Pokemonfans know that many times, the anime, Pokedex entries, and manga entries forPokemonvary wildly in their believability and absurdity. This is extra true for legendary Pokemon. For fans of this beloved series, reading the lore surrounding these exceptional and rare Pokemon can make for a fun time. Or, it can make for an equally shocking look into the true nature of thePokemonuniverse.
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Despite the nature of legendaries being only available once, they often have a profound impact on the lore due to their unique nature and powerful presence. This extra importance begs the question: which legendary Pokemon have the best lore?
Updated December 31st, 2021 by Russ Boswell:There are a lot of great Legendary Pokemon out there that boast some pretty incredible lore. Game Freak has been steadily adding new and interesting Legendary Pokemon to the series with the introduction of each generation, with Sword & Shield boasting some great Legendaries in its own right. As time goes on, more and more Pokemon are added to the pool of theBest Legendary Pokemon. Now, with Pokemon Legends: Arceus on the way, and Sword & Shield seeing multiple DLC, what are theBest Legendary Pokemonaccording to lore? To help answer that question, the following list has been updated with even more entries.
14Necrozma
Necrozma’s deep black color and ability to “drain light” has many seeing it as the “Pokemon that steals all light” but it wasn’t always like this. In fact, in the past, Necrozma was actually a being of pure light. It would share its light and gifts with other worlds and it’s actually responsible for gifting the Alola region with the Z-Power Rings and Z-Crystals.
Unfortunately, the ancestors of the Alolan Region became greedy with Necrozma and attempted to harness its light for themselves. Things went awry in the worst possible way and Necrozma was essentially stripped of its light, gaining a sleek black design and a hatred for humans in the process.
13Yveltal & Xerneas
There isn’t a ton of information around regarding the lore of Yveltal and Xerneas, but what is known is that these two Pokemon are counterparts of one another, representing the cycles of life and death.
It is said that when Yveltal feels that it is reaching the end of its lifespan, that it will absorb all of the energy and life force from everything before cocooning itself and falling into a deep sleep. conversely, Xerneas will sprout into a massive tree upon its death and will infuse everything around it with life, ushering in a new age of prosperity. Yveltal is said to represent natural disasters, while its counterpart Xerneas represents the formation of new life after destruction.
12Eternatus
Necrozma isn’t the only Pokemon to suffer at the hands of greedy humans. Eternatus is an extra-terrestrial being that crash-landed in the Galar Region, but it was far from the friendly and giving Pokemon that the Alola Region had seen. Instead, Eternatus ushered in something called The Darkest Day, in which holes were ripped into the fabric of space and time, with the monstrous beast releasing a nigh-infinite amount of energy during this cataclysm.
Chairman Rose, of the Galar Region, sought to harness this power for the country and was intent on reviving the powerful beast.
11The Hero Duo
It would be remiss to talk about Eternatus without mention of The Hero Duo, the would-be saviors of the Galar Region. After Eternatus crashed into the area and began its terrifying plague with The Darkest Day, a duo of powerful Pokemon rose up to protect the region from harm.
Zacian and Zamazenta used their mighty Crowned forms, complete with a sword and shield, to battle back against an array of wild Pokemon that had become Dynamaxed as a product of Eternatus' power. Afterward, the heroes vanished, until they were called upon once more in the modern age to battle against a resurrected Eternatus.
10Rayquaza
Rayquaza makes its first appearance in Generation 3 as a legendary Pokemon capable of calming the two most powerful Pokemon revealed at that point: Groudon and Kyogre. Despite its importance in the lore as a balancing act to their rage, Rayquaza remains a mysterious figure in every source.
It comes from the sky and sustains itself there, but how it does this and why it descends is seemingly unknown. This adds to the awe of this Pokemon, a mediating force to the violent world below.This is not to mention the competitive behemoth that Rayquaza has become over time.
9Regigigas
The creator of Regice, Regirock, and Registeel not only created life from solid materials but also is able to move continents using ropes and its sheer strength. Its motivation for rising from its previously eternal slumber differs based on the source material, but one thing always remains its ability to control the Legendary Titans Regice, Regirock, and Registeel despite their allegiance to trainers.
The feats of this legendary Pokemon are difficult to summarize, but it only gets more insane the more fans dig up about this mysterious creator Pokemon.
8Cresselia
Cresselia is most notable as the rival and counterpart to the mythical Pokemon Darkrai. Darkrai holds a seemingly uncontrollable and violent nightmarish power, and Cresselia serves as a healing and mediating force to help Darkrai with this task. Cresselia has a powerful healing influence, both physically and mentally, on those who see her.
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Some sources have Cresselia and Darkrai as opposing figures, yet many others see them as cooperating to stop nightmares. Either way, the power Cresselia holds is not to be underestimated.
7Mewtwo
A classicGeneration 1 legendary Pokemonthat encapsulates the raw power this type of Pokemon hold. Mewtwo is a genetic alteration of Mew, without the moderating influences of kindness or other positive emotions.
Mewtwo is a classic lesson of creating a powerful entity without the restraining force of love, and he is often seen as the antagonist to Ash and his friends throughout the shows and movies. The power that Mewtwo holds might be a testament to what Mew can accomplish but chooses not to.
6Regieleki
The new Regi duo of Regieleki and Regidrago may be puzzling newcomers to the stage, but the power they hold is debatably much greater than their previous counterparts. While Regice may not be able to melt, Regieleki is said to be able to power the entirety of Galar using its electricity.
The rings around Regieleki are known to restrain the powers that this Pokemon holds, and removing them would be a bad idea for everyone. Its recent addition and high power level point to its potential as a subject of future shows or movies.
5Lugia
Lugia is a classic Generation 2 Pokemon that holds dominion over the seas and the Generation 1 legendary birds Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno. It’s interesting because of its lack of desire to do anything with this power. In fact, Lugia spends most of its time asleep at the bottom of the ocean in order to contain its own abilities.
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Even so, Lugia’s power and intelligence make it a prime candidate for movies, so it makes frequent occurrences inPokemonfilms and media.
