Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's

'''Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's''' is the latest Yu-Gi-Oh! anime series, that began airing in Japan on April 2, 2008, as the successor to the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX anime.

This series was acquired by 4Kids Entertainment for broadcasting in the United States on Saturday, September 13th 2008. On June 1st 2009, Cartoon Network began airing Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's episodes weekly.

The world English Premiere of this series was shown at the San Diego Comic Con 2008, on Thursday, July 24th 2008, where the first English dubbed episode was shown.

The Duelist Genesis and Duel Terminals were designed to introduce this new anime series to Yu-Gi-Oh! card game players. This series uses newer game mechanics and mechanics known as the Master Rules. The new Synchro Summoning rule in particular is popular amongst some characters, who often feature their Synchro Monsters as the centerpiece of their Duels.

Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's is also the first time, aside from the original Bandai series, that a Yu-Gi-Oh! anime does not have Duel Monsters in the title.

Characters

 * See Category:Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's characters

The character designs are by Shuji Maruyama.

Plot
Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's is set in Domino City some time after the events concerning Yugi Muto and Jaden Yuki. A new form of dueling, "Turbo Duels", now take place on motorcycles called "Duel Runners". While regular dueling still exists, Turbo Duels have become a popular form of entertainment for spectators, who watch them in specially-designed stadiums.

Fortune Cup

 * Main article: Fortune Cup

Escape from Satellite Jack Atlas stole Yusei Fudo's card "Stardust Dragon" along with the first Duel Runner that Yusei made. He then leaves the poorer "Satellite" area of Domino and becomes a "Duel King" in the richer area, called "New Domino City". Yusei tries to meet up with Jack to get back what was stolen from him, fighting the Securities, who try to keep Satellite residents from entering New Domino City. Yusei meets Jack in New Domino and has a Turbo Duel with him. After both players ace monsters "Stardust Dragon" and "Red Dragon Archfiend" clash, a mysterious dragon appears causing the Duel to prematurely end. A group of Security guards then arrive to arrest Yusei.

The Facility Yusei is sent to the Facility. Here he learns the legend of the Signers. He also fights against unjust treatment of the inmates, particularly by dueling the warden Mr. Armstrong. After defeating Armstrong, Yusei is released. Yusei then takes time to retrieve his confiscated Deck and Duel Runner.

Fortune Cup The Yliaster group hold the Fortune Cup in the hopes of gathering the Signers. Yusei is forced to enter, for the safety of his captured friends from Satellite. After much twists and turns on the Cup, four Signers are finally gathered through Rex Goodwin and Lazar's plans.

During Yusei and Jack's Duel, the Crimson Dragon reappears. Through the Crimson Dragon their Duel is transported elsewhere along with Luna and Akiza, who are watching. The four of them are witness the past, when the Sky Temple existed. As they pass it, Yusei notices five individuals on top of the Temple who on that time carried the same birthmarks and were Signers back then. And after that they witness the future, where Satellite is being destroyed by a strange force, where on its remains a Spider mark appears. Jack pushes an intense Duel on Yusei in order to win and keep his title, but Yusei once again wins settling his score and being declared as the new King of Turbo Duels.

Dark Signers

 * Main article: Dark Signers (arc)

After the Crimson Dragon is seen at the Fortune Cup the Dark Signers take action and begin preaching that its evil and asking the people of Satellite to join them if they want salvation. They intend to open a gate to the underworld in the B.A.D. area of Satellite.

Yusei learns the history and motives of the Dark Signers from Goodwin. He is then transported back to his hometown in order to save it. Where upon arriving he meets up with his long time friend Crow. Yusei and Crow make their way to the B.A.D. area of the Satellite to defeat the Dark Signers. On the way, they run in to an old friend, Kalin, now one of the Dark Signers and seeking revenge. Yusei and Kalin engage in a Shadow Turbo Duel, where Yusei's Duel Runner ends up being trashed. Yusei is left mortally injured, so Crow takes him to a refuge facility where he's treated by surgery.

Leo infers that the Signers should stick together. As a result, he Luna, Tanner and Yanagi go to the Arcadia Movement in the hopes of Akiza siding with them. However they are tricked by Sayer, who has other plans for Luna as he wants to make her a member. Sayer duels and defeats Leo, while testing to see if he possesses any ability like Luna's.

Carly Nagisa in an attempt to investigate the Signers and the Dark Signers, is led to the Arcadia Movement. She sneaks into their building and finds Sayer's secret room. She is found by Sayer and forced into a Duel, which she loses, causing her death as she is blasted through a window.

Carly is revived as a Dark Signer, and faces Sayer in a rematch, using her Earthbound Immortal. Meanwhile Misty, who is also a Dark Signer, faces Akiza. The two Dark Signers corresponding Nazca Lines form in the city around the Arcadia Movement building. Carly defeats Sayer with her Earthbound Immortal, sending him plummeting through the center of the building. Sayer's fate and the damaged caused to the building, forces Akiza and Misty to abandon their Duel.

After the Duel, Akiza taken to the hospital, where she remains in a coma. taking Jack's advice, her parents seek help from Yusei. Yusei manages to wake her-up, but she imposes a Duel. Yusei and Hideo actions during the Duel, causes Akiza to forgive and apologize to her parents and gain control of her powers.

The Signers are invited by Rex Goodwin to his house, where he tells them more about the Signers and Dark Signers. he mentions that a Dark Signer cannot revert to their former self, as they are dead and only exist in this world due to phenomenon occurring in the Underworld. Goodwin sends Lazar to Satellite. Lazar is mistaken by Crow to be Dark Signer. The two Duel, but are interrupted by the appearance of a black fog. Lazar makes his escape, while Crow is left behind.

After hearing of the black fog, the Signers, along with Leo and Mina all board into a helicopter to Satellite, flown by Trudge. The group stop at Martha's orphanage for a while. They are interrupted by Rudger, who imposes a Duel. Yusei faces him, while Jack evacuates everyone else before the geoglyph appears. After Yusei Summons "Stardust Dragon", Rudger disappears, leaving Rally in his place. Rally deliberately loses the Duel, sacrificing himself so Yusei can save everyone else.

After their Duel concludes, the rest of the Dark Signers appear to the Signers. The Dark Signer leave, causing the Signers to split-up to face an apposing Dark Signer at their corresponding safety switches of the Old Enerdy.

As Luna and Leo are taken by Trudge to where Demak is waiting, Luna is transported to the Duel Monsters Spirit World, in order to free Ancient Fairy Dragon. In Luna's absence, Leo duels Demak to protect her. Luna finds the spirit world has fallen victim to King Zemans, Minus Curse. With the help of Torunka and Regulus, she goes to Zeman's castle, in an attempt to free Ancient Fairy Dragon.

Regulus manages to kill Zeman at the same time as Leo defeats demak's "Zeman" card in the human world. Demak then Summons "Earthbound Immortal Cusillu". Torunka sends Luna back to the human world, where she takes Leo's place in the Duel with Demak. She rescues Ancient Fairy Dragon and defeats Dark Signer with her brother's help.

With Demak's defeat Rudger assigns Greiger the position of a Dark Signer. The transformation involved killing Greiger. Crow, who survived the black fog, engages in a Shadow Turbo Duel against Greiger. When Greiger Summons "Earthbound Immortal Chacu Challhua", he learns that it was summoned using the souls of his village friends, and that the Dark Signers were responsible for his village's destruction. As he wanted to stop the duel, Greiger's body was taken over by Chacu Challua's spirit, who forced Crow to defeat him. Greiger managed to stop Crow from being crushed by a large pile of debris. With Chacu Challua destroyed, all of Greiger's friends are freed.

Yusei once again sets off, where he meets up with Kalin. Their Duel is intense as Yusei tries to save him while Kalin just wants revenge. As more Team Satisfaction past is revealed including Kalin final moments before becoming a Dark Signer, he finally summons Ccapac Apu and tries to destroy Yusei with it. However as he manages to fend off from the Earthbound Immortals assault, the Nazca God itself begins to trash the ground where the duel is taking place. As Kalin then has difficulties with this Yusei tries to save him, in the end by summoning Savior Star Dragon and taking down Ccapac Apu. However as Kalin makes peace with him, still he withers into dust.

After the battle, Rudger speaks to Yusei through Trudge as he wants to settle their unfinished business. Therefore now he along with Crow, Luna, Leo and Trudge go to the Old Momentum. As they meet with Rudger inside, the Dark Signer blows the Momentum system, thus releasing the negative energy inside. As it fills the room, the two of them who are above it, finally began their rematch. During the duel he reveals to him some unfortunate event that occurred between the Dark Signer and Professor Fudo. Also Rudger reveals his identity as the Fifth Signer who held the Head mark. After Yusei finally manages to defeat Uru and therefore Rudger, however before the Dark Signers Leader dissolves away he quickly detonates his left arm, blowing up the bridge and sending Yusei falling into the depths of the Old Momentum.

Meanwhile after that Jack who has finally reached to the Hummingbird tower looks surprised as Carly appears riding within her own Dark Duel Runner. As the duel finally begins Carly attacks him merciless as Jack at first is opposed to fight her. As she´s able to degrade most of his life-points, Carly then activates a trap card while trying to trick Jack into believing that he actually lost the duel. But that however Carly save him by transforming Jack into a Dark Signer too, and also that he is the "Dark King" of the new world. However as Carly tries to win the duel with one final attack, Jack negates it, as he has snapped out from the illusion due to Carly's old glasses.

As the duel continues, Jack is able to turn Carly back to her righteous self. However, because of the evil powers of her Earthbound Immortal, the duel is forced to go on. As she summons her Earthbound Immortal Aslla Piscu, Jack eventually manages to turn the situation by summoning Savior Demon Dragon. However, before he can attempt to end the duel in a tie, Carly manages to destroy Aslla Piscu thus losing the duel and in the end vanishes in Jack´s arms.

Finally Misty who is guarding the last controller Tower is waiting for Akiza while mourning for her dead brother, Toby. Eventually Akiza and Mina arrive where the Lizard Tower is situated, in an old and abandoned carnival. As the 2 of them split up and go inside to look for the female Dark Signer, Sayer who has reappeared and posing as security agent from Goodwin tricks Mina into a water pit. After that Yusei, Luna, Leo and Trudge arrive there too and also have splittened up to look for them. Thus Akiza finds Misty, and has been guided by her into a House of Mirror where they finally commenced their rematch.

As it begins Misty recounts the events that lead up to Toby’s death that undoubtedly involves Akiza, through the use of her Sad Story Spells and Bad End Trap. Meanwhile Sayer is also able to trap Yusei into the pit where Mina is by attacking him with a materialized Psychic sword. After this he goes where the duel is taken place, while Akiza who is now tormented by the truth, loses the will to continue the duel. However Sayer appears to save her from landing into a shard of shattered glass, but has now deviously has awakens her powers as the Black Rose once again. However while Misty in the end has summon her powerful Bad End Queen Dragon, Akiza in the other hand has not only unleashed her Black Rose Dragon, but also ultimately has shattered every mirror in the vicinity and finally confronts face to face with her opponent.

Misty continues her onslaught on Akiza with Bad End Queen Dragon and manages to gain the upper hand by summoning Ccarayhua. While she does that Yusei tricks Sayer in revealing the truth behind her brother's death. Upon hearing this she commands her monster to devour him and avenges her brother's death. Before she could surrender the Envoy of the Underworld takes control and is about to finish Akiza off with a direct attack. But Akiza pulls through by blocking the attack and summoning Black Rose Dragon again to destroy everything on the field. Misty tries to counter by inflicting damage through card effect. But Akiza counters the damage and deals it back to her ending the duel with Misty feeling at peace. She vanishes leaving her music box, containing Toby’s and her picture on it.

Later, after the duel, before the Signers are able to seal the last Tower, the King of the Underworld appears from the Old Momentum, and is moving toward the City. At that time Goodwin had somehow acquired the powers of a Signer, reveals to be a Dark Signer as the dark mark of the Condor appearing on his back. The mark seems to rejuvenate and strengthen Goodwin, thus giving him supernatural powers. And also he pretends to sacrifice a Signer through a ritual to welcome the Ruler of the Underworld.

Therefore Goodwin faces of against Yusei, Jack, and Crow in a Shadow Turbo Duel.

Differences in adaptions
In the Japanese anime, the class system between the upper class residents New Domino City and the often rejected residents of Satellite is a recurring theme throughout the series. While the class system exists in the English anime, it is not as severe and much less emphasized. Some dialogue referring to the class system such as "Satellite scum" is replaced. Nerve and Blitz also had their names switched, so now they are Blitz and Nervin respectively.

The English dub adds a part to episodes, where the effects of certain cards are explained.

Like the previous two series, changes have been made to character names and their personalities to make the show suitable for a younger age demographic of ages 6-10, as well as to make the show a lot less foreign and a lot more marketable across non-English countries.

The original Japanese music is replaced with a brand new soundtrack made by 4Kids although some pieces of the original Japanese music remain. But like with the previous series, 4Kids completely replaced all the sound effects with new sound effects they created and there are none of the sound effects from the original Japanese version used or remaining in the 4Kids dub. Even the beeping of the life point, attack point, and defense point counters is changed by 4Kids.

Removed many censored parts such as blood, weapons, kill, death, etc.

Life Point, ATK, DEF, and Levels are replaced with black and has different colors indicate stats.

Previous dubs completely edited traces of certain text due to FCC regulations, as well as to make the shows more marketable to non-English speaking countries, as well as for the purpose of cultural streaming, just to make the show seem less foreign and understandable to an American audience. This included the complete removal of Japanese kanji or kana, with some or most of them replaced with some kinds of symbols, and not having any of them translated or changed to English. Another of those text edits is the redesigning the cards to only display Attributes, Level Stars, ATK and DEF values and icons for Spell and Trap Cards.

Episodes

 * Episode listing
 * Evolving Duel! Stardust VS Red Demons (OVA)

DVD release
A 28 minute DVD, containing the special episode is included in the Yu-Gi-Oh! OCG - Duelist Box.

Music
Japanese opening theme: Kizuna
 * Performer: Kra
 * Album: Kizuna

Japanese ending theme: START
 * Performer: Nakagauchi Masataka
 * Album: START / Sun will shine away

Japanese opening theme 2: Last Train - The New Morning
 * Performer: Knotlamp

Japanese ending theme 2: CROSS GAME
 * Performer: アリス九號 (Alice Nine)

The soundtrack, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Sound Duel Vol I features music from the anime. An upcoming soundtrack Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Sound Duel Vol II will feature music from the Dark Signers arc of the anime.

The 4Kids TV website held an open vote for what should be the theme of the English dubbed version of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's. Eight one minute songs were playable. The song with the most votes would be chosen to be featured when the dub premiered on CW4Kids on September 13th. The voting was only open to those who had registered an account on the 4Kids.tv website.

Users could vote for one of the following songs.
 * Better be Better than Best
 * Hyper Drive
 * Need for Speed
 * Rev it Up
 * Secret of Five‎
 * We are the Ones
 * We Ride to Survive

English Opening Theme: Hyper Drive