Roman Goodwin, known as Rudger Goodwin in the Japanese version, and sometimes romanized as Rudger Godwin, is the apparent leader of the Dark Signers as well as the Signer who originally possessed the Dragon Head birthmark.
He says that they have been waiting for 5,000 years in order to carry out revenge against the Signers and expects for this fierce battle to be most "exceptional". He wears black robes accented with red stripes which corresponds to his Earthbound Immortal, as his Mark of the Shadows represents the Spider. It was also revealed that he was the original Signer with the Head Mark of the Dragon on his left arm, though he replaced it with a metal arm since becoming a Dark Signer.
Roman Goodwin, is the older brother of Rex Goodwin. Just like his brother, Roman served as an assistant to Professor Fudo, while working in R.R.D..
Dr. Fudo was bent on canceling the Ener-D project due to the natural disasters occurring in Domino City as a result of using the system. But wanting to continue the research, Roman researched occurrences similar to what was happening in Domino City. He then came across the Nazca Lines. Once at the site of the Nazca Lines, a mysterious man who belonged to the Yliaster group spoke to him. The man told Roman that he is destined to activate the Ener-D Reactor and tells him to look into the light of the Ener-D Reactor. After returning to the facility and Roman looked into the light of the Ener-D Reactor. He then saw the battle between the Crimson Dragon and the Earthbound Immortals. He was then appointed head researcher of the project.
Roman obtains "Stardust Dragon", "Red Dragon Archfiend", "Black Rose Dragon" and the "Ancient Fairy Dragon" cards, which are the keys to activate the Ener-D Reactor's control units. Dr. Fudo managed to take three of the cards and flee, leaving behind "Ancient Fairy Dragon" when he was wounded by Roman's henchmen.
The Spider dark mark appears on Roman's arm, where it struggles with the Dragon Head birthmark for control of his body. Nearly succumbed to the power of the Dark Signers, Roman decides to leave his Mark of the Dragon to destiny by tearing his left arm off and placing it in a preservation canister (which was removed from dub, and still had his hand without being ripped off completely). He then gives Rex the canister telling him to gather the Signers and someday defeat him. After that he activates and overloads the Ener-D Reactor which ultimately lead to the Zero Reverse, killing himself and subsequently allowing the first Earthbound Immortal released, Uru, to revive him as a Dark Signer.
When the Signers along with Mina, Leo and Trudge venture to Satellite and are meet-up with Martha, Roman appears imposing a Duel. Jack wants to, but is stopped by Yusei as he tells him that it's too dangerous to duel here, especially if a geoglyph appears. Jack is instructed to take Martha and the kids somewhere safe, while Yusei, accompanied by Akiza, faces Roman in a Shadow Duel in another location.
However, three of the children decide to watch the Duel. As the Duel unfolds, Yusei and Akiza notice two kids near the flames caused by the geoglyph and wonder how they got in when they are not signers. As Roman prepares to Summon his "Earthbound Immortal", "Uru", Yusei and Akiza fear that once it's Summoned it could use the kids' souls as sacrifices. Luckily, Jack appears and uses his birthmark to stop the kids from being sacrificed. Yusei eventually manages to gain the upper hand in the Duel. As a final insult to Yusei, Roman uses evil magic to flee and force Rally to take his place. Rally manages to destroy Uru, but doing so apparently costs him his life.
Roman, along with the other Dark Signers later appear before their rivals, the Signers to begin their final battle. For the mean while each of his comrades are currently waiting at each of the control units of the Original Ener-D Reactor with the purpose of dueling against their correspondent Signer rival. As for Roman, he awaits within the place where the system itself resides. After Devack's defeat at the hands of Luna and Leo, he kills Greiger in order to make him into a Dark Signer by hanging him over the Original Ener-D Reactor.
Roman blows up the bridge (not shown in the English version)
After Kalin's defeat, Roman's mark seems to be causing him anguish as it escalates up his arm. But he is confronted by Rex Goodwin, who Duels him. Rex loses on purpose in order to be reborn as a Dark Signer like his brother.
Yusei and his friends enter the crater in the B.A.D., where they confront Roman. Although Yusei wins, Roman proceeds to tell Yusei that things have not finished yet, as an the King of the Netherworld will soon be born. Before Roman dissolves, he detonates a bomb in his left arm, blowing up the bridge and sending Yusei falling into the depths of the Enerdy Reactor (In the English version he doesn't do this he just warns Yusei about the King of the Netherworld's arrival while Uru's destruction caused the bridge to blow up).
Roman is the fourth Dark Signer to be defeated.
Roman and his brother before passing on to the afterlife.
Roman has the ability to possess ordinary people using spiders he controls; potentially using them as pseudo or "fake" Dark Signers (Shadow Drones in the dub) who act as unwilling and unsuspecting pawns for him. The number of his "Dark Spiders" currently possessing a victim is indicated by the number of legs missing from his birthmark. When one of them loses a Shadow Duel, the spider controlling them dies, causing Roman's birthmark to regrow its missing limb, which causes him pain when one of the people he controls loses.
In Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Tag Force 4 Roman appears as a Partner character and can only be found at nightfall after completing the stories of the Signers. Roman observes you dueling the signers and does not participate in duels.
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