Lucario is a bipedal, canine-likePokémon with predominantly blue and black fur. It possesses a short, round spike on the back of each forepaw, in addition to a third on its chest. It has red eyes, a long snout, and ears. When its mouth is open, two pairs of pointed teeth, one in the upper jaw and one in the lower, can be seen. It possesses cream-colored fur on its torso and blue fur on its thighs that resemble shorts. It has a medium-length tail of the same blue color as well.It stands on its toes rather than on its entire foot. Lucario has four black appendages that hang down from its head, which rise when it reads or manipulatesaura, a special energy that it senses.
Lucario can study auras to predict the movements of its opponents and track their quarry. With sufficient training, it can read auras to understand how living beings are feeling from more than half a mile (1 kilometer) away. It can even use this ability to sense invisible foes. However, it sometimes ends up learning information that it would not like to know, causing it to get stressed out easily. It also has the power to manipulate this energy in an offensive manner, such as in the form ofexplosive spheres of energy. Lucario can understand human speech and has been reported to communicate with humans through telepathy. InPokémon Adventures, it was even shown to be able to stop its allies from anAegislash's mind control using its aura.[1] As shown inPokémon Horizons: The Series withRoy'sLucario, aShiny Lucario emits yellow aura as opposed to the standard blue-colored aura emitted by other creatures. InSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, Lucario's eyes glow golden (instead of blue as in the anime) when using its aura vision. Lucario is considered to be prideful and is extremely loyal to itsTrainer. It also seems to have a natural sense of justice, as it only trusts Trainers with righteous hearts. It is an exceptionally rare Pokémon that usually lives deep in mountains very far from people to improve their skills. Lucario are primarily carnivores, hunting their prey in packs, thoughone was seen eatingBerries and plants like roses. It has also been seen eating chocolate, which is not part of its natural diet. InPokémon the Series, it is shown that Lucario can create astaff in the form of a bone to use inbattle. As mentioned in thePokemon Sleep, Lucario never lowers its guard, even when sleeping. It is believed that it reads the auras of others while asleep similarly to when it is awake.[2]
Lucario canMega Evolve into Mega Lucario or Mega Lucario Z.
Mega Lucario
As Mega Lucario, its blue fur becomes teal blue, its cream fur becomes longer, and its thighs slim down. Mega Lucario's arms appear more muscular and it develops more spikes on the back of its paws, which have turned deep crimson. It also develops spikes on both of its feet, which have become crimson too. Its previously red eyes take on an orange tint. Its aura-sensing appendages grow longer, and two of them are tipped in crimson. Its shoulders also possess a spike each. Black markings appear all over its its body.
Mega Lucario is believed to be the first discovered Mega-Evolved Pokémon. A legend told at theTower of Mastery claims that a Trainer and a Lucario found the firstMega andKey Stones and unleashed the world's first Mega Evolution. After the discovery of MegaRayquaza in theHoennregion, Mega Lucario was instead believed to be the first Pokémon to Mega Evolve inKalos. Its aura heightens throughout its body and forms black markings across its blue fur along with the intermingled energy of Mega Evolution.[3] Mega Lucario readies itself to face its enemies by focusing its mental energies. Its fighting style has been described as heartless due to it being bathed in the explosive energy of Mega Evolution, which awakens its combative instincts and causes it to mercilessly attack its opponents.
Mega Lucario Z
As Mega Lucario Z, parts of its body — namely its head, ears, arms, thighs, and tail — turn a dark gunmetal gray, while its forearms and legs turn completely teal. Its eyes turn bright blue with thick black outlines around them, and its face is decorated with an elaborate, silver pattern consisting of circles and crescent shapes. This silver pattern circles the back of Mega Lucario Z's head and extends halfway into its head appendages, which are clumped into two instead of being separated as four. These appendages grow out to reach Mega Lucario Z's knees, and have zig-zag seams on their sides and zig-zag tips at their ends. Two long strands of blue hair with zig-zag tips extend from behind Mega Lucario Z's head and over its ears, which have silver crescent patterns on them. The cream fur on Mega Lucario Z's torso is longer but flares to its right side at the bottom, unlike on Mega Lucario where it forms its tail. Mega Lucario Z's tail is split into two at the tip, and more silver stripes circle around its waist and thighs. Finally, the chest protrusion on Mega Lucario Z is round and shield-like with an S-shaped seam instead of pointy; similar round metal protrusions occur on Mega Lucario Z's hands, shins, and feet.
Mega Lucario Z's powers are said to greatly surpass those of a regular Lucario.[4] It is named as such to differentiate it from the previously discovered Mega Lucario. It uses the longer fur surrounding its head and waist, along with its fan-shaped tail, to visually disorient opponents in close combat. This makes it difficult for them to see its aggressive movements. Additionally, parts of its fur have been hardened with steel energy. By focusing its strength into these hardened areas—specifically the back of its hands and shins—it can deliver powerful blows despite its appearance. It can utilize its powerful aura in various ways, such as extending it into a thin shield or concentrating it into specific parts of its body, like its legs or fists, to enhance its attacks. While Mega Lucario channels its aura into a destructive force, Mega Lucario Z uses it in a more defensive manner by cloaking itself in it to increase its defense, flexibility, and agility,[5] allowing it to parry any attack. In doing so, it battles as if it was gracefully dancing.
AZ's Lucario, the one lent to the player to aid in the Rogue Mega Absol battle, is eventually revealed to have been Korrina's as well, and it even retains herTrainer ID. It ultimately ends up being gifted to the player after the main story's completion ofPokémon Legends: Z-A.
Emma uses a Lucario inPokémon Legends: Z-A during her second story battle and in all subsequent rematches.
Emma also appears next to a Mega Evolved Lucario onPokémon Legends: Z-A's box art, though it is unclear on whether or not it is in reference to her in-game Lucario as it does not Mega Evolve in any of her battles until after defeating Mega Darkrai in Mega Dimension.
In the spin-off games
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team: Lucario is seen as the greatest rescue leader of all time, and his adventures have become legendary. While the player never meets Lucario,Alakazam tells the player that his goal is to become closer to Lucario's greatness. Earning 15000 Rescue Points will put the player in the topRescue Rank—Lucario Rank—at which point the Lucario Statue will be displayed outside theTeam Base.
A most gallant-looking creature. It emits energy waves and controls them with precision, using them to sense even faraway beings.I have given the name “aura” to this power.
Obtain from License Journey for 325 License Points Purchase for 575 Aeos Gems Obtain from License Journey for 1,470 License Points(MegaLucario) Purchase for 840 Aeos Gems(MegaLucario)
It's said that Lucario hardly ever lowers its guard, even in its sleep. Perhaps it's still reading the aura emanating from others, just as it does when it's awake.
Lucario debuted inLucario and the Mystery of Mew. He belonged toSir Aaron and was sealed away in his staff for a thousand years. Ash later released him during a festival and he helped guide him to theTree of Beginning afterMew teleportedPikachu there. However, he sacrificed himself to save the Tree of Beginning.
InThe Aura Storm!,Gurkinn owns a Lucario that can Mega Evolve into Mega Lucario. Gurkinn's Lucario was used in a battle against Korrina's own Lucario, but when Korrina's Lucario lost control in Mega Evolution, Gurkinn's Lucario had to knock it out. It reappeared inA Festival Reunion!.
A Lucario appeared inI Choose You!, under the ownership ofSorrel. It is his main Pokémon.
Lucario, the Aura Pokémon. AFighting andSteel type. Lucario can concentrate its mental energy into a mysterious wave called aura that can reduce boulders to dust.
A Lucario briefly appeared inGOTCHA!, under the ownership ofKorrina.
Bidoof's Big Stand
A Lucario appeared inBidoof's Big Stand, under the ownership of aTrainer. The titularBidoof spent a lot of time trying to get as much attention from its Trainer as he was giving to Lucario.
Lucario is a Battle Pokémon in Pokkén Tournament. Its moves includeForce Palm,Bone Rush,Extreme Speed, and multiple variations ofAura Sphere. Upon entering Synergy Burst, it Mega Evolves and can use the Burst Attack Aura Blast.
In thePokémon of the Year poll held by The Pokémon Company in 2020, Lucario was voted the most popularGeneration IV Pokémon, receiving 102,259 votes. It was also the second-most popular Pokémon overall.
Lucario was the first Pokémon that received two Mega Evolutions in separate generations, and the first Pokémon not introduced inGeneration I to receive two Mega Evolutions (unlikeCharizard,Raichu andMewtwo).
Lucario is the first Pokémon revealed to have a Z Mega Evolution.
Mega Lucario Z was the last Mega Evolution to be revealed before the release ofMega DimensionDLC Wave 2.
Origin
Lucario's appearance is akin to that of an anthropomorphiccanid of no discernible kind. The markings on Lucario's face resemble the cloth eye masks worn by classic heroes in popular culture (such as Zorro), and also evoke the appearance of amuzzle. Additionally, together with the four appendages on its head, the overall shape may suggest inspiration from akhakkhara, which in popular depictions responds to spiritual energies much like Lucario’s appendages react when it senses aura.
Lucario may draw inspiration from theJapanese wolf, which once inhabited the islands of Kyushu, Shikoku, and Honshu and was regarded in Shinto belief as a protective spirit associated with mountain deities, sometimes even worshiped as a deity itself. Notably, this wolf species may have inspired certain folkloric beings such as the Okuri-Ōkami (“sending/scouting wolf”)[6] and theŌkuchi-no-Magami, a wolf deity which was believed to understand human speech, discern a person’s true nature, and uphold a sense of justice—traits that align with some of Lucario’s Pokédex descriptions. Moreover, in Hokkaido—the region that inspired the Sinnoh region—theHokkaido wolf was venerated by the Indigenous Ainu people as the deity Horkew Kamuy (“howling god”).
Due to its mystical nature, Lucario may be based on the hybrid portrayal of the Egyptian godAnubis (speculated to be aGolden jackal orAfrican wolf). Anubis's role inEgyptian mythology was to judge souls based on their purity, which loosely resembles Lucario's ability to see a life form's aura. Lucario using abone staff in combat may also reference theWas-sceptre often seen in depictions of Anubis; this seems to also be referenced with Mega Lucario Z's tail shape. Mega Lucario Z's tail is resembles to themedjed fish, a kind of elephantfish worshiped at Oxyrhynchus in ancient Egyptian religion.
The concept ofaura associated with Lucario seems to closely resemble vital energies such asqi orchakra. Lucario'sFighting type likely comes from the fact qi is conceptually present inmany East Asian martial arts asneijin or similar ideas. Lucario's use of a staff may hint at abōjutsu practitioner, while the shorts-like fur on its legs may reference the clothing used inboxing,Muay Thai, ormixed martial arts. Given the possible connection with ancient Egypt through Anubis, Lucario could also be based on anAncient Egyptian boxer.
Name origin
Lucario may be derived from the reverse of the Japanese transcription oforichalcum (a mythical metal) ororacle (referring to its supernatural abilities involvingaura). It may also involve λύκοςlúkos (Greek for wolf), and possiblyluchar (Spanish forto fight).
This Pokémon article is part ofProject Pokédex, aBulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.