Unwitting Ally: Anthy, unknowing friend

Through Akio, Anthy becomes an unknowing ally to Mikage and his quest for eternity. We do not learn this until the end, but the entire time he is Mikage, his partner Mamiya is actually Anthy, disguised by Mikage's own twisted desire, a puppet of Akio's design. Akio explains to Nemuro after the lost duel with Utena that "The period where you hid the possibility in your heart, not growing up, was useful," thus showing his interest in Nemuro to be purely for business.

The duel role Anthy plays in this saga is one that allows her to be on both sides of the duels. As Mamiya, she helps Mikage turn the students into the Black Rose duelists, corrupted into shaping their memories to fit the plan for eternity. And as Anthy, she continues to be the Rose Bride, always cheering on Utena, her victor, at the duels.

Even though she holds no memory of what she does as Mamiya during the series, at the end she and Akio are the only ones who even remember the existence of Nemuro/Mikage. Like a shadow, he vanishes from the minds of the others. This foreshadows how Anthy and Akio will remember Utena when she leaves, and Anthy finally leaves the clutches of Ohtori.