Yugi Muto

Yugi Muto (Yugi Mutou in the original japanese anime and magna) is the main character of Yu-Gi-Oh!.

A not-so-average teenager, Yugi is pure-hearted and child-like. He grandfather Sugoroku Mutou (Soloman Muto in the English version) and mother, although he never speaks of the latter in the English anime and a scene of Yugi talking to his mother in Episode 50, The Mystery Duelist - Part 1 (Challange from the Past: Horrifying Zera) was cut in the US version. In the Japanese manga, it's explained that Yugi's father is a traveling businessman and Yugi rarely sees him. Yugi is good at games and puzzles, especially Duel Monsters" (Magic and Wizards" in the Japanese version). Yugi's favorite monster in the game is the Dark Magician (Black Magician in the Japanese version), but he thinks that he is most like Maha Vailo, as explained in Episode 103, Freeze Play, Part II (Shine, the Jewel of the Sage).

A freshman in Domino High School, Yugi is part of a close-knit group of friends: Joey Wheeler (Katsuya Jonouchi in Japan), Tristan Taylor (Hiroto Honda), and Tea Gardner (Anzu Masaki). Miho Nosaka is another one of Yugi's friends, but only appeared in the manga and the first season in Japan (which was not aired in the US due to is violent content). Yugi's friends often cheer him on from the sidelines, and Joey has dueld at his side. Yugi has been friends with Tea since childhood,and is in love with her. Anzu is in love with both Yugi and the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle to different degrees. In Japanese, the first characters of "Yūgi" and "Jōnouchi" combine to form "Yūjō" (友情), which means "friendship". The "Yu-Jo Friendship" card (the Yu-Jyo (友情 Yūjō) card in the Japanese version) is named after the word and the fellowship between the characters. In season 4 of the Yu-Gi-Oh! series also known as Waking the Dragons both Yugi and Yami Yugi use the dark power of the Orichalcos. Yami Yugi uses it in his first duel with one of Dartz's minions Rafael and ultimatly loses. However his soul is spared as Yugi sacrificed his own soul to protect him. Several episodes later much to everyone's shock and surprise Yugi uses the Seal of Orichalcos and uses a strategy similair to the Pharaoh's in his duel with Rafael. He is defeated in what was referred to as a "test" for Yami. Later near the end of the season Yugi appears again but in the form of a Mirror Knight Token monster fighting on Dartz's side. He, Joey, Mai and Pegasus would later be destroyed by the effect of Seto Kaiba's Mirror Force Dragon.

Yami Yugi
Yugi was given the Millennium Puzzle in pieces by his grandfather. When he assembled it towards the beginning of the anime and manga, his body became the host for the spirit of a 3,000-year-old (in the English anime, 5,000-year-old) Egyptian Pharaoh. The pharaoh sacrificed his life and sealed his soul into the Millennium Puzzle to stop the Dark God, Zorc Necrophades, from destroying the world. (In the English anime, the pharaoh was sealed into the puzzle to lock in the shadow game's magic, to prevent the destruction of the world.) The pharaoh was known as "Yami Yugi" or "Dark Yugi." During those 5,000 years in the puzzle, the pharaoh forgot everything about him and his past, including his own name, which he found out was Atem in Episode 219, In the Name of the Pharoah. "Atem" is actually a variant of the name of the Sun god "Atum". After finding out his real name, he is told by Ishizu Ishtar that in order for his spirit to be freed and return to where he belongs, he must be defeated in a Duel in the tomb where the Millennium Items are held. Yugi decides to duel his other half. The two put up a good fight, but in the end, Yugi manages to defeat all three Egyptian God Cards and win the duel. The pharaoh then returns to the spirit world and the Millenium Items are sealed up. NOTE: In the Doma Arc after Yami defeats the old man (cant think of his name) he takes his orichalcos necklace. Later in the arc when Yami duels Rafael in the desert mesa he had a orichalcos stone necklace around his neck which after Rafael gave him The Seal of Orichalcos with his Exchange spell card messed with his head. It is unknown whether the necklace Yami had on for the duration of the duel (after Rafael defeats Yami he takes the necklace from him assuming Yami's soul was captured) was the old man's necklace or not. When Atem lived in the puzzle, there were two "chambers" in Yugi's mind. One belongs to the Yugi himselfs and the other to Atem. When Yugi is under stress or playing a game, Atem's spirit takes full or partial control of the body. The character is often referred to as Yu-Gi-Oh (遊戯王 Yūgiō), the king of games.

Because there is frequent interaction between the two selves, the name Yugi refers to both the highschool student and the ancient pharaoh. Between themselves, Yugi refers to the Pharaoh as "the other me" or "my other self" or, in the English anime, "Yami". Dark Yugi refers to his younger counterpart as "partner,"/"aibou" "the other me," or by his name. Others call Dark Yugi "the other Yugi". Later in the anime, Yugi and his friends refer to Atem as "pharaoh. His dramatic changes in personality are very similar to Dissociative Identity Disorder. It is said that if one Yugi dies, the other Yugi will die with him.

Appearance in Yu-Gi-Oh! GX"
In Yu-Gi-Oh! GX (Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters GX), Yugi appears in the first episode with only half of his face shown. He and Seto Kaiba have become "legendary duelists." Yugi is older, taller, and has a lower voice in both the Japanese and English versions (in the latter, he has Atem's voice). The main character of Yu-Gi-Oh GX, Jaden Yuki (Judai Yuki in the Japanese version), bumps into him on the way to the Duel Academy. Yugi gives Jaden the Winged Kuriboh (Hane Kuribo) card, saying that it is lucky and that it seems to want to be with Jaden.

Throughout the episodes, the students at the Duel Academy find out about Yugi and Kaiba, and the audience sees drawings of them.

Notable Dueling Cards
Yugi's deck is most famous for his Dark Magician. Yugi's deck probably has the most variety and balance of any other character's deck in the series, and is sometimes referred to as a Strategy deck. His original deck mostly composed of low level Earth monsters and Dark monsters. During the Battle City Arc, he keeps the theme of having Earth and Dark monsters with dangerous effects. His Magnet Warriors become a major part of his deck, as does his Dark Magician Girl. His deck from Battle City onward focuses more not only on his Dark Magician, but also on his manipulation of his magic cards that are designed to destroy and/or negate the effects of his oppenets magic and trap cards.

In episodes 18 and 19 of the series, Yugi's deck goes on tour at the Academy. The deck seen in these episodes is one that appears to be the same, or at least very similar, to the deck Atem uses in the Ceremonial Battle, as the two decks have similar cards. During the a field trip to Domino, Jaden and others actually visit the Turtle (Kame) Game Shop and meet Yugi's grandfather. Solomon tells the students that Yugi "went out for olives" three years ago, and is probably off on another adventure. Later, a character named Dmitri (Kagurazaka in the Japanese version) steals the deck for himself, but Jaden wins it back.

Normal

 * Dark Magician
 * Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress #1
 * Gaia The Fierce Knight
 * Horned Imp
 * Beaver Warrior
 * Rude Kaiser
 * Right Leg of the Forbidden One
 * Left Leg of the Forbidden One
 * Right Arm of the Forbidden One
 * Left Arm of the Forbidden One
 * Koumori Dragon
 * Silver Fang
 * Zombie Warrior
 * Celtic Guardian
 * Summoned Skull
 * Mammoth Graveyard
 * Feral Imp
 * Curse of Dragon
 * Giant Soldier of Stone
 * Mystical Elf
 * Anthrosaurus
 * Basic Insect
 * Griffore
 * Alpha The Magnet Warrior
 * Beta The Magnet Warrior
 * Gamma The Magnet Warrior
 * Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts
 * Queen's Knight
 * Jack's Knight

Effect

 * Dark Magician Girl
 * Slifer the Sky Dragon
 * Obelisk the Tormentor
 * The Winged Dragon of Ra
 * Exodia the Forbidden One
 * Magician's Valkyria
 * Kuriboh
 * Big Shield Gardna
 * Catapult Turtle
 * Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning (although Yugi is never seen using this card, in the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX series, Yugi's deck is stolen by a character named Dimitri, who successfully summons the monster.)
 * Dark Sage
 * Berfomet
 * Buster Blader
 * Archfiend of Gilfer (called Beast of Gilfer in the anime)
 * Valkyrion the Magna Warrior
 * Obnoxious Celtic Guardian
 * Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight
 * Des Volstgalph
 * The Rock Spirit
 * Mirage Knight
 * Dark Magician Knight
 * Sangan
 * King's Knight
 * Electromagnetic Turtle
 * Sorcerer of Dark Magic
 * Watapon
 * Breaker the Magical Warrior
 * Skilled Dark Magician
 * Old Vindictive Magician
 * The Tricky
 * Winged Kuriboh (Yugi never actually uses it in Yu-Gi-Oh!, but he gives it to Jaden Yuki in the beginning of ''Yu-Gi-Oh! GX)

Fusion

 * B. Skull Dragon (called Black Skull Dragon in the anime, this card is owned by Joey Wheeler since he Summoned it in his duel against Yugi in the Duelist Kingdom Finals)
 * Gaia the Dragon Champion
 * Master of Dragon Soldier (once called Dragon Master Knight in the anime)
 * Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast
 * Dark Flare Knight
 * Dark Paladin

Ritual

 * Black Luster Soldier
 * Magician of Black Chaos

Anime-Only

 * Kuriba
 * Kuribe
 * Kuribi
 * Kuribu
 * Kuribabylon
 * Kuribandit
 * Legendary Knight Timaeus
 * Legendary Knight Critias
 * Legendary Knight Hermos
 * Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight
 * Amulet Dragon
 * The Knight of Destiny
 * Royal Straight Slasher

Spell Cards

 * The Seal of Orichalcos (Only once played. used vs Rafael ultimately loses)
 * Swords of Revealing Light
 * Horn of the Unicorn
 * Monster Recovery
 * Burning Land
 * Polymerization
 * Dark Magic Ritual
 * Makiu
 * Mystical Moon
 * Book of Secret Arts
 * Monster Reborn (Until Episode 27, this card was called Reborn the Monster)
 * Mystic Box
 * Multiply
 * Living Arrow (OCG Equivalent: Enchanted Arrow)
 * Brain Control
 * Black Luster Ritual
 * Dark Magic Ritual
 * Soul Release
 * Dark Hole
 * Card Destruction
 * De-Spell
 * De-Fusion
 * Magic Formula (OCG Equivalent: Dark Magician's Tome of Black Magic)
 * Exile of the Wicked
 * Heavy Storm
 * Change of Heart
 * Pot of Greed
 * Exchange
 * Spell Textbook
 * Card of Sanctity
 * Double Spell
 * Diffusion Wave-Motion
 * Soul Taker
 * Magical Dimension
 * Premature Burial
 * Mage Power
 * Sage's Stone
 * The Shallow Grave
 * Graceful Charity
 * Berserker Soul
 * Fissure
 * Mystical Space Typhoon
 * Dark Magic Curtain
 * Heart of the Underdog (Given to Rick in the Episode 185, "An Unwanted Guest Part 1")
 * Emblem of Dragon Destroyer
 * Monster Reincarnation
 * Emergency Provisions
 * Tricky's Magic 4
 * Thousand Knives
 * Dedication through Light and Darkness (used by Dmitri when he steals Yugi's Deck)

Anime Only

 * Bounce
 * Quick Attack
 * Dark Spear
 * Magician Cross
 * Awakening from Beyond
 * Rebellion
 * Royal Straight
 * Time Travel
 * Legend of Heart
 * Magical Pigeon
 * Underworld Circle
 * Altar of Restoration
 * Excalibur
 * Spider Web
 * Goddess Bow
 * Brave Attack
 * Magical Academy
 * Five Star Twilight
 * Hand Control
 * Ragnarok
 * Necromancy
 * Rainbow Blessing

Trap Cards

 * Mirror Force
 * Spellbinding Circle
 * Horn of Heaven
 * The Eye of Truth
 * Magical Hats (Used as a Spell Card in the Anime)
 * Light of Intervention
 * Time Seal
 * Lightforce Sword
 * Chain Destruction
 * Dust Tornado
 * Mystical Ref Panel
 * Magic Cylinder
 * Collected Power
 * Nutrient Z
 * Dark Renewal
 * The Regulation of Tribe
 * Seven Tools of the Bandit
 * Soul Rope
 * Rope of Life
 * Zero Gravity
 * Meteorain
 * Dark Illusion
 * Magician's Circle

Anime Only

 * Ambush Shield
 * Soul Shield
 * Relay Soul
 * Dark Magic Retribution
 * Summoning Clock
 * Magician's Selection
 * Reverse of Reverse
 * Natural Selection
 * Divine Wind
 * Life Shaver
 * Disgraceful Charity
 * Reduction Barrier