Blair Flannigan

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Blair Flannigan (Rei Saotome)
Appears in	Yu-Gi-Oh! (Duel Monsters) GX
Debut	Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Episode 20
Birthday	Unknown
Deck	Love (first year), Egg (second year)
Sign	Unknown
Age	11 at debut; currently 13 (Japanese version; approximate) 8 at debut; currently 10 (English version)
Height	Unknown
Weight	Unknown
Blood type	Unknown
Favorite food	Unknown
Least favorite food	Unknown
Status at debut	Slifer Red transfer student
Relations	Unknown
Seiyū	Eri Sendai
Voice actor(s)	Lisa Ortiz

Blair Flannigan, known in Japan as Rei Saotome (早乙女レイ, Saotome Rei^?), is a fictional character in the anime series Yu-Gi-Oh! GX (Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters GX in Japan). Her surname in the Japanese version is derived from the name of Ranma Saotome, protagonist of the Ranma ½ franchise, as a joke about her disguising herself as a boy (Ranma was cursed to transform into a girl whenever doused with cold water). In the English version, Blair is voiced by Lisa Ortiz, while Eri Sendai takes the role in the Japanese version.

Initially a minor character appearing in a stand-alone episode during the first season, Blair joins the central cast at the beginning of the third after proving her worth as a duelist.

[edit] Fictional character biography

Blair was a transfer student who entered Duel Academy (Duel Academia) during the first year disguised as a boy. She was placed in the Slifer Red (Osiris Red) dormitory, and guided by Jaden Yuki (Judai Yuki), Syrus Truesdale (Sho Marufuji), and Chumley Huffington (Hayato Maeda). Behind her guise, Blair intended to get closer to Zane Truesdale (Ryo Marufuji), on whom she had a crush. While sneaking around Zane's room in Obelisk Blue, she was caught by Jaden, who discovered her secret and pursued her on the matter late at night after the confrontation. The two dueled, and although Blair was defeated, she finally received the opportunity to meet with Zane. Although flattered by her affections, he turned her down, telling her to go home. Being a second grade (fifth grade in the Japanese version) elementary student, she was forced to leave the school on the technicality that she was too young to stay. As she departed, her feelings shifted from Zane to Jaden.^[1]

During the second year, Blair returned in another disguise near the end of the GX tournament and challenged Zane following his "rebirth," but he declined. She instead dueled with Chazz Princeton (Jun Manjoume) to claim the champion title of the tournament and officially enter Slifer Red. Despite overwhelming improvement in her skills that allow her to push him into a corner, Chazz is able to claim victory in the end. At that time, an integral part of Blair's personality becomes clearer. Her love interests are constantly changing, as evidenced by her brief admiration of Chazz, which is quickly replaced once more by her infatuation with Jaden.^[2]

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Even though she lost to Chazz, Blair is admitted to Slifer Red.^[3] She commandeers the duelist's room, forcing Chazz to bunk with Jaden, and also begins a friendship with Martin Kanou (referring to him by the nickname Marty (マルッチ, Marucchi^?) in the Japanese version). After Duel Academy arrives in the other world, a possessed Martin injures Blair. With medicine from the Garam submarine, she promptly recovers.^[4]

Spoilers end here.

In the English version, Blair takes on a Brooklyn accent beginning with her reappearance at the second season's conclusion. In the original version of the series, she refers to herself with "boku," a word for "I" typically spoken by young males, though its use by females is not unheard of.

[edit] Deck

Blair originally played a Love deck, themed on Maiden in Love and her ability to distribute "Maiden Counters" to an opponent's monsters as means of controlling them to do her bidding. As of the second year, she plays an Egg deck, which charts the aging of monsters like Mystic Egg through their individual stages of growth.