Non-human design for Yami-Yugi, created with some help from a few polls I ran! Commentary and closeups under the cut
Since the poll results were feathered wings, I decided to take some Horus inspiration and make them hawk/falcon wings! Maybe a red-tailed hawk to match with Mana’s? Though I did put bars on the tail… The horns poll turned out to have long and curly as the winner so I went with Berfomet-inspired horns since that’s one of his key monsters during Battle City. The glow I imagine to be more like how a mirage shimmers to add to his incorporeal nature. This drawing is of how he looks during Duelist Kingdom, but I definitely won’t remember that I gave him the earrings so that’s subject to change.
Creature features! Sharp nails and teeth creating an air of danger with how pointy they are.
Another full-body, this time from Battle City/Orichalcos arc. He’s definitely less menacing/intense from hanging out with (inhabiting) Yugi, and honestly just wants a break from dealing with world-ending threats. (And yes that mug does say World Class Duelist, Sugoroku got it for Yugi originally but Yugi just gave it to Yami since he’s really the one winning the duels. Yami then insisted they share it so they do.)
More notes:
-His horns keep his hair contained, otherwise it’d look like this (also does when he overuses his powers):
-While the wings are functional, he prefers to float because it’s less effort and uses them mainly for intimidation. This also leads him to neglect preening so a monster spirit usually does it for him (not that he asked, they just fuss over him). They can sorta manifest while inhabiting Yugi, but they look more like vaguely winged-shaped blobs than actual wings so any threat displays he tries don’t work too well. The mind-crushing and resting menace face more than makes up for it though. Other than that, none of the non-human features appear as Yami-Yugi.
-The sun disk pattern around the third eye on his forehead constantly glows a soft yellow. The Eye of Wedjat still appears over this eye when using his shadow powers, but not to the same degree since there’s already an eye there. All of the extra eyes are functional but for like Ka or shadow realm vision (think Judai with Yubel’s eyes during s4 of gx). Main eyes also glow a little.
-Can interact directly with monster spirits while not inhabiting Yugi
-Can be independently corporeal for short periods of time but prefers inhabiting Yugi for corporeality (easier/more comfortable)
-Spends free time either wandering the Puzzle’s maze (looking for something but he doesn’t remember what?) or peering over Yugi’s shoulder
-Generally divine/royal aura about him
