Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters is a series in which many iconic characters were given ample chances to prove themselves as powerful and talented duelists, even Joey Wheeler, who started as a lackluster duelist and grew into one of the best in the world. Throughout the story, Joey demonstrated his unique set of skills through duels that led to his development.

Nonetheless, due to the plot’s demand, some duels were not as fair as others. Such is the case of Joey’s last duel in the franchise, in which he faced the Kaiba Corp Grand Championship arc’s main villain. Their encounter has become infamous not only for how unfair it was but also because it meant that Wheeler’s final duel ended in a loss.

Joey’s Last Duel Only Served To Make Zigfried Look Better

The Plot Strongly Favored the Villain as He Still Needed to Duel Kaiba

The Kaiba Corp. Grand Championship arc is the underwhelming penultimate arc of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters series. During this event, many of the series’ most skilled duelists in the franchise faced one another in an intense competition. Besides iconic characters like Joey and Grandpa Solomon, a mysterious and manipulative millionaire named Zigfried joined the tournament. This cunning man had a personal vendetta against Kaiba, jealous of Seto’s success. He planned to infiltrate his business rival’s event to ruin it and hack Kaiba Corp.’s mainframe. During the tournament’s second round, Joey was set to duel against this villainous character.

By this point in the series, Joey had proved himself a competent duelist, capable of playing against heavy hitters like Yugi and Kaiba. Yet, when his time to face Zigfried came, the young man reverted to his old habits, almost as if all the progress he made throughout the series had disappeared. Joey was careless, relying too much on brute strength and forgetting about setting defenses. Zigfried, on the other hand, had an almost perfect hand, with each of his cards ready to counter any of Wheeler’s moves. By the end of the duel, Joey was completely humiliated.

He had done almost no damage to his opponent’s Life Points, making him seem like a novice duelist trying to defeat a professional. This would not be a major issue as something similar had already happened during Joey’s duel against Marik. Nevertheless, the fact that this was Joey’s final duel in the series made this loss especially crushing for Yugi’s best friend. He was utilized as a tool to make Zigfried look more menacing, preparing him for his eventual confrontation against Kaiba.

Joey’s Last Duel Should Have Been Against Grandpa

Defeating His Mentor Would Have Been an Ideal Ending to His Journey

When Joey was first introduced, he was a beginner duelist who had no understanding of the game. He had to be taught by Yugi’s grandpa, the former archeologist Solomon, how to be a competent player. Thanks to the elderly gentleman’s lessons, Joey grew to be an accomplished duelist, rivaling the skills of the best of the best. Wheeler fought against opponents the average player could have never even dreamed of facing. The Kaiba Corp. Grand Championship should have been the conclusion of all of his efforts, as proven by his first duel in the tournament.

During the first round, Joey’s opponent was none other than Solomon, who had entered the tournament precisely to test his pupil. Their duel was intense, with both players laying out outstanding and complex strategies in hopes of overwhelming the opponent. While Grandpa had the advantage during the beginning of the duel, Joey managed to destroy his Ancient Dragon combo and crowned himself the winner. This duel would have been an amazing way to demonstrate how much Wheeler had grown as a duelist.

Joey would have officially surpassed his mentor, proving to everyone who once doubted him that he could indeed become an amazing duelist. This incredible finale for Joey’s character was tainted due to the plot needing someone to highlight Zigfried’s danger. Woefully, Yugi’s best friend would never recover from this, as he was never again shown participating in a duel in the franchise. Joey was not an active duelist throughout the rest of season 5, nor the excellent Dark Side of Dimensions movie.

The young Wheeler’s treatment during the finale of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters is a perfect example of how unfair the series can feel at times. Despite this, the series is still one of the most beloved anime, and Joey’s journey from novice to pro is still an inspiring story for anyone looking to improve themselves.