With over 10,000 cards and seven series in the books, Yu-Gi-Oh! is one of the most longstanding anime franchises out there. Throughout the years, new methods of summoning monsters and dueling have been created and showcased by the anime.
How these seven different unique anime series stack up is a topic of debate for many fans of the franchise. Some exclusively remember the original series, but every new Yu-Gi-Oh! anime has something unique and interesting about it. However, there are some shows that have stronger a plot and characters than others.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens
Sevens was the birth of rush duels, a new way to play the game that seemed half-heartedly launched and still hasn't been brought over to the west. The main character, Yuga, creates rush duels to change the game up and make it more interesting for him.
One good thing Sevens had going for it was bringing back iconic Yu-Gi-Oh cards like Blue-Eyes in rush duel form. However, the plot is more simple and more childish than other Yu-Gi-Oh! anime that succeed in appealing to both kids and adults alike. The characters are all fun, but the other shows just go more in-depth with their characters.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V
Arc-V was the dawn of pendulum summoning and the series that spent the most time focusing on all methods of summoning as the main plot. Yuya, the protagonist, travels across dimensions and meets familiar faces as he spreads action duels and the concept of duels as entertainment.
Arc-V has one of the strongest starts of any series, but it starts to go haywire after the alternate dimensions get involved. Fan-favorite Yu-Gi-Oh! characters from all the previous series become fodder for stronger opponents, which doesn't feel great for fans of those shows. Characters are another weak point for Arc-V, with Yuya's synchro world clone Yugo being the greatest highlight.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Zexal might be the most controversial Yu-Gi-Oh! anime there is. After introducing xyz summoning, Zexal brought the audience into the world of fun-loving protagonist Yuma. After meeting extraterrestrial amnesiac Astral, Yuma decides to collect 100 special "numbers," monsters that each hold a fragment of his new friend's shattered memory.
Zexal in many ways took the opposite trajectory from Arc-V, having one of the worst first arcs ever but possibly the best final arc of any Yu-Gi-Oh! series. The characters, similarly, were either some of the most irritating characters possible like Tetsuo or were incredible characters like Kaito and Nash. Overall, Zexal comes across as an average show in the franchise when in reality it was never actually average.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Vrains
Vrains is best known for introducing link summoning to the world of Yu-Gi-Oh! Starring Yusaku, Vrains was set in a world where duel monsters were played in virtual reality.
The plot of Vrains was strong throughout. No arcs felt weak and the Ignis arc was one of the best in any series. As far as characters, Vrains was a bit of a mixed bag. While it gave viewers Ai, maybe the greatest Yu-Gi-Oh! villain, there were also characters like Blue Angel that deserved far more and characters like Bohman who probably should have had less screentime.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters
The original series introduced the game that many people across the world know and love today. Staring Yugi and the nameless pharaoh, the duo faces a variety of challenging opponents with the ultimate goal of discovering the pharaoh's true past.
Aside from the truly bizarre bending of the actual rules of the game in the first season, Duel Monsters had great duels and a strong foundation for a story. Characters like Kaiba and Atem made people fall in love with the franchise in the first place, but there are still some very forgettable villains, and no arc stands out as much as some of the finest moments in the later series.
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
GX brought stunning ghost rare cards and more emphasis on fusion monsters to the game. The protagonist, Judai (Jaden in the dub) Yuki, goes to duel academy to become the king of games.
The best arcs GX came later on, but unlike Zexal it wasn't inhibited by a particularly weak start. The show also had two of the best side characters in any of the series: Kaiser and Johan. It should be noted that the GX dub is also the funniest Yu-Gi-Oh! dub, and one of the most quotable anime of all time.
Yu-Gi-Oh! 5DS
5Ds was the dawn of synchro summoning, one of the most controversial changes to the game competitively. The protagonist, Yusei, is a master at turbo duels, a new form of dueling with motorcycles and special speed spells. After a strange mark appears on the arm of Yusei and his childhood best friend Jack, the two slowly uncover their unique role in a battle to save the world.
No season in the franchise can quite stand up to the Dark Signer arc in 5DS, where each of the main characters learns something about themselves in a deadly duel against their unique foils. Unlike Zexal, 5DS doesn't have any huge dips that detract from its incredible highs either. Every single one of the Signers has moments where they shine as characters and duelists, with Jack Atlas being possibly the best character in the franchise.