Top 10 Most Powerful Characters in Yu-Gi-Oh

#10: Joey Wheeler

"Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters" (2000-2004)

When Joey started off, his main strategy was simply warrior monsters and few trap and magic cards –with a little extra firepower from Red-Eyes Black Dragon. However, as the series progressed, his deck became a lot more well-rounded – with enhancements to give his monsters a little power boost and a heavier emphasis on luck and games of chance. Unfortunately, this OG underdog has taken more than his fair share of beatings, but he’s too brave and stubborn to back away from a challenge –especially if it’s in honor of his loved ones. Plus, we know for a fact that Joey could’ve beaten Marik if the plot didn’t demand otherwise… that loss was just cruel and unfair.

#9: Declan Akaba

"Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V" (2014-17)

Declan is probably the youngest duelist ever to be allowed to duel in the professional circuit. Hard to say we’re surprised since not only has he aced Pendulum summoning the moment he discovered it, but has also mastered all three extra deck types at the time – fusion, synchro, and Xyz. For his deck, Declan utilizes the D/D and D/D/D archetypes, and his most powerful beasts are the Super Doom King Armageddon monsters –all of which eerily resemble previous “Yu-Gi-Oh!” villains. While both archetypes have their drawbacks, Declan’s strategies help him avoid the negative effects of working with these fiendish cards while harnessing their might to devastate his opponents.

#8: Jack Atlas

"Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's" (2008-11) & "Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V" (2014-17)

Whether from the “5D’s” canon or the “ARC-V” Synchro Dimension, Jack has always been the self-proclaimed “master of faster”. An arrogant claim, but he does have a powerhouse deck to prove his might –heavy emphasis on “power”. His main strategy involves enabling himself to synchro summon his devastating ace monsters – Red Dragon Archfiend in “5D’s” and Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend in “ARC-V” –as well as their respective upgraded forms. Both dragons are devastating on their own; but just to be safe, Jack also likes to protect his beloved beasts with traps to strengthen their power and overwhelm his opponents. It definitely pays off for Jack; after all, how many rivals can boast on defeating TWO main protagonists at least once?

#7: Kite Tenjo

"Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal" (2011-14) & "Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V" (2014-17)

Whether as a Number hunting anti-hero or a member of the Resistance, Kite is a duelist that COMMANDS respect and has the tools to earn it. “Zexal” Kite utilizes a Photon Xyz deck, storming the field with light monsters to summon his signature Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon -and its even deadlier upgraded forms. His Xyz Dimension counterpart in “Arc-V” has two aces up his sleeves – his photographic memory, and the Cipher cards to give his monsters a needed boost to call forth the Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon – a blinding juggernaut that can hijack his opponent’s monsters. To top it all, Kite achieves what other rival characters dare to dream of – never even once losing to his main series’ protagonist.

#6: Yuya Sakaki

"Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V" (2014-17)

After being stripped of his power, Z-ARC was split into four reincarnations –each representing a fragment of his personality and one of the Four Dimension Dragons. Yuya –our main protagonist- inherited Z-ARC’s need to entertain, and discovered the power of Pendulum summoning. Equipped with his trusty Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, this “Dueltainer” boasts one of the highest win ratios in the franchise. While accolades like the friendship cup cement him as an awesome duelist, perhaps his greatest accomplishments are beating legends such as Aster Phoenix, Crow Hogan and Jack Atlus.

#5: Jaden Yuki

"Yu-Gi-Oh! GX" (2004-08)

Out of all the main protagonists, Jaden easily has the most duels under his belt –and let’s be honest, the most normal haircut. Naturally, with such a high duel count comes an equally high WIN count –and only a small handful of losses. From the start, his deck was centered on the Elemental Heroes – superhero-like warriors with a vast selection of fusion combinations. Later on, he adapted his deck to include the Neo-Spacians –alien creatures of his own design that could contact fuse WITHOUT the use of polymerization. With a near-limitless amount of fusion combinations, Jaden definitely has one of the most versatile decks in the anime and has well-earned his spot at the head of the class.

#4: Yusaku Fujiki

"Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS" (2017-19)

Unfortunately, Yusaku –the most recent protagonists- hasn’t dueled as much as others in the series. However, his scoreboard more than makes up for that since –aside from a few traumatic flashbacks- he has never lost a single match in the series. His key to success lies within his Cyberse deck – swarming the field with weaker beasts and smaller link monsters in order to link summon his more powerful combatants –including the Firewall Dragon or his army of Code Talkers. Later on, Yusaka starts implementing more non-link summoning methods to bring even stronger beasts onto the field; and, if push comes to shove, he can unleash his deadliest beast of all – the Firewall Dragon Darkfluid.

#3: Seto Kaiba

"Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters" (2000-2004)

As the OG rival, Kaiba’s ultimate end goal is to be the number one duelist of all time. His lust for power is ultimately reflected in his deck, which is filled to the brim with brutish, ferocious beasts –including the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Kaiba’s use of dragons may seem excessive, but he definitely knows how to use them to obliterate his opponent; and, if needed, he can also sabotage his enemy’s deck with some handy trap cards. Unfortunately, despite his merciless deck and immense power, Kaiba ends up just barely losing to Yugi in nearly every duel they have together. In fact, the only time he’s ever actually beaten Yugi was by unfairly forcing him to surrender… not cool, Kaiba boy.

#2: Yusei Fudo

"Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's" (2008-11)

As one of the more brooding, mature protagonists, Yusei is definitely a force to be reckoned with. The only time we’ve ever seen him lose was in a flashback against Jack Atlas. There have also been a handful of duels he never finished, but there’s no guarantee he would’ve lost those matches. Other than that, Yusei has a nearly spotless record of wins; the majority of those wins are thanks to him playing it smart and being able to adapt to any card he’s given. It also doesn’t hurt to have been loaded with low-level monsters so he can easily access his more heavy-hitting synchro summons –including his most formidable ace, the Stardust Dragon.

#1: Yugi Muto & Yami Yugi

"Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters" (2000-2004)

It’s only fair to have both Yugi and Yami in one entry since they’ve both shared a body and the title of the OG king of games. Call it plot armor or the “Heart of the Cards”, but they almost always miraculously draw the card they need to turn the duel in their favor. A lot of that is thanks to the well-rounded and adaptable cards in their deck –including their iconic Dark Magician. Throughout the original series, these two have only lost a handful of times –mostly on their own terms. While Yami does most of the battling, it’s Yugi who ultimately proved himself by the series’ end by beating his other half in the final duel.