Over the course of Duel Monsters card game is at the very center of the show and pretty much every episode features a duel of some kind, until the last season, at least.
Most duels occurred during several episodes, with Yugi's anticipated match against Kaiba during the Battle City finals taking six entire episodes. Some of these battles were not only exciting and visually impressive, but necessary for the plot to move forward. More than a few clearly existed only to fill episodes, though, and thus felt not only tiresome and overly convoluted, but also like a waste of time.
Worst: Tea Vs. Crump
Tea is not a duelist, so an exciting duel can't really be expected from her. During Noah's virtual world saga, one of the anime's most unnecessary and distracting arcs, Tea is forced to duel Kaiba's former ant, Adrian Crump. She chooses Dark Magician Girl as her Deck Master and eventually wins the duel.
This battle is not only boring, it's almost silly. Nevermind that Crump's penguin deck is nearly laughable, but the stakes of the duel never feel real. And the fact that Tea's minimal dueling skills are enough to defeat Crump just makes the entire duel seem like a colossal waste of episodes.
Best: Mai Vs. Marik
Battle City is, without a doubt, the anime's most exciting and compelling arc. Marik Ishtar remains the series' best antagonist and his duel with Mai Valentine is proof enough. A very capable duelist herself, Mai holds her own against Marik and even manages to steal his Egyptian God card, The Winged Dragon of Ra.
Because of rather absurd circumstances, she is unable to use it and ends up losing the duel. For a moment, though, it seems like Mai will be able to summon Ra, but she simply isn't destined to. Mai's defeat is rather unfair, but the duel is fast-paced and a perfect showcase for both duelists.
Worst: Joey Vs. Valon
"Waking the Dragons" is the anime's most exaggerated arc and the duels clearly show it. From the get-go, Valon's deck is obviously meant to be overpowered and extremely hard to beat. However, his cards don't really seem real and very much come across as inventions of the show to make him seem tougher than he is.
His armor cards act more like deus ex machinas than actual duel monsters, and the fact that they are equipped to his body just makes the whole thing even more ridiculous. Once Joey gets an armor of his own, the duel fully succumbs to the absurd and never recovers.
Best: Yugi Vs. Bakura
"Dawn of the Duel" finally answers the questions that have lingered ever since episode one of the series. Atem's role as a pharaoh is explored and Bakura finally takes center stage as the arc's main villain. Yugi does a lot of growing up too, being separated from the Pharaoh for the first time in years.
Once he discovers the Pharaoh's real name, Yugi is stopped by Bakura, who challenges him to a duel. Yugi's deck is both charming and funny, a perfect reflection of his child-like innocence. He still packs quite the punch, and despite Bakura's army of zombies, emerges victorious from the match, finally proving to the audience, and himself, that he's a talented duelist even without the Pharaoh's help.
Worst: Yugi & Kaiba Vs. Dartz
Dartz is an effective enough villain. He doesn't get too much backstory, but his shadow looms over the season just enough to make him seem truly menacing. His final duel is set up to be quite the showdown but instead ends up being a letdown.
For starters, his deck is absurdly overpowered, so much so that his monsters stop being threatening and just become ridiculous. They have ability after ability, meaning they can't be destroyed. If they are, they get substituted by something even more over-the-top. The entire duel is dragged and Yugi wins by using one of the most inconceivable strategies in the entire anime, which involves turning the titular dragons into knights that look exactly like himself, Kaiba, and Joey.
Best: Yugi Vs. Kaiba
Yugi and Kaiba duel several times during the show and they all rank among the series' best battles. During the first one, Kaiba summons his Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, yet Yugi still wins by summoning Exodia. Their second duel ends after Kaiba forces Yugi's hand and Yugi surrenders.
However, their duel at the Battle City finals has to be the best. Their Egyptian Gods are put to the test, creating a clash of power unlike any other. In the end, they're forced to battle using only their regular decks and Yugi wins by combining his Dark Paladin with Defusion Wave -Motion to destroy all of Kaiba's monsters.
Worst: Kaiba & Yugi Vs. Noah
In hindsight, Noah's virtual world was the worst possible distraction, especially in the middle of the Battle City Finals. Deck Masters were a cool idea, though, but the concept jumped the shark by the time Kaiba's last duel with Noah arrived.
The green-haired boy starts with Shinato's Ark as his Deck Master. After a while, he reveals that the Ark actually allows him to summon Shinato, King of a Higher Plane. Kaiba loses the duel and Yugi is forced to take his place. Cards with numerous abilities eventually become tiresome and all the audience wants is for them to be destroyed. Shinato is the perfect example, a card that just wouldn't die, no matter how silly or inexcusable its abilities seemed.
Best: Joey Vs. Marik
Joey Wheeler doesn't get the respect he deserves. Time and again, he proves himself a capable and instinctive duelist with a very unique way of battling. And while he definitely relies way too much on luck and chance, he still manages to come out on top. Almost always, at least.
During the Battle City Finals, Joey goes against Marik and his Egyptian God. To everyone's surprise, Joey actually comes extremely close to beating Marik and only loses because his body gives out before he can make his winning move. The duel is exhilarating and nail-biting, and the greatest confirmation that Joey is indeed someone to be reckoned with.
Worst: Yugi Vs. Leon
Grand Championship is a pleasant albeit ultimately useless experience. Zigfried, the big bad of the arc, certainly has some of the same panache that made Pegasus so entertaining, but his ambitions are too low-stakes to make him menacing. In the end, he loses against Kaiba and it's up to his little brother, Leon, to avenge his family.
Leon's deck is one of the most interesting in the series but he doesn't get to show off his talents. Instead, Zigfried highjacks the duel with Golden Castle of Stromberg, a seemingly invincible card. Much is said and showed about Stromberg's power, but Yugi defeats it in the most uninspired way. It's yet another case of an over-the-top duel that ends up being far less interesting than anyone anticipated.
Best: Yugi Vs. Atem
The final event of the series, Yugi's multi-episode showdown with Atem definitely ranks as the best duel of all. It's intense and rousing without going for too many episodes. It's not only a culmination of the characters' storylines and journeys but also a suitable conclusion for the viewer who spent so much time with them.
Yugi defeats all Egyptian God Cards and even Kaiba acknowledges him as the King of Games. The duel ultimately decides the fate of the Pharaoh and in the end, he shares a heartfelt goodbye with Yugi that feels earned and earnest. It's the perfect way to end the series, even if does leave fans wanting for more.
