Yu-Gi-Oh!

is a card game based franchise, created by Kazuki Takahashi, which originally began as a manga printed in the Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine. It's popularity has spawned a number of anime series and a real life card game.

Each adaption and spin-off of the series typically revolves around its protagonist and his friends battling evil-doers in the card game, Duel Monsters.

Yu-Gi-Oh!
The main character, Yugi Mutou has proficient skills in most forms of gaming. After solving the, he unknowingly shares his body with the spirit of a 3000 year old Egyptian pharaoh, stripped of his memories. The spirit, Dark Yugi, helps Yugi, by taking control of his body in times of peril, to save him and his friends from bullies. Dark Yugi faces such trespassers in various, often heightening the experience, by adding dangereous elements or handing out brutal s.

After 59 chapters, Duel Monsters became the dominant game of the series. Yugi and his friends, Jonouchi, Anzu and Honda, (Known as Joey, Téa and Tristan in most English adaptions) now aware of Dark Yugi's existence, face many evil forces, threatening the world, as they journeys to uncover his memories.

Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
''Yu-Gi-Oh! GX'' is set in a school, dedicated to teaching its students how to play Duel Monsters. The carefree student Judai Yuki (Jaden Yuki), despite his grades, displays skills in Duel Monsters.

Minor parts of the series focus on school life or Judai pointing corrupt students and opponents in the right direction, explaining the error of their ways through dueling. Major parts of the series, have Judai and his friends battling evil forces threatening both their world and the.

Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's
''Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's'' is set in a futuristic environment. Duel Monsters is now played on motorbike-esque vechiles, called.

The protagonist Yusei Fudo gets caught on the wrong side of the law, while fighting in the best interest of his friends. Through his struggles, Yusei and his companions meet many people and end-up reliving an Ancient Incan battle.

Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL
The story takes place in the near future in a city called Heartland. The story focuses on Yuma Tsukumo, a young player of the Duel Monsters who strives to become the a champion at the game, despite being an amateur. One day, during a duel with a school bully, a mysterious spirit called Astral appears before him, and helps him to win. Astral explains to Yuma he is searching for his lost memories, which have been transformed into 99 Xyz Monster cards called "Numbers" and have been scattered across the globe. The Numbers have the ability to possess the duelists who own them and bring out their darkest desires. In order to recover his memories, Astral teams up with Yuma in order to recover the Numbers cards. However, they must not only compete with the Numbers Holders, but also the Numbers Hunters, who seek to claim the Numbers cards for themselves in order to destroy Astral's homeworld.

Themes
One of the most common themes of the franchise is friendship. Through Duel Monsters, characters are oftening battling to save loved ones. When faced with difficult tasks, they draw strength from their friends support.

Gaming was a major theme particularly at the early stage of the manga. Takahashi noted that he included games that he played and enjoyed himself. He also stressed that many of the games require communication between the two players, in contrast to solitary video games.