A puzzle unlocks ancient chaos—now a shy gamer houses a 3,000-year-old drama king.
30 minSeason 1 • Episode 27
LatestEven when seemingly defeated, Zorc rises again and threatens to overwhelm the gang. It is up to Bakura to defeat his evil counterpart.
Yugi Muto, a shy boy who loves all kinds of games, one day solves an ancient puzzle known as the Millennium Puzzle, causing his body to host the spirit of an ancient pharaoh.
Direction
Toei's weird, moody aesthetic before the franchise went corporate.
Writing
Darker, stranger, and way less toy-commercial than you'd expect.
Megumi Ogata
Yugi Mutou (voice)
Toshiyuki Morikawa
Katsuya Jonouchi (voice)
Yumi Kakazu
Anzu Mazaki (voice)
Ryotaro Okiayu
Hiroto Honda (voice)
Yukana
Miho Nosaka (voice)
Hikaru Midorikawa
Seto Kaiba (voice)
Tsutomu Kashiwakura
Ryo Bakura (voice)
Kaneto Shiozawa
Shadi (voice)
Katsue Miwa
Mokuba Kaiba (voice)
Takeshi Aono
Sugoroku Mutou (voice)
Michiko Neya
Shizuka Kawai (voice)
Ryou Naitou
Ryuji Otogi (voice)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This 1998 Toei adaptation predates the iconic 2000 NAS/4Kids version and was considered lost media in the West for years until fan preservation efforts surfaced rips.
The shadow games here involve actual hallucinations and psychological torture—Toei's adaptation leaned into horror manga roots that later seasons abandoned for tournament arcs. Kaiba's suicide attempt in episode 1 was real.
JP
