Tracking out uncommon Yugioh cards is a serious undertaking. Similar to many Trading Card Games, Yugioh has evolved from a kid-friendly game played in playgrounds to a global collector’s market. Some cards have gained such a reputation since their 1999 release that they fetch tens of thousands of dollars when auctioned off. This article lists the 19 most costly Yugioh cards ever, along with their respective sales prices.
The most costly Yugioh cards are a diverse group. They aren’t always the best Yugioh cards out there, and neither is this list overflowing with Yugioh Exodia cards, extremely strong names from the banlist, strongest Yugioh decks , or Yugioh Master Duel meta decks.
Rather, a large number of them are nearly perfect replicas of the most recognisable cards ever made, which have become valuable and well-liked due to their inclusion in the decks of the best Yugioh characters in the series. There are also rare promotional cards that were given to tournament winners and are highly prized. Check out the rarest Pokémon cards and the most expensive MTG cards ever, if you feel like it.
If you’d want to purchase a more affordably priced version of any of these collectibles, we’ve included links to TCGPlayer. The majority of these absurdly expensive collectibles are really variations of ordinary cards with far more reasonable costs.
The most costly and uncommon Yugioh cards in the world are these ones:
1. Tyler the Great Warrior
Worth $311,211.
With only one copy in circulation, Tyler the Great Warrior is the rarest Yugioh card ever made. It was designed by Tyler Gressle as a part of a Make-a-Wish project in 2005. In 2005, Gressle, then 14 years old, created the card while fighting a rare kind of liver cancer.
He chose to sell the card eighteen years later. With a final auction bid of $311,211 (£249,793.51), this is indeed the highest bid ever made. We are introducing to you the rarest and most costly Yugioh card ever made.
2. Blue-Eyes White Dragon LOB 1st Edition
First edition Blue-Eyes White Dragon LOB valued at $85,000.
The Blue-Eyes White Dragon card is possibly the most well-liked Yugioh card ever. It’s undoubtedly among the most well-known. Considered a heavyweight in both the trading card game and the original anime series, this edition is extremely uncommon and in mint condition, which makes it even more desirable today.
This first-edition PSA 10 Gem Mint condition card from the first expansion set of the Yugioh trading card game, Legend of Blue-Eyes White Dragon (LOB), brought an incredible $85,000 (£65,000) at auction in October 2020. That’s a lot of dough, but to call forth the plumper Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, you’ll need three of them.
Additional copies of the card are also not inexpensive. When the bidding skyrocketed to a crazy $13.4 million / £10.1 million in June 2021, a Chinese court paused the auction because so many individuals were vying for an extremely rare Blue-Eyes White Dragon with a 20th-anniversary card frame.
3. Dark Magician LOB 1st Edition
Worth $85,000.
Dark Magician, another mainstay of the Yugioh anime and trading card game, is most recognised for being protagonist Yugi Muto’s favourite card. A PSA 10 gem mint condition copy of the card, which was issued in the Legend of Blue-Eyes White Dragon collection, sold for $85,000 (£65,000) at auction in June 2021, demonstrating the high cost associated with fame.
Notably, this was Dark Magician in Arkana form. It is exactly the same card in terms of functionality, but it has a distinct red artwork and was first shown in the anime as a competitor to Yugi Muto’s rendition of the card.
4. Crush Card Virus Shonen Jump Championship 2007
Worth $50,000.
Rare copies of this variant of Crush Card Virus exist; it was given away as a prize card in the 2007 Shonen Jump Championships, a set of Yugioh trading card game competitions that were eventually superseded by the Yugioh Championship Series. Forty were constructed at first, then two more were made for the SJC 2008 events.
More than its usefulness or appeal, the card’s scarcity is what gives collectors such a high valuation. A PSA 10 gem mint copy that sold for $49,999 (£40,058.70) on eBay in June 2020. Not bad for a card that has been inactive on the Yugioh banlist for the majority of its existence.
5. Minerva, the Exalted Lightsworn 2015 World Championship prize
Worth $34,800
The Exalted Lightsworn, an extremely uncommon Minerva variant, won first place for national events in the 2015 Yugioh World Championship Series. There is a very slight difference between this edition and the cards that were awarded for second and third place; all that sets them out is the golden lettering.
A card with an exceptional condition score of 9.5 was sold via Heritage Auctions on November 6, 2021, for $34,800. A card in 9.0 condition sold for $31,200 in Mach 2022.
The rarest YuGiOh card, Cyber-Stein, is pictured in a protective case and is the most costly Yugioh card.
6. Cyber-Stein Shonen Jump Championship 2004
Worth $30,100.
Original prize card for this copy of Cyber-Stein was given out at the Shonen Jump Championships in 2004 and 2005. While two additional copies were printed for the tournaments in 2008 and 126 copies were prepared for a promotional event in 2009, just eighteen copies were made specifically for the events.
Even with multiple reprints, this card is still uncommon. In October 2020, a PSA 10 gem mint condition copy that was printed in the original 2004 went for $30,100 (£22,800) at auction.
The rarest and most costly YuGiOh card is a picture of a Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth.
7. Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth Dark Duel Stories promo
Worth $30,000.
Though it isn’t well-known in the Yugioh community, this tiny insect became well-known in August 2021. A PSA 10 gem mint condition rare promo card that was launched with the videogame Dark Duels Stories sold for an incredible $29,999.99 (£22,700) on eBay.
It was rather uncommon at the time of listing, since it was claimed to be the only gem mint copy of the promo card worldwide. However, three other copies of the card have been reported to exist by trading card authenticator and grading company PSA after that time.
8. The Seal of Orichalcos UDE event
Worth $26,400.
There have been multiple Yugioh sets featuring the Seal of Orichalcos, although that wasn’t always the case. It didn’t have a paper counterpart when it debuted in Yugioh anime season four in 2005. Upper Deck Entertainment chose to create a unique version of the card on their own. This was limited to the “Duel the Master” side events hosted by UDE at Yugioh tournaments. These consisted of challenge games pitting players against a master player—typically a judge—who was armed with a stacked deck full of strong cards.
Since the Seal of Orichalcos was never meant to be in player hands and was never allowed to be used in tournament play, it isn’t actually considered a promotional item. This card’s final clause is menacing: your soul is forfeited if you lose to the card’s owner! According to legend, there were only fifteen printed copies of the card, making it one of the rarest TCG cards ever.
YouTube thumbnail
Anthony Nguyen, a collector of Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, revealed on YouTube in 2017 that he had obtained a copy of the fabled card. Following the revelation that collectors could obtain it, a wave of transactions occurred, with a copy graded 7 selling for $26,400 through Heritage Auctions.
9. Blue-Eyes White Dragon Dark Duel Stories promo
Worth $25,100.
This was one of six Prismatic Secret Rare cards that were published to promote the videogame Yugioh Dark Duel Stories. Another entry for the pale serpent. Two sets were made and placed within the Gameboy game; one set included the classic Blue-Eyes, Exodia, and Dark Magician, while the second set included Acid Trap Hole, Seiyaryu, and Salamandra.
In February 2021, this PSA 10 gem immaculate condition copy went up for auction for a respectable $25,100 (£19,000). Few of the prismatic Blue-Eyes White Dragons that were released as videogame promo cards have survived in such excellent shape, despite the fact that quite a few of them did.
10. Chaos Emperor, the Dragon of Armageddon championship series 2018
Worth $18,000.
Exalted Lightsworn Chaos Emperor was a reward at the 2018 Yugioh Championship series, just like Minerva. Two years prior to its initial public printing in Battles of Legend Armageddon, champions were the first to own the formidable dragon. In November 2021, a PSA Mint 9 copy of the extremely rare first-place winner’s card brought in $18,000 through Heritage auctions.
The rarest and most costly YuGiOh card is depicted, together with a graded Deoomcaliber Knight card.
11. Doomcaliber Knight Shonen Jump Championship 2008
Worth $15,300.
Winners of the 2008 tournaments received a copy of Doomcaliber Knight, another prize card distributed during the Shonen Jump Championships. There were only ever 68 copies of the cards made, which makes them extremely rare and sought-after.
A near-mint PSA 7 copy of the card sold for $15,300 (£12,258.21) at auctioned in March 2021. It’s interesting to note that this is one of the few cards on the list without a PSA 10 rating. It only serves to highlight how important it is.
The rarest and most costly YuGiOh card is a graded Morphing Jar.
12. Morphing Jar Tournament Pack: Season 2 promo
Worth $15,000.
This copy of Morphing Jar, another promotional card, was included in the second season Tournament Pack, a specially-assembled booster that was made available at specific tournament venues towards the end of 2002. Furthermore, Morphing Jar was the only Ultra Rare in the pack, which made it doubly valuable.
A PSA 10 gem mint condition copy of the card sold for slightly under $15,000 (£12,000) at the beginning of 2021. Nevertheless, we believe that the original Pot of Greed is the greatest dishware to have ever been released in Yugioh.
13. Dark Magician Girl 1st edition
Worth $13,200.
The first edition of Dark Magician Girl appeared in the Magician’s Force set only for North America in 2003. This was the only printing to use the card image from the anime, though she has subsequently had a broader reprint. In November 2020, a gem mint first edition Dark Magician girl sold for $9,100 on eBay, and in July 2022, another sold for $13,200 on PWCC marketplace.
Pricey Yugioh cards: a sealed grading container containing a copy of the Golden Sarcophagus Yugioh card in German
14. German Pharaoh’s Tour prize Gold Sarcophagus
Worth $12,600.
Gold Sarcophagus, another championship reward card, was awarded to national winners in the Pharoah’s Tour series in 2007. The winners in first place received the Ultra-Rare variant. Presumably because it was the sole German-language copy of the card available at the time, a PSA 8-graded German copy of the card sold for $12,600 when it went up for auction in June 2022.
15. Red-Eyes Black Dragon LOB 1st Edition
Worth $10,600.
Red-Eyes Black Dragon is another beloved figure from Yugioh’s colourful drake series with striking eye colours. While it may not have the same level of recognition or market worth as its more valuable Blue-eyed counterpart, it may still be a formidable opponent. This card was a treasure to find, one of ten Ultra Rares in the inaugural Yugioh set release, Legend of Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
The prize’s value has increased only in the last twenty years. In January 2021, a copy of the first issue card cards in immaculate condition, graded PSA 10 will for $10,600 (£8,000). Dragons are quite popular among Yugioh players.
Pricey YuGiOh cards: a gem mint Magic Formula card from Gladiator’s Assault’s initial printing. a card featuring a grimoire’s image