With thousands of cards in theYu-Gi-Oh! TCG, there’s bound to be a few that get altered when released internationally or in specific regions. While some cards are given reduced bust sizes or prevent a demon lord from streaking across the field, some of the biggest censors change the card entirely.
It’s not just nudity or sauciness that gets changed. Sometimes, objects are removed, symbols are replaced, and entire art styles are swapped out to prevent children from being exposed to nightmare fuel. If you’re lucky, you might just find them as lost art promos, but others are harder to come by.
10Monster Reborn
Replacing The Ankh
Monster Reborn has an iconic design that is made popular through its use in the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime. The red gem and scabbard-looking icon even has its exclusive animation in games such as Master Duel. Yet, this is not even the original art released in Japan.
The original Monster Reborn is much simpler, featuring an Ankh tomatch the Egyptian theming ofthe Duel Monsters era. The Ankh is censored on multiple cards, such as Exodia’s design and certain cards featuringthe Dark Magician.
9Dramatic Rescue
Too Dramatic For Faint Hearts
In this rescue, a girl is tied to a tree while two guards stand watch over their captive. The whole story of this card is that you’re trying to save her. It’s dramatic, but was even more heart-pumping before the censors got their hands on it.
In the original art, Dramatic Rescue featured the same girl about to get her hand cut off in a guillotine. She’s only moments away from having the metal come crashing down on her hand, leaving you wondering if the hero of this story will even make it in time.
8Fiend Comedian
Putting An End To The Nightmares
Fiend Comedian hasa rather silly cardart. It features two comedic-looking fiends in a cartoony art style. If you go back to its original release, though, you’ll find that classic designs are much scarier. They have veiny heads and wickedLy sharp teeth. You don’t want these monsters under the bed.
This is a great example of a card that went through a major design and tone change when released internationally. Both versions of the card have their own unique charm to them, making them worth collecting individually.
7Gimmick Puppet Dreary Doll
Too Bloody For The TCG
There’s nothing scarier than a haunted children’s toy. These unsuspecting entities never look quite right on the toy shelf, and when you turn your back for just a moment, they suddenly disappear. Gimmick Puppet Dreary Doll’s censors perfectly capture this effect.
In the censored art, she has a few bandages but feels like a normal doll in a gift box. Her original art, on the other hand, reveals that the bandages are stained with blood. Her gift box is also a coffin which gives off a truly sinister vibe.
6Destiny Board
Different Messages From The Dead
One of the most notable censors in Yu-Gi-Oh! spans five cards. These are the Destiny Board or Spirit Message cards that spell out a word meant to end the duel in your favor. The only trick is that you have to spell the message out one letter at a time.
In the censored product, you’ll put together the word final. However, the original message is far more sinister. The ghosts from beyond the grave will spell out the word death. Another notable change in the redesign is the lack of an Ouija board in the background.
5Psychic Commander
A Problematic Pose
While many of the smaller censors can mean removing a symbol or making a monster wear a bit more clothing, sometimes hand gestures get edited as well. In the case of Psychic Commander, this is the salute which came a bit too close to a Nazi salute.
It has since been changed to the Psychic Commander pointing up at the sky. This is one of those censors that feels fitting. He’s pointing up, telling all your other Psychic monsters where to go or where to attack. It makes sense.
4Number 41: Bagooska The Terribly Tired Tapir
That’s Not Hot Sauce
Bagooska the Terribly Tired Tapir is iconic for beinga generic extra deck cardthat can tilt the duel in your favor. It also lives up to its name by being terribly tired. So, why is this tapir so tired in the first place? If you go by the censored art, it’s because he’s cozy with his pillows.
The original art reveals the real reason why Bagooska is fast asleep. The pillows from the art are supposed to be bottles of sake and beer cans.
3Exile Of The Wicked
Pick Your Poison
Exile of the Wicked is another card that gets some minor touch-ups. For this Spell card, the character isn’t the problem, but the objects that he is holding. In the censored version, the monk holds two vials meant to destroy any Fiends he might come across.
The original art makes more sense. He holds a copy of the Bible and a cross. These two items are often depicted in exorcisms that release bad spirits. This is exactly what this card intends to do when you play it.
2Ultimate Offering
Too Much Blood
A lot of what gets censored, especially in the early days of Yu-Gi-Oh!, is the occult symbolism and ritualistic actions. Ultimate Offering’s censored art features one monster coming out of another. This is eerie, but never quite as occult.
The original art, on the other hand, features a human hand offering up blood to a monster. This is supposed to reflect how you’re paying life points to get more Normal Summons per turn. This card had way too much blood for the time, but it isn’t completely lost thanks to the Lost Art program.
1Final Flame
Too Hot To Handle
Final Flame is a classic card where the censors keep the general idea of the card, but keep the tone. The international release still has a monster being engulfed in flames and looking like he’s suffering in the pits of hell.
The Japanese card art is even more horrific. This version features a human being burned and crucified at the same time. To make things even more terrifying, his legs are missing, and the bottom half of his robes are bloodstained. Maybe the original art did overdo it this time.
