Legendary Duelists: Magical Hero is a booster pack in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game that was released on January 18, 2019. It is the sixth set in the Legendary Duelists series, following Legendary Duelists: Sisters of the Rose. This booster pack focuses on the fan-favorite archetype, the "Elemental HERO" monsters, specifically their "Masked HERO" forms. The set also introduces the new "Vision HERO" archetype, which adds more depth and versatility to the HERO strategy. In addition to these HERO cards, Legendary Duelists: Magical Hero also includes support cards for other popular archetypes, such as "Crystal Beast," "Cyber Dragon," and "Dark Magician Girl." These cards allow players to strengthen their existing decks or create new strategies with these powerful monsters.
Dubois unearthed an isolated tooth (Trinil 1) and - most importantly - the top part of a skull (Trinil 2) and a thigh bone (Trinil 3). Together they have often been referred to as Java Man.
The thigh bone indicated the creature had an erect, human-like posture, but the skullcap indicated its brain was much smaller than humans today and featured a distinct brow ridge. The thigh bone indicated the creature had an erect, human-like posture, but the skullcap indicated its brain was much smaller than humans today and featured a distinct brow ridge.
" These cards allow players to strengthen their existing decks or create new strategies with these powerful monsters. One of the highlights of this set is the inclusion of new Fusion monsters for the "Elemental HERO" and "Masked HERO" archetypes. These monsters have unique effects and can be summoned by using specific monsters as Fusion materials.
Homo erectus
‘Peking Man’ Homo erectus skull. Discovered: Zhoukoudian, China. The original ‘Peking Man’ skull was reconstructed using a mixture of male and female fossils whereas the modern reconstruction by I. Tattersal and G. Sawyer combines fossil pieces from males only. Image: Stuart Humphreys
© Australian Museum
Fossils of these short and stocky humans, with their distinctive skull shape and large brow ridges, have mostly been found in China and Indonesia.
Debate abounds as to whether the Asian fossils and those from Africa should be classified together as Homo erectus or if the African examples are different enough to be called Homo ergaster. The information on this page refers specifically to Asian Homo erectus.
Background on Homo erectus discovery
Homo erectus Age
Homo erectus species lived between 100,000 and 1.6 million years ago, although some estimates extend this to between 35,000 and 1.8 million years ago.
Important fossil discoveries
After years of searching Indonesia for ‘the missing link’, Dutchman Eugene Dubois finally uncovered part of a skull in 1891 (known as ‘Java Man’). He believed this fossil belonged to an ancient and ‘upright’ human and so coined the species name erectus. Other scientists dismissed this interpretation, preferring to emphasise its ape-like qualities. Dubois’ opinion was validated when a series of similar fossils were uncovered in China during the 1920s and 1930s.
Important Homo erectus specimens
- Sangiran 17 – a 1.2 million-year-old skull discovered in 1969 in Sangiran, Indonesia. This adult male skull is the best preserved Homo erectus skull from Java.
- Zhoukoudian 3 – a skullcap discovered in 1929 in Zhoukoudian, China. This adolescent’s skullcap was originally found in fragments. When the pieces were fitted together, they showed that this young individual had a brain size of 915 cubic centimetres.
- ‘Java Man’ or Trinil 2 – a skullcap discovered in 1891 by Eugene Dubois in Trinil, Indonesia. This fossil was nicknamed ‘Java Man’ because it was found on the island of Java. It is the ‘type specimen’ or official representative for the species.
- Sangiran 2 – a 1 million-year-old skullcap discovered in 1937 in Sangiran, Indonesia
- ‘Solo Man’ or Ngandong – a skull cap discovered in 1932 in Ngandong, Indonesia. Because its exact original location is unknown, published dates have ranged from 35,000 to 500,000 years old. ‘Solo Man’ shares similarities with earlier Homo erectus specimens from Sangiran and is considered to be a late Homo erectus.
- ‘Mojokerto’ or Perning 1 – a juvenile skull discovered in 1936 in Mojokerto, Indonesia. Radiometric dates have suggested this child’s skull may be as old as 1.8 million years, which significantly increases the previous dates for Homo erectus in Asia. However, this date is debated as the sediment sample taken for dating was taken about 60 years after the skull was collected and the two may have come from different levels.
- Zhoukoudian 5 – a partial skull discovered in Zhoukoudian, China. This skull was reconstructed from several pieces found in 1934, 1936 and 1966.
- ‘Peking Man’ discovered in Zhoukoudian, China. The original ‘Peking Man’ skull was reconstructed using a mixture of male and female fossils whereas the modern reconstruction by I. Tattersal and G. Sawyer combines fossil pieces from males only.
- Sangiran 4 – a 1.5 million-year-old upper jaw discovered in 1939 in Sangiran, Indonesia. The canine teeth were larger than those found in modern humans. This is one of the oldest specimens from Sangiran.
- Sangiran 1 – a 1.5 million-year-old partial lower jaw discovered in 1936 in Sangiran, Indonesia. This is the first human fossil discovered at Sangiran.
What the name Homo erectus means
Homo, is a Latin word meaning ‘human’ or ‘man’ and is the genus or group name of this species.
The second word in this species’ scientific name is erectus. This name was selected to indicate that this species’ ability to stand and walk with an upright or erect stance.
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Homo erectus Distribution
Homo erectus is now one of the better known of our human relatives with over 40 specimens excavated from Java and many more from sites in China.
Sangiran on the island of Java, is the most important Homo erectus site in Indonesia. The remains of over 80 individuals have been found here at a number of localities. The region was first occupied about 1.6 million years ago.
The site of Zhoukoudian, 40 kilometres south of Beijing in China, has yielded the largest number of Homo erectus fossils from any one locality (about 50 individuals are represented by the remains). About 100,000 stone tool artefacts were also in the cave. These were mostly quartz and sandstone chopping tools and flakes. It was occupied between 200,000 and 750,000 years ago, although evidence suggests that occupation was sporadic rather than permanent. Hyenas and other animals also used the cave site.
Initial excavations between 1926 and 1937 yielded five skullcaps, various other skull fragments, 11 jaws and more than 140 teeth. Almost all of these fossils were lost in 1941 when the Japanese invaded China during World War II. Fortunately, accurate replicas of these fossils had been made. Additional Homo erectus fossils were excavated at Zhoukoudian after World War II and have also been excavated since from Chinese sites including Hexian, Lantian and Nanjing.
Homo erectus Relationships with other species
A growing number of scientists have redefined the species Homo erectus so that it now contains only east Asian fossils. Many of the older African fossils formerly known as Homo erectus have now been placed into a separate species, Homo ergaster and this species is considered to be ancestral to Homo erectus. The redefined Homo erectus is now generally believed to be a side branch on our family tree whereas Homo ergaster is now viewed as one of our direct ancestors.
However, some scientists still support the view that all these specimens are Homo erectus and that this species includes individuals that vary in their features and have a widespread distribution over both time and geographic location.
There is even debate about whether the two Asian H.erectuspopulations represent the same species. Prior to the 1950s the fossils from Java were known as Pithecanthropus erectus and those from China were called Sinanthropus pekinensis. Many early finds also had nicknames taken from the places they were found, such as ‘Peking Man’, ‘Java Man’, and ‘Solo Man’. In the 1950s they were all placed in the one species, Homo erectus, but some scientists still believe the specimens represent different species or subspecies and use the name Homo pekinensis for the Chinese fossils.
Even if the populations in Indonesia and China were the same species, the idea is now being proposed that the populations were not connected, and that the Chinese population arrived later than the Indonesian and came from a different source. Initially, it was believed that the Asian H.erectus originated with one group that dispersed from a single source in Africa.
They give players more options and ways to bring out their strongest monsters on the field. Another exciting addition is the new "Elemental HERO Vision HERO" monsters. These cards act as support for the existing HERO strategy, providing players with more options and strategies during duels. They offer versatile effects that can help players control the field and disrupt their opponent's tactics. Legendary Duelists: Magical Hero also introduces new Spell and Trap cards that synergize with the HERO archetypes. These cards provide more ways to search for and summon HERO monsters, as well as protect them from being destroyed by your opponent's strategies. Overall, Legendary Duelists: Magical Hero is a must-have booster pack for fans of the HERO archetypes. It offers new and powerful cards that enhance existing strategies and introduce new ways to duel. Whether you are a seasoned player or just starting, this set provides a lot of exciting and competitive options for your deck..
Reviews for "The Psychology of Legendary Duelists: Magical Heroes"
- John - 2/5 - I was really excited to try out the Legendary Duelists Magical Hero pack, but I was highly disappointed. The cards in this set lacked originality and creativity. It felt like a recycled version of previous sets with nothing new to offer. The artwork was also mediocre, not living up to the expectation of being "magical heroes." Overall, I found this set to be a major letdown and a waste of my money.
- Sarah - 1/5 - As a long-time Yu-Gi-Oh! player, I was hoping for some exciting and powerful cards in the Legendary Duelists Magical Hero set. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The majority of the cards in this set were underwhelming and did not add any significant value to my deck. It felt like a cash grab with no real consideration for the players. I would not recommend wasting your money on this set if you're looking for impactful and game-changing cards.
- Mike - 2/5 - I was eager to see what the Legendary Duelists Magical Hero pack had in store, but I was left unimpressed. The card selection was lackluster, with only a handful of playable cards that could potentially fit into existing decks. The majority of the cards were too situational and didn't offer much versatility. Additionally, the set lacked any exciting or unique mechanics. Overall, I found this set to be bland and not worth the investment.