One of the most popular archetypes in all of Yu-Gi-Oh! history is the HERO archetype. This is likely due to HEROes being the chosen archetype of Yu-Gi-Oh! GX's protagonist, Jaden/Judai Yuki. HEROes are divided into multiple sub-archetypes such as Destiny, Elemental, and Masked HEROes.
It's safe to assume that each of the sub-archetypes should be played independently of one another, and this is possible to do, but in order to unleash a HERO deck's true power a duelist must combine the best cards from each sub-archetype into one deck.
10 Mask Change
Mask Change is a quick-play spell card. It allows its user to tribute a face-up Hero monster on the field in order to special summon a Masked HERO monster from their extra deck with the same attribute as the tributed monster, making it incredibly useful.
This effect can be used to protect the tributed monster from nasty card effects that would banish them, negate their effects, or target them with any other negative effects. Most of the Masked HERO monsters this card can summon are pretty strong, with one, in particular, being really powerful in most matchups.
9 Elemental HERO Shadow Mist
Elemental HERO Shadow Mist is a level 4, dark attribute, warrior-type monster. Shadow Mist has two effects, a special summon effect and a graveyard effect. If Shadow Mist is sent to the graveyard then the card's owner can add one HERO monster from their deck to their hand.
If this card is special summoned; the owner can add one "Change" quick-play spell from their deck to their hand. This card is an essential searcher for the deck's main plays. Its dark typing also makes it the perfect Mask Change target and one of the best HERO cards.
8 Elemental HERO Liquid Soldier
Elemental HERO Liquid Soldier is a level 4, water attribute, warrior-type monster. This card has two effects. The first effect is that when Elemental HERO Liquid Soldier is normal summoned, the user can special summon a HERO monster from their graveyard that is level 4 or lower.
Its second effect triggers when this card is used as fusion material for a HERO fusion monster. The user can draw 2 cards, then they must discard one card. Liquid Soldier provides the deck with a nice boost to consistency and board presence.
7 Miracle Fusion
Miracle Fusion is a normal spell card with a very simple effect. When activated, the user can fusion summon one Elemental HERO fusion monster from the extra deck by banishing materials from the field or graveyard.
This card can be searched by multiple cards in the HERO archetype and allows its user to go into some of the most powerful boss monsters in the archetype. This is because it's much easier to get HEROes in the graveyard than it is to get them on the field.
6 Fusion Destiny
Fusion Destiny is a normal spell card that is currently limited to two copies per deck. Fusion Destiny's effect allows its user to fusion summon a fusion monster from their extra deck that lists a Destiny HERO monster as one of its fusion materials by sending materials from the hand or deck to the graveyard.
Fusion Destiny allows its user to bring out one of the strongest fusion monsters in Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel with just a single card, Destiny Hero Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer. This makes it one of the best HERO cards in the game.
5 Destiny HERO - Plasma
Destiny HERO - Plasma is a level 8, dark attribute, warrior-type monster that can't be normal summoned or set. Destiny HERO - Plasma can only be special summoned from the owner's hand by tributing three monsters on their side of the field. The payoff for that investment is very worth it. Plasma has the effect to negate the effects of all effect monsters the opponent controls while it is face-up on the field.
It can also target one monster the opponent controls and equip it to itself. If it does, Plasma gains attack equal to half that monster's attack points. Plasma is one of the deck's strongest boss monsters and is absolutely worth going into if given the opportunity.
4 Elemental HERO Stratos
Elemental HERO Stratos is a level 4, wind attribute, warrior-type monster. It has a really powerful summon effect that lets the user either search one HERO monster from their deck and add it to their hand, or destroy spell and trap cards the opponent controls equal to the number of HERO monsters the user controls other than Elemental HERO Stratos.
Stratos is often used as the searcher for the deck's searchers and rarely for its effect to pop spell and trap cards. Still, a HERO deck just doesn't feel complete without the inclusion of at least two copies of Elemental HERO Stratos.
3 A Hero Lives
A Hero Lives is a normal spell card with a pretty hefty activation fee. The effect of A Hero Lives can only be used if you control no monsters. On activation, the user pays half their life points, then they can special summon one Elemental HERO monster from their deck.
The targets for this card will often be Elemental HERO Stratos or Elemental HERO Shadow Mist since they both have excellent special summon effects. This effect can also be used to search out fusion materials that duelists need on the field, such as Elemental HERO Neos.
2 Masked HERO Dark Law
Masked HERO Dark Law is one of the deck's two strongest boss monsters. Dark Law is a level 6, dark attribute, warrior-type fusion monster. It has two effects. The first is that any card that would be sent to the graveyard is banished instead.
The second activates when the opponent adds cards to their hand from their deck, except during the draw phase; banishing one random card from their hand. Dark Law single-handedly took HEROes from a niche fun deck, to a powerful rouge deck overnight, both of these effects are really strong and can win the user the game on their own.
1 Destiny Hero Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer
Destiny Hero Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer or D.P.E. for short is a level 8, dark attribute, warrior-type fusion monster. It has three really strong effects that make it one of the best boss monsters in all of Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel. The first effect reduces the attack of all monsters the opponent controls by 200 times the number of HERO cards in the owner's graveyard.
The second effect allows the user to destroy one card on the opponent's field. D.P.E.'s final effect is that when it's destroyed, it can bring itself or any other Destiny HERO monster back from the grave during the next stand-by phase. All there of these effects make D.P.E. the most powerful HERO card in Master Duel, so much so that the card is often played in decks that have nothing to do with HEROes.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel is available on Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One X/S, and Steam.