Destroy

Destroy 破壊（はかい） (Hakai)

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Destroy is a keyword action.

Destroy

It is the act of putting a creature in the battle zone into it its owner's graveyard and is the most common form of removal.

As most creatures don't feature any resistance abilities, they are often easy to remove by cards that destroy creatures.

However, creatures put into the graveyard can be returned to the battle zone by Reanimate abilities or added back into a players hand by Salvage.

The effect of destroying objects is most commonly seen in the Darkness and Fire civilizations, represented by cards such as Terror Pit (Fixed Removal) or Reckless Cut Scrapper (Cost Based Removal). It is also possible to destroy your opponent's creatures by attacking your opponents tapped creatures.

You can destroy your own creatures or your opponent's creatures. If a card tells you to destroy something, you can only choose a creature—not a cross gear, castle, shield or a card in the mana zone unless the card says specifically mentions that card type.

Rules

Destroyed creatures and put into their owner's graveyard. However, Substitution Effects such as Perfect Madonna, Light Weapon and those with "can't be destroyed" abilities such as Immortal Boost, Crimson Lord can stay in the battle zone.
A creature that has lost a battle and a creature that has its power reduced to 0 by Decrease Power is destroyed. This is a state-based action of the game rules, not the effect of a card.
Destruction based on a battle is commonly known as "combat destruction".
Don't confuse the moving of cards from other zones as "Destroy". Although Card Discard and Mana Burn are often referred to as "Hand Destruction" and "Mana Destruction" respectively, even if a creature is put into the graveyard, if it's from a zone other than the battle zone, it won't be treated as "destroy".
Psychic cells and Evolution Sources are not treated as a creature by themselves. Therefore, even if a creature is sent from the battle zone to the graveyard, it may not be considered as being destroyed. For example, if the evolution source is put into the graveyard with card removal. the evolution source is not treated as a creature, so it isn't considered as being destroyed. More details can be seen on Card Based Removal and Graveyard Feed.

Cost and Trigger Ability

The effect of "destroying" as a cost, and the ability to trigger "being destroyed" are different.

Wicked Soul Reincarnation allows you to draw 2 cards for each creature you put into your graveyard, regardless of whether they remain in the battle zone or not (See Cost).
Super Trash Train, Fuuma Devil doesn't allow you to draw a card unless the card enters the graveyard (see Trigger Ability).

The above 2 situations can be summarized with the following.

"To Destroy" refers to "putting a creature [object in the battle zone] into a graveyard" and the timing of the "when destroyed" effect functions when it enters the graveyard. (Example: The Destruction Replacement effect of Hanzou, Menacing Phantom)
"Destroyed" refers to "a creature [object] was put into a graveyard from the battle zone". If the text refers to "when a creature is destroyed", the timing will trigger. (Example: The Trigger Ability of Super Trash Train, Fuuma Devil)

Even if you lose a battle and your creature is put into a graveyard, it is considered as "destroy". It triggers any abilities that occur "when you put this creature into a graveyard" and "when this creature is destroyed".

Other

While the "destroy" word is used for a lot of slang when a lot of cards are put into the graveyard from zones other than the battle zone, (such as Hand, Mana, Shield or Deck), none of these are treated as "destroy" and Put Into Graveyard abilities aren't triggered.

Rulings

From the Duel Masters - General Game Rules: Version 1.20 (July 17, 2020)

701.6. Destroy
- 701.6a To destroy a creature, put it from the battle zone into its owner's graveyard.
- 701.6b Destroyed creatures are put into their owner's graveyard as a result.

From the Duel Masters - General Game Rules: Version 1.20 (July 17, 2020)