His biggest fear, the greatest, most powerful fear he has, boils down to failure.
Barely through puberty, and he had the fate of the world on his shoulders. He had an entire country (or globe rather) to protect from the evil attacking his kingdom. He had to save them, he had to act, he cannot fail, as he will not let the world burn.
Then, it's not so much the world, but instead a young teenage boy. But he needs to protect this boy, for he is light and innocence and he will not stand for injustice done to him and others. It's not the world, but this boy is his world, and he refuses to back down, refuses to lose, he will not fail, as he will not see Yugi suffer.
Then suddenly, it's not just Yugi, it's all his friends, as he watches them get possessed and used as tools in a sick game against him, it's his fault. His friends who accepted him so easily, even just knowing him as "the Other Yugi," now are suffering, potentially dying, because of him. He will not fail them, as he will not let their kindness and compassion they showed him go to waste.
Atem does not lose, he does not falter. He does not fail, for when he fails it is not just him who suffers. For the ceremonial battle, he needs to learn to accept losing, he needs to have an honest, well fought battle and truly lose and accept it, because he needs to learn that failure is okay. That failure is not always so consequential, that it is not the end of the world.
With the ceremonial battle, this greatest fear does come true, as he fails to win. But by then, it's not his greatest fear anymore. He's finally accepted that it is okay, and that if he fails this time, it's not the end of the world.
"Has your greatest fear ever come true?"
Barely through puberty, and he had the fate of the world on his shoulders. He had an entire country (or globe rather) to protect from the evil attacking his kingdom. He had to save them, he had to act, he cannot fail, as he will not let the world burn.
Then, it's not so much the world, but instead a young teenage boy. But he needs to protect this boy, for he is light and innocence and he will not stand for injustice done to him and others. It's not the world, but this boy is his world, and he refuses to back down, refuses to lose, he will not fail, as he will not see Yugi suffer.
Then suddenly, it's not just Yugi, it's all his friends, as he watches them get possessed and used as tools in a sick game against him, it's his fault. His friends who accepted him so easily, even just knowing him as "the Other Yugi," now are suffering, potentially dying, because of him. He will not fail them, as he will not let their kindness and compassion they showed him go to waste.
Atem does not lose, he does not falter. He does not fail, for when he fails it is not just him who suffers. For the ceremonial battle, he needs to learn to accept losing, he needs to have an honest, well fought battle and truly lose and accept it, because he needs to learn that failure is okay. That failure is not always so consequential, that it is not the end of the world.
With the ceremonial battle, this greatest fear does come true, as he fails to win. But by then, it's not his greatest fear anymore. He's finally accepted that it is okay, and that if he fails this time, it's not the end of the world.
Just the end of his journey.