Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sacred Cards: The 24 Strongest Monster Cards

Key Takeaways

• The Sacred Cards
  features powerful monster cards with high Attack and Defense, offering unique gameplay mechanics and lore.
• Acquiring iconic cards like Metalzoa and Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth requires specific summoning conditions and strategic play.
• Players can unlock legendary God cards like Obelisk The Tormentor and Slifer The Sky Dragon by defeating key opponents in the game.

Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sacred Cards is a video game for the Game Boy Advance that was released in North America on November 4, 2003. It is remembered as a somewhat short game that was full of awesome dueling action, the type of stuff that makes games about the popular Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise so interesting.

The story follows the Battle City arc of the anime, where Yugi and his friends participate in a Duel Monsters tournament hosted by KaibaCorp set in the middle of an urban landscape. In addition to the fun gameplay and unique story that delves into the past, players can obtain a ton of incredibly powerful monster cards with which to crush their AI competition.

The best possess monstrously high Attack and colossal Defense while a few even have powerful effects for when sheer force is not enough. These powerhouses also come with neat little card descriptions unique to the game that elaborate on their existence and lore; a nice feature for fans of the franchise’s long history and innovative creature designs. The Egyptian God cards will be left out, as acquiring them is locked behind story events and are otherwise unobtainable for one’s deck.

Updated on September 24, 2024, by Rhenn Taguiam: With a recent teaser from Konami hinting at a new Yu-Gi-Oh! Anime might be more inspired by lore instead of solely Duels, fans of the franchise might be eager to reexplore what the franchise has to offer through its games – especially older ones such as The Sacred Cards that explore more classic rules instead of today’s combo-heavy rulesets. Fans who want to dominate combat in this older game might want to do so not just through intricate Spell and Trap plays, but through sheer power – something made possible with the game’s more powerful creatures. These include two unique Ritual Summons, a variant of the Red-Eyes reliant on a Trap Card, and a Fusion Monster which looks nothing like its constituent parts.

24 Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon

Attack 2800 | Defense 2100

Appearing first in 2002’s “Metal Raiders” Booster Pack in the west, players are treated to quite the unique and grotesque Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon. This Fusion Monster requires precisely two Thunder Dragons to form into this monstrosity. When summoned, the Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon looks nothing like its original form. While the Thunder Dragon is a traditional yellow western dragon, the Twin-Headed variant seemed more amalgamated than actual fusion.

The Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon is a four-legged lizard with salamander-esque features, small eyes, and a pronounced purple horn on its snout. Most notable about its appearance is that its second head isn’t traditionally beside its first head. Rather, its second head is directly behind the first, appearing as an open mouth facing the skies. Players who want a straightforward 2800 ATK fusion can go for the Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon, although the Thunder Dragon source is already a 5-Star Monster – meaning players might have to Tribute more than usual just to secure this Fusion Summon.

23 Zera The Mant

Attack 2800 | Defense 2300

First released in 2007’s “Premium Pack,” Zera the Mant is among the first Ritual Monsters to grace the game. It is summoned through Zera Ritual (Ritual Spell), where players must tribute Monsters of Levels that equal Zera the Mant’s 8-Star classification. This blue field with a purple cloak has a face shape reminiscent of Slifer the Sky Dragon without the second mouth, although the two have no relation. While Zera the Mant has a rather straightforward 2800 ATK and 2300 DEF, players might be more interested in its “mythology.”

Belonging to the “Zera” archetype, Zera the Mant is supposedly worshipped in the land where the Warrior of Zera (Monster Card) comes from. The hilt and guard of his sword are stylized after Zera the Mant’s head. In the “Zera” archetype, the Warrior notably has different “fates.” Upon finding The Sanctuary in the Sky (Spell Card), the Warrior becomes a herald (Zeradias, Herald of Heaven), an angel (Angel of Zera), and an Archlord (Archlord Zerato) before betraying Sanctuary as a Darklord (Darklord Zerato). Alternatively, the Warrior can discover Pandemonium (Spell Card) to become an Archfiend (Mazera DeVille).

Attack 2800 | Defense 2400

Fans of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon who want an alternative dragon to admire can go for Joey Wheeler’s “Red-Eyes” archetype. Centered around the idea of potential, the more “flexible” variants of the Red-Eyes Black Dragon make appearances as early as The Sacred Cards. One such unique card is the Red-Eyes Black Metal Dragon, an Effect Monster that can only be summoned after Tributing a Red-Eyes Black Dragon equipped with Metalmorph (Trap Card). The latter card is a Trap Card that gives its target +300 ATK/DEF, but also half the ATK of the Monster it attacks during damage calculation. Unfortunately, Black Metal Dragon doesn’t have such an effect.

Back in the weirder days of older Yu-Gi-Oh! anime, this card had an alternative origin. In its appearance during the Duelist Kingdom arc, Joey doesn’t use “Metalmorph” to transform Red-Eyes Black Dragon into Black Metal Dragon. Instead, Joey “metallizes” his Red-Eyes via Magic Metal Force (Trap Card), which turns the Trap Card’s +400 ATK/DEF into a stylish metallic Monster makeover. It should be noted that Magic Metal Force seems to be an anime-only version of Metalmorph, as they contain the same card design and have similar effects.

21 Magician of Black Chaos

Attack 2800 | Defense 2600

Perhaps among the most sophisticated members of the “Dark Magician” archetype, the Magician of Black Chaos is easily one of the most recognizable figures in Yu-Gi-Oh!’s early days. Summoned only by Tributing Monsters with a Level equal to eight or more via Black Magic Ritual (Ritual Spell), the belt-clad Magician of Black Chaos sports a rather potent ATK 2800 and high 2600 DEF.

Appearance-wise, the Magician of Black Chaos has two curved head plates instead of the archetype’s traditional one, although he has the same staff motif with a pronounced top with a pointed edge. The Magician of Black Chaos earned anime fame during his first appearance as Yugi’s winning Monster against Maximillion Pegasus in the Duelist Kingdom tournament.

20 Valkyrion The Magna Warrior

Attack 3500 | Defense 3850

While Yami Yugi is often known for his Dark Magician, his host and best friend Yugi Muto has quite a lot of go-to cards up his sleeve. Aside from Silent Magician and the Silent Swordsman, Yugi often relies on Valkyrion the Magna Warrior to get him out of polarizing (no pun intended) situations. As it boasts higher firepower compared to powerhouses like Dark Magician and Blue-Eyes White Dragon, it makes sense for Valkyrion to come with a hefty 8-Star rating.

Not only that, but Valkyrion has a specific summoning condition: the player has to tribute the Magnet Warriors trio (Alpha, Beta, Gamma). Should players be successful, Valkyrion should be able to tank most hits from ordinary monsters. And should players find themselves in a dangerous situation, they can tribute Valkyrion to Special Summon the Magnet Warriors from the GY, essentially giving the player three cannon fodders.

19 Masked Beast Des Gardius

Attack 3300 | Defense 2500

The terrifying appearance of Masked Beast Des Gardius in the Yu-Gi-Oh! game is a mark of its grouping among the darker-themed classic cards of the series. Being an 8-Star monster, Des Gardius has a specific summoning condition: players need to tribute two Monsters and ensure at least one of them is the 4-Star “Grand Tiki Elder” or the 4-Star “Melchid the Four-Face Beast.”

This specific summon does come with a monster capable of beating the likes of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Metalzoa, and even Cosmo Queen. As a kicker, sending Des Gardius into the GY lets players activate “The Mask of Remnants” (Spell Card) from their deck and attach it to any face-up Monster on the opponent’s side of the field – taking control of it.

18 The Masked Beast

Attack 3200 | Defense 1800

Prior to Yu-Gi-Oh! gimmick mechanics such as Xyz Summons and Link Summons, the series only ever had Fusion and Rituals as their other special summoning techniques. In The Sacred Cards, among the more powerful Monsters accessible through this method is The Masked Beast, available for summoning only through the “Curse of the Masked Beast” (Ritual Spell Card). Unlike other more complicated Ritual Spells, the Curse only requires tributing Monsters from the hand or the field whose total Levels reach 8 Stars.

Compared to other Ritual Monsters, the Masked Beast doesn’t have any fancy effects. On top of its rather sinister appearance and its weird appendages, a mask with a gaping mouth for a waistband, and a staff with a mouth, the Masked Beast doesn’t offer much save for a decent 3200 ATK. This allows the Masked Beast to contend with stronger Monsters with a more specific Star-based price point, potentially making it more convenient to summon based on certain builds.

Attack 3000 | Defense 2300

Summons aren’t the only gimmick that players can encounter in their Yu-Gi-Oh! gameplay, especially when The Sacred Cards also showcases older monsters with specific summoning conditions without being part of complicated card types. Such an example is Metalzoa, a robot boasting a 1980s mecha aesthetic and 3000 ATK that places it close to the ranks of 7-Stars which also commonly have the same ATK value.

However, Metalzoa cannot be Normal Summoned via traditional tribute. Instead, players need to Tribute the 7-Star “Zoa” (Monster) that already has “Metalmorph” (Trap Card). The main perk of this summoning process involves the fact that Metalzoa can be summoned in this manner directly from the deck. Players can even give Metalzoa another Metalmorph, as the Trap Card gives +300 ATK/DEF by default to its wearer and provides half the ATK of its target during damage calculation.

16 Tri-Horned Dragon

Attack 2850 | Defense 2350

The Tri-Horned Dragon is an example of a Monster that looks good on paper but can be quite difficult to summon based on its nature. In the card game, Tri-Horned Dragon is an 8-Star Monster, but only has 2850 ATK and 2350 DEF, making it a rather impractical trade-off for summons unless players focus on using weaker Monsters for cheaper tributes.

An alternate way of using Tri-Horned Dragon would be in a self-mill deck, where a revival card like Monster Reborn could potentially resurrect the Tri-Horned Dragon for free without sacrificing other Monsters that could possibly be used as cannon fodder.

15 Meteor B. Dragon

Attack 3500 | Defense 2000

Seemingly an evolution of the Meteor Dragon, Meteor B. Dragon is arguably one of the stronger Yu-Gi-Oh! Monster Cards in terms of sheer firepower. Boasting 3500 ATK and 2000 DEF, Meteor B. Dragon is a heavy-hitting Normal Monster that can best most other cards of its category. However, its lack of special effects means it’s susceptible to enemy Traps, which means players may want to ensure Meteor B. Dragon is protected from Monster-destroying effects.

Not only that, its 8-Star Level means it only needs two tributes for a successful Summon, making its resource requirements just the same as the likes of Dark Magician and Blue-Eyes White Dragon but with better offensive power.

14 Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth

Attack 3500 | Defense 3000

Perhaps the pinnacle of Insect-Types in the Yu-Gi-Oh! title, Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth is a must-have in Insect decks that want to capitalize on sheer offense. Its 3500 ATK and 3000 DEF for a measly two-tribute Summon allows it to defeat most higher-level Monster Cards with ease.

Not only that, the game’s special mechanics means Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth isn’t just a Normal Card that can be Summoned. If players already have the Great Moth in the field, spending a full turn without Great Moth being destroyed will temporarily evolve it into Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth. This gives the player multiple avenues for setups unless the enemy has a nifty hand Trap ready to counter the player.

13 Obelisk The Tormentor

Attack 4000 | Defense 4000

Considered Seto Kaiba’s signature God Card, Obelisk The Tormentor is an equally menacing Monster Card to use in The Sacred Cards. Players obtain this Yu-Gi-Oh! card by defeating Seto Kaiba, with Ishizu Ishtar granting them access to this blue-clad warrior. As with most God Cards, Obelisk can only be Special Summoned by tributing three Monsters.

What makes the Obelisk such a powerful card in the player’s arsenal is courtesy of its effect. When activated, not only does Obelisk destroy every Monster on the enemy’s field, but it also deals 4000 LP worth of direct damage. Although this card effect is only usable once, halving the opponent’s total LP in one effect should be more than enough to secure a permanent advantage.

12 The Winged Dragon Of Ra

Attack 4000 | Defense 4000

Notable in the anime as Yami Marik’s signature God Card, players can obtain The Winged Dragon Of Ra in The Sacred Cards by defeating the same character. Similar to its God Card counterparts, the Winged Dragon can be Special Summoned by tributing three Monsters – a worthwhile sacrifice considering its effect.

When activated, the Winged Dragon of Ra reduces the player’s LP to 1 while the opponent takes the same amount of damage lost. In the most ideal of circumstances, this means dishing out at most 7999 LP worth of direct attack damage, which can be enough to one-hit KO opponents.

11 Slifer The Sky Dragon

Attack 4000 | Defense 4000

Known throughout the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise as Yugi Muto’s signature God Card, Slifer the Sky Dragon remains a formidable Monster in The Sacred Cards. Like the other God Cards, players need to tribute three Monsters to summon this beast that possesses an extremely devastating effect. When triggered, Slifer gets 1500 ATK for every card in the player’s hand, allowing players to drastically increase their firepower outside the usual Equip Cards.

With the right setups, just three more cards can bump Slifer’s ATK to 8500, which should be more than enough to take care of most other Monsters in the field. Considering how not a lot of Monsters can even oppose Slifer’s 4000 base ATK, it’s safe to say Slifer can comfortably taunt the opponents without fear of retaliation until players get enough hand cards for their desired ATK.

10 Dark Sage

Attack 2800 | Defense 3200

One can think of Dark Sage as an evolution of a Dark Magician, for they are greater in both stats and effects. To summon this elder Spellcaster, duelists will need to sacrifice a Dark Magician immediately after resolving the effect of Time Wizard in which one called the correct outcome of the coin toss. While being very situational, players can thankfully summon Dark Sage directly from their deck.

Players should try to get cards that manipulate the outcome of coin tosses or that can be used as a failsafe if one calls the outcome of Time Wizard’s effects incorrectly. Trap cards that prevent damage could be used for such a feat to great effect.

9 Cosmo Queen

Attack 2900 | Defense 2450

A behemoth of a Normal Monster card, Cosmo Queen is renowned for being one of the Spellcasters with the highest base attack stat. One would essentially summon her in order to flatten the opposition with brute force. She can become even more mighty after being equipped with one of the many cards that can buff Dark-type monsters.

Getting 2 tributes to stay on the field can be tricky if the opponent has a strong monster on the field, so having monsters with high defense points can be useful for getting enough tribute material to stay on the field long enough to summon Cosmo Queen from one’s hand.

8 Blue-Eyes White Dragon

Attack 3000 | Defense 2500

Anyone who has ever had even the slightest interest in the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise has likely heard of the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon. It is the strongest regular Normal Monster in the game and an icon known as a bringer of destruction. It is the favorite card of Seto Kaiba, who uses his 3 Blue Eyes to reign devastation upon his foes as often as he can.

There are quite a few dragon-themed spell cards that can help one summon Blue-Eyes from one’s deck, so be on the lookout for those as one plays through the game and acquires booster packs.

7 Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon

Attack 3000 | Defense 2500

The animated version of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon that has been sucked into and warped by Toon World. It possesses the same tremendous Attack and Defense as the original Blue-Eyes White Dragon, though now also comes with the usual effects of a “Toon” monster, which, among a few other things, lets them attack the opponents directly if the foe does not have a Toon monster of their own.

Having other Toon monsters alongside Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon in a deck would definitely be the best play, as taking advantage of multiple Toon monsters can allow players to steamroll the opposition and devastate their Life Points directly.

6 Black Luster Soldier

Attack 3000 | Defense 2500

As its description mentions, it is on par with the mighty Blue-Eyes White Dragon in combat potential, however, Black Luster Soldier is a Ritual Monster that can only be summoned with the “Black Luster Ritual” Spell card. They possess no effects, like their lore-rival, meaning that this card is one ideally used for brute force tactics or possibly greater strategies.

Since Black Magic Ritual is crucial for summoning Black Luster Soldier, players should insert some cards into their deck that can help them search their deck and draw spell cards. This will alleviate having to wait for half of the cards needed to bring out this ritual monster.

5 Black Skull Dragon

Attack 3200 | Defense 2500

Without even looking at Black Skull Dragon’s stats, one can glean the depths of their power by taking a gander at their fusion components: one of the strongest Fiend-type monsters and a legendarily powerful Dragon-type beast of darkness. Black Skull Dragon’s 3200 Attack is a massive threat to anyone facing this Fusion monster, plus, it also can be boosted by cards that enhance “Archfiends”, as this Dark attribute Dragon counts as one.

Decks specializing in fusing monsters will need spell cards that allow such merging to happen, though, cards and card effects that allow one to search their deck for spell cards can be very useful here as well.