Artwork of Jibanyan's Yo-kai Keystone.
A Yo-kai Keystone (Japanese: 妖怪アーク Yōkai Āku) is a small, key-shaped item used to summon Yo-kai from the Yo-kai Watch Arcane. They first debuted in M04 and the Shadowside anime, and would later appear in Yo-kai Watch 4 and Yo-kai Watch!.
They are said to be the successor of Yo-kai Medals, with some of them featuring Lightside and Shadowside Yo-kai on both sides, while several Yo-kai either have nothing at the back or a Onechanside until it was removed. Rare variants with different colors also exist.
Just like with Medals, Yo-kai Keystones have been made into real life collectable merchandise. The levels of rarity that range from common, to extremely rare, are Normal, Rare, Extreme Rare, Super Extreme Rare, and Ultimate Rare.[1] Most of the Normal Keystones have a clear color and a regular holo foil, while Rare Keystones have a clear color and a glittering holo foil, and Extreme Rare Keystones have the colors of their tribes, as well as glittering holo foil. There are also Shining Keystones that are equal to Super Extreme Rare ones, and Gold Keystones that are equal to Extreme Rare ones.
There are 330 Keystones in total.
Overview[]
Summer holding Yo-kai Keystones.
Yo-kai Keystones represent the feelings that connect Yo-kai and humans. Just like Yo-kai Medals, they are given to select people once they fulfill a specific Yo-kai's needs.
Yo-kai can be summoned via the Yo-kai Watch Arcane by putting the Keystone into the keyhole, and saying the summoning chant while the Yo-kai appears in sight.
It was originally thought that the Keystones were successors to the medals, but due to their inclusion in Forever Friends and Yo-kai Watch!, they existed in the past and present as well. However, in Yo-kai Watch 4, Nate's Yo-kai Medals turn into Keystones after he visits the future world, probably due to the effects from the future which is why the Keystones are truely the Yo-kai Medals' successors.
Types of Keystones[]
For consistency, a fanmade name will be used.
Shadowside Keystones[]
Shadowside Keystones are ones that apply to Lightside and Shadowside Yo-kai, with both of the sides representing the Lightside and Shadowside form. They appear regularly throughout Yo-kai Watch Shadowside, and in the future world of Yo-kai Watch 4.
Merchandise-wise, several Keystones have different variants of existing Yo-kai, such as Junior's Shadowside form taking the form of Blizzard Wolf rather than Burning Dragon, and Gusto's Shadowside Gold Keystone being of an unidentified entity.
Godside Keystones[]
Godside Keystones function just like Shadowside ones, except they have a third form which is considered to be stronger than their Shadowside. They were first featured in M05, where Yo-kai like Gusto, Zashiki-warashi, and Kappa are given forms after they were summoned with the Yo-kai Watch Arcane God.
A few of those Keystones appeared in two of the Yo-kai Keystone Zero series sets, which are colored white instead of light-blue. Though, Yo-kai like Yamambaa and Suu-san have differently-shaped Keystones.
Onechanside Keystones[]
Onechanside Keystones are used for regular Yo-kai that have appeared in the original games and anime, and serve as a replacement for Yo-kai Medals. They are used prominently in the Yo-kai Watch! series, where Nate uses them to summon them in the same vein as he usually does.
Regular Keystones at the back have a background, with the silhouette of the Yo-kai present. While several Yo-kai now has a "Onechanside", which allows it to take on a different form that could drastically change any outcome.
Merchandise[]
- Main article: List of Yo-kai Keystone Sets (Japanese)
Yo-kai Keystones exist in real life as collectable merchandise, sold in Japan. They are manufactured by Bandai Japan, which have been responsible for manufacturing Yo-kai Medals and other related items. They are released in sets, featuring select Yo-kai. Each box contains 10 random Keystones, making this a blind box, much like with the Yo-kai Medals before.
Each pack comes with one Keystone, which can be used to play the summoning song on the DX Yo-kai Watch Arcane toy, or scanned via the Nintendo Switch's NFC reader in the Yo-kai Watch games. Depending on the Keystone, it usually gives the player several items, or special Key Items which allow the player to fight exclusive Yo-kai.
There are several separate Keystone packs, that sometimes feature Goku Yo-kai like Rinne and Goku Fubuki-hime together, with the former having a unique Keystone design that stand out from the regularly released sets.
For Yo-kai Keystones to be scanned into the PlayStation 4 version of Yo-kai Watch 4++, an application is required to download it as the console doesn't have a NFC chip reader.
List of Yo-kai Keystones[]
Keystone Sets[]
| Packaging | Box | Overview | Keystone No. |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Yo-kai Keystone 1st - Open! First Door | 13 (+1 Gold) different Yo-kai Keystones to collect.
|
| Release date: July 14, 2018 (Japan) | |||
| Compatible with Ver. 1 and up with the Yo-kai Watch Arcane toy. | |||
|
|
Yo-kai Keystone 2nd - Shine! Debut of the Shining Yo-kai Keystones!! | 14 (+1 Secret) different Yo-kai Keystones to collect.
|
| Release date: September 15, 2018 (Japan) | |||
| Compatible with Ver. 1 and up with the Yo-kai Watch Arcane toy. | |||
|
|
Yo-kai Keystone 3rd - Obtain them! Legendary Yo-kai! | 14 (+2 Secret) different Yo-kai Keystones to collect.
|
| Release date: November 17, 2018 (Japan) | |||
| Compatible with Ver. 1 and up with the Yo-kai Watch Arcane toy. | |||
|
|
Yo-kai Keystone Zero - The Other Side of the Silver Screen | 14 (+1 Secret) different Yo-kai Keystones to collect.
|
| Release date: December 8, 2018 (Japan) | |||
| Compatible with Ver. 2 and up with the Yo-kai Watch Arcane toy. | |||
|
|
Yo-kai Keystone 4th - Door to the Unknown | 15 (+2 Secret) different Yo-kai Keystones to collect.
|
| Release date: January 19, 2019 (Japan) | |||
| Compatible with Ver. 2 and up with the Yo-kai Watch Arcane toy. | |||
|
|
Yo-kai Keystone Zero - Sun and Moon God | 12 different Yo-kai Keystones to collect.
|
| Release date: January 19, 2019 (Japan, World Hobby Fair Spring '19) | |||
| Compatible with Ver. 2 and up with the Yo-kai Watch Arcane toy. | |||
|
|
Yo-kai Keystone 5th - Strongest Yo-kai Appear!! | 15 (+2 Secret) different Yo-kai Keystones to collect.
|
| Release date: February 23, 2019 (Japan) | |||
| Compatible with Ver. 2 and up with the Yo-kai Watch Arcane toy. | |||
|
|
Yo-kai Keystone K1 - A Wobble Miracle! | 20 (+1 Secret) different Yo-kai Keystones to collect.
|
| Release date: March 30, 2019 (Japan) | |||
| Compatible with Ver. 3 and up with the Yo-kai Watch Arcane toy. | |||
|
|
Yo-kai Keystone K2 - Goku Yo-kai War! | 20 (+2 Secret) different Yo-kai Keystones to collect.
|
| Release date: May 25, 2019 (Japan) | |||
| Compatible with Ver. 3 and up with the Yo-kai Watch Arcane toy. | |||
|
|
Yo-kai Keystone K3 - Shadowside Yo-kai Again! | 20 (+3 Secret) different Yo-kai Keystones to collect.
|
| Release date: June 29, 2019 (Japan) | |||
| Compatible with Ver. 3 and up with the Yo-kai Watch Arcane toy. | |||
|
|
Yo-kai Keystone K-SP ~ Extreme! Shadowside! ~ | 10 (+2 Secret) different Yo-kai Keystones to collect.
|
| Release date: June 29, 2019 (Japan, World Hobby Fair Summer '19) | |||
| Compatible with Ver. 4 and up with the Yo-kai Watch Arcane toy. | |||
|
|
Yo-kai Keystone K4 - Many Treasures! Collected and Treasured Yo-kai! | 20 (+2 Secret) different Yo-kai Keystones to collect.
|
| Release date: July 27, 2019 (Japan) | |||
| Compatible with Ver. 4 and up with the Yo-kai Watch Arcane toy. | |||
|
|
Yo-kai Keystone K5 - Challenge! The Conclusion of the Seven Valuable Jewel Generals! | 20 (+1 Secret) different Yo-kai Keystones to collect.
|
| Release date: September 14, 2019 (Japan) | |||
| Compatible with Ver. 4 and up with the Yo-kai Watch Arcane toy. | |||
|
|
Yo-kai Keystone K6 - Save me! Endangered Yo-kai | 20 (+2 Secret) different Yo-kai Keystones to collect.
|
| Release date: October 12, 2019 (Japan) | |||
| Compatible with Ver. 5 and up with the Yo-kai Watch Arcane toy. | |||
|
|
Yo-kai Keystone K7 - Advent! The Great King of the Yo-kai World | 22 (+2 Secret) different Yo-kai Keystones to collect.
|
| Release date: November 23, 2019 (Japan) | |||
| Compatible with Ver. 5 and up with the Yo-kai Watch Arcane toy. | |||
|
|
Yo-kai Keystone-SP ~ Shadowside Ultimate Selection ~ | 23 (+2 Secret) different Yo-kai Keystones to collect.
|
| Release date: December 7, 2019 (Japan) | |||
| Compatible with Ver. 5 and up with the Yo-kai Watch Arcane toy. |
Mini Packs[]
| Keystones | Box | Overview | Keystone No. |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Yo-kai Keystone Series 01 - Yo-kai World's 1st Martial Art Tournament - Goku Orochi | Comes with two different Yo-kai Keystones.
|
| Release date: May 18, 2019 (Japan) | |||
| Compatible with Ver. 3 and up with the Yo-kai Watch Arcane toy. | |||
|
|
Yo-kai Keystone Series 02 - Yo-kai World's 1st Martial Art Tournament - Rinne | Comes with two different Yo-kai Keystones.
|
| Release date: July 13, 2019 (Japan) | |||
| Compatible with Ver. 3 and up with the Yo-kai Watch Arcane toy. | |||
|
|
Yo-kai Keystone Series EX - Seven Jewel Generals SP | Comes with two different Yo-kai Keystones.
|
| Release date: August 3, 2019 (Japan) | |||
| Compatible with Ver. 4 and up with the Yo-kai Watch Arcane toy. | |||
|
|
Yo-kai Keystone Series EX - Seven Jewel Generals - Black Dianyan | Comes with 1 Ultimate Rare Keystone. |
| Release date: September 14, 2019 (Japan) | |||
| Compatible with Ver. 4 and up with the Yo-kai Watch Arcane toy. | |||
|
|
Yo-kai Keystone Series EX - Seven Jewel Generals - Ruby Shurakoma | Comes with 1 Ultimate Rare Keystone. |
| Release date: September 14, 2019 (Japan) | |||
| Compatible with Ver. 4 and up with the Yo-kai Watch Arcane toy. | |||
 
|
|
Yo-kai Keystone Series 04 - Yo-kai World's 1st Martial Art Tournament - Lord Enma | Comes with two different Yo-kai Keystones.
|
| Release date: November 23, 2019 (Japan) | |||
| Compatible with Ver. 5 and up with the Yo-kai Watch Arcane toy. | |||
 
|
|
Yo-kai Keystone Series 05 - Kenshin Amaterasu and Gesshin Tsukuyomi | Comes with two different Yo-kai Keystones.
|
| Release date: December 7, 2019 (Japan) | |||
| Compatible with Ver. 5 and up with the Yo-kai Watch Arcane toy. |
Trivia[]
Jibanyan's Keystone with the Charming heart insignia, as seen in M04.
- In early portrayals of the Keystones, including their debut in the 4th movie, they had the insignia of the old Yo-kai tribes. These were later replaced by the symbols of the Shadowside tribes.
- For Yo-kai Watch!, most of the original Yo-kai that also appeared in Shadowside still retain their Shadowside Tribes in the new series.
- The only Shadowside Yo-kai that don't have real life Keystones so far is Mitsumata Mizuchi.
- Several Onechanside Yo-kai don't have Keystones so far, they are Mochismo, Jabow, Reuknight, Corptain, Master Nyada, Mirapo, Robonyan F (Who only has a Miracle Keystone), Wiglin, Steppa, Rhyth, Melonyan (Who also only has a Miracle Keystone), Sighborg Y, Dazzabel, Petty-Cake, Koma Kaachan (She only appears as Komasan's Onechanside), Goofball, Wotchagot, Pride Shrimp, Grubsnitch, Poofessor, Thornyan, Faysoff, Demandi, Toiletta, Ballin, Snailspace, Chippa, Rhinormous and Hornaplenty.
- Uula, Gashadokuro (Shadowside), and Onimaro Leader don't have any either though they may be anime exclusive, although, unconfirmed.
- Oniou Rasen and Kaodeka Oni don't either but Oniou Rasen may be because he's a Boss Yo-kai and Kaodeka Oni are simply just humans inspirited by Onimaro who also don't have Keystones (Not counting Ogu, Togu & Mogu) possibly due to them being minions.
In other languages[]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 French
|
Sésames Yo-kai | |
 Japanese
|
妖怪アーク Yōkai Āku | |
 Korean
|
요괴아크 |