It’s over! From a sea of tournament veterans a single newcomer has risen above all other competitors: Justin Arnwine is your new Shonen Jump Champion!

Fifteen TeleDAD players and one lone Lightsworn duelist made the cut to Day 2 this weekend, but the field was more interesting than it looked at first glance. Four TeleDAD decks made radical changes and innovations, challenging the conventional build and making the Top 16 as a result. Henry Su adapted Synchro Dude tech like Lightning Vortex and Mind Control while incorporating new picks like Threatening Roar and Magical Mallet. Chris Bowling dropped to two copies each of Krebons and Emergency Teleport, while Mark Borden brought Light and Darkness Dragon back to Day 2 for the first time in months. Chris Taporco ran three Destiny Hero - Dasher cards, two copies of Jinzo, and Prometheus, King of the Shadows. Everyone was looking for an edge this weekend, and the result was a ton of creativity rewarded with Day 2 showings.

But at the end of the day Justin Arnwine triumphed with a purely conventional version of the archetype. He was the underdog all day long, first facing off against four-time finalist Jerry Wang in the Top 16. From there he had to face the Top 16’s only Lightsworn deck in the hands of Arthur Rogers before taking on another big veteran: Alonzo Peters. Finally, he went up against Shonen Jump Champion Andrew Fredella, pulling out a win in Game 3 of the tournament’s final match!

Four weeks from today, Shonen Jump action will return to Chicago, but for now we congratulate all duelists who competed here at Shonen Jump Championship Charlotte, especially your new Champion, Justin Arnwine!