The search for an official Lego Yu-Gi-Oh set is over, because the community has voted in a fan-made Exodia model to become a real kit.
Designed for the "It's time to Duel!" challenge, "The Heart of the Cards - Exodia" by Step_on_a_Brick beat four other contenders in a final fan vote to win the grand prize (as seen via the Lego Ideas announcement). That means it should theoretically be turned into an actual, real-life Lego Yu-Gi-Oh set you can buy.
Depicting franchise protagonist Yami Yugi summoning Exodia, it's a larger set with two massive brick-built figures. While these Lego versions are cool enough, the fact that Exodia is actually 'emerging' from the cards and going from 2D to 3D is a really clever effect. I can see why fans were so taken with it, as it's the kind of creativity normally reserved for the best Lego sets.
"The best choice to be honest, in terms of brand representation it has the monster, the cards, and the main character," Neither-Simple1119 writes on a reddit thread discussing the set. "This will look absolutely incredible!"
There's plenty of agreement in the thread (albeit with some concern over price), and seeing as this Exodia model won the fan vote, I'd say it's a popular choice. However, not everyone is on board. In the same thread, there's some disappointment that it's not minifigure-scale and we aren't getting Blue Eyes Dragon instead. However, I guess that goes to show how much potential there is in a Lego Yu-Gi-Oh range. Maybe we can expect to see more in the future, considering how Lego seems to have the license to make toys based on Yu-Gi-Oh?
In the here and now, it's unclear when The Heart of the Cards - Exodia would hit shelves… but considering the turnaround for the new Lego Wallace & Gromit, which took just over a year to become an official set and will be available to buy from Lego this October 1, I think we can expect it around this toward the end of 2027.
This isn't the only nostalgic kit heading our way in the not-so-distant future; a Lego Downton Abbey set has been revealed with a stately 4,711 pieces and 13 minifigures.
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