Millennium Puzzle (manga)

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The Millennium Puzzle

The Millennium Puzzle (千（せん）年（ねん）パッズル Sennen Pazzuru) is an item in the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga. This is the original depiction of the Millennium Puzzle.

The item was originally known as the Millennium Pendant, or Millennium Pyramid (千（せん）年（ねん）錐（すい） Sennen Sui) in the Japanese version.[1] After being broken into pieces, it took the form of a puzzle.

The Millennium Puzzle is one of the seven Millennium Items, which were created using shadow alchemy to use as magical weapons to help Egypt defend from foreign invaders. In an act to defeat Zorc Necrophades, Atem shattered the Puzzle, sealing his and Zorc's souls inside it. 3000 years later, Yugi Mutou reconstructed the Puzzle causing Atem to reside in his body as Dark Yugi, stripped of his memories. Dark Yugi used the Puzzle's powers to administer justice in the form of Penalty Games and sought to combine it with the other Millennium Items to restore his memory.

Design[edit]

Appearance[edit]

Like all Millennium Items, the Millennium Puzzle is made of solid gold, forged using shadow alchemy.

The Millennium Puzzle is an inverted pyramid, which according to Marik Ishtar makes it a symbol of darkness.[2] The Eye of Wadjet is on the front. It has a loop on the top that can be threaded through. Originally it had lace run through the hole and later a chain, both to allow it to be worn around the user's neck.

The Puzzle was originally as a single unit called the "Millennium Pendant".[1] After being broken into pieces that required reassembly, it became more commonly known as the "Millennium Puzzle", even after re-completion.

Assembly[edit]

The act of putting the Millennium Puzzle's pieces back together was said to be extremely complex. Pieces need to be inserted in a particular order. At least one piece needs to be given a half turn after being inserted. The front center piece, which bears the Eye of Wadjet, is the last piece to be inserted.[3]

In addition to its mechanical complexity, the Puzzle can interfere with the mind of the person trying to solve it. It can range from simply making them unable to connect pieces in ways that seem intuitive[4] to driving the individual mad.[5] This is a means of allowing only chosen individuals to solve it.[6] However this obstacle can be overcome using a machine capable of following an algorithm that goes through assembly patterns.[7]

Powers[edit]

See also: Dark Yugi § Penalty Games

Like with other Millennium Items, the person who uses the Millennium Puzzle can turn games into Shadow Games and inflict Penalty Games on the loser. The Penalty Games are often illusions, causing the person to see or feel something terrifying that is not real. Often the Shadow Games have no supernatural element, other than the Penalty Game. For others including instances of Duel Monsters and Monster Fighter, it made monsters from cards and game pieces seem like they were alive.[8][9]

On two occasions, by holding the Millennium Puzzle and concentrating, Yugi Mutou and Dark Yugi have been shown visions of Katsuya Jonouchi's current whereabouts.[10][11]

History[edit]

Ancient Egypt[edit]

See also: Millennium Items (manga) § Creation

The Millennium Items were created using shadow alchemy and a sacrifice of human lives in the Kul Elna massacre, in order to protect the Egypt from foreign invaders.[12] A survivor of the Kul Elna massacre, Bakura, King of Thieves, plotted revenge against the Millennium Item holders, aspiring to steal the Items and use them to gain the shadow power of Zorc Necrophades.[13]

The Pharaoh, Akhenamkhanen, became the first holder of the Millennium Pendant.[12] An image of the Pendant was carved into the Shrine of Wedju,[14] between the slabs for the three hidden gods, whose names were a mystery believed to one day be passed on to Pharaoh with the power to wield them.[15]

Akhenamkhanen eventually learned the truth of how the Items were created from Mahado, which caused him to fall ill and eventually die.[16] His son, Atem, inherited the Millennium Pendant as he succeeded him as Pharaoh.

The image of the Millennium Pendant in the Shrine of Wedju, as Atem summons The God of the Obelisk

During a Diaha against Bakura, King of Thieves, Atem carried his father's corpse and felt a reaction from the Puzzle, causing him to hear his father say "justice is in the name of the Gods". The Puzzle reacted once again as he called the name "Obelisk", summoning The God of the Obelisk from the Shrine of Wedju.[14]

In a mock Diaha against Seto, Atem used the Millennium Pendant to summon Kuriboh from a stone slab.[17]

The Millennium Pendant gets shattered, becoming a puzzle. Atem and Akhenaden's souls get sealed inside it.

In another battle with Bakura, Atem used the Millennium Pendant to summon Slifer the Sky Dragon from a slab in the Shrine of Wedju.[18] However Bakura threatened to destroy the city and take innocent lives unless Atem handed him the Pendant. Atem pretended to comply and held up the Pendant to distract Bakura, while lining up Slifer the Sky Dragon to attack him.[1] The battle still ended in Atem's defeat[19] and Bakura took the Pendant from him before he fell down a chasm.[20]

Atem faced Bakura in a final Diaha at Kul Elna. Bakura possessing the Millennium Pendant meant his Diabound ka was strengthened,[21] and Atem could not summon the gods.[16] Despite this, Bakura was still defeated by the High Priests.[22]

Akhenaden acquired all the Millennium Items and placed them in a tablet, as part of a dark pact to gain power. He became the High Priest of Shadows and waged war with Atem.[19]

During the war, Atem had another Diaha against Seto. Atem used the Pendant to Summon Dark Magician from a tablet. Seto warned him that the Millennium Items were useless against his power of darkness.[23]

The war ended when Atem gave his life to seal his soul in the Millennium Pendant,[19] taking a portion of Zorc Necrophades' soul,[20] in the form of the High Priest of the Shadows, with him. This caused the Pendant to be broken into pieces, resembling a puzzle.[19] The Millennium Puzzle, similar to other Millennium Items that housed souls functioned as a portable tomb.[24]

The pieces of the Millennium Puzzle were placed inside a box in Atem's tomb.[25]

Recordings[edit]

The Millennium Puzzle in its box

It was written in the Book of the Dead that the Items were made by magicians serving the Pharaohs in order to punish thieves who would defile the tombs of the Pharaohs.[26] and that whoever solves the Millennium Puzzle would inherit the Shadow Games, become the guardian of right and pass judgment on evil.[3]

The memories of the Pharaoh were hidden inside the Puzzle. Bringing the six other Items together with it would break the seal and restore his memories, a duty which was to fall upon the person capable of solving the Millennium Puzzle. A warning was inscribed on the Memory Tablet in Kul Elna:[5]

The young Pharaoh and the six High Priests gave their lives to seal the evil power inside the holy door.
I pray the evil power is not resurrected along with the Pharaoh's memories.[5]

A prophecy handed down through generations of Tomb Guardians said that an evil power was sealed in the darkness of the Puzzle along with the soul of a young King, but after thousands of years of slumber, the evil power will rise again and when that happens the King's spirit will awaken and wander the world seeking the memories he had forgotten.[2]

Marik Ishtar's account of the creation of the Millennium Puzzle was as follows; In ancient Egypt pyramids were built shaped life a solidified beam of light pointing towards the sun, as a monument to the Pharaoh's power. However one day a man who worshipped darkness rather than light came to power and a war took place. The court magicians created seven Millennium Items to seal the darkness away. One of them was the Millennium Puzzle, shaped like a reverse pyramid, considered to be a symbol of darkness.[2]

Hieroglyphics are etched into the Millennium Puzzle's box. According to Yugi Mutou, they read "whoever solves this puzzle shall be granted one wish". According to Sugoroku Mutou, they said "the one who solves me shall gain the powers of knowledge and darkness".[3]

According to Sugoroku Mutou, the one who solved the Millennium Puzzle was said to inherit the will of the Pharaoh and be tested endlessly.[27]

Shadi Shin taught the Plana children that three of the Millennium Items are weak to evil and three represent justice, while the Millennium Puzzle contains both justice and evil.[7]

Excavation[edit]

The Millennium Puzzle was found at the beginning of the twentieth century in the Valley of the Kings. A British archaeological team removed it from the Pharaoh's crypt. However, everyone on the team died a mysterious death with the last one uttering "the Shadow Games" in his dying breath.[3][25]

Sugoroku Mutou finds the Millennium Puzzle.

Sugoroku Mutou heard a legend of a hidden game room in the most dangerous tomb in history in the Valley of the Kings. And that untold honor and a puzzle that no one has solved awaits the one who conquers it. In the 1960s, Sugoroku accompanied by the graverobbers, Ahmet and Mushura, ventured to the tomb to retrieve the Millennium Puzzle. Sugoroku used his knowledge of gaming and Egyptian culture co lead them past the traps. Towards the end, Ahmet shot Sugoroku in an attempt to claim the treasure for himself, but was then consumed by a demon ka dwelling in a slab. The wounded Sugoroku was saved by an apparition of Atem, who mistook him for Siamun Muran. Sugoroku then made it to the room containing the disassembled Millennium Puzzle and was able to take it from the tomb.[25]

Devil's Board Game[edit]

Mr. Otogi aspired to be a master of games like Sugoroku Mutou and became his apprentice to learn more. One day, Sugoroku told Otogi about the Millennium Puzzle and Otogi later faced him in the Devil's Board Game in the hopes of winning the Puzzle. Otogi lost the game,[28] causing him to age fifty years in a single night[5] and his face to become disfigured.[28]

About four years later, Otogi had a son, Ryuji, born specifically for him to extract his revenge.[5] For sixteen years, he groomed Ryuji to be a gamer capable of enacting it. Ryuji was taught that the one who solved the Millennium Puzzle would be given the title of "King of Games". He was fine with pursuing his father's revenge as he also grew fond of the Puzzle himself and hoped to obtain its power.[28]

Yugi's completion[edit]

Sugoroku left the Millennium Puzzle on a shelf in his family's game store, Kame Game. It was later found by his grandson, Yugi Mutou, who regarded the Puzzle as his greatest treasure and spent the next eight years trying to solve it and always carried it around in its box.[3]

One day while Yugi was sitting alone at school with the Puzzle, Hiroto Honda snatched it from him and tossed it to Katsuya Jonouchi as the two of them taunted Yugi. Jonouchi secretly swiped the center piece of the Puzzle from the box before throwing it back to Honda. However Anzu Mazaki arrived and caught the box before Honda. She returned the Puzzle to Yugi and told the others to leave him alone. Without Yugi's knowledge, Jonouchi threw the piece of the puzzle he took into the school's swimming pool.[3]

Yugi solves the Millennium Puzzle

Ushio declared himself to be Yugi's bodyguard and beat up Jonouchi and Honda. Despite Yugi insisting he did not want that and defending Jonouchi and Honda, Ushio imposed a bodyguard fee of ￥200,000 (about US$1800 at the time) and beat up Yugi as a warning should he not pay. Moved by Yugi defending him, Jonouchi recovered the piece of the puzzle he threw into the pool. He returned it to Sugoroku later that day and told him what Ushio was doing to Yugi. While thinking of what to do about the fees, Yugi found himself compelled to work on the Millennium Puzzle, finding it much easier to solve than previous attempts. He got to the point where the only piece left was the one Jonouchi who had taken and panicked on realizing it was missing. However Sugoroku returned the piece to him and secretly slipped money for the fees into Yugi's bag. Knowing the person who solves the Millennium Puzzle gets the power to pass judgment on evil, he suspected Ushio would be the one getting into trouble.[3]

Yugi's completion of the Millennium Puzzle caused Dark Yugi,[3] the soul of Atem stripped of his memories to emerge,[29] with the ability to take control of Yugi's body for what Yugi would see as moments of memory loss. Dark Yugi then confronted Ushio and proposed they play the Money and Knife Shadow Game for double the money Ushio had demanded. Ushio's attempt to cheat resulted in him suffering a Penalty Game.[3]

Yugi believed solving the Puzzle would grant a wish and had earlier wished for friends. The events that took place in the lead up to his completion of the Puzzle caused Jonouchi to become Yugi's friend, which Yugi regarded as the fulfilment of the wish.[3]

School[edit]

Yugi usually wore the Millennium Puzzle on a string around his neck. Dark Yugi on numerous occasions took over his body to deal justice on people who wronged Yugi or his friends by defeating them in Shadow Games and subjecting them to Penalty Games. Such opponents included the ZTV director,[30] Sozoji,[31] the escaped prisoner,[32] Kokurano,[33] Goro Inogashira,[34] Ms. Chono,[35], the Junky Scorpion owner,[36] and Seto Kaiba,[37]

In the game with the ZTV director, Dark Yugi made use of the Millennium Puzzle to block a die that the director threw at his face. This broke the die in two, causing it to land on both 1 and 6, which totaled 7. Since the player with the lowest roll won, this caused the director to lose.[30]

Yugi uses the Millennium Puzzle to locate Jonouchi.

Yugi feared that Jonouchi was in trouble having seen him with Hirutani's gang. He turned to the Millennium Puzzle and asked it to help him find Jonouchi. This gave him a vision of a warehouse, Hirutani's "torture chamber", where Dark Yugi then went to face the gang in the Landmine Search Network Shadow Game. Dark Yugi made use of the Puzzle as a prop in this game, where he hung it from a chain over an unconscious gangster's forehead. Rainwater tricked down the chain and off of the apex of the Puzzle onto the gangster's forehead, causing him to wake up and release his arm from a switch. This made him drop his stun gun into a puddle of water, electrocuting the gang.[10]

Kanekura exhibits the Millennium Puzzle and secretly attempts to sell it

The Egypt Unearthed exhibition at Domino Museum was hosted by Curator Kanekura and Professor Yoshimori. Knowing Yoshimori was a friend of Sugoroku Mutou, Kanekura pleaded with him for an introduction to Sugoroku and Yugi to ask to have the Millennium Puzzle included in the exhibit. Yugi was concerned about parting with it, but allowed him to take it for a day. Yugi and his friends got their photo taken with the Puzzle on display, while Kanekura secretly made dealings with a buyer for the Puzzle. He hoped giving Yugi a small share of the large sum he expected to receive would be enough to silence him. However Kanekura was put on trial by Weighing of the Heart by Shadi for his defilement of a tomb and subsequently killed. Shadi then discovered the Millennium Puzzle on his desk.[38]

Shadi recognized Yugi as the person who solved the Millennium Puzzle and decided to test the power of the Puzzle. He used his Millennium Key to enter Yugi's soul room,[38] where he was defeated by Dark Yugi in the Labyrinth Treasure Hunt Shadow Game, but was ultimately granted mercy. Shadi then returned the Puzzle to Yugi, but was surprised to find he was unaware of Dark Yugi's existence.[26]

Shadi also prepared to pass judgment on Professor Yoshimori, but on discovering that he was expecting a visit from Yugi, opted to keep him alive to use him to try again to test the powers of the Millennium Puzzle.[39] He redecorated the souls of Yoshimori and Anzu to use as puppets in his Trial of the Mind Shadow Game for Dark Yugi.[40][41]

One stage of the Trial of the Mind, the Game of Death, used the Millennium Puzzle as a prop. Dark Yugi and an illusion of Jonouchi with his old bullysome personality faced each other in a game where they took turns throwing the Puzzle to make their opponent walking in the direction the Puzzle landed pointing.[42]

Mokuba Kaiba and his followers coerced Yugi into facing Mokuba in a rigged game of Capsule Monster Chess. One of the followers attempted to take the Puzzle from Yugi, but this caused Dark Yugi to emerge, which Mokuba had hoped for as he wanted to defeat that Yugi in revenge for the Penalty Game he inflicted on his brother, Seto Kaiba.[43]

Street Fighter grew frustrated over repeatedly losing to Yugi in the Virtual VS arcade game, so he attacked him in person and stole the Millennium Puzzle from him. Jonouchi tracked him down and defeated him the so-called "Game of Death", taking back the Puzzle for Yugi.[44]

Death-T[edit]

The Millennium Puzzle used to smash Mokuba's hidden switch

Mokuba Kaiba faced Yugi and Jonouchi in his Russian Roulette Dinner game. However Dark Yugi realized Mokuba had rigged the game by using a switch hidden in a syrup bottle. So Dark Yugi attached the Puzzle to the rotating table, causing it to smash the bottle as it was spun around.[45]

Towards the end of Death T-2, when Jonouchi faced the Chopman in a deathmatch, Yugi turned to the Puzzle while trying to think of what to do. This gave him the idea on how Jonouchi could use a candlestick to win. Jonouchi used the candlestick's holder to pick the lock on his handcuff and then attached the cuff to the locked door, while slotting the candle inside. When the Chopman yanked on the chain, he pulled open the door and knocked the candle into the oil he was standing in, causing him to burn to death.[46]

After Death T-3, Yugi confessed to Jonouchi and Anzu that he believed that since he solved the Millennium Puzzle, there was another Yugi inside of him who would sometimes take control. Shortly afterwards, he switched to Dark Yugi for the remaining stages.[47]

Monster World[edit]

Now knowingly aware of Dark Yugi's existence, Yugi continued to switch to him by the power of the Millennium Puzzle to deal justice on people who wronged him and his friends, including Tsuruoka,[48] the ZTV producer,[49] Koji Nagumo,[50] and the Playing Card Bomber.[51]

Imori with the Millennium Puzzle

Yugi's classmate, Imori, learned about the Millennium Puzzle in a book about ancient Egypt and read "the one who solves the Millennium Puzzle shall gain the thousand ways of the Shadow Games and become the guardian of darkness". He recognized the Puzzle as the item Yugi belonging to Yugi and coped that Yugi used to be bullied a lot, up until he solved the Puzzle. He suspected he must have gained the powers of darkness and somewhat looked up to him. However he swore to defeat him and take his place as guardian of darkness.[52]

While Yugi was swimming in gym class, Imori stole the Millennium Puzzle from his locker and left a note instructing him to meet him in room C alone. When Yugi arrived, Imori was wearing the Puzzle and proceeded to tell Yugi what he knew about it. He produced the Dragon Cards and said that Yugi must defeat him in a Shadow Game using them in order to win it back. Since Yugi was not in contact with the Puzzle, he could not switch to Dark Yugi for the game. Yugi lost the game and had his soul sucked into the soul-eating jar. However he managed to grab onto the Millennium Puzzle as he collapsed, allowing Dark Yugi to emerge.[52] Dark Yugi challenged Imori to a second game and Imori accepted, figuring he would need to defeat Dark Yugi in order to gain the power of the Puzzle. This time Dark Yugi won, reclaiming the Puzzle and recovering Yugi's soul.[53]

Yugi, being hanged using the Millennium Puzzle

Yugi and Jonouchi ended up in a conflict with Hirutani and his gang in their "torture chamber". One of Hirutani's minions attached a hook hanging from the ceiling to the Millennium Puzzle, while it was around Yugi's neck and had the hook lift him off of the ground. Jonouchi managed to get Yugi down, while being battered by the gang swinging their yo-yos.[54] Jonouchi then borrowed the Puzzle and spun it around on its rope, catching all of the gangsters' yo-yos on the rope. He removed the yo-yos from the rope and attached them to the hook, hanging the gangsters by their fingers. He returned the Puzzle to Yugi, who switched to Dark Yugi to help deal with the gang.[55]

Ryo Bakura transferred to Domino High School and befriended Yugi. He was fascinated by the Millennium Puzzle, due to its similarity to the Millennium Ring he secretly possessed. He inspected the Puzzle, but continued to feel chest pains for a while after touching it. The two Millennium Items coming into close proximity caused a resonance, which allowed Dark Bakura, the spirit of the Millennium Ring to communicate with his host, Bakura. Among other things, he informed Bakura of his intention to steal the Millennium Puzzle.[24]

Yugi, Jonouchi, Anzu, and Honda went to Bakura's apartment to play Monster World with Bakura. Unbeknownst to them, Dark Bakura took control of Bakura's body in order to make the game a Shadow Game for the ownership of the Puzzle.[24]

Duelist Kingdom[edit]

Maximillion J. Pegasus used his videotape to face Yugi in a game of Duel Monsters. Upon realizing it was a Shadow Game, Dark Yugi used the Millennium Puzzle to take control and continue the Duel for Yugi.[56]

Yugi used the Millennium Puzzle to switch to Dark Yugi for his Duels throughout the Duelist Kingdom tournament.

Jonouchi was ambushed by Bandit Keith's underlings. While his friends searched for him, Dark Yugi held onto the Puzzle and concentrated. This showed him a vision of Jonouchi located in a underground cavern.[11]

Dark Yugi struggled in the Duel with Pegasus at the end of the tournament, due to Pegasus reading his mind with the Millennium Eye. Yugi then found a way to communicate with Dark Yugi from within their soul room. He proposed the "Mind Shuffle" strategy where they use the Millennium Puzzle to switch which of them was in control of their body just as Pegasus was about to read their mind. This enabled each Yugi to take a turn setting up a move, then switch to the opposite Yugi, who would be unaware of what had been set up, making him incapable of leaking it to Pegasus. With this, they defeated Pegasus Toon strategy.[57] Pegasus then recognized Yugi as being a worthy holder of a Millennium Item and thought a Shadow Game was more befitting. The nature of the Shadow Game caused Yugi to collapse,[58] preventing the Mind Shuffle from being used any further.[59]

On his defeat, Pegasus recognized the housing of two souls in one body as the power of the Millennium Puzzle and asked Dark Yugi if he was aware the Millennium Items contained an evil intelligence.[60] Anzu theorized that Dark Yugi not subjecting Pegasus to a Penalty Game was because he came from the Puzzle and did not want to accept that he was evil.[61]

Dungeon Dice Monsters[edit]

Ryuji Otogi became aware of Sugoroku's grandson solving the Millennium Puzzle and defeating numerous powerful enemies with its power. He prepared a game to defeat Yugi in for the ownership of the Puzzle and arranged for the Puzzle to be taken from Yugi beforehand, so he could test Yugi's true abilities.[28]

The Black Clown security confiscate the Millennium Puzzle.

At the opening for the Black Clown, Otogi's father, then known as Mr. Clown, planted some packs of Dungeon Dice Monsters on Yugi to frame him for shoplifting. Security brought Yugi to an office and confiscated the Millennium Puzzle. Yugi was then brought to another room to play Dungeon Dice Monsters against Ryuji Otogi.[62] Yugi asked Ryuji to promise to return the Puzzle if he won. Without the Puzzle, he had to play without assistance from Dark Yugi, which Ryuji initially believed made him an incapable gamer.[63]

Ryuji took an early lead, but as the game became more evenly matched, his respect for Yugi grew. Mr. Clown grew frustrated by Ryuji struggling. He entered the room, carrying the Millennium Puzzle, and forbade Ryuji from losing. Ryuji pleaded with his father to not interfere, but Clown was determined to break Yugi's fighting spirit, so he dismantled the Puzzle, confident Ryuji would be able to reassemble it.[64] However Ryuji snatched the remainder of the Puzzle from him and apologetically returned the pieces to Yugi. Regardless, he insisted that the Puzzle would still go to the winner of their game.[6]

Mr. Clown dismantles the Puzzle in front of Yugi.

Outside the Black Clown, Dark Bakura's Millennium Ring began to react, which he understood to mean something had happened to the Millennium Puzzle.[64] Since the Millennium Ring and Puzzle contained memories destined to be reunited and Yugi was the only host chosen by the Puzzle in the past 3000 years, Dark Bakura needed Yugi to remain its wielder, so he sought to help him.[6]

Ryuji believed he was about to win the Millennium Puzzle, but Dark Bakura entered the room and laughed, calling him unworthy. He advised Ryuji against even trying to use the Puzzle, as it would result in him suffering a horrible death. Dark Bakura examined the game and predicted Yugi, as chosen host of the Puzzle would turn the tables over the next few turns.[6] Clown handed the Puzzle to Ryuji when it looked like he was about to win. Despite Dark Bakura's advise, he tried solving it, but found the pieces simply would not connect.[4] Yugi doubted his own ability to win the game, but Dark Bakura ordered him to focus and insisted this was the King's challenge to see if he was the true successor of the Millennium Puzzle. Yugi was confused by what he meant by "King" and Dark Bakura explained that as the only one capable of solving the Puzzle, it was Yugi's duty to awaken the King's memories.[65]

Dark Bakura uses his "Parasite Mind" ability to seal a portion of his soul in a piece of the Puzzle.

Yugi won the game and told Ryuji that his victory was not out of a desire to have the power of the Millennium Puzzle, but rather to see his other self again.[65] He vowed to solve the Puzzle again, no matter how long it took. Dark Bakura secretly used his "Parasite Mind" ability to seal a portion of his soul in a piece of the Puzzle, before handing it to Yugi.[5]

Ryuji apologized to his father for not getting revenge and found himself unable to hate Yugi. Mr. Clown feigned remorse for long enough to put the Millennium Puzzle's chain around Yugi's neck. He then disowned Ryuji as a son and dragged Yugi into another room, taking the Puzzle with them. He nailed the Puzzle's chain to a table on which he planned to face Yugi in the Devil's Board Game. However he began trying to solve the Puzzle, which caused him to hallucinate being trapped in a maze. This led to him knocking over a candle and starting a fire.[5]

Yugi, unable to let go of the Puzzle in the fire

Yugi could not remove the Millennium Puzzle from the table it had been nailed to and feared it would be melted if he left it behind. So he resolved to complete the Puzzle in the middle of the fire to see Dark Yugi one more time. He solved the Puzzle much more quickly this time, finishing it just before falling unconscious. Jonouchi tried to carry him out of the room, but could not get him to let go of the Puzzle. Jonouchi then slotted a finger pointing from the Devil's Board Game into the loop on top of the nail and used the board as a lever to help pull the nail out, allowing him to save both Yugi and the Puzzle.[66]

Battle City[edit]

While Yugi recovered in the hospital from his burns at the Black Clown fire, Anzu reminded him that he made a wish the first time he solved the Millennium Puzzle and asked what he wished for this time. The thought of a wish had not crossed his mind in his haste, but he considered his desire to see the other Yugi again might have counted as his wish. Anzu said that if the Puzzle had a mind, it would have known Yugi wanted to see Dark Yugi again, but then became afraid of the implications of what she said. She had wanted to believe Dark Yugi to be an extension of Yugi's personality brought out by the Puzzle, but was now beginning to believe Dark Yugi came from the Puzzle and feared that he might leave when the Millennium Items were eventually returned to Egypt.[67]

A patient in the same ward as Yugi showed him an advert in his newspaper for The Art of Egypt exhibition at Domino City Museum and pointed to a picture of Ishizu Ishtar wearing the Millennium Tauk, commenting on how similar the Tauk was to Yugi's Puzzle.[67]

Dark Yugi began to question where he came from. He only knew that he was able to exist when Yugi wore the Millennium Puzzle and wondered if he going to the Memory Tablet in Egypt would provide answers. However he assured Yugi that he wanted to stay with him, even if it meant never recovering his memories.[68]

Dark Yugi and Anzu together went to The Art of Egypt exhibition for a clue to his past.[69] On the 3000-year old Tablet of Lost Memories, they saw a depiction of a Pharaoh, who looked just like Dark Yugi, wearing the Millennium Puzzle and concluded Dark Yugi must be that Pharaoh.[29]

For much of the Battle City tournament, Dark Yugi assumed control of Yugi's body and won Duels on his behalf.

Brainwashed Jonouchi, unable to throw away a piece of the Millennium Puzzle

When Marik Ishtar used the Millennium Rod to brainwash Jonouchi and force him to Duel Dark Yugi, in a Duel where the loser would be dragged by an anchor into the ocean, Yugi felt it was his turn to help Jonouchi and offered to Duel instead. Dark Yugi hesitantly accepted,[70] but tried to take back control when the Duel got too dangerous. However Yugi removed the Puzzle to stop him doing so.[71] He trusted Jonouchi to not let him die and felt he needed to become stronger without Dark Yugi's protection.[72]

Yugi was unable to bring himself to cause Jonouchi's death and prepared for his own loss and placed the Millennium Puzzle around Jonouchi's neck, not wanting it to sink to the bottom of the bay. Marik ordered Jonouchi to take apart the Puzzle and throw the pieces into the ocean. However Jonouchi was reminded of when he threw a piece of the Puzzle into water before and the events that followed, which led to him becoming Yugi's friend. He disobeyed Marik's order to throw away the pieces, but still continued the Duel.[73]

At the climax of the Duel, Yugi succeeded in snapping Jonouchi out of Marik's brainwashing and Jonouchi removed the Millennium Puzzle before they both got dragged underwater. Having gained access to both handcuff keys, they were both saved and Jonouchi returned the Puzzle to Yugi afterwards.[74]

Dark Yugi faced Dark Bakura in the Battle City quarterfinals and asked if he was after the Millennium Puzzle again. However it was in Dark Bakura's interests for Yugi to hold onto the Puzzle until he could open the "dark door". Instead he claimed to be after Yugi's God card, not disclosing he intended to give it to Marik in exchange for the Millennium Rod.[75]

In fulfilment of her Tomb Guardian duties, Ishizu gave the Millennium Tauk to Yugi. Afterwards Anzu asked her what would happen to Dark Yugi when the seven Millennium Items are fitted into the slab in the temple in Egypt. Ishizu replied that all mortal souls have a place to return to, his included.[76]

The night before the finals, Yugi touched the Millennium Puzzle and entered Dark Yugi's soul room for the first time. Inside Dark Yugi told him about Shadi searching for his "true soul room", which even he did not know the location of.[77]

The God cards colliding in Dark Yugi and Kaiba's semifinal caused the Millennium Puzzle and Rod to react and reveal memories hidden within them; Dark Yugi and Kaiba were shown a vision of the Diaha between Atem and Seto.[23]

King's Memories[edit]

Dark Yugi and his friends went to Domino City Museum to present the God cards to the Tablet of the Pharaoh's Memories. Outside the museum, they were approached by Bobasa, who had slots in his clothing for each Millennium Item, including the Puzzle. (In earlier printings, the slots were in his skin.)[78] He said that he would aid Dark Yugi on his journey to the World of Memories and after earning his trust, he would act as a human safe for the Items, by locking his clothing and swallowing the key, which he could regurgitate. Dark Yugi pointed out that even if he did believe him, he could not hand over the Puzzle.[79]

The Millennium Puzzle above the Shadow RPG board

Upon brandishing the God cards to the tablet, Dark Yugi was transported to the World of Memories[80], which existed within the Millennium Puzzle.[19] The two souls sealed in the Millennium Puzzle, those of Pharaoh Atem and Zorc Necrophades, were to battle in this world, with only the winner could return to the modern world.[20]

Yugi began to panic as he could no longer sense any trace of Dark Yugi in his heart or the Millennium Puzzle, but was then notified of the World of Memories.[80]

Yugi and his friends' bodies lay unconscious when they entered Yugi's soul room to find an entrance to the World of Memories. Dark Bakura then took the Millennium Puzzle from Yugi's body. (This scene was not present in earlier printings.)[81] He set up the Shadow RPG as a Shadow Game to discover the secrets hidden inside the Millennium Puzzle in a room behind the tablet at the museum. The Puzzle was hung over a diorama of the ancient Egyptian city, which was used as a board for the game, where Dark Yugi and Dark Bakura played out the events taking place in the World of Memories.[82]

Dark Yugi relived his time as Pharaoh, including his battles with Bakura, King of Thieves. At the point where Dark Yugi had previously been beaten by Thief Bakura and had the Millennium Pendant stolen, Yugi, who had entered the World of Memories, intervened. Yugi helped replenish Dark Yugi's ba, allowing him to use the Pendant to summon The Sun Dragon Ra and defeat Thief Bakura[83] However Dark Bakura managed to revert this change.[19]

The game concluded when the World of Memories timeline reached the end of Atem's memories, albeit with an altered ending. This time Atem succeeded in beating Zorc without shattering the Millennium Pendant into the Millennium Puzzle. His body then began to disappear from the world, but before fading out completely, he asked Seto to take the Pendant and succeed him as Pharaoh. In the real world, Atem collected the Millennium Puzzle from the game board.[84]

Rite of the Duel[edit]

Atem placed the Millennium Puzzle along with the other six Millennium Items into the Tablet of the Pharaoh's Memories in the Shrine of the Underworld. This caused him to split into a separate body from Yugi, so that the two may face each other for the Rite of the Duel.[85] By experiencing defeat, Atem was deemed ready to pass on. His passing through the door to the afterlife, caused the Tablet of the Pharaoh's Memories to break and fall into the depths of the earth, taking the Millennium Items with it. As parts of the temple collapsed around it, Yugi bid farewell to the Puzzle before running to safety.[86]

Dark Side of Dimensions[edit]

Seto Kaiba commissioned an excavation at the Shrine of the Underworld to retrieve the disassembled Millennium Puzzle, with the goal of bring back Atem to conduct unfinished business with. The pieces were extracted, scanned by a computer and put into a secure container. However Aigami wished to prevent the return of the Pharaoh. As the container was taken away, Aigami, using his supernatural abilities, stuck his hand through the glass and stole two pieces.[7]

Aigami gave one of the pieces to his sister, Sera, who passed it on to Yugi Mutou, hoping he would save her brother.

Kaiba, observing the Millennium Puzzle being reconstructed in space

Although it took Yugi Mutou eight years to solve the Millennium Puzzle, Kaiba had a computer in his space station perform the reconstruction, with an estimate of a few hours to complete. On near completion, the machine reported that two pieces were missing. Kaiba had Aigami abducted, but could not directly extort the pieces from Aigami, but figured one piece was in Aigami's possession and the other in Yugi's.[7]

Kaiba arranged for both Yugi and Aigami to be brought to Kaiba Land, where he intended to Duel each of them for the last pieces of the Puzzle. However Yugi ended up Dueling Aigami, leaving Kaiba to Duel Yugi for both pieces. [7]

Kaiba told Yugi of his intention to bring back Atem and he placed the Millennium Puzzle in the center of the field, where it floated in a beam of light. Yugi tried to explain that Atem was gone and went as far as inserting the pieces into the Puzzle during the Duel to prove it. However Kaiba was in denial and accused Yugi of deceiving him.[7]

Yugi and Kaiba were confronted by the Corrupted Aigami and as they Dueled Kaiba handed Yugi the Puzzle, in an attempt to get him to call Atem. Yugi put the Puzzle on again to no avail, but as Yugi began to give up hope on the Duel, he was engulfed in golden light and switched to Atem, who defeated Aigami.[7]

Yugi and Atem split into separate bodies and faced each other for a moment. With a final nod from Yugi, Atem touched the Millennium Puzzle, making it and himself disappear.[7]

Still determined to Duel Atem, Kaiba combined the Quantum Cube with his KaibaCorp technology. This enabled him to travel to the afterlife, where he located Atem in the Pharaoh's palace. Atem was wearing the Millennium Puzzle and smiled confidently when approached by Kaiba.[7]

History of possession[edit]

Holder Means of acquisition
Akhenamkhanen Created for, to protect his kingdom
Atem Inherited from his late father
Bakura, King of Thieves Stole
Akhenaden Took to summon Zorc Necrophades
Atem Recovered
Nobody Left in Atem's tomb
Sugoroku Mutou Recovered from Atem's tomb
Yugi Mutou Found in his family's game shop
Curator Kanekura Lent to
Shadi Shin Safe kept after killing Kanekura
Yugi Mutou Returned to from Shadi
Street Fighter Stole
Katsuya Jonouchi Retrieved
Yugi Mutou Returned to from Jonouchi
Imori Stole
Yugi Mutou Recovered
Katsuya Jonouchi Lent to
Yugi Mutou Returned to
Dark Bakura Took to set up the Shadow RPG
Yugi Mutou Reclaimed after the Shadow RPG
Nobody Buried in the Shrine of the Underworld
Seto Kaiba Excavated
Seto Kaiba Aigami Aigami stole two pieces from Kaiba
Aigami Sera Aigami gave a piece to Sera
Yugi Mutou Sera gave her piece to Yugi
Yugi Mutou Yugi won a piece from Aigami
Seto Kaiba Yugi recompleted the Puzzle for Kaiba, to show Atem is not inside
Yugi Mutou Kaiba gives Yugi the Puzzle to summon Atem
Nobody Disappeared
Atem Possessed in the afterlife

References[edit]

  1. ↑ a b c Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 302 (Millennium World Duel 24): "Surprise Attack! Power Attack!"
  2. ↑ a b c Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 201 (Duelist Duel 142): "Warriors Assemble"
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 1: "The Puzzle of the Gods"
  4. ↑ a b Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 142 (Duelist Duel 83): "Solve the Puzzle!!"
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 144 (Duelist Duel 85): "The Room of Revenge"
  6. ↑ a b c d Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 141 (Duelist Duel 82): "The Calling of the Powers"
  7. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions
  8. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 9: "The Cards with Teeth (Part 1)"
  9. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 44: "Monster Fight!! (Part 2)"
  10. ↑ a b Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 12: "The Wild Gang (Part 2)"
  11. ↑ a b Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 90 (Duelist Duel 31): "Call of the Grave"
  12. ↑ a b Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 308 (Millennium World Duel 30): "The Birth of the Millennium Items!!"
  13. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 309 (Millennium World Duel 31): "Ripples in the Shadows"
  14. ↑ a b Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 288 (Millennium World Duel 10): "In the Name of the Gods"
  15. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 289 (Millennium World Duel 11): "The Supreme Blow!"
  16. ↑ a b Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 314 (Millennium World Duel 36): "The Spirit Beast!!"
  17. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 291 (Millennium World Duel 13): "The Ancient Duel!!"
  18. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 299 (Millennium World Duel 21): "Assault on the Palace!"
  19. ↑ a b c d e f Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 305 (Millennium World Duel 27): "Ruler of Shadows!!"
  20. ↑ a b c Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 307 (Millennium World Duel 29): "Shadows Fall!!"
  21. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 313 (Millennium World Duel 35): "The Village of Ghosts!!"
  22. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 318 (Millennium World Duel 40): "Together Against the Darkness!"
  23. ↑ a b Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 257 (Duelist Duel 198): "Memories of Fate"
  24. ↑ a b c Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 50: "Millennium Enemy 1: The Mysterious Transfer Student"
  25. ↑ a b c Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 279 (Millennium World Duel 1): "The Millennium Treasure"
  26. ↑ a b Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 14: "The Man from Egypt (Part 2)"
  27. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 280 (Millennium World Duel 2): "A Sleepless Night"
  28. ↑ a b c d Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 138 (Duelist Duel 79): "Dungeon Crisis!!"
  29. ↑ a b Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 150 (Duelist Duel 91): "The Gathering"
  30. ↑ a b Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 2: "Lying Eyes"
  31. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 3: "Hard Beat!"
  32. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 4: "Jail Break!"
  33. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 5: "The False Prophet"
  34. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 6: "Into the Fire"
  35. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 7: "The Face of Truth"
  36. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 8: "The Poison Man"
  37. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 10: "The Cards with Teeth (Part 2)"
  38. ↑ a b Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 13: "The Man from Egypt (Part 1)"
  39. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 15: "The Other Criminal"
  40. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 16: "Shadi's Challenge"
  41. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 17: "Game Start!"
  42. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 19: "Final Stage"
  43. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 24: "Capsule Monster Chess"
  44. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 25: "The One-Inch Terror"
  45. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 26: "Russian Roulette"
  46. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 32: "Chainsaw Deathmatch!!"
  47. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 34: "Arena #2"
  48. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 41: "Let's Find "Love"!"
  49. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 42: "Get the Million!!"
  50. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 43: "Monster Fight!! (Part 1)"
  51. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 45: "13 O'clock Terror!!"
  52. ↑ a b Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 46: "The Evil Dragon Cards (Part 1)"
  53. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 47: "The Evil Dragon Cards (Part 2)"
  54. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 48: "Jonouchi!! Soul Battle!! (Part 1)"
  55. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 49: "Jonouchi!! Soul Battle!! (Part 2)"
  56. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 60 (Duelist Duel 1): "Challenge!!"
  57. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 128 (Duelist Duel 69): "The Downfall of Toon World"
  58. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 129 (Duelist Duel 70): "The Sacrifice!"
  59. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 130 (Duelist Duel 71): "Heart to Heart"
  60. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 132 (Duelist Duel 73): "The Tragic Tale of the Millennium Eye"
  61. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 133 (Duelist Duel 74): "The Precious Piece"
  62. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 136 (Duelist Duel 77): "D.D.M.!!"
  63. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 137 (Duelist Duel 78): "The Path of Darkness!"
  64. ↑ a b Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 140 (Duelist Duel 81): "The Broken Bond"
  65. ↑ a b Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 143 (Duelist Duel 84): "Zero Attack?!"
  66. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 145 (Duelist Duel 86): "Chains"
  67. ↑ a b Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 146 (Duelist Duel 87): "The Ancient Stone"
  68. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 147 (Duelist Duel 88): "The Lost Cards"
  69. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 149 (Duelist Duel 90): "Where I Belong"
  70. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 193 (Duelist Duel 134): "Heart Attack!!"
  71. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 194 (Duelist Duel 135): "The Card of Pride"
  72. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 195 (Duelist Duel 136): "Yugi Fights Alone"
  73. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 196 (Duelist Duel 137): "The Last Piece of the Puzzle"
  74. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 199 (Duelist Duel 140): "The Treasure"
  75. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 204 (Duelist Duel 145): "The Thing in the Dark"
  76. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 233 (Duelist Duel 174): "Duel in the Dark!"
  77. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 237 (Duelist Duel 178): "The Eve of Battle"
  78. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 281 (Millennium World Duel 3): "Mystery of the the Artifact!!"
  79. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 282 (Millennium World Duel 4): "Voyage into Memories"
  80. ↑ a b Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 283 (Millennium World Duel 5): "The Six Chosen Priests"
  81. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 284 (Millennium World Duel 6): "The Evil Shadow"
  82. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 320 (Millennium World Duel 42): "The Ultimate Shadow RPG!"
  83. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 304 (Millennium World Duel 26): "The Summoning of Ra!"
  84. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 336 (Millennium World Duel 58): "He Who Inherits the Light"
  85. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 338 (Millennium World Duel 60): "The Rite of the Duel!!"
  86. ↑ Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel 343 (Millennium World Duel 65): "The Journey of the King"
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