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The Yu-Gi-Oh! banlist has changes that occur every few months. In Yu-Gi-Oh!, there is no set rotation, meaning every card from the very first set of the game to the latest release is legal to use in the advanced format (the main format of the game). Due to this, the Yu-Gi-Oh! banlist exists to take care of problem cards so no one deck becomes dominant, creating unfun play patterns. There are three categories on the banlist: Forbidden, Limited, and Semi-Limited. There are a ton of cards on the list, with the following making up the Yu-Gi-Oh! banlist for 2024.
Origins of the Banlist
The Yu-Gi-Oh! banlist was originally created because of the early dominance of Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy Of The End and Yata-Garasu which would lock your opponent out of drawing cards if it ever resolved. Since then, problematic cards have been constantly added to the banlist, both to ensure balance in the format and to make sure the game is enjoyable for all.
Forbidden Cards
Forbidden cards are cards that can not be used in any deck in any capacity. They are banned from being included in either the main deck, Extra Deck, or side deck. These cards were either too good at supporting their archetype or had effects too powerful to stay in the game.
Monsters
| Main Deck Monsters | Fusion Monsters | Link Monsters | Synchro Monsters | Xyz Monsters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agido The Ancient Sentinel | Elder Entity Norden | Crystron Halqifibrax | Chaos Ruler, The Chaotic Magical Dragon | Kashtira Arise-Heart |
| Archnemeses Protos | Supreme King Dragon Starving Venom | Curious, The Lightsworn Dominion | Tempest Magician | Lavalval Chain |
| Barrier Statue Of The Stormwinds | Tearlaments Kitkallos | Guardragon Agarpain | M-X-Saber Invoker | |
| Blackwing – Gofu The Vague Shadow | Thunder Dragon Colossus | Guardragon Elpy | Number 16: Shock Master | |
| Block Dragon | Heavymetalfoes Electrumite | Number 42: Galaxy Tomahawk | ||
| Cyber-Stein | Isolde, Two Tales Of The Noble Knights | Number 86: Heroic Champion Rhongomyniad | ||
| Dandylion | Knightmare Goblin | Number 89: Diablosis The Mind Hacker | ||
| Djinn Releaser Of Rituals | Knightmare Mermaid | Number 95: Galaxy-Eyes Dark Matter Dragon | ||
| Eclipse Wyvern | Linkross | Number S0: Utopic Zexal | ||
| Eva | Mecha Phantom Beast Auroradon | Outer Entity Azathot | ||
| Fairy Tail – Snow | Prank-Kids Meow-Meow-Mu | True King Of All Calamities | ||
| Fiber Jar | Predaplant Verte Anaconda | Wind-Up Carrier Zenmaity | ||
| Fishborg Blaster | Simorgh, Bird Of Sovereignty | Zoodiac Broadbull | ||
| Glow-Up Bulb | Spright Elf | Zoodiac Drident | ||
| Grinder Golem | Summon Sorceress | |||
| Kelbek The Ancient Vanguard | Superheavy Samurai Scarecrow | |||
| Level Eater | Topologic Gumblar Dragon | |||
| Magical Scientist | Union Carrier | |||
| Majespecter Unicorn – Kirin | ||||
| Master Peace, The True Dracoslaying King | ||||
| Mathmech Circular | ||||
| Maxx “C” | ||||
| Mind Master | ||||
| Performage Plushfire | ||||
| Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis | ||||
| Ronintoadin | ||||
| SPYRAL Master Plan | ||||
| The Tyrant Neptune | ||||
| Tidal, Dragon Ruler Of Waterfalls | ||||
| Victory Dragon |
Spell / Trap Cards
| Spell Cards | Trap Cards |
|---|---|
| Brilliant Fusion | Appointer Of The Red Lotus |
| Butterfly Dagger – Elma | Branded Expulsion |
| Card Of Safe Return | Imperial Order |
| Chicken Game | Last Turn |
| Cold Wave | Red Reboot |
| Confiscation | Return From The Different Dimension |
| Delinquent Duo | Royal Oppression |
| Dimension Fusion | Self-Destruct Button |
| Giant Trunade | Sixth Sense |
| Graceful Charity | Trap Dustshoot |
| Heavy Storm | Ultimate Offering |
| Kaiser Colosseum | Vanity’s Emptiness |
| Last Will | |
| Mass Driver | |
| Metamorphosis | |
| Mirage Of Nightmare | |
| Mystic Mine | |
| Painful Choice | |
| Pot Of Greed | |
| Premature Burial | |
| Smoke Grenade Of The Thief | |
| Soul Charge | |
| That Grass Looks Greener | |
| The Forceful Sentry | |
| Zoodiac Barrage |
Limited Cards
Cards that are limited mean you can only have one copy of them in your main deck, extra deck, or side deck. Cards that are limited are strong, but not to the point of needing to be banned. Often, limiting cards is done to cut down the consistency of certain decks without outright removing one of its key cards. It is also done frequently to generic cards so fewer decks can rely on their power to boost their own up.
Monsters
| Main Deck Monsters | Fusion Monsters | Link Monsters | Synchro Monsters | Xyz Monsters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Left Arm Of The Forbidden One | Gem-Knight Master Diamond | Striker Dragon | Ancient Fairy Dragon | Beatrice, Lady Of The Eternal |
| Left Leg Of The Forbidden One | Sunavalon Dryas | Denglong, First Of The Yang Zing | Daigusto Emeral | |
| Right Arm Of The Forbidden One | Sunvine Healer | Ib The World Chalice Justiciar | ||
| Right Leg Of The Forbidden One | Psy-Framelord Omega | |||
| Armageddon Knight | T.G. Hyper Librarian | |||
| Astrograph Sorcerer | ||||
| Black Dragon Collapserpent | ||||
| Blaster, Dragon Ruler Of Infernos | ||||
| Bystial Magnamhut | ||||
| Cyber Jar | ||||
| Danger!? Jackalope? | ||||
| Danger!? Tsuchinoko? | ||||
| Dark Grepher | ||||
| Exodie The Forbidden One | ||||
| Keldo The Sacred Protector | ||||
| Lunalight Tiger | ||||
| Miscellaneousaurus | ||||
| Morphing Jar | ||||
| Mudora The Sword Oracle | ||||
| Orcust Harp Horror | ||||
| Performapal Monkeyboard | ||||
| Phantom Skyblaster | ||||
| Psy-Framegear Gamma | ||||
| Red Rose Dragon | ||||
| Redox, Dragon Ruler Of Boulders | ||||
| Rescue-Ace Air Lifter | ||||
| Substitoad | ||||
| Tearlaments Havnis | ||||
| Tearlaments Merrli | ||||
| Tearlaments Scheiren | ||||
| Tempest, Dragon Ruler Of Storms | ||||
| Unchained Soul Of Sharvara | ||||
| White Dragon Wyverburster | ||||
| Zoodiac Ratpier |
Trap / Spell Cards
| Limited Spell Cards | Limited Trap Cards |
|---|---|
| Called By The Grave | Gozen Match |
| Card Destruction | Magical Explosion |
| Card Of Demise | Naturia Sacred Tree |
| Chain Strike | Rivalry Of Warlords |
| Change Of Heart | There Can Be Only One |
| Chaos Space | Time Seal |
| Divine Wind Of Mist Valley | |
| Dragonic Diagram | |
| Final Countdown | |
| Foolish Burial | |
| Gateway Of The Six | |
| Gold Sarcophagus | |
| Harpie’s Feather Duster | |
| Infernity Launcher | |
| Instant Fusion | |
| Into The Void | |
| Magical Mid-Breaker Field | |
| Monster Gate | |
| Monster Reborn | |
| One Day Of Peace | |
| One For One | |
| Purrely Delicious Memory | |
| Reasoning | |
| Reinforcement Of The Army | |
| Sekka’s Light | |
| Set Rotation | |
| Sky Striker Mecha – Hornet Drones | |
| Slash Draw | |
| Snatch Steal | |
| Terraforming |
Semi-Limited Cards
Cards that are semi-limited mean you can play up to two of them in your deck. The semi-limited list is usually a testing ground to see if a card is ready to fully come off the banlist and return to being unrestricted. In rare cases, it acts as a consistency slap on the wrist to weaken certain archetypes. Most limited cards pass through being semi-limited before returning to the game at full capacity unless it’s obvious the card would not cause trouble in which case it skips being semi-limited entirely.
Monsters
- Destiny HERO – Malicious
- Dinowrestler Pankratops
- Speedroid Terrortop
Trap / Spell Cards
- Lightning Storm
- Purrely Sleepy Memory
- Runick Fountain
- Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage!
That is the full Yu-Gi-Oh! banlist for 2024. There tends to be a handful of banlists every year, though the exact dates of release are never made public. If a deck is too dominant, it is likely to wind up on the banlist in some shape or form. Generic cards that promote unfun game states such as floodgates are also frequently put on the banlist.
