The card game "Duel Monsters" has become all the rage in Domino City. The rules are simple: two players, known as "Duelists," fight each other with the monster cards they have collected in their decks and deduct Life Points. Each Duelist starts with a total of two thousand Life Points, and whoever loses all of them first is defeated in the battle.

One day, a timid boy named Shougo Aoyama buys a deck that contains the "Red Eyes Black Dragon," a legendary card said to bring victory to those courageous enough to fight. Soon, word of the card in Shougo's hands begins to spread, eventually reaching the competitive Duelist Seto Kaiba. Desiring to collect the strongest cards in any way possible, Kaiba invites Shougo and his rival Yuugi Mutou to a Duel Monsters tournament—but will Shougo be able to overcome his fear of losing?