IKAROS CHASES THE SUN!

Freud’s theory of repetition compulsion:

Freud initially theorized human psyche was driven by the pleasure principle, aka the desire to remain in a calm state without exaltation, but eventually had to confront the contradiction he observed in actual patients: PTSD survivors, like war veterans and such, would dream of their traumatic episodes repetitively. Such painful repetitions of trauma could not be provoked by the pleasure principle, so where did it come from?

This contradiction led him to propose an opposite concept to the life drive (eros) which influenced the pleasure principle: the death drive (thanatos), which didn’t necessarily imply the seeking of death itself, but instead destructive and harmful impulses directed inwardly towards the self or outwardly towards others.

Individuals who experienced trauma would subconsciously re-enact painful patterns in an attempt to master it, to fix or overcome the turmoil it caused, but would always remain unresolved and thus would turn into a self inflicted punishment. 

Eventually, the compulsive repetition would also integrate the narrative around it into the individual’s identity: a person who concluded they are unlovable due to past trauma will hold this belief in regards to all future relationships. Like being trapped in a self imposed fate of sorts.

Kaiba: 

Gozaburo’s suicide is what triggers the repetition compulsion. 

Seto feels guilty about it, and compulsively recreates the scenario of exerting power over another individual in order to confront and overpower this guilt, which he subconsciously expects to get rid of. This is how he ends up going down a downward path, as the narrative of his trauma wraps itself over his own personality: he is one who seeks to dominate and overpower those weaker than him as well as those stronger. (The root cause of the issue, his guilt, remains hidden in his subconscious). His pursuit of opponents he deems worthy works as a slow flirtation with self-destruction, directing the death drive outwardly.

Kaiba thus traps himself in the fate of the eternal challenger.

Atem:

Pharaohs in ancient Egypt were meant to uphold the principle of Ma’at, the universal order, and as Atem failed to do so, even with his memories wiped, the guilt remains persistent in his subconscious after Yugi completes the puzzle. The uncertainty he left his nation in subconsciously pushes him to seek instances where he can perform an act of justice, not only punishing those he considers morally lacking, but laying the ground for him to prove himself each time with the shadow games. The feeling of guilt is never satiated though, no matter how many times he tries.

Atem thus traps himself in the fate of the eternal judge.

Through the plot:

Both of them use duels as the stage where the compulsion is performed as well as the ritual that allows temporary relief for the repetition of their trauma.

Their first confrontation marks the moment Kaiba’s compulsion is challenged: if Kaiba’s identity is stripped of its power, what remains is the guilt underneath he cannot face. So the compulsion puts up resistance and intensifies.

It fractures Seto's perception of himself so deeply he has nightmares about it, his subconscious now also punishing him for disturbing the narrative that would let him escape from his guilt.

The experience doesn’t stand out for Yami, save for his recognition of Kaiba’s abilities as a duelist, he’s just one more of the many Yami has faced.

Yami instead starts subtly questioning his own compulsion after his confrontation with Mokuba. In the back of his mind, he acknowledges that Mokuba’s motivations were not bound to a self-serving goal, like those he had punished before for pursuing monetary gain or power, instead he acted on his desire to avenge and please his older brother.

When he faces Mokuba again the night prior to Death T, he doesn’t punish him for poisoning Jonouchi, he just lets him deal with the natural consequences of his actions. And after their new duel he doesn’t punish Mokuba either for taking part in a game meant to kill Yugi and his friends. He actually saves him from the punishment Seto wanted to inflict on him.

If Seto was only acting on the desire to take revenge on Yugi, he would have no problem sparing his own brother, which means there’s something deeper around defeat that’s driving his madness. 

Yami for the first time is confronted with a warped reflection of his very own compulsion: regardless of the reasoning behind Seto’s disapproval for defeat, it’s something he considers deserving of punishment, just like Yami uses his sense of justice to do the same. 

Punishment would not make Mokuba into a better duelist. Likewise, it would not teach him to desire less the respect and affection of his brother. Revenge on behalf of another who’s been hurt may not be a fault easily categorized into broad judgments of good and evil.

While they were trapped in the cube of Death T 3, Jonouchi reminds Yugi of the resentful feelings he held against him and his theft of the puzzle piece, admitting that his actions were motivated by self hatred. Had Yami been around then, he’d have punished this friend and never looked back again, robbing him of the chance to do better and grow a bond with Yugi.

Motivations behind every individual are complex, more than Yami had ever cared to consider. Instead of punishment, Yugi had extended a hand and inspired his friends to change his ways by themselves.

When Yami defeats Seto this time, he decides to put this new perspective to the test by giving him a chance at saving himself. If Seto succeeds and comes back a better person, it can break Yami’s cycle of repetition by proving that Ma’at can be upheld through other means than punitive violence. Rather than eradicating evil that’s loose in the world, there may be a chance it can be prevented.

As Yami and Yugi start to communicate via feelings, Yugi senses his anxiety and desperation for an answer, so he visits Kaiba in the hospital, redirecting the guilt that could add on to the compulsion into an act of care. 

During Duelist Kingdom, Yami is in a position where he hasn’t proven that this challenge he forced on Kaiba was the right choice at all, so his compulsion remains active —though he’s focusing it on reaching Pegasus and helping Yugi’s grandfather, which is why he spares most opponents on the way to the castle. Except when the Kaiba puppet points out his guilt about Kaiba’s condition, it exposes the entirety of his conflicted inner turmoil.

Though it is questioned whether Kaiba's resentment against Yami persist, ultimately his soul protects him at the last minute.

This is the moment Kaiba awakens from his coma, finally rebuilding himself. Which would make...? Yami an essential part of him. Ig you squint and believe in true love.

And Yami finds an unshakable faith in Kaiba as well

Eventually, Seto comes back, but only fulfilling half of the expectations, as he seems to be the same person as before. It doesn’t prove anything to Yami, except that there’s room for nuance.

Kaiba claims his motivation to defeat pegasus is to regain control of the company he acquired by pushing his father into suicide. Despite the guilt, this company is what Kaiba has built with his bare hands, it's part of his identity.

Yami also insists his rightful motivations will prevail