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Episode
GuideEpisode 216: The Dark One Cometh, Part 2 (Legendary Guardian Exodia Revives!)
Lightning flashes and the dark skies roil as people run for their lives from Zorc the Dark One. Seto orders his men to stand their ground—that beast must not advance beyond the palace walls. Zorc must be destroyed at all costs. Seto thinks to himself, if only he had the strength to summon a creature of his own! Zorc would easily fall at the hands of the White Dragon. He asks Kisara to help him.
(Cut from the US version is this shot of Shada lying dead, with the Pharaoh and Isis beside him.)
At the RPG, Bakura says that Zorc's resurrection has brought out the worst of both worlds. As the world of the past sinks into the darkness, so does its present-day counterpart, and before long, neither will exist. The best part, Bakura continues, is that it's all Yami's fault. If Yami hadn't traveled back in time to learn about his past, Bakura wouldn't have been able to join him. And Yami is the only one who can stop him, but he never will. He can't remember the key to beating Zorc—his own name. (Japanese Bakura says that if the Millennium Puzzle hadn't been put together, and Yami hadn't been revived, none of this would have happened. It's ironic—if not for Yami, Bakura wouldn't have been revived. He really appreciates it. He tells Yami to stop his pointless resistance. He should go back to the darkness—it's his fate.)
Yami agrees, but says that there is someone out there with the courage and determination to find it for him—Yugi! There's a reason Yugi and Yami were brought together—so they can rescue mankind from the evils that scoundrels like Bakura unleash. (Japanese Yami says, fate... maybe Bakura is right. Because of Yami's revival, all of this began. Yami's memory flashback is changed in the US version, after Yami holds up the three god cards to the stone tablet, to show Bakura putting the Puzzle into the Millennium stone and Zorc reviving. In the Japanese, the flashback continues, showing Yami being drawn into the Memory World.)
And it's not only Yugi Bakura needs to worry about—Yami has all of his friends by his side. (Japanese Yami says, therefore, he has to put an end to it! He must not be defeated.)
Bakura just laughs, and says that when Yami enters the Shadow Realm, so will they. And so will the rest of the world! (Japanese Bakura says, such a tough guy! Well, they'll see how long Yami's arrogance will last.)
Zorc continues to attack the palace walls. Shimon tells the Pharaoh that it's useless. Their defenses are too weak. The Pharaoh sadly agrees. Shimon says there's only one way to defeat a creature as powerful as Zorc—the Pharaoh must summon the three Egyptian gods. The Pharaoh protests that he can't—not without his Millennium Puzzle. Besides, he points out the nearly-empty life counter on his Diadiankh, saying that his energy is much too low. Shimon agrees that without the Items, none of them has the strength they need.
Isis stands up, saying that they must search the desert until they find the Items. The Pharaoh asks, haven't they been destroyed? Shimon remembers that when Zorc first arrived in their world, the seven Millennium Items were scattered throughout the desert. If they can find them, they might be able to save Egypt.
The Pharaoh says he'll go, but Isis says he has other matters to attend to. The soldiers are depending on their king for support. With Spiria as her guide, she knows she can locate the Items. Mana approaches, eager to join Isis. The Pharaoh hesitates, but Mana says if Mahad were there, he'd want her to go. (Japanese Mana says she'll work hard and do her best.) The Pharaoh agrees, and Mana says they won't let him down.
Seto says he hopes not. He tells Isis and Mana to take the south route, while he and his men distract Zorc. Isis and Mana hurry away, as the Pharaoh wishes them luck.
Seto orders his men to fire. (As before, Zorc is redrawn in the US version so that his serpent appears to be coming out of his stomach rather than between his legs. For some reason, Zorc and the building in front of him are also tipped sideways in this shot.)
Stones are catapulted and wooden missiles are launched at Zorc. They strike him with no effect, and Zorc laughs. (Little glowy bits are added where the missiles strike Zorc in the US version.)
Meanwhile, Isis calls forth Winged Dragon Guardian of the Fortress, but sinks to her knees as the summoning drains her energy. Mana kneels beside her, worried, but Isis says she's all right, and they fly away on the dragon's back, with Spiria guiding them.
The duel between Yugi and Bakura continues, with the score at Bakura 1600, and Yugi 2400. Bakura says, who knew Yugi would get so far with out the Pharaoh holding his hand? Yugi says that, with the fate of the world at stake, you'd be surprised how well he can duel. (Japanese Yugi says that whether it's himself or his other self, he won't be defeated.) Joey says that's telling him, and Téa tells Yugi, you go!
Bakura tells Yugi to tell his fan club to settle down. It's his turn now. Bakura draws, then plays a magic card, Spirit Sword of Sealing. This allows him to choose any of Yugi's monsters on the field and remove it from play, and he chooses Silent Swordsman. Bakura says Yugi can't rescue him using magic, trap, or monster effects. Nor can he use any of Silent Swordsman's own effects. Next, Bakura summons Disgraced Mage (1700 ATK) and attacks Yugi's Marshmallon. Marshmallon's effect prevents it from being destroyed, but Yugi loses 1400 life points, taking him down to 1000.
Bakura says if Marshmallon had gone to the graveyard, Yugi's Silent Swordsman would have been set free. Any monster imprisoned by the Spirit Sword of Sealing is automatically released when another monster belonging to the cardholder is destroyed. It looks like Marshmallon's effect backfired this time. Bakura laughs, saying perhaps Yugi could have used the Pharaoh's help after all, and calling Yugi a pathetic mortal.
Téa shivers and says that something's not right about Bakura. Joey asks if she's just noticing this now—Bakura's nuts. But Téa asks if he doesn't think it's weird that Bakura called Yugi a "pathetic mortal." He said it as if he wasn't human. Téa insists that there's something different about Bakura.
Bakura ends his turn, and Yugi draws. Bakura stops him, reminding him that the Spirit Sword prevents Silent Swordsman from increasing its power. Yugi says he knows the rules, and summons Blocken (300 DEF) in defense. Joey is dismayed, saying that thing has only 300 points. What's Yugi thinking? Yugi ends his turn.
Bakura says that just when he thought Yugi's deck of miniature misfits couldn't get any worse, Yugi plays that! He draws, then orders Disgraced Mage to attack Marshmallon again. Joey throws up his hands, wailing that he can't watch. Then he says he will, but tells Yugi to do something! Disgraced Mage approaches, and Bakura says he'll eliminate the rest of Yugi's life points, but Yugi says, not a chance. Blocken's effect activates, and it takes the attack, saving Yugi's life points. Joey says it's awesome—now that a monster has gone to Yugi's graveyard, Silent Swordsman is back in play.
But Bakura points out that whenever Disgraced Mage defeats another monster in battle, that monster goes back to the player's deck, not to the graveyard. Silent Swordsman is still trapped. Joey says if this keeps up, Yugi won't be able to use his best monster.
Yugi says that's true, but he's not done yet. When Blocken is destroyed in battle, he can summon another monster, Lenguard (300 ATK), to take its place.
Bakura laughs, calling that the worst deck he's ever seen. He sets three cards face down and ends his turn.
Meanwhile, Isis and Mana search the desert for the Millennium Items. Mana wonders, if she were a Millennium Item, where would she be? Right there, Isis answers, and they swoop down to the spot where the Items have fallen. Mana jumps down from the Winged Dragon Guardian of the Fortress and begins to pick them up, naming them off as she does so: Millennium Scale, Millennium Rod, Millennium Ring, Millennium Puzzle, Millennium Eye, Millennium Key. (Japanese Mana calls the Millennium Puzzle "Sennen Sui," which means "Millennium Pyramid." The Puzzle was actually a solid block when it was first created. It didn't become a puzzle until after the Pharaoh sealed his soul inside it and broke it into pieces.) Isis picks up her own Millennium Necklace, and Mana tells her there's no time to lose. They must go! Isis smiles as she holds the Necklace in her hand, then holds up her Diadiankh and her life counter refills.
Back at the duel, Bakura tells Yugi that, not only has he failed the Pharaoh, he let down the entire world. Yugi says, not yet, and draws. (Japanese Bakura has no dialog here. Yugi thinks that he must win for his other self.) Yugi then orders Marshmallon to attack Disgraced Mage. (Cut from the US version is this shot of Jounouchi exclaiming, what?! and Anzu saying that it's unbelievable—Bakura's monster is stronger.)
Bakura says, game over! But Marshmallon bounces off of Disgraced Mage and Yugi's life points remain untouched. Yugi explains that he's activated Lenguard's special ability—whenever one of his monsters is damaged, the result is automatically transferred to Lenguard. Lenguard takes the damage and is destroyed, going to the graveyard and freeing Silent Swordsman. Joey and Téa cheer, as Yugi orders Silent Swordsman to attack Disgraced Mage, destroying it.
But, to Yugi and the others' surprise, Bakura's life points aren't damaged. Bakura says that whenever Disgraced Mage is destroyed, he can avoid damage by returning his hand to his deck. As he shuffles, Bakura thinks that Yugi will never escape from this duel, and the Pharaoh will never learn his true name. Yugi thinks that he must stay focused and never give up, no matter what. If the Pharaoh were here, he'd say the same thing. (Cut from the US version is this close-up of Yugi, as he continues thinking that he must wait for his chance.)
(Also cut is this long shot of the duel, as Yugi ends his turn.)
Bakura draws, then plays the magic card, Pot of Greed, and draws two more cards. Then he activates his face-down magic card, the Cursed Twin Dolls (Cursed Necro Twins).
Joey freaks out, saying that's why he never played with dolls. Bakura explains that each doll is carrying a gift box, one of which contains a curse. Yugi must choose one of the gifts. Thinking that he's got a 50-50 chance, he chooses the red box, and Bakura gets the black one.
The red box opens, and a swirl of mist emerges and floats around Yugi. Bakura says he's chosen wisely. Now, each time a card is sent to the graveyard, Yugi will receive 200 extra points. Joey tells Yugi, way to pick 'em! and Yugi says it's time to see what's in Bakura's box. Bakura says it's a curse. The black box opens, and all of the cards come out of Bakura's graveyard to hover over the field as phantoms. Joey runs to hide behind Téa, telling her not to let them get him. She asks if she looks like a human shield, and Joey says yes, she does.
Bakura says his phantom creatures aren't able to attack or defend. They're no threat to Yugi—yet! Then Bakura plays Necro Soldier in defense. Yugi thinks Bakura's up to something—but what? (Cut from the US version is this overhead shot of the duel, while Bakura thinks that Yugi's death will come.)
Meanwhile, Isis and Mana fly back to the palace on Winged Dragon Guardian of the Fortress. Mana says they're not too late—Zorc hasn't made it into the palace yet. The soldiers continue firing their weapons at Zorc, who looks over his shoulder to see the dragon speeding back towards the palace. He turns around, telling them that the Millennium Items are powerless against him, and throws fireballs at them, which the dragon manages to dodge. Shimon runs towards them, as the Winged Dragon lands just beyond the palace walls.
Isis tells Mana that she'll deal with Zorc, while Mana takes the Items to the Pharaoh. Mana protests that she won't let Isis fight alone, but Isis tells her that if the Pharaoh doesn't get the Items, all hope is lost. Mana hesitates, while Isis insists that the fate of the world is at stake, and Mana's place is with the Pharaoh. Mahad would have said the same thing. Crying, Mana finally takes the sack containing the Millennium Items and jumps down from the dragon, then runs to the palace.
Isis calls on her Millennium Necklace to grant her strength, and the Winged Dragon grows larger. Zorc searches for them, and the dragon rises suddenly from the smoke of the battle. Spiria flies into Zorc to distract him, and then the dragon rams him. Zorc says they'll pay for that, and takes out the dragon with a swipe of his paw. Isis falls from the dragon and plummets towards the ground. (A glow is added around Isis as she falls in the US version.)
Tears falling from her eyes, she apologizes to the Pharaoh. She will now join the others in the Shadows. (Japanese Isis apologizes to Karim and Shada for failing the Pharaoh, and then to Mahad.)
Zorc blasts more fireballs as Shimon reaches the wall, where he sees Spiria float away into the sky. He tells Isis farewell. Then Mana comes running up and falls to her knees in front of Shimon, weeping for Isis. He tells her that Isis may have been absorbed by the Shadows, like Karim and Shada, but there is a way to rescue them, by defeating Zorc. (Japanese Shimon tells Mana that she must take the Millennium Items to the Pharaoh, so that Isis will not have died in vain.) He takes the Millennium Key from the sack, saying that he'll buy some more time. Before Shada, he was the guardian of the Millennium Key. He gives the sack back to Mana and tells her to take them to the king.
Mana runs off with the remaining Millennium Items, as Shimon asks the Key to grant him strength this one last time, in the name of the Pharaoh. Then he holds up the Key and calls upon the Forbidden One!
Beyond the palace, a circle of glowing spots forms around Zorc. (There are five glowing dots in the Japanese, which have been doubled in the US version.)
Five stone tablets rise along the circle, each with a piece of Exodia the Forbidden One carved on it. Shimon calls out, behold Exodia, protector of Egypt! (The five-pointed star drawn between the glowing spots is changed to a ten-pointed star in the US version.)
In a shaft of light, Exodia appears, bound in chains. (This shot of the Pharaoh and Seto watching in awe is cut from the US version.)
The soldiers cheer as the mighty Exodia appears. Seto says it's the Forbidden One—a beast so powerful it was able to defeat an army of thousands in a single night. If not for Exodia, Shimon says, this land would have fallen at the hands of its enemies. Due to its incredible strength, Shimon sealed it in five stone tablets, vowing never to release it again. Now, he lifts that seal!
Exodia's chains burst, and the two monsters clash. (Cut from the US version is this sequence in which Exodia rips Zork's arm off, and Shimon says, good!)
(Zork says it doesn't matter—he's immortal. The arm, still clutched in Exodia's fist, turns to sand, and a new arm spurts from Zork's shoulder.)
(The Pharaoh and Seto watch, as Zork and Exodia grapple again.)
(This time, Zork rips off Exodia's arm and tosses it aside.)
(Shimon clutches his shoulder in pain, but says that if Zork's immortal, so is Exodia.)
(Sand rises from the desert to form a new arm for Exodia.)
The soldiers cheer, as Exodia and Zorc strike each other with huge blows. Seto exclaims that it's as powerful as Zorc! The Pharaoh says, let's hope. Shimon gasps with the effort of maintaining the monster.
Zorc laughs, and asks Exodia how it expects to overpower him. Exodia draws its life force from a single human, while Zorc's is derived from the darkness itself. Shimon says, then observe what the life force of a single human can do. Shimon commands, Exodia, obliterate! and Exodia releases a huge blast. As the Pharaoh and Seto watch, Shimon offers up every ounce of his spirit to implore Exodia to burn through the darkness.
Zorc says there's not a creature in existence that can overpower him. His strength is infinite. He counterattacks, and his dark blast bursts through Exodia. Shimon gasps (the blood spitting from Shimon's mouth is removed in the US version),
as Exodia splits in half (a glow is added to Exodia being sliced in two in the US version),
and crumbles to dust. Shimon collapses to his knees. He tells the Pharaoh he failed him, and he falls to the ground, the Millennium Key dropping from his hand. (A glow is added around Shimon as he falls in the US version.)
Zorc turns to the palace, and tells the Pharaoh that opposing him is futile. He is the embodiment of pure darkness, and as the world is enveloped by Shadows, his power shall grow. He tells the Pharaoh to kneel before his new master.
The Pharaoh refuses. The light of hope still shines upon the people of Egypt, and that light can illuminate the darkest shadows.
Mana runs to the Pharaoh and gives him the Puzzle. She weeps, telling him that Isis and Shimon surrendered their spirits to the Shadows so she could bring it to him. He assures her their actions will not be in vain. The Puzzle glows and the Pharaoh's life counter is renewed.
Holding the Puzzle in his hand, the Pharaoh walks towards Zorc, saying that he faces him with the spirits of those who gave up so much to gain peace. In the name of the people of Egypt, he shall prevail!
To Be Continued
