The tetragonal to monoclinic martensitic transformation of plasma-sprayed 3 mol % Y 2 O 3 -ZrO 2 coatings is investigated by electron backscatter diffraction. The original metastable tetragonal phase shows an approximate "basal" texture with {001} t parallel to the coating surface. Based on the orientation analysis, plenty of monoclinic variants with atypical correspondence which indicates the c t axis transforms to the a m axis where (100) m //(001) t , (010) m , and (001) m //{110} t are clearly identified in addition to the correspondence where the c t axis transforms to the c m axis. Moreover, three growth modes are proposed and discussed according to strain accommodation. The observed sequential growth obeys the correspondence of the c t axis to the c m axis. Fourfold growth combines the correspondences of the c t axis to the c m and a m axes. The interleaving growth follows the correspondences of the c t axis to the c m axis within three tetragonal domains. These phenomena demonstrate the typical twin-related and self-accommodating configuration, which is in agreement with the phenomenological theory. These finding provide fundamental insight into the martensitic transformation mechanism and demonstrate a route for increasing the lifetime by controlling the tetragonal to monoclinic phase transformation. K E Y W O R D S electron backscatter diffraction, martensitic transformation, orientation relationship, yttria-stabilized zirconia