"The Past Is Present", known as "Lost Memories of the Pharaoh" in the Japanese version, is the fifty-second episode of the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime. It first aired in Japan on April 24, 2001, and in the United States on November 23, 2002.
Summary[]
After reassembling the Millennium Puzzle, Yugi re-establishes the bond with the spirit of the Puzzle.
Ishizu Ishtar (who possesses the Millennium Necklace) arrives at Domino City. She invites Seto Kaiba to the museum and introduces him to an interesting tablet which surprises him. This is the first time Kaiba hears about the God Cards. After explaining what the stone tablet represents, Ishizu gives Kaiba one of the Egyptian Gods: "Obelisk the Tormentor". She states to Kaiba that he needs to create a tournament, so that the other two Egyptian Gods can be found. She also states she will let Kaiba use "Obelisk" for the tournament, but she will want it back when the tournament is over. Kaiba refuses to give it back after that is done, believing he will keep it when that happens, but Ishizu sternly states Kaiba will give it back to her. Kaiba leaves, believing he now has what it takes to defeat Yugi and become the number one duelist again.
Plot[]
An airplaine arrives at Domino City and lands at Domino Airport. A security guard greets Ishizu Ishtar, who was in charge of overseeing the safe delivery of various Egyptian artifacts. When the security guard is about to tell Ishizu how they will transoprt the artifacts, she, using the power of her Millenium Necklace, surmizes that the artifacts will be carried in six armored vehicles disguised as garbage trucks, and compliments the plan is a fine one. She and her guards leave to prepare the exhibit.
Yugi, after being discharged from the hospital, walks home with the fully assembled Millenium Puzzle thinking about what happened before. Tea spots Yugi and calls out to him, but Yugi, still lost in thought, does not hear her.
At the Kaiba Mansion Mokuba Kaiba watches Ishizu's press conference and was fascinated about the Ancient Egypt exhibit but when telling his brother about the exhibit, Seto Kaiba refuses as he's busy running his company since he fired the board of directors. Kaiba soon gets a call from Ishizu, who tells him he should watch the news. He was shocked to find out she knew about him watching her press conference. She invites Kaiba to the museum via television and tells the press it will be a night he won't soon forget.
That evening Kaiba arrives at the Domino Museum where Ishizu greets him. Ishizu's guards inform her the museum is now locked and no one gets inside. Ishizu reminds Kaiba that it is a private exhibition and she is cautious because of the recent string of thefts.
At the Game shop, Yugi worries about whoever might come after the puzzle. Yami Yugi assures him everything will be all right.
Tea has a dream about Yami Yugi leaving her to face his destiny, but wakes up from it.
They proceed to enter a room with a stone tablet depicting the Pharaoh and an evil sorcerer engaging in a Duel. Kaiba is shocked to see that the Pharaoh is Yugi and the monster depicted above him is the Dark Magician. Ishizu points out that on the left side of the tablet is the sorcerer who stood against him, Kaiba, and in case he did not believe her, she pointed to the sorcerer's monster: the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
Kaiba believes it is nonsense but Ishizu tries to convince him using her Millenium Necklace, to show Kaiba a vision of his past life.
In the past, the sorcerer challenges the Pharaoh to a duel and some followers chant an incantation to summon a monster from the tablet. The monster summoned was the Lord of Zemia. One of the Pharaoh's servants accepted the duel on behalf of his master and summons his own monster, Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress. The dragon attacked Lord of Zemia and destroyed it and some of the sorcerer's disciples.
In the present, Yugi still felt pathetic about nearly losing the puzzle and Yami, but the latter tells him he must be more confident and he is brave enough to be a pharaoh.
Ishizu shows Kaiba another vision, this time, the sorcerer summoned La Jinn. The servant then summoned another monster, Fairy Dragon and his disciples chant a spell to fuse the two dragons into Kaiser Dragon and the dragon destroys Lajin along with more of the sorcerer's disciples.
Kaiba dismisses the fact he was the sorcerer but Ishizu shows him one final vision: The sorcerer summons two monsters: Battle Ox and Mystic Horseman and offers them both to summon a more powerful monster: the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, which shocks Kaiba. Blue-Eyes White Dragon destroys Kaiser Dragon.
Ishizu claims that it isn't just a coincidence that Yugi is Kaiba's rival as they have been fighting each other since the ancient past.
She claims it's his destiny to fight the Pharaoh again but Kaiba dismisses her. As he is about to leave Ishizu points out that she thought Kaiba wanted cards that could surpass Exodia and points to the top of the tablet to the three most powerful monsters of all time: Obelisk the Tormentor, Slifer the Sky Dragon and The Winged Dragon of Ra. She tells him that Kaiba controlled at least one of these monsters, he could defeat a million armies and if he wields all three, the world would be his to command. Kaiba asked Ishizu if Maximillion Pegasus made them into cards, which she confirms. Kaiba calls her out asking if Pegasus has those cards why didn't he use them against him in the Duelist Kingdom tournament and Ishizu tells him Pegasus could not control the power of these cards as they threatened to overwhelm and destroy him.
Kaiba thinks that if these cards made Pegasus scared then if he had them he would be the most powerful duelist in the world, but he does not know how to find them and he can't ask Pegasus so he asks Ishizu and she tells him he gave them to her for safe keeping, but there was a group who stole the cards, the Rare Hunters, an elite sect of duelists who sell rare cards on the black market and keep powerful rare cards for dueling decks to give to their soldiers.
Ishizu proposes to hold a tournament in Domino City and Kaiba surmizes it's a trap to lure out the Rare Hunters who will bring the Egyptian God Cards. As a parting gift, Ishizu gives Kaiba Obelisk the Tormentor. Kaiba thought the cards were stolen, but Ishizu tells him that she was able to at least keep Obelisk safe and he can borrow it for the tournament but wants it back after the tournament was over. Kaiba refuses but Ishizu forsees that he will return the card. Kaiba agrees to organize the tournament, but only so he can be the number 1 duelist again.
Yugi and Yami Yugi were worried that with their new foes power, they have no idea how to stop them. But Yami Yugi assures him they will find a way.
Kaiba heads home with his new Egyptian God Card and claims he will obtain Slifer and Ra.
Differences in adaptations[]
- In the Japanese version, both the airplane and the cargo container have "Egypt Air" written on them.
- In the Japanese version, the sign reading "Domino Egypt Exhibit" is changed to "Domino Museum."
- In the English dub, Domino City is placed in America.
- The declaration of banishment to the Shadow Realm is only in the dub.
- The destruction of Kaiser Dragon is obscured in the dub.
- The "Keep Out" sign on the door is changed to a graphic of a walking figure with a line and circle over him in the international version.
- In the dub, the conversation between Yugi and Yami that is interspersed within the episode is about facing the new enemy, yet to be known as the "Rare Hunters", and Yugi believing in himself and Yami Yugi believing in Yugi, while in the Japanese the conversation is about Yami Yugi not knowing who he is, having no memories of his past, and that Yami Yugi wishes to stay with Yugi forever even if he never gets his memory back and Yugi wants Yami Yugi to stay as well.
- In the dub, there is a yellow cloud that covers the shots of the past that Ishizu Ishtar shows Seto Kaiba.
Priest Seto and the Pharaoh's servant's Shadow Game[]
Turn 1: Priest Seto[]
Priest Seto summons Lord of Zemia
Turn 2: Pharaoh's Servant[]
Pharaoh's Servant summons Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress. Winged Dragon attacks Lord of Zemia and destroys it.
Turn 3: Priest Seto's Turn[]
Priest Seto summons La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp
Turn 4: Pharaoh's Servant's Turn[]
Pharaoh's Servant summons Fairy Dragon and casts a spell to fuse it with Winged Dragon, creating Kaiser Dragon. Kaiser Dragon attacks La Jinn and destroys it.
Turn 5: Priest Seto's turn[]
Priest Seto calls forth both Battle Ox and Mystic Horseman and tributes both of them to summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Blue-Eyes attacks and destroys Kaiser Dragon, winning the game.
Featured cards[]
The following cards appeared in this episode. Cards in italics debuted here.
Notes[]
- ↑ This card belongs to Ishizu, but she gives it to Kaiba at the end of the episode.
