Yugi's best Yu-Gi-Oh! The duel has kept us hanging for almost 20 years, but we may finally have a winner

For more than a decade, fans of Yu-Gi-Oh! The franchise has witnessed many exciting and memorable duels between the protagonists and their various opponents. From Yugi's epic showdown against his rival Kaiba to Yuma's duel to save the entire universe, there's no shortage of epic battles of wits for fans to enjoy.

Among these incredible duels, what stands out is how significant it is for the franchise, as well as its enigmatic ending: the final battle between Yugi and Jaden. This intense confrontation remains one of the franchise's biggest mysteries, as the winner is never revealed. However, when studied carefully, the winner of this game becomes apparent.

Yu-Gi-Oh! The latest episode of GX gave fans the epic duel that fans have been waiting for since the first episode of GX

Jaden's final challenge was foreshadowed years in advance

During episode #1 of Yu-Gi-Oh! Gx anime, the protagonist of this beloved sequel, Jaden, has a fortuitous encounter with his predecessor, Yugi. During this brief but emotional scene, the King of Games presents his successor with a copy of Winged Kuriboh as a symbol of his destiny in Jaden. As the series progressed, fans began to wonder if Yugi would make another appearance in the series, as foreshadowed by his enigmatic goodbye to the new protagonist in episode #1. As a graduation present for Jaden, Yugi returnedgiving his successor the chance to duel him during his prime.

The duel between these two incredible duelists is considered one of the best in the series, thanks to the excellent skills demonstrated by both parties. Despite not having access to cards as powerful as the Egyptian gods, Jaden gave Yugi a fight he would never forget. However, the objective of this meeting was not to see who was the best among the protagonists, but rather to give Jaden back the joy of the game. Throughout his student years, Jaden was forced to fight for his life on several occasions, which made him fear the idea of ​​losing.

Yugi's gift was not only the duel the High King had been waiting for his entire life, but it was also a way to help Jaden forget his fear and enjoy the game once again. At the end of the match, both players could be seen with big smiles, knowing they had done their best. With only his powerful signature monster at his side, Elemental Hero Neos, Jaden faced Slifer the Sky Dragon in a battle fans were not allowed to witness. The official winner has not been revealed, leaving fans wondering about the outcome.

Looking closer, it's obvious that Yami Yugi won his big duel with Jaden

Egyptian gods reign supreme

Despite how iconic and well-constructed Jaden's Elemental Hero deck may be, there aren't many tools in it that could have helped him defeat the King of Games. During the final round of the Duel, Jaden was given the monumental task of defeating Yugi's Egyptian God, one of his most powerful cards. Seeing that Jaden only had a few unrevealed cards in his hand at the end, just like Neos on the field, the result of the duel was evident even before the student decides to attack the deity.

The series may not have revealed that Yugi and Atem were the winners of the encounter, but the circumstances of the final round make it obvious. Unless Jaden miraculously obtained his Honest Neos card, a monster that was not confirmed in his deck at the time, there was nothing he could have used to defeat Slifer. Attacking the deity despite knowing he would lose was his way of overcoming his fear of losing and accepting that having fun was more important than always being the winner.

Why Yu-Gi-Oh! GX did not reveal the result of Yugi and Jaden's duel

Finding the best duelist was never the intention of the final match

While it may be frustrating that Jaden and Yugi's duel was never completed, there is an emotional and powerful reason behind this decision. The final battle between the protagonists was never about finding a winner. It was the show's way of giving Jaden another chance at genuine joy after everything he's suffered. This became clear from the moment the duelists realized that they were taking the game much more seriously than necessary. When Jaden and Yugi laughed, the tension around them broke and the High King could breathe easily once again.

Jaden didn't need to defeat Yugi to prove himself a worthy successor, as he had already done that by defeating some of the franchise's most powerful villains. His final duel was a way to relive that childish joy that characterized him at the beginning of the anime. Jaden wasn't dueling Yugi in hopes of defeating him, he simply wanted to make his dream of playing against his idol come true. Not revealing a winner symbolizes that the protagonist no longer cares about winning or losing, he is happy if he can have fun in duels.

Yugi and JadenThe final encounter remains to this day one of the most iconic battles in history. Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise. It's a remarkable duel with a moving and memorable message. This game is another example of the incredible writing that hides behind the epic games in this beloved anime series.