Changes: Ren Suzugamori (V Series)

Ren Suzugamori is the main antagonist of the first arc of the Cardfight!! Vanguard (V Series Anime), and is currently in Fukuhara High School. He created the Foo Fighter organization, and lead the strongest Foo Fighters in his team AL4. His mastery of PSYqualia is so strong that when he became a PSYqualia Zombie, he was able to regain some kind of control to disobey Wandering Star Brandt.

Personality

At the start of the series, he's seen as an apathetic character, constantly bored due to his ability to constantly win Vanguard fights and seeks something more exciting. Originally, he was a lot like Sendou Aichi, timid and afraid, until he discovered Vanguard and eventually awakened to his PSYQualia power. Once he began to use this power more, he become more obsessed with winning and seeking greater heights to test his powers on. This obsession would lead to the creation of Team Asteroid's motto: Winners get all, losers get nothing! He also developed an obsession with Kai, seeing him as the pinacle of strength and power, wanting to prove to him that he was the only one who could save him from his own strength and bordem, seeing that they are similar to one another. It isn't until he battles Aichi and loses that he regains his former personality.

He is typically easy going and relaxed and also very flippant when something important needs to be done. This is reflected when he's made Captain of the Fukuhara Vanguard Club and he doesn't take his responisibilities too seriously. However, when he's in a fight, he's ready to go and won't tolerate anything less than the best from his opponent and himself. Even when he becomes a PSYQualia Zombie after losing to Takuto, he still retains most of this personality.

Appearance

He wears a dark mauve mantled trench coat, with dark grey pants and skirt (or undershirt with one half sticking out). His shirt and choker are a lighter shade of mauve, while his long boots are black. His hair is long, red, and unkempt, and his eyes are a similar shade to his hair.

In Vanguard -IF-, he aids the Blaster Pair as the self-proclaimed hero, Mask the Dark which is just him dressed as Blaster Dark but with, as everyone describes it as, large shoulder pads, even going so far as for people to call him Mask the Shoulder Pads.

History

We get a bit more backstory with the reboot of Cardfight Vanguard in regards to Ren's past. Much like Aichi, he was a timid, cowerdly young boy who had his own problems to deal with but whereas Aichi's issue was with dealing with classmates, Ren's cowardice is reserved for his father who longs for his son to stop playing around and become a prodigy of everything due to having high standards for him. He runs away from home and ends up at Tetsu Shinjou's family owned cardshop where he offers to help him and even teach him about Vanguard to pass the time. Eventually Ren makes this his home away from home as he was able to escape his father by coming here but not for long as his father continued to be abusive towards him. It was at this cardshop that he met Toshiki Kai, a Vanguard fighter who was constantly beating everyone he played against. Idolizing his strength, Ren challenges Kai to fights constantly and loses every fight. This was a turning point in his life though as starts to hear the voices of his units talking to him, helping him in the fight by being able to predict the flow of the battle. His personality began to twist into something sadistic, something that both Tetsu and Kai acknowledged and were worried about. While Tetsu continued to support Ren's ideals despite this change, Kai remained steadfast that what Ren was becoming, how he battles his opponents, were something he did not approve of and want nothing to do with. Ren took this as Kai believing he was beneth him and attempted to challenge him to fight to prove he was Kai's equal. During this tiff, Suiko Tatsunagi approaches Ren, inquring as to whether he could truly hear the voices of his cards. She challenges him to a fight to test out his abilities and lost. She then tells him that he may indeed have PSYQuallia. Knowing the name of his ability, Ren's obsession with winning continued to escalate to a point where Kai became disgusted with Ren and left his side. Ren continued to win fight after fight, eventually becoming bored and only desired one thing: to have a serious fight with Kai. Before the series begins, Ren and Tetsu start their own team of Vanguard fighters looking to have what he deemed to be serious fights, Team Asteroid, recruiting the likes of Asaka Narumi, Kyou Yahagi, and various other fighters who joined up with Ren due to his own charms. Eventually, Tetsu introduces the VF Gloves as a way to get closer to the ideal serious fights with him and Asuka testing it out in a fight. Seeing Asuka shocked by the glove, Ren asks what the deal is with it and learns that Tetsu made it to simulate the pain of the Vanguard's pain when attacked. He had some concerns but saw Asuka's determination to continue the fight in hopes on being on the same level as him. During the fight though, Ren seemingly felt no pain, surprising Asuka. Tetsu explained that with PSYQualia, Ren is already one with his Vanguard and does feel the pain on a psychological level. Eventually though, Ren begins to feel nothing, even as he battles other players as he continues to win fight after fight.

Sometime after the Card Capital VS Voyage Cardfight Tournament, Ren and his team were sitting amongst themsevles debating on how to go about their invasion plan to further their control of Vanguard. Tetsu suggests that he sends teams to take over the other cardshops to which Ren agrees to. Ren, seemingly distracted, continues to think about what it would take to sasiate his desires. Eventually he leaves his HQ and goes walks about town, happening on Card Capital as Asuka was about to finish off Misaki, but he then says that unless she can beat her this turn, she would lose. His prediction is fulfilled as Misaki defeats Asuka in their battle. Astounded by her skill, he invites her to be part of his team, stating together they could take over the world of Vanguard. Misaki is disgusted by the idea since she despises Team Asteroid and how they battle. He is then challenged by Misaki to a battle where the winner would have their demand fulfilled. Since Asuka lost to Misaki and their frontman Minami Kawanami lost to Kai recently, her demand to have them banned from the shop would be on the line. Ren happily agrees to the fight and they begin their fight. During this fight, Misaki, Miwa, and Shin are surprised to see Blaster Dark, a dark version of Aichi's Blaster Blade and with it, among other powerful units, manages to overpower and defeat Misaki, securing their right to come and go as they please.

Sometime later, Ren attempts to find Card Capital but not only forgot the location but also the name. It is then that he runs into Kamui and Aichi, who is exhausted from his battle with Tetsu not too long ago. He tells them that he is looking for a cardshop he had been to recently but forgot the name and place to which they agree to help him find once they take care of Aichi. Coincidentally, Kamui and Aichi were heading back to Card Capital, where Ren wanted to go. Upon seeing them, Misaku hurrily grabs Aichi and tells Ren to stay away from him. Kamui acts surprised but flips over to her side once she tells him that Ren is the leader of Team Asteroid.

Trivia

As Mask the Dark, his role in Vanguard -IF- is akin to various other magical girl shows in which a male protagonist aids the female hero/heroes in their fight against evil. Such examples include Tuxedo Mask from Sailor Moon, and with the more recent TV show Miraculous with Cat Noir.

@@ Line 41: / Line 41: @@
 Sometime later, Ren attempts to find Card Capital but not only forgot the location but also the name.  It is then that he runs into [https://cardfight.fandom.com/wiki/Kamui_Katsuragi_(V_Series) Kamui ]and [https://cardfight.fandom.com/wiki/Aichi_Sendou_(V_Series) Aichi], who is exhausted from his battle with Tetsu not too long ago.  He tells them that he is looking for a cardshop he had been to recently but forgot the name and place to which they agree to help him find once they take care of Aichi.  Coincidentally, Kamui and Aichi were heading back to Card Capital, where Ren wanted to go.  Upon seeing them, Misaku hurrily grabs Aichi and tells Ren to stay away from him.  Kamui acts surprised but flips over to her side once she tells him that Ren is the leader of Team Asteroid.
+==Trivia==
+*As Mask the Dark, his role in Vanguard -IF- is akin to various other magical girl shows in which a male protagonist aids the female hero/heroes in their fight against evil.  Such examples include Tuxedo Mask from Sailor Moon, and with the more recent TV show Miraculous with Cat Noir.
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