Summary

• Yusei Fudo is a powerful duelist with a near-perfect victory record, using both intellect and strong cards in duels.
• His deck includes iconic cards like Quickdraw Synchron and Debris Dragon, crucial for summoning powerful Synchro monsters.
• Starlight Road, Tuning, and One for One are key spells/traps that aided Yusei in competitive play during the Synchro era.

The protagonist of the Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds anime, Yusei Fudo, is among the most successful and skilled duelists in the entire franchise. The young man is among the only players in the series whose victory record is virtually perfect. While most of his victories are attributed to his vast intellect and creative thinking, there is no doubt that his cards were also key to winning several duels.

The cards used by the young turbo duelist are not all amazing, as his deck contained several Monsters, Traps, and Spells that lacked power or usefulness. Yet, some of the tools he used during the series are extremely strong, with many having completely altered the way the game is played.

10 Quickdraw Synchron

A Versatile And Unique Tuner Monster

As a duelist focused on summoning imposing Synchro Monsters as quickly as possible, it was vital for Yusei to have the best Tuners possible. Quickdraw Synchron is a creature that more than qualifies for this role, being one of the most versatile monsters in Yusei’s deck. By sending a monster from the ’s hand to the graveyard, this card could be Special Summoned to the field.

Thanks to its uncommon status as a Level 5 Tuner, Quickdraw Synchron could substitute various materials when Yusei needed to summon a high-level Synchro. This was perfect for the creature, as its other effect allowed it to replace any Synchron monster listed as material for the creation of an Extra-Deck monster. The only downside of this card is its low attack and defense points, making it an easy target for an attack if it cannot be used to summon a Synchro Monster.

9 Debris Dragon

An Almost Perfect Tuner For Summoning Dragons

Given that Yusei’s most powerful monsters tended to be Synchro dragons, having tools to make their arrival easier was almost a necessity. That is why one of the most iconic Tuners in Fudo’s deck is the amazingly designed Debris Dragon. Whenever this creature was summoned to the field, its effect could resurrect another monster with 500 or fewer attack points from the graveyard. This simple effect aided Yusei several times whenever he was in desperate need of materials for his signature plays.

Still, such a powerful creature needed to have several restrictions to make it balanced. Debris Dragon could not be used for the Synchro Summon of a monster that was not Dragon-Type. Similarly, for this creature to be used as a material for a Special Summon, the other monster could not be level 4.

8 Stardust Dragon

Yusei’s Signature Monster

Born from the power of the almost godly Crimson Dragon, Stardust is not only one of Yu-Gi-Oh!’s most iconic monsters, but also Yusei’s signature monster. This Level 8 Synchro Dragon may not be as imposing as other similar creatures, but do not let its stunning design fool you. This creature may not have an above-average attack, with a respectable 2500 points, but it does have an incredibly useful protective ability.

Whenever a card or cards would be destroyed by the result of an opponent's effect, Stardust Dragon could tribute itself to negate the destruction. If this effect was not interrupted, the creature would summon itself back onto the field by the End Phase of that same turn. While not overly-complicated, this effect was so useful, that Stardust Dragon became a staple of competitive play for many years after its release.

7 Starlight Road

A Trap That Can Both Protect And Summon Monsters

Whenever Stardust Dragon was unavailable to protect Yusei’s field from destruction, the young duelist would often rely on one powerful Trap Card, Starlight Road. This card could be activated whenever an opponent’s effect is about to destroy two or more cards on its ’s field. Starlight Road would negate the effect, preventing the destruction of the cards.

Simultaneously, the card would summon a Stardust Dragon card from the Extra Deck directly onto the field. By using this card, Yusei would not only prevent his opponent from gaining the advantage during the duel, but he would also by the summoning requirements of his iconic signature monster. This card saw heavy competitive play for many years during the Synchro era of the TCG, being seen in many successful decks from the time.

6 Tuning

The Best Searcher In Yusei’s Deck

One of the most powerful effects a card can have in Yu-Gi-Oh! is to give the a chance to search for any specific tool in their deck. Tuning, one of Yusei’s most used Spells, is one of the few cards to have this outstanding effect. After the Spell is activated, Yusei would be able to search for any Tuner monster in his deck and add it to his hand.

Once this effect was fulfilled, the would be forced to send cards equal to the Level of the creature from the top of their deck to the graveyard. Although this effect can be considered negative at first glance, it was incredibly useful for Yusei throughout the series. Most of his best Tuner monsters had effects that allowed them to revive a non-Tuner from the grace to use as Synchro material. As such, the seemingly negative effect of Tuning would end up being an advantage.

5 One for One

A Spell That Aided Yusei With Synchro Summons

Yusei’s Synchro Monsters tend to require more than two monsters for their summoning requirements to be fulfilled. Whenever he would find himself in need of more creatures to use as material, he could always count on his trustworthy Spell One for One to aid him. This Spell card has a straightforward but undeniably strong ability, as it allows the to send a monster from their hand to the grave to summon a Level 1 creature from their hand.

Thanks to this ability, Yusei could continue his strategies without the need to wait another turn for a new monster to be summoned. He could also fill his graveyard with cards that would benefit him in the future, by summoning them directly to the field. One for One was not only good in the Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds anime, as its unique ability was considered powerful enough for the TCG to limit its use to one copy per deck.

4 Formula Synchron

The Most Useful Tuner Synchro In Yusei’s Deck

One of the most impressive plays a Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds duelist could use is the rare Accel Synchro. To successfully achieve this summoning mechanic, a player would need to utilize as materials two different Synchro Monsters, which would lead to the creation of an even more powerful being. Yusei was one of the most prominent s of this intricate mechanic, all thanks to the amazing Formula Synchron.

This Tuner Synchro monster requires two Level one creatures to be summoned. Once on the field, its can utilize the monster’s effect to draw an additional card once per turn. Since Formula Synchron is also a Tuner, it could be used as a material for a more powerful Extra Deck summon. Yusei used this card sparsely throughout the series, but each time it was used, fans knew that an impressive monster would soon appear.

3 Level Eater

A Creature That Could Infinitely Summon Itself

Few cards from Yusei’s deck have had such a powerful impact on the game of Yu-Gi-Oh! as Level Eater has. This card may not look impressive at first sight, as it has an exceptionally low attack and defense. Nevertheless, the value of this monster lies in its distinctive effect. If Level Eater is in the graveyard while its controls a Level 5 or higher monster on the field, the creature can remove a level from that target to summon itself.

This effect is distinctively useful for duelists whose decks focus on summoning Synchro Monsters, like Yusei. Level Eater is a Tuner monster, which means it can be used several times during a single turn to keep creating more powerful monsters. The card was deemed so powerful that it had to be restricted from being played in the TCG for many years.

2 Effect Veiler

A Card That Can Disrupt The Opponent’s Effects

In Yu-Gi-Oh! monsters’ effects tend to be the most important component of any successful deck. While Spells and Traps are undoubtedly needed, having a creature that can both protect you and aid your strategy is a necessity. As such, any card that can disrupt a creature’s special ability is often considered among the most powerful in the game. Effect Veiler is a creature with such an effect, as it can be discarded from the hand at any point in a duel to negate the effect of an opponent’s monster.

Effect Veiler’s usefulness goes beyond its impressive ability, as it is also a Tuner, meaning that Yusei could use it as material for his Synchro Summons in case it was needed. The TCG version of this monster has been considered a staple of competitive play for many years, being used even today against the most successful decks.

1 Shooting Quasar Dragon

Yusei’s Ultimate Synchro Monster

The embodiment of Yusei’s hope of a better future and his unbreaking determination, Shooting Quasar Dragon is a monster that was only seen once in the series. This creature is by far the most powerful Synchro Monster in Fudo’s deck and was key in defeating the final villain of the series, Z-One. This majestic creature requires three or more Synchro Monsters to be used as material for its summon.

The cost of invoking this dragon may seem steep, but its various effects more than make up for this condition. The card can attack once for each creature that was used as material for its creation. When Shooting Quasar attacks, the effects of one card on the field are negated. The card is also unaffected by the abilities of the opponent’s effects. In case it would be destroyed in battle, an almost impossible feat, as it has 4000 attack points, it would summon a Shooting Star Dragon from the Extra Deck. Undoubtedly, the strongest and most useful card used by Yusei in the series.

Sources: YGO Stratz; Official Yu-Gi-Oh!