The Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise is one that spans several different entertainment mediums and has been around for over 20 years. From almost 1,000 episodes on TV, to tons of video game adaptations and, of course, the trading card game, this franchise has certainly been around the block. The entire franchise is centered around a card game that is played most often to take over the world in the anime, and in various living rooms around the world in real life. Gosh, I wish all my problems in real life could be solved with a Duel Disk. Who needs to elect a president when we can instead have a tournament hosted by Seto Kaiba to decide?

Anywho, like most trading card games, Yu-Gi-Oh! features a ton of strong cards and strategies to take on your opponents. No matter what type of cards you enjoy using, there’s likely a strategy for you. However, the TCG also features gems like Petit Moth. While most Yu-Gi-Oh! cards feature some sort of viable strategy around them, there are also some cards that just aren’t worth using. For example, why use Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon when you can use Frog The Jam? See, now you get it! So from the Dark Magicians to the Ojama Yellows, we have 15 strong Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, along with 15 that just aren’t worth the trouble.

30 Strong: The Seal Of Orichalcos

Ok look, while the real-life Orichalcos can’t match the stealing souls variant of the anime, it certainly isn’t anything to scoff at! It gives all your monsters a 500 point attack boost, it can’t be destroyed once per turn, and only your strongest monster can be targeted by your opponent! This is certainly a handy little set of effects that can help give you a solid edge over your opponent. Just make sure you don’t succumb to the darkness inside your heart while using this, otherwise, the thousands-of-years-old Pharaoh that lives inside you will be left alone for the entire rest of the far too long 40 episode season.

29 Not Worth It: Panther Warrior

Panther Warrior is one of those “I'm a 4-star monster that has 2000 attack yet I require some weird trade-off to attack” monsters. There's really a whole line of these bad boys! Panther Warrior's trade-off is that it requires a tribute to attack!

Ew! No! Why would you ever want this?

Just tribute summon a 2000 attack monster! This is a card that should only be used in dire situations, and the one situation I can think to use it in is: don't.

28 Strong: March Of The Monarchs + God Cards

So the God cards aren't perfect, and they certainly aren't the absolute end all be all the anime makes them out to be. However, when you combine the cards with March of the Monarchs, they can't be destroyed by any card effects, which makes them much more usable. For one, they're much harder to take out, and the risk of getting rid of 3 monsters for them is cut significantly. And if you're going to use a God, go for Obelisk, or one we'll feature later.

27 Not Worth It: Koitsu and Aitsu

The whole Koitsu line of cards is cute, they all center around being weak and hoping that they have some sort of potential inside of them that they haven’t realized, and Koitsu works as an equip spell card (after sacrificing two monsters for it) for one of the monsters in this set, Aitsu. When equipped to Aitsu, the monster gains 3000 attack and can inflict piercing damage. However, in order to get Koitsu equipped to Aitsu, Aitsu has to survive a turn being a level 5, 100 attack monster. No thanks! Bye!

26 Strong: Win The Match Cards

Cards with “win the match” effects are a pretty common occurrence in the Xyz days. These cards often require you to lower your opponent’s life points to 0 with them, and if you manage to do so, you actually win the match instead of just the single duel. This can be a pretty huge advantage in competitive play (I would know, I’ve played in one day of competitive and won exactly 0 matches.), unless your opponent is you know, not dumb, and surrenders before you get the chance to finish your strike.

25 Not Worth It: All Old Non-Effect Monsters

Remember all those old cards such as Winged Dragon Guardian of the Fortress #1, Silver Fang, and Baby Dragon that were just regular old monsters that have no effects?

Yeah, they're literally pointless now.

Unless they're a monster like Dark Magician that has an archetype built around them, monsters that don't have an effect aren't worth going in your deck, period. Unless it looks cool, then it's totally worth it. Hey Cosmo Queen.

24 Strong: Master Peace, The True Dracoslaying King

I hate this. This card can be unaffected by everything if you play your cards right. It can be unaffected by spells and traps if you choose to tribute those cards to summon it. Ugh. Besides this, the card is incredibly powerful and allows you to destroy one card of your opponent’s per turn.

Can you just like, stop for 5 seconds let me breathe.

This card can truly become unstoppable if you play your cards right, which is why it is a valuable asset to have.

23 Not Worth It: White Hole

White Hole just stops Dark Hole from affecting your monsters. This is the same problem as Anti Raigeki. It’s a card that has to be set and waited on, while your opponent may not even have Dark Hole in their deck! Along with that, if you draw this card after Dark Hole is used, it just becomes absolutely useless. There’s no reason to use White Hole, so don’t.

22 Strong: Apple Magician Girl

The whole Magician Girl set of cards center around deflecting attacks to other Magician Girls that you just special summoned, while cutting your opponent’s attack, which is both fun to do and also a great way to swarm the field and shut down your opponent. Apple Magician Girl allows you to summon a level 5 or lower spellcaster from your hand (preferably a Magician Girl) when attacked, and switch the attack to that monster, all while halving your opponent’s attack points. Dunked on!

21 Not Worth It: Attack the Moon!

Okay, I know that this card was made specifically to explain one of Yugi’s “literally what” moments from season 1, but this is truly just such a specific and unnecessary card that I have to mention it. This spell card allows you to destroy a spell or trap card on your opponent’s side of the field if a rock monster you control changes battle positions.

Hm? That is just so, oddly specific!

Who’s banking on taking out a spell or trap card based off the battle position of your cards? It’s just so unimportant!

20 Strong: Raigeki

What was once a banned card is now a… not banned card because the competitive format thinks I can actually afford a Raigeki single! Hate that! This card is simple and clean, it literally just destroys all monsters on your opponent's side of the field. While this card can be countered pretty easily, it's a great way to gain a huge upper hand if your opponent isn't expecting it. Although, seriously, a single Raigeki can go for around $100! You think I'm spending that much on Yu-Gi-Oh!? I'm not even good!

19 Not Worth It: Anti Raigeki

Anti Raigeki is a trap card that essentially just flips the effect of Raigeki back onto your opponent. While that’s not a terrible effect, I have to ask, why not just pack Raigeki? Using Anti Raigeki means that you have to sit there and hope that your opponent uses Raigeki, rather than just being able to use it yourself. The card is just redundant and is easily replaceable when the composition of a deck is so important.

18 Strong: Mischief Of The Time Goddess

Used with the “Valkyrie” archetype, Mischief Of The Time Goddess is a lil baddie. This card allows you, as long as you have only Valkyries on your side of the field, to skip straight past your opponent’s turn and into your next battle phase.

To put it in Layman's terms, "oof."

This card allows you to keep Valkyries that should leave the field after one turn, and also allows you to get two turns worth of hits in at once, which is not a bad deal at all.

17 Strong: Golden Castle Of Stromberg

While certainly not the lil' doozy she was when Zigfried hacked… the entire Duel Monsters mainframe in the anime… it’s still good! This card allows you to summon a monster from your deck every turn that mentions its name, which, of course, has great synergy with it. It also doesn’t allow your opponent to attack without losing their monster and can really shut your opponent out with the proper card combo. If you move quickly with this card (it has a hefty 10 card price per turn) you can take down your opponent with ease.

16 Not Worth It: Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth

This little diva requires a cocoon to be on the field for 6 turns before she'll even show herself.

Absolutely not. How dare she?

3500 attack is nice, but you can find that attack power from anywhere other than a grown-up worm that requires this much maintenance. This is all assuming that you’ve even managed to keep a monster with zero attack and 2000 defense on the field for six turns at all! I have far more important things to do than take care of than a blob.

15 Strong: Lyrilusc (Assembled Nightingale)

Ok here’s how to own with this card. Xyz summon this card with as much material as humanly possible, especially Lyriluscs that give this card extra effects. Use Mage Power and United We Stand to boost it up as much as possible. Detach a material in case your opponent has a trick up their sleeve. You are invincible and can attack multiple times with a huge amount of power behind you. Win in one turn. You’re welcome! Thank you, next.

14 Not Worth It: Toon World

In the era of Toon Kingdom, Toon World is essentially useless. Toon Kingdom is treated as Toon World when it is on the field, while also affording many extra powers to its many Toon inhabitants, such as essentially complete invulnerability. Terrific! This card is an absolute necessity if you’re running a Toon deck, and completely blows its predecessor out of the water. If you want to play cards like the stupid dragon I'm going to mention in a second, go for Kingdom.

13 Strong: Red-Eyes Toon Dragon

This little abomination is used to summon Toon monsters directly from your hand. Since Toon decks are all about searching your deck for Toon monsters, this is an absolute beast of the deck. Of course, it can also attack directly if your opponent doesn't have any Toons, and isn't destroyed if Toon World is.

Wow, I really, really hate it.

Really, if you're running a Toon deck, this is going to be one of your most important cards to swarm the field and make your opponent flip the table. Not that I know first-hand or anything.

12 Not Worth It: Valon's Armor Cards

Ok, I know that this set of… well, I guess you can call them cards, are only in the anime but I need to talk about them. These things were used by Valon in the ever so enchanting Waking the Dragons arc, and they were interesting, to say the least.

Valon literally wore his cards and attacked people with them.

I’m not even being hyperbolic, Valon was running around roughing-up individuals throughout the entirety of season 4. Who green-lit this?

11 Strong: The Winged Dragon Of Ra - Sphere Mode

This spherical monster that literally almost sent Mai Valentine to the actual pits of of the Underworld has some great uses. For one, you can sacrifice your opponent's monsters to use it, and it can be sacrificed to summon a 4000 attack and defense Winged Dragon of Ra, which is one of the best Ra forms you can have out. If you want to use Ra, this is going to be the best way to do so.

Oh, and the real card doesn't require an actual ancient chant to awake!

Yay!