Lugia

Species          Quote “It is said to be the guardian of the seas. It is rumored to have been seen on the night of a storm.” — Lugia's Pokédex entry[src]     B Lugia   [Edit]   [Talk]

Lugia <sup>(JPJapanese: ルギア

Romaji: Lugia)</sup> is a species of Pokémon in the series of the same name. It is a dual-type Psychic/Flying legendary Pokémon that made its first appearance in the movie Pokémon the Movie 2000: The Power of One before making its game debut in the second generation games Gold and Silver. It is part of the Tower duo with Ho-Oh. Lugia is also the leader of the Legendary birds. Lugia has a unique variant called Shadow Lugia, codenamed XD001, that appeared in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness.

Physiology and Behavior

Lugia is a large Pokémon that resembles a dragon, 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 can fold back these plates to increase its speed. Lugia is covered in many scales that protect it from attacks. It has large wings that resemble hands.

Lugia leads the Legendary birds. When they fight over territory, Lugia is the only Pokémon that can quell their ceaseless fighting, as observed in the second Pokémon movie. 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 40 days. 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. Lugia is the only known Pokémon that learns Aeroblast. It is extremely rare and is hardly ever seen. Lugia has been referred to as the guardian of the seas. There are rumors Lugia would appear during the night of a storm.

Lugia has an alternate look when its heart is sealed as a Shadow Pokémon called Shadow Lugia, which first appeared in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness. Shadow Lugia that 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 after the Fourth Pokémon generation, Shadow Lugia now posesses a unique design for them.

Appearances

Main Pokémon games

Lugia serves as the mascot of both Pokémon Silver (GBC) and Pokémon SoulSilver (NDS). In both of these games, Lugia is obtainable in the Whirl Islands after partially completing the game.

Other Pokémon games

Lugia's shadow form, Shadow Lugia, stars in Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness.

Super Smash Bros. series

Lugia has appeared in Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, respectively. In these games, they would be released from a launched Poké Ball and use its exclusive move Aeroblast on all of the opponents before vanishing. In both games, a trophy was available for the Pokémon, both being featured below.

Trophy descriptions

Super Smash Bros. Melee

The waters of the Whirl 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.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

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.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U

In the anime

Lugia starred in Pokémon the Movie 2000: The Power of One, alongside the Legendary birds and also appeared in Pokémon the Movie: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages (with Hoopa and various Legendary Pokémon), Pokémon Generations, Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us (with Zeraora) and Pokémon Evolutions.

In the anime, there is a baby Lugia named Silver, who along with its parent is targeted by Team Rocket. Lugia would made several mainline anime appearances after the baby Lugia arc, most recently in Pokémon Journeys: The Series.

Other media

Lugia appeared in the Project Voltage song Encounter.

Origin and inspiration

Lugia's aquatic tendencies could relate it to plesiosaurs and aquatic birds. It is also possible that it may be based on Ryūjin, a dragon who lived on the ocean floor and was the Shinto god of the sea. The two have similarities in mythology, and Lugia's Shiny colors (red and white) are the same colors as the coral Ryūjin's palace was made of. Lugia resembles a wyvern, 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 the grey heron. The beluga 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 on Bahamut (giant fish), and Bahamut is often being portrayed as a dragon-like creature in modern fantasy, hence its fish-like and dragon-like appearance.

In-game information

Pokédex entries

Game locations

Base Stats

Base Stats
HP	106
Attack	90
Defense	130
Sp. Attack	90
Sp. Defense	156
Speed	110
Total	680

Moveset

Main article: Lugia/moveset

Gallery

Main article: Lugia/gallery

Sprites

Sprites
Gold File:PKMNG249-S.png Silver File:PKMNS249-S.png Crystal File:PKMNC249-S.gif
Ruby Sapphire File:PKMNRS249-S.png Emerald File:PKMNE249.gif File:PKMNE249-S.gif Fire Leaf File:PKMNFRLG249.png File:PKMNFRLG249-S.png
Diamond Pearl File:PKMNDP249-S.png Platinum File:PKMNP249.png File:PKMNP249-S.png Heart Soul File:PKMNHGSS249-S.png
Black White File:PKMNBW249-S.png Black 2 White 2 File:PKMNBW2249.png File:PKMNBW2249-S.png X Y File:PKMNXY249-S.png
Sword Shield File:PKMNSS249-S.png Brilliant Diamond Shining Pearl File:PKMNBDSP249.png File:PKMNBDSP249-S.png Scarlet Violet File:PKMNSV249-S.png

Trivia

• Lugia and Ho-Oh are the first Legendary Pokémon to be game mascots.
• Lugia was created by Takeshi Shudo for Pokémon the Movie 2000: The Power of One. He was surprised to later see Lugia used in the games and subsequent anime appearances.
• Lugia is tied with Ho-Oh for the highest base Special Defense stat of all Flying-type Pokémon.
• Shigeki Morimoto said in an interview for the Nintendo DREAM November 2009 issue that Lugia was made a Psychic type instead of a Water type because they wanted to give it a stronger impression.
• The Tin Tower event file from March 1999 marks the earliest of Lugia's appearances in Pokémon Gold and Silver.

External links

• Lugia (Pokémon) at Bulbapedia, the Pokémon wiki.
• Lugia at Pokémon Wiki, the Fandom wiki on Pokémon.