Amon Saito

"Amon Saito"

- My name's Saito... Gyro Fighter Saito!

About
Amon Saito is a teenage boy who is obsessed with the game Battle Gyro.

Battle Gyro is a game where several players, usually two, let loose tops, named Gyros, inside of a small oval arena. The Gyros strike each other until one falls. Whichever one remains spinning last, wins. The Gyros can be enhanced with elemental cards that players can enter into these devices called Gears, which are fitted on their arm. Players usually play for cards, with one card from the loser being given to the winner.

Saito is very good at this game, having already beaten many opponents before the events of Big Bang Age. He also owns a very rare and powerful elemental card named Ishtar, which he uses every match. During the events of Big Bang Age, Saito intends to become the champion once more. While struggling against another player during a match, Saito receives some advice from someone. That person is Zanma Rouga, leader of Wolf Fang. With his advice, Saito is able to beat his opponent.

After the match, Saito approaches Rouga to thank him. Rouga then asks Saito to battle him in a practice match. Rouga explains that he used to play Battle Gyro back in the day, before elemental cards were introduced. After Saito agrees, Rouga picks up a weak practice model Gyro to use, which Saito believes wouldn't be good enough to compete with. Rouga, however, states it will be fine and, to even the playing field, says that they will not be using any elemental cards then.

Despite Saito putting his all into it, he's unable to defeat Rouga. For ten straight matches, Saito keeps losing. Rouga explains to him that the reason he keeps losing is because he relies on his cards too much and isn't very good at controlling his Gyro. He then tells Saito to take care and proceeds to leave. Saito stops him and says that he'll come with Rouga and join Wolf Fang, until he gets good enough to beat him at Battle Gyro. Rouga agrees.

After joining Wolf Fang, Saito continues beating his opponents in Battle Gyro tournament preliminaries. After successfully beating his opponent in the semi-finals, Saito celebrates. However, he then receives a jeer from fellow finalist Kumano Gentarou, who calls Saito pathetic. He says that Saito relies on his elemental cards too much and doesn't fight for himself. Saito takes offense at that, stating he's grown past that. Gentarou then challenges Saito to a match at the venue. Upon Saito activating Ishtar during the match, Gentarou uses his own card, Titan, which protects his Gyro and causes Saito's to fall first.

Dejected, Saito begins training to try and beat Gentarou's strategy. He trains so hard, he ends up hurting his hand and starts bleeding. Fellow Wolf Fang member Camilla sees Saito is hurt and proceeds to take care of him. Camilla asks him how he got hurt and Saito explains it's because he was training too hard for the game. Camilla expresses interest in Battle Gyro and Saito offers to teach her sometime. Camilla then leaves.

A while later, Saito is training again, having made an exact replica of the Gentarou fight in a classroom at Wolf Fang's HQ. Camilla meets him there after hearing Saito's been feeling frustrated because of the upcoming match. Saito explains to Camilla that he can only beat Gentarou if he stops relying on his elemental card Ishtar and gets stronger. Camilla then gives him a pep talk by telling him he just needs to believe in himself and that he can then overcome any challenge. This cheers Saito up and he resumes training.

On the final day of the challenge, Gentarou and Saito face off again. Right when Gentarou thinks he's going to win, Saito sets a new card in his Gear and uses it to unleash a new move, which knocks Gentarou's Gear into the air, thus allowing Saito to win the tournament once again.

Some time after the match, Saito and Rouga face off again in a friendly bout. This time, however, Saito manages to win. Afterwards, Saito teaches Rouga how to use elemental cards.

In the ending, Saito wins the Battle Gyro tournament again using the same strategy as he did against Gentarou a year prior. He is asked for a few words in a video interview. Saito decides to thank Camilla and Rouga for their support.

Personality and Appearance
Saito is generally a confident, enthusiastic boy, who is obsessed with the game Battle Gyro. In order to win his matches, Saito is willing to train hard for it, even if he ends up hurting himself.

Saito has greenish blue spiky hair and olive green eyes. He wears an orange sleeveless jacket with matching headband, black shorts with white pantlegs and a red shirt with black sleeves. He also wears a brown bag around his hips and brown fingerless gloves. On his left hand he wears his Gear. In his right hand, Saito holds an elemental card, presumably Ishtar.

Abilities
Saito is good at the game Battle Gyro. Initially, his wins come almost entirely from his elemental card Ishtar, but after losing to a powerful opponent in an unofficial match, Saito becomes so good at the game he wins the national tournament.

In battle, Saito is a long-range fighter, notable for his high evasion and stamina, but low HP and medium attack. He attacks approaching enemies with an elemental card from Battle Gyro, presumably Ishtar. When he readies the card, it starts to glow, then creates a splash of glowing particles of unknown origin that damages opponents.

His special move is 'Ally Evade +', which boosts the evasion of all allies stationed with him, including himself.

Trivia

 * Saito's arm device, the tops used in Battle Gyro, Saito's design, personality and story are all references or parodies of shōnen manga/anime or their tropes. The specific references are shown below.
 * The device Saito wears on his arm, the Gear, is similar to the Duel Disk used in the manga series Yu-Gi-Oh! Both devices are worn on the arm and use cards to influence the battle.
 * The Gyros, the tops used for battling, is likely a reference to Beyblade, a line of spinning tops made by Takara Tomy. It also received a well-known manga and anime adaptation. Although the original concept of spinning tops being pit against each other in a small arena can be traced back to Ideal Toy Company's Battling Tops, the shōnen elements Saito represents specifically come from Beyblade. The name for the game Saito plays, Battle Gyro, may very well come from Battling Tops, however.
 * Saito's general design and personality are typical shōnen tropes. The spiky hairstyle, fingerless gloves, and confident, enthusiastic personality are frequently seen on shōnen manga protagonists. This particularly includes Takao Kinomiya (known as Tyson Granger in the English dub), the protagonist of the manga adaptation of Beyblade, which served as the primary inspiration for the game played in Big Bang Age.
 * Saito's personal storyline is also typical for shōnen manga. He enters a tournament, does well, then meets a cocky rival who defeats him. Saito begins training and gets frustrated. An ally then tells him he just needs to believe in himself, which cheers him up. He then figures out a new strategy and uses it to defeat his rival in a decisive match, winning the tournament.