Kiyoshi Kogami

Kiyoshi Kogami
Names
Japanese	鴻 (こう) 上 (がみ) 聖 (きよし) 鴻上 聖 こうがみ きよし Rōmaji: (Kōgami Kiyoshi)
Personal
Gender	Male
Relatives	Varis (son)
Career
Organization	Knights of Hanoi SOL Technologies (formerly)
Appearances
Anime debut	Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS episode 3: "Contact"
Anime	Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Voice actors
English	H.D Quinn
Japanese	Takayuki Sugō

Dr. Kiyoshi Kogami (鴻 (こう) 上 (がみ) 聖 (きよし) , Kōgami Kiyoshi) is a character appearing in the Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS anime. After being declared dead and his physical body left comatose, he continued to exist as an avatar in the network for seven years, and as a member of the Knights of Hanoi with his son as its leader. When he was alive, he was known as the creator of the Ignis and a researcher at SOL Technologies. He was believed to be the central antagonist of the series only to die helping his son Ryoken, who would go on to finish his plan and become the main antagonist of Season 1.

Design

Appearance

His real body has tan skin and wears a grey outfit.

Inside LINK VRAINS, Dr. Kogami is a tall man, who has fair skin. He has black and grey hair and mustache, and has yellow eyes. He wears a white coat with red outlines, a dark undershirt with red stripe, some black pants and a pair of brown shoes.

Personality

Like Varis, Dr. Kogami believes the Ignis to be a threat. However, since he did create the Ignis, he has slight regret about destroying them. Dr. Kogami is both calm and collective, and rarely shows any emotion apart from a brief smug smile when Akira Zaizen got caught in his trap. Similar to Yusaku, he greatly desires revenge on the ones who wronged him (i.e., SOL Technologies). He is also very apathetic, showing little concern for the six victims suffering during the Hanoi Project or for the thousands of lives that would have been lost from the Tower of Hanoi.

Despite being the creator of the Hanoi Project, he is surprisingly sympathetic and somewhat human. He regrets not being there for his son Varis while growing up and is trying to destroy the Ignis because he thinks it is what is needed to be done for the greater good, selflessly sacrificing himself for his son. Varis understood his motivations which kept him going to finish what he started. Given that Lightning did turn on humanity as he predicted, Kogami ultimately did hold humanity's best interests at heart, despite taking extreme measures.

Abilities

Dr. Kogami can teleport himself inside LINK VRAINS. In addition, he has superior programming and hacking skills, even helping out his son in dire need from a remote distance. He created the Ignis using a special algorithm and is credited for making the data material control program.

Etymology

His name Kiyoshi means holy or saint while his surname Kogami can be translated as the wild goose above.

Biography

History

Dr. Kogami's real comatose body.

Ten years ago, Dr. Kogami, as a researcher at SOL Technologies, gave free will to A.I. programs, named Ignis, through the Hanoi Project. He had his team of assistants: Aso, Clarissa Turner, Dr. Genome and three other scientists. With them, Kiyoshi created Ignis, for he feared that humanity would be extinct. The AI would evolve, as Kiyoshi wanted a successor for humanity without aging limitations, and for that purpose, six children were chosen to participate in the project and were forced to Duel. Kiyoshi believed AI would learn much about humans through Dueling. His son, Ryoken, watched this, and feeling remorse of the children, reported the project to the authorities.

When Cyberse World was constructed, Lightning ran simulations, at the same time Dr. Kogami ran his on Ignis' future, and warned SOL Technologies of the threat. Since Lightning believed Dr. Kogami would soon learn that Lightning would be the source of Ignis turning onto humanity, he went and corrupted him with a virus, causing SOL Technologies to imprison him. Kiyoshi was able to finish his project before SOL Technologies infected him with a computer virus to cover up Hanoi Project and attempt to monopolize Ignis. However, Dr. Kogami was not aware that Lightning infected him with that virus, which made him and his allies believe that SOL Technologies was involved in his demise. Three years later, Kogami was declared dead.

Kiyoshi's son, Ryoken, was waiting his arrival. With the help of his subordinates, Ryoken managed to contact his father, who noted Ignis' progress of creating the Data Material and creation of Cyberse World. Unfortunately, Kiyoshi told Ryoken that Ignis, who would progress, would eventually destroy the world. He believed Ignis would improve humanity's lives, and instead, he saw the AI would eventually supervise humanity. He feared the humanity would see AI as an enemy, a life-form they would want to conquer, and this would also make the humanity as Ignis' enemy. Kiyoshi told Ryoken SOL Technologies knew of this threat, but they only infected him with a virus. With that in mind, Kiyoshi set his mission to stop Ignis, and formed the Knights of Hanoi, believing that they were savage creatures with the intent of destroying the world, rather than saving it. While tending to his father, Ryoken began to wonder if his father's statement that the Ignis were superior beings was correct, for they could only evolve as long as they had more memories.

Season one

Dr. Kogami approached Varis in LINK VRAINS, who was unable to find Ignis. Kogami promised to make a new program, and suggested they could draw Playmaker out and defeat him, then obtain Ignis back. After their attempt to use Blue Angel to defeat Playmaker had failed, Varis wondered how would Dr. Kogami cope with Ignis' destruction. Dr. Kogami explained it was a painful decision, but Varis reminded the importance of destroying Ignis and Cyberse. During Varis' Speed Duel against Playmaker, the latter had Ai conjure a Data Storm. Varis was glad, as this allowed Dr. Kogami to send a card to Varis.

Dr. Kogami watched the Duel between Playmaker and Varis, and wished of the latter to take Ignis back. Much to his surprise, Playmaker summoned the "Firewall Dragon" and destroyed the "Fire Prison". Dr. Kogami was still pleased, as Playmaker had 600 LP left, and expected of Varis to take him down. Dr. Kogami was surprised how Playmaker wanted revenge for what had happened 10 years ago. Specter arrived, noting how scary the fate can be. As Varis returned, Dr. Kogami was surprised how he let his guard down, seeing it was about that incident Playmaker spoke. Varis apologized to him as his father, and as his hand recovered, claimed next time would be different. His father stated that Varis didn't need to think of that, and seeing how they could not retrieve Ai, he went to execute the other plan, and needed time to make preparations for that.

Kogami and Varis went to a deep pit where he showed Varis a seed shaped like a data cube, which would grow into a "fruit" that would destroy the whole network, including LINK VRAINS. Kogami then released the seed, which fell into the pit. Dr. Kogami contacted Varis, informing his son his program would soon be finished. Varis was depressed, and told his father he wanted to confront someone. Kogami sensed Varis wished to face Playmaker and permitted this as long as it did not take too much time.

Later on, Akira in LINK VRAINS, ran towards Blue Angel, but was trapped in a cage made of vines. Dr. Kogami appeared, explaining Akira would be infected by the virus that would make one lose consciousness. Akira recognized Dr. Kogami as a former employee of SOL Technologies, who died because of SOL Technologies, but was revived. Akira listened to Dr. Kogami's personal story, and their mission to destroy Ignis. Dr. Kogami explained anyone that is trapped inside the Tower of Hanoi cannot leave, and once the tower was completed, data worldwide would be erased. Akira was overwhelmed by the fact Dr. Kogami would erase even himself to get rid of Ignis. Dr. Kogami deemed it was the only way they had left, and warped away.

Just as the tower was nearly completed, Dr. Kogami approached Varis, asking if he uncovered Playmaker's identity. Varis denied, even though he did saw Yusaku's face in a footage. Kogami noted ever since the tower was in place, Varis' interest in Playmaker's identity vanished. Regardless, he reminded Varis that even if the world would see them as criminals that took revenge against SOL Technologies, even with all the victims that would soon be erased, he thought one day they would learn the truth of the danger an AI with free will imposed. Varis noted that they were prisoners of destiny, and the fated, final Duel against Playmaker would commence soon, one he intended to win.

When Varis failed to execute Storm Access Skill, the Data Storm stopped. Dr. Kogami appeared to his son, Varis. Dr. Kogami admitted he was not a good father to let his son suffer, referring to him as Ryoken, who never complained. He explained he didn't want Varis involved in any of this, but reminded without him, the world would be in chaos. While Playmaker and Ai were wondering about Dr. Kogami's words, the latter decided to lend his strength in helping Varis to win, all to protect the humanity. Dr. Kogami's essence passed onto Varis, who noticed a glitter in the Data Storm, much like the light of the Stardust Road. Varis went through the Data Storm and obtained a new Cyberse monster, but noticed Dr. Kogami's heart was damaged and eventually stopped beating. Ryoken, in the real world, mourned his father until Yusaku and Kolter arrived.