TV-Series
Description
Headmaster Samejima, known in the Japanese version as Samejima and in the English version as Chancellor Sheppard, is the head of Duel Academy. Before his tenure as headmaster, Samejima was the original master of the Cyber Style, having trained students in a dojo located in the mountains. It was in this capacity that he served as the teacher to Zane Truesdale, whom he recognized as his finest student. As a reward for Zane’s dedication, Samejima gifted him the ultimate card of the Cyber Style, Cyber End Dragon, and watched with pride as Zane formed a strong connection with the monster. He eventually left the dojo to become the chancellor of the prestigious Duel Academy.
As a person, Samejima embodies all the qualities of a beloved school headmaster. He is a strict disciplinarian who maintains order and has high standards, yet he is also very much a child at heart. His passion for dueling is immense, and he is known to stand up and cheer enthusiastically when witnessing an exciting match. This playful side is also evident in his well-known fondness for Ms. Dorothy, the academy's librarian, which he shows by offering a kiss from her as a prize for a competition. Unlike some of his faculty, such as Dr. Crowler, Samejima treats all students fairly and equally, regardless of their dorm rank, including those in the lowly Slifer Red dorm. He is fundamentally opposed to any plan or action that would harm the school or its students, and he is shown to be genuinely invested in the growth and well-being of each individual.
Samejima's primary motivation is the protection and prosperity of Duel Academy and its students. He is deeply aware of the various supernatural threats that surround the island, such as the Shadow Riders. During the first year, he strategically selected key students, including Jaden Yuki, Alexis Rhodes, Chazz Princeton, Zane Truesdale, and Bastion Misawa, alongside faculty members Dr. Crowler and Professor Banner, to guard the seven Spirit Gates. He is the first to recognize the school's superintendent, Kagemaru, upon his arrival. In the second year, Samejima temporarily left his post to Dr. Crowler so he could personally invite duelists to the Genex Tournament. This journey also gave him the opportunity to confront his former student, Zane Truesdale. He found Zane at the mountain monastery, and despite losing their duel when Zane betrayed his Cyber End Dragon, Samejima awarded him a Genex Medallion and an invitation to the tournament. He returned to reclaim his position as chancellor near the end of the second year. At the start of the third year, he expressed concern that his most talented duelist, Jaden Yuki, remained in the lowest-ranked dorm, and he hired Professor Thelonious Viper in the hope that he would help the boy grow further as a duelist. After the events of the third season, he resolved to begin a search for the students who had disappeared in the Abandoned Dorm.
His key relationships define much of his role in the story. His connection to Zane Truesdale is that of a proud master to a prized pupil, and his duel with Zane was a test to see how far his former student had come, even in defeat. He holds a deep respect for Jaden Yuki, recognizing his immense potential and seeking ways to nurture it, even understanding the connection between Jaden and the entity Yubel. His relationship with Dr. Crowler is a professional one, as he entrusts him with the position of chancellor in his absence, though he is visibly displeased with Crowler and Bonaparte's poor management upon his return. He also shares a unique, lighthearted romantic interest in Ms. Dorothy, with whom he partners in the Duel Pair Tournament. Over the course of the series, Samejima shows development through his willingness to personally intervene in matters, from leaving the school to challenge Zane to later trusting Jaden to borrow his boat to leave the island to confront the threat of Trueman. In the fourth season, he is defeated by Makoto Inotsume as part of a plot to destroy the Cyber Art, and he ultimately presides over the graduation ceremony, handing diplomas to the departing students after the final defeat of Nightshroud.
In terms of dueling abilities, Samejima is a formidable fighter who wields a Cyber Ogre Deck, a distinct branch of the Cyber Style. His strategy differs significantly from Zane's direct power-based approach, instead focusing on an indirect style that turns an opponent's own strength and cards against them. His deck features cards like Cyber Shadow Gardna, a trap monster that can copy the attack power of the monster it is battling, and Scrap Fusion, a spell card that allows him to summon a fusion monster from his opponent’s extra deck. His signature monsters are Cyber Ogre and its fusion evolution, Cyber Ogre 2, both of which gain additional attack points when battling an opponent's monster. Despite his skill, his major on-screen duels all result in losses: he is defeated by Zane Truesdale, by the team of Jaden Yuki and Alexis Rhodes (while partnered with Ms. Dorothy), and by Makoto Inotsume.
As a person, Samejima embodies all the qualities of a beloved school headmaster. He is a strict disciplinarian who maintains order and has high standards, yet he is also very much a child at heart. His passion for dueling is immense, and he is known to stand up and cheer enthusiastically when witnessing an exciting match. This playful side is also evident in his well-known fondness for Ms. Dorothy, the academy's librarian, which he shows by offering a kiss from her as a prize for a competition. Unlike some of his faculty, such as Dr. Crowler, Samejima treats all students fairly and equally, regardless of their dorm rank, including those in the lowly Slifer Red dorm. He is fundamentally opposed to any plan or action that would harm the school or its students, and he is shown to be genuinely invested in the growth and well-being of each individual.
Samejima's primary motivation is the protection and prosperity of Duel Academy and its students. He is deeply aware of the various supernatural threats that surround the island, such as the Shadow Riders. During the first year, he strategically selected key students, including Jaden Yuki, Alexis Rhodes, Chazz Princeton, Zane Truesdale, and Bastion Misawa, alongside faculty members Dr. Crowler and Professor Banner, to guard the seven Spirit Gates. He is the first to recognize the school's superintendent, Kagemaru, upon his arrival. In the second year, Samejima temporarily left his post to Dr. Crowler so he could personally invite duelists to the Genex Tournament. This journey also gave him the opportunity to confront his former student, Zane Truesdale. He found Zane at the mountain monastery, and despite losing their duel when Zane betrayed his Cyber End Dragon, Samejima awarded him a Genex Medallion and an invitation to the tournament. He returned to reclaim his position as chancellor near the end of the second year. At the start of the third year, he expressed concern that his most talented duelist, Jaden Yuki, remained in the lowest-ranked dorm, and he hired Professor Thelonious Viper in the hope that he would help the boy grow further as a duelist. After the events of the third season, he resolved to begin a search for the students who had disappeared in the Abandoned Dorm.
His key relationships define much of his role in the story. His connection to Zane Truesdale is that of a proud master to a prized pupil, and his duel with Zane was a test to see how far his former student had come, even in defeat. He holds a deep respect for Jaden Yuki, recognizing his immense potential and seeking ways to nurture it, even understanding the connection between Jaden and the entity Yubel. His relationship with Dr. Crowler is a professional one, as he entrusts him with the position of chancellor in his absence, though he is visibly displeased with Crowler and Bonaparte's poor management upon his return. He also shares a unique, lighthearted romantic interest in Ms. Dorothy, with whom he partners in the Duel Pair Tournament. Over the course of the series, Samejima shows development through his willingness to personally intervene in matters, from leaving the school to challenge Zane to later trusting Jaden to borrow his boat to leave the island to confront the threat of Trueman. In the fourth season, he is defeated by Makoto Inotsume as part of a plot to destroy the Cyber Art, and he ultimately presides over the graduation ceremony, handing diplomas to the departing students after the final defeat of Nightshroud.
In terms of dueling abilities, Samejima is a formidable fighter who wields a Cyber Ogre Deck, a distinct branch of the Cyber Style. His strategy differs significantly from Zane's direct power-based approach, instead focusing on an indirect style that turns an opponent's own strength and cards against them. His deck features cards like Cyber Shadow Gardna, a trap monster that can copy the attack power of the monster it is battling, and Scrap Fusion, a spell card that allows him to summon a fusion monster from his opponent’s extra deck. His signature monsters are Cyber Ogre and its fusion evolution, Cyber Ogre 2, both of which gain additional attack points when battling an opponent's monster. Despite his skill, his major on-screen duels all result in losses: he is defeated by Zane Truesdale, by the team of Jaden Yuki and Alexis Rhodes (while partnered with Ms. Dorothy), and by Makoto Inotsume.