Pokemon Sword/Shield Box Legendary Discussion

[MalcolmBelmontS]

I think Steel or Fighting might be the common type, assuming they have one.

They seem to be sparing and for some reason I just get that vibe from them.

Secondary typings leave me thinking Ice for sword and Fire for Shield. But that's really just cause of the glow at the end when they are preparing for what's ever coming.

I could also see it being Water/Steel condering it's colour is more dark blue like Water then the light blue associated with ice.

 

[Ducolamia]

I know some people noticed the pokemon look really similiar. To me, I feel they might be brothers or related in the same way like other duos such as Latios/Latias. Only this time we'll have another mon as hinted in the trailers. I can definitely see steel being a part of typing. Not psychic, but maybe Steel/Fighting for Sword and Pure Steel or even Steel/Ground for Sheild.

 

[Zhydra]

Oddly enough despite how hyped I am for the games. The mascot legendaries are the only things I do not care for.

They are just big wolves, with either a sword in the mouth or wearing a shield.

Kind of underwhelming compared to the leviathan/ behemoth/zix group from gen 3 as well as how Rayquaza comes to stop the duo.

Time/space/ antimatter from gen 4 as well as Giratina maintaining order.

Truth/Ideals/ Nothingness from Gen 5. With the ying/yang being part of the third legendary in times of old.

The Life/ Death duo from Gen 6. (Not used well in XY's story and as for the third member Zygarde... the anime and the Manga did him better justice.)

As well as the Sun/Moon/ Stars. (The fact the mascot legendary was the macguffin for most of the Gen 7 games... becoming a mighty legendary was pretty nice. The fact the third member is less related to them and is more of a predator for them is also pretty metal.)

Let's hope the doggies have good story behind them.

 

[Ulicies]

Game Freak has used Pokemon color to represent each version since Gen 1, but for some reason it just stands out like a sore thumb much more this time around. Something about the red/blue color scheme rubs me the wrong way and breaks the immersion, but it's also probably a combination of the cartoonish colors and armor that appears slapped on. I can't really put my finger on it. I just hope I like them more after seeing them in-game.

 

[Ignition]

I like Zamazenta more but not because Zacian has a sword in its mouth at all times (tho I admit it took me awhile to get used to it). It’s because of the primarily red color scheme

Tho I wish they were more cyan and magenta

 

[Dragalge]

Dialga is my least favorite Dragon Pokemon but even I at least get the vibe that it’s a legendary unlike Zach and Zachary. If they were more like the Regi’s or the Forces of Nature as a duo I’d be more fine with them.

Also couldn’t they have made the tail Zach’s sword instead of holding an actual sword?

 

[Taodragon]

Let's hope the doggies have good story behind them.

That's honestly what I'm hoping for. Gen 5 and 7's groups for instance had a good amount of backlash against their designs as well (albeit, not as much as I'm seeing with the wolves, but still), but their stories more then made up for it. Gen 6's designs on the other hand were very positive, but their lore and storytelling were awful by cover legendary standards, so they ended up falling flat. If the wolves have good stories to them as well I think they'll enjoy a great amount of popularity since they do have good concepts, they just have to make use of them.

Dialga is my least favorite Dragon Pokemon but even I at least get the vibe that it’s a legendary unlike Zach and Zachary. If they were more like the Regi’s or the Forces of Nature as a duo I’d be more fine with them.

Also couldn’t they have made the tail Zach’s sword instead of holding an actual sword?

I don't think it would've looked good on it, wolves tend to have bushy tails and it's not easy to blend that into weaponry without it looking completely out of place and distracting. Having the sword in its mouth is controversial, but at least it's an established thing in media that has worked for many characters (ex. Sif, Ammy, Repede, Blade Wolf, Koromaru), so it was probably a better direction to go in with that.

If they made it reptilian then it may've worked better since their tails lend better to incorporating weaponry, but since the choice was a wolf this time around they probably opted for something different.

 

[mysticalglacia]

That's honestly what I'm hoping for. Gen 5 and 7's groups for instance had a good amount of backlash against their designs as well (albeit, not as much as I'm seeing with the wolves, but still), but their stories more then made up for it. Gen 6's designs on the other hand were very positive, but their lore and storytelling were awful by cover legendary standards, so they ended up falling flat. If the wolves have good stories to them as well I think they'll enjoy a great amount of popularity since they do have good concepts, they just have to make use of them.

Gen 5 and 7’s legendaries got hate? Gen 5 I can understand because of the incessant bashing a couple years back, but the consensus now seems to be they’re a pretty good group when you take in their lore, theming, and designs. I’ve never seen any negativity on the Gen 7 legendaries either, I remember people loving Solgaleo and Lunala’s designs when they were revealed. If there was any backlash with them, it’d probably be towards their typings. The wolves though have gotten a lot of backlash, which is the first time in a long while I remember the box cover legends being divisive.

 

[Zhydra]

That's honestly what I'm hoping for. Gen 5 and 7's groups for instance had a good amount of backlash against their designs as well (albeit, not as much as I'm seeing with the wolves, but still), but their stories more then made up for it. Gen 6's designs on the other hand were very positive, but their lore and storytelling were awful by cover legendary standards, so they ended up falling flat. If the wolves have good stories to them as well I think they'll enjoy a great amount of popularity since they do have good concepts, they just have to make use of them.

There was backlash on the Tao dragons? The only thing I honestly had against them was. "How the heck is Gamefreak going to top what is literally the foundations of creation and God?!" Nowadays, I got my answer... symbolism!

As for Solgaleo and Lunala, they were fine design wise. A shiny lion and a moon light bat. That doesn't even begin with how eldritch Necrozma is or the scary thing about his part in this... trio. (Unlike Kyurem with his parts. Solgaleo and Lunala are prey for Necrozma.)

Or Necrozma taking on the role as a big bad. (Looming threat that our villain teams try to stop and instead piss it off to where it becomes an active threat that you the hero has to stop.) Or with Ultra Necrozma, a mixture of a Dragon and a literal star. (I am a more vocal fan of USUM's story and I honestly prefer most of its story to SM. Mostly because of how things wrapped up and when I looked at things more, not a whole lot from SM was really lost. "Besides a character losing narrative focus and USUM having a different climax.")

As for the doggies. I hope for a simple yet effective backstory regarding them, WHY should we care about catching them outside of them being a potential danger to the world or them wanting to stop the big bad?

The Tao Dragons in BW was... epic in this reasoning. Solgaleo and Lunala... the reason was more logical and fair in USUM. (Helping Necrozma out.) While with Necrozma it is you giving this baddie... who you know enough of to know that he is in pain, the help he needs. Least to ease his pain.

 

[Orphalesion]

Oddly enough despite how hyped I am for the games. The mascot legendaries are the only things I do not care for.

They are just big wolves, with either a sword in the mouth or wearing a shield.

Kind of underwhelming

Think of it this way: they aren't just wolves with a sword and shield. They might very well be personifications of Attack and Defence, two very universal concepts.
Building on that they could both symbolise Protection: Zamazenta protects by shielding from danger and Zacian protects by attacking and destroying the danger.
So they could also embody bravery, selflessness, compassion and, as a combination of all these concepts (true) Honour. Strength in service of others.
So there's defenitely a lot that GF can do with those wolfs.

And if we're just talking designs...well honestly in my opinion...if the Gen 3 legendaries are really supposed to be Leviathan/Behemoth/Ziz....then their designs are kinda underwhelming when compared to the real world mythological descripton of those creatures....

 

[Zhydra]

Think of it this way: they aren't just wolves with a sword and shield. They might very well be personifications of Attack and Defence, two very universal concepts.
Building on that they could both symbolise Protection: Zamazenta protects by shielding from danger and Zacian protects by attacking and destroying the danger.
So they could also embody bravery, selflessness, compassion and, as a combination of all these concepts (true) Honour. Strength in service of others.
So there's defenitely a lot that GF can do with those wolfs.

And if we're just talking designs...well honestly in my opinion...if the Gen 3 legendaries are really supposed to be Leviathan/Behemoth/Ziz....then their designs are kinda underwhelming when compared to the real world mythological descripton of those creatures....

And then those three legendaries got some new toys in the remakes. Making Kyogre and Groudon live up to their apocalyptic stories... while Rayquaza became the apocalypse for the meta game. Again with the doggies, the story behind them MIGHT allow me to overlook their designs.

 

[wolf jani]

I may already have posted this before but. I think that the Zadoggos have a shared pre-evolution like gen 7 mascots.

 

[ShadowForce720]

I may already have posted this before but. I think that the Zadoggos have a shared pre-evolution like gen 7 mascots.

Although it's not impossible, I don't know if they would really want to go down that route considering that we just have the cover legendries of Sun and Moon have a common pre-evolution, unless this time they not only share a pre-evolution with each other but a pre-evolution with a 3rd and/or even a 4th legendary.

 

[Gabriel Faria]

I may already have posted this before but. I think that the Zadoggos have a shared pre-evolution like gen 7 mascots.

I would like that, as it would seem more natural that what it was in gen VII. Maybe they could evolve in a similar way that Tyrogue does.

 

[Orphalesion]

And then those three legendaries got some new toys in the remakes. Making Kyogre and Groudon live up to their apocalyptic stories... while Rayquaza became the apocalypse for the meta game. Again with the doggies, the story behind them MIGHT allow me to overlook their designs.

Nah, their *designs* are still udnerwhelming to me when compared to their mythological counterparts; Leviathan is a huge sea serpent, with multiple heads that cause the sea to boil by breathing fire...not an Orka with some decals. And the Ziz is a gigantic,possibly chimerical bird....not a Eastern Dragon, etc.

 

[DannyDark]

Think of it this way: they aren't just wolves with a sword and shield. They might very well be personifications of Attack and Defence, two very universal concepts.
Building on that they could both symbolise Protection: Zamazenta protects by shielding from danger and Zacian protects by attacking and destroying the danger.
So they could also embody bravery, selflessness, compassion and, as a combination of all these concepts (true) Honour. Strength in service of others.
So there's defenitely a lot that GF can do with those wolfs.

And if we're just talking designs...well honestly in my opinion...if the Gen 3 legendaries are really supposed to be Leviathan/Behemoth/Ziz....then their designs are kinda underwhelming when compared to the real world mythological descripton of those creatures....

Honestly even those values are underwhelming compared to what we have had in the past with Box Legendaries.
Like, comparing the deity that not only controls and regulates all aspects of time, but even possibly represents the creation of time itself, to one that could maybe represent Protection/Honour is a change to a much smaller scale. Additionally, at least for Pokemon-kind, the Swords of Justice fulfill the legendaries of protection role more or less.

Don't get me wrong, though, I am excited to see what, if anything, they end up representing and what scale of power they possess.

 

[Taodragon]

Gen 5 and 7’s legendaries got hate? Gen 5 I can understand because of the incessant bashing a couple years back, but the consensus now seems to be they’re a pretty good group when you take in their lore, theming, and designs. I’ve never seen any negativity on the Gen 7 legendaries either, I remember people loving Solgaleo and Lunala’s designs when they were revealed. If there was any backlash with them, it’d probably be towards their typings. The wolves though have gotten a lot of backlash, which is the first time in a long while I remember the box cover legends being divisive.

There was backlash on the Tao dragons? The only thing I honestly had against them was. "How the heck is Gamefreak going to top what is literally the foundations of creation and God?!" Nowadays, I got my answer... symbolism!

As for Solgaleo and Lunala, they were fine design wise. A shiny lion and a moon light bat. That doesn't even begin with how eldritch Necrozma is or the scary thing about his part in this... trio. (Unlike Kyurem with his parts. Solgaleo and Lunala are prey for Necrozma.)

Or Necrozma taking on the role as a big bad. (Looming threat that our villain teams try to stop and instead piss it off to where it becomes an active threat that you the hero has to stop.) Or with Ultra Necrozma, a mixture of a Dragon and a literal star. (I am a more vocal fan of USUM's story and I honestly prefer most of its story to SM. Mostly because of how things wrapped up and when I looked at things more, not a whole lot from SM was really lost. "Besides a character losing narrative focus and USUM having a different climax.")

As for the doggies. I hope for a simple yet effective backstory regarding them, WHY should we care about catching them outside of them being a potential danger to the world or them wanting to stop the big bad?

Reshiram/Zekrom have definitely improved over the years, but yeah, their initial reactions back then had a good number of mixed to negative reactions like 'they look like Digimon, they're too complicated, their turbine tails are stupid, etc.' to outright being called the worst cover legendaries of all time. Fans getting used to them plus BW coming out and giving them a good amount of story and lore calmed down many of those complaints. Solgaleo/Lunala fared better, especially on here, but they also got a good number of the same reactions (more so Solgaleo due to the whole 'it looks like Liger' thing) on top of being unfavorably compared to Xerneas/Yveltal as they were their immediate predecessors and had popular designs.

Again, I do agree that at least out of the past four generations (I can't speak for Dialga/Palkia) that the wolves have gotten it the worst of the Cover Legendaries from a design perspective. I think they will bounce back though, particularly if they're handled well.

 

[Grey Wind]

Again, I do agree that at least out of the past four generations (I can't speak for Dialga/Palkia) that the wolves have gotten it the worst of the Cover Legendaries from a design perspective. I think they will bounce back though, particularly if they're handled well.

I really hope they are. They dropped the ball with Xerneas and Yveltal IMO, and gave them little to no lore and an irrelevant place in the story. They don't need to be deities but I hope whatever backstory they give them is meaty and memorable.

 

[Orphalesion]

their initial reactions back then had a good number of mixed to negative reactions like 'they look like Digimon, they're too complicated,

But that's just the same nonsense some individuals hurl at every newly introduced Pokemon, along with "it's too simple, it's cartoony!"

 

[Erron Black]

I agree the shield version looks better, but both of them are a lot more acceptable once you had time to get used to them. It's always subjective, I think even these are better than reshiram. And Groudon is not some masterfully designed pokemon either, it's on the other end of the spectrum where it is almost too simple.

I mean, yeah it's subjective. Like to me, I find Reshiram and Groudon to be excellently designed Pokemon. Not too simple + not too complex.

I don't know if I'll warm up to Zacian tbh, I think the sword theme could've been a bit more subtle. I get it's based on some wolf with a sword in it's mouth(Sif or something?) but that doesn't mean that literally putting a sword in it's mouth is the right call imo. Tusks like Axew's line or even saber teeth appearing like blades would've been more creative and looked cooler imo. It's w/e though.