"Kuriboh" (クリボー Kuribō) is an archetype used throughout the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise. Most of its members are Level 1 monsters with 300 ATK and 200 DEF. The archetype also contains a sub-archetype: "Winged Kuriboh".
Appearances[]
In the anime, "Kuriboh" monsters are notable for being the Spirit partners of the main characters. A few episodes point out that "Kuriboh" monsters have special connections to the main characters, who own various versions of this card.
In Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yugi Muto started with "Kuriboh", which he could discard to reduce battle damage that he would take from his opponent to 0 as well as use "Multiply" to protect him from battle. He uses "Clear Kuriboh" in Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions. He can discard it to negate a damage-dealing monster effect or banish it from the Graveyard to potentially prevent a direct attack.
In Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Jaden Yuki's Deck includes a "Winged Kuriboh" that he received from Yugi. His Kuriboh strategy focuses on Summoning "Winged Kuriboh LV10" with "Transcendent Wings" and Tributing it to wipe out the opponent's Attack Position monsters and inflict damage. His manga counterpart also has "Winged Kuriboh LV9", which restricts the use of Spell Cards. When his "Winged Kuriboh" is destroyed, all battle damage he takes that turn becomes 0.
In the Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's manga, Yusei Fudo uses "Junkuriboh" in his Deck. He can discard it to negate any damage that would make his LP zero and destroy that card.
In Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL, Yuma Tsukumo was gifted Kurivolt (as well as other anti-Xyz cards) after impressing Roku with his skills as well as his dedication to his monsters. Yuma can use its summoning ability to depower enemy Xyz Monsters as well as summon a new monster to his field. He later obtains "Rainbow Kuriboh" during his time in Astral World, which was his father's card, and quickly forms a bond with it. Yuma would use its first effect to prevent his opponent from attacking him and would later activate its second effect of special summoning itself to protect himself from direct attacks.
In the Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V manga, Yuya Sakaki uses "Performapal Kuriborder", which can prevent a direct attack, negate battle damage, and recover LP equal to the negated damage.
In Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS, even though he does not use it in his Main Deck, Yusaku Fujiki used three copies of "Sphere Kuriboh" as shields during his infiltration of SOL Technologies' data bank. Linkuriboh would later cameo in an explanation on Link Monsters. Yusaku would later meet and obtain the "Linkuriboh" card after reuniting with Ai when the latter returned from the Cyberse World. Yusaku uses "Linkuriboh’s" effect lowering his opponent's ATK points to 0, thus making the attack useless and preventing Bohman’s attempts at victory.
Playing style[]
"Kuriboh" monsters are generally defensive in nature, and on their own, they tend to prevent battle damage from occurring to the user. However, some of their support cards allow them to rapidly turn the tables upon the opponent, such as the powerful "Winged Kuriboh LV10" and "Detonate". Most "Kuriboh" monsters have 200 DEF, so "Flamvell Poun" would be perfect for searching your Deck for them. So far, all non-monster support cards for the "Kuriboh" monsters are Quick-Play Spell Cards, allowing them to function quickly in a themed Deck.
The monster "Dystopia the Despondent" works very well with "Kuriboh" Decks as a majority of them are Level 1.
Members[]
Monster | Effect in response to opponent's attack | Protective effect (if any) | Other effects |
---|---|---|---|
Ankuriboh | Discard this card to Special Summon 1 monster from either player's GY, except itself, to your field. | N/A | If this card is destroyed by battle or card effect and sent to the GY: You can add 1 "Monster Reborn" from your Deck or GY to your hand during the End Phase of this turn. |
Astral Kuriboh | N/A | A "Number" Xyz Monster that was Xyz Summoned using this card as material cannot be destroyed by battle or your opponent's card effects. | You can reveal 1 "Number" Xyz Monster in your Extra Deck; Special Summon this card from your hand. If you do, this card's Level becomes the revealed monster's Rank, also while it is face-up in the Monster Zone, you cannot Special Summon monsters from the Extra Deck, except "Number" Xyz Monsters. |
Clear Kuriboh | (Direct attack only) Banish this card from the GY; draw 1 card, if it is a monster, you can Special Summon it, then change the attack target to it. | Discard this card to negate the activation of your opponent's monster effect that would inflict damage. | N/A |
Galactikuriboh | Discard this card; Special Summon 1 "Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon" from your hand or Deck, then change the attack target to it, then you can attach this card from the GY to 1 Xyz Monster on the field as material. | If a "Photon" or "Galaxy" monster(s) you control would be destroyed by battle or an opponent's card effect, you can banish this card from your GY instead. | N/A |
Junkuriboh | N/A | Send this card from your hand or field to the GY to negate the activation of your opponent's card or effect that would inflict damage to you and destroy that card. | N/A |
Kuribah | N/A | When this card, or another "Kuriboh" monster, you control is destroyed by battle: You can Special Summon 1 monster with 300 ATK/200 DEF from your Deck, except "Kuribah". | You can Tribute this card you control and 1 each of "Kuribee", "Kuriboo", "Kuribeh" and "Kuriboh" from your hand and/or field; Special Summon 1 "Kuribabylon" from your hand, Deck, or GY. |
Kuribee | While you control this card and another "Kuriboh" monster: You can change the ATK of all other monsters you control to 0 until the end of this turn, and if you do, negate the attack. | When this card, or another "Kuriboh" monster, you control is destroyed by battle: You can add 1 Spell/Trap from your Deck to your hand that lists the card "Kuriboh" in its text. | N/A |
Kuribeh | N/A | (Quick Effect): You can discard this card, then target 1 "Kuriboh" monster you control; it gains 1500 ATK. | You can Tribute this card you control and 1 each of "Kuribah", "Kuribee", "Kuriboo" and "Kuriboh" from your hand and/or field; add 1 "Kuribandit" from your Deck or GY to your hand, then, immediately after this effect resolves, you can Normal Summon 1 Fiend monster from your hand. |
Kuriboh | Discard this card to prevent taking battle damage. | N/A | N/A |
Kuribohrn | Banish this card from your GY to Special Summon any number of "Kuriboh" monsters from your GY. | N/A | At the end of the Battle Phase: You can discard this card, then target 1 monster in your GY that was destroyed by battle and sent there this turn; Special Summon it. |
Kuriboo | Discard this card; add 1 "Kuriboh" monster from your Deck to your hand, except "Kuriboo". | Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can discard 1 Trap, then target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; it loses 1500 ATK until the end of this turn. | N/A |
Linkuriboh | Tribute this card to change the attacking monster's ATK to 0. | N/A | If this card is in your GY (Quick Effect): You can Tribute 1 Level 1 monster; Special Summon this card. |
Magikuriboh | N/A | Send this card from your hand to the GY to Special Summon 1 "Dark Magician" or "Dark Magician Girl" from your Deck or GY after taking damage. | If a face-up Spellcaster monster(s) you control is destroyed by battle or an opponent's card effect: You can add this card from the GY to your hand. |
Performapal Barokuriboh | If this card is attacked, change it to Attack Position at the end of the Damage Step. | When your monster is destroyed by battle: You can Special Summon this card from your hand. Your opponent's monsters cannot target monsters for attacks, except this one. | (Pendulum Effect) Once per turn, at the start of the Battle Phase: You can add 1 monster with 300 ATK/200 DEF from your Deck to your hand, then destroy this card. |
Performapal Classikuriboh | (Pendulum Effect, direct attack only) Destroy this card, then (as part of Monster Effect) end the Battle Phase. | When you take battle damage while this card is in your GY: You can place this card in your Pendulum Zone. | You can discard this card, then target 1 card in your Pendulum Zone; its Pendulum Scale becomes 1 until the end of this turn. |
Performapal Kuribohble | (Direct attack only) Special Summon this card from your hand, then change the attack target to it and perform damage calculation. If you would take battle damage from that battle, gain that much LP instead. | N/A | N/A |
Rainbow Kuriboh | Equip this card from your hand to the attacking monster, or (Direct attack only) Special Summon this card from your GY. | A monster equipped with this card cannot attack. | N/A |
Relinkuriboh | Banish this card from your GY to prevent 1 monster you control from being destroyed in battle. | N/A | If this card is Tributed: Draw 1 card. |
Sphere Kuriboh | Send this card from your hand to the GY to change the attacking monster to Defense Position. | N/A | When you Ritual Summon, you can banish this card from your GY as 1 of the monsters required for the Ritual Summon. |
Winged Kuriboh LV6 | (Can also be activated in response to opposing monster effect activated on the field) Tribute this card; destroy that monster, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent equal to its original ATK. | N/A | N/A |
Winged Kuriboh LV9 | N/A | N/A | Activate as Chain Link 3 or higher: Special Summon this card from your hand. Spell Cards that have been activated are banished instead of being sent to the GY. The ATK/DEF of this card are each equal to the number of Spells in your opponent's GY x 500. |
Winged Kuriboh LV10 | (Quick Effect activated at any time during opposing Battle Phase) Tribute this card to destroy all Attack Position monsters your opponent controls and inflict damage to them equal to the combined original ATK of those destroyed monster(s). | N/A | N/A |
Recommended cards[]
- Ankuriboh
- Clear Kuriboh
- Detonating Kuriboh
- Junkuriboh
- Kuribabylon
- Kuribah
- Kuribandit
- Kuribee
- Kuribeh
- Kuriboh
- Kuribohrn
- Kuriboo
- Performapal Kuribohble
- Rainbow Kuriboh
- Relinkuriboh
- Sphere Kuriboh
- Winged Kuriboh
- Winged Kuriboh LV6
- Winged Kuriboh LV9
- Winged Kuriboh LV10
- Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning
- Darkness Neosphere
- Dystopia the Despondent
- Flamvell Poun
- Honest
- Kinka-byo
- Mystic Piper
- Shining Angel
- Skilled Brown Magician
- Stygian Street Patrol
Trivia[]
- In the anime, Yusei Fudo and Yuya Sakaki are the only main protagonists to not have a card from this archetype in their Decks. Instead, they receive one in their respective manga series.
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