Every Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters Filler Episode You Can Skip According To YouTube
In the 1990s and 2000s, few intellectual properties could stand up to the might of Japanese card games and their various connected properties. Today, Pokémon likely stands as the greatest of its breed, as it remains pervasive throughout pop culture through its anime, card games, and video games. However, "Yu-Gi-Oh!" remains a close contender even to this day. Its card game still has an active competitive community, and it still broadcasts an ongoing anime series called "Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens."
Despite that, many would claim the classic 2000 anime "Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters" as the greatest series the franchise ever spawned, if only for the nostalgia factor. As a somewhat faithful adaptation of the original manga (which technically predates the card game), "Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters" served as many people's introduction to the franchise, and is a large reason for its popularity and success over the years. For that reason, the series warrants the attention of anyone interested in that era of anime.
However, there are some hangups to watching this classic anime. As we said, it's only semi-faithful to the original manga, and actually omits or changes large sections of its early chapters. Plus, it contains more than its fair share of filler. Much of this filler is either bad or unnecessary to the plot, and is likely worth skipping for those who want a more streamlined experience. Thankfully, we can "fill" you in on every filler episode that you can skip without guilt.
At 40% filler, there's a lot of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters worth skipping
First off, if you're looking for a faithful adaptation of the entire "Yu-Gi-Oh!" manga, you might want to add the short 1998 anime, "Yu-Gi-Oh!" to your watchlist. It adapts the early parts of the manga that "Duel Monsters" omits or reimagines, and is often called "Season 0" by fans. You can still skip it, however. In terms of "Duel Monsters" itself, only about 60% of the actual anime is necessary to enjoy the core story (via Anime Filler List).
While different lists around the internet vary in terms of what they consider filler, the YouTube channel Hensama likely has the best and most expedient watchlist for the aspiring "Yu-Gi-Oh!" fan. According to him, episodes 41-45, 80, 98-121, 144-198, and every episode after 224 are all considered filler, and should be skipped if the viewer only wants to watch plot-relevant content.
Some of it is worth watching just for the enjoyment, however
As much as anime fans love ragging on filler, some of it is actually really entertaining, and can enhance the overall experience. In this regard, "Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters" is no different. That being said, some filler is better than others, much better. Luckily, fans have wasted no time in sifting through it all to separate the trash from the treasure.
According to CBR, the top three filler arcs of "Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters" are (in descending order) the "KC Grand Championship" arc, the "Dungeon Dice Monsters" arc, and "Waking the Dragons." These arcs cover episodes 185-198, 47-50, and 145-184 respectively. All of these arcs have received praise for their interesting duels, with "Dungeon Dice Monsters" being the most unique due to its new game rules, even if all of them have their downsides. It should also be noted that while "Waking the Dragons" has many high points, it is also extremely long and inconsistent, making it the most optional of "Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monster's" best filler arcs.