‘Yu-Gi-Oh!’ Creator Gives ‘Hellboy’ a Go

Of all the theoretical pop culture mashups ever created, a combination of Yu-Gi-Oh and Hellboy may be one of the most tantalizing prospects. While we will likely never get to experience any such creation, the creators of the two properties have at least given fans an idea of what this crossover could look like.

Yu-Gi-Oh creator Kazuki Takahasi, and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, are apparently big fans of each other’s work. So much so that they one did an art trade with one another, mashing up their two creations in the best way possible.

As you can see below, the results are fantastic, particularly on Takahasi’s end.

The first image is Mignola’s take on the crossover. His drawing depicts the traditional Hellboy design, with an image of Yugi Mutou hidden inside.

While Mignola’s depiction is fairly simple, Takahasi takes things to a new level, actively turning Hellboy into a character set within the world of Yu-Gi-Oh. The Dark Horse Comics character has a massive Duel Disk on his left arm, and he’s actively beginning to play the hand he’s been dealt. He’s also got the hair and style to match Yugi, along with his more traditional aspects, like the shaved horns and Right Hand of Doom.

Judging by the way Takahasi signed the drawing, it seems as though the exchange between the artists took place in 2004, not long after both franchises were created. Hellboy first appeared in 2003, while the Yu-Gi-Oh manga was first published in 1996.

What do you think of these crossover designs? How awesome would it be to see Hellboy in a duel?? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!