Tapping on the window is a form of decoration that adds a touch of whimsy and charm to any living space. It involves hanging various objects on the exterior of a windowpane to create a visually appealing display. The tradition of window tapping can be traced back to ancient times when it was believed to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck. The practice of tapping witch window decoration has evolved over the years, with people now using a variety of materials and styles to create their personalized displays. Some popular choices include wind chimes, small bells, colorful ribbons, dream catchers, and sun catchers. These objects not only add visual interest but also create beautiful sounds when the wind blows, adding a soothing and melodic element to the surrounding environment.
The Puzzle grants incredible skill at strategy and allows the wielder to use ancient and powerful magic. That magic is mainly used to start and control Shadow Games. The Millennium Puzzle is the most powerful of all the Millennium Items. When Yugi activates its magic, the Eye of Wdjat glows on his forehead. Its most well-known power is Yugi switching his body and mind with the spirit of the Pharaoh.
The power within the Millennium Items lets their holders perform feats like putting people to sleep, cloaking himself and others from sight, interfering with other Shadow Games, remote-viewing, etc. In addition to holding the soul spirit of Pharaoh Atem himself, the Puzzle is able to fulfil one single wish of the person who had solved it and heighten its owner s chance of success in a game, judging by their skill-level as well as the importance of the game at hand.
These objects not only add visual interest but also create beautiful sounds when the wind blows, adding a soothing and melodic element to the surrounding environment. In addition to its aesthetic appeal, tapping on the window is also often seen as a form of self-expression and reflection of one's personality. The objects chosen for window decoration may have sentimental value or symbolize specific beliefs or interests, allowing individuals to showcase their taste and individuality to the outside world.
The True Power of the Millennium Puzzle
For a long time I have seen many things cited about what the abilities of the Millennium Puzzle are since out of all the Millennium Items, its power set is the most vague. The most infamous example being that the Puzzle increases one's luck in games and the more desperate the game becomes, the more one's luck increases. Or as Yugipedia puts it, ". heighten its owner's chance of success in a game, judging by their skill-level as well as the importance of the game at hand." This has all been used to meme and to suggest that Yugi/Atem cheats since they can used the Puzzle's power to will any card they want in a crisis. Which is supported by games like Duel Links with Destiny Draw or the dub's 'Heart of the Cards'. And we have all seen the lucky draws that save Yugi's life, so it makes sense that some magic was behind it, right?
Except, what if I tell you that none of this is true. This most talked about power of the Millennium Puzzle doesn't exist in within the manga or anime and I'm going to prove it here. This will be a long post and I will have a TLDR at the bottom for those who just want a summary.
Let's us go back to the origin of Yugioh, the manga written by Takahashi. For further reference, I will be using Viz's manga translation found on Viz.com, so if there any statements that are different in another version or in the Japanese translations, feel free to correct me. In the first chapter on page 10, we are told that the Millennium Puzzle will grant one wish to anyone who solves the Puzzle. Now we can debate how true that is since Yugi's wish was to make true friends and Yugi made that wish happened himself before he completed the Puzzle when he tried to protect Joey and Tristen from Trudge, but for the sake of this post let's say this is one of the Puzzle's power. Now on page 33 we are told the second power of the Puzzle from Yugi's grandpa:
Grandpa: It's written in the Book of the Dead that the one who solves the Puzzle inherits the Shadow Games. He becomes the guardian of right and passes judgement on the evil.
All this seems to refer to Atem and how Yugi became his chosen vessel. So the second power is basically you get possessed by an ancient king who can control the Shadow Games and inflict Penalty Games on those he judge as evil.
We don't see more of the Puzzle's power until Chapter 12 page 11 when Yugi asked the Puzzle to find Joey when he was kidnapped by his former gang. While this comes off as an one-shot plot-convenient power, it does reappear in Chapter 31 of Duelist when Joey was kidnapped and forced to duel Bonz. So let's call this the Puzzle has the power to track those that Yugi considers his friends. The final power of the Puzzle was the highlight of Shadi's introduction in chapter 13. Despite Shadi being one of the guardians of the Millennium Items, he doesn't know the Puzzle's power outside of the Nameless Pharaoh being sealed within it along with Zorc. Atem, not having his memories also doesn't know what the Puzzle's full power are as confirmed in chapter 17 page 4:
Atem: The power of Millennium Puzzle. even I don't know its full extent. But it's there somewhere inside of me. hidden in the true room of my soul.
This is reference to how Atem's true soul room contains the World of Memories along with his true name. Which is really just double down on how the Puzzle is the Pharaoh's soul jar. By the end of the arc with Shadi, Atem have a revelation about what the true power of the Puzzle is, which can be found in chapter 20 pages 14-15:
Atem: Shadi, I've realized something about the power of the Millennium Puzzle. No matter how far apart we are, friends always come together as one. We are small pieces that binds together to become an undefeated power. Just like a puzzle. The Power of Unity! That is the power of the Millennium Puzzle!
And there it is, the true power of the Millennium Puzzle. This is also not a one time thing with the Puzzle's power being unity repeated several times in the last story arc with it being the key to Atem killing Zorc once he got his memories back, which can be found in Millennium World, Chapter 55 pages 10, 14, and 15.
Atem: Now Zorc! This is the Power of Unity! With my friends, I can call forth the gods. And in the name of the king I unite the gods into the Creator of Light, Horakhty!
So using all the information gathered in the manga, the Puzzle's power are: it grants one wish to anyone who completes it, they become the vessel of the Nameless Pharaoh and gain access to all his dark knowledge and magic, it allows the owner to find one's fiends if they're in danger, and they gain the Power of Unity that can unite the gods and make others stronger. In all of this information, there is nothing about the Puzzle having an influence on luck. The closest its comes to this is the user becoming Atem's vessel who is the Game King and within the manga there is nothing to suggest that Atem has the power to control or influence luck. And even if he did, that would be his own power and not something granted by the Puzzle.
Now I have seen some argue that the Puzzle has shown the ability to influence the luck of others by using Chapter 11 of Duelist when Joey pulled Time Wizard in his duel against Mai. The panel showed the Puzzle glowing just as Joey was pulling which appears to indicate that the Puzzle Destiny Drew Time Wizard for Joey. While an interesting theory and a strong case for the Puzzle having some influence on luck, it falls apart when you consider that in Joey's duel with Bonz he was able to draw the exact card he needed on his very last turn to win despite Atem not being at that duel unlike his anime counterpart. This is also not the last time Joey won by being extremely lucky when you consider how he beat Espa Roba. Namely, he drew Roulette Spider on his last turn and got one of the best results off of its effect by having Jinzo and Reflect Bounder kill each other. So this points to less of the Puzzle helping Joey and more on Joey being a natural lucky bastard.
Now with the manga out of the way, let's move onto the anime that most people are familiar with (for reference, the anime's text will be based on the sub on Crunchyroll). Now you maybe thinking that the anime must be where the Puzzle increases luck come from. First, the anime unlike the manga never really states what the Puzzle's power are outside of making Yugi the vessel of the Nameless Pharaoh and granting a wish to anyone who completes it. It is left vague, no doubt thanks to the anime skipping the early manga chapters where the Puzzle's power were flushed out. Second, going by the abilities shown in Duelist Kingdom of the anime: the Puzzle has the power to switch souls, as seen in E13 where Atem switched Yami Bakura and Bakura's souls so Yugi can kill Yami Bakura when he was trapped in Changed of Heart, and it's later shown protecting Atem when Panik tried to burn him to death in E15. However, the fire protection could be one of the general powers of the Millennium Items since they do protect their owners from magic in both the anime and manga. But let's say for this post this is Puzzle exclusive power.
So the anime's Millennium Puzzle grants the user one wish if they complete the Puzzle, makes them the vessel of the Nameless Pharaoh and access to his Shadow magic, can switch souls, and can protect one from both physical danger and magic. And just like the manga, there is nothing about increasing luck. Like the manga, the closest its comes is allowing the user to access Atem's vast gaming knowledge.
Which brings up to the point that many use to show that the Millennium Puzzle influence luck and give you access to Destiny Draw. Namely, in the final duel of the series Ishizu claimed that Atem has the power to influence fate, which was how Atem could control what card he was going to pull. From E223, starting at 15:32:
Atem: My turn! Since you create miracles, I'll create miracles too! I'll summon Big Shield Gardna! I draw!
Tristion: Atem said the monster's name before he drew it.
Bakura: As if he knew which card he'd draw.
Marik: No, he didn't know what card he would draw. The Pharaoh drew the card he envisioned.
Joey: That's impossible! The deck card's order is set at the start.
Ishizu: No. I used to believe that a draw is determined by fate. But the Pharaoh is bending fate to his will.
By all accounts, this is the strongest evidence that the Millennium Puzzle may not be luck base, but instead manipulate fate itself by allowing Atem to top deck any card he envisioning. Basically, changing destiny. There is only one big problem with this. Atem isn't wearing the Millennium Puzzle in this duel. The Puzzle is in the Millennium Stone with the other Items, so Atem has no access to its power. So this power Atem showed isn't the magic of the Puzzle, but his own natural ability. It's basically baby version of Sartorius's ability from GX who had the ability to see into the future even before the Light of Destruction possessed him. So at best, Yugi being Atem's vessel gave him access to this power, but it isn't part of he Puzzle directly. And we can't say this reactively makes all of Yugi/Atem's lucky draws a byproduct of Atem's power since a) Joey is even more lucky in this regard for the same reasons as his manga counterpart b) in the anime version of the final duel Yugi was lucky to draw into Card of Sanctity otherwise he would have lost that turn c) we have Rafael who got perfect draws in both his duels against Atem to the point he countered almost all of Atem's plays. In short, we have seen other duelists in the anime draw the right card when needed and one who had Destiny Draw turned on throughout the duel. So it's impossible to say that it was Atem's power taking effect in those crucial moments. Especially when you considered that Atem bricked against Kaiba in their Duelist Kingdom duel and brick twice against Mai. But this aside, this shows this wasn't something from Millennium Puzzle. It was Atem.
Now to go into the dub briefly and not even the dub states the Puzzle has the power of luck or card manipulation. Everything stated in the sub is basically the same in the dub, so it wasn't the source of this misunderstanding.
So now the question, where exactly did the idea that the Millennium Puzzle manipulate lucks and becomes stronger as the game-state becomes more desperate come from and why is it treated as a fact that Yugioh Youtubers repeat it. If I have to guess, I feel almost certain this all happened because of a misunderstanding in the final duel of the anime. People saw Atem's Destiny Draw and concluded that it was part of the Puzzle, ignoring the context that Atem wasn't wearing the Puzzle. From there, it became one big game of telephone that mutated from 'Atem has Destiny Draw, the Puzzle gives Destiny Draw, this was stated in the anime that the Puzzle manipulates luck, and it was stated in the manga changes luck'. There have also been people who insist that guides confirmed that the Puzzle influence luck, yet no one cites what guide they're talking about not even by name. Even the Yugipedia that I quoted early doesn't cite where it was stated that, ". heighten its owner's chance of success in a game, judging by their skill-level as well as the importance of the game at hand." We only got their source for, "The hieroglyphs inscribed on the puzzle say, The one who solves me shall gain the powers and knowledge of darkness. " coming from chapter 1.
In conclusion, there isn't any media; manga, sub, or dub, that states that the Puzzle has anything to do with luck or changing destiny to give you top decking powers. The closest we have is Atem's own power in the anime which most likely didn't activate until his final duel where he was able to call out the card he was going to draw. While before it could have been just luck no different than other duelist who drew the card they needed at the right time with Joey being the worst offender. This was also aided by a fanbase that largely don't read the original manga, haven't watched the actual Yugioh anime in years and rely on other sources like Youtubers or the Abridge series for their information, and the wiki and Yugipedia stating that the Puzzle's power increases luck without proper sourcing. To make another comparison to a Yugioh show, it's basically what happened to 5D who for years was the subject of many false rumors that were treated as fact and became part of the consciousness of that show. That and it's funny to meme about Atem/Yugi being cheaters.
TLDR: There is no point in the manga where it is stated that the Millennium Puzzle manipulates luck and the manga is where the Puzzle's powers are the most flushed out. The anime Millennium Puzzle's powers are more vague, but shares two of the same powers as its manga counterpart and it was also never claimed that the Puzzle manipulates luck. The best the anime has is Atem showing the power to top deck by 'envisioning' the card he needs in the final duel of the show, but that power is outside of the Puzzle since Atem was doing that when the Puzzle was in the Millennium Stone with the other items. The anime, like the manga, also has several examples of people top decking the exact card they need without magic. This is also not a dub error since the dub says basically the same thing as the sub. This misunderstanding of the Millennium Puzzle's power seemed to have happened because of a misinterpretation of the final duel of the anime and people thought Atem's Destiny Draw was related to the Puzzle and it snowballed from there. That along with it being funny to call the King of Games a cheater.
And done. That was a long post and I thank anyone who actually reads all of this. If there is a guide that does indeed confirms that any version of the Millennium Puzzle manipulates luck or top decks (I don't mean using guides from games like Duel Links, but sourcing from the manga and anime), I will take the L and admit that I got this wrong.
When it comes to hanging the objects, there are various methods and techniques to choose from. Some prefer to directly attach the items to the window frame using suction cups, hooks, or adhesive strips. Others opt for hanging them from rods or poles attached to the window or suspending them from nearby trees or fences. The choice of method often depends on the size and weight of the decorations, as well as personal preferences and the type of window being decorated. Overall, tapping on the window with decorative objects is a delightful way to enhance a living space and express one's creativity. Whether it's a delicate wind chime softly tinkling in the breeze or a vibrant tapestry of colorful ribbons dancing in the sunlight, the sight and sound of these window decorations evoke a sense of joy and wonder. So, why not try your hand at tapping on the window and transform your living space into a whimsical and enchanting haven?.
Reviews for "Tapping Witch Window Decorations: Adding a Touch of Mystery to Your Home"
1. John - 2 stars - I found "Tapping Witch Window Decoration" to be quite underwhelming. The design was not as striking as I had hoped, and the quality of the materials used was subpar. The motion sensor that was supposed to activate the tapping motion didn't seem to work properly, and the tapping sound was extremely faint and barely noticeable. Overall, I was disappointed with this product and would not recommend it.
2. Sarah - 1 star - I regret purchasing the "Tapping Witch Window Decoration". The product arrived with several defects, including loose wires and a broken motion sensor. Despite trying to troubleshoot and fix the issues, I was never able to get it to work properly. Additionally, the design of the witch itself was not as detailed or vibrant as it appeared in the product photos. I was extremely disappointed and would advise others to look for better alternatives.
3. David - 2 stars - I had high expectations for the "Tapping Witch Window Decoration," but unfortunately, it fell short. The tapping motion was quite weak, and the noise it made sounded more like a faint clicking rather than any noticeable tapping. The installation process was also quite frustrating as the suction cups provided didn't hold the decoration securely on the window. The overall effect was not as impressive as I had hoped for, and I would not recommend this product to others.