Penalty Game (manga)

For the card, see: Penalty Game!

A Penalty Game is a punishment given to someone who either loses or cheats in a Shadow Game. Millennium Item holders are capable of inflicting supernatural punishments.

Penalty Games played an important part in early Yu-Gi-Oh! storylines, but are used much less frequently when the main character, Yugi Mutou, decides to stop using them, being exclusively used by villains. The first series anime toned down the fatality of a number of Penalty Games, making some merely illusions.

Genuine

Penalty Games created by Millennium Item holders.

Dark Yugi

Dark Yugi's (Yami Yugi's) Penalty Games often act as poetic justice to a person, who trespassed on the souls of his friends, and for their own history of committing crimes and evils onto others. While some of these penalties are fatal, he has used them to help the person at times; The Mind Crush Penalty Game was used to shatter Seto Kaiba's tainted heart, so he could be given a chance to piece it together in order to become a good person again. While Penalty Games used illusions and magic on the loser's psyche and soul, some of the dangerous games played would merely boast devastating losses on their own even without the need of such powers.

In the second series anime, Mind Crush is the only Penalty Game shown to be used. Aside from sealing away Kaiba's evil side (instead of shattering his heart into fragments and turning it into a puzzle like in the manga), it has also been used to kill Ghost Kaiba (a shape-shifter that was hired by Pegasus as a Player Killer), PaniK, and rendered a mugger unconscious (the game in which the mugger lost was to draw a card, and whichever card is the strongest wins). In the Japanese version, these three victims disappear off the land or be in a state of unconsciousness, or in the dub, banished to the Shadow Realm. During this time, Dark Yugi wasn't that different from Dark Bakura or Dark Marik, aside from the fact that he used his shadow magic to defend the honor of his friends and wasn't just banishing people for fun or to gain power. The Mind Crush has not been used since PaniK, or seen since the flashback with the mugger, with no real explanation in the anime whereas an explanation was present in the manga. In anime terms, this is probably because Dark Yugi was beginning to learn compassion and kindness from Yugi and started learning how to beat his enemies without intimidating them with the use of Shadow Games and Penalty Games. So, theoretically, if people like Dark Bakura and Dark Marik had a similar relationship that Dark Yugi had with Yugi, they too would go through that kind of epiphany.

In the manga, a variety of different Penalty Games were used during Duelist Kingdom not unlike the previous chapters. Unlike the anime in which no explanation is given, Dark Yugi decides to stop using them after the defeat of Pegasus, because it would have proven that the Millennium Items indeed had an evil will.

Three of Dark Yugi's Penalty Games have cards based on them, which were released in Soul of the Duelist. These are "Greed", "Mind Crush" and "Mind on Air".

Name	Information	Image
Greed, Illusion of Avarice	In the manga, Dark Yugi used this to make Ushio believe litter and leaves were money. Done as punishment for having abused his role on the disciplinary committee, conning and extorting underclassmen for "bodyguard" duty, and for trying to extort money from Yugi in the same manner.	150px
	In the first series anime, Dark Yugi caused Ushio to believe to he was being eaten by monsters.
Mosaic Illusion	The ZTV director had his vision pixelated as he always covered up the truth and batched up faux controversy tabloid specials for ratings.	150px
Beat Festival	Sozoji was forced to hear his heart beat incredibly loud as he was tone deaf to the loud music he played, and the fact he was a terrible singer who bullied others to listen to him sing.	150px
Fire~!!!	In the manga, the convict was set on fire after dropping his cigarette into his overflowing vodka. Done for holding the patrons at Burger World hostage, threatening Anzu hostage, and for having escaped his punishment on Death Row for crimes prior to his failed robbery attempt and execution.	150px
	In the anime, the convict, Jiro the Yellow Spider, instead believed he was being set on fire.
Peaceful Rest of the Timid	Kokurano was rendered unconscious by chloroform, revealing the hidden notes in his jacket, which exposed him as a fraudulent psychic.	150px
Exploding Death by Ice	Goro Inogashira was injured by the explosion from a chemical hitting a hot surface.
Face Puzzle	Ms. Chono's make-up cracked-up and peeled away like jigsaw pieces, revealing her true ugly face. In the anime, this would happen every time she tried to enforce strict rules. Done for her cruel habit of abusing rules and punishments for a mere kick and way to relieve stress from her shady personal life, and out of her not caring for Honda and Ribbon's feelings and privacy.
Poison Revolt	The Junky Scorpion owner was poisoned by his pet scorpion.
Experience of Death	Seto Kaiba imagined that he was trapped in the Duel Monsters Spirit World, where he suffered death at the hands of Duel Monsters. Done to teach Kaiba about the Heart of the Cards; failed.	150px
"Landmine" Prey	Hirutani's gang was electrocuted by their own petard, as a puddle and dampness caused by a heavy downpour allowed the gang's tasers to conduct the current. Done as punishment for cruelty done to Jonouchi.	150px
Maze of Flames	Thugs A, B and C got caught in a maze of flames.	150px
Capsule Hell	Mokuba Kaiba imagined that he was trapped inside a giant Capsule Monster Chess capsule. Punishment for rigging the slot machine.	150px
Poisonous Meal	Mokuba had to eat one of the meals he had poisoned.
Mind Crush	Yugi used it to destroy the evil part of Seto Kaiba to give him a second chance. In the anime, Dark Yugi also uses this against Ghost Kaiba, PaniK and a mugger.
Mind on Air	Yugi used it to reveal the producer's true personality, as the station he worked for was revealed to have a history of conning contestants of their dignity and any sort of fair play for their prize money they offered. However, this proved to backfire as it ruined Jonouchi's chances to win the prize money.
Face Collapse	During his Shadow Game of Monster Battle with Nagumo, both players would literally feel the blows given by each other's monsters. Upon Nagumo's third attempt to cheat by kicking his competition in the ribs, the Shadow Game's effect animated his stolen fighters, holding down his kicking leg, and manifested a fitting monster based off of himself, which Yugi finished off by using Mighty Emmada's Space Cannon punch technique.	150px
Xing Zhen Xu	Hajime Imori unsealed the forbidden feng shui game, Dragon Cards, whose dragon spirits demanded a Shadow Game to feast upon the soul of the loser, else the land which they were unsealed would suffer eternal disaster and misfortune. Upon the last game with Yami Yugi, Imori lost and his soul was consumed as punishment for unsealing the evil game and desiring to usurp Yugi's position as the Guardian of Darkness for his own ends.	150px
Puppet Illusion	Yugi used this during Duelist Kingdom to make the Ventriloquist of the Dead believe he was being attacked by a demonic puppet modeled after himself. Punishment for stealing Kaiba's deck and toying his soul with a puppet. In the anime, Dark Yugi simply used a Mind Crush against Ghost Kaiba.
Darkness of Naraku	The Player Killer of Darkness, PaniK, is hung from the gallows and falls into a dark abyss. Punishment for attacking duelists in cowardice, with the darkness as cover. During the duel, Dark Yugi showed the Player Killer an illusion of the impending Penalty Game, to which the Player Killer was walking up the gallows' stairs every turn closer to the five turns Dark Yugi claimed that he will win in. In the anime, Dark Yugi simply used a Mind Crush against PaniK.

Shadi

Shadi uses Penalty Games to punish people who disturb the territory of the gods. Professor Kanekura was one of Shadi's victims after he defiled an Egyptian tomb. In the anime, Kanekura had tried to sell the Millennium Puzzle. Ammit was let into Kankura's soul room to pass judgment. In the manga this caused Kankura to die. In the anime, he wakes up and screams one time. Professor Yoshimori is spared of a Shadow and Penalty Game, as Shadi uses him for a Shadow Game against Yugi.

Name	Information	Image
Ammit Nesting in "Soul Room"	Professor Kanekura imagined his chair transformed into Ammit, during his Shadow Game. After losing Shadi told him that Ammit was inside his soul room devouring his soul. In reality, Kanekura died of a heart attack.

Dark Bakura

Dark Bakura's (Yami Bakura's) Penalty Games at the beginning of the manga turn the victims into figurines to use in Monster World. During Battle City, he kills "Ghost" Kotsuzuka (Bonz) after beating him in Duel Monsters. In the English second series anime, he instead sends Bonz to the Shadow Realm (In the Japanese version, he sent him to Hell).

Name	Information	Image
Mind Doll	Dark Bakura transfers the soul of the victim into their corresponding figurine in the Monster World game, whenever they roll a fumble (99), whenever he rolls a super-critical (00) or break a rule. He also used it against the gym teacher Mr. Karita for simply offending Ryo Bakura earlier that day.	150px
	Dark Bakura in the Duel Monsters anime used this after he defeated "Ghost" Kotsuzuka (Bonz). He summoned Earthbound Spirits to pull "Ghost" Kotsuzuka with them to Hell. In the manga, Dark Bakura simply inflicted a Penalty Game on Kotsuzuka that "took his life", and Kotsuzuka dropped dead onto the ground.

Pegasus

Pegasus uses Penalty Games for personal gain, often trapping the souls of the victims in the "Soul Prison" card. He trapped Sugoroku Mutou's soul into a video tape (Soul Prison card in the anime) after beating Yugi, to force Yugi into entering Duelist Kingdom. He also trapped Mokuba Kaiba's in a card and later Seto Kaiba's after beating him in a Duel. In the manga, after Jonouchi beat Bandit Keith in a duel, Pegasus forced Keith to shoot himself in the head for cheating. In the anime, there's an inconsistency where Pegasus is shown giving a Penalty Game to Mokuba without playing a game with him. In the manga, it is assumed he played a game with Mokuba off-screen and then trapped him in a Mind Card.

Name	Information	Image
SOUL TV	Pegasus sucked the soul of Sugoroku Mutou into a TV. His soul became sealed in a videotape, allowing Yugi to communicate with him through other devices he could put the tape in. In the anime, after being sucked into the TV, his soul was sent to a "Soul Prison", as done in the Mind Card Penalty Game.
Mind Card	Pegasus casts the "Mind Card" Penalty Game onto victims of those who lose a duel against him; this seals his victims' souls into a card, "Soul Prison". Pegasus used it on Mokuba in part of his plan to capture KaibaCorp, and then against Seto Kaiba for losing against him. The Glory of the King's Opposite Hand that he gave to Yugi is intended to trap Yugi's soul into the card should Pegasus win the duel. However, when Yugi won, Pegasus released the three imprisoned souls, as promised. Yako Tenma also used the Soul Prison to imprison Anzu Mazaki's soul to further his Project R.A..	Mind Card
Hand and Gun	In the manga, after confronting Keith for cheating in the duel against Jonouchi in the semifinals, and showing neither remorse nor regret for his transgression, Pegasus declared that Keith had lost his mind as a duelist and inflicted a Penalty Game on him, making Keith see that his right hand has a gun barrel imbedded into it, and said hand moved on its own to "shoot" Keith in the temple, Russian Roulette style, thus killing him instantly. However, Keith was later revived by Yako Tenma.	Hand Gun

Dark Marik

Given his fairly brief appearance in the series, Dark Marik made use of penalty games sparingly, and often preferred to outright murder his victims rather than use magic to torment them. What few penalty games he did make use of were primarily applied to duelists whom he defeated. His most elaborate penalty game was used on Mai, trapping her soul in an hourglass after defeating her, as punishment for taking his "Ra" card. His other two penalty games were not "penalty games" explicitly, but casualties resulting from the toll dueling against him took on his enemies.

Name	Information	Image
Mind-Eroding Insects	After defeating Mai, Dark Marik traps Mai's soul inside an hourglass, with The Winged Dragon of Ra card blocking the neck of it, blocking the contents of the upper portion until Marik removed it. In the manga, the upper portion of the hourglass is filled with "brain insects" that would completely devour Mai's soft tissue over 24 hours, killing her. The hourglass is floating in a sort of limbo with various casino gambling devices floating around it (reflecting Mai's previous occupation as a dealer). In the anime, Mai's punishment in the hourglass follows the same general outline, but undergoes several major changes. The insects are replaced with sand and her time to live is extended. In addition, the hourglass is floating above a beach where Mai's friends are enjoying– seemingly forgetting her– as part of Marik's ploy to add insult to injury. The English dub also states the hourglass exists in the Shadow Realm. After Yami Yugi defeats Dark Marik in the finals, Mai was saved just before her mind was consumed. In the anime, Mai was traumatized by her time in the Penalty Game, and it took many trials for her to find herself anew.	150px
Darkness Prey	Dark Bakura became consumed by darkness after losing to Dark Marik. This was set up so that over the course of the duel, parts of the players' bodies would fade into darkness as life points were lost, and the "penalty" was merely the consequence of losing under these conditions.
Phoenix Dance	Katsuya Jonouchi collapsed from fatigue after being struck by Egyptian God Phoenix, an attack which dealt real damage to him. Dark Marik erroneously pronounced him dead afterwards.

Artificial

Reproductions of the genuine Penalty Games, using means other than the supernatural powers of the Millennium Items.

Kaiba

Seto Kaiba creates artificial Penalty Games for the loser of Games in Death-T. Some include leaving the victim be attacked by a series of monster holograms, such as Doppel-ganger.

Name	Information	Image
Experience of Death	Seto Kaiba recreated the "Experience of Death" Penalty Game, that Dark Yugi subjected him to, using virtual reality. Using a Battle Box, he created holographic images of monsters to attack the victim. He claims to have tested this on human subjects and found that the average person went insane after being subjected to this for ten minutes. He inflicted this penalty on Sugoroku after beating him in Duel Monsters. He forced Yugi to participate in Death-T, before releasing Sugoroku. After Mokuba's loss against Yugi at Death T-4, he was subjected to the same punishment (before being saved by Yugi).	150px

Kyoji Yagumo

Kyoji Yagumo applies a Penalty Game on Eviluder after he loses his Duel against Yuma. As his design and implicitly his Deck, his Penalty Game also is based on spiders.

Name	Information	Image
Mind Crush	After Eviluder loses to Yuma, Kyoji applies his version of "Mind Crush" on him. He somehow introduced a spider in Eviluder's heart previously, and then makes it attack his heart, which quickly causes him to collapse after feeling enormous pain.