Duel Masters takes place in a world with five distinct civilizations, where skilled duelists, known as Kaijudo masters, can bring these worlds to life through a card game. The game allows duelists to make abstract concepts tangible. Shobu Kirifuda, a skilled local player, aims to become a world-class Kaijudo master like his father, and his first step is competing in a local tournament, where he's unexpectedly defeated by the world's top master, Knight.