List of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters episodes (season 5)

Yu-Gi-Oh! Grand Championship Yu-Gi-Oh! Dawn of the Duel Yu-Gi-Oh! The Final Duel
Country of origin	Japan
No. of episodes	40
Release
Original network	TV Tokyo (Japan) Kids WB (U.S.)
Original release	December 24, 2003 – September 29, 2004 (Japan)

The fifth and final season of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, known in the United States as Yu-Gi-Oh!, aired in Japan on TV Tokyo and the United States on Kids WB. The season comprises forty episodes, which were broadcast in Japan from December 24, 2003 to September 29, 2004. In the United States, the season began airing from August 27, 2005, to June 10, 2006.

The season begins with Kaiba hosting a new championship tournament which is being sabotaged by a skilled duelist named Zigfried, who uses his hacking skills in an attempt to enact revenge against Kaiba.— The final arc focuses on The Pharaoh battling Yami Bakura to save the world by defeating the dark one known as Zorc, while Yugi and his friends travel the memory world to discover the Pharaoh's real name, which ultimately leads to a final duel between Yugi and the Pharaoh for the ultimate challenge.

Episode list

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Original air date	U.S. air date
185	1	"Unwanted Guest (1)" "KC Grand Prix Opens" (KCグランプリ開幕)	December 24, 2003	August 27, 2005
Stranded following the events of the Orichalcos, the Kaibas extend to Joey and Yugi an invitation for the Kaiba Grand Championship (KC Grand Prix in Japan) in exchange for tickets back home. One of the attractions is a duel computer that allows novices to refine their duelling skills. However, an enigmatic hacker locks all the guests in and sets the difficulty to Expert, leaving the amateur duelist Rick facing an immensely difficult task. Yugi duels instead, but he uses Rick's deck: full of Dragons and next-to-no magic and trap cards!
186	2	"Unwanted Guest (2)" "The Start of a Conspiracy" (動きだした陰謀)	January 7, 2004	August 27, 2005
Due to Rick stacking his deck with Dragons and only one magic card, Yugi is backed into a corner by the Expert-difficulty duel computer who forces Yugi to discard his hand. Yugi activates the card he gave to Rick, Heart of the Underdog, to power up his Spirit Ryu and restore the computer to normal.
187	3	"Let the Games Begin! (1)" "Jonouchi vs. Mask the Rock" (城之内vsマスク·ザ·ロック)	January 14, 2004	September 3, 2005
The Grand Championship starts in earnest with Joey facing off against the mysterious Apdnarg Otom; or Grandpa (Solomon) Moto backwards, who allegedly begged to be in the tournament. Solomon turns Joey's reliance on luck against him and leads an assault with the Ancient Giant.
188	4	"Let the Games Begin! (2)" "The Illusionary Ancient Dragon" (幻の古代竜)	January 21, 2004	September 3, 2005
Joey is being beaten by his former teacher Solomon Moto, who sacrifices most of his cards to Summon the legendary Ancient Dragon, a card he's been waiting to play for years. Slowly Joey begins a comeback, using Gilford the Lightning to destroy the Dragon, but it's futile as it immediately resurrects itself with Ancient City. Joey counters this by returning it to Solomon's hand with Giant Trunade, and launching a double assault with Gilford the Lightning and Goblin Attack Force.
189	5	"Child's Play" "Hot Battle! Rebecca Vs. Vivian" (熱闘! レベッカvsヴィヴィアン)	January 28, 2004	September 10, 2005
Rebecca is duelling against the Asian champion, Vivian Wong, not just for a place in the next round, but for Yugi's heart. Rebecca uses a clever strategy to gain Life Points and burn away Vivian's each round, and even when Vivian hinders it with Dragon Lady, Rebecca makes a winning counter with Guardian Angel Joan. Rex and Weevil have sneaked into the tournament against rules under another competitor, and despite both duelling Zigfried Lloyd, he obliterates both of them in one turn with a single card: Ride of the Valkyries (Walkuren Ritt in the Japanese Version).
190	6	"Down in Flames, Part 1" "Jonouchi vs. Sieg - A Beautiful Duel" (城之内vsジーク 華麗なる決闘)	February 4, 2004	September 10, 2005
Joey is pitted against Zigfried, who previously defeated two duelists in one move using one card. After a bad start, the facilities around KaibaLand go haywire, even putting the duelists themselves in danger: all Zigfried's work in an attempt to give Kaiba a 'hint'. After Joey makes a stinging direct attack with Jinzo, Zigfried focuses back on the duel, playing the Ride of the Valkyries card he used last time against Rex and Weevil, which easily defeated them in one turn.
191	7	"Down in Flames, Part 2" "The Goddesses of Monster Extermination" (モンスター抹殺の女神)	February 11, 2004	September 17, 2005
With the aid of his Hyper Refresh, Joey survives with only 800 Life Points remaining. Zigfried decides to try a different tactic.
192	8	"A Brawl in a Small Town, Part 1" "Genius Girl Vs. Genius Boy" (天才少女vs天才少年)	February 18, 2004	September 17, 2005
The Elite Eight in the KC Grand Championship have been filtered down to four Semi-Finalists: Zigfried Lloyd against Balfry Ginger, and the child prodigies Rebecca and Leon. Rebecca's gain-and-drain strategy is torn asunder by Leon's fairytale-based cards. In another attempt, Rebecca uses her Dragons, but Leon Summons Cinderella in response who attacks Rebecca directly repeatedly. Meanwhile, Yugi's grandfather has mysteriously gone missing.
193	9	"A Brawl in a Small Town, Part 2" "Leon in Fairyland" (おとぎの国のレオン)	February 25, 2004	September 24, 2005
Vivian is revealed to have taken Grandpa from the hospital to act as bait for Yugi to duel her; in exchange, she would heal Grandpa's back. The two duel and Yugi uses her strategy of discarding Dragons to the Graveyard to his advantage with Dark Paladin. Leon is royally trouncing Rebecca but the latter refuses to give in, more so when Yugi finally arrives to cheer her on. Heartened, Rebecca Summons her Diamond Head Dragon and launches a brutal assault, but Leon ultimately triumphs with Thorn Princess. Leon will now face Zigfried in the finals.
194	10	"One Step Ahead, Part 1" "Kaiba Intrudes! The Grand Prix Final" (海馬乱入! グランプリ決勝戦)	March 3, 2004	September 24, 2005
Kaiba stops the match, disqualifying Zigfried for using a false alias and revealing him as Zigfried von Schroder, Kaiba's former arch-rival and the tournament saboteur. The two then duel to determine whether Zigfried stays in the tournament. Kaiba summons his XYZ-Dragon Cannon, but Zigfried uses the Nibelung's Ring and his Three Goddesses to remove Kaiba's cards.
195	11	"One Step Ahead, Part 2" "Walkure Vs. Blue Eyes White Dragon" (戦女神vs青眼の白龍)	March 10, 2004	October 1, 2005
Kaiba calls his immensely powerful Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End to reset the playing field, destroying Zigfried's hand, his field, and even his ace card Valkyrie Brunnhilde. Zigfried ups his play by reviving his Valkyrie and forcing both players to predict how many Magic Cards they think they'll play or take serious damage if they're incorrect. Seto uses a combo of Soul Release, Spell Reproduction and Dimension Fusion to Summon five Dragons at once and together they destroy Brunnhilde and win the duel.
196	12	"Sinister Secrets, Part 1" "The Final Battle for Duel King - Yugi vs. Leon" (デュエルキング決定戦 遊戯vsレオン)	March 17, 2004	October 1, 2005
Leon is stopped by Zigfried and is given a card to add to his deck, for his battle against Yugi for the title of World Champion. Leon is unusually bitter about it, and oddly, considering his last duel, doesn't appear to be enjoying himself. He launches countless assaults, replacing destroyed monsters with more fairytale creatures and reveals he, too, is a Von Schroder. Despite this, Kaiba cannot call off the match as that is against the tournament rules.
197	13	"Sinister Secrets, Part 2" "The Gold Castle of Stromberg" (シュトロームベルクの金の城)	March 24, 2004	October 8, 2005
Leon reveals his motivation to duel, stemming from being ignored by his family in favor of the smart, highly gifted and talented Zigfried. To distract himself, Leon became engrossed in fairytales, and started dueling following the creation of a set of fairytale cards. He initially believed this was earning Zigfried's respect, but in reality his older brother saw him as little more than a tool for destroying KaibaCorp. Determined to earn his elder brother's love, Leon plays an illegal Field Spell: The Golden Castle of Stromberg, which infects KaibaCorp's systems with an extremely powerful and dangerous computer virus that rapidly deletes the files and can't be destroyed by card or trap effects.
198	14	"Sinister Secrets (3)" "KC Grand Prix Ends" (KCグランプリ終結)	March 31, 2004	October 8, 2005
Yugi decides to help Leon get rid of the Golden Castle of Stromberg, but this proves to be challenging as not only is it unaffected by card effects, it forces all monsters to battle and discards half of Yugi's Deck each turn. This proves to be its undoing, however, as he's left with one card and so can't discard half of it, destroying the card. Leon fights valiantly but loses to Yugi's Dark Magician. Zigfried is furious with this, but Leon manages to calm him down and forgives him. Yugi and his best friends are finally able to go back home.

Dawn of the Duel

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Original air date	U.S. air date
199	15	"Tomb of the Nameless Pharaoh" "Ultimate Game" (究極のゲーム)	April 7, 2004	October 15, 2005
Bakura tries to escape the returning spirit of the Millennium Ring, Yami Bakura. He eventually escapes into a church, where he believed he was safe. However, Yami Bakura's dark spirit followed Bakura into the church, and began to taunt him while Bakura told him to stop. Yami Bakura then told Bakura that they still had to obtain all of the seven Millennium Items, and that they only had one at the moment-the Millennium Eye. When Bakura refuses to help, Yami Bakura forcibly takes over his mind and body, shattering all of the windows in the process while Bakura cries out in dismay. Yugi's grandfather tells him the story of how he entered the tomb of the Nameless Pharaoh and discovered the Millennium Puzzle. Yugi prepares for his trip to Egypt in order to help restore the Pharaoh's memories. Rex and Weevil return and steal Yugi's bag containing the Egyptian God cards and the Millennium Items. However, their plans are thwarted when Yami Bakura shows up and reclaims the Millennium Ring. Then, he uses it to send both of their souls to the Shadow Realm. When Yugi shows up and asks if he was Bakura, Yami Bakura denies it, claiming that he himself was someone entirely different.
200	16	"Spiritual Awakening" "The Dark Bakura on the Move" (動きだした闇のバクラ)	April 14, 2004	October 22, 2005
Yami Bakura returns Yugi's belongings, minus the Millennium Ring, as he states that he still needs it, until Yugi obtains all seven of the Millennium Items. Then, he tries to persuade Yugi to help, using a combination of both facts and lies. However, Yugi refuses to trust him. Then, the Pharaoh tells Bakura to stop. Yami Bakura tells the Pharaoh that the only way to regain his memory is to play a game (the Ultimate Shadow Game), before departing. Then, Yami Bakura kidnaps Mokuba and sends his soul to the Shadow Realm, which forces Kaiba to duel him. Yami Bakura turns the duel into a Shadow Game, and he tells Kaiba that if he wins, then he will return Mokuba's soul. Planning to claim the great power of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon as his own, and to have Kaiba join "The Ultimate Shadow Game", Bakura attacks using a new deck of Egyptian-themed cards, including his "tablet" trap cards, and his spirit beast, Diabound Kernel. Diabound is able to absorb half of the power of Blue-Eyes each time it activates its ability, even as Kaiba manages to fight back. However, as the Sun rises, Bakura abandons the duel, stating that he had other "business" to attend to. However, he leaves a parting gift for Kaiba - the Millennium Eye, and tells him to come to Egypt if he wants to learn about his ancient past. As Yugi was about to board a flight to Cairo, Egypt, he meets up with Tea, Joey, and Tristan as they refuse to let him leave on his own.
201	17	"Memoirs of a Pharaoh" "The Door of Memory Opens" (開かれた記憶の扉)	April 21, 2004	October 29, 2005
The Pharaoh, Yugi, Tea, Joey, and Tristan arrive in Egypt and meet up with Marik. The Pharaoh presents the Egyptian God cards to the stone tablet, and his spirit is sent five thousand years into the past, to when he was still alive and reigned as King of Egypt, even as Yami Bakura uses his connection to the Pharaoh's Millennium Puzzle to hitch a ride back into the past, intending to finish the battle he started five millnenia ago. Yami Bakura's departure into the past causes the spirits of Rex Raptor, Weevil Underwood, and Mokuba to be released from the Shadow Realm (not shown on screen). Later, Yami Bakura completely takes over the body of his ancient alter ego, Bakura the Thief King, and then frees him from his guards. Soon, his minions arrive, and free him from his chains. Then, Thief King Bakura (now under the control of Yami Bakura) raids the previous Pharaoh's tomb, and heads off to the royal palace to claim the seven Millennium Items.
202	18	"The Intruder (1)" "Thief King Bakura Enters!" (盗賊王バクラ見参!)	April 28, 2004	November 5, 2005
Thief King Bakura, arrives at the palace to claim the Millennium Items for himself. The priests engage him in battle, but Bakura the Thief King's spirit beast, Diabound, proves too much for them to handle, until the Pharaoh steps in and summons Obelisk the Tormentor. However, Obelisk happens to be evenly matched with Bakura's Diabound, which is enhanced with power that it stole from Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragon, during Yami Bakura's previous Duel with Seto Kaiba. Meanwhile, the spirits of Yugi and the others enter the Millennium Puzzle, thanks to the help of Shadi and his Millennium Key, in search of a doorway into the Pharaoh's memories, which would take them to the memory world that the Pharaoh had entered.
203	19	"The Intruder (2)" "Mahado's Decision" (マハードの決意)	May 5, 2004	November 12, 2005
Bakura's Diabound fights against the Pharaoh's Obelisk, but their power is equal, and Bakura is forced to retreat. Mana, a magician and also a childhood friend of the Pharaoh's, arrives to visit the palace. Mahad decides to help protect the former Pharaoh's tomb, despite Priest Isis' visions of his fate. Mahad's men take on Bakura's minions, while Mahad is trapped with Bandit Bakura, inside of the Magician's Academy (inside of a cave).
204	20	"Makings of a Magician" "Battle to the Death! Mahad Vs. Bakura" (死闘! マハードvsバクラ)	May 12, 2004	November 19, 2005
Mahad unlocks his full power using the Millennium Ring, and forces Bakura the Thief King to face him by trapping them both inside the academy where magicians used to be trained (inside of a cavern). Mahad draws upon his Millennium Ring to completely unearth his full powers, which he had sealed away long ago, within the academy for his own safety. Mahad's Illusion Magician faces off against Bakura's Diabound, which has grown in strength since his battle with the Pharaoh. However, Mahad's Illusion Magician has also grown in strength since then, but Bakura's Diabound is still the strongest monster on the field. Diabound gains the upper hand, and Thief King Bakura finishes the job by deliberately setting off the tomb's traps. To save himself, Mahad fuses his soul with his spirit beast, the Illusion Magician, transforming himself into the Dark Magician, which made him much more powerful than Bakura's Diabound, much to Bakura's disbelief. Bakura the Thief takes the Millennium Ring, however, Mahad as Dark Magician is able to destroy Bakura's Diabound, which causes the cavern to collapse. Thief King Bakura barely manages to escape, while Mahad's soul is sealed into the stone tablet meant for Diabound.
205	21	"Birth of the Blue-Eyes" "Blue-Eyed Kisara" (青い瞳のキサラ)	May 19, 2004	November 26, 2005
Mana is distraught at the loss of her master. Priest Isis explains that he has become the Dark Magician and will eventually return with even greater magical powers and spells than ever before. Priests Seto and Shada head out into the city to search for people with strong spirit beasts. Seto meets a white-haired, blue-eyed young girl named Kisara who is shunned by the citizens. Meanwhile, Shadi guides Yugi and the others to the doorway, into the Memory World of the Pharaoh's past, and begin searching for the Pharaoh.
206	22	"Village of Lost Souls" "The Secret of the Creation of the Millennium Items" (千年アイテム誕生の秘密)	May 26, 2004	December 3, 2005
Thief King Bakura breaks into the palace again and attacks Priest Aknadin, infusing part of his evil soul into the Millennium Eye. The Pharaoh summons Slifer the Sky Dragon to chase after Bakura and Diabound. When Bakura begins targeting the villagers, Slifer is forced to take Diabound's attacks in order to defend the helpless people. The wounded Aknadin reminisces about the creation of the Millennium Items through the destruction of Kul Elna, and how he was forced to abandon his wife and his own son, Seto.
207	23	"A Reversal of Fortune" "Wound Back Time" (巻き戻る時間)	June 2, 2004	December 10, 2005
Priest Seto and Karim arrive to defend the Pharaoh. Thief King Bakura pretends to retreat and leads them into a trap, giving him the chance to finally defeat Slifer. Yugi and the others appear just in time, giving the Pharaoh the strength he needs to summon the Winged Dragon of Ra. However, Yami Bakura uses Zorc's immense dark power to turn back time, so he can make sure Yugi never shows up. The Pharaoh is defeated and Thief King Bakura takes the Millennium Puzzle, while the Pharaoh falls into the chasm.
208	24	"In Search of a King" "The Pharaoh is Alive" (生きていたファラオ)	June 9, 2004	December 17, 2005
Aknadin forces Kisara to fight the other prisoners in an attempt to force her to call forth her spirit beast. Despite Aknadin urging him not to, Seto steps in to protect Kisara, until she is finally able to summon the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Meanwhile, Yugi and the gang search for the Pharaoh, who they firmly believe is still alive. During their search, they run into Mana, who decides to help them. They find the Pharaoh taking shelter in a cave, though he is badly injured.
209	25	"Village of Vengeance (1)" "Village of Dead Spirits" (死霊の村)	June 16, 2004	January 7, 2006
The priests meet up with the Pharaoh and the others, and together they track Thief King Bakura to Kul Elna, a ruined village haunted by the vengeful spirits of its former citizens. The Pharaoh heads in to face Bakura alone, but is soon joined by the spirit of Mahad, in the form of the Dark Magician. Bakura summons Diabound, newly evolved after its battle with Slifer, to combat him. Mana finally unlocks the great magical power of her spirit beast, the Dark Magician Girl, and rushes to their aid.
210	26	"Village of Vengeance (2)" "The End of Thief King Bakura" (盗賊王バクラの最期)	June 23, 2004	January 14, 2006
Mahad and Mana mount a counterattack on Diabound, but it absorbs the dead spirits of Kul Elna to make itself even more powerful. Seto and the rest of the priests arrive to fight him, but they are unable to penetrate Diabound's spirit shield. Bakura takes the Millennium Scale from Karim and uses it to strengthen Diabound even more, by fusing another Shadow Creature (Illushu) with it. Shada locates Diabound's stone tablet, and plans to destroy it to eliminate the beast. However, Aknadin attacks him and takes the Millennium Key. As Shada realizes Aknadin's betrayal, he is dragged into Diabound's tablet by the spirits of Kul Elna. The Pharaoh and his Guardians try to defeat Diabound, however, Diabound is protected by the souls of Kul Elna, and Diabound's attacks overwhelm their monsters. As Diabound defeats the Sacred Guardians and the Pharaoh, the Pharaoh plans to surrender himself to the souls of Kul Elna. The angry spirits then enter the Pharoh's body, planning to drag him into the Shadow Realm. At the last possible moment, the Pharaoh's father, King Aknamkanon, intercepts the spirits and convince them to take his soul instead. However, Aknamkanon is much more powerful, and is able to trap the angry spirits within him. As a result, Shada is released from Diabound's tablet. Then, King Aknamkanon leads the spirits to the Shadow Realm (trapping himself there as well), after telling his son (the Pharaoh) to restore peace to Egypt. Bakura becomes enrages as the loss of the spirits weakens his Diabound. Mahad is finally able to defeat Diabound, with help from the Pharaoh. As Shada watches, Diabound's tablet cracks and breaks into pieces.
211	27	"Village of Vengeance (3)" "A New Stage" (新たなるステージ)	June 30, 2004	January 21, 2006
Yugi and the others enter the palace to search for clues about the Pharaoh's real name. Thief King Bakura collapses, but manages to place his three Millennium Items into the Millennium stone. Then, Yami Bakura releases Thief King Bakura from his control, who is confused about what was happening, and is unable to recall what he was doing. Then, he turns into dust, even as he cries out in anguish for help. Yami Bakura's disembodied spirit then tells the others that he was merely using Bandit Bakura, the "poor fool," as a pawn. Later, Aknadin betrays the other priests, using a time-freezing spell to incapacitate them, anstaking the Millennium Items, giving him the power needed to resurrect the Zorc Necrophades, The Dark One, from the Millennium Stone. Zorc then transforms Aknadin into the Lord of Darkness, The Great Shadow Magus (which doubles Aknadin's power). Yami Bakura reveals the true nature of the Shadow Game - it is simply a board game, played by the present-day versions of Yami Bakura and the Pharaoh (the other parts of their souls). However, their actions dictate the events of the Memory World, which are manipulated by their game pieces.
212	28	"Village of Vengeance (4)" "The Dark High Priest" (闇の大神官)	July 7, 2004	January 28, 2006
Kaiba arrives in Egypt. Ishizu and Marik lead him to the stone tablet shrine, where the Millennium Eye begins glowing and shows his visions of Bakura and the Pharaoh's Shadow Game. Yami Bakura pulls Kaiba's soul into the game, and uses it to help resurrect the Thief King, and Yami Bakura retakes control of Thief King Bakura. Meanwhile, Bobasa guides Yugi and the others to the Valley of the Kings, where the Pharaoh's true name lies within his future tomb. Then, Bobasa leaves, having fulfilled his duty.
213	29	"Village of Vengeance (5)" "The Countdown to the Evil God Revival" (邪神復活へのカウントダウン)	July 14, 2004	February 4, 2006
Thief King Bakura revives Diabound, stronger than ever thanks to the Millennium Items, which has now achieved its 5th and final form. Now, Thief King Bakura is able to summon Diabound without its tablet, because he now has all seven Millennium Items. The Millennium Stone then sinks deep into the ground, along with the seven items. Bandit Bakura then uses Diabound to allow Aknadin escape, who takes Priest Seto with him. To give Zorc Necrophades enough time to be fully reborn, he separates the Pharaoh and his priests from one another, and attacks them with armies of monsters while they are isolated. Karim sacrifices himself, in order to give his remaining power to Shada. Meanwhile Pharaoh heads back to the palace to find Priest Seto.
214	30	"Name of the Game" "White Dragon" (白き龍)	July 21, 2004	April 1, 2006
Seto and Kisara face Aknadin, however Kisara is killed while protecting Seto, and the White Dragon is sealed in stone. Meanwhile, Yugi and his friends brave many deadly traps, and then find the Pharaoh's true name, within a room in the back. The Pharaoh makes it back to the palace, however he is forced to engage battle against Seto, since his mind was being manipulated by the evil Priest Aknadin. The legendary ancient match between the Pharaoh and Priest Seto begins. The Pharaoh summons Mahad, as Dark Magician, to fight against the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, now controlled by Priest Seto. The Pharaoh is eventually overpowered. However, the spirit of Kisara, in the form of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, enters Seto's mind, where she destroys Aknadin for good. As a result, Aknadin's soul is sent to the Shadow Realm. However, the time on Yami Bakura's 3rd hourglass runs out, and Zorc Necrophades begins to revive. At the same time, Yami Bakura takes full control of Tristan's body, and blocks the only exit of the Pharaoh's tomb. Telling Yugi that he will never leave the tomb alive, Yami Bakura challenges Yugi to a duel.
215	31	"The Dark One Cometh (1)" "The Great Evil God Zorc Revives" (大邪神ゾーク復活)	July 28, 2004	April 8, 2006
Thief King Bakura succeeds in reviving Zorc Necrophades, sacrificing himself and his Diabound in the process, resulting in both him and Diabound being disintegrated, and then being absorbed into the Millennium Stone. As Zorc emerges from underneath Kul Elna, his energy destroys the Millennium Stone, causing the Millennium Items to scatter throughout Kul Elna. Meanwhile, Yugi and Yami Bakura duel (possessing the body of Tristan). If Yugi wins, he can leave and tell the Pharaoh his true name, and if he loses, he'll never leave, and he will lose his soul to the Shadow Realm, along with the souls of his friends. Meanwhile, the Pharaoh and Kaiba talk about events that happened in the previous episode. Then, Pharaoh and Priest Seto ride back to the palace and attempt to stop Zorc. Soon afterwards, Shada intercepts a lightning bolt meant for the Pharaoh (sent by Zorc), which kills Shada.
216	32	"The Dark One Cometh (2)" "The Legendary Guardian God - Exodia Revives!" (伝説の守護神 エクゾディア復活!)	August 4, 2004	April 14, 2006
Isis and Mana head for Kul Elna to retrieve the Millennium Items. The duel between Yugi and Yami Bakura continues, but suddenly, Yami Bakura's voice changes and he calls Yugi a "pathetic mortal", which strikes Téa as strange. Isis uses her Millennium Necklace to strengthen her Winged Guardian of the Fortress, in order to distract Zorc. However, Zorc Necrophades destroys Isis's dragon, and the amount of damage she takes causes her to die. Once Mana delivers the Millennium Items to Shimon, he summons Exodia (with the Millennium Key), which holds its own against Zorc. Soon afterwards, Zorc eventually overpowers it, since Exodia drew its power from a mortal, Shimon, while Zorc had an almost infinite supply of darkness. Zorc the Dark One then destroys Exodia, killing Shimon. Mana delivers the other Millennium Items to the Pharaoh, and the Pharaoh prepares to fight Zorc.
217	33	"The Dark One Cometh (3)" "Summon! The Three Gods" (召喚! 三幻神)	August 11, 2004	April 22, 2006
The Pharaoh summons the Three Egyptian Gods to combat Zorc. Then, as if to confirm Téa's suspicions last episode, at the tabletop in the Shadow Realm, Yami Bakura claims that soon he'll return to his original form, and then he leaves the table to join with his 5,000-year-old counterpart, which is Zorc. At the same time, he sends the present-day Pharaoh to the battlefield to reunite his past self, and the other part of his soul. Meanwhile, Zorc defeats the three Egyptian Gods by covering the Sun, wiping their strength out, as they get their power from the Sun. Zorc then turns the Egyptian Gods into motionless statues of stone. While this is going on, Yami Bakura's devious deck destruction strategy drives Yugi into a corner, but, remembering that the Pharaoh, Joey and Téa are all counting on him, he continues the duel and draws the one card that can turn the tables.
218	34	"The Dark One Cometh (4)" "Zorc Vs. Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon" (ゾークvs青眼の究極竜)	August 18, 2004	April 29, 2006
Mana takes the Pharaoh back to the palace while Seto summons Blue-Eyes White Dragon to combat Zorc. Blue-Eyes White Dragon stops the solar eclipse, but is defeated by Zorc, which turns both Priest Seto and the Millennium Rod to stone. This sends Priest Seto's soul to the Shadow Realm. Kaiba takes over and summons Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, which is equal to power of Zorc. Meanwhile, Yugi successfully defeats Yami Bakura with Gandora, the Dragon of Destruction. But then, this allows the spirit of Yami Bakura to fully reunite with his original body, Zorc itself, which earlier Yami Bakura had told the Pharaoh that both he and Zorc were "one and the same." The Pharaoh becomes Black Luster Soldier, and fuses with Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, becoming Master of Dragon Knight. But the Master of Dragon Knight is destroyed by its own attack during the battle against Zorc, and the Pharaoh is seemingly defeated, but Yugi and his friends fly to him.
219	35	"In the Name of the Pharaoh!" "In the Name of the Pharaoh!!" (王の名のもとに!!)	August 25, 2004	May 6, 2006
The Pharaoh continues his battle between Zorc in the Memory World. Yugi, Joey, and others summon monsters, such as the Dark Magician, to help the Pharaoh. The ancient characters cannot be read but Yugi is going to reveal the Pharaoh's true name. Tea then remembers the cartouche pendant and passes it to the Pharaoh. The Pharaoh regained his true name, "Atem", the keyword which allowed him to summon the three Egyptian Gods and fuse them together to form the Creator of Light, Horakhty. (Horakhty is a level 12, warrior-type Divine-God attribute monster, with infinite attack and defense points.) The Pharaoh then attacks Zorc directly with Horakhty's Shining Light Attack, which results in Zorc being destroyed forever. Later, the Pharaoh entrusts the Millennium Items to Priest Seto (his soul was released from the Shadow Realm) and makes him the next Pharaoh of Egypt. Then, Pharaoh Atem's body dissolves (since his role in the past was over), even as Priest Seto promises to rule Egypt justly. Afterwards, Atem and his friends leave the Memory World of the past.
220	36	"The Final Journey" "The Final Test" (最後の試練)	September 1, 2004	May 13, 2006
Atem and the others return to present-day Egypt, where they are met by Marik, Ishizu, Odion, and even Bakura, who has finally been freed from Zorc's malevolent grasp. Atem has set his mind to sealing the seven Millennium Items with himself. Someone must be able to defeat Atem in a duel to do so. Although Kaiba and Joey both volunteer, it will be Yugi that will take the honor. The duel will take place tomorrow, and both Pharaoh Atem and Yugi construct the best deck possible to each of their abilities.
221	37	"The Final Duel (1)" "The Last Duel of Destiny" (運命のラストデュエル)	September 8, 2004	May 20, 2006
Yugi and Atem place the seven Millennium Items into their slots in Millennium Stone (which now appears to be intact) in the Shrine of the Millennium Stone. Pharaoh Atem and Yugi then separate into two physical beings. The duel that will determine the fate of Atem and Yugi begin. Pharaoh Atem summons "The Tricky" with an attack power of 2000 but Yugi plays the magic card, "Swords of Revealing Light". Yugi is able to fuse the three monsters: "Green Gadget", "Red Gadget", and "Yellow Gadget" into one monster with 3000 attack points: the "Mobile Fortress Stronghold".
222	38	"The Final Duel (2)" "Defeat the Three Gods" (三幻神を倒せ!)	September 15, 2004	May 27, 2006
The duel between Yugi and Atem continues. Atem summons the three gods: Ra, Obelisk and Slifer to the field. The sum of their attack power exceeds ten thousand. Yugi is overwhelmed, but he parries Slifer's Summon Thunder Bullet with this episode's Key Point: a Quick Spell card, "Mirage Magic." When a player's monsters' Attack Power and Defense Power increase or decrease due to an opponent's card, this negates the effect and recovers the difference in Life Points. Furthermore, Yugi also dodges Obelisk's attack with the Trap card "Mirage Ruler." Yugi finally makes a counterattack move that threatens the Egyptian Gods.
223	39	"The Final Duel (3)" "Strong Heart - Tender Heart" (強き心 優しき心)	September 22, 2004	June 3, 2006
Yugi is successful in defeating the Egyptian Gods. However, Atem is not worried at all. Atem admits that he knew that Yugi would defeat the Egyptian Gods. Now the real duel begins between Yugi and Atem. Now, Yugi must face his most trusted creature, the Dark Magician, if he wants to help Atem. (Note: When this aired in the U.S, the ending said "To Be Concluded" instead of "To Be Continued", thus signifying the end of the series.)
224	40	"The Final Duel (4)" "The Story that Concludes in Light" (光の中へ完結する物語)	September 29, 2004	June 10, 2006
Yugi tries his best to fend off the attacks from Atem's most powerful trump card, the "Dark Magician." Yugi then plays his Spell Card, "Gold Sarcophagus." The power of the Gold Sarcophagus is it can negate the effects of another magic card that is stored in the chest. Yugi was finally able to defeat the "Dark Magician" with his "Silent Magician." Atem tries to activate the Spell card Monster Reborn so he can revive Slifer the Sky Dragon, but when Yugi opens the Gold Sarcophagus to reveal the card he sealed, the card was "Monster Reborn". It means neither of them can use that card in this game. It is Yugi's message to the other Yugi that "Those of the dead should not remain in the world of the living." Yugi finally defeats Atem, but immediately collapses on his knees, crying. Despite Atem telling him that Yugi shouldn't cry, Yugi tells Atem that he (Yugi) is a coward, and that Atem was always his goal. Atem comforts Yugi, that he isn't a coward, and Yugi's victory has finally set him free. Atem then departs into the afterlife, while Yugi and his friends begin a new journey. Then, the Millennium Stone shatters, which causes the seven Millennium Items to fall into the pit left behind. Also, the shrine collapses, and Shadi's spirit is seen here one last time. Everybody barely makes it out in time. As a result of the shrine's destruction, the Millennium Items are buried forever. Then, Yugi tells Joey that, "sometimes, the end of one adventure is only beginning of another." This concludes the end of the 4-Kids version of the story. In the extended ending (only in the original Japanese version), Yugi, Tea, Joey, Tristan, Bakura, Duke, Grandpa, Kaiba and Mokuba all leave Egypt and return to Domino City, in Japan. In the airport, they meet up with Rebecca, Arthur, and Serenity. Both Duke and Tristan fall for Serenity but are pulled back by Joey. Rebecca hugs Yugi much to Tea's annoyance. Weevil Underwood and Rex Raptor get into an argument again and decides to duel. Zigfried and Leon von Schroeder make a business proposition with Pegasus, which turns to their favor. Mako Tsunami sets sail from their fishing trip to be met up with Espa Roba and his brothers at the harbor. Mai Valentine and Vivian Wong are facing a two-on-two duel against the Paradox Brothers atop the Great Wall of China. The credits end with a cutscene where Grandpa is sweeping, while Yugi comes out from the house to join Tea, Joey, and Tristan to go to school. Yugi ends the show by saying that his story has not ended, and that his story is not about a Pharaoh who after 5,000 years defeated the evil Zorc Necrophades.