Call of the Haunted

Call of the Haunted was first released in the 2002 2-Player Starter Set for the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game, serving as one of the quintessential trap cards of the early format. Designed to allow players to special summon a monster from their graveyard to the field in attack position, it became a staple of early deck-building strategies due to its versatility and ability to facilitate comebacks in a game that was still finding its competitive footing.

The card’s eerie illustration, featuring a hand emerging from a grave amidst a dark, atmospheric graveyard setting, is emblematic of the gothic horror aesthetic prevalent in the game's initial card pool. While the artwork was produced in-house by Konami's creative team to mirror the tone of the manga and anime, the card design itself has seen numerous reprints and status changes within the game's official ban list over the decades, reflecting its enduring utility in casual and historical play.