From the legendary engine of destruction that is the Blue-Eyes White Dragon himself, to powerful arcane masters like the Dark Magician, these cards and their beautiful artworks are engraved into the minds of anyone who grew up in the late 90s. Then there’s Ojamas, who can only be described as the 1% of bacteria that disinfectant can’t kill. Ew. Yep, Yu-Gi-Oh has got some seriously ugly cards lurking beneath the surface. And for this list we’ll be ranking the 35 worst – I mean, “best” ugly and disgusting cards we could find.
35. Weather Report
Everything about this card is just confusing. His face is so simple compared to the complexity of his body, it’s like someone in the art department spent ages on his fluffy cloud tail and traditional Japanese sandals, and then had to rush a face on in the last 5 minutes. Add that to the fact that he’s got an expression that I could only describe as a mild disgruntlement, as if the store just ran out of his favorite brand of milk, and you’ve got a seriously bizarre looking card.
34. Vampire Baby
I’m surprised this concept hasn’t been picked up by DreamWorks yet! Vampire Baby somehow looks 3 and 30 at the same time. He’s quite obviously a baby, with the massively oversized clothes and chubby cheeks. But something about those eyes and that hair gives me the impression he’s a lot older than we’re led to believe at a glance. This guy is definitely in the uncanny valley of Yu-Gi-Oh monsters!
33. Nightmare Penguin
A lot of people are fans of this card, given how it was technically a duelist on the original show… but it just gives me the creeps. It’s so close to actually being kind of cute – I mean, it’s a penguin in a waistcoat. On a surface level that sounds adorable! What we actually get is some hellish looking penguin who would definitely eat you given half the chance, which is an unsettling aura to get from a penguin.
32. D-Boyz
I don’t know what’s uglier in this card: The fact they’re zombies, or the early 2000s outfits they’re wearing! These guys are literally zombies, with eyes poking out and skin turning green. Yet all I can stare at is those baggy old jeans. Remember when having jeans that baggy was actually the cool thing to do? Man, this card makes me want to fire up Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 on the PS2 and blast my Blink-182 tapes.
31. Avatar of the Pot
If you thought Pot of Greed was ugly, why not try giving it a weirdly jacked body? Seriously, this guy has got so many muscles I’m not sure half of them are real. Avatar of the Pot is so muscley that he almost looks like one of those squishy balls with the netting around it. I can’t be the only one seeing this right? Combine that with the fact he’s only being covered by a loin cloth, and you’ve got an ugly card that’ll make you seriously uncomfortable on your hands.
30. Lullaby of Obedience
While this card isn’t traditionally “ugly” like a lot of the cards on this list, I’ve still got a bone to pick with it. A card with a name like “Lullaby of Obedience” could have some seriously awesome artwork to it, maybe featuring the guy from Solemn Judgment. Instead we get a guy with ears from Super Monkey Ball, a hairline that defies physics, and a Ned Flanders moustache. I take it back, this is guy is definitely traditionally ugly.
29. Chu-Ske the Mouse Fighter
I see what you were going for, Konami, but damn this card is just creepy. If it was drawn slightly differently, I’m sure this card would be actually quite cute. But as it stands Chu-Ske is just disturbing. I think it’s awesome that Konami gave a nod to Bruce Lee, something about this mouse gives me the creeps.
28. Big Eye
Old Yu-Gi-Oh cards are an absolute gold mine for ugly artworks – and this guy is a classic example. There’s something about the way those eyes bulge out of him like muscles, and how his two “face” eyes are squashing against each other that just hit that ugly spot just right. Also, this guy doesn’t have eyelashes. Can you imagine the amount of dust that gets into those?!
27. 7 Colored Fish
A lot of people have fond memories of 7 Colored Fish – for a while it was one of the best level 4 monsters in Yu-Gi-Oh, given that it was a normal summonable monster with 1800 attack. That doesn’t change the fact that this card is hideous! I mean, why does one fish have so many teeth? And tusks?! There must be some serious predators in the water where this guy comes from.
26. Mucus Yolk
I feel like “Mucus Yolk” is something you should talk about privately with your doctor, not bring to a Yu-Gi-Oh game. Mucus Yolk are the two most disgusting words stitched together into one presumably sticky monster, and I don’t like the sound of it at all. The annoying thing is that this card is actually pretty good – by equipping it with any equip spell, you can pretty much attack your opponent directly every single turn – making this card stronger by 1000 attack every time you do! Still, think I’ll give this card a pass.
25. Jinzo
I’ve got such a love-hate relationship with Jinzo. On one hand, Jinzo is an amazingly powerful card in old-school Yu-Gi-Oh, letting oyu shut down any powerful traps that could disrupt your game plan. On the other hand, Jinzo looks like a potato alarm clock that instead runs on a chunk of ham. The veiny head, the uncomfortably pink skin, and that Darth Vader-esque mask all give me the creeps.
24. Spear Cretin
What if Gollum was obsessed with weaponry instead of rings? Everything about this card is uncomfortable to look at. The gangly limbs, the six fingers on each hand, the mischievous smile that knows something you don’t but probably should… this guy hits all the marks for being certified disturbing. Also, the way this guy is crawling around on the floor despite having wings is surprisingly creepy. It’s definitely a humanoid, but there’s something almost insect-like about this guy’s stance. 10/10, would avoid looking at every single time!
23. Firegrass
While old school Yu-Gi-Oh contains some of the most powerful and broken cards in the entire game’s history (like Raigeki and Harpie’s Feather Duster) it also contains some of the dumbest cards ever printed. The bottom of this fire-breathing plant almost looks a bit like a Goron wearing the Deku mask from Majora’s Mask, while the top half looks like 2 Bellsprouts that definitely need a break from work. Seriously, how did they make two plants look so fed-up? Combine this with the fact that Firegrass is a normal monster with only 700 attack, and you’ve got a recipe for a card that’s sure to be shoved to the bottom of the spare cards pile.
22. Kumootoko
Speaking of normal monsters that’ll never see the light of day, Kumootoko is possibly the ugliest spider I’ve ever seen – and spiders have already set a pretty high bar! Let’s talk about those legs. 6 of them are “normal” insect legs (well, as normal as yellow striped and point legs can be for an insect), while the last 2 legs are disturbingly human. And muscular. Is this spider human? Was this spider human? Why did it only keep the legs?! Everything about this spider is just wrong enough to make me super uncomfortable – truly an astoundingly ugly card.
21. Mystic Tomato
The OCG art for this card is adorable. In Japan, they went for a tomato that had been carved with a little smile to look like a cute little Jack-o-lantern. In the West? Nah, let’s give it a realistic mouth with pointed teeth and an insanely long tongue, bulging veins on the top of his head, and a gaze that makes you want to look away from this card immediately. They definitely nailed the creepy element – and now I’m definitely putting a few of these up alongside the pumpkins at Halloween!
20. Humpty Grumpty
Humpty Grumpty is a mick-take of the old nursery rhyme Humpty-Dumpty. We all know how that went right? The egg who sat on a wall and fell off. Not the most thrilling of tales, but a classic that we all know and love. Humpty Grumpty is the demon version of this: a literal Deviled Egg if you will. Aside from the all-too-realistic look of fear on this poor egg’s face, the most disturbing thing about this card art is those little arms and legs. Seriously, they look like the limbs of a baby! Why does an egg so large have little tiny legs and arms to move with?
19. Gimmick Puppet Humpty Dumpty
If I had a penny for every Yu-Gi-Oh! card that has ruined the children’s nursery rhyme “Humpty Dumpty” for me, I’d have 2 pennies, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it’s happened twice. Gimmick Puppets are one of the creepiest archetypes to ever be released in Yu-Gi-Oh. I mean, when you make an archetype based around possessed puppets and dolls, what do you expect? I can’t even describe what’s necessarily wrong with this guy. I mean, apart from that way too human smile, he kind of just looks like an egghead on a puppet body. Something just gives me the creeps with this one…
18. Corroding Shark
Corroding Shark is literally just the decaying corpse of a shark. How did this one get past the censors of Yu-Gi-Oh, but the background of Exodia was just “too pentagram-y”? This poor shark has his ribs practically falling out of him, and his fin is barely holding on. I kind of just feel sorry for the little guy! His flavor text also says how he can pass on his terrible curse with a spell – and judging by the looks of him, I think I’ll steer clear of whatever aquarium this guy’s staying at.
17. Gernia
Unlike Corroding Shark, Gernia isn’t easy to describe. I mean, it’s humanoid in some respect, having 2 arms and standing on 2 legs… but the rest of him? Haven’t the foggiest what’s going on. His face has got more horns than could ever be practical. And that’s not even mentioning the one horn growing out of his abs! I mean, what happens evolutionally to your species to need an ab horn to survive?
16. Ojama Green
Ah, the Ojamas. These were a set of 3 monsters that were designed to be ugly, as they were the annoying duel-spirit companions to Chazz Princeton in the Yu-Gi-Oh GX anime. Well, Konami definitely knocked it out the park with the ugly part. Everything about Ojama Green is painful to look at. The way his tongue is so carelessly rolled out his mouth, dragging across the floor and licking up whatever may be there. The way his eye is definitely sideways to what it should be. And last but not least, those tiny little spandies that look way too small to contain it all. Ojamas are actually a really fun deck to play when played properly – so if you can look past what might be the ugliest monsters ever created, then I’d highly recommend giving them a shot!
15. Niwatori
Niwatori looks like me 2 seasons in on a Netflix binge.
He’s barely awake, way too full of food, but still looking for an extra snack & what can only be described as an awful hairdo.
Now tell me why on earth would anyone (in a game about bringing out the strongest monsters with magical powers from the time of the Ancient Egyptians) summon Niwatori?
Overall, this card is ugly – but in kind of a cute way.
14. Crass Clown
What is it with Yu-Gi-Oh! and making creepy egg looking monsters? Crass Clown is downright disturbing in every single way. Not only is he a clown, which is inherently creepy in itself, but the fact that his body is perfectly in the shape of an egg (and the fact that his head and neck practically melt into it) makes this clown hit new levels of creepy that shouldn’t be possible.
13. The Kick Man
Yu-Gi-Oh is home to some of the most creative monsters in trading card game history. You’ve got cards like The Egyptian God cards, who embody an ancient magic in the form of a monster. You’ve got the Elemental Heroes, a series of superheroes who each have their own element. And… The Kick Man. He kicks. Yeah… He’s got a face like Pot of Greed, and he kicks. If this concept was done with a different character, maybe an awesome Karate fighter or a Sumo wrestler, then this card could have actually been pretty cool. As it stands, it kind of just look like a guy who definitely can’t fight, pretending that he can.
12. Gimmick Puppet Shadow Feeler
Gimmick Puppets are truly cursed to look at. And this guy is the pinnacle of this creepy archetype. Two puppets sewn together, sharing the same head – it’s literally the most terrifying concept I can think of. Are they the same entity with two bodies? Or two poor souls who’ve been sewn together by something even more horrific than them? It raises too many questions for me to be comfortable with. It’s a good thing this guy also has an awful monster effect, so I’ll never have to consider playing it in my deck.
11. The Wicked Worm Beast
If you’re not a fan of insects and bugs, then this card is definitely not for you. It’s what’s left of a person, with an ungodly number of worms poking out of his flesh all over him. Just thinking about the pain that guy must have felt before his demise to the worms makes my skin crawl, pun not intended. I think for me the worst bit about this card is his left hand. Where his fingers should be are the stubs of worms, that have been cut to be the right length. This card is one of the most disgusting cards to actually reach a printing press – it and begs the question, who on Earth makes the censorship decisions at Yu-Gi-Oh/Konami HQ?!
10. Dice Jar
Dice jar looks exactly like a titan from Attack on Titan. And that’s enough to send me running away in fear. Those dead eyes and that mad smile leave a truly uneasy feeling in me, like this jar is unhinged and has nothing to lose – that’s not a feeling I like to get from a literal jar. The huge tongue poking out at you, and the teeth that takes up half a face also gives you the impression that this guy can and will eat your hands or dice if they get near him. What a creepy utensil!
9. Il Blud
Il Blud is actually an amazing card for zombie decks, and truly took zombies from being a niche strategy that few people played, into being one of the strongest and most popular decks of its time. That doesn’t change the fact that Il Blud is the definition of nightmare fuel. It looks like a prisoner of some kind, with his inside zipper containing some sort of demon, monster, or god knows what poking out through the middle. That face is so evil-looking and mad… which is what gives this card such a creepy look! This is definitely not a Yu-Gi-Oh monster you’d want as your companion duel spirit, that’s for sure.
8. Ooguchi
I don’t even know where to begin with Ooguchi. Is it a dog? Maybe. Is it friendly? Probably not. What happened to it that it look like this? We’ll never know. His eyes are practically falling out his head, his back looks like a mini mountain range with all those humps and bumps, and I can practically smell his breath through the screen. In terms of pure ugliness, Ooguchi truly takes the cake.
7. Ojama Yellow
Introducing the ugliest of all Ojamas: It’s Ojama Yellow! Ojama Yellow is pretty much the ringleader of the Ojamas, and so it’s only fitting that he’s also the most disgusting looking of the three. The way he’s drooling everywhere with that massive mouth makes me seriously uncomfortable. Just by looking at this monster you can tell he’d be sticky if you ever met him in real life. There’s also something to his uncomfortable pose, looking like he’s dealing with stomach cramps but trying to smile for a photo at the same time – it really adds to the bizarre energy that Ojama Yellow has. Definitely the ugliest Ojama out there. And I wouldn’t change him for the world.
6. Metamorphosis
Now here’s a card so ugly that it’s banned! No, just kidding, it’s banned because the effect is so insanely overpowered that any deck using it could win in a flash. You can tribute a monster you control to special summon any fusion monster from your extra deck with the same level, allowing you to get some insanely powerful cards out on the field without putting in any effort. Great effect, but let’s talk about why this card is awful. There’s something so creepy about this poor duel monster who’s being slowly converted into something more hideous and sinister in real time. You can see the face starting to appear on the back of his head, with a smile that knows it’s won… all while the poor monster stares at his own hands in disbelief. It’s almost a little sad to look at, but it’s also certainly an eyesore.
5. Tongue Twister
I really don’t like the implications of this card. Is the entire thing one big tongue? If so, why does it have teeth and eyes? Does this mean there’s a monster so big, so vile, and so disgusting, that to survive as a separate organ its tongue actually needs its own teeth and eyes?! This also means that the monster here is literally dripping in saliva. And if you ask me, I can’t think of anything grosser than this slobbery monster hitting the battlefield.
4. Twin Long Rods #1
If you’re looking for a Yu-Gi-Oh monster that looks truly unhinged, you’ve found your guy. Everything about this facial expression looks like he’s about to kill you. The eyes that are bulging out of his head, that huge Ojama-like grin that gives off manic energy… this card could only be worse if it had its tongue out. I think the worst bit about this card is that it’s #1, meaning there’s more than just one of this guy (and yes, there is a #2). Any horror like this should be kept at #1 – or 0 if we can help it. Twin Long Rods #1 is certainly not getting a spot in my deck, that’s for sure.
3. Worm Ugly
It’s no surprise that Worm Ugly is, well, Ugly. Although I’m not so sure it’s a worm. I mean, aren’t worms meant to be long and thin, not just some big ball of goop? This card is ugly in so many different ways. The little beak-like mouth and those pudgy eyes make this creature look pitiful, and the green goo dripping off of it certainly isn’t doing him any favors.
2. Parasite Paracide (OCG art)
Now this is one of the cards so bad that the censor team did pick up on it – which as you’ve seen from this list, means it must have been terrible. The TCG art for this card just shows a creepy looking bug on a generic swirly background. You know, typical old school Yu-Gi-Oh stuff. The OCG art instead shows this bug borrowing through a man’s throat and face, all while he screams out in agony. Horrifyingly creepy! I’m not surprised we didn’t get this card over here in the TCG. And in a way, I’m kind of glad we didn’t. I think I’d be too freaked out to even draw this card from my deck.
1. Necroface
If you thought Gimmick Puppets were the creepiest dolls in Yu-Gi-Oh, then you’ve got another thing coming. Necroface has the shattered face of a creepy porcelain doll, all while some tentacled and bulbous horror pours out of it. Any sort of doll where you can see veins and arteries is the epitome of creepy in my book. The card type is also a zombie. Implying whatever that tentacled mess happens to be, it was alive and sentient – and this is all that remains. If I ever die, this is really not something I want to see or spend time with in any afterlife.
