Exact Answer: more than 20 years
GX stands for the shorthand used to indicate Yu-Gi-Oh! GX –a Japanese anime spinoff sequel. GX was the sequel to the famous original titled Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters anime. This show focused on Jaden Yuki at the Duel Academy and aired after 10 years of its original anime prequel.
5Ds is the sequel to the GX series. It takes place in a new Domino City and introduces the audience to new Synchro Monsters. It also introduced new dueling methods into the Yu-Gi-Oh! Universe that included motorcycle-like vehicles known as D-wheels. Duel Runners and Turbo Duels were also infused into the storyline of this show.
How Long After GX Is 5Ds?
In accordance with the legacy of manga, the timelines of the two shows are a little blurry even for fans. Determining the chronology of such shows is possible in two alternative ways. The first method is in terms of gauging the real-world time difference in their air timings. The second mechanism relates to the calculation of the in-story time difference between GX and 5Ds.
In terms of the real-world time gap between Yu-Gi-Oh! GX and 5Ds, the two shows seem to have aired without much time lapse. Since Yu-Gi-Oh! GX aired from 2004 and continued until March 2008. However, its successor, i.e. Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds starts in April 2008.
From the above analysis, it would mean that the two have a time gap of merely a few days between them. Contrarily, the time gap between the two in terms of the in-story arch is prolonged. Thus, there is a gap of almost over 20 years between GX and 5Ds.
The prevailing theory is that Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds happens sometime between 2000 and 2099, both years inclusive. Most fans are convinced that the storyline in 5Ds is located in the modernized future of 2021. By calculations, most other combinations would seem insufficient in terms of balancing the other elements of the storyline.
Yet it is seminal to note that the parts of Yu-Gi-Oh! anime can be viewed as independent shows. There is no need for chronology as such. However, sometimes enthusiasts like to establish clarity with an overarching timeline. For this purpose, these two modes can be used.
In Summary:
Perspective of Calculation | Time Gap |
Real-World | Few days |
Reel-World | More than 20 years |
Why Is 5Ds So Long After GX?
The reasons for the stated time gap between the shows in terms of the real and reel worlds are definitely different. But both these categories of reasons are important to cognize in order to understand why the shows were made the way they were and why they were released at particular points in time.
The creators of the show wanted Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds to be set against the backdrop of a more advanced and modernized city- the New Domino City. This required them to place the 5Ds storyline way into the future. It is only in the context of the Satellites and the New Domino City that the Duel Runner, D-wheel vehicle emerges in the 5Ds storyline. Without sufficient modernization, these storylines would not be possible.
The time gap is so long because the events leading up to 5Ds had to have happened in the years that lapsed in between. This mainly refers to the setting of the reactor exploding and the creation Satellite premise of the show. Without a long time gap to signify technical advancement and the ruin of the old Domino City, the events of 5Ds could not have occurred.
The real-world difference is just a few days because the creators were already ready with the proposed storyline for 5Ds when GX ended. This made it possible for them to complete the show in time to air as soon as GX went off the air. Thus, the time gap between the two was merely spanning a few days at most in the year 2008.
Conclusion
Like most Anime and Manga universes, the Yu-Gi-Oh! World is also dominated by dual timelines. One that is inbuilt into the story and the other that takes into account the release dates of the shows. Thus, fans can get confused when trying to watch the shows chronologically.
Although it is never explicitly stated, many fans have calculated it to be approximately more than 20 years. However, the real-world time difference is not much since GX aired until March 2008 and 5Ds started in April of the same year. This implies that there was only a difference of few days between the two shows.