Find the degree of the polynomial \( x^{6} - 2x^{4} + x^{3} + 9 \).

The degree of a polynomial is defined as the highest power of the variable in the polynomial. In the polynomial \( x^{6} - 2x^{4} + x^{3} + 9 \), the term with the highest power of \( x \) is \( x^{6} \). Therefore, the degree of the polynomial is 6.