Kaiba Seto Character analysis (Outline Form)
by Eternal SailorM

I.  Projects absolute control/indifference as a mask

II.  Probably has the lowest self-esteem/sense of self-worth of cast
    A. Doesn't think he deserves Mokuba's love
        1. Pre Death-T might have been trying to prove that to Mokuba
    B.  Doesn't think he deserves any (non-material) show of affection anyone gives him
        1.  Would be confused by but cherish any scrap of affection of love/friendship/affection he's given & not expect more
            a.  He'd hoard the memory of them up for when that person(s) abandons him
            b.  He thinks scraps is all he deserves/has earned
                (1) Doesn't know how to ask for more
                (2) Will need frequent reassurances of his worth as friend/lover/sibling
                    (a)  Will not act like he does or cares

III.  Likely has almost everyone in neat categories (w/ a little overlap allowed)
    A. "Wants to hurt me" -> Gozaburo, Big 5 (to some extent, Noa)
    B.  "Rival/competition, may try to hurt me" -> Yami Yuugi (to some extent, Otogi)
    C. "Psychopath" -> Yami Bakura, Malik, Marik (maybe also Bakura Ryou)
    D. "Nice to me, doesn't want anything, needs protection" -> Mokuba (to some extent Anzu & Ryou)
    E.  "Don't like but nice to Mokuba" -> Honda
    F.  "Fun to fight/play w/ but probably doesn't like me" -> Jounouchi
    G.  Yuugi only has the category "confuses the hell out of me"
        1. "Why is he being nice?"
        2. "Why doesn't he seem to want anything from me?"
        3. "Why does he call me 'Kaiba-kun'?"
        4. "Why does he act like two people?"
        5. "What are his real motives?"
        6.  Yuugi is one of the few people (besides Mokuba) he calls by their name
            a.  Very odd!
            b.  Definitely a lot of respect there (as much as he feels safe expressing)

IV.  Doesn't really understand the concept of friends
    A. He's only dealt with:
        1.  Abuse and abandonment from adults
            a.  Death is abandonment
        2.  Worship from Mokuba
        3.  Wariness from his peers
            a.  Age group peers
            b.  Intelligence-level peers
            c.  Business peers
    B.  He's never been accepted for who he is
        1.  He's had to mold himself to a role for different people
            a.  Brother/mother/father for Mokuba
            b. Son/heir/trainee/whipping boy for Gozaburo
            c. Another mouth to feed & be rid of for people at orphanage
            d.  Exploitable child genius for Big 5
            e.  Untouchable World Champion for other duelists
        2.  Yuugi doesn't try to fit him to a mold
    C.  May not even remember how to be "Seto"
    D.  Hasn't been just himself for himself (i.e., not for Mokuba or to keep up a facade) since his parents died or perhaps the orphanage
    E.  To some extent, though, he has probably laid claim to most of the cast
        1.  He may not like them all, but he'll help them

V.  Has a great deal of issues but doesn't deal w/ them in healthy ways
    A.  Going to a shrink isn't likely
        1.  It admits there is a problem & therefore a weakness
            a.  BAD!
    B. He internalizes everything, puts up masks to hide behind, denial, "If I don't admit it exists, then it doesn't"
        1.  no repression
            a.  He remembers everything
                (1) Forgetting makes one weak
                (2)  Having memories stolen/sealed away is a high crime for him
    C. Will have great difficulty getting close to anyone, physically (i.e., sex) or emotionally
        1.  Partially fears letting someone close enough to hurt him or be hurt by him
        2.  Will not fall into bed w/ anyone
            a.  It will take some a lot of work on all parts
        3. If he feels the need to bind someone to him, he might be willing to use sex to do it
            a.  It'll cause him more emotional trauma though
            b.  He will resent it being the only option he was left w/
            c.  He would resent it more if it was tried on him
            d.  No difficulties seeing sex as a bargaining piece though
        4.  Sex would either be in the dark under sheets or w/out letting partner touch or look at his body at first
            a.  Gozaburo's "training" likely left lots of scars
                (1)  Note through most of the series, he's covered from the neck down
                (2)  Even if he's had the scars removed, they're still on his soul
                    (a)  Doesn't help his self-esteem
                        1.  Makes him feel "less"
        5.  Definitely some control issues that can go to one of two extremes:
            a.  Can't perform unless he's completely in control
            b.  Can't perform unless he's had control completely stripped from him
                (1)  Relationship could very easily turn abusive for him
                    (a)  He has no concept of what a loving relationship should be like
                (2)  Can very easily come to one of two conclusions based on his past
                    (a)  Love = worship?
                    (b)  Love = abuse?
                    (c)  He could come to the conclusion, when in love, either everything is all great all the time or someone (likely him) is bleeding
            c.  He can fall between those two extremes though or move back and forth between them
            d.  In either extreme, the probability of bondage/fetishes is high
                (1)  Not psychologically good for him
            e. He needs a sort of balancing out to keep him from slipping to either extreme
                (1)  He needs a give-and-take relationship
                (2)  Putting him in a threesome w/ a (well-written) yami/hikari pair would give him this balance
                    (a) Otherwise, he needs someone who can be both seme & uke to balance him, as well as put up with his temper & eccentricities
                    (b)  Putting him w/ Malik/Marik (if they are written as separate) would be bad for his psyche
                         1.  Bluntly, they would break him

VI.  Has built a sort of tower around/of himself
    A.  Mokuba is at the top
        1.  On a pedestal
    B.  Tower is fragile
        1. Mostly thanks to Yami Yuugi
            a.  Constantly beating him
            b.  Shattering his personality/"soul" during Death-T
        2.  Is slowly being battered down
            a.  Psyche is still very fragile
                (1)  He won't admit/show it
    C.  He's already had to rebuild his mind once (thanks to Yami Yuugi)
        1.  If his mental tower falls, he'll have to do it again
        2.  Rebuilding it the first time turned him from psychotic to just suspicious
        3.  Having to rebuild it again might completely break him
            a. Slow changes to it are, in general, good for him though
                (1) No sudden changes to what he considers a given
    D.  Probably measured his self-worth by his wins
        1.  Losing to Yami Yuugi hurts/damages him psychologically
        2.  This is probably thanks to Gozaburo
            a. "Be perfect or else"
                (1)  Or else = threat to Mokuba
            b.  Perfect = winning = perfect
        3.  Therefore, right now, he thinks he's worth less than nothing

VII. Doesn't trust easily
    A.  Even Mokuba!
        1. Death-T
            a. "Mokuba must see/learn how unworthy of his love I am."
    B.  Once his trust is gained, though, he'll die or kill for that person, even do things he finds personally displeasurable
        1.  Duelist Kingdom
            a.  Willing to die to save Mokuba
        2.  Battle City
            a.  Teamed up w/ Yami Yuugi to save Mokuba
    C.  Will be over-protective
        1. Usually w/in reason (and for good reason)
            a.  Kidnapping Mokuba is the Domino pastime after all
    D.  Will probably be very monetarily affectionate
        1.  They indicate something is nice & he buys it immediately
            a.  Probably has never hear the expression "Money can't buy love"
            b.  He'd be especially giving w/ gifts if he's hurt/angered them (or perceives himself as having done so)
                (1)  Buy himself back into their good graces

VIII.  In Short/Summary
    A. Everything is an uphill battle for w/ and for Kaiba
    B.  Therefore, he probably thinks "If it didn't hurt me to get it, it's not worth having/what good is it"
        1.  Gifts would confuse him
            a.  He would start looking for an ulterior motive