Number 96 ( character ) Number 96 , known as Numbers 96 in the Japanese version , is a character version of the card " " and a recurring antagonist in the " Yu - Gi - Oh ! ZEXAL " anime . Design . Appearance . Number 96 , when not in its card form , appears similar to Astral , but with a jet black body , instead of light blue . Unlike Astral , whose right eye has a white sclera , Number 96 has a black sclera , but a gold iris on his left eye , like Astral . However , the markings where Number 96 ' s eyebrows would be are longer , the top ends stretching into his forehead and becoming crooked ( resembling horns of some sort ) and the bottom ends having a spike on each that line his nose . These marks are red instead of his other green marks . He is capable of forming a ghostly tail and having " tentacles " that stretch out from his body . As with Astral , the dub version has Number 96 ' s lower body sometimes blurred off to remove any nudity implications . Lastly and likewise , Number 96 ' s D - Pad is the same one Astral uses except it is purple instead of blue . When Number 96 used " Rank - Up - Magic Barian ' s Force " on his , his own physical appearance significantly changed . He gained a Barian Emblem on his forehead , an eye on his abdomen much like Don Thousand and a pair of wings with red jewels . His muscle mass grew considerably and also became more pronounced . His hair gained volume , his right eye is no longer black , and his voice deepened significantly , but only for one episode . Personality . Unlike its counterparts , Number 96 is a malicious entity who desires the power of the other " Number s " so that he may become the most powerful of them all . He is cunning enough to allow itself to be absorbed by Astral so that he may possess him from the inside and steal his " Numbers " . Number 96 also enjoys sadistically manipulating his hosts and brutally defeating his enemies . While working with Vector , Number 96 comments that Vector resembles " a second rate villain " due to his usage of tricks to manipulate Duels . Number 96 considers his to be his " other self " . He also considers himself to be the " darkness " to Astral ' s " light " . To that end , he also , constantly tells Astral that he needs his power to win and will someday become evil . After having obtained the power of Chaos , he develops a God complex and sets his sights on destroying all three parallel worlds in a fit to testing his newfound power and attaining his goal of crushing Astral and Yuma together . According to Don Thousand , Number 96 was actually a fragment of his own power , that was embedded in Astral ' s body when he fought against him eons ago . This made Vector finally understand why an individual like Number 96 was inside Astral . Abilities . Number 96 is shown to be an extremely powerful " Number " card , having escaped the Emperor ' s Key a total of three times He is able to possess people like regular " Numbers " and have full control of them . He is also capable of possessing Astral , but only when the Emperor ' s Key has been removed . Unlike other Numbers , he can also manifest and even Duel opponents without a host . After Ranking Up with Barian power , he effectively became immune to being re - absorbed by Astral . His powers were intensely magnified later upon gaining control over his newfound power of Chaos . He can open portals and launch extremely powerful energy ball s much like the Barian s , as seen when he attacked the Astral World and the Barian World . He can even create a Sphere Field without the aid of a Barian Sphere Cube . Biography . History . During the battle between Astral and Don Thousand , a fragment of Thousand ' s soul was trapped inside Astral . It eventually developed into the form of Number 96 . Yu - Gi - Oh ! ZEXAL . Pre - World Duel Carnival . After the " Number s " were released , Number 96 came into the possession of an unnamed man . Under his control , Number 96 appeared as a black , blob - like creature . After the man was defeated by Yuma Tsukumo , Astral absorbed the " " . The man did not use the effect s of this " Number " , as the " Number " himself wished to be passed on to Yuma . When Bronk Stone knocked the Emperor ' s Key from Yuma ' s neck , it could no longer contain the power of the malevolent " Number " . He appeared before them as a blackened version of Astral and imprisoned the original version , who told Yuma to entrust Bronk with " " . At this point , Number 96 ' s appearance in the Duel shifted from its blob - form to a more humanoid one with claws , fangs , and a skull - like torso . Number 96 then manipulated Yuma as a puppet in order to Duel Bronk , using Yuma ' s cards to Summon his own . He was capable of manipulating Yuma ' s actions , but not his words . In this way , Yuma tricked Number 96 into destroy ing Bronk ' s Set " Gearspring Exploder " . That allowed Bronk to use " Utopia " with the effects of his " Gearspring " Spell Card s and defeat " Dark Mist " . Bronk then threw the Emperor ' s Key back to Yuma and Astral is freed , allowing him to absorb Number 96 once again . World Duel Carnival Preliminaries . While Yuma confronted Dextra and Nistro during the WDC , Number 96 appeared within Emperor ' s Key to confront Astral . Astral asked if he broke the seal , and Number 96 responded that that ' s what the " Number s " wanted to begin with . Astral questioned why the other " Numbers " gave their strength to Number 96 , who responded once more that it ' s what they wanted . It ' s what all " Numbers " want - the world ' s destruction . He claimed that Astral also wanted the same . Astral denied it , but Number 96 pointed out his very presence as proof against that . He told Astral to remember his mission and join the " Numbers " . He assaulted Astral , who was defended by . Number 96 asked if Utopia meant to stand against them and concluded he ' ll just start by absorbing him first . He continued his assault via the use of his own card . After Astral sent " Utopia " off , Number 96 captured and began to infect him . His plan failed as a light helps Astral break free , at the same time Number 96 disappeared . Yu - Gi - Oh ! ZEXAL II . Barian Invasion . Number 96 appeared once more when Astral was recovering inside the Emperor ' s Key from the effects of the Barian Sphere Cube . Number 96 told him that he could not win against the Barian s without accepting his evil side . Later , he appeared before Yuma and Astral , insisting that they cannot win against the Shadow Giant without his power . When the two are about to lose , he convinced Astral to unseal him , as Yuma could be hurt if they lose . Number 96 assisted them as Yuma Summoned " " to win the Duel and then vanished . After briefly appearing out of the Emperor ' s Key , Number 96 told Astral that there will be events in the future that will require him to become evil , before vanishing again . Mythyrian Number War . After escaping the Emperor ' s Key , Number 96 traveled to South America , where he took possession of a wealthy politician named Parker . He was eventually approached by Vector , who urged him to reveal his true form . Vector offered to be Number 96 ' s servant , introducing himself as one of the Seven Barian Emperors . Number 96 found this amusing and Vector insisted that he simply wanted to be at the right hand of the true king . Vector told him the location of a Mythyrian " Number " and gave him " Rank - Up - Magic Barian ' s Force " as proof of loyalty . Number 96 left Parker ' s body behind and journeyed with Vector to the ruins where the Number was located . He defeated the guardian , Battle Ox , and obtained the card . They then set a trap for Yuma and Astral after Vector detected their incoming . Separating the two , Astral was forced to Duel Number 96 on his own , with Number 96 hoping to win control over Astral ' s body . Number 96 revealed that whenever he is attack ed , the temple ' s traps activate on Yuma , each having the potential to kill him . Using " Malicevorous " monsters , Number 96 brought out and proceeded to use " Small Stopper " to prevent Astral from playing defensively , which Astral got around with " " and " Exchange Guard Robe " . Vector activated one of the ruins ' traps , a huge pendulum blade on Yuma ' s platform . Number 96 Summoned his new Mythyrian " Number " , " " . Between it and " Number 96 " , Astral was quickly reduced to 600 Life Points , as he refused to use " Exchange Guard Robe " again for fear of Yuma ' s life . Astral attempted to defend with " Swordsman of Revealing Light " , but Number 96 used his new " Rank - Up " card to Summon " " , which , together with " Dark Mist " destroyed the " Swordsman " . Astral narrowly hung on by reviving " Utopia " with " Xyz Reborn " and used " Superior Overlay " to destroy " Overfiend " . " " was Summoned , which almost destroyed " Dark Mist " , but Number 96 used " Chaos Return " to activate " Barian ' s Force " again , Summoning " , whose effect ended the Duel in a DRAW . Vector pulled a chain to initiate a self - destruct system in the ruins while he and Number 96 fled . While traveling through dimensions , Number 96 left Vector and told his " underling " to find him if he has another plan . After this , Number 96 worked to master the power of Chaos that he had obtained , determined to use it to defeat Yuma and Astral . Having tamed the power , he believed he had surpassed Astral and determined that he was a " god " now . He launched an assault , which affected Earth and both the Barian and Astral World s as he wished to destroy everything . He pulled Yuma , Astral , Shark , Kite and Tori to his location and began a Duel with Yuma and Astral , generating a Barian Sphere Field without the use of a Barian Sphere Cube , which caused damage to Yuma . Using the " Chaos Field " , he stole " " and " " from Yuma ' s Extra Deck and Ranked them up . Despite the advantage of his Field Spell Card , Number 96 was eventually defeated by the duo through the power of ZEXAL II . After the Duel , he attempted to take Astral ' s body for his own anyway ( causing the latter to revert to the darker color scheme he ' d had when influenced by the power of Chaos ) . However , Astral sacrificed his energy to seal Number 96 with an explosion , draining him enough that he was forced to return to the Astral World . With his defeat , he was sealed in a ball of light , his power returning to its origin - Don Thousand . He and Vector would put the power he retrieved from Number 96 to use by producing fake " Numbers " . This also resulted in Vector obtaining his card form and the Mythyrian " Number " he had . Decks . Yuma ' s Deck . Number 96 initially plays Yuma ' s Syllable Deck while manipulating him . He uses it differently , in that he puts all his effort into the Summoning and use of his . Malicevorous Deck . After his re - emergence , Number 96 uses a " Malicevorous " / " Chaos " Deck , featuring DARK monsters based on dining implements . It is again centered on Summoning his own card , augmented with his Mythyrian " Number " and the inclusion of " Rank - Up - Magic Barian ' s Force " , " Chaos Field " and " Number C " monsters .