Yu-Gi-Oh! - Episode 173

"Fighting for a Friend - Part 5"

Names
English	Fighting for a Friend - Part 5
Japanese name Japanese 苦い勝利 Rōmaji Nigai Shōri Translated Bitter Victory
Series
Series	Yu-Gi-Oh!
Number	173
Season	4
Music
Japanese OP	"WARRIORS"
Japanese ED	"These Overflowing Feelings Don't Stop"
English OP & ED	"Yu-Gi-Oh! Theme"
Staff
Screenplay	Akemi Omode
Air dates
Japanese	October 1, 2003
English	April 16, 2005
Chronology
Yu-Gi-Oh! episodes (season 4)
Previous	"Fighting for a Friend - Part 4"
Next	"Grappling with a Guardian - Part 1"

"Fighting for a Friend - Part 5" is the one hundred and seventy-third episode of the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime. It first aired in Japan on October 1, 2003 and in the US on April 16, 2005.

Joey continues his Duel with Mai. Meanwhile, Yami Yugi, Téa, and Tristan try to locate them. Kaiba is still dealing with the hordes of Orichalcos Soldiers using the combined power of both "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" and "Critias". However, no matter how many he destroys, they instantly regenerate.

Summary

Mai continues to Duel Joey. Just as she's about to inflict the final blow and seal Joey's soul away forever, she suddenly hesitates and stops her attack. Mai can't understand at first why she is hesitating, as she thinks winning will mean she has finally stepped out of the shadow of Joey's success and keep him out of her way for good. Joey, exhausted by the previous Duel, collapses and declares Mai the winner. Mai rushes to him, memories of their friendship washing over her, and declares that she will not let his soul be taken. But Joey says it's too late and, still protecting her, pushes her out of the ever shrinking circle. In the process, his hand catches on Mai's Orichalcos fragment and it gets removed, crumbling as the seal passes over it on its way to claims Joey.

The scene changes to Dartz as Mai's fragment shatters, and he exclaims that Mai is now free. However, he senses a powerful soul has been captured for the Orichalcos, and is glad to have finally seized the soul of one of the "Chosen Duelists."

Joey's soul is claimed; Mai cradles Joey in her arms, and then starts crying. She truly regrets what she's done. She realizes that blaming Joey for the loneliness she felt was wrong; she acknowledges Joey as not just the only person who ever honestly cared about her, but also as the best friend that she ever had, and how did she repay him for all of his kindness? By leaving him for some madman who promised her power. Now free from Dartz's spell, Mai decides to go challenge him directly, determined to set things right and set Joey free, and make Dartz regret the day he met Mai Valentine. As she leaves, she picks up Joey's "Hermos" card from the ground where it fell before hopping on her motorcycle and racing toward Paradius Inc. Home Office. Once inside, she's confronted by a mysterious figure whom she seems to know.

Meanwhile, "Timaeus" materializes from the Pharaoh's card and "Critias" leaves Kaiba's battle. The duo appear over the city, keening in lament and mourning the fall of their companion. Kaiba is surprised at Critias's behavior, brushing it off as a hologram malfunction and continuing to stubbornly ignore the truth he knows in his heart.

An anxious Yami Yugi, Téa and Tristan finally stumble upon the site of Joey's duels, only to be stunned when they see Valon's and, especially, Joey's soulless bodies sitting propped against the chain-link fence.

Featured Duel: Mai Valentine vs. Joey Wheeler - Part 2

Duel continues from previous episode.

Joey has 3600 Life Points remaining and controls three "Sheep Tokens" in Defense Position.

Mai has 3600 Life Points remaining and controls two "Cyber Harpies" (2600/1300 for "Cyber Harpie" equipped with "Aero Nail") (2300/1300 for other "Cyber Harpie") and four "Copy Tokens" (2300/1300) in Attack Position and "Aero Nail" (equipped to one "Cyber Harpie") and "The Seal of Orichalcos".

Turn 6: Joey
Joey draws. He then Normal Summons "Swordsman of Landstar" (500/1200) in Defense Position and Sets two cards.

Turn 7: Mai
Mai draws. One "Cyber Harpie" attacks "Swordsman of Landstar", but Joey activates his face-down "Double Magical Arm Bind" to Tribute two "Sheep Tokens" and take control of two of Mai's "Cyber Harpies" (Two Cyber Harpie Ladies: 2300 → 1800/1300). Joey then activates his face-down "Vow of Tribe", which prevents any monsters that exist on both sides of the field from attacking this turn. Because of that, the attack of "Cyber Harpie" on "Swordsman of Landstar" is negated.

Turn 8: Joey
Joey draws. He then Tributes his two "Cyber Harpies" and "Swordsman of Landstar" in order to Tribute Summon "Gilford the Lightning" (2800/1400) in Attack Position. Since "Gilford the Lightning" was Tribute Summoned by Tributing three monsters, its effect activates, destroying all monsters on Mai's side of the Field. "Gilford the Lightning" attacks directly (Mai 3600 → 800).

Turn 9: Mai
Mai draws "Card of Sanctity" and subsequently activates it to make her and Joey Draw until both have six cards in their hand (Mai draws three cards, while Joey draws four cards). The cards Joey drew were "Gearfried the Iron Knight", "Magic Arm Shield", "Kunai with Chain", and "Knight of Dark Dragon". Mai then activates "Monster Reborn" to Special Summon "Cyber Harpie" (1800 → 2300/1300) from her Graveyard in Attack Position.

She then activates "Elegant Egotist" to transform "Cyber Harpie" into the "Harpie Lady Sisters" (1800 → 2300/1300) in Attack Position. Mai then activates "Harpie Lady Phoenix Formation" to destroy Joey's "Gilford the Lightning" and last remaining Sheep Token and inflict damage to Joey equal to the total ATK of his destroyed monsters (Joey 3600 → 800), however no Harpie monsters can attack this turn.

Turn 10: Joey
Joey draws "The Claw of Hermos". He then activates "The Warrior Returning Alive" to return "Blue Flame Swordsman" from his Graveyard to his Hand. Joey then Normal Summons "Blue Flame Swordsman" (1800/1600) in Attack Position. He then activates "Dark Dragon Ritual" to Tribute "Gearfried the Iron Knight" from his Hand and Ritual Summon "Knight of Dark Dragon" (1900/1200) in Attack Position.

Joey then activates the effect of "Knight of Dark Dragon" to Tribute the latter and Special Summon "Red-Eyes B. Dragon" (2400/2000) from his Deck in Attack Position. Due to the secondary effect of "Knight of Dark Dragon", "Red-Eyes B. Dragon" cannot attack in the same Turn that it was Summoned via the effect of "Knight of Dark Dragon".

Joey then activates "The Claw of Hermos" to fuse it with "Red-Eyes B. Dragon" and form "Red-Eyes Black Dragon Sword". Joey then equips "Blue Flame Swordsman" with "Red-Eyes Black Dragon Sword", which increases the ATK of "Blue Flame Swordsman" by 1000 ("Blue Flame Swordsman": 1800 → 2800/1600). "Blue Flame Swordsman" attacks and destroys Mai's first "Harpie Lady Sister" (Mai 800 → 300). Joey then Sets two cards ("Kunai with Chain" and "Magic Arm Shield").

Turn 11: Mai
Mai draws "Harpie's Feather Duster" and subsequently activates it to destroy all of Joey's Spell and Trap Cards ("Blue Flame Swordsman": 2800 → 1800/1600). Mai then activates "Spell Reproduction" to discard two Spell Cards and add "Harpie Lady Phoenix Formation" from her Graveyard to her Hand.

Mai then activates "Harpie Lady Phoenix Formation" to destroy all monsters Joey controls and inflict their total ATK to Joey as damage, but Joey activates the first effect of "Blue Flame Swordsman" to transfer all of its ATK ("Blue Flame Swordsman": 1800 → 0/1600) to one of Mai's "Harpie Lady Sisters" ("Harpie Lady Sister": 2300 → 4100/1300) before it's destroyed. "Blue Flame Swordsman" is destroyed.

Since "Blue Flame Swordsman" was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, Joey activates its second effect to Special Summon the original "Flame Swordsman" (1800/1600) from his Graveyard in Attack Position (NOTE: in the anime, "Flame Swordsman" is not a Fusion Monster). Since Mai activated "Harpie Lady Phoenix Formation", none of her Harpies can attack this turn, so she ends her turn.

Turn 12: Joey
Joey draws a card and subsequently sets it.

Turn 13: Mai
Mai draws "Mirror Wall". The boosted "Harpie Lady Sister" attacks Joey's "Flame Swordsman", but Joey activates his face-down "Skull Dice" to roll a die and divide the ATK of the boosted "Harpie Lady Sister" by the result. Joey gets a two ("1st Harpie Lady Sister": 4100 → 2050/1300). "Harpie Lady Sister" destroys Joey's "Flame Swordsman" (Joey 800 → 550). Mai is about to order her second "Harpie Lady Sister" to attack directly, which would lead to her victory, but she decides not to after being reminded of all that she and Joey have been through. However, Joey is unable to continue the Duel as he is too exhausted to continue, so he is forced to surrender.

Featured cards

The following cards appeared in this episode. Cards in italics debuted here.

Seto Kaiba
Monster Cards Normal Monsters Blue-Eyes White Dragon Legendary Dragons The Fang of Critias

Yami Yugi
Monster Cards Effect Monsters The Eye of Timaeus

Trivia

• This is the only time a Duel fully shown on screen was won by the player who activated "The Seal of Orichalcos".
  • Even then, it was only won through the other player essentially surrendering, rather than having their Life Points reduced to 0.

Differences in adaptations

"Vow of Tribe" and "Dark Dragon Ritual" using their first artwork in episode 172

• In the previous episode, "Vow of Tribe" and "Dark Dragon Ritual" were shown with different artwork. In the dub of this episode, "Vow of Tribe" and "Dark Dragon Ritual" use the artwork from the previous episode.

• The spikes on "Cyber Harpie" and "Harpie Lady Sisters'" breastplates were removed.

• "Skull Dice" was changed from a Quick-Play Spell Card to a Trap Card in the dub.

• In the Japanese version, right before Mai would declare her final direct attack, as her memories with Joey hold her back, the shots showing her memories with Joey have her superimposed over the shots. In the dub, Mai is removed.