The road to hell is paved with good intentions
So, I have a half-finished fiction "7 sins" (with the title likely to change) which still needs a helluva lot of work, actually. But here's the philosophy for it. This was also crossposted to... somewhere... *narrows eyes*
I almost broke my brain pondering about plausible arguments why this could be him/her and why that could fit him/her better than, say, this guy across the duelling field. I even went as far as to do a bit of a research on each sin and how it has been called in the past and what nuances does it include. Quite often I ended up with a blank and tried to stuff this or that character in the row only to see how out of place they were there. And after almost killing my internet resources, a copy of The Divine Comedy (by Dante Alighieri, and yes, I did read it from cover to cover and reached for it in this desperate hour of need, since Dante was one of the first, if I'm not mistaken, who truly defined the Capital Vices), and the pieces of the Holy Bible I possess, I went all DUH!!! Idiot. So damn obvious.
And if my memory doesn't deceive me, the list is built from the most serious sin down to the less serious. (Though it really should have been the contrary - from the lesser to the bigger, but oh well. This is Yu-Gi-Oh! after all.)
1. Pride/Vanity (associated with: the animal horse, the colour violet) - Kaiba Seto.
"I'm doing this my way." "This is my problem, I'll handle it." "I don't need your help. I need no one's help." I do believe he has said some variations of these quite often. Kaiba is insistent on having things done the way he wants, no questions asked. His pride never allows him to admit that he's in way over his head and needs help to get out. I really didn't need much thought for this one. He just screamed "PRIDE!" all over the place and I obeyed by putting him on the list.
The opposing virtue: Humility/Humbleness - Bakura Ryou.
He is polite, he is quiet, and shy. Ryou is almost too nice to be true. He would never try to force his opinion on anyone, nor would he gloat about his accomplishments. He is the very embodiment of humility and goodwill. Of course, until his yami decides to take over.
2. Envy/Malice (associated with: the animal dog, the colour green) - Kaiba Noa.
He lost practically everything to a person who he was supposed to surpass. And if that wouldn't be enough, he lost his physical body as well, and therefore a chance for a business rematch. Of course he would become envious of those who can do what he is denied! Not that his green hair doesn't give a hint... But really, the appearance and things like hair/eye colour were of no importance to me when I made the list. Noa has proven his envy of Seto one too many times in one too many ways.
The opposing virtue: Kindness/Admiration - Kaiba Mokuba.
Mokuba adores his big brother Seto, he is kind to everyone who he meets for as long as they treat him nicely. He can and does get angry when faced with ill deeds, especially if they involve someone close to him, but he is able to sympathize as in the case of Amelda. He cannot imagine what his life would be like if Seto would just off and die, but he can still empathize. We can surely say that Seto is (to a certain extent, of course) the centre of Mokuba's world.
3. Gluttony/Overindulgence (associated with: the animal pig, the colour orange) - Yami no Marik.
I must admit, this one was the hardest to decide. Kujaku Mai made an appearance here because of the Duelist Kingdom where she quite clearly expressed her love for the money and earthly goods in general, and Jounouchi paid a visit here as well because of the excessive amounts of energy he wastes on random things since the other name of the sin is Overindulgence. However, Yami no Marik seems to be the best fitting person because of his craving for power that only grows worse and worse. He is power-hungry, obsessive, and indulges in destruction and destructive behaviour as such, which is the extent of this sin. Bobasa just eats helluva lot, but doesn't destroy to gain more, and this didn't quite qualify on my list (that, and the fact that this list was made before the Memory Arc was aired). Destroying anything that gets in the way just to satisfy the craving for more is, I believe, the worst case of this sin. This yami is all about MORE, MORE, MORE!!! which, basically, is Gluttony. He did "consume" his own better half, not wanting to share a body and mind, and the more he gets, the more he thirsts for, and the more his personality morphs into a truly monstrous creature.
The opposing virtue: Temperance/Self-restraint/Abstinence - Rishid Ishtar.
Rishid has showed exceptional temperance dealing with Malik and his Darkness, especially the latter. He restrained his wish to become a Tomb Keeper to take care of and serve unconditionally to his little foster brother who was the real heir of the family. He continued to go along with Malik's wishes even after he started straying from the path of what's right. The way he is ready to sacrifice himself needs no more comments or proving, I believe.
4. Lust/Perversion (associated with: the animal cow, the colour blue) - Ryuuji Otogi.
Quite obvious, isn't it? =] His womanizing nature is the first thing you'll notice, but the love for attention can be filed under this one as well. Women like him, and he knows it and uses it to his advantage. I put him under Lust for his obvious self-adoration and flirtatious nature, and also because he is the only character so blatantly demonstrating his sexuality. "I'm hot and you know it." Yeah, and that's why you're on the list, pal.
The opposing virtue: Chastity/Purity - Kawai Shizuka.
She is innocent and naïve, too pure to react on Otogi's tries to hit on her. She is the kind of chaste young girl you could read about in the old chivalry novels. She really is too sweet to be treated badly, even by an antagonist she (usually) happens to meet. (There are exceptions, of course.) Her character could be the one that can turn a "bad guy" in a good one by making them realize how very wrong they've been. Need I continue, or are you all screaming "Mary-Sue!!!" back there already? =]
5. Wrath/Anger (associated with: the animal bear, the colour red) - Amelda.
No big surprise there, really. Though he can be a calm and collected plotter, his actions are driven by anger and oftentimes lapse into wrathful streaks when he is ready to destroy everything, regardless if he must die along with the rest. Under this category go things like prejudice and hatred as well, and we can say that he possess both those traits too. And truly, what else would you expect from a guy who made a suicide-murder attempt against Seto Kaiba? They do come around insane nicely, eh?
The opposing virtue: Forgiveness/Composure - Yami no Yuugi.
Yami is calm and composed most of the time. He doesn't get angry very easily, and even when he does, he is able to keep his head clear to see things through to the end. (And don't get me started on Doma Arc. He wasn't really himself half the time there.) He got filed under here more for his Composure than Forgiveness because I couldn't let little Yuugi get all the virtues, now could I? =D But just think about it - the way he doesn't lose head even in the worst case scenarios, which he - let's face it - gets quite often.
6. Greed/Avarice (associated with: the animal frog, the colour yellow) - Yami no Bakura.
Oh, come on! What else would you expect of THE Tomb Robber? All thieves automatically go under this category, but Bakura would not stop there, now would he? He deceives, he betrays, and he keeps stealing to gain power no one else has known before. Greed for money, greed for power - you name it. This especially applies to his past self. Bakura doesn't really go to the extents Gluttony has, he has a certain goal and he strives for that. Gluttony is more like a child in a toy store - it wants everything the eye catches, and the minute it's old and boring, it wants something new and better. Also, Greed has way more patience in achieving goals, and Bakura did wait 3000+ years for his great comeback.
The opposing virtue: Charity/Giving - Mutou Yuugi.
Yuugi is always eager to share his friendship with just about anyone who treats him nicely. He gives without asking for anything in return and would do just about anything to help his friends. He is willing to forgive old wrongdoings and accept anyone as his friend if they are truly willing to change. Plus, he willingly shares his body and mind (and is quite accepting of the fact) with some spirit from 3000+ years ago. If that doesn't prove anything, then I don't know what does.
7. Sloth/Sadness (associated with: the animal goat, the colour light blue) - Pegasus Crawford.
Didn't really expect this one, did you? It was quite hard to decide on who would be most fitting for Sloth, and even Dartz was a special guest on this list for reasons I'm about to mention. Truly, the first once-over doesn't produce any legible ideas for this sin (in my case, anyway). No one seems to quite fit until you look deeper into the meaning of Sloth. Or rather, the name it used to have before it became Sloth. Sadness or 'unhappiness with one's current situation'. This was the reason why Dartz, with his obsession to rearrange the world to his liking, paid a visit to this list until I dug in even deeper. Dante described this sin as "absence or insufficiency of love", which is why Pegasus took Dartz's place on the pedestal of sins. And after that happened, the painfully obvious struck me - Pegasus doesn't really do much, just sits around looking all posh 'n' mighty and orders his goons about. Even duelling he doesn't have to rely on his skill - the Sennen Eye does the trick for him. His actual skill has gone a bit down the drain since there is no need for developing it further, and not developing one's potential to full extent is one of the faces of Sloth.
The opposing virtue: Diligence/Integrity - Katsuya Jounouchi.
Jounouchi is developing throughout the entire series, like it or not. With each duel he engages in, his skill grows. He works with his talent, trying to develop it to the best. And Integrity is exactly what brought this guy under the flag of this army virtue. I think everyone remembers where he started off (beaten by Tea, come on!) and what kind of wonders he showed during the Battle City finals (almost surviving Ra's attack. I'd say, Yami no Marik won by default there.). And still Jounouchi is willing to learn, with remarkable Diligence working his way out of the worst case scenarios when he's the only one around to turn to for advice.
So, here's my old rusty seven cents on the subject. Hope you can understand my chaotic reasonings behind each sin and each character attached to it. Might not make much sense, since I was more taking Dante into consideration than Internet (which I only used for animal and colour references, and the alternate names of the sins, and to dig up some old dirt on the sins where Dante, my brain and YGO cast failed me. XD)
I almost broke my brain pondering about plausible arguments why this could be him/her and why that could fit him/her better than, say, this guy across the duelling field. I even went as far as to do a bit of a research on each sin and how it has been called in the past and what nuances does it include. Quite often I ended up with a blank and tried to stuff this or that character in the row only to see how out of place they were there. And after almost killing my internet resources, a copy of The Divine Comedy (by Dante Alighieri, and yes, I did read it from cover to cover and reached for it in this desperate hour of need, since Dante was one of the first, if I'm not mistaken, who truly defined the Capital Vices), and the pieces of the Holy Bible I possess, I went all DUH!!! Idiot. So damn obvious.
And if my memory doesn't deceive me, the list is built from the most serious sin down to the less serious. (Though it really should have been the contrary - from the lesser to the bigger, but oh well. This is Yu-Gi-Oh! after all.)
1. Pride/Vanity (associated with: the animal horse, the colour violet) - Kaiba Seto.
"I'm doing this my way." "This is my problem, I'll handle it." "I don't need your help. I need no one's help." I do believe he has said some variations of these quite often. Kaiba is insistent on having things done the way he wants, no questions asked. His pride never allows him to admit that he's in way over his head and needs help to get out. I really didn't need much thought for this one. He just screamed "PRIDE!" all over the place and I obeyed by putting him on the list.
The opposing virtue: Humility/Humbleness - Bakura Ryou.
He is polite, he is quiet, and shy. Ryou is almost too nice to be true. He would never try to force his opinion on anyone, nor would he gloat about his accomplishments. He is the very embodiment of humility and goodwill. Of course, until his yami decides to take over.
2. Envy/Malice (associated with: the animal dog, the colour green) - Kaiba Noa.
He lost practically everything to a person who he was supposed to surpass. And if that wouldn't be enough, he lost his physical body as well, and therefore a chance for a business rematch. Of course he would become envious of those who can do what he is denied! Not that his green hair doesn't give a hint... But really, the appearance and things like hair/eye colour were of no importance to me when I made the list. Noa has proven his envy of Seto one too many times in one too many ways.
The opposing virtue: Kindness/Admiration - Kaiba Mokuba.
Mokuba adores his big brother Seto, he is kind to everyone who he meets for as long as they treat him nicely. He can and does get angry when faced with ill deeds, especially if they involve someone close to him, but he is able to sympathize as in the case of Amelda. He cannot imagine what his life would be like if Seto would just off and die, but he can still empathize. We can surely say that Seto is (to a certain extent, of course) the centre of Mokuba's world.
3. Gluttony/Overindulgence (associated with: the animal pig, the colour orange) - Yami no Marik.
I must admit, this one was the hardest to decide. Kujaku Mai made an appearance here because of the Duelist Kingdom where she quite clearly expressed her love for the money and earthly goods in general, and Jounouchi paid a visit here as well because of the excessive amounts of energy he wastes on random things since the other name of the sin is Overindulgence. However, Yami no Marik seems to be the best fitting person because of his craving for power that only grows worse and worse. He is power-hungry, obsessive, and indulges in destruction and destructive behaviour as such, which is the extent of this sin. Bobasa just eats helluva lot, but doesn't destroy to gain more, and this didn't quite qualify on my list (that, and the fact that this list was made before the Memory Arc was aired). Destroying anything that gets in the way just to satisfy the craving for more is, I believe, the worst case of this sin. This yami is all about MORE, MORE, MORE!!! which, basically, is Gluttony. He did "consume" his own better half, not wanting to share a body and mind, and the more he gets, the more he thirsts for, and the more his personality morphs into a truly monstrous creature.
The opposing virtue: Temperance/Self-restraint/Abstinence - Rishid Ishtar.
Rishid has showed exceptional temperance dealing with Malik and his Darkness, especially the latter. He restrained his wish to become a Tomb Keeper to take care of and serve unconditionally to his little foster brother who was the real heir of the family. He continued to go along with Malik's wishes even after he started straying from the path of what's right. The way he is ready to sacrifice himself needs no more comments or proving, I believe.
4. Lust/Perversion (associated with: the animal cow, the colour blue) - Ryuuji Otogi.
Quite obvious, isn't it? =] His womanizing nature is the first thing you'll notice, but the love for attention can be filed under this one as well. Women like him, and he knows it and uses it to his advantage. I put him under Lust for his obvious self-adoration and flirtatious nature, and also because he is the only character so blatantly demonstrating his sexuality. "I'm hot and you know it." Yeah, and that's why you're on the list, pal.
The opposing virtue: Chastity/Purity - Kawai Shizuka.
She is innocent and naïve, too pure to react on Otogi's tries to hit on her. She is the kind of chaste young girl you could read about in the old chivalry novels. She really is too sweet to be treated badly, even by an antagonist she (usually) happens to meet. (There are exceptions, of course.) Her character could be the one that can turn a "bad guy" in a good one by making them realize how very wrong they've been. Need I continue, or are you all screaming "Mary-Sue!!!" back there already? =]
5. Wrath/Anger (associated with: the animal bear, the colour red) - Amelda.
No big surprise there, really. Though he can be a calm and collected plotter, his actions are driven by anger and oftentimes lapse into wrathful streaks when he is ready to destroy everything, regardless if he must die along with the rest. Under this category go things like prejudice and hatred as well, and we can say that he possess both those traits too. And truly, what else would you expect from a guy who made a suicide-murder attempt against Seto Kaiba? They do come around insane nicely, eh?
The opposing virtue: Forgiveness/Composure - Yami no Yuugi.
Yami is calm and composed most of the time. He doesn't get angry very easily, and even when he does, he is able to keep his head clear to see things through to the end. (And don't get me started on Doma Arc. He wasn't really himself half the time there.) He got filed under here more for his Composure than Forgiveness because I couldn't let little Yuugi get all the virtues, now could I? =D But just think about it - the way he doesn't lose head even in the worst case scenarios, which he - let's face it - gets quite often.
6. Greed/Avarice (associated with: the animal frog, the colour yellow) - Yami no Bakura.
Oh, come on! What else would you expect of THE Tomb Robber? All thieves automatically go under this category, but Bakura would not stop there, now would he? He deceives, he betrays, and he keeps stealing to gain power no one else has known before. Greed for money, greed for power - you name it. This especially applies to his past self. Bakura doesn't really go to the extents Gluttony has, he has a certain goal and he strives for that. Gluttony is more like a child in a toy store - it wants everything the eye catches, and the minute it's old and boring, it wants something new and better. Also, Greed has way more patience in achieving goals, and Bakura did wait 3000+ years for his great comeback.
The opposing virtue: Charity/Giving - Mutou Yuugi.
Yuugi is always eager to share his friendship with just about anyone who treats him nicely. He gives without asking for anything in return and would do just about anything to help his friends. He is willing to forgive old wrongdoings and accept anyone as his friend if they are truly willing to change. Plus, he willingly shares his body and mind (and is quite accepting of the fact) with some spirit from 3000+ years ago. If that doesn't prove anything, then I don't know what does.
7. Sloth/Sadness (associated with: the animal goat, the colour light blue) - Pegasus Crawford.
Didn't really expect this one, did you? It was quite hard to decide on who would be most fitting for Sloth, and even Dartz was a special guest on this list for reasons I'm about to mention. Truly, the first once-over doesn't produce any legible ideas for this sin (in my case, anyway). No one seems to quite fit until you look deeper into the meaning of Sloth. Or rather, the name it used to have before it became Sloth. Sadness or 'unhappiness with one's current situation'. This was the reason why Dartz, with his obsession to rearrange the world to his liking, paid a visit to this list until I dug in even deeper. Dante described this sin as "absence or insufficiency of love", which is why Pegasus took Dartz's place on the pedestal of sins. And after that happened, the painfully obvious struck me - Pegasus doesn't really do much, just sits around looking all posh 'n' mighty and orders his goons about. Even duelling he doesn't have to rely on his skill - the Sennen Eye does the trick for him. His actual skill has gone a bit down the drain since there is no need for developing it further, and not developing one's potential to full extent is one of the faces of Sloth.
The opposing virtue: Diligence/Integrity - Katsuya Jounouchi.
Jounouchi is developing throughout the entire series, like it or not. With each duel he engages in, his skill grows. He works with his talent, trying to develop it to the best. And Integrity is exactly what brought this guy under the flag of this army virtue. I think everyone remembers where he started off (beaten by Tea, come on!) and what kind of wonders he showed during the Battle City finals (almost surviving Ra's attack. I'd say, Yami no Marik won by default there.). And still Jounouchi is willing to learn, with remarkable Diligence working his way out of the worst case scenarios when he's the only one around to turn to for advice.
So, here's my old rusty seven cents on the subject. Hope you can understand my chaotic reasonings behind each sin and each character attached to it. Might not make much sense, since I was more taking Dante into consideration than Internet (which I only used for animal and colour references, and the alternate names of the sins, and to dig up some old dirt on the sins where Dante, my brain and YGO cast failed me. XD)