Number

"'All 'Numbers'' numbers are not chosen randomly but are decided carefully with attention to details that can make the fans enjoy it in various places.' — Satoshi Kuwabara to ZEXAL followers in Twitter Segment."

"Number", pluralized as "Numbers" ( Nanbāzu) in Japan, is an archetype of prominent Xyz Monsters that play a major role of the story in the Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL anime and manga series. Three variants of Number cards exist: "Emperor's Key Numbers" have numerical values equal to or lower than 100, while "Over-Hundred Numbers" have numerical values of over 100 and "Legendary Number" which are part of the Emperor Key Number but are unique.

So far, 71 of Numbers have been revealed, 44 out of those are known by name, including 6 Chaos versions. The Number series had been split into three main archetype: Number, Over-Hundred Number, and Legendary Number.

Story
According to Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL, when Yuma Tsukumo unlocked the door with his Emperor's Key, he opened a portal between the Astral World and his own, which allowed Astral to come into his world. Yuma found himself trapped within a sphere of blank cards, which shortly flew away. By crossing into Yuma's world, Astral's memories were transformed into the 99 "Number" cards and scattered in unknown directions (Number 39 stayed with him though). In order to regain his lost memories, Astral cooperates with Yuma. When Astral collects all of the cards, something else will happen besides his memory recovery. Astral thinks it will cause something troublesome, while Dr. Faker claims Astral will obtain a great power and use it for taking revenge on him.

"Numbers" appear to be blank cards that take the form of what whoever finds them desires the most, design themselves to fit their original owner's Decks, and keep that form forever. Some Duelists may have more than one "Number" card that fit their Deck. Their card text is written in a strange alien language that only those who wield them can understand (in the dub, all "Numbers" appear normally like other cards seen with the exception of episode 2 which Number 39: Utopia is blurred). When they are Summoned, their respective numbers are printed on their users, appearing in such places as the forehead, neck, left and right hands (in Cameron Clix's case, it appeared under his right eye and in Number 56's Holder's case, it appeared in his left shoulder). When Summoned, they use a galaxy-like "Overlay Network" portal in contrast to regular Xyz Monsters, who use a red spiral portal. All Xyz Monsters are said to come from another dimension and are made of antimatter. This would include the "Numbers". .

They have been shown to be very dangerous, as their users are easily possessed by their power, with the exception of Yuma due to the Emperor's Key, Kite Tenjo's Photon Transformation, and the Vetrix Family's crests. However, the power of Photon Transformation and the crests seem to be limited, and has fatal consequences and being used to wield a "Number" card will drastically exhaust their user. It is said that "Number" monsters cannot be destroyed with cards in this world. "Number" monsters can only be defeated by other "Number" monsters. However, when two or more "Numbers" confront themselves in a Duel, they will fight each other to consume one another. When a "Number" is defeated in a Duel by Yuma, Yuma obtains it, and its power is absorbed into Astral. Also, when Yuma defeats a "Number" monster, Astral gains another part of his memory.

In the anime, Astral mentions there are 99 "Numbers", but according to Kite Tenjo, there are 100 "Numbers". As Astral already had 1 of the "Numbers", "Utopia", it is possible Astral was referring to the other 99 "Numbers". However, Dr. Faker believes that, aside from 99 "Numbers" which are Astral's pieces of memory, Astral himself is "the Original Number" (ナンバーズのオリジナル, Nanbāzu no Orijinaru). On the other hand, the manga is obvious about their number. When Astral obtained a memory piece from "Number 17", he said his memory is divided into 100 "Number" cards. This amount of number is later confirmed by both Kite Tenjo and Mr. Heartland.

In Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL II, "Over-Hundred Numbers" are introduced as the signature cards of the Seven Barian Emperors, which are ranked higher than 100. Astral cannot absorb them, as they are not part of his memories.

After Astral absorbs a "Number", they are stored in a large green structure within the Emperor's Key. Each has its own pillar within the structure, engraved with its number. One of the "Numbers", Dark Mist, attempted to take control of Astral and steal the "Numbers" Astral collected for himself. After his defeat he was absorbed again. It later escaped again claiming that the other "Numbers" helped him escape because they all want the same: destruction. According to him, Astral originally also wants to destroy everything and urges him to remember his mission. However, another "Number", Utopia, protected Astral from Dark Mist, suggesting that not all the "Numbers" want the same.

"Chaos Numbers" have also been shown to appear when a Number holder is high in a certain emotion. For example, Astral and Yuma obtained "Utopia Ray" after Astral was happy to know Yuma considered him a friend. Reginald Kastle also obtained "Shark Drake Veiss" after his desire for revenge, brought on by "Shark Drake", overpowered him.

The "Legendary Numbers" are located in ruins across the world, protected by guardians. Each of these "Numbers" corresponds to a legend inscribed on the walls of the ruins, telling the story of the person who occupied that location in a previous era, before they became ruins due to the ravages of time. Rather than take their form based on their holders Deck, they take a form relative to the legend that is described.

Abilities
In both anime and manga, "Numbers" have a few "special" abilities that are unique, such as "Numbers" can only be destroyed by other "Numbers". However, the effect stating that "Numbers" can only be destroyed by another "Number" is a monster effect, and therefore, can be negated. Also, a monster who is treated as a "Number" can destroy them, meaning they are not invincible. This is later exploited by characters using "Rank-Up-Magic Barian's Force", which was specifically designed by the Barians to counter "Numbers".

In the anime, some "Numbers" also have certain abilities, such as "Number 7: Lucky Straight" being able to steal other competitors' "Numbers" and Xyz's through its incredible luck, helping Charlie escape the Heartland police, or short circuiting a train into moving on its own. "Number 25: Force Focus" even gave Cameron the power to predict the future through his photographs.

The "Numbers" amplify the darkness and desires of humans, whether these cause good or bad. In the anime, when Summoned, "Numbers" take on what appears to be a sealed form, and when the "Number" starts to transform into their artwork, the "Number" then appears. When a "Number" is defeated, they are absorbed into Astral, and can be used by any Duelist whom Astral is currently with. Each "Number" contains a piece of Astral's memory, which he recovers each time he absorbs one. They are also known to manipulate their user into Summoning them as soon as possible, sometimes to the point of cheating as seen with Scorch and Chills. "Numbers" also manipulate their users into protecting them at any cost, as seen when "Number 83: Galaxy Queen" made Nelson Andrews believe that she was his mother. Thus, he equipped her with "Furious Max's Curse" to protect her from being destroyed by battle, and changed the attack target to his "D.D. Esper Star Sparrow" via "Star Sparrow Forever!", causing him to lose the Duel.

A person possessed by a "Number" easily becomes addicted to their power and desires to obtain more "Numbers". . "Number 7: Lucky Straight" however did not seem to have this effect; neither Charlie McCay nor May he eventually gave it to were shown to be adversely affected by it, but it did appear to give the holder incredible luck. Though when Charlie Summoned "Number 7" in his Duel against Yuma, the number appeared on his hand.

When a "Number" monster is Summoned or taken by control, the number of the card appears somewhere on the card holder's body in the form of curved lines and a dot. Only Yuma and Kite are excluded from this phenomenon. Bronk Stone remained uncontrolled when controlling "Utopia" and Reginald Kastle when he controlled "Acid Golem", but that was due to Yuma's Emperor's Key they had. Others such as, Fortuno when he controlled "Shock Master" and "Big Eye", and Charlie McCay with "Lucky Straight" remained uninfluenced, but the respective numbers still appeared on their bodies.



The process of how a "Number" takes control shown that a "Number" converses with the individual who currently controls it and unless the owner has a way to ward off the "Number's" influence it tries to take control by destroying or possibly merging with what appears to be the person's soul. This could be why when the Photon Hand retrieves a "Number", it pulls out the holder's soul along with the "Number", and why a "Number" seems to be hidden inside the holder's soul. Astral uses a similar process but it is able to disconnect the "Number" from the soul.

Members
Each "Number" monster has its respective number appearing on a part of its body. 71 out of 100 "Numbers" are shown here; 44 by name. 6 "Number C", or "Chaos Numbers" are also known.

Original
Each of the monsters that are stated to have Astral's memories.

Over-Hundred Number
Over-Hundred Numbers are signature "Number" cards of the Seven Barian Emperors, whose numbering go over the limit of 100 mentioned in the first season.

Legendary Number
Legendary Numbers are a group of special Number card that are located in Number's Ruins that are located in dimension and are required to find the Numeron Code.

Number C (Chaos Number)
"Number C" (read as Chaos Number) are upgraded versions of the base "Number", which are Summoned by overlaying their base counterpart through Chaos Xyz Evolution and Rank-Up-Magic cards.

Trivia

 * The story of the Number's origins is similar to the story of Pandora's box, where Pandora opened a box (a jar in some sources) out of curiosity and released it's content into the world, this being all the evils in existence, which plagued mankind. When she closed the box, the only thing left to her was hope. This is analog to the Numbers being released into the world upon Astral's arrival, causing mayhem to whoever finds them and raising conflict among people, while the only one left for Yuma and Astral to battle the Numbers is called Hope.