Joey Wheeler went through a great deal of growing up during the course of Yu-Gi-Oh! Starting the show as the over-enthusiastic best friend to Yugi Muto, Joey went from terrible duelist to third-best in the Duelist Kingdom. At one point, Joey was so good tjat he would’ve actually beaten Marik during the Battle City semi-finals if only his body hadn’t given up.
Under the training of Salomon Muto, Joey learns the importance of having a balanced deck. Not as strategic as Mai or Kaiba, Joey’s deck relies on chance and fortune. Several of his cards involve games of luck, earning him the scorn of other duelists. While most of his monsters are Warriors, Joey doesn’t favor any one type over the other, especially after his victories in Battle City infuse his deck with all sorts of rare monsters, like the powerful Jinzo.
Garoozis
A staple of Joey’s deck throughout the Duelist Kingdom and Battle City arcs, Joey used this ferocious beast in several high-profile episodes. Garoozis is brought into battle in both of Joey’s duels during the finals of the Duelist Kingdom, against Bandit Keith and Yugi himself.
Garoozis fits with Joey’s initial perception of how dueling was about raw power and intimidation. An all-around decent monster, Garoozis boasts a generous 1800 ATK and 1500 DEF, making a good offensive option for any deck.
Alligator’s Sword
Another fierce-looking lizard, Alligator’s Sword is one of Joey’s longest companions. It first appears in Joey’s first duel in Battle City, an unofficial match against a Rare Hunter, which he loses, and makes it all the way to his last match in the series against Zigfried Lloyd, which he also loses.
Not as strong as Garoozis, Alligator’s Sword has a respectable 1500 ATK and 1200 DEF. It’s still a valuable member of Joey’s team, though, especially when combined with the powerful trap card, Kunai with Chain, which granted it an extra 500 ATK points, a strategy Joey liked to employ to varying degrees of success.
Rocket Warrior
One of Joey’s rarest and most useful cards, the Rocket Warrior is used several times in Battle City, quickly becoming a star of Joey’s deck. An effect monster, Rocket Warrior prevents any damage to both itself and its controller during the Battle Phase while also weakening the ATK power of its target by 500 points.
After Battle City, Rocket Warrior stays with Joey and is used during some of his Orichalcos duels. A very valuable card indeed, it also features a very decent 1500 ATK and 1300 DEF.
Panther Warrior
A second monster who made its debut during Joey’s unofficial duel against the Rare Hunter in Battle City, Panther Warrior is a powerful weapon if used properly. Though it boasts an impressive 2000 ATK, Panther Warrior, requires a sacrifice before attacking.
Joey would often pair this savage beast with the magic card Scapegoat. After the four sheep tokens appeared, he would sacrifice one of them to allow the Panther’s attack. It was a clever strategy that he usually employed with great success, confirming how much he had grown in the game.
Gearfried The Iron Knight
The monster that would’ve defeated Marik Ishtar during his duel with Joey, Gearfried was one of the upgraded monsters that Joey got in between Duelist Kingdom and Battle City.
With 1800 ATK and 1600 DEF, Gearfried has a special ability that’s incredibly situational. It destroys any Equip Cards that have been equipped to it, by either the player or the opponent. This proves effective in Joey’s duel against Weevil, but it’s a tricky ability that needs to be cleverly used.
Time Wizard
One of the most whimsical-looking cards in Joey’s deck, Time Wizard might not seem like much at first sight. After all, it only has 500 ATK and 400 DEF. However, the Wizard’s ability makes it a unique monster. When played, roulette is spun, with two possible outcomes: if the hand lands on the castle, then time is accelerated, aging-up all monsters in the field. If it lands on the skulls, however, all monsters on the player’s side of the field are destroyed.
Time Wizard is one of Joey’s aces, and he often uses it to the shock of his opponents who can’t believe he’s leaving so much to chance. This curious card was a gift from Yugi during the boat ride to the Duelist Kingdom in the third episode of the original series.
Baby Dragon/Thousand Dragon
Speaking of Time Wizard, Joey would often use the funny-looking clock to age-up his Baby Dragon and turn it into the Thousand Dragon. This change is huge, considering that Baby Dragon has a meek 1200 ATK and 700 DEF. Thousand Dragon, however, has ten centuries of experience that take all the way to 2400 ATK and 200 DEF.
This duo of cards is one of Joey’s most famous strategies. He uses them during his first duel in the Duelist Kingdom against Mai Valentine, and they help him get his first-ever win, not only on the tournament, but in the original series.
Jinzo
Joey’s deck suffered an extraordinary change thanks to his victories in Battle City. Because of Kaiba’s rules, the loser was required to give the winner their rarest card. As such, Joey got Insect Queen from Weevil Underwood, Legendary Fisherman from Mako Tsunami, and, of course, Jinzo from Espa Roba.
One of the single most useful cards in all the game, Jinzo is not only absurdly powerful. With a 2400 ATK and 1500 DEF, it also has an incredible ability; as long as Jinzo remains face-up in the field, the activation and effect of all trap cards is negated. Joey uses it in countless duels, aware of how good of an ally this ugly-looking machine was.
Flame Swordsman
Joey’s favorite card, Flame Swordsman, servers as both his Deck Master during Noah’s virtual nightmare and as a personification of Joey himself when Yugi first battles Yami Bakura.
Its 1800 ATK and 1600 DEF make it an average part of Joey’s advanced deck. Its Deck Master ability allowed Joey to give part of those 1800 ATK points to any monster of his choosing. Flame Swordsman isn’t a particularly strong monster, but Joey’s bond with it is akin to Yugi’s with Dark Magician, making it one of the most important members in the blonde’s deck.
Red-Eyes Black Dragon
Joey’s pride and joy, Red-Eyes Black Dragon is, in a lot of ways, his most powerful and precious monster. He won it from Rex Raptor during his second match in the Duelist Kingdom and held it in very high esteem ever since. He briefly lost it when the Rare Hunter beat him during the unofficial Battle City duel, and the card even stayed with Yugi for a while before making its way back to Joey.
While not as powerful as Kaiba’s Blue-Eyes, the Red-Eyes is still a rarity in the game. Its 2400 ATK and 200 DEF are often enhanced by Joey, either by the use of magic cards or, most memorably, by fusing it with Yugi’s Summoned Skull to form the almighty Black Skull Dragon.
