A 
Episode
GuideEpisode 207: A Reversal of Fortune (Rewind Time)
Seto and Karim ride up to the Pharaoh, asking if he's all right. Outnumbered, Bakura rides away. Diabound rises from the ground right in front of the Pharaoh, and Seto's and Karim's horses rear, but then Diabound flies off after Bakura. Seto calls Bakura a coward, but the Pharaoh tells him not to be fooled—Bakura might be trying to lead them into a trap. Seto orders his captain to have his men follow Bakura, then evacuate all citizens to the palace courtyard. (Japanese Seto orders the palace gate to be opened to allow the citizens to take refuge.)
As the city burns, the people run to the palace. Meanwhile, Yugi and the others are running in the other direction, searching for the Pharaoh. They stop and look around, and Joey says that there's no sign of the Pharaoh anywhere. Tristan says he can't be too far, then Yugi points up to the sky, where Slifer the Sky Dragon can be seen.
Seto orders his monster, Duos, to find Bakura. Karim summons his monster, Helimai, to join Duos. The Pharaoh warns them to be careful, Diabound could be near—it hides by night. Bakura's face appears briefly in the sky, then an attack blasts out of the clouds, destroying Karim's monster. As Karim hunches forward, gasping, Seto tells him that if they're to defeat Bakura, they must stand tall. Karim tells Seto he'll be fine—but there's no telling where that creature lurks, or where it will strike next.
(Cut from the US version is this bit where the citizens hurry into the palace.)
(Then, Shada joins Isis on the balcony, asking her what she sees with her Millennium Necklace. She says there's a dark shadow approaching the Sky God Dragon. They look out over the city together.)
With a grim expression, the Pharaoh urges his horse into a gallop, and he rides away. Seto calls out to him, then tells Karim that they must follow. They ride after the Pharaoh.
The Pharaoh thinks that Bakura has already become more powerful than he imagined. Bakura must be stopped before he gains another Millennium Item.
Bakura stops his horse on a ridge overlooking the city, and watches as Slifer flies overhead. He thinks, who knew that the Pharaoh could be led astray so easily? (Japanese Bakura thinks they'll settle this once and for all. Yugi is doomed.) Riding towards Bakura, the Pharaoh orders Slifer to seek and destroy. As his dragon flies up, the Pharaoh stops his horse below the ridge, and calls out to Bakura that they should finish this now.
In the Pharaoh's sanctuary, Aknadin stands before the stone tablets of the three Egyptian God monsters, and says that the time has come. Farewell, Pharaoh. (Japanese Aknadin is silent.)
Seto and Karim ride up behind the Pharaoh. Karim asks how they can defend themselves against an enemy they can't see. Seto says that their Pharaoh controls the Egyptian Gods—the most powerful beings in this realm. (Japanese Karim asks if they must sit there and do nothing. Seto urges the Pharaoh to do something to lure Diabound out of hiding.)
Bakura orders Diabound to attack with Helical Shock Wave, and the Pharaoh tells Slifer to counter with Thunderforce Strike. Aknadin throws a sword at the Slifer's stone tablet, and it strikes the stone. (The shot of the sword sticking into the stone has a shiny glow added in the US version.)
Slifer rears back. Diabound's attack hits Slifer with full force, and Slifer is destroyed. (The shot of Slifer without its head is also made glowy in the US version.)
The Pharaoh reels from the loss of his dragon. The sword falls from the stone tablet, and a blast of energy hits Aknadin, who staggers and falls to the ground. Shada runs to him.
Clutching his chest, the Pharaoh tells Seto it's up to him. Seto orders Duos to attack with its Aura Sword, and the monster throws a sword into the swirl of light from which Diabound's attack came. It's a direct hit, but Bakura laughs, asking if they really think they've destroyed Diabound. The monster struck by Duos's sword appears—and it's not Diabound. (The shot of the sword sticking out of the monster's eye is also obscured in the US version.)
With his vision blurring, the Pharaoh gasps that they must fight on. He can't give up now. But then he loses consciousness and slides from his horse.
When the Pharaoh opens his eyes, he finds Yugi holding him up, and Joey, Tristan and Téa gathered around them. He asks Yugi if it's really him, and Yugi exclaims that the Pharaoh can see him! Joey asks the Pharaoh if he's all right. On the ridge above, Bakura watches in surprise. How could those four brats be here?
Taking the Pharaoh's hand, Yugi says that they're a team. The Pharaoh can feel his energy returning. He thinks that he'd forgotten how strong his bond with Yugi truly is. His hand tightens around Yugi's, then he jumps up and leaps onto his horse, telling Bakura that his reign of terror is over. Holding up his Diadiankh, the Pharaoh calls forth the Winged Dragon of Ra. Clouds rush across the sky, then bright light shines through them, lighting up Diabound and making it visible.
Bakura says it can't be! How can he summon a beast so powerful? (Cut from the US version is this shot of Seto and Karim, as Seto says the darkness has gone. Can this be the third god?)
The huge golden dragon appears in the sky, and Seto says, it's the Egyptian sun god, the mighty Winged Dragon of Ra! Ra faces off with Diabound, and Bakura thinks it doesn't make any sense. When he destroyed Slifer the Sky Dragon, the Pharaoh was rendered powerless. So where did he find the strength to call upon yet another Egyptian god? He sees the four friends standing beside the Pharaoh, and realizes that reuniting with his former host restored the Pharaoh's life force.
The Pharaoh thinks that once again, he and Yugi will save mankind together—and he wouldn't have it any other way. (Japanese Yami thinks that he can feel his partner's presence. Yugi's is the other half of his soul.)
At the palace, Shimon and Isis stand on the balcony, watching the light shining from the sky. Shimon says that only the gods of Egypt can cause the sun to illuminate in the dead of night.
Diabound recoils from the light, and Karim says that without the darkness, Diabound has no way to conceal itself. But Bakura says that now Diabound has the power of an Egyptian god, and Diabound attacks with Slifer's Thunderforce. Seto sends Duos to intercept the attack with its Aura Sword to shield the Winged Dragon.
The Pharaoh orders the Winged Dragon of Ra to transform to its Phoenix form, and the burning dragon attacks Diabound. (The shot of Diabound, who's been cut in half by Ra's attack, has a purple glow added to its chopped-off middle in the US version.)
Bakura bursts into flames as his monster is destroyed. (Bakura's flames are turned pinkish in the US version.)
Seto says that the darkness is no more. The Pharaoh hopes he's right.
Bakura's horse rears and Bakura falls to the ground, smoke rising from his body. (Bakura's open eye is closed in the US version.)
Diabound descends to the earth in flames, as the guards in the city watch. They begin to cheer, and Bobasa finally joins the gang, as the Pharaoh thinks that if not for Yugi's bravery, Bakura would have won. He turns to Yugi, smiling, thinking that friendship conquers all.
Joey says that the Pharaoh won, right? The Pharaoh says yes, Egypt is now safe, but it wouldn't have been possible without them. Yugi says the Pharaoh did all the work, but the Pharaoh says Yugi gave him the strength he needed to fight. He holds out his hand to Yugi, who says they're a team. The others run up, and they all put their hands together. Téa says that even two continents and five thousand years couldn't keep them apart. Bobasa says he loves a happy ending.
But Bakura, lying on the ground covered in soot, thinks that he won't let it end like this. He orders the sands of time to reverse themselves, so that he can alter the past. (Again, Bakura's eye is open in the original Japanese.)
A great whirlwind rises in the desert. Seto tells the Pharaoh that they must leave now! Suddenly, Ra appears in its Phoenix form, then Diabound. The Pharaoh says this can't be! Is time flowing backwards? As Yugi holds onto Téa, and Joey and Tristan try to keep their feet, the battle between Ra and Diabound proceeds in reverse, until the clouds open up and darkness returns, and the four friends are blown away by the winds. The Pharaoh calls to Yugi not to go, but he's swept away into the sky. A chasm opens at the Pharaoh's feet, as Duos' Aura Sword pops back into his hand, and Slifer the Sky Dragon reappears.
Then time reverses back, and Diabound attacks Slifer. Now, Bakura says, to pick up where he left off. Slifer is destroyed again, and the Pharaoh suffers the dragon's destruction. Bakura laughs, as Seto calls out to the Pharaoh.
Yugi and the others run through the burning city, trying to find the Pharaoh. Joey asks if it's just him, or did they do this already? Tristan says he's having some major deja vu. The weakened Pharaoh rides up the ridge towards Bakura, asking what Bakura has done. Yugi and the others run up the other side of the ridge, calling out to the Pharaoh. Bakura says he's bought back some time. He tells Diabound to try it again, and this time, Diabound's attack smashes the ground in front of the Pharaoh, causing the ridge to collapse under him. As everyone watches in horror, the Pharaoh and his horse plunge into the chasm. But as the dust clears, the Pharaoh is seen clinging to the edge, with Bakura standing over him.
The tables have turned, Bakura says, reaching down to take the Millennium Puzzle from around the Pharaoh's neck. He tells the Pharaoh that, where he's going, he'll have no use for it. He stomps on the ground, causing the ridge to break under the Pharaoh's hand. Yugi and the others call out and run towards him, but they're too late—the Pharaoh falls into the depths. They stand helplessly at the edge, while Bakura walks away, telling the Pharaoh to enjoy the Shadow Realm.
Seto tells Karim to hurry—they must lead a search for the king. They ride away, with their men following.
Tristan runs after Bakura and hits him in the face, saying that this is for the Pharaoh. (This close-up of Honda hitting Bakura is cut from the US version.)
Bakura turns to him, smiling. (The blood dripping from Bakura's lip is removed in the US version.)
(Cut from the US version is this shot of Bakura licking the blood from his mouth.)
Bakura says he likes Tristan's style. He can use him. (Japanese Bakura asks Honda if he's courting death.) He grabs Tristan by the neck, lifting him off the ground. (This shot of Bakura holding Honda up by the neck is cut from the US version.)
Joey runs to them, telling Bakura to let his pal go. Bakura obliges, tossing Tristan onto Joey. They both fall to the ground. Bakura calls them fools, saying they're no match for "us." Us? Joey and Tristan wonder. They all look up to the ridge above, where Bakura's mysterious robed henchmen wait.
Bobasa calls out to the gang to hurry, this way! They run past Bakura, while Bakura's men start to ride down the ridge. Bakura smiles, thinking that he's in control of this Shadow Game, and reversing the hands of time was a mere taste of what he's capable of. Now, he has five more Millennium Items to seize. (Japanese Bakura thinks that they seem to have returned to the past. A miracle has occurred. This is truly an unexpected game.)
Bakura's men ride to him, as Yugi and the others hide with Bobasa under the ridge. Bobasa says they're all safe now, but Tristan says, all except for one. Joey says they've got to find the Pharaoh. Téa points out that this was a Shadow Game, and the Pharaoh lost. Yugi asks what she means, and Joey agrees that everyone they knew who lost a Shadow Game lost their soul. But Yugi insists that the Pharaoh's okay. He points out that they're in the world of the Pharaoh's memories—everything's still here, so the Pharaoh must be, too. Téa gets it—if the Pharaoh's memories are still there, then so is the Pharaoh. Yugi says all they have to do is search this place until they find him. Téa smiles, as Tristan wonders how they're supposed to do that, but Yugi says they got this far—the rest should be a piece of cake. (Japanese Anzu thinks that Yugi has grown stronger.)
Dawn rises over the city, and Shada stands at Aknadin's bedside, wondering if Bakura's evil rampage will ever cease. First Mahad was attacked, and now Master Aknadin. He holds out the Millennium Key, asking it to guide Aknadin's spirit. (Japanese Shada wonders what Aknadin was doing in the Pharaoh's sanctuary, and asks the Key to tell him what Aknadin's up to.)
Aknadin's eye opens, and Shada quickly hides the Key behind his back, asking if Aknadin is all right. Aknadin asks if Shada has found any strong souls, and Shada says that he and Seto came across a young peasant girl who's harboring a creature so powerful it could not be measured. Aknadin starts to get up. Shada tries to stop him, telling him he needs his rest, but Aknadin pushes him aside and walks away.
Before the empty throne, a guard kneels before Seto, with Karim, Isis, and Shimon standing by. The guard apologizes, saying they've scoured the kingdom but couldn't find the Pharaoh. Seto tells him that even if they have to drain the river Nile, he wants the Pharaoh found. Seto insists that the Pharaoh still walks the earth, and if they expect their kingdom to survive, he must return to the throne.
Isis is concentrating on the Millennium Necklace, and Shimon asks if she can see what the future holds. She says one tiny ripple moves across a sea of Shadows, and as it spreads, one among them will vanish. More ripples will follow, and before long, they will merge to form a devastating force. Time is running out. Shimon asks if this foretells the fate of their kingdom, but Isis says she fears this foretells the fate of the entire world. (Japanese Isis says that she sees a ripple in the darkness. If there's only one ripple, peace will reign, but if there are two or three, there will be disaster. Shimon asks if that's the future of the kingdom, and she says yes. The premonition is coming true.) Shimon says that the order brought about by the seven Millennium Items is falling apart, and he thought it would last forever. How could one man have caused all of this?
Seto walks through the halls of the palace with Shada, asking about Aknadin. Shada explains that when he told Aknadin of the peasant girl they found, Aknadin stormed out in a fit of rage. They enter the room where Kisara has been kept, but she's not there. Seto asks the guards where she's gone, and they nervously tell him that Aknadin took her to the subterranean battle ground. Seto is outraged, and Shada asks if they know why.
A strange little man, who looks just like Gozaburo's butler, approaches, saying that he can explain. He asks Seto to follow him.
The strange man leads Seto down a series of stairways, deep under the palace, to an underground cavern, where monsters face each other while their controllers stand on platforms hanging from the ceiling on chains. Seto says this can't be. Then he hears Aknadin announce, let the battle commence! (Japanese Aknadin tells Seto he's been waiting for him.) Seto looks to see Aknadin sitting in a tall, throne-like chair at the side of the cavern, and says, Master Aknadin has gone mad! Aknadin tells one of the men that this no time to be resting. Doesn't he know the rules of combat? He orders the man to strike down his opponent.
Behind the observer's platform where Aknadin sits, Seto sees Kisara in a cage, clinging to the bars, a frightened look on her face. Aknadin repeats his order to attack, and one of the men's monsters attacks another. (The attacked monster is Wicked Worm Beast. I don't recognize the others. Cut from the US version is this shot of the man whose monster is attacked slipping and falling from the platform.)
Seto runs to Aknadin, asking if he's lost his mind, forcing prisoners to battle one another for his own amusement. Seto says he can't allow this, and tells Aknadin he must cease at once. Aknadin tells Seto to be silent, and says he's only executing Seto's idea. The attacking monster, a large insect-like beast, grows even larger, and Aknadin says that he took Seto's plan to the next level. Seto suggested they collect an army of Shadow creatures, and Aknadin found a way to make them grow, by forcing them to fight for survival. As their rage increases, so does the strength of the beast that dwells within them. (Japanese Aknadin says it's fear of dying that makes the beasts stronger.)
The man controlling the insect-beast says he'll now finish off the other man's beast. The other man screams in rage, and his own beast grows stronger.
Aknadin says he understands the Pharaoh is gone, and asks if Seto doesn't think it's time they made the necessary provisions. Seto reacts in horror, protesting that the Pharaoh is out there—the Royal Guard is searching for him as they speak. Aknadin tells him to be realistic, and says it's time to call a new Pharaoh to the throne. Someone like Seto. But, Aknadin says, Seto can't lead the empire alone. He'll need an army of powerful creatures, whose might rivals that of the Egyptian Gods themselves. And that is exactly what Aknadin is creating for him. (Japanese Aknadin says that the current Pharaoh was chosen because he could control the gods. The replacement Pharaoh must also have the strength to control powerful monsters. He tells Seto to hurry and find the strength.)
Seto turns away, wondering what dark forces are at work here.
Aknadin orders his guards to lead the next prisoner to the battlefield. The guard opens Kisara's cage, as Seto protests that Aknadin can't be serious! Aknadin says that this young woman is not the meek peasant girl she appears to be. She harbors the most dangerous Shadow creature they've ever seen. The guards pull Kisara from the cage and lead her to the battlefield. Seto says it's an outrage! He won't stand there while Aknadin endangers an innocent girl. Even if she is powerful, she's done nothing to deserve this. Aknadin tells Seto to stop being so naive. In this case, the innocent must be punished for the greater good of their people.
The guards raise a wooden ramp leading to a hanging platform covered in raised spikes. Aknadin says this girl may be the key to the survival of Egypt. Kisara turns to Seto, seeing the young boy who once saved her, and begs him to help her. The guards force her onto the ramp, and she runs across to the platform. Aknadin says there is no other way. As Kisara stands trembling, the two monsters looming over her, Aknadin says, let the battle begin! and laughs.
