The Warrior Returning Alive [1st Edition] #LOD-030

The Warrior Returning Alive [1st Edition] #LOD-030 collector guide

About The Warrior Returning Alive

The Warrior Returning Alive is a Normal Spell Card, printed as LOD-030 in Legacy of Darkness (2003) as a Rare. 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 61st of the 206 Legacy of Darkness cards we track. The top card is Yata-Garasu at €78.25.

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-030. The code LOD-030, without a language letter, marks the original North American printing. European English copies have an E in the code, such as LOD-E030, 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 The Warrior Returning Alive: LOD-030 (€0.90). 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 €1.35, a PSA 9 for €8.02 and a PSA 10 for €84.21. Our monthly prices for it go back to October 2021. Over the last 12 months ungraded copies are down 40%, and up 32% in the last month. Its highest monthly ungraded value was €5.31 in October 2021, 75% above today. PSA 10 copies have moved down 31% over the same 12 months. 1st Edition copies sell for about 1.5× the Unlimited printing (€1.35 against €0.90).

Grading and population

A PSA 10 sells for 62.4× the ungraded price and 10.5× a PSA 9. That gap is big enough that grading a sharp, well-centred copy can pay for itself. 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 October 2021 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 40% in a year. Treat this as background, not a prediction or financial advice.

Before you buy

Expect to pay around €1.35 for a clean ungraded copy; played copies sell for less, and a PSA 9 costs about €8.02. Ask the seller to show the code LOD-030, 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.