Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal: Number Cards, Explained

Home - Animations & Comics - Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal: Number Cards, Explained

Share Now:

Posted 2 days ago by inuno.ai

The Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise has several types of powerful cards. The Egyptian God cards from the original Yu-Gi-Oh! anime or the Sacred Beasts from Yu-Gi-Oh! GX were all tremendously strong cards that could easily turn the tide of a duel. However, none of them were as plentiful or varied as the Number cards from Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal. These extraordinary Xyz monsters were held by key characters from Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal and were pivotal to understanding its story.

Unlike other card archetypes, the Number cards all have wildly different aesthetics and abilities. Number 39: Utopia’s heroic, knightly stature is very different from Number 9, the gigantic Dyson Sphere. Despite these differences, these cards still have a common origin. The creation of all 100 Number Cards makes up the backbone of Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal‘s narrative, and the show wouldn’t be the same without them.

The Number Cards Contain Astral’s Memories

Don Thousand’s Battle with Astral Split His Memories Into Dozens of Number Cards

The Number Cards’ origins are all tied to Astral’s ancient battle with Don Thousand. Eons before Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal began, Astral and Don Thousand would engage in a destructive duel that forced Astral’s memories to be split into 50 cards that contained his memories. These cards would eventually find their way back to Earth as the Number cards, each with unique abilities depending on their owner’s personality. When Astral first arrives on Earth, he and Yuma seek the various Number cards, so the alien being can regain his memories. By the time Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal begins, Astral’s age could rival even the oldest of shonen anime main characters.

Yu-Gi-Oh's Yami Yugi with Winged Dragon of Ra and Obelisk the Tormentor

March 1 Will Be a Sad Day for Yu-Gi-Oh Fans

Yu-Gi-Oh! anime fans will want to hurry up and watch, as the current streaming home of the franchise is losing multiple shows by the end of the month.

Eventually, Astral learns he had another purpose for regaining his memory. He realizes that getting the Number cards could allow his species in the Astral World to obtain the Numeron Code, a sought-after card that created all life in the universe. The people of the Astral World have been competing with the alien Barians to find the code before the other side does, allowing one side to destroy the other. Thus, it’s up to Astral and Yuma to collect the remaining cards and deal with their users’ strange new powers.

The Number Cards Grant Their Users Powerful New Skills at a Grave Cost

The Number Cards Can Posses Their Owners, Amplifying Their Negative Traits

Numbers_Monsters from Yugioh Zexal — Image via Studio Gallop

Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal‘s Number cards come in all shapes and sizes. The whimsical, jester-like design of Number 7: Lucky Straight has far different abilities from the demonic-looking Number 40: Gimmick Puppet of Strings. Once again, this is all a product of their owner’s personalities. Lucky Straight’s owner, Charlie McCay, used the card’s luck-based powers to dodge the Heartland Police and hijack a monorail. Cameron Clix, the owner of Number 25: Force Focus, could predict his opponent’s future.

This Iconic Franchise Has Been Hiding Its Roots as a Horror Series for 30 Years

Kazuki Takahashi’s Yu-Gi-Oh! began as a horror manga, but these origins have been increasingly buried by each new installment in the anime franchise.

While these new abilities may seem powerful, they come at a cost. The cards might possess their owners, making them act on their darkest impulses. When Cameron was possessed by Force Focus, he became far more ruthless and sadistic towards his opponents. He even endangers several people traveling on a blimp flying above Heartland City, using his prediction powers to make the blimp crash.

There is a way to avoid being possessed by the Number Cards, though. In Shark’s case, his friendship with Yuma allowed him to overpower the hold that Number 32, Shark Drake, initially had on his mind. We also see characters in the Vertix family use special crests to suppress their Number cards’ hold over their minds. Dr. Faker also develops technology like the Photon Hand, which allows its users to extract Number cards from their opponents without being possessed by them.

Yuma Can Create New Number Cards By Merging With Astral

The Power of Zexal Allows Yuma to Wield His Number Cards Based on Utopia

Yuma in his Zexal Form in Yugioh Zexal — Image via Studio Gallop

Yuma Tsukumo’s bond with Astral allows him to access powerful abilities. By merging with Astral, Yuma gets the power of Zexal, allowing him to create unique Number cards based on his wonderfully designed Utopia cards. Compared to his main Utopia cards, Number 39: Utopia Roots and Number F0: Utopic Future are lower in rank but keep powerful card effects. Yuma also obtains his “ZW” cards in this form, which allow him to increase the attack power of his Utopia monsters.

Yuma’s Zexal powers only grow stronger as the anime’s events continue. The Battle of Sargasso allows Yuma to achieve his Zexal II form, allowing him to use his Shining Evolution skill to convert existing cards into new ones. He does this by transforming Vector’s Rank-Up-Magic Limited Barian’s Force card into a Rank-Up-Magic Numeron Force spell card. This ability is only used once, but it’s assumed that Yuma can use Shining Evolution anytime he accesses his Zexal form.

Kite’s Tech Enables Him to Hunt The Numbers Without Being Possessed

The Number Hunter’s Powerful Technology Can Snatch Away Number Cards Without Suffering Drawbacks

Kite_Revels_Asrite in Yugioh Zexal — Image via Studio Gallop

The Number Hunter, Kite Tenjo, also has special abilities that allow him to capture the Number cards. Kite possesses Dr. Faker’s special Photon Hand, allowing him to extract a Number Card from its owner and steal their soul. Kite can also use a Duel Anchor that traps a Number card user and prevents them from escaping a duel with Kite. All these abilities were provided to Kite by Dr. Faker, and the early arcs see Kite gathering the Numbers on his behalf.

Eventually, Kite’s abilities grow after encountering the Vertix Family. Hart transfers a portion of his Barian powers over to Kite, allowing him to transform his Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon into a Number Monster. He also becomes one of the few people who can see Astral and read the alternate language written on each Number card. His advanced technology has already made him formidable against Number users, but Kite’s new Barian abilities make him a true equal as a rival duelist.

Shark’s Number Card Abilities Tie Into His True Role as a Barian

Shark’s Power Grows Immensely the More He Taps Into His True Nature

Reginald Kastle, also known as Shark, grows exponentially in power during the events of Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal thanks to his connections with the Numbers. The beginning of the series has Shark becoming possessed by Number 32: Shark Drake after dueling his rival Yuma. However, Yuma helps snap Shark out of his possession, allowing him to control Shark Drake without losing control. During his duel with Quattro, Shark fuses his soul with Shark Drake, allowing him to perform a Chaos Xyz Summon. Shark’s new C32: Shark Drake Weiss was powerful enough to defeat Quattro, but Shark’s powers would only grow even further.

Starting with the Barian Invasion arc, Shark slowly regains his memories as a Barian Emperor and his battles with Vector. Now calling himself by his original name, Nash, the Number user would begin using more of his old powers. Like the other Emperors, he can use a Barian Battlemorph to shift into his original appearance. In duels, Nash can use the Chaos Draw ability to automatically draw the spell card Rank-Up-Magic – The Seventh One. By using Chaos Draw in his duels, Nash can easily summon any Number 10X or Chaos Number monster to the field. Nash’s strength is nothing to scoff at, coming from a strong desire to protect his sister from harm.