Shadow Realm

The shadow. Realm with forever live on

Japanese version

The Shadow Realm as presented in the English language version of the anime does not exist in the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga and the Japanese version of the anime. However, the concept is based on an occasionally mentioned place called the World of Darkness (闇（やみ）の世界（せかい） Yami no Sekai). This was where the soul of Solomon Muto was placed after being absorbed into a "Soul Prison" card by Maximillion Pegasus.

In the Japanese version of Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Titan mentions that he was taken to the World of Darkness after losing to Jaden. Here, he met Kagemaru, who gave him his Shadow Charm mask, letting him return to Earth as one of the Shadow Riders. He Dueled Alexis Rhodes, one of the holders of the Spirit Keys, intending to defeat her and drag her to the World of Darkness, just as her brother previously had been. However, he lost to her and was dragged back there himself.

I love the shadow realm

You were wrong hiyoko the shadow realm is real!!!

Known residents

• PaniK: After losing to Yami Yugi in a Duel, PaniK attempted to kill him, but the Millennium Puzzle shielded him and he banished PaniK to the Shadow Realm with a Mind Crush.
• Ghost Kaiba: Sent there twice, once after Yami Yugi's and Seto Kaiba's Duel via Mind Crush, then again when he lost to Yami Yugi at Duelist Kingdom with another Mind Crush.
• The Mugger: While threatening Téa, the mugger was challenged to a card draw game by Yami (who had taken over the unconscious Yugi Muto), who won and used a Mind Crush to banish the mugger's soul to the Shadow Realm.
• Seeker: After losing to Yami Yugi in a Duel, Marik Ishtar used the Millennium Rod to take control of the Rare Hunter's body and trap his mind in the Shadow Realm.
• Arkana: After losing to Yami Yugi in a Duel, Marik Ishtar used the Millennium Rod to take control of Arkana's body and trap his mind in the Shadow Realm.
• Lumis: Once it was clear there was no way Lumis could win, Marik took over his body and trapped his soul in the Shadow Realm, as after Marik left him and he collapsed, Kaiba walked over to his lifeless form and picked up his locator cards.
• Bonz: After being defeated by Yami Bakura in a Duel, Bakura trapped him in the Shadow Realm, along with Sid and Zygor. Presumably he never chose to release them.
• Sid: After Yami Bakura defeated Bonz, he trapped Sid in the Shadow Realm along with him and Zygor. It is unknown if he ever released them.
• Zygor: After Yami Bakura defeated Bonz, he trapped Zygor in the Shadow Realm along with him and Sid. It is unknown if he ever released them.
• Mr. Ishtar: Who was sent to the Shadow Realm by Yami Marik with the Millennium Rod.
• Mai Valentine: After Yami Marik defeated her in a Duel, he used his Millennium Rod to trap her soul in the Shadow Realm, which looked slightly similar to a Mind Crush in that the negative effect was used (but not the glass effect). She was later released when Yami Marik was destroyed.
• Bakura Ryou: After Yami Bakura was beaten by Yami Marik, he vanished into the Shadow Realm, along with the original Marik's soul. However, Marik was still able to control Téa, and Yami Bakura hid inside Yugi's Millennium Puzzle (as he had placed a bit of his soul there in an earlier episode), thus the only one who was fully banished to the Shadow Realm was the original Bakura (however Yami Bakura's complete form and Marik's full form were still trapped there). He was later released when Yami Marik was destroyed.
• Yami Bakura: After he was beaten by Yami Marik, he was sent to the Shadow Realm along with the real Marik, however, a portion of him still existed in the Millennium Puzzle. He returned when Marik undone all of Yami Marik's Penalty Games.
• Marik Ishtar: After Yami Bakura was beaten by Yami Marik, he was sent to the Shadow Realm along with Yami Bakura and Bakura Ryou, however, a portion of him still existed in Téa's mind. Yami Marik then brought him back as he was going to use him as part of Yami Yugi's and Yami Marik's Shadow Game, where if Yami Marik lost Life Points, then Marik will lose parts of his body to the Shadow Realm. Later fully returned when he switched places with Yami Marik.
• Mushara: While wandering through the tomb with Ahmet and Grandpa, he was slashed by a statue and fell into a pit of shadows, leading to the Shadow Realm.
• Weevil Underwood: Temporarily sent to the Shadow Realm by Yami Bakura while along with Rex attempting to steal Yugi's Millennium Items (mistaking them for God cards).
• Rex Raptor: Temporarily sent to the Shadow Realm by Yami Bakura while along with Weevil attempting to steal Yugi's Millennium Items (mistaking them for God cards).
• Mokuba Kaiba: Temporarily sent to the Shadow Realm by Yami Bakura to make Kaiba Duel him.
• Karim: Gave all his Ba to Shada so the "Two-Headed Jackal Warrior" could destroy "Giant Axe Mummy"; since his Ba was depleted, his soul was trapped in the Shadow Realm.
• Aknadin/Shadow Magus: Destroyed by the "Blue-Eyes White Dragon", trapping his soul in the Shadow Realm.
• Hasan: He jumped in front of the guards to protect them from Zorc's attack, causing his soul to go to the Shadow Realm.
• Shada: His Ba was depleted when he jumped in front of the Pharaoh to protect him from Zorc's attack, causing his soul to go to the Shadow Realm.
• Isis: Zorc destroyed her Winged Dragon Guardian of the Fortress, depleting her DiaDhankh energy and trapping her soul in the Shadow Realm as she fell.
• Shimon: His Ba was depleted when his "Exodia the Forbidden One" was destroyed by Zorc, causing his soul to go to the Shadow Realm.
• Priest Seto: His Ba was depleted when his "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" was destroyed by Zorc, causing his soul to go to the Shadow Realm. Was later released when Yami Bakura and Zorc were destroyed.
• Yami Bakura's fragment: Was sent there when he lost a Shadow Game to Yugi Muto.
• Titan: Sent to the Shadow Realm twice. The first time he was sent to the Shadow Realm after losing to Jaden, then again after losing to Alexis Rhodes.
• Yami Marik: Sent there when the real Marik surrendered his Duel to Yami Yugi after regaining control of his body.

I'll show them all when I vanquished them all to the shadow realm!!

Trivia

• The deaths of Gozaburo Kaiba, Noah Kaiba, the Big Five, Dartz, Shadi, Thief King Bakura, Yami Bakura, and Zorc were not censored with the Shadow Realm; however, Noah's death was censored by characters speculating that he saved his mind on a backup drive, and the Big Five's original deaths were temporarily censored by Noah imprisoning them in the virtual world, only to be destroyed along with it eight episodes later.
• Also, PaniK's threats to incinerate Yugi, and Marik's Duel between Yugi and Joey that threatened to drown the loser, were not censored with threat of being sent to the Shadow Realm, unlike most other Duels that threatened death to the loser.
• The Shadow Realm is often believed to be Hell, as they both have a similar concept of souls being condemned to eternal torment, and the Shadow Realm's creator, Zorc, appears to be the Yu-Gi-Oh! version of the devil. Indeed, the Shadow Realm is used as a stand-in for Hell as the final fate of Bonz, Sid, and Zygor.