Yu-Gi-Oh is an anime based on the hit manga by author Kazuki Takahashi. The manga made its first appearance in Shonen Jump in the late 90s and has since reached monumental success. Yu-Gi-Oh took the world by storm in both Eastern and European territories with its exciting story and a vast amount of interest in the game that the series is based around.
The author, Kazuki Takahashi, recently passed away but left behind a legacy that will last forever and will be remembered for the mark he left on the manga and anime communities. The Yu-Gi-Oh franchise has surpassed expectations and is a globally celebrated phenomenon. Yu-Gi-Oh has transcended its manga beginnings and has received video games, films, and several anime adaptations over the years. Each series is a more unique tale than the last and introduces new cards, characters, and adventures with each season.
Updated December 14, 2022, by C.M Edwards: Yu-Gi-Oh continues to be a powerhouse franchise that is constantly expanding worldwide, ensuring that the masterpiece left behind by the late Kazuki Takahashi will go on forever. With new details emerging, Author Takahashi lost his life in an attempt to save a young girl from drowning. The entire Yu-Gi-Oh community has been dealt a mighty blow and is grieving the loss of a genius. Yu-Gi-Oh continues to introduce more into the trading card game, new figurines, and new Yu-Gi-Oh anime series for fans to enjoy and celebrate the legacy left by Kazuki Takahashi. The world of Yu-Gi-Oh is ever-changing, and just like this list, there will be new releases that will rise to the top or fade to the back row. Here are some more of the best Yu-Gi-Oh anime, ranked.
11 Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monsters
Yu-Gi-Oh: Capsule Monsters was a mini-series developed by 4Kids entertainment. The show consisted of just twelve episodes and was only broadcasted in European territories.
The series followed the original Yu-Gi-Oh anime cast as they were transported to another world where the monsters from the Duel Monsters card game exist. Yugi Moto uses the power of the Millenium Puzzle to duel his way through dangerous monsters and save his friends. There was even a classic board game based on the show, but just like the series, popularity was scarce, and it was discontinued shortly after.
10 Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens
The sixth iteration of the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise, Yu-Gi-Oh Sevens takes place in a futuristic era where the Duel Monsters card game is still growing strong. Yuga Odo is a young but bright engineer who seeks to make his own impact in the competitive world of Duel Monsters by expanding on the game's base system and rules.
Yuga develops a new style of play called Rush Duel that adds a higher level of difficulty to the game in the form of more fast-paced battles. Yu-Gi-Oh Sevens lasted just over ninety episodes and was the series to debut on the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise’s 20th anniversary.
9 Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexel
Yu-Gi-Oh Zexel follows Yuma Tsukumo and an ancient dueling spirit sidekick named Astral on a journey to recover cursed cards scattered among the world of Duel Monsters called ”Numbers’. On their journey, Astral and Yuma encounter talented duelists, vengeful rivals, and shady shadow organizations that are all entangled in the Numbers curse.
With aspirations of becoming the best duelist in the game, Yumo discovers that the world of Duel Monsters is much larger than he imagined. Yu-Gi-Oh Zexel is the third spin-off in the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise and consists of seventy-three episodes. Yu-Gi-Oh Zexel introduced the XYZ archetype into the world of Yu-Gi-Oh, which is argued as a shift in the play style of the card game.
8 Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc V
Yu-Gi-Oh Arc V is an interdimensional thrill ride that follows Yuya and his friends as they are caught in a duel tournament between different realms Duel Academies. Arc V is the fourth spin-off of the franchise and has over one hundred and forty episodes.
Yuya has a goal of being the top duelist, and while enrolled in his city’s Duel Academy he obtains the power of pendulum summons. This skyrockets him to one of the top players amongst his peers and earns him the attention of dark forces. Shockingly, Yuya becomes enthralled in a treacherous event that will test his skills, where he must play every card right or perish.
7 Yu-Gi-Oh! Pyramid Of Light
The first movie in the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise is an intense ride where the original cast put their cards on the line in a battle of supernatural proportions. The ancient spirit of Anubis has returned to claim revenge on the Pharaoh of the Millennium Puzzle.
Yugi, fresh off of the events of Battle City, must take on the dark specter and save his friends. Anubis wields the final Millennium Item and immeasurable power in order to dominate his opponents in the shadow realm. The fate of the world hangs in the balance, and only the heart of the cards can save the day.
6 Yu-Gi-Oh! Gx
Yu-Gi-Oh Gx is the first spin-off of the original anime set ten years later. The series focuses on a new class of duelists where the game of Duel Monsters has expanded and evolved through the direction of Kaiba Industries.
Jaden Yuki is a student enrolled in the new Duel Academies and must fight his way in a "survival of the fittest" climate where the elite makes the rules of the school. Jaden sets out to upset the established order and prove himself as a top-ranked duelist. Yu-Gi-Oh Gx is a popular series as the successor of the original and lasted one hundred and fifty-five episodes. Yu-Gi-Oh Gx was also the debut of the Elemental Hero Archetype.
5 Yu-Gi-Oh! Vrains
Yu-Gi-Oh Vrains takes the game into the world of virtual reality. The fifth installment in the franchise follows Yusaku into the VR game version of Duel Monster called Link Vrains, where players can battle against each other an infinite amount of times.
Unfortunately, a cyber-terrorist group called the Knights of Hanoi invades the digital world and seeks its downfall. Yusaku makes it his responsibility to take down the Knight of Hanoi and goes on a one-man war in a series of exciting duels to save his beloved gamers and put an end to the Knight’s terror. Yu-Gi-Oh Vrains consists of one hundred and twenty episodes and is one of the most recent Yu-Gi-Oh series.
4 Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side Of Dimensions
The third movie in the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise takes fans back to the original cast, now older and preparing to begin their adult lives. Unfortunately, a dark force is skulking in the shadows like a snake preparing to unleash a devastating force on the world.
Yugi must once again step into the world of Duel Monsters along with Seto Kaiba in order to put a stop to a villainous plot to erase the entire world and reshape it into something horrid. Fans will rejoice as Atem, the pharaoh also returns to help his old friend once again.
3 Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds
Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds took the world by storm and was the first Yu-Gi-Oh spin-off to expand the game's rules with a new archetype of cards and apply additional rules and tactics in the game of Duel Monsters. Yusei Fudo is on a mission for revenge to track down his former friend who betrayed him and stole his cherished card, the Stardust Dragon.
Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds takes place in a city separated by class and poverty. After recovering from betrayal, Yusei races into Neo Domino City and takes on the top-ranking duelist that rules the weak and brings them down to size.
2 Yu-Gi-Oh! Bonds Beyond Time
The worlds of three Yu-Gi-Oh anime clash in Bounds Beyond Time, where Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters, Yu-Gi-Oh GX, and Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds come together. The sinister Paradox seeks to make it so that Duel Monsters is never created and targets Pegasus to do so.
In an attempt to stop him, Yusei Fuudo finds himself back in time, where he encounters Yugi Moto and Jaden Yuki. Together, the three master duelist must face off against insurmountable odds and work together to put a stop to this sinister plot and save the Duel Monsters game to save the world.
1 Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters
The original Yu-Gi-Oh series will forever be cherished around the world. The iconic series introduced fans to a fantastic world and influenced an entire generation.
Duel Monsters transcended anime and rose to become a real-world phenomenon that millions have played, solidifying the legacy of the late great Kazuki Takahashi. The main series introduced a slew of iconic characters such as Yugi Moto and Seto Kaiba and gave viewers a bitter rivalry that would last a decade. Out of all the series that make up the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise, Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters will forever reign supreme amongst its peers.