by in
Many Yugioh! cards have a story to tell though their card arts. We can see the epic arch of the World Chalice and the Krawlers, the struggle of Gagagigo, the tragedy of the Dragon Horn Hunter, and so many more. And there are even stories behind some of the most surprising and obscure cards. Such is the case with the adorable little puppy, Outstanding Dog Marron! Let’s take a look at the story (stories) of Marron!
The Loyal Pet
Our story begins with the Outstanding Dog Marron. This cute, little, brown poodle was the most loyal dog. He waited for his owner at the train station every day to greet them, much like the loyal Hachiko which this card is based on. We can even see Marron’s loyalty in their effect. Whenever Marron is sent to the GY, it runs right back to the Deck to wait for its master to draw it again. But one day, Marron and his master did not meet up in their usual spot.
In the artwork of Where Arf Thou, we can see a boy hanging up posters for a lost dog, Marron. We can even see Marron in the background waiting at the station! Poor Marron is clearly distressed. It is unclear exactly how this separation occurred. In the real-life story this card is based on, the loyal dog Hachiko’s owner passed away while at work and therefore never returned home. Hachiko, loyal as he was, still waited at the station for his owner’s return for years after the own passed away. Perhaps Marron’s owner met a similar fate, and now his family is looking their dog. Perhaps the boy in the Where Arf Thou is the owner? In any case, there are three different storylines that can play out from this point…
Mad Dog
In one version of Marron’s story, this poor little puppy waits so long for its master that it becomes the Mad Dog of Markness! Some say Marron was simply drove to madness by waiting, or that he became so enraged at his owner that he became a demon, corrupted by the hate in his heart. But, others say that Marron became possessed by a malevolent spirit while waiting alone at the train station in the night. Still, others even claim that Marron was mistreated, abused, and made fun of by people at the train station, which turned him into a vengeful beast of revenge. All we know for sure is, “He used to be a normal dog who played around in a park, but was corrupted by the powers of darkness.”
Mecha-Marron
Another alternate ending to this story is presented in the card Mecha-Dog Marron. In this timeline, it is theorized that the insane doctor Kozaky found Marron and took him to his lab. There, the mad scientist turned Marron into a robotic dog to serve him as a pet and minion. Others say is wasn’t the doctor who found Marron, but the Machine King. Another possibility is that the family who lost Marron replaced him with a robotic version. There is also the chance that Marron was replaced with Outstanding Dog Mary. Some speculate that Mary is actually Marron’s mother, based on her effect.
Alternatively, there are others who believe that, after Marron passed, the people of the town honored the dog’s loyalty by making a robot version of the dog to greet travelers at the train station.
A New (Old) Family
In the final ending of Marron’s story, our little poodle gets adopted! This ending is most complete, as we see it play out across multiple cards. In this ending, Marron waits for his master for 1000 years! Marron is so loyal that he becomes an immortal skeletal dog, Skull Dog Marron. No evil doctors or demons in this wholesome ending. Nope! In this ending, Marron get’s adopted by none other than Skull Servant! In the artwork of Monster Rebone, We see Skull Marron playfully run away with the Servant’s leg bone! After this encounter, The Servant adopts Marron into his family. Some say that our purple-clad Servant was actually Marron’s original owner, and now they are reunited!
We can see Marron enjoying his new life with the old Wight Family. Marron, in Skull Dog form, can be seen in the artworks for Wightprince, Wightprincess, and Wghitlord. We can even see the Wight Family on vacation in There Can Be Only One. And guess who is there… Marron! So, in the end, Marron found a new (old) family, and continues to live on a loyal dog.
