Xyz Material

Xyz Materials (Ekushīzu Sozai abbreviated )), known as Overlay Units (オーバーレイ・ユニット, Ōbārei Yunitto) in the anime and manga and abbreviated as ORU in both, are cards stacked underneath an Xyz Monster.

When an Xyz Monster is Xyz Summoned, the monsters used for the Xyz Summon are stacked underneath the Summoned Xyz Monster (called "overlaid" in the anime). The attached Xyz Materials do not occupy a Zone.

Many Xyz Monsters have effects that require detaching Xyz Materials (sending an Xyz Material attached to that Xyz Monster to the Graveyard) as an activation cost. If the Xyz Monster is no longer on the field, any remaining attached Xyz Materials are sent to the Graveyard.

In Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V, as previously noted, Xyz Materials are instead called Overlay Units, and are depicted as orbs of light orbiting the body of the Xyz Monster and colored the same as the Xyz Monster's Attribute. Additionally, during an Xyz Summon, the cards to be used as Xyz Material light up with the Attribute color of the Xyz Monster before being overlaid.

When the player detaches Xyz Materials for their respective Xyz Monster's effect, the Xyz Monster is shown to absorb the Xyz Material through several methods, such as through their mouths or any weapon they may be carrying. In some cases, the Xyz Monster will glow the color of the orb it absorbed before releasing its effect. In ARC-V, Xyz Materials are still usually absorbed by the Xyz Monster but sometimes they are thrown on the opponent's targeted monster instead. A recurring example of this occurrence is the effect of "Raid Raptors - Rise Falcon", which in the anime allows it to gain the total ATK of all Special Summoned monsters on the opponent's field. In general the effects tend to be much less elaborate than in ZEXAL; for example, rather than absorbing Overlay Units into its body, "Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon" simply causes the Material to disintegrate in its orbital path.