Yu-Gi-Oh: 10 Best Signature Monsters From The Anime

One of the oldest trading card games still in print, Yu-Gi-Oh! has thousands upon thousands of cards, the majority of which have their own individual effects, design, statistics and type combinations.

As the game matures and struggles to stay fresh, Konami continues to introduce new innovative summoning mechanics and card types which help revolutionise the game.

These new, often fast-paced game mechanics have warped the game into something almost unrecognisable to fans of the Yu-Gi-Oh of the early noughties. However, a number of iconic monsters from the early episodes of the anime have endured, remaining staple creatures and mascots of the franchise to this day.

Before cards started getting bogged down with text, vanilla beatstick monsters with high ATK values and sleek designs flourished, their popularity aided by their presence in the anime. With each successive generation of Yu-Gi-Oh, characters brought their own brand-new signature cards and ace monsters into the fray, these creature designs often being personifications of the characters who wielded them.

While a few monsters on this list are from later instalments during Yu-Gi-Oh's heyday. A number of these monsters have transcended the limits of a card game franchise, becoming pop culture staples in their own right.

Here are the ten most iconic, powerful and playable ace monsters from the Yu-Gi-Oh anime.

In the very first episode of the anime, facing up against not one but three Blue Eyes White Dragons, Yugi's situation seemed hopeless. His strongest monster, a little known Spellcaster called Dark Magician, was easily defeated by the much more powerful Blue Eyes.

With nothing with more ATK in his deck, it seemed our protagonist Yugi was about to lose both the duel and his beloved Grandpa.

But Yami's faith in the heart of the cards never dwindled, and with the support of his friends (...somehow), Yugi drew the head of "the unstoppable Exodia". He became the first duelist ever to summon The Forbidden One, wiping out his rival Kaiba to achieve an instant victory.

With each piece of Exodia seeming to live a permanent existence on the Limited list, the game's original alternative win condition card rarely sees play.

But this creature's lore - and its ability to defeat even the strongest monsters in the anime - have helped cemented Exodia The Forbidden One's as one of the most iconic, and most menacing, monsters in the entire series.