Every Yu-Gi-Oh! Protagonist design, ranked

Key recommendations

• Yuda has a simple design, suitable for a younger audience, without complicated details, but still vibrant.
• Jaden's casual outfit and brown eyes make him instantly recognizable and relatable.
• Yuma mixes casual outfits with gadgets, featuring details that reflect his character traits and dueling style.

The Yu-Gi-Oh! The animated series has gone through several different installments, and with each comes new cards, new ways to duel, and a brand new protagonist. It's always a breath of fresh air to have a new character to follow on a journey, but while their personality certainly matters, so does their appearance, given that these are the individuals viewers will see the most. much in a series.

Fortunately, Yu-Gi-Oh! The franchise has always been known for its unique designs, some of which have become iconic among anime fans, while others have been overlooked for one reason or another. It's time to compare the design and appearance of each protagonist to determine which one deserves to be called the most unique and memorable of them all.

8 Yuga Ohdo (Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens)

A simple yet vibrant design that isn't too complex or flashy

Yu-Gi-Oh! Seven is a series aimed more at a younger audience, and as a result Yuga, the protagonist, has a simpler and more casual design compared to his counterparts. However, since this is Yu-Gi-Oh!he has a vibrant design, especially the bright red hoodie and multi-colored hair that help Yuga stand out from the supporting characters of his series.

Yuga's glowing green eyes are another highlight of his design, making him instantly recognizable, but ultimately, he lacks the little extra details and features that made the other protagonists so appealing. When watching Sevens, Yuga's looks don't matter much because his infectious charisma still makes him a fun character to follow.

7 Jaden Yuki (Yu-Gi-Oh! GX)

Jaden's unbuttoned collar and bright brown eyes make him instantly recognizable

His protagonist Yu-Gi-Oh! GXJaden Yuki, opts for a slightly more casual style than his counterparts, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Jaden's red collar school uniform became synonymous with the character, along with his brown hair, which was much more grounded compared to Yugi's hairstyle that came before.

However, it looks like author Takahashi decided to hold back a bit on Jaden's design. The reason for doing this was probably to make it more relatable, given that GX is set in a school and was aimed more at younger viewers than the original series originally was.

6 Yuma Tsukumo (Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL)

Yuma manages to combine a casual look with high-tech gadgets

At first glance, Yuma's design may seem a bit over the top, but there are a lot of little details here that both call back to the series' roots and highlight Yuma's character traits. His sleeveless red jacket paired with the gold necklace almost feels like a throwback to Atem from the first series, but Yuga's chaotic hairdo and visor still help make him look unique enough to be his own protagonist.

In addition, it also presents him as a duelist who is serious about winning, always having a piece of technology equipped to take down anyone who stands in his way. Another small but stylish feature is the studded bracelet Yuma wears around his right wrist, giving off a subtle punk-rock vibe.

5 Yuya Sakaki (Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V)

Yuya's design gives the impression that he is an experienced duelist, albeit childish

Yuya's design is vibrant, eye-catching and effortlessly stylish for someone his age. The most noticeable part of his look is the red and green hair, which could have easily looked awful, but manages to work because of the way each section blends together. His glasses, which never leave his head, are a great little detail to show how childlike and adventurous Yuya is, which also relates to his pack of Performapal monsters.

Yuya also decides to tie on a long white cape, which works well in presenting him as a fearsome duelist who is definitely dressed for the occasion. Speaking of dueling, Yuya may not be as powerful as some of the others on this list, but his design certainly deserves a lot of credit for how much it says about his character.

4 Yusaku Fujiki (Yu-Gi-Oh! Vrains)

Yusaku doesn't need to go over the top with his fashion choices to stand out

Despite looking like a fairly ordinary high school student on the surface, there's something about Yusaku's design that indicates there's a lot more to this mysterious young man than meets the eye. The Yu-Gi-Oh! The series is no stranger to weird and wacky hairstyles, but Yasku's is quite unique in that it features little pink streaks that almost look like lightning bolts running through it.

The same can be said for his blazer, which features thick blue lines running around the edges. While these little details add a bit of vibrancy to an otherwise fairly standard outfit, they also reference his Playmaker look, which he would use when engaging in duels against his enemies later in the series .

3 Yusei Fudo (Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds)

Yusei's more grounded appearance speaks volumes about his personality and upbringing

Yusei's sleek design almost makes him look like a fan of Jotaro Kujo from JoJo's bizarre adventureespecially the black coat and the permanent scowl that rarely leaves his face. Its more grounded design suits the slightly more mature and darker tone of the Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Dsstill retaining a strange hairstyle that makes him a worthy member of Yu-Gi-Oh! cast.

A few other extra details that say a lot about Yusei's personality are his little brown gloves. Since Yusei grew up in Satellite, a poor area outside of the upscale Domino City, the gloves, along with his coat and slightly rough face, show that he is someone who had to fight for everything he has instead of being handed it. a silver platter.

2 Yudias Velgear (Yu-Gi-Oh! GO RUSH!!)

Yudias almost seems to be from a different anime with his otherworldly design

It's hard not to be intrigued by who Yudias is and his backstory when you look at him, which is a sign of excellent character design. The pompous blue and white hair, golden necklace, one shoulder, and bright white robe indicate that this is potentially a soldier who has had his fair share of tough duels over the years, but in fact he is an alien who landed. on Earth to learn more about Rush Duels.

Once this is revealed, it starts to make a lot of sense why he looks so out of place, but it also perfectly emphasizes how prestigious this otherworldly being should be among his own people. Yudias has undoubtedly one of the most attractive models in the series; being full of intrigue and mystery.

1 Yugi/Atem (Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters)

One of the most stylish looks in all of anime

It's hard to argue against Yugi, and in turn, Atem's design being one of the most iconic in all of anime. The absurdly cool red, black and gold hair combined with the free-flowing blue jacket and Millenium-Puzzle chain results in a character that looks like it was ripped straight from the 90s, which is far from a thing river.

Being two characters at the same time also meant that author Takahashi was able to experiment with facial features, opting for a more passive look for Yugi with big, wide eyes, while Atem looks more serious and stoic. Yugi and Atem's striking design done Yu-Gi-Oh they seem more like a cool and trendy hobby as opposed to a childish card game that just goes to show how impactful character design can really be.