Whether you’re a returning player, a veteran or a completely new player, you’ll recognise the cards on this list. The entries will fill your mind full of nostalgia, bringing you back to better & younger days. Very few of them were actually powerful at the time, though, while others were on the forbidden list for a long time. I think it’s important to remember where Yugioh came from, it’s so different nowadays that looking back at the most popular cards is sublime. So lets get into it, with the top 10 most nostalgic Yugioh cards of all time!
10. Celtic Guardian
Although this card has never been viable in any way, shape or form, it’s held close to the hearts of many Yugioh fans. As one of Yugi’s flagship monsters, we’ve seen Celtic Guardian tackle foe after foe in the name of his Pharoah. He was also a common card in the Yugi starter decks and original packs so most Yugioh players owned this card at the time.
9. The Legendary Fisherman
Made famous through the sea lover Mako Tsunami, The Legendary Fisherman was a forced to be reckoned with during the Duelist Kingdom era. At the time, high level monsters didn’t need to be tribute summoned so this card was far more powerful than it is today.
8. Insect Queen
Who can forget the Insect Queen? One of the main insects belonging to Weevil Underwood, this card screams intimidation and power. You’d think the effect would be better but unlike today, big monsters used to have exploitable drawbacks. With the right combination of spell/trap cards though, Insect Queen was so good even Yugi struggled to defeat it.
7. Jinzo
Originally belonging to Espa Roba, Joey Wheeler acquired Jinzo after defeating Espa in Battle City. This monster was forbidden for a long, long time. Understandably so, its effect was out of this world, no other monster could compare to it. Jinzo is still a powerhouse today, capable of turning a losing game into a glorious victory.
6. Exodia the Forbidden One
Okay, I’m cheating a bit. No Yugioh player can say they don’t know of Exodia, even if they haven’t seen the first episode of the Yugioh series. Exodia is arguably in the top 3 for fame, plenty of people who haven’t even played Yugioh are aware of Exodia.
5. Flame Swordsman
Despite being absolutely pointless to summon, other than for Instant Fusion, Flame Swordsman is a classic. This was Joey Wheeler’s main card for a long time, using it to become a great duelist in his own right. You can get Flame Swordsman as a Super Rare foil in the Legend of Blue-Eyes White Dragon booster pack, the first pack to be released. The Super Rare variant looked amazing and was highly sought after.
4. Relinquished
Easily the scariest monster you saw in the entirety of the Duelist Kingdom arc. Maxmillion Pegasus has access to every card in the game, he chose the Toons and Relinquished to be his main strategies. Relinquished was absurdly good for many years, being both easy to summon and almost unbeatable while out on the field. Most players will never forget the first time they battled a Relinquished.
3. Red-Eyes Black Dragon
Rex Raptor was one of the greatest duelists of all time during the first season, that is until Yugi and his friends emerged. Rex eventually lost this dragon to Joey Wheeler, who went on to make Red-Eyes one of the most recognisable cards in the game. Many variants were created to boost Red-Eyes Black Dragon’s popularity and its a powerful monster even today.
2. Dark Magician
That original art is amazing and is full of nostalgia. You’re looking at Yugi Moto’s crown jewel, the monster responsible for so many victories and epic times. The fabled “DARK MAGICIAN” shout by Yugi is always hair raising and holding the original card in your hand is glorious. You can actually make use of Dark Magician now as well, its received countless support cards over the years and a deck based around him is now viable.
1. Blue-Eyes White Dragon
It had to be Blue-Eyes White Dragon, no other card in Yugioh compares to sheer nostalgia and popularity of this legendary dragon. Random people the world over will recognise this card and attribute it to Yugioh, players are still in love with it as the new Blue-Eyes support cards have bred thousands of new decks. The original art is, in my opinion, the best but all art variants are still epic. The number 1 spot is well deserved for such an awesome card!
