We had the incredible opportunity to sit down with Julien Kehon, the newly crowned TCG/OCG Champion at the Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2025 for an exclusive interview following his stunning victory. Originally from France but currently living in the USA, Julien has reached the pinnacle of competitive Yu-Gi-Oh!, and his journey to the top is nothing short of inspiring. In this candid conversation, he opens up about the people who helped him succeed, the cards that made the difference, and what’s next for the world’s best duelist.

The Support System Behind a Champion

Every great champion has a team behind them, and Julien is no exception. When asked about the people who helped him reach this incredible achievement, his gratitude was clear and heartfelt.

“I have a lot of friends I want to shout out,” Julien began, emphasizing how important his support network has been. “I want to start with my friend Jesse Simnegar — Jesse has been with me since the beginning, helping me test, and playing the most with me out of anyone else.”

The champion’s appreciation extended to several key figures in his journey. He highlighted Lucas Sacco as another crucial ally, noting that “he’s been helping me a lot as well.” But perhaps most interesting were the last-minute adjustments that proved vital to his success.

“Another shout out goes to Stephen Trif — this guy was a huge help, making last-second changes with me, and also Milano, who helped me adjust a lot of things at the very last moment too,” Julien explained. These final tweaks and refinements clearly made all the difference when it mattered most.

The Cards That Changed Everything

In competitive Yu-Gi-Oh!, the right cards can make or break a tournament run. For Julien, certain key cards stood out as game-changers throughout his championship campaign.

When discussing what contributed most to his victory, Julien pointed to a specific card that became his secret weapon. “The K9-X Forced Release, the quick-play spell, was really, really strong,” he revealed. “It helped me every time I got Mulcharmy going first. That card really let me play low to the ground, not giving too many draws, while still having really powerful disruptions.”

But that wasn’t the only card that proved crucial to his strategy. Julien also emphasized the importance of another key piece in his deck construction.

“I also play 3 Case of K9 — that card is very strong,” he shared. This card allowed him to streamline his approach significantly. “I don’t need to be playing all these hand interactions or anything. I just want a lot of engines in my deck to play through boards and break my opponent’s boards and then this way I never break first.”

Looking Ahead: The Champion’s Next Goal

With the 2025 World Championship title now under his belt, many wondered what could possibly come next for someone who has already reached the top of the competitive scene. For Julien, the answer was simple and ambitious.

When asked about his next step as the newly crowned champion, his response was direct and determined: “World Champion 2026, in Japan.”

This statement shows that Julien isn’t content to rest on his achievements. Instead, he’s already setting his sights on defending his title and proving that his victory wasn’t a one-time occurrence. The prospect of competing in Japan, the birthplace of Yu-Gi-Oh!, adds an extra layer of excitement to his future plans.

As the dueling world looks ahead to 2026, all eyes will be on Japan to see if this French-born champion can repeat his success and cement his legacy as one of the greatest Yu-Gi-Oh! players of all time.