Joey Wheeler’s Red-Eyes Black Dragon is nearly as old as the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME, and almost as popular as Seto Kaiba’s Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Originally released in the Legend of Blue Eyes White Dragon booster set, Red-Eyes Black Dragon’s North American release dates back to 2002. The Red-Eyes Black Dragon also made its first television appearance in the very first season of the animated Yu-Gi-Oh! series.

But unlike the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, which is described as “virtually invincible” on its card text, the Red-Eyes Black Dragon represents the underdog, and constantly faces defeat. Its 2400 ATK is dwarfed by the Blue-Eyes White Dragon’s 3000 ATK, and Red-Eyes’s 2000 DEF isn’t quite as impressive as the Blue-Eyes White Dragon’s 2500 DEF. Seto Kaiba’s reputation is legendary for so rarely losing Duels with the Blue-Eyes White Dragons in his Deck, while the possessors of Red-Eyes have repeatedly faced defeat.

But this is all what makes the Red-Eyes Black Dragon a fan favorite. While its rarity parallels the rarity of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, it doesn’t contain the brute power that the Blue-Eyes White Dragon holds, and that Seto Kaiba wields. Only a skilled Duelist can unlock its power, and viewers of the animated Yu-Gi-Oh! series anxiously watch the show to see if underdog Joey Wheeler has what it takes to bring out the true strength of his Deck and emerge victorious.

In the Yu-Gi-Oh! animated series, Dinosaur Duelist Rex Raptor was the original owner of the legendary Red-Eyes Black Dragon. He Summoned it against Joey Wheeler during their first Duel in the Duelist Kingdom tournament, and wagered it against Joey’s Time Wizard card. After accepting the wager, Joey used his Time Wizard’s effect to fossilize Red-Eyes Black Dragon and defeat Rex Raptor, claiming the Red-Eyes for his Deck.

Joey aspired to become a great Duelist, and wanted to use his Red-Eyes to help him get to the top. He upgraded it into Red-Eyes Black Metal Dragon to defeat Bandit Keith in the Duelist Kingdom semifinals, and trounced many other Duelists with his Red-Eyes along the way. But he sometimes faced defeat while using it. Seto Kaiba repeatedly used his Blue-Eyes White Dragons to overwhelm Joey and his Red-Eyes. At the start of the Battle City tournament, Joey even lost his Red-Eyes Black Dragon in a Duel against one of Marik’s Rare Hunters. It was up to Yugi to win back Joey’s Red-Eyes by defeating the Rare Hunter and his Exodia cards.

In the Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME, Red-Eyes Black Dragon has been printed in several forms, including Red-Eyes Black Metal Dragon, Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon, and Malefic Red-Eyes B. Dragon (which made an appearance in the Yu-Gi-Oh! 3D: Bonds Beyond Time movie). There have also been lots of support cards released, including Red-Eyes B. Chick, Red-Eyes Wyvern, and Inferno Fire Blast. Most of these cards are now available in Legendary Collection 4: Joey’s World.

You can relive the saga of the Red-Eyes Black Dragon by building your own Red-Eyes Deck with the cards in Legendary Collection 4: Joey’s World. Using those cards, you can begin your journey as a Duelist and rise to the top, just like Joey Wheeler.