The game classifies Signature Monsters by giving them summoning animations if they're summoned by the corresponding duelist. Some other iconic monsters also get summoning animations, such as the Three Egyptian Gods or the Sacred Beasts or Black Luster Soldier. Raid events tend to give Signature Monsters (which means any monster with a summon animation) a huge damage bonus, as long as they're played by their respective duelists.
The vast majority of Legendary Duelists have access to skills that allow them to summon their Signature Monsters or their evolutions with ease. It's possible for multiple duelists to share the same Signature Monsters, but not every character has a Signature Monsternote . Those are Ishizu, Tristan, Blair, Carly, Scud and Bakura (DSOD). However, in Blair's and Carly's cases, Maiden in Love and Fortune Fairy Hikari count as their Signature Monsters, respectively, when it comes to unlocking a monster-themed playmat and card sleeves, and while Solomon Muto's assigned Signature Monster is Blue-Eyes White Dragon, his associated sleeves and playmat depict The Legendary Exodia Incarnate.
List of cards with summoning animations
The following cards are sorted in alphabetical order, with the English TCG names being used in consideration. The corresponding duelists in order to trigger the 3D summon animations are written in parenthesis. Most of the cards below are considered as "Signature Monsters". Cards written in bold are "main" Signature Monsters, and duelists written in bold are the card's main user.The four iconic monsters Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl and Red-Eyes Black Dragon have different summoning animations depending on the artwork and user, although most versions have the same animationsnote . So far, other Signature Monsters that have more than one artwork use the same animations for each artwork.
Every card listed here made an appearance in the anime series.
Speed Duel
- Abyss Actor - Superstar (Sylvio Sawatari): The Ace Monster used by Sylvio and the big star of Sylvio's fourth deck, the Abyss Actor deck, representing Sylvio's desire to be on the spotlight and entertain the crowd.
- Altergeist Primebanshee (Ghost Gal). One of the Link Monsters of Ghost Gal and part of her Altergeist deck. Primebanshee had prominent appearances in the early part of the VRAINS anime, notably serving as a boss monster in Ghost Gal's first duel with Playmaker.
- Ancient Fairy Dragon (Luna): The Ace Monster of the Signer Luna and one the six Signer Dragons serving under the Crimson Dragon. She is a gentle dragon protecting the Duel Spirits and part of Luna's Nature deck.
- Ancient Gear Golem (Dr. Vellian Crowler): Dr. Crowler's Ace Monster and the boss monster of his Ancient Gear deck. Antique Gear Golem is also known for its legendary status.
- Arcana Force EX - The Light Ruler (Sartorius Kumar): The Light Ruler is the final boss monster used by Sartorius during the climatic duel against Jaden in Season 2. It is one of the most powerful Arcana Force monsters.
- Armed Dragon LV7 (Chazz Princeton): One of the Chazz's most prominent Ace Monsters in the GX anime, and part of the Armed Dragon archetype known for maturing into higher Leveled forms. Despite not being Chazz's main Signature Monster in the game, this card and its evolution line still got a dedicated playmat and sleeves with the release of the "Serious Chazz" event.
- Barrel Dragon (Bandit Keith): The Signature Monster of Bandit Keith and his Machine deck which made a prominent appearance in Keith's duel with Joey in Duelist Kingdom. It is known for its deadly three revolvers.
- Black Luster Soldier (Ritual Monster, default) (Yami Yugi): The "legendary strongest warrior" which made its debut during Yami Yugi's duel with Mai in Duelist Kingdom. A warrior summoned by a ritual using the power of chaos who is said to be equal in power with the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
- Black Luster Soldier (Normal Monster) (Yami Yugi): The Normal Monster version of Black Luster Soldier. He shares the same summoning animation with his Ritual Monster version.
- Black Rose Dragon (1st OCG/TCG artwork, default) (Akiza Izinski): The Ace Monster of the Signer Akiza and one of the six Signer Dragon serving under the Crimson Dragon. A destructive dragon representing Akiza's psychic powers and was capable of causing real destructions thanks to said psychic powers. It is the boss monster of Akiza's Plant deck.
- Black Rose Dragon (2nd OCG/TCG artwork) (Akiza Izinski): This version shares the same summoning animation with the default one.
- Black-Winged Dragon (Crow Hogan): The new Ace Monster of the unexpected Signer Crow and the previously unseen sixth Signer Dragon. It is part of Crow's Blackwing deck, and its ability to absorb effect damage made it a valuable asset in the WRGP.
- Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir (Zuzu Boyle): A new Ace Monster of Zuzu after she mastered Fusion Summoning. Bloom Diva is part of Zuzu's Melodious deck and perfectly represents the flower of aspect of the Four Bracelet Girl's Kachou Fuugetsu theme.
- Blue-Eyes Alternate White Dragon (Seto Kaiba (DSOD)): A retrained version of Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragon. This monster prominently appeared in Kaiba's duel with Diva a.k.a. Aigami in The Dark Side of Dimensions.
- Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon (Seto Kaiba (DM), Seto Kaiba (DSOD), Mokuba Kaiba (DSOD)): The ultimate fusion of three Blue-Eyes White Dragons and Kaiba's trump cards in Duel Monsters. In this game, the DSOD version of Mokuba can also trigger the summon animation of this card just like either version of his older brother.
- Blue-Eyes White Dragon (4th OCG/TCG artwork, default) (Seto Kaiba (DM), Solomon Muto, Mokuba Kaiba (DM), Seto Kaiba (DSOD), Mokuba Kaiba (DSOD)): The legendary Ace Monster and main Signature Monster of Seto Kaiba (DM), known for its destructive raw power, of which originally only four copies existed. As the true master of Blue-Eyes, Kaiba owns three copies of it, with the fourth copy belonging to Solomon until Kaiba won it as an ante and ripped it apart. The DM and DSOD versions of Mokuba can also trigger the summoning animations of this monster. This monster also embodies the soul of The Lost Lenore of Kaiba's past life.
- Blue-Eyes White Dragon (1st OCG/2nd TCG artwork) (Seto Kaiba (DM), Solomon Muto, Mokuba Kaiba (DM), Seto Kaiba (DSOD), Mokuba Kaiba (DSOD)): The iconic artwork of Blue-Eyes White Dragon, prominently featured in the anime and manga.
- Blue-Eyes White Dragon (2nd OCG/1st TCG artwork) (Seto Kaiba (DM), Solomon Muto, Mokuba Kaiba (DM), Seto Kaiba (DSOD), Mokuba Kaiba (DSOD)): While the card is not in the summoning animation library, it can still be found in the card catalogue due to being a prize card that only a few people own.
- Blue-Eyes White Dragon (3rd OCG/TCG artwork) (Seto Kaiba (DM), Solomon Muto, Mokuba Kaiba (DM), Seto Kaiba (DSOD), Mokuba Kaiba (DSOD))
- Blue-Eyes White Dragon (8th OCG/7th TCG artwork) (Seto Kaiba (DM), Solomon Mutonote , Mokuba Kaiba (DM), Seto Kaiba (DSOD), Mokuba Kaiba (DSOD)): This version of Blue-Eyes White Dragon has its own summoning animation and was released with the addition of DSOD World. This particular copy is treated as the main Signature Monster of Seto Kaiba (DSOD). If Solomon summons this version, it triggers the default version's animation instead.
- Blue-Eyes White Dragon (9th OCG/8th TCG artwork) (Seto Kaiba (DM), Solomon Muto, Mokuba Kaiba (DM), Seto Kaiba (DSOD), Mokuba Kaiba (DSOD)): An artwork based on Kazuki Takahashi's manga art.
- Borreload Dragon (Varis): The Signature Monster of Varis and one of his many powerful DARK Dragon Link Monsters. As a dragon made of revolver parts, it serves as a perfect representation of Varis's Rokket deck.
- Chevalier de Fleur (Sherry LeBlanc): The Ace Monster of Sherry, Chevalier de Fleur represents the knight in Sherry's Jeanne d'Arc-themed deck and reflects Sherry's self prior to her Face–Heel Turn.
- Clear Wing Synchro Dragon (1st OCG/TCG artwork, default) (Yuya Sakaki, Yugo): Yugo's Ace Monster and one of the Four Heavenly Dragons of Z-ARC, representing the Synchro Dimension. After becoming one with Yugo, Yuya gets access to this card. As a WIND monster, Clear Wing serves as the boss monster of Yugo's Speedroid deck.
- Clear Wing Synchro Dragon (2nd OCG/TCG artwork) (Yuya Sakaki, Yugo): This version shares the same summoning animation with the default version.
- Cyber Blader (Alexis Rhodes): Alexis's Fusion Boss Monster which prominently appeared in the early part of the GX anime, most notably in the first duel between Alexis and Jaden. The summon animation is a Call-Back to said duel. Cyber Blader is a boss monster in Alexis's Cyber Girls deck who would later phase out in favor of the Cyber Angels.
- Cyber End Dragon (Zane Truesdale): The Ace Monster of Zane, who persists as his true ace even after his "transformation" as Hell Kaiser. It's part of Zane's Cyber Style deck, containing Cyber Dragons and Cyberdarks.
- D/D/D Doom King Armageddon (Declan Akaba): One of the many D/D/D boss monsters used by Declan. While not used as often compared to other rival Ace Monsters, Doom King Armageddon still had some prominent appearances in ARC-V.
- Dark Magician (4th OCG/3rd TCG artwork, default) (Yami Yugi, Yugi Muto (DM), Yugi Muto DSOD)): The legendary Ace Monster and main Signature Monster of the spirit inhabiting Yugi's Millennium Puzzle, Yami Yugi. The Dark Magician is known for the various Spell and Trap Cards that support him, making him the ultimate wizard in offense and defense. The bond between Dark Magician and Yami Yugi originates from Ancient Egypt. The 3D model of this card uses the color scheme used by Kazuki Takahashi and Konami.
- Dark Magician (1st OCG/2nd TCG artwork) (Yami Yugi, Yugi Muto (DM), Yugi Muto DSOD)): The iconic artwork that prominently appeared in the Duel Monsters anime. Despite having a different color palette from the default color scheme used by Konami and Takahashi, this version shares the same summoning animation and 3D model with the default version.
- Dark Magician (2nd OCG/1st TCG artwork) (Yami Yugi, Yugi Muto (DM), Yugi Muto DSOD)): While the card is not in the summoning animation library, it can still be found in the card catalogue due to being a prize card that only a few people own.
- Dark Magician (3rd OCG/5th TCG artwork) (Arkana): This version of Dark Magician is used by the Rare Hunter Arkana, who used multiple copies of this version. It serves as the Ace Monster of Arkana's Dark Magician deck. It has a different summoning animation from the default version and it can only be triggered by Arkana.
- Dark Magician (7th OCG/6th TCG artwork) (Yami Yugi, Yugi Muto (DM), Yugi Muto DSOD)): This version of Dark Magician appears in The Dark Side of Dimensions and is Yugi's (DSOD) main Signature Monster. This version has its own summoning animation and has a different 3D model to match the monster's design.
- Dark Magician (9th OCG/TCG artwork) (Yami Yugi, Yugi Muto (DM), Yugi Muto DSOD)): This artwork is based on the card illustration in the original manga.
- Dark Magician Girl (1st OCG/TCG artwork, default) (Yami Yugi, Téa Gardner (DM), Yugi Muto (DSOD), Téa Gardner (DSOD)): One of Yami Yugi's and Yugi Muto's iconic monsters, but in this game, the main owner of this card is Téa (DM) who used Dark Magician Girl as her Deck Master in the Virtual World arc of the Duel Monsters anime. Dark Magician Girl is the disciple of Dark Magician, who like her mentor, has her origin rooted in Ancient Egypt.
- Dark Magician Girl (3rd OCG/TCG artwork) (Yami Yugi, Téa Gardner (DM), Yugi Muto (DSOD), Téa Gardner (DSOD)): This version shares the same summoning animation with the default version.
- Dark Magician Girl (5th OCG/4th TCG artwork) (Yami Yugi, Téa Gardner (DM), Yugi Muto (DSOD), Téa Gardner (DSOD)): This version has its own summoning animation, with Téa (DSOD) serving as the main owner.
- Dark Necrofear (Yami Bakura): The Soul Card of Yami Bakura and an essential piece of his Occult deck. In the manga and anime, Dark Necrofear is an important part of Yami Bakura's Destiny Board combo, which would allow him to win the game automatically.
- Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon (Yuya Sakaki, Yuto): Yuto's Ace Monster and one of Z-ARC's Four Heavenly Dragons, representing the Xyz Dimension. After becoming one with Yuto, Yuya got access to this card. Dark Rebellion serves as the boss monster of Yuto's The Phantom Knights deck.
- Decode Talker (Playmaker and Ai): The main Signature Monster of Playmaker and one of his many Code Talkers in his Cyberse deck.
- Destiny HERO - Plasma (Aster Phoenix): Plasma is the Ultimate D and is Aster's newest and most powerful Ace Monster in the GX anime. Created by Aster's father under the influence of the Light of Destruction to serve as a vessel, it was later stolen until Aster reclaimed it and freed it from the Light's influence, serving as the ultimate boss monster of his Destiny HERO deck.
- Earthbound Immortal Aslla piscu (Dark Signer Carly Carmine): One of the seven Earthbound Immortals, with the Dark Signer Carly serving as Aslla piscu's servant. It embodies the hummingbird of the Nazca lines.
- Earthbound Immortal Ccapac Apu (Dark Signer Kalin Kessler): One of the seven Earthbound Immortals, with the Dark Signer Kalin serving as Ccapac Apu's servant. It embodies the giant of the Nazca lines.
- Earthbound Immortal Wiraqocha Rasca (Dark Signer Rex Goodwin): One of the seven Earthbound Immortals; Goodwin tries to use its power in order to become a god, and it represents the Dark Signer aspect of Goodwin who is both a Signer and Dark Signer. Wiraqocha Rasca represents the condor of the Nazca lines.
- Elemental HERO Divine Neos (Jaden/Yubel): The ultimate form of Elemental HERO Neos, created by the Ultimate Contact Fusion with all six Neo-Spacians. This card serves as Jaden's/Yubel's main Signature Monster in this game.
- Elemental HERO Flame Wingman (Jaden Yuki, Jaden/Yubel): Jaden's favorite card and original Ace Monster. Flame Wingman serves as a prime example of the Elemental HERO strategy by fusing two HERO monsters into one. As Jaden's favorite card, Jaden uses different cards to optimize this monster in order to defeat powerful opponents.
- Elemental HERO Neos (1st OCG/TCG artwork, default) (Jaden Yuki, Jaden/Yubel): This monster was created by Jaden as a kid, and he later obtains the card in Neo Space. Elemental HERO Neos subsequently becomes Jaden's new Ace Monster and main Signature Monster. This Elemental HERO can combine with each of the six Neo-Spacians and transform into a stronger HERO, but it also has other Fusion forms.
- Elemental HERO Neos (2nd OCG/TCG artwork) (Jaden Yuki, Jaden/Yubel): This version shares the same summoning animation with the default version.
- Embodiment of Apophis (Odion): A Trap Monster used by the Trap Master Odion, the second-in-command of the Ghouls/Rare Hunters. While not Odion's Ace Monster, Apophis represents Odion's Trap strategy whose deck is almost entirely comprised of Trap Cards. Odion owns three copies of it.
- Evil HERO Malicious Fiend (Supreme King Jaden): This monster is the strongest Evil HERO monster used by the Supreme King in the GX anime.
- Fairy Cheer Girl (Tori Meadows): The Signature Monster of Tori and part of her Fairy deck. It reflects Tori's role and nature as Yuma's personal cheerleader.
- Firewall Dragon (Playmaker and Ai): One of Playermaker's two Ace Monsters and one of the dragons in his Cyberse deck. Due to Executive Meddling related to this card's OCG version being banned at the time, this card stopped appearing after the early parts of the VRAINS anime.
- Fossil Warrior Skull King (Jim Crocodile Cook): One of several boss monsters used by Jim who uses a Fossil deck.
- Frightfur Bear (Sora Perse): Sora's favorite Frightfur monster. It represents the twisted nature of Sora whose Fluffal-Frightfur deck revolves around turning cute plush animals into terrifying, big killer toys.
- Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon (Kite Tenjo): The Ace Monster of the Number Hunter Kite in ZEXAL. The boss monster of Kite's Photon deck can absorb the Overlay Units of the opponent's Xyz Monsters. As one of the two dragons created by the Numeron Code, this dragon of light is destined to fight its rival -the dragon of time- on the moon to unlock the Numeron Code.
- Gandora the Dragon of Destruction (Yugi Muto (DM), Yugi Muto (DSOD)): Yugi Muto's personal Ace Monster and main Signature Card; Gandora represents Yugi's eventual separation with his Other Self and his growth as a person.
- Gate Guardian (Paradox Brothers): The Ace Monster of the Paradox Brothers. It's the combination of their three demon gods Sanga, Kazejin and Suijin. In Duelist Kingdom, this monster could attack all the opponent's monster across the entire Labyrinth Field, and beating it and the two brothers allowed the main cast to get passed the labyrinth gates.
- Gouki The Great Ogre (The Gore): The main Signature Monster of The Gore and one of the many boss monsters in his Gouki deck.
- Goyo Guardian (Trudge): The Signature Monster of Security Officer Trudge. A monster that can "arrest" defeated foes by Special Summoning them to Trudge's side on the field. This monster from 5D's would later spawn an entire archetype in ARC-V.
- Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder (Yubel): One of the Three Sacred Beasts sealed within the grounds of Duel Academy. While originally unsealed by Kagemaru in Season 1, the Three Sacred Beasts would be unsealed again by Yubel in Season 3. Yubel summoned the Three Sacred Beasts while possessing Marcel. Hamon is the counterpart of Ra.
- Harpie Lady Sisters (Mai Valentine): This trio of sisters serves as Mai's Soul Card and they are the "mother" of the Harpie Lady archetype. They reflect Mai's personality as a strong, sexy woman who dominates men.
- Ice Beast Zerofyne (Rio Kastle): The Signature Monster of Rio in her human form. She is a boss monster of Rio's Ice Bird deck.
- Indiora Doom Volt the Cubic Emperor (Aigami): The boss monster used by Diva a.k.a. Aigami in his duel against Yugi in The Dark Side of Dimensions.
- Infernity Doom Dragon (Kalin Kessler): The Ace Monster of Kalin after he returned to life as a normal human and having been freed of the influence of the Dark Signers. It's the boss monster of Kalin's Infernity deck, completely replacing the Dark Signer's Hundred Eyes Dragon.
- Insect Queen (Weevil Underwood): The Soul Card of Weevil who uses an Insect deck. Of all Soul Cards obtained by Joey, Insect Queen never played by him in the manga, which is why he doesn't trigger a summoning animationnote . In the anime, Weevil would obtain another copy of Insect Queen which he uses in filler arcs.
- Jinzo (Joey Wheeler (DM), Espa Roba, Joey Wheeler (DSOD)): The Soul Card of Roba who uses a Cyber deck. Jinzo is a mighty cyborg that can shutdown all Trap Cards on the field. Of the Soul Cards obtained by Joey, Jinzo is one of his most prominent monsters.
- Junk Warrior (Yusei Fudo): The Signature Monster of Yusei apart from Stardust Dragon. Junk Warrior was prominently used before Yusei re-obtained his Stardust Dragon and he's the most prominent Synchro Warrior of Yusei's Synchron deck. Junk Warrior's effect "Power of Fellows" allows him to gather the power of Yusei's low-Level monsters, representing Yusei's fixation on the bonds between his friends and his view that even the weak and trash can have their merits.
- Lava Golem (Yami Marik): This monster was used by Yami Marik during the duel against Joey in Battle City, and it is one of the many monsters representing his torturous sadomasochistic nature. In this game, it's Yami Marik's main Signature Monster.
- The Legendary Fisherman (Joey Wheeler (DM), Mako Tsunami, Joey Wheeler (DSOD)): The Soul Card of Mako and a prominent monster of his Sea deck. Due to The Legendary Fisherman's resemblance to Mako's father, he serves as Mako's Morality Pet. As part of Mako's sea strategy, The Legendary Fisherman can hide underwater to protect himself. This Soul Card would later be obtained by Joey, who uses it more prominently in the manga than in the anime.
- Life Stream Dragon (Leo): The unsealed form of Leo's Power Tool Dragon. Life Stream Dragon is one of six Signer Dragons serving under the Crimson Dragon and the last one to be released after Leo became the sixth Signer and was granted power by the Crimson Dragon.
- Lunalight Leo Dancer (Celina): The strongest evolution of Celina's Ace Monster Lunalight Cat Dancer. Leo Dancer's only appearance was against Yugo in the Fortune Cup. This card is the ultimate boss monster in Celina's Lunalight deck, an archetype that represents the moon aspect of the Four Bracelet Girls's Kachou Fuugetsu theme.
- Malefic Truth Dragon (Paradox): The final boss monster of Paradox, who merges with it upon summoning. It is the strongest monster in Paradox's Malefic deck.
- Masked Beast Des Gardius (Lumis and Umbra): The strongest monster used by the Rare Hunter duo Lumis and Umbra who both use Mask decks. This card is owned by Umbra, but summoned by Lumis during their Tag Duel against Yami Yugi and Kaiba.
- Meklord Astro Mekanikle (Aporia): The Ace Monster of Aporia who uses a Meklord deck. This anti-Synchro machine is even more gigantic than the three Meklords who are all Humongous Mechas. It is a representation of Aporia's despair.
- Meklord Emperor Wisel (Primo): The Ace Monster of Primo who uses a Meklord deck. Wisel is the first Meklord to appear in the 5D's anime, who also introduces the anti-Synchro strategy of the Meklords. In the anime, Wisel is actually comprised of five different parts, all with different effects and stats. The Meklords eradicated the human race in the Bad Future, leaving Z-One the soul survivor.
- Number 6: Chronomaly Atlandis (Trey): One of Trey's Number monsters and a boss monster in his Chronomaly deck. While Atlandis and Machu Mech were used in three duels each, Atlandis ultimately got more prominence in the anime and was used in Trey's final duel and who uses this card as a base to summon the Chaos forms of both Numbers.
- Number 9: Dyson Sphere (Quinto): Quinto's Number monster. It is one of the biggest monster of the franchise. It represents Quinto's space theme.
- Number 15: Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder (Quattro): One of Quattro's three Number monsters and one of the boss monsters in his Gimmick Puppet deck. Giant Grinder is the first Number used by Quattro and it appears in all five of his duels.
- Number 32: Shark Drake (Reginald Kastle): A Signature Monster of Shark who obtained this Number from the Vetrix Family, serving as an item in corrupting Shark and making him Vetrix's assassin against Dr. Faker. Shark Drake served as Shark's new Ace Monster throughout the World Duel Carnival arc, but phased out when the Mythical Numbers arc started. Despite not being created from Shark's soul, Shark Drake still manages to form a significant connection with Shark and is used as a representation of Shark's soul due to Shark offering his soul to Shark Drake in order to create Shark Drake Veiss.
- Number 39: Utopia (1st OCG/TCG artwork, default) (Yuma/Astral, ZEXAL): The Number monster created by Yuma's soul and his Ace Monster. This monster represents Yuma's hope, and thanks to Yuma's connection with Astral, Utopia gained several evolutions and a de-evolution. He is the Number that serves Yuma by his own free will. At the end of the series, Yuma part ways with Utopia and has to face his former Ace Monster and all his forms in the final duel against Astral.
- Number 39: Utopia (2nd OCG/TCG artwork) (Yuma/Astral, ZEXAL): This version shares the same animation with the default version.
- Number 105: Battlin' Boxer Star Cestus (Alito, Alito (Barian)): The Over One-Hundred Number monster of the Barian Emperor Alito and the Ace Monster monster in his Battlin' Boxer deck. Star Cestus is the base form of his Chaos form Comet Cestus.
- Number 106: Giant Hand (Girag, Girag (Barian)): The Over-One Hundred Number of Barian Emperor Girag and the Ace Monster of his Hand deck. Giant Hand is the base form of its Chaos form Giant Red Hand.
- Number 107: Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon (Mizar, Mizar (Barian)): The Over-One Hundred Number of Barian Emperor Mizar and the Ace Monster of his Dragon deck. As one of the two dragons created by the Numeron Code, this dragon of time is destined to fight its rival -the dragon of light- on the moon to unlock the Numeron Code. Tachyon Dragon is the base form of its Chaos form Neo Tachyon.
- Number C39: Utopia Ray (Yuma/Astral, ZEXAL): The first Chaos form of Utopia, created by the bond between Yuma and Astral. As Utopia's first evolution, it became Yuma's prominent boss monster throughout the series until Utopia gained new evolutions.
- Obelisk the Tormentor (1st OCG/TCG artwork, default) (Yami Yugi, Seto Kaiba (DM), Seto Kaiba (DSOD)): One of the Three Egyptian Gods, Obelisk is most prominently used by Kaiba during the Battle City arc. Yami Yugi would later obtain Obelisk by defeating Kaiba in the semi-finals and Obelisk has seen greater success under Yami Yugi than Slifer has.
- Obelisk the Tormentor (3rd OCG/TCG artwork) (Seto Kaiba (DSOD)): Despite sharing the exact same summoning animation with the default version, this version of Obelisk can only be summoned by the DSOD version of Kaiba, since the card is only available via a Skill.
- Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon (1st OCG/TCG artwork, default) (Yuya Sakaki): Yuya's Ace Monster and one of Z-ARC's Four Heavenly Dragons, representing the Standard (later Pendulum) Dimension. This card was created by Yuya's pendant which turned the original Odd-Eyes Dragon into a Pendulum Monster. Odd-Eyes is the star of Yuya's Performapal deck.
- Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon (3rd OCG/TCG artwork) (Yuya Sakaki): This version shares the same animation with its default version.
- Odd-Eyes Raging Dragon (Yuya Sakaki, Yuto): The second Xyz Pendulum evolution of Odd-Eyes Pendulum and Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon. This monster was created by Yuya's intense rage against the Doktor when Zuzu and the other Bracelet Girls were brainwashed by Parasite Fusioners. It also embodies Z-ARC's influence the most.
- Ojama King (Chazz Princeton): The "Ojama Cross" between the Three Ojama Brothers, Ojama King is one of Chazz's many boss monsters and he embodies Chazz's mastering of using low-ATK monsters. The Three Ojama Brothers are the Duel Spirits that accompany Chazz. In this game, Ojama King is Chazz's main Signature Monster.
- Orgoth the Relentless (Duke Devlin): The Ace Monster of Duke's Dungeon Dice Monsters dice deck and Duel Monsters card deck. Orgoth's effect embodies Duke's preference for dice games.
- Performage Trapeze Magician (Dennis McField): The Ace Monster of Dennis's Performage deck. The masked magician represents Dennis genuine love for Dueltaining, but also his two-faced nature as a spy. Trapeze Magician and the Performage archetype allow Dennis to show of his personality and stand out from the crowd of Duel Academy duelists who generally use the Ancient Gear archetype.
- Power Tool Dragon (Leo): Leo's Ace Monster and sealed form of Life Stream Dragon. Since Leo was not a Signer for most of the 5D's anime, Power Tool Dragon serves as his main Signature Monster to reflect that. Power Tool Dragon is the boss monster of Leo's Morphtronic deck.
- Pumpking the King of Ghosts (Bonz): The Soul Card of Bonz and part of his Zombie deck. Pumpking was used in Bonz's duel against Joey in Duelist Kingdom, strengthening the power of Bonz's other Zombie monsters.
- Raidraptor - Rise Falcon (Shay Obsidian): The Ace Monster of Shay and a boss monster of his Raidraptor deck. It reflects Shay's determination to fight Leo Akaba's Duel Academy and get revenge on them for invading his homeland and abducting his sister. Rise Falcon is specialized to take on multiple Special Summoned monsters, and Shay uses several Rank Up Magics to summon stronger falcons by continuously ranking up this monster and its evolutions.
- Rainbow Dragon (Jesse Anderson): The Ultimate Crystal Beast, this card is Ace Monster of Jesse who uses a Crystal Beast deck. During the climatic duel against Yubel at the Duel Academy, Jesse finally gets possession of this card, which since then has been serving as his Ace Monster. Rainbow Dragon represents the power of all seven original Crystal Beasts, Jesse's Duel Spirits.
- Raviel, Lord of Phantasms (Yubel): One of the Three Sacred Beasts sealed within the grounds of Duel Academy. While originally unsealed by Kagemaru in Season 1, the Three Sacred Beasts would be unsealed again by Yubel in Season 3. Yubel summoned the Three Sacred Beasts while possessing Marcel. Raviel is the counterpart of Obelisk and is the highest ranked of the Three Sacred Beasts.
- Red Dragon Archfiend (Jack Atlas): The Ace Monster of the Signer Jack and one of the six Signer Dragons serving under the Crimson Dragon. This so-called "very soul" of Jack is the boss monster of his Power deck, representing the oppressive power and play-style of the King. It is one of the Signer Dragons known for evolving multiple times.
- Red-Eyes Black Dragon (4th OCG/3rd TCG artwork, default) (Joey Wheeler (DM), Rex Raptor, Joey Wheeler (DSOD)): Originally owned by Rex, Joey obtained this card as an ante and since then, Red-Eyes has served as Joey's Soul Card, even after he loses it to the Rare Hunter Seeker. Joey would later reclaim this card after defeating Yami Yugi in a duel off-screen. This artwork appears prominently in the GX anime under the ownership of Atticus.
- Red-Eyes Black Dragon (1st OCG/TCG artwork) (Joey Wheeler (DM), Rex Raptornote , Joey Wheeler (DSOD)): The iconic artwork prominently featured in the Duel Monsters anime and The Dark Side of Dimensions. This version has its own summoning animation thanks to the release of DSOD World, having Joey (DSOD) as its main owner. If Rex summons this version, it triggers the default version's animation instead.
- Red-Eyes Black Dragon (3rd OCG/2nd TCG artwork) (Joey Wheeler (DM), Rex Raptor, Joey Wheeler (DSOD)): While the card is not in the summoning animation library, it can still be found in the card catalogue due to being a prize card that only a few people own.
- Red-Eyes Black Dragon (7th OCG/6th TCG artwork) (Joey Wheeler (DM), Rex Raptor, Joey Wheeler (DSOD)): This artwork is based on the manga art of Kazuki Takahashi. The Bandai version also used an artwork based on that art.
- Relinquished (Maximillion Pegasus): The secret Ace Monster of Pegasus. It reflects Pegasus's sinister nature and affinity for illusion monsters, and it is one of the oldest and famous Weak, but Skilled monsters.
- Salamangreat Heatleo (Soulburner): The summoning animation of this card can only be triggered via Reincarnation Link Summoning. Heatleo is Soulburner's Ace Monster and a boss monster in his Salamangreat deck. It represents Theodore's/Soulburner's desire of "reincarnating" into a stronger version of himself, something that Salamangreat monsters can also do.
- Sephylon, the Ultimate Timelord (Z-one): The eleventh Timelord that is brought forth after the defeat of the other Timelords, Sephylon is Z-one's true Ace Monster. As the Ultimate Timelord, it stands above all the other Timelord and it is the final hurdle for Yusei to overcome in order to save the present and his future.
- Shooting Star Dragon (Yusei Fudo): The Accel Synchro evolution of Yusei's Stardust Dragon. Reflecting the power of the future, Shooting Star Dragon represents the endless possibilities that the future can bring, including a path to hope.
- Silent Magician LV8 (Yugi Muto (DM), Yugi Muto (DSOD)): One of the personal boss monsters of Yugi Muto and one of the cards that represents Yugi's growing maturity. The matured form of Silent Magician was used in the Ceremonial Duel against Atem, defeating Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl and delivering the finishing blow on Atem.
- Slifer the Sky Dragon (Yami Yugi): One of the Three Egyptian Gods, Slifer is most prominently used by Yami Yugi throughout the course of the franchise and it serves as his signature God Card.
- Stardust Dragon (1st OCG/TCG artwork, default) (Yusei Fudo): One of the two Ace Monsters of the Signer Yusei and one of the six Signer Dragons serving under the Crimson Dragon. It is a boss monster in Yusei's Synchron deck; Stardust Dragon represents Yusei's desire for freedom and protection for his friends. It is one of the Signer Dragons known for evolving multiple times.
- Stardust Dragon (2nd OCG/TCG artwork) (Yusei Fudo): This version shares the same summoning animation with the default one.
- Super Vehicroid Jumbo Drill (Syrus Truesdale): A boss monster of Syrus who uses a Vehicroid deck. It helped him win the duel that allowed Syrus to get promoted from Slifer Red to Ra Yellow. Despite it only have been summoned once, Jumbo Drill is prominently featured in GX's fourth ending and it represents Syrus's deck when summoned by a former Academy student in ARC-V.
- Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Gustav Max (Anna Kaboom): The Ace Monster of Anna who uses a Trail deck. A train monster equipped with war cannons, it represents Anna's aggressive Tomboy personality.
- Superheavy Samurai Big Benkei (Gong Strong): The original Ace Monster of Gong who uses a Superheavy Samurai deck. Its ability of attacking while in Defense Position reflects Gong's Steadfast Dueling. While Gong keeps evolving his Steadfast Dueling and uses new boss monsters, Big Benkei is still prominently used in many of his duels.
- T.G. Halberd Cannon (Antinomy): The strongest monster of Antinomy, summoned via Delta Accel. This monster represents the endless power of the evolving Synchro Summoning, and it is the one of the hurdles for Yusei to overcome in order to defeat Z-one. While this monster reflects Antinomy's affiliation with Z-one, it also demonstrates a new possibility for Yusei to evolve and bring hope to Z-one.
- Tin Archduke (Bronk Stone): The Ace Monster of Bronk who uses a Gearspring deck.
- Trickstar Holly Angel (1st OCG/TCG artwork, default) (Blue Angel): The Ace Monster of Blue Angel and the star of her Trickstar deck. Holly Angel represents Blue Angel's performance style of dueling and her status as a dueling idol.
- Trickstar Holly Angel (2nd OCG/TCG artwork) (Blue Angel): This version shares the same summoning animations (censored and uncensored) with the default version.
- Ultimate Leo Utopia Ray (Yuma/Astral, ZEXAL): The only card that didn't appear in any anime; however, this monster is based on ZEXAL equipping Utopia Ray with Leo Arms during the duel against Vetrix at the World Duel Carnival, with this card's summoning animation being a direct Call-Back to said moment. This combination is also prominently seen in the fourth opening of the ZEXAL anime.
- Ultimate Tyranno (Tyranno Hassleberry): One of the boss monsters of Hassleberry who uses a Dinosaur deck. It appeared in three duels, and its most prominent appearance was during the duel against Syrus, which is the only duel Ultimate Tyranno was summoned.
- Uria, Lord of Searing Flames (Yubel): One of the Three Sacred Beasts sealed within the grounds of Duel Academy. While originally unsealed by Kagemaru in Season 1, the Three Sacred Beasts would be unsealed again by Yubel in Season 3. Yubel summoned the Three Sacred Beasts while possessing Marcel. Uria is the counterpart of Slifer.
- Vampire Lord (Seto Kaiba (DM)): A Tribute Summon monster used by Kaiba against Noah in the Virtual World arc. This monster having a summoning animation is an Early-Installment Weirdness.
- Volcanic Doomfire (Axel Brodie): The Ace Monster of Axel who uses a Volcanic deck. Volcanic Doomfire further reinforces Axel's burn strategy.
- Water Dragon (Bastion Misawa): The boss monster of Bastion's Water deck, also his most prominent deck. This monster being created via chemistry represents Bastion's scientific approach of dueling.
- The Winged Dragon of Ra (1st OCG/TCG artwork, default) (Yami Yugi, Yami Marik): One of the Three Egyptian Gods, Ra is most prominently used by Yami Marik during the Battle City arc. Yami Yugi later obtains this card by defeating Yami Marik in the finals, but he rarely uses it. Ra is the strongest and highest-ranked of the Three Egyptian Gods. This card is the normal version of Ra, also known as Battle Mode in Yu-Gi-Oh! Reshef of Destruction, and it has two additional forms: Sphere Mode and Phoenix Mode a.k.a. Immortal Phoenix.
- The Winged Dragon of Ra (3rd OCG/TCG artwork) (Yami Yugi, Yami Marik): This version shares the same summoning animation with the default version.
- Yubel (Yubel, Jaden/Yubel): A reincarnated hermaphroditic Duel Spirit who bonded with Jaden when he was child. Their Yandere tendencies led to them being sent to space, where they unfortunately got corrupted by the Light of Destruction. After returning to Earth years later, Yubel became the Big Bad of Season 3, trying to get revenge on Jaden and keep him for themself. However, the love between Yubel and Jaden was mutual and he accepted them by fusing the two of them together, resulting in his "Jaden/Yubel" form in Season 4, with the Gentle Darkness inside Jaden freeing Yubel from the Light of Destruction's influence. The manifested Duel Spirit Yubel is the main owner of the Yubel card.
Rush Duel
- Dian Keto the Boogie Master (Mimi Imimi): The boss monster of Mimi's Bubble Era deck. Dian Keto represents Mimi's age and the classic era of Duel Monsters.
- Multistrike Dragon Dragias (1st OCG artwork, default) (Lucidien Kallister): The Ace Monster of Luke who uses a Dragon deck. It's ability to strike twice reflects Luke's theme of two.
- Multistrike Dragon Dragias (5th OCG artwork) (Lucidien Kallister): Despite the artwork presenting the color scheme when played by Phantom Luke, this version shares the same summoning animation with the default one.
- Prima Guitarna the Shining Superstar (Romin Kassidy, Hangry Romin): The Ace Monster of Romin who uses a Psychic deck. Prima Guitarna reflects Romin's role as the lead guitarist of RoaRomin.
- Royal Rebel's Heavy Metal (Roa Kassidy): The Ace Monster of Roa who uses a Royal Rebel's deck. Heavy Metal represents Roa's role as the lead vocalist of RoaRomin.
- Sevens Road Magician (Yuga Ohdo): The Ace Monster of Yuga and the boss monster of his Spellcaster deck. This card represents Rush Duel's nature to come back from a disadvantageous situation and find a road to victory.
- Supreme Machine Magnum Overlord (Yuga Ohdo): The summoning animation of this card can only be triggered via Maximum Summoning. Magnum Overlord is Yuga's first Maximum Monster, with its three components representing his three friends.
- Yamiruler the Dark Delayer (Gavin Sogetsu): The Ace Monster of Gavin who uses a Warrior deck.
- Yggdrago the Sky Emperor (Nail Saionji): The summoning animation of this card can only be triggered via Maximum Summoning. The Ace Monster of Nail who uses a Cyberse deck and the first Maximum Monster to be created. It represents the overwhelming power of Maximum Monsters.
