Yami was a pharaoh in ancient Egypt, but “something happened” and he had to forget who he was to save the world. Now, millennia later, his mighty spirit is awakened. He enters battles with the same stakes, and he must remember himself in order to win again.

This, in a nutshell, is the story of humanity. And no other source conveys it to us more literally.

“Yu Gi Oh,” though a cartoon, tells us the most important truths about people. We are these pharaohs of the past, we have lost our ancient power and we must remember it to take our world back.

Yami is the warrior high priest. He carries a dark soul, but fights for light and rightness. He must defeat the demons within him, but then faces an even greater challenge – to rediscover himself. He is strong and steadfast against his adversaries, generous and understanding with his friends, and silent and mysterious within himself. To win the final battle, he must remember his name, or in other words, be able to answer the question of who I am. This is a referral to people in reality who will be able to create a free world if they realize who they truly are.

Yugi is the version of Yami in the present. He does not have that confidence that he is the master of reality and has the power to win in any situation, but he possesses kindness and dedication. The two (the present self and the over-self) need to learn something from each other so that they can overcome the trials, and then be ready to go on their own way.

Kaiba is the image of the ignorant man. He was also a pharaoh. He also has the power of the universe within him. But he will never reach his full potential until he accepts his ancient past and recognizes who he really is. Kaiba symbolizes the people who stand on the edge between the two worlds and only need to believe and jump on the side of truth.

Many of the other characters are equally vivid and important to the plot. Ishizu, who has an unshakable connection to the universe and can always show the right path. Mai, who possesses unparalleled competitiveness and a desire to beat the best. Rafael, who has a deep personal connection to the cards and understands the importance of loyalty. Mokuba, who is bubbling over with positivity and is bound to be kidnapped by the villain. And last but not least Pegasus, who besides being a genius, always finds the best way to mock others.

The villains are also very aptly chosen. They too are always powerful souls and understand the mysteries of existence. The key is that in the end it always turns out that they are actually good people and at their core they are pure. A powerful soul may go down the wrong path in its quest for rightness, but that does not mean that it itself is lost. The only unalterable evil are Bakura and respectively Zorg, who are the opposite of everything beautiful and pure in man.

The show’s second season is certainly its masterpiece. It’s where we meet the Egyptian gods, find out about the nature of Yami, and have the best villain ever. Marik only turned to the dark side because he had an irreconcilable will for freedom. On the other hand he also wields ancient powers and in many ways resembles Yami. In every duel the stakes are raised and the loser has more and more to lose. Kaiba’s duel with Ishizu deserves special mention, showing that the soul of even the most doubting man will awaken at the right moment and create his own destiny. The final duel between Yami and Marik is an excellent ending, as on both sides the victim is a pure soul. There, Marik has the opportunity to save himself, and by extension, the world.

The shadow realm is a perfect metaphor for what happens in human life. Each of us fights battles, and if we cannot win them, we gradually lose ourselves to darkness and oblivion. There he has no access to the good things in the world, and the memories fade away one by one. Most people in reality find themselves there and have to come out to be able to see all the beauty of life again.

Of course, there is no way Atlantis can be missed in this series. In season four, we find out that before Egypt, there was another civilization where the future of humanity was also being decided for millennia to come. Here, we see the curious duels between Yami, whose symbol is an Egyptian eye on his forehead, and those with the seal of Oricalcus, which everyone can think for themselves what it looks like. And in a completely random and innocent way, we learn from Pegasus that dragons are actually people.

“Yu Gi Oh” is the story of humanity. And it’s time we remembered it.

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