Yami Yugi

Yami Yugi, known as Dark Yugi in the manga and Japanese versions is the spirit of Pharaoh Atem that has been sealed in the Millennium Puzzle.

After Yugi Muto solved the Millennium Puzzle, Yami Yugi resided in Yugi's body and would take possession of it when Yugi or his friends were in danger. After Yugi became fully aware of Yami's existance, Yugi could voluntary give control of his body to Yami.

Personality
In the manga, Dark Yugi starts out as a unforgiving vigilante. He emerges to deal justice to people who trespass the souls of Yugi and his friends. Although his acts are righteous, his punishment Penalty Games are usually brutal. These are toned down in the first series anime, as most of them are made illusions.

He is slightly reserved, as he doesn't reveal his existance to Yugi or his friends. After Yugi admits to thinking a "another Yugi" exists inside him, his friends become aware of his existance and accept him as a friend.

Yami's pride is his greatest strength and weakness. Initially he refuses to lose games, without considering the consequences. This has caused him to almost kill Seto Kaiba and play the evil card, "The Seal of Orichalcos". Yugi holds him back from such acts at times, although not always successful. Yugi becomes afraid to let Yami out for a while, because of the harm he could cause. Learning how to lose, becomes an essential part of Yami's journey, which is tested in the Ceremonial Battle.

Through Yugi and his friends, Yami Yugi learns the values and powers of friendship and unity. After seeing Yugi overcome Marik in his Duel with Joey, who has been possessed, Yami thinks to himself, he learnt something from Yugi; that in kindness lies the greatest strength of all; one day Yugi will surpass him in every way.

Design
Yugi's character design was overseen by Kazuki Takahashi.

As he exists in Yugi's body, his appearance is largly the same as Yugi's, although many alterations are made when Yami takes control.

Yami Yugi's hair features multiple layers including long blond crocked, pointy locks for his fringe, the rest features a six large spikes colored black with magenta rims all along the edges. The spikes were lose and free flowing at the beginning of the manga, but over time became stiffer.

At the beginning of the series, his outfit consists of the standard male Domino High uniform complete with a closed buckled collar and a set of Ankhs on his sleeves, which weren't present when Yugi was in control. The Ankhs were later removed. Unlike Yugi, Yami Yugi sometimes wears the jacket as a cape.

He wears the Millennium Puzzle on a lace around his neck. The lace is later replaced with a chain.

When he and Téa took a day together to find out about the Millennium Puzzle, he wore a black linen and several pieces of wrist-chains, to match the Millennium Puzzle's chain.

Origin
Pharaoh Atem defeated Zorc Necrophades, sacrificing his life in the process. He used his name as part of a spell that sealed part Zorc and his own souls in the Millennium Items. Atem's soul got sealed in the Millennium Puzzle. The puzzle was shattered and laid to rest in the Pharaoh's tomb.

3,000 years later (5,000 in the English anime), Yugi Muto solved the Millennium Puzzle, which caused the Pharaoh's spirit to inhabit Yugi's body. The Pharaoh's soul, which comes to be known as "the other Yugi" or "Yami Yugi" (Dark Yugi in the manga) is now missing the vast majority of its memories.

Shadow Games
The Yu-Gi-Oh! manga and first series anime told a number of stories, where Dark Yugi helped Yugi and his friends by playing dangereous games with those who trespassed on their souls. These games often resulted in harsh Penalty Games for the loser. The majority of these storylines were skipped in the second series anime.

Manga one-shots


Yugi solved the Puzzle while he was under the pressure of coming up with money to pay Ushio, for his self imposed body guard fees. Dark Yugi emerged and met up with Ushio. He challenged Ushio to a Shadow Game invloving grabbing money off their own hand with a knife. Ushio got greedy and tried to kill Yugi. Dark Yugi inflicted a Penalty Game on him for cheating. Ushio was put under the illusion that trash and leaves were money, which he was left shower himself in.

A director from ZTV tries to orchestrate a bullying scene, by having A.D. Fujita attack Yugi. Dark Yugi does not tolerate this and later plays a dice Shadow Game with the director, where the lowest roll wins. After winning, he inflicts a penalty game on the director, pixellating his vision.

The untalented singer, Sozoji, forces Yugi and Tomoya Hanasaki to sell tickets to his concert, and subsequently beats up Hanasaki for letting Yugi take his burden of tickets. This sets him up as Dark Yugi's next victim. Dark Yugi and Sozoji play a game of silence. The first person to make a sound, loses. Sozoji notices how Yugi might lose. With Yugi's life on the line, his heart pounds as he gets excited about winning. But his heartbeat becomes amplified by his microphone connected to nearby speakers. A noise is detected from Sozoji's account, making him lose the game. Subjected to one of Dark Yugi's Penalty Games, Sozoji continues to hear his heart beat louder and louder.

When Anzu is held captive by an escaped convict armed with a gun at Burger World, Yugi is made serve the convict cigarettes and alcohol. Dark Yugi takes control and challanges the convict to a game. With Anzu blindfolded she can't see who's challanging the convict. It sounds like Yugi's voice, but this man is too confident and daring to be Yugi. Playing a Shadow Game, where each player can only move one finger, Dark Yugi places the cigarette lighter on the convict's arm, while it continues to fill his drink leaving it overflow, setting the convict on fire. After this incident, Anzu obsesses over finding the identity of her rescuer.

The self-proclaimed psychic Kokurano tries to seuduce Anzu, by reading her future telling her how she'll meet a wonderful man, who will reveal himself to her and she will swoon before him in love. Anzu hopes this is the man who saved her at Burger World. For Yugi's disbelief in his powers, Kokurano says that in Yugi's furure countless letters will fall from the heavens and bring disaster upon him. Later that day Kokurano knocks over bookshelves on top of Yugi. Dark Yugi emerges and realizes that Kokurano is making his predictions come true and rushes to Anzu, who Kokurano has knocked out with a bottle of chloroform. Using the bottle, Dark Yugi defeats him in a Shadow Game. Kokurano is left unconscious from the chloroform.

During a school festival, Goro Inogashira has his class tear up Yugi's class carnival games spot, to make room for their Okonomiyaki stand. Dark Yugi challengs Goro to an air hockey Shadow Game, using a block of ice containing a tube of an explosive chemical as a puck and the Okonomiyaki grill as a board. Goro deals powerful blows to the puck, making it difficult for Dark Yugi to keep up. But Dark Yugi, manages to nick the puck with his bat, causing the ice to break with Goro's next blow. The chemical hit the hot surface, causing it to explode in front of Goro.

When the teacher Ms. Chono finds Honda's jigsaw love letter to Miho Nosaka. As she assembles it to find the culprit's name and expel him, Dark Yugi turns the puzzle into a Shadow Game, where Ms. Chono is made feel the pain she is inflicting on others. On completion of the puzzle, her makeup cracks up, revealing her true ugly self.

The Junky Scorpion shop owner sells Jonouchi a rare pair of shoes, but has them stolen back. Dark Yugi returns to the Junky Scorpion and plays a Shadow Game with the owner to take back the shoes. The owner's pet scorpion is put in a shoe, while both players try to pull out coins without getting stung. The owner gets greedy and trys to kill the scorpion. He fails to do so and gets his hand stuck when he tries grabbing all the coins at once. The scorpion leaves him badly poisoned from a sting.

Yugi calls to the Millennium Puzzle to help him find Jonouchi, while Jonouchi is held captive by Hirutani's gang. Dark Yugi locates the gang and let's them punch him, to lure them into a puddle. As he stands up, he covertly puts a metal bar under an unconscious member of the gang's arm. He then hangs his puzzle off a chain over the unconscious boy's forhead. As the gang advance to attack Yugi, rainwater trickles down the chain and off the tip of the Puzzle onto the boy, waking him up. As he wkes up, he moves his arm suspended under the metal bar, causing him to let the stun gun he's holding drop into the puddle of water electrocuting the gang.

Tomoya Hanasaki, dressed as the hero Zombire, tries to take on a gang, who told him they'd kidnapped Yugi. Hanasaki's father was supposed to pay the gang to let Tomoya beat them, but could not afford to. The gang start attacking Hanasaki, but Dark Yugi shows up. As the gang chase him, he leaves a trail of spray paint, starting at a cigarette butt. As the butt burns away, it acts as a fuse. After the paint caught fire, it created a maze of fire, leaving the gang dash out and jump into the water. Dark Yugi escorts Hanasaki away, insisting that Hanasaki can still be a hero.

After, Yugi's friends are aware of Dark Yugi's existance (Death-T), Anzu gives Yugi a "love compatability tester". Initially it gets no reading, suggesting they aren't romantically compatible. The teacher Tsuruoka later confiscates Yugi's. Dark Yugi emerges after Tsuruoka calls his friends worthless and tells him that they aren't worthless; he has never lost a game. Tsuruoka then imposes a game; he hides the love tester, somewhere in the school. If Yugi and his friends can't find it in an hour, they get expelled. Anzu gets bashful, seeing the other Yugi out, but hands him her love tester. Dark Yugi brings into close approximation of Yugi's and switches it on. This time the testers react, suggesting Anzu and Dark Yugi are compatible. They find they keychain under Tsuruoka's wig.

Koji Nagumo cheats in a game of Monster Fighter with Yugi, by punching him and stealing his Monster Fighter equipment. Dark Yugi tracks down, Koji, who is selling all the Monster Fighters, he steals. Using Jonouchi's Monster Fighter, Dark Yugi faces Koji in a Shadow Game of Monster Fighter. As a player gets hit, their face cracks up. Koji cheats, by kicking Yugi, but Dark Yugi elevates the game to level 3. Next time Koji tries cheating, the monsters including his own held him back. Koji's soul is then purged of the Darkness.

Yugi is challenged to a Shadow Game by a boy named Imori, who wants the "Power of Darkness", Yugi got after solving the Puzzle. They play a game of Dragon Cards, Yugi loses and, as his soul is sucked into the soul-eating jar. However he seizes the puzzle just in time and Dark Yugi challenges Imori to a re-match, defeating him and setting the captured Yugi's soul free while at the same time imprisoning Imori's.

Anime one-shots
The Shadow Game with Ushio was completly changed. A deck of cards, which Dark Yugi pretended was the money, was placed on top of a dome and both players hung freely from a rope over around the spike at the top of the dome. How they advanced to the top was dictated by what card they turned over. Ushio attempted to cheat, earning him a Penalty Game, where he imagined he fell into a pit of monsters.

At Burger World, the convict cheated by removing the lighter and is left subject to a Penalty Game, where he is made think he is on fire.

Shotaro Akaboshi stole a watch Honda had bought for Miho. Dark Yugi met up with him later and played a Shadow Game, where each player tried to grab a watch from a cuckoo watch at a time as close to 0:00 as possible on a countdown. Shotaro lost and was made victim to a Penalty Game, where he imagined he was made up of clockwork parts.

During the Digital Pet Duel after Haiyama attacked Yugi and his friends and tried turning Honda into his pet, Dark Yugi connected Yugi's Digital Pet, U2 with Haiyama's. The game became a Shadow Game and the pets appeared as real beings. Using data it incorporated from a connection with Jonouchi's pet, U2 upgraded form like Dark Yugi and was able to defeat Haiyama's pet. Haiyama started whipping his pet, telling it to get up. For Haiyama's Penalty Game, he imagined the pet turning on him and eating him.

Mayumi had left the puzzle love letter for Jonouchi, rather than Honda leaving it for Miho, this results in Ms. Chono setting Anzu up to face expulsion. For her cruel intentions, Dark Yugi plays a Shadow Game with Ms. Chono, where they assemble smashed mirrors while blindfolded. Ms. Chono cheats and Dark Yugi inflicts the same Penalty Game as in the manga.

Warashibe, who was obsessed with Miho, forced her into a game of Capsule Monster Chess. After realizing Warashibe cheated by using a rigged dispenser, Yugi and Miho try to leave, but Warashibe traps them by dropping a portcullis, which breaks and falls and Yugi and Miho. Dark Yugi emerges and finishes the CapMon game. The game is identical to Yugi's first game with Mokuba in the manga. (See below). Warashibe recieves the same Penalty Game as Mokuba; he imagines himself being trapped inside a giant CapMon capsule.

The Man from Egypt
Shadi, the holder of the Millennium Key and Scales, sees Yugi at a museum. After hearing, Yugi owns the Millennium Puzzle, he uses the Millennium Key to enter the room of Yugi's soul. Instead he finds two rooms; Yugi's which is filled toys another for Dark Yugi. Dark Yugi appears inside his room and invites Shadi in, if he dares. Shadi introduces himself as an unwanted guest. He came to learn the power of the Millennium Puzzle. If the power is needed he will draw it into his bloodline. Not willing to simply show Shadi the power, he imposes a Shadow Game; somewhere inside the soul, is Dark Yugi's true room, if Shadi can find it, then he'll find what he's looking for. Shadi accepts the game, but mentions that once he enters someone's room, he can redecorate it to control the individual or change their personality.

Dark Yugi starts the game and the place turns into a maze of doors and staircases. Shadi begins searching, but the doors are filled with traps. Eventually Shadi is left dangling above a bottomless pit. Dark Yugi saves him and advises that he leave. Shadi parts, thinking he has lost the game, but Dark Yugi assures him it is only the beginning.

Shadi returns later and forces Dark Yugi into a Shadow Game, by possessing Anzu to keeping her hostage and Professor Yoshimori (Honda in the first series anime) to keep Grandpa and Jonouchi away (Miho and Jonouchi in the anime). To win the game the player must make their opponent show weakness in their heart. Anzu was made stand on a board suspended over the side of a building by a series of ropes held to the building by ushabti. Four Ushabti represented Dark Yugi's heart, while one represented Shadi's. The ushabti break up when weakness is detected in its corresponding player's heart. Causing Dark Yugi's to break would let Anzu fall and causing Shadi's to break would let the Millennium Key slide to Anzu's hand removing the possession spell.

Seeing Anzu's danger immediatly causes one ushabti to smash. Shadi puts Dark Yugi through a series of game tests, which he passes. His last test involved an illusion of Jonouchi. The two were made play a game, where they must cause their opponent to fall of the edge. Jonouchi taunts Yugi identically to how he did as a bully. Yugi's reaction caused two ushabti to shatter. Unaware if it's the real Jonouchi or an illusion, Dark Yugi refuses to take his turns in the game. Shadi is shocked at this decision. Jonouchi forces Yugi to an edge and Yugi refuses to take his turn, explaining that he trusts Jonouchi. The illusion then fades away.

The last rope supporting Anzu's platform begins to break, but the real Jonouchi arrives and holds it up. Suprised at how the friends support each other, Shadi's ushabti shatters and Anzu is restored to normal. Jonouchi struggles to hold up the board as the possessed professor tries attacking him. Dark Yugi helps Anzu back to the building and instructs Jonouchi to touch the Key off the professor.

Dark Yugi teaches Shadi that unity is the power of the Millennium Puzzle. Shadi leaves beaten, but pleased. His bloodline has been searching for someone like Dark Yugi and perhaps he may be able to open "that door". Jonouchi and Anzu notice how Yugi has been acting different. They approach over this matter, but Dark Yugi has already relinquished control to Yugi.

In the second series anime, Shadi instead meets the Yugis, before they leave Duelist Kingdom. This is after Yugi is concious of Yami Yugi's (Dark Yugi's) existance. Yami demands to know why Shadi has entered his mind. Shadi replies that he's searching for the thief, who stole the Millennium Eye. Yami insists he has nothing to hide, and opens the doors to the maze. Shadi falls victim to a trap, but is saved by Yugi. In one room, they are confronted by "Dark Magician". Shadi prepares to Summon "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" from a tablet to counter, but Yugi calls the "Dark Magician" off, knowing it would never harm him. Shadi leaves Yugi's mind, believing he is the one that will save the world from chaos.

Death-T
After Seto Kaiba steals Sugoroku Mutou's "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" card, Dark Yugi and Kaiba engage in a game of Duel Monsters, which becomes a Shadow Game. Kaiba secrety adds the "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" card to his hand, petending to draw it. He Summons it and tries to attack with it, but "Blue-Eyes" true loyalties do not lie with him, so it destroys itself. Dark Yugi uses "Monster Reborn" to revive it and use it to defeat Kaiba. For Kaiba's Penatly Game, he is made believe he is trapped in the Duel Monsters's world, where he suffers death at the hands of monsters.

To get revenge on Yugi for defeating his brother earlier, Mokuba Kaiba plays Capsule Monster Chess with Yugi. He uses a rigged dispenser to give him high level pieces and give Yugi low level ones. Mokuba's gang are surprised to see Yugi change into Dark Yugi, but Mokuba had been hoping for this. He had heard of the other Yugi from Seto and aimed to defeat that persona. Dark Yugi lures Mokuba into lining his pieces diagonally to be defeated by "Torigun". As a Penalty Game, Mokuba imagines he trapped in a giant Capsule Monster Chess Capsule.

Mokuba later invites Yugi to Kaiba's mansion. Here he lures Yugi and Jonouchi into a game involving a rotating plate with different meals on it. Jonouchi gets poisoned by one of the meals he eats. Dark Yugi realizes that Mokuba is cheating by using a salt container as a switch to stop the plate. Using the Millennium Puzzle to smash the container, he leaves a poisoned meal in front of Mokuba and Mokuba is made hand over the antidote.

The next day Yugi and his friends participate in Kaiba's Death-T game. After Honda is trapped in a room of falling bricks, Yugi admits to his friends, that he thinks there is another person inside him. After this Dark Yugi takes part in the remaining rounds of Death-T.

Dark Yugi defeats Mokuba in another game of Capsule Monster Chess. Kaiba inflicts an artificial Penalty Game on Mokuba, but Dark Yugi saves him. Mokuba initially can't understand why Dark Yugi would save him.

He faces Seto Kaiba in the final round in a game of Duel Monsters. He uses Sugoroku's Deck, but ends up on the brink of losing after Kaiba Summons 3 "Blue-Eyes White Dragons". Dark Yugi manages to draw the complete set of "Exodia", defeating Kaiba. For the Penatly Game, he Mind Crushes Kaiba, dispelling his evil side.

In the second series anime, Death-T is skipped and the two confrontations with Kaiba are merged. Kaiba kidnaps Grandpa, after seeing his "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" the first time. After tearing up the card, Yami Yugi duels him, with Grandpa's Deck. Kaiba Summons the other 3 "Blue-Eyes White Dragons" and Yugi defeats him with "Exodia". After winning, he Mind Crushes Kaiba, dispelling his evil side.

Cyber Kaiba
In a storyline occuring only in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Novel, two weeks after Yugi's battle with Kaiba in Death-T, Yugi gets a call from Kaiba, who tells him to meet for game of Duel Monsters at the top floor of KaibaCorp. Yugi accepts, and when the Duel begins, they use a special variation called the "Bingo Rule," which prevents the used of a specific card in each player's Deck. Kaiba seems to be himself, but plays a different trump card, the "Automatic Giant".

Mokuba stumbles in on them, and tells Dark Yugi that Kaiba has not yet awoken from his catatonic state. It turns out that the Kaiba that Yugi is playing against is a Cyber Kaiba, controlled by the KaibaCorp computer, and using all of Kaiba's memories.

Dark Yugi defeats the "Automatic Giant" and Kaiba with a card called "The Unknown Egg", restoring everything to normal.

Monster World
Yugi and his friends visit Ryo Bakura to play Monster World. Dark Bakura, who has eyes set on the Millennium Puzzle takes over Bakura's body and plays against them, turning the game into a Shadow Game.

Confident of the existance of Dark Yugi, Yugi delibratly lets Dark Bakura turn him into a Monster World figure for the duration of the game, so Dark Yugi can take control of his body, allowing the two Yugi's to meet for the first time.

Yami Yugi continues the game, using his friends as figures and trying to keep them alive. Similar to Dark Bakura, Dark Yugi manages to rig a few dice rolls in his favor. Both players agree to disallow rigging the rolls, but Dark Yugi is able to channel his friends feelings into the dice, scoring some effective rolls.

With the help of his friends and Ryo Bakura, Dark Yugi manages to defeat Dark Bakura's Dark Master Zorc winning the game.

Duel Monsters
The plot shifted to a Duel Monsters centered universe, after a while. Many of these events are covered in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist manga. They were also shown in the second series anime, which also contained a number of additional storylines.

Toei's film and Yu-Gi-Oh! R also added additional storylines to this part of Dark Yugi's life.

Yu-Gi-Oh! the Movie
Seto Kaiba steals the card "Red-Eyes Black Dragon" from Shougo Aoyama, to force Yugi to duel him in a game of Duel Monsters.

Dark Yugi duels Seto Kaiba with Shouga's "Red-Eyes Black Dragon", but refuses to play it until Shougo gains the courage to duel. Shouga finally gains the courage and Yugi Summons "Red-Eyes" and fuses it with "Meteor Dragon", Summoning "Meteor Black Dragon". He uses "Meteor Black Dragon" to destroy Kaiba's 3 "Blue-Eyes White Dragon", which are bound together with "Wicked Chain", winning the Duel.

Duelist Kingdom
With his eyes set on the Millennium Puzzle, Maximillion Pegasus sends Yugi a video tape and invitation to Duelist Kingdom. When the video is played, Pegasus appears on the screen and requests a Duel with Yugi. Using his Millennium Eye, Pegasus takes Yugi into a dark world, while Yugi's friends and Grandpa are frozen. Yami Yugi emerges and duels Pegasus. Pegasus reads Yami's mind, using his Millennium Eye and learns his strategies. Yami ultimately loses due to the time limit on the Duel. Pegasus then steals Grandpa's soul, using his Millennium Eye to blackmail Yugi into entering the Duelist Kingdom tournament.

At the tournament, Yami defeats Weevil Underwood and Mako Tsunami and supports Joey in his Duel against Mai.

Mokuba Kaiba, who was held prisoner by Pegasus, escapes and steals another duelist Deck Mokuba wants revenge for how Kaiba Corporation got humiliated after Seto Kaiba lost to Yugi and knows Pegasus needs to bet Yugi in order to take over KaibaCorp. He duels Yami Yugi in the hopes of eliminating him, so Pegasus will be unable to face him in the finals. Unable to beat Yami, Mokuba steals two of his Star Chips, to get him disqualified. Yami manages to convince Mokuba, they should be working together and to return the stolen Star Chips. Mokuba tries to return the first Star Chips he stole, but the duelist he took them from is already being shipped off the island. As Mokuba shows Kemo that duelist's Star Chips, Kemo slaps them into the water, including two of Yugi's and takes Mokuba captive. Yami challanges Kemo to a Duel for Mokuba's freedom. Kemo doesn't duel, but arranges another meeting, where he'll have an opponent for Yugi.

Yami's opponent in the manga was The Death Imitator, who used a puppet of Seto Kaiba. In the anime, he faced the Mimic of Doom, who initially disguised himself as Kaiba. The Mimic insisted that Kaiba was dead and he was his ghost seeking revenge. In the English version, he calimed to be Kaiba's evil half that Yami had sent to the Shadow Realm. In all cases Yami's opponent used Kaiba's Deck. The real Seto Kaiba hacked into Pegasus computer system and put a virus in the "Blue-Eyes White Dragon", Yami's opponent Summoned. In the manga after Yugi defeated the Death Imitator, he made the puppet start attacking him. In the Japanese anime, he used the Millennium Puzzle to put the Mimic in a coma. In the English anime, he drove all evil from the Mimic.

Yugi and his friends met up with Ryo Bakura. In the second series anime, since Monster World was skipped, Yami Bakura played a similar game with Yugi and his friends. Yami Bakura trapped Tristan, Téa, Joey, Yugi and Bakura in Duel Monsters cards, while he and Yami Yugi dueled with them in their Decks. After Summonng "Dark Magician", the card Yugi had become, Joey, Téa and Tristan see that there are two Yugi for teh first time in the anime. Yami is put at a disadvantage, as he focus on keeping his friends alive for the Duel. Yami Bakura plays "Change of Heart", which Ryo had become. Ryo refuses to turn his friends against each other and takes over Yami Bakura's "Lady of Faith", telling Yami Yugi that he can win, if he attacks him. Yami Yugi refuses to attack his friend. He then uses the Millennium Puzzle to switch the souls of the two Bakuras and attacks, sending Yami Bakura to the Graveyard and winning the Duel. Afterwards Téa, Tristan and Joey all think they dreamt it.

Yami faces Panik, to win back Mai's Star Chips, that she lost to him. Yami defeats him, but Panik doesn't give up and tries to kill Yugi with flame injectors. Yami protects himself with the power of the Milennium Puzzle and inflicts a Mind Crush on Panik.

Yami Tag Duels with Joey as they take on the Paradox Brothers together. The game being a Labyrinth Duel, puts it stongly in the Paradox brothers favor, but Yugi and Joey are able to beat them through teamwork. To leave the Labyrinth, there are two paths out of the arena: one leads out of the caves, while another leads to an endless maze. As a way of helping the two, the Brothers claim that one of them will speak only lies, while the other will speak only the truth, and furthermore allow both Yugi and Joey to ask one question each to find out which path is correct. However, Yami deduces that both brothers are lying and they have the power to change which path leads where. By using a two-headed coin to trick the Brothers into admitting this, Yugi and his friends escape the caves. After this win Yugi and Joey have enough Star Chips to enter the finals.

On entry to the castle to enter the finals, Yugi is confronted by Kaiba, who must beat Yugi, before he can face Pegasus. Kaiba Summons the "Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon", causing troubles for Yami. Yami shields himself with a wall of "Kuriboh" from "Multiply" and manages to weaken the dragon by fusing "Mammoth Graveyard" into it, causing it to decay. When Yami is one attack away from victory, Kaiba stands up on the wall of the castle. If Yami continues the attack, Kiba will be blown off the edge. Yami continues the attack, but Yugi takes control and cancels the attack, forfeiting the Duel to Kaiba, who takes five of Yugi's Star Chips.

Yugi manages to regain a spot in the finals as Mai gives him her excessive Star Chips, in thanks for winning hers back off Panik. Yugi faces Mai in the first round of the finals, but refuses to let Yami duel, in fear that he may harm his opponent, like he was willing to harm Kaiba. Yami tries to talk Yugi into letting him duel, as Yug puts up a weak fight. After talking with Mai about facing fears, Yugi lets Yami take control. Having faith in his friends and everyone depending on him, Yami Summons the "Black Luster Soldier" and uses it to defeat Mai.

Yami Yugi faces Joey in the finals. Despite being friends, neither player holds back. Joey uses all he's learnt from the Yugis in the past and puts up a close Duel. Both players begin crying as Yami makes his final move winning the Duel.

Yami proceeds to face Pegasus in the finals. His souls is at stake as he battles for the release of Grandpa and the Kaiba brother's souls. Pegasus dominates the Duel at an early stage, with his "Toon monsters and using his Millennium Eye to read Yami's mind. Yami talks with Yugi, who gets the idea to continually switch control of his body. This way after Yugi makes a move, he switches to Yami, whose mind Pegasus then reads. This causes Pegasus to not see what cards are played face-down and where Yugi hides "Dark Magician" under "Magical Hats". Pegasus uses "Magical Neutralizing Force" to remove the hats, but Yami uses a cards Yugi Set, "Living Arrow", which coies "Magical Neutralizing Force", which destroys "Toon World" and Pegasus' Toons. Pegasus then takes the Duel to the Shadow Realm and uses his eye-themed monsters. Yugi, unable to cope with the Shadow Realm passes out after a few turns, setting a card as he does so.

Yami struggles with continuing the Duel alone. He then gets a vision of Grandpa, who tells that Yugi may not physically be with him, but is spirit still is. When Pegasus tries to read Yami's mind, the card he drew is blocked because of Téa, Tristan, and Joey spiritually bonding together to support Yami. Yami manages to counter Pegasus strategy, using the last card Yugi set, "Dark Magic Ritual" and a combination of Spells, resulting in the "Magician of Black Chaos" being pitted against Pegasus' "Thousand-Eyes Restrict". Using "Multiply" "Thousand Eyes Restrict" is forced to absorb a "Kuriboh Token" and has each of its eyes covered, freeing the Magician from its paraysis. "Magician of Black Chaos" attacks "Thousand-Eyes Restrict", winning the Duel.

Game Duel
Yugi meets the United States champion Rebecca Hawkins, who accuses Yugi's grandfather of stealing her grandfather, Arthur Hawkins' "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" and wishes to Duel him. Yugi instead duels her. She and Yami play the exact same Duel the two grandfather's played years ago, over a drink of water. Back then, Solomon surrendered so Arthur could have the drink. Yami also surenders to show Rebecca the true meaning of friendship.

Mokuba Kaiba requests the help of Yugi and his friends after Seto Kaiba gets trapped in a virtual reality game by the Big Five. Yugi, along with Joey, Mai and Mokuba save Kaiba. Yami and Kaiba together Summon Dragon Master Knight and use it to defeat the final boss, the Mythic Dragon.

Battle City
Yugi ask Téa to go out with Yami. After visiting many shops and attractions, they enter an arcade. Inside Téa beats Johnny Steps in a dance game. Not taking his loss too well, Johnny laster catches up with Yugi and Téa and challanges to another game. If she loses she must become his girlfriend. Yami instead challenges Johnny to a game of Duel Monsters. If he wins, Johnny must leave Téa alone. If Johnny wins, Téa must go on a date with him. Yami reveals himself to be Yugi Muto, during the Duel, causing Johnny to surrender and run. Téa stops him tells him how quiting isn't go to get him far and he must keep trying to achieve his goals. Afterwards Téa and Yami go to an Ancient Egyptian exhibition to find clues to Yami's past. Here they meet Ishizu Ishtar, who shows Yami some information about his past as a pharaoh and tells him he must enter the Battle City tournament to learn more.

Yugi is invited to the Battle City tournament. Yami faces the Rare Hunter, Seeker in the preliminaries, winning back Joey's "Red Eyes Black Dragon" and learning that his enemy is a man named Marik. After trying to return "Red-Eyes" to Joey, Joey insists that Yugi should keep it and he'll take it back when he becomes a better duelist.

Yami next faces Arkana, whose signature card is also a "Dark Magician". The Duel is set up, so two sawblades draw closer to the player's feet, as their Life Points lower. Yami wins the Duel and rescues Arkana from the blades.

Yami Yugi faces an Egyptian God for the first time, as Marik duels him, through his puppet Strings. Strings Summons "Slifer the Sky Dragon" and creates a massive hand of cards. Yami manages to turn Marik's strategy agaisnt him and force him to Deck Out. Yami takes the God card, Slifer after winning.

Kaiba challenges Yugi to a Duel after his victory against Strings. Yami however postpones the Duel, as he must check his friends' safety, as Marik is jut after threatening to turn them into Mind Slaves. Kaiba assists Yugi in his search. Along the way, they Tag Duel a pair of Rare Hunters, who Kaiba quickly disposes with "Obelisk the Tormentor". Marik then sends another pair of Rare Hunters Umbra and Lumis to Tag Duel Yugi and Kaiba. Umbra and Lumis Decks are designed to combat the Summoning of the God cards, but Yami and Kaiba manage to work together and get around their lock, Summoning Obelisk once again to win the Duel. Yugi aquires enough Locator Cards to proceed to the finals after this Duel.

Yami locates Joey, who is possessed by Marik at at Domino Pier. Both players are strapped to an archor and forced to Duel. Defeating their opponent would release a key, to save themself. After a timer hit zero, the anchor would drag the whatever players are strapped to it into the water to drown. Marik doesn't allow Yugi to use Slifer. Yami puts the card aside, not planning to use it anyway and instead adds Joey's "Red-Eyes Black Dragon" to his Deck. Shortly into the Duel, Yugi asks Yami to let him handle it. Yami is unsure if that's the safest option, but relinquishes control to Yugi. Yugi puts the Millennium Puzzle aside, so Yami cannot take control. Yugi manages to snap Joey out of Marik's control in time for Joey to force the Duel into a draw and save both players. Yami learns from Yugi, that in kindness lies the greatest strength of all and thinks one day Yugi will surpass him in every way.

During the "Clash in the Coliseum", Yugi must face Kaiba in the rematch of the Millennium since their bout in Duelist Kingdom. Both Yugi and Kaiba summon the respective Egyptian God Card each of them possesses, but the Duel ends up in a heated stalemate, as neither Egyptian God is able to destroy the other. In the end, after a frightening flashback of Ancient Egypt, where Yugi and Kaiba see their prvious incarnations conduct a Shadow Game, both Gods are destroyed, so both Yugi and Kaiba fall back on summoning their favorite Cards (Dark Magician and Blue-Eyes White Dragon, respectively) to battle each other. When Kaiba summons his 2 other Blue-Eyes with The Flute of Summoning Dragon, Yugi considers forfeiting the Duel, but is convinced by Joey's spirit to look at all his options, and he discovers that there is something he can do. And so, he summons "Red-Eyes B. Dragon"—which Joey had given to him after he'd defeated the Rare Hunter—and activates "Magician's Selection" to destroy "The Lord of Dragons", leaving "Spellbinding Circle" free to weaken one of the Blue-Eyes White Dragons enough for Red-Eyes to destroy it. The Duel ultimately culminates and concludes after Yugi Fusion Summons "Dark Paladin" and combines him with "Diffusion Wave-Motion" to strike the final blow and win the Duel. As per the ante rule of the Battle City Tournament—and after Kaiba berates Yugi with his delusion that everyone in the world is alone—Yugi is given Obelisk the Tormentor before "The Final Face-Off" with Marik.

In "The Final Face-Off" between Yugi and Marik, Marik duels Yami in a Shadow Game where the loser ends up forfeiting his good side, but as Marik pointed out, no matter who won, an innocent soul would be lost forever—and if Yami Yugi lost, Yugi would vanish into the Shadow Realm, and the Pharaoh would cease to exist. Yami manages to summon both Slifer and Obelisk to attempt to win, but Marik manages to complete his Immortality strategy, locking down Yami's attacks by combining Egyptian God Slime with Jam Defender before reviving Monster Reborn and using it to summon his Winged Dragon of Ra. The Duel ultimately culminates and concludes with the destruction of both Ra and Yami Marik (thanks to Yami Yugi's "Ragnarok" card), and when Marik regains control of his body and mind, he forfeits the Duel to Yami Yugi, destroying Yami Marik, and gives him his Winged Dragon of Ra card, and, in addition, shows him the hieroglyphs tattooed on his back. According to Marik and Ishizu, the "Secret of the Pharaoh" is written somewhere in the hieroglyphs, and only the possessor of the Millennium Puzzle and the 3 Egyptian God Cards can unlock that secret.

Virtual World
Before Kaiba's blimp can land on KaibaCorp Island, Yugi, Kaiba, and the rest of the passengers onboard are rerouted to a hidden bunker. The bunker seems to be operated by a boy who calls himself Noah, who forces Yugi and company into a Virtual World, where everyone is separated from one another to fend for themselves—and to Duel against KaibaCorp's former Board of Directore, the Big Five.

Yami finds himself trapped in a lockdown Duel against Gansley, who has taken on the form of the Deepsea Warrior. Gansley's abilities as the Deepsea Warrior damage Yami's Life Points considerably, until Yami's Deck Master, Kuriboh (who, revealed later, chose itself as his partner), saves him from losing the Duel and his body. Yami manages to win by using Rainbow Blessing with Kuriboh to create a path for Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight to strike the finishing blow against Gansley and win.

Later on, the Big Five, sharing Tristan's body, challenged Yugi to a Duel, and Joey volunteered to be his Tag Team partner. They battled the Big Five and won in the end.

Yami convinced Noah to Duel him after he said that Kaiba would have beaten Noah, had Noah not used Mokuba to keep him from losing. With every passing turn, Noah turned each one of Yugi's friends to stone when Yugi failed to defeat him. After a harrowing battle, Yami was able to activate Card of Sanctity and draw himself a brand-new hand. From that hand, he was able to use the "Blue-Eyes OTK" strategy to defeat Noah and restore Kaiba, Mokuba, and all of Yugi's friends to normal.

Yu-Gi-Oh! the Movie Pyramid of Light
Yugi is invited to a Duel against Seto Kaiba.

Kaiba forces Yami Yugi to Summon the Egyptian Gods and uses the card "Pyramid of Light" to remove them from play. Kaiba attempts to destroy "Pyramid of Light", with "Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon", but Anubis, who had planted the card on Kaiba refuses to let this happen. He emerges from the ground, tosses Kaiba aside and continues the Duel in his place, to get his on revenge on the Pharaoh. Anubis forces Yugi inside the Millennium Puzzle, leaving Yami continue the Duel by himself.

Anubis brings out "Andro Sphinx" and "Sphinx Teleia". Yami uses "Monster Reborn" on "Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon", which he uses to destroy "Pyramid of Light". This causes the 2 Sphinxes to merge into "Theinen the Great Sphinx". Yami Yugi uses "Reverse of Reverse" to activate Kaiba's "Return from the Different Dimension" to Special Summon the Egyptian Gods. He then Tributes Ra and Slifer to use Obelisk's effect, destroying "Theinen" and droping Anubis' Life Points to 0.

After Anubis defeat, a monster emerges from the Pyramid of Light. Seto Kaiba gives Yugi, "Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon" to use against the monster. Yugi and Yami Yugi together Summon Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon and defeat the monster with it.

Waking the Dragons
After the Battle City tournament in an anime only arc, Yugi goes to the museum, where Yami Yugi attempts to regain his memories by holding the Egyptian Gods up to the tablet, but is interrupted by real life Duel Monsters appearing outside.

Later that day a group of perpetrators break into Kame Game and steal the God Cards. Yami Yugi meets up with the thieves and duels one of them, Grerimo. Grerimo uses "The Seal of Orichalcos", which extracts the loser's soul to use to awaken the Great Leviathan. Grerimo Summons the stolen "Obelisk the Tormentor", who is even affected by the Seal. Yami Yugi manages to destroy Obelisk and defeat Grerimo, sealing Gremimo's soul, but doesn't recover the God cards.

The next night, when Yugi falls asleep, he and Yami awaken inside the Millennium Puzzle, where Kuriboh guides them to a portal to the Duel Monsters world. Here they meet "Dark Magician Girl", who tells them about The Great Leviathan and urges them to pull a sword from a crystalized dragon. As the chosen duelist, Yugi was able to release Legendary Dragon Timaeus in doing so. Timaeus becomes a card in Yugi's Deck, which he and Yami use to fight the Paradius organization, who are trying to awaken the Great Leviathan.

Pegasus invites Yugi and his friends to America to collect a card needed to defeat Paradius.

Believing Yami Yugi was an evil Pharaoh, Rafael targets him to try take his soul. He manages to lure Yugi into a Duel, but tells him he won't be using "The Seal of Orichalcos". Rafael later plays the card "Exchange", forcing Yami to take the Seal. Yugi instructs that they musn't play that card, no matter what. Yami reaches a point in the Duel, where he cannot win without playing it. Yami considers playing it, but Yugi objects. Yami tells him to back off and let him duel. He plays the Seal, which cause Timeaus to leave his field as it doesn't co-operate the Orichalcos. Yami beings to recklessly Tribute his own monsters to damage Raphael despite Yugi's objections. Raphael uses Yami's strategy against him, by using "Guardian Eatos", who powers up increases according to the amount of monsters in the opponent's Graveyard. Rapheal defeats Yami with Eatos. The Seal of Orichalcos begins to take Yami's soul, but Yugi pushes him out, since the Seal only needs one soul, he lets it take his rather than Yami's.

Yami falls into depression and guilt over what he let happen to Yugi. As he continues his travels, he and Téa are split from Joey and Tristan on a train hijacked by Rex and Weevil. Weevil, seeking revenge for his loss in Duelist Kingdom, duels Yami on the roof, using "The Seal of Orichalcos". "Timaeus" refuses to assist Yami when he plays it because of his actions in the last duel. Weevil tricks Yami into thinking he's permantly lost Yugi's soul. Upset over Weevil's joke, Yami goes berserk and recklessly attacks him using "Berserker Soul". Téa stops him attacking, pointing out he's already won the Duel. With nobody driving the train, after the Duel, it drives off a cliff.

Yugi and Téa are rescued by Ironheart. Ashamed of himself, Yugi lets Ironheart hold onto Timeaus. Ironheart leads Yami to a place of lost souls, where he finds Yugi's spirit. Yugi engages in a Duel with him, using "The Seal of Orichalcos" and a strategy similar to Yami's from the Duel with Rafael. Yami defeats him and overcome his mistakes. As he leaves Dartz conjures an Orichalcos Soldier to duel Yami. Yami is unable to defeat it without "Timaeus", so Ironheart, Chris and Skye sacrifice their own lives as they return the card to Yugi. With the Darkness inside Yami erased, he plays the "Timeaus" and uses it to defeat the Soldier.

Afterwards Yami an Téa meet up with their friends and Kaiba, who takes them back to Domino City, which becomes overrun with Orichalcos Soldiers. After Joey loses his soul in a Duel with Mai, Yami makes his way to Duel Rafael, who hands Yugi Joey's "Hermos" card. This time Rafael uses "The Seal of Orichalcos". Rafael defies his own practice of letting his own monsters to go to the Graveyard in his attempt to defeat Yami, hating him more. Yami manages to talk him out of Dartz influence. Rafael plays "Soul Charge" to revive his monsters, but loses the Duel. Since Rafael overcame his dark half, there was nothing to power the seal, allowing him to keep his soul.

In the final Duel with Dartz, Yami and Kaiba teamed up to defeat the King of the former Atlantis, but he reveals that the Seal of Orichalcos has more than one level, and proves it when he activates Orichalcos Deuteros and Orichalcos Tritos. Using his Orichalcos Kyutora to protect his Life Points from being depleted and the magic of Orichalcos Deuteros to increase his Life Points with every passing turn, Dartz seemed almost unbeatable. Kaiba lost his soul after some time, but not before increasing Yami's Life Points by the ATK of his Mirror Force Dragon with Wish of Final Effort.

Afterwards, Yami continued the Duel and activated the card that Pegasus created back at Industrial Illusions to battle Dartz and the Paradius Corporation—"Legend of Heart", which allowed Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos to assume their human forms as the Legendary Knights. Sending them into battle against Dartz' infinitely strong Divine Serpent, Yami was able to eke out his victory—but not before the Leviathan seemed to swallow Dartz whole. The Legendary Knights opened a tear in reality, returning the souls of the Chosen Duelists to their proper vessels.

The final episodes of this arc brought Yugi, Joey, and Kaiba into battle with Dartz, who seemed to have merged with the Leviathan. Joined by the inhabitants of the Dominion of the Beasts, they call forth their strongest monsters, as well as the Legendary Knights, to battle the Great Beast. However, the Leviathan is too strong, despite their best efforts, and absorbs the three Chosen Duelists into its own body. Yami convinced all the people whose souls' dark feelings fueled the Leviathan's power to remember all the good things in their lives. In turn, the Chosen Duelists—as well as the Egyptian Gods, whose souls Dartz offered as a tribute to accelerate the Leviathan's awakening—were released, and Yami left Yugi's body to join them in the battle. Through the power of the light of everyone's souls fueling the Gods, Yami was able to defeat the Leviathan, and Dartz was restored to his human form. However, the Leviathan's essence still existed, and Yami knew that the only way to defeat the Great Beast was to face his inner demons and step into its darkness. Using the power of his light, Yami's spirit was able to seal away the Leviathan into the Shadow Realm. With the Beast permanently eliminated, Dartz seemed to act differently, as it was revealed in a flashback during the Tag Team Duel with him that he had also fallen under the control of the Orichalcos.

Grand Championship
Yugi, Kaiba, and all of Yugi's friends prepared for Kaiba's ultimate tournament, the KC-1 Grand Prix Championship. The winner of the tournament would face Yugi Muto in an attempt to claim his title as the world Duel Monsters champion.

On the opening day, while Yugi and his friends are watching a Duel between Rick and a CPU opponent, a hacker traps all the duelists and spectators inside the makeshift electronic stadium. The CPU opponent level has been altered to its highest of difficulty, and the only way for everyone to escape is to defeat the CPU in a Duel. Rick had mostly Dragon-Type Normal Monsters and almost no Magic or Trap Cards in his Deck. Yugi transforms into Yami and takes over, using "Heart of the Underdog", a card Yugi had given Rick and combining it with the effects of "Spirit Ryu" wins and frees everyone.

Yami faced Leon von Schroeder, who assumed the alias Leon Wilson, in the finals. Leon acted differently during the Title Bout and Yugi discovered that Leon only wanted to duel and defeat him to earn the respect of his family that Zigfried couldn't earn in his youth. Leon played an illegal card, "Golden Castle of Stromberg", that forced Yugi to discard half the cards in his Deck with every passing turn that Leon took and also infected a virus into the KaibaCorp computer system. Yami figures out a weakness in the card; He couldn't discard half the Cards in his Deck, having only 1 card left. He was able to destroy it and nullify the virus. With "Golden Castle of Stromberg" defeated, Yugi continued the Duel and played several Spell and Trap Cards before striking the final blow using "Dark Magician", "Necromancy", and "Diffusion Wave-Motion" to win.

Capsule Monsters
Yugi suffers nightmares where Yami is being captured by a giant monster. These nightmares cause the Millennium Puzzle to act strange.

Joey Wheeler onw his friends a trip to India. This resulted in them meeting Alex Brisbane, who took them to the Pyramid of Alexander the Great, after their plane crashlanded. Here Brisbane transports them to another world, where Duel Monsters creatures are real.

Yugi gets split up from his friends after they're ambushed by a number of Gokibore and a Kamakiriman. Yami Yugi comes out to help Yugi. He accidently touches a capsule, which causes Celtic Guardian to appear. Yami uses Celtic Guardian to defeat Kamakiriman.

Millennium World
Yami ventures to find the memory world to learn his name and fight the same evil. which threatened the world thousand of years ago again. In order to do this, he plays the Dark RPG against Yami Bakura. These events are covered in the Millennium World manga and second series anime.

Ceremonial Battle
With the 7 Millennium Items, 3 Egyptian God cards, Zorc Necrophades defeated, his past learnt, including his name, the pharaoh can depart the mortal world, and join his faithful priests in the afterlife. In order to open the doorway to the afterlife, Yami must be defeated in a Duel, known as the Ceremonial Battle.

Yami and his friends follow the Egyptian belief that a pharaoh must depart via a boat. Joey and Kaiba both volunteer to face Yami in the battle, but Yugi insists that he shall battle Yami. Yami leaves Yugi think in private, as he constructs a Deck for the battle. Yugi does the same for Yami.

They arrive at the Eye of Wdjat. Yami Yugi and Yugi split into two seperate bodies and begin to duel, with neither player holding back.

Yami quickly Summons the Egyptian Gods. Using "Valkyrion the Magna Warrior" in combination with "Magnet Force" and predicting Yami's moves, Yugi is able to redirect Slifer's blasts back at the Gods, lowering their ATK and eventually destroying them.

As the Duel continues, Yami's will was so strong, he influenced fate to draw exactly what cards he needs. After a few turns, Yami Summons "Dark Magician", who Mahad takes the form of to defend the Pharaoh. Despite Yami's best efforts, Yugi destroys his most faithful cards that Yami Summons.

Yami tries to end the Duel, by reviving "Slifer the Sky Dragon", but Yugi predicted the move earlier and revealed the card he hid with "Gold Sarcophagus" was also "Monster Reborn", negating its effect.

Yami ends his turn, ready to admit defeat. Yugi hesitates to make his last attack, as he doesn't want Yami to leave. Yugi weeps and orders "Silent Magician" to attack Yami, winning the Duel.

Yugi falls to his knees, crying, thinking that he's weak and cannot follow in Yami's footsteps. Yami tells Yugi that he is not a coward and reminds Yugi that he has taught him about the principles needed to win. Now that he is leaving, he says that there would be no one else for Yugi to follow and that there would only be one Yugi.

The Eye of Wdjat glows on the wall. Yami tells it his name, Atem, in order to open the gate to the afterlife. His friends try to talk him out of leaving at first, but come to accept he must go. Yami says his goodbyes and enters the afterlife to join his Ancient Egyptian friends.

Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
In the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX manga when Jaden Yuki is thinking of legendary duelists, a silhouette of Yami Yugi, Kaiba, Joey and Mai is shown.

In the series finale of Yu-Gi-Oh! GX anime, Yugi transports Jaden Yuki to the past to duel Yugi shortly after the Battle City finals. Seeing Jaden to be a strong duelist, Yugi switches to Yami Yugi to continue the Duel.

Deck
Yami Yugi usually Duels using Yugi's Decks. On occassions he has had his own Deck, including the Ceremonial Battle. Here his Deck revolved around Summoning the Egyptian Gods and also contained a number of "Dark Magician" support cards.