Seto Kaiba

Seto Kaiba (Japanese: 海馬 瀬人, Hepburn: Kaiba Seto) is a fictional character in the manga Yu-Gi-Oh! by Kazuki Takahashi. As the majority shareholder and CEO of his own multi-national gaming company, Kaiba Corporation, Kaiba is reputed to be Japan's greatest gamer and aims to become the world's greatest player of the American card game, Duel Monsters (Magic & Wizards in the Japanese manga). In all mediums, his arch-rival is the protagonist of the series, Yugi Mutou, who is also a game player while Zigfried Von Schroeder is also his arch-rival. He is the modern day counterpart of Atem's cousin son of Aknadin nephew of Aknamkanon and one of the Pharaoh Atem's Six High Priests, "Priest Seto", who appears in the manga's final arc. Kaiba has also appeared in related anime and feature films. His signature monster is the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

Seto Kaiba originates from one of the stories Takahashi heard from a friend involving a selfish card collector. Like the card collector, Kaiba is obsessed with gaming, but Takahashi also gave Kaiba a calmer demeanor when developing his relationship with his rival. He was first voiced by Hikaru Midorikawa in Japanese, with Kenjirō Tsuda replacing him in the sequel Duel Monsters. Eric Stuart voiced him in all of his English appearances.

Reception to Kaiba has been consistently positive among critics and audiences. Commentators highlight the layered portrayal of a character who oscillates between ruthless corporate rival and protective older brother, lauding his traumatic backstory, unwavering ambition, and symbolic link to the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. A minority of reviewers have argued that his single-minded rivalry with Yugi sometimes slips into archetypal “obsessed rival” territory, especially in early story arcs. Nevertheless, media outlets such as Screen Rant, Anime News Network, and Crunchyroll routinely rank him among anime’s most memorable rivals, while academic writers have examined him as an emblem of post-bubble Japanese corporate masculinity. Fan polls published in V Jump and other magazines frequently place Kaiba at or near the top of character popularity charts—sometimes ahead of the series’ protagonist, Yugi Mutou—underscoring his enduring appeal. This sustained popularity has driven extensive merchandising, cameo appearances in crossover games, and regular inclusion in anniversary events, securing Seto Kaiba’s reputation as one of the most iconic figures in modern anime and manga.