TheYu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monstersanime series had a plethora of interesting and terrifying villains for the heroes to duel against. From a heartbroken CEO trying to bring his late wife back to life to ancient spirits looking to destroy the world, Yugi and his friends fought valiantly against some of anime’s most dangerous criminals.
Still, among the many antagonists in the series,one stands out for how violent and horrifying his actions were: Marik Ishtar. The heir of the gravekeeper family is better known for becoming possessed by his dark side duringthe exciting and sometimes infuriating final duels of the Battle City Tournament. Yet, his actions during the beginning of season 2 prove that his original personality is severely more dangerous than his evil side.
Yu-Gi-Oh’s Biggest Villain Shouldn’t Have Been Beaten By Yugi
Although Yugi was the one to eventually defeat the villain Marik in Yu-Gi-Oh!, another character actually deserved to defeat the antagonist.
Marik’s Traps Could Have Killed Many People
From Spinning Saws To Burning Building, Marik Did Not Hold Back
The first time Marik introduces himself is during episode 1 of the second season of the Duel Monsters anime. By utilizingthe powers of his mighty Millennium Item, the Rod, he controlled the mind of the disgraced duelist Bandit Keith. He tricked Yugi into entering an abandoned storage to duel for ownership of the Millennium Puzzle. When his defeat became apparent, Marik’s first instinct was to dispose of Yugi, the only person capable of helping Pharaoh Atem,by setting fire to the building. If not for Joey and Tristan, the story of the series would have come to an end.
While horrifying, this is by far not Marik’s most evil trap, as his schemes once the Battle City Tournament began were nothing short of nefarious. When Yugi dueled Arkana, one of the most loyal Rare Hunters in the series, Marik prepared a dueling arena with spinning saws that would cut the legs of the loser. What is more, if the duel took too long to be finished, both Yugi and Arkana would suffer this gruesome fate, as Marik had established a time limit for the game.
Marik’s worst and most iconic trap involvedcontrolling the minds of both Joey and Tea, two of Yugi’s closest friends, and forcing the hero to duel the former on a pier. Both duelists would have to attach a chain to their feet that was connected to an anchor. The loser would be dragged to the bottom of the sea. If Yugi refused, an extremely heavy cargo box would crush Tea, who was bound to a mechanical chair. This duel almost ended in a tragedy, with Joey’s sister Serenity having to save her sibling from drowning.
Marik’s Dark Side Was Never This Brutal
The Original Personality Was Always More Dangerous
MostYu-Gi-Oh!fans remember Marik’s dark side as one of the most cruel villains in the series. While his actions were truly horrible and the pain he caused the heroes unable to be forgotten, he never once tried to outright kill the protagonists. The most heinous acts committed by Marik’s dark half include making Joey feel the pain his monsters were inflicted, stealing Mai’s memories, and almost erasing Yugi from existence. Still, none of these acts had lasting consequences, with Joey and Mai returning to full health soon after their duels against the villain.
The duels in season 2, planned by Marik’s original personality, had much higher stakes, asthe loser of each duel could have died at any time. Despite how traumatic these events could have been for children, there is no denying that they served to make the first half of the Battle City arc that much more enjoyable. Unlike most duels in season 1, in which the losers would momentarily lose their souls, Marik’s traps had them betting their lives.
The Shadow Realm may be an iconic part of theYu-Gi-Oh!franchise, but it often fails to cause tension during a duel. Even if a character’s soul was sent to this ominous dimension, they were sure to return to safety once the main villain of the arc was defeated. Marik’s contraptions made sure that the duels that took place during season 2 of the original anime were truly captivating, by increasing the danger and the odds.
Marikwill forever remain one ofYu-Gi-Oh!’s most iconic and best-written villains. While not the most overall dangerous, he was still an extremely evil and calculative man who made the duel in which he participated much more interesting. Undoubtedly, an amazing antagonist that made his season one of the best in the entire original anime.
