YF --> ANIME --> Introduction to Yu-Gi-Oh!

In Ancient Egypt, lords played a game of great power. These were called the "Shadow Games". However, these game sused a force so powerful it threatened to destroy the entire world. That was until a brave pharaoh locked the magic away, imprisoning it within the Seven Millennium Items.

Now, one boy has released the power.

IT'S TIME TO DUEL!

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Referred to as simply "Yu-Gi-Oh!" in the west) was the series that introduced Yu-Gi-Oh! to the land outside the land of the rising sun! This series had a totally different, less adult-oriented storyline, but still made references to the first two episodes of The Shadow Games (see above), but episodes 3 and onwards from that series were treated as if they had never happened. Duel Monsters assumes that the viewers are familiar with the characters from the onset, and scenes referring to chronologically earlier events are redone. This has sparked some controversy by fans, as some feel that the Shadow Games series should have been dubbed into English first, and that some parts of the Duel Monsters series do not make sense without it. Following its incredible success in Japan, the series, which consisted of 224 episodes, was translated into more than 20 languages and broadcast in over 60 countries around the world!

In addition to the 224 regular episodes, the series also branched a 12-episode mini series known as 'Capsule Monsters', and three movies, known, in order of creation, as 'Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie: Pyramid of Light' (which received a theatrical release), 'Capsule Monsters: The Movie' and 'Capsule Monsters: Trial of the True King' (the latter two of which were based on the aforementioned mini series, and released straight to DVD).

After a four-year run, the series ended on September 29th 2004 in Japan, May 14th 2006 in the UK, and June 10th 2006 in the USA.

DUELIST KINGDOM

The first series introduces the characters and occasionally retcons their backstories with aspects from "The Shadow Games" to fit in with the new (now canonical) continuity. The first episode repeats the duel between Yugi and Seto Kaiba from the earlier anime and establishes Kaiba as the antagonist, before introducing a new antagonist in the next few episodes. Maximillian Pegasus kicks off the series' first saga by starting a Duel Monsters tournament held on his remote island, Duelist Kingdom. After sealing the soul of Yugi's grandfather with his Millennium Eye, Yugi is forced to join, accompanied by Joey, whom is established to be his best friend, as well as Tristan, Tea and several other recurring characters. Mai is also introduced here, who would play the part of Joey's love interest and typical "damsel in distress"-like roles as she becomes more part of the gang throughout the series. Joey's sister also makes her first appearance when it is revealed that the money for her vital eye operation is Joey's main motivation for joining the tournament (This is Serenity's only appearance in Season 1).

BATTLE CITY

After the conclusion of the Duelist Kingdom, as the gang are adjusting to lives afterward, when the focus of the plot switches to Seto Kaiba, who learns from new character Ishizu Ishtar of three Egyptian "God Cards", which claim to have power stronger than Exodia the Forbidden One (the monster to which Kaiba fell by Yugi's hand in the first episode). Ishizu gives Kaiba the weakest of the three, and explains that the other two are held by the "Rare Hunters", a gang of cloaked black market dealers who make profits selling cards, both legal and illegal. Motivated by this, Kaiba starts his own tournament, Battle City, his intention being to surpass the hype of Duelist Kingdom and, using the God Cards, regain his title of champion after it was taken by Yugi. However, unbeknownst to everyone, the Battle City tournament has attracted the attention of more than just duelists, and it turns from a friendly competition into, in Kaiba's own words, an "all-out war", filled with betrayal, law-breaking and incredible plot lines. The season ends on a cliff-hanger, with the tournament finalists (including the new antagonist, Marik, leader of the Rare Hunters) on their way to the finals.

ENTER THE SHADOW REALM

Season 3 begins where Season 2 left off - on the KaibaCorp blimp on its way to the location of the Battle City finals. However, on the way they are hijacked by a signal from deep beneath the ocean, and it is soon discovered that the people behind this are actually figures from Kaiba's past: The Big Five. The Big Five were KaibaCorp's board of directors, introduced in the end of Season 1, but fired by Kaiba after trapping him and the gang in a virtual world that Kaiba had created as the most sophisticated game ever created. Now, they're back, with a bigger and better virtual world to trap them in created by a mysterious boy named Noah who seems to know a lot about Kaiba. Kaiba himself goes through a lot of character development, not only learning a life lesson about the dangers of burying the past, but also growing closer to Yugi and the gang due to the perils they face together.

WAKING THE DRAGONS

Season 4 starts a completely new story, Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie bridging the hiatus between this and the previous season. Yugi now has all three Egyptian Gods, as established in the movie, and Kaiba is still trying to take them from him. However, starting from this season, Kaiba's character development continues at the pace it gained in Season 3 as he starts to become less and less of an antagonist to Yugi and his friends Yugi starts to consider him part of the gang after what they went through together in the virtual world (although Joey still despises him). When the season begins, a mysterious cloaked figure appears and, using a mysterious card called the Seal of Orichalcos, traps the soles of Weevil and Rex, before moving onto Yugi. During his duel with Yugi, more mysterious henchmen appear on motorcycles, though it is unknown exactly who they are working for. To top it all off, Pegasus has returned with some information about the recent goings on and offers to help Yugi and the gang, flying them to California where the only hope of defeating the Orichalcos and its holders can be found in the form of three legendary dragons. This season is notable for its character development, delving further into the history of the Pharaoh and his ancient past.

KC GRAND CHAMPIONSHIPS

The final season of Yu-Gi-Oh!, Season 5, begins exactly where Season 4 left off. The gang are still in Calfornia with absolutely no way to get home, before Kaiba offers Yugi and Joey a place in his tournament he is holding for the grand opening of his new theme park, KaibaLand. Although this tournament is really just a publicity stunt, the gang are happy to ablige if it would secure a flight home, and they're always up for a duel. This season not only prompts the return of many recurring characters to both watch and take part in the tournament, but it also prompts some new ones, including the mysterious German Sigfried von Schroeder, and child dueling progidy Leon Wilson. It can also be seen that Yugi is growing tired of the pressures his life continues to bring, and hopes that for once they can duel just for fun. But when a mysterious hacker begins to interrupt the tournament, it slowly unravels a devious plot to bring down KaibaCorp from the inside.

DAWN OF THE DUEL

After the Grand Championships are over, Yugi and the Pharaoh return to Domino City with the rest of the gang. But the troubles are not yet over, because Weevil and Rex, who were tracking Yugi and the gang throughout the whole tournament in hopes of stealing the Egyptian God Cards, almost succeed in their mission as the saga begins, breaking into the game shop in the middle of the night and managing to grab what they think are the cards. However, their plan fails when they discover that what they have taken are not the God cards, but in fact the Millennium Items. They are then found by Yami Bakura, who takes the ring for himself. The thief king decides that after five years of preparation, it is time to return to the ancient past and put his plan in motion, with the revelation that Yugi is also planning the same. The gang travel to Egypt where the magic of the Millennium Items combine and transport the Pharaoh back in time to the world of his memories where he must uncover his secrets by himself, and it seems that the plot that has been unravelling for five seasons is about to end 5000 years in the past, where the Pharaoh must once again face Bakura, King of Thiefs, in the ultimate battle for the fate of the world has we know it (or, temporally speaking, KNEW it).

THE FINAL DUEL

Back in the present, Yugi and the Pharaoh face off in the final duel, the one duel to decide the fate of the Pharaoh. In order to prove that his destiny in the present has been fulfilled, the Pharaoh must do the inevitable and lose in a duel to Yugi, his successor. If Yugi wins, then the Pharaoh will return to the afterlife where he belongs, but both must go all out and use the last of their dueling strength; Yugi with everything that the Pharaoh has tought him, and the Pharaoh with the God cards and the power he has gained. It is the literally the battle of kings, and the end of Yu-Gi-Oh.