Romaji: Solgaleo) is the Psychic/Steel cover legendaryPokémon for Pokémon Sun. It was revealed alongside Lunala as the main legendaries for the seventh generation. Solgaleo evolves from Cosmoem starting level 53 in Sun, Ultra Sun, Sword and Scarlet, in which Solgaleo is exclusive to these games. Necrozma later fuses with it to become Dusk Mane Necrozma.
Solgaleo is a large, white Pokémon resembling a lion. It has a blunt muzzle with a blue-gray nose and pale blue eyes. The top half of its face is a deep blue area that shows a constantly changing starscape. Four yellow spikes frame Solgaleo's head like a crown and two more pairs of spikes adorn either side of its lower jaw. Each spike separates large tufts of Solgaleo's mane. Solid ridges—red nearest Solgaleo's head and yellow farther away—poke out of each tuft along the middle, except on the tufts on its cheeks and chin, with the topmost part wrapping around the tip of the tuft. Overall, its mane creates the impression of a stylized sun. Around each leg is a dark orange band, and there is a black spot on each foot. It has three black toes on each foot with long yellow claws. At the tip of its tail is a large black spot with a thin yellow rim.
When Solgaleo enters its Radiant Sun phase, its third eye appears on its forehead—a light blue symbol similar to a compass rose—and the starscape turns to streaks of light. The fur on its body glows a pale yellow and all other parts of its body except its nose turn bright yellow.
Known as the "beast that devours the sun," Solgaleo has long been honored as an emissary of the sun. It said to live in another world and returns there when its third eye activates. Its body is capable of holding a vast amount of energy and glows when active. The intense light it radiates can make nighttime look like midday. Solgaleo can create Ultra Wormholes to travel to and from Ultra Space. Along with its counterpart Lunala, it can create Cosmog, which it is said to be the male evolution of. It can also influence a Rockruff's evolution into Lycanroc's Midday form with solar energy.
Appearances[]
Main Pokémon games[]
Pokémon spin-offs[]
Super Smash Bros.[]
Solgaleo appears as a Pokémon summoned from the Poké Ball in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It enters its Radiant Sun phase and attacks using its signature move Sunsteel Strike. Solgaleo also appears as a Spirit.
In the anime[]
Anime appearance
Nebby evolved into a Solgaleo while at the Altar of the Sunne, during the group's quest to save Lusamine from Ultra Space. After its final evolution, Ash and his classmates typically referred to it by its proper name.
Origin[]
Solgaleo is likely based on a lion with a sun motif, a fairly common motif in many Western and Middle Eastern cultures. In particular, Solgaleo might reference the alchemical lion, being described as "devouring the sun", as well as connected to metals via its Steel type. Finally, being the emissary rather than a personification of the sun as well as being able to pass through different dimensions, Solgaleo might lend some inspiration from the eye of Ra, a goddess usually described as a lion that is the sun's protector in Egyptian mythology as it travels through the underworld.
Solgaleo's roar in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a modifed version of Baragon's roar from the 2001 kaiju film Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack.
Solgaleo has the highest base HP stat of all Steel-type Pokémon.
Solgaleo's verbal cry in Pokémon Sun, "La-liona", may be based on the words lā (Hawaiian for sun) and liona (Hawaiian for lion).
