For Pokémon GO information on this species, seethe game's section.
← #0248: Tyranitar	Pokémon	#0250: Ho-Oh →
This article is about the species. For a specific instance of this species, seeLugia (disambiguation).

Lugia Diving Pokémon ルギア Lugia #0249 Images on the Bulbagarden Archives
Type Psychic Flying Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown
Abilities Pressure Cacophony Cacophony Multiscale Hidden Ability Cacophony Hidden Ability Cacophony Cacophony
Gender ratio Gender unknown	Catch rate 3(1.6%)
Breeding Egg Group No Eggs Discovered Hatch time 120 cycles Egg not obtainable
Height 17'01" 5.2 m Lugia 0'0" 0 m {{{form2}}} 0'0" 0 m {{{form3}}} 0'0" 0 m {{{form4}}} 0'0" 0 m {{{form5}}} 0'0" 0 m {{{form6}}} 0'0" 0 m {{{form7}}}	Weight 476.2 lbs. 216.0 kg Lugia 0 lbs. 0 kg {{{form2}}} 0 lbs. 0 kg {{{form3}}} 0 lbs. 0 kg {{{form4}}} 0 lbs. 0 kg {{{form5}}} 0 lbs. 0 kg {{{form6}}} 0 lbs. 0 kg {{{form7}}}
Mega Stone [[|]] [[|]]
Base experience yield 220 Gen. II-IV Unknown IV 306 V+	Leveling rate Slow
EV yield Total: 3 Lugia 0 HP 0 Atk 0 Def 0 Sp.Atk 3 Sp.Def 0 Speed 0 HP 0 Atk 0 Def 0 Sp.Atk 0 Sp.Def 0 Speed 0 HP 0 Atk 0 Def 0 Sp.Atk 0 Sp.Def 0 Speed 0 HP 0 Atk 0 Def 0 Sp.Atk 0 Sp.Def 0 Speed
Shape	Footprint {{{form2}}}
Pokédex color   White	Base friendship 0
External Links On Smogon Pokédex: Generation II Generation III Generation IV Generation V Generation VI Generation VII Generation VIII Generation IX Artwork on Bulbagarden Archives

Lugia (Japanese:ルギアLugia) is a dual-typePsychic/FlyingLegendaryPokémon introduced inGeneration II.

It is not known toevolve into or from any other Pokémon.

Lugia andHo-Oh are often collectively referred to as thetower duo by fans. It is also often viewed as theleader of thelegendary birds due to its role in themovieThe Power of One and in theMystery Dungeon series.

Lugia is thegame mascot ofPokémon Silver Version and itsremake,Pokémon SoulSilver Version, appearing on the boxart of both games. It also has a uniquevariant calledShadow Lugia, codenamedXD001, who is the game mascot ofPokémon XD: Gale of Darkness and plays a major role in its story.

Biology

Lugia is a largePokémon that resembles adragon, a plesiosaur, and a bird. It is primarily silver-white, but it has blue undersides with slightly varying tones. It has a ridged mouth similar to a beak, although it has pointed teeth on its lower jaw. Its head has a point to the back, and Lugia's eyes have pointed blue or black spikes on them. Lugia has a long, slender neck and a smooth, streamlined body. Dark blue or black plate-like protrusions run down the length of its back, and there are two smaller, more pointed ones on the end of its tail. It has large wings that resemble hands.

Lugia can fold back these plates to increase its speed. Though it is gender unknown, as depicted inThe Mystery is History,a young Lugia has been seen, suggesting there is a breeding population, at least in theanimated series timeline. In the same episode, Lugia has been shown to be fiercely protective of its young, which also eat kelp. In thesecond Pokémon movie, Lugia leads thelegendary birds and when they fight over territory, Lugia is the only Pokémon that can quell their ceaseless fighting, but cannot do so without a partner. Much like the birds, it possesses the ability to control the weather; most notably, it can calm and give rise to storms.

It is said that a light flutter of its wings is capable of causing winds powerful enough to tear a regular house down. If it were to flap its wings, it could hypothetically spawn storms lasting as long as forty days. Lugia is capable of splitting islands into smaller islands. When attacking, it is capable ofshooting a vortex of air at its target and using psychic power. It is highly intelligent, and because of the devastating power it could accidentally inflict, it isolates itself deep underwater and tends to sleep in solitude. It is extremelyrare and is hardly ever seen. In ancient times, the formerBrass Tower inEcruteak City was once Lugia's perch. However, after its destruction 150 years ago, Lugia moved to theWhirl Islands for the safety of others from its own power. It can be summoned at the Whirl Island throughone of its feathers,Tidal Bells, and the dance of theKimono Girls. Lugia had many different titles throughout the years as the "guardian of the seas",deity of the sea, "beast of the sea", "mythical sea creature", and "vengeance deity".^[1]. There are rumors Lugia would appear during the night of a storm. Lugia lovesLugia Treats made bySnacksworth, who once encountered it in the past.

Lugia is theonly known Pokémon capable of learning the moveAeroblast.

Shadow Lugia

Shadow Lugia is the first and only XD-seriesShadow Pokémon created byLovrina ofCipher. It has jagged silver eye-spikes, a dark-purple body with white undersides, and glowing red eyes. It also has sharper toes that resemble claws, as well as a longer, more pointed tongue. Additionally, due to the shape of Lugia's back plates on its 3D models being changed afterGeneration IV, Shadow Lugia now possesses a unique design for them.

Shadow Lugia is theonly known Pokémon capable of learning the moveShadow Blast.

Lugia

Shadow Lugia

Game data

NPC appearances

In the core series

• InPokémon Black 2 and White 2, in thePokémon World Tournament, during the downloadable tournamentThe Battle Between Legendary Pokémon,Falkner will use a Lugia as part of his team.

In the side series games

• These notable Trainers all use Lugia:
  • InPokémon Stadium 2, theRival will use a Lugia as part of his team.
  • InPokémon XD,Shadow Lugia is the ultimateShadow Pokémon, codenamed XD001. In the game's climax,Greevil uses Shadow Lugia to deal with the player. Shadow Lugia can besnagged.
  • InPokémon Battle Revolution, during theMasters Battle Set 8,Mysterial will use a Lugia as part of his team, unless the player has copied Pokémon from a save file ofPokémon Pearl.

Pokédex entries

Game locations

In side games

In events

Games	Event	Language/Region	Location	Level	Distribution period
GSC	Gotta Catch 'Em All Station! Lugia	English	United States	40	November 15 to 21, 2002; December 6 to 12, 2002
RSEFRLG	Top Ten Distribution Lugia	English	United Kingdom	70	June 10, 2006; October 14 to November 19, 2006
RSEFRLG	Top Ten Distribution Lugia	Italian	Italy	70	June 23 to 25, 2006
RSEFRLG	Top Ten Distribution Lugia	Spanish	Spain	70	June 27 to August 27, 2006
RSEFRLG	Top Ten Distribution Lugia	German	Germany	70	September 24 to November 5, 2006
RSEFRLG	Top Ten Distribution Lugia	French	France	70	September 26, 2006
XYORAS	7-Eleven Lugia	Japanese region	Online	50	August 1 to September 30, 2015
XYORAS	Pokémon Center Lugia	Japanese region	Nintendo Network	50	September 7 to 13, 2015
SMUSUM	Fula City Lugia	Japanese region	Online	100	April 13 to September 30, 2018
S	Legendary Pokémon Celebration Lugia	American region	Online	60	November 2, 2018 to February 28, 2019
US	Legendary Pokémon Celebration Lugia	American region	Online	100	November 2, 2018 to February 28, 2019
S	Legendary Pokémon Celebration Lugia	PAL region	Online	60	November 2, 2018 to February 28, 2019
US	Legendary Pokémon Celebration Lugia	PAL region	Online	100	November 2, 2018 to February 28, 2019
SMUSUM	Fula City Lugia	Japanese region	Online	100	November 12, 2018 to March 31, 2019
SMUSUM	Fula City Lugia	American region	Online	100	November 12, 2018 to March 31, 2019
SMUSUM	Fula City Lugia	PAL region	Online	100	November 12, 2018 to March 31, 2019
SMUSUM	Fula City Lugia	Taiwanese region	Online	100	November 12, 2018 to March 31, 2019
SMUSUM	Fula City Lugia	Korean region	Online	100	December 19, 2018 to February 28, 2019

Held items

Game		Held Item(s)
Events*		Leftovers (100%)	Gold Bottle Cap (100%)

Stats

Base stats

Pokéathlon stats

Type effectiveness

Learnset

Lugia is available inScarlet and Violet Version 3.0.0+.

Byleveling up

ByTM

Generation IX Other generations: II - III - IV - V - VI - VII - VIII

TM   Move   Type   Cat.   Pwr.   Acc.   PP  TM001 TM001 Take Down Normal Physical 09090 085}}85% 20 TM006 TM006 Scary Face Normal Status 0000— 100}}100% 10 TM007 TM007 Protect Normal Status 0000— 00—}}—% 10 TM011 TM011 Water Pulse Water Special 06060 100}}100% 20 TM014 TM014 Acrobatics Flying Physical 05555 100}}100% 15 TM022 TM022 Chilling Water Water Special 05050 100}}100% 20 TM023 TM023 Charge Beam Electric Special 05050 090}}90% 10 TM025 TM025 Facade Normal Physical 07070 100}}100% 20 TM027 TM027 Aerial Ace Flying Physical 06060 00—}}—% 20 TM032 TM032 Swift Normal Special 06060 00—}}—% 20 TM034 TM034 Icy Wind Ice Special 05555 095}}95% 15 TM040 TM040 Air Cutter Flying Special 06060 095}}95% 25 TM044 TM044 Dragon Tail Dragon Physical 06060 090}}90% 10 TM046 TM046 Avalanche Ice Physical 06060 100}}100% 10 TM047 TM047 Endure Normal Status 0000— 00—}}—% 10 TM049 TM049 Sunny Day Fire Status 0000— 00—}}—% 5 TM050 TM050 Rain Dance Water Status 0000— 00—}}—% 5 TM051 TM051 Sandstorm Rock Status 0000— 00—}}—% 10 TM054 TM054 Psyshock Psychic Special 08080 100}}100% 10 TM059 TM059 Zen Headbutt Psychic Physical 08080 090}}90% 15 TM065 TM065 Air Slash Flying Special 07575 095}}95% 15 TM066 TM066 Body Slam Normal Physical 08585 100}}100% 15 TM070 TM070 Sleep Talk Normal Status 0000— 00—}}—% 10 TM074 TM074 Reflect Psychic Status 0000— 00—}}—% 20 TM075 TM075 Light Screen Psychic Status 0000— 00—}}—% 30 TM077 TM077 Waterfall Water Physical 08080 100}}100% 15 TM085 TM085 Rest Psychic Status 0000— 00—}}—% 5 TM092 TM092 Imprison Psychic Status 0000— 00—}}—% 10 TM097 TM097 Fly Flying Physical 09090 095}}95% 15 TM098 TM098 Skill Swap Psychic Status 0000— 00—}}—% 10 TM099 TM099 Iron Head Steel Physical 08080 100}}100% 15 TM103 TM103 Substitute Normal Status 0000— 00—}}—% 10 TM109 TM109 Trick Psychic Status 0000— 100}}100% 10 TM110 TM110 Liquidation Water Physical 08585 100}}100% 10 TM111 TM111 Giga Drain Grass Special 07575 100}}100% 10 TM113 TM113 Tailwind Flying Status 0000— 00—}}—% 15 TM114 TM114 Shadow Ball Ghost Special 08080 100}}100% 15 TM115 TM115 Dragon Pulse Dragon Special 08585 100}}100% 10 TM117 TM117 Hyper Voice Normal Special 09090 100}}100% 10 TM120 TM120 Psychic Psychic Special 09090 100}}100% 10 TM123 TM123 Surf Water Special 09090 100}}100% 15 TM126 TM126 Thunderbolt Electric Special 09090 100}}100% 15 TM129 TM129 Calm Mind Psychic Status 0000— 00—}}—% 20 TM130 TM130 Helping Hand Normal Status 0000— 00—}}—% 20 TM133 TM133 Earth Power Ground Special 09090 100}}100% 10 TM135 TM135 Ice Beam Ice Special 09090 100}}100% 10 TM142 TM142 Hydro Pump Water Special 110110 080}}80% 5 TM143 TM143 Blizzard Ice Special 110110 070}}70% 5 TM149 TM149 Earthquake Ground Physical 100100 100}}100% 10 TM152 TM152 Giga Impact Normal Physical 150150 090}}90% 5 TM160 TM160 Hurricane Flying Special 110110 070}}70% 10 TM163 TM163 Hyper Beam Normal Special 150150 090}}90% 5 TM164 TM164 Brave Bird Flying Physical 120120 100}}100% 15 TM166 TM166 Thunder Electric Special 110110 070}}70% 10 TM171 TM171 Tera Blast Normal Special 08080 100}}100% 10 TM193 TM193 Weather Ball Normal Special 05050 100}}100% 10 TM197 TM197 Dual Wingbeat Flying Physical 04040 090}}90% 10 TM200 TM200 Scale Shot Dragon Physical 02525 090}}90% 20 TM203 TM203 Psych Up Normal Status 0000— 00—}}—% 10 TM204 TM204 Double-Edge Normal Physical 120120 100}}100% 15 TM208 TM208 Whirlpool Water Special 03535 085}}85% 15 TM217 TM217 Future Sight Psychic Special 120120 100}}100% 10 TM224 TM224 Curse Ghost Status 0000— 00—}}—% 10 TM228 TM228 Psychic Noise Psychic Special 07575 100}}100% 10

Bold indicates a move that getsSTAB when used by Lugia Italic indicates a move that gets STAB only when used by an Evolution or an alternate form of Lugia Click on the generation numbers at the top to see TM moves from other generations

Bybreeding

Side game data

Pokémon Trozei! Rarity: Rare
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team Body size: 4 Recruit rate: 99.9% Friend Area:Deep-Sea Current Phrases 51%-100% HP My power is with you! 26%-50% HP Hm! Already, my health is in half? 1%-25% HP I'm ready to fall... Who knew my power would fail me? Level up My level has risen like my power.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Time, Explorers of Darkness, andExplorers of Sky Body size: 4 Recruit rate: 10% IQ group: F
Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Body size:Gigantic (9 tiles) How to Recruit: Boss ofSea Shrine Connected to:Zapdos,Ho-Oh Connection Orb Set: 20 Phrases Normal I'm a deity in charge of oceans! I will calm rough seas for you! Low HP (< 50%) For me to take this much damage…
Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs Group: Psychic Poké Assist: (present) Psychic Field move: (present) (None ×-) Not available in the past. Browser entryR-301 It uses water tornadoes and whirlpools to attack.
Pokémon Rumble Blast Attack ●●● Defense ●●●●● Speed ●●●●
Pokémon Rumble Rush Walking Speed: 1.17 seconds Base HP: 60 Base Attack: 85 Base Defense: 66 Base Speed: 70
Pokémon Battle Trozei Psychic Attack Power: ★★★★★ Power of Five Increases the damage dealt by matching five Pokémon.			Pokémon Shuffle Flying Attack Power: 80 - 130 10 #305 Eject+ Sometimes removes three non-Support Pokémon icons. Swappable Skill(s): Cross Attack+
Pokémon GO Base HP: 235 Base Attack: 193 Base Defense: 310 Egg Distance: N/A Buddy Distance: 20 km Evolution Requirement: N/A Fast Attacks:Extrasensory,Dragon Tail Charged Attacks:Sky Attack,Hydro Pump,Future Sight,Frustration,Return,Aeroblast†,Aeroblast+,Aeroblast++,Fly*
New Pokémon Snap Photodex entry #121 Lugia is said to be the guardian of the seas. Its power is so overwhelming that it usually stays in its home atthe bottom of the sea, where it quietly sleeps.

Evolution data

Unevolved Lugia  Psychic  Flying

Sprites

This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation II.
Generation II Gold Silver Crystal Front Back Front Back Front Back
Generation III Ruby Sapphire Emerald FireRed LeafGreen Front Back Front Back Front Back
Generation IV Diamond Pearl Platinum HeartGold SoulSilver Front Back Front Back Front Back
Generation V Black White Black 2 White 2 Front Back Front Back
Generation VI X Y Omega Ruby Alpha Sapphire Front Back Front Back
Generation VII Sun Moon Ultra Sun Ultra Moon Front Back Front Back
Generation VIII Sword Shield
Cross-Generation HOME

For other sprites and images, please seeLugia images on the Bulbagarden Archives.

In animation

Main series

Major appearances

Lugia (M02)

Lugia debuted inThe Power of One, where it was central to the legend ofShamouti Island. It can communicate with humansthrough telepathy.

Lugia (Silver's parent)

Lugia made its animated series debut inAround the Whirlpool, where a silhouetted Lugia savedAsh,Misty, andBrock from being sucked into a whirlpool. It later turned out to beSilver's parent inThe Mystery is History.

Silver

A young Lugia,nicknamed Silver byOliver, lived nearOgi Isle in theWhirl Islands.Dr. Namba attempted to capture both the parent Lugia and Silver forGiovanni inThe Mystery is History,A Parent Trapped!, andA Promise is a Promise.

Lugia (recurring)

InLegend? Go! Friends? Go!, a group of Trainers challenged a Lugia to aRaid Battle, but were all easily defeated. Lugia later befriended Ash andGoh. It reappeared in a flashback inSword and Shield: The Darkest Day!. InThis Could be the Start of Something Big!, it faced Ash and Goh in a Raid Battle.

Lugia's known moves areHydro Pump andAeroblast.

Other

InHoopa and the Clash of Ages, a Lugia was the firstLegendary Pokémon summoned byHoopa to protect it and Ash from the shadowHoopa Unbound. After a briefbattle, the shadow Hoopa eventually portaled it back to its home in the sea.

InThe Power of Us, a Lugia had a significant role inFula City's history, as the one who gives Fula City a wind as told in the history. In the movie, Lugia remains in an unknown place untilRisa and herEevee summons it. Lugia later appear and gives the city a wind just like they did during the previous festival.

Minor appearances

InAn Egg Scramble!,Team Rocket's fantasy featured a Lugia as one of the Pokémon they hoped theEgg that they stole fromDawn would hatch into.

In the opening sequence ofJirachi: Wish Maker, a Lugia rose out of the ocean during a full moon.

A Lugia appeared in the opening sequence ofPokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea.

In the opening sequence ofThe Rise of Darkrai, a Lugia was flying across the sky.

A Lugia appeared in the opening sequence ofGiratina and the Sky Warrior.

A Lugia appeared in the opening sequence ofArceus and the Jewel of Life.

A Lugia appeared in the opening sequence ofZoroark: Master of Illusions.

A Lugia appeared inGetting More Than You Battled For!.

A silhouetted Lugia appeared in a fantasy inHealing the Healer!.

Pokémon Generations

InThe Adventure, awild Lugia flew by after a group of wildWooper sentRed's Pikachu flying withMud Shot.

GOTCHA!

A Lugia briefly appeared as a silhouette inGOTCHA!.

Pokémon Evolutions

InThe Show, a Lugia appeared swimming in the seas around theWhirl Islands.

In the manga

Ash & Pikachu

Main article:Silva

Main article:Lugia (anime)

InLet's Save The Lugia!, two Lugia fulfilled the same roles asSilver andits parent in the animated series.

The Electric Tale of Pikachu

Lugia appeared at the end ofEpilogue: Wild Type, being the onlyGeneration II Pokémon to appear in the manga.

Movie adaptations

Main article:Lugia (M02)

Lugia appeared inthe manga adaptation ofThe Power of One.

Lugia also appeared inthe graphic novel adaptation of the same movie.

Pocket Monsters DP

A Lugia appeared inPMDP29.

Pocket Monsters HGSS

A Lugia appeared inPMHGSS01.

Pokémon Adventures

Main article:Tower duo (Adventures)

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

TheMasked Man apparently caught Lugia twice, given that itsSilver Wing was shown under his possession several years ago, only to be stolen byGreen. However, both times, it went back to the wild along withHo-Oh.

InThe Might of... Metapod?!, the KantoElite Four tried to exterminate humans using Lugia, which appeared as a spirit aboveCerise Island in response to the energy produced byGym Badges. It appeared as a being of shimmering light thatLance summoned it to aid his schemes. After he was defeated, the spirit flew to thewest. InSandslash Surprise, it was properly identified as Lugia. InLively Lugia (Part 1),(Part 2), and(Part 3), the JohtoPokédex holders battled it before it was caught by the Masked Man just before Crystal could do so.

Besides the two, it was also controlled for some time byWill andKaren while they were under the Masked Man's jurisdiction.

	Spoilers end here.

Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys

A Lugia appeared inThe Truth About The Mysterious Whirl Islands!! andA Serious Crisis!! The Battle With The Lugia. It reappeared inLet's Fight For The Future!!.

Pokémon: Yeah! I Got Pokémon!

InGDZ868,Shu encountered andcaught a Lugia. He thenreleased it so it could continue protecting the ocean.

Pokémon HeartGold SoulSilver: Pokédex Completion Comic

A Lugia appeared inPokémon HeartGold SoulSilver: Pokédex Completion Comic.

Pokémon Journeys

A Lugia appeared inLegend? Check! Friends? Check!.

Pokémon Pocket Monsters

A Lugia appeared inClefairy Rangers to the Rescue!!.

A Lugia appeared inTake me to the Dragon Palace!.

In the TCG

Main article:Lugia (TCG)

In the TFG

One Lugia figure has been released.

• Next Quest:Lugia

Other appearances

Super Smash Bros. Melee/Brawl/3DS/Wii U/Ultimate

When released from aPoké Ball, Lugia will fly up out of the stage and return in the background, where it unleashes a powerfulAeroblast on a section of the stage.

Melee trophy information

The waters of theWhirl Islands are home to this legendary Pokémon, whom very few have seen. Lugia live quietly in the deepest ocean trenches for one very good reason: its combined aerial and psychic powers are so strong as to be extremely dangerous. The special moves of this gargantuan creature include the destructive wind assault known as Aeroblast.

Brawl trophy information

"A Diving Pokémon. A legendary Pokémon often referred to as 'guardian of the seas,' it has the impressive ability to control the wind. Lugia typically spends its time quietly at the bottom of the ocean. Highly powerful in all areas, Lugia's Aeroblast move is especially powerful. It uses strong flapping of its wings to target damage on a foe's weak spot."

3DS/Wii U trophy information

Lugia appears as a trophy in both versions of the game.

NA:Despite being a Psychic/Flying-type Pokémon, Lugia sleeps on the ocean floor. Legend says the flapping of Lugia's wings can create storms that last up to 40 days. It's impossible to know for sure, but in Smash Bros., Lugia definitely brings a storm with its Aeroblast attack.

PAL:Despite being a Psychic- and Flying-type, Lugia sleeps on the ocean floor. It's said that if it were to flap its wings on waking up, it could cause a storm lasting 40 days. No one can say whether that's true or not, but Lugia's attacks certainly make it seem so. It flies behind the stage and creates a mighty gust of wind with its Aeroblast attack.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Lugia returns as Poké Ball summon. It also appears as aSpirit.

Trivia

• Despite not being aWater-type Pokémon, Lugia has occasionally been depicted as aWater-type in theTrading Card Game.Torkoal has as well, being depicted as aFighting-type, which includes Rock, Ground, and Fighting types. Torkoal is only a Fire type, however.
• Lugia has aCostume inPokémon GO. It is visually identical to a normal Lugia. It was only released once, as an apology for GO Fest: 2017 in Chicago, Illinois, as a result of all the issues.
• Lugia is tied withHo-Oh for thehighest baseSpecial Defense stat of allFlying-type Pokémon.
• Lugia's variousPokédex entries that mention it being able to cause a 40-day storm may be a biblical reference toNoah's Ark.
• When Lugia'sShiny coloration is shown inPokémon Stadium 2, it is pale green rather than pink.
• Lugia appears inPokémon Battle Chess. Alongside Ho-Oh, the player must lose a specific number of pieces (four in Lugia's case) to use it, and it takes four spaces on the board.

• Ho-Oh and Lugia are the onlyLegendary Pokémon who aregame mascots but notversion-exclusive in their representative games.
• Despite being strongly associated with the sea, Lugia does not appear in the sea atPal Park.
• The symbol for theSilver Tempest expansion resembles Lugia's silhouette.
• Lugia's association with the sea is possibly referenced with its WaterTera Type when caught inPokémon Scarlet and Violet.

Concept and development

The initial idea for what would become Lugia was conceptualized by chief writerTakeshi Shudo while developing the script forthe second movie,^[2] at the time dubbed "Pokémon X". "Pokémon X" was said to be a "creator of all life on earth" that symbolizes ocean currents. It is thus described as a "maternal Pokémon" in nature. The concept of its gender was a point of fixation for Shudo, initially being "male and female at once." However, Shudo would later insist Lugia was intended to be feminine and expressed severe regret over it not being voiced by a woman inThe Power of One.^[3]

The role for "Pokémon X" was ultimately filled by Lugia, whose name and design were created by someone else.^[4] This would mark several key decisions, such as the choice for it to be voiced by a man, and becoming a guardian of the seas instead of a creator of life. A piece of concept artwork made byKen Sugimori for the second movie depicts this intermittent design stage; Lugia is shown with an X-shaped motif on its stomach and only six plates on its back. Remnants of this design stage are also visible inPokémon the Series, whereDr. Namba also refers to Lugia as "Pokémon X" and Lugia is shown to be a doting mother, unlike itstrio master-like appearance inThe Power of One.

Lugia was not originally inPokémon Gold and Silver, being completely absent in the1997 Nintendo Space World demo of the games. It would, however, be seen in the demo shown at Space World 1999, complete withAeroblast. Placed into the games, Lugia was made aPsychic-type Pokémon to make a stronger impression, according toShigeki Morimoto in Nintendo DREAM's November 2009 issue. This lines up with its stats in the Space World 1999 demo, having its defensive and offensive stats swapped prior to release.^[5] Shudo was surprised to see Lugia in the Pokémongames, having expected it to be exclusive to the movie.^[6]

Shadow Lugia was designed byJames Turner.^[7] According to Turner, he chose Shadow Lugia's colors and finalized its design based on sketches drawn byHiromoto-SIN-ichi.^[8]

Origin

Lugia's aquatic tendencies could relate it toplesiosaurs and aquatic birds. It is also possible that it may be based onRyūjin, a dragon who lived on the ocean floor and was theShinto god of the sea. In keeping with this, Lugia resembles awyvern, a variety of dragons with a single set of forelimbs that serve as wings. Its avian body, coloration, and face-markings suggest that it may be somewhat based on thegrey heron. Its rounded feet resemble those ofgrebes, a family of diving birds. Thebeluga whale, a white whale with similar body shape and coloration to Lugia, may also be a basis for its design and name. It might also be based onBahamut (giant fish), and Bahamut is often being portrayed as a dragon-like creature in modern fantasy, hence its fish-like and dragon-like appearance. Additionally, Lugia'sShiny form (pink and white) resembles the coral colors ofRyūjin's palace (red and white).

Name origin

Lugia may be derived from ἄργυροςárguros (Ancient Greek for silver). It may also involvebeluga,deluge,luna, andLutīyā (early name for theBahamut).

XD001 may stand for eXtraDimension (Japanese:エクストラデイメンジョン), the abbreviation used in the titlePokemon XD: Gale of Darkness.^[9][10]

In other languages

Language Title Meaning Japanese ルギアLugia Fromἄργυροςárguros and possiblybeluga,deluge, andLutīyā French Lugia Same as English/Japanese name Spanish Lugia Same as English/Japanese name German Lugia Same as English/Japanese name Italian Lugia Same as English/Japanese name Korean 루기아Rugia Transcription of Japanese name Mandarin Chinese 洛奇亞 / 洛奇亚Luòqíyǎ /Luòqíyà Transcription of Japanese name Cantonese Chinese 洛奇亞Lokkèih'a* 利基亞Leihgēi'a* Transcription of Japanese name

More languages Hebrew לוגיהLugia Transcription of English name Hindi लूगियाLugia Transcription of English name Russian ЛугиаLugia Transcription of English name Thai ลูเกียLukia Transcription of Japanese name

See also

• Lugia (M02)
• Tower duo (Adventures)
• Silver (Lugia)
• Lugia (Silver's parent)
• Shadow Lugia
• Tower duo
• Legendary birds
• Legendary Pokémon
• Myths and legends involving Legendary and Mythical Pokémon

References

Legendary Pokémon

Generation I

Generation II

Generation III

Generation IV

Generation V

Generation VI

Generation VII

Generation VIII

Generation IX

See also:Mythical Pokémon

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Pokémon

#0250: Ho-Oh →

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