Summary
Few duelists in theYu-Gi-Oh!anime franchise have decks as diverse and versatile asYuya Sakaki. The protagonist of theArc-Vseason began his career as a Duel Monsters player with a deck that was below the average power level of a competitive player. Through various intense duels, fateful meetings, and dimension-hopping adventures, the best-known Dueltainer became an incredibly powerful duelist.
As the series progressed,fans were able to see Yuya utilize and acquire a vast amount of cards, some more powerful than others. Yet, there are only a few that have abilities that are powerful enough to consider them among the best tools contained in Sakaki’s deck.
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10Timegazer Magician
Yuya’s Iconic Pendulum Scale
As a duelist who specialized in Pendulum Summon strategies, Yuya was always in need of reliable scales for him to use. While his deck was not short of incredible options, none were as useful and iconic as his trusted Timegazer Magician. With an amazing Level 8 Pendulum Scale,this card allowedArc-V’s protagonist to summon almost all monsters in his deck.
This monster had two defensive abilities that were extremely useful throughout the series. The first one, its Pendulum Effect, protected one of Yuya’s monsters that was targeted by an opponent’s Trap. This ability was mostly used to negate destructive effects during the Battle Phase. The second one allowed the monster to protect a card in the Pendulum Zone from being destroyed. Yet, Timegazer was not a powerful monster by any means and was not particularly good outside of being used as a Pendulum Scale.
Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel: How Pendulum Summoning Works
Pendulum Summoning is a powerful type of Special Summoning in Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel that allows players to summon multiple Monsters simultaneously.
9Performapal Pendulum Sorcerer
A Powerful Monster Underutilized in the Anime
Cards that allow their user to search for specific tools areconsidered the best by mostYu-Gi-Oh!players. Yuya’s Pendulum Sorcerer, despite its unassuming appearance, is among the most versatile additions to this select group of monsters. This level 4 Spellcaster creature had an incredible effect that allowed it to destroy two cards on its owner’s field.
Right after the destruction, the player would be allowed to add any two Performapal monsters to their hand. In the real-life TCG game, this effect was so powerful, that Pendulum Sorcerer ended up becoming a key component ofone of the game’s most powerful competitive decks. Woefully, this card never got a chance to shine in theArc-Vanime, as Yuya never once attempted to utilize its effect in a duel.
8Performapal Five-Rainbow Magician
A Complex But Powerful Pendulum Monster
Considered by many fans as one of Yuya’s most powerful Pendulum Monsters, Five-Rainbow Magician has anoverwhelmingly powerful but incredibly difficult-to-activate effect. Besides its Level 12 Pendulum Scale, which allows its user the ability tosummon almost any monster in the game without a tribute, the card was also amazing for quickly defeating an opponent.
Its complex effect prevents players with less than 5 set cards on their Spell and Trap Card Zones from drawing, activating effects, or placing cards on the field. In the case a duelist managed to set 5 cards while Five-Rainbow Magician was in the Pendulum Zone, their monster would have their attack points doubled. This effect would almost always guarantee Yuya’s victory. However, its restrictions are quite heavy, and could easily cause the user to lose the game if not used correctly.
7Odd-Eyes Saber Dragon
The Most Versatile Evolution Of Yuya’s Signature Card
Yuya’s iconic Odd-Eye Pendulum Dragonreceived many variants and evolutions throughout theArc-Vanime series. While all of them were a considerable improvement from the original being, not all were as versatile to use as Saber Dragon. This level 8 creature could be easily summoned to the field thanks to its simple but effective ability.
By sacrificing a Light-Type monster and sending an Odd-Eyes Dragon monster to the graveyard, Yuya could immediately convoke this powerful being. Its second effect gave it the ability to destroy any remaining monster on the opponent’s field after Saber Dragon had destroyed another creature in battle. With its impressive 2800 attack points,few creatures could survive a battle against this imposing beast.
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6Performapal Lizardraw
An Adorable and Useful Reptile
InYu-Gi-Oh!having access to the biggest number of cards from one’s deck can make the difference between a devastating loss and a complete victory. Yuya had what for many years was consideredone of the best Monsters with a card draw effect: Performapal Lizardraw. This adorable reptile had two impressive effects that could help Yuya quickly obtain the tools he needed.
Its Pendulum Effect allowed the user to draw a card by shuffling itself back into the deck. It was its second ability that made it such an excellent addition to Yuya’s strategy. If any other monster on the player’s side was destroyed, Lizardraw would let its user draw cards equal to the number of Performapal monsters on the field. Its real-life version received heavy restrictions to make it fairer, and even then it went on to become a staple in Pendulum decks.
5Performapal Monkeyboard
A Card Powerful Enough To Be Forbidden
While Yuya’s deck was not lacking in strong and imposing creatures, the most powerful ones in his possession used to be the most unassuming. Such is the case of Monkeyboard, an endearing andentertaining little creature that hides enormous potential. Its Monster effect simply reduces or increases the level of a Performapal Monster during an entire turn.
Monkeyboard’s true usefulness comes from its Pendulum Effect, which allowed Yuya to once per turn take a Level 4 Performapal monster and add it to his hand. While not as impressive at first sight, the fact that this effect has no restrictions or drawbacks turned Monkeyboard into one of the best cards in Yuya’s deck. The card is so powerful that it remained forbidden from competitive play for many months, even with severe restrictions attached to the TCG version.
4Starving Venom Fusion Dragon
An Imposing Creature That Can Copy Effects
Obtained after Yuya and his Fusion Dimension counterpart, Yuri, merged into one, Starving Venom Fusion Dragon is a terrifying opponent for any duelist to face. This creature can be summoned by fusing any two Dark-Type monsters. If invoked successfully, Starving Venom would gain an attack equal to the combined power of all the opponent’s Special Summoned monsters.
Once per turn, the creature couldtarget any monster on the adversaries’ field to negate their effect and copy it. If that was not enough, this creature also had an incredibly powerful effect if it was ever destroyed. After leaving the field, all the opponent’s Special Summoned monsters would be destroyed, inflicting damage to the enemy equal to their combined attack. When this card was brought into the TCG game, its effects received a significant power reduction, although these new restrictions did not prevent it from becoming a staple in most competitive decks.
Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel: Fusion Summons Guide
Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel incorporates all of the mechanics of the TCG, including Fusion Summoning, which lets players summon powerful Fusion Monsters.
3Odd-Eyes Raging Dragon
Yuya’s Ultimate Attack Force
The ultimate combination of Yuya’s flexible style and Yuto’s aggressive deck, Raging Dragon is an XYZ Monster that can end duels in a single turn. Summoned by overlaying two level 7 monsters, this 3000-attack beast had two devastating effects that not many players could defend against.
If it was summoned by using another XYZ monster as material, it would gain the ability to gain a second attack during each battle phase. Its second ability allowed it to destroy all other cards on the field and gain 200 attack points for each. By removing all the opponent’s defenses, Yuya’s victory was almost always assured whenever Ragin Dragon appeared.
2Clear Wing Synchro Dragon
An Amazing Defensive Option
Yuya’s journey throughout the four different dimensions ofYu-Gi-Oh! Arc-Vled him to a fateful meeting with all of his counterparts. Yugo, the protagonist’s version from the Synchro Dimension, gifted him his powerful Clear Wing Synchro Dragon once they merged into one. This majestic being could be summoned by utilizing a Tuner monster and a non-Tuner creature whose levels combined would reach 7.
In addition to its exceedingly easy summoning conditions,Clear Wing had some of the most powerful protection effects in the game. If a Level 5 or higher monster activates its effect while this monster is on the field, Yuya’s card could negate the activation. If the effect was prevented from being activated, the monster would be destroyed and Clear Wing would absorb its attack points as its own. Years after its TCG release, Clear Wing still sees moderate competitive success.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel: Synchro Summoning Guide
Duelists can perform Synchro Summons in Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel to bring incredibly powerful Monster cards to the field at a relatively low cost.
1Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon
Easy to Summon and Extremely Powerful
The signature monster of Yuya’s XYZ Dimension counterpart, Yuto, Dark Rebellion was acquired by theArc-Vprotagonist after the two merged early in the series. This monster only requires two Level 4 monsters to be XYZ Summoned. Despite being weaker than most other Dragons in Yuya’s deck, the effect of Dark Rebellion justifies the reduction in Attack Power.
Once per turn, by detaching one XYZ material, this creature could target a Level 5 or higher monster on the field and cut their attack in half. Dark Rebellion would then add that lost attack to its own, becoming an incredibly powerful beast. It may not be the most exciting card in Yuya’s deck, butits low summoning requirements and simple but effective ability make it a card most players will want to own. When Dark Rebellion was introduced to the TCG version of the game, it quickly became a staple in almost all competitive decks of the time, and it is still occasionally played today.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V
Cast
Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V is the fourth main spin-off of the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise. The series follows Yuya Sakaki, a student at the Leo Institute of Dueling, who aspires to become a professional Duelist. Set in a world where Action Duels with real-time holographic monsters are the norm, the narrative explores themes of ambition, family, and the merging of dimensions through intense card battles and strategic gameplay.
