Summary
WhileDuel Monstersis undoubtedly the most popular and well-known series of theYu-Gi-Oh!anime, there have been eight in total, all of which feature entirely different settings and characters, alongside stories that vary wildly in length. While some of these stories are concise, giving viewers a moderate number of Duels and character arcs to keep them engaged, some would turn into entire sagas due to their length, giving fans more content to enjoy overall.
The beauty ofYu-Gi-Oh!is that directors can take it any way they like, whether that be to turn it into mature shōnen anime, or simply a bitesize adventure that is more lighthearted and casual. Needless to say,Yu-Gi-Oh!has changed a lot over the years, but for those curious about the length of each series, here is how they all stack up.
Before jumping in, it should be prefaced that theGo Rush!!series will not be counted considering it is still ongoing.
Season 0 is the fan-given name for the very first anime series ofYu-Gi-Oh!, though this specific series would be far different fromDuel Monsters, which would arrive much later. While Yugi is still the star of the show here, his relationship with Atem is a lot different, with the latter being seen as an evil and sadistic duelist who Yugi would actually be afraid of rather than the two having a student and mentor relationship.
The tone of Season 0 is also entirely different, being more of a horror-themed series that only lasts for a total of 27 episodes overall, making for an easy but also quite bizarre watch, which is worth checking out for how curiously odd it is. It’s worth prefacing that Season 0 is only available in Japanese since it was only withDuel Monstersthat the anime would become popular enough to earn a dub in the West.
7Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens
Episodes: 92
Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevensis the sixth series ofYu-Gi-Oh!, and overall, is fairly short in length, which makes sense since it’s very much designed to be the most accessible and easy to digest.Sevensis directed toward a younger audience, and as a result, the characters are a lot more one-note and straightforward, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The introduction of Rush Duels also makes matches much faster and more chaotic, getting viewers in and out of the action as quickly as possible.
A standout element of the show isYuga’s fiery rivalry with Luke, leading to some of the best Duels in the entire series where it is never guaranteed that Yuga will be able to grab the victory in the end. The short length and gorgeous animation ofSevensmake it one of the easiest series to rewatch, and an absolute blast on first viewing.
Despite having a pretty ambitious story with tons of well-developed characters,Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINSmanages to pack it all into a neat 120 episodes, giving viewers a good amount of time to enjoy the hyper-futuristic setting and duels. In stark contrast toSevens,Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINShas a muchdarker and more mature storythat revolves around Yusaku, a talented duelist who is a victim of the Hanoi Project where he was forced to Duel inside a cyber world beyond his mental and physical limits.
VRAINStherefore follows Yusaku’s growth after that horrific event, but there are also plenty of episodes centered entirely on developing Yusaku’s friends A prime example of this is the fan-favorite Blue Angel, whose happy-go-lucky demeanor is challenged at numerous points throughout the story, which ends up unraveling her gut-wrenching backstory, and this is just one of many.VRAINStherefore succeeds in packing a ton of content into its runtime without ever feeling like it overstays its welcome.
Some will claim thatZexalis a kind of remake of the originalDual Monsters Yu-Gi-Oh!anime, and while there are certainly similarities, especially with the dual protagonists, it still does enough to stand on its own and is also about half the length of its counterpart. The story follows Yuma, a young and fairly naive duelist who comes to possess the spirit known as Astral, who is on the search for his missing memories.
The relationship between Yuma and Astral is very much at the core of this series, with the two initially being fairly hostile to one another, until eventually becoming lifelong partners after partaking in plenty of high-stakes duels.Zexalis known for its fairly sluggish first arc, but this is largely by design, as the series takes a while to establish its world and characters before getting into the action, which can be appealing for fans oflong-running animewhere this is largely the norm.
Despite being probably the most divisive series ofYu-Gi-Oh!,Arc Vstill reaches some very high highs in its story, especially near the beginning when fans are still being introduced to Yuya and the other bubbly members of the cast. However, while there is a slice-of-life aesthetic to this series, when it decides to raise the stakes, it results in some of the most iconic moments in all ofYu-Gi-Oh!; the first time Yuya goes berserk being a prime example.
Admittedly,Arc Vbenefits from its length, considering it sees Yuya and his friends jumping between multiple dimensions, which each pay homage to a previous series. Some of the characters who would become mainstays in Yuya’s party would even be from an entirely different part of the franchise, such as Crow and Jack Atlas being from the5D’sanime. Outside of the first season,Arc Valso contains little to no filler content, allowing fans to be engrossed in the story at all times.
5D’sfeatures a large cast of memorable duelists who all get their time to shine throughout this immensely popular series. While the beginning of the anime focuses on Yusei Fudo making his way out of the Satellite and reaching the luxurious Domino City, once characters like Jack Atlas, Akiza, and the shady villains known as the Dark Signers get involved, the story takes all sorts of unexpected turns to justify its fairly lengthy runtime.
Out of everyYu-Gi-Oh!anime adaptation,5D’sis the one that feels most like atraditional shōnenthat isn’t afraid to deal with very serious themes, including classism and discrimination. While many agree that the quality of the series takes a noticeable dip when reaching its climax,5D’sis still a fun and memorable experience that will hook viewers from the first few episodes and take them on an epic ride through the Duel Lanes.
WhenYu-Gi-Oh! GXkicks off with Jaden and hisintroverted palSyrus studying duels in an academy, nobody could have ever expected it would turn into a story about the protagonist becoming a villain after failing to face his inner demons. As bizarre as it sounds,Yu-Gi-Oh! GX’s first half is much more silly and lighthearted, with episodes being dedicated to Jaden dueling a Tarzan impressionist or Dueling over a mistaken love letter.
However, once Jesse is introduced and becomes trapped in an alternate universe, the story takes an unexpected turn as Jaden slowly succumbs to the darkness, becoming the Demon King. Considering the ambition of the narrative,GXends up as the second-longest series ofYu-Gi-Oh!overall, but it’s such a nostalgic show for many that it is still easily rewatchable, especially given how much fun the characters are, especially Chaz.
Many fans would first be exposed toYu-Gu-Oh!through the very first series of the official anime,Duel Monsters, a story about Yami Yugi and the majestic Pharaoh who resides within him. Though 224 episodes may seem like a lot, the truth is, theDuel Monstersanime features such a fun variety of arcs that it keeps things from ever getting stale. One moment,Yugi and the gangwill be competing in an epic tournament to retrieve rare cards, while the next, they’ll be facing off against humanoid animals in a cyber world.
ThoughDuel Monstersis therefore very unpredictable, the one underlying current that keeps it all together is the core theme of friendship. There’s a charming emphasis on the impenetrable bond between not only Yugi and his friends, but also Yugi and Atem, and how the latter comes to teach his student how to become a formidable duelist who would eventually become the king of games. By the time fans reach the final duel between the two, the length of the series makes it feel like the emotional end to a long and arduous journey that will stay with them long after the final credits roll.
