The Millennium Items are a vital part of Yu-Gi-Oh!‘s lore. They are the very center of the show’s primary mystery, the true identity of Yami Yugi, and play a pivotal part in resolving it. At the show’s start, they are under the control of several individuals spread around the world. And while some are friendly towards the Pharaoh, others can’t wait to see him gone.
The Items seem to have a varying degree of conscience and self-sufficiency. They also come with significant perks. They all give the holder special abilities that further separate them from the rest. And while some of these abilities are enviable, others are actually more work than anything else.
Millennium Scale
The most obscure item is the Millennium Scale. Unlike its siblings, the Scale doesn’t play a vital role in the story and is only ever briefly seen. It makes its grand debut during the show’s last arc, Pharaoh’s Memories, revealing its abilities and power.
The Scale allows the user to determine the amount of darkness in a person’s heart. It is a quick way to determine a person’s worth based on traditional concepts of “good” and “evil,” making it somewhat unfair. The Scale’s powers come from Egyptian Mythology, where the God Anubis used a similar method to judge souls in the underworld. If they failed his test, they would get eaten by the demoness Ammit, whose body was part crocodile, part lion, and part hippotamus.
Millennium Necklace
The Necklace allows the user to experience visions of the past and future. They come in the form of vivid glimpses of the distant past and the near future. While the power of clairvoyance is enviable, the Necklace’s power isn’t absolute, though, particularly when it comes to a situation’s outcome. It can only show possible futures that can nonetheless be altered, especially by the influence of another Millennium Item.
The Necklace remains under Ishizu’s control until the Battle City semi-finals. After it fails her in her duel with Seto Kaiba, she willingly gives it to Yugi.
Millennium Eye
The Millennium Eye is Maximilian Pegasus’ primal weapon during the Duelist Kingdom arc. It allows him to see inside other people’s heads, a gift that comes in handy whenever he duels. Pegasus uses his trick to stay one step ahead of his opponents and win every time.
It can also initiate Penalty Games, in which the user traps another person’s soul inside a specific item if the opponent loses the game. Pegasus uses this on Solomon Muto and the Kaiba brothers, trapping their souls inside Duel Monster cards. The Eye is powerful but treacherous, and while its ability is advantageous, it also pales in comparison to the other six.
Millennium Key
The Millennium Key remains under Shadi’s control for the entirety of the series. It allows the user to look inside a person’s soul, manifested in the anime as a vast space called “Room of the Soul.” While inside, the user can explore the room, observing the person’s thoughts.
The user can also “redecorate” the room, thus altering the person’s personality. If the person touches the Key, they revert to their original state. However, the Key’s user also has enough power to manipulate and destroy the personality in the interim. The Key’s ability is more wicked than the previous items, which means only a wise and strong-willed person can wield it and be worthy of it.
Millennium Ring
For most of the series, the Millennium Ring belongs to Bakura Ryou. The Ring has the unique ability to guide the user to whatever he or she desires, acting as a compass. It is even capable of detecting non-physical phenomena, like energies or emotions. The Ring also allows the user to seal parts of his or her soul into other objects, similar to Voldemort and his Horcruxes.
The Ring is by far the most corrupt and evil of the Items, mainly due to housing part of Zorc Necrophades’ soul. It also grants the user specific magical abilities, disrupts other Items’ powers, immobilizes people, and knocks them unconscious. Its dark powers make it hard to control, though.
Millennium Rod
The Rod is the perfect weapon for any super-villain. It grants the power to control and manipulate the mind, turning its victims into puppets at the mercy of the Rod’s user. Under its control, victims lose their ability to speak or move for themselves. The Rod’s user can also access the victim’s memories and even modify them, inserting new ones in their place.
Yami Marik is the Rod’s owner in the Battle City arc. He uses it to immobilize opponents, plant false memories in their minds, and trap them in dangerous and merciless Shadow games. In one episode, he even summons lightning from the sky to strike some of Kaiba’s robots. The Rod is mighty but can easily corrupt vulnerable minds.
Millennium Puzzle
The main Item in the show is the Millennium Puzzle. It houses the spirit of Pharaoh Atem, although that might be more a curse than a blessing, as it forces the user to share its body with another entity. The Puzzle, called Pendant in Ancient Egypt, also grants “powers of knowledge and darkness.” The true meaning behind these words remains vague for most of the anime. It usually manifests in the form of strategy and cunning, especially when playing games.
The Puzzle also grants a wish to the user upon completion – Yugi famously wishes for friends to overcome his loneliness. Most impressively, the Puzzle holds the most magic of any Item and even acts as their unofficial leader. At its full might, the Puzzle can repel the Orichalcos’ dark energy, manipulate the hearts and souls of others, create illusions, and protect the wearer from physical and magical harm.
