TV-Series
Description
The character known in the English anime as Caswell Francis is named Takashi Todoroki in the original Japanese version and the manga. He is a main supporting character and a friend of the protagonist Yuma Tsukumo, serving as the class chairman for his homeroom at Heartland Academy. In the Japanese version, he is most often addressed simply as class rep or class representative rather than by his given name. He is consistently depicted as a responsible and highly intelligent student, often being the first to analyze complex situations or technical problems, such as when he deduced the cause of a school-wide computer virus. Caswell strongly believes in planning and order, holding that everything can be executed as planned, a notion he is later challenged on. A consistent verbal tic in the original version is his habit of saying to summarize when concluding a statement, which is translated as in the end in the English dub. He is also known for his punctuality and serious demeanor, which is visually reinforced as he is the only main character almost always seen wearing his complete school uniform. His appearance features black hair with blue overlays in a bowl-cut style.
Initially, Caswell takes great pride in his role as the class representative. When Yuma is unexpectedly voted into this position instead of him, he becomes deeply disappointed and is tempted by an offer from the Student Council President to become the chief disciplinarian, a role that would give him an official title again. Through his conversations with Yuma, he comes to accept that a person's title is less important than their character and competence in the position. Throughout the series, his motivation is largely tied to supporting his friends and fulfilling his duties as a student and class officer. He is portrayed as a loyal member of Yuma's inner circle, often seen alongside his close friends Bronk Stone, Tori Meadows, and later Flip Turner and Cathy Katherine.
In the first half of the series leading up to the World Duel Carnival, Caswell is portrayed as a capable Duelist, having once defeated Yuma soundly without taking any damage. Along with Bronk, he is instrumental in founding the Super Secret Number Card Investigation Club, a group dedicated to helping Yuma and his spirit partner Astral locate the powerful Number cards. During the World Duel Carnival preliminaries, he and Bronk are invited to a Duel by the antagonist Quattro. Although they initially gain the upper hand, Quattro unleashes a Number card, mercilessly defeating them both and sending Caswell to the hospital with an injured arm.
In the second season, Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL II, Caswell's character receives further development. He competes against Yuma for the position of class representative once more, losing by a single vote. Crushed by this defeat, he temporarily accepts the role of the Student Council's head disciplinarian, enforcing strict and often ridiculous school rules during a Duel between Yuma and the brainwashed Student Council President. However, inspired by Yuma's words, he rejects this oppressive system, dramatically abandoning his disciplinarian uniform and reaffirming his friendship with Yuma. He is later officially made member number one of the Super Secret Number Card Investigation Club. In a comedic subplot, he and Flip spread a false rumor about Yuma and a classmate, Rio Kastle, leading to a series of events for which they are ultimately chased down by an irate Rio. During the school's cultural festival, he cosplays as the monster Gagaga Magician and is shown to have a shy crush on a girl named Lotus Hanazoe.
Caswell's notable abilities lie in his sharp intellect and his talent for Dueling. He is highly computer savvy and often acts as the analytical brain of his friend group. As a Duelist, his strategies have evolved throughout the series. In his earliest appearances, he uses a Crashbug Deck. For the World Duel Carnival, he upgrades to a Debugger Deck, which allows him to quickly fill the field with monsters to summon his ace card at the time, Vaccingale. By the time of ZEXAL II, he returns to using a Crashbug Deck. His most notable role in a Duel during this season is not as a primary competitor but as an arbiter; during the Duel between Yuma and the Student Council President, Caswell is empowered to enforce arbitrary school rules, such as returning a monster to its owner's hand for violating the dress code, showcasing how his sense of duty can be manipulated before he rejects that authority.
Initially, Caswell takes great pride in his role as the class representative. When Yuma is unexpectedly voted into this position instead of him, he becomes deeply disappointed and is tempted by an offer from the Student Council President to become the chief disciplinarian, a role that would give him an official title again. Through his conversations with Yuma, he comes to accept that a person's title is less important than their character and competence in the position. Throughout the series, his motivation is largely tied to supporting his friends and fulfilling his duties as a student and class officer. He is portrayed as a loyal member of Yuma's inner circle, often seen alongside his close friends Bronk Stone, Tori Meadows, and later Flip Turner and Cathy Katherine.
In the first half of the series leading up to the World Duel Carnival, Caswell is portrayed as a capable Duelist, having once defeated Yuma soundly without taking any damage. Along with Bronk, he is instrumental in founding the Super Secret Number Card Investigation Club, a group dedicated to helping Yuma and his spirit partner Astral locate the powerful Number cards. During the World Duel Carnival preliminaries, he and Bronk are invited to a Duel by the antagonist Quattro. Although they initially gain the upper hand, Quattro unleashes a Number card, mercilessly defeating them both and sending Caswell to the hospital with an injured arm.
In the second season, Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL II, Caswell's character receives further development. He competes against Yuma for the position of class representative once more, losing by a single vote. Crushed by this defeat, he temporarily accepts the role of the Student Council's head disciplinarian, enforcing strict and often ridiculous school rules during a Duel between Yuma and the brainwashed Student Council President. However, inspired by Yuma's words, he rejects this oppressive system, dramatically abandoning his disciplinarian uniform and reaffirming his friendship with Yuma. He is later officially made member number one of the Super Secret Number Card Investigation Club. In a comedic subplot, he and Flip spread a false rumor about Yuma and a classmate, Rio Kastle, leading to a series of events for which they are ultimately chased down by an irate Rio. During the school's cultural festival, he cosplays as the monster Gagaga Magician and is shown to have a shy crush on a girl named Lotus Hanazoe.
Caswell's notable abilities lie in his sharp intellect and his talent for Dueling. He is highly computer savvy and often acts as the analytical brain of his friend group. As a Duelist, his strategies have evolved throughout the series. In his earliest appearances, he uses a Crashbug Deck. For the World Duel Carnival, he upgrades to a Debugger Deck, which allows him to quickly fill the field with monsters to summon his ace card at the time, Vaccingale. By the time of ZEXAL II, he returns to using a Crashbug Deck. His most notable role in a Duel during this season is not as a primary competitor but as an arbiter; during the Duel between Yuma and the Student Council President, Caswell is empowered to enforce arbitrary school rules, such as returning a monster to its owner's hand for violating the dress code, showcasing how his sense of duty can be manipulated before he rejects that authority.