Joey Wheeler Joseph " Joey " Wheeler , known as Katsuya Jonouchi in the manga and Japanese version , is one of the main characters in " Yu - Gi - Oh ! " . He is best friends with Yugi Muto . Joey starts out as an inexperienced Duelist , but he later becomes one of the greatest Duelists in the world . He accompanies Yugi throughout his adventures . Design . Appearance . Joey ' s character design was overseen by Kazuki Takahashi . In the first seven volumes of the original Yu - Gi - Oh ! manga , Joey ' s hairstyle changes drastically . Originally featuring two large fringes in front of his ears , the hairstyle changes to a sporadically arranged taper - like and unrealistic hairstyle . Joey ' s first color appearance depicts him with medium brown hair and black eyes . Subsequent appearances lighten the hair color to dirty blond and blond . His eyes are portrayed as brown or hazel . In the first series anime , Joey ' s hairstyle does not change , and the sporadic hairstyle colored in a bright blond style is used . His eyes are brown . In the second series anime , he has dirty blond hair in the sporadic hairstyle and dark brown eyes . His usual outfit from the second series anime consists of a long green open jacket with a raised collar , a white T - shirt underneath and blue jeans . Later in the series , his green jacket is replaced with a blue denim one . He often carries a KaibaCorp Duel Disk on his left arm . Personality . Joey started out as a bully , but becoming friends with Yugi Muto changes this . Joey can seem gullible , sarcastic , impulsive , at times mean , and not very intelligent , but he is also heroic , loyal , strong , bold , kind - hearted , caring , good - natured , funny , friendly , sometimes nice , confident , brave , selfless and loving . Though portrayed as comic relief , he is essential to the plot and the series ' overall theme . He is an enthusiastic Duelist , who firmly believes that Dueling is about fighting to help people you love . Like Seto Kaiba , Joey deeply cares for his younger sister , Serenity Wheeler and will do anything to make her happy . He seems to be very protective of Serenity , which he shows once by sacrificing his own life in order to ensure her safety . He often gets freaked out or offended easily ; he responds rather impulsively to insults , especially remarks about his outward appearance , such as his hair or his outfit , or his Dueling skills . In the dub , he also gets upset when people compare him to an animal , such as a monkey or a dog . Kazuki Takahashi considers Seto Kaiba and Yami Yugi weak in comparison to Joey . The first syllables of Yugi and Jonouchi ' s names form Yūjō , which is Japanese for friendship , symbolizing the bond between the two characters . The card " Yu - Jo Friendship " is based on this connection . Voice . In the Japanese version , Joey does not use honorifics , which means he has a " rude " speech pattern . When talking to people he doesn ' t like , Joey uses the word " teme " ( a rude form of " you " in Japanese , often translated as " you bastard " ) instead of his normal " omae " ( a form of " you " that in context is used between friends , but can imply that the person being spoken to has a lower status than the speaker does if used incorrectly ) , especially to Seto Kaiba , who does not think highly of Joey . The speech pattern translates into the dub , in which it is represented by Joey ( voiced by Wayne Grayson ) speaking with a Brooklyn accent . He refers to himself as " The Godfather of Games " in the movie . His contempt for Kaiba in the dub is symbolized by calling him " rich boy . " In the Southeast Asian dub , Joey ( voiced by Dwayne Tan in this dub ) noticeably lacks the Brooklyn accent he has in the dub . In the European Spanish dubbing , he ( voiced by Pablo Tribaldos ) lacks the Brooklyn accent , he keeps calling Kaiba " ricachón " ( " very rich guy " ) , he also tends to call people who doesn ' t like " cerdos " ( " pigs " ) and tends to say " " machaca a ese cerdo , Yugi " " ( " " crush that pig , Yugi " " ) while cheering Yugi in duels , he called the Big Five " " ejecutivillos " " ( " " businessman - erinos " " in a Ned Flanders - esque style ) . In the Italian dub he instead has a south Italian accent . Etymology . He is known as Joseph " Joey " Wheeler in the 4Kids dub and video games as well as the Brazilian and Portuguese version of the manga , and called Joseph " Joey " Katsuya in the Funimation Uncut dub . In the Swedish dub of the anime his name is Katsuya Jonouchi , like in the original Japanese , but to fit 4Kids ' edited script , he was given the nickname Jono . His name is sometimes spelled Katsuya Jyonouchi in the Japanese anime . His dub name could be based on the character of Wheeler from who also has a Brooklyn accent ( and a voice actor named Joey ) . It may also be an homage to , a commander during . In the manga when Ryo Bakura invited the protagonists to play the " Monster World " RPG , Jonouchi ' s character was named " Joey " . Bandit Keith also nicknamed Jonouchi " Joey " as an insult . Biography . History . Joey and his sister , Serenity Wheeler , were separated when their parents divorced when he was 10 . Serenity was brought up by her mother while Joey lived with his father . Joey never said a word to his mother after that . At some point in the past , Tristan heard Joey was getting into a fight with some gang members while standing up for a kid and rushed to his aid . Although they defeated them , Joey thought Tristan only did it because he saw Joey as a child who couldn ' t stand up for himself . Years later , Joey realized Tristan did this because he was a true friend who would never abandon Joey . Joey and Tristan Taylor used to bully Yugi Muto at school . At one point Joey took a piece of Yugi ' s Millennium Puzzle and threw it into a swimming pool from a window outside of their classroom . However when Ushio started beating up Joey and Tristan , Yugi stood up for them , saying they were his friends . Joey was inspired by how Yugi had tried to help him and came to care for Yugi . He retrieved the piece of the puzzle in the pool and gave it to Yugi . Yami Yugi then punished Ushio with a Penalty Game . Joey became friends with Téa Gardner through Yugi . Yu - Gi - Oh ! Duelist Kingdom . After Seto Kaiba wins against Solomon Muto , Yugi ' s grandfather , and then rips up his " Blue - Eyes White Dragon " card , Joey spurs a bitter hatred of Kaiba . After taking up Duel Monsters , it becomes clear that Joey isn ' t very good at the game initially ( as his Deck was full of Monster Cards and no Spells or Traps ) , so Yugi suggests that Joey take lessons from Solomon . The training proves rigorous , yet Joey copes and becomes a stronger Duelist . He makes the top eight in the regional tournament ( nationals in the Japanese version ) . Joey accompanies Yugi in the Duelist Kingdom tournament , to help Yugi rescue Solomon and so he can use the prize money , to pay for Serenity ' s eye operation . Yugi gives Joey one of his Star Chips allowing Joey to also enter the tournament . On the boat journey to the Duelist Kingdom , Yugi gives Joey a " Time Wizard " saying it can be useful in a tight situation . Here Joey meets Mai Valentine for the first time . At this point she claims he is not worth her time . After Weevil tosses Yugi ' s " Exodia " cards overboard , Joey dives in to the water to rescue them , he manages to retrieve two of the cards , before Yugi dives in to rescue Joey . Both of them are saved by Téa and Tristan , who managed to sneak onto the boat . Once safely back on board , Joey tells his friends of his sister and her condition . Still an amateur , Joey manages to beat Mai Valentine with Yugi ' s help and support from Téa and Tristan . He later beats Rex Raptor in a Duel , where he is not allowed to accept help from Yugi . Here he wins Rex ' s " Red - Eyes Black Dragon " card by betting " Time Wizard " , as well as his " Dragon Nails " . When the group meet Bakura , they end - up trapped inside Duel Monsters cards , by Yami Bakura . Using his friends as cards , Yami Yugi Duels Yami Bakura . Joey is trapped in the " Flame Swordsman " card , but appears on the field , when Yami Yugi Summons him . Joey offers to sacrifice himself for Yugi ' s " Horn of Heaven " so they can stop Yami Bakura ' s " Man - Eater Bug " . Téa , who has taken the form of the " Magician of Faith " , cries over Joey ' s sacrifice , activating her effect , returning " Monster Reborn " to Yami Yugi ' s hand . Yami then uses it to revive Joey . Yami Yugi defeats Yami Bakura , after using his Millennium Puzzle to switch Yami Bakura ' s place with the regular Bakura . Afterwards Joey believes the events of the Duel to have been a dream . In attempt to get revenge , he has a Duel outside of the tournament , against Seto Kaiba , where he is brutally defeated . Joey loses confidence after this defeat and briefly leaves his friends before being forced into a Duel against Bonz . He manages to beat Bonz and later the Paradox Brothers in a tag Duel with Yugi . Joey then qualified to the semi - finals . Pegasus then mentioned that each Duelist must hold one of two entry cards or face disqualification . In order to keep Joey in the competition , Yugi gave him one of his entry cards . Although Bandit Keith steals Joey ' s card , Joey proceeds to defeat Keith in the semi - finals , because Mai gave Joey one of her entry cards after she loses to Yugi . In the final round Joey uses everything he learned from Yugi , throughout the tournament . Despite their friendship , neither of them hold back and Yugi wins after a close Duel . Joey remains on the sideline cheering for Yugi in the final . After Yugi defeats Pegasus , he gives Joey the prize money for Serenity ' s operation . Legendary Heroes . Shortly after Duelist Kingdom , Mokuba Kaiba comes to Solomon ' s shop to inform Yugi and his friends that Seto had been kidnapped and trapped in a Virtual World . The gang went to KaibaCorp to help Seto . Joey , Yugi and Mokuba entered the - like Virtual World , where they completed tasks and met up with Mai Valentine . Mai reluctantly admitted it was her trying to avoid them thinking she was their friend . While Joey is helpful in saving Kaiba , Kaiba says he wouldn ' t ever consider Joey a teammate . Dungeon Dice Monsters . After Duke Devlin transfers to Domino High , Joey becomes jealous of his popularity and challenges him to a Duel , where if Joey wins , Duke must shut down the game shop he ' d just opened , since Solomon had been complaining about the loss of business his own game shop was getting as a result ( in the original however , Joey would win over Duke ' s adoring fans and make them his own groupies ) . Duke sets the stakes so that if he wins Joey must do as he says . Despite Yugi ' s objection , Joey and Duke Duel using whatever cards they acquire in a bunch of Booster Packs . Duke wins , with Joey bitterly reflecting that the motivation to help his sister might have pushed him beyond what were otherwise his limits in Duelist Kingdom . Holding his end of the bargain Joey does as Duke tells him and wears a dog costume . He was later released of this embarrassment , after Yugi defeated Duke in Dungeon Dice Monsters , freeing Joey . Despite their conflicts , Duke becomes friends with Joey . Battle City . When Seto Kaiba hosted the Battle City tournament , he allowed Duelists to enter based on a rating he ' d given them . At the enrollment , Yugi was allowed to enter based on the 5 star rating he was given , but Joey was given the minimum rating of 1 star . While Joey was ranting about Kaiba , the tournament official , notices " Red - Eyes Black Dragon " listed as Joey ' s rarest card , so he changes Joey ' s rating to 4 stars saying there had been a mistake . After Joey and his friends have left , the official phones a Rare Hunter , to inform him about the " Red - Eyes " card . While heading to the hospital for Serenity ' s operation , Joey encounters a group of Rare Hunters . One of them , Seeker , Duels Joey and defeats him using " Exodia " . The hunters beat - up Joey and take the Red - Eyes card . This makes him feel unworthy to be present at Serenity ' s operation . But Serenity refuses to take the operation until Joey arrives . Tristan manages to find Joey and talk him into coming to the hospital . Serenity is still angry at Joey for being late , but Joey manages to talk her into taking the operation . But while this on top of his loss to Duke Devlin , a capable but unranked Duelist , would effectively seem to be Joey ' s fall from grace , a comeback was in the near future for him . Joey finds Seeker on the first day of the tournament in an attempt to get a rematch , but is denied , so Yugi Duels and defeats Seeker instead . He wins back the " Red - Eyes " card and offers it to Joey , but Joey insists that Yugi keep it . Despite losing the card , Joey goes on to defeat Espa Roba , who had just defeated the card ' s original owner , Rex Raptor . He then defeats Yugi ' s old rivals Weevil Underwood and Mako Tsunami , qualifying for the quarter - finals and gaining new cards that boost his Deck considerably . He decided that early on , he only wanted to defeat strong Duelists to qualify , rather than do things the easy way . This led him to go as far as challenging Seto Kaiba . Kaiba declined after he is informed of Yugi ' s location while hunting for the Egyptian God Cards . Although he is relieved about not facing Kaiba , he still acts tough and calls Kaiba a coward . After his Duel with Mako , Marik Ishtar , the leader of the Rare Hunters , uses his Millennium Rod to possess Joey and force him to Duel Yugi , with both their lives on the line . They were both chained to an anchor which would drop after a time limit or when a players Life Points hit zero . Also once a player ' s Life Points hit 0 , the opponent would be able to get a key , that could unlock him from the chains . Marik boosts Joey ' s Deck with powerful spell cards that have Yugi and Kaiba amazed . Yugi , to show Marik how strong his friendship with Joey is , Summons Red - Eyes and gives Joey his Millennium Puzzle . Yugi loses , but Joey breaks out of Marik ' s control and manages to force the Duel in a DRAW . He grabs the key to unlock Yugi ' s chain and dives into the water to rescue him . He is unable to unlock his own chains with Yugi ' s key . Serenity arrives in time to take the bandages off her eyes and take Joey ' s key and dive in to rescue him . Joey along with his friends proceed on to the Kaiba ' s blimp , where the quarter - finals are held . He is paired against Odion Ishtar in the quarter - finals . At the time Odion was pretending to be Marik , while the real Marik pretended to be a boy called Namu , who earned their trust by pretending to have helped Bakura . After Odion obtains a clear advantage in their Duel Serenity begins to leave , saying she cannot bear to watch , but Joey calls her back , saying that she is his inspiration and he needs her to win . Despite a comeback , Odion attempts to claim victory , but Joey accused him of not being Marik . He claimed Odion was fighting fairly and proving honorable and didn ' t think he was the same guy who was controlling him earlier . Odion withdraws his winning move and tries to Summon " The Winged Dragon of Ra " to prove he was Marik . Since the Ra card was a counterfeit that Marik had put in Odion ' s Deck , the real Ra was angered and struck down both players . When this occurred , Odion ' s fake Millennium Rod shattered giving Marik away . Seto Kaiba announced that the first player to stand up within a time limit would be declared the winner , otherwise both players would be disqualified . While unconscious , Joey has a dream about his friends helping him to stand up and he ends up standing up for real , claiming victory . Odion then asks for Joey ' s forgiveness , and tells him that it had been an honor Dueling him , before falling into a coma , and watching as Yami Marik emerges . Joey later thanks his friends , telling him they were there with him in the dream helping him stand up . Mai asked Joey if she was in his dream . Joey lies and says that she wasn ' t , which infuriates Mai . She stormed off claiming she didn ' t need friends , while Téa pulled Joey aside to tell him off . Mai was paired against Marik in her quarter - final . Joey attempted to encourage her from the sideline , but she was still disgusted by what he had said earlier and claimed she didn ' t want or need his help . Marik set the Duel such that each time a player destroyed one of their opponent ' s monsters , the opponent would forget everything about someone they knew . This forced her to forget about Téa first , then Joey . Marik was about to win the Duel by attacking with " The Winged Dragon of Ra " , while Mai was strapped to a wall by Marik ' s monsters , so Joey climbed into the arena and tried to unstrap Mai to save her from Ra ' s blast . He was unable to but Yami Yugi jumped in protecting both from the blast . Yugi and Joey survived , though Marik was able to send Mai to the Shadow Realm . He feels somewhat responsible for Mai ’ s loss . This further fueled Joey ' s hatred for Marik , making him want to face Marik in the next round . Virtual World . After the quarter - finals , the blimp was sucked into a hidden area where Yugi , Joey , Téa , Tristan , Duke , Serenity , Seto and Mokuba were linked into a Virtual World apparently hosted by Kaiba ' s stepbrother Noah Kaiba . The party was split up and to defeat members of the Big Five , who would take their bodies to escape from the virtual world and live inside that body in the real world . Joey was able to construct his Deck using lists of given cards . He also included a few " Harpie " cards , remembering how Mai used to use them . He faced Johnson , who rigged Joey ' s luck - based cards to work in his favor . Noah threatens to disqualify Johnson , but Joey asks that the Duel continue , and he defeats Johnson . He later pairs up with Yugi as they Duel the Big Five combined . Working together they defeat the Big Five . After Yugi defeats Noah , the party is returned to the real world . Battle City finals . On entering the Duel Tower Island , where the Battle City finals are taking place , Kaiba continues to mock Joey and asked how he managed to enter the tournament , saying somebody must have messed up on the computer systems . Despite his hatred for Kaiba , Joey hated Marik more and used the Battle Royale Duel , which would determine who faced who in the next round in his favor to pair him against Marik . When Joey Duels Marik in the semi - finals , Marik links all monsters Summoned by a player to the player themselves , so that any pain the monster feels , the controller would also feel . Joey Duels surprisingly well against Marik , but when Marik Summons " The Winged Dragon of Ra " , he uses its effect to destroy Joey ' s monsters , causing Joey immense pain . It appeared that Joey would not survive the blast . This even resulted in Yami begging Kaiba to call off the Duel , but Kaiba refuses , and insisted he had to witness Ra ' s special ability with his own eyes . But when Ra had finished , Joey was still standing . He struggled to draw his next card , " Gearfried the Iron Knight " . He Summoned it and tried to attack Marik ' s Life Points directly for the win , but collapsed before the attack went through , leaving Marik the winner . After seeing Joey stand up after Ra ' s blast , Kaiba actually admits to himself that Joey ' s performance was actually quite impressive , and finally realizes that Joey " isn ' t " the third - rate amateur that Kaiba thought he was . Joey remains in a coma for a while ( In the dub , a few screen shots were cut that showed that in fact he was dead for a few minutes , and also dialogues were rearranged to show him simply as unconscious ) , leaving his friends worrying that he may have been sent to the Shadow Realm . However , he is not in the Shadow Realm and only in a coma because of his strong friendship bond with both Yugi and Yami Yugi protecting him . He is taken care of by KaibaCorp doctors on the Kaiba ' s blimp , until Yugi ' s Duel with Kaiba in the semi - finals , when Tristan drags him to the window to see Yugi ' s Duel claiming Yugi needs him ( and Joey starts regaining consciousness after Yugi summoned his " Red - Eyes Black Dragon " against Kaiba ) . Joey slowly regained consciousness and afterwords dashes up the Duel Tower , catching the end of Yugi ' s Duel . After Kaiba gives Yugi " Obelisk the Tormentor " , because of the ante rule , Joey challenges Kaiba to a play off to determine 3rd and 4th place . Though Joey plays rather well , managing for a short time to use Kaiba ' s own " Blue - Eyes White Dragon " against him , Kaiba wins and says that Dueling Joey was just a waste of time . However , Mokuba , who was one of the few spectators , is impressed by how Joey Dueled his brother . Joey cheers on Yugi in the finals against Yami Marik and returns to Mai ' s bed to see if defeating Yami Marik had woken her up . He cries over her body , until he hears Mai and Serenity snickering , as they pranked him into admitting he would do anything to have Mai wake up , Mai having woken up before he even reached her room . After the gang flew back to Domino City , they said their goodbyes and parted . Later on , Joey met up with Yugi for a Duel they promised each other . Joey claimed he was going to win back his " Red - Eyes Black Dragon " . The Duel ' s result was not shown , but Joey did use that card in later arcs , which means he may have won it back . Waking the Dragons . In the Waking the Dragons arc , Joey accompanies Yugi in saving the world from Dartz and his organization , Paradius . When Arthur Hawkins tells of an alternate world where real Duel Monsters exist , Joey , remembering all the experiences he and his friends have had previously , tells Arthur that he believes him . He later finds out Mai is working for Paradius and is set on using " The Seal of Orichalcos " to strip Joey of his soul . Joey refuses to accept that Mai joined under her own free will and accused Paradius of brainwashing her . Mai Duels Joey in an attempt to take his soul . Joey , holding back at first for fear of losing Mai , struggles to avoid losing the Duel , until his mind is taken to another world , where he pulls a sword from a large dragon sealed in crystal . Back in reality that dragon , " Claw of Hermos " is added to his Deck . He uses this card to gain an advantage in the Duel . When it becomes apparent that Joey is about to win , Valon interrupts , using a fragment of the Orichalcos stone to remove " The Seal of Orichalcos " in order to save Mai . Joey manages to catch the last glimpse of Yami ' s Duel with Rafael . He is astonished to see the symbol of the Orichalcos on Yami ' s forehead , since this must have meant Yami played the Seal on his own . This is nothing to his shock when he witnesses Yami lose the Duel and watches a soul be taken . Rafael began to make his escape in a helicopter , taking Yugi ' s body with him . When Joey pursues and demands that Rafael give him back , Rafael flings the body down . After Yugi begins to show signs of life , Joey becomes excited thinking Yugi had found a way to avoid losing his soul . But Yami Yugi revealed that only he had survived while " regular " Yugi let his own soul be taken . Joey punches Yami for moping around and losing hope , and tells him to focus on saving Yugi . Joey and Tristan get separated from Téa and Yami Yugi when the train they were riding split in two . Outside the train , Joey and Tristan meet Rex , who is now working with Paradius and looking to Duel Joey . Joey refuses to Duel , knowing one of them would lose their soul if the Seal of Orichalcos was played . But Raptor begins to Duel anyway , playing the Seal on the first turn and leaving Joey no choice but to Duel back . Throughout the Duel , Rex reveals his motive for targeting Joey . He and Weevil had been humiliated after their defeats to Joey and Yugi in Duelist Kingdom . They both suffered a mass loss in popularity and were now regarded as losers and a joke . He blamed Joey for all this , including going on to say Joey stole , not fairly won , his " Red - Eyes Black Dragon " . Joey proceeds to win the Duel , causing Rex to lose his soul . He and Tristan are left carrying Rex ' s body through the desert after this . Joey ' s Hermos card begins to glow , and he sees the three Legendary Dragon s appear and guide an airplane to land safely nearby . Joey and Tristan rush to the plane , where they meet up with Yami and Téa , who had also seen the Dragons guide the plane . Kaiba emerges from the plane , and he explains how Paradius had hacked into KaibaCorp and began taking over . Kaiba gives them all a lift to Domino City , leaving Rex in the care of his remaining faithful staff . The City has become overrun with Orichalcos Soldiers . After being chased by one , Joey meets Valon , who takes off on a motorcycle . Joey grabs a motorcycle that an Orichalcos Soldier had caused someone to fall off of and chases Valon . After catching up , they Duel , and Valon explains his reason for targeting Joey ; from hearing Mai constantly rant about him , he felt eliminating Joey would be a favor to her . However , Valon becomes impressed by Joey ' s Dueling skills and speech about how he felt Dueling was about fighting for people you love . He soon comes to respect Joey and see why Mai is so interested in him . Mai appears midway through the Duel , telling Valon off for Dueling Joey because she wanted to be the one to defeat him . Joey wins , and just before Valon lost his soul , he asked Joey to save Mai . Unable to convince Mai that she has been brainwashed , Joey says the only way he could get through to Mai was to Duel her . But though he tries his best , he is again handicapped by the strain his battle with Valon put on his stamina . Through the course of the Duel , Mai comes to remember why she had once cared for Joey . She holds back from attacking him when she is able to declare victory , but Joey collapses from exhaustion from his Duel with Valon and the Seal of Orichalcos begins to take his soul . Mai rushes and hugs him to stop him from falling , telling him she was sorry and that he was " the closest friend she ever had " . Shortly after , Joey pushes her safely out of the Seal while his soul gets taken . An image of him standing , fists at his sides , appears on a tablet in Dartz ' s temple to show his soul ' s capture . ( It is noteworthy that he and Valon are the only two characters whose soul - carvings do not depict them panicking at their imprisonment . ) Mai weeps over Joey , denouncing everything she did . Once she calms down , she takes the Hermos card and rests his body next to Valon ' s before dashing to Duel Dartz for Valon and Joey . Yami , Téa and Tristan arrive and take care of Joey ' s body . Joey ' s soul returns to his body after Yami ' s Duel with Dartz . Yugi returns Hermos to Joey , and he helps Summon monsters to defeat The Great Leviathan . After the defeat of the Leviathan , he watches as the Legendary Knights and Dark Magician Girl return to their world . The Hermos card fades away as he does so . Grand Championship . Joey was invited to Seto Kaiba ' s Grand Championship tournament . He served as mainly a comic relief character in this arc . After Yugi said the card " Heart of the Underdog " reminded him of a friend , calling Joey an underdog became a running gag that day . In the first round , he defeated Yugi ' s grandfather , Solomon Muto , who entered under the identity Apdnarg Otum , to test how well he had trained Joey . Only Joey was fooled by his disguise . After putting up a good fight , he was defeated by Zigfried von Schroeder in the next round . When Yugi ' s grandpa was missing , Joey joined Yugi and the gang on a search to find Yugi ' s grandpa . They found him being bribed by Vivian who challenged Yugi to a Duel , which Yugi accepted and won . Dawn of the Duel . During the " Dawn of the Duel " arc , Joey , Yugi , Téa and Tristan go to Cairo , Egypt so that they might help Yami Yugi fulfill his destiny as Pharaoh . They were greeted at the airport by the Ishtars . After Yami Yugi entered the Memory World , his friends were shocked to see that he had left the Millennium Puzzle , so Shadi used the Millennium Key to open the way to the maze of Yugi ' s heart so that he might try to find the door to the Memory World . Once there , the four of them met up with Bobasa , who promised to help them . They were able to phase through other buildings and people unnoticed and remained invisible to the majority of people , but they could not pass through the palace gates . Joey , Téa , Tristan and Yugi manage to find Yami ' s real name , but are unable to read the hieroglyphics . When they meet up with Yami later , they are unable to tell him his real name . Together they Summon monsters to fight Zorc Necrophades . After Zorc defeats their monsters , they try concentrating on their memories of the hieroglyphics , and are able to make them appear on a . Yami read his name , Atem , from the cartouche allowing him to Summon The Creator God of Light , Horakhty , destroying Zorc Necrophades . After returning to the real world , Joey offers to Duel Atem in the Ceremonial Battle . This is declined so that Yugi can Duel Atem himself . During the Duel , he explains Yugi ' s feelings to his friends . After the Duel , Joey and his friends fly back home to Domino City . He is last seen walking into the distance with Yugi , Téa and Tristan as the series ends . " Yu - Gi - Oh ! GX " . His name is referenced in an episode in the dub when Jaden Yuki Duels a lab chimpanzee , the scientist says the ape ' s name is Wheeler . This is a reference to Kaiba once calling Joey a " Dueling monkey " in the dub . Joey is mentioned by name , by Pegasus . He includes Joey in his top five Duelists as number three due to his unusual gift of pure raw talent . Two being Kaiba and one being Yugi . When Jaden is taken to the past to Duel against the younger Yugi , he picks up a flyer that has a picture of Yugi , Téa , Tristan , Joey and Kaiba . " Yu - Gi - Oh ! 5D ' s " . A parody of him named Tatsuya Jyouchi is listed as one the players defeated by Hunter Pace . A Duelist who looks like Joey is seen Dueling at Daimon Area against a Duelist who resembles Frost . Thunder , Frost ' s partner , also bears a resemblance to Joey . In the dub , someone asks if the Duelist is Joey Wheeler . Someone else replies that it is his cousin Jesse Wheeler . " Yu - Gi - Oh ! Bonds Beyond Time " . The exclusive comic book that comes with " Malefic Red - Eyes B . Dragon " says that Paradox stole Joey ' s " Red - Eyes Black Dragon " to use to Summon " Malefic Red - Eyes B . Dragon . " Relationships . Yugi Muto . Joey and Tristan used to bully Yugi , but after Yugi defended Joey and Tristan against Ushio , Joey and Yugi became very close friends . When Yami Yugi was unable to snap Joey out of Marik ' s brainwashing , Yugi took over - Yami Yugi conceded that Yugi was closer to Joey than he was - and succeeded in bringing Joey back to his senses . Shortly thereafter , each proved they were willing to die for the other , as Yugi chose to lose a Duel in which the loser drowned so as to save Joey , and as Joey then gave up his own chance to escape drowning to save Yugi from the same . When Joey is unconscious after his Duel with Yami Marik , Yugi only continues participating in the tournament because the Millenium Necklace tells him that ' s the way to save Joey . Similarly , after Yugi ' s soul is taken by the Orichalcos , Joey decides to challenge Doma himself in order to save Yugi . Yami Yugi . Joey is close friends with Yami Yugi , and each risks his life to help the other countless times . In Battle City , Joey calls Yami Yugi the " true Duelist " , and makes it his goal to become a Duelist worthy of Dueling Yami Yugi . When Joey is unconscious after his Duel with Yami Marik , Yami Yugi only continues participating in the tournament because the Millenium Necklace tells him that ' s the way to save Joey ; Joey exhibits similar selfless behavior in return when he continues to support Yami Yugi after Yami Yugi ' s corruption led to Yugi ' s loss , choosing not to blame Yami Yugi for what had transpired and instead urging Yami Yugi to fight to get Yugi back . On the boat ride to the Pharaoh ' s tomb , Joey tells Tristan and Duke that although he doesn ' t want to see Yami Yugi go , he supports it because he knows it ' s best for Yami Yugi . As Yami Yugi leaves , Joey cries , but he encourages the others to let Yami Yugi go to the afterlife , while saying that , " Even in 1000 years , you ' re still our partner " . Serenity Wheeler . Although they were separated as kids when their parents divorced , Joey and Serenity care deeply for each other . When Joey learns that Serenity needs money for an eye surgery , he enters the Duelist Kingdom tournament to win the money necessary to perform the surgery . The first thing Serenity does after recovering her eyesight is save Joey ' s life . Serenity generally admires Joey , who in turn acts protective of his sister , becoming angry with Tristan and Duke when they flirt with her . Tristan Taylor . Joey and Tristan are close friends . While Tristan pokes fun at Joey and Joey is annoyed with Tristan ' s behavior towards Serenity , their deep friendship can be seen in Tristan ' s horrified reaction both times Joey lost shadow games . Mai Valentine . When Joey and Mai first meet , Mai cares only about winning and is rude to Joey . However , Joey and the rest of his friends soon become friends with Mai . After this , Joey and Mai grow continually closer , with Mai giving Joey the pass he needs to get into the Duelist Kingdom finals , and Joey breaking Yami Marik ' s hold over Mai and shielding her from Ra ' s attack . When Mai joins Doma , Joey makes it his goal to bring her back to her senses . Over the course of the series they come to care deeply for each other ' s well - being . Seto Kaiba . At the series start , Joey and Seto dislike each other , neither showing any respect for the other . In particular , Joey dislikes Seto ' s arrogant behavior , and Seto considers Joey a weak Duelist . However , over the course of the series , each individual shows concern , empathy , and / or respect for the other several times . When Marik is controlling Joey into Dueling Yugi with the Duelists ' lives on the line , Seto is worried that for the Duelists ' safety ; he works hard to call off the Duel . Later , when Noah offers Yami Yugi the opportunity to save all of Yugi ' s friends - including Serenity - if Yami Yugi lets Noah keep Seto trapped in the Virtual World , Joey insists that Yami Yugi keep fighting in order to save the Kaiba brothers and maintain the bond the Kaiba brothers share . Later , Seto considers respecting Joey as a Duelist after Joey withstands Ra ' s attack , although he is still rude both to him and when talking about him in the tournament , both when fighting for 3rd place and in his match with Yami Yugi , respectively . In Waking the Dragons arc , he was considerate enough to prevent Joey ' s soulless body from falling off of Tristan ' s back . Joey in turn gains enough respect for Seto to actively root for him in Seto ' s match against Zigfried . Deck . During the " Duelist Kingdom " arc , Joey ' s Deck is comprised of mostly Warrior and Beast - Warrior - Type monsters . He uses few Magic and Trap Cards , the ones that do mostly allowing him to power up his monsters or weaken enemy monsters . His favorite card is " Flame Swordsman " , but he rarely uses it after Duelist Kingdom . Joey ' s signature move during Duelist Kingdom was to use a combo of " Time Wizard " and " Baby Dragon " to weaken enemy monsters and aging " Baby Dragon " into " Thousand Dragon " . Joey also uses " Graverobber " to steal enemy cards for his own usage ( note that in the anime " Graverobber " can take any card from the opponent ' s Graveyard , not just Magic cards ) , and adds the " Red - Eyes Black Dragon " to his Deck after he wins it from Rex Raptor . With the exception of Battle City , when he lost the " Red - Eyes " to a Rare Hunter , Joey would make usage of the dragon throughout the series , gradually adding support cards for it to his Deck . In the " Battle City " arc , Joey ' s Deck is more balanced . He relies on Warriors again and incorporates Gamble cards that rely on coin flips , dice rolls or other games of chance and luck , " Graceful Dice " and " Skull Dice " being two such cards that become a permanent part of Joey ' s Deck . His reliance on these cards contrasts the other Duelists in the series including Yugi and Kaiba , as Joey does not have access to the powerful cards they do and relies on luck to win . Other cards that become mainstays in his Deck include " Alligator Sword " , " Swordsman of Landstar " , and " Panther Warrior " , and the Magic Cards " Scapegoat " and " Giant Trunade " . As he defeats opponents Joey adds " Jinzo " , " Insect Queen " , and " The Legendary Fisherman " to his Deck , " Jinzo " becoming one of Joey ' s best monsters as the series progresses . In the " Virtual World " arc , Joey uses Warrior monsters and raises their ATK with the ability of his Deck Master , " Flame Swordsman " . He also uses " Cyber Harpie " and " Harpie ' s Feather Duster " as tributes to Mai Valentine when both he and Yami Duel The Big Five in an attempt to get Tristan ' s body back . In the " Waking the Dragons " arc , Joey adds " Claw of Hermos " to his Deck , combining it with monsters to create unique Equip cards . He otherwise adds " Star Blaster " and " Roll of Fate " , along with other gamble cards and " Red - Eyes Black Dragon " . During the " Grand Championship " arc , Joey ' s Deck is largely the same as in " Waking the Dragons " . He expands on his " Swordsman of Landstar " in the form of other " Landstar " monsters and support cards for them , and uses more gamble cards , namely " Dangerous Machine Type - 6 " and " Maximum Six " .