Exodia the Forbidden One

Exodia the Forbidden One, known as simply Exodia (エクゾディア Ekuzodia) in the Japanese version, is a character in the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga and anime. It is also known as the Demon God of the Palace (王おう宮きゅうの魔ま神じん Ōkyū no Majin) in both the English and Japanese versions.

Exodia, known as "the Forbidden One," was an immensely powerful beast whose might was so great that it was divided into five separate parts, each chained and magically sealed away to prevent its full power from ever being unleashed again. This act of separation gave rise to the five distinct "Forbidden One" cards in the Yu-Gi-Oh! card game, each representing a different piece of Exodia. To Summon Exodia, a player must gather all five pieces in their hand, an event that results in an automatic win regardless of the game state, underscoring Exodia's unparalleled strength.

Exodia's effect is unique among Duel Monsters cards, as it does not rely on attack or defense stats or even being on the field. Instead, assembling all five cards in hand triggers an instant victory, making Exodia a legendary and feared entity in the game.

In the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga and anime, Exodia's immense power was showcased when Shimon used it to battle Zorc Necrophades. Although Exodia's strength rivaled that of Zorc, it ultimately lost because its power was tied to Shimon, a mere mortal, while Zorc drew from his own dark power source.

Names	Exodia (エクゾディア Ekuzodia) Exodia the Forbidden One (封ふう印いんされしエクゾディア), Exodia the Sealed One, Demon God of the Palace (王おう宮きゅうの魔ま神じん Ōkyū no Majin)
Gender	Male
Race	Demon, Spirit
Occupation	Duel Monster
Origin	Yu-Gi-Oh! Chapter 39: Endgame!! 死闘の果て！！Shitō no Hate!! lit: End of the Deathmatch!! (November 4, 1997. tankōbon volume)
Alignment	Mixed
Age	Unknown at Least 3000 years
Created By	Kazuo Takahashi (Japanese: 高橋 一雅)

Appearance

Exodia is a towering and intimidating entity, with a humanoid form bound in heavy chains that symbolize its immense, sealed power. Its body is muscular and broad, adorned with intricate details resembling ancient Egyptian armor and markings, which emphasize its mystical origins. Exodia's head features a menacing, beast-like face with glowing eyes and a crown-like structure that enhances its regal yet fearsome aura. Each part of its body—arms, legs, and torso—carries the same theme of power and restriction, reflecting its status as "the Forbidden One." The chains, combined with its dramatic pose when summoned, signify the restraint placed upon such a godly force.

Personality

Exodia itself lacks an individual personality, as it is portrayed more as a force of unstoppable power than a sentient being. Its essence is deeply tied to its user, responding to their will and drawing strength from their life force or determination. In its appearances, Exodia is depicted as an embodiment of destruction and divine judgment, capable of wiping out enemies with overwhelming might. Its power is revered and feared, and its role often aligns with its wielder's goals, whether it be Shimon's valiant stand against Zorc or a Duelist's ultimate strategy for victory.

While Exodia may not exhibit a personality in the traditional sense, its legend and imposing presence convey a sense of dominance and inevitability, making it one of the most iconic and revered entities in the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe.

Exodia Cards and Strategies

The "Exodia the Forbidden One" card's primary function is to secure an automatic victory by assembling all five Forbidden One pieces in the player's hand, typically through aggressive drawing or stalling strategies. Over time, various support cards for Exodia have been released, expanding its utility beyond the original win condition. Examples include:

• Exodia Necross: A resilient monster that gains power from having the Forbidden One pieces in the Graveyard.
• Exodius the Ultimate Forbidden Lord: A monster with its own alternate win condition, achieved by sending all five Forbidden One pieces to the Graveyard.
• The Legendary Exodia Incarnate: A powerful boss monster that grows stronger for every Forbidden One piece in the Graveyard, offering a different method to overwhelm opponents.

Manga

Exodia played a significant role in Ancient Egypt, summoned by the High Priests after the creation of the Millennium Items. It was a guardian of Akhenamkhanen's kingdom, defeating foreign armies with legendary might, said to have vanquished a thousand armies in a single night.

During the epic battle against Zorc Necrophades, Siamun Muran retrieved the Millennium Key from Shada's body and used it to Summon Exodia from its five sealed slabs in the Shrine of Wedju. Exodia's "Exodia Blaze" attack decimated Zorc's Army of the Dead instantly. Siamun then turned Exodia's power against Zorc himself, engulfing the dark entity in flames. However, Zorc endured the attack and retaliated with "Dark Phenomenon," splitting Exodia in half. The destruction of Exodia drained Siamun's life force (ba), ultimately killing him. This sacrifice showcased both Exodia's overwhelming power and the cost of wielding it against such a formidable foe.

Anime

Yu-Gi-Oh!

Duelist Kingdom Arc

Exodia makes its anime debut in the first episode, where Yami Yugi assembles all five pieces during his duel against Seto Kaiba. Summoning Exodia unleashes a devastating attack that wipes out all of Kaiba’s Blue-Eyes White Dragons, securing Yugi’s victory. However, in episode 3, Weevil Underwood throws Exodia's cards overboard during the trip to Duelist Kingdom, and only two pieces are recovered. Yugi never uses Exodia in the tournament.

Battle City Arc

Before Kaiba’s Battle City tournament, Seeker of the Rare Hunters uses an Exodia deck to defeat Joey Wheeler and take his Red-Eyes Black Dragon. However, during Seeker’s duel against Yami Yugi, Yugi uses "Time Seal" to block Seeker from drawing the final piece of Exodia. Yugi subsequently destroys all copies of "Exodia the Forbidden One" in Seeker’s deck using "Chain Destruction." Yugi then destroys the cards, as they were counterfeit.

Virtual World Arc

Gozaburo Kaiba employs an Exodia deck against Seto Kaiba, intending to summon "Exodia Necross" by sending the pieces of Exodia to the Graveyard. Despite Gozaburo’s strategy, Seto overcomes his fear of Exodia, banishes the Exodia pieces with "Soul Demolition," and defeats "Exodia Necross."

Dawn of the Duel Arc

Exodia returns as the ka spirit of Shimon Muran. Shimon summons Exodia to battle Zorc Necrophades using the Millennium Key, but the duel ends tragically. Exodia, drawing its power from Shimon, is ultimately cleaved in half by Zorc. This act kills Shimon due to their life force connection, emphasizing the mortal limits of Exodia's strength against Zorc’s dark power.

Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

In the third season, Exodia is used by two Duelists:

1. Marcel Bonaparte, possessed by Yubel, attempts to summon Exodia but is interrupted by the awakening of the Sacred Beasts.
2. Adrian Gecko discovers Exodia's seal in the alternate dimension and sacrifices Echo to summon it. Despite being thwarted by Aster Phoenix, Adrian eventually uses "Exodius the Ultimate Forbidden Lord" to summon Exodia. Adrian later uses his Exodia deck against Jesse Anderson (possessed by Yubel) but is defeated before he can achieve the victory condition.

In GX, "Exodius" is shown with modified effects, including requiring "Ritual of the Ultimate Forbidden Lord" for summoning, immunity to opponent's card effects, and gaining ATK based only on "Forbidden One" monsters in the Graveyard.

Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's

In the English dub, Yusei Fudo compares the Earthbound Immortals to Exodia, drawing parallels between their immense size and design, particularly with "Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu." This comparison highlights Exodia's cultural significance as a symbol of overwhelming power.

Throughout its appearances, Exodia remains a symbol of ultimate power and an iconic figure in the Yu-Gi-Oh! series.

Powers and Statistics

Tier: 2-C

Powers and Abilities: Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Immortality (Type 1), Magic, Energy Manipulation, Fire Manipulation, Soul Manipulation

Attack Potency: Low Multiverse level (Was able to push Yubel with his force, Somewhat matched Zorc before being destroyed.)

Speed: Massively Hypersonic+ (Kept up with Zorc)

Lifting Strength: Unknown

Striking Strength: Low Multiverse level

Durability: Low Multiverse level (Traded blows with Zorc)

Stamina: Is limited to the life force of the person who Summoned him.

Range: Hundreds of Meters

Standard Equipment: None

Intelligence: Unknown

Weaknesses: Was sealed away and dismembered by Shimon Muran's spell. Is physically weaker if his lifeforce is tied to his human owner (as seen with Shimon Muran). Alternate forms are weaker.

Note: This page covers the anime version of Exodia, the manga variation is featless in comparison.

Trivia

• Exodia's backstory and pharaoh-like appearance likely references the Egyptian legend of Osiris, god of death, rebirth, and judgment. In the legend, Osiris was the god Egyptians believed brought them civilization, such as the knowledge of architecture, farming, and establishing the line of pharaohs. However, Osiris was betrayed by his jealous brother Set and was cut into several pieces, which were then scattered across Egypt. Osiris' wife Isis recovered the pieces and brought Osiris back to life long enough for them to bear a son, Horus, before Osiris departed to the Land of the Dead where he became its ruler.

• In Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monster Coliseum, the player can fuse the five pieces of "Exodia" to Summon "The Legendary Exodia Incarnate", the complete Exodia (but it will be only like a normal fusion piece), with an ability to cause massive damage on the monsters that is in range, that is known by "Obliterate". "The Legendary Exodia Incarnate" can also be unlocked in Yu-Gi-Oh! The Duelists of the Roses in the library when you successfully summon Exodia, but it will be impossible to see him in 3D, and the only available status will be his Type, which is Spellcaster, and his Attribute, which is Dark.

• The chance of drawing all 5 pieces of Exodia in the first five cards out of a 40 card deck is 1/658008, if there is 1 of each piece, as there is (5/40 * 4/39 * 3/38 * 2/37 * 1/36 = 1.52*10^-6 or 0.000152%).
• In the TCG artwork, the seal behind the "Forbidden One" pieces of "Exodia" is "Spellbinding Circle".