Xyz Material

Xyz Materials (pronounced exceed, エクシーズ素材, Ekushīzu sozai, known as Overlay Units in the anime), are the result of monsters being used in an Xyz Summon. When an Xyz Monster is Summoned, the monsters used in the Xyz Summon are stacked underneath the monster instead of being sent to the Graveyard (referred as being "Overlaid" in the anime), and so only one Monster Card Zone is occupied. Xyz Materials are essential to Xyz Monsters as in most cases they are used for a card effect, such as that of "No. 17 Revise Dragon". Removing an Xyz Material for the effect of an Xyz Monster is referred to as "detaching". If the Xyz Monster is destroyed or banished from the field, any associated Xyz Materials are sent to the Graveyard. When an Xyz Material stacked under an Xyz Monster is removed or detached, it is sent to the Graveyard. Removing all of the Xyz Materials associated with an Xyz Monster can have negative consequences, as in the case of "No. 39 Aspiring Emperor Hope".

Xyz Materials underneath Xyz Monsters do not count as monsters, so if "Dimensional Fissure" is on the field, detached Xyz Materials will be sent to the Graveyard. Xyz Materials are also treated as not being on the field, so effects like "Sangan" do not activate, and "Plaguespreader Zombie" will be sent to the Graveyard when detached even when it was Summoned with its own effect.

In Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL, Xyz Materials are depicted as orbs of light colored the same as the Xyz Monster's Attribute, which orbit around their respective Xyz Monsters. Also, during an Xyz Summon, the Xyz Materials' corresponding Attributes light up their bodies. When the player detaches Xyz Materials, the Xyz Monster absorbs the orb of light representing that material through several methods, such as, by their mouths, arsenals, etc. In some cases, the Xyz Monster will glow the color of the orb it absorbed before releasing its effect.