As of today, I realize that the Origin section of Arceus has been changed a fair bit, so I would like to record what was written, just in case we would like to come back to these ideas:

• Arceus' General Inspirations
  • Arceus appears to be particularly based on acreator deity, present in many world cultures.
• Arceus' Design: It's Quadrupedal Body Plan and implied Polymelia
  • Arceus's stance and general form are similar to Egyptian bovine idols— particularlyApis. Apis, in particular, is a sacred beast and acts as a god of primordial power, the divine cycle of life, rebirth, fertility, and agriculture.
  • Its general anatomy may also be similar to equine idols. Based on its appearance and attack movements in the 3D games, Arceus may be modeled after ordinary creatures—such as those from theEquidae,Camelidae orGiraffidae families; It may be based on fantastical and mythical varations of those creatures—such as the polymeliacUchchaihshravas andSleipnir, theqilin, thelongma, or thecentaur.
  • ThePokédex entry that states Arceus “shaped the world with its multiple arms” may also reference or be inspired by the many-armedBodhisattvaAvalokiteśvara, who, inBuddhism, has polymelia and is either pictured with eleven heads and one thousand arms (the latter of which is mentioned in Arceus'sPokédex entry) or in awhite, four-armed manifestation (which could look similar toNormal-type Arceus).
  • It may also be inspired by the many-armedHecatoncheires ofGreek mythology.
• Arceus' Design: The Circle on its Torso
  • The circle resembles a stylizedhalo, a form of religious iconography used by many religions to indicate holy, divine, or sacred figures; it has at various periods also been used in imagery of rulers, heroes, and saints.
  • The arc on its back may also be inspired by theDharmachakra, or theBhavacakra, used to represent a concept similar to the reincarnation inHinduism.
  • The gold, cross-spoked ring fused around a white, near-abstract body operates as a built-in nimbus or solar crown in the manner ofHelios.
• Arceus' Cultural Inspirations
• Arceus also appears to draw significant inspiration fromClassical Greece—evident in the (putative) onomastic nod toZeus, ruler of Mount Olympus and the third in a line of divine kings who ruled over other deities; in the ancient Greek style settings that frequently frame its epiphanies such as rows of classical columns, stepped stone platforms, and straight processional approaches typical of Greek sanctuaries; and in the Classical Greek styling favored by Arceus devotees such asVolo, whose tunic-like layering,himation-like draped cloak, gold-edged geometric trimming, and laurel-adjacent coiffure.
• Arceus' Origin of Life
  • Its myth is nearly identical to theworld egg, found in creation myths of many cultures and civilizations.
  • Its cosmogonic emergence “from an egg” resonates with theOrphic Egg and the birth ofPhanes/Protogonos.
• Arceus as the Origin of Life
  • The conception of the first god might be influenced by theShinto godsKuninotokotachi andAmenominakanushi, who summonedIzanami andIzanagi to create Japan with the spear. Arcues is credited as having creating the universe starting withSinnoh whereSpear Pillar is located, and expanding outward.
• Arceus in Relation with other Pokémon
  • The triadic delegation of domains (time, space, distortion) parallels the classical division of realms among Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, while Giratina’s banishment functions as aTartarean containment of rebellious force.

ThunderBrine (talk)01:28, 2 January 2026 (UTC)Reply