It happens to every great TV series.

Following in the footsteps of many critically-acclaimed programs before it, the Yu-Gi-Oh! anime will finally be receiving its first expansion. This September, North American audiences will get their first taste of the newest anime phenomenon to hit Japan. Yu-Gi-Oh! GX will give anime fans and duelists alike a whole new way to enjoy the Yu-Gi-Oh! experience!

What is Yu-Gi-Oh! GX? While the adventures of Yugi and his friends will continue, this hot new series looks to the future. In GX, several years have passed since Yugi first unlocked the secrets of the Millennium Puzzle, and his name is now nothing short of legend. While some familiar faces will definitely pop up to surprise you here and there, this new series follows the journey of a brand new hero, tracing his beginnings as a duelist and following him on his path towards greatness. Original characters, settings, intense duels, and never-before-seen cards are what GX is all about. If you’ve enjoyed Yu-Gi-Oh! up until now, then get ready, because GX takes everything you love about the dueling world to brand-new heights!

Our story takes place in a distant land that’s unreachable save by train. Duel Academia is a boarding school for promising duelists. It serves as an alternative to high school for those with enough talent, skill, and determination to devote their lives to dueling. The world’s greatest dueling prodigies gather here, leaving their families behind in order to receive the school’s teachings and become the future heroes of dueling.

Duel Academia consists of lecture halls and classrooms, just as any other high school would, but what sets it apart are the added facilities and studies. The school ground is dotted with arenas and duel domes that are equipped with the latest in Kaiba Corporation technology. The subjects taught aren’t math and English, but are instead focused upon the science and art of dueling! The school even has its own card store, a small shop that receives regular shipments of incredibly rare cards from all across the globe.

Students at Duel Academia are afforded the greatest opportunities possible, learning from the best duelists in the world and enjoying the finest dueling equipment. But when classes end, the lessons have just begun, and the greatest learning experiences often take place on the battlefield between the school’s gifted students. While friendships are easily made, conflicts brew just as quickly, and rivalries will fuel some of the most intense duels you’ll ever see.

There’s more on the line than simply pride when the pupils confront one another. Duel Academia is divided into three different dorms, and the dorm a student occupies defines a great deal about their life. While top prospects are given privileges beyond imagination, students who fail in their studies have a bit more difficulty awaiting them.

Obelisk Blue is the first and most decorated house of the academy. The Obelisk Blue dorm is where the most promising and proven young duelists are placed, and to reside in Obelisk Blue is to live in the lap of luxury. The students here are recognized as the duelists who will lead our future, and while the school has no policy about giving certain individuals preferential treatment, it’s no secret that many Obelisk Blue duelists receive special help (and sometimes even cards!) from their instructors. Though many members of Obelisk Blue believe that their residency makes them better than others, each deals with the elite standing that they’ve been given in different ways. While some are snobs, others are more than happy to share their good fortune. To live in Obelisk Blue is to lead a life of privilege, but also one of wariness—some of the most devious students call Obelisk Blue their home.

Ra Yellow is the intermediary dorm. Like Obelisk Blue, the Ra Yellow students enjoy fabulous food, wonderful accommodations, and their share of privilege. Duelists assigned to this dorm have either proven themselves to be promising in their entry examination duels or have worked their way up since joining the school, and students of Ra Yellow carry their color with pride. Still, make no mistake . . . while some look up to the members of Ra Yellow, there are just as many who look down upon them.

Below both Obelisk Blue and Ra Yellow lies the final house, Slifer Red. As first-year repeat Hayato Maeda (again, the Japanese name) explains, “This is the place where at-risk students go. The red is for ‘red light’.” While all entrants to Duel Academia must prove themselves in order to enroll at the school, this is where the lowest-ranked prospects are housed. The duelists here are the ones that are most likely to fail in their studies or just plain give up on the duelist dream, and as such, they don’t receive the same support as the other houses.

While Obelisk Blue receives the most private and luxurious accommodations, the Slifer Red students sleep three to a room in tightly packed bunks. On feast nights, the other dorms enjoy the best food imaginable, but members of Slifer Red must make do with sub-par fare. Though they have many reasons for under-performing, all of the students in this dorm are not expected to go very far. Therefore, the school spends little time and resources on them.

It’s from these humble beginnings that our hero, Jaden Yuki, emerges. Ranked a pathetic 110th upon his entry to the school, he knows little of the technical specifics of dueling and doesn’t know many of the cards available to his opponents. That said, Jaden seems to possess incredible instincts for dueling. He works with the monsters he summons to create a cohesive team between himself and whatever cards he may draw. He believes in his own ability, and he frequently doesn’t even seem to understand when his opponents are talking down to him. He seems invulnerable to the head games that other competitors try to use, and while he may just be completely oblivious, he might also be incredibly gifted. He’s guided by his instincts and natural talent.

Metagame.com is your source for information about all the characters, cards, drama, and duels that will define this new chapter in the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe. Stay tuned over the coming weeks as we bring you more articles detailing Jaden's friends, foes, and reveal previews of their upcoming adventures. Yu-Gi-Oh! GX debuts this September, but until then, we’ll bring you all the excitement and insider info!

Prepare for the next generation of dueling. Get ready for Yu-Gi-Oh! GX!