Episode 67: Mime Control - Part III (Overcoming God! The Ultimate Infinite Loop)
Kaiba tells Yugi to prove that he's worthy of his reputation and take down this God card—unless his Duelist Kingdom victory was just a fluke. Yugi stands up and says he will defeat Marik! (Japanese Kaiba says, "Stand up, Yugi!" and Yugi replies, "I understand, Kaiba. Wait for me! I will defeat God!") But Marik still insists that his God card is unstoppable, and tells Kaiba he'll be Marik's next victim. Kaiba says Marik's empty threats don't scare him. (Japanese Kaiba thinks, "Only I can beat Yugi.")
Yugi studies his hand, thinking that he must figure out a way to defeat Marik's God card. But it has 10,000 attack points, and grows stronger with every card Marik draws. None of his monsters comes close. He draws Monster Reborn, and, thinking that this could come in handy, he sets it face down, then plays Big Shield Gardna in defense.
Summoning a monster activates Slifer's special ability. It attacks Big Shield Gardna with its second mouth, draining it of 2000 defense points. Big Shield Gardna originally had a defense of 2600, so it hangs on with 600. Mokuba says Yugi won't last much longer, but Kaiba says Yugi'd better last long enough for him to learn Slifer's weakness, so he can defeat it later and add it to his own deck. (Japanese Kaiba is thinking about how terrible Osiris is, and what a confrontation between Osiris and his own Obelisk would be like.)
Marik taunts Yugi some more, then draws, and Slifer's attack rises to 11,000 points. Mokuba says that's over three times as strong as his brother's Blue-Eyes White Dragon! And with Infinite Cards in play, there's no limit to how strong Slifer can grow! But wait, Kaiba thinks, there is a limit—the number of cards Marik has in his deck. (Japanese Kaiba thinks that infinity is only God's illusion.) He smiles, thinking he's found Slifer's fatal flaw. Now, is Yugi duelist enough to figure it out?
Marik attacks Big Shield Gardna with Slifer, finishing it off, and leaving Yugi defenseless. (Japanese Kaiba thinks if Yugi gives up now, he's not Kaiba's rival. Yugi will disappear, and Kaiba will win Osiris from Malik.)
But then the realization hits Yugi. He says he'll make Slifer destroy itself! Kaiba says it's about time. Marik insists his monster is too strong to be controlled! Mokuba asks Kaiba what's going on, and Kaiba says vaguely that the monster's greatest strength is also its greatest weakness. (Japanese Kaiba tells Mokuba not to talk, but watch what it means to be a True Duelist.)
It's Yugi's move. He has to draw the right card—and he does! Kaiba looks on while Yugi makes his play. (Japanese Yugi says, "I win!" And Kaiba thinks God chooses the better player to be its master.) First, Yugi activates his face-down card, Monster Reborn, and brings Buster Blader back from the graveyard—in attack mode! Marik thinks Yugi's made a fatal mistake. Not only will Slifer destroy Buster Blader, it will wipe out the last of Yugi's life points! Marik reminds Yugi of his unbeatable five-card combo: the Card of Safe Return lets him draw three cards whenever a monster is revived. So, with Buster Blader's return from the graveyard, he draws and increases Slifer's attack to 14,000 points! Then, Slifer's special ability is activated by Buster Blader's summon, and it attacks with its second mouth to reduce Buster Blader's attack by 2000 points. But Buster Blader survives, with 1100 attack points remaining. In his next turn, Marik says, he'll destroy Buster Blader and Yugi will lose! (Japanese Malik says he'll be kind and let Yugi switch Buster Blader to defense, which will allow him to hang on for one more turn.)
But Yugi says there won't be a next turn for Marik. Once Buster Blader attacks, Marik will be defeated! Kaiba looks on, thinking that now he'll see if Yugi's plan will succeed.
Yugi attacks Slifer with Buster Blader. As usual, Revival Jam intercepts the attack. Now, Yugi puts the final part of his plan into play: he activates the magic card Brain Control. Mokuba thinks Yugi must be planning to take control of Slifer, and so does Marik—he laughs, telling Yugi that magic cards are ineffective against God monsters. But Yugi doesn't want Slifer. He takes control of Revival Jam. Once it revives on Yugi's side of the field, Strings draws three more cards, raising Slifer's attack to 17,000 points. Marik is ready to attack Buster Blader with Slifer, but Yugi reminds him that Slifer's special ability means that it must first attack any new monster that appears on Yugi's side of the field with its second mouth. Slifer attacks Revival Jam.
Now, Yugi's loop is complete. Revival Jam revives; Marik's Card of Safe Return causes him to draw three more cards; Slifer's special ability causes it to attack Revival Jam again; Revival Jam revives—it's an infinite loop. Slifer gains more and more attack points, but it doesn't matter—Marik/Strings is forced to continue drawing each time Revival Jam revives until he runs out of cards, at which point he automatically loses the duel.
Marik is furious! How could he lose with a God card in his deck? But he tells Yugi he'll pay. He might have defeated Slifer, but Marik holds another God card—a much more powerful one! This victory will be Yugi's last!
Mokuba cheers Yugi's win, running down to the now-mindless Strings, telling him to hand over his God card to Yugi. Thinking that Strings is just devastated by his defeat, he tells him not to be so hard on himself—it's just a game! (He should tell that to his brother sometime.) He finds the God card on the ground and picks it up, wishing he and his brother could keep it, but as Battle City Commissioner he has to follow the rules! Mokuba hands Slifer to Yugi, along with Strings's locator card, telling Yugi not to get too attached to it—his brother's got his eye on that dragon, too!
Kaiba also comes down to congratulate Yugi on his win. But then he adds that it's a shame Yugi won't have Slifer for too long. He challenges Yugi to a duel immediately.
Suddenly, Marik resumes control of Strings, to warn Yugi that he'll be arriving in Battle City soon. Once he's there, the power of the Pharaoh will be his! He has Rare Hunters everywhere in Battle City, and he's always looking for new mind slaves to control. Who will be next...?
Elsewhere in the city, Joey is still going on about how he was just about to kick Kaiba's butt, unaware that Rare Hunters are all around them, watching them. Téa reminds Joey how relieved he was when Kaiba took off, and as Joey protests that he's not afraid of Kaiba, Marik asks Yugi which of his friends would make the best mind slave. Téa? Joey, perhaps? Angrily, Yugi warns Marik to leave them alone! But Marik continues to taunt Yugi with threats against Yugi's friends. Marik says Yugi's loyalty to his friends will destroy him! (Japanese Malik only mentions Jounouchi specifically. And Yugi responds most to the threat against Jounouchi.)
As Strings collapses, Yugi turns to run back into the city, determined to save his friends. Kaiba tries to call him back, but Yugi says their duel will have to wait. His friends are more important! (Japanese Yugi says Jounouchi is in danger! He can't leave his friend alone.) Mokuba tells Yugi good luck, as Kaiba mutters that running away from a challenge is against tournament rules (which didn't seem to bother him when he cut out on his duel with Joey...). (Japanese Kaiba says Yugi gives up his duelist's pride for his friends.)
Marik's ship pulls into Domino Port, as Yami runs through the city streets, searching for his friends. Riding into Battle City on a motorcycle, Marik vows to win his God card back, along with Yugi's Puzzle. Then he'll be Pharaoh, and the world will cower at his feet! (The final shot of Marik riding away up the street is overlaid with a shot of Marik and Yugi facing each other in the US version.)