings the Foo Fighters to Aichi's town to sate his thirst for greater battle. While kind on the surface to Tetsu and Asaka, he shows a darker side to Kyou and in his fight with Misaki. His silly persona is stressed slightly when compared to the anime, as when he nicknames Misaki "MisaQ." 

Universal Notes: Ren's surname is a location-based name like Aichi's given name, in this case the Suzugamori execution grounds. The grounds were used in the Edo period for the execution of criminals, anti-government conspirators and Christians. Ren alternates between "Boku" and "Watashi" pronouns. He appears to be based on a character Ito had previously designed, Tenma Yako. 

Fan Culture: In 2011 the Japanese art website pixiv decided that Ren's birthday was on 12/12. This idea was later canonized in Kero Kero Ace magazine. Each year around this time artwork of Ren getting slammed in the face with cake will crop up. Fans tend to call the Ren seen in flashbacks "Baby Ren."

Decks and Play Style 
When called in by Ultra-Rare in ride 23, Ren demonstrates his skill in a mirror match by flawlessly playing a mixed clan deck he had never before set eyes on. Here we see the first shades of Ren's strategy, carefully maintaining his hand and erasing Kourin's advantages to prevent her from dealing damage.

Ride 23 25/50 cards
Grade 0
x1 Sphere Magus HT
x3 Bermuda Triangle Cadet Caravel
x2 Oracle Guardian, Nike CT
x1 Dream Eater DT
Grade 1
x3 Battle Sister, Chocolat
x2 Blazer Pleasures
x2 Weather Girl, Milk
x2 Battle Sister, Cocoa
Grade 2
x2 Top Idol Aqua
x2 Maiden of Libra
x2 Lady Bomb
Grade 3
x3 Top Idol Flores

Unusual for an antagonist, and a Shadow Paladin fighter at that, Ren is a master of defensive play. His primary strategy is to stall out his opponent's attacks until their hands are too small to effectively guard, and this is aided by his main line of Blaster units gaining power from having others in the soul. He then brings out Phantom Blaster Dragon, sacrificing lesser rearguards that preserve his hand like Nemain and Badhabh Catha to gain overwhelming offensive power for that turn, using Apocalypse Bat to strengthen his Blasters and force his way. These shrewd tactics combined with his Qualia's foresight make Ren virtually invincible in straightforward battle.

Spoiler warning: Season 1 details follow.
Following his selection by Ultra-Rare in ride 23, Suiko appears before Ren to contract him a card of darkness or a card of light with which to power up his deck. Ren chooses darkness unhesitatingly, and receives Phantom Blaster Overlord, the Blaster Dragon's crossridden form. This comes at even less cost to him than his original grade 3, and as demonstrated in ride 58, is well capable of ending a game on the turn it is ridden.
Spoilers end here. 

Much of Ren's deck was implied or hinted at briefly before its debut fight in 57; Blaster Javelin can be seen for less than a second in ride 33, Blaster Dark is the star of that same episode, and Gai implies Fullbau to have been Ren's starter in ride 45. In 49 we can see several cards from his deck splayed out over PSY's fight table.

Rides 33-80 (34/50 cards)
Grade 0
x1 Fullbau
x1 Grim Reaper CT
x2 Abyss Healer HT
x2 Abyss Freezer DT
x2 Death Feather Eagle CT 
x1 Darkside Trumpeter ST
Grade 1
x3 Blaster Javelin
x1 Gururubau
x2 Black Sage, Charon
x3 Dark Shield, Mac Lir
x1 Apocalypse Bat
Grade 2
x2 Blaster Dark
x1 Dark Knight, Rugos
x2 Skull Witch, Nemain
x1 Demon World Castle, Donnerschlag
x1 Demon World Castle, Fatalita 
x2 Knight of Nullity, Masquerade
Grade 3
x3 Phantom Blaster Dragon
x3 Phantom Blaster Overlord

During the Asia Circuit, Ren's Shadow Paladin deck is sealed and replaced with a Gold Paladin one. While these cards accurately mimic the Blaster Dragon's play style, substituting Blaster Dark with the Vortimer line, they include a significantly higher count of retire-based abilities in addition to the defense skills they inherited from his previous deck. Additionally, the Duke Dragon retires at the end of the battle phase rather than in the main phase, allowing him to make use of his units before sacrificing them.

Rides 80-104 (26/50 cards)
Grade 0
x1 Black Dragon Whelp, Vortimer (FVG)
x2 Flame of Victory CT
x2 Falcon Knight of the Azure DT
x2 Elixir Sommelier HT
x1 Silent Punisher CT
Grade 1
x1 Scout of Darkness, Vortimer
x2 Blade Feather Valkyrie
x2 Sleygal Dagger
x1 Halo Shield, Mark
Grade 2
x1 Flash Edge Valkyrie
x2 Player of the Holy Bow, Viviane
x2 Black Dragon Knight, Vortimer
Grade 3
x2 Spectral Duke Dragon
x3 Gigantech Destroyer
x1 Great Silver Wolf, Garmore
x1 Convicting Dragon, Chromejailer Dragon

In ride 82 Ren borrows Tetsu's deck for the Seoul finals, using the Dark Irregulars to get a greater perspective on his own. Several of Tetsu's backup strategies are displayed in the final match, taking advantage of Blade Wing Reijy's skill to soulcharge three copies of any unit on the field from the deck. Ren handpicks Demon Bike for this purpose, combining this with Demon Bike's own power-gain skill to create a 22000-power line with two extra critical from Reijy's skill.

Ride 82 (45/50 cards)
Grade 0
x1 Greedy Hand (FVG)
x3 Cheshire Cat of Nightmareland (HT)
x3 Mad Hatter of Nightmareland (DT)
x3 Blitz Ritter (CT)
x2 Dark Knight of Nightmareland (CT)
Grade 1
x3 Yellow Bolt
x4 Courting Succubus
x4 Alluring Succubus
x2 March Rabbit of Nightmareland
x4 Demon Bike of the Witching Hour
Grade 2
x2 Blue Dust
x3 Emblem Master
x3 Dark Soul Conductor
Grade 3
x4 Demon Chariot of the Witching Hour
x2 Dark Lord of Abyss
x2 Blade Wing, Reijy

Ren also borrows Morikawa's deck for his match with Misaki in ride 85. Performing well with it in spite of the deck's shortcomings, he's nonetheless held down by the incredibly high count of grade 3s in the deck, mainly sticking to an established Gold Rutile combo with Storm to make repeated use of his counterblast.

Ride 85 (30/50 cards) 
Grade 0

x1 Turboraizer ST (FVG)

x1 Dragon Dancer Monica DT 
x2 Embodiment of Spear, Tahr CT 
x1 Lizard Soldier Ganlu ST 
Grade 1 
x2 Embodiment of Armor, Bahr  
Grade 2 
x1 Dragon Knight Nehalem 

x2 Super Electromagnetic Being, Storm

Grade 3 
x2 Juggernaut Maximum 
x2 Demon Eater 
x2 Tyrant Death Rex 
x4 Stealth Dragon Void Master 
x3 Demonic Dragon Berserker Yaksha 
x3 Monster Frank 
x1 Hell Spider 
x2 Asura Kaiser
x1 Gold Rutile

Ren goes on to borrow Emi's deck in the same episode, testing his aptitude with Bermuda Triangle while Misaki tries out her new empty soul build. Ultimately deciding that the deck is "not for him," he still manages several advanced maneuvers by bringing out the Pearl Sisters.

Ride 85 (28/50 cards)

Grade 0

x1 Bermuda Triangle Cadet, Riviere (FVG)

x2 Drive Quartet, Flows HT

x2 Drive Quartet, Ressac ST

x2 Drive Quartet, Shuplu CT

x2 Drive Quartet, Bubblin DT

Grade 1

x1 Mermaid Idol, Ellie

x2 Mermaid Idol, Felucca

x2 Mermaid Idol, Sedna

x2 Mermaid Idol, Riviere

x1 Blazer Pleasures

x1 Pearl Sisters, Perle

Grade 2

x1 Top Idol, Aqua

x1 Pearl Sisters, Perla

x2 Mermaid Idol, Flute

x1 Super Idol, Riviere

Grade 3

x1 Top Idol, Pacifica

x3 Super Idol, Salem

x1 Top Idol, Riviere

Following the Shadow Paladins' unsealing, Ren picks up the Revenger subgroup as his new deck for the third season, Link Joker. In the style of the first season, this deck is revealed one card at a time, and the Shadow Paladins appear to have the same corrupting influence on Ren that they did in the past.

Ride 117-Current (1/50 cards)

Grade 2
x1 Blaster Dark Revenger

Ren's manga deck is originally only seen fleetingly, used against Misaki in volume 3. He easily overpowers the girl with a Blaster Dragon ride.

The deck makes a second appearance in chapter 16, during a fight with Kai. Ren rides an alternative vanguard, "The Dark Dictator," based directly on the King of Knights, Alfred. Dictator's skill gives him +2000 additional power for each Shadow Paladin in his rearguard circles, while also giving front row Shadow Paladins +5000 power.

Chapter 12-Current (13/50 cards)
Grade 0
x1 Fullbau
x1 Death Feather Eagle CT
Grade 1
x1 Blaster Javelin
x1 Nightmare Painter
x2 Black Sage, Charon
Grade 2
x1 Blaster Dark
x1 Blaster Axe
Grade 3
x1 Phantom Blaster Dragon
x1 The Dark Dictator

Unknown Grade 
x1 Blaster Rapier
x1 Blaster Dagger
x1 Blaster Owl

Citations and External Links
1. KeroKero Ace Vol. 51 1 Apr. 2012. Print.
2. Cardfight!! Vanguard Ride 23. Perf. Atsushi Abe. Crunchyroll, 2011. Web. 15 June 2012.
3. Cardfight!! Vanguard Ride 23. Perf. Roger Rhodes. NicoNico Douga, 2012. Web. 15 June 2012. <http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/1339491057?via=thumb_watch>.

Character: Christopher Lo

"Well, he does have a point."
"Run through the darkness, cutting down everything in your path! I ride School Hunter, Leo-pald!"

Christopher Lo/クリストファー・ロウ
Age: 12¹
Anime Biography: A university student and Vanguard prodigy, Chris is the captain of Team SIT Genius. As one of Singapore's up-and-coming star cardfighters, he represents a major obstacle against Q4 in the VF Circuit. Christopher majors in Cardfight studies, and skipped multiple grades to study at to the university level from a young age.

Along with Gillian and Charlene, he is currently one of the only characters of either season with a western name; as such, his name retains its western naming order even in the anime's original Japanese. In fan subtitles, his name has been mistranslated as "Chris Falo," ignoring how the name is written in Asia Circuit's credit sequences.

Spoiler warning: Asia Circuit details follow.
Chris first introduces himself to Q4 at the Singapore Institute of Technology, after a run-in with Katsuragi Kamui. Keeping his cool in spite of his teammates' brashness, Christopher later makes an appearance on TV as part of the favored team in MC Miya's breakdown for the Circuit winners.

During their initial match with Q4, Chris is paired up against his opposing team captain, Aichi. Their fight is interrupted abruptly by the appearance of Tatsunagi Takuto, who induces the two cardfighters into a vision of Cray. After briefly speaking with them, Takuto reinvigorates Aichi's PSY Qualia and endows Christopher with his own, leaving them to struggle with both their newfound powers and one another.
Spoilers end here.
 
Trivia: In the previews for ride 70, Chris' clothes are navy blue instead of green, and his expressions are drawn much more fiercely. By the time the actual episode aired, his design changed to that of a more calm and reserved boy.








Decks and Play Style
Chris plays with a Great Nature deck, powering up his units in the main phase before retiring them in the end phase. Of the four main Great Nature builds, Chris use Leo-Pald's, resurrecting his units with its limit break. By combining this with the Hammsuke series, Christopher adds to his hand while playing with a full field, giving him more room to guard and field additional units.

Rides 74-Current: The Nation of Zoo (24/50 cards)
Grade 0
x1 Flask Marmoset
x1 Ruler Chameleon CT
x2 Eraser Alpaca ST
x1 Dictionary Goat HT
x1 Triangle Cobra CT
Grade 1
x2 Monoculars Tiger
x1 Pencil Squire, Hamsuke
x2 Loop-the-Loop, Duckbill
x1 Cable Sheep
x2 Pencil Squire, Hammsuke
Grade 2
x2 Compass Lion
x3 Geograph Giant
x1 Binoculars Tiger
Grade 3
x2 Magnet Crocodile
x2 School Hunter, Leo-Pald

1. Cardfight!! Vanguard Asia Circuit Hen Ride 70. YouTube, 2012. Web. 3 June 2012.

Character: Fajr Ali

"Now, picture it! Me, famous and popular with girls all around the world!"

"Let me show you once more, the wild power of beasts. Here it comes! I ride the Guardian of Truth, Lox!"

Fajr Ali/ファジル・アリ
Age: 12¹
Anime Biography: Team SIT Genius' number 3, Fajr thinks little of other cardfighters, particularly those who he considers "too old" to become skilled. Having spent all his life in Singapore's merciless environment where ability is everything, Ali has zero patience for those who don't take Vanguard as seriously as he does. Despite his young age, Fajr is a womanizer with many female fans.

Note that while "Pajeel" has been used in both fan and official subtitles, and is the translation endorsed by Bushiroad through Crunchyroll, it appears to be a mistranslation of "Fajr". "Pajeel" is not itself a real name or word anywhere in the world, unlike the rest of the cast. Fajr's name is Arabic; Ali is his given name

Spoiler warning: Asia Circuit details follow.
Introduced with his teammates at the Singapore Institute of Technology, Fajr skipped many grades to join the university and participate in the Circuit. He taunts the other cardfighters openly, believing that those who study so late are doomed to failure when pitted against him. Later on Fajr appears in MC Miya's coverage of SIT Genius, as part of the favored team to win Singapore's VF Circuit.

In the Q4 vs SIT Genius round of Singapore's Circuit, Ali is paired up against Kamui, where he threatens to steal his opponent's goddess.
Spoilers end here.

Fan Culture: Fajr has developed some notoriety for apparently having a number of in-universe female fans far older than him, and for desiring their attention in turn.

Decks and Play Style
Ali uses a Locks-based Great Nature deck, evolving from one ride into the next while gaining back cards lost through skills. In this way he's able to retain a great deal of cards in hand while weighing heavily into his opponent's damage zone. Additionally, because each card in the Locks chain gains power from having its immediate predecessor in the soul, Fajr can demand a higher amount of cards out of his opponent's hand by forcing them to call more boosting units than usual, while minimizing the amount of cards he needs to guard with.

Rides 74-Current: Defender of the Constitution (22/50 cards)
Grade 0
x2 Schoolyard Prodigy, Lox (FVG)
x2 Ruler Chameleon CT
x1 Dictionary Goat HT
x3 Triangle Cobra CT
x1 Alarm Chicken ST
Grade 1
x3 Bringer of Knowledge, Lox
x2 Tank Mouse
x2 Monoculus Tiger
x2 Pencil Squire, Hammsuke
x2 Cable Sheep
Grade 2
x2 Compass Lion
x1 Binoculus Tiger
x2 Law Official, Lox
x1 Pencil Knight, Hammsuke
Grade 3
x2 Magnet Crocodile
x2 Guardian of Truth, Lox

Citations and External Links
1. Cardfight!! Vanguard Asia Circuit Hen Ride 70. YouTube, 2012. Web. 3 June 2012.