Kuriboh (archetype)
"Kuriboh" (クリボー Kuribō) is an archetype of monsters used throughout the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise. The archetype also contains a sub-archetype, "Winged Kuriboh".
Members
| Monster | Protection effect |
|---|---|
| Ankuriboh | Discard this card to Special Summon a monster (other than itself) from either player's GY to your own field when your opponent declares an attack. |
| Clear Kuriboh | Negate a monster effect that inflicts damage by sending this card from your hand to the Graveyard. |
| Junkuriboh | Negate the activation of a card or effect that inflicts damage to you and destroy that card by sending this card from your hand or field to the Graveyard. |
| Kuriboh | Reduce battle damage from an opponent's attack to 0 by discarding this card from your hand. |
| Kuribohrn | Banish this card from your Graveyard to Special Summon any number of "Kuriboh" monsters from your Graveyard when your opponent declares an attack. |
| Performapal Kuribohrder | Special Summon this card from your hand when your opponent declares a direct attack and changes the attack target to this card and perform damage calculation. If you would take battle damage from that battle, gain that much LP, instead. |
| Rainbow Kuriboh | Special Summon this card from your Graveyard when your opponent declares a direct attack. |
| Relinkuriboh | Banish this card from your Graveyard to prevent 1 monster you control from being destroyed in battle. |
| Sphere Kuriboh | Change an opponent's attacking monster to Defense Position by sending this card from your hand to the Graveyard. |
| Winged Kuriboh | Prevents you from taking Battle Damage during the turn this card is destroyed. |
| Winged Kuriboh LV9 | Banishes all activated Spell Cards while this card is face-up on the field. |
| Winged Kuriboh LV10 | Destroys all opponent's Attack Position monsters and deals damage to the opponent equal to the combined original ATK of the destroyed monsters when this card is tributed. |
| Linkuriboh | Change the ATK of an opponent's attacking monster to 0 by tributing this card. |
Appearances
In the anime, "Kuriboh" monsters are notable for being the Spirit partners of the main characters. A few episodes point out that "Kuriboh" monsters have special connections to the main characters who own various versions of this card.
In Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yugi Muto started with "Kuriboh", which he could discard to reduce Battle damage that he would take from his opponent to 0 as well as use "Multiply" to protect him from battle. His manga counterpart uses "Clear Kuriboh" in Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions. He can discard it to negate a damage-dealing monster effect or banish it from the graveyard to potentially prevent a direct attack.
In Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Jaden Yuki's Deck includes a "Winged Kuriboh" that he received from Yugi. His Kuriboh strategy focuses on Summoning "Winged Kuriboh LV10" with "Transcendent Wings" and Tributing it to wipe out the opponent's Attack Position monsters and inflict damage. His manga counterpart also has "Winged Kuriboh LV9", which restricts the use of Spell Cards. When his "Winged Kuriboh" is destroyed, all Battle Damage he takes that turn becomes 0.
In the Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's manga, Yusei uses "Junkuriboh" in his Deck. He can discard it to negate any damage that would make his LP zero and destroy that card.
In Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL, Yuma Tsukumo obtains "Rainbow Kuriboh" during his time in Astral World, which was his father's card, and quickly forms a bond with it.
While no "Kuriboh" monsters make an appearance in the Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V anime, the manga has Yuya using "Performapal Kuribohrder", which prevents a direct attack, negates battle damage, and recovers life equal to the negated damage, as well as "EnterMate ClassiKuriboh" and "EnterMate BaroKuriboh", a pair of Pendulum Scales.
In Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS, even though he does not use it in his Main Deck, Yusaku Fujiki used three copies of "Sphere Kuriboh" as shields during his infiltration of SOL Technologies' data bank. He later obtains "Linkuriboh", which reduces the ATK of an opponent's attacking monster to 0 until the end of that turn, by tributing "Linkuriboh". When Ai starts duelling on his own, he uses a darker version of "Linkuriboh" called "Linguriboh".
"Kuriboh" appears as a character in World Championship 2006, and in Duel Arena, "Winged Kuriboh LV10" appears in World Championship 2006, and in World Championship 2007, and "Winged Kuriboh" appears in World Championship 2007, in World Championship 2008, in World Championship 2009, and in Duel Arena.
Playing style
"Kuriboh" monsters are generally defensive in nature, and on their own, they tend to prevent battle damage from occurring to the user. However, some of their support cards allow them to rapidly turn the tables upon the opponent, such as the powerful "Winged Kuriboh LV10" and "Detonate". So far, all non-monster support cards for "Kuriboh" monsters are Quick-Play Spell Cards allowing them to function quickly in a themed Deck.
The monster "Dystopia the Despondent" works very well with "Kuriboh" decks as a majority of them are level 1.
