Warning, unmarked spoilers abound.
Fruitshipping: Yuya x Yuzu
Yes, Yuya and Yuzu get a section to themselves just because they have that much ship tease.
- General:
- Nearly everyone that knows them both seems to think there is something going on between them. Reactions range from support, to jealousy, to attempting to manipulate the both of them based on their feelings.
- Supplemental materials state that Yuya deeply treasures Yuzu and see her as his key person.
- Ending 4 shows both of them sleeping next to each other.
- They have both shown they that put each other as their first priority, with Yuya refusing to Duel if Yuzu is in need of help and Yuzu focusing on helping Yuya instead of telling the public of an incoming invasion.
- On an official poster for Valentine's Day, Yuya is seen opening a chocolate and the same green music note that Yuzu wears on her school uniform is on the bag.
- Ending 6 starts with the two of them back to back and then has the two of them standing next to each other as they look over Maiami City.
- Both of them are shown to be willing to do whatever it takes in order to ensure each other's safety and happiness.
- The DVD cover for volume 3 (episode 9-12) and 24 (episode 93-96) shows the two of them standing close and touching each other, being notably one of the few covers that do so.
- The very first instance of ship tease is in episode 5, when Sora calls Yuzu "[Yuya's] girlfriend." While it is obvious that Sora does it for brownie points, the fact remains that Yuzu has a Luminescent Blush while denying it and was noticeably annoyed when Yuya rejected the idea far stronger than she did. Bonus points to Sora for seeming to have really jumped on board the ship, telling Yuya to be careful or someone else might take her away from him.
- Episode 10: After Yuzu's loss to Masumi, she and Yuya hug, it gets to the point that Masumi snarks that they are giving their audience a show.
- Episode 15: The You Show Kids tease that Yuzu is mad at Yuya not giving her credit, causing Yuya to freak out and explain that he thinks he owes her at least as much as he owes Gongenzaka.
- Episode 23: Wow, the ship tease at the end of this episode. After beating Mieru using Yuzu's Polymerization, Yuya gives it back to her acknowledging her efforts to grow stronger. This causes Yuzu to start blushing, and shows Yuya and Yuzu staring into each others' eyes with hearts in the background. And Yuzu revealed herself to be a Clingy Jealous Girl once Mieru glomps Yuya and calls him her destined one.
- Episode 26: After Yuya beats Gongenzaka, Yuzu blushes and smiles sweetly while congratulating him.
- Episode 27: After Yuya disappears before the start of the MCS, Yuzu is noticeably worried about him. There's also the fact she is literally Burning with Anger when she sees Mieru again and the only reason she doesn't smack Mieru over the head for calling Yuya her darling is because the kids hold her back. And when Yuya arrives at the MCS, she grabs his hand and asks him where he was and says that she was worried about him.
- Episode 30: Yuzu is the one who worried the most when Yuya is missing for most of Gongenzaka's Duel.
- Episode 32: When it looks like Yuya was flattened by Sawatari's direct attack, Yuzu is noticeably crying.
- Episode 38: Yuzu cries over the possibility that Yuya might never wake up after his traumatic experience with Yuto and Yugo. There's also the fact that when Yuya wakes up, Yuzu's is the first name that he calls.
- Episode 40: Yuzu's dueling is able to get Yuya out of his Heroic BSoD caused by the previous episode.
- Episode 41: Yuya and Yuzu each wish for the other to be safe before they split up.
- Episode 47: When Yuri nearly catches Yuzu and she realizes that she had no hope of outrunning him any longer, she desperately pleads for Yuya to save her.
- Episode 48: When Yuya nearly awakens, there is a moment when he looks at Serena (who he thought was Yuzu at the time) and then to the Obelisk Force, showing that he is worried about her.
- Episode 50-51 showed how important Yuzu is to Yuya. The idea that Yuzu is gone makes him cry without his goggles and even try to punch Reiji in the face. He openly admits that Yuzu was always there for him and because of her, he was able to get stronger. He swears that he will save her no matter what, and when it becomes obvious that he doesn't have the strength to do so, he willingly joins Reiji's Lancers to save Yuzu despite refusing earlier.
- Episode 53: Yuya swears to all of You Show that he will find Yuzu and bring her home. The flashbacks showed that Yuya and Yuzu were likely each other's first friends and have known each other for most of their lives.
- Episode 54: When Yuzu thinks about Yuya, she is noticeably depressed before admitting that Yuya is not with her and crying.
- Episode 62: When Yuya finds out that Yuzu is being targeted by the Security, he is noticeably worried, which puts him in a Heroic BSoD when Crow refuses to let Yuya escape with him.
- Episode 64: Yuzu finally sees Yuya again, causing her to cry tears of joy when he Pendulum Summons, giving her undeniable proof that it is really Yuya.
- Episode 65: Both Yuya and Yuzu show how desperately they want to see the other, from Yuzu rushing through the crowd to get to an injured Yuya to Yuya realizing that Yuzu is in the same building as him. He yells as loudly as he can in the hopes that she can hear him.
- Episode 69: Yuzu refuses to lose her Duel so she can give moral support to Yuya. She even uses all of the You Show catchphrases. It gets to the point that Tokumatsu, who at this point has no idea why Yuya was in the Synchro Dimension or who Yuzu is, asks if she is Yuya's girlfriend. Which makes her blush and hit him with her fan. Yuya himself when he saw was deeply touched by Yuzu's Dueling to the point that he was crying tears of joy.
- Episode 72: Even before Yugo says "The fun's just getting started!", Yuzu recognizes Yuya in Yugo's actions, showing how deep their bond is.
- Episode 73:
- Due to Yuya's actions in Episode 71, both Yuya and Yuzu are BSODing. Yuzu does so because she is worried for Yuya.
- Yuya asks Tsukikage to bring Yuzu a letter he writes to her. He explains he now knows what to do and promises her that they'll end the war and then go home together as he promised everyone at You Show he would. Reading it causes her to cry tears of joy again.
- Episode 76: Yuzu has apparently read Yuya's letter so many times that she has it memorized.
- Episode 77:
- Throughout the episode Yuzu thinks about Yuya, even asking for him to watch her Duel.
- Yuya continually cheers her on and when Melissa states its unclear if Yuzu is safe after she crashed a building, he desperately calls her name.
- Episode 78:
- Yuya desperately bangs on the door to be let out because he hears that Yuzu may have been hurt and outright refuses to duel Shinji for the same reason. Only when Shinji spells out that they can't help her right now does Yuya accept that he has to Duel. And even then, he recklessly tries to OTK Shinji so he can go rescue Yuzu as fast as possible, almost costing him the Duel.
- When Serena sees that Yuya isn't acting like himself, she states that it must be because of Yuzu.
- Episode 79: Yuzu appears in Yuya's goggles as he remembers his promise to end the interdimensional war and go home with her.
- Episode 80:
- Immediately after his Duel with Shinji, and despite being yelled at for being a "traitor" to all Commons, all that's on Yuya's mind is finding Yuzu. He falls into a state of relief when Sora assures him that she's fine. Later after being captured by Security again, Yuya makes Sora promise to take care of Yuzu.
- Yuzu is tired and worn out from her Duel with Sergey, yet lights up immediately when Yuya's name is mentioned.
- Episode 83:
- Yuya despite being locked in jail is only worried about Yuzu.
- When Yuya's name is brought up by Sora, Yuzu quickly asks where is he. And once she learns that he's still in the Duel Palace, her first thought is to save him.
- Episode 87: When her bracelet starts blinking, Yuzu starts to worry that something happened to Yuya.
- Episode 88: Yuzu is absolutely miserable as she knows that Yuya is trouble but can't do anything about it. She even tries to leave the underground to help him.
- Episode 89 + 90: Yuzu is relieved when her bracelet stops glowing, noting that whatever was happening to Yuya has stopped. However, that doesn't stop her from worrying and she falls into a bit of a rut which Gongenzaka had to snap her out of in order to get her to react to her surroundings.
- Episode 91: Yuya refuses to give up Yuzu to Barrett. Likewise, Yuzu is doing all she can to reunite with Yuya after escaping Underground.
- Episode 92:
- After nearly 51 episodes since the Battle Royale, Yuzu and Yuya finally physically reunite with each other. Despite the danger both are in (Yuya from dueling Barrett and Yuzu being in Barrett and Obelisk Force's crosshairs), they are extremely relieved to see each other again and do their very best to protect one another.
- Yuya mentions that since coming to the Synchro Dimension, he's failed to provide smiles to the audience that he promised his mother and father. If he could at least make Yuzu happy, then that's enough for him. He then proceed to discard Smile World, a Tragic Keepsake from his father whom Yuya built his entire dueling philosophy around, in order to pay the cost for a spell that destroy the Field Spell that is imprisoning Yuzu simply because he can't bear see her in pain anymore. This led him to win the duel, but Yuya has no way of knowing that.
- Yuzu begs Yuya not to Duel out of anger and that seeing him react so violently scares her. She wants him to go back to the happy go lucky guy that she knows (and loves). Yuya obeys her almost immediately.
- The scream of anguish both Yuya and Yuzu give to each other as Sergey kidnaps her and rockets her off to Roget.
- Episode 95:
- Yuzu begs Yuya to stop the rioting, showing that she believes that he can save the City.
- Yuya becomes desperate to save Yuzu after he saw Roget shove her. But after calming down becomes motivated to follow her will and duel Jack.
- Their feelings are so obvious Reiji never doubt that Yuya would follow her wish.
- Episode 99: My god, this episode is the biggest Ship Tease to date.
- Yuya saves Yuzu is a huge Big Damn Heroes moment and tenderly holds her in his arms as he yells her name.
- When she does wake up, he hugs her and cries Tears of Joy at finally being reunited without there being any present danger. Yuzu also cries Tears of Joy.
- The scene of Yuya and Yuzu hugging makes the Lancers, Jack and Crow smile. Yes, that includes Kurosaki and Reiji.
- Yuya and Yuzu hold a Held Gaze.
- Episode 112: At the very end Yuya and Yuzu meet and Yuzu blushes after seeing Yuya again.
- Episode 113: Yuya refuses to duel Kachidoki because he's worried about Yuzu. It isn't till Yuzu tells him that she'll be fine that he decides to duel Kachidoki.
- Episode 124 + 125: Yuya is PISSED when he finds out what the Doktor did to Yuzu and swears to save her from his clutches.
- When Yuya sees Yuzu brainwashed and the Doktor putting his hands on her face, Yuya enters Unstoppable Rage and awakens further before and defeats Ruri and Serena quickly and brutally.
- Episode 127:
- After Yuzu is freed from the Doktor's brainwashing, Yuya happily tries to reunite with Yuzu. When Leo stops them, they are both heartbroken at being kept apart.
- When Yuzu hears that Yuya is a part of Zarc, she refuses to accept the idea that Yuya could be dangerous.
- Episode 128:
- Yuya states he'll never forgive Leo for endangering Yuzu.
- As the machine starts Yuzu calls out for Yuya's help, while Yuya nearly awakens from rage.
- As Zarc starts to takeover, Yuzu is reasonably worried about him.
- Episode 129:
- Yuzu's voice and words (albeit with the help of other bracelet girls afterward) was the one making Yuya halt his attack on Leo's Pendulum Ruler.
- When Yuya fell into Zarc's possesion again despite Yuzu's and other's efforts, she was seen crying and screaming his name loudly.
- Episode 134: When Yuya summons Dark Rebellion, Yuya struggles to remain in control. He remembers all of his loved ones with Yuzu being the last person he remembers and the longest he dwells on.
- Episode 140:
- While the Lancers tried their best, the person that was able to give Yuya the strength to fight Zarc's influence was Yuzu.
- Yuzu states that it was because Yuya never stopped chasing her, that he was there that she was able to grow stronger and she begs him to come back.
- Episode 141: During the entire episode, Yuya clearly feels something is wrong while the camera shows image of Yuzu flashing through his mind. The moment that triggers his memory and sorts them out together is when Shuzou shouts out that Yuzu isn't in the Pendulum Dimension.
- Episode 142-143:
- Yuya is shown to be clearly worried about Yuzu during the duel and even wants to quit in order to find her until he was told that the only way to bring Yuzu back is to make Reira smile.
- Throughout the two episodes, Yuya is shown in complete despair and sadness for forgetting Yuzu while blaming himself for not remembering her sooner and not being strong enough to protect her.
- Really the last couple of episodes of the series has Yuya thinking about saving and bringing back Yuzu. What really takes the cake is in the final episode of the series, where Yuya's win against Reiji gives Yuzu the necessary push to will herself back into existence, proclaiming in tears that she's finally back and reunited with Yuya at long last.
Everyone Else
- Appleshipping (Yugo x Rin)
- Supplementary material:
- In an interview it states Yugo sees Rin as a treasure that he can never replace.
- On a poster for Valentines Day, Yugo is holding a chocolate smiling while you can see Rin's outline on his D-Wheel's windshield.
- It's repeatedly shown that Yugo really misses Rin. He's hopped dimensions numerous times to find her and keeps recalling their promise regarding the Friendship Cup.
- When Yugo finds Yuzu in Episode 47, he runs up and hugs her because he thinks she is Rin.
- Episode 54:
- When Yuzu asks if Rin is Yugo's girlfriend, he blushes and says that they aren't dating or anything because they haven't done anything yet.
- He warped to Xyz while chasing Rin after she was kidnapped by Yuri. His voice is full of concern as he bikes through destroyed Heartland calling her name.
- He confuses Yuzu for Rin again in Episode 62 and tries to hug her again. Doubles as Triggershipping.
- Before his duel with Sawatari in Episode 72, Yugo promises to Rin that he'll win and duel Jack.
- Ending 4 shows both of them sleeping next to each other.
- Episode 84:
- Yugo remembers of his and Rin's dream of having a riding duel in front of a large audience
- The very thought of Rin complementing Yugo makes him beyond happy.
- In a flashback, Rin giving a him a sweet smile as she says his determination is his greatest strength.
- Episode 86: When Yugo first sees Yuri, his first thought is to chase Yuri down as he kidnapped Rin. He even leaves the Duel Palace to do so.
- Episode 91: Yugo catches up to Yuri and intends to kick his ass and force Rin's location out of him.
- Episode 116: Rin tearfully hugged Yugo and he warmly hugged back in their reunion. Despite the fact that Rin was mind-controlled, Yugo's action still counts as a shipping moment.
- Episode 130: Edo reminding Yugo of Rin was enough to momentarily shake Zarc's control of him.
- Episode 148: Yugo and Rin smiling at each other through their main counterparts, implying that they will be together (and that Rin is finally returning Yugo's feelings.)
- Supplementary material:
- FallenAngelshipping (Yuto x Ruri)
- It's been shown repeatedly that finding Ruri is Yuto's primary goal.
- Episode 7: The only reason Yuto interferes with Yuzu's duel is that he thought she was Ruri. He says repeatedly that he doesn't want her to be hurt anymore.
- Yuto followed Yuzu, who he thought was Ruri, across several episodes and protected her when he thought that she was in danger either from Sora or Kurosaki. The latter doubles as Braceletshipping. Notably, he stops stalking Yuzu once he is sure that she isn't Ruri.
- In Episode 35: Yuto goes to see Sora, who by this point he knows is part of Academia, just to ask specifically about Ruri.
- During Ending 4, Ruri is seen sleeping comfortably next to Yuto, even smiling and facing in his direction.
- Episode 124 serves as the biggest ship tease to date between the two, outright confirming that Yuto and Ruri fell for another as they hung out with each other over time:
- When the two first meet, both are blushing slightly. Bonus points for Yuto keeping looking at her with his mouth and eyes wide open.
- During their date, both are enjoying each other's company. By the end of the date, both end up sitting on a park bench during the sunset, with Ruri, blushing crimson, snuggling with Yuto. Yuto himself blushes heavily as well, before returning a smile.
- When Yuto found out that Ruri has a parasite in her mind, he states this is unforgivable and is pissed.
- In Ending 6, Yuto and Ruri are dating. And when Kurosaki walks by, Yuto tries to hide himself with his jacket.
- Episode 127: Yuto yelling he'll save her when she's freed from the Doktor's control.
- Episode 128:
- Yuto stating he'll never forgive Leo for hurting Ruri.
- Ruri can see and hear Yuto inside of Yuya.
- When Ruri realizes that Yuto has been following her ideals, she is deeply touched.
- Ruri begs Yuto to save her as ARC-V is started.
- Episode 129: Ruri fading as result of ARC-V machine progressing made Yuto fall into Uncontrollable Rage again, influencing Yuya too in process.
- Episode 148: Yuto and Ruri smiling at each other through their main counterparts, implying that they will be together.
- Braceletshipping (Yuto x Yuzu)
- Episode 24: Yuzu chases after Masumi only to be stopped by Yuto. Why? To prevent her from getting hurt in the execution of Kurosaki's plan. This is after he knows that she is definitely not Ruri.
- Episode 37: When Yuzu reaches the park where Yugo, Yuto, and Yuya are, her bracelet shines and her thoughts go immediately to Yuto. To be fair, she associates the bracelet activating with Yuto disappearing.
- Triggershipping (Yugo x Yuzu)
- Yugo and Yuzu live together in the few days before the Friendship Cup.
- Yuzu is already comfortable smacking Yugo over the head with her trademark fan; she only really does that towards the people she loves: her father and Yuya.
- Yugo does all he can to protect Yuzu from the dangers of the Synchro Dimension and promises to help her with the predicament she has with Academia.
- Ending 4 of the series has them jumping together in unison, smiles on their faces.
- Predatorshipping (Yuri x Serena)
- Despite not being close with each other, Episode 123 reveals that they met each other when they were children.
- In Ending 6, Yuri and Serena are interacting in Academia with each other, showing up as a pair like all of their counterparts.
- Episode 148: Yuri and Serena smiling at each other through their main counterparts, implying that are willing to start a relationship with one another at long last.
- Emblemshipping (Yuya x Serena)
- Serena apologizes for all the trouble she caused to Yuya for taking Yuzu's place and promises to help him bring her back.
- Serena voices out loud concern for Yuya during his duels in the Friendship Cup, particularly in Episodes 78 and 79 when Yuya duels Shinji.
- Episode 80: Yuya refuses to sell out Serena to Academia, even if there was the slightest chance that Yuzu would be spared.
- Episode 85: Serena briefly mistakes Yugo for Yuya after seeing him laugh and she muses that she understands a little what Yuya means about making people smile with dueling.
- Episode 86: Yuya recalls what Roget intends to do regarding Yuzu and Serena. Since syncing with Yugo, Yuya puts the pieces together and immediately figures out that Serena is in danger after her loss. He then starts worrying about her safety.
- During the Omake Manzai moments where Yuya and Serena are paired together, they both work off each other as comedy gold and care for one another's well-being.
- Episode 90 + 91: Yuya protects Serena from both Obelisk Force and Barrett at the same time. Serena is relieved and at the same time, worried about Yuya's well being, constantly calling his name.
- Episode 92: Serena worries out loud about Yuya's disturbing transformation during his Awakening. Later as she's successfully captured by Barrett, Yuya screams out her name in despair, having failed to protect one of the girls.
- Episode 124: Yuya swearing to save Serena from her mind control.
- Episode 134: Serena is one of the faces Yuya thinks about when he's trying to recall his loved ones in order to stay sane. She's the second to last person Yuya thinks about before showing the final shot of Yuzu.
- Clearnightshipping (Yugo x Serena)
- Episode 84: The episode that launched this ship in the first place. Anytime these two interact, it's loaded with comedy and heartwarming moments:
- Though confusing Serena for Rin, Yugo keeps launching himself at her and she has to keep punching/kicking him back. One of these instances has Yugo place his face up close and personal and Serena blushes for the first time.
- After another name confusion mishap, Yugo screams at Serena, only to get screamed back harder by Serena not to interrupt her. It's not negative in the least.
- Episode 85: Serena starts to enjoy her time with Yugo and even admits that she had fun dueling him, giving him genuine smiles. The moment is "ruined" when Yugo tries to glomp her again and she has to punch him. It's the thought that counts.
- Episode 91: Yugo comes just in time to protect Serena from Yuri.
- Episode 84: The episode that launched this ship in the first place. Anytime these two interact, it's loaded with comedy and heartwarming moments:
- Prodigyshipping (Reiji x Serena)
- Serena is on First-Name Basis with Reiji without honorifics. In particular, contrast with Yuya and Tsukikage (who calls him Reiji-dono). Even his mother addresses him formally, adding -san to his name.
- Episode 41: A flashback shows how they first met each other: three years earlier, while looking for his father in the Fusion Dimension, Reiji stumbled upon Serena, who was trying to run away from Academia in order to join her comrades on the frontlines. He then saved her from a bunch of Academia mooks trying to take her back to confinement despite knowing nothing about her or how to escape from that place. For those used to Reiji's cold and pragmatic persona in the present, his actions here can come off as veeeeery suspicious.
- Episode 47: After the Youth Team is decimated by the Obelisk Force, Reiji admits to Nakajima he never expected them to succeed in the first place, and only sent them as a distraction in order to allow Serena (and Yuzu) to escape. While Reiji is well-known for his ruthlessness when it comes to defeating Leo Akaba, this decision in particular struck some viewers as surprisingly cold AND unreasonable - after all, he gave up 8 of his most skilled soldiers in exchange for a single enemy one who may or not want to cooperate with them. Add to that the fact his excuse for his actions - using Serena as a means to negotiate with Academia - seems a bit unconvincing, specially considering how he usually treats her.
- Episode 53: For some reason, Reiji appears to have told Serena about the truth behind his plans and Yuzu's disappearance beforehand despite being unwilling to share that information with any of the other Lancers. Serena, on the other hand, actively tries to get the rest of the group to go along with Reiji's plans, managing to dissuade Kurosaki from going to the Fusion Dimension by himself.
- Episode 63: When Reiji bursts into the Council chambers, Serena's reaction is "So you were safe." Aww, she was worried.
- In Ending 4, Serena is shown to be sleeping between both Reiji and Sawatari.
- Brashshipping (Sawatari x Serena)
- Episode 57: When introducing themselves to Crow, Sawatari refers to Serena as a "Strong-willed woman."
- Episode 59: Both Sawatari and Serena go out together to look for the whereabouts of Yuzu. Sawatari had to remind Serena a couple of times to rein in her tendency to challenge every opponent she sees.
- Episode 60: When he and Serena along with Yuya, Shinji, Crow get arrested by Security, Sawatari makes a fuss and she tells him to calm down.
- Episode 84: During her duel with Yugo, Serena admits to him that she was impressed with the duel Sawatari had with the latter.
- Episode 113: When he, Yuzu, Kaito, Yuya and Gongenzaka are confronted by Dennis and his Academia reinforcements, Sawatari angrily questions him of Serena's whereabouts.
- The fandom exploded when Ending 4 came out; its practically foreshadowed that Sawatari is going to gain a crush on Serena, given that he was blushing when he saw her sleeping and even tried to kiss her!! The moment is shattered when Serena nonchalantly punches him while asleep. Some fans have even said this mirrors Manjoume's crush on Asuka, though whether it will stay a one-sided love remains to be seen. That being said, the two of them were shown to be next to each other sleeping peacefully among the Lancers.
- Musicboxshipping (Sora x Yuzu)
- Episode 83: The entire Fusion Death Waltz scene, due to Sora's monster resembling the Beast and Bloom Prima wearing a yellow dress like Belle.
- (Sora x Asuka)
- The pair are rarely seen without one another for the remainder of the series, with each expressing concern for one another while dueling against Yuri and complimenting one another when things go right. By series end, both characters are featured in shots together, content in one another's company.
