Sinister Serpent

 This monster appears in the artworks of Snake Whistle, Goblin Circus, Waking the Dragon and One by One.

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This card appears in the first Japanese artwork of Exchange.

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The Sinister Serpent seems to be based on the Japanese cryptid, Tsuchinoko, a snake wider in the middle than its head and tail. According to a legend of the Tsuchinoko, it has the power to control minds whereas in other legends it just has the power to lie very very well.

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Two other cards based on the same cryptid are “Terrene Toothed Tsuchinoko” and “Danger!? Tsuchinoko?”.

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This card is the first Reptile Effect Monster, and was also the first Reptile monster to be Forbidden.

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TCG Rulings

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Revived King Ha Des: If a Zombie-Type monster you control destroys "Treeborn Frog" or "Sinister Serpent", the effect of "Treeborn Frog" or "Sinister Serpent" is negated even if "Revived King Ha Des" is later removed from the field

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OCG Rulings

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The "During your Standby Phase, if this card is in your Graveyard: You can add it to your hand, also banish 1 "Sinister Serpent" from your Graveyard during your opponent's next End Phase." effect is a Trigger Effect that is activated from the Graveyard. (It does not target.): Sinister Serpent

This card does not start a Chain Link during your opponent's next End Phase. (Even if there are multiple copies of "Sinister Serpent" in the Graveyard, it is only applied once.)

You do not need to banish a "Sinister Serpent" whose effect was activated during your Standby Phase. (If you have multiples copies of "Sinister Serpent" in your Graveyard during your opponent's next End Phase, you can banish 1 "Sinister Serpent" whose effect was not activated during your Standby Phase.)

During your Standby Phase, if the activation or the effect of "Sinister Serpent" is negated, "banish 1 "Sinister Serpent" from your Graveyard during your opponent's next End Phase" is not applied.

When resolving the effect of "Sinister Serpent", if it is no longer in the Graveyard, "add it to your hand" is not applied, but "banish 1 "Sinister Serpent" from your Graveyard during your opponent's next End Phase." is still applied. Therefore, if you have a "Sinister Serpent

Previously Official Rulings

The effect of this card is optional; you do not have to return it to your hand.

The effect of this card activates no matter how it is sent to the Graveyard. It can be destroyed, Tributed, discarded from the hand, or sent straight from the Deck to the Graveyard.

If your "Sinister Serpent" is on the field and is destroyed during your Standby Phase, you may return it to your hand during that same Standby Phase.

If "Sinister Serpent" is destroyed as a result of battle with "Dark Ruler Ha Des" or "Dark Balter the Terrible" you cannot activate its effect and return it to your hand during your next Standby Phase, or any subsequent Standby Phase.

You cannot activate the effect of "Sinister Serpent" if "The End of Anubis" is on the field.

Mentions in Other Rulings

Big Burn: You can't activate "Big Burn" when "Sinister Serpent" activates in the Graveyard, because "Sinister Serpent" doesn't target.

Dark Ruler Ha Des: Flip Effects and effects that activate in the Graveyard WILL be negated. This includes "Sinister Serpent",

Dark Ruler Ha Des: If "Sinister Serpent", "Twin-Headed Behemoth", or "Darklord Marie" is destroyed by a Fiend-Type monster when this card is on the field, they will not activate on any following turn. So during your opponent's next Standby Phase, and each of his/her following Standby Phases, they may NOT move "Sinister Serpent" to their hand, Special Summon "Twin-Headed Behemoth", and they will NOT gain Life Points by the effect of "Darklord Marie". This negation continues even if "Dark Ruler Ha Des" is later removed from the field.

Deck Devastation Virus: If you return "Sinister Serpent" to your hand after "Deck Devastation Virus" has resolved, it will NOT be destroyed, because it was not drawn.

Diffusion Wave-Motion: A Level 7 Spellcaster-Type monster selected with "Diffusion Wave-Motion" will negate: the Flip Effects of a monster it destroys as a result of battle, or the effects of ,"Sinister Serpent",

Divine Wrath: After you negate the effect of "Sinister Serpent" with "Divine Wrath", your opponent can activate the effect of "Sinister Serpent" again to return it to his hand, even during the same Standby Phase.The latest print of "Sinister Serpent" has Problem-Solving Card Text that states that its effect can only be used once per turn, so even if its effect is negated it cannot be activated again during that same turn. This difference is due to a major change in the functionality of "Sinister Serpent".

Element Soldier: If "Element Soldier" destroys "Sinister Serpent" while there is an EARTH monster on the field, "Sinister Serpent" cannot be added to your hand even if "Element Soldier" is removed from the field or loses its ability later on because there is no longer an EARTH monster.

Gorgon's Eye: "Gorgon's Eye" cannot negate the effect of "Sangan", "Witch of the Black Forest", or "Sinister Serpent" because they activate in the Graveyard

Last Turn: If you activate "Last Turn" during the Draw Phase or Standby Phase, and select your face-up "Jowgen the Spiritualist", your opponent can still retrieve their "Sinister Serpent", Summon it normally in Main Phase 1, and attack and destroy "Jowgen the Spiritualist" in the normal Battle Phase, then win the Duel in the End Phase because of the victory check of "Last Turn".

Magical Thorn: "Magical Thorn" will deal damage between steps in a chain. For example, both you and your opponent have 100 Life Points remaining, your opponent has two cards in their hand and you have "Magical Thorn" active on the field and a Set "Mind Crush". It is your opponent's turn and they activate "Final Flame" to deal 600 points of damage to you, and you chain "Mind Crush" calling the "Sinister Serpent" you know they have in their hand. After Step 2 ("Mind Crush") resolves, the effect of "Magical Thorn" deals 500 points of damage to your opponent and you win the Duel before Step 1, "Final Flame", resolves.

Mirage of Nightmare: If you discard "Sinister Serpent" during your Standby Phase for the effect of "Mirage of Nightmare", you may add "Sinister Serpent" back to your hand during that same Standby Phase.

Prohibition: If "Sinister Serpent" is declared, a "Sinister Serpent" in the Graveyard cannot be returned to its owner's hand. If the "Sinister Serpent" was on the field before "Prohibition" resolved, it can be returned to its owner's hand but "cannot be used" after returning to its owner's hand.

Skill Drain: "Skill Drain" negates the effects of face-up Effect Monsters on the field, but does not negate effects that activate in the Graveyard, such as , "Sinister Serpent", and "Vampire Lord".

The End of Anubis: "The End of Anubis" WILL negate the effects of , "Sinister Serpent",

Out of Date

Necrovalley" does not negate the effect of "Sinister Serpent".The latest print of "Necrovalley" has Problem-Solving Card Text which states that it even negates the effects of cards that move themselves from the Graveyard to other locations, so this ruling is invalid.

Mentions in Other Rulings

Necrovalley: "Necrovalley" will NOT negate effects that are activated when a card is sent TO the Graveyard or that activate IN the Graveyard or that count cards in the Graveyard. So it will NOT negate the effects of , "Sinister Serpent",