Jaden Yuki, the protagonist of the belovedYu-Gi-Oh!GXanime series is the proud owner of some of the franchise’s most iconic monsters. Throughout the show, this master of Fusion Summoning impressed fans by utilizing various merged creatures with outstanding abilities. Among his vast collection of fused monsters, the Neo Spacians stand out for their particular convocation method.
By sendingJaden’s iconic signatureYu-Gi-Oh!card, Elemental Hero Neos, and any other member of the Neo Spacian archetype back to the deck, Jaden could fuse their creatures into a new more powerful one. While most of these heroes have returned several times in the form of new support for the archetype, there is one who has been missing for more than a decade: Elemental Hero Air Neos.
Air Neos Has Not Been Reprinted or Introduced In Most Video Games
The Card Has Been Ignored By Konami For Years
Elemental Hero Air Neos is the fusion between Jaden’s most loyal ally and the often underappreciated Neo Spacian Air Hummingbird. This mighty creature is a Level 7 Warrior-Type monster with 2500 attack points. While not as impressive as some ofJaden’s other incredibly powerfulYu-Gi-Oh!cards, Air Neos hides a special ability that can help it grow in strength. While the user’s Life Points are lower than the opponent’s, the Fused Warrior gains attack points equal to the difference. Jaden used this monster to win various duels that seemed doomed moments before.
Like many other members of the Neo Spacian family, Air Neos was first introduced to the TCG version of the game in a booster pack named Strike of Neos. After its first printing, the card was only re-released once, in 2011, when its original set was brought back once again to give players a chance to obtain many coveted cards. Ever since Air Neos’ presence in the franchise has been almost non-existent. The monster can still be obtained inamazing video games likeLegacy of the Duelist, but never in major projects likeDuel LinksorMaster Duel.
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Unfortunately, the card appears to have been purposefully removed from the Neo Spacian Archetype, as if he was never a member of this group. In 2022, a card named Instant Contact was released, as a tribute to one of Jaden’s most iconic moments. This Spell depicts almost all the protagonist’s Neo Spacian Fusions flying together, an image directly taken from one ofGX’s openings. Yet,despite Air Neos being featured in the original picture, he was removed from the Instant Contact artwork, without any explanation being given.
Konami Could Be Legally Unable to Use Air Neos
Fans Speculate the Monster Infringes Copyright
As years have passed, fans of theYu-Gi-Oh! GXanime have wondered about the sudden disappearance of Air Neos from the franchise. The community has tried to obtain information from Konami to no avail, as the company has never released an official statement addressing the controversy. Due to this, several theories have been proposed, ranging from copyright infringement to issues with the character’s appearance. The first theory implies that Air Neos’ name might have been seen as problematic by an airline known as Neos Air.
The similarities in the name could have caused issues for Konami, which is why they never again tried to print the card or add it to their most popular games. Nonetheless, many fans have commented that this theory is most likely wrong, as Air Neos’ name would not interfere with the airline in any way. Another speculation claims that the artist who worked on the design of the card holds the rights to its use. Since Konami does not own the picture, they cannot reproduce it any longer.
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This is highly unlikely, as the creature was first introduced in theGXanime, meaning that the company did indeed hold the rights to the card. Lastly, many fans claim that the design of Air Neos was either traced or copied from another source. To prevent legal issues, the card has never been printed again. A similar problem occurred in the past with a card known as Mad Lobster that had copied artwork from another card game,being one of manyYu-Gi-Oh!cards with altered artwork.
Probably, Jaden’s wind Fusion will not be seen again for a long time, as proven by its decade-long absence. This is a shame, as Air Neos does have a loyal following of fans who would wish to see him once again. For now, his disappearance will remain one ofYu-Gi-Oh!’s biggest mysteries.
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Cast
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX follows Jaden Yuki, a talented young duelist, as he enrolls in Duel Academy, a prestigious institution where students train to become expert duelists.
