1998 – 2004Yu-Gi-Oh! (Duel Monsters)
Where the legend begins: a shy teenager merges with the spirit of an Egyptian pharaoh through the Millennium Puzzle and faces the darkness through Shadow Games.
History
Yugi Mutou, a shy teenager obsessed with games, assembles the Millennium Puzzle and awakens the dormant spirit of an amnesiac Egyptian pharaoh. Sharing one body, the two face cheaters and criminals in deadly Shadow Games, before the Duel Monsters card game becomes the official arena for their duels. Yugi faces KaibaCorp CEO and eternal rival Seto Kaiba, wins Duelist Kingdom and later Battle City, before confronting the Egyptian powers of the Memory World to unravel the secret of the pharaoh's past.
World
Domino City, a modern Japanese port town, serves as the main setting, with flashbacks to ancient Egypt and its tombs filled with Millennium Items.
Legacy
This founding saga establishes every core rule of the real-life card game and introduces Fusion Summoning; it remains the franchise's iconic entry point.
Key characters
Our partners