Yu-Gi-Oh! is a manga based on a card game that was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump. Physical Yu-Gi-Oh! cards are also on sale, and the series celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2019, attracting many fans. Although the manga itself has already ended, Yu-Gi-Oh! remains popular, and an anime series is currently being broadcast as a separate series. Yu-Gi-Oh! is filled with a variety of exciting duels and memorable scenes. In this article, we'll be introducing a ranking of some of the most exciting and memorable duels in history.
Top 10 Famous Duels from the Original Yu-Gi-Oh! Series: #10: Katsuya Jonouchi vs. Banded Keith
First, the first famous duel from the original Yu-Gi-Oh! Series is the duel between Katsuya Jonouchi and Banded Keith at Duel Kingdom. This duel was one of the semifinals to challenge Pegasus at Duel Kingdom. Banded Keith stole Jonouchi's qualifying card, putting him on the brink of defeat even before the duel began, but with the help of Mai Kujaku, he was able to accept the duel. It's also cool to see Jonouchi, who was practically an amateur, take on Banded Keith, a superior opponent, in order to cheer on his teammates and earn money for his sister's eye surgery. While Jonouchi is forced to defend himself against Banded Keith, who attacks with high-level Machine-type monsters, one of the charms of this game is how he gradually turns the tide with combos. One of the most exciting scenes is when he uses his opponent's cards to metalize Red-Eyes Black Dragon, turning it into Red-Eyes Black Metal Dragon.
Top 10 Famous Duels in the Original Yu-Gi-Oh! Series: 9th Place: Yugi Muto vs. Pegasus J. Crawford
The next famous duel from the original Yu-Gi-Oh! Series is the final duel between Yugi Muto and Pegasus in Duel Kingdom. Pegasus, able to see through his opponent's hand thanks to the power of the Millennium Eye, a Millennium Item, sees through Yugi's strategy and defeats his monsters one after another. Furthermore, Yugi struggles when Pegasus uses invincible Toon monsters to block all of Yugi's attacks. Yugi then dueled using a strategy called Mind Shuffle, alternating between using cards to represent his true and hidden personalities. As the final boss of Duel Kingdom, the enemy is quite powerful, but his fancy design is one of its charms. The scene where he defeats Sacrifice with Black Magician of Chaos is truly a classic.
Top 10 Famous Duels from the Original Yu-Gi-Oh! Series: 8th Place: Katsuya Jonouchi vs. Insector Haga
Ranked 8th in the Top 10 Famous Duels from the Original Yu-Gi-Oh! Series is a duel between Katsuya Jonouchi and Insector Haga. This duel takes place in Battle City, and due to Insector Haga's underhanded strategy, all of Jonouchi's cards are turned into Parasite monsters, turning them into Insect-type monsters and preventing them from attacking. Insector Haga then plays his trump card, Insect Queen, to launch a simultaneous attack. However, Jonouchi turns the tables by drawing Gearfried, a monster that cannot become an Insect. It is striking that Insector Haga, who fought and lost to Yugi in Duel Kingdom, challenges Jonouchi and loses again, and this can also be said to be a great duel that shows how much Jonouchi has grown as a duelist.
Top 10 Famous Duels in the Original Yu-Gi-Oh! Series: #7: Yugi Muto vs. Pandora
The duel between Yugi Muto and Pandora, a member of the Ghouls, is also one of the most memorable in the original Yu-Gi-Oh! series. As both players were using decks centered around Dark Magicians, the deciding factor in the match was how well they could protect their Dark Magicians with spells and trap cards. The trust between the two players' Dark Magicians was also a key factor in this duel. This duel also marked the first appearance of Dark Magician Girl, Dark Magician's apprentice, making it a historic duel.
Top 10 Famous Duels in the Original Yu-Gi-Oh! Series: #6: Katsuya Jonouchi vs. Dark Marik
The next famous duel in the original Yu-Gi-Oh! Series is between Katsuya Jonouchi and Dark Marik. This duel is also one of the duels in the Battle City arc. It was the semi-final, and Jonouchi accepted Dark Marik's Dark Game in order to save the life of his teammate, Mai Kujaku. Jonouchi struggles in this torturous duel, where he takes the same damage as the monsters, but he puts up a good fight by using tricky cards such as gambling cards. Dark Marik eventually even uses God cards to torment Jonouchi. Jonouchi eventually gets close to winning, but then he passes out and loses. Because Jonouchi is not the main character, there are many duels where he could win or lose, which can be said to create a sense of tension.
5th Place in the Top 10 Famous Duels of the Original Yu-Gi-Oh! Series: Yugi Muto vs. Yami Bakura
Ranking 5 in the Top 10 Famous Duels of the Original Yu-Gi-Oh! Series is the duel between Yugi Muto and Yami Bakura. This was the duel that occurred when Yugi Muto entered the Pharaoh's memory and headed to the temple to obtain Yami Yugi's true name. This duel also marked the first appearance of the Level Monsters used by Yugi Muto. Furthermore, while Yugi Muto had previously been protected by Yami Yugi, he now fights on his own, making this a memorable battle that shows his growth as a worthy duelist. This duel not only lets you see Yugi's new monsters, but also showcases the eerie nature of Bakura's special attack.
Top 10 Famous Duels from the Original Yu-Gi-Oh! Series: #4: Yugi Muto vs. Katsuya Jonouchi
The next famous duel from the original Yu-Gi-Oh! Series is between Yugi Muto and Katsuya Jonouchi. This duel was challenged by Yugi to rescue Jonouchi, who had been brainwashed by Marik. This is a cool duel, as Yugi desperately tries to think of a way to save Jonouchi from brainwashing, even as both players face death if their life points run out. It's also a great duel that evokes the friendship between Yugi, who is willing to sacrifice his own life to save Jonouchi, and Jonouchi, who desperately tries to free himself from the brainwashing and save Yu.
Top 10 Famous Duels in the Original Yu-Gi-Oh! Series: #3: Yugi Muto vs. Dark Marik
The duel between Yugi Muto and Dark Marik is also an essential part of the list of famous duels in the original Yu-Gi-Oh! Series. This duel is the final match in Battle City, and also a duel of darkness. Yugi fights under the terrifying premise that if he runs out of life points, both of their face-up identities will be buried in darkness. Furthermore, when faced with Malik using the Winged Dragon of Ra, the most powerful god card, Yugi also summons the Sky Dragon of Osiris and the Giant God Warrior of Obelisk to fight on an impressive scale, making this a duel full of highlights.
Top 10 Famous Duels in the Original Yu-Gi-Oh! Series, #2: Yugi Muto vs. Seto Kaiba (Battle City Arc)
The next famous duel is between Yugi Muto and Seto Kaiba. This duel was also the semi-final duel at Battle City, depicting the fateful confrontation between the two. While they have faced each other many times, this is also a showdown between two players who each possess a God card. This duel features a Divine Passion battle and numerous classic monsters like Black Magician and Blue-Eyes White Dragon, making it a powerful and tense duel.
Top 10 Famous Duels from the Original Yu-Gi-Oh! Series: #1: Atem vs. Yugi Muto
The last famous duel from the original Yu-Gi-Oh! Series is the one between Atem and Yugi Muto. This duel was the final duel to send Atem, the soul of the Pharaoh, back to the underworld, and it was also the final duel of the Yu-Gi-Oh! series. This was a thrilling duel between two longtime partners, and many fans were thrilled by the exchange of monsters that had played a key role up until that point. It was a duel worthy of a dignified conclusion, and it certainly deserves the top spot. It's a memorable duel, with the heartbreak of having to part ways as Muto Yugi wins.
[Yu-Gi-Oh!] Which Duel Was the Most Intense?! Top 10 Famous Duels from the First Generation
This time, we've ranked the most memorable duels in Yu-Gi-Oh!. The original Yu-Gi-Oh! series is packed with exciting duels. There are also plenty of exciting duels in other Yu-Gi-Oh! games, so why not try finding your favorite?
