Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Abridged Series/Tropes I To Z

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
Main page HERE
—The rest of the tropes HERE


I

  • I Am Not Shazam: "My name is Yami." "WRONG!!!" [Lol, 4Kids]
  • Idiot Ball: Depending on the scene, it can range from one character doing something stupid, like not noticing Bakura's turned into a bestial psychopath, to the entire cast accepting that Bakura's managed to recover from illness, win six duels in a tournament, and walk to the location of the finals in a single episode. Special mention goes to Tristan, whose Idiot Ball is permanently lodged between his brain's frontal lobes.

Téa: I can't believe we're expected to believe all this.
Yugi: And yet, apparently we do. God, we're stupid. This must be what it feels like to be Tristan.

Bakura: Hey, Pegasus, remember when I said I was going to kill you last?

Pegasus: That's right, Bakura! You did!

Bakura: I lied.

Kaiba: Screw the vagina, I have a vagina!

Mai: Marik! When I defeat him it'll prove that I don't need friends to be a strong person. That'll show Joey for not including me in his brain-damage-induced hallucinations!
(caption: [irrational reasoning ftw!])

Marik: I already told you Bakura, I'm NOT gay!
Florence: Could've fooled me.
Melvin: And me.
Marik: Hey shut up; you don't know anything about me.
Florence: Marik, he IS you; he knows EVERYTHING about you.
Marik: HE is the gay one!
Florence: Marik, he's YOU!
Marik: ...He is the gay one!

    • In the rap battle between Yugi and Jaden, Yugi suggests Jaden should just practice ballet instead of playing children's card games. In his next spit, Jaden fires back that he's been taking ballet for six years regardless of Yugi's taunting.
  • Insult Misfire: Episode 11

Kaiba: " No offense Yugi, you're a great duelist and all, but your buddy there couldn't duel his way out of a paper bag."
Joey: "That does it! No one talks about my friend Tristan that way!"


J

Tea: Let's have sex later ok?
Yugi: Huh?
Tea: AS FRIENDS YUGI GEEZ, such a pervert.


K

  • Kaleidoscope Hair: As a gag, Dartz has hair that changes color for every single scene he's in.
  • Kids Are Cruel: "Toooor-meeeeent!"
  • Killed Mid-Sentence: Zombie Boy in episode 37. Who thought Florence had an invisible gun...?
    • Also Jack Atlas in episode 52
  • Kneecapping: In the deleted scenes montage, Yugi threatens Tristan with this with a wrench.


L

  • Lampshaded the Obscure Reference: One scene referenced Rickroll, The Incredible Hulk, and The Legend of Zelda. Tea said she was leaving due to getting annoyed by all the obscure references.
  • Lampshade Hanging: Half the jokes do this. The other half parody doing this.
  • Large Ham:
    • "I can do whatever I want because I'm voiced by Dan Green!"
    • Also Marik seems to get quite into it during Leather Pants, not that he hasn't hammed up the scenery in-series as well.
  • Larynx Dissonance: There's only six women in the series and the four that qualify as main characters sound like varying degrees of guy: From Miss Piggy style (Téa), to slightly husky (Ishizu), to not even trying (Mai and Serenity). The other two, Rebecca Hawkins and Veronica Ishtar, had genuine female actors but only ever appeared in one episode a piece.
  • Laser-Guided Amnesia:
    • Mentioned in episode 35.

Yami Yugi: Say Kaiba, do you remember the first time you and I met?
Seto Kaiba: Actually no. You did that mind crush thing to me so everything's sort of a blur. In fact, I kinda think you gave me brain damage.

    • Also from episode 43:

Melvin: I hate to burst your bubble, but there's nobody in my head worth remembering. Ahahahaha...! Wait! No, Mr. Tweetums!

Crump: Now that's what I call a "DMILF".
Téa: A "DMILF"?
Crump: A Dark Magician I'd like to Fu--
Téa: Yuck! God, What is wrong with you, you perverted old creep?

    • Subverted in the Season Zero pilot, when it looks like Yugi's going to think of a different way to finish the sentence, and finally just gives up and starts over.

Téa: What are you going to wish for, Yugi?
Yugi: Oh, that's easy! Téa's pant--uh...um...uh...Tristan's panties.
(beat)

Téa: You have problems, man!

  • Late to the Punchline: Marik pulls this off when he realises what Melvin meant by 'I always knew you wanted me inside of you Bakura' and explains the joke a whole episode later.
  • Laugh Track: Zorc has sitcom-style canned laughter play every time he mentions destroying the world, occasionally also other audience reactions.
  • Left the Background Music On: "SexyBack", Duke's Leitmotif. When Yugi asks Duke "to stop using that annoying theme music", he has no idea it's on.
  • Leitmotif:
    • Florence had Ave Satani whenever he spoke when he was first introduced. It only lasted a few episodes though.
    • Whenever Yugi's Dark Magician is shown attacking (three times at last count), the theme from a different Magical Trevor short is played.
    • Duke Devlin. He's Bringing Sexy Back.
  • Let Me Get This Straight...: Used often by various characters (usually Yugi) to lampshade the utter ridiculousness of the plot.

Yugi: So let me get this straight, according to this show, the Egyptian Gods are real.
Shadi: Yes.
Yugi: But, doesn't that mean that all other religions are wrong, and the hokey ancient Egypt religion is the only real one?
Shadi: Yes.
Yugi: Huh, didn't see that one coming.
Shadi: I did!

  • Let's Play: Marik started one of Vampire Bloodlines. It can be found here.
    • Marik has also started a playthrough of Portal 2.
  • Life Imitates Art: The series is cancelled by 4Kids in continuity and then it's taken off of YouTube in real life. This was right after the episode that featured Johnson/JudgeMan losing a trial against Joey, and then it goes back on YouTube just after the last episode defended it. Try not to think about that too hard.
  • Literal-Minded: Tristan, see No Except Yes below.
  • Lolicon: Pegasus due to the Toon Dark Magician Girl card, according to Kaiba:

Kaiba: You took the hottest thing in all of Duel Monsters and turned it into a FIVE YEAR OLD. You have issues, man.

  • Logic Bomb: Duke defeats Nesbitt this way by showing him a picture of the Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal protagonist.
  • Lost Episode: For lack of a better trope to describe it. For April Fools' Day 2011, a new version of Episode 6 was released, covering the same episode as the original, but using completely different scenes and jokes.
  • Lucky Translation: The fearless Japanese fan that took on the daunting task of translating the abridged series on nicovideo got lucky with "You don't stand a ghost of a chance!". 'Ghost' and 'zero' are pronounced exactly the same in Japanese.
  • Lyrical Dissonance: The Zorc & Pals theme song.

The blood of the innocent will flow without end
His name is Zorc and he's destroying the world!


M

  • Magnum Opus: Marik belives this about Concrete Giraffes, the movie he is filming with Bakura. It doesn't quite work out that way.

Marik: This is going to make Citizen Kane look like Citizen Lame!

  • Major Injury Underreaction:
    • After getting his eye gouged out, Pegasus, instead of screaming in pain, informs Florence that he took the wrong one.

Florence: My mistake.
* Pop*
Pegasus: That's much better.

  • Manipulative Bastard: Of all people, Mokuba in episode 52. He manipulates Noah into giving him free food and letting him watch his favourite TV shows by going on about how his previous kidnappers were so much better than Noah.
  • Man of a Thousand Voices: Little Kuriboh does nearly all the voices on the show with impressive range of pitch and accent. The voices not done by him are generally guest voices he could likely have done by himself.
  • Marty Stu: In-Universe, Gary Stu

Yugi: Those bullies are being mean to Gary Stu!
Joey: Who the hell is Gary Stu?
Yugi: I don't know, but apparently he's my best friend.

Kaiba: "Now do you understand why so many people love me even though I'm the biggest dick in this entire show? It's because I'm Seto freaking Kaiba. Accept no substitutes!"

  • Memetic Mutation:
    • An in-universe example; in episode 52 Kaiba creates an internet meme called 'lolcalization', which takes Japanese cartoons and 'localises' them into American versions. This causes 4Kids Executive Lector - the head of localization - to destroy himself, since his Deck Master's special power is to destroy internet memes.
    • Out of universe, the character catchphrases like "Screw the Rules, I Have Money", "In America", and "Brooklyn Rage" among others have achieved meme status. So much to the point that voice actors from the actual series have used them at conventions.
  • Metaphorgotten:
    • Grandpa, unsurprisingly, pulls one off.

Grandpa: (in a flashback) "Playing card games is just like making love. You usually do it on a table, and always feel deep shame afterwards. Also, the older you get, the less fun it is. So, in conclusion, remember to always wear a condom while playing card games!"
Yugi: "Huh...maybe I should wash my hands before shuffling these."

    • Joey has one, too.

Joey: Remember, you treat a duel disk just like you treat a woman. You strap it to your arm and put trading cards into it at regular intervals.

  • Milestone Celebration:
  • Moment Killer: Malik gets one during the Joey/Odion duel; when Odion realizes he's about to lose due to the fake Egyptian God Card inciting the wrath of the real Mega Ultra Chicken, Odion muses how he finally became a Tombkeeper. "Malik", on the other hand, isn't impressed.

Odion: I can only hope you're proud of me.
"Malik": She's not even your real mom, douche bag!

Serenity: Hey, "Ash"?
"Ash": Yeah, Misty?
Serenity: That doctor told me you have cancer.
(The first opening theme to Pokemon cuts off)
"Ash": (Beat) Oh...is that some sort of new Pokemon that can't be found in the Johto region?

Serenity: No. It's cancer.

  • Morality Pet: Mr. Tweetums, to Marik.
  • Motor Mouth: Used by Yugi in Season 0, to describe his Grandpa's Blue Eyes White Dragon card:

Yugi: Hey gramps, can we please see your ultra-rare-chocolatey-fudge-coated-sugar-sprinkled-angelic-magical-fantastical-stupendeously-special-illegally-sexually-geniunely-brilliantly-amazing-goddamn-spank-my-ass-and-call-me-suzie-mega-ultra-super card? [2]

  • The Movie: Three so far: The Abridged Movie, The Other Abridged Movie, and Bonds Beyond Time.
  • Mr. Exposition: Shadi serves this role up until Noah and Team 4kids cancels the show.
    • Lampshaded in the Kaiba's Father special: "Are you kidding me? Every time something fucked up happens in this series, you show up and start explaining things!"
  • Ms. Fanservice: When Dark Magician Girl makes her first appearance, a subtitle appears:

"Somewhere a Yugioh fan is touching himself inappropriately."

  • My Friends and Zoidberg: Usually Bakura, considering that few characters consider him part of the group of friends.
  • My God, What Have I Done?:
    • Joey says as much upon his reaction in episode 36 when he breaks Marik's mind control over him to find that he's been dueling in a death match with Yugi.
    • After Shadi shows Pegasus a vision of the havoc the God Cards will unleash:

Pegasus: What dark forces have I unleashed? Dirty hands! Dirty, dirty hands!

Joey: (Possessed by Marik, monotone voice) I will obey, Master Malik.
Marik: It's Marik, you fool!
Joey: Whatever...

Flame Swordsman: My name is Frank.
Joey: Flame Swordsman everybody.
Flame Swordsman: *ugh*

    • Hank Ishtar almost always refers to Marik as Billy. In this video, he tries to call him Sally.


N

  • Negative Continuity:
    • Kaiba's finger came clean off while sticking it near a helicopter's blades. Played straight when it wasn't mentioned in the next episode, then subverted in the episode after that when its Handwaved by a doctor who surgically reattaches his finger, a la The Empire Strikes Back (Which Kaiba has never seen because he doesn't "watch crap").
    • In Marik's Evil Council 3, said council is meeting near an anime convention due to their Egypt hideout having been destroyed by Yami Yugi's letterbomb in the previous Christmas Special...despite said bomb having gone off right next to them, which would have certainly killed them as well, though you could blame it on 4Kids having censored it.
  • Never Say "Die": Mocked relentlessly.
    • Episode 18: "No! Yugi! You can't be dead. If you were dead, 4Kids would have censored it!"
    • Episode 28: "Yes, I - wait, no, I don't want to kill you, I just want to destroy you a little! Jeez, talk about overreacting!"
    • Episode 30: "Help! Somebody save me from the harmless dark energy disks that won't kill me!"
    • Subverted in episode 36 where Yugi expects that losing the card game against Joey on purpose will send him to the Shadow Realm and is willing to do it because of their friendship. Until Joey tell him that, for once, the consequences will ACTUALLY be fatal.
    • In episode 37, Bakura points this out: "Honestly, why do we even have a graveyard in this show if nobody ever dies?" Averted, as Zombie Boy apparently did die later that episode. But then, he is a zombie.
    • Episode 40: "Marik, if I survive this, I'm going to kill you."
    • Episode 41: "Oh my God, we're gonna die! ... I can't believe I'm gonna die in a show about * beep* ing CARD GAMES!"
    • The movie: Anubis - "Soon you will die, and then you'll be dead... because I killed you!"
    • Episode 47: "If we were gonna die, they'd have killed us by now." Subverted, too. Noah threatens the cast with sentry turrets when Kaiba's blimp lands in his mobile fortress. At first they mock Noah, thinking the bullets that the turrets fire will be non-lethal, but then Noah opens fire for a few seconds to show that they are very real bullets.
    • Bonds Beyond Time: Yugi's explanation of the shadow realm to Yusei and Jaden.
  • National Stereotypes:

Yugi: Is everyone from England a total spaz, Bakura?
Bakura: Pretty much.

    • Episode 23

Marik: With my Millenium Rod, I can take control of whoever I want.
Yugi: And you chose Bandit Keith? Why the hell would you choose Bandit Keith, he sucks!
Marik: It's simple. Americans are very easy to brainwash. Isn't that right, mind slave?
Bandit Keith: Whatever you say, Mister President.

  • New Rules as the Plot Demands:
    • Spoofed in Yugi's duel with Panik in which Yugi gives a convoluted explanation for how he won (that does in fact perfectly describe the way he won in the original series)
    • Another episode seems to use this as its main gag, where even the "world's most advanced computer" can't understand the game, that no one has tried to learn how to actually play the game and lived and that having to play by the rules is considered a plot twist.
    • In the Bonds Beyond Time abridged movie this is the way Paradox is defeated. Paradox explains that in his time Duel Monsters actually evolved into a game with rules that actually make the game fair and balanced. Yami then counters by pointing out that they aren't in Paradox's time and that Duel Monsters in his own time is broken and completely exploitable.
  • Niche Network: Spoofed with the Card Games Network, because "a children's card game" is always Serious Business.
  • Nightmare Fuel:

Kaiba: And... some kind of evil zebra unicorn thing. (Zooms in on monster) Seriously, what the hell is that supposed to be? Whatever it is, I'll be seeing it in my nightmares.

    • Also when the characters find that the virtual game's version of Mokuba is a princess, the ending states she will "return in your nightmares".
  • No Except Yes:

Joey: Shut up, Tristan! You just want to get into Serenity's pants!
Tristan: No, I don't. I want to have sex with her! * beat* Oh, that's what you meant.

  • No Fourth Wall:
    • At various times ("This will allow the writers to fill in a bunch of plot holes!") and one of Ishizu's powers from her Millennium Necklace is the ability to do this.
    • Little Kuriboh lets you know what sort of series this is going to be from the third line in the first episode: "Sorry, Yug, doin' this Brooklyn accent makes it difficult to concentrate on card games!"
    • The abridged series itself no longer has a fourth wall either
  • No Indoor Voice:
    • Espa Roba and his brothers.

Joey: "Stop yelling at me!"
Espa: (Shouts) "What? This is my normal speaking voice!"

    • Also:

Ishizu: (whispering) Marik, we must be very quiet so that-
Marik: HEY ISHIZU LOOK AT THAT THING I WONDER WHAT IT IS! LOUDLY DO I WONDER ABOUT IT!

    • Jack Atlas.

Jack: I MOSTLY JUST LIKE TO YELL!

  • "Not Making This Up" Disclaimer:
    • When the "Ancient Egyptian Laser Beams" Shadow Game between Bakura and Pegasus appears, "This isn't a joke. It really happens" appears on screen.
    • And again when the poster for Yugioh 5D appears for the first time. It reads "You have got to be ****ing me."
    • And the running gag of the "Actual 4Kids Dialog" message, including such gems as:

"Check his pulse, Yugi!"
"What a digital dummy!"
"In a few hours, the sun will rise!"
"You don't stand a ghost of a chance!"
"Be very careful, Joey!"
"If only he had been careful!"
Joey, what did I tell you about being careful?

    • He shows one when pointing out the difference between how the Japanese version of the show did a scene or plotline versus how the American version did the same one. Needless to say, the Japanese one often sounds more appealing the the American dub.
  • Not So Different: Used by Noah against Seto. Very justifiably.
  • The Nudifier: The Shadow Realm, according by Zorc in Marik's Evil Council 5.

Zorc: In the Shadow Realm, we wear no clothes. Everybody is totally naked. It's kind of a thing. Everybody must suffer eternal damnation...and nudity!.


O

Joey: Hey, Kaiba! If Marik entered the tournament using a fake name, shouldn't he be disqualified?
Kaiba: The only person who should be disqualified around here is whoever made Tristan black in this shot!
Tristan: Don't you be hating on my blackface, playa!

  • Oh Crap:
    • When "Malik" realizes Odion getting hit by lightning and knocked out means Melvin's Restraining Bolt came off and there's nothing stopping him from taking over.

Marik: (wide-eyed) Ohhhhhh (EFF)...

    • Then there is episode 44, when Kaiba discovers what Exchange of Spirit does. It is technically the first (and as of now, only) time the word fuck is uncensored (although that is only because it is stretched out):

Kaiba:(pause) FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-

    • Then, when Mokuba sees him on the screen:

Kaiba: (still going) -UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-

    • And still:

Kaiba: (still going) -UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-

    • Then, when Mokuba finally arrives:

Kaiba: (finally finishing) -UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!

    • Brooklyn Rage and the Yugi vs. Jaden rap battle start with one from Kaiba and Yugi respectively.

Kaiba: Please tell me you're not going to sing[...] Look, I'll pay you any amount of money right now if you don't sing!

Yugi: Oh you've got to be f*cking kidding me...

  • Once-Acceptable Targets: In-Universe. Upon returning to the center of his mind, this time without the "help" of Shadi, Yugi comments that he "vaguely remembers meeting an extremely racist caricature".
  • One Steve Limit:
    • Thoroughly and literally averted, in that all Ghouls/Rare Hunters are named "Steve". Steve (The guy who took Joey's Red Eyes), Steve Arcana, Steve the Mime, Keith Steve Howard, The Army of Celebrity Steves, etc. It might help if Marik's mind control powers worked on people who weren't named Steve. Marik does point out that he could control Stone Cold Steve Austin if he felt like it.
    • Also brought up here:

Yami: Look, why don't you just cut the crap and tell us who you really are Bakura? Or should I call you the spirit of the Millennium Ring, who has no official name as of yet?
Florence: Actually, we're both called Bakura!
Yami: What? But that's just confusing. Not to mention highly unlikely.
Florence: Oh, just wait until season 5 when there's three of me running around. Even the fans have trouble keeping up with that one.

  • Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping:
    • Happened in Episode 6, and also seems to be a problem with Marik (and, by extension, Melvin), as he can't seem to decide whether he has a British accent or an American one. The former incident is referenced in Episode 48, where Yugi remembers it as a full-on Cockney rant.
    • In The Abridged Movie, at one point Yugi pronounces idea as the British "eye-DEE-er", rather than the American "eye-DEE-uh". With an American accent.
    • In Bounds Beyond Time, TheAzureCrow slips into a Canada, Eh? pronunciation of "without," which Little Kuriboh promptly pokes fun at during the credits.
    • In episode #2 of Season Zero, Yugi slips into a British accent on the word "fortune". Twice.
  • Out-of-Character Moment: Mokuba lampshades this when Kaiba falls for the executives' obvious trap, asking why he's acting "so gullible and out-of-character."
  • Overly Long Gag:
    • Yugi's Lampshading of Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping from episode 6 ends up dragging on nearly a half-minute.
    • "Gorgonzola cheese and the world's finest wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii..."
  • Overused Running Gag: Inevitably there's quite a few...
    • Enough so for the show to mock itself about it, again, and again... and again... (Though, somehow, it's still funny).
    • The 2nd anniversary vid takes the cake, as for the top ten thing, they supposedly only had one clip. So, they show the same clip TEN TIMES!
    • And in-series it mocks the original's overuse of the phrase "You don't stand a ghost...of a chance!"
    • Tropers...there's something you should know. I came...to this page...to give you a message: CARD GAMES ON MOTORCYCLES!


P

Kaiba: Time for a trip to the recycle bin, Phantom. And then once you're in the recycle bin, I'm going to right-click on it and select "Empty Recycle Bin", because otherwise you would just be taking up unnecessary space. In other words, I'm going to kill you.

    • Also a Pre Asskicking Conversation in Episode 45:

Melvin: Very well. If it's a duel you want, it's a duel you'll get.

Florence: Right you are. And the winner decides if the show gets cancelled or not.

Melvin: Then face me, Florence, and watch the fourth wall collapse around you. *evil laugh*

Big Five: Your series has been canceled.
Kaiba: What!
Joey: What!
Yugi: What! The! Fuck!?

    • Also we have this (and several variations of it).

Yami: WHY IS EVERYBODY IN THIS SHOW A F**KING NINJA?!

    • Episode 55 with KURIBOH of all things

Kuriboh: Do-da-la motherf*****!

(Tristan says something stupid)
Joey: Do you want to go back in the box?
Tristan: Please don't make me go in there!


Q
Kaiba: It looks like the rules... * pulls out shades* ...just got screwed.
—YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


R

"I summon the extremely phallic spaceship, but since it belongs to me, it grows to twice its usual size!"//
"Joey Wheeler lost the best! Duke Devlin makes our panties wet!"

Téa: Brainwashing people is fun!
Yami Yugi: Yes it is. I guess we have more in common than I thought!

    • Mokuba. In the last few episodes he's started to show some of that patented Kaiba family dickishness and has become infinitely more funny and maybe even a little Badass to boot. He's still completely useless, though. Mokuba gets another upgrade in badass as the main antagonist of season zero.
  • Restraining Bolt: Odion is a living one of these for Marik's evil side, Melvin.
  • Ridiculously Cute Critter: Kuriboh is annoyingly cute and, according to Yami, useful for nothing else. Also he doesn't love him.
  • Robot Girls: Kaiba has a massive harem of identical pretty robot girls. He created them specifically so that he could shun them with his cold indifference.

Mokuba: Big bro, you're kind of like the anime version of Scrooge McDuck...only much less fluffy.

  • Running Gag: Enough to fill another page. To cover some of the most frequent ones:
    • "Duel" and "Duel Monsters" are almost universally replaced with "children's card game." The cast is perfectly aware of how absurd it is that almost every conflict they face is solved with a duel when in real life a simple call to the police would suffice.
    • References to Bakura being a minor character, with characters frequently forgetting who he even is.
    • Joey's "nyeh" Verbal Tic, which he can't even hear.
    • Mocking 4Kids! Entertainment, including the "Not Making This Up" Disclaimer caption "Actual 4Kids Dialogue." The many, many other Abridged Series running out there are also not passed up.
    • "SexyBack" playing whenever Duke speaks.
    • "Whenever Kaiba smiles, a puppy dies."
    • Mai being a source of Fan Service.
    • Offhand jabs at the anime's sequels, GX, 5Ds and Zexal.
Yami: I just realized what the {D
—G, X} stands for in Yu-Gi-Oh {5Ds
    • There's a 5D's reference pretty much every time a motorcycle appears.
    • Whenever a clock appears on-screen, Yugi wonders what time it is, usually out loud.
    • Something something in America!
  • Runs with Scissors: The cause of Tristan's original voice's death.


S

Joey: One episode every two months isn't so bad!

  • The Scottish Trope: In Episode 40, Bakura says the forbidden word (so evil they had to censor it twice)! Disney. Cue Imperial March. And they mentioned it several times two episodes later
  • The Scrappy:
    • Mokuba is an In-Universe example.
    • As of the Bonds Beyond Time Abridged Movie, so is Jaden
  • Self-Made Orphan:
    • Marik, in a sense. His mother dies in childbirth and Melvin kills his father.
    • And Kaiba, who fired both his parents.
  • Series Fauxnale: Episode 46 - Melvin'd. Possibly subverted since a season 3 began.
  • Schmuck Bait: "Can I get a hug?" Notably, Florence doesn't fall for it. Marik wants him to, out of what appears to be obliviousness, not malice.
  • He's Not My Girlfriend: Florence says this to Melvin, concerning Marik. To which Marik replies "You tell him, honey!"
  • Shirtless Scene: Marik.

Marik: "Yes, get a load of that back, fangirls. You (EFF!)ing love it don't you."

Téa: "I'm so mad I could walk off like a pimp!" *proceeds to do just that*

Gozaburo: "Horses can't be knights. I mean, that's just silly... Chess is stupid!"

Zorc: "I have a terminal disease!"
Florence: "No! What about our adopted daughter?! Who will take care of her once you're gone?!"
Zorc: "She also has a terminal disease!"

Duke: I summon the extremely phallic space ship. But since it belongs to me it grows to twice its usual size. Duke Devlin always rises to the occasion, baby!

    • The Jiggle-o-meter in episode 49 gets 'excited' every time a breast appears onscreen.
  • Sound Effect Bleep: Used a lot.
    • The most infamous being Marik's Cluster F-Bomb bleep, taken from Perfect Hair Forever. The sound effect can best be described as an angry man yelling "Eff!"
    • 100% averted in LK's Filk Song, I'm on a Blimp.
    • Dartz also uses aforementioned Sound Effect Bleep starting in Marik's Evil Council 3.
    • Yugi, you little (BLEEP)! You son of a (BLEEP)(BLEEP)(BLEEP)(BLEEP)! I'm going to tear off your (BLEEP) and shove them right up your (BLEEP)(BLEEP)(BLEEP)(BLEEP) and then (BLEEP)(BLEEP)(BLEEP)(BLEEP)(B­LEEP) on your (BLEEP)(BLEEP)(BLEEP)(BLEEP) with (BLEEP)(BLEEP)(BLEEP) in the (BLEEP)(BLEEP) and (BLEEP)(BLEEP)(BLEEP)(BLEEP)(B­LEEP) your (BLEEP)(BLEEP)(BLEEP), so then you'll have to (BLEEP) sideways! (BLEEP)!
  • Soundtrack Dissonance: In Episode 45, we have Melvin, Marik's evil alter ego, stabbing his father Hank to death with the Millennium Rod--with Hank singing a parodying variant of Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the Cradle," describing what's happening in rather-disturbing detail.
  • Speedy Techno Remake: Of "Brooklyn Rage", with an amusingly high-pitched Joey.
  • Spoof Aesop: The Abridged Movie.

Yugi: "We've learned that card games are the answer to all life's problems. And if there's one thing I've learned, it's that there's a strange man who lives in my head and sometimes tells me to do things!"
Yami: "That's right, Yugi! Now burn everything! Burn it to the ground!"

  • Start My Own: Done twice in a reference to Futurama.
  • Stating the Simple Solution:
    • During the first Evil Council of Doom, Bakura suggests just stabbing Yugi with a knife, without playing a children's card game. Marik doesn't listen. Besides, 4Kids would just censor it if they did.
    • After Joey is kidnapped by Bandit Keith and challenged for his star chips, he asks Keith why he didn't just take his star chips and vamoose while Joey was unconscious. Keith tells him to shut up[3].
    • In episode 33, when Bakura and Malik are teaming up, Malik brings up his tactic of using mind control, Bakura responds by saying: "Or we could just slice Yugi open with a machete, see if that works." Of course, Malik says he has a better idea involving more children's card games...
  • Stealth Pun:
    • Episode 45

Bakura: "Does the name 4Kids ring a bell?"
Marik: "How could you possibly know?"
Bakura: "Lets just say I put two and two together..."

    • Episode 52:

(Tristan drives out of a warehouse on a motorcycle)
Joey: "Hey, is that a Honda?"
Yugi: "No, his name's Tristan."[4]

  • The Stinger:
  • Stock British Phrases: Used often by Bakura. "Lashings of ginger beer for everyone! ... I'm British, you know."
  • Stockholm Syndrome: Parodied in episode 52. Mokuba gets kidnapped by Noah, but takes it in stride because he's so used to it by now. He even uses the opportunity to get free food and watch cartoons.
  • Stock Scream: The Wilhelm Scream makes an appearance in Episode 34.
  • Stop Helping Me!: "I command you to stop agreeing with me!"
  • Invisible to Gaydar: Croquet
  • Strange Minds Think Alike:
    • "Oh my god, a giant rock!"
    • "Why is everybody in this show a * bleep* ing ninja/duelist?!"
    • Both Kaiba and Joey make up the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song on the spot and wind up singing the exact same lyrics.
  • Stuff Blowing Up: In the Michael Bay's Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged remake episode, this happens every time Tristan begins to talk. Everyone can hear him just fine in the actual show, though.
  • Stylistic Suck:
    • In the video that gave birth to the phrase "Card Games On Motorcycles", we get to see Iruka's "One Piece: The Abridged Series." It's...interesting...
    • And one year later, "Everybody Loves Mako" - an alternative version of Episode 6 made in style of early episodes, where, for example, the characters talk even slower than they used to.
  • Subverted Rhyme Every Occasion: Done several times, and lampshaded each time.
  • Suckiness Is Painful: Marik getting something carved on his back was bad enough, but being forced to watch Beverly Hills Chihuahua drove him to the dark side.
  • Suicide by Cop: Kaiba sets this up via a Thanatos Gambit in the Duelist Kingdom semi-final, leaving Yugi with a Sadistic Choice: throw the match and spare Kaiba's life, or go all-in and kill him. Of course, his friends try to talk him into killing Kaiba.
  • Sunglasses at Night: Parodied with Bandit Keith, of course.

Bandit Keith: These sunglasses sure make it hard to see in the dark, but I refuse to take them off because I'm an American and Americans always wear sunglasses!

  • Surrounded by Wankers
  • Suspiciously Specific Denial:
    • "Let me assure you that this tournament is 100% genuine, and is not in any way an elaborate ruse thrown together at the last minute so that I can get my hands on an Ancient Egyptian artifact."
    • Again in The Other Abridged Movie.

Kaiba: "When I'm through with you, you'll have to take a shower to wash away the smell of defeat. And I won't be watching you do it."
Yami: "Why would you be watching me?"
Kaiba: "I don't know. I just wanted to make sure you knew I wouldn't be."
Yami: "But I never thought--"
Kaiba: "Good. Because I won't."


T

  • Take That:
    • The series frequently makes fun of general internet fandom ("I'm going to go complain about it on my LiveJournal account!") and the various LittleKuriboh impostors who try to fool people into thinking a new episode is out.
    • We update as often as VG Cats." Touché, LK.
    • After trolls started flagging the episodes on YouTube (leading to their takedown), Kaiba informs Mokuba that he's "flagging videos on YouTube to compensate for the fact that I have an incredibly small penis."
    • For probably the same reasons, the first time Mariks Evil Council of Doom gathers, they decide to spam Yugi's youtube account so that he will have no choice but to bow before their might. Marik compliments that it is very evil.
    • Little Kuriboh also frequently takes aim at the other Abridged Series, including Naruto the Abridged Series (the creators of which actually appears once as guest stars to make fun of themselves). He raps about it, too.
    • In episode 29, a character mentions Joey is holding the Graceful Charity card in his hand, when the card is actually Graceful Dice. Obviously, people took notice. Flash to episode 30, which opens with a bully and his victim having the following exchange:

Bully: "Hey, punk! This card isn't Graceful Charity! It's Graceful Dice!"
Victim (with an apparent british accent): "Really? Well, I guess I got them confused. But you can't really blame me, they're very similar."
Bully: "Like hell they are! Graceful Dice has a dice on it! Whereas Graceful Charity does not have a dice! You, sir, are a fool!"

    • Also in episode 30, it gives a Take That to Wikipedia for not listing them, by stating "According to Wikipedia, we don't exist!"
    • In Cr@psule Monsters 2, he makes an all-out assault on the annoying and vocal parts of his fanbase.
    • Episode 31:
    • One about the Nintendo Wii, and another during the Recap Episode.
    • Scientology gets its blasting in Episode 38.
    • Marik's cover-up name being Malik could be interpreted as a Take That to the fans who watch the sub and insist Marik is actually Malik. Damn 4Kids!
    • Even fellow otaku aren't immune!

Bakura: Now the duel will take place in a twisted and horror-filled environment where only the bravest souls dare to venture.
Yami: An anime convention?
Bakura: Close, but no cigar. Here the spirits of the damned roam freely and every second is like living in a wide-awake nightmare!
Yami: ...still sounds like an anime convention.

    • "Does J.J. Abrams write for this show?"
    • When the show gets "canceled" in Episode 47: [at least we lasted longer than Firefly]. It's also been referred to as "about the one thing Nick Simmons didn't plagiarize."
    • And there are the internet trolls in episode 48 that do nothing but scream about various internet things. And in the Stinger at the end complain about how the episode was, including the phrase "Worst episode ever" and one saying that "These things were better when they were like five minutes long!"

Why is it different?

No more different!

I do not like different!

Different bad!

Me hate different!

    • And Tea's response when she first meets them? "Go back to 4Chan you freaks!"
    • From Kaiba's Real Father - Conclusion upon learning he doesn't have a father:

Kaiba: What kind of George Lucas bullsh* t is this?! What, was I conceived by midi-chlorians or something?!
Cybernetic Ghost: No, Kaiba. Nothing as lame as that.

    • The Twilight series have so far taken hits on two seperate occassions.
    • Right before Melvin said the series was going to go to Internet Obscurity, he said"Say Hi to the Juggernaut!"
    • Take That, Audience!: "A grown man who watches cartoons. That's almost as insane as a grown man playing a childrens card game." Given the huge number of references to shows and movies from the 80's and 90's, this series is not aimed at kids.
  • Take That Me: At the end of episode 29, Tristan decides to show Serenity a very special internet video.

Video Tristan: Hello Serenity, you probably can't see me now, but I'm standing in the middle of a field. It is a very romantic image. By the way, will you marry me?
Serenity: Jeez Tristan! What kind of lonely deranged freak proposes to somebody over the internet?
Tristan: Little Kuriboh.

  • Talking Is a Free Action: On the show, despite the implication that duelists often have mere seconds to come up with a game-saving play, time never actually runs out on someone still trying to figure out what to do. But this was subverted in Téa's duel with Crump, in which Téa lost exactly that way.
  • Talking to Himself: All characters except two are voiced by the same man, and the other two are voiced by the same woman. The impressions are ridiculously good, though.
  • Tastes Like Diabetes: In-Universe. Kuriboh's special ability as Yami's deck master.

Yami: Kuriboh! Activate Super Chibi Kawaii Moe Desu Mode!

Tristan: I sure hope we don't encounter any more intrusive subplots.
Magnum: Did somebody say "intrusive subplot"?
Tristan: Oh, son of a bitch!

    • And then during Joey's duel with Odion:

Joey: (narrowly avoiding getting hit by lightning) Nyeh! Man that was a close one. I sure am glad lightning never strikes twice in the same--

(Joey gets hit by lightning)

Joey: IRONY! (collapses)

    • The doctor in Episode 43:

Doctor: I'm glad I have such a long and villain free life ahead of me.
Melvin: Hi there! Can I have a hug?
Doctor: A Hug? Sure I don't see why not... (Switches to a Gory Discretion Shot with the sound of a revving chainsaw) OH MY GOD! IT BURNS! IT BURNS!

    • Mokuba in Episode 34:

Mokuba: I can't believe I've almost gone an entire season without being kidnapped. Wait 'til Seto hears about this!
Steves who are about to kidnap him: Surpriiiise!
Mokuba: Oh, me and my big adorable mouth.

    • Espa Roba in 29

Espa If Jinzo hits my Reflect Bounder it's all over for me!
Espa NO! Jinzo has hit my Reflect Bounder! It's all over for me!

    • In Marik's Evil Council of Doom 4:

Bakura: (to Steve Umbris) Shut up you fool or he'll kill you where you stand (referring to Melvin)
Steve Umbris: Ha ha, I'd like to see him try.
Steve Luna: Yes, I too would like to see him attempt to murder us.
(both Steves are killed offscreen by Melvin)

Hans: In ze mean time we invite you to look at the city below which will soon be demolished to make room for Herr Kaiba's glorious utopian society. HEIL KAIBA! LONG LIVE ZE MASTER RACE!"

Singapore!Pharaoh (In an over-the-top "Surfer" voice): Dude, Yugi! I think Tea wants to date you! You should wear one of those awesome silver bracelets! Now let's get on our mondo-awesome skateboards and order some bodacious pizza!
Singapore!Yugi (Same accent): Tubular idea, Pharaoh!
(We cut back to Joey)
Joey: Geez, and people say MY accent is inappropriate!

Bakura: So, you are the source of the gay signal I've been tracking! Though I probably could have deduced that without the use of my Gaydar. It seems we both ha-
Marik: What? Whoa, whoa, hold on now! You think that I'm... Look, I'll have you know that I like women!
Bakura: No doubt. That's probably why you've dressed yourself like one.

    • Afterwards he's fluctuated between this and Ambiguously Gay. But seriously, he likes to dress effeminately, hang around with another extremely attractive man, read yaoi, flaunt his godlike abs, and stroke a phallic symbol suggestively in every other scene.
    • Marik actually outs himself (complete with admitting to having a folder dedicated to thiefshipping on his computer) in the 6th Bloodlines video. Of course, when Bakura asks him about this, Marik completely denies it.
  • Trap Door: "I learned this trick from watching Excel Saga!"
  • Troll: Mocked in episode 48 and are told to go back to 4Chan.
  • True Companions:
    • Mercilessly parodied, especially since Tea serves only two purposes in the show 1. Love Interest and 2. talking about friendship.
    • "I've been holding in the biggest friendship speech of my life, and now you're going to listen to it!" Episode 25, at 5:54
  • Tuckerization:


U

Dartz: "We gunna duuuueh heeeem!"
Raphael: "Did... did you say 'do' or 'duel'?"
Dartz: "Duuuuuuuuuueh!"

    • Akhenaden from Marik's Evil Council of Doom:

Marik (doing a roll call of villains): And finally, Ak... Ak-Ak-Akhun... how do you pronounce this? Akhuna... Hakuna Matata? Look, I'm just going to call you Bob, okay?

Bob: * mumble* * mumble* * mumble*

    • Dartz again in the fourth Evil Council video:

Dartz: We're going to find Yu-gay Mow-tow...and take his dehck.
[...]
Zombie Boy: Ehh...is he saying "deck" or "d[bleep]ck"?
Valon: Eh, sometimes it's best not to ask.

  • Unishment: Crump's fate at the end of Episode 54.
  • Unsound Effect: *twinkle*
  • Unresolved Sexual Tension: What, after the death of Yugi, does Florence want the most? For Marik/Melvin to ask him out. In Marik's Evil Council 4, Melvin actually does so, declaring that he is now his boyfriend and they will go out "ten times." This, coupled with the death of Yugi and the resurrection of "Zorc and Pals" causes Florence to joyfully declare it to be the happiest day of his life; of course, it was All Just a Dream.
  • The Un-Smile: Episode 19. Out of context, a pleasant natural-looking smile. But given who was wearing it...

Yugi: Whenever Kaiba smiles, a puppy dies.


V

  • Values Dissonance - In-Universe example. Yugi is horrified when he learns about Slavemas from Yami.
  • Verbal Tic:
    • Joey's "Nyeah." Turns out that he's completely unaware of himself doing it, even after singing the opening theme entirely in Nyeahs. Turns into Fridge Brilliance when you remember the time he tried to make "Brooklyn Rage!" a catch phrase. Yugi told him to just stick saying "Nyeah" and he responds with a "Nyeah" said in a manner that suggests he doesn't know what Yugi is talking about. A whiff of a Suspiciously Specific Denial in there too. When he said "I still don't hear anything" after the opening theme in question, nobody had said "you're still doing it".
    • Attention Duelists! Kimo and Bandit Keith each have one... IN AMERICA!
  • Very Special Episode: In Episode 17, an advertisement is shown for a Very Special Episode of Zorc And Pals.
  • Villain Episode: Episode 37 is based around Florence. Yugi is only mentioned in one scene.
  • Villainous Crossdresser: It's not Florence's fault his parents dressed him like a girl, but he's definitely a villain.
  • Villain Song:
    • Melvin takes it to new heights.
    • Then Kaiba and Normal Marik take it a notch higher, and UNCENSORED.
    • Zorc isn't allowed to destroy the world anymore. However, he is allowed to make a song about it.
  • Vocal Evolution: Obviously. Also lampshaded when Little Kuriboh uploaded a redubbed version of Episode 1. Compare the original to the redub.
  • Voice for The Voiceless: Mako Tsunami, for the ocean.
  • Voodoo Shark: From episode 7:

Gay Clown: Actually, I'm not a clown. I'm Seto Kaiba's evil side brought back from the Shadow Realm by Pegasus--
Yami: That's even less believable than the whole ghost story! You don't even know what you are, do you?
Gay Clown: No.
Yami: Didn't think so. MIND CRUSH!


W

Yugi: It finally happened, he went up to that great big basement in the sky.

  • Wham! Episode: Season 0's second episode takes a turn for the "WHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?" as not only is Kaiba an actually nice guy, but Mokuba is now the closest thing to a villain. Not to mention that the dynamic is reversed and it's Mokuba that's telling Kaiba to shut up. Lampshaded soon after it ends with the song "Everything You Know Is Wrong."
  • Wham! Line: Bandit Keith in episode 23:

Okay, I admit it! I'm not really American! I'm Canadian! Is that what you wanted to hear, you bastard?!

Yugi: Marik, you find! Why must you use innocent people in your evil scheme?
Marik/Steve the Mime: Innocent?! Are you kidding me?! He's got piercings all over his body. You've got to be pretty {EFF} to agree to something like that!
Yugi: He's still a human being!
Marik/Steve the Mime: He's also a mime.
Yugi: Oh. Well, in that case, yeah, I'll kick his ass.

Dark Magician Girl: Why do we actually get to talk in this movie?
Dark Magician: A wizard did it!

  • Wooden Katanas Are Even Better: In episode 52, a possessed Tristan wielding a bokken instantly defeats Kaiba wielding a heavy steel pipe, sending the latter weapon flying through the air.

Kaiba: Well that was highly improbable.

Archaeologist 1: The pyramid's collapsing! And I had such a full life ahead of me!
Archaeologist 2: Run away! Run away!
Archaeologist 3: This is the worst honeymoon ever!


X


Y

Joey: You duel like a dairy farmer.
Kaiba: How appropriate. You duel like a cow.

Bakura: "I spy with my little eye something beginning with I. It's your eye."
Pegasus: "But that doesn't start with --" *splorch*

Grandpa (episode 1): That Kaiba kid needs to get laid.
Tristan: Big time.
Kaiba's computer (episode 7): You really do need to get laid.
Bakura (episode 14): That Kaiba bloke needs to get shagged.

  1. ↑ stabbed to death
  2. ↑ This is a Call Back to the very first episode of the first series, where Yugi asked for his grandpa's Blue-Eyes card in a similar manner. However, that example was much shorter than the one used in the Season 0 quote above.
  3. ↑ ... in America
  4. ↑ Honda is Tristan's Japanese name
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