Just like with every competitive game, Konami has to put in additional work to make sure Yu-Gi-Oh! maintains a balanced competitive meta with the release of every few sets.
This is done through the use of a Forbidden and Limited card list that’s constantly updated and makes sure no card can be abused in a format for more than a few months at a time.
This ban list is broken down into three specific parts, with a fourth being included at the end of every update simply to show which cards are no longer having their usage limited.
- Forbidden: A card is not allowed to be used in a player’s Main Deck, Extra Deck, or Side Deck.
- Limited: Only one copy of a card is allowed to be used in a player’s Main Deck, Extra Deck, or Side Deck.
- Semi-Limited: Only two copies of a card are allowed to be used in a player’s Main Deck, Extra Deck, or Side Deck.
Konami typically spaces out its ban list updates by about three months, giving players time to implement new product releases into their strategies and create new decks, while also allowing the company to gather more data and make informed decisions about which cards to hit next.
Here’s the current Forbidden and Limited card list, which will be put into effect on June 5, 2023. All of these listings are based on Advanced Format, which is the official format used for Regional, National, and World Championship events.
Full Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG Forbidden and Limited card list
Forbidden
Effect Monsters
- Archnemeses Protos
- Artifact Scythe
- Barrier Statue of the Stormwinds
- Blackwing – Gofu the Vague Shadow
- Block Dragon
- Cyber-Stein (was Limited)
- Dandylion
- Djinn Releaser of Rituals
- Eclipse Wyvern
- Eva
- Fairy Tail – Snow
- Fiber Jar
- Fishborg Blaster
- Glow-Up Bulb
- Grinder Golem
- Level Eater
- Magical Scientist
- Majespecter Unicorn – Kirin
- Master Peace, the True Dracoslaying King
- Maxx “C”
- Mind Master
- Orcust Harp Horror
- Performage Plushfire
- Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis
- Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders
- Ronintoadin
- SPYRAL Master Plan
- The Tyrant Neptune
- Tidal, Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls
- Victory Dragon
Fusion Monsters
- Elder Entity Norden
- Supreme King Dragon Starving Venom
- Tearlaments Kitkallos
- Thunder Dragon Colossus
Link Monsters
- Crystron Halqifibrax
- Curious, the Lightsworn Dominion
- Guardragon Agarpain
- Guardragon Elpy
- Heavymetalfoes Electrumite
- Knightmare Goblin
- Knightmare Mermaid
- Linkross
- Mecha Phantom Beast Auroradon
- Prank-Kids Meow-Meow-Mu
- Predaplant Verte Anaconda
- Simorgh, Bird of Sovereignty
- Spright Elf
- Summon Sorceress
- Superheavy Samurai Scarecrow (new)
- Topologic Gumblar Dragon
- Union Carrier
Synchro Monsters
- Chaos Ruler, the Chaotic Magical Dragon
- Ib the World Chalice Justiciar
- Tempest Magician
Xyz Monsters
- Lavalval Chain
- M-X-Saber Invoker
- Number 16: Shock Master
- Number 42: Galaxy Tomahawk
- Number S0: Utopic ZEXAL
- Number 86: Heroic Champion – Rhongomyniad
- Number 89: Diablosis the Mind Hacker (new)
- Number 95: Galaxy-Eyes Dark Matter Dragon
- Outer Entity Azathot
- Tellarknight Ptolemaeus
- True King of All Calamities
- Wind-Up Carrier Zenmaity
- Zoodiac Broadbull
- Zoodiac Drident
Spells
- Brilliant Fusion
- Butterfly Dagger – Elma
- Card of Safe Return
- Chicken Game
- Cold Wave
- Confiscation
- Delinquent Duo
- Dimension Fusion
- Giant Trunade
- Graceful Charity
- Heavy Storm
- Kaiser Colosseum
- Last Will
- Mass Driver
- Metamorphosis
- Mirage of Nightmare
- Mystic Mine
- Painful Choice
- Pot of Greed
- Premature Burial
- Smoke Grenade of the Thief
- Snatch Steal
- Soul Charge
- That Grass Looks Greener
- The Forceful Sentry
- Zoodiac Barrage
Traps
- Appointer of the Red Lotus (was Limited)
- Branded Expulsion (new)
- Imperial Order
- Last Turn
- Red Reboot
- Return from the Different Dimension
- Royal Oppression
- Self-Destruct Button
- Sixth Sense
- Trap Dustshoot
- Ultimate Offering
- Vanity’s Emptiness
Limited
Normal Monsters
- Left Arm of the Forbidden One
- Left Leg of the Forbidden One
- Right Arm of the Forbidden One
- Right Leg of the Forbidden One
Effect Monsters
- Agido the Ancient Sentinel
- Armageddon Knight
- Astrograph Sorcerer
- Black Dragon Collapserpent
- Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos (was Limited)
- Cyber Jar
- Danger!? Jackalope?
- Danger! Nessie!
- Danger!? Tsuchinoko?
- Dark Grepher
- Dinowrestler Pankratops
- Double Iris Magician
- Exodia the Forbidden One
- Infernity Archfiend
- Kelbek the Ancient Vanguard
- Keldo the Sacred Protector
- Lunalight Tiger
- Mathmech Circular (new)
- Miscellaneousaurus
- Morphing Jar
- Mudora the Sword Oracle
- Performapal Monkeyboard
- Phantom Skyblaster
- PSY-Framegear Gamma (new)
- Red Rose Dragon
- Salamangreat Gazelle
- Speedroid Terrortop
- Substitoad
- Tearlaments Havnis
- Tearlaments Merli
- Tearlaments Scheiren
- Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms
- White Dragon Wyverburster
- Zoodiac Ratpier
Fusion Monsters
- Gem-Knight Master Diamond
Link Monsters
- Striker Dragon
Synchro Monsters
- Ancient Fairy Dragon
- Denglong, First of the Yang Zing (was Forbidden)
- PSY-Framelord Omega
- T.G. Hyper Librarian
Xyz Monsters
- Beatrice, Lady of the Eternal
- Daigusto Emeral
- Lyrilusc – Recital Starling
Spells
- Called by the Grave
- Card Destruction
- Card of Demise
- Chain Strike
- Change of Heart
- Dimensional Fissure
- Divine Wind of Mist Valler
- Dragonic Diagram
- Emergency Teleport
- Final Countdown
- Foolish Burial
- Gateway of the Six
- Gold Sarcophagus
- Harpie’s Feather Duster
- Infernity Launcher
- Instant Fusion
- Into the Void
- Magical Mid-Breaker Field
- Mind Control
- Monster GateMonster Reborn
- One Day of Peace
- One for One
- Purrely Delicious Memory (new)
- Reasoning
- Reinforcement of the Army
- Sekka’s Light
- Set Rotation
- Sky Striker Mecha – Hornet Drones
- Slash Draw
- Spellbook of Judgment
- Terraforming
- Upstart Goblin
- Zoodiac Barrage
Traps
- Magical Explosion
- Naturia Sacred Tree (new)
- Time Seal
Semi-Limited
Effect Monsters
- Destiny HERO – Malicious
- Herald of Orange Light (was Limited)
- Kashtira Unicorn (new)
Spells
- Lightning Storm (new)
- Pot of Desires
- Runick Fountain (new)
- Sky Striker Mobilize – Engage! (was Limited)
- Spright Starter (new)
Newly unlimited
Effect Monsters
- Blackwing – Steam the Cloak (was Limited)
- Genex Ally Birdman (was Limited)
- Samsara Lotus (was Forbidden)
- SPYRAL Quik-Fix (was Limited)
Spells
- Drago Face-Off (was Limited)
- Sky Striker Mecha Modules – Multirole (was Limited)
Konami has confirmed the next Forbidden and Limited card list update will be released “in a few months.”