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Arceus(JP) is a species of Pokémon in the series of the same name. It is a Normal Mythical Pokémon that made its first appearance in the fourth generation games Diamond and Pearl. Arceus played a major role in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. It is the leader of both the Pokémon of Myth and the Lake guardians trio.
Physiology and Behaviour[]
Arceus is a white, equine Pokémon with an androgynous appearance. It resembles a qilin or centaur with a gray, vertically striated underside. The striated pattern also appears on the underside of its mane, tail, and face. Its four pointed feet are tipped with gold hooves. Its long mane juts away from its head, and its face is gray, with green eyes, red pupils, and a green circular pattern below its eyes. Arceus also has a streak of gold coloration on its head and ears, which point upward. Its neck is fairly long, with two pairs of extrusions to the sides, and a flap-like feature on the neck's underside that is colored white like much of the body. Arceus also has a golden cross-like wheel attached to its body by its round abdomen, which changes color along with its eyes and hooves based on its current type, depending on the Plate or type-specific Z-Crystal that it wields. The wheel also has four jewels attached to it. The pattern of striated gray of Arceus's underbelly continues past its waist. Its limbs have gray undersides and extrusions at the tops of the legs. Arceus's tail is similar to its mane in terms of shape and coloration. Despite its quadruped appearance, Arceus is capable of flight.
According to legend, it shaped the Pokémon universe using its 1,000 arms. Arceus has been referred to as "The Original One" in myths and legends and is generally considered one of the strongest Pokémon. Arceus is believed to be the creator of the Sinnoh and Ransei regions and possibly the entire Pokémon universe, along with the lake guardians: Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf, as well as the Pokémon of Myth: Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. Because of this, Arceus is thought to be one of the longest-lived Pokémon species. It has the power to recreate the Pokémon of Myth as well, presumably to guard the dimensions when a Trainer has caught one of them. In Arceus and the Jewel of Life, Arceus is portrayed as having powers such as bringing back things that it once destroyed, making certain things vanish into thin air, halting time, and overturning the very laws of nature. In the same movie, it is said to "feed" off the energy of its Plates.
Arceus does not suffer fools gladly and will attack in a violent rampage if betrayed or deceived. It also holds long grudges if betrayed by those it considered friends. In the anime, it was shown to be able to stop the destruction caused by a space-time void. As shown in the anime episode Showdown at the Gates of Warp!, Arceus has the power to not only calm Dialga and Palkia, but also destroy the Red Chain controlling them. It can release countless shots of light that disintegrate the landscape around it. Arceus can change its type at will to adapt to a situation through the use of its Plates or type-specific Z-Crystals. Arceus also has the power to split in two, creating a piece of itself to exist outside of its realm, which is implied to be its physical form—only a piece of its whole being—while its true form is unknown and incomprehensible.
Arceus was known to care for and safeguard the planet in ancient times, protecting the world from cataclysms such as meteors, and it would show gratitude and compassion to those who treated it with kindness. In modern times, Arceus continues to watch over the world and wishes for people and Pokémon to work together in the face of adversity. Even when it is needed, it only give on how to solve problems instead of directly interfering. Arceus can also give its blessing to other Pokémon through bolts of light, making them bigger and more powerful, as seen with the ancient hero's 10 Pokémon companions. This blessing is also passed down through family lines, as seen with the descendants of the hero's Pokémon: the noble Pokémon and Ride Pokémon worshipped by the people of Hisui.
In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Arceus transformed a normal cellphone into an Arc Phone, a device that allows humans to communicate with it through text messages. Arceus also has the power to appear in dreams and create a variety of Pokémon to serve as challenges, as seen in Eternal Battle Reverie. In Pokémon Masters EX, through the sync stones ultimate, Arceus can give its blessing to a Trainer it deems worthy, transforming their outfits into costumes known as arc suits. As a result, their sync pair is blessed as well, granting them a divine move over their normal sync move. In Arceus and the Jewel of Life, using its Earth, Splash, Meadow, Zap, and Draco Plates, Arceus created the Jewel of Life, a powerful artifact capable of turning a desolate land into a rich and fertile one.
In the introduction sequence of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Arceus is shown to be capable of human speech, and it states that Arceus is simply the name humans call it. The first ancient inhabitants of the Hisui region, the Celestica, worshiped it, referring to it as almighty Sinnoh and great Sinnoh. Arceus also had the title might of Sinnoh, with the term Sinnoh later on becoming the name of the region. It is also implied that its physical form, which the player can obtain, is only a piece of its whole being while its true form is unknown and incomprehensible. The Diamond Clan and Pearl Clan also worship it, though they mistook Dialga and Palkia, respectively, for Arceus. In Alola, Arceus was used as base by the Aether Foundation to create an artificial Pokémon named Type: Full, with an Ability similar to Arceus's. However, the project was deemed a failure and was later abandoned, sealing Type: Full's ability with a control helmet, which caused it to devolve and be renamed as Type: Null.
Arceus is the only known Pokémon capable of learning the move Judgment. It is also able to use the charged-up versions of the Pokémon of Myth's signature moves; Roar of Time, Spacial Rend, and Shadow Force.
Appearances[]
Main Pokémon games[]
Arceus has only been able to be obtained legitimately through events. However, in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl and Pokémon Platinum, if players can hack in the Azure Flute item, they can obtain an Arceus from the Hall of Origin.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus gave Arceus a bigger role. It sends the player character back in time to the Hisui region and gives them the mission of seeking out all Pokémon in Hisui. Arceus is also the final boss of the game, after the player gets all 18 Plates and defeated Volo.
In Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Arceus is obtainable if the player has a save data from Legends: Arceus, with all 27 missions completed.
Other Pokémon games[]
Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon: Arceus appears when Dark Matter begins trying to take the Tree of Life to the sun, leading the other Pokémon in attempting to stop its ascent. He is able to telepathically reach the player thanks to Mewtwo and transports them to the Tree of Life's roots to confront Dark Matter. When Dark Matter regenerates itself and sends out a massive shockwave, Arceus and the other Legendary Pokémon gathered to stop the Tree of Life are immediately turned to stone. After Dark Matter is defeated, Arceus will remain at the top of Destiny Tower.
Pokémon Masters EX: While not physically seen, Arceus plays a notable role during the Mysterious Stones Chapter and the eponymously named Arceus Arc as the creator of sync stones ultimate. Asking the people of Pasio demonstrate their bond with their Pokémon to it, Arceus grants sync pairs holding sync stones ultimate new costumes dubbed arc suits if the aforementioned bond is strong enough.
Super Smash Bros. series[]
Arceus appears as a Master Ball Pokémon in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It uses Gravity to produce a shockwave that brings opponents downwards.
Trophy descriptions[]
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U
- A Pokémon said to have hatched from an egg that appeared from nothing. Newly hatched, it created the world and the sky. Its Gravity attack will bring any fighter in midair crashing down to earth. No ground below you? Looks like you're going to go plummeting off the stage as if you'd been hit by a meteor smash!
In the anime[]
Arceus in Arceus and the Jewel of Life
Arceus starred in Arceus and the Jewel of Life, along with Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, and Heatran. Arceus briefly appeared in Pokémon the Movie: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages.
Arceus was featured in Pokémon The Arceus Chronicles.
In the manga[]
In the Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver chapter, Arceus appears as one of the main antagonists, where it plans on destroying humanity due to its mistrust of humans. It was the target of Team Rocket's plans to create Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. It first appeared in With a Little Help From Hitmonchan.
Origin and inspiration[]
Arceus appears to be particularly based on a creator deity, present in many world cultures. Arceus's stance and general form are similar to Egyptian bull and calf idols, particularly Apis. Based on its appearance and attack movements in the 3D games, Arceus may be modeled after a horse or qilin. The arc on its back may be inspired by the Dharmachakra, or the Bhavacakra, used to represent a concept similar to the reincarnation in Hinduism. It also resembles a stylized halo, 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 images of rulers and saints.
The conception of the first god might be influenced by the Shinto gods Kuninotokotachi and Amenominakanushi, who summoned Izanami and Izanagi to create Japan with the spear. It may also be a reference to the qilin, a Chinese mythical creature. Its myth is nearly identical to the world egg, found in creation myths of many cultures and civilizations. Arceus may also represent or be inspired by the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, who, in Buddhism, is either pictured with eleven heads and one thousand arms (the latter of which is mentioned in Arceus's Pokédex entry) or in a white, four-armed manifestation (which could look similar to Normal-type Arceus).
Arceus may be a combination of αρχή arkhé (Ancient Greek for origin and authority) or alpha and deus (Latin for god) or Zeus (king of the gods in Greek mythology). It may also involve arcane, aureus (Latin for golden), arc, arcesso (Latin for I summon), and Archeus (an aspect of the astral plane).
Arceus itself says that its true name has no equivalent in human language.
In-game information[]
Pokédex entries[]
| Title | Entry |
|---|---|
| Fourth Pokémon generation | |
| Pokémon Diamond | It is described in mythology as the Pokémon that shaped the universe with its 1,000 arms. |
| Pokémon Pearl | It is told in mythology that this Pokémon was born before the universe even existed. |
| Pokémon Platinum | It is said to have emerged from an egg in a place where there was nothing, then shaped the world. |
| Pokémon HeartGold | According to the legends of Sinnoh, this Pokémon emerged from an egg and shaped all there is in this world. |
| Pokémon SoulSilver | According to the legends of Sinnoh, this Pokémon emerged from an egg and shaped all there is in this world. |
| Fifth Pokémon generation | |
| Pokémon Black | It is said to have emerged from an egg in a place where there was nothing, then shaped the world. |
| Pokémon White | It is said to have emerged from an egg in a place where there was nothing, then shaped the world. |
| Pokémon Black 2 | It is said to have emerged from an egg in a place where there was nothing, then shaped the world. |
| Pokémon White 2 | It is said to have emerged from an egg in a place where there was nothing, then shaped the world. |
| Sixth Pokémon generation | |
| Pokémon X | According to the legends of Sinnoh, this Pokémon emerged from an egg and shaped all there is in this world. |
| Pokémon Y | It is told in mythology that this Pokémon was born before the universe even existed. |
| Pokémon Omega Ruby | According to the legends of Sinnoh, this Pokémon emerged from an egg and shaped all there is in this world. |
| Pokémon Alpha Sapphire | It is told in mythology that this Pokémon was born before the universe even existed. |
| Eighth Pokémon generation | |
| Pokémon Brilliant Diamond | It is described in mythology as the Pokémon that shaped the universe with its 1,000 arms. |
| Pokémon Shining Pearl | It is told in mythology that this Pokémon was the first Pokémon born before the universe even existed. |
| Pokémon Legends: Arceus | It is the heavenly fount from which pours the light that shines across Hisui. Its luminance guides and protects all Pokémon. Hisuian mythology states that Arceus is the creator of all things. |
Game locations[]
| Title | Location(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| Fourth Pokémon generation | ||
| Pokémon Diamond | ||
| Pokémon Pearl | ||
| Pokémon Platinum | ||
| Eighth Pokémon generation | ||
| Pokémon Brilliant Diamond | ||
| Pokémon Shining Pearl | ||
| Pokémon Legends: Arceus | ||
Base Stats[]
| HP | 120 |
| Attack | 120 |
| Defense | 120 |
| Sp. Attack | 120 |
| Sp. Defense | 120 |
| Speed | 120 |
| Total | 720 |
Moveset[]
Form change[]
Arceus has multiple different forms that it switches between with its Ability Multitype, with each of its forms having a different type. In total, it has eighteen different forms, one for each type. Though most of its forms were introduced in the Fourth Pokémon generation, its Fairy-type form was introduced in the Sixth Pokémon generation, along with the Fairy type as a whole.
By default, Arceus is in its Normal-type form. If it holds (or, in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, is exposed to) a Plate or type-specific Z-Crystal, it changes its form to be the same type as the type the Plate or Z-Crystal corresponds to.
Gallery[]
| Main article: Arceus/gallery |
Sprites[]
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Trivia[]
- Arceus is the only legendary leader of two different trios: the lake guardians and the Pokémon of Myth.
- Arceus and Pecharunt are also the only Mythical Pokémon to be legendary leaders, whereas all the other legendary leaders are Legendary Pokémon.
- Arceus is the first Mythical Pokémon to be obtainable in-game in the mainline series without an event more than once.
- Arceus has the highest base stat total of all Normal-type Pokémon.
- While using the Legend Plate, Arceus will never transform back into the Normal type, as nothing is weak to Normal.
- Arceus is the only Pokémon to make the introduction for a mainline Pokémon game.
- Despite it being a Mythical Pokémon, Arceus has been sometimes treated as a Legendary Pokémon.
- Arceus is called a Legendary Pokémon by Norman in the "Challenge the Normal Types" Daily Type Rotation event of Pokémon Masters EX.
- The official English website of Pokémon Legends: Arceus used to refer to Arceus as a Legendary Pokémon, which was later corrected to Mythical Pokémon. On the Japanese website, it has been referred to as a Mythical Pokémon from the beginning.
- According to ADR director Tom Wayland, Arceus was originally going to be voiced by actor Vincent D'Onofrio of Full Metal Jacket and Men in Black fame. However, before his recording session, there were difficulties with D'Onofrio's agent and he was unable to record for the movie. After re-auditioning, Tom Wayland himself was chosen to voice Arceus instead in Arceus and the Jewel of Life.
- According to the anime dub's then-voice director and voice actor in Arceus and the Jewel of Life Tom Wayland, the dub chose to pronounce Arceus with a hard c instead of a soft c due to concerns over the latter pronunciation's potential implications in British English-speaking territories.
- This pronunciation is also reflected in the name of the RKS System ability of Silvally.
External links[]
- Arceus at Pokémon Wiki, the Fandom wiki on Pokémon.
- Arceus (Pokémon) at Bulbapedia, the Pokémon wiki.
| Pokémon with multiple forms | |
|---|---|
| Generation I | Pikachu |
| Generation II | Pichu • Unown |
| Generation III | Castform • Kyogre • Groudon • Deoxys |
| Generation IV | Burmy • Wormadam • Cherrim • Shellos • Gastrodon • Rotom • Dialga • Palkia • Giratina • Shaymin • Arceus |
| Generation V | Basculin • Darmanitan • Deerling • Sawsbuck • Tornadus • Thundurus • Landorus • Kyurem • Keldeo • Meloetta • Genesect |
| Generation VI | Greninja • Vivillon • Flabébé • Floette • Florges • Furfrou • Meowstic • Aegislash • Pumpkaboo • Gourgeist • Xerneas • Zygarde • Hoopa |
| Generation VII | Oricorio • Lycanroc • Wishiwashi • Silvally • Minior • Mimikyu • Necrozma • Magearna |
| Generation VIII | Cramorant • Toxtricity • Sinistea • Polteageist • Alcremie • Eiscue • Indeedee • Morpeko • Zacian • Zamazenta • Eternatus • Urshifu • Zarude • Calyrex • Ursaluna • Enamorus |
| Generation IX | Oinkologne • Maushold • Squawkabilly • Palafin • Cyclizar • Tatsugiri • Dudunsparce • Gimmighoul • Koraidon • Miraidon • Poltchageist • Sinistcha • Ogerpon • Terapagos |