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Yu-Gi-Oh!is a massive anime series, and if you’re ready to dive in, over 1000 episodes await you. With so many episodes, figuring out the watch order can get confusing. Currently, there are 11 TV shows and four movies in the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise. You can choose to watch it either by release order or chronological order.
Since most of the shows are spin-offs, it’s up to you what to watch, but if you’re determined to consume everything, we’ve got you covered with a detailed guide. You’ll find out what’s optional and what should come next! Time to duel!
Yu-Gi-Oh! Watch Order According To Release Dates
If you are watching the Yu-Gi-Oh! TV shows according to the release order, there is no problem, butsome TV series might be confusing for you.Especially the 1998 TV series Yu-Gi-Oh! with its 27 episodes might not be the best starting point becauseYu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters is its reboot version.However, if you’re aware of this, it should not be an issue.
For all other TV shows and films, watching them in release order will not cause any problems and will not affect your viewing experience.
27
1998
-
1999
224
2000
2004
180
12
2006
Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s
154 + 1
2008
2010
73 + 1
2011
2012
148
2014
2016
120
2017
92
2020
151
2022
?
2025
Yu-Gi-Oh! Chronological Watch Order
If you want to watch Yu-Gi-Oh! according to the release order, there are a few differences in the chronological order that could enhance your viewing experience. Specifically, certain films should be watched after specific seasons of the TV shows, or even after certain episodes, to maximize your enjoyment. Below is the chronological order for watching Yu-Gi-Oh!:
you may skip this if you start from Duel Monsters.
you’re able to skip this if you start from Duel Monsters. If you watched the 1998 Yu-Gi-Oh series, watch this movie after finishing it.
Watch this after episode 144 of Duel Monsters, then continue to episode 145.
Watch until episode 184, then watch the mini-series, Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monsters.
After watching this mini-series, continue watching Duel Monsters from episode 185.
After Capsule Monsters, finish Duel Monsters. After finishing it, watch The Dark Side of Dimensions.
After finishing this, you can start watching the spin-offs in release order.
Watch until episode 80, then if you’re watching it, watch Bonds Beyond Time.
Watch this before episode 80 of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s. Also, make sure you have watched Duel Monsters and GX.
Yu-Gi-Oh! (1998 TV Series)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! in release order is one of the best choices. However, there are some confusing TV shows and movies that might cause issues while following this order. One of the biggest ones is the 1998 Yu-Gi-Oh! TV show.
If you’re looking to watch the Yu-Gi-Oh! series that everyone remembers from childhood,you’re able to skip this one and start directly with Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters.
The 1998 Yu-Gi-Oh! anime was thefirst-ever adaptation of the mangaand is oftencalled Season Zero.However,Duel Monsters isn’t exactly a sequel to it—it’s more of a reboot. In this 1998 version, Yugi is much more ruthless and punishes people by sending them to the Shadow Realm. This series alsosticks very closely to the early parts of the manga.
The 1998 Yu-Gi-Oh! anime consists of 27 episodes.
That said,both the 1998 anime and Duel Monsters are very different.If you want to consume more Yu-Gi-Oh! content, you can watch both. But if you’d rather jump straight into the more well-known series, starting with Duel Monsters is totally fine!
Yu-Gi-Oh! (1999 Movie)
Aside from Season Zero, there is also a movie titled Yu-Gi-Oh!—yes, the same name. This movie, like the 1998 series, was produced by Toei Animation. Despite being a movie,it’s only about 30 minutes long.It takes placeafter the events of the 1998 Yu-Gi-Oh! series, so if you’re planning to watch that, it makes sense to watch this movie afterward.
The story revolves around a student named Shogo Aoyama, who obtains a Red-Eyes Black Dragon card and becomes a target of Seto Kaiba. The movieskips over most of the first seven volumes of the manga, which are actually the main focus of Duel Monsters.
If you’re watching the 1998 series, this movie is worth checking out. However, if you’re starting from Duel Monsters, it might be a confusing entry point. That said, you can still enjoy it as a standalone film!
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters
If you want to dive into the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe and watch the series that matches what you saw in your childhood or in the media—featuring Yugi, Kaiba, Joey, Pegasus, and more—thenthis is the perfect place to start.
This series stays faithful to the manga, but itstarts from Chapter 60 in Volume Seven.It follows Yugi Muto, a high school student who battles opponents in the Duel Monsters card game. The story begins with Yugi trying to save his grandfather’s soul, leading him to the Duelist Kingdom tournament. Duel Monsters consists offive seasons and a total of 224 episodes:
49
48
47
40
Jun 23, 2025
Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie: Pyramid Of Light
If you’re planning to watch this movie, ittakes place between Seasons Three and Four of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters.To follow the events in order, it’s best towatch it after Episode 144.
The movie follows Yugi and his friends as they battle Anubis after the events of the Battle City arc.
While this movie is non-canon, if you do decide to watch it, verify to do so before Episode 145 of Duel Monsters!
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX is a sequel to Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, butit’s also a spin-off.The story follows Jaden Yuki and his friends as they enroll in Duel Academia, a school for aspiring duelists.
The seriestakes place a few years after the events of Duel Monsters, with Jaden aiming to become the best duelist. However, since the main cast is entirely new, this might feel different from the original. That said, afew Duel Monsters characters make cameo appearances!
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX consists offour seasons and 180 episodes:
52
24
June 26, 2025
Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monsters
This 12-episode mini-series is setbetween the Grand Championship and Millennium World arcsof Duel Monsters. That means if you’re following the Duel Monsters timeline, you shouldwatch this after Season Four, following Episode 184.
This mini-series also inspired the Yu-Gi-Oh! Capsule Monsters Collectible Figure Game. In the story, Yugi, his friends, and his grandfather find themselves playing a game called Capsule Monster Chess—a game that was originally introduced in the first seven volumes of the manga.
This seriesintroduces Tuner and Synchro Monstersand features a unique dueling style using devices called D-Wheels, which are essentially motorcycles for dueling. Additionally, Turbo Duels are introduced, offering a fast-paced battle style.
Set in the distant future, the main character is Yusei Fudo, who lives in Satellite, a remote island inhabited by the lower class. His rival, Jack Atlas, resides in Neo Domino City, an upper-class district. Yusei’s goal is to improve everything for everyone, which makes his mission complex, while some parts of this anime are quite dark.
you’re able to watch this series after Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, but even if you only want to watch 5D’s,you don’t need to watch the previous series, as the story is self-contained.
The Japanese version of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s has 154 episodes and 1 special episode, while the English version has 123 episodes.
26
38
28
42
20
June 15, 2025
Yu-Gi-Oh! Bonds Beyond Time
This 3D animated film is quite unique because itbrings together three main characters from different series: Yugi Muto from Duel Monsters, Jaden Yuki from GX, and Yusei Fudo from 5D’s. If you’re planning to watch this movie, it’s recommended towatch Duel Monsters, GX, and 5D’sfirst to familiarize yourself with the characters.
Timing-wise, you shouldwatch this movie before the final arc of 5D’s, specificallyafter episode 80.After watching the film, you can continue with episode 81.
In this movie, these three protagonists team up to fight Paradox, a time traveler whose goal is to destroy the Duel Monsters. If you’ve watched all three TV shows and have grown attached to the characters, this movie will be a fun and exciting addition to the franchise!
