Get ready for the most epic duels in Yu-Gi-Oh history! We're counting down the most intense, heart-pounding battles that defined the original anime series. From Yugi vs Kaiba to the final showdown between Yugi and Atem, these matches will have you shouting "It's time to duel!"
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at the most epic, nail-biting duels in the
00:09original Yu-Gi-Oh! anime series.
00:20Number 20.
00:21Yu-Gi vs. Kaiba – The First Encounter How could we forget the match that kicked
00:26out the show's most famous rivalry?
00:28Seto Kaiba has beaten Yu-Gi's grandfather in a duel and ripped up his most treasured
00:34card.
00:35Yu-Gi steps up to avenge his grandpa using the Wounded Elder's Deck, and he and Kaiba
00:40duel for the very first time.
00:42It's a simple introduction to the core basics of the game, for the anime anyways.
00:47But it ends with a bang as Yu-Gi obliterates Kaiba's blue-eyes white dragons with Exodia.
00:58This one exhilarating brawl laid the groundwork for bigger, more harrowing duels down the
01:12line and established Yu-Gi's ability to control fate at his fingertips.
01:28Number 19.
01:29Yu-Gi vs. Joey – Duelist Kingdom Semifinals Finally, after following both of their journeys,
01:36Yu-Gi and Joey face off in the Duelist Kingdom Semifinals.
01:41Whoever wins will receive $3 million and a chance to face Pegasus in the finals.
01:47Yu-Gi needs to win to save his grandfather and the Kaiba brothers, but Joey needs the
01:52prize money for his sister.
01:54Both best friends give it their all in this nail-biting match, and it's too difficult
01:59for us to decide who to root for.
02:21In the end, Yu-Gi is the victor, naturally, but he gives Joey the prize money – the
02:26perfect reward for the underdog making it this far.
02:41While watching the best friends face off was tense, it's heartwarming that they both
02:45got their happy endings afterwards.
02:48Number 18.
02:49Yu-Gi and Joey vs. The Paradox Brothers After finally escaping the caves under the
02:54Duelist Kingdom, the gang comes face-to-face with a pair of Pegasus' goons – the Paradox
03:00Brothers.
03:01The twins force Yu-Gi and Joey into the show's first tag team match if they ever want to
03:06escape.
03:16The brothers' game has plenty of literal twists and turns when they unleash the Labyrinth
03:21Wall, and the stakes get even higher when their almighty Gate Guardian comes into play.
03:27Thankfully, Yu-Gi and Joey work together like a well-oiled machine, bringing out the best
03:32in each other even on the battlefield.
03:35Their camaraderie culminates in two of their mightiest beasts coming together to form the
03:40Black Skull Dragon.
03:51Number 17.
03:52Kyber vs. Siegfried Kyber really needs to learn to make more
03:56friends and less enemies.
04:06During his Grand Championship, Siegfried von Schroeder, a rival CEO, has been hacking
04:12into the computers to undermine Kyber.
04:15Of course, Kyber isn't taking this sitting down and gets into a heated duel with Siegfried.
04:20The two are clearly neck and neck.
04:22Siegfried is constantly one step ahead, but Kyber manages to save himself nearly every
04:28turn.
04:29While Siegfried's Valkyries are mighty, they are no match for Kyber's dragon obsession
04:35as he pulverizes Siegfried with five beasts at once.
04:39Yu-Gi may be the king of games, but Kyber proved today why he's still one of the best
04:43around by undercutting the only rival who's more arrogant than himself.
04:59Number 16.
05:00Yu-Gi vs. Kyber – Duelist Kingdom
05:03Yu-Gi finally has enough Star Chips to qualify for the Duelist Kingdom semi-finals, but there's
05:09one more obstacle in his way – Seto Kyber.
05:17To save his little brother from Pegasus, Kyber forces Yu-Gi into a duel for his Star Chips.
05:22Kyber has the upper hand after crippling Yu-Gi's deck and calling out his Blue-Eyes Ultimate
05:28Dragon.
05:29But Yu-Gi manages to turn things around with anime game logic.
05:33However, Kyber escalates things and forces Yu-Gi to surrender the match.
05:48Not only did he lose five Star Chips, but he lost his confidence and his trust in Atom,
05:54who was almost willing to put Kyber in harm's way just to win one duel.
05:59Number 15.
06:00Joey vs. Valon – Duelist Kingdom
06:01Mai has fallen in with a bad crowd, and Joey is determined to bring her back to her senses.
06:07Unfortunately, Mai's new friend, Valon, makes things difficult by challenging Joey
06:12to an Orichalcos duel.
06:20What happens next is pure insanity.
06:23Rather than a straightforward duel, the two end up forming suits of armour around each
06:28other to literally beat the life points out of each other.
06:32The armour deck gameplay is confusing, but Joey once again proves that he's a scrappy
06:37contender, whether at Duel Monsters or in Fisty Cuffs.
06:46Plus seeing him in armour is just plain awesome.
06:50Joey emerges exhausted but triumphant.
06:53But he has no time to rest, as Mai forces him into a duel that costs him dearly.
06:59Number 14.
07:00Joey vs. Weevil – Duelist Kingdom
07:01For his second match in the Battle City tournament, Joey faces the treacherous insect duelist,
07:07Weevil Underwood.
07:09As usual, Weevil is playing dirty.
07:12He sneaks a parasite into Joey's deck that slowly infects his monsters and turns them
07:17into insects.
07:25On top of that, his own insect army keeps getting stronger with his Great Moth and even
07:30stronger Insect Queen.
07:33Unfortunately for Weevil, he made one fatal mistake, underestimating Joey Wheeler.
07:38Our favourite underdog combats Weevil's parasite with Gearfried the Iron Knight and
07:43effortlessly exterminates Weevil's bugs, putting the slippery little worm where he
07:49belongs.
07:50Even with all of Weevil's tricks, he was still no match for the Brooklyn Rage and Joey
07:55proved why he belongs in the tournament.
08:13Number 13.
08:14Yugi vs. Strings
08:16Mimes are creepy enough, but a mime armed with an Egyptian god?
08:20No thanks.
08:21Strings, another one of Marek's rare hunters, has forced Yugi into a duel.
08:34He has a conniving card combo that renders him untouchable and worst of all, he has the
08:40Egyptian god card, Slay for the Sky Dragon in his corner.
08:43It looks like Yugi is doomed until he exploits a loophole in Strings' perfect strategy,
08:50forcing the mime to draw until he runs out of cards, automatically losing the duel.
08:55This was one of Yugi's most creative victories and he rightfully walks away with Slay for
09:00the Sky Dragon, and another step closer to ending Marek's madness.
09:11Number 12.
09:24Joey vs. Mai Valentine
09:26Do the rules not make sense here?
09:28Absolutely.
09:29Should Mai have instantly been banned for using perfume to cheat?
09:37Probably.
09:38Still, we can't help but have fun with this duel.
09:42It marks one of Joey's earliest challenges and showcases Mai's femme fatale qualities
09:46delightfully.
09:54The show was still finding its feet by this point, evidently, but still knew how to enjoy
09:59itself with its cast, painting Joey as the underdog we would all come to root for.
10:05Number 11.
10:06Yugi and Kaiba vs. Darts
10:08It's the longest tag team duel in the series' history.
10:11Rounding out the Waking the Dragon story arc in a rather bleak way, it falls to Yugi and
10:17Kaiba to once again toss aside their rivalry and get their game on.
10:22If dueling for their souls wasn't enough, the fate of the world relies on the outcome,
10:27lest it become devoured by the Lovecraftian leviathan.
10:35There's some legit emotional weight here, what with Darts using the souls of Yugi's
10:49friends as pawns to use on the field.
10:52But let's be honest here, we're here for just how beautifully broken this whole
10:56thing is.
10:57Where else can you find Yugi and Kaiba summoning Dragon Master Knight in two moves, plus the
11:03always memeable winning move of Infinity Plus One?
11:20Number 10.
11:21Yugi vs. Yami Bakura
11:22With Atom occupied elsewhere, Yugi is forced to duel Yami Bakura without the aid of his
11:27more confident half.
11:35Bakura puts little Yugi through the wringer.
11:38As if his relentless taunting wasn't bad enough, his merciless strategy nearly obliterates
11:44Yugi's deck, leaving him with only one card left to draw.
11:48Thankfully, Yugi's luck hasn't run out yet, as he draws the monster that turns everything
11:53around.
11:54Gandora, the Dragon of Destruction.
11:57This was a major victory for little Yugi.
12:00Not only did he defeat the series' overarching antagonist, but he proved that he could win
12:04a duel even without the Pharaoh's help, showing that he's equally worthy of the
12:09title of King of Games.
12:19Number 9.
12:20Mind Control Joey vs. Yugi
12:23Sometimes friends make the best enemies.
12:26Controlled by Maric, Joey has turned to the dark side and is forced to duel it out with
12:31his bestie, with the loser being sentenced to a watery grave.
12:35So the stakes are a tad high.
12:38Marking Yugi's independent stance against Yami, this duel shows that while the impossibly
12:43haired youth has much to learn, he is still an expert duelist who can hold his own.
12:54This is the closest that Yugioh has acknowledged death as the result of a duel, so enjoy it
13:00while you can.
13:09Number 8.
13:10Yami Bakura vs. Yami Maric
13:13When Maric lost control of his body to his darker half, his spirit recruited Yami Bakura
13:19to help him get it back.
13:31Which of course means a shadow duel between two of the show's biggest villains.
13:36The winner gets their opponent's millennium item while the loser fades away into the darkness.
13:42The two are almost evenly matched.
13:44Bakura even manages to snag Maric's infamous Winged Dragon of Ra.
13:48However, Yami Bakura's knowledge of Ra's deadliest abilities ensures his victory, while
13:54the shadows swallow up Bakura.
13:57Bakura isn't worried however, and confidently declares that he will return.
14:02Based on his track record, we believe him.
14:04It was a rare treat to see two villains dueling each other.
14:18Number 7.
14:19Maric vs. Joey – Battle City Semi-Finals
14:22Look at how far our boy has come.
14:25Taking on Yami Bakura in retribution for Mai's defeat and banishment to the Shadow Realm,
14:31Joey is forced to deal with the most painful of shadow games, since Maric attaches metaphorical
14:37strings between the duelists and each monster, resulting in physical pain when one is defeated.
14:43Still, despite it all, Joey comes within inches of winning the whole thing and banishing
15:01the Twisted Spirit for good.
15:03Sure, he ultimately loses, but the fact he came so close speaks volumes.
15:18Number 6.
15:19Kaiba and Yugi vs. Noah
15:21It's time to duel for possession of Kaiba Corp.
15:24That's it.
15:25Trapped in a virtual world by the infamous Noah, Kaiba is challenged for control via
15:30a brainwashed Mokuba.
15:41What makes this duel interesting is the setup of each deck eerily resembling each of the
15:46duelists.
15:47Whether this be Kaiba's pride and power, or Noah's fixation on the past, it doesn't
15:53prevent Kaiba's loss to the latter.
15:55Naturally, Yugi has to step in at the end and save the day, with Kaiba's own deck
16:00no less.
16:01Which is all kinds of epic, but still a major slap to Kaiba's water ponds.
16:11Number 5.
16:12Yugi vs. Raphael
16:14Not many contenders can take on the king of games, let alone the pharaoh, and pull out
16:19a total victory.
16:21But Raphael is just built different.
16:23Backing Yugi and Yami into a corner, Dartz's strongest disciple uses a mixture of expert
16:29plays and mind games to drive a wedge between both soul bros, even tempting them to use
16:35the forbidden seal of Orichalcos.
16:46This duel is suspense at its finest, resulting in Yugi's soul being locked away and his
16:51ancient Egyptian counterpart driven to the brink by the loss of his eternal companion.
16:56Kaiba could only dream of doing this much damage.
17:08Number 4.
17:09Yugi vs. Pegasus – Duelist Kingdom Finals
17:12It's king vs. creator with this grand finale to Duelist Kingdom.
17:24Between Pegasus being able to see Yugi's cards at any given moment and being pulled
17:28into a shadow game, Yugi's life force is slowly drained away.
17:33Still he's able to craft a winning hand for the pharaoh to take over and finally put
17:38an end to Pegasus' fabulous reign of terror.
17:42The build-up and payoff is some of the best the series has to offer.
17:46Every play, every summon, every twist – this was when the series had established itself
17:51as THE card game anime.
18:01Number 3.
18:02Yugi vs. Maric – Battle City Final
18:05Egyptian god cards dueling for the fate of the world?
18:07Yeah, we're down with that.
18:16The final confrontation between Yugi and Yami Maric, this duel has some of the most memorable
18:21plays and biggest spectacles the OG series ever produced.
18:26Despite all of Maric's shadowy tactics and monstrous deck, not even he is able to withstand
18:31Yugi's plot armor, especially when he unleashes every monster at once.
18:36The sight of Obelisk and Slytherin dragging down the winged dragon of Ra is still metal
18:41as hell.
18:52Number 2.
18:53Yugi vs. Kaiba – Battle City Semi-Finals
19:06Out of Yugi and Kaiba's numerous epic duels across the series, none have surpassed the
19:11impact of this clash.
19:13Rounding out the semi-finals of Battle City, Yugi and Kaiba square off in a holographic
19:19coliseum.
19:20This is the perfect setting for the monumental clash between two Egyptian god cards, Kaiba's
19:25Obelisk and Yugi's Slytherin.
19:36Even with a trip to Ancient Egypt acting as an intermission, the thrills and chills found
19:42here make this one of the quintessential rival battles in all of anime, with both bringing
19:47their A-game until ultimately, as per tradition, Kaiba gets his blue-eyes comeuppance.
20:10Number 1.
20:11Yugi vs. Atom – The Final Duel
20:14Serving as Yami Yugi, aka Atom's last showdown battle, before his spirit passes on, this
20:20last playoff has the two partners square off in a card game for the ages.
20:34Given that Atom's deck features the Egyptian gods and every other heavy hitter, you'd
20:39think this would be utterly one-sided.
20:42And yet, due to his knowledge of duel monsters, and some clever ploys of his own, Yugi isn't
20:47only able to match up against the pharaoh, but pull out the ultimate win.
20:52Say what you will about some of the show's decisions, but they couldn't have pulled
20:56off a better finale if they tried, exemplified with this mash of monster-cuddles.
21:07Which duel had you on the edge of your seat?
21:10What's your favourite?
21:11Let us know in those comments below.