A group of deities who were brainwashed when Alternate!Gentaro arrived in the Pantheon. They act as the main antagonists during Muse Hysteria and The Friendship Asylum until they are freed from that influence. They're...not in the best of shape afterwards, as explored in Through Darkness and Mirrors.
Tropes applying to them as a whole.
- The Atoner: All of them, to varying degrees, in Through Darkness and Mirrors.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: All of them were corrupted thanks to Alternate!Gentaro. They also fit the 'Crazy' part well.
- Dark Is Evil: It's in the name and all, with each of them associated with darkness prior to the brainwashing.
- Evil Is Hammy: The Proxy is a lot of things; subtle isn't one of them.
- Foil: During The Friendship Asylum (Which took place consecutively with The Great Upheaval), they are this to Homura Akemi. While Homura's mentality was at the point that she was on the verge of a willing Face–Heel Turn (albeit one caused by manipulation), NONE of the Darkness Proxy willingly turned evil. Homura has an I Work Alone mentality, several of these deities were either firm believers in The Power of Friendship, or at least had healthy social circles. Through Darkness and Mirrors has them try to fix their mistakes, while Homura makes no effort to go towards the root of the problem she herself created during Diamond Adventure.
- Heel Realization: Three of the members get this after realizing that Alt!Gentaro has no concerns on them after Sora unleashes an Enemy Civil War after what Yugi did and betray him on the spot, deciding to kill themselves to free them of their corruption.
- My God, What Have I Done?: They all eventually realize that what they've done was despicable. Yes, even Alternate!Gentaro learns that he caused nothing but trouble.
- Reformed, but Rejected: They're all trying to prove that they are no longer evil, but Through Darkness and Mirrors has many gods distrustful of them when Jeff becomes "Brother Nero" and the Crusaders get thrust into Limbo. By the end of this tale, all but Jeff (who becomes a Karma Houdini) and Alternate!Gentaro (who is dead) are redeemed.
- This Is Unforgivable!: On the receiving end after The Friendship Asylum. Despite being mind-controlled, their reputations have been torn to shreds and they can't really shake it off. This has varying effects during the course of Through Darkness and Mirrors.
Alternate!Gentaro Kisaragi/Kamen Rider Fourze (Kamen Rider Fourze)
The Gentaro Kisaragi of another universe, brought into our Pantheon and the central antagonist of the entire trilogy.
- The Atoner: By Through Darkness and Mirrors, he realized that what he did, and his attitude, was horrible, and wishes to help the Crusaders escape Limbo...just after revealing that they were that close for being his replacement in being used to maintain Limbo's core.
- Berserk Button: Does not like Mitsuzane. At all. His other one is doing anything to hurt Elena, as he is close to strangling Hans to death in The Friendship Asylum when he learns that Hans used Elena to be the one to trigger the Iron Giant's rampage.
- Break the Cutie: What happened to him in his backstory, which lead to...
- Kill the Cutie: Killed when Mirror Mitsuzane skewered him with a multitude of vines.
- Came Back Wrong: Used a wish from the Keystone of Limbo to let him live. He ended up revived but lost all of his emotions and, still guilty from everything that happened prior to his death, grew empty, heartless and downright enraged at everything that happened.
- Cold-Blooded Torture: The original story that detailed his entrance to the main Pantheon told how he dismembered Mitsuzane for everything his mirror countepart did. This includes stabbing, pulling out (and eating) of organs and finally beheading the boy and stuffing his head into the open cavity of his torso. Yeah, Alt!Gentaro really hated Mitsuzane.
- Evil Counterpart: Is this to the main Pantheon's Gentaro. Whereas Gentaro is friendly, cheerful and nice, Alternate!Gentaro is cynical, a jerk and does not care about those who ally with him.
- Eviler than Thou: Mitsuzane wanted to push Gentaro to the brink of despair...he just never considered how sadistic and vengeance-filled this Gentaro would turn out to be...
- He's later on the receiving end in Through Darkness and Mirrors concerning the GUAM and the GUAD, who prove to be even worse than he was.
- Face Death with Dignity: The end of Through Darkness and Mirrors has him realize that he will be destroyed when the Mirror Vex detonates Limbo...but he's fine because that means he'll finally be reunited with his friends wherever they're at.
- Horrible Judge of Character: A Fatal Flaw of his is that the gods he sees as weaklings are actually the ones that ruin his day.
- In Muse Hysteria, he only wanted Annie for the Princess Test and thought that Jack would be useless. Jack is capable of using the Wand of Dianthus just like his sister and used it to blow the Darkness Proxy back to the asylum at the end of the tale.
- It's revealed in the final story that he gave Yugi the suggestion to use the Crusaders as guinea pigs on sending souls to Limbo...and didn't realize that their determination after going through 400 rounds would be the key to saving the real Gentaro in The Friendship Asylum.
- Kick The Son Of A Bitch: He and the other Darkness Proxy members gives Queen Chrysalis (the catalyst of the story prior to Muse Hysteria) causing everything to happen. Considering the type of being she is, she deserved it.
- He's the one to start the Mitsuzane massacres. Then again, at that point Mitsuzane was being a dick and he did try to crush Gentaro's spirits prior to Gentaro's death.
- The Lost Lenore: The Mirror Pantheon version of Elena was his and he gets pissed at Hans when Hans' plans involve hurting her.
- The Man Behind the Man: He's the one who gave Yugi the suggestion to take the CMC into Limbo in the first place as he reveals in the final story.
- Red and Black and Evil All Over: Somewhat; he wears Gentaro's standard outfit (a black jacket, red shirt and black pants) but unlike Gentaro (who wears that outfit because that's just him being a friendly Japanese Delinquent) he is absolutely cruel.
- Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Before Limbo struck his world, he was essentially like the original Gentaro Kisaragi...then he found the Keystone of Limbo, became a target, killed his friends (and girlfriend) in a panicked frenzy, got killed by the same guy who instigated the killing, got revived and, well..let's just say that he has a reason to be bitter.
- Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: He's holding a lot of baggage beneath that evil facade of his.
- Would Hurt a Child: Doesn't seem anything wrong with asking his Darkness Proxy members to kidnap children in Muse Hysteria nor did he feel concern on what Yugi did to the Cutie Mark Crusaders until the final story, seeing that he was the one who gave Yugi that idea in the first place.
Yugi Muto (Yu-Gi-Oh)
The main protagonist of his home series. Not exactly in the best of shape thanks to current events.
- The Atoner: Adopts this stance during the third tale of the arc after everything that he's done in the previous two.
- Break the Cutie: After everything that happened concerning the Asylum (which is a lot), he's in a huge state of melancholy when Through Darkness and Mirrors starts up. It just gets worse once it turns it that Alternate!Gentaro implanted a dangerous artifact into his soul in Muse Hysteria, dragging him back into the conflict. He gets better as time goes on, thankfully.
- Speaking of that dangerous artifact, said artifact caused three little girls to be sent to Limbo. The Slasher does not sugarcoat that he has just doomed the Pantheon since his actions caused the darkness within it to be curious about those three. And he learns first hand how dangerous that artifact is when The Slasher pushes him to jump off the slippery slope.
- Broken Pedestal: On the receiving end thanks to his time as a member of the Darkness Proxy. A large number of deities have shunned him despite the fact that he was mind-controlled, and his prior reputation was sunk.
- Rebuilt Pedestal: Through the course of Through Darkness and Mirrors however, he slowly manages to repair some of the damage (Not to mention that some of the gods who engaged in the shunning have their own problems to deal with). By the time of the story's end, he's managed to bury the hatchet with many of them.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Why did he decide to hurt a child? Well...
- For the Crusaders: they essentially give him a minor insult ("Spiky haired freak") and he plunges them to Limbo.
- For Perry: Peach gave him a well deserved slap across the face, which he treated as Minor Injury Overreaction.
- Duels Decide Everything: He duels Bandit Keith (Who is under the control of the Wicked God cards) for the Keystone of Limbo.
- Easily Forgiven: Zig-zagged. The Crusaders don't have any hard feelings on him (despite the fact that he sent them to Limbo for six days straight and basically forgot that he sent the three there) because if he didn't do that, then Gentaro would've been lost forever. On the other hand, other gods still can't forgive him for everything else he's donenote and even he can't forgive himself for his actions.
- For the Evulz: His reason to send the Crusaders into Limbo.
- He's Back!: He slowly recovers his mojo as Through Darkness and Mirrors goes on...culminating in his duel against Bandit Keith.
- Kick the Dog: His actions on killing off The Iron Giant in The Friendship Asylum really showed how much of an a-hole he became.
- Large Ham: The hamminess is usually for his darker side, but he gains this when corrupted by Alt!Gentaro's influence and the Keystone of Limbo.
- Macguffin Super Person: Turns out that Alternate!Gentaro implanted an artifact known as the Keystone of Limbo into his soul. It gives him the ability to materialize certain desires, like protecting his friends...but it also makes him a target.
- Person of Mass Destruction:
- Psychopathic Yugi + Egyptian God Cards = ABSOLUTE CHAOS.
- Berserk Yugi + Keystone of Limbo = UNCERTAIN DOOM.
- Power High: Averted. The Slasher was HOPING for this to occur, as it's a sign that the Keystone's power is fully being released. Instead, it only fuels Yugi's Unstoppable Rage, and once he thinks the Slasher has been defeated, calms down.
- Psychopathic Man Child: Well, he's younger than most, still being in high school (in comparison, Gentaro is around 17/18 and Tsukasa would be in his early 20's compared to Eric Draven in his 30's and Jeff being the eldest at 41 as of this writing. His spirit counterpart would be around the same age as him give or take 3000+ years in a puzzle) but he's the most sadistic out of the group
- Pure Is Not Good: Is usually Incorruptible Pure Pureness...not so much when he's a Proxy member. Thank goodness he didn't know about that Keystone...
- In Through Darkness and Mirrors, he fits this trope when he activates the Keystone of Limbo as he has nothing but pure hate in his heart. Both at the Slasher for putting his friends in danger and having just snapped from the harassment he's gotten for the past few months.
- Rage Breaking Point: The Slasher threatening to hurt his friends and making Joey his personal puppet causes him to snap in the final story, making him unleash the powers of the Keystone of Limbo within his soul in order to fight back, and almost kill The Slasher (who is the last of Gentaro's remaining goodness) from it.
- Unstoppable Rage: When he gets hit with his Rage Breaking Point.
- Shout-Out: His rage while under the Keystone's influence is eerily reminiscent of Yuya Sakaki. This does not work to Sota's benefit.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: We cannot stress this enough; most of Tarot Crusaders wouldn't have happened if he didn't send the Cutie Mark Crusaders to Limbo.
- The Scapegoat: Turns out that while he did do the deed, the idea came from Alternate!Gentaro, which is only revealed after Noah finds the memory file for it.
- Would Hurt a Child: While corrupted. He's the reason why the Crusaders got thrust into Limbo in Muse Hysteria and tops that by snapping Perry the Parasol in half before burning him alive in The Friendship Asylum. Yeah there's a reason why lots of gods aren't willing to forgive Yugi-boy.
Yami Yugi (Atem) (Yu-Gi-Oh)
The second main protagonist of the series. Also not in the best of shape after all is said and done, but he's doing far better than Yugi and helps encourage him to rise back up during the final tale.
- Big Damn Heroes: He attempts this by fetching a duel disk for himself and Joey to stop the Slasher, but it's subverted in that the attempt fails as the Slasher seems to have the upper hand...though it's unknown if Atem had a counter during the final turn of the duel. note
- Casting a Shadow: Dark Magician and his fellows use dark-based magic.
- Dark Is Not Evil: He's usually this...not so much as a Darkness Proxy member.
- The Immune: After being exposed to the Keystone during Muse Hysteria (which he doesn't know until the final story), he's become immune to it and its origin afterwards.
- Mind Rape: Placed Princess Peach in a Mind Crush in The Friendship Asylum just after Yugi snapped Perry the Parasol in half.
- My Significance Sense Is Tingling: Similar to Jaden and Yubel, he's able to sense that the Darkness-possessed Bandit Keith is using Shadow Magic similar to their origin world, not the powers of the Darkness itself.
- Only Sane Man: Compared to Yugi, he's not as beat up about his actions, knowing that he was controlled. And he's able to kick some sense into everyone during their panicking.
- Tranquil Fury: When gods start harassing him in Through Darkness and Mirrors, he calmly tells them that they better stop before he does something about it. Billy and Zim don't get the hint and get launched into the sky via Catapult Turtle.
- Yin-Yang Bomb: He's currently using a LIGHT/DARK Spell Counter deck, but eventually switches to a more Dark Magician-focused deck. As it still runs Chaos cards however, it still counts.
Jeff Hardy in Willow persona, later Brother Nero (WWE)
A wrestler known for his risk-taking moves. He gets corrupted into one of his wrestling personalities and the trauma this places him (and his older brother) causes trouble in the final story.
- The Atoner: Believes that becoming Brother Nero, siding with his BROKEN brother and then letting himself be possessed by the darkness within Limbo would atone for all of his mistakes in the last two stories.
- Corrupt the Cutie: By Through Darkness and Mirrors he declares himself as "Brother Nero" (the nickname his BROKEN brother harasses him with) and becomes just as broken as his older brother.
- Demonic Possession: And by Act IV, he gets possessed by the Darkness in Limbo to unleash a wave of zombies.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: He let himself be devoured by zombies in order to be purified in The Friendship Asulm. Matt...wasn't happy about learning that.
- Foil: Is said to be Yugi's. Age wise: Yugi is in high school, Jeff is already 40 as of this writing. Both of them hit the hardest when it came to being corrupted by the darkness, both have a split personality...but how they decided to react after the harassment differs. Yugi becomes a Rebuilt Pedestal, Jeff passes the Despair Event Horizon.
- Goth: His Brother Nero attire has a Goth aesthetic.
- The Hyena: Willow is known for his maniacal laughter.
- Jekyll & Hyde: How Jeff treats himself and his Willow persona. The Friendship Asylum even has him battle for control for a time.
- He can weaponize this later on after being submerged in the water from the Lake of Reincarnation: one moment he's Brother Nero, another is Willow, or he could become the Anti-Christ, or even Itchweeed! (And yes, there really are three 'e's in that name)
- Karma Houdini: He gets away with causing the Crusaders to enter Limbo in the final story, undoing all of the hard work he built up in the last two stories.
- Literal Split Personality: One of Jeff's other personas (Anti-christ of Professional Wrestling) is used in the second act of Muse Hysteria before Ralph crushes his Soul Jar (Jeff's custmoized TNA belt during the Anti-Christ run).
- Madness Mantra: As Brother Nero: "I'll fade away and classify myself as obsolete!"
- Prophet Eyes: As Brother Nero, his eyes are an empty white color.
Eric Draven (The Crow)
An undead soul revived by a mystical crow a year after his death, he is a powerful fighter who can shrug off most attacks with ease.
- The Brute: Easily the best fighter in the group; justified in that his original avatar was the son of Bruce Lee and all.
- Creepy Crows: The crow that granted his powers can be seen throughout the first story.
- Good Thing You Can Heal: As long as the crow who revived him is intact, he'll take anything. The original story as to how the Asylum was built showed him tanking the Elements of Harmony with a hole in his chest that started to regenerate.
- Goth: Dressed in leather and has a white and black facepaint design on him.
- The Gunslinger: Uses guns in Through Darkness And Mirrors.
- Immune to Bullets: Guns do not work on him due to his healing factor.
- Kill It with Fire: He lets himself (and his crow familiar) be hit with a bomb in order to be badly damaged enough so that he can be purified.
- Major Injury Underreaction: Upon being skewered and stabbed by The Slasher in Through Darkness and Mirrors, all he can mutter is a simple "Ow" before he tries shooting in return.
- Power Gives You Wings: Gained crow wings under his time as a Darkness Proxy member.
- Reformed Criminal: "Criminal" is a stretch, but he's now doing time working with Carmelita Fox when Through Darkness and Mirrors starts.
- Surveillance as the Plot Demands: He can see whatever his crow familiar sees.
- We Used to Be Friends: With Jeff Hardy, but their friendship soured with the "Brother Nero" madness Jeff got into.
- Would Hurt a Child: Doesn't mind stabbing a fork through Mitsuzane's hand in The Friendship Asylum.Eric: Victims, aren't we all?
Tsukasa Kadoya/Kamen Rider Decade (Kamen Rider Decade)
Nicknamed "Destroyer of Worlds" with the ability to travel through dimensions. He was originally brainwashed when trying to uncover what happened to Alternate!Gentaro, later teaming up with Voltaire in Through Darkness and Mirrors for more investigations.
- Adaptational Wimp: Doesn't use his Kamen Rider copying abilities in the story, although this is justified in that the Kamen Riders he could transform into weren't ascended at the time.
- Camera Fiend: Still likes taking photos...even though his photos are pretty terrible.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: How exactly did he die in order to be pure of corruption? Piss off Jareth to the point that the Goblin King used The Cleaner on him. Yikes.
- Master of Illusion: Uses his powers to create illusions of other characters as part of a Frame-Up
- Phrase Catcher: Despite being brainwashed, he manages to state how his suit is magenta instead of pink in Muse Hysteria...to Artix, who has a fear of pink.Artix: Oh...that's even better! (continues ass-kicking)
