Xyz Monster

Xyz Monster
"Daigusto Emeral", "Number 30: Acid Golem of Destruction", and "Lavalval Chain"
Japanese	Ｘ（エクシーズ）モンスター
Japanese (ruby)	エクシーズ(モンスター)
Japanese (base text)	Ｘモンスター
Japanese (romanized)	Ekushīzu(monsutā)
English	Xyz (Monster)
Other names French: (Monstre) Xyz German: Xyz(-Monster) Italian: (Mostro) Xyz Korean: 엑시즈 (몬스터) Eksijeu (Monseuteo) Portuguese: (Monstro) Xyz Spanish: (Monstruo) Xyz Traditional Chinese: 超量(怪獸) Chāoliàng (Guàishòu) / Ciu1 leong6 (Gwaai3 sau3)
Lists	members support anti-support

An Xyz Monster (pronounced ik-seez; Japanese: エクシーズモンスター Ekushīzu Monsutā, abbreviated Ｘ（エクシーズ）モンスター in card text since Duelist Alliance; Chinese: 超量怪獸 Chāoliàng Guàishòu "Exceeding Beast") is a type of Monster Card that is colored black. They are stored in the Extra Deck. The card frame is also stylized by having it appear as if one is flying through space with many stars in the frame giving the appearance of one streaking by them and other stars appearing stationary due to relative distance (giving a realistic depiction of moving through space). According to Konami, Xyz Monsters are made of antimatter, and have traveled to Yuma's dimension from the other side of a black hole.

Xyz Summoning

In order to Xyz Summon an Xyz monster, the player must control at least 2 monsters with the same Level; both monsters are stacked and then the Xyz Monster of the corresponding Rank is placed from the Extra Deck on the top of them. This Special Summon is of the same kind of a Synchro Summon or Contact Fusion, so it does not start a Chain. Also, an Xyz monster can only be Special Summoned from the Graveyard after being properly Xyz Summoned first.

Xyz Materials

As stated above, the Xyz Materials must be monsters with the same Level; this implies that any card that has a Level can be used as to Xyz Summon a monster, which includes Trap Monsters. While beneath the Xyz monster card, they are not treated as being on the field, therefore they are not affected by any card that would affect a card on the field. Most Xyz Monsters require the player to "detach" (meaning "place in the Graveyard") their Xyz Materials in order for their effects to activate, limiting their effect usage. When an Xyz Monster is removed from the field, its Xyz Materials are sent to the Graveyard. Once the Xyz Materials will be stacked together and will be detached in order to activate the Xyz monster's effect(s), Token Monsters cannot be used as Xyz Materials.

Features

Instead of a Level, Xyz Monsters have a Rank. This Rank determines the required Levels of the Xyz Materials needed in order to Xyz Summon your Xyz Monster. An Xyz Monster's Rank is depicted by a row of yellow stars in black orbs (as opposed to the yellow stars in red orbs of a monster's Level) that extend outwards from the left-hand side of the card (opposite to where a monster's Level would be depicted), similar to Dark Synchro Monsters. However, unlike Synchro Monsters, an Xyz Monster's Rank is not the total sum of the monsters' Levels used to Summon it; thus, if 2 Level 3 monsters are required, then the Xyz Monster would be Rank 3, not 6.

An Xyz Monster's Rank is not its Level. Xyz Monsters do not have Levels. Therefore, they cannot be used for Synchro, Ritual, or Xyz Summons unless explicitly named as a requirement. Any effects that would refer to the Level of a monster, such as those of "Gravity Bind", "Level Limit - Area B", "Roulette Barrel", "Star Changer" and even "Burden of the Mighty" cannot be applied to any Xyz Monsters under any circumstances.

Commonalities

ATK and DEF

Generally, Xyz Monsters with 3000 or more ATK have either negative effects or rather difficult summoning requirements, such as "Number 30: Acid Golem of Destruction" and "Superdimensional Robot Galaxy Destroyer".

Effects

Generally, Xyz Monsters have the drawback that they can usually only use their effects while they have an Xyz Material, meaning the player will usually only be able to use their Xyz Monster's effects up to the number of its Xyz Materials. However, Xyz Monsters are easier to Summon since they don't need a specific kind of monster (like a Tuner) or a Spell Card (such as Ritual Spell Card or Fusion Spell Card). Thus, there is little restriction in the monsters that can be used as Xyz Materials and can fit into almost any Deck.

Xyz Evolution

In Order of Chaos, a particular Xyz Monster was released: "Number C39: Utopia Ray", that can be Xyz Summoned by using a face-up "Number 39: Utopia" you control as Xyz Material; its Xyz Materials become the Xyz Materials of "Number C39". This kind of Xyz Summon is called "Xyz Evolution" and consists on using a preexisting Xyz Monster as Xyz Material of another one. Among the monsters that can be inherently Xyz Summoned by this method include "Constellar Ptolemy M7", "Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger", "Downerd Magician" and "Number 95: Galaxy-Eyes Dark Matter Dragon".

Rank-Up

This kind of Xyz Summoning evolved to more complex ones, such as "Rank-Up", which uses "Rank-Up-Magic" Spell Cards to perform Xyz Summons. The monsters Xyz Summoned this way are all "Number C" or "CXyz" monsters (except for Xyz Monsters Summoned via "Rank-Up-Magic Astral Force"), have a higher Rank than its base form, and any of them can be Xyz Summoned by the generic way; however, it would be more difficult, as the regular Xyz Summon requires a high number of monsters (generally of a specific Type or Attribute), and most of them require their base form to be attached to use their main effect. Most of the "Number C" and "CXyz" monsters have effects that inflict damage to your opponent. Some examples include "Number C39: Utopia Ray V", "Number C96: Dark Storm", "Number C101: Silent Honor DARK", "CXyz Skypalace Babylon" and "CXyz Coach Lord Ultimatrainer".

"Rank-Down-Magic Numeron Fall" and "Rank-Down-Magic Utopia Fall" are an exception between the Spell Cards that are used to perform Xyz Summons, as it uses an Xyz Monster to Summon another one with a lower Rank.

Example

Trivia

• There is currently no Rank 12 Xyz monster.

• Machine-Type monsters are currently the most diverse monsters by Rank, as they have Xyz Monsters that are Levels 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 (the only Rank 11 Xyz monster).

• "Number F0: Utopic Future" and "Number S0: Hope ZEXAL" are currently the only Xyz monsters that do not have a Rank (printed) and the only ones that cannot be Xyz Summoned by the traditional method of using 2 monsters with Levels.

• When Xyz Monsters were revealed in the OCG, they were at first translated as "Exceed Monsters" by fans. This was likely because "Xyz" is not an actual word and has no immediately obvious pronunciation. The word "Exceed" was likely the closest English equivalent to the Japanese エクシーズ Ekushīzu.
  • This term has fallen into official use in the Chinese OCG, where the term for "Xyz" is 超量 Chāoliàng or literally "Exceeding".

• Similar to how Synchro Monsters played a big role in the plot of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's and were meant to destroy the world, Xyz Monsters play a similar role in Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL and are claimed to be destined to destroy all universes, namely the "Numbers".
  • Xyz Monsters may be interpreted as the 'opposite' of Synchro Monsters, given their black background (the opposite of a Synchro Monster's white background) and the fact that their Rank (rather than Level) stars are on the opposite side of the card. This is supported by the "Evilswarm" archetype, which contains Xyz counterparts of several Synchro Monsters.

• The background image (the black part) of an Xyz Monster card is similar to the card artwork of "Rank-Up-Magic Numeron Force".