The Yu-Gi-Oh! anime is nothing if not exciting. There are constant twists and turns in every battle, and viewers never know what to expect. Even the filler arcs add a huge amount of entertainment to the show.
Each character in the show brings something new and different to the plot, and each of them had plenty of standout moments throughout their time on the show. Despite not actually being a duelist herself, Tea’s is devastating Crump while trapped in Noah’s Virtual World arc.
Tea Devastating Crump
Tea was forced to duel in the Virtual World in order to stop Crump from taking over her body, and this was sort of a bad deal for her as she’s not a duelist to begin with.
However, she armed herself with Dark Magician Girl as her Deck Master and went on against all odds. And she absolutely trounced him. While Crump had the lead in the beginning, she quickly took that lead back and defeated Crump in an awesome combo that used both her Dark Magician Girl and Yugi’s own Dark Magician, maintaining her 100% win rate on the show.
Yugi Defeating Atem
Yugi’s biggest moment on the show was far and away defeating Atem in the final battle. After living in the shadow of Atem for years, he was finally able to break out and show everyone that he was just as much the King of Games as Atem himself was.
Any scene from this battle can be pointed to as iconic. Whether it’s Yugi taking down each of the Egyptian God cards against all odds or landing the final blow against Atem, it all showed just how powerful of a duelist and person Yugi is. He truly showed that he was ready to walk alone, without Atem by his side.
Atem Remembering His Name
If Atem’s most iconic scene isn’t the complete overkill that he dealt Weevil in the Waking the Dragons arc, which has spawned countless recreations and memes over the years, it’s certainly when he remembered his name in the final season of the show.
After remembering his name, Atem manages to summon The Creator God of Light, Horakhty to defeat Zorc and, in turn, save the world one last time. This scene signifies so much growth throughout the series and simply shows off just how powerful of a character that Atem truly is.
Joey’s Battle With Valon
Joey and Valon’s fight might chaotic by all standards, but it is Joey’s biggest moment in the show. He’s all on his own, going against a force that is just as powerful as him, using a card that gives him a massive advantage.
But when Joey first dons his own suit of armor to take on Valon’s, the energy is electric. If Joey had been able to defeat Marik in their Battle City duel, though, that scene would have taken this spot on the list.
Tristan Rescuing Mokuba
Tristan, in all honesty, does not have that many big moments on the show. One of his biggest, in fact, is literally when he dies in order to protect Serenity while in the Virtual World. Death is one of Tristan’s biggest moments, cool.
Tristan’s biggest moment is saving Mokuba during the Duelist Kingdom arc of the show. He just sort of sneaks off and does it during one of the duels, and good for him for doing so.
Mai Stealing Ra From Marik
While it is unfortunately followed by one of her worst, Mai’s most iconic scene is her stealing the Winged Dragon of Ra in her duel with Marik that she won in terms of actually dueling.
Had he not beaten her by a ridiculous case of plot armor, then this would have been a fantastic moment for her. It’s a shame she never got any strong redemption scenes throughout the rest of the show’s run.
Serenity Rescuing Joey From Drowning
Serenity ripping off her bandages and immediately diving into the water in order to save Joey from drowning is fantastic, iconic doesn’t even begin to cover it.
She’s absolutely fearless in her determination to save her brother, and if she hadn’t acted, it’s unlikely that anyone else would have. From this moment on, Serenity doesn’t make much of an impact until her duel in the Virtual World arc that Tristan sacrifices himself during in order to save her.
Kaiba Resurrecting Obelisk
Kaiba has plenty of iconic moments during the actual run of the anime, such as his destruction of Zigfried and plenty of Battle City duels. He’s definitely a character who loves drama and knows how to steal a scene.
However, summoning Obelisk through sheer willpower and determination during Dark Side of Dimensions is nothing short of amazing. Kaiba has fully harnessed the power he has through his connection with Ancient Egypt in this scene, and he isn’t afraid to use it. Watching him summon Obelisk to send Diva packing is awe-inspiring, to say the least.
