Summary
Kazuki Takahashi’s game-themed mangaYu-Gi-Oh!first appeared in 1996. Four years later, it was adapted into one of the most memorable anime of the decade,Yu-Gi-Oh!The protagonist, Yugi Muto, is immediately recognizable for his star-fished shaped hair, gothic fashion sense, and spectacular dueling skills.
But Yugi isn’t the only protagonist in theYu-Gi-Oh!franchise. As of 2024, he’sone of eight. The protagonists are united by their love of Duel Monsters, and by the fact that all of them have the kanji Yu (遊) which means ‘play’ in their names. All of them have characteristics that make them a great protagonist, but some are better than others.
8Yuga Ohdo - Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens
Yuga Makes His Own Rules
Yuga Ohdo is a fifth-grader, which could make him harder to relate to if you’re an olderYu-Gi-Oh!fan. But despite his young age, he still has his charms. He’s a creative kid who loves messing around with machines and coming up withunique solutions to problems. He resents the Goha Corporation for intruding on peoples' lives with drones that punish residents of Goha City for breaking rules.
This refusal to accept being controlled extends to his feelings about dueling. He isn’t satisfied with the Goha Master Duels that the surrounding adults favor. He thinks that these duels have far too many rules and are too serious. To make things more fun, he invented his own style of dueling calledRush Duels.ThisYu-Gi-Oh!anime became controversial for changing the rules of the game, but it was still a refreshing take after so many years.
7Yudias Velgear – Yu-Gi-Oh! Go Rush!!
An Alien From Outer Space Who Wants To Learn Dueling
Yudias wins the prize for having the most unusual name. He doesn’t have a Japanese name like the rest of the protagonists. That’s because he’s not from Earth, he’s fromouter space. Specifically, he’s from theVelgear Star Cluster, a place that was consumed by warfare. Though Yudias fought valiantly to protect his home, he was eventually forced to flee. But he had no intention of abandoning his people - instead, he left to learn more about Rush Duels, which he believed could be the key to their salvation.
It’s refreshing to see the characters' origins and name deviate from the original pattern, because it means that the series isn’t in danger of getting stale. Yudias is also a great lens through which viewers can learn about Rush Duels since he’s new to the concept. That said, his story can sometimes come off as a little convoluted.
6Yuya Sasaki – Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V
He’s An Entertainer With An Interdimensional Problem
For Yuya, the most important thing is entertaining others. He doesn’t just duel to win -he duels to put on a show.This means flashy antics, jokes, and even some acrobatic moves. His Performapal deck does a great job of supporting his showmanship. But while he cares a lot about style, he also cares about skill. After winning the Friendship Cup, Yuya becomes the Duel King of Domino City, knocking Jack Atlas from his throne.
Another interesting thing about Yuya is the fact that he has multiple counterparts fromother dimensions.All of them are reincarnations of the villainous Z-ARC, but not all of them retain his cruelty. They have the same face and they can’t help being drawn to each other, even though they often have wildly different goals. Watching Yuya battle with foes who are essentially himself is a fascinating series highlight.
5Yuma Tsukumo – Yu-Gi-Oh! ZeXal
Yuma Takes Yu-Gi-Oh! Back To Basics
One of the key traits of aYu-Gi-Oh!protagonist isoutlandish hair.Yuma fits the bill perfectly - his mane looks less like hair and more like a hood ornament but he has more going on than just his style. In many aspects,Yuma can be considered the opposite of Yugi, and that’s a good thing.
ZeXalcame out after 5D’s, which had Yusei, an atypical shonen protagonist because of his age and his stoic personality. Yuma brings standard-issue shonen protagonist energy back to the franchise. He’sa boisterous thirteen-year-old boywith dreams of becoming a celebrated duelist. At the start of the series, he doesn’t appear to have much talent, which means that he has nowhere to go but up. He might seem standard-issue, but there’s a reason why the plucky hero who never gives up is so common - it works.
4Yusaku Fujiki – Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Yusaku’s Backstory Is Devastating
Yusaku Fujiki has atragic backstorythat could easily fit into a science fiction novel. As a child, he was kidnapped and forced to live in a virtual reality where he spent all of his time dueling. If he lost or didn’t participate, he would be electrocuted and deprived of food. WhileYu-Gi-Oh!is no stranger to characters with traumatic origins, what Yusaku experienced with the Hanoi Project stands out.
His story is especially noteworthy because it has ties to the series' main plot. Ai, the Ignis that was created using Yusaku’s likeness, is the final villain of the series. It’s also worth mentioning that his experiences with the Hanoi project havemeaningful psychological consequences for him. He has nightmares and other symptoms of PTSD. While not perfectly realistic, his reaction to his experiences makes more sense than that of many other characters in the franchise.
3Yuki Judai (Jaden Yuki) – Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Yuki Is Deceptively Complicated
Yuki Judai,also known as Jaden Yuki in the dub, is perhaps one of the most underratedYu-Gi-Oh!Protagonists. He begins the series as a happy-go-lucky student at Duel Academy and ends asthe reincarnation of the terrifying Supreme King. This happened because Yubel - his lover from a past life - forced this process on Yuki, causing him to violently turn against his friends. Ultimately, he fuses his soul with Yubel to stop her wrath and leaves his friends behind to spend his life with her.
His arc is wild, andhis ending is emotionally devastating. He develops as a character, but he doesn’t get better, he gets worse. When the story began, he never would have told Shou (Cyrus) to let his brother die, but by the end, he’s cold enough to toss off that comment like it’s nothing. He defies storytelling conventions, and that’s what makes him deceptively fascinating.
2Yusei Fudo – Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s
For The Mature Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan
As the oldest protagonist in the franchise, Yusei stands out. His life hasn’t been easy. After the Zero Reverse incident, he grew up as an orphan on Satellite, a decaying island that broke off from Neo Domino City. Living there, he had to endurepoverty, police brutality, and discrimination.
Despite the difficulties he faced, he didn’t complain. Instead, he focused on helping his friends, solving problems with duels fought on motorcycles, and working as a mechanic. He’s as stoic as Seto Kaiba wishes he was, and as genuinely kind and caring as Yugi Muto is. He might be a little too lenient with Jack Atlas, but corralling him is too much for even the most dedicated friend to handle.
1Yugi Muto – Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters
There’s No Defeating The O.G. King Of Games
Yu-Gi-Oh!Protagonists have come and gone, but so far nobody has knocked theKing of Gamesfrom his throne. Yugi Muto and the ancient Egyptian spirit that lives inside of him are the first protagonists that the majority of fans think of when they think of the series. Naturally, he’s a talented duelist withplenty of great duelsunder his belt He’s also the model that all future protagonists would follow. Yugi’s iconic hairstyle influenced all the protagonists who would come afterward. His gothic fashion sense is not only stylish, it also contrasts well with his mild-mannered personality.
Speaking of that mild-mannered personality, Yugi appeared in an era when shonen protagonists who weren’t fiery go-getters were rare.Yugi ran so that Izuku Midoriya and Tanjiro Kamado could walk.Like those future shonen heroes, Yugi cares deeply for his friends and shows it, displays emotions other than anger and excitement, and wants to think things through before rushing headlong into danger but will still sacrifice anything for those he cares about.
