Yu-Gi-Oh! is based off of a manga series created by Kazuki Takahashi. The franchise also includes a trading card game and video games. Most of the incarnations of Yu-Gi-Oh! involve a card game called Duel Monsters (although in the Japanese version it was known as Magic & Wizards).

The first Yu-Gi-Oh! anime series, which was produced by Toei Animation, contained 27 episodes. This series aired in Japan from April 4-October 10, 1998 on TV Asahi. These episodes are based off of the first seven volumes of the manga, which did not focus on the card game. In 1999, Toei releases a 30-minute movie in Japan that was first shown in theaters on March 6, 1999.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, which was produced by Nihon Ad Systems, is the series that introduced the property to the West. This anime series first aired in Japan on TV Tokyo on April 18, 2000. This series starts at volume eight of the manga series. In Japan, the series finished its 224 episode run on September 29, 2004.

On May 8, 2001, 4Kids Entertainment acquired the U.S. merchandising and television rights to the property from Konami. 4Kids partnered with Warner Bros. and released the dubbed version of Yu-Gi-Oh! on Kids’ WB on September 29, 2001. The English dub version aired in that programming block from September 29, 2001-June 10, 2006. Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Movie was developed specifically for Western audiences by 4Kids Entertainment, and was released to theaters on August 13, 2004.

There was also a twelve episode mini-series produced by 4Kids Entertainment called Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monsters. This series aired from September 9-November 25, 2006. This series has yet to be released in Japan.

The main character of Yu-Gi-Oh! is a shy, pure-hearted high school student named Yugi Moto (Yugi Mutou in Japan). He’s a gaming expert that owns an ancient Egyptian relic called the Millennium Puzzle. There is a darker personality held within the puzzle, which has been referred to as the Nameless Pharaoh, Dark Yugi, Yami Yugi, “the other Yugi,” and Atem (which is the pharaoh’s real name). The puzzle was given to Yugi by his grandfather, who owns a game shop. As the story progresses, Yugi, the pharaoh, and Yugi’s friends try to discover the secret of the pharaoh’s lost memories, as well as the pharaoh’s real name, by playing Duel Monsters.

Yugi’s friends are Joey Wheeler (Katsuya Jounouchi in Japan), Tea Gardner (Anzu Mazaki in Japan), and Tristan Taylor (Hiroto Honda in Japan). For adversaries, Yugi has Seito Kaiba and Pegasus. The Duel Monsters themselves sometimes come into play as characters, especially Kuriboh, Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, Jinzo, and the Ojama Trio. However, the Egyptian God Cards, the Legendary Dragons, and the Sacred Beast Cards have a greater importance to the overall storyline.

There are several story arcs in Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duelist Kingdom, Battle City, Enter the Shadow Realm (which is known in Japan as Virtual World), Duel Tower (which is the second half of Battle City), Waking the Dragons (known in Japan as Doma Orichalcos), Grand Championship (known in Japan as KC Grand Prix), Dawn of the Duel (known as either Millennium World or Pharaoh Memory Series in Japan), and The Ceremonial Battle.

There have also been two Yu-Gi-Oh! spin-off series produced in Japan: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX and Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds.