Astrology, Blood Types, and Yu-Gi-Oh!: Katsuya Jounouchi

If you need a reference back to certain terms, or the reasons why certain dates were chosen for this feature, check back on the Yuugi MutouSeto Kaiba, or Ryou Bakura entries.

Sun Sign & Personality

For the purposes of this entry, Jounouchi’s birthday is January 25th, 1981. In Chinese astrology, this makes him a Metal Monkey. Because many of the main characters are Metal Monkeys, I went over this meaning in the Kaiba entry, so check that page out for info on Metal Monkeys and their personality. For information on the year of the Monkey in general, check Yuugi‘s entry.

Katsuya Jounouchi: January 25th (Aquarius). The sign of Aquarius ran from Jan 20 3:36 am (Greenwich Mean Time) through Feb 18 5:51 pm. Since Jounouchi’s not on the cusp, converting his birthtime to local time (Japan Standard Time, -9 from GMT) is pointless; he’d still be an Aquarius.

Jounouchi was born five days after the start of the Aquarius sign, which places him in the Aquarius decan, right in the middle of the 10 degrees (each sign is broken up into 30 degrees, with one sign of the elemental triplicity ruling over 10 days each… of course, this is a rough estimation, because some astrological signs last more than 30 days). The first 10 degrees relate to the physical side or the body. Those born near the 0-4th degrees are more focused on beginnings, while those in the 5-9 degrees are focused on endings, nd tangible, physical things. Because Jounouchi is right in the middle, he has a good balance of each, though because his Sun Sign and decan are the same, he has a double-dose of Aquarius/Uranus influence, much in the same way that Seto Kaiba does for Scorpio/Pluto. This means he has the ability to be very inventive and creative, and he is an original “character” (meaning personality, not “character in Yu-Gi-Oh!“). Contrary to how Jounouchi might seem, his decan reveals that he can, in fact, be intellectual, and have a deeper understanding of human living. He might also do well in scientific fields. People with an Aquarius decan in Aquarius follow their own route, but they like being with people.

Of note about decan is that they do not affect just the Sun Sign (the house in which the Sun is in at the time of your birth). All of the houses in a person’s natal chart can be broken up into degrees, and the number of planets in a given set or bracket of degrees can indicate the influence of that decan on the person’s personality, or the “echoed” influence of some planets, acting stronger than usual. However, to determine the placement of all of the planets and their decan would require a precise birth time, which is something we do not have for the Yu-Gi-Oh! characters; we can only estimate it.

Interestingly enough, the 1981 Aquarius is also supposed to be a sign that works well with technology, as it was around this time that technology began taking leaps and bounds to becoming a vital part of our everyday lifestyle. Furthermore, the advent of technology also opened doors for other things –aspects that were typically more associated with other signs– and allowed Aquarians of this time to differentiate themselves from other Aquarians. For starters, three planets in Libra (the partner-oriented sign) means Jounouchi is more apt to seek a long-term relationship than other Aquarians. This particular relationship is romantic, and it means Jounouchi is apt to have encountered The One early on, and truly believe in the long-term stability of the relationship even when other factors or other people might think otherwise. Like-minded Aquarians or Librans might make good partners (however, I don’t think there ARE any other Aquarians or Librans in the cast!).

In business and platonic relationships, Jounouchi can be objective and the voice of reason. It might sound a bit ridiculous, but consider his role in the early manga, when he went back to Hirutani’s gang in order to “save” Yuugi and his other friends from getting beat up by them. He looked at the situation as objectively as he could (he could have chosen to beat Hirutani and the others up then and there; he could have chosen to report them to the police, etc. etc.) and made the decision he thought was best to protect his friends. With the signs and houses aligned in this fashion, Jounouchi always lets people know that he’s loyal and committed to them and that he can provide them with what they need (though what “they” need obviously varies from person to person).

Katsuya Jounouchi’s Love Potential (Position of Venus)

During the time when Jounouchi was born, Venus was in Capricorn. People with Venus in this sign take love very seriously and set high standards when it comes to romance. Jounouchi is not the wishy-washy type: he knows just what he wants and he doesn’t settle or compromise when it comes to those things which matter most to him. This can also be attributed to his personal history: he saw a marriage fail between his father and mother and saw (and felt) the effects it had on both him and Shizuka. Because of that, he probably thinks he doesn’t want to end up like them, and if he falls in love, he’ll want it to be real, and he’ll want it to be forever.

In a twist of irony, image can matter a lot when it comes to those with Venus in this sign. First impressions can mean everything to Jounouchi, one whom would need nothing short of a cataclysmic event to change his mind about someone after they’ve given him a particular impression. In turn, Jounouchi has a great deal of pride about his own self and appearance– though his decisions on how he dresses/acts/etc. might not match with someone else’s standards (i.e. Kaiba’s; he always calls Jounouchi something like “mediocre,” which would indicate his standards do not match with Jounouchi’s).

Jounouchi would also know that love alone doesn’t put food on the table, so he’d want someone who could offer comfort and stability as well. A Taurus (Honda is on the cusp; though he’s a declared Aries) or Virgo (Bakura) could provide this, or another Capricorn (none). With other things, Jounouchi might seem immature, but when it comes to love, his standards are probably so high that he expects nothing less of adult maturity and responsibility from his potential partner and those that surround him. He probably wouldn’t look on cheaters or others who are fumbling in their relationships with a kind eye (and it also explains why he takes “lapses” in any kind of relationship very seriously; see his reaction to his brainwashing by Malik in Battle City). For him, as he ages, love would improve, as he acts more mature in other areas of his life.

Katsuya Jounouchi’s Drive & Ambition (Position of Mars)

Aside from the Sun being in Aquarius, Mars is also in Aquarius for Jounouchi (from Jan. 20 at 3:36 am GMT – Feb. 6 10:47 pm GMT). This planet is indicative of ambition, drive, and motivation. For Jounouchi, one of his biggest drives to act or achieve something is “freedom.” (Think Jack Sparrow here, folks.) Jounouchi loves being able to do what he wants: choosing his own path, making his own destiny, and doing things his own way. Some people might see him as a rebel because of this, but again, it ties into Jounouchi’s Aquarian “originality.” Because Aquarians of 1981 are known to have the urge to invent, explore, and discover when they are curious, Jounouchi often goes off the beaten path to answer his personal questions. Because of Jounouchi’s wide array of experience in a variety of areas, he would actually be good at giving advice to others, though others might not necessarily like to take the same path Jounouchi did, as his path is often “the road less traveled.” Jounouchi’s great in groups (duh) and would be good at planning big events. Maybe Kaiba should have Jounouchi as a tournament consultant? Ironically, Jounouchi would also work well as an independent consultant in those areas he knows best: dueling, probably.

A love for freedom coupled with a great sense of teamwork means Jounouchi would be at his best putting himself to a tough task “for the team.” He would grow bored too quickly if there were no need for change or adaptability (if things were too predictable). When Jounouchi can do what he wants and follow his ideals, he shines.

Katsuya Jounouchi’s Luck Magnetism (Position of Jupiter)

One of the three planets in Libra during Jounouchi’s birthday is Jupiter, the planet of luck magnetism. If ever you wondered just how Jounouchi pulls off some of his great last-minute moves in duels, look no further than the galleries of the duel arena, where his friends are cheering him on. Jounouchi pulls great luck from his friends (not “stealing their luck,” as it were, but the feeling of luck and hope). This positioning also means Jounouchi has an appreciation for beautiful things– be it art, music, fashion, literature, or theater. Sure, you don’t see him reading Nietzche or Tolstoy like Kaiba does, but he certainly seems to appreciate a beautiful person (Mai), and his own fashion sense isn’t horrid (hey, coordinating denim!). If Jounouchi had his own place and control over it (rather than living with his dad), he’d probably decorate it rather tastefully.

Ironically, people of this sign tend to be those that exude a sense of propriety– but to me, Jounouchi doesn’t seem the type who’d know which side of the plate my salad fork goes on. Still, he’s got a knack for being a matchmaker (!) and attracting “the right people” both for his own personal benefit and for others’ sake. People might also ask Jounouchi to mediate in a fight because they can count on his objective opinion and a good judge of character.


As with the other characters, we don’t know what sign was “rising” at the time of Jounouchi’s birth (his ascendant), but based on the personality traits of various ascendants, we can guess:

All times are based on Tokyo, Japan (JST) on 1/25/1981

  • Aries (positive, aggressive, competitive, energetic) 9:25 am -10:44 am
  • Taurus (shouldering responsibilities with great determination) 10:45 am-12:14 pm
  • Scorpio (endeavors are done with great intensity and perseverance) 11:50 pm-2:19 am
  • Sagittarius (free spirited, optimistic) 2:20 am – 4:39 am
  • Aquarius (everything is new) 6:35 am – 8:09 am
  • Pisces (striving to make the world a better place) 8:10 am – 9:24 am

I think Jounouchi sounds most like an Aries rising, so I made a chart for him that fits that. If we assume that is his birth chart, we can get more details about the other planets and how they play a role in his personality… but that would make this feature much longer, all on an assumption. So I’d only do that off-site if requested by many people.

Blood Type

Moving onto blood type, Jounouchi has Type B blood. According to Bella Online’s article on blood type as a mode of personality deduction and compatibility, it says: Goal oriented and strong minded, type B’s will start a task and continue it until completed, and completed well. Type B’s are the individualists of the blood group categories and find their own way in life.

It sounds a great deal like what was already established by his Aquarian personality, don’t you think?

Furthermore, Type Bs are supposed to be compatible with other Bs and AB types: Yuugi (AB), Bakura (AB), Otogi (B), Ryouta Kajiki (B), and Malik Ishtar (B).

Chinese Zodiac

Head to Yuugi‘s entry to read more about the Chinese Zodiac and the main cast of Yu-Gi-Oh!

Mystical Card

Jounouchi’s Mystical Card is the Two of Diamonds. Two cards embody the idea of Union, while Diamonds (Pentacles or Discs in Tarot) relate to such things as finance, wealth, and material happiness. As previously indicated with the astrological reading, Two of Diamonds bearers value partnership and are essential to obtaining the wealth and security that people like Jounouchi desire. How he succeeds in the world has a lot to do with how he gets along with others. If he expects a reward to come by a certain time and it doesn’t, Jounouchi is apt to see the relationship as not worthwhile and may break it off. Key to maintaining relationships and reaping rewards are patience and using diplomacy.

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