The Most Legendary Yu-Gi-Oh Duelist from the Original Series

Based on the intense card game called Duel Masters, the battle system in Yu-Gi-Oh! revolves around it, making the top duelists crucial characters in the series. These duelists often shape the entire plot, with some antagonists utilizing their skills for dangerous and malevolent purposes. Although the protagonists ultimately manage to stop them, it does not diminish their impressive dueling abilities.

This factor, among others, contributes to the difficulty of accurately measuring the skill of each duelist. For instance, characters like Tea may have a flawless record in on-screen duels, but their actual proficiency in the game may be lacking. On the other hand, some characters may have suffered defeat in duels but exhibited exceptional skill during their matches. Additionally, individuals such as Noah or Bakura might have been portrayed as significant threats, but in reality, their dueling abilities do not match the hype surrounding them.

10 Pegasus

Pegasus, the creator of the Duel Monsters card game, possesses a formidable collection of top-notch cards. Furthermore, his Millennium Eye grants him the extraordinary ability to read his opponent's thoughts, allowing him to know their cards with precision. This makes him an exceptionally formidable adversary in the Duelist Kingdom.

Yugi, in order to overcome this challenge, resorts to swapping bodies with the Pharaoh, thereby disrupting Pegasus' mind reading abilities. However, it appears that Pegasus lacks the same level of expertise in the more structured version of the game introduced in Battle City onward, consequently placing him at the bottom of this hierarchy.

9 Zigfried

Zigfried, the primary antagonist of the filler arc in season 5 of the anime, is introduced as an old adversary of Kaiba. He participates in a tournament organized by Seto and demonstrates remarkable proficiency by effortlessly defeating many opponents, including Joey Wheeler. Notably, he triumphs over both Rex Raptor and Weevil Underwood simultaneously in a single turn.

However, Zigfried's winning streak comes to an end when Kaiba disqualifies him for hacking into his systems and proceeds to duel him. Although Zigfried ultimately loses, his prior accomplishments serve as evidence of his exceptional dueling skills.

8 Mai

Mai's skill level fluctuates throughout the series. Despite an early loss to Joey, she managed to reach the finals of Duelist Kingdom and Battle City. Unfortunately, she was defeated in both tournaments.

Although she remained a professional duelist after Battle City, she struggled to overcome the trauma of being sent to the Shadow Realm. This ultimately led her to join the cult of Orichalcos in Season 4. Despite nearly losing to Joey once again, she was able to defeat him. However, her winning streak was short-lived as she was ultimately defeated by Rafael. While her inconsistent record prevents her from ranking higher on this list, her numerous victories still highlight her as one of the top duelists in the series.

7 Rafael

Rafael's exceptional skill as a player is evident in his ability to defeat the Pharaoh, making him one of the few duelists to achieve this feat. However, one significant factor that contributed to his victory was his manipulation of the Pharaoh into using the Seal of Orichalcos, a card known for its ability to manipulate emotions and lead to defeat.

Despite activating the Seal and empowering his monsters, Rafael was ultimately defeated by the Pharaoh in their rematch. Nevertheless, Rafael managed to end the duel on his own terms by sacrificing the game to revive his monsters. Therefore, the Pharaoh's victory cannot be solely attributed to his skill alone.

6 Dartz

Dartz's skill level is difficult to discern as he has only participated in one duel throughout the entire show. However, in that game, he faced both Yami Yugi and Kaiba simultaneously and posed a significant challenge for them. He even managed to defeat Kaiba, showcasing his incredible skills.

This is not surprising considering that Dartz is the leader of the Cult of Oricalchos, to which both Rafael and Mai belong. Despite summoning a monster with an infinite attack, Dartz is ultimately unable to defeat the Pharaoh, slightly diminishing his potential ranking.

5 Marik

Marik, the sadistic antagonist of the Battle City arc, serves as a dark reflection of Yami Yugi. Mirroring Yugi's exceptional dueling abilities, Marik's skills propel him to the grand finals of the Battle City Tournament, even after a near loss to Joey in the semifinals.

The final duel between Marik and the Pharaoh is regarded as one of the series' finest. It is a thrilling exchange of moves that showcases Marik's unrivaled expertise. However, the closeness of the match stems from Marik's unsettling tactic of threatening to extinguish his innocent side should he be defeated. This causes Yugi to hold back, adding extra tension to the intense duel.

4 Joey

Joey frequently faces criticism for his silly antics and a gameplay style that heavily relies on luck. Throughout the series, he manages to secure multiple victories against exceptionally skilled adversaries. In a notable display of courage, Joey even confronts Yu-Gi-Oh!'s most formidable antagonist in the Battle City Quarter Finals.

Joey's character development throughout the series prompts Pegasus to recognize him as the third most skilled duelist globally in Yu-Gi-Oh! GX. Although not explicitly depicted, the story hints at the possibility that Joey might have triumphed over Yugi in an offscreen duel following the conclusion of the Battle City arc.

3 Kaiba

Kaiba, being Yugi's primary rival, holds immense significance as one of the key characters in Yu-Gi-Oh! His gameplay expertise is on par with that of the King of Games, making him a formidable opponent. With access to an array of powerful monsters, Kaiba's ambition fuels his constant drive to enhance his skills, all with the ultimate goal of defeating Yugi in a duel.

As a result, Kaiba has been part of some of the most epic duels in the series, particularly when facing Yugi in a match. While his proficiency is partly attributed to his status as the reincarnation of an ancient Egyptian spirit, it is essential not to overlook the dedication and hard work he has invested in mastering the game. Only a select few duelists, apart from Yugi, possess the capability to truly challenge and surpass him in a serious duel.

2 Atem

Atem, the spirit of the Pharaoh, possesses Yugi's Millennium Puzzle and takes over during intense games. His skill in Duel Monsters is remarkable, as he rarely loses and has defeated nearly every opponent he has faced. The only losses he has suffered were against Rafael, due to his own dark tendencies, and to Pegasus and Kaiba, but with unique circumstances involved. Despite his dominance throughout most of the series, Atem's status as the top duelist is challenged in the final episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh!.

1 Yugi

Although the extent of Yugi's agency while Atem is controlling his body during duels is unclear, he technically emerges as the victor in most of the games. However, Yugi's ranking as the best duelist on this list is not solely based on technicalities. In the gripping final duel of the series, Yugi manages to defeat his former companion, demonstrating his tremendous growth as a duelist throughout the anime. This particular duel not only stands out as the pinnacle of the series, but also showcases Yugi's ability to triumph over his iconic monsters, including the Dark Magician and all three Egyptian God cards—an accomplishment unmatched by any other duelist in the initial show. As a result, it becomes clear that Yugi, rather than Atem, rightfully claims the top position on this list at the conclusion of the anime.

The duelists listed above are considered the absolute best in the world of dueling in Yu-Gi-Oh!. Although there were other skilled duelists introduced in the show, they simply couldn't match the power of these top duelists, even if they managed to give them a tough challenge in an episode. Ultimately, the most memorable and exciting duels in Yu-Gi-Oh! were the ones involving these exceptional duelists.