"Y'all've activated my Trap card!" is a phrase every fan of the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime has uttered at least once. 1 of the 3 major types of cards in the game, Trap cards are meant to protect a player's Monsters (and/or their Life Points) during their opponent'south turn, allowing the game to have a bit of interaction during both player's rounds.

For various reasons, Trap cards aren't quite as useful to competitive Yu-Gi-Oh! as they once were, merely that doesn't mean there weren't some scary ones that existed at i point or some other. For this list, nosotros're going to be looking at the most powerful Trap cards ever created.

Updated Oct 13th, 2020 by Johnny Garcia: Yu-Gi-Oh! has been picking upward steam as of belatedly, with Remote Dueling actually taking off and getting more than official back up. This allows players to Duel through the use of webcams from anywhere in the world. There has been more than to do with the game than ever earlier, with not just Remote Dueling just Duel Links gaining tons of steam. Multiple sets featuring incredibly powerful cards accept been released, such every bit Duel Overload, Rise of the Duelist, and multiple Structure Decks.

fifteen At that place Tin can Be Only I

there can be only one art and text

"There Can Be Only Ane" is a Trap card and so powerful, it alone can win the game entirely if it's used correctly. "At that place Can Exist Only One" makes it and so both players tin can only control ane bill of fare of each Monster Blazon. Almost Decks in the game share the same Blazon, preventing more than one Monster from being Summoned.

It likewise prevents the attempted Summons of Monsters of the same Type, significant Monsters on the Field tin can't be used for Extra Deck Materials if information technology would Summon a Monster of the same Type.

14 Summon Limit

summon limit card and text

When it comes to Trap cards, Floodgates are generally among the best. "Summon Limit" is a Continous Trap card that's ane of the best Floodgates in all ofYu-Gi-Oh! What "Summon Limit" does is preclude each thespian from being able to Summon more than two times per turn.

This limit also includes negated Summons, which is enough to completely close down an opponent'due south plow. While it affects its user likewise, as with all Floodgates, "Summon Limit" is activated after its user has already prepare up their Field then it truly only affects the opponent.

13 Ice Dragon's Prison

ice dragons prison card and text

One of the most contempo Trap cards released in the Rising of the Duelist Set, "Ice Dragon's Prison house" is one of the strongest forms of removal on a Trap card. It Targets a Monster in the opponent's Graveyard and Special Summons it to its user Field with negated effects.

While this can be used to get a Monster with loftier stats on the Field, it tin likewise be used every bit removal. If the opponent controls a Monster with the same Type every bit the one Summoned, then the user of "Ice Dragon'southward Prison" tin can choose to Banish both those cards. This event doesn't Target or Destroy, which is what makes it so good.

12 Evenly Matched

evenly matched art and text

"Evenly Matched," if it resolves, is the strongest form of removal in the entirety ofYu-Gi-Oh!It's mostly the first thing used in a turn, equally if its user controls no cards, it can be activated from the Manus. "Evenly Matched" forces the opponent to Banish cards from their side of the Field face-down, until they command the same number of cards.

In nearly cases, "Evenly Matched" is the only carte on its user's Field, leaving the opponent with just one carte du jour. Banishing face-downwards is the best removal in the game, as cards in that position are by and large considered to be gone for the residual of the Duel.

11 Infinite Impermanence

infinite impermanence art and text

"Infinite Imerpanence" is perhaps the most played Trap card in the current meta. Information technology's incredibly powerful, and equally presently equally it was released it joined the ranks of the best Trap cards the game has always seen.

While Trap cards have fallen out of favor, "Space Impermanence" is in many instances the only Trap card in a player's deck. The ability to negate a Monster event is slap-up, peculiarly since if its user controls no cards, they tin can actuate information technology from the Hand. In improver, if information technology was Gear up when it was activated, all Spell and Trap cards in the aforementioned cavalcade are negated for the rest of the turn.

10 Vanity'southward Emptiness

vanity's emptiness art and text

"Vanity'south Emptiness" was meant to be a card to help irksome the game downward. The thought is that in one case a player flipped something like this they could end all the Special Summoning until something went to the Graveyard. Unfortunately, what'south impossible to business relationship for are the Decks that are already practiced at incorporating something like this.

Like all Floodgate cards, what eventually happens is the faster, meliorate Deck Special Summons all the Monsters they desire, Set this card, and then passes to their opponent. After their opponent draws, they flip this upward, leaving them stuck against a total field of Monsters. Information technology'southward skilful they banned this.

9 Soul Drain

soul drain art and text

"Soul Drain" was a card that was considered then powerful, information technology was Limited on the banlist for years, having simply recently gone back to 3 copies per Deck. Many Decks heavily rely on effects that activate in the Graveyard, which is what gave "Soul Drain" and then much power.

1000 Life Points is a pocket-size cost to pay in order to completely shut down the opponent's strategy and while being able to negate Banished Monster'southward effects isn't every bit useful it is a solid bonus to an already powerful consequence. "Soul Drain" is a card that merely gets meliorate as fourth dimension goes on, every bit more cards with Graveyard effects enter into the meta.

8 Royal Oppression

royal oppression art and text

"Royal Oppression" is one of the nigh deceptive cards on this list. Subsequently all, information technology does say that both sides of the Field can use it whenever they like. Plus information technology comes with a hefty 800 life point cost to actuate. Only it inherently benefits the person with the most life points at the time of activation.

That in itself is bad enough, merely in that location are plenty of Decks that tin rely entirely on their Normal Summon. When that happens, since virtually decks run Monsters that are meant to be Special Summoned, it places the opponent'south back confronting the wall automatically. It is asking a lot to somehow have enough resources to force an opponent to not use this carte.

7 Last Plow

last turn art and text

"Last Turn" was a role of a unique OTK that turned it into a existent hurting for anyone trying to play competitively. The flim-flam to it was to flip the menu while having a Monster similar "Jowgen the Spiritualist" already on the Field. Every carte is sent to the field on the opponent's side of the Field, and so there'due south nothing they can do.

Once "Jowgen the Spiritualist" is on the field, the opponent tin can't Special Summon Monsters due to its result, making the opponent the automatic winner of the game. It leaves a terrible taste in the mouth of most players, but a win's a win. Which is why this banned card is not coming back without a serious change.

six Skill Drain

skill drain art and text

There are a lot of cards on this listing that restrict players from doing something incredibly basic. For instance, "Purple Oppression" prevents special Summoning. They're all great cards, but "Skill Drain" is both the best and most easily driveling among them. Whereas most Decks are still somewhat limited themselves by trying to play effectually their Floodgate cards, Skill Bleed doesn't crave any such thing.

A player can merely play a Deck designed to only Summon giant Beatstick Monsters that don't do much else, while leaving their opponent stuck with smaller Monsters which have good effects, and suddenly the path to an easy win is at that place.

5 Imperial Order

imperial order art and text

This bill of fare is the mistake of Konami not realizing how the game was going to evolve down the line. It seems simple enough, negating all Spell cards on the Field, even having a price of 700 Life Points to keep the menu up or encounter it destroyed. The trouble is players using the card can build their Deck around it. It doesn't take much to reduce the number of Spells in a Deck to become the maximum usage out of it.

Information technology's been brought back since it's initial banning, only that's only because at present in that location are so many Monsters and Traps that can destroy cards. At the time, the all-time bet was another Spell card, which players were shut off from.

iv Macro Cosmos

macro cosmos art and text

"Macro Cosmos" has been limited (meaning players can but have i copy in their Deck) for several years at present. The menu has a uncomplicated sounding effect: Any card played while information technology remains on the field is sent to the Banish Zone instead. This seems more than annoying than annihilation else, only the game somewhen evolved so the Graveyard is more like a superhero's death; in other words, completely temporary.

"Macro Cosmos" existence activated could obliterate a histrion's turn, every bit Banished cards are impossible to recollect from the Graveyard for most Decks. Its ability equally an anti-meta menu is what caused Konami to whack it.

3 Trap Dustshoot

trap dustshoot art and text

This is a carte that was particularly dangerous during eras when players tended to accept more cards in their Hand rather than on the field, meaning its the nightmare of slower formats. "Trap Dustshoot" seems simple enough, as it'southward but asking the player to put back one bill of fare out of a Hand of four.

However, the fact that information technology specifies Monster cards means it could forcefulness the role player to put back their only monster. Plus, it allows the opponent to see the player's Hand, meaning they can strategize for what they tin and can't do.

2 Exchange Of The Spirit

exchange of the spirit art and text

Though "Substitution of the Spirit" has more recently fabricated a render to the world of Yu-Gi-Oh!, when it first became meta it was one of the most terrifying experiences a player could have. It was role of an FTK that involved using "Makyura the Destructor" to activate a Trap on their own turn without needing to Set up it outset.

The player would shove their entire Deck into their graveyard, then activate "Substitution of the Spirit" which caused them to swap it dorsum and force the opponent to switch their empty Graveyard with their Deck. Since attempting to draw when yous have no cards in the deck is an auto-loss, the player would then lose earlier they ever got to play the game.

one Solemn Judgement

solemn judgement art and text

Until recently, this card could merely be used as a single copy in any role player's legal Deck. Information technology's not hard to see why. "Solemn Judgment" is probably the almost powerful Trap Konami has ever produced in the game. Oftentimes referred to as "God Says No" past players, "Solemn Judgment" is a Trap that stops any actor from doing...well, literally anything.

Information technology can stop a single Summon, Spell or Trap card activation - a player can literally negate whatever they want from you. Best office? The carte says "pay half your Life Points", which is something y'all can do equally long as you lot have at to the lowest degree two Life Points.

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