Welcome

Welcome to the Monarchshipping directory. This is a collection of links to various fan works (art, writing, etc.) that feature the relationship between Yami no Yuugi and Atem from the anime and manga series Yu-Gi-Oh! (遊☆戯☆王), created by Kazuki Takahashi.

Isn't that the same character?

The short answer is: yes, monarchship is a selfcest ship; the long answer is of course more complicated. There are two core ways in which the character of Yami no Yuugi | Atem can be interpreted as separate: by media and by story act.

Fans of Yu-Gi-Oh are in general agreement that there exist significant differences in the characterisations of Yami no Yuugi | Atem between the manga, season 0 of the anime series, the Japanese and the English dub, as well as various other dubs. This creates the possibility to compare and contrast these characterisations through the lens of shipping.

The same can be done between the different stages of Yami no Yuugi | Atem's character evolution. He undergoes one of the most severe character development arcs in the series, going from a murderous spirit possessing the series' lead to a honourable and kind person all of his own, and so in discussions, fans often distinguish between his earlier personality, his latter one, his previous lifetime as Pharaoh of Egypt as well as the holographic recreation of him featured in the movie Dark Side of Dimensions. Thus, these different instances of his character can be shipped as well.

The shipping of his season 0 characterisation and his latter self before regaining his memories is called Sanityshipping.

Their relationship

Fanworks featuring monarchship can explore a variety of themes though often center a mirroring of the characters. Identity, self-discovery and self-antagonisation are central topics. They are often depicted as either directly oppositional, highlighting their differences, or as inseparable, centering their similarities.

Mao, Yami, Atem or Atemu

Mao, Yami and Atem(u) are the names most commonly given to Yami no Yuugi | Atem when explored throughout different parts of the story or split into different characters. Mao (魔王様, maousama) is a fan name popularised by the Japanese fandom of the series and refers specifically to the season 0 and early manga variant of Yami no Yuugi | Atem. Yami is a name popularised by the English dub of the series but has become a catch all for any point during the story before Yami no Yuugi | Atem regains his original name.

Atem is the name referring to Yami no Yuugi | Atem during the act of regaining his memories, after regaining his name, or to the Pharaoh who lived before the start of the series. Due to the direct romanisation of the kanji アテム as Atemu and their pronunciation in the Japanese dub of the anime, Atem was initially dubbed Atemu by fans. With the release of the official English translation of the manga, Atem was canonised as the correct spelling but many fans, especially those who have been in the fandom for longer, still prefer Atemu.

Credits

This is a fansite with only personal use intent. It has been online since 2025 and is maintained by Puzzle. If you want your listing removed from this site, please contact me and I will quickly do so. All images used are by XX.