One can watch the Yu-Gi-Oh! Series in order by watching a combination of both the anime series and the movies that the Manga has spurned. After that, one can now go ahead to watch the spin-off series that is based on the Manga.
Yu-Gi-Oh! tells the story of Yugi Moto, a young boy who solves an Ancient Egyptian Puzzle and brings forth a dark and powerful alter ego that saves him and his friends whenever evil personalities threaten them. Yu-Gi-Oh! is based on a manga of the same name originally penned by Kazuo Takahashi.
The Manga is not just one of the best-selling manga series ever but one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time, falling in the same category as Pokémon, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Harry Potter, Walt Disney World, Star Wars, Winnie the Pooh, etc.
It has spurned several anime series with over 1000 episodes. There are movies and spin-offs as well. While this is a delight for the ardent followers of the series, things can get a bit confusing for any new fan who wants to delve into this old-time favorite. However, if you are one of such new converts, don’t fret, as we have rounded up the correct order to watch Yu-Gi-Oh! here.
All The Movies and Series in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Universe
As earlier mentioned, Yu-Gi-Oh! has spurned and continues to spin several movies and anime series (the latest anime series in the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe was released in 2022) that focus on the adventures of Yugi Moto and his pals. There are also spin-off series.
These spin-off series are so classified because they do not have Yugi Moto as the protagonist. Instead, they feature other young boys as protagonists, who take part in various duels and games to emerge victorious. A breakdown of all the movies, series, and spin-off series based on the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga is provided below.
Yu-Gi-Oh! TV Series
- Yu-Gi-Oh! – A 28-episode series aired in Japan from April to October 1998.
- Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters – A 224-episode series that aired from April 2000 to September 2004.
- Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monsters – A 12-episode miniseries that aired from September to November 2006.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Spin-off Series
- Yu-Gi-Oh! GX – A 180-episode series that ran from October 6, 2004, to March 26, 2008 (protagonist – Jaden Yuki).
- Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s – A 154-episode series that ran from April 2, 2008 to March 30, 2011 (protagonist – Yusei Fudo)
- Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal – A 146-episode series that originally aired in Japan from April 11, 2011, to March 23, 2014 (protagonist – Yuma Tsukumo).
- Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V – A 148-episode series released from April 6, 2014, through March 26, 2017 (protagonist – Yūya Sakaki)
- Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS – A 120-episode series released between May 10, 2017, and September 25, 2019 (protagonist – Yusaku Fujiki).
- Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens – A 92-episode series originally aired from April 4, 2020, to March 27, 2022 (protagonist – Yuga Ohdo).
- Yu-Gi-Oh! Go Rush! – An 84-episode series that started running in April 2022 (protagonist – Yuga Ohdo).
Yu-Gi-Oh! Movies
- Yu-Gi-Oh! (1999)
- Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie: Pyramid of Light (2004)
- Yu-Gi-Oh!: Bonds Beyond Time (2010)
- Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Dark Side of Dimensions (2017)
Yu-Gi-Oh! Chronological Release Order
- Yu-Gi-Oh (1998)
- Yu-Gi-Oh Movie: Red Eyes Black Dragon (1999)
- Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters (2000 – 2004)
- Yu-Gi-Oh Movie: Pyramid of Light (2004)
- Yu-Gi-Oh GX (2004 – 2008)
- Yu-Gi-Oh Capsule Monsters (2006)
- Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s (2008 -2011)
- Yu-Gi-Oh Movie: Bonds Beyond Time (2010)
- Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal (2011-2014)
- Yu-Gi-Oh Arc-V (2014 -2017)
- Yu-Gi-Oh Movie: Darkside of Dimension (2016)
- Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS (2017 – 2019)
- Yu-Gi-Oh Sevens (2020 – 2022)
- Yu-Gi-Oh Go Rush (2022)
How Should I Start Watching Yu-Gi-Oh?
Ideally, one should start watching Yu-Gi-Oh! from the very first anime series that was produced from the Manga, which is Yu-Gi-Oh! 1998. The series has 27 episodes, which adapts the first 59 chapters of the Manga.
However, there is still no English dub of the series to date. This makes it difficult for anybody who does not speak Japanese to watch it and actually make sense of what is happening.
It has also been pointed out that the tone of the series is different from the subsequent ones. There is also the fact that it bears some major differences from the source manga. For instance, a minor character in the Manga is promoted to a major one in the series, and the series also introduces some storylines that are not originally in the Manga.
All these make ardent followers of Yu-Gi-Oh! skeptical about watching the 1998 series, but, it is worth checking out, especially for individuals who can understand the Japanese language.
However, if you are not fluent in the Japanese language, you can go ahead and skip the 1998 Yu-Gi-Oh! TV series and delve right into Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters. It starts from the 60th chapter of the Manga, but this is nothing to worry about as chapter 60 is where the real action in Yu-Gi-Oh! starts. As such, you won’t be missing much by skipping the 1998 series.
How To Watch Yu-Gi-Oh! Series in Order
To watch Yu-Gi-Oh! in order, you should start by watching the first anime series that the Manga birthed, which is Yu-Gi-Oh! (1998). After watching Yu-Gi-Oh! (1998), you can now go ahead to watch Yu-Gi-Oh Movie: Red Eyes Black Dragon (1999), Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters (episodes 1–198), Yu-Gi-Oh Capsule Monsters (12 episodes), Yu-Gi-Oh Movie: Pyramid of Light (2004), Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters (episodes 199–224) and Yu-Gi-Oh Movie: Darkside of Dimension (2016).
To continue watching Yu-Gi-Oh in order, you should now turn attention to the spin-off series as follows: Yu-Gi-Oh GX (180 episodes), Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s (episodes 1–65), Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s TV Special: Assault Mode, and Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s (episodes 66–85).
At this juncture, you should turn your attention to the 2010 movie Yu-Gi-Oh Movie: Bonds Beyond Time. After that, return to the spin-off series as follows: Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s (episodes 86–154), Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal (73 episodes), Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal II (73 episodes), Yu-Gi-Oh Arc-V (148 episodes), Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS (120 episodes), and Yu-Gi-Oh Sevens (92 episodes).
When you reach this stage, it means you are all caught up on everything Yu-Gi-Oh and can now join others to start watching the latest spin-off series in the media franchise, which is Yu-Gi-Oh Go Rush (84 episodes).
Go Rush is a continuation of Yu-Gi-Oh Sevens. It focuses on Yuga Ohdo, an elementary school student who is able to modify the Duel Monsters card game to become faster-paced and frantic. At first, he and his pals have a good time playing this version that he made. However, they soon have to deal with the fallout.
Recap of Yu-Gi-Oh! Correct Watch Order
- Yu-Gi-Oh (27 episodes) 1998
- Yu-Gi-Oh Movie: Red Eyes Black Dragon 1999 film
- Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters (episodes 1–198)
- Yu-Gi-Oh Capsule Monsters (12 episodes)
- Yu-Gi-Oh Movie: Pyramid of Light (2004)
- Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters (episodes 199–224)
- Yu-Gi-Oh Movie: Darkside of Dimension (2016)
- Yu-Gi-Oh GX (180 episodes)
- Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s (episodes 1–65)
- Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s TV Special: Assault Mode
- Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s (episodes 66–85)
- Yu-Gi-Oh Movie: Bonds Beyond Time (2010)
- Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s(episodes 86–154)
- Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal (73 episodes)
- Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal II (73 episodes)
- Yu-Gi-Oh Arc-V (148 episodes)
- Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS (120 episodes)
- Yu-Gi-Oh Sevens (92 episodes)
- Yu-Gi-Oh Go Rush (84 episodes)
