Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG has countless memorized monsters that made their anime debut or quickly became staples in the game's early days. While these cards might be a thing of the past, there are times when they get major shines that give them new abilities or a refreshing redesign.
These cards may have been powerful only to become more so with their glows. Meanwhile, other cards never really made an impact before coming back as important meta cards again. From era-defining boss monsters to the less powerful ones you remember from anime, here are ten classic monsters that shined in Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG.
8 Tomorrow's time wizard
Your opponent might die this time
The original Time Wizard is iconic to say the least. In the anime, Joey would use this card to spin the wheel of his staff to destroy monsters and make his Baby Dragon age 1000 years. In the actual game, there is no roulette, but a coin toss. Time Wizard of Tomorrow updates the original version of the card by making it a Fusion Monster.
While the Effects remain largely the same, they add a major quality of life to the coin flip results. While misnaming will always take damage, this retraining makes it so that if you name it correctly, the monster destroys everything on the field, but also deals damage to your opponent.
7 Apprentice Illusion Magician
Illusions take you back in time
The Illusion type is a fairly recent addition to the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG. It takes a lot of older monster models and archetypes and puts them all under one banner. One of the most iconic cards introduced in the Battle City arc is Dark Magician Girl.
While this card isn't the most meta magician to come out of Illusion typing, Apprentice Illusion Magician gives the dark magician girl a brand new look. This time she looks more like the original Dark Magician with her purple outfit, but keeps her stat lines. This card fits best in a Dark Magician deck as it helps you search cards and deal out powerups.
6 Mimicking the man-eating insect
There is a bug in the field
When Flip Monsters were a viable strategy in the metagame, one of the best monster destroyers was the Man-Eater Bug. This hidden bug can be played face down and if your opponent flips it, you can destroy a monster on the field.
Mimicking Man Eater Bug is the reversal that first appeared in Burst of Destiny, and while this version of the card can choose the target, it gets a few upgrades. This time, it cannot be destroyed by battle, and if it manages to explode a monster on the field, it copies its attack and types. It also cannot be destroyed by Card Effects from monsters of the same type.
5 Master of Dragon Magic
Master Dragon Knight returns
Dragon Master Knight has combined two of the hardest attacking cards in the game into the Ultimate Monster. While 5000 attack points is a huge number, it took too much effort to shell out just to get a big beat stick. Dragon Master Magic, on the other hand, improves the card in every way.
Retraining gives Dragon Master Magia three negated omnis that can be used once per spell, trap, or monster. The only downside to this amazing retraining is that it's only available in a single set and at the highest rarity. This made Dragon Master Magia one of the most expensive cards in Battles of Legeds: Terminal Revenge and the entire game.
4 Combined gatekeepers
Gate Guardian finally has real effects
The biggest problem with the original Gatekeeper is that the Effect is more of a Summoning Condition than an actual benefit to his Summoning. Gate Guardians Combined is a Fusion monster introduced in Maze of Memories that no longer requires you to set up three Level Sevens on the field to take them out.
Instead, Gate Guardians Combined only requires you to have at least one copy of Kazejin, Suijin, and Sanga somewhere visible. This can mean on the field, in hand or face up in the grave. Gate Guardian gives you field protection against all targeting effects. It has three negations that also destroy cards on the field. Also, if removed from the field, it floats into smaller pieces of your Extra Deck.
3 Wizard of Loyalty
A brand new costume change
Magician of Faith was originally a popular Flip monster due to its ability to get a spell from your graveyard if flipped. This made it easier to get important cards like Raigeki, Monster Reborn, or Change of Heart back in the old days of Yu-Gi-Oh!
Magician of Faithfulness does the same, but has a sleek new look and some added effects. This time, if it is flipped face up, not only will you get the spell from the grave, but you can replace it on the field with another Magician of Faith or Magician of Faith. This makes it easier to get even more spells back.
2 Angwich reminder
A forgotten book turned meta
The best flashes come when a book that was considered completely forgettable comes back with a vengeance. The Valiant Smashers set introduced Mememento cards, which are all re-trains of classic monsters. One of the most expensive parts of the Memento engine is the Memento Angwich.
This book was originally known as Fairywitch or Angel Witch when it was translated. If that sounds unfamiliar, it's because Monster was never released in America and was exclusive to Japan. Regardless, it was a vanilla monster with no effects. As a Memento monster, Angwich can search for others of its archetype to add to your hand. It can also bring back Memento Monsters from the graveyard.
1 Black Luster Soldier Envoy of the Beginning
Ruler of the Chaos Era
One of the most significant retrainings of a classic monster didn't happen recently, but rather during the Duel Monsters era of Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG. Black Luster Soldier was originally a ritual monster that matched the Blue-Eyes White Dragon in terms of power. However, his retraining in Invasion of Chaos defined the meta.
Black Luster Soldier, Envoy of the Beginning was too powerful for that time. All it took to Special Summon it on the field was to banish a Light and a Dark. In addition to having 3000 attack points, it could also banish the opponent's monsters in an era where denials were very few.
