Lesser Fiend [1st Edition] #LOD-003

Lesser Fiend [1st Edition] #LOD-003 collector guide

About Lesser Fiend

Lesser Fiend is an Effect Monster, printed as LOD-003 in Legacy of Darkness (2003) as a Rare. It is a Level 5 DARK Fiend monster with 2,100 ATK and 1,000 DEF. At its Level it needs one Tribute to Normal Summon. Its ATK is the 7th highest of the 56 monsters in the set. Legacy of Darkness was a smaller 2003 set with a wave of Spirit monsters, including Yata-Garasu, alongside Injection Fairy Lily and Airknight Parshath. Ungraded, this printing ranks 136th of the 206 Legacy of Darkness cards we track. The top card is Yata-Garasu at €78.25.

Character and collecting appeal

Fiends are one of the largest Types in the game, home to many of its darker and more unusual designs. In play, it is a card for banishing cards and destroying cards. Fiend Skull Dragon mentions Lesser Fiend in its text, which keeps it relevant.

Version and identification

This guide covers the 1st Edition printing. The words "1st Edition" are printed below the artwork on the left; copies without them are the Unlimited printing and usually sell for less. Check the code printed below the artwork on the right: it should read LOD-003. The code LOD-003, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as LOD-E003, and are priced separately. It is the Rare version. Rares have a silver-foil name and plain artwork. Legacy of Darkness has one other printing of Lesser Fiend: LOD-003 (€0.31). Each has its own price, so match the code, edition and rarity exactly.

Price history

Today an ungraded copy of this printing sells for about €0.27, a PSA 9 for €6.24 and a PSA 10 for €47.58. Our monthly prices for it go back to November 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are down 86%, and down 77% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €2.55 in March 2023, 89% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved down 56% over the same 12 months. Unusually, Unlimited copies currently sell for as much as or more than 1st Edition ones (€0.31 against €0.27).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 176.2× the ungraded price and 7.6× a PSA 9. That gap is small, so grading fees may outweigh the gain unless the card is for your own collection. Early English Yu-Gi-Oh! cards often have off-centre cuts and wear on the dark brown back borders, which is why high grades are hard to reach.

Investment potential

In its favour: a price well below its March 2023 peak, which some collectors see as room to recover; it comes from the 1st Edition run of an early English set, which will never be printed again; an active market (26 recent completed sales), so it is easy to sell. Against it: falling prices, down 86% in a year. Treat this as background, not a prediction or financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €0.27 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €6.24. Ask the seller to show the code LOD-003, the "1st Edition" text and the Rare finish clearly in the photos, as listing titles often mix up printings. Cards from 2003 often show white wear on the back edges and corners, so ask for photos of the back before you buy.

Card details and image from YGOPRODeck. Yu-Gi-Oh! is a trademark of Konami; Search Cards is not affiliated with Konami.