Predictions and Observations:
Conquering the Past III

Rainbow Dark Dragon-- should've known! I can't believe it never occurred to me that there'd be a dark version of Rainbow Dragon too!

"I never thought I would see that beast in battle..." Is that to say Rainbow Dark Dragon, as in Zane knew there was such a thing but thought he'd never run into one? Or is he saying that he had hoped for a rematch with Jesse, now with completed deck, but was disappointed when Jesse got left behind, and now he gets his wish, complete with *a* Rainbow Dragon?

Did anyone else notice that Zane's lifepoint counter acted kinda strangely when it got a big hit? Like going up and down and up and down then showing the number, instead of just going down to it? I even went back and checked that it was showing the right number, I did the math, because it seemed almost that the lifepoint counter was reflecting how much strength Zane actually had left; that  blast would have been a serious blow to his heart, too.

Zane was determined to take down Rainbow Dark Dragon. Not even win the duel, as much as take down that unbeatable monster. Zane loves duels themselves (and come to think of it that's another similarity and difference he shares with Jaden, who has that love plus an affinity with his opponent, other duelists, and people surrounding the duel).

Cyber Laser Dragon is another obscure Zane monster; hasn't been seen since Field of Screams.

"Looking back I realized that I had all the glory...but I missed out on having any of the fun!" This is another thing that causes Zane to see great potential in Jaden; Jaden does right everything that, looking back, Zane realizes he did wrong.

I noticed something about Chimaeratech Fortress Dragon. When Zane played Chimaeratech Overdragon in his first underground duel, the number of dragons he sacrificed is most kindly termed drastic overkill. He said it himself: "I'm in a destructive mood today." However, I counted, and he sacrificed no more than necessary for his move when he played Fortress Dragon.

Jaden doesn't have faith in himself, but he has all faith in Zane. He was almost back to his old self during this duel.

"More than you'll ever know." Power Bond has always been an important card in Zane's arsenal, and in Syrus'. Looking back, I'd say that this card most accurately symbolizes risk-taking and its consequences. At the Academy, whenever Zane used this card, it was an entirely calculated move. Either it was the final turn of the duel, the final attack, and there was no way it could be stopped, or he had a De-Fusion card ready to back it up. Entirely calculated risks, so there was no need to worry about consequences. And by that same token, Zane was nearly invincible during his year at the Academy. Going out into the wide dueling world, however, we quickly saw him deteriorate, when he was no longer able to control the consequences of the risks around him, such as the risk of going out into the wide dueling world. Zane played Power Bond in The Demon, expecting to win, but Aster saved himself at the last minute, therefore making Zane's calculated risk not as calculated as he thought. However, even then he wasn't playing full-out, not risking everything; that was the one and only time he's Power-Bonded anything less than Cyber End Dragon itself. This duel was a microcosm of Zane's approach to the pros as a whole; what I love most about Yu-Gi-Oh! is that the duels reflect the duelists. So was going pro a risk he shouldn't have taken? No. But he should have stretched his limits while still at school; every time he played Power Bond during that year, it wasn't for real, because it wasn't a real risk. The first time he dueled Jaden, he wasn't expecting as much of a match as he got, but he still won. When he dueled Camula, that was a risk, but he'd also seen her duel before. Crowler almost beat her, and Crowler's a dreadful duelist. It was a risk, but a calculated one, and Zane's loss had nothing whatsoever to do with the duel itself. In the Grad Match, Zane does seem to want to stretch his limits, because he knows darn well that Jaden will give him a challenge. He wanted his last match to be special, a duel to remember, and I'm reminded of what Zane said about glory in this post's episode. When he graduated, Zane ended up unprepared and inflexible, and the potential he sees in Jaden and Syrus is they never stop stretching their limits. Think of the lengths Jaden will go to for a good match, and how constantly he seeks out new challenges-- in that, he shows his own limitless potential. In such duels as No Pain, No Game; Schooling the Master; The Darkness Within; and Tough Love, Power Bond was nowhere in sight. In contrast to the dangerous and edgy facade Zane puts up during that time, he reveals his own vulnerability in his obsession with winning; it covers up terror of losing. He was so very afraid, that he wasn't about to risk losing, no matter what. I submit that it was Zane's duel with Jesse that reminded him how much fun it can be, how much more alive one is, when one takes some risks. Zane wasn't expecting to risk losing to Jesse, I don't think, but as he's said, Jesse gave him a real run for his money, much like Jaden did. Jesse reminded him that dueling without a challenge is like being half-alive. Now, understanding that, Zane can play Power Bond in the true spirit of the card; the two times it's been played are when Zane defended Syrus in The State of Syrus, when he confronted Jaden, and just now, all risky in different ways. The last time Zane and Syrus spoke face-to-face, Syrus ended up in the hospital for several days. In The State of Syrus, Zane knows he has something important to say, but it's a bit of a risk to approach Syrus and say it. Syrus could have held a grudge, or been so mad at Jaden that he refused the advice, and then what? When he confronted Jaden, it wasn't as much of a risk, but he did attack when Jaden had *several* facedowns, and could have stopped him several different ways. If Jaden had been himself *at all*, Zane would have lost, but Zane felt strongly enough that Jaden was entirely off his game that he stepped up and proved it. And just now? This was the end; hold nothing back, and leave nothing behind. Now, though, Zane also took risks not because he was game for them, but because this was the end and if he was ever going to take them, it must be now.
Now, the flipside of all this: Syrus' use of Power Bond. Whatever Power Bond represents to Zane, in the show his use of it seems to represent risk, as I spelled out above. However, what about Syrus? First and foremost, to Syrus it represents Zane, and what his big brother means to him, because the card was a gift to him from Zane, like Time Wizard, The Ties of Friendship, Red-Eyes, Fiend's Sanctuary, Valon's Cyber Harpie, or the Golden Castle of Stromberg. What we know about this gift is that Zane showed confidence in Syrus by giving it to him, and later regretted it: "...and I would have never given you that card had I known that you would misplay it like you were about to!" (Duel and Unusual Punishment). At this point, my best guess is, remember that to Zane this card represents risk and all the dangers thereof; Syrus was, what, six? Seven? I'd protect my eight-year-old sister from taking any real risks until she was old enough and strong enough to handle the consequences. But this was just a duel; sure, Syrus put himself on the line, challenging the school bully and all that, and admittedly, if that duel had been allowed to play out, Syrus would most likely have been a laughingstock, until he challenged the bully again and won (and you *know* he would've), but I think Zane's protectiveness may have done more harm than good. After all, Syrus still had emotional scars from Zane's lack of confidence in him about seven years or so later (six or seven years old in the flashback, and high school freshmen are typically around fourteen). But was it protectiveness, is still the question. And if so, it was kind of ill-timed. Symbolically, it makes sense, because Power Bond embodies risk, but practically, no. People don't typically think symbolically, so I have to wonder what Zane was thinking at the time. What special significance does Power Bond hold for him? My other guess was that Power Bond was so special to him that he didn't want Syrus to dishonor it by playing it wrong. Either way, it shakes down to Power Bond meaning something more to Zane than 'fuse a machine monster and double its attack points, then at the end of the turn the monster is fused in, take damage equal to the monster's original attack points.' But I'm getting off-track, and I ought to talk about Syrus. I tried to figure out whether Syrus played Power Bond in Tag Team Trial, and I've got nothing. Syrus offered Jaden Power Bond for the School Duel, along with Bastion offering Water Dragon and Alexis offering Etoile Cyber, all signature cards. I don't think Sy duels at all for the rest of that year, all through RSB. The next Syrus duel of note is, of course, Sad But Truesdale, when he takes Power Bond out of his deck for the match. In this, it's implied that Power Bond is a crutch, a support that, as long as he has it, he can't truly know whether he can stand alone. This also seems symbolic of Zane himself, as when his big brother graduates, Syrus finally blossoms as a duelist because he begins to develop an identity beyond "Zane's little brother". Now, to carry this further, Sy's next big duel is Camaraderie Contest, which does NOT contain Power Bond at all, because it's all about Syrus' connection to Jaden and Hassleberry, which is Syrus' growing independence. Same with Taken By Storm. Other symbolic cards around Syrus include Vehicroid Connection Zone and Hassleberry's Jurassic Impact. And finally, the big one, Tough Love. Syrus didn't want to put Power Bond in his deck until he was already strong enough to beat Zane without it. But he'd never be satisfied enough with his own ability to think he'd be a match for Zane, because Zane is such a giant to him. So Jaden stepped in and got Syrus to take the risk, to step up anyway, and that got represented in his slipping Power Bond into Syrus' deck. Syrus wanted to not duel with it until he was ready, to take a calculated risk, but it's obvious from a distance that there would have been no such thing as ready. In addition, Syrus has grown independent from Zane at this point, and Power Bond is symbolic of his connection to Zane; it's a strange dichotomy, that he is simultaneously drawing strength from his brother in the form of Power Bond, and fighting against that same brother, but Syrus was also fighting for Zane, trying to get him back to normal, so Power Bond is the concrete representation of what Syrus is fighting for. And he does end up getting scorched by Power Bond in that duel, but he negates it with Life Force. And come to think of it, Syrus' use of Life Force, how all the damage done to his lifepoints up until the final attack was self-inflicted, reminds me of Zane's throwing this duel before he'd let Jesse/Yubel beat him.

In going back to check whether Zane took the damage from Power Bond's side effect in The Demon, I was struck by a line of Jaden's: "I don't need grades; what I need is a *challenge.* Then I'll be ready to duel with the pros. Y'know, like Zane." This statement's pretty ironic, I think, because what Zane was *lacking*, going into the pro league, was ever having been challenged enough that he stepped out of his comfort zone. "For all we can fathom, Zane is about to embark on the greatest challenge of his career", huh, Bastion? That's one way to put it. Once again that word 'challenge', though. Sartorius uses it, too, to say that Aster is about to face a great challenge. It's been a long and painful road for both of them to join Jaden's side.

Zane looks so *young* in those flashbacks...

First Jesse, now Zane have placed themselves between Jaden and Yubel, and fallen. Both champions, both people who are Jaden's equals, possibly even stronger duelists than he is last we checked. It's going to be one heck of a fight.

"He's got one. You two watch out for each other." Awwww...

"I'm proud of you, and I always will be." Double-awwww... and *how* long have we been waiting to hear those words? I came across a quote in Tag Team Trial II while I was writing the novel a few paragraphs ago: "I wanna think I impressed you, Zane. That I dueled at that higher level. That I showed you that I can play a card, not just use it. But I know that I still have a lot to learn, and a lot to live up to."

This seems a bit more permanent... if I had to guess, even if they get everyone back from the stars, Zane's not coming back. If this were their native dimension, his heart would've stopped. Plus, everyone took this starstriking a lot harder. It's still a bit weird to use the "D" word, though; nobody dies on this show.

I was wondering what would happen when the undefeated, victory-obsessed Zane finally lost a duel. Zane was the one who beat himself, in the end; he threw the duel before Jesse/Yubel could defeat him. Or he went out undefeated, in his way.

These three episodes were very much Zane's last stand, final hurrah. I'm not really sure where *Jaden* stands at this point. He vowed retribution against Yubel, but that's no reason to duel and could throw him off even more. Will Zane's last fight have inspired him to move on and be the hero he's meant to be? Or, if not, why was this named what it was? What past was *Zane* conquering? Will we ever know?

Looks like we're back in that magical place, rerun land, folks. Tomorrow morning, we're back at The Forbidden Ritual I, and the week after that, The Forbidden Ritual II.

I noticed that there were a few moves that paralleled the final moves of Unleashing the Dragon; might've just been Rainbow Dragon's presence.

I noted that there were no Cyber Dark things in this duel AT ALL. I had wondered, briefly, if we'd see a showdown between Rainbow Dark Dragon and Cyber Dark Dragon, but it's fitting that this duel was all Cyber End Dragon and company; Cyber End Dragon is Zane's duel spirit, ya know.

Cyber Valley, Chimaeratech Fortress Dragon, and Dimension Explosion new and unique to this duel. Wonder what the symbolism is there. First thing I noticed is that it's rather out-of-the-norm for Zane to play weak effect monsters; he usually has enough power *and* effect in his huge dragons, so Cyber Valley was a curveball for me. When he said Chimaeratech, I started having PainGame flashbacks, but this is clearly something else entirely. Dimension Explosion dovetails with Zane's historic use of remove-from-play cards such as Different Dimension Capsule and (I think this is remove, not grave; if not, something else in the Grad Match was) Future Fusion.

Zane made a lot of use of taking things in and out of play. Removing from play is usually, in the game, something to do with dimensions (as in "Burial From a Different Dimension" and so forth). Zane has shown himself to be a master of dimensions, *separate* dimensions, but we're facing all of the dimensions colliding into one. Just a thought that occurred to me.

Could Cybernetic Zone have saved Zane? I looked it up online, and the card text is: “Select 1 face-up Machine-Type Fusion Monster you control and remove it from play until the End Phase of this turn. When that monster is returned to the field, double its ATK. During your next Standby Phase, destroy it.”
By the way, Power Bond’s exact specs are: “Send, from your hand or your side of the field to the Graveyard, Fusion Material Monsters that are listed on a Machine-Type Fusion Monster Card, and Special Summon that Fusion Monster from your Fusion Deck. (This Special Summon is treated as a Fusion Summon). Increase the ATK of this Special Summoned Fusion Monster by an amount equal to its original ATK. During the End Phase of this turn, the player who activated this card takes damage equal to the original ATK of the Special Summoned monster.”
I got nothing, but I get this feeling that there was something more cowardly, less risky, that Zane could've done that he didn't. 

Wait... what about "That kid needs to grow up"?

You know the most ironic part of this? I graduated from high school the day before this episode played, and we come full-circle to Grad Match. Not only that, but my battle cry last week, right along with Zane, was finishing all this with no regrets. I'm going to miss all of my friends in high school, and it was really hard to accept that I wouldn't ever see some of them again, and that I wouldn't have the luxury of taking for granted that I could run into them every day. But I'm complete, and I'm ready to move on to college, and I'm even starting to get excited.

Zane may have lost, but he scared Yubel. She is not untouchable.

I was just watching "Let the Finals Begin!" and I realized that the stadium under construction in which the finalists meet... what if that's the stadium from Pyramid of Light or The Next King of Games? It seems increasingly unlikely that it's the latter, because despite the presence of a KC building on the skyline, it seems apparent that Domino isn't Jaden's home town, or he wouldn't have insisted on going there for a field trip. But those bleachers looked familiar...

That's all! Sorry it's so late; I got into summertime slacking... -Clio