Yugi Muto, the protagonist of the beloved several times in the series by showing him losing a duel.
On one of these occasions, Kaiba became furious, as he believed that losing meant Yugi had given the title of King of Games to another duelist. Yet, by his logic, there is another character who is worthy of the title, and most fans are unaware of this. According to the events of episode #143, Joey has been the King of Games for a long time, as he was heavily implied to have defeated Yugi during their last duel.
Kaiba’s Bitter Rival Became King of Games Before Him
Joey Accomplished What Kaiba Can Only Dream About
During episode #55 of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, Joey Wheeler is confronted by a group of Rare Hunters, followers of Marik, who challenge duelists to take their rarest card from them. Seeing as he was preoccupied with his sister’s eye operation at the time, Yugi’s best friend was no match for the criminals, who ended up stealing his Red-Eyes Black Dargon. This was, by far, one of Joey’s strongest cards, and it held a major sentimental value for the man. Several days later, in episode #57, Yugi wins Joey’s precious card and attempts to give it back to its owner.
Nonetheless, instead of claiming his Dragon back, Wheeler asked Yugi to keep his monster, as they would have a duel after the Battle City Tournament, one of the best arcs of the anime, to see if he was worthy of recovering it. This long-awaited confrontation occurred in episode #143, during which both players can be seen prepared to duel. The result of this battle was never revealed, leaving fans to wonder who emerged victorious. However, the series did strongly hint at Joey being the true winner, as he is seen using his Red-Eyes in later episodes.
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While Joey’s hypothetical win might not massively affect the show at first glance, it could mean that Yugi was not the true King of Games for many months before the ending. After Atem lost to Rafael during season 4, Kaiba claims that losing that game meant the title had been ed to Dartz’s lackey. If Seto’s logic is correct, meaning that anyone who can defeat Yugi in a duel will acquire the title, this might mean that Joey is the current King of Games.
Joey’s Victory Proves He Is a Better Duelist Than Kaiba
Wheeler Proved To Be More Skilled Than Seto
All Yu-Gi-Oh! fans are aware that Kaiba’s biggest goal in life is to defeat the Pharaoh and claim the title of King of Games for himself. Despite trying to accomplish this dream time and time again, Seto never found a way to do so, with him having lost various duels against Yugi as the series progressed. Even then, Kaiba was confident in his abilities, looking down on anyone whom he thought was weaker, particularly Joey. Seto would constantly berate Wheeler, calling him an unskilled player, unintelligent, and annoying.
Still, the allegedly fourth-rate duelist accomplished what Kaiba was unable to do throughout the entire Duel Monsters anime: defeat Yugi. While the series regularly tried to downplay his skills, often making him lose in clearly unfair circumstances, Joey proved time and time again that he was a gifted player. By implying he is one of the few people who defeated Yugi in a fair game, the series confirmed Wheeler’s latent talent.
Joey Did Not Officially Become King of Games
His Duel Against Yugi Was Never Made Public
While the original Yu-Gi-Oh! anime heavily implied that Joey was able to defeat Yugi during their last duel, this does not mean that he officially became the new King of Games. First, the game between the two was never made public, as the players decided to meet during the early hours of the day to prevent anyone else from learning about their battle. Due to this, even if Joey did indeed win the game, there would be no one else but Yugi to confirm this was the case.
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Moreover, no matter who would have been the victor in their duel, the game did not occur during an officially sanctioned tournament. During season 5, Kaiba himself confirmed that the only way to take the title from Yugi was to defeat him during an official competition, like his Grand Championship. This contradicts his claims that Rafael took the crown from Yugi after he lost during episode #158. The real reason behind this sudden opinion change comes from the fact that season 4 is not considered canon, as it was not adapted from the manga series.
Joey Does Not Need a Title To Be Worthy of Being the King
Wheeler Is One of the Most Noble and Determined Duelists in History
Even though Joey might have never been given the title of King of Games, this amazing duelist does not need the title to prove his worth as a player. As the series progressed, Wheeler more than earned his position as one of the best duelists in the original anime. He was not as experienced or educated as many of his competitors, like the super genius Kaiba, who would often mock him. Still, he never allowed his disadvantages to discourage him from trying his best and improving.
Joey is one of the most popular characters in the franchise, not for always winning his games or being the most charismatic. Rather, he is loved for his enormous heart, his loyalty, and his strong conviction to always do his best. These qualities are part of the reason why Yugi held his best friend in such high regard, even when other people around them belittled Wheeler’s worth. If Muto were to ever lose his title, Joey would be one of the best candidates to take his spot and continue the legacy of the King of Games.
The Yu-Gi-Oh! anime series has some of the most endearing and beloved characters of all time. Joey was never given the proper chance to shine during the original series, but fans still love him for all the great qualities he had to offer.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters
- Release Date
- 2000 - 2004-00-00
- Network
- TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TVh, TSC
- Directors
- Masahiko Watanabe, Naoki Hishikawa, Kimiharu Muto, Yasuhiro Minami, Kenichi Kasai, Hiroaki Shimura
Cast
Hiroki TakahashiKatsuya Jonouchi (voice)-
Maki SaitoMazaki Anzu
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Shin Yoshida, Atsushi Maekawa, Akemi Omode, Junki Takegami, Yasuyuki Suzuki, Masashi Sogo, Tadashi Hayakawa, Akihiko Inari
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