Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links, unlike the TCG, has a lot more cards used in it that aren't used in the main game. In the TCG, Trap Cards have essentially gone entirely out the wayside and are very seldom used. However, in Duel Links, this couldn't be farther from the truth.
Trap Cards have proven through Duel Links' history to be some of the most powerful cards in the entire game. Because of this, many Trap Cards have been able to shine where they otherwise wouldn't have, as they're great in the Duel Links format while they can be considered awful in the TCG. The two separate formats have very different metas, with Duel Links having a plethora of amazing Trap Cards.
Updated January 3rd, 2021 by Johnny Garcia: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links is perhaps the most successful Yu-Gi-Oh! game of all time. It's good for both fans old and new and lately has been introducing new mechanics into the game from the TCG. With the recent release of Zexal World, Xyz Monsters have entered into the fray and made an instant impact on the meta (unlike Synchro Monsters' introduction). The recent Forbidden/Limited list has also shaken the game up, with a card only obtainable from a Box being banned entirely, something never done before. Many other cards were limited or semi-limited, making tons of new decks enter the metagame while others fell off with these hits.
15 Amazoness Onslaught
Amazoness Onslaught's introduction to Duel Links shot the Amazoness deck to the top of the meta, and kept it there due to how powerful it was. During the Battle Phase, it allows the Special Summon of an Amazoness Monster from your Hand and giving it a 500 Attack boost.
What makes Amazoness Onslaught so good is that if it was already face-up and a battle occurred with an Amazoness Monster, then the Monster it battled would be Banished. If Amazoness Onslaught was ever destroyed, it would Special Summon any Amazoness Monster from the Graveyard. It was so good, it had to be limited to 1 copy per deck.
14 Champion's Vigilance
Champion's Vigilance was the original powerful Trap card, and one of the ones that would be considered too good and had to be Limited. So long as you controlled a Level 7 of higher Normal Monster (which was easily done in both Red-Eyes and Blue-Eyes decks), it could be activated.
Not only was Champion's Vigilance a Counter Trap, the best kind of Trap in the game, but it was also essentially Solemn Judgement, one of the best cards in the parent game Yu-Gi-Oh! It could negate any kind of Summon, as well as any Spell or Trap cards, and is one of the best Traps released in Duel Links.
13 Blackbird Close
The main downside to Trap cards are that they have to be Set before they can be used, and if they're reactive, can be destroyed before ever being used. So, when a Trap card can be activated from the Hand it's bound to be good. That's why Blackbird Close is so amazing.
So long as you control a Blackwing Synchro Monster (or a Black-Winged Dragon), you can activate Blackbird Close from the Hand. It's a Counter Trap as well, so odds are the opponent won't be able to respond to it. It will negate any Monster effect, which in Duel Links is especially powerful since that's how most combos start.
12 Ultimate Providence
Good Counter Traps in Duel Links are very far and in-between. One of the best ones in the game also happens to be one of the best Trap cards in general, that being Ultimate Providence. Whenever a Spell, Trap, or Monster effect is activated, you can discard a card of the same type and negate that activation.
In Duel Links, one card can make or break an entire game. Having access to an omni-negate like Ultimate Providence allows you to shut down that card and drastically turn the duel in your favor.
11 Drowning Mirror Force
Mirror Force is one of the most iconic Trap cards of all time, however, it is a bit too powerful for Duel Links. What fits into Duel Links perfectly however is Drowning Mirror Force. If a direct attack is declared, it will shuffle all Attack Position Monsters the opponent controls into the deck.
Since there is no Main Phase 2 in Duel Links, if this resolves it will leave your opponent with no Monsters on the field. This makes it incredibly easier to go in for an OTK on your turn to win the duel.
10 Magician's Navigation
Not many Archetype Trap Cards can bring a Deck to the forefront of the meta, but Magician's Navigation was enough that it made Dark Magician a great Deck, even furthermore once Dark Magical Circle was released. Magician's Navigation is able to get Dark Magician on the field as well as any Level 7 or lower Spellcaster Monster, so long as Dark Magician is Summoned from the Hand (which is easily done with a Skill like A Trick Up The Sleeve). It can also act as a Spell and Trap negate while in the Graveyard, adding onto its versatility.
9 Cybernetic Overflow
Another Archetype Trap Card, Cybernetic Overflow makes Cyber Dragons one of the best Decks in Duel Links. It banishes Cyber Dragons with different Levels from anywhere, and can destroy that many cards on the Field without Targetting.
After Banishing, it can be comboed with Cyberload Fusion to use those resources once more. Non-Targeting removal is always incredible, and one Cybernetic Overflow can be enough to wipe the entire Field. If it gets destroyed, it can even search out any Cyber Spell or Trap card, and that includes itself so it can easily get another copy in your hand.
8 Raigeki Break
Raigeki Break has an incredibly simple effect: Discard 1 card to Target 1 card on the Field and destroy it. Don't let its simplicity fool you, Raigeki Break is an incredibly versatile card. It can easily take care of problem cards, be them a Monster, Spell, or Trap Card. On top of that, the Discard isn't always a cost, as Monsters with Graveyard effects want to hit the Graveyard as soon as possible. Raigeki Break not only gets them there but pops a card on the opponent's Field in the process.
7 Bad Aim
Bad Aim is a Trap Card that has fallen out of favor in recent months, however, that by no way means the card still isn't great. When your opponent activates a card or effect, you can use Bad Aim to destroy any other card on the Field. Bad Aim can coax the opponent into trying to start their combo and then blindside them by getting rid of the card they need with it. It's a fantastic surprise factor, and if used right Bad Aim can force the opponent to end their turn with no followup to the card they had just activated.
6 Karma Cut
Karma Cut is an upgraded version of Raigeki Break at the cost of only being able to Target Face-Up Monsters on the Field with its effect. However, it Banishes the Monster instead of destroying it, which makes it much harder to get the affected Monster back onto the Field.
Karma Cut also has a second effect which can come in handy where it will Banish all the Monsters with the name of the card Banished from the Graveyard as well. Against certain Decks, this ability can be powerful enough to end the entire game, as they won't be able to recover from losing their key cards from their Field and Graveyard.
5 Paleozoic Canadia
One of the oldest useful Trap Cards in the game, Paleozoic Canadia has never stopped being relevant. It can flip any Monster on the Field Face-Down, and since there's no Main Phase 2 the opponent can't put them back into Attack Position if used in the Battle Phase. It is also useful during the Main Phase, as it can stop your opponent from Synchro Summoning since it requires all Monsters used to be Face-Up. Paleozoic Canadia can also come back as a Monster by simply activating a Trap Card while it is in the Graveyard.
4 Floodgate Trap Hole
Against certain Decks, Floodgate Trap Hole can essentially block an entire Monster Zone from being used if they can't Fusion Summon with the affected Monster or Tribute over it. Floodgate Trap Hole will force a Monster Summoned into Face-Down Defense Position and it cannot change from that position. This is a great card to use to get rid of a problem Boss Monster before it can do some damage and have it be out of sight and out of mind. Since not many Decks run Monster that require a Tribute, this makes Floodgate Trap Hole one of the best Trap Cards out there.
3 Wall Of Disruption
Wall Of Disruption has to power to be one of the most devastating Trap Cards in all of Duel Links. When a Monster declares an attack, Wall Of Disruption causes all Attack Position Monsters on the opponent's Field to lose 800 Attack for each Monster they control.
These Monsters don't have to be in Attack Position to count towards that total, so Wall Of Disruption has the potential to lower Attack Position Monsters by 2400 Attack Points. This is enough to completely decimate the opponent if they try to attack with multiple Monsters during a Battle Phase and don't play around it.
2 Fiendish Chain
While originally locked behind a Selection Box, Fiendish Chain eventually became available to everyone in a Box months after its initial release. Fiendish Chain negates the effects of a Monster on the Field and stays attached to them and prevents them from being able to attack as well. Effect negation isn't something that's common in Duel Links, especially when it comes from one simple card and not a Boss Monster. The immediate power of Fiendish Chain is what makes it so good. Effects are incredibly important and many Decks rely on their starter pieces, and Fiendish Chain can cut that off entirely for you to take care of the opponent on your turn.
1 Treacherous Trap Hole
Treacherous Trap Hole has consistently been the best Trap Card in Duel Links since its introduction, and likely won't ever stop being relevant. Treacherous Trap Hole lets you destroy two Monsters on the Field so long as there are no Trap Cards in your Graveyard. This is so powerful, many people have called for its ban even though it's already Semi-Limited. Destroying one Monster on the Field is already a great effect in Duel Links, and being able to destroy two Monsters is usually enough to completely end the turn of your opponent before they even have a chance to do anything.