Yugi Muto
| Names | Yugi Muto (武藤 遊戯 Mutō Yūgi), Yugi Mutou, Yugi-Boy ( by Pegasus), Little Yugi ( by Kaiba) ,Yug (dub, Joey), King of Games |
| Gender | Male ♂ |
| Race | Human |
| Occupation | Duelist, Student |
| Origin | Yu-Gi-Oh! Chapter 1: "The Puzzle of the Gods" のパズル Kami no Pazuru, September 14, 1996 (Weekly Shōnen Jump, 1992 #46) |
| Alignment | Heroic |
| Age | 16 (physically), 18 (DSOD) |
| Height | 153 cm (5ft 0in) |
| Weight | 42 kg (92.5 lbs) (6.61 st) |
| Created By | Kazuo Takahashi (Japanese: 高橋 一雅) |
| Personality Type | INFP, 9w1 (Enneagram) |
| Voice Actors |  Japanese: Shunsuke Kazama 風間 俊介 English: Dan Green, Chuck Powers (Singapore)
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Yugi Muto (武藤 遊戯 Mutō Yūgi), also romanized as Yugi Mutou, is the main protagonist of the original Yu-Gi-Oh! series, alongside Yami Yugi. He has been described as the modern-day incarnation of Pharaoh Atem.
With the spirit of Pharaoh Atem residing within him, Yugi holds the title of "King of Games" (referred to as the "King of Duelists" in the Japanese version). He possessed the ancient Millennium Puzzle, an artifact that was three thousand years old (five thousand in the English dub). The Puzzle allowed Yugi’s body to serve as a vessel for Yami Yugi, a spirit initially unknown to Yugi. During moments of crisis, he would unconsciously switch personalities, with Yami Yugi taking control.
Yugi lives with his paternal grandfather, Solomon Muto, and his mother. He is part of a tight-knit group of friends, including Joey Wheeler, Tristan Taylor, Téa Gardner, and Bakura Ryou. His friends frequently support him during duels, with Joey even battling alongside him. Yugi and Téa have been close since childhood, and he harbors romantic feelings for her. Téa, in turn, has shown affection for both Yugi and Yami Yugi.
Appearance
Yugi's character design, overseen by Kazuki Takahashi, features multiple layers of clothing and a broad range of expressions. He typically wears the standard male Domino Junior/Senior High uniform, characterized by a buckled collar. His signature hairstyle is strikingly unique, with three distinct colors—black, blond, and magenta. His blond fringe consists of long, crooked, pointy locks, while the rest of his hair is styled into five large spikes and two smaller spikes. He is the only character in the franchise with a three-toned hairstyle.
He wears the Millennium Puzzle on a lace around his neck, which he later replaces with a chain. Yugi also frequently sports a KaibaCorp Duel Disk on his left arm.
Throughout the series, Yugi wears various outfits:
- During his Dungeon Dice Monsters match against Duke Devlin, he wore a black long-sleeved shirt, a gray sleeveless vest, dark blue pants, and black shoes.
- On his outing with Téa to learn more about the Millennium Puzzle, he donned a black linen shirt, multiple wrist chains, and leather pants.
- In Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monsters, he sported a violet jacket and jeans, along with the Capsule Shooter on his left arm. In Episode 4, he obtained Duel Armor, which allowed him to merge with one of his capsule monsters.
- In Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Yugi underwent significant physical development, resembling Atem in height and build. By this time, his present-day eyes are never directly shown.
Personality
Yugi is kind-hearted, compassionate, and childlike in nature. He excels in games, riddles, and puzzles, particularly Duel Monsters. When Shadi examined Yugi’s Soul Room, he observed that Yugi harbored no malice or wickedness in his heart. Though Yugi can become angry, he is generally forgiving.
He is shy, especially around admirers, particularly female ones. He often blushes or freezes up when approached by girls like Mai, Vivian, or Rebecca. He also struggles with stage fright, as seen when Mokuba tried to bring him onstage to give a speech.
Unlike Yami Yugi, Yugi does not fear losing and will even accept defeat if it helps his opponent. He initially lacks confidence in his own abilities but remains determined to support his friends. As the series progresses, he becomes more self-assured and resolute. Yugi is also deeply self-sacrificing, willing to put himself in harm’s way to protect those he cares about, such as Joey or Yami Yugi.
Biography
Background
Yugi lives with his mother and grandfather, Solomon Mutou, in their family-owned game shop, Kame Game. His father is often away on business.
One day, Yugi discovered the Millennium Puzzle on a shelf in the shop. He spent eight years unsuccessfully trying to solve it, believing that completing the puzzle would grant him a wish.
School
Ushio
During lunchtime one day, Yugi stayed behind in the classroom, declining an offer to play basketball with his classmates. As he worked on the disassembled Millennium Puzzle, he was interrupted by Joey Wheeler and Tristan Taylor, who took the puzzle box from him. Joey secretly stole a piece and offered the box back on the condition that Yugi punch him. Yugi refused, and the situation was interrupted when Téa Gardner arrived and caught the box as Joey tossed it to Tristan. After Téa scolded them, they left, and Yugi confided in her that the Puzzle was a keepsake from his grandfather.
The hall monitor, Ushio, wrongly assumed that Joey and tristan were bullying Yugi and took it upon himself to be Yugi’s "bodyguard"—despite Yugi’s protests. Ushio beat up both Joey and tristan, then showed them to Yugi as proof of his "protection." When Yugi objected to the violence, Ushio turned on him as well. He later demanded ¥200,000 in "bodyguard fees" and threatened Yugi with a knife if he refused to pay.
That night, Yugi worked on the Millennium Puzzle while worrying about how to gather the money. Unlike before, he found himself assembling it with surprising ease—until he realized the final piece was missing. As he searched, his grandfather appeared and handed him the missing piece, which Joey had secretly returned earlier.
Upon completing the Puzzle, Yugi unknowingly became the host of the spirit of the Nameless Pharaoh, a 3,000-year-old (5,000 in the English dub) entity. The spirit, later known as Yami Yugi, took over Yugi’s body for the first time. That night, Yami Yugi challenged Ushio to a Money and Knife Shadow Game, ultimately defeating him and inflicting a Penalty Game. When Yugi regained control, he had no memory of what had transpired.
The next day at school, Joey answered Yugi’s riddle, "something you can show but can't see," with the word "friendship," affirming that they were now friends.
ZTV Director
On the way to school one day, Joey excitedly told Yugi about a risqué video, Video Girl♡, and offered to lend it to him.
When they arrived, they noticed a ZTV van parked nearby and suspected that someone famous might be visiting their school. Curious, Yugi tried peeking inside the van, only to be spotted by the director, who decided to use him for a staged bullying documentary, Caught on Camera: School Violence. The director’s assistant, Fujita, was assigned the role of the bully.
As Joey spread rumors about a celebrity attending the school, Yugi tried to reason with him, but Joey brushed him off and left to find the supposed star. Overhearing their conversation, Fujita deceived Yugi into believing he could meet the star behind the gym after recess. When Yugi arrived, Fujita attacked him while the director filmed. Joey intervened but couldn't stop the recording.
Yami Yugi took control once more, later challenging the director to a dice-based Shadow Game and defeating him.
On another day, Joey brought the Video Girl♡ tape to school for Yugi, but when he tossed it over, Téa intercepted it midair. Teasingly, she asked what it was and whether she could borrow it.
Sozoji
An untalented singer named Sozoji forced Yugi to sell tickets to his concert. When a fellow student, Hanasaki, tried to sell Yugi a ticket, Yugi took all of Hanasaki's tickets to spare him the burden, knowing neither of them would be able to sell any.
On the day of the concert, Yugi told Sozoji he hadn't sold a single ticket. As punishment, Sozoji blasted loud music into Yugi's ears and revealed a beaten-up Hanasaki as his next audience member. Yami Yugi emerged and challenged Sozoji to the "Silence Game" Shadow Game, ultimately defeating him.
Escaped Prisoner
One day after school, Yugi was eager to go to Burger World with his friends, but Téa strongly discouraged it. Sensing she was hiding something, Yugi and Joey secretly followed her and discovered that she had taken a part-time job there—despite their school prohibiting students from working. She made them promise to keep it a secret.
While they were there, an escaped convict entered the restaurant and took Téa hostage. He blindfolded her and forced the other customers to lie on the floor. Yugi, however, was singled out and made to serve the convict vodka and Lucky Stripe cigarettes.
Yami Yugi took control and challenged the convict to a "One-Finger Battle" Shadow Game. Téa, though blindfolded, noticed that while the voice sounded like Yugi’s, the confidence and demeanor were vastly different. Yami Yugi won the game, setting the convict alight. When Yugi regained control of his body, he had no memory of what had happened.
Kokurano
Yugi grew envious of the so-called psychic Kokurano, who attempted to impress and charm Téa. When Yugi expressed disbelief in Kokurano's powers, the self-proclaimed seer ominously predicted that countless letters would fall from the heavens, bringing disaster upon him. Later that day, Kokurano deliberately knocked over bookshelves, causing them to collapse on Yugi. In response, Yami Yugi emerged, saving Téa and punishing Kokurano for his deceit.
Goro
For the Domino High School festival, Yugi's class followed his suggestion to set up a Carnival Games section. However, Goro Inogashira and his classmates forcefully tore down their stand to make room for their own. While trying to protect the stand, Yugi was injured and taken to the infirmary. Téa stayed by his side, but when she briefly looked away, Yugi disappeared—having transformed into Yami Yugi to take revenge on Goro.
Ms. Chono
Despite Tristan’s wishes, Joey revealed to Yugi that Tristan had a crush on Miho Nosaka and sought his help. Yugi suggested looking for a gift at his family’s game shop, where they settled on a love letter jigsaw puzzle. Since tristan had never written a love letter before, he had Yugi write it and warned him of the consequences if Miho didn’t like it.
The next day, their strict teacher, Ms. Chono, found the puzzle on Miho’s desk before Miho could see it. She confiscated it and demanded that the sender step forward. When Yugi, Joey, and tristan all took responsibility, she insisted on completing the puzzle herself to reveal the true sender, threatening to punish the others for lying.
Yami Yugi took over and turned the situation into a Shadow Game—Dark Puzzle. As Ms. Chono continued piecing the puzzle together, she began to experience the pain she inflicted on others. The makeup masking her true appearance started to crack, revealing her hidden ugliness. Terrified, she fled the room, allowing the boys to escape punishment.
After Miho declined tristan’s request for a date, Yugi and Joey treated him to a hamburger to cheer him up. From that moment, tristan became close friends with Yugi.
Junky Scorpion Owner
After Joey bought a pair of Air Muscle shoes from the store Junky Scorpion, he, Yugi, and Tristan were ambushed by the Muscle Hunters, who stole the shoes. Discovering that the store owner had orchestrated the theft, Yami Yugi emerged and returned to Junky Scorpion to challenge him. Winning back the shoes, he later gave them to Yugi, who unknowingly returned them to Joey.
Seto Kaiba
Yugi introduced Joey and Téa to Duel Monsters at Kame Game. Soon after, Seto Kaiba arrived and took an interest in Yugi’s grandfather’s rare Blue-Eyes White Dragon card. Unable to purchase it, Kaiba attempted to steal it the next day at school by swapping it with a counterfeit.
Though Yugi noticed the deception, he waited until they were alone before confronting Kaiba and asking for the card’s return. Kaiba denied the theft, and when Yugi persisted, he struck him with his briefcase, mocking both him and his grandfather.
Yami Yugi then took over, challenging Kaiba to a Duel Monsters Shadow Game. He defeated Kaiba and inflicted a Penalty Game upon him, making Kaiba believe he was trapped in the Duel Monsters Spirit World, where he experienced the torment of death.
Hirutani’s Gang
When Yugi, Téa, and Tristan noticed Joey missing school for the first time, they grew concerned and decided to investigate. Visiting his apartment, they were met with hostility from Joey’s father, who mistook them for his son and angrily yelled at them for disappearing for two days.
Determined to find Joey, the trio searched the city and eventually spotted him with Hirutani’s gang, assaulting another boy. Yugi rushed over to confront Joey, but Joey coldly denied knowing him. As Yugi desperately pleaded with him, a gang member punched Yugi in the face. Unwilling to believe Joey had truly changed, they followed the gang to J’z. Tristan insisted that Yugi and Téa wait outside for their safety while he investigated. However, by the time he entered, the gang had already left.
Splitting up to continue the search, Yugi clasped the Millennium Puzzle, seeking guidance. In response, Yami Yugi took control and led him to Hirutani’s torture chamber, where Joey was bound. Yami Yugi challenged the gang to Landmine Search Network, taking them down before relinquishing control back to Yugi, who helped Joey escape.
Shadi
Yugi first learned about the upcoming Egypt Unearthed exhibition at the Domino City Museum from the Japan Daily News. Two months later, when the exhibition opened, he attended with his friends, thanks to his grandfather’s connection with Professor Yoshimori, the archaeologist who discovered the tomb.
As they explored, Téa reminded Yugi that Egypt was the origin of the Millennium Puzzle and recalled how his grandfather had mentioned that all the archaeologists who unearthed it had mysteriously died. Although Yugi reassured his friends that he wasn’t cursed, he silently admitted to suffering from unexplained memory loss but chose not to tell them, fearing they’d find it unsettling.
Outside the museum, Yugi met Professor Yoshimori and Curator Kanekura. Eager to display the Millennium Puzzle, Kanekura convinced Yugi to lend it for one day. However, during the exhibition, Yugi felt uneasy without it. As they toured the museum, he accidentally bumped into a mysterious man named Shadi, who cryptically claimed to bear the tears of a mummy that could not cry itself.
After the exhibition closed, Yugi returned to retrieve his Puzzle but couldn’t find Kanekura. Instead, he encountered Shadi, who was intrigued to learn that Yugi had solved the Puzzle. To confirm this, Shadi used his Millennium Key to enter Yugi’s soul room, only to discover two distinct rooms—one belonging to Yugi and the other to Yami Yugi. Overwhelmed by Yami Yugi’s power, Shadi was forced to withdraw. He returned the Puzzle, stating that Yugi owed him no gratitude, as Yami Yugi had saved his life. Yugi, however, laughed off the idea of another spirit residing within him.
News of Kanekura’s sudden death soon reached Yugi, prompting him, his grandfather, Joey, and Téa to visit Domino University to offer their condolences. However, they were met with a shocking sight—Yoshimori, now possessed by Shadi, attacked Yugi’s friends.
Shadi invaded Téa’s soul room and manipulated it, demanding that Yugi’s other self reveal himself. He threatened that, with a single command, he could make Téa die. This provoked Yami Yugi into emerging and accepting Shadi’s Trial of the Mind to protect his friends.
During the game, Shadi conjured an illusion of Joey as his former bully, having glimpsed that part of him in Yugi’s soul room. As the illusion mocked Yugi’s emotional attachment to the Millennium Puzzle, Yugi briefly regained control of his body and wept. This moment of weakness caused two of the ushebti—items used in the game—to shatter, as they detected a crack in his heart.
Ultimately, Yami Yugi emerged victorious. Afterward, Téa and Joey, noticing Yugi’s strange behavior, attempted to confront him. However, Yami Yugi relinquished control, leaving them to question whether they had imagined it.
Kujirada
Yugi acquired a Digital Pet and named it U2. At school, he connected it to Joey’s pet, where it initially struggled but soon befriended it.
Kujirada, having already let his pet devour Joey’s and Téa’s pets, Peachy, then connected it to U2. At first, U2 was relentlessly pursued, but it had absorbed data from Joey’s pet and evolved into a stronger form. It counterattacked, defeating Kujirada’s pet.
As U2 reached the end of its lifespan, Yugi stayed awake to watch it disappear.
Delinquents
Tomoya Hanasaki introduced Yugi and his friends to Zombire by bringing comic books to school. Later that day, he invited them over to showcase his Zombire collection.
That night, Hanasaki’s father secretly paid three delinquents to stage a crime, giving Hanasaki—dressed as Zombire—the chance to “heroically” break it up. The next day, two of the delinquents approached Yugi, asking if he knew Hanasaki, which he denied.
That evening, the delinquents lured Hanasaki into a trap with a fake message claiming they had kidnapped Yugi. Meanwhile, Yugi visited Hanasaki’s house to pick up paint for a Zombire figure, only to learn from Hanasaki’s father that he could no longer afford to bribe the delinquents into letting his son win.
Sensing danger, Yugi transformed into Yami Yugi and confronted the delinquents in a Shadow Game: Maze of Fire, ultimately saving Hanasaki.
Mokuba
Mokuba Kaiba, seeking revenge for his brother, approached Yugi and forced him into a deadly game of Capsule Monster Chess. With his gang wielding dangerous weapons, Mokuba ensured that Yugi had no choice but to participate. As the gang attempted to tamper with Yugi's Millennium Puzzle, Yami Yugi emerged—exactly as Mokuba had planned. Despite Mokuba rigging the dispenser to give Yugi only low-level monsters, Yami Yugi accepted the high-stakes ante: if he lost, he would have a finger cut off; if Mokuba lost, he would be subjected to a Penalty Game. Yami Yugi triumphed, and Mokuba, believing himself trapped inside a giant capsule as his punishment, ominously warned that "Death-T is coming."
Street Fighter
At an arcade, Yugi overheard rumors about Kaiba developing the ultimate game. Distracting himself, he played Virtual VS, a fighting game, repeatedly defeating a player known as Street Fighter. Enraged by his losses, Street Fighter retaliated by beating up Yugi and stealing the Millennium Puzzle. Witnessing the attack, Joey chased down Street Fighter and defeated him in a brutal Game of Death, successfully reclaiming the Puzzle.
Death-T
Prior Events
Shortly after leaving the arcade, Yugi and Joey were unexpectedly invited to Kaiba Manor via limousine. There, Mokuba hosted them at a lavish meal, which turned out to be a deadly game—Russian Roulette Dinner. Mokuba poisoned Joey’s food, forcing Yami Yugi to emerge and defeat him to obtain the antidote.
The next day, Kaiba invited Yugi and Joey to the grand opening of Kaiba Land, treating them as "special guests." Initially, Yugi began to reconsider his perception of Kaiba, especially upon learning that Kaiba had generously allowed children to visit the park for free before its official opening. However, his suspicions resurfaced when a man accused Kaiba of murdering his own adoptive father, Gozaburo Kaiba.
Yugi and Joey were led to a special 3D Simulation Ride. Afterward, Kaiba revealed his true intentions—he had prepared a show just for Yugi, the centerpiece of the opening ceremony. To their horror, they discovered Yugi’s grandfather, Solomon Mutou, trapped inside a Battle Box, a high-tech dueling arena.
Kaiba then dueled Solomon in Duel Monsters, utilizing his three "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" cards to secure an overwhelming victory. Afterward, he mercilessly tore up Solomon’s own "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" and subjected him to a virtual reality recreation of the "Experience of Death" Penalty Game, which Yami Yugi had once inflicted upon him. Yugi, desperate to save his grandfather from insanity, agreed to participate in Death-T, a twisted death game Kaiba had designed as revenge. Before being taken to the hospital, Solomon entrusted Yugi with his deck, urging him to use it against Kaiba.
Death T-1
Joey insisted on fighting alongside Yugi, and Tristan, who had brought his nephew Johji to Kaiba Land, stepped forward to help as well. As they entered Death T-1, they were unexpectedly greeted by Téa, who had taken a part-time job at Kaiba Land. Initially unaware of the park’s deadly nature, she played her role and explained the game’s rules. The trio had to compete in a three-on-three shootout, eliminating opponents by hitting the sensors on their vests. However, Kaiba had stacked the odds against them by hiring professional hitmen with real firearms, while Yugi’s team was given ineffective toy guns.
Despite the disadvantage, Joey managed to take down one opponent with an unexpected attack. Meanwhile, Tristan and Johji used Téa’s functioning gun to take out the remaining two by pretending to surrender.
Death T-2
Death T-2, the Horror Zone, began with the Electric Chair Ride, where Yugi and his friends endured excruciating shocks, resisting the urge to scream to avoid further electrocution.
They were then led into the Murderer’s Mansion, where their hands were locked inside guillotines. With seconds to spare, Yugi solved a gruesome blood puzzle, preventing their hands from being severed.
In the final challenge, Joey was thrown into a locked room for a deathmatch against the monstrous Chopman. As the brute’s weapon became lodged in the floor, Yugi directed Joey to use a candlestick to pick the lock on his cuff. Following Yugi’s instructions, Joey fastened the unlocked cuff to the door and wedged the candle inside. When the Chopman yanked his chain to free his weapon, he unwittingly tore the entire door from its hinges. Joey seized the opportunity to escape, and as the candle hit the tar-covered floor, the room ignited—engulfing the Chopman in flames.
Death T-3
At the start of Death T-3, Yugi and his friends were left waiting in an empty room for an extended period. During this time, Yugi blamed himself for dragging them into Kaiba’s deadly game and apologized. However, Joey seized him by the shoulders, demanding that he never say that again. Joey and Tristan reassured Yugi, admitting that because of him, they had come to appreciate themselves more.
Téa then asked them to hold out their hands as she drew a symbol of friendship on each of their palms. She told them that if they ever took separate paths in life, they could look at the symbol and remember the bond they shared in that moment.
Another Yugi Confession
As the next challenge began, blocks began falling from the ceiling, forcing the group to climb on top of them to reach a hole in the wall high above. Using her dancing skills, Téa read the rhythm of the falling blocks, helping the others navigate through the chaos. However, Tristan’s coat got caught under a block just as the rest of the group made it through the exit.
Distraught over losing Tristan, Yugi confessed to Joey and Téa that he believed another Yugi lived inside him. He had kept this to himself, fearing they wouldn’t want to remain friends if they knew. However, Joey reassured him, vowing that he would always be Yugi’s friend—no matter what.
Death T-4
Yugi, Joey, and Téa advanced to Death T-4, where they knowingly witnessed Yugi transform into Yami Yugi for the first time as he prepared to face Mokuba in a game of Capsule Monster Chess.
Death T-5
Yami Yugi then faced Kaiba in the ultimate showdown of Death T-5—a high-stakes game of Duel Monsters.
During the duel, Yugi, still aware of his other self’s presence, noticed Yami Yugi faltering, momentarily believing he was going to lose. Yugi’s eyes fell upon the "Forbidden One" cards in their hand, and he suddenly recalled a conversation with his grandfather. In his mind, Solomon reminded him of the time he struggled but ultimately succeeded in assembling the Millennium Puzzle. He then likened the cards to puzzle pieces, leading Yami Yugi to realize their true significance.
Recalling his grandfather’s words about "Exodia," Yami Yugi pieced together the strategy—Summoning all five "Forbidden One" cards to unleash "Exodia the Forbidden One." With Exodia’s unstoppable power, Yami Yugi obliterated Kaiba’s "Blue-Eyes White Dragons" and secured victory. He then subjected Kaiba to the Mind Crush.
Aftermath of Death-T
With Death-T behind them, Yugi was joyfully reunited with his friends, including Tristan, who had been saved by Mokuba. From that day forward, Yugi reflected on the many battles he and Yami Yugi had faced together.
Post Death-T
Tsuruoka
At home, Yugi attempted to develop his sixth sense by playing a game he invented—Sock Concentration—scattering white socks across his bedroom floor. He managed to correctly identify the two he had marked and began celebrating, only to be scolded by his mother, who reminded him that Téa was waiting for him outside.
On the way to school, Téa gave Yugi a Lovely Two, a device used to test love compatibility. However, when Yugi tried it, there was no response, leaving him puzzled. Meanwhile, Téa was preoccupied with the upcoming public display of their achievement test results, whereas Yugi was excited, planning to use them for a game of Achievement Test Bingo with Joey and Tristan.
Despite scoring poorly, Yugi won the bingo game. However, their celebration was cut short when the strict guidance counselor, Tsuruoka, caught them having fun over their bad scores. He publicly humiliated them and confiscated Yugi’s Lovely Two, prompting the emergence of Yami Yugi.
Yami Yugi, along with Joey and Tristan, was then forced into a game where they had to retrieve the Lovely Two—or face suspension (expulsion in the English version). Téa, now visibly flustered while speaking to Yami Yugi, handed him her own Lovely Two. When Yami Yugi tested the love compatibility function, the device began beeping, revealing the location of its counterpart.
ZTV Producer
When Joey won a spot on The Get the Million Game, Yugi suggested that he, Téa, and Tristan join the studio audience to cheer him on. During the show's intermission, while searching for the restroom, Yugi overheard the producer speaking with a technician. The producer ordered the technician to ensure the game was rigged, admitting that they were exploiting Joey’s struggle to boost ratings.
Outraged, Yugi transformed into Yami Yugi and confronted the producer and technician. He swiftly set up an impromptu Red Paint Lottery game, forcing them into a Shadow Game that prevented them from rigging the show.
Nagumo
Yugi became engrossed in Monster Fighter, a popular game that had classmates constantly asking whether his family's store had it in stock. Among his opponents was Koji Nagumo, a cheater who physically attacked Yugi and stole his Monster Fighter figure.
Determined to teach Nagumo a lesson, Yugi borrowed Joey’s Monster Fighter and transformed into Yami Yugi. He challenged Nagumo to a Shadow Game, using his wits to defeat him in a high-stakes battle of Monster Fighter.
Playing Card Bomber
During summer vacation, Téa invited Yugi to spend the day at Domino Park. However, Yugi was more interested in reading about the Playing Card Bomber in the newspaper, which irritated Téa.
At the pool, with sunlight in her eyes, Téa mistook Yugi for Yami Yugi—until he ran off to chase a child who sprayed him with a water gun. Eager to see Yami Yugi again, Téa pretended to be in danger.
Later, during a bomb scare, Téa refused to evacuate and got separated from Yugi in the panicked crowd. Yugi eventually found her on a Ferris wheel, only to learn from the police that a bomb had been planted inside. The bomber gave them a chance to stop the detonation—if someone skilled in card games could beat him.
Yugi switched to Yami Yugi and accepted the challenge, playing a game of clock solitaire against the bomber. After securing victory and saving Téa, she tried to continue the date—this time, with Yami Yugi still in control of Yugi’s body.
Imori
Yugi’s classmate, Imori, had been studying ancient Egyptian games and realized that Yugi had gained dark powers by solving the Millennium Puzzle. Determined to claim that power for himself, he plotted to defeat Yugi in a Shadow Game.
One day, Imori visited Kame Game, carrying a sealed box and jar, and asked Solomon about them. Hoping to befriend Imori, Yugi welcomed his interest, but Solomon recognized the items as the Dragon Cards. He warned Imori that breaking the seal would unleash dangerous, twisted power.
A few days later, while Yugi was in PE class, Imori stole the Millennium Puzzle from his locker and left a note instructing him to meet in Room C alone. When Yugi arrived, Imori broke the seal on the Dragon Cards, explaining that unless they played a Shadow Game, the dragons would bring eternal disaster. The loser’s soul would be sacrificed to appease them.
Without the Millennium Puzzle, Yugi was unable to switch to Yami Yugi. Imori, having thoroughly studied the game, anticipated Yugi’s strategy and countered it by summoning dragons with elemental advantages, winning with ease. One of the dragons then reached into Yugi’s body and pulled his soul into the jar.
Yugi’s soulless body collapsed onto the table but managed to touch the Millennium Puzzle, allowing Yami Yugi to emerge. Staking his own soul, Yami Yugi challenged Imori to a rematch. This time, he outplayed Imori and emerged victorious, reclaiming Yugi’s soul while Imori’s was instead fed to the dragons.
Hirutani
Yugi and Joey agreed to help their classmate, Nezumi, get revenge on three people who had mugged him using yo-yos. However, Nezumi betrayed them, leading them into an ambush by Hirutani’s gang, which had far more than three members.
Hirutani’s men restrained Yugi, hanging him from a hook and threatening to let him fall to his death unless Joey rejoined the gang. Despite enduring a brutal onslaught of yo-yos, Joey fought through the pain and freed Yugi.
Joey then borrowed the Millennium Puzzle to incapacitate several gangsters. Yugi transformed into Yami Yugi, and together, he and Joey took down the remaining members of the gang.
Monster World
Yugi befriended Ryo Bakura after he transferred to Domino High School. Bakura shared his interest in Monster World but warned Yugi and his friends against playing with him, as his previous opponents had mysteriously fallen into comas.
When Bakura missed a day of school, Yugi, Joey, Téa, and Tristan visited his apartment. Bakura tried to warn them to leave, but he was suddenly possessed by Dark Bakura, who instead invited them inside.
Dark Bakura had already set up a Monster World game and created miniatures resembling Yugi and his friends as their avatars. He had them fill out character data, adjusting their miniatures accordingly. Yugi chose to play as a half-elf beast tamer.
Within the game, Yugi and his friends took on the roles of adventurers, while Dark Bakura acted as the Dark Master. The group visited a tavern to gather information and learned from a villager, designated as "Villager D," that a powerful entity named Zorc was terrorizing the kingdom. Yugi found it unsettling how lifelike the villager miniature appeared.
On their way to Zorc Castle, the adventurers encountered an unconscious stranger—unaware that he was actually Zorc in disguise. Yugi remained cautious, suspecting a trap, but the group decided to wake him. The stranger spoke of a holy sword capable of defeating Zorc, which had been stolen by a monster in the forest. Despite Yugi’s suspicions, they agreed to help retrieve it.
Inside the forest, the adventurers were ambushed by a group of monsters, including Pokii, whom Yugi managed to tame as an ally. Tristan and Téa defeated the remaining creatures. At that moment, Zorc revealed his true identity and caught the adventurers off guard, launching a devastating attack. Dark Bakura rolled a super critical hit for Zorc, trapping Téa's consciousness inside her miniature. In the following dice rolls, he did the same to Joey and Tristan.
Yugi, refusing to leave his friends behind, demanded that Dark Bakura do the same to him. Dark Bakura pointed out that without anyone left to roll the dice, Yugi’s team would be doomed, but he complied nonetheless. Once Yugi’s soul entered his miniature, Yami Yugi took over his real body and continued rolling for the adventurers.
Trapped in a separate form, Yugi met Yami Yugi for the first time. Yami Yugi credited this meeting to Yugi’s courage.
With Yami Yugi in control, the adventurers severed Zorc’s left hand, which mutated into more monsters. Zorc retreated to his castle, leaving his spawn behind to fight. Yami Yugi guided his team in battle, defeating all but one creature, Pao, which Yugi successfully tamed.
The adventurers pressed on to Zorc Castle and discovered a suspicious pedestal inside a tower. Yugi suspected its markings held significance. However, upon entering, they triggered a trap, causing a spiked ceiling to descend toward them. Yami Yugi managed to save them by completing a support pillar just in time, preventing their miniatures from being crushed.
Although Yami Yugi's "double hit" technique had been outlawed earlier, he began rolling more critical hits by channeling the emotions of Yugi and his friends into the dice. This unleashed a series of powerful attacks on Zorc, but due to his high level, he remained largely unharmed.
Using rigged dice, Dark Bakura rolled a super critical hit for Zorc, dealing a devastating blow to all adventurers. However, Ryo Bakura, having regained partial control of his left hand after Zorc’s mutilation, interfered with the damage calculation, ensuring that Yugi and his friends survived with just 1 HP each.
Téa was able to heal the team while Ryo Bakura continued sabotaging Dark Bakura’s moves. In retaliation, Dark Bakura injured his own hand to stop Ryo’s interference. Yugi and his friends began suspecting that two Bakuras existed within the same body. On his turn, Yugi used his beast training ability to pull Ryo Bakura’s miniature, White Wizard Bakura, from Zorc’s severed right arm.
White Wizard Bakura lowered Zorc’s defenses, allowing Yugi’s team to land serious damage. Enraged, Zorc transformed into Last Zorc, drastically increasing his power. Yugi wondered why he had not assumed this form earlier, prompting Yami Yugi to realize that it had exposed a weak point—a hidden eye that briefly appeared after each attack.
Pokii flew into the eye to hold it open, and Yugi used his beast training ability to land a direct punch while simultaneously pulling Pokii to safety. The adventurers unleashed their final assault, and Ryo Bakura sacrificed his soul to destroy Dark Bakura’s doppelganger dice, preventing Last Zorc’s self-destruct move.
With Zorc defeated, Yugi and his friends returned to their bodies, including Bakura, whose soul had survived inside White Wizard Bakura.
A few days later, Bakura created a diorama featuring himself, Yugi, Yami Yugi, Téa, Joey, Tristan, Pokii, and Pao as a memento of their adventure.
Duelist Kingdom
Yugi defeated Joey in a Duel Monsters match at school and later invited Joey, Téa, and Tristan to see his grandfather's rare "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" card. Overhearing this, Seto Kaiba kidnapped Grandpa and forced him into a Duel to claim the card, as Solomon refused to sell or trade it. By the time Yugi and his friends arrived, Kaiba had already won and tore up Grandpa’s "Blue-Eyes" in front of them. Outraged, Yugi challenged Kaiba to a Duel, using his grandfather's Deck. As Yami Yugi, he discovered that Kaiba possessed the remaining three "Blue-Eyes White Dragons" but ultimately triumphed by summoning "Exodia the Forbidden One," claiming Kaiba's title as the Duel Monsters World Champion.
Seeing Joey struggle with the game, Yugi asked his grandfather to train him.
Meanwhile, Maximillion Pegasus, intrigued by Yugi’s victory, sent him a videotape with an invitation to the Duelist Kingdom tournament. Through the tape, Pegasus used the Millennium Eye to challenge Yugi to a Shadow Game, freezing everyone else in the room. Placing a time limit on the Duel, Pegasus won just as Yugi was about to claim victory. As a penalty, he trapped Solomon's soul in a card. Determined to save his grandfather, Yugi entered the tournament. At the pier, before boarding the ship, he gave Joey one of his Star Chips, allowing him to participate as well.
On the ship, Yugi met Weevil Underwood, who pretended to be friendly and claimed to know secret tournament rules. Later, Yugi showed Weevil his "Exodia" cards, which Weevil immediately threw overboard to weaken Yugi’s Deck. Joey dove into the water to retrieve them but was caught in the current, prompting Yugi to jump in and save him. Both were rescued by Téa and Tristan, who had stowed away on the ship and threw them a rope ladder.
Once the tournament began, Yugi sought out Weevil for revenge, but Weevil led him into a forest, using the terrain to his advantage. Yugi switched to Yami Yugi and challenged Weevil to a Duel, wagering both his Deck and a Star Chip. With a decisive victory, he won two Star Chips from Weevil.
Yugi later watched Joey Duel Mai Valentine, offering cryptic hints to help him win. Joey ultimately secured victory using the "Time Wizard" card Yugi had given him.
While searching for food, Yugi and his friends stumbled upon fish that Mako Tsunami had prepared as bait to lure Duelists into a battle. Mako, furious at their intrusion, calmed down after learning Yugi was the Duelist who defeated Kaiba and agreed to share his food. However, as Yugi was about to leave, Mako blocked his path with a harpoon and demanded a Duel. Yugi, as Yami Yugi, emerged victorious, winning two more Star Chips.
Later, Yugi and his friends encountered a contestant being forced off the island for losing all his Star Chips. The boy claimed they had been stolen along with his Deck. Determined to help, Yugi tracked down the thief—a masked Duelist who challenged him with five stolen Star Chips on the line. During the Duel, Yami Yugi realized the thief was Mokuba Kaiba. Mokuba revealed that Yugi's defeat of Kaiba led to his disappearance, allowing Pegasus to seize control of KaibaCorp. Seeking revenge, Mokuba attempted to steal Yugi’s Star Chips but was stopped when Yami Yugi assured him that he would help him and his brother.
Upon returning to the bay, Yugi found the rescue boat had already left. When Mokuba showed Kemo, a guard for Pegasus, that Yugi had reclaimed the stolen Star Chips, Kemo spitefully knocked them into the water, including some of Yugi’s own. He then seized Mokuba, intending to take him back to Pegasus. Yugi challenged Kemo to a Duel for Mokuba’s freedom, but Kemo, not being a Duelist, promised to arrange an opponent and told Yugi to return in an hour (four hours in the dub).
Yugi later faced "Ghost Kaiba," an imposter using Kaiba’s Deck. With help from the real Kaiba, who remotely sabotaged "Ghost Kaiba’s" "Blue-Eyes White Dragons" with a virus, Yami Yugi won the Duel. Though Yugi recovered Kaiba’s Deck, Kemo had already disappeared with Mokuba.
Yugi was prohibited from helping Joey in his Duel against Rex Raptor. As the match began, Yugi went to find Tristan, who had stormed off in frustration over Joey agreeing to those terms. Tristan reminded Yugi that, even if he couldn’t assist Joey, he should still be there to support him as a friend. With that in mind, the two returned to watch the Duel.
That night, Mai shared her food with Yugi and his friends but made it clear that they would be rivals again the next day.
Shortly after Mai left for a walk, Bakura Ryou arrived at their campsite. While discussing the cards they personally identified with, Yugi encouraged Téa to pick one, while selecting "Dark Magician" for himself. Bakura proposed a friendly Duel, suggesting that Yugi include the cards Joey, Tristan, and Téa had chosen—"Flame Swordsman," "Cyber Commander," and "Magician of Faith"—so he could demonstrate how his "Change of Heart" card worked. However, Bakura transformed into Yami Bakura, using his Millennium Ring’s power to trap the group's souls inside the cards they had chosen. He then attempted to steal Yugi’s Millennium Puzzle, but Yami Yugi emerged, challenging Yami Bakura to a Shadow Game with the Puzzle as the prize to restore his friends.
As Yami Yugi summoned the monsters in the Duel, his friends appeared in place of the creatures they had selected. When "Dark Magician" was summoned, Yugi himself took its place, leading to his first face-to-face encounter with Yami. In the original Japanese version, Yugi already knew of Yami’s existence and agreed it was time to stop keeping secrets. In the dub, Yugi only then became fully aware of Yami, although he admitted to having heard a powerful voice from the Millennium Puzzle while Dueling. Yugi revealed to his friends that Yami was the spirit of the Puzzle and apologized for not telling them sooner. Yami ultimately won the Duel with the unexpected aid of Bakura, who betrayed Yami Bakura, returning everyone to normal. However, Téa, Tristan, and Joey dismissed the experience as a dream. Before Yugi could explain further, they heard Mai screaming.
The group rushed to find Mai confronting an Eliminator named PaniK, who had just defeated her and taken all eight of her Star Chips. Yugi accused PaniK of being a coward and challenged him to a Duel as Yami Yugi, ultimately winning back Mai’s Star Chips. Though hesitant, Mai accepted them and acknowledged that she owed Yugi one.
Later that night, Kaiba arrived on the island, and Yugi returned his Deck to him.
The next day, Mai left a letter stating that she had departed and still owed Yugi for reclaiming her Star Chips. Joey later became separated from the group, and they found his wallet outside a cave. Following a series of traps, they discovered Joey engaged in a Duel with Bonz. Joey emerged victorious, but Bandit Keith’s gang trapped Yugi and his friends inside the cave by sealing the entrance with a boulder.
Using Bakura’s Millennium Ring to guide them, the group found the Paradox Brothers guarding an exit. Yugi and Joey teamed up in a Tag Duel against them to secure their passage. After their victory, both Duelists had enough Star Chips to enter the finals. Yami Yugi then successfully solved the brothers' riddle, allowing them to leave the cave.
At the stairs leading to Pegasus’ castle, Téa reflected on Yugi’s contrasting personalities, wondering if two distinct Yugis truly existed. Yugi admitted he often felt as though someone else lived inside him but hoped he wasn’t losing his mind.
Upon reaching the top of the stairs, Kaiba blocked their path and provoked Yugi into a Duel. Yami took control and battled Kaiba using his Duel Disk system. As Yami was about to claim victory, Kaiba stepped to the edge of the castle, positioning himself so that the force of Yugi’s attack could send him plummeting to his death. (In the English version, Yugi pleaded with Yami not to go through with the attack.) Yami hesitated, but ultimately chose to proceed. Téa rushed forward, insisting this wasn’t like Yugi, and urged him to regain control. Yugi managed to override Yami’s decision just in time, canceling the attack. He fell to his knees in shock, realizing what he had almost done. Kaiba then seized the opportunity to take his turn and won the Duel, claiming five of Yugi’s Star Chips.
Now fully aware of the other Yugi's existence, Yugi admitted it to his friends, confessing that he was afraid of him and, as a result, afraid to Duel. Kaiba mocked Yugi for his weakness, but Téa defended him, arguing that Yugi had saved Kaiba, making Kaiba the real loser. After Kaiba left, Yugi remained withdrawn. Joey offered his own Star Chips so Yugi could enter the finals, but Yugi ignored him. Frustrated, Joey grabbed Yugi by the shirt and demanded to know if he even cared about his grandfather.
Mai arrived and was filled in on what had happened. Keeping her earlier promise, she offered Yugi her extra Star Chips, but he didn’t even acknowledge her. Annoyed, Mai told him to grow up and keep the Star Chips. She accused him of being afraid to Duel again and challenged him. Before Yugi could respond, Téa stepped in, accepting the Duel on his behalf to win back his Star Chips.
As Téa Dueled, Yugi slowly began to shake off his despair. After Mai surrendered, Yugi approached her about the face-down card she hadn’t played. Mai denied that she lost for his sake. (In the dub, she remarked that some cards just aren’t worth playing.)
Inside Pegasus' castle, the group was invited to watch Pegasus Duel Kaiba. Since Kaiba was fighting to save Mokuba, Yugi chose to support him. However, after Kaiba’s defeat, Pegasus trapped him inside the "Soul Prison" card. Enraged, Yugi shouted at Pegasus, demanding to know who he thought he was to toy with people and their families like that.
That evening, the finalists, along with Téa, Tristan, and Bakura, were treated to a meal where the tournament matchups were decided. Afterward, Yugi gave Joey his "Glory of the King's Hand" card, as each finalist needed either it or "Glory of the King's Opposite Hand" to compete.
That night, Yugi was awakened by the voice of his grandfather calling out to him. He followed it and found a "Soul Prison" card containing his grandfather’s soul. Solomon warned Yugi about Pegasus, showing that the Kaiba brothers were also trapped in similar cards. Yugi suddenly woke up, unsure if it had been a dream.
In the first Duel of the finals, Yugi faced Mai. Yami Yugi barely put any effort into the match, preoccupied with the looming Duel against Pegasus. (In the dub, Yugi refused to let Yami Duel, fearing what he might do to their opponent.) As a result, Yugi played poorly. However, Mai’s encouraging words reignited their determination, allowing the Yugis to turn the Duel around and secure victory.
Yugi cheered for Joey in his match against Bandit Keith.
In the final round, Yugi Dueled Joey. Joey used everything he had learned from Yugi, but was ultimately defeated by Yami Yugi. Afterward, Joey offered to return the "Glory of the King's Hand" card so Yugi could claim the prize money. However, Yugi refused, explaining that he had entered the tournament to save his grandfather and the Kaiba brothers. The money meant nothing to him, but Joey needed it for his sister’s eye operation.
With the tournament won, Yugi advanced to Duel Pegasus. Before the match began, Yugi demanded that, if he won, Pegasus release the Kaiba brothers' souls as well as his grandfather’s. Pegasus agreed but made it clear that if he won, he would take Yugi’s soul as well.
During the Duel, Pegasus used his Millennium Eye to read Yami Yugi’s mind, giving him a major advantage. To counter this, Yugi devised a risky strategy: he and Yami would switch minds each time they played a face-down card, preventing Pegasus from predicting their moves. The strategy worked, and they eventually destroyed Pegasus' "Toon World" card. However, Pegasus then transported them into the Shadow Realm.
Inside the Shadow Realm, Yugi began losing his life energy while performing the mind-switch strategy, as he lacked the spiritual strength to endure the realm’s effects. Meanwhile, Pegasus continued successfully reading Yami's mind—until Joey, Téa, and Tristan physically blocked Pegasus’ Millennium Eye. With the advantage neutralized, Yami defeated Pegasus, returning them all from the Shadow Realm.
After his Duel with Yugi, Pegasus mysteriously disappeared. Determined to ensure the captive souls were freed, Yugi and his friends searched for him. They soon discovered Pegasus' men carrying him away, battered and unconscious after being attacked by Yami Bakura. Croquet explained that Pegasus had been assaulted. (In the dub, he claimed Pegasus had fallen ill.)
Yugi and the others headed to Pegasus’ tower, where they found a diary entry addressed to the new King of Duelists. In it, Pegasus explained his reasons for creating Duel Monsters. Nearby, Yugi spotted the three "Soul Prison" cards—now blank, signifying that the imprisoned souls had been released.
As Yugi left the tower, he encountered Shadi, who used his Millennium Key to enter Yugi’s mind. To his surprise, Shadi discovered two soul rooms—one belonging to Yugi and the other to Yami. He then found himself caught in a Shadow Game with Yami, but Yugi intervened and convinced Yami to release him. Yugi assured Shadi that his other self did not intend to harm him.
A mysterious door opened, leading them to a chamber lined with stone tablets depicting Duel Monsters. Shadi revealed that thousands of years ago, Egyptian kings played Shadow Games using real monsters and magic. When the games escalated into a war that threatened the world, a brave pharaoh sealed the magic away. As they explored, the Dark Magician appeared before them. Shadi, sensing danger, prepared to summon the Blue-Eyes White Dragon in defense. However, Yugi insisted that the Dark Magician would never harm him and calmly asked the monster to step aside. To Shadi’s amazement, the Dark Magician obeyed. Witnessing Yugi’s connection with the monster, Shadi suspected that Yugi might be the chosen one.
Shadi then exited Yugi’s mind and returned them to reality. Before vanishing, he introduced himself to Yugi, claiming that he had never revealed his name to anyone before.
The group soon found Mokuba restored to normal. Croquet then presented Yugi with the tournament prizes on Pegasus’ behalf, as Pegasus had been taken to the hospital. Yugi received the card "The Ties of Friendship," was crowned the King of Games, and was awarded the three-million-dollar prize. As promised, he gave the check to Joey for Serenity’s eye operation.
Kaiba, grateful that Yugi had saved Mokuba, thanked him and insisted that they have a fair Duel one day to determine who was truly the better Duelist. Meanwhile, Yami Yugi congratulated Yugi for saving everyone. (In the dub, Yugi reflected that he still didn’t know Yami’s real name. Yami responded that he had been called many things—Pharaoh, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Yami. Yugi decided to call him Yami and expressed his happiness at having him as a friend, while Yami took pride in their bond.)
With everything settled, Kaiba gave Yugi and his friends a ride back to Domino City.
Rebecca
As Yugi brought his grandfather home from the hospital, they were confronted by Rebecca Hawkins, who accused Solomon of stealing her grandfather’s "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" and challenged him to a Duel. Since Solomon was unfit to duel, Yugi stepped in on his behalf at Kaiba Land.
The Duel played out exactly like the one their grandfathers had long ago, fought over a drink of water. Just as Solomon had surrendered to Arthur, recognizing that he needed the water more, Yugi chose to surrender to teach Rebecca about the Heart of the Cards. At that moment, Arthur arrived, revealing that Yugi could have won and explaining why he had once conceded. After Rebecca apologized, Yugi gave her the card "The Ties of Friendship."
Legendary Heroes
Mokuba arrived at Kame Game, informing Yugi and his friends that Kaiba’s mind had been trapped in the Virtual World by the Big Five while testing a virtual reality system he had created. Determined to help, Yugi, Joey, Téa, Tristan, and Mokuba snuck into Kaiba’s lab at Adventure Game. While Téa and Tristan stood guard, Yugi, Joey, and Mokuba entered pods, transporting their minds into the Virtual World.
They found themselves in a graveyard, where they were attacked by "Armored Zombie," "Clown Zombie," and "Dragon Zombie." Although they summoned monsters to fight back, the zombies kept reviving stronger than before. Joey continued to attack until Yugi reminded him of his past Duel with Bonz. Realizing the strategy needed, Joey played "Shield & Sword," reducing the zombies’ DEF to 0, allowing Yugi to finish them off with "Dark Magician." Their victory earned them currency cards.
The group encountered the fairy Iru, who guided them to a town. There, they learned that a prisoner—possibly Kaiba—had been taken to the Cave of Death. However, a sandstorm blocked their path, and a villager informed them they needed a "Niwatori" to cross the desert. While searching the town, they found a battle competition offering "Niwatori" as a prize.
At the Virtual World Coliseum, Yugi and Mokuba watched Joey duel Madam Butterfly. When Joey discovered she was actually Mai Valentine, Yugi and Mokuba explained Kaiba’s situation. Mai decided to help, using her "Harpie Lady" to steal the "Niwatori" card from the Coliseum owner. The group then rushed to the desert, where Mai activated the card, summoning four large birds for them to ride.
After crossing the desert, they arrived at the temple near the Cave of Death, where they found themselves trapped in a maze and pursued by "Labyrinth Tank." Yugi used "Magical Hats" to hide and transport them to another section, where they reunited with Iru and met Adena. Iru guided them to the exit, but "Gate Guardian" blocked their path. Working together, Yugi and Joey summoned "Black Skull Dragon" and equipped it with "Dragon Nails," allowing them to defeat "Gate Guardian." Outside the maze, a rescue party arrived and took them to the palace as a reward for saving Adena.
At the palace, Yugi and his friends learned that Adena was the queen of the land. (In the dub, she was a princess.) She explained the Mythic Dragon ritual, in which sacrifices were made to the Mythic Dragon. Kaiba was to be a sacrifice from another kingdom, while Adena was the chosen sacrifice from her own. She told them of a legendary flying machine capable of reaching the castle where Kaiba was held, believing Yugi and his friends to be the prophesized heroes destined to defeat the Mythic Dragon. Yugi, Joey, Mai, and Mokuba agreed to help and were given hero costumes.
While standing on the battlements, they were attacked by monsters attempting to capture the sacrifice. Yugi, Joey, and Mai fought back but were unable to stop them. Meanwhile, Mokuba, who had secretly swapped clothes with Adena, was kidnapped instead. As they searched for a way to rescue him, Yugi noticed that a recent storm had uncovered the outline of the flying machine beneath them. Realizing it would take too long to dig it up, he asked Adena how old the legend was. Catching Yugi’s hint, Joey used "Time Wizard" to restore the machine to its original state from 1,000 years ago.
Flying the airship toward the castle, they were attacked by monsters but countered with their own. Yugi was nearly struck down while his "Dark Magician" was too far to help, but Iru sacrificed itself to protect him. Enraged, Yugi used "Swords of Revealing Light" to halt the enemy’s attacks. Overcome with grief, he switched to Yami Yugi, who led the charge to the castle.
As Yami, he reunited with the Kaiba brothers and led the final battle against the Big Five’s "Mythic Dragon." By summoning "Dragon Master Knight," they emerged victorious. Adena then revived Mai, Joey, Mokuba, and Iru before the group returned to the real world.
Dungeon Dice Monsters
Fearing for his business, Kame Game, Solomon worried when a new game store, the Black Clown, opened in Domino City. He warned Yugi to stay away, but Yugi and Téa passed by it on their way to school. Yugi received a flyer for a new game, Dungeon Dice Monsters, but Téa quickly pulled him away when she noticed him blushing at the woman handing them out.
At school, they met Duke Devlin, the owner of the Black Clown. Joey, jealous of Duke’s popularity, challenged him to a Duel Monsters match. Yugi objected to the condition that both players must build their decks from newly opened packs, but Joey proceeded and lost the televised duel. As part of the wager, Joey was forced to obey Duke’s commands, which included wearing a dog suit and acting like a dog. Disgusted by Duke’s treatment of Joey, Yugi switched to Yami Yugi and challenged Duke. Duke agreed—on the condition that they play Dungeon Dice Monsters instead of Duel Monsters. If Yugi lost, he would have to relinquish his title as "King of Games" and give up Duel Monsters entirely.
Unfamiliar with the game, Yami struggled early on. His situation worsened when Duke revealed that he had designed Dungeon Dice Monsters with Pegasus’ help and blamed Yugi for Pegasus’ disappearance after Duelist Kingdom. However, Yami relied on his strategic instincts and turned the game around. He managed to summon "Dark Magician," a monster Pegasus had added to the game, and used it to defeat Duke.
After the match, Duke brought Yugi and his friends to his office, lamenting that his dream had been crushed since no one would want to play Dungeon Dice Monsters now. However, Yugi assured him that it was a great game, and his friends agreed. Duke apologized for how he had treated them, and they made amends.
Battle City
Later, Yugi replaced the brown rope around the Millennium Puzzle with a chain, which Yami Yugi complimented. Yami also teased Yugi about impressing Téa, embarrassing him. As Yugi left, his mother asked whom he had been talking to, but he brushed it off and hurried away. He then met up with Téa, who was waiting for him, and they walked to school together. Yugi confided in her that Yami was worried about his destiny and had no memory of his past.
On the way, Yugi accidentally bumped into a disguised fortune-teller—Bandit Keith, possessed by Marik Ishtar. Falling for the deception, Yugi reluctantly allowed him to hold the Millennium Puzzle for a fortune reading. Keith then knocked over the table, grabbed the Puzzle, and ran off. Yugi and Téa split up to chase him. Despite recognizing the obvious trap, Yugi followed a series of arrows leading him to Keith, who had bolted the Puzzle to a wall. Marik, following ancient rules, needed to win the Puzzle in a duel, so he challenged Yugi through Keith.
During the duel, Yugi was unable to switch to Yami and soon recognized Keith’s Machine Deck. Sensing an evil presence, Yami Bakura tracked the disturbance to the duel and saw Keith under Marik’s control. Using the Millennium Ring, he severed Marik’s influence. Keith briefly resisted but was repossessed long enough for Marik to force him to smash the Millennium Puzzle. At that moment, Bakura swung down from a rope, knocking Keith unconscious. He then picked up a piece of the Puzzle and secretly sealed a fragment of his soul inside before returning it to Yugi.
Keith regained consciousness but, still struggling with Marik’s control, set fire to the warehouse in his confusion. Yugi, unable to free the last piece of the Puzzle from the wall, stayed behind in the burning building to reassemble it. After placing the final piece, he collapsed from the heat. Fortunately, Tristan and Joey arrived in time to rescue him, taking him to the hospital.
Concerned about how close the Millennium Puzzle had come to being stolen, Yugi took time to speak with Yami and learned that Yami had no recollection of his past—his memories were completely lost. The two suspected that their new enemy possessed a Millennium Item.
Hoping to help Yami regain his memories, Yugi asked Téa to spend time with him. He invited Téa on a date but switched to Yami at the last moment. Caught off guard, Yami began shouting into the Puzzle at Yugi, only to be noticed by Téa. During their outing, Yami and Téa encountered Ishizu Ishtar, who revealed that Yami was once an Egyptian pharaoh. She also warned them that Yugi must enter the upcoming Battle City tournament to stop their new enemy.
At school, while discussing Duel Monsters with Téa, she asked Yugi which card best represented him, assuming he would choose "Dark Magician." However, Yugi explained that while "Dark Magician" was powerful, "Maha Vailo" suited him better—it wasn’t the strongest card, but it had hidden potential. He admitted that he would have liked to choose "Dark Magician" but felt it was more fitting for Yami.
The day before the tournament, Yugi and Joey picked up their Duel Disks, and the next morning, Yugi completed reconstructing his Deck.
Later, Yugi spotted Joey trying to get a rematch against the Rare Hunter, Seeker, who had taken his "Red-Eyes Black Dragon." Noticing Seeker’s robes matched those Bandit Keith wore while possessed, Yugi became suspicious. Seeker refused to duel Joey again but challenged Yugi instead. Yugi accepted, switching to Yami, who won the Duel and reclaimed Joey's "Red-Eyes Black Dragon." Marik then used Seeker as his puppet to communicate with Yugi, introducing himself, declaring his intent to obtain the power of the pharaoh, and warning Yugi that more dangerous Rare Hunters awaited him. Yugi offered Joey back his "Red-Eyes," but Joey refused, stating he would earn it back when he became a true Duelist.
Yugi was later lured into a tent by a harlequin and confronted by the Rare Hunter Arkana. As Yami Yugi, he Dueled Arkana in a match where the loser’s feet would be severed by a buzzsaw. (In the dub, they would be sent to the Shadow Realm by energy disks.) Yami won, but Yugi took control afterward, saving Arkana from the buzzsaw.
Near the canal, while Yugi discussed recent events with Yami, they were confronted by another Rare Hunter—Strings, who was under Marik’s complete control. Yami Dueled him as he wielded the Egyptian God Card, "Slifer the Sky Dragon." Despite the challenge, Yami emerged victorious, claiming "Slifer the Sky Dragon" under the Ante rule. Kaiba, who had been watching the Duel, immediately challenged Yugi, but before Yugi could answer, Marik warned him that he was about to take control of Joey. Prioritizing his friend’s safety, Yugi declined Kaiba’s challenge and set off to find Joey.
With Kaiba’s help, Yami tracked down Joey at Domino Pier after defeating the Rare Hunters Umbra and Lumis twice, earning enough Locator Cards to qualify for the finals.
At Domino Pier, Yugi was forced into a Duel against Joey, who was under Marik’s control. Both duelists had their ankles chained to an anchor set to drag them underwater once the timer reached zero. The only way to escape was to defeat the opponent, which would unlock a box containing a key.
Yami initially took control, but Yugi insisted on fighting this battle himself. He tried to reach Joey by reminding him of his promise to become a true Duelist, even using "Red-Eyes Black Dragon" and surrendering the Millennium Puzzle to rekindle Joey’s subconscious resistance against Marik’s commands. Through sheer willpower, Joey gradually broke free, and just before Yugi intentionally lost the Duel, Joey fully regained control of himself. Declaring Marik the true loser, Yugi let his Life Points drop to zero, releasing Joey’s key. However, Joey forced the Duel into a draw at the last moment, unlocking Yugi’s key as well.
As the anchor began to drag them both down, Joey used the chain to swing to Yugi’s side, grabbing his key and unlocking his restraints. Yugi floated to the surface, where Tristan pulled him to safety. Meanwhile, Serenity, who had recovered the other key, dove in to rescue Joey. Later, Joey apologized and returned the Millennium Puzzle. Yugi thanked Yami for trusting him, and Yami acknowledged that Yugi had taught him the strength of kindness, predicting that Yugi would one day surpass him.
Afterward, Mai gave Yugi and his friends a lift to the finals.
Upon arriving at KaibaCorp Stadium, Yugi and his friends—Joey, Mai, Téa, Tristan, Duke, and Serenity—prepared for the tournament. Yugi was suspicious of Marik, who was posing as "Namu," and of Bakura, who should have been in the hospital. However, Téa vouched for "Namu," explaining how he had saved her, Joey, and Bakura earlier. Soon after, Odion Ishtar, pretending to be Marik, arrived, and the finalists boarded the blimp for the next stage of the tournament.
In his room, Yugi prepared for the upcoming Duels, adding "Slifer the Sky Dragon" to his Deck, anticipating a confrontation with Marik. He also suspected that Bakura had reacquired the Millennium Ring.
Yami Yugi faced Bakura in the first quarter-final match on the Stratos Dueling Arena. As expected, Bakura was possessed by Yami Bakura. When Yami Bakura was one turn away from winning with "Destiny Board," Yugi and Yami agreed to summon "Slifer the Sky Dragon" to counter him. However, Marik momentarily seized control of Bakura’s body, intending to sacrifice him to eliminate Yugi. Yami Bakura, unwilling to let his host die, regained control and challenged Yugi to attack him instead. Yugi won the Duel, knocking Bakura unconscious and leaving him in critical condition.
During the intermission, Yugi pleaded with Kaiba to make an emergency stop to get Bakura medical attention, but Kaiba refused. Returning to his room, Yugi examined his Deck but was interrupted by Shadi, who explained the origins of the Egyptian God Cards and warned him that Marik must be stopped from obtaining them.
In the next Duel, Joey defeated Odion, exposing him as an imposter. With Odion down, the real Marik dropped his disguise as "Namu," allowing his dark alter ego, Yami Marik, to take full control. Marik confronted Yugi, declaring that their battle for the Pharaoh’s power had just begun.
After Ishizu lost to Kaiba, she revealed the history of the Ishtar family to Yugi and entrusted him with the Millennium Necklace, explaining that he would need all seven Millennium Items to recover the Pharaoh’s memories.
That night, Téa woke Yugi with urgent news—Bakura had disappeared. They discovered him engaged in a Duel against Marik, only to arrive just in time to see him lose.
Virtual World
The Battle City blimp was pulled into a massive mechanical fortress in the ocean by Noah Kaiba. Upon exiting, Yugi, Joey, Tristan, Téa, Serenity, Duke, Kaiba, and Mokuba were greeted by a projection of the Big Five, who revealed that they had been trapped in the Virtual World after their failed attempt to imprison Kaiba during the Legendary Heroes game. Blaming Yugi and his friends for aiding Kaiba, they sought revenge. Sharing a common enemy, Noah transferred their minds into his computer system. Using a modified version of Duel Monsters, the Big Five challenged the group, intending to claim their bodies and escape into the real world.
The group was transported to a virtual jungle, where they were introduced to the Deck Master rules. The Big Five then separated them by triggering trap doors beneath their feet.
Yugi found himself by a pond, where he faced Gansley, who had taken the form of "Deepsea Warrior." Before the Duel began, Yugi switched to Yami Yugi, whom Gansley identified as "Type-B." During the match, Yugi noticed that their Deck Master, Kuriboh, was trying to communicate something. As Yami was on the brink of defeat, Yugi took over and used Kuriboh's Deck Master ability to turn the tide. Shortly after, Yugi collapsed, allowing Yami to take control again and win the Duel.
Afterward, Yugi and Yami entered a mysterious hallway filled with trapped doors. Upon hearing Téa scream, Yugi impulsively ran toward one but was thrown back by an attack. Yami pointed out the Level Star above the doorway, prompting Yugi to summon "Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress" and attack. They repeated this process, but when they kept choosing the Level 1 door, they remained trapped in a loop. Realizing their mistake, they targeted doors with different Levels. The final challenge involved a Level 4 monster, "Flash Assailant," backed by hidden Magic and Trap Cards. Yugi used "Heavy Storm" to clear the field and "4-Starred Ladybug of Doom" to destroy the opponent.
Yugi arrived at Téa's Duel but was blocked by a wall of ice. His "Dark Magician" was summoned to her field after she played "Sage’s Stone." With both "Dark Magician" and "Dark Magician Girl," Téa defeated Crump, causing the ice to disappear. Yugi rushed to her, offering his coat before they continued through the frozen landscape. They entered a door leading to a courtroom, where Joey was Dueling Johnson.
Yugi suspected Johnson had rigged the results of Joey’s luck-based cards. Though Noah attempted to disqualify Johnson, Joey insisted on continuing under fair conditions. After Joey secured victory, he, Yugi, and Téa moved on.
They eventually reunited with Duke, Serenity, and Tristan, who were Dueling Nezbitt. After the battle, the group searched for Tristan before the Big Five could steal his body. Briefly encountering Kaiba and Mokuba, they were soon attacked by Nezbitt, now controlling Tristan’s body. The real Tristan, trapped in a robot monkey, aided his friends in battling the imposter. However, Nezbitt kidnapped Mokuba, prompting Kaiba to chase after him while the others debated what to do with the monkey, unaware it was actually Tristan.
Using a pickup truck, the group set off after Kaiba. Along the way, Tristan accidentally activated a switch, allowing him to speak normally and reveal his identity.
After witnessing Kaiba’s Duel against Leichter, Yugi and Téa joined him in searching for Mokuba. The others attempted to follow, but the tunnel collapsed before they could enter.
Inside, Yugi and Téa became separated from Kaiba and found themselves in a simulation of Kaiba’s mansion during his childhood. Yugi discovered a picture of Kaiba’s adoptive father, Gozaburo, alongside Noah, just before reuniting with Kaiba. Noah then revealed a projection of the past, showing Gozaburo introducing him to an image of Seto Kaiba—his future rival for control over KaibaCorp.
Noah transported Yugi, Téa, and Kaiba back to their friends, where they encountered the Big Five, who had merged their consciousness into Tristan's body. To reclaim their friend, Yugi and Joey teamed up to Duel them. Despite securing victory, the Big Five attempted to steal their bodies, but before they could succeed, Noah intervened and took them away along with Tristan’s body.
Since Noah had designed the robot monkey, Yugi and his friends searched it for clues. Yugi pressed a red button, which transported them to a virtual Kaiba Land. From there, they took a handcar through an underground subway, eventually arriving at the site of Noah and Seto Kaiba’s Duel.
Noah emerged victorious and petrified both Seto and Mokuba, enraging Yugi. He transformed into Yami and accused Noah of cheating, as he had used Mokuba as a human shield to secure his win. Determined to continue the fight, Yami combined his Deck with Seto’s and resumed the Duel. As the battle progressed, Noah gradually turned Yugi’s friends to stone, leaving him completely alone. However, Yugi offered Yami encouragement and guided him into his soul room, where he revealed a chamber filled with memories. Within it, the spirits of their petrified friends lent their support. Back in the virtual world, Yami visualized his friends handing him the cards drawn by "Card of Sanctity," allowing him to Summon Kaiba’s three "Blue-Eyes White Dragons" and claim victory over Noah.
Following his defeat, Noah attempted to steal Yugi’s body to escape into the real world, but the power of the Millennium Puzzle forced him back. Realizing that Gozaburo had been manipulating him all along, Noah resolved to help Yugi and his friends escape. He transported them to a virtual Domino City, but in the process, the group became separated, with the Kaibas nowhere to be found. Yugi, realizing that Noah had deceived them, began blaming himself for trusting him.
Meanwhile, Gozaburo unleashed monsters to attack Yugi and his friends as they searched for an exit. Yugi and Joey fought them off by Summoning monsters from their Decks. Meanwhile, Noah, having stolen Mokuba’s body and escaped to the real world, initiated a missile strike to destroy the fortress, along with the servers housing the virtual world. However, after experiencing a change of heart, he contacted the group and warned them to escape immediately before the virtual world was erased.
Noah directed them to head to an arcade. As Yugi, Duke, and Joey battled more of Gozaburo’s monsters, Téa, Serenity, and Tristan made their way there. Upon reaching the arcade, Noah asked Yugi to retrieve Seto before returning himself.
Yugi complied and rushed to the KaibaCorp building, arriving just as Seto defeated Gozaburo in a Duel. Gozaburo, refusing to accept his loss, transformed into a monstrous entity and pursued them. Following Noah’s instructions, Yugi and Seto leaped off the building, waking up in the real world just before they hit the ground.
With the missile strike imminent, Yugi, Kaiba, and Mokuba sprinted to escape the fortress. Joey and Tristan helped them onto the moving blimp just moments before the fortress was completely obliterated.
Battle City Finals
The KaibaCorp blimp transported the finalists to the Duel Tower for the Battle City finals. Yugi switched to Yami Yugi for the Battle Royal to determine match-ups and ended up facing Kaiba as his opponent.
Yugi tried to stop Joey from Dueling Marik, fearing for his safety. However, Yami reminded him that Joey had willingly accepted the Duel, knowing it was a Shadow Game, and that such a game could not be stopped. Though Yugi was deeply concerned, Yami assured him that this was Joey's battle and that he could win with their support. After Joey lost, Yugi was in disbelief, shouting that it couldn't be true and vowing not to lose his friend to the Shadow Realm. At Joey’s bedside, he begged him to survive and blamed himself, believing he should have Dueled Marik instead. Overcome with grief, Yugi cried in the hallway and even considered giving up Dueling, but Yami convinced him they couldn't let Marik win. Seeking guidance, they used the Millennium Necklace to glimpse the future and saw Yami preparing to Duel Joey.
In the second semi-final, Yugi faced Kaiba as Yami Yugi. After a hard-fought battle, they managed to defeat Kaiba, and Yugi was overjoyed to learn that Joey had regained consciousness. As per the ante rule, Yugi and Yami gained Kaiba’s "Obelisk the Tormentor" card.
Yugi and Yami then watched Joey and Kaiba Duel in a third-place play-off. Both agreed that Joey was an exceptional Duelist and would have defeated Marik had their Duel not been a Shadow Game. During the match, they noticed the Millennium Puzzle behaving strangely and saw Téa’s reflection in it. Concerned, they left the Duel to find her and discovered that she had been possessed by the original Marik, who had come to confront Yami Marik. At the top of the Duel Tower, they found Téa alongside Marik and Ishizu. Ishizu reassured them that Téa would be fine and that the good side of Marik still existed within her mind.
Before Yugi’s final Duel against Marik, Kaiba gave him the card "Fiend’s Sanctuary," which he had originally intended to use against Marik himself. The final Duel was a Shadow Game, where the real Yugi and Marik were drawn from their bodies and suspended in spirit form. Bound by their wrists and ankles in darkness, parts of their bodies disappeared as their Yami selves lost Life Points. (In the 4Kids version, they were gradually being pulled into the Shadow Realm.) If Yami Yugi lost, Yugi would vanish, and the Pharaoh would cease to exist, as he required a host’s physical body to survive.
Throughout the Duel, Yugi encouraged Yami and even urged him to pay Life Points to keep "Fiend’s Sanctuary" active, despite knowing it would make part of his own body disappear. He insisted they had to find a way to win without erasing the good Marik. However, the good Marik, possessing Téa, assured Yugi that he was ready to sacrifice himself and no longer blamed them for his father’s death. (In the dub, he urged them not to worry about protecting him, as he was determined to defeat his dark side at any cost.)
Yugi anticipated that Yami Marik would fuse with "The Winged Dragon of Ra" again, making himself a monster and vulnerable as a Monster Card. With this in mind, Yami Yugi activated "Ragnarok" to destroy "Ra." As Yugi worried about whether this would erase the good Marik, Odion suddenly appeared. Since Odion had been suppressing Yami Marik, his return allowed the regular Marik to regain some control. Urging Yami to attack, Marik helped complete the effect of "Ragnarok," destroying "Ra" and forcing a reversal. With only 1 Life Point remaining, only Yami Marik’s eye remained, and Marik took full control, choosing to surrender. This caused Yami Marik to disappear, and Yugi was declared the winner.
As the tournament host, Kaiba congratulated Yugi on his victory. (In the dub, he claimed Yugi only won because Marik surrendered.) Marik, now free from his dark half, informed Yugi that with Yami Marik gone, Mai and Bakura’s souls would be restored. As per the ante rule, he gave Yugi "The Winged Dragon of Ra." Finally, Marik revealed the hieroglyphics carved on his back, explaining that they contained the secret of the Pharaoh’s power and that the three Egyptian God Cards were the key to unlocking it. With his mission complete, he entrusted the Millennium Rod and Ring to Yugi.
Kaiba announced his plan to destroy the Duel Tower and gave everyone an hour to evacuate. Yugi and his friends returned to the Battle Ship, where they found Mai and Bakura safe, but the Kaiba brothers were nowhere to be seen. With the Battle Ship damaged from its escape from Noah’s fortress and the Kaibas still missing, the group boarded the KaibaCorp helicopter. As they departed, they spotted Kaiba and Mokuba flying away in their Blue-Eyes White Dragon jet.
Back in Domino City, Yugi and his friends bid farewell to the Ishtar family, Duke, and Mai. Later, at Kame Game, Yugi and Yami Yugi built a new Deck, including the "Red-Eyes Black Dragon" that Joey had given them. At sunrise, the Yugis met Joey at the plaza for a final Duel to mark the end of their Battle City journey.
Waking the Dragons
Between classes, Yami took control of Yugi’s body and skipped school to visit the museum, bringing the Egyptian God Cards in hopes of uncovering his past. Yugi questioned why they were going alone, to which Yami responded that saying goodbye would be too painful—he simply wanted Yugi to see him off. (In the dub, Yami instead mentioned feeling drawn to the museum by the God Cards.) However, Téa, Joey, and Tristan caught up with him outside and reminded him that they were a team. Inside the museum, Yami attempted to hold up the God Cards to the tablet, but something held him back. Before he could proceed, a scream echoed from outside. The group rushed out, only to find the city overrun by living Duel Monsters.
Believing KaibaCorp’s holographic technology was responsible, they headed to KaibaCorp but were blocked by a crowd of reporters. Later, at Kame Game, they watched a televised statement from Kaiba, who denied any involvement. Suddenly, motorcyclists from Doma broke into the shop and stole the Egyptian God Cards. As Yugi and his friends ran outside, they saw the God Cards materialize in the city sky. Yugi was baffled, knowing only someone connected to the Millennium Items could summon them. The thieves then appeared, challenging Yugi to follow them if he wanted his cards back. Yugi switched to Yami and Dueled one of them, Gurimo, who used "The Seal of Orichalcos" to steal souls and even summoned "Obelisk the Tormentor" using its power. Despite this, Yugi emerged victorious, sealing Gurimo’s soul within the Orichalcos card. As a reward for his victory, Rafael released the souls of Rex and Weevil, which Gurimo had previously captured.
Later, Yugi, Téa, Joey, and Tristan encountered Rex and Weevil, who pretended to side with them while secretly plotting to take the God Cards for themselves. After parting ways, Yugi and his friends met Rebecca Hawkins, who immediately declared Yugi her boyfriend. She took them to the museum, where her grandfather, Arthur Hawkins, had been researching Duel Monsters’ origins. Arthur confirmed that Yugi was bonded with an Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh, who had once saved the world from sorcerers that harnessed real monsters' power by sealing them in tablets—similar to Duel Monsters. He also revealed photos from what he believed to be Atlantis, depicting carvings of Duel Monsters, suggesting that their origins predated Egypt by at least 10,000 years. Arthur theorized that a parallel dimension existed where Duel Monsters were real and believed Yugi was destined to save the world, just as the Pharaoh had before him. Unsure of their next step, Yugi entrusted Arthur with the Orichalcos stone fragment for analysis. Outside, Rebecca surprised Yugi with a kiss before leaving, much to his embarrassment. As he was about to leave, Yugi briefly thought he heard someone calling for help but saw no one.
That night, Yugi heard the mysterious voice again as he drifted to sleep. The Millennium Puzzle activated, transporting both Yugis to the chamber inside it. As they searched for the source of the voice, they encountered Kuriboh, who led them to a previously unseen room. Upon following the voice further, they were suddenly pulled through a vortex—arriving in the Duel Monsters Spirit World.
Yugi and Yami found themselves hovering above a grand castle. Descending into its halls, they encountered Dark Magician Girl, who warned them that both their world and the Duel Monsters’ realm were in grave danger. She explained that the two dimensions depended on each other for survival, but a gateway had been opened, allowing a monstrous entity that fed on the life force of humans and spirits to threaten them all. Determined to help, Yugi and Yami followed Dark Magician Girl to three dragons trapped within crystal. According to legend, three warriors were destined to free them. Believing Yugi to be one of those warriors, she instructed him to draw a sword from one of the dragons. Yugi and Yami pulled it free, awakening the legendary dragon, Timaeus.
Shortly afterward, Yugi woke up in his bed and saw an eerie light phenomenon outside, trapping Duel Monsters within. Rushing to the plaza, he met his friends and watched as the monsters were absorbed into a crystal, which then shattered to reveal a sinister eye that unleashed a powerful twister toward him. At that moment, Yugi’s Duel Disk glowed, and a new card, "The Eye of Timaeus," appeared. Using it, he summoned Timaeus to destroy the eye. Dark Magician Girl then materialized beside him, warning that this was only the beginning of the battle.
While showing his friends the newly acquired card, Yugi received a package from Industrial Illusions containing a videotape and the card "Illusion’s Key." Initially hesitant to watch the tape—remembering the last time Pegasus had sent him one—Yugi reasoned that, without the Millennium Eye, Pegasus could no longer seal souls. With that assurance, he and his friends watched the video. Pegasus provided some insight into recent events but, due to the sensitive nature of the information, requested a face-to-face meeting. He arranged a private jet to bring Yugi and his friends to California, instructing them to bring "Illusion’s Key."
Upon landing in San Francisco, a limousine awaited them, but as they rode, Yugi noticed "The Eye of Timaeus" glowing, coinciding with Kaiba’s release of Critias elsewhere. Instead of taking them to Industrial Illusions, the limousine unexpectedly stopped in the middle of the desert, and the driver abandoned them at a gas station. There, a gang of motorcyclists attempted to pick a fight, but Mai Valentine appeared on her own motorbike and drove them off, inadvertently igniting a fire. Tristan hurriedly drove Yugi, Joey, and Téa away in the limousine before the explosion from the gas pumps could reach them. Mai also escaped and disappeared into the night. The limousine, however, broke down, stranding them in the desert. Using Téa’s charm, they convinced a truck driver to give them a lift to Industrial Illusions while the boys hid.
Upon arriving at Industrial Illusions, they were trapped inside by Mai, who revealed her allegiance to Doma and that she had sealed Pegasus’ soul inside a "Seal of Orichalcos" card. She then challenged Joey to a Duel. During the battle, Yugi’s "Eye of Timaeus" card glowed again as Joey was transported to the Spirit World, where he freed the dragon Hermos. As Mai neared defeat, Valon interfered, breaking up the Duel before the group from Doma retreated.
Yugi and his friends were soon joined by Duke, Rex, Weevil, and Kaiba. Using "Illusion’s Key," Yugi unlocked a secret chamber, where they discovered a holographic message from Pegasus. He revealed Doma’s involvement in historical events and provided clues about an important card Yugi would need. They located the card, "Legend of Heart," though it remained blank at the time. While Kaiba refused to align with them, Yugi and his friends correctly inferred that he possessed the third Legendary Dragon, "Fang of Critias."
Duke offered the group a ride to Arthur Hawkins’ house, hoping to find more answers. However, by the time they arrived, Arthur had been kidnapped, and his home had been blown up. A distraught Rebecca ran into Yugi’s arms and explained what had happened. Seeking refuge in Arthur’s mobile home, they discussed the situation. Rebecca returned the Orichalcos stone that Yugi had lent to her grandfather. While the others prepared food, Yugi and Rebecca stepped outside for a private conversation. Rebecca handed Yugi a card and a note from Rafael, which she had found after the explosion. The note instructed Yugi to come alone to Death Valley. (In the dub, it suggested that going there was the only way to save Arthur.)
That night, Yugi borrowed Rebecca’s horse, Copernicus, and rode to Death Valley, where he Dueled Rafael as Yami Yugi. Yugi’s spirit form remained by Yami’s side throughout the match. Initially, Yugi was relieved when Rafael declared he would not play "The Seal of Orichalcos." However, Rafael later used "Exchange" to force the card into Yami’s hand. Yugi begged him not to use it under any circumstances, and Yami promised to resist. Yet as the Duel progressed, Yami found himself on the verge of defeat and, despite Yugi’s desperate pleas, activated "The Seal of Orichalcos." At that moment, Yugi’s spirit form vanished, leaving Yami completely alone.
Yugi was unable to contact Yami for the remainder of the Duel, as he was trapped behind the Seal. Desperately, he pleaded with Yami not to sacrifice his monsters, including "Dark Magician Girl," whom they had made a promise to protect. However, Yami ignored his pleas and ultimately lost the Duel, putting his soul at risk of being taken by "The Seal of Orichalcos." At the last moment, Yugi, using the power of the Millennium Puzzle, managed to break free from the seal’s hold and appeared beside Yami once more. Since the Seal could only claim one soul, Yugi pushed Yami aside and willingly took his place.
Yami was transported to the Stone Wilderness, a realm where spirits of both good and evil wandered. There, he searched for Yugi and finally found him. Yami apologized for what had happened, admitting that without Yugi, the darkness within him was beginning to grow. He feared that Rafael might have been right about him being evil and worried that regaining his lost memories would only confirm that. (However, this may have been a deception orchestrated by Dartz, manipulating Yami's doubts to claim his soul, or a direct influence of the Orichalcos itself.) Yugi reminded Yami that he had been sealed away for centuries. When Yami tried to apologize again, Yugi rejected his pity and questioned if he had come only to demoralize himself. (In the dub, Yugi stated that if Yami truly was evil, there was only one solution.) A Duel Disk materialized on Yugi’s arm, and he challenged Yami to a Duel, believing that if Yami had succumbed to darkness, he needed to be defeated. (In the dub, Yugi declared that Yami no longer deserved to exist in this world and had to face judgment for his actions.) Though reluctant, Yami accepted the challenge.
Both duelists initially drew the same cards in the same order, prompting Yugi to use "Sangan" to shuffle his Deck and "Card Destruction" to reset their hands. Yami dismissed the Duel as meaningless, but Yugi countered that Yami’s greatest weakness was the darkness in his heart—his arrogance and pride prevented him from understanding others' pain. (This explanation was removed in the dub.) Acting as a mirror to Yami’s dark side, Yugi revealed that he had "The Seal of Orichalcos" in his Deck. He activated it and used the same strategy Yami had employed against Rafael, sacrificing his monsters to secure victory. Watching Yugi mimic his own reckless actions, Yami realized how blinded he had been by his own psychological turmoil. He began to descend into despair, believing he couldn’t afford to lose—if he did, he wouldn’t be able to save Yugi, and both worlds would be doomed. However, Yugi saw only the side of Yami that had ignored the suffering of others due to his pride. He continued to sacrifice his monsters, claiming that thanks to Yami’s recklessness, he could now enact his own vengeance. Determined to overcome his failings, Yami countered Yugi’s strategy with "Divine Wind" and ultimately won the Duel.
As he faded away, Yugi smiled, telling Yami that by defeating him, he had also defeated the darkness within himself and broken free from the Orichalcos’ influence. It was revealed that Yugi had planned this from the start—he had never truly fallen under the evil card’s control. Before disappearing, he urged Yami not to give up, promising that he would always be with him.
Later, when Yami and Kaiba dueled Dartz, the leader of Doma, Dartz summoned four "Mirror Knight Tokens." When Kaiba attempted to destroy them, their helmets shattered, revealing the souls of those who had been claimed by "The Seal of Orichalcos"—including Yugi, Joey, Mai, and Pegasus. Dartz warned that destroying the Tokens would also destroy their souls. Despite Dartz forcing him to attack Yami, Yugi’s spirit resisted. Yami refused to harm any of the Tokens, fearing it would cost his friends their lives. Kaiba, however, believed Dartz was bluffing and attacked the Joey Token. The Yugi Token intervened, using its effect to block the attack at the cost of its shield. Yami was given another chance to destroy the Tokens but hesitated. Yugi insisted that Yami attack without worrying about him, emphasizing that Yami had a greater mission. (In the dub, Yugi reassured Yami that he would be fine.) Even so, Yami refused.
After Dartz played "Orichalcos Tritos," the "Mirror Knights" could no longer resist his control, and he forced Yugi to attack Yami. Eventually, Kaiba seized another chance to destroy the Tokens. Though Yami tried to stop him, Yugi once again assured him that he would be fine, allowing Kaiba to continue.
Yugi's soul was then sealed in a bubble and drawn into The Great Leviathan, alongside others who had recently fallen to the Orichalcos. When Yami defeated Dartz, the Legendary Dragons, now in their Knight forms, released the souls of the chosen duelists—Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey. Yami informed Yugi that the knights had freed him and that Dartz had vanished into a vortex after the Duel.
Shortly after, Roland informed them that Atlantis was rising from the sea. Realizing they needed to put an end to the crisis, Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey decided to follow Dartz through the vortex, suspecting it would lead them to Atlantis. Téa protested, warning that it could be a trap, but Yugi insisted they had to go to save the other lost souls. Within the temple where the Duel had taken place, the Millennium Puzzle glowed and guided Yugi to the Egyptian God Cards. However, they were powerless, as Dartz had already drained their energy to fuel the Leviathan. Yugi rejoined Kaiba and Joey, returning their Legendary Dragon cards before they all stepped through the vortex. Upon arriving in Atlantis, Yugi relinquished control to Yami, and they found that Dartz had abandoned his physical form, merging with The Great Leviathan to compensate for failing to claim the chosen duelists’ souls.
As Yami, he, Kaiba, Joey, and an army of Duel Monster Spirits fought against the Leviathan. However, its tendrils ensnared the three duelists, pulling them inside. Yugi reappeared beside Yami and suggested that they could fight back by calling upon the trapped souls within the Leviathan. Taking his advice, Yami reached out to the others, urging them to focus on the light in their hearts and lend him their strength. Their combined power allowed Yami to summon the Egyptian Gods and free the chosen duelists. Believing the Gods might need his assistance, Yami left Yugi in control of his body and ascended to the Gods in spirit form. Yugi cheered Yami on as he battled alongside the Gods to defeat the Leviathan.
Yami returned to Yugi on Atlantis just as it began to sink. As Yugi prepared to leave through the vortex with Joey and Kaiba, Yami called him back. The two were confronted by Dartz and a smaller form of The Great Leviathan. When Timaeus failed to destroy the Leviathan, Yami urged Yugi to escape, but Yugi refused, choosing instead to stand by his partner. Together, they argued against Dartz’s ideology. In response, the Leviathan transformed into a black whirlwind and engulfed Yami. Yugi tried to intervene, but Yami insisted that this was his fight—he had to prove that the darkness within him was truly gone. Focusing his willpower, Yami eradicated the Leviathan, ending the threat once and for all.
Yugi and Yami saw that Dartz's darkness had vanished, and he was now accompanied by Ironheart, Chris, and Skye. Ironheart and Chris expressed their gratitude to the Yugis and urged them to return through the portal, where a new future awaited them.
Afterward, Yugi washed up on a shoreline, where he was welcomed by Dark Magician Girl and the Legendary Knights, who thanked him for his help. His friends, who had escaped Dartz’s temple in Kaiba’s helicopter, landed to greet him, relieved that he had survived.
Grand Championship
Yugi, Kaiba, and their friends prepared for Kaiba's ultimate tournament, the KC-1 Grand Prix Championship, where the winner would earn the right to challenge Yugi Muto for the title of world Duel Monsters champion.
On the tournament’s opening day, Yugi and his friends watched a Duel between Rick and the KC DuelTek 760 when a hacker trapped all Duelists and spectators inside the electronic stadium. The CPU opponent’s difficulty was set to its highest level, and the only way to escape was to defeat it in a Duel. Rick’s Deck mainly contained Dragon-Type Normal Monsters and lacked Magic and Trap Cards. Yugi transformed into Yami and took over, using "Heart of the Underdog"—a card he had given Rick earlier—along with "Spirit Ryu" to win and free everyone.
Yugi did not Duel frequently during this season but cheered for Joey and Rebecca throughout the tournament. He eventually Dueled and defeated Vivian Wong to cure Solomon Muto’s back.
In the finals, Yami faced Leon von Schroeder, who had assumed the alias Leon Wilson. Leon’s demeanor shifted during the match, and Yugi realized that Leon only wanted to defeat him to gain the respect of his family—something his brother Zigfried had failed to earn. Leon used the illegal card "Golden Castle of Stromberg," which forced Yugi to discard half his Deck with every passing turn and also infected KaibaCorp’s computer system with a virus. Yami found a loophole: since he had only one card left in his Deck, he could not discard half of it, thereby nullifying the castle’s effect. With "Golden Castle of Stromberg" destroyed, Yugi continued the Duel, playing a series of Magic and Trap Cards before landing the final blow with "Dark Magician," "Necromancy," and "Diffusion Wave-Motion," securing his victory.
Pharaoh’s Memories
Before traveling to Egypt to unlock the pharaoh’s memories, Yugi wanted to learn everything he could. He asked his grandfather to recount his adventure retrieving the Millennium Puzzle from the Tomb of the Nameless Pharaoh. Disappointed that Grandpa did not know the way back to the tomb, Yugi listened as Grandpa warned him to stay away.
Concerned about the Egyptian God Cards, Grandpa begged Yugi to leave them with him rather than return them. However, Yugi reminded him that the pharaoh would need them, leading Grandpa to apologize. Before saying goodnight, Grandpa reassured Yugi that his own adventure was over, and now it was Yugi’s responsibility to help the pharaoh reclaim his lost past. He acknowledged the weight of this legacy and advised Yugi to approach every challenge as if it were a game.
That night, as Yugi slept, he dreamed of speaking with Yami, reflecting on how their meeting had changed both of their lives.
Yugi was jolted awake by the sound of Rex and Weevil breaking in to steal the Egyptian God Cards. Unaware that the bag they grabbed also contained the Millennium Items, they fled, with Yugi in pursuit. By the time he caught up, they had already been knocked unconscious by Yami Bakura, who had reclaimed the Millennium Ring.
Bakura returned the stolen Items and God Cards to Yugi but insisted on keeping the Ring for himself. He claimed that their goals were aligned—to gather the seven Millennium Items at the Millennium Stone. However, when Yami took control of Yugi’s body, he warned Bakura to stop corrupting Yugi’s mind. Before departing, Bakura cryptically stated that solving the riddle of the pharaoh’s past would require them to play the ultimate Shadow Game.
At the airport, as Yugi prepared to board his flight to Egypt, he was surprised to find Joey, Téa, and Tristan waiting for him. Though he told them they didn’t have to come, they insisted they wouldn’t miss it for the world.
Upon arrival in Egypt, Yugi and his friends were greeted by Ishizu, Marik, and Odion Ishtar, who escorted them to an underground cavern in the desert. There, the stone tablets from the museum had been relocated. When Yami held the Egyptian God Cards up to the tablet, his spirit was suddenly pulled out of Yugi’s body and into the Memory World. At the same time, the portion of Yami Bakura’s soul sealed within the Millennium Puzzle was drawn in as well, taking the rest of his spirit from Bakura along with it. Yugi, now sensing Yami’s absence from both his heart and the Puzzle, realized the pharaoh was truly gone.
Shadi appeared and confirmed that Yami had entered a world shaped by his own memories, recreated from his experiences 3,000 years ago. Concerned that the same danger that once sealed Yami inside the Millennium Puzzle was now threatening him again, Yugi, Joey, Téa, and Tristan pleaded with Shadi to let them enter the Memory World to help him. Shadi explained that they could only reach it by finding the right doorway within the Millennium Puzzle.
Once inside the Puzzle’s labyrinth, the group searched for the entrance to the Memory World, but their efforts proved fruitless. Behind one door, they encountered Yami Bakura, who transformed into a monstrous form and attacked them. They barely escaped, and Shadi revealed that the creature was the pharaoh’s true enemy. Since the labyrinth reflected the pharaoh’s heart, Yugi began to sense it trembling, realizing Yami was in danger. Instead of calling out to the pharaoh, Yugi suggested they wait for Yami to call to them. By sitting together and concentrating, they triggered the labyrinth to open a passage to the Memory World.
Upon entering the Ancient Egyptian Memory World, Yugi discovered that he no longer possessed the Millennium Puzzle. Despite their out-of-place appearance, the group quickly realized that no one in this world could see them. Furthermore, they were unable to interact with solid objects, as their hands phased through them. Unbeknownst to them, they had entered a role-playing game orchestrated by Yami Bakura and Yami Yugi, where they functioned as non-playable characters.
While searching for answers, they encountered Bobasa, who, like them, was invisible to most of the world’s inhabitants but was still able to interact with physical objects. Their pursuit of Bobasa led them to Priest Seto rescuing a young woman named Kisara. Recognizing him from the stone tablet as the figure resembling Kaiba, they deduced that he worked for the pharaoh and decided to follow him to the palace. However, unlike other objects in this world, they found themselves unable to pass through the palace gates.
Exhausted, the group fell asleep outside the palace, waiting for a way in. Their opportunity came when the gates finally opened as the pharaoh rode out on horseback, chasing Thief Bakura. The two were accompanied by their respective monsters—Ka Diabound and Slifer the Sky Dragon. Yugi, Joey, Téa, and Tristan ran after them and eventually caught up to the pharaoh after he fell from his horse following Slifer’s defeat.
To their relief, the pharaoh could see them. As he looked at Yugi in surprise, he asked if it was really him. Taking the pharaoh’s hand, Yugi transferred some of his strength to him, allowing the pharaoh to summon The Winged Dragon of Ra to continue the battle against Bakura’s Diabound.
Ra initially defeated Diabound, but Yami Bakura, controlling the RPG, used an Hourglass Token to rewind time by a few minutes. This time, after Slifer’s defeat, Diabound's attack shattered the ground beneath the pharaoh, causing him to fall into a chasm before Yugi and his friends could reach him. As they searched for him, they briefly encountered Thief Bakura before Bobasa called them to hide. Téa worried that losing the Shadow Game meant the pharaoh had lost his soul, but Yugi reassured everyone that since the world still existed—built from the pharaoh’s memories—he had to be alive.
The next day, Yugi, Joey, Téa, Tristan, and Bobasa searched along the River Nile for the pharaoh. They met Mana, who mistook Yugi for him. However, after Bobasa found the pharaoh’s cape, Mana realized her mistake and learned they were his friends. She eagerly joined their search, but soon after, they were attacked by Thief Bakura’s men. Mana used her magic to raise the river and wash them away. As they continued their journey, Mana admitted that only half her spells worked, but Yugi encouraged her, telling her she resembled the "Dark Magician Girl" card and could become just as strong with practice. Eventually, they found the pharaoh on the riverbank.
The group learned that Thief Bakura had stolen the Millennium Puzzle and was after the other Items. The pharaoh revealed that he had only regained a fragment of his childhood memory and that no one would tell him his real name. Before departing on horseback with Mana, he asked Yugi and the others to return to their world and stay out of the conflict.
Unbeknownst to them, Tristan had been secretly possessed by Yami Bakura. He speculated that the pharaoh had intentionally erased his own memory to hide a crucial piece of information—his true name—which someone would need to restore the evil he had sealed away. Yugi and the others agreed that his name must be the key, as it was erased from history. Yugi deduced that the pharaoh had used it as a password to imprison Zorc Necrophades. Since the pharaoh was about to relive his battle against Zorc, Yugi realized that without knowing his true name, he would be doomed to lose this time. Determined to uncover the name before the battle, they decided to search the palace for any record of it.
When they reached the palace gates, Yugi silently asked the pharaoh to let them in—and to his surprise, he was able to pass through. Inside, he suggested they split up to search and meet back in an hour. As they explored, Yami Bakura used another Hourglass Token to temporarily freeze time.
When they regrouped, they found Bobasa had raided a storage room and eaten all the food, yet he was still hungry and unable to move. Tristan, still possessed, argued that Bobasa was useless and they should leave him behind. However, Yugi reminded them that Bobasa had helped them find the pharaoh, and the others agreed to help him find more food. After giving him some grapes, Bobasa finally felt satisfied and declared that he could now grant their wish. His body inflated, allowing him to float in midair. He invited them to ride on his back, promising to take them to the pharaoh’s name. He carried them to the pharaoh’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings.
Inside the tomb, they encountered various traps. Remembering his grandfather’s stories about the tomb, Yugi guided his friends safely through. They reached the room where Grandpa had once found the Millennium Puzzle, but found no clues and began searching for another chamber.
Joey accidentally leaned on a hidden switch, revealing a secret passage. Still possessed, Tristan ran ahead, discovering a chamber with hieroglyphics on the floor. To their surprise, he read the inscription aloud, revealing that whoever solved the Millennium Puzzle must return the wish they were granted in order to proceed. Yugi hesitated, saying his wish could never be returned, but after some encouragement, he admitted he had wished for friends. Téa and Tristan were deeply touched, having never known this before.
Tristan suddenly shoved Yugi onto one eye symbol on the floor and pushed Joey and Téa onto another before stepping onto one himself. The floor, apart from the two eyes and a connecting beam, collapsed, leaving them balanced on a narrow stone platform. (In the dub, a pit of shadows was added beneath them; in the original, it was simply a long fall.) The beam rotated, aligning Yugi’s platform with a doorway. Yugi hesitated, realizing that going through the door meant losing his friends. Calling him weak, Tristan leaped to the doorway, disrupting the platform’s balance. Joey and Téa jumped and grabbed onto the ledge. Yugi ran after them, catching Joey just in time. The three climbed up and entered the chamber beyond.
Inside the chamber, they found the pharaoh’s name inscribed on the wall. Unable to read it, they memorized the hieroglyphics before spotting an exit and following it.
Yugi, Joey, and Téa entered a room divided by a bridge. On the opposite side stood Tristan, now fully possessed by Yami Bakura, who had assumed his own form. As the ground trembled—signaling Zorc’s imminent resurrection—Yami Bakura laughed, declaring they wouldn’t escape with the pharaoh’s name. He then materialized a Duel Disk and challenged Yugi to a Duel.
Bakura explained that their Decks would be formed from images in their minds, with the card order remaining unknown until drawn. Duel Disks and Decks materialized on their arms. Bakura warned that this would be a Shadow Game, meaning Yugi’s soul would be at stake. (In the dub, he taunted Yugi, reminding him that this time, he wouldn’t have Yami Yugi to save him.) As the Duel began, Yugi realized that the Deck created from his mind was vastly different from his real one.
Yugi aimed to level up "Silent Swordsman LV0" while shielding it with "Marshmallon" and "Marshmallon Glasses." However, Bakura forced "Marshmallon" into Attack Mode, leaving Yugi struggling to protect it. Throughout the Duel, Bakura repeatedly mocked him for relying on Yami Yugi in the past. He then played "Cursed Twin Dolls" to purge his own Graveyard, filling his field with ghosts, and used "Counterbalance" to make both players send cards from their Decks to the Graveyard equal to the number of cards on the field—including the ghosts. With no Graveyard himself, Bakura was unaffected.
Yugi countered with "Aria From Beyond," using "Spirit Sword of Sealing" to temporarily remove "Silent Swordsman" from play. As his Deck dwindled, he was left with only one card—"Gandora the Dragon of Destruction." He drew and Summoned it, using its effect to wipe out all other monsters on the field before it destroyed itself. This lifted the effect of "Spirit Sword of Sealing," allowing "Silent Swordsman" to return—now with 4500 ATK. Yugi attacked, defeating Bakura.
Bakura sneered in disbelief that he had lost to a mere "container." Before relinquishing control of Tristan’s body, he mocked them one last time, reminding them that Zorc was already freed and they had no chance of victory if the pharaoh perished. As Tristan regained consciousness, the chamber began to collapse, forcing the group to flee.
They emerged on a cliffside and slid down to escape. However, they were soon ambushed by hooded riders. Realizing that their thoughts could become reality—just as Yugi and Bakura had manifested Duel Disks—Yugi and his friends concentrated, imagined they could fly, and took off to find the pharaoh.
As Zorc prepared to hurl a fireball at the pharaoh, Yugi and his friends arrived. Turning his attack toward them, Zorc sneered that they should have stayed in their own world. The group dodged the blast but noticed Bakura’s soldiers approaching. Ready to fight, Yugi summoned a Duel Disk and the Deck he and Atem had built, calling forth the "Dark Magician"—whom the pharaoh now recognized as Mahad. Joey, Téa, Tristan, and Mana, still at the palace, summoned additional monsters to battle the soldiers.
As the Monster Spirits clashed with Zorc and his army, Yugi and his friends gathered around the pharaoh. They recalled seeing his name but were unable to read it. However, upon noticing the pharaoh’s cartouche, Téa suggested they focus on making the hieroglyphics appear on it. Holding their hands over the cartouche, they concentrated.
Before they could finish, Zorc launched another fireball to stop them. At the last moment, Seto Kaiba appeared, using "Ring of Defense" to block the attack. Zorc retaliated, destroying the ring with another blast, but it was too late—the pharaoh’s name had been engraved on the cartouche.
The pharaoh declared his true name: Atem. With this knowledge, he was able to summon the Egyptian Gods and fuse them into The Creator God of Light, Horakhty. With a single, devastating attack, Horakhty obliterated Zorc, ending the battle.
At first, Yugi and Atem found it strange to have separate names after sharing an identity since Yugi solved the Millennium Puzzle. Yugi admitted he felt a little lonely, but reassured Atem that it was okay—they would always be a team. After bidding farewell to Priest Seto, Atem reached the end of his memories and could no longer remain in the Memory World. He joined Yugi, Joey, Téa, Tristan, and Kaiba as they departed through an opening in the sky.
The group awakened in the cavern where they had first entered the pharaoh's memories. Yugi realized Atem was still residing in his body and received the Millennium Eye from Kaiba, who cryptically stated that Yugi would need it. Before they could question Kaiba on how he obtained it, they were interrupted by Bakura—now free from Yami Bakura’s possession. As they prepared to leave, the Yugis took the Millennium Ring from Bakura and discovered the Millennium Scales and Key, which had been left behind by Shadi.
The Ceremonial Battle
Guided by the Ishtars, Yugi and his friends traveled to the Shrine of the Millennium Stone—the pharaoh's final resting place. On the boat ride there, Yugi reunited with Duke, Grandpa, and Mokuba. Marik explained that for Atem to move on, he had to lose in a Ceremonial Battle. Joey and Kaiba both offered to duel him, but Yugi declined, believing this was something he and Atem had to face together. Frustrated, Kaiba showed Yugi a briefcase full of powerful cards, insisting he should use a real Deck, but Yugi refused, choosing to duel with the Deck he and Atem had built.
The night before they arrived at the shrine, Yugi worked on his Deck alone. Téa visited him, admitting she didn’t want Atem to leave and wondering how he felt about it. However, Atem had retreated into his soul room to give Yugi privacy as he prepared. As Yugi constructed his Deck, he reflected on how solving the Millennium Puzzle had changed his life. Once finished, he granted Atem the same privacy to build his own Deck.
The next day, they reached the shrine. Ishizu explained that this was the best opportunity to hold the Duel, as Zorc had just been defeated—if they waited, Atem would be trapped in this time forever. Yugi placed the Millennium Items in the Millennium Stone, activating the Eye of Wdjat, which scanned him for the pharaoh's soul and split them into two separate bodies. With their identities now distinct, Yugi and Atem walked to opposite sides of the cavern, ready to duel.
Atem, determined to fight at full strength, quickly summoned the three Egyptian Gods. However, Yugi countered by using "Valkyrion the Magna Warrior" with "Magnet Force," skillfully predicting Atem’s moves and redirecting "Slifer the Sky Dragon’s" attacks back at the Gods. Their ATK dwindled, and Yugi ultimately destroyed them. The battle continued, with both duelists using cards they had once relied on together. When Atem summoned "Dark Magician" and "Dark Magician Girl," Yugi fought back with strategies he had previously used against Yami Bakura. He played "Gold Sarcophagus," anticipating that Atem would use "Monster Reborn." After defeating the magicians, Atem indeed attempted to revive "Slifer" with "Monster Reborn," but Yugi revealed he had sealed it away with "Gold Sarcophagus," nullifying its effect. With no other options left, Atem fell to Yugi’s final attack from "Silent Magician," losing the duel.
As the battle ended, Yugi broke down in tears, calling himself weak and admitting that he had always followed Atem, hoping to be as strong as him. Atem reassured him, saying that Yugi’s strength lay in his kindness, something he had learned from Yugi. When Yugi referred to Atem as "the other me," Atem gently corrected him—he was no longer Yugi’s other self. Yugi Mutou was now his own person. (In the dub, Yugi, overcome with emotion, said he had been so focused on winning that he had forgotten what victory meant. Atem told him that he had opened the door for him, allowing him to rest where he belonged, and that their destiny had been fulfilled. Yugi expressed how much he would miss Atem, but Atem assured him that they would never truly be apart, as the kindness Yugi gave him and the courage he gave Yugi would always connect them.)
The Eye of Wdjat began to glow, and upon hearing Atem say his name, the door to the spirit world opened. Yugi and his friends pleaded with him to stay. Joey helped Téa accept that Atem had to leave, and Yugi promised never to forget him. (In the dub, Yugi simply said, "It's your move!") As Atem stepped through the door, it closed behind him, and the chamber trembled. The group fled as the shrine collapsed, burying the Millennium Items forever.
Yugi, Joey, Téa, and Tristan returned to Japan, where Yugi was greeted by Rebecca with a hug at the airport. Later, as he reunited with his friends, he reflected that this was never just the story of the pharaoh—everyone has their own story. Though one chapter had ended, his own journey was just beginning.
The Dark Side of Dimensions
KaibaCorp funded an excavation of the Shrine of the Underworld, providing workers with an image of Yugi wearing the Millennium Puzzle to help them identify their target.
Meanwhile, Yugi met up with Téa, Bakura, Joey, and Tristan for lunch, where they discussed their futures—including Yugi’s aspiration to become a game designer. At the end of the school day, he retrieved his confiscated Deck, which led him to reflect on Atem’s departure. Shortly after, he, Joey, and Téa noticed the new student, Aigami, being harassed by Scud and his gang. After Joey intervened and drove them off, Aigami thanked the trio, insisting he was fine.
Later, while hanging out at Otogi’s café, the group saw a news broadcast about Kaiba unveiling his new Duel Disk, which was set to debut in an exhibition match at Kaiba Land.
As Yugi prepared his graduation speech, he was approached by Aigami, who showed interest in getting to know him. Yugi and his friends took Aigami bowling and later ate at Burger World, where they shared stories of their past adventures. The conversation turned to Yugi’s skills in Duel Monsters, leading to an agreement for a friendly Duel between Yugi and Aigami.
At Kame Game, while Yugi assembled his Deck for the Duel, he was unexpectedly visited by Sera. After she left, he noticed she had left behind a piece of the Millennium Puzzle inside a card box he had been using.
After Aigami transported Bakura and Joey to alternate dimensions, Honda reported Joey missing to Yugi. The group was soon reunited with Joey, but as they searched for Bakura, Yugi encountered Kaiba. Kaiba declared that Yugi would participate in the exhibition Duel at Kaiba Land, refusing to accept any excuses. He then revealed the nearly restored Millennium Puzzle, explaining that it was missing two pieces, and made it clear that his true goal was to face Atem, showing little interest in Yugi himself. As Kaiba departed, Yugi was nearly hit by traffic but was saved by Sera, who told him that the choice to complete the Puzzle was his alone and urged him to save Aigami.
At Kaiba Land, Aigami was also called forward for the exhibition. Kaiba announced that he would duel both Aigami and Yugi for their respective pieces of the Millennium Puzzle. Furious at what Aigami had done to his friends and determined to find Bakura, Yugi demanded to duel Aigami himself. Kaiba agreed and provided him with one of the new Duel Disks.
During the Duel, Aigami expressed his desire to abandon the current corrupt world and escape to another dimension, inviting Yugi to join him. However, Yugi refused to give up on the future of their world and fought on, ultimately emerging victorious. With Aigami’s defeat, Bakura was freed and returned to their world.
As Kaiba prepared to face Yugi, he declared his intention to bring back "the other Yugi," believing they had unfinished business. Confident that his Duel with the regular Yugi would be brief, he dismissed Yugi's insistence that Atem was truly gone. Placing the Millennium Puzzle at the center of the arena, Kaiba initiated the Duel.
A few turns in, Yugi attempted to prove the Duel was meaningless by inserting the last two pieces into the Puzzle. When nothing happened, he explained that Atem’s spirit no longer resided within it. Enraged, Kaiba accused Yugi of deceiving him and continued the match. Eventually, Yugi attacked Kaiba’s remaining 2500 Life Points with "Dark Magician," which had the same ATK. However, Kaiba’s Life Points stopped at 100 when the power suddenly shut down.
At that moment, Aigami, now corrupted by the darkness of the Millennium Ring, appeared before them. Realizing the threat, Yugi and Kaiba temporarily set aside their rivalry to Duel him together. Despite their efforts, Kaiba was ultimately defeated. Before vanishing, he urged Yugi to call Atem. With no other choice, Yugi donned the Millennium Puzzle and continued the Duel. As Aigami’s power began dissolving the world around them, Yugi lost consciousness. It was then that Atem took control, summoning Palladium Oracle Mahad to strike the finishing blow.
With Aigami defeated, Yugi and Atem briefly appeared as separate entities once more. They exchanged a silent farewell before Atem pressed his hand against the Millennium Puzzle, making both it and himself vanish for good. Following his return, Kaiba begrudgingly acknowledged Yugi as a worthy Duelist.
At the graduation ceremony, Yugi delivered his speech. Later, he and his friends gathered at the airport to bid farewell to Téa as she left to study abroad.
Game Creator
In a possible future, Yugi pursued his dream of becoming a game designer. Four years after graduating high school, he won a world game competition with Spherium, a unique sphere-based fighting game. The game received high acclaim and was developed in collaboration with KaibaCorp. Upon completing the Spherium II prototype, Yugi and Kaiba took their rivalry to a new level—battling each other in space using the game.
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Years later, Jaden Yuki encountered Yugi while on his way to the Duel Academy entrance exams. Yugi gifted him Winged Kuriboh, calling it a lucky card in the Japanese version, while in the English dub, he said it felt like the card belonged with Jaden.
Yugi’s Deck was later put on display at Duel Academy, only to be stolen by Dimitri, who used it to duel Jaden. During the match, Dimitri mimicked Yugi’s playstyle so perfectly that a shadowy figure of Yugi briefly appeared behind him. After the Duel, the Deck was safely returned.
Jaden later referenced Yugi’s victories in many Shadow Duels during his own battle against the Gravekeeper’s Chief. Meanwhile, Professor Lyman Banner taught a history lesson about legendary Duelists, displaying drawings of Yugi and Kaiba to his students. One girl remarked that they were among the greatest Duelists, while another called them "dreamboats."
During Jaden’s duel against Dark Magician Girl, Bastion Misawa and Zane Truesdale were baffled, as they believed Yugi to be the only Duelist who possessed that card, leaving them questioning the true nature of Jaden’s opponent.
During a school trip, Jaden visited the Kame Game shop, where Solomon Muto revealed that Yugi had embarked on another journey and that he had no idea when he would return.
While Jaden was dueling T-Bone, he offered him some words of wisdom, prompting Solomon to remark that it was exactly what Yugi would have said.
When Bob Banter was caught spying on Alexis Rhodes, he attempted to distract Jaden, Syrus, and Hassleberry by shouting, "Hey, look! It's Yugi!" before making his escape.
Later, when Jaden dueled Frantz, who had stolen a copy of The Winged Dragon of Ra, Pegasus compared Jaden to Yugi.
In a flashback from Aster Phoenix’s past, Pegasus ranked Yugi as the number one Duelist in his personal top five, followed by Kaiba at number two, Joey at number three, Aster at number four, and Jesse Anderson at number five.
Jaden’s Graduation and Duel with Yugi
During Jaden’s final year at Duel Academy, the student who earned the most graduation points would receive a copy of Yugi’s Deck, excluding the Egyptian God Cards. Chazz Princeton, Alexis Rhodes, and Syrus Truesdale qualified but chose to stick with their own Decks instead.
At the graduation party, Jaden followed Winged Kuriboh to a special room containing Yugi’s Deck. There, Yugi appeared and sent Jaden back in time to Duel his younger self.
Set before the Waking the Dragons arc, Yugi had previously won Battle City V2 and had a prophetic dream in which Kuriboh told him he would soon meet and Duel someone.
Shortly afterward, Yugi bumped into Jaden Yuki, who had traveled back in time, guided by his future self. Jaden showed Yugi a Winged Kuriboh card, explaining that Yugi had given it to him and that it had helped him reach this moment. However, Yugi had no memory of meeting Jaden or gifting him the card. After hearing about Yugi’s dream, Jaden realized he had been sent back to Duel him.
The two made their way to Domino City Plaza, only to find that time had frozen, leaving them alone. They then began their Duel. Yugi was impressed by Jaden’s Elemental Hero cards, but after Jaden gained the upper hand, Yugi transformed into Yami Yugi. Declaring that only a god was a worthy opponent for Jaden, Yami Yugi summoned Slifer the Sky Dragon.
During the battle, Jaden remembered what he had lost—the joy of Dueling for fun, regardless of its stakes. The outcome of the Duel was left unknown, and Jaden soon returned to his own time.
Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s
Though Yugi did not appear in Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s, he was possibly regarded as the greatest Duelist of all time by this era.
In the original timeline of Bonds Beyond Time, an old newspaper article depicted Yugi as the winner of a tournament held by Pegasus at Domino Plaza. The accompanying photograph showed Yugi shaking hands with Pegasus while holding a trophy, with Solomon Muto standing in the background.
Bonds Beyond Time
Before the events of the Waking the Dragons arc and his duel with Jaden, Yugi participated in a Duel Monsters tournament at Domino Plaza, where Pegasus was distributing cards to young children. Paradox, a time traveler from a ruined future, arrived at the event with the intent to assassinate Pegasus. He summoned Cyber End Dragon and launched an attack on the plaza, causing widespread destruction and burying both Pegasus and Solomon Muto under the rubble. Yugi survived and desperately searched for survivors, only to find his grandfather’s bandanna. Overcome with grief, he wept for his loss. However, before he could process what had happened, the Crimson Dragon appeared and swallowed him.
Yugi was transported back in time by half an hour, where he met Jaden Yuki and Yusei Fudo, who were also traveling through time. Jaden and Yusei explained what they knew about Paradox, and Yugi agreed to help them stop him. Before Paradox could launch his attack, Jaden used Yubel to frighten the crowd, prompting them to evacuate and avoid the catastrophe.
Yugi, Jaden, and Yusei confronted Paradox, who revealed that he came from a future devastated by Duel Monsters and was attempting to prevent its existence. The three then engaged Paradox in a Duel, with only twenty minutes before Pegasus’ scheduled arrival. Yugi switched to Yami Yugi, and together with Jaden and Yusei, they managed to defeat Paradox, preventing the disaster.
With the timeline restored, Yami Yugi bid farewell to Jaden and Yusei before they returned to their respective times, expressing hope that they might meet again. Due to the timeline correction, it is likely that Yugi’s memories of these events were erased, as the version of history he was taken from had been undone.
Notably, in this version, Yugi appears significantly taller, despite not having aged. When shown alongside Yusei and Jaden, he is nearly the same height as them—including his hair—though he should technically be much shorter.
Powers and Statistics
Tier: 10-B, 10-A physically., 2-C via powers
Powers and Abilities: Peak Human Strength and Durability (Adult Yugi), Genius Intelligence (It is claimed that completing the Millennium Puzzle alone requires high intelligence) Multiple Selves (Types 1 and 2), Soul Manipulation, Luck Manipulation, Sealing, Magic, Skilled Strategist,Light Manipulation, Summoning, Resurrection, Clairvoyance (Can show the wielder something they wish to find), Pocket Reality Manipulation (There exists a world of Atem's memories within the puzzle itself), Illusion Creation (Anyone attempting to piece together the puzzle may be shown a horrifying illusion) with the Millennium Puzzle.
Attack Potency: Human level as a teenager Athlete level as an adult Low Multiverse level via powers (Can summon monsters with various degrees of power and amplify their power with his spirit energy up to the strongest monster he has in his deck, Was stated to have the strongest duel energy by Yubel)
Speed: Average Human, Athletic Human
Lifting Strength: Average Human
Striking Strength: Human level (By himself), Low Multiverse level with summons
Durability: Human level | Athlete level
Stamina: At least Above Average
Range: Standard Melee Range physically; Tens of Kilometers with several monsters, spells, and traps
Intelligence: Genius (Yugi under high pressure completed the millennium puzzle. The Kaiba Corporation "supercomputer" takes approximately 6 hours to complete and assemble the millennium puzzle. It's a machine that scans every single piece at every single point with extreme precision, and then searches for the correct combination of the various pieces passed through the scanner. As reported in the scan "a perfect assembly simulation is possible from every angle". The computer made approximately 21 billion attempts before it was able to complete the puzzle.)
Weaknesses: Normal human weaknesses. Yugi often depended on Atem in tough situations but became more self-reliant in later character development. | He can be led to making morally-questionable strategies, which might endanger his life if a friend of his is in danger, Duel Monsters´s Cards depend on canon to be applied to the real world, and sometimes his strategies might not go his way. He also needs a Duel Disk in order to "fight". The summoning of Ra and Horakhty require the use of summoning chants.
Standard Equipment: Duel Monsters cards, Duel Disk, Millennium Puzzle.
Trivia
- Kazuki Takahashi, the creator of Yu-Gi-Oh!, was a fan of Tim Burton's 1990 film Edward Scissorhands. Inspired by the movie, he designed Yugi and Yami Yugi with a leather bondage-style outfit worn beneath their school uniforms, similar to the attire of the film’s protagonist. This aesthetic also influenced the design of Magician of Black Chaos.[169]
- Despite being the main protagonist, Yugi is rarely featured in official promotional artwork, where Yami Yugi is typically showcased instead.
Yugi stands out from the other main protagonists in several ways: He is the only one who has never Dueled the female lead of his series. However, he does play Capsule Monsters with Téa, in which he was winning. He is the only protagonist not depicted at a younger age. He is the only one shown as an adult (in Yu-Gi-Oh! GX).
- Additionally, in the 4Kids dub, when Yugi activates the Millennium Puzzle by shouting "Yu-Gi-Oh!" to summon Yami Yugi, it serves as a reference to Billy Batson transforming into Captain Marvel by yelling "Shazam!"
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