Seven Stars (arc)

Seven Stars
Japanese translated	Seven Stars
English	Rise of the Sacred Beasts (second half)
Anime storyline
Series	Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Original run	6 October 2004 – 28 September 2005
Episodes	0011 – 05252
Followed by	Society of Light

Seven Stars is the first arc of the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX anime, encompassing the first season of the series. The dubbed version splits it into two arcs, with Rise of the Sacred Beasts encompassing the second half.

Summary

The story begins with Jaden Yuki obtaining the card, "Winged Kuriboh", from Yugi Muto, on his way to take his entrance exam to Duel Academy. Jaden arrives late, but is permitted take the exam. He defeats Vellian Crowler in the Dueling Exam, but due to his poor Written Exam score, he is placed in the Slifer Red dormitory.

Jaden quickly becomes close friends with Syrus Truesdale, Bastion Misawa and Chumley Huffington, and becomes well-known throughout Duel Academy for defeating Dr. Crowler. Upset by his defeat, Dr. Crowler makes it his business to either find someone to defeat Jaden in a Duel, or put Jaden at the risk of expulsion. Through Crowler's antics and strange happening at Duel Academy, Jaden ends up Dueling many powerful Duelists, the vast majority of them ending in his victory.

After hearing rumors about the Abandoned Dorm, Jaden and his friends do to investigate, where they meet Alexis Rhodes, who is in search of her brother, Atticus Rhodes, who disappeared in the Abandoned Dorm. Alexis is captured by Titan, whom Jaden Duels, and defeats in order to rescue her.

For leaving his dormitory at night, and going to the Abandoned Dorm, Jaden and Syrus are faced with almost certain expulsion; they must Duel and defeat opponents hand-picked by Dr. Crowler in a Tag-Team Duel, in order to stay. Dr. Crowler selects the famous Paradox Brothers, Para and Dox, as their opponents. Syrus is too timid, and lacks the confidence to defeat the Paradox Brothers. Fearing they'll both be expelled because of him, he attempts to withdraw himself from the Duel to save Jaden, but Jaden encourages Syrus, and together they defeat the Paradox Brothers.

Subsequent filler episodes pitted Jaden against many Duelists for either personal reasons, or for their own wrong doings.

Chazz Princeton, who lost to both Jaden and Bastion, loses his name as a powerful Duelist, and loses his rank in Obelisk Blue, and he was threatened with demotion to Ra Yellow. He was saved from demotion by Bastion, who refused to be promoted to Obelisk Blue. Irritated by his losses and pressure from his brothers Slade and Jagger, he arrives at North Academy. Here, he effortlessly Duels and defeats fifty students, and then the school's Champion, in order to prove himself worthy, and make it into North Academy as their Champion. He thus becomes North Academy's Dueling Representative in the inter-school Duel (termed "The School Duel") with Duel Academy.

Chazz faces Jaden in the School Duel. His brothers Slade and Jagger give him rare and powerful cards to use, but Chazz sticks with his own Deck, which now contains North Academy's prized "Armed Dragon" cards. Jaden understands the pressure Chazz is under to win, but encourages Chazz to Duel for fun, and to stand up to his brothers. Although Chazz loses, he takes Jaden's advice and tells his brothers off. Seeing Duel Academy as his home, he stays there rather than return to North Academy. However, since he was re-admitted, he starts as a Slifer Red student, and occupies the Slifer Red dormitory.

Jaden and his companions face the Shadow Riders. This part of the season revolves around three all powerful cards named the Sacred Beasts. These cards were deemed so powerful, that all three of them were locked away deep in the heart of Duel Academy. During Jaden's first year at Duel Academy, seven Duelists, named the Shadow Riders, set a goal on unlocking the Sacred Beasts and using their power to destroy the world. As a result, Jaden Yuki, along with Chazz, Alexis, Bastion, Crowler, Lyman Banner, and Zane Truesdale are chosen to guard seven keys specifically made for unlocking the Sacred Beasts from their prison. Jaden is forced into fighting the first Shadow Rider. If he doesn't step his game up his friends will fall into lava. If he loses his soul gets trapped up in a card. After Jaden wins the shadow rider's mask falls off and they find out it is Alexis's long lost brother. Crowler and Zane lose their keys to Camula, only to be defeated by Jaden. Bastion then challenges Tania to a Duel, but becomes quite smitten with her and loses. One by one many of the Duelists lose their keys.

Eventually all seven keys fall into the hands of the Superintendent of Duel Academy, Kagemaru, and Jaden has to Duel him and the Sacred Beasts, only for Kagemaru to get defeated, preventing the rise of the Sacred Beasts.

The Duel exams then begin. Chumley Huffington must Duel Dr. Crowler, which will earn him a spot in Industrial Illusions, as long as he wins. Chumley loses, however Crowler allows him to work there regardless, seeing his growth in Dueling.

During Zane Truesdale's graduation Duel, he must Duel one student of his choice, his choice being Jaden. Initially, Jaden was using too much strategy during the Duel instead of having fun, though eventually started having fun after a talk from Zane. The Duel eventually ends in a DRAW.

Episodes

Screenshot	Number	Names		Japanese air date	English air date
	Episode 1			6 October 2004	10 October 2005
	Episode 2			13 October 2004	11 October 2005
	Episode 3			20 October 2004	12 October 2005
	Episode 4			27 October 2004	13 October 2005
	Episode 5			3 November 2004	17 October 2005
	Episode 6			10 November 2004	18 October 2005
	Episode 7			17 November 2004	19 October 2005
	Episode 8			24 November 2004	20 October 2005
	Episode 9			1 December 2004	21 October 2005
	Episode 10			8 December 2004	25 October 2005
	Episode 11			15 December 2004	25 October 2005
	Episode 12			22 December 2004	26 October 2005
	Episode 13			29 December 2004	27 October 2005
	Episode 14			5 January 2005	28 October 2005
	Episode 15			12 January 2005	14 November 2005
	Episode 16			19 January 2005	15 November 2005
	Episode 17			26 January 2005	16 November 2005
	Episode 18			2 February 2005	17 November 2005
	Episode 19			9 February 2005	18 November 2005
	Episode 20			16 February 2005	21 November 2005
	Episode 21			23 February 2005	22 November 2005
	Episode 22			2 March 2005	23 November 2005
	Episode 23			9 March 2005	8 December 2005
	Episode 24			16 March 2005	9 December 2005
	Episode 25			23 March 2005	12 December 2005
	Episode 26			30 March 2005	13 December 2005
	Episode 27			6 April 2005	14 December 2005
	Episode 28			13 April 2005	15 December 2005
	Episode 29			20 April 2005	30 January 2006
	Episode 30			27 April 2005	31 January 2006
	Episode 31			4 May 2005	1 February 2006
	Episode 32			11 May 2005	2 February 2006
	Episode 33			18 May 2005	3 February 2006
	Episode 34			25 May 2005	6 February 2006
	Episode 35			1 June 2005	7 February 2006
	Episode 36			8 June 2005	8 February 2006
	Episode 37			15 June 2005	9 February 2006
	Episode 38			22 June 2005	5 February 2006
	Episode 39			29 June 2005	26 February 2006
	Episode 40			6 July 2005	28 February 2006
	Episode 41			13 July 2005	1 March 2006
	Episode 42			20 July 2005	2 March 2006
	Episode 43			25 July 2005	3 March 2006
	Episode 44			3 August 2005	27 March 2006
	Episode 45			10 August 2005	28 March 2006
	Episode 46			17 August 2005	29 March 2006
	Episode 47			24 August 2005	30 March 2006
	Episode 48			31 August 2005	31 March 2006
	Episode 49			7 September 2005	3 April 2006
	Episode 50			14 September 2005	4 April 2006
	Episode 51			21 September 2005	5 April 2006
	Episode 52			28 September 2005	6 April 2006