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Bakura's Name
Ryō(u) is written with a rare kanji. 了 (Ryou) means "completion" (of a task) or "understanding" (in the sense of having knowledge of something).
Bakura might sound Japanese, but it's actually not a Japanese name. It's most commonly seen in Austria and Slovakia in modern usage, and is written using at least one very unique kanji.
獏 (Baku) is the same kanji used to refer to a spirit in Japanese mythology known to eat nightmares.
良 (Ra)) is usually not read as Ra at all (it's often read as 'Ryou'!), but usually means "good" or "profitable".
Comparatively, when the Thief King is referred to as Bakura (likely for coherency's sake, as Yami Bakura still refers to the Pharaoh as "Yugi" even after they're separated), it's written in katakana to show it's a foreign name.
Amane's Name
天音 (Amane) is a common first name, and written with the kanji for "heaven" and "sound".
Letters to Amane
This manga-only subplot is only briefly alluded to in one page; Ryou is seen writing a letter to his dead younger sister. The fact of her death was confirmed in a guidebook released by the mangaka in 2002, but the details were never revealed other than that it was a car accident that claimed her life.
Ryō(u) is written with a rare kanji. 了 (Ryou) means "completion" (of a task) or "understanding" (in the sense of having knowledge of something).
Bakura might sound Japanese, but it's actually not a Japanese name. It's most commonly seen in Austria and Slovakia in modern usage, and is written using at least one very unique kanji.
獏 (Baku) is the same kanji used to refer to a spirit in Japanese mythology known to eat nightmares.
良 (Ra)) is usually not read as Ra at all (it's often read as 'Ryou'!), but usually means "good" or "profitable".
Comparatively, when the Thief King is referred to as Bakura (likely for coherency's sake, as Yami Bakura still refers to the Pharaoh as "Yugi" even after they're separated), it's written in katakana to show it's a foreign name.
Amane's Name
天音 (Amane) is a common first name, and written with the kanji for "heaven" and "sound".
Letters to Amane
This manga-only subplot is only briefly alluded to in one page; Ryou is seen writing a letter to his dead younger sister. The fact of her death was confirmed in a guidebook released by the mangaka in 2002, but the details were never revealed other than that it was a car accident that claimed her life.
