The duelists of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s should be given some serious props.

For any of you who have ever dueled in real life, you know that winning isn’t all that easy—or if you’re like me, and have a deck with way too many trap cards and not enough monsters, then it’s impossible. Shh, don’t judge me. If you’re old enough to have ridden a motorcycle (or a dirt bike or moped) then you know that that’s pretty hard too. But doing both at the same time? That’s incredibly difficult and absolutely insane—and yet, in the high stakes game of turbo dueling, it’s what the duelists of New Domino City do for every single duel. Talk about taking motocross to the next level! 

Of course, they’re fictional characters, so it goes without saying that you shouldn’t attempt to—oh heck, I’ll say it anyway just in case. Do not try this at home! New Domino City is populated by brave, but extreme daredevils. Some of them may even seem downright crazy for what they do! 

In this volume in particular, you see hints that some of the duelists may not be in their right minds, usually because a duel dragon card is involved. We saw in earlier volumes Sect driven crazy by his own duel dragon, and unfortunately it appears that that was not a solitary accident. It seems that anyone who gets their hands on a duel dragon card ends up leaking out some nasty miasma and going mad with power. We see through flashbacks that they even corrupt Leo and Luna at an early age.

Are the duel dragons themselves evil? Do they just bring people’s natural aggression to the surface? Or is the miasma and madness coming from another source entirely? (If we’re going to start pointing fingers, I blame the creepy clown. Always blame the creepy clown.)

Crazy dragons and clowns aside, in this volume we also finally get to see the showdown between Crow and Yusei as the second round of the Gran Prix kicks off.

Although Crow has questionable taste in hair styling (according to Leo and Luna, who have nicknamed him "Broom Head"), he’s a competent duelist and a perfect match for Yusei. Their duel is an impressive showdown between two very strong synchro duelists.

Will Yusei be able to stand firm against Crow's deadly aviary, or is he going to start the second round of the tournament with a loss under his belt?

As an added bonus, we also get some glimpses into Crow’s past and whom he’s really dueling for. Every duelist has a backstory and a reason for hopping on that motorcycle, but what drives Crow is especially respectable and sure to tug at your heartstrings a little. 

Their duel takes a turn for the strange though when Yusei and Crow suddenly find themselves in what looks like ancient Egypt. Wearing unfamiliar clothes and trapped in an enclosed coliseum, the boys find themselves completely out of their element. Motorcycles just aren't going to cut it in this setting! 

Why in the world are they even there? Who is the ominous hooded figure that appears, and what does he want with Yusei and Crow? Will Yusei's "sense" be enough to overpower him? 

Find out in volume 4 of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s!

If you can't get enough of Yu-Gi-Oh! universe, you can always sign up for the digital manga magazine Shonen Jump Alpha and read the newest series, Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal, every month! 

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by Gretchen Smail