Recap / Yu Gi Oh The Abridged Series S 4 E 8 The Break Up

"The difference between me and Ash Ketchum? I've actually won a tournament or two."

— Yami Yugi

The Pharaoh loses a duel to Rafael.

---

Tropes:

• Boring, but Practical: Rafael quickly becomes one of the most effective opponents Yami has even gone up against by just playing a normal game of Duel Monsters and not making references.
• Bothering by the Book: Rafael completely flummoxes Yami by spending his turn clearly stating his moves and setting cards. Rafael has no intention of doing the usual reference game with Yugi and is just going to play Duel Monsters straight. The concept of actually playing the card game instead of quipping completely floors Yami.
• Calling Your Attacks: For the first time in the abridged series, Rafael calls out all his moves as he is making them. Considering the nature of the series itself, Yami is understandably perplexed by this.
  Rafael: "It's your move."
  Yami: "Right. Um, time out. What are you doing?"
  Rafael: "Playing the card game."
  Yami: "Yes, but why?"
  Rafael: "Because we're in a Duel?"
  Yami: "That's not how this works. We usually say we're going to play a card game, but then we spend the entire Duel making wisecracks and referencing Internet videos. Then at the end, I win and people laugh and have a good time."
• Crippling Overspecialization: Turns out Yami has spent so long in the abridged world making internet references and jokes he has no idea how to actually play Duel Monsters.
• Didn't See That Coming:
  • Rafael psyches himself for the upcoming duel with Yugi by stating that he's prepared for anything. Then the Pharaoh decides to make an unnecessary jump over a cliff with a horse, likely killing the horse in the process.
    Yami: Nailed it.
    Rafael: Okay. I wasn't ready for that.
  • On the flip side, Yami clearly isn't prepared for an opponent who actually takes a children's card game seriously.
• Gone Horribly Right: Rafael's plan to make Yami activate the Seal of Orichalcos gets him a bit more than he initially bargained for.
  Rafael: Now do you see how right I was about you being evil?
  Yami: Yes, Rafael. I see exactly what you mean. And now that I know how evil I can be, I'm going to destroy you and everything you hold dear and bathe in the afterglow of your demise.
  Rafael: Well... well, good. I'm... I'm glad this worked out. Yay.
• Heroic BSoD: After losing Yugi, Yami is reduced to a babbling mess.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Yugi shoves Yami out of the way of the Seal's range, sacrificing his soul in place of Yami's.
  Yugi: It's funny. I always wanted to be like the Dark Magician. But compared to you, I'm just a Kuriboh. So I'm using my special ability.
  Yami: But that means...
  Yugi: Yes. I'm discarding myself from the field so that no harm comes to you.
  Yami: Yugi! DON'T BE A KURIBOH!!!
• Inelegant Blubbering: Yami cries so much after Yugi's Heroic Sacrifice that he can't speak coherently.
• Insane Troll Logic: Rafael somehow came to the conclusion that humanity was evil just after he was saved from being stranded in the ocean by some people passing by in a boat. The Pharaoh makes sure to point out how flawed his logic is.
• My God, What Have I Done?: Yami's pride bites him big time. He laments before Rafael delivers the finishing blow.
  Yami: "If only I hadn't discarded so many of my children's trading cards! The most evil thing a person could do! I'm basically Hitler right now! Please forgive me!"
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: The Pharaoh has no intention of using the Seal of Orichalcos when he gets it, but then Yugi mentions how he could potentially lose the duel. Cue the Pharaoh using it and proceeding to lose.
• Obliviously Evil: Rafael genuinely doesn't seem to have any idea that he is working for the side of evil. He even states that he "loves being a good guy" after he describes Yami losing his soul as "the seal rip[ing] the soul from [Yami's] still beating chest."
• Oh, Crap!: Rafael actually plays Duel Monsters completely straight instead of letting the show abridge the game to the point where it's just a duel of quips. The Pharaoh gets confused by this and starts panicking.
• Sore Loser: Yami initially had no intention of using the Seal of Orichalcos against Rafael, and that doing so would just be an unnecessary risk, but after Yugi points out he is likely going to lose he decides to activate it while condemning Rafael for giving him no other choice.
• Take That!: The opening gag mentions Ash Ketchum from the Pokémon anime, and how he's never won a tournament. (The episode was released two months after his infamous Kalos League loss.)

---