The third season of the anime series Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, created by Kazuki Takahashi, was originally broadcast from March 12, 2002, to February 11, 2003. The English adaptation, broadcast on Kids' WB, aired from November 1, 2003 to September 4, 2004.
The first half of the season follows an original story arc, where Yugi and his friends are transported to a digital universe, created and controlled by Noah, Seto Kaiba's adoptive brother. They are forced to duel the Big Five, KaibaCorp's former board of directors, in order to escape with their minds in their own bodies. The second half of the season focuses on the resumption of the Battle City tournament finals, where the final four duelists, Yugi, Joey (Jonouchi), Kaiba, and Marik, fight for the championship title.
The third season of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (also renamed as Yu-Gi-Oh! Enter the Shadow Realm in the English-dubbed adaptation) was formerly licensed by 4Kids Entertainment in North America and other English-speaking countries, and was also distributed by Funimation through North American home video distribution rights and also distributed by Warner Bros. Television Animation on North American television rights, when it aired on Kids’ WB! and Cartoon Network, also in North America. It is now licensed and distributed by 4K Media.
"Merger of the Big Five — Part 1" Transliteration: "Big 5's Counterattack" (Japanese: ビッグ5の逆襲)
Atsushi Maekawa
June 18, 2002 (2002-06-18)
January 17, 2004
112
15
"Merger of the Big Five — Part 2" Transliteration: "Target: Jonouchi — The Teamwork Play to Victory" (Japanese: 狙われた城之内 勝利への連係プレー)
Atsushi Maekawa
June 25, 2002 (2002-06-25)
January 24, 2004
113
16
"Merger of the Big Five — Part 3" Transliteration: "Defeat it! Five-Headed Dragon" (Japanese: 倒せ! ファイブゴッドドラゴン)
Atsushi Maekawa
July 2, 2002 (2002-07-02)
January 31, 2004
114
17
"Brothers in Arms — Part 1" Transliteration: "Noa vs. Seto — The Duel of Heaven and Earth's Creation" (Japanese: 乃亜vs瀬人 天地創造の決闘)
Shin Yoshida
July 16, 2002 (2002-07-16)
February 7, 2004
115
18
"Brothers in Arms — Part 2" Transliteration: "The Invincible Deck Master — The Miracle Ark" (Japanese: 無敵デッキマスター 奇跡の箱舟)
Shin Yoshida
July 23, 2002 (2002-07-23)
February 14, 2004
116
19
"Brothers in Arms — Part 3" Transliteration: "Save Mokuba! The Seventh Turn of Fate" (Japanese: モクバを救え! 運命の第七ターン)
Shin Yoshida
July 30, 2002 (2002-07-30)
February 21, 2004
117
20
"Noah's Final Threat — Part 1" Transliteration: "Change of Decks — Yugi vs. Noa" (Japanese: 引き継ぎし山札 遊戯vs乃亜)
Shin Yoshida
August 6, 2002 (2002-08-06)
February 28, 2004
118
21
"Noah's Final Threat — Part 2" Transliteration: "LP 10000 vs. 100!!" (Japanese: LP 10000vs100!!)
Shin Yoshida
August 18, 2002 (2002-08-18)
March 6, 2004
119
22
"So Close Yet So Far" Transliteration: "Darkness of the Kaiba Family" (Japanese: 海馬家の闇)
Atsushi Maekawa
August 20, 2002 (2002-08-20)
March 20, 2004
120
23
"Burying the Past — Part 1" Transliteration: "Exodia Necross" (Japanese: エクゾディア·ネクロス)
Atsushi Maekawa
August 27, 2002 (2002-08-27)
April 3, 2004
121
24
"Burying the Past — Part 2" Transliteration: "Escape!!" (Japanese: 脱出!!)
Atsushi Maekawa
August 27, 2002 (2002-08-27)
April 17, 2004
Enter the Shadow Realm
122
25
"Back to Battle City — Part 1" Transliteration: "The Place of the Finals — Alcatraz" (Japanese: 決戦の地 アルカトラズ)
Akemi Omode
August 27, 2002 (2002-08-27)
May 1, 2004
123
26
"Back to Battle City — Part 2" Transliteration: "Battle Royale!" (Japanese: バトルロイヤル!)
Shin Yoshida
September 3, 2002 (2002-09-03)
May 8, 2004
124
27
"Back to Battle City — Part 3" Transliteration: "The Respective Opponents" (Japanese: それぞれの対戦者)
Yoshiki Sakurai, Atsushi Maekawa
September 3, 2002 (2002-09-03)
May 15, 2004
125
28
"The Darkness Returns — Part 1" Transliteration: "The Dark Semi-Final Duel — Jonouchi vs. Marik" (Japanese: 闇の準決勝 城之内vsマリク)
Akemi Omode
September 10, 2002 (2002-09-10)
May 15, 2004
126
29
"The Darkness Returns — Part 2" Transliteration: "The Hell Poet — Helpoemer" (Japanese: 地獄の詩人 ヘルポエマー)
Akihiko Inari
September 17, 2002 (2002-09-17)
May 22, 2004
127
30
"The Darkness Returns — Part 3" Transliteration: "The Turning of the Tide! Gilford the Lightning" (Japanese: 逆転! 稲妻の戦士)
Atsushi Maekawa
September 24, 2002 (2002-09-24)
May 22, 2004
128
31
"The Darkness Returns — Part 4" Transliteration: "Jonouchi's Death" (Japanese: 城之内死す)
Atsushi Maekawa
October 8, 2002 (2002-10-08)
May 29, 2004
129
32
"Clash in the Coliseum — Part 1" Transliteration: "Tenkū Koroshiamu Yūgi vs Kaiba" (Japanese: 天空闘戯場 遊戯vs海馬)
Akemi Omode
October 15, 2002 (2002-10-15)
May 29, 2004
130
33
"Clash in the Coliseum — Part 2" Transliteration: "The Three Knights Used to Call God" (Japanese: 神を喚よぶ三騎士)
Akemi Omode
October 22, 2002 (2002-10-22)
June 5, 2004
131
34
"Clash in the Coliseum — Part 3" Transliteration: "Clash! Osiris VS Obelisk" (Japanese: 激突! 神vs神)
Shin Yoshida
October 29, 2002 (2002-10-29)
June 12, 2004
132
35
"Clash in the Coliseum — Part 4" Transliteration: "The Inherited Destined Duel" (Japanese: 受け継ぎし運命の決闘)
Shin Yoshida
November 5, 2002 (2002-11-05)
June 19, 2004
133
36
"Clash in the Coliseum — Part 5" Transliteration: "The Promise to a Friend — Red-Eyes Black Dragon" (Japanese: 友との誓い 真紅眼の黒竜)
Atsushi Maekawa
November 12, 2002 (2002-11-12)
June 26, 2004
134
37
"Clash in the Coliseum — Part 6" Transliteration: "Destroy the Hatred! Black Paladin" (Japanese: 憎しみを撃て! ブラックパラディン)
Akihiko Inari
November 19, 2002 (2002-11-19)
July 3, 2004
135
38
"Battle for the Bronze — Part 1" Transliteration: "The Mediocre's Road to Flame — Jonouchi vs. Kaiba" (Japanese: 炎の凡骨ロード 城之内vs海馬)
Atsushi Maekawa
December 3, 2002 (2002-12-03)
July 10, 2004
136
39
"Battle for the Bronze — Part 2" Transliteration: "Burū-Aizu Howaito Doragon vs Burū-Aizu Howaito Doragon" (Japanese: 青眼の白龍vs青眼の白龍)
Akemi Omode
December 10, 2002 (2002-12-10)
July 17, 2004
137
40
"Battle for the Bronze — Part 3" Transliteration: "The Path to Becoming a True Duelist" (Japanese: 真のデュエリストへの道)
Akemi Omode
December 17, 2002 (2002-12-17)
July 24, 2004
138
41
"The Final Face Off — Part 1" Transliteration: "The Final: Yugi vs Malik" (Japanese: 決勝戦 遊戯vsマリク)
Akihiko Inari
December 24, 2002 (2002-12-24)
July 31, 2004
139
42
"The Final Face Off — Part 2" Transliteration: "Devil's Sanctuary Activates!" (Japanese: 悪魔の聖域発動!)
Akihiko Inari
January 7, 2003 (2003-01-07)
August 14, 2004
140
43
"The Final Face Off — Part 3" Transliteration: "Immortal Wall: God Slime" (Japanese: 不死の壁 ゴッドスライム)
Akemi Omode
January 14, 2003 (2003-01-14)
August 21, 2004
141
44
"The Final Face Off — Part 4" Transliteration: "Obelisk's Anger: Soul Energy—MAX)" (Japanese: オベリスクの怒り ソウルエナジーMAX)
Atsushi Maekawa
January 21, 2003 (2003-01-21)
August 28, 2004
142
45
"The Final Face Off — Part 5" Transliteration: "Battle City Ends!" (Japanese: バトルシティ終結!)
Akemi Omode
January 28, 2003 (2003-01-28)
August 28, 2004
143
46
"One for the Road" Transliteration: "The Destruction of Alcatraz" (Japanese: アルカトラズ炎上)
Atsushi Maekawa
February 4, 2003 (2003-02-04)
September 4, 2004
144
47
"Looking Back and Moving Ahead" Transliteration: "A Sign" (Japanese: 兆)
Atsushi Maekawa
February 11, 2003 (2003-02-11)
September 4, 2004
Home media
Between March and October 2005, Funimation Productions released the second half of the season over five volumes of DVDs, each containing 4 - 5 episodes.[5][6][7][8][9] They later released the complete season on July 29, 2008.[10] In late 2013, Cinedigm and 4K Media Inc. reached a distribution agreement that would result in the release of every episode from the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise on DVD and Blu-ray and to digital retailers.[11] The complete third season, titled Yu-Gi-Oh! Classic: Season 3, was released on January 14, 2014, on DVD.[12] It was also released in two volumes, like the previous seasons, on the same day both digitally and on DVD.[13][14]