One Forgotten Yu-Gi-Oh! Character Suffered The Worst Fate In the Franchise

Throughout the original Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters anime, the protagonist and his friends encounter a vast and intriguing cast of supporting and side characters. The show had a bit of everything, from regional champions obsessed with insects to members of ancient organizations trying to bring about the end of the world.

Bonz might be the most tragic of these unique characters, as proven by his final fate in the series. Bandit Keith’s former lackey is one of the few characters sent to the terrifying Shadow Realm after losing a duel against Bakura. Yet, his real tragedy lies in the fact that he was not rescued and will likely never be.

Bonz Was Never Rescued From the Shadow Realm

He and His Friends Are Implied to Still Be Trapped Inside

In episode #79 of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters anime, Yami Bakura can be seen walking around Domino City trying to find duelists to challenge. His stroll took him to the city’s cemetery, where Bonz and his friends pretended to be zombies to scare other duelists. As the reincarnation of the despicable and ruthless Zorc Necrophades, Yami Bakura laughed at their attempts to scare him and challenged the Zombie-Type duelist to a shadow duel. The game was over almost as quickly as it had begun, with the Thief King overpowering his opponent.

Studio Gallop

As punishment for losing the shadow game, Bonz and his friends were dragged into the Shadow Realm by a black mist. Despite their attempts to escape, the group ended up being trapped inside this unnerving dimension. Bakura simply laughed as his opponent was forcibly taken into a world where he would be tormented forever. He left shortly after, leaving Bonz and his friends behind, without trying to help or showing remorse for his horrible actions.

His Fate Will Never Change, as No One Knows What Happened to Him

Only Bakura Knew About Their Duel

Although terrifying, the Shadow Realm was rarely ever a permanent punishment for those who were defeated during a shadow duel. Whenever a villain was defeated, the effects of their horrible curse would be lifted from their most recent victims. Lamentably, Bonz was not fortunate enough to be saved by the protagonists, as none of them knew about his fate. Since they had no clue that he needed to be saved, they did not attempt to fight against Bakura to release him. The series all but confirmed Bonz was never released from his torment, as he never appeared again.

His fate is among the most horrible and tragic in the entire franchise, as the Shadow Realm is often described in the series as a horrid dimension in which humans are tortured forever. While already horrific, Bonz's fate only becomes worse in the original Japanese version of the series. The Shadow Realm does not exist in this installment of the anime, as this idea was created by 4Kids Entertainment to censor the reality that most shadow games ended in death. In the original anime, Bonz and his friends were killed by zombified spirits after losing to Bakura.

The Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters anime, while mostly completely family-friendly, hides many frightening details that can shock fans. Bonz's horrible fate is just an example of how atrocious shadow games can be. These small but hard-to-forget details have kept audiences’ interest for many decades, helping this amazing series retain its status as one of anime’s most beloved franchises.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters follows the story of Yugi Mutou, a high school student who solves an ancient Egyptian puzzle and awakens a powerful alter ego. This mysterious persona, known as the "Pharaoh," helps Yugi navigate complex card game duels that determine his fate and that of his friends. The series blends modern-day and ancient Egyptian themes, focusing on strategic battles within the world of Duel Monsters.

Cast Jay Snyder , Chuck Powers , Vinnie Penna , Dwayne Tan , Amy Birnabum , Alison Lester , Sam Riegel , Greg Abbey , Brian Zimmerman , Eric Stuart , Christian Lee , Tara Sands , Carrie Keranen

Release Date April 18, 2000

Seasons 5

Creator(s) Kazuki Takahashi