Katta Kirifuda

Katsuta 'Katta' Kirifuda  is the main protagonist of the Duel Masters Victory, and Victory V seasons of the Duel Masters Anime. He is the younger brother of Shobu.

Personality
Katsuta is a very cocky and care-free boy, thinking that he's the best there is at whatever there is, and even going so far as to call himself a prodigy. However, he has no fondness or skill for Duel Masters, as he initially thinks it is a pyramid-stacking card game. It is implied that he misses his older brother, Shobu.

History
Katsuta Kirifuda's first debut was in the Duel Masters: Star Cross (SX) manga, during Shobu's duel with Adam in a flashback. Since then, he appeared as the main protagonist of the Duel Masters Victory series. His name originates from "Kirifuda" meaning "Ace" and and "Katsuta" meaning "Victory."

Although he is Shobu Kirifuda's younger brother, exactly when he was born was never revealed in the original story. However, it is shown that Shobu's strength as a Duel Master has now awakened as Katsuta's to wield. Katsuta despises Shobu and Duel Masters, however, once the "V" symbol on his forehead begins to shine he has a complete switch in personality and becomes very much like Shobu in times of crisis This is known as the "Victory Mode". In this mode he starts to act like a hunter animal with red predatory eyes and a "V" on his forehead and starts to talk to himself and then during the duel he makes every move precisely for the sake of victory only. He loves curry bread, but hates jelly bread.

Duel Masters Victory
He is a big lover of golden curry bread and have recently been transferred to a new school. He first met Benchan who shared his curry bread with him. Later Yohdel and Bucyake found out that he is Shobu's brother they got fascinated by him and thought that his brother must be a great duelist as well but turns out complete opposite. Then Katsuta got challenged by Ryu a famous and strong duelist, Katsuta wanted to beat him and so he joined the tournament without a deck or having any idea about the game he despises so much. Yohdel and Bucyake gave him a pre-constructed deck and taught him how to duel. They joined the regional "Triple Dash Victory Tournament" as Team Tensai Katta. Katsuta won his first match against Daba with the help of his "Victory Mode". Then for the rest of the tournament he lost all the duels he had but his friends won all the duels and so he got to the finals and went up against his rival Ryu from Team Dragon. Katsuta even though he used his "Victory Mode" he still lost against Ryu and so did the rest of his team who also lost against Team Dragon.

Katsuta then wanted to make his own deck and the only person who could help with it was Benchan. Benchann had quit dueling due to family issues and was avoiding Katsuta. Then Katsuta finally found Benchan and he was being cornered by Shachihoko Group members. He tried to protect Benchan by pretending to be the actual Benchan. He lost to Chi in this duel because his deck was not balanced. Then when Shachihoko Group members tried to take Katsuta's deck and cards, Benchan saved him and dueled the strongest of them Sha and defeated him. Then Benchan helped Katsuta with his deck building. Katsuta had no idea how to build a deck and had no idea about any cards. Benchan then saw that Katsuta had Raging Dragon Lord in his neck.

He told Katusha that this is a strong card and Katsuta and he can build his deck around it. He told Katsuta how can he build a great fire deck around this card. Then suddenly when Yohdel and Bucyake saw him helping Katsuta he started to leave even though Yohdel and Bucyake tried to stop him but he left. Then Yohdel and Bucyake helped Katssuta to build his deck. Meantime the Shachihoko Group had returned with their leader Onsen and dueled Benchan. Katsuta had a bad feeling and went after Benchan and saw him getting defeated by Onsen. Katsuta then challenged Onsen with his new deck. During the duel when Katsuta finally activated his "Victory Mode" and at that time he had Raging Dragon Lord in his hand and that card also transformed into 3 Psychic Creatures and went into his hyperspatial zone. He then used Hyperspatial Gaial Hole and summoned the new transformed Gaial King Dragon, Raging Dragon Lord and defeated Onsen.

He then saw a famous TV program for fortune telling who duels and tells people's fortune. Mimi who usually looks after him and helps him out have recently had a TV show with the fortune teller and was amazed with her accurate fortune telling abilities. Katsuta was going to visit Mimi to find out about Ryu because he thought Mimi is a a news reporter on Duel Masters World and she could help her. He went to her studio but some how ended up meeting Zubako the famous fortune teller. He dueled her and got his past told accurately by Zubako and in the end lost to her. He then re-dueled her telling her that she confused him and this time won against her but once again she told him that he is destined to meet rival Dragon Ryu. She also told him where he can meet him and that was at the recent Duel Carnival.

Katsuta went there to join the tournament with his friends, but he tried to have a low profile but because of Katsuzo Kirifuda who was bragging about Katsuta being very strong just like his older brother, Jimmy a contestant overheard them and challenged Katsuta and tried to take fame from Katsuta family background. Katsuta was really mad bout being called after his brothers name but still he kept his cool while dueling and defeated him. This duel was also considered by the tournament hosts Duel Hero Yuu and Duel Hero Atsuto as a qualifiers match. And so once again Team Tensai Katta was selected as the contestants in the tournament.

Katsuta then went on training with his grandpa, Katsuzo and others to meet Ken who is Grandpa's old friend. Katsuta and other trained hard and considered the house a little haunted until the next morning Yohdel, Bucyake and Benchan went into a cave after creature spirit and got fainted.

Later Katsuta went looking for them and found Kitarou a creature spirit who challenged Katsuta. The spirit told everything about itself that it is actually Hako's precious lost card and have been wandering in the forest trying to reunite with its owner. Katsuta defeated it and took it back to Hako. Then Katsuta was given DMX-02 Deck Builder DX: Hunter Edition from his grandpa, Katsuzo Kirifuda to help him and his friends build up their new decks and train with them. Katsuta started to have interest in darkness cards and wanted build a deck of dual civilization. He and his friends then faced with their new decks against Mimi and lost to her.

Next day Katsuta was then invited by Hako who is Ken's granddaughter to go with her for a lunch, Katsuta was always interested in her since they first met and she was interested in him as well. During their picnic they were attacked by mountain monkeys and Hako tried to protect Katsuta by dueling against their leader a mountain gorilla and defeating him in a duel. She told Katsuta that these monkeys have learn dueling by mimicking other humans that they see dueling.

On the other hand Benchan was feeling down after his defeat with Mimi and finally challenged Mimi once again and confessed to her that he is fascinated by her dueling and would like to learn more after he lost to her the second time. He then went on a journey with Mimi to train himself but before leaving he gave Katsuta some tips and a new darkness card which will boost his deck Volg Thunder.

"Team Tensai Katsuta" came back to the Duel Carnival Tournament and easily made their way to the semi finals thanks to their hard training and their boosted up decks. Unfortunately Yohdel and Benchan lost to "Team Shachihoko" in the semi finals but Katsuta being their team leader defeated Shachihoko and made his way to the finals. Now in the finals Katsuta was shocked to see his rival Ryu being defeated by Onsen. Ryu told Katsuta about his main objective of joining the tournament and also about who he really is. He also told him about the Shachihoko Group and about the group's main objective of obtaining the Pudding Pudding, the Eternal prize card.

Katsuta was warned not to go against him but he told everyone that now after what he have heard he is even more fired up and that he will definitely face Onsen in the finals and retrieve Ryu's princes for them. Ryu finally told Katsuta that if he is that determined then he should use Gaial Meteor Dragon, Star Dragon King to defeat him.

After a fierce and deadly duel and with the help of his "Victory Mode", Katsuta managed to defeat Onsen by using Gaial Meteor Dragon, Star Dragon King. He was declared the winner of the Duel Carnival and received the prize card of Pudding Pudding, the Eternal. However, it was soon stolen by Yohdel possessed by Onsen.

Yohdel brought the card to Onsen and Onsen was trying to escape with the card back to Pandora space. But Katta caught up to him and provoked him by saying that he is a coward trying to run away from his opponent. Onsen in order to prove that he is still stronger than him, he and Katta went into the final decisive battle and both of them started of straight with their abilities. After a fierce long battle Katta summoned Gaial Ore Dragon, the Vainglory and defeated him. Katta saved the princes of the Alien race and became a hero of the creature world.

Duel Masters Victory V
Katsuta returns to school in his new class where he meets up with all of his old friends and also meets new ones, who are all eager about him since he is now a new champion. Katsuta was challenged by his class mate Leo but could not accept his challenge because he had to meet with Pudding Pudding, the Eternal since she is also staying in human world in her human form with Ryu and his followers.

While Katsuta was showing the princes around his school, he was challenged by Jyotaro. Katta had to accept the challenge after being provoked but in this winning duel Katta had to suddenly abandon the duel and run to toilet because he earlier had too much curry bread. Upon his return he saw Leo dueling against Jyotaro and saw Leo using new powerful Unknown and Unnoise creatures by which Leo easily defeated Jyotaro. Katta was impressed by him and also noticed that this new rival was slowly taking away his spotlight. However, they became friends a few episodes later.

Katsuta entered a lucky draw and received the the Onimaru "Explosion", Golden Age card as well a Dragon Ryu giving him a new victory card, Ogre Warrior Kaiser "Win".

The next day, Mimi appeared in his class to tell them that the class was chosen to have a battle between two duelists broadcast live. Katsuta was confirmed as a participant in the battle as he was already known as the champion of the Duel Carnival Tournament from the previous season. His class later held a small tournament to decide the 2nd duelist. Leo won that tournament and will now duel against Katsuta.

On the night before his match, he had began to reconstruct his deck for the duel and was taught on how to use the "Gachinko Judge" ability by Katsuzo.

The next day he had gone to pick up Pudding Pudding as usual, but she was reported missing by Dragon Ryu. She would later be seen with Leo.

Duel Masters Victory
His first used deck is cards from DMD-01 Start Dash Deck: Fire & Nature, which he received from Bucyake at the last minute. When he first duels with this deck, he has a pretty awkward start and makes greenhorn mistakes. However, when dueling the Baker, Katsuta was able to bring out the Rush capabilities of this deck.

After being introduced to a new deck by Benchan, he now used a deck based on Hunter creatures with his ace being the Psychic Super Creature, Gaial King Dragon, Raging Dragon Lord and its Psychic Link creatures.

After losing to Dragon Ryu for the 3rd time, he started to add Darkness Civilization cards into his deck as well as cards from DMX-04 Full Foil Pack: Revival Hero - The Hunter.

He replaces his Go On Pippi and Psychen Pippi with their "Super" versions; Super Go On Pippi and Super Psychen Pippi.

He also added a new Victory card, Volg Thunder which together with Thunder Tiger can psychic link into Volg Tiger, Thunder Beast.

In his duel against Onsen he added Gaial Meteor Dragon, Star Dragon King and its respective cards.

In the 49th and 50th episode, in his duel against Onsen he added a new Victory Psychic Super Creature; Gaial Ore Dragon, the Vainglory to his deck.

Duel Masters Victory V
In this new series, Katta uses cards from DMD-05 Rising Dash Deck: Infinite Attack! with the following additions:

Duel Masters Victory V3
Katsuta is now using the new Outrage deck DMD-09 1st Deck Outrage Dash. With this deck he later added:
 * Kubrick, Spiral Accelerator
 * 5000GT, Riot.

Later he finds out about the real power of Outrage from "The Book of Outrage" and started using a new deck DMD-11 Forbidden Transform Deck: The Book of Outrage.

He later decides to completely build his deck from scatch around his new best friend Katsudon, Kung Fu Dragon with whom he had previously lost in duel and almost lost his best friend in that duel. In order to protect his best friend he completely builds the deck around him.

Katsuta further improves his deck in order to bring down the Oracle Gods he later added:
 * Schumacher, New World
 * 5000GT, Riot re-added

Trivia
Both Katsuta and Shobu have the same voice actor, Yumiko Kobayashi.

He has a card named after him, Game On! Kirifuda Family! / Katsuta Kirifuda, Curry Bread Master, as well as Katsuta Kirifuda, Curry Bread Boy.

His family name [切札 Kirifuda] means "Trump Card" while his given name means [勝太 Kachita] "Great Victory".