One of Yu-Gi-Oh! s best supporting character is proof of a major franchise problem the series has never fixed

The Yu-Gi-Oh! The anime franchise has a vast cast of endearing and unique characters. While the protagonists tend to be among the most beloved cast members, many side characters have quickly become fan favorites for various reasons. Some are hilarious, bringing enjoyment to the viewers every time they appear. Others are admired for their outstanding skills, viz GXs Bastion Misawa.

A member of the prestigious Raw Yellow Dorm, Bastion is once the intelligent and driven second-best first-year student at Duel Academy, behind only Jaden. However, once season two was released, Bastion went from a competent student to a disrespected comic relief. This treatment is one of the franchise’s biggest issues, as it constantly wastes the potential of many amazing side characters.

The Fall of Bastion is a trend in Yu-Gi-Oh!

Many amazing characters end up being redacted

when Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Beginning, Bastion is introduced as an incredibly smart duelist who Used mathematics and probability to design the perfect strategy to defeat all opponents. During his test to become a Duel Academy student, he utilized his proctor’s cards against him, proving how smart he was. He would later go on to duel against Jaden in one of the most interesting games of the series. Knowing that the protagonist’s deck was based on Fusion Summoning, Bastion prepared a strategy that would prevent his opponent from ever using Polymerization.

After his duel against Jaden, Bastion was mostly forgotten about, giving him no relationship until Tanya, one of the Shadow Raiders trying to revive the terrifying and overpowered Sacred Beasts, appeared. Misawa was tasked with defeating the fierce opponent, a task he failed after falling in love with her in the middle of the duel. That was it The beginning of Bastion’s ridiculousnessNever again treated seriously in the series. When the Society of Light came out, Jaden’s former rival willingly succumbed to their brainwashing, demonstrating his loyalty by running shirtless through school.

In the end, the writers of Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Decided to Leave Bastion in the Duel Spirit WorldWhere did he become Tania’s partner. Although not on the same level, many side characters in the franchise are treated similarly by the plot. One of the best examples is Joey Wheeler, often considered the third-best duelist in the world. Despite his amazing skills, Joey is never given a proper final duel before the end of Duel monstersUsed as a plot device to make the first villain of season 5 look more dangerous.

This trend affects very female characters

Most women in the franchise tend to be underutilized

Despite Bastion being the most egregious case of a side character being misused and ridiculed in Yu-Gi-Oh!, this trend tends to mostly affect female characters. Most women in the series are never given the same level of importance Or respect that their male counterparts receive. For example, Alexis Rhodes, also from GXWas presented as the best female duelist in Duel Academy, being admired by almost all students. Nevertheless, once other male characters were introduced, Alexis became a love interest for several male students.

Other talented female duelists like Akiza, Yuzu, and Skye went through similar character arcs. Despite being introduced as impressive players who could rival even the protagonists of their respective seasons, they all ended up as mostly supporting characters, rarely contributing to the plot. Skye’s case is particularly upsetting, as her Trickstar deck has proven to be nearly unbeatable at the start of VRAINSAs proven by the strategy winning a World Championship that year. Still, she lost almost all of her important duels, mostly becoming a damsel in distress for Yusaku to save.

Male side characters have been affected by this curse to a lesser degree, but their endings also left a lot to be desired. Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-VS Yuto was supposedly the best duelist in the XYZ dimension and was feared and respected thanks to his imposing Dark Rebellion Dragon, a powerful card also used by the protagonist Yuya. Even then, he was defeated almost immediately after being introduced, only to never appear on the show again. These letters are proof that the franchise has a problem with maintaining its side characters.

Although not perfect, Yu-Gi-Oh! is a franchise that has brought joy to the world for more than two decades. Many characters are still among the most iconic and beloved in anime to this day. Fans will always remember the various seasons of this iconic franchise with fondness for the rest of their lives.