Summary
Joey's final duel in Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters was unfair and made Zigfried look better. The plot focused on Zigfried setting up the duel with Kaiba. Joey's final duel should have been against Grandpa Solomon, showing his growth as a duelist.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel with monsters is a series in which many iconic characters are given multiple opportunities to prove themselves as powerful and talented duelists, even Joey Wheelerwho starts out as a mediocre fighter and becomes one of the best fighters in the world. Throughout the story, Joey proves his unique skill set through duels that lead to his development.
However, due to the demands of the plot, some duels are not as fair as others. Such is the case with Joey's final fight in the seriesin which he faced the main antagonist of the Kaiba Corp Grand Championship arc. Their encounter became infamous not only for being unfair, but also because it meant that Wheeler's final match ended in defeat.
Joey's final match was all about making Zigfried look better
The plot favors the villain because he still needs to fight Kaiba
Kaiba Corp part. The Grand Championship is the penultimate part of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters series. During the event, many of the series' most skilled duelists faced each other in fierce competition. Besides iconic characters like Joey and Grandpa Solomon, A mysterious and charismatic millionaire named Zigfried entered the tournament.. This cunning man has a personal grudge against Kaiba, jealous of Seto's success. He plans to infiltrate his business rival's event to ruin it and hacks Kaiba Corp's mainframe. In the second round of the tournament, Joey has to duel this villain.
By this point in the series, Joey has proven himself to be a skilled duelist, capable of taking on serious opponents such as Yugi and Kaiba. However, when the time comes to face Zigfried, the young man falls back into his old habits, almost as if All the progress he made throughout the series was gone.. Joey was careless, relying too much on brute force and forgetting to set up defense. Zigfried, on the other hand, had a near-perfect hand, with every card in his hand ready to counter any move Wheeler made. By the end of the fight, Joey was completely humiliated.
He barely causes any damage to his opponent's Vitality Points, making him look like a novice fighter trying to defeat a professional fighter. This wouldn't be a big deal since something similar happened during Joey's duel with Marik. However, the reality is this is Joey's final match in the series making this loss especially painful for Yugi's best friend. He is used as a tool to make Zigfried look more intimidating, preparing him for the final confrontation with Kaiba.
Joey's last match was supposed to be against his grandfather
Defeating his mentor would be an ideal end to his journey
When Joey first appeared, he was a new fighter and knew nothing about the game. He had to be taught by Yugi's grandfatherformer archaeologist Solomon, how to become a good player. Thanks to the lessons of the old gentleman, Joey has become a skilled duelist, with skills that rival the best of the best. Wheeler has fought opponents that the average player would never dream of facing. The Kaiba Corp. Grand Championship should have been the result of all his hard work, as proven by his first match in the tournament.
Joey has officially surpassed his teacher, proving to everyone who doubted him that he can indeed become a talented fighter.
In the first round, Joey's opponent is none other than Solomon.who had entered the tournament precisely to test his student. Their duel was tense, with both players coming up with brilliant and complex strategies in hopes of overwhelming their opponent. While Grandpa had the advantage throughout the early part of the duel, Joey managed to destroy his Ancient Dragon combo and crown himself the winner. This duel would be a great way to demonstrate how much Wheeler had grown as a duelist.
Joey will officially surpass his mentor, proving to everyone who doubted him that he can truly be a great fighter. This surprising ending for Joey's character was marred by the plot's need for someone to highlight Zigfried's danger. Sadly, Yugi's best friend would never recover from this, as he was never shown engaging in duels again in the series. Joey is not an active fighter throughout the rest of season 5, nor is it the great Dark Side of Dimensions.
Young Wheeler's treatment in the finale Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel with Monsters is a perfect example of how unfair the series can feel at times. Despite this, the series remains one of the most loved and popular anime series JoeyHis journey from beginner to professional remains an inspirational story for anyone looking to improve themselves.