Yu-Gi-Oh: 10 Best Signature Monsters From The Anime
2. Stardust Dragon
One of the most powerful cards on this list, Stardust Dragon maintains the 2500 ATK and 2000 DEF of Neos, but adds an awesome effect: it can temporarily destroy itself to protect the player's other monsters. This makes it a perfect defence against dreaded field-clearers such as Mirror Force and Torrential Tribute.
Although in theory Yusei Fudo's signature Dragon was harder to summon than any of the previous ace cards that appeared in the anime, the new Synchro summoning mechanic had a lot of support from the get-go. With the game's increasingly fast pace, players could bring out this formidable beast in next to no time.
Boasting an absolutely gorgeous design, Stardust Dragon had quite a well-developed backstory, too, being one of the five servants of the Crimson Dragon, each being an ace monster for a different character in the Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's anime.
Matching Yusei's rival's Red Dragon Archfiend, Stardust Dragon also has its own Assault Mode, an upgraded version of the Dragon with the same stats as Blue Eyes. This beefed-up monster maintains the original's powerful effect, but also gains the additional ability of being able to special summon Stardust Dragon when it leaves the field for good.
Like many other cards in this list, Stardust Dragon has also inspired something of an archetype of its own, with Majestic Star Dragon being the ultimate realisation of Yusei's signature card.