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The Best Episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters

Every episode of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters!

Binge this in 3d 15h•Peaking at 9.0/10

Bullies often target someone frail and weak—someone exactly like Yûgi Muto. He treasures his Millennium Puzzle, an ancient Egyptian artifact that was brought into his grandfather's game shop. Believing that solving the puzzle will grant

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#1 Fan Favorite
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9.0/10(1 votes)
#1 - The Mystery Duelist (2)
S1:E514/17/2001
The mysterious menace controlling Bandit Keith shatters the Millennium Puzzle into pieces before setting the dueling arena ablaze! Can Yugi put the Millennium Puzzle back together and save the spirit before the entire room is engulfed in flames?
Director:Unknown
Writer:Junki Takegami
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Junki Takegami
9.0/10(1 votes)
#2 - Obelisk the Tormentor
S1:E545/8/2001
To face the future, Yugi must first look into the past! Yugi learns that he was a powerful Pharaoh who saved the world five thousand years ago, and he must now save the world again! Meanwhile, Kaiba tests the hidden powers of his Egyptian God Card Obelisk the Tormentor against the fury of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!
Director:Unknown
Writer:Shin Yoshida
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Shin Yoshida
9.0/10(1 votes)
#3 - The Dark Spirit Revealed (2)
S1:E8311/27/2001
Bakura activates Destiny Board, which will cause Yugi to lose automatically in five turns! If that’s not bad enough, Bakura’s Dark Sanctuary damages Yugi’s life points every time Yugi attacks! Unable to attack and running out of time, Yugi’s trapped!
Director:Unknown
Writer:Atsushi Maekawa
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Atsushi Maekawa
9.0/10(1 votes)
#4 - The Dark Spirit Revealed (3)
S1:E8411/27/2001
Yugi’s Slifer the Sky Dragon is about to unleash the final blow to win the duel, but Bakura may not survive the blast from the almighty Egyptian God Monster! Will Yugi attack and advance in the finals, or will he surrender to save Bakura’s life but lose the only chance to protect the world from Marik’s evil?
Director:Unknown
Writer:Atsushi Maekawa
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Atsushi Maekawa
9.0/10(1 votes)
#5 - Mind Game: Mai vs. Marik (2)
S1:E911/22/2002
As Mai loses more and more of her memories under Marik’s relentless assault, she loses confidence in her dueling abilities. Will Yugi and friends’ neverending support bring her back to victory, or will her shattered mind be trapped in the Shadow Realm for eternity?
Director:Unknown
Writer:Shin Yoshida
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Shin Yoshida
9.0/10(1 votes)
#6 - Showdown in the Shadows (2)
S1:E973/5/2002
Bakura and good Marik summon The Winged Dragon of Ra, ready to blast and banish evil Marik into the Shadow Realm! But The Winged Dragon of Ra has more than one special ability, and evil Marik knows how to use them all!
Director:Unknown
Writer:Atsushi Maekawa
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Atsushi Maekawa

The 20 WORST Episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters

9.0/10(1 votes)
#7 - A Virtual Nightmare
S1:E983/12/2002
As Kaiba’s blimp speeds towards KaibaCorp Island for the final rounds of the Battle City Tournament, the ship is hijacked by a mysterious boy named Noa and his henchmen – five familiar foes from Yugi and Kaiba’s past who are out for revenge! With the power of cyberspace on Noah’s side, Yugi and friends are trapped inside a new and dangerous Duel Monsters game!
Director:Unknown
Writer:Junki Takegami
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Junki Takegami
9.0/10(1 votes)
#8 - Courtroom Chaos (1)
S1:E1044/30/2002
Jonouchi squares off against the judicial jerk Big 3 Johnson who takes the Deck Master form of the awesome adjudicator Judge Man! Judge Man’s Deck Master ability allows Big 3 to clear the courtroom of all of Jonouchi’s monsters with a single pounding of his gavel! How can Jonouchi defeat a foe who can destroy Jonouchi’s monsters at will?
Director:Unknown
Writer:Atsushi Maekawa
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Atsushi Maekawa
9.0/10(1 votes)
#9 - Merger of the Big Five (2)
S1:E1126/25/2002
The Big Five concentrate their attack on Jonouchi in hopes of knocking him out so that Yugi would be forced to duel all alone against their entire formidable force! To make matters worse, the Big Five keep switching their Deck Masters to take advantage of each of their unique abilities! Outmanned and overpowered, Yugi and Jonouchi are near the end of the line!
Director:Unknown
Writer:Atsushi Maekawa
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Atsushi Maekawa
9.0/10(1 votes)
#10 - Brothers in Arms (1)
S1:E1147/16/2002
It’s a duel for control of KaibaCorp when Noa squares off against Kaiba! But can Kaiba fight at full strength after he learns the hidden truth about Noa... and the tragic past that made him what he is today?
Director:Unknown
Writer:Shin Yoshida
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Shin Yoshida
9.0/10(1 votes)
#11 - The Darkness Returns (2)
S1:E12610/8/2002
Not only does Marik’s Helpoemer send Jonouchi’s powerful cards to the graveyard before Jonouchi can use them, but Jonouchi also receives damage for every monster that goes to the graveyard! Running low on cards and life points, Jonouchi’s opportunities for staging a comeback are nearly depleted!
Director:Sumito Machida
Writer:Akihiko Inari
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Director:Sumito Machida
Writer:Akihiko Inari
9.0/10(1 votes)
#12 - Battle for the Bronze (3)
S1:E13712/17/2002
Jonouchi and Kaiba’s battle reaches its roaring climax with the result of the duel hinging on one final spin of Time Wizard’s wheel! Will Jonouchi take down his biggest headache and actually teach Kaiba a thing or two about being a true duelist?
Director:Masahiro Hosoda
Writer:Akemi Omode
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Director:Masahiro Hosoda
Writer:Akemi Omode
9.0/10(1 votes)
#13 - A New Evil (1)
S1:E1452/18/2003
The three Egyptian God Cards are stolen! A terrifying new villain emerges! And, as if things couldn’t get any worse, real monsters begin to appear around the world, terrorizing the population! Can Yugi and the gang discover how these strange events are connected, much less solve them, before the planet is destroyed? It’s a whole new adventure as the world descends into chaos!
Director:Hiroshi Tsuruta
Writer:Shin Yoshida
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Director:Hiroshi Tsuruta
Writer:Shin Yoshida
9.0/10(1 votes)
#14 - An Unexpected Enemy
S1:E1514/15/2003
On the way to Industrial Illusions, Yugi and friends are ambushed by a band of motorcycle thugs - until their favorite friend soars to the rescue on the wings of her Harpie Lady! Mai’s back to help Yugi take down Dartz and save the world from annihilation... or is a topsy-turvy twist in the works?
Director:Unknown
Writer:Atsushi Maekawa
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Atsushi Maekawa
9.0/10(1 votes)
#15 - My Freaky Valentine (2)
S1:E1534/29/2003
Taking advantage of the arcane abilities of Seal of Orichalcos, Mai coordinates her Harpie Ladies into devastating combat formations to whittle Jonouchi’s forces into worthless waste! With Jonouchi’s soul moments away from oblivion, is this the last we’ll ever see of him, or will a legendary guardian recognize Jonouchi as a true duelist?
Director:Masahiko Watanabe
Writer:Akemi Omode
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Director:Masahiko Watanabe
Writer:Akemi Omode
9.0/10(1 votes)
#16 - Fighting for a Friend (4)
S1:E1729/23/2003
Jonouchi and Valon’s battle rages to its roaring climax as Jonouchi attempts to turn the duel around by augmenting the very same armor that Valon used against him! But is Jonouchi’s strategy just a pale imitation that’s never as good as the original? And there’s also no rest for the weary – after their duel is over, a new duelist is ready to pick up the pieces and battle the winner!
Director:Unknown
Writer:Akemi Omode
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Akemi Omode
9.0/10(1 votes)
#17 - Sinister Secrets (3)
S1:E1983/31/2004
Golden Castle of Stromberg is infecting the world’s Duel Disks with a virus that will destroy KaibaCorp! If Yugi doesn’t destroy the card, the virus program can’t be stopped – but Golden Castle of Stromberg can’t be destroyed by traps or spells! How can Yugi destroy a card that was engineered for ultimate survival and optimal destruction? KaibaCorp is on the edge of bankruptcy in the conclusion of the KC Grand Championship saga!
Director:Unknown
Writer:Akemi Omode
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Akemi Omode
9.0/10(1 votes)
#18 - Memoirs of a Pharaoh
S1:E2014/21/2004
Yugi and friends are going to the dawn of the duel, to the land where it all began, to the land where the Pharaoh’s mysteries lie: Egypt! The Pharaoh begins his journey to recover his memories, separating himself from Yugi and traveling thousands of years back in time! What will the Pharaoh discover about the secrets of his past? And is this the last time Yugi and the Pharaoh will see each other?
Director:Unknown
Writer:Shin Yoshida
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Shin Yoshida
9.0/10(1 votes)
#19 - The Intruder (2)
S1:E2035/5/2004
Even with the potent power of Obelisk the Tormentor, the Pharaoh couldn’t prevent the bandit Bakura from escaping! Everyone knows that treacherous thief will return for a rematch, so Seto has a plan to create a powerful army... but not only is his strategy dangerous, it’s inhumane!
Director:Unknown
Writer:Yasuyuki Suzuki
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Yasuyuki Suzuki
9.0/10(1 votes)
#20 - Makings of a Magician
S1:E2045/12/2004
Mahad vows to stop the bandit king Bakura’s sneak attacks once and for all, but he may have made a promise he can’t keep! The bandit Bakura’s Diabound is more powerful than before because it has the ability to absorb its opponent’s abilities! Two entered the underground chamber, but only one will escape in the most dangerous duel yet!
Director:Unknown
Writer:Yasuyuki Suzuki
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Yasuyuki Suzuki
9.0/10(1 votes)
#21 - Birth of the Blue-Eyes
S1:E2055/19/2004
Mahad, the first of the Pharaoh’s guardians, has fallen! Even worse, the bandit king Bakura now has the Millennium Ring, making his Diabound even more unstoppable! However, in these darkest of times, there are glimmers of hope – not only have Yugi and pals finally found their way to ancient Egypt, but Seto may have found the power to defeat the bandit Bakura within a fragile young girl...
Director:Unknown
Writer:Shin Yoshida
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Shin Yoshida
9.0/10(1 votes)
#22 - A Reversal of Fortune
S1:E2076/2/2004
The Pharaoh calls forth the mighty Egyptian God Slifer the Sky Dragon to fight the bandit Bakura’s Diabound, but when Diabound starts attacking the townspeople, the Pharaoh must protect them, even if it means sacrificing himself! Furthermore, Diabound can hide in the darkness, so how can the Pharaoh and the guardians fight an enemy they can’t see?
Director:Unknown
Writer:Atsushi Maekawa
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Atsushi Maekawa
9.0/10(1 votes)
#23 - Village of Vengeance (3)
S1:E2116/30/2004
With the help of his father’s spirit, the Pharaoh and his guardians defeated the bandit Bakura’s Diabound and stopped the horrible Zorc from resurrecting... or did they when a traitor is revealed amongst the guardians’ midst!
Director:Unknown
Writer:Atsushi Maekawa
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Atsushi Maekawa
9.0/10(1 votes)
#24 - The Final Duel (2)
S1:E2229/15/2004
Atem has summoned all three Egyptian Gods! What chance does Yugi have against these powerful creatures that no one has been able to defeat? Yugi better think of a strategy quickly or this duel will be over soon!
Director:Kimiharu Muto
Writer:Shin Yoshida
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Director:Kimiharu Muto
Writer:Shin Yoshida
8.8/10(98 votes)
#25 - Evil Spirit of the Ring
S1:E137/11/2000
Yugi's classmate Bakura, possessed by his Millennium Ring's dark powers, traps Yugi and his friends in a Shadow Game where they become the cards themselves!
Director:Unknown
Writer:Junki Takegami
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Junki Takegami

Best Episodes Summary

"The Mystery Duelist (2)" is the best rated episode of "Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters". It scored 9/10 based on 1 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Junki Takegami, it aired on 4/17/2001. This episode scored 0.0 points higher than the second highest rated, "Obelisk the Tormentor".