Episode 11: The Power of Friendship: Barbarians 1 & 2

Yugi and the others are still looking for Mokuba, but he's nowhere to be found—Kimo must have snatched him back to Pegasus's castle. Yugi is more determined than ever to win ten Star Chips so he can enter the castle.

Joey sees some Duel Monsters cards on the ground, and is about to take them, when Tristan says they're his—he figures if Joey can play, so can he! (Japanese Honda just says he thinks the game is interesting, so he bought some cards and brought them with him.) Joey recognizes one of Tristan's cards—it's similar to Joey's Swamp Battleguard (Barbarian #2). The two Battleguards look like long-lost brothers, Joey says, but Tristan's card isn't as powerful as his. Tristan says his card's is just fine, and Joey should try it out sometime. (In the Japanese, Jounouchi tells Honda he should give him his Lava Battleguard (Barbarian #1), since he's not using it anyway. And Anzu tells them they're acting like Idiot #1 and Idiot #2.) In any case, Tristan lends Joey the card.

Meanwhile, Mai is demolishing yet another player, and feeling pretty bored about it. Later, she watches the sunset and wonders why she can't enjoy wiping out hotshot duelists any more. The answer is a huge image of grinning Joey in the sky above her head. She's determined to have revenge on him for beating her.

Rex Raptor shows up to challenge her. But she won't duel him, unless he beats Joey in a duel first. Back in the meadow, Tristan and Téa are teasing Joey about finding a player on his level to challenge—like a dueling monkey. Before he has a chance to hit back, Mai shows up to add a few digs of her own about Yugi fighting Joey's battles for him. (In the Japanese, she taunts the whole group by telling them they stick together like a bunch of ducks. The US version cuts this little exchange, including the family of ducks that walk past the gang in the background.)

She challenges him to fight Rex, without any help from Yugi. (In the Japanese, Mai needles Jounouchi by telling him that Yugi'd already be in the finals if he weren't hanging around to help Jounouchi.) Tristan and Téa urge Joey not to accept—they think Rex is out of his league. But Joey's pride has been wounded and he insists on accepting. Tristan steps up and says little Joey won't be coming out to play today. Joey loses it, and the next thing we know, Tristan is on the ground. "What did you shove me for?" Tristan asks. But in the Japanese, you can clearly hear the sound of a punch being landed.

After a bit more arguing, Tristan walks away in disgust, saying if Joey wants to lose all his Star Chips, he can do it by himself. Still determined, Joey accepts Rex and Mai's challenge.

The bet is two Star Chips—all Joey has. Joey plans to use his Baby Dragon—Time Wizard combo. Meanwhile, Yugi tells Téa to cheer Joey on, while goes off on an errand of his own.

Joey's in luck, having drawn both Baby Dragon and Time Wizard in his opening hand. Then he notices Yugi's gone, too, but shrugs it off for the moment. He plays Baby Dragon in defense mode, but Rex plays Two-Headed King Rex and destroys Baby Dragon before Joey has a chance to play his combo. Téa calls out encouragement, but Mai says Joey's big mistake was in agreeing to the duel in the first place.

Joey plays Leogen, a lion monster, and attacks, not realizing that Two-Headed King Rex is powered up by the wilderness field bonus. Joey's monster is destroyed. Then Joey plays Axe Raider, who gets the field power bonus and destroys the Two-Headed King Rex. Rex Raptor comes right back with Sword Arm of Dragon (Sword Dragon) and destroys Axe Raider. Joey's lost three monsters in three turns, and is beginning to feel discouraged. Téa tries to urge him on, but he can't help feeling abandoned by Yugi and Tristan.

Meanwhile, Tristan's splashing some cold water on his face from a stream, fuming about Joey's pig-headedness, when Yugi finds him. Tristan tells Yugi he has to go back and help Joey, but Yugi says Joey has to fight this duel on his own. Joey needs their support, he says, not their help. (In the Japanese, Honda doesn't tell Yugi he should go back and help Jounouchi—he agrees from the start that Yugi has to keep his promise, and not give Jounouchi any advice. Instead, Honda tells Yugi he should be there to support Jounouchi with his friendship.Yugi replies that he won't say anything to Jounouchi until the duel is over, so that Jounouchi can play on his own, but that Honda should be there to show the friendship in his heart for Jounouchi.)

Joey tries to pull himself together, reminding himself that his little sister is counting on him. He plays Time Wizard face down (he plays it as if it's a magic card, even though it's a monster card), then plays Rock Ogre in defense. Rex Raptor plays Megazaldor (Megazora?) and destroys Rock Ogre. Joey counters with Flame Swordsman, and destroys Rex's monster. Rex is shocked that a mere swordsman could defeat his mighty dinosaur! We're told dinosaurs are especially vulnerable to fire attacks. The US Flame Swordsman is given a purple background, which is the color of a Fusion Monster. The real Flame Swordsman is in fact a Fusion Monster, but it isn't played as one in the show. In the Japanese episode, the card has a normal yellow background.

Rex plays a monster in defense mode, and Flame Swordsman destroys it along with Sword Arm of Dragon, and Rex is left with no monsters on the field.

But Rex isn't out of it yet. He's got a special monster waiting in the wings. Joey plays his Swamp Battleguard, and Rex counters with Serpent Night Dragon, which destroys Flame Swordsman. Joey's lost his best monster, and doesn't know what to do! Then he draws Tristan's Lava Battleguard.

Joey flashes back to a time when he was defending a little kid against a gang of punks. Just as they were about to gang up on Joey, Tristan showed up and joined the fight. Afterwards, Tristan tried to help Joey get up, but Joey slapped his hand away, telling him he didn't need any help. Now, Joey finally realizes that Tristan looks out for him not because Joey needs help, but because he's a true friend. Just then, Tristan and Yugi come back to the arena, and Tristan shouts encouragement. (In the Japanese, Honda says, "That idiot can't do anything without me.") Joey plays Tristan's Lava Battleguard, and Rex attacks Joey's Battleguard. But the attack fails! Then they realize—Honda's Battleguard intercepted the attack. The two monsters are like brothers who watch out for each other, just like Joey and Tristan! Awww! Joey and Tristan share a bonding moment.

But Rex Raptor isn't beaten yet! He's got an even more powerful monster about to attack!

To Be Continued