Millennium Puzzle

For the composition, see "Millennium Puzzle" (composition). For the sets, see Millennium Puzzle pack (disambiguation).

Millennium Puzzle
English name	Millennium Puzzle
Japanese name	千（せん）年（ねん）パッズル
Rōmaji name	Sennen Pazzuru
Other names Korean 천년 퍼즐 Polish Milenijny Pasjans
Use	Millennium Item Containing Yami Yugi's soul Containing a fragment of Yami Bakura's soul Containing Zorc's soul
Creator(s)	Aknadin
Owner(s)	Yugi Muto(See also history of possession)
Appears in Anime Yu-Gi-Oh! Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie: Pyramid of Light Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Yu-Gi-Oh! 3D Bonds Beyond Time

The Millennium Puzzle is one of the Millennium Items, appearing in the anime.

History

Ancient Egypt

3,000 years before present day events (5,000 in the dub), the Millennium Puzzle and the other Millennium Items were forged in Kul Elna by sacrificing 99 souls of the Kul Elna villagers. The items were created in order to protect Egypt from attackers. Pharaoh Aknamkanon was given the Pendant, while six priests were given the other six items. Together, they fought off the attackers and saved Egypt.

After Aknamkanon became aware of how the Items were created, he fell ill and died shortly afterward. The Puzzle was inherited by his son Atem.

The Puzzle was later stolen from the then teenage Atem by Bandit King Bakura, who used it and the other Millennium Items to Summon Zorc Necrophades.

Atem defeated Zorc at the cost of his own life. He used his name as part of a spell that sealed Zorc's soul and his own into the Millennium Puzzle, which was shattered and was laid to rest in his tomb. Atem's memory, including his name, was wiped, so that he could not recall the spell, so that the binding could never be undone.

Yu-Gi-Oh!

Solomon Muto retrieved the Millennium Puzzle, in the Tomb of the Nameless Pharaoh. Solomon's grandson, Yugi Muto, found the puzzle in the family game shop and spent eight years trying to solve it.

After solving it, his body bore host to part of Atem's soul, known as Yami Yugi.

Yami Yugi was able to take control of Yugi's body while Yugi had the Puzzle. Yugi often wore the Puzzle around his neck on a brown rope and later a silver chain with links, allowing him to easily get Yami's help, usually to play games, particularly Duel Monsters.

The Puzzle was later shattered by Bandit Keith and Yugi managed to reassemble the puzzle while the building he was in was on fire, as he could not bear losing Yami Yugi.

After Yami Yugi collected the Egyptian Gods and presented them to the tablet, he was sucked into the Dark RPG, which was a replay of his life in Ancient Egypt. Yami Yugi was the player, while Atem was one of his characters, both of whom had the Millennium Puzzle.

As the RPG replayed Atem's life, Thief Bakura managed to steal it again. He once again gathered the Items and Summoned Zorc the Dark One.

After the RPG, Yugi once again had the Puzzle, which was laid to rest, before the Battle Ritual. After the battle the Puzzle, along with the other items, was destroyed.

Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

The Millennium Puzzle's shape appeared on Dimitri's shirt in King of Copycats.

A fake Millennium Puzzle, called the Millennium Pendant was used by Titan.

Overview

Yugi holding his Millennium Puzzle

The Pendant resembles an upside-down pyramid with an eye on the front. It has a ring on top, allowing it to be worn around the owner's neck.

The puzzle is extremely complex and difficult to solve, having taken Yugi at least eight years to successfully assemble it.

Dark Yugi describes the power of the puzzle as "the power of unity", comparing a puzzle's pieces forming a whole to friends coming together. Yugi frequently credits the Millennium Puzzle with bringing him friendship with Joey Wheeler. Yugi originally used the phrase "Something that can be seen, yet cannot be seen" to describe the Millennium Puzzle before it was completed, since even though you can see the pieces, you can't see the whole puzzle since it is not complete. This riddle has been used many times in the Japanese version, with different characters providing different answers.

Powers and abilities

In addition to holding the soul/spirit of Pharaoh Atem himself, the Puzzle is said to fulfil a wish of the person who solves it.

Yugi turning into Yami Yugi.

Its main power grants the owner the powers of darkness and allowing them to use ancient magic. That magic is mainly used to start and control Shadow Games. The Millennium Puzzle is the strongest and most powerful of all the Millennium Items. When Yugi activates its magic, the Eye of Wdjat glows on his forehead. Its most well-known power is Yugi switching his body and mind with the spirit of the Pharaoh.

Shadi entered Yami Yugi's soul room, looking for the secret powers of the Millennium Puzzle. Yami Yugi challenged him to a game, where he was to find the true mind room amongst the countless mazes of doors that were riddled with traps. Shadi failed, and was nearly killed by a particular trap which caused the floor of the room to collapse. But Yugi Muto saved him.

In the Memory World arc, Atem could not summon the Egyptian Gods without the power of the Puzzle. It can cast illusions, and can manipulate the minds and souls of others, such as when Yami Bakura put Bakura's soul inside of "Change of Heart" but Yami Yugi changed it to Yami Bakura's soul in the card. It can even interfere with the magic of other Millennium Items, and at its full power, it can repel the darkness of "The Seal of Orichalcos".

Other lesser-known powers include protecting the user and others from harm and magical forces, and the ability to communicate with Duel Monster spirits. Also, it allows its owner to sense and feel thoughts and emotions, and to enter the minds of others. It can also sense impending danger and the great powers of other mystical artifacts and beings.

History of possession

Holder	Means of acquisition
Aknamkanon	Created for, to protect his kingdom
Atem	Inherited from his late father
Thief Bakura	Stole
Atem	Regained from Bakura
Solomon Muto	Recovered from Atem's tomb
Yugi Muto	His Grandpa gave it to him to solve
Bandit Keith	Stole
Yugi Muto	Retrieved
Joey Wheeler	Lent to by Yugi
Yugi Muto	Returned to from Joey
Atem	Used in the Shadow RPG
Thief King Bakura	Stole
Atem	Retrieved
Yugi Muto	Returns to the Millennium Stone, which again shatters and is sealed away

In other media

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  Millennium Puzzle (manga and Dark Side of Dimensions)

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  Millennium Puzzle (Toei)

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  Millennium Puzzle (Forbidden Memories)

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  Millennium Puzzle (The Sacred Cards and Reshef of Destruction)