A Guide to the 'Yu-Gi-Oh!' Series in Order

• Release date: April 4^th, 1998
• Medium: TV show
• Episodes: 27
• Runtime: 24 minutes

This Yu-Gi-Oh! run is often referred to by fans as season 0 of the show. It loosely adapts the first 59 chapters of the manga, adding its own events and characters at random points too. It’ll still feel familiar to even the most casual Yu-Gi-Oh! fans because it features Yugi, Kaiba, the "Millennium Puzzle," and more. While the manga this is based on is considered canon, this isn’t. There also wasn’t even an official English release, but there’s a fan sub and even some fan-created dubs.

• Release date: March 6^th, 1999
• Medium: Movie
• Episodes: N/A
• Runtime: 30 minutes

This is a short film that follows the same continuity as the previous season of Yu-Gi-Oh! does. A boy called Shōgo Aoyama is the holder of the legendary "Red-Eyes Black Dragon," which makes him a target of Seto Kaiba. He and Yugi are invited by Kaiba to a tournament, which becomes a fierce duel where Shōgo must put his pride to the side and show courage to come out on top.

• Release date: April 18^th, 2000
• Medium: TV show
• Episodes: 224
• Runtime: 23 minutes

When people reminisce about the Yu-Gi-Oh! series from their childhood, it’s likely that they’re talking about this. Duel Monsters aired from 2000 to 2004 and is a separate adaptation of the manga from the previous series and movie. It starts by following Yugi and his friends on their quest to free Yugi’s grandfather’s soul in the "Duelist Kingdom" and from there, becomes the tale of Yugi and his friends using the heart of the cards and friendship to succeed.

• Release date: August 13^th, 2004
• Medium: Movie
• Episodes: N/A
• Runtime: 89 minutes (US release), 102 minutes (Japan release)

This movie takes place between the third and fourth seasons of Duel Monsters, following the "Battle City" arc, although it’s not considered canon. It sees Yugi and friends come up against Anubis and his "Pyramid of Light." Fans of this era of Yu-Gi-Oh! will appreciate this for what it is, though most others feel it comes a little cheap.

• Release date: October 6^th, 2004
• Medium: TV show
• Episodes: 155 (English), 180 (Japanese)
• Runtime: 23 minutes

GX takes place a decade after the end of the original series and features a new cast of characters, though some old faces do make cameos. The main character is now Jaden Yuki, an aspiring "Duelist." The show is generally about his quest to become an all-time great Duelist and fans agree that for some of its problems, it still boasts some of the better arcs in any Yu-Gi-Oh! series.

• Release date: September 9^th, 2006
• Medium: TV show
• Episodes: 12
• Runtime: 23 minutes

As you might have noticed from our chronological watch order, Capsule Monsters is actually set during the original Duel Monsters series, between the "KC Grand Championship" and "Dawn of the Duel" arcs. It’s a mini-series that was actually produced exclusively for international release, meaning it was never officially put out in Japan. It follows Yugi and his friends as they get pulled into a different dimension.

• Release date: April 2^nd, 2008
• Medium: TV show
• Episodes: 123 (English), 155 (Japanese)
• Runtime: 24 minutes

It’s unknown where exactly in the Yu-Gi-Oh! timeline that 5D’s is supposed to take place, but we do know that it’s at least a few decades after Duel Monsters. The show is about the five "Signers" who rival the "Dark Signers" and the dragons they use to fight them.

• Release date: January 23^rd, 2010
• Medium: Movie
• Episodes: N/A
• Runtime: 50 minutes

Bonds Beyond Time is a big event that sees the protagonists from Duel Monsters, GX, and 5D’s all have to come together to battle Paradox, a time traveler whose goal is to destroy the duel monsters because he sees them as the source of destruction. As great as Yugi, Jaden, and Yusei are individuals, can they be greater than the sum of their parts?

• Release date: April 11^th, 2011
• Medium: TV show
• Episodes: 74
• Runtime: 24 minutes

Zexal takes us to "Heartland City," a futuristic city where a boy named Yuma Tsukumo lives. His ambition is greater than his actual skill level, but when a mysterious spirit called Astral appears before him and helps him win a duel, things are never the same again.

• Release date: October 7^th, 2012
• Medium: TV show
• Episodes: 73
• Runtime: 21 minutes

This is the direct sequel to the Zexal series and continues to follow Yuma as he tries to retrieve the "Number Cards" to restore Astral’s memories. Many consider this to be one of the best and even most underrated Yu-Gi-Oh! series out there.

• Release date: April 6^th, 2014
• Medium: TV show
• Episodes: 148
• Runtime: 24 minutes

The story of Arc-V centers around young Yuya Sakaki, a boy who has the ability to summon multiple monsters at once. He wants to be just like his father, but that means he must become a fierce, courageous duelist and defeat the many foes that stand in his way.

• Release date: April 23^rd, 2016
• Medium: Movie
• Episodes: N/A
• Runtime: 131 minutes

Taking place one year after the events of Duel Monsters, The Dark Side of Dimensions sees a new mechanic introduced to the game, called "Dimension Summon." The pro is that you no longer need tributes to summon a high-level monster, but the con is that you receive the monster’s attack or defense value as damage if it’s destroyed. It sees beloved characters like Yugi, Kaiba, and Bakura return.

• Release date: May 10^th, 2017
• Medium: TV show
• Episodes: 120
• Runtime: 24 minutes

VRAINS switches things up a bit and sees duelists do what they do best in a virtual reality world called "LINK VRAINS." Unfortunately, the virtual world mirrors the real world in its conflict and the show follows the events after a hacker group tries to attack the program.

• Release date: April 4^th, 2020
• Medium: TV show
• Episodes: 92
• Runtime: 24 minutes

Sevens follows Yuga Ohdo, an elementary school student who feels that the current rules of Duel Monsters are a little suffocating. He experiments with the rules a little and comes up with "Rush Duels," a fast-paced way of dueling which inevitably catches the attention of some different people.

• Release date: April 4^th, 2022
• Medium: TV show
• Episodes: 66
• Runtime: 24 minutes

Yuhi Ohdo and Yuamu Ohdo are a pair of twins who are in charge of "Ultraterrestrial Trouble Solutions," an alien extermination company. When they make contact with an alien named Yudias, they introduce him to "Rush Dueling" because he feels it may save his home from a long war.