Return

This article is about the action. For the card, see "Return" (card).

Return
Japanese	戻（もど）す
Japanese (romanized)	Modosu
English	return
Other names French: renvoyer German: zurückgeben Italian: ritornare Korean: 되돌리다 Doedollida Portuguese: devolver Spanish: devolver

Return (戻（もど）す Modosu) is a term used in several distinct contexts, usually referring to moving a card.

The main contexts in which "return" is used are:

• Moving a card to the hand (except from the Main Deck or Extra Deck)
• Moving a card to the Main Deck or face-down Extra Deck
• Moving a banished card to the Graveyard
• Moving a temporarily banished card back to the location it was banished from
• Giving control of a monster back to its previous controller, after it had changed control
• Placing a revealed or looked at card back in its original position
• Placing excavated cards back in the Deck

Returning to the hand or Deck

"Penguin Soldier"

Moving a card from any location to the hand, except from the Main Deck, Extra Deck, or opponent's hand, is considered returning it to the hand. Moving a card to the hand is referred to as adding it to the hand, so many card effects use this term instead, but the cards are still considered returned to the hand.

Moving a card from any location to the Main Deck is considered returning it to the Deck, regardless of whether it is shuffled into the Deck, or placed on the top or bottom of the Deck. Placing a card from the Main Deck on the top or bottom of the Deck is still occasionally described as returning it, despite the card's location not being changed.

Moving a card from any location to the face-down Extra Deck, except the face-up Extra Deck, is considered returning it to the Extra Deck. If an Extra Deck monster would be returned to the hand or Main Deck, it is instead returned to the Extra Deck. In the TCG, some card effects that return cards to the Extra Deck refer to "shuffling" the card into the Extra Deck (such as "Elemental HERO Aqua Neos"), but this just means that the card is returned to the Extra Deck—the Extra Deck does not actually need to be shuffled; the only time the Extra Deck must be shuffled is when resolving an effect that affects a random card in the Extra Deck.

When a monster has been determined to be destroyed by battle, it cannot be returned from the field to the hand, Deck, or Extra Deck (unless a card effect specifically permits it, such as "Grave Protector"). When a Normal, Quick-Play or Ritual Spell Card, or a Normal or Counter Trap Card, is activated, it cannot be returned from the field to the hand or Deck during that Chain unless it has an effect that would cause it to remain on the field after activation, such as "Swords of Revealing Light" or "Kunai with Chain" (unless a card effect specifically permits it, such as "Goblin Out of the Frying Pan").

Returning banished cards to the Graveyard

"Burial from a Different Dimension"

Moving banished cards to the Graveyard is described as returning them to the Graveyard.

Returning banished cards to the Graveyard is not considered to be sending those card to the Graveyard. Consequently, cards like "Miracle Dig" and "Fortune's Future" can be used to return monsters to the Graveyard even if "Macro Cosmos" is active without the cards being banished again, and cards whose effects activate when sent to the Graveyard (such as "Performage Trick Clown") cannot be activated when returned to the Graveyard.

Returning temporarily banished cards

"Interdimensional Matter Transporter"

Some effects can temporarily banish cards from the hand or field, then later return them.

If a monster is temporarily banished from the field, such as by "Interdimensional Matter Transporter" or "Ninjitsu Art of Shadow Sealing", it is not Summoned when it is returned to the field. If a temporarily banished card would return to the field but there is no zone to place it in, it is sent to the Graveyard.