Legendary Pokémon Aren’t Special Anymore, but Not for the Reason You Think

[@samuelault4723]

The volcorona in the bottom of relic castle feels more “legendary” than the Wi-Fi event legends that you collect from Pokémon centres

[@sonario6489]

Ikr! Even I thought Volcorona was a legendary

[@dragonslibrary9207]

I mean given the fact volcarona once replaced the sun it honestly deserves the title

[@Jvggr]

@トーン lol It really feels like one but it isn’t, one big teller is that it evolves from larvesta. Although this argument is redundant with the introduction of cosmog

[@gerragotheallidile]

@@Jvggr Cosmog is what killed legendary Pokémon for me.

[@andrewmolk8557]

I legit thought it was a legendary when I played B/W and didn’t realize it wasn’t until I looked up the Pokédex and saw it had a younger form

[@joycelinlgbtq]

When I think there are "too many" legendaries, it's really just that I think some of them don't NEED to be legendary. Take heatran for example. It coud be a little less powerful, a little more common, able to breed, just an ordinary solitary pokémon like tropius or lapras.

[@emperorcubone]

Meltan could've been the new Noivern but just, wasn't...

[@RGC_animation]

Also Kubfu, why are Kubfu and Urshifu legendaries?

[@TokoFukawasWife]

EXACTLY. heatran looks NOTHING like a legendary, in fact, when I first saw tropius and lapras for the first time as a kid, I thought they were legendary. But they aren’t. They just look like a legendary and give off the vibes. I know lapras is rare, but…

[@Daehpo]

Personally I like extremely rare Pokémon over legendary & mythical. Only having one obtainable from the wild or as a special gift gives it a special feeling. However, letting them be breed-able allows players to get multiple ones without having to have a second game or cheating(You can also get perfect stats without having to save-scum/edit). Even Togepi feels more special than some gift legendaries, cause you have to at least hatch it. Sort of off topic, but I was surprised to find out Rotom & Spiritomb weren't legendary Pokémon. Back in gen IV they felt special & unique with how you obtained them. Both are still rare in the games they are catchable in(Spiritomb usually has a unique way of obtaining it). EDIT: As an addendum I also think some legendary/mythical Pokémon should be breed-able, but are unobtainable from breeding. Like how Manaphy can produce Phione thru breeding. I do think however that legendary/mythical Pokémon shouldn't evolve, but have different forms instead. I know we already have Cosmog, Type: Null, & Kubfu, but evolution still feels more like a "normal" Pokémon thing IMO.

[@mariokarter13]

Rotom is probably the least special legendary. It's literally everywhere now.

[@FusionKenn]

I remember in X and Y were I was going to get Mewtwo. I was so excited, thinking that I was going through this long cave filled with puzzles and mazes ( similar to the cerulean cave). Then I went inside the cave, Mewtwo was just there chilling. I’m like, wait, where is my long-puzzle-maze like cave.

[@ryuuthefrog3775]

yeah, I was like, "wtf it's that easy...? Maybe the fight is hard." no it took me like, 3 great balls to catch it

[@moonflame77]

@@ryuuthefrog3775 Mewtwo was just like: "Yo I've been here a long time, can I put my Minecraft bed next to yours?"

[@sintheemptyone8108]

Also, shiny-locked lel.

[@AndroidHarris]

Yeah that was moment still leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

[@spakyasanghatan6505]

wild lapras in jhoto games felt more legendary than legendaries nowadays

[@emperorcubone]

I knew I loved Lapras for a reason!

[@Artesfol]

The thing is that I think they think those type of legendaries are a bit to hard for kids, but even then it is no excuse to just gift them to us

[@Fyre0]

​@@Artesfol Sorry, that's BS. I played Johto as a kid and even I managed to get my hands on Lapras. It's not a matter of "a bit too hard for kids" its a matter of "Gamefreak is lazy, incompetent, and mediocre"

[@axmajpayne]

@@Artesfol I grew up on gen 1 and gen 2. Them being hard to catch is part of what made them legendary.

[@zach415]

The Red Gyarados felt more legendary when I first came across it in Heartgold

[@TechieConnoisseur]

I remember when Legendaries were like “Groundon formed the lands on the earth, Kyogre formed the seas. Palkia & Dialga watches over and controls time and space.” Now it’s like, sword dog, shield dog The stakes or their world significance aren’t as wild to me anymore

[@emperorcubone]

Yeah, I think they ran out of all the cool things to rule over...

[@rocknrevolt938]

Yeah pokemon has a bit of a "God of the gaps" pitfall.

[@enoyna1001]

You made me laugh at "sword dog, shield dog".

[@richardwastaken]

@@enoyna1001 yeah i never thought of that and sword dog can even beat the god of time and space and sky lmao

[@burst1323]

while sword dog is not as special as the pokemon version of god its still pretty powerful. sword dog and shield dog did save the galar region so while not being legendare they could mythical

[@SMM5]

Tbh I thought Arceus was well handled in the last game. It literally required the completion of the Pokédex before encounter, that’s plenty of effort imo

[@pikminman13]

legends doesnt really count in the first place because its an adventure game where catching mons is the entire reason to play the game. catching mons is basically unrelated to the story of a standard pokemon game.

[@ZombieBarioth]

@@pikminman13 Maybe up until gen 4, from there on the games have poked and prodded at what it means to be a trainer up to and including directly questioning the player/protagonist's own morals. Legends does it right because you prove yourself worthy to the legendary Pokemon, not of them like they're just a badge of honor.

[@pikminman13]

@@ZombieBarioth im talking from a gameplay perspective. you can beat any normal pokemon game without catching a single mon that isnt for hm purposes. pla literally forces you to catch things to progress because thats the point of the game rather than to get badges.

[@stillbuyvhs]

Didn't the first game start with Professor Oak asking you to go & catch the Pokemon needed to complete his life's work?

[@pikminman13]

@@stillbuyvhs yea but the game never makes you do it. everything you get for it is a bonus.

[@FoxxyFire-HellFrost]

Catching legendaries in Legends Arceus was actually tough. Some of the tasks were vague and required skill, timing, and a lot of potions and Ultra Balls. Catching Darkrai and Arceus were just two of the hardest challenges in the game in my opinion.

[@MrSkullMerchant]

I caught darkrai with just 1 ultra ball 😂 lucky me

[@walrus3571]

Legends arceus did legendaries mostly perfectly bc it was still mains quests so you kinda had to do it to go on with the story but it was a challenge but manaphy was cool on how mysterious it was even though having the overquill buizel and mantyne was tedious i still think it was a cool way to get a mythical it reminds me of all the events we had to do to get the mythicals back then

[@fg009letyrds8]

Arceus and Darkrai are still considered special by Fans even before Legends Arceus, though yeah, at least Legends Arceus got it right, for now at least.

[@catalyst539]

You don’t catch Arceus. He gives a piece of himself to you.

[@FoxxyFire-HellFrost]

@@catalyst539 You have to defeat Arceus and obtain it, so it is catching. The difficulty in these games isn't even in catching or throwing Pokéballs, it's how you get to that point. In the anime, even when Pokémon willingly enter a Pokéball, it's referred to as catching them. So don't be one of those people who corrects others over semantics.

[@nintendolife25]

This is…….surprisingly true. I didn’t realize how recent legendary Pokémon, particularly the ones outside the main story events, feel less special due to how they are often handed out via online gifts. By doing that, we are kinda robbing the mystery of what makes the Pokémon a big deal outside of its stats and Dex entries. I’m guessing that’s why a number of them don’t really stay in my mind for long like Margearna. (Keep forgetting about that one tbh.) That’s quite an interesting observation you brought up, Emperor Cubone. Thank you for discussing an interesting topic. :)

[@emperorcubone]

And it's not even the download part specifically; if Magearna were given to you the exact same way but unlocked a special event at the Aether Paradise we'd remember it a lot better! They just need to matter for any reason, whether that's the experience of getting them or a mission after...

[@susear5939]

The only reason I remember Magearna is cus of the anime. Honestly, without good representation in the anime, I straight up forget some of the Pokemon are even legendary. In particular the newer gen ones.

[@mrmystery6031]

Don’t forget the stuff you had to pay for that make it a pin and not just the limited download codes like how to get dada zrude you also had to pay for a movie ticket to get it

[@mrmystery6031]

@@charnalk5572 yea parity much

[@mrmystery6031]

@@charnalk5572 ye

[@nicoheroesdx]

One thing I feel like isn't talked about enough is,how they handled Meltan... For me - Meltan is the closest we've got to a real Mystery in the recent times. I remember it suddenly appearing on my phone screen without knowing what it was. Me and my friend have made up theories of what this thing might be. Then Niantic started to make a KZbin series completely based on Meltan and it's origin, while we were finally able to catch it - and even unlock a secret Evolution for it! We don't even know where it comes from today, because it is listed as "Unknown" in every single Pokédex. I really really enjoyed Meltan's whole journey! And it is so underappreciated in the community...

[@deanfry879]

That was a fun research when it came out in Pokemon GO. I have one I use quite successfully against every Team GO Rocket leader. It works well in many cases where outlasting the opponent is the best strategy. Something similar would be fun every few years, when a new game comes out.

[@RadicalKingJames]

100% agree. I remember frantically texting my friends about it, thinking it was some glitched out ditto, “DUDE CHECK POKÉMON GO RN, WHAT IS GOING ON” lol

[@obits3]

Its also great that you can still get it today.

[@madnessarcade7447]

I mean that’s just how society is nowadays it’s just more convenient this doesn’t just apply to Pokémon I mean people prefer to just have their groceries delivered rather than go to the grocery store Or people just prefer to watch tv shows on streaming instead of trying to find a show from thousands of channels Society nowadays just values convenience That’s not necessarily a bad thing It means it’s just more inclusive I never got the chance to obtain mythicals when I was younger because by the time I learned about certain events I had already missed out on them But now I can get them Gamefreak is just trying to stay in touch with society’s value of convenience mindset it’s not their fault

[@madnessarcade7447]

I mean in bdsp you have to beat legends arceus and get a completed dex entry for every Pokémon before you have access to it in BDSP so that kind of adds more effort and challenge to obtaining a legendary although people I guess weren’t happy with that approach Should they just handle every legendary like that? You need to 100% a game to unlock it in a different game because that requires the challenge and effort that you guys were saying they are lacking

[@chrisjohnsen8448]

Yeah, this makes sense. Ideally I would want 1 mandatory legend encounter 2-3 roamers and any random number of what I'll just call "hidden puzzle legends" like the Regi trio. Like, have a book on the west side of the region guide me to do something on the eastern side that opens up a legendary on the northern end.

[@ColdEmperor]

This man seriously asked for roamers. Please leave your masochism at home bro.

[@chrisjohnsen8448]

Hey, the Galarian Birds were nice because we could actually see them on the overworld. Roamers aren't bad when we can see them, so just don't limit them to specific areas and we're fine.

[@emperorcubone]

3 roaming Legends sounds a bit much, but I wouldn't even mind a "mandatory post-game" Legend, like you need to catch it to finish the secondary story, because not everyone would even get to that point...

[@MojaveKnight17]

@@ColdEmperor I love roamers

[@harveycustodio2625]

So the reason Legendary Pokemon aren't special anymore is because there are less of them per region which makes the ones that are introduced feel off since they are all mandatory Legendary encounters and not like the ones in the first few regions, right? I remember in Pokemon Black I was doing some back tracking and found a Pokemon in a Cave, it was Cobalion and I actually made it a regular of the team until I finished the Main Story of Black. Funnily enough I also had another Legendary on my team, Tornadus, whom I caught at level 40. So my Party was Audino, Emboar, Vanilluxe Cobalion and Tornadus, I managed to find out that Reshiram was going to be added left my last slot open. So, my conclusion is that People want more Legendaries per region so that they can differentiate the Legendaries between the Box Art Legends, and the optional Legends whose myth's are more mysterious since you have to look for them specifically instead of being driven to them by the story or being given via mystery gift. I think they best thing more Mythical Pokemon was in Gen 4 with the Mystery Gifts being items for them, and allowing one to find them once one has the item in question. I think this was discontinued due to hackers being able to trigger the events for these Mythicals without the Key Item. Though now we can have it back since Pokemon and GameFreak can just update the Game with the new Mythical to coincide with their Key Item and Event.

[@MrBrewskiDrewski]

On a similar note, I find it odd that the Pokémon that literarily created the earth and universe are only talked about and even mentioned in the Hoenn and Sinnoh regions. I understand not catching them in every single game, but certainly they should at least be mentioned. Perhaps in a history textbook in the Trainer’s School?

[@emperorcubone]

I think it's supposed to be that way, implying that the story is only really from the Sinnoh region, and that other places have their own reason for it. However it is odd that nowhere else offers a different answer, and that we as the audience are pretty aware that it's true...

[@strawberrijam3676]

wrong. HGSS, arceus event, sinjo ruins. You bring arceus to ruins of alph and a guy comes an talks to you, recognizing Arceus. He mentioned that Arceus could solve the mystery of ruins of alph which he studied for so many years. Additionaly, in a later part of the event, states that the Mystri Stage (the place with the weirdly shaped circles) was built to show respect to Arceus, and that is a tradition that they even practise in Johto.

[@Lyokoheros-KLPXTV]

@@emperorcubone Well if other region would have alternate explanation to the same thing then both version couldn't be fully true, and maybe even be true to the same (and not negligible) extent, so in other words one region would have to be wrong about it, but if "their" legendary Pokemon for that would exist too... how they could actually be wrong? I think that is why we don't get much of other region legendaries to previously introduced topics. That and the fact that it would be quite redundant. I mean would it be really interesting to get another trio to represent time, space and antimater? Or even just duo for that first two with some trio master.

[@Zek3nator]

@@strawberrijam3676 That’s still in gen 4 though. Gen 8 and 4 don’t count for that example.

[@strawberrijam3676]

@@Zek3nator It does

[@gabriellockwood2780]

The *Swords of Justice* should've been Kalos's "Roaming"//Native Trio/Quartet. They're based on a french story, and Kalos needed that roster boost. But then Kalos didn't even HAVE a Native Trio BESIDES their box Legends--BUT they did have the Kanto Birds?!?!

[@theholy1191]

Part of that is the severe Kanto pandering that has been plaguing the series in the modern day when it comes to the Kanto birds. But agreed, the swords of Justice should've been in Kalos. ...And Keldeo never existing.

[@gabriellockwood2780]

@@theholy1191 Dart the Demodog would beg to differ on Keldeo. I think it's weird that it got 2 Formes; "Ordinary" and "Resolute", and lore for both, but NOT in the games, the lore came more from the Keldeo v Kyurem movie lol (The only lore from the games was that the Sword Trio(?) saved Pokémon when humans tried to destroy forests, etc. and they saved a "Special Pokémon" from that same fate. Jump cut to My little Brony™️ the Pokémon, and the other 3 should've had a different Forme as well lol)

[@gabriellockwood2780]

@@theholy1191 I don't mind much the "Kanto pandering", I didn't get into Pokémon until G5//"soft reboot-mon", so it's neat. I will say, the ever-changing gimmick of each Generation is part of why we could NEVER have a "Global"/"All Regions" Pokémon game. They need to pick a single gimmick and plan accordingly lol The Totems, Alphas, and DMax are basically the same thing-Big Pokémon with minor stat boosts. Megas, Primals, and GMax were Pokémon that got bigger (barely) and MAJOR stat boosts//New/Stronger moves GMax Moves were just the Z-Moves but locked to a "Mega". They need a new gimmick that takes everything they've tried between G6-G8 and fuse them into a cohesive mainstay, until we jump to G20~? and this same issue reappears.

[@iceneko9170]

well, maybe they would have native roaming mons if the game didnt have so much cut content. (to the point its generally agreed that the game feels unfinished. rip zygard.)

[@gabriellockwood2780]

@@iceneko9170 I didn't ever believe XY was cut or unfinished until I stepped back and looked at it in comparison to the games before AND after XY... and I generally agree NOW, but I only played Y once, and that was to get the New Kalos mon in Poké BANK lol

[@speedypichu6833]

I will be 100% honest, it took me way too long to realize Heatran was a legendary, since it didn’t feel like it to 6 year old me, though I only knew it from the TCG, so that might do with it

[@emperorcubone]

I mean, yeah, if you climbed a volcano to catch it in the games you might have given it a bit more stock...

[@speedypichu6833]

@@emperorcubone Yeah probably, it did a lot of damage and had a lot of health, and didn’t actually know the rules, so it was a win button and I just gave up on the cards

[@madnessarcade7447]

@@emperorcubone I mean in bdsp you have to beat legends arceus and get a completed dex entry for every Pokémon before you have access to it in BDSP so that kind of adds more effort and challenge to obtaining a legendary although people I guess weren’t happy with that approach Should they just handle every legendary like that? You need to 100% a game to unlock it in a different game because that requires the challenge and effort that you guys were saying they are lacking

[@AndroidHarris]

I like heatran a lot actually. How it's done in dp is perfect. Stark mountain was super big and at the end of the postgame by the time heatran shows up it definitely feels legendary. If heatran wasnt there It would've probably been lame.

[@AndroidHarris]

@@madnessarcade7447 no that sounds lame. 100% award should be something cool no doubt like a shiny haxorus in gen 5 but not legendary. Legends need mystery not a checklist. To get the legend you should choose to go through an optional area cave or whatnot solving puzzles to proceed. Fighting tough trainers that are competitively viable or even have unique tactics that old veteran trainers used to have and wild pokemon that are high leveled and force encounter you even if it's open world they should block your path and agro if you get close. It would make the climb more interesting and once you reach the top you can catch it. When you fight legendaries it'll have decrease its catch rate I'm some way even if it's just status effects are less effective so it's more difficult to catch.

[@conlon4332]

I remember getting Latias in my Pokémon Alpha Sapphire. I hadn't really been looking for her, she just appeared. I don't think I actually had to catch her - it was a long time ago but I remember she said she really wanted to travel with me, and insisted I send back one of my party Pokémon so that she could join my party. This stuck with me, because it was so different to how getting Pokémon usually works. I mean, instead of catching her she asked to join me and insisted on going straight onto my party, rather than being able to send her to a box like I normally would. Especially in those games, I think it was the only time I could send a party Pokémon to a box away from a Pokémon Centre or have a new Pokémon join my party when it was full, so that alone set the experience apart. But what really stuck with me was how much she actively wanted to travel with me and be with me, right from start, while most Pokémon try to escape Pokéballs and have to warm up to you when you do catch them, plus she was the only Pokémon who seemed to really not want to be left in a box. Because all that stuck with me, I worked really hard to keep her in my partly almost all the time, and it felt like we had a special connection. Plus she was my Fly Pokémon, so it worked out.

[@ShinyMew76]

I actually can relate to this!

[@UltraFG5488]

Omg same for me.

[@Dragon-ops]

First time becoming champion, she was on the team. If that gives any indication of how much I saw her as a friend to my entire squad

[@UltraFG5488]

Latias and my Blaziken were the 2 Pokemon that I valued more than any other.

[@Xinoehp124]

Same Omega Ruby was my first pokemon game

[@SirRebrl]

The thing that's detracted from Legendary Pokemon _feeling_ legendary, for me, is catching them in the first place. It makes sense with the limitations of older games, but in the future I'd like to see more dynamic and interesting relationships with the Legendaries than catching them. Sure, with the older ones there was some adventure, and catching them was harder, but if you look at the movies the Legendaries all have some role that they play in the world. They're integrated somehow, and important in their place. Then you just... go hunting, battle them, and put them in a pokeball? I wanna see some interesting stories that matter to the role of the Legendaries, and you friend them along the way, maybe they join you for a time, but ultimately they're left to fill the role that they're needed for in the world. Maybe they'll still come around to battle for you at key times, either when you really need them or to put on a spectacle. I think they'd feel more legendary if they necessarily retained a sense of autonomy.

[@galaxygato9642]

The roles of legendaries in the wild is an excellent point for any these pokemon shouldn't be caught and I think your suggestion is a great idea!

[@Multi-Waves_Music]

Kinda like when ukulele Pichu pops up in Pokemon ranger: guardian signs? (Maybe a bit more rare than that)

[@gasterthemaster6490]

You got just that.

[@PuppetSquid]

I would love to see a legendary pokemon that isn't marketed; Make it a super rare wanderer with some abstract way of increasing its appearance rate, then leave it to the community to figure out.

[@emperorcubone]

It'd be great; like an old school playground story. "Did you see this crazy monster thing!?" "You're making that up..."

[@Dragon-ops]

"You're making that up" 5 youtubers later "Yeah thanks bro, I just caught."

[@enoyna1001]

No chance anymore with data mining on day 1.

[@morathehollow4797]

Problem is that data miners will just leak how to get it like 3 months before launch so it wont be a secret by release. Sure they could try and keep the game dead silent till then, but good luck doing that with such a monstrously huge IP. (Not to mention if they do, it'll mean less sales due to no hype.)

[@SeasOverJupiter]

@@morathehollow4797 They could make it but add it to the game right before release. although that could cause many bugs that would have to be dealt with

[@iisthestickmanman8835]

It’s not that there’s to many of them, it’s that you have access to too many of them making them feel “ Unspecial”. For example in ultra sun and moon you can get every single legendary after you beat the game which in my opinion make the Box legendarys feel water down and less unique as sometimes they are overshadowed by the former legends

[@JamienautMark2]

I think it’s because at this point they’re giving us access to all of them every Gen. If they add 15 legends in Gen 9 and only those are available they would feel special to me. It’s why in Sword and Shield they feel lame. They cut hundred of Pokémon from the dex but we get all the legends basically handed to us.

[@emperorcubone]

The thing is they're not though; they're only giving me access to the ones I already have! If they handed out more Hoopa, or Victini, or Marshadow that would be way better than a seventeenth Articuno because I have ones from Gens 4-8 and the Virtual Console...

[@OddSifr]

@@emperorcubone agreed. As someone who had his first Pokémon game ever in november 21 (it was Shining Pearl), I was pissed to learn that there were Pokémon simply impossible to get at all, like Hoopa, if your only console is the Switch. Apparently you can't trade Hoopa in Pokémon Home, and I missed a chance to catch it on Pokémon Go. I'm not asking for every Legendary/Mythical to be included in every generation ever, but there should be a way to not punish newest comers.

[@tear959]

Thats a factor that makes them feel less special too

[@tear959]

@@OddSifr Pray for Hoopa to be on Scarlet/Violet lol

[@OddSifr]

@@tear959 shall do.

[@masmurdermonkey9233]

5:40 I would agree. It’s one reason that a shiny Pokémon I’ve hunted means so much more to me than any shiny that’s just given out, or traded to me. The effort is what makes it feel special.

[@kawaiipotetu4047]

Haven't started the video yet but I wish Box art Legendary Pokemon would have an Emerald/Crystal treatment where even tho you can meet it in the story, there is no forced encounter for it. Edit: I think there is a forced encounter for Suicune in the postgame but I'm not sure

[@emperorcubone]

I think you and I are on the same page! If you really think about it they didn't even force you to pick the starter on the box in Gen 1; you could've picked Squirtle in Red version...

[@jacobj3933]

No you're right. Been playing crystal on an emulator, and yes there is a forced encounter with Suicune in the post game.

[@jacobj3933]

But every other legendary still needs to be either found or discovered in a wild encounter.

[@Dusxio]

The issue with legendaries can still be tied back into how many there are. Not in the 'oversaturated' sense, but in the regard that pokemon is still about catching pokemon, and people will want to capture the legendaries. The games don't really have a ton of space to put puzzles and lore to integrate every legend 'naturally', so it's likely things like Raid Dens, Soaring, and of course competition and event distributions will always be a later cycle inclusion to give opportunities to get past gen legends. Those will be the 'hand outs'. There are just too many of them otherwise. Not to mention going through 'trails' for all 90ish will be a turn off to a sizeable portion of the fanbase. The current gen legends on the other hand really do need some nice story and regional integration. That's without doubt. It's how we build up the legendary feel in the fandom. I still think the CT and IoA's take on it's story acquisitions was good. We might have been given prompts sure, a bit of handholding, but you could legit stumble across things just as you explore. That's how I found the regis. Being tied in with the little Peony storyline just gave some context and reason for the prompts. Kubfoo wasn't my favourite event, but it still required both effort and exploration. Same for Calyrex, which I admit I enjoyed more. Basically, I do agree that new legends do need stories to establish them, and past ones benefit for a bit of challenge like the Dynamax adventure, which does have story behind the plot gimmick. Wow this was a longer comment than I planned XD

[@urieldaluz250]

It says something that as someone who plays a lot of showdown but never really got into the games themselves, I had no idea several of these (heatran, cobalion, cresellia, etc) we’re actually even legendary

[@betterlatethannever4529]

Let's not forget the designs. Pokemon in general keep inching towards the Digimon route, and some Legends feel like it as well. Especially with this new pair

[@chairmanofrussia]

So true man…Volcanion is one of few designs recently made that actually feel like a legendary pokemon.

[@OhJuicy]

I was never really enticed by Eternatus because he just... appeared out of nowhere. But with Zacian and Zamazenta you really had to go through everything in the postgame and it felt like an actual effort to get them, just a shame that we'd already seen them 3 times already! It would've made a lot more sense to go through all of the build up to catching them BEFORE the Eternatus fight Though at the same time, I think a lot of it is probably just nostalgia - we'll never be able to capture that same feeling the legendaries gave us when we were kids. My kid brother loved Zacian and Zamazenta because SwSh was one of his first pokemon games and has that extra value for him.

[@TheRealDarkSide830]

I think the whole Sword Dog/Shield Dog line is a little unfair in general in part due to what you're mentioning. Sure they aren't groudon/kyogre, but they are about as legendary as it gets within the context of the region. They are legends in their lore and are those protectors that show up when the region needs them. I agree on Eternatus though. The unwrapping of the mystery that is Zacian and Zamazenta was good build-up to a legendary. Eternatus just showing up out of nowhere on the other hand? Not so much.

[@theyellowmeaning]

@@TheRealDarkSide830 still, they aren't on the level of making the land and sea. at most, they should count as mythical.

[@ummelofilo9642]

​@@theyellowmeaning Mythicals are legendaries, anyways. Just accept that different legendaries have different power scales.

[@Kali_Krause]

I just did the math. The average amount of legendaries in a generation is 12. With Sinnoh being the average, we can now line up the 8 generations in order by the amount of Legendaries introduced. Kanto- 5 Johto- 5 Kalos- 6 Hoenn-10 Sinnoh-12 * Unova- 13 Galar- 14 Alola- 27 The issue I have with the modern Pokemon games is that there's too many of them. A legendary is meant to be a rare, one of a kind pokemon. This is what the first two generations and Kalos get right. By having a limited amount of legendaries, it adds to their uniqueness. But all that changed in Sun and Moon. With a whopping 27 legendaries, that is way too many if you factor in the Ultra Beasts. The more legendaries you have, the more it takes away from their uniqueness

[@Draco-9158]

@@charnalk5572 Type: Null and Silvally aren't really legends. They're man-made. Attempts at recreating Arceus that failed

[@Draco-9158]

@@charnalk5572 Mewtwo was also based directly on Mew’s DNA. Where is the lore stating T:N and Silvally were based on Arceus’ DNA?

[@Shinntoku]

I guess I'm the minority here but I actually love story encounters with legendaries, especially when it's their first game. I think all of the legendaries you have to hunt down across CT would have been worse without the story around them to really make them interesting. Repeated legends being done in things like Dynamax Adventures is also fantastic imo, especially for shiny hunting. And they're *essential* for competitive, which like it or not is part of the equation

[@K1TSZU]

omg i forgot about completive lol, thats a good point

[@hyruleprotector6897]

Honestly the Ruinous Beasts in Scarlet and Violet felt to me like the old legendaries. There is no one who tells you about them, EXCEPT for your history teacher who spends each class telling you stories of how old Paldea fell. Then only in the last class after you've probably found 4 of each spike, she tells you that Paldea's ruin was sealed behind black stakes that we're plunged into the earth. Which put a knot in my stomach personally

[@LavvyWuff]

I'm a bit torn on this issue. I think it's really fun that we can get so many legendaries all at once in newer games, it brings back memories of the generations they were originally from. But I definitely understand the want for more story/lore behind obtaining them. I think, for each gen's legendary, there should be some kind of quest or optional dungeon to explore to find them and get a chance at catching. But for previous generations, I'm fine with getting them as a gift. Though it would be interesting if certain regions had different backstories for certain previous legendaries. Like how in the real world, different cultures have similar stories about different gods/goddesses. The point of the stories may be the same, the god/goddess may represent the same things, but the details of the stories are specific to the culture they're from. But rewriting new lore for old legendaries would be extra work. But it was done with the legendary birds, they even got new regional forms to fit the newer region :)

[@emperorcubone]

That's part of what I liked about New Pokemon Snap, because it had its own lore about Xerneas, and of course there's Gale of Darkness and more, so I agree! Even lore for past Legends!

[@MegaPokefan97]

When you consider the sheer amount of real world myths and legends, the amount of legendary Pokemon is fine. Maybe making them hard to catch, give us actual boss fights against them and make them choose to accompany us

[@alphakakcmeddlakadoofahkii3362]

I remember how mysterious and illusive legendary Pokémon used to be, they were hard to catch and you really felt special if you caught one. Now it's in the story line and laughably easy

[@pippochiri4547]

After gen1 there were always legends in the storyline

[@alaster1403]

this video exactly resonates what I've been trying to tell my friends. Legendary pokemon are supposed to feel like legendaries considering how they're demigods and nature spirits and stuff. Not one of those little-rarer-than-average collectibles

[@LuckyBoyJKid]

I appreciate this argument but I do personally believe that the amount does also matter as much as how they are integrated. Sinnoh did have story lore for most (all?) of them but I don't really find any of them that special because there's just so many of them. I actually didn't realise just how oversaturated it felt to me until Legends Arceus in the post game when it was another one after another one after another one until you could get to the climax of the post game story. In complete agreement about the pokemon centre gift legendaries/mythicals though. That unquestionably takes what is supposed to be special about them away.

[@emperorcubone]

It is true, if there are fewer events you'll likely remember them better, so I understand that. I guess it helps that I was missing the last five or so of Sinnoh at first because I didn't have any of the events. But yeah, the Pokemon Center gifts may as well be a Bidoof...

[@madnessarcade7447]

@@emperorcubone I mean that’s just how society is nowadays it’s just more convenient this doesn’t just apply to Pokémon I mean people prefer to just have their groceries delivered rather than go to the grocery store Or people just prefer to watch tv shows on streaming instead of trying to find a show from thousands of channels Society nowadays just values convenience That’s not necessarily a bad thing It means it’s just more inclusive I never got the chance to obtain mythicals when I was younger because by the time I learned about certain events I had already missed out on them But now I can get them Gamefreak is just trying to stay in touch with society’s value of convenience mindset it’s not their fault I mean in bdsp you have to beat legends arceus and get a completed dex entry for every Pokémon before you have access to it in BDSP so that kind of adds more effort and challenge to obtaining a legendary although people I guess weren’t happy with that approach Should they just handle every legendary like that? You need to 100% a game to unlock it in a different game because that requires the challenge and effort that you guys were saying they are lacking

[@zygarde.r6461]

i totally agree, the only legendarys i felt satisfaction with obtaining were: Melmetal, the shiny zeraora, and the sw/sh zygarde. all the other legendarys felt bland and just there for the sake to be there. Edit: i also feel PLA handled the legendarys really well. the hints to obtain manaphy were in an entirely separate game. and i had a blast while fighting all the legendary pokemon. something about them actually being able to kill you instead of you just healing over and over really makes them feel more powerful and exciting.

[@RGC_animation]

Melmetal, from catching hundreds of Meltans and evolving it in Pokemon GO, or the free G-Max Melmetal given to you? Also for Legends Arceus, yes, Manaphy was pretty good, and I'd say Arceus and both Dialga and Palkia too since they're part of the story. But the other ones? They are literally hand fed to you where they tell you exactly where they were, and other than the genies, they don't offer much challenge to capture them.

[@zygarde.r6461]

@@RGC_animation i meant the one from pokemon go. i said zygarde because the max den fight is hard and took me 5 tries to beat it. the zeraora is a bit less but i had fun with the event.

[@macwelch8599]

I remember the good old days when Legendary Pokémon, and their Pseudo-Legendary cousins, were only a handful. Now, there’s dozens per generation

[@emperorcubone]

I mean, Gen 8 started out with a reasonable number the base game, but then the DLC diluted the market by adding so much, and not even trying to focus on all of them, so what's the point?

[@macwelch8599]

@@emperorcubone true

[@macwelch8599]

@@Pon-PonG9 I hope we only have a small number of Legendary Pokémon

[@frownyclowny6955]

Did you even watch the video?

[@arthurfilion5992]

@@Pon-PonG9 check back after

[@DrawinskyMoon]

I think my biggest problem with legendaries of this day is the fact that these legendaries don’t coincide with the previous built up lore. The lore in Pokémon has essentially been severed.

[@brandonm8901]

Thank you for looking beyond just the sheer numbers in each region. For me it's also mainly down to accessibility, ORAS slightly ruined the mystery for me when you just soar and find almost every legendary in existence with no effort or story. Another big factor is their lack of significant impact on the Pokémon World. Once gen 4 gave us the actual Pokémon God and the beings controlling Space and Time, you can't really follow that up with something truly legendary. Oh great, another random dragon in a cave?

[@emperorcubone]

I mean, I'll push back a little; nobody made you soar around, and even then you needed to meet specific conditions like being a Tuesday, have a level 100 full happiness partner, have a combination of other Legends, so the soaring to me was much more rewarding than the Dynamax adventures in Gen 8.

[@nickdentoom1173]

Mainly, my accesibility for Boxart legends in other games is a problem, especially when there is no lore behind them. Like, in my mind, it makes no sense a Boxart legendary behaves a way in its debut region, but not in any other. I find this especially problematic for boxarts which are supposed to help the region (Kyogre and Groudon, Zacian and Zamazenta as examples), it makes no sense for them to leave their regions. Same with the regi's, they were locked up in a region for a reason, so it makes no sense for them to appear in others.

[@tezminator]

@@nickdentoom1173 Well, if you could time travel thousands of years back, you probably wouldn't see someone in what today is Norway worshipping Zeus or talking about the legend of the Sphinx or the tales of the youkais that we know from Japan or any other thing for that matter, except the legends and myths we know they talked about and worshipped then, like Thor, Ragnarok, Fenrir, etc. Each culture has its own legends and myths and except for the Romans and maybe some other that I could be forgetting, they don't overlap or have any influence one on another what so ever and since each pokemon region functions like a real world culture, I don't have any problem with legendaries from 1 region not having any influence in other region. Also, when they do appear in a game after they had already been introduced in a previous one, it is just for acessibility for newer players, the story of those pokemon is already concluded (when they do have a lore behind) and they don't actually travel all the way to that region just because yes, otherwise you would have to go all the way out of your way to buy old consoles and game carts from third parties because they ended production years ago, hope they are in a good state, play the game until the part you can capture said legendary pokemon and make a huge chain of transfer from one place to another to another until you finally have that pokemon on the current game. However, for the newer ones I agree there definetely exists a problem of some of them not having any lore behind or reasoning what so ever.

[@madnessarcade7447]

@@emperorcubone yea but sometimes they beat u and unless u save that encounter they would be hard to find again

[@PrimalDirective]

When I was young I would be hyped to catch and use these legendary pokemon. After growing and playing pokemon and related rom hacks, I eventually came to completely ignore them. You see, what I came to realize is that by the point I got them I was near the end of the games and had no attachment to them. It was the journey with my pokemon that I had caught and grew with in my journey that mattered to me and seeing the end with them. Repeat the Radiant oaths once more. "Journey before destination."

[@gregcoplays8145]

Gen 9 hopefully will fix this problem. The fact is completely open world makes me hopeful for being able to find legends randomly at any point in the game. You see one you either try for it or come back when stronger. There is a build up after finding one and knowing its probably to strong for you.

[@ladygrima]

I agree, its definitely a distribution issue gens 1-5 Legends felt like a big 1 time event but as the series progresses they need to find ways to make the Pokemon accessible so we see stuff like ORAS rifts, USUM wormholes and Dynamax adventures to capture all the legends. Sure those methods can be fun but they definitely take some of the magic Legendary encounters used to have, but that might just be me getting old. I would love to hear ideas that people have to try to improve things

[@tear959]

Things like Eternatus being a 100% capture, mystery gift mythicals, and giving legendary status for those who dont deserve it (I see you right here, Urshifu) are things that make legendaries feel less valuable, but in my opinion, a cool build up to the legendary can make it even more special than the effort you take. An example is Calyrex, I often see people saying that Calyrex felt like an actual character for the Crown Tundra, and this is true, he wasnt just another legendary pokemon, he was the main point for the DLC, and everything builds up to the final fight with him, the dialogues, the cutscene before the fight, the music, makes this fight feel important in someway (Say, it wouldnt be the same thing if they just shoved Calyrex Rider somewhere for you to catch)

[@growasowa3444]

Eternatus being a 100% capture isn't a problem itself, the problem lies in that it was a final boss fight that didn't happen. Instead of being a challenging opponent he gets wrecked by NPCs.

[@davonleesilvastorm3500]

I'm a new viewer to this channel and I'm absolutely loving this channel Keep up the good work!!

[@emperorcubone]

Thank you! Welcome aboard!

[@iferlyf8172]

Finding and catching legendaries used to feel epic so I agree with you. The sheer number of gods we have in our own world doesn't make any of them less special so why would it do that to pokemon

[@joshh.2159]

Always excited for a new video from u! Keep up the amazing work and can't wait to get more coverage about this game from u and game freak

[@DaaGrizzlyBear]

I think the biggest problem is that even in comp there is such thing as “legendary spammers” if we stay true to the lore of Pokémon that shouldn’t even be a thing in the games, it completely throws off the whole uniqueness of the legendaries and makes me glad I came across this video because it’s something deep down I’ve always felt just was never conscious enough to make it a point, great video!

[@corrupt-4619]

Honestly this is probably the best video describing what a legendary is. They’re not a Pokémon that should check boxes to be considered a legendary, but a Pokémon that feels special. Like building up to a boss fight after working so hard to clear the level. Idk if you know what I mean but my drunk self understands this comment. 😄

[@whitespirit1000]

Love the energy

[@madnessarcade7447]

I mean that’s just how society is nowadays it’s just more convenient this doesn’t just apply to Pokémon I mean people prefer to just have their groceries delivered rather than go to the grocery store Or people just prefer to watch tv shows on streaming instead of trying to find a show from thousands of channels Society nowadays just values convenience That’s not necessarily a bad thing It means it’s just more inclusive I never got the chance to obtain mythicals when I was younger because by the time I learned about certain events I had already missed out on them But now I can get them Gamefreak is just trying to stay in touch with society’s value of convenience mindset it’s not their fault

[@madnessarcade7447]

I mean in bdsp you have to beat legends arceus and get a completed dex entry for every Pokémon before you have access to it in BDSP so that kind of adds more effort and challenge to obtaining a legendary although people I guess weren’t happy with that approach Should they just handle every legendary like that? You need to 100% a game to unlock it in a different game because that requires the challenge and effort that you guys were saying they are lacking

[@1992jkwj]

this is exactly why i love legends, save for the legendary pokemon. i feel like they are an actual threat, if your pokemon faint, its just you intil you go back to camp and get healed, and alphas are a challenge to get early game. the exploration for these creatures and actually trying to sneak arround to get a good throw was half the fun

[@manueljaramillo2520]

I definitely agree that the problem isn't the number of legendary pokemon, but how they're being handled. Mythics started to feel less and less special after Victini when they were just being given as a Mystery Gift rather than getting an item that would trigger an in-game event to capture them. Legendaries began to feel less special starting with ORAS with every legend being catchable through the Hoopa rings. Then from then onwards Game Freak has some inane in-game reason for how every legend is catchable, whether it's the Ultra Wormholes in seventh gen or the Raid Den adventures in 8th gen. They made them too easy to get without you having to go out of your way to find them in a dungeon at the end.

[@compatriot852]

Legendaries back then used to actually be "legendary" as the name implied. They actually had events/gameplay around them with oftentimes deep lore connected to it. Compare Platinum to Sword and Shield. Platinum's legendaries are literal gods of reality that people worship, build structures to, and are the main targets of team galactic. They are essential to not only the lore of Sinnoh, but all other regions Sword and shield on the other hand are just dogs who have honestly very little impact on the world and plot in general. You could easily remove them and nothing really would affected.

[@patrickcarter2829]

I always felt like they should've played more into the mystery and legend of the two heroes: I like the idea of the legendary being mistaken for people, but they could've added more significance to them. For example, the two heroes -- after winning the battle during the Darkest Day -- introduced the people to the art of metalwork. This would make since as both of their special moves have them form weapons out of metallic particles. To add more to the history of Galar, the two legendaries leave their battered weapons with the people, who treat it as sacred relics; only the champion and select few are allowed to interact with them, as the legend goes that when another great conflict arises, two new heroes will emerge to fight alongside the spirits of the old heroes.

[@harperna3938]

i think hoenn was peak legendary implementation, especially in emerald. the whole game is about trying to harness the leviathans' power, and, even at the end of the game, you're really just a bystander in a much older conflict. it isn't until the postgame that you can catch any of them, and they're all their own fairly unique encounters even before then. latias and latios are suitably annoying just like all the roaming legendaries are, and the regis are super enigmatic and interesting. great mix of difficulty, obscurity, and story integration imo.

[@tonkuriihq8133]

Part of it is just being a child when you play the games making the legendaries seem so much more impressive. My first pokemon game was diamond when I was around 6 or 7 and I remember getting so excited when I faced dialga for the first time that my heart started racing. It was like this big powerful thing that I finally had gotten my hands on and made me feel so cool lmao. The gen 1-4 crowd are pretty much all adults now so they look fondly back on their first games. Im sure in 10 years there will be a lot more nostalgia posting about the newer games. Another thing is it's so easy to hack pokemon now which kind of cheapens the rarity of them since you can basically get whatever pokemon you want if you really want to.

[@raymariopokenic1561]

something i notice in some legendaries that can give their legendary status in the earlier gens, is thanks to their designs we can feel their presence, they look much stronger then all the other pokemon you caught before, of course there are exceptions like the smaller legendaries and mythicals like mew and celebi. but we never feel such presence from say, salamence or tyranitar or metagross, maybe garchomp a little but he's a pseudo-legendary so it can be intimidating in a way. but take mewtwo for example, you're new to pokemon, you never played it before, but you got to the end and find yourself face to face with mewtwo, and that sprite alone looks intimidating, it's not big it seems just to be a humanoid with a tail, but something about it makes you feel its presence, and you take more caution because of it, as you should because mewtwo is incredibly strong. the hoenn weather trio too, kyogre and groudon are simply a killer whale with giant fins and a volcanic godzilla-like monster, but their sheer size that you can tell by their sprite can be very overwhelming, as if you're nothing to them, they did shape the sea and land after all. rayquaza has a little more going on but is similar, but gets the added bonus of it being a dragon and all, plus it lives on the ozone layer, and it too is gigantic which you can again tell by its sprite. but size isn't everything of course because wailord was for the longest time the largest pokemon ever but it just looks bubbly and cute despite its size. now do you feel zacian and zamazenta's presence in their games? i don't feel them at all, their crowned forms are a little chaotic but they don't look fierce at all, zacian is just a dog holding a sword, and zamazenta is just dog wearing a shield, not a bad choice for a pokemon design at all, but not deserving of legendary status, their base forms aren't much better either, zacian looks like a blue dog with strings of hotdogs on his side and zamazenta looks... like a crowned version without the yellow pretty much. all in all, we don't feel their presence, we aren't intimidated by their designs, which we definitely should because their crowned forms are very strong, but we won't because we don't feel any presence.

[@BaconNuke]

I agree so hard on the ones just given at the center.. like for a few games I would maybe MAYBE get one of them and then be like "okay now where do I bring it to get the small story sequence?" and then got disappointed

[@darkshado124]

Yeah, fighting Dialga _the God Of Time_ at the top of a Mountian feels more legendary than getting a random Loot Box at the Pokemon Center. Rip :/

[@windsmith4048]

My favorite legendary catpure was manaphy in legends arceus, and how the new legend in thecanaliv libary in bdsp was a hint to both how you encounter it and overqwil makes me hope they do somthing like that in scarlet and violet

[@FivesCT]

"not for the reason you think" -- *says exactly what I was thinking*

[@matthewstockhausen]

Articuno has a special place to me as it was one of my core team members in all of my red and blue games as a kid. It is the only legendary I have ever let my self use in a playthrough ever since. most games were beat Koga, catch articuno and use it solo vs Blaine, then proceed rest of the game with Sabrina. But legendary pokemon have lost being special for many reasons. The internet and playthough videos showing where the legend is, how many legendary pokemon there are in more recent games, also how games have started to make the legendary pokemon easier to catch for story progression( just to name a few reasons ).

[@emperorcubone]

Articuno is great!! But I don't think videos are the problem; they've always had game guides that you could buy and read for the same thing...

[@aspiringwayfarer]

I accidentally saved after I beat/ran from my Articuno in my first playthrough of Blue, and am still a bit salty about it to this day, as I love ice type Pokémon and it was the first Ice legendary. I think that’s another thing that makes the recent legendary Pokémon a little less special - you can defeat them, and if you beat the Elite Four, they reappear (for the most part). Heck, you could even defeat the Regis in SwSh time and time again to reset for a shiny, without even needing to fight the Elite Four.

[@moby6754]

the thing i appreciated with pokemon legends arceus was that to get giratina and some of the other legendaries was that you had to go out of your way and explore to find them, or with giratina fight an insanely difficult 3 part battle that was for once genuinely difficult because there was no time to heal in between battles like the elite 4

[@TheRedRabbit08]

Tbh gen 9 messed up bad by giving us the LEGENDARY pokemon at the start of the game..AS RIDE POKEMON

[@deuce7112]

I clicked on this genuinely expecting a rant about the 2 of the box legends, or how the legendary pokemon are just paradox pokemon, but then saw that this was made 7 months ago

[@ZimVerse]

I Personally Never Understood The "Too Many Legends" Complaint. For A Series That's As Old As Pokémon, There's Bound To Be A lot Of Legends.

[@vectorkaiser]

Emperor Cubone: "Are you listening, Gen 9?" Gen 9: "Zzzz...huh!? What!? Sorry, I somehow fell asleep during that whole thing"

[@snintendog]

And now the new ones are your bike now.

[@DruidWithAMustache]

The thumbnail really hypes my ego.

[@RoninCatholic]

Gen 3 introduced as many new legendaries as the entire series had to this point. Was that too many? Yes. That was literally enough legends for the entire franchise. Sinnoh introduced half again as many new ones as Hoenn had. Was this overwhelming? Yes, we now had too many for even a game with a thousand monsters in it. Further, now that legendaries kept becoming increasingly mandatory interactions for the game's main plot, something literally only Hoenn actually did arguably _well_ , their nature as elusive and not even confirmed to really exist is shaken off turning them into literally just rare and powerful Pokemon. Most sets of legendaries are also pretty redundant - either three/four things that are extremely similar in concept, appearance and abilities to each other within their set, or three/four things that are redundant to an entire preceding set.

[@madnessarcade7447]

I mean that’s just how society is nowadays it’s just more convenient this doesn’t just apply to Pokémon I mean people prefer to just have their groceries delivered rather than go to the grocery store Or people just prefer to watch tv shows on streaming instead of trying to find a show from thousands of channels Society nowadays just values convenience That’s not necessarily a bad thing It means it’s just more inclusive I never got the chance to obtain mythicals when I was younger because by the time I learned about certain events I had already missed out on them But now I can get them Gamefreak is just trying to stay in touch with society’s value of convenience mindset it’s not their fault I mean in bdsp you have to beat legends arceus and get a completed dex entry for every Pokémon before you have access to it in BDSP so that kind of adds more effort and challenge to obtaining a legendary although people I guess weren’t happy with that approach Should they just handle every legendary like that? You need to 100% a game to unlock it in a different game because that requires the challenge and effort that you guys were saying they are lacking

[@madnessarcade7447]

@@charnalk5572 I mean that’s just how society is nowadays it’s just more convenient this doesn’t just apply to Pokémon I mean people prefer to just have their groceries delivered rather than go to the grocery store Or people just prefer to watch tv shows on streaming instead of trying to find a show from thousands of channels Society nowadays just values convenience That’s not necessarily a bad thing It means it’s just more inclusive I never got the chance to obtain mythicals when I was younger because by the time I learned about certain events I had already missed out on them But now I can get them Gamefreak is just trying to stay in touch with society’s value of convenience mindset it’s not their fault I mean in bdsp you have to beat legends arceus and get a completed dex entry for every Pokémon before you have access to it in BDSP so that kind of adds more effort and challenge to obtaining a legendary although people I guess weren’t happy with that approach Should they just handle every legendary like that? You need to 100% a game to unlock it in a different game because that requires the challenge and effort that you guys were saying they are lacking

[@v1rtuosoviolinist]

What's the song that starts playing around 2:40 ? I vaguely remember it being from Sun/Moon, but I can't remember what part of the game it's from.

[@kayceenolasco4439]

Everything you said here was ON POINT. Cannot agree more.

[@Yesenn]

I think all main series Pokémon games will have the "story legendaries". The ones you catch at the end of the story. Basically the box-art legendaries. Here's a few other ideas for other types of legendary encounters. Hidden Pokémon, like the Regis in Hoenn. The puzzles make them much more interestinf. With some small hints along the journey as well. Wandering Pokémon, like the Lati duo or the Lake Guardians. I think the gen 8 DLC actually did a great job with the Galarian legendary birds. More of that please. A side mission for some random legendary would also be cool. Like you hear people going around "Did you see it? It flew so fast! I think it went that way." As you'd go to that direction, you'd find more hints and eventually the legendary Pokémon itself. Or maybe you'd read a book or something, that *isn't* a part of the main story, and only then you could get access to a puzzle that reveals the legendary. Of course, they should only be available late-game. Another interesting idea could be similar to Nebby, having a Pokémon follow you around, and it turns out to be a legendary later on. Though it should be much more subtle. Finally, the games *could* have a downloadable mythical, but it should have some sort of event in game, just like Mew and Celebi had. Yes, this comment is literially what the video was about, lol.

[@obits3]

Regarding Dynamax Adventures, catching Zygarde 100% with NPCs was a lot more satisfying than the XY dungeon or Sun and Moon scavenger hunt. The key to good legendaries is feeling challenged when trying to catch them. Most of your users should feel pressure and will likely have to soft reset to accomplish the goal.

[@almostanarchybro9129]

I find it odd that with online distributions, they could easily give a small download for small island or area where a legend can be found like in gens 3 and 4, but they just don't. Even though Gen 4 was the point I played and felt there were too many, the journey of getting regigigas, heatran, the lake trio, arceus, etc. felt more impactful than going to the pokemon center . It misses out on giving more story and personality. I know basically nothing about the mythicals in gen 6+ because of that even though I just have the basic notions of what the other legends are like before that.

[@mattn0414]

Tbh the most hyped up legendary encounters from gen 6 onwards that made me feel like they are actually legendaries where the Tapus and the Deoxys from the Delta episode

[@emperorcubone]

I agree, that's why I highlighted the Tapus at the end. Visiting the shrines throughout the whole game was just the right amount of intrigue, and not making them mandatory made it even better!

[@DK24S]

I like how they did it with Kanto and Jhoto. It's pretty much the same place they share the same legends just different game generations. Mew, Celebi and Mewtwo(Mew's clone) then the 3 dogs the 3 birds and the 2 legendary.

[@FTChomp9980]

Legendary Pokemon felt Legendary after in Gen 4 and Gen 5 basically when exploring in the games the game rewarded you with the Legendary Pokemon. I'm not a fan of GameFreak just handing us Legendary Pokemon like Participation Trophies in each gen because the Legendaries just don't feel Legendary Pokemon.

[@kilerog]

So how do you feel about Gen 9's cover art legendaries being shown as essentially ride pokemon in the most recent gameplay trailer?

[@o.8.p149]

Honestly I think Mythical’s and Legends should be split with the one of a kind Pokemon being legends and the rest being myths

[@frenchrevenge6406]

What island is that black thing on top of the map? ( 1:31 )

[@zoranadraws]

I only really got to participate in one download event in game without giving myself the item to do so some how. That was the Victini one. Despite that I feel like the new events are missing something. Along with that I do feel like there's something missing when it comes to the new legendary pokemon. They feel too easy to me. And no it's not due to me being older. The new ones are actually very easy in terms of either catching or getting to them, sometimes both. At least with catching Ho-oh in Soul Silver there was the puzzle. Heck I had to reset the game a few times due to the bird struggling enough to knock themselves out.

[@readerrabbit6690]

This is a great analysis. I think what happened is that they realized or decided relatively early on that pokemon was never going to be a SERIOUS rpg. It’s a great competitive metagame, but the actual games and franchise overall are clearly designed to entrap children and get parents to spend a lot of money. Older fans need to implement nuzlockes or play straight up mods to have any real fun nowadays. At the inception of Pokémon I think there were possibly grandiose ideas that it could potentially be a deep and lore-rich series, which is reflected in the treatment of legendary Pokémon as you pointed out. Now, there’s really no point in investing heavily into mystical lore because it’s just not that kind of a franchise. It’s not that deep. Just recycle the formula and keep raking in money. Sprinkle the taste of “legendary” by essentially giving away the legendary Pokémon and it’s easy to capture an impressionable child’s mind.

[@ehmzed]

And to think that rumours even say that the new legendary in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will be given to you at the very start of the game for you to ride through the journey 💀

[@Red_Lycoris1309]

9:29 I just noticed, seeing the lineup of legendaries. Who had the idea to add cresselia to sword and shield, without adding darkrai. Instead we got heatrean(dunno if this is the correct name) and the 3 lake legendaries(also forgot their names). I just don't understand the thought process.

[@Amelia4111]

Cresselia is spelled with 2 S's, not 2 L's!

[@Red_Lycoris1309]

@@Amelia4111 Happy?

[@MrSkullMerchant]

Trying to figure out how to get the regis in gen 3 is still legendary

[@anthonymorales9869]

Well this video has aged amazingly now with the reveal that the Gen 9 box-art Legendaries (Koraidon and Miraidon) are gonna be your buddies that will literally fall into your lap at the start of the game.

[@45heisman]

The way I always feel is sure there are a lot of "legandaries" by official definition but I have them tiered. To me its the box art duo/trio and if there is a legendary trio or similar gimic than they count and than rberything else falls in the "yeah technically you are legendary but are you really" this works most of the time but always since like box art of Gen 1 doesn't have mew and Mew 3 instead opting for the starters but now days it seems to work for me and keeps them special in my mind Ultimately it's a you know they are really legendary when you see it sort of thing.

[@eliasb22]

Great topic. What I really appreciate about legendary Pokémon is the lore behind them. Additionally, from a gameplay standpoint, there’s the scarcity and difficulty factor when it comes to finding and obtaining them. A frustration I’ve had with the Pokémon company is this half-hearted, nearly disposable approach they take to building that lore and coherently implementing it into the mainline games. Even for “event” Pokémon, if they released some of these as DLC quests the way games like Skyrim or Breath of the Wild have done, it would be a brilliant way to get players to really care about the lore while boosting this idea of a Pokémon’s identity being legendary. Right now, Pokémon does a lot of “press release” lore for their new games to get people interested and hyped, but they really miss opportunities to expand upon this by giving us immersive worlds with compelling quests to flesh out the lore and monsters the lore is actually about. Pokémon has such great potential for creating an immersive world, and a lot of the time I don’t think the Pokémon company has the motivation (or talent) to create those deeper experiences. Legends Arceus was a step in the right direction, though. I’m not saying Pokémon has to become the Elder Scrolls, but some more effort would really elevate this franchise.

[@TheCheesecan]

You're right that this is a "Journey and not the destination" problem. When the legendary is simply handed to you you're losing out on the experience that went into obtaining the others. The new game economy of "now now now" only works for certain games. The experience surrounding the pokemon is what adds up to a stellar legendary! This is why Jagex is extremely resistant to changing old content and rarely does. It ensures that all of their players are sharing in the same experience as not to devalue someone else's time by making it far easier with a new update. They value your time and want everyone to share in that same value.

[@madnessarcade7447]

I mean that’s just how society is nowadays it’s just more convenient this doesn’t just apply to Pokémon I mean people prefer to just have their groceries delivered rather than go to the grocery store Or people just prefer to watch tv shows on streaming instead of trying to find a show from thousands of channels Society nowadays just values convenience That’s not necessarily a bad thing It means it’s just more inclusive I never got the chance to obtain mythicals when I was younger because by the time I learned about certain events I had already missed out on them But now I can get them Gamefreak is just trying to stay in touch with society’s value of convenience mindset it’s not their fault I mean in bdsp you have to beat legends arceus and get a completed dex entry for every Pokémon before you have access to it in BDSP so that kind of adds more effort and challenge to obtaining a legendary although people I guess weren’t happy with that approach Should they just handle every legendary like that? You need to 100% a game to unlock it in a different game because that requires the challenge and effort that you guys were saying they are lacking

[@TheCheesecan]

@@madnessarcade7447 You're just about right. I do want, even for new players, to have some sort of experience surrounding the legendary pokemon because that's what I had and it is a wonderful thing to feel. A whole game to get another item in game is far too much for the typical player. And if we look at Gen 1 those legendaries were rewards for exploring the game for them with a lot of mystery around the lore. That was a simple way to introduce them and then as Emperor Cubone said, they were different slightly with the capture mechanic blocking pokeballs for a time. This helps add to the experience and thus enjoyment. So I do not agree that we need whole games to go through to get to some of them, but a short quest line/or exploration is good enough. I like your idea of having new players be able to obtain the old things, but I don't like new players missing out on the fun behind what we had to do.

[@powerguy3976]

Another reason although not as big, is loopholes. ~CROWN TUNDRA SPOILER WARNING~ There’s a secret den where you fight, with no teammates, just your team, a level 100 dynamax Regigagas. A very big, intimidating, and challenging fight. However… it has a MASSIVE oversight. Spiritomb and Sableye are completely immune to all of Regigagas’ attacks, making you practically invincible. Calyrex would be an awesome fight, but they just give you a Master Ball for it. I highly recommend going for Calyrex without the Master Ball, it is a very fun fight.

[@ldmtag]

From my personal experience playing Sword and Shield (yep, I played both), the new, strong Galar legendaries feel kinda more special because they're strong, they're mentioned in dialogues, etc. The old legendaries from Dynamax Adventures seem less special. I think this makes a perfect balance where all the legendary pokemon are equally legendary, but Zacian, Zamazenta, Calyrex🤮 and the Regis still feel more special and are more desireable. I don't know... I think it's perfect!

[@tim.balsiger]

Where is the song at 2:50 from?

[@solidprox3609]

For me a legendary is a pokemon that: - has a lore - is connected to other legendarys - is hard to get (cave/puzzle/etc.) - did not evolve - is at the end of the pokedex - is not given to you by an NPC/Download - is unique and only obtainable once in the game The number of legendarys did not matter.. as long as they have a function/lore that makes sense and as long as they are included in a good way.

[@jayq2571]

"- did not evolve" Solgaleo & Lunala wants to have a word

[@emperorcubone]

I don't know if evolving bothers me with legends, but I agree; the number doesn't matter, if they are all done well they won't feel like a burden...

[@FuckYoutubeAndGoogle]

@@jayq2571 Gen 6 and beyond is a mess, Solgaleo and Lunala never should have been given evolutionary lines.

[@Kali_Krause]

@@jayq2571 They still classify as mythical for having an evolution. The point is that legendary pokemon are to never have an evolution and are genderless

[@Dougbro1]

@@Kali_Krause Solgaleo and Lunala are Legendary, not Mythical. Cresselia, the Forces of Nature (Unova genies and Enamorus) and the Lati twins have genders and are also Legendary. Urshifu's line has both of these qualities and is explicitly stated to be Legendary. As harsh as it might sound, we're not the people who get to make up the criteria for what counts as "Legendary/Mythical" and what doesn't

[@4slyfer]

9:35 All those legendaries were supposed to have their story in Pokémon z that got cancelled. That’s why they lack the story or feeling with them.

[@MCAPrince]

I als find the large use of legendary pokémon in competitive to be quite annoying, it breaks some immersion for me when everybody has a Landorus, while it supposed to be a special pokemon.

[@emperorcubone]

Yet another reason I despise competitive...

[@robertlupa8273]

Landos. Landos everywhere.

[@Dragon-ops]

So all of us as champions caught a messton of legends and we are just to leave them in a box when we enter the real league? Tobias has a couple of words for you

[@Mgauge]

Now we know that the Raidons canonically AREN'T special. They're just very strong, but otherwise common lizards for their times that just happened to get to an ecosystem not at all ready for them.

[@MotorcycleCheetah]

It’s Squares and Rectangles guys. All Mythicals are Legendary, but not all Legendaries are Mythical. Even then those words basically mean the same thing in the real world.

[@emperorcubone]

Thank you! It's so pretentious to say "Well actually..." Like, you know what everybody means when they call them all Legendary...

[@MotorcycleCheetah]

It’s also just a weird distinction to begin with. If you say, “The Myth of the Kappa” vs, “The Legend of the Kappa”, it basically means the same thing. Which is kinda why the terminology always bothered me. A myth and a legend are both stories of some kind. It’d make more sense if it was Historical vs Fabeled. Ya know?

[@jirehjirehjirehjireh]

Ironic that we just got a reveal that the Gen 9 box legendaries are literally giving to you at the beginning of the game.

[@AcemodiusVT]

So I want to talk about Koraidon and Miraidon for a moment. Now while I don’t know for sure, and frankly until I play Gen 9 myself, it seems like Koraidon and Miraidon are not as “Legendary” in the sense that they might not have to hide their existence from the Paldea region. The recent trailer made it seem like you going to team up with a box legend pretty early into your adventure with them acting as your ride Pokémon. Now while I’m sure you get the chance to catch them later, they are essentially your traveling companion until they feel that you are ready to challenge them. I also feel like Koraidon and Miraidon are maybe more similar to the Legendary birds in the sense that they are not necessarily integral to the lore of the Paldea region and perhaps people know of their existence and just choose to let them alone do them being extremely powerful or if nothing else challenging them as a rite of passage on the journey to become strong trainers. It could also be the Koraidon is protected by Prof. Sada and Miraidon is protected by Prof. Turo who team you two together in an effort to see how the Legends interact with a human partner. Either way, having these Pokémon not be a big deal actually feels okay for once. It may actually help to create a more wholesome story with these Legends especially if get opportunities to bond with them in certain locations.

[@blocky_pig]

Yes, gen 9's legendaries is going to be interesting because you are actually bonding with the legendaries throughout the game instead of like older gens where you are handed the legendaries as the reward for beating the game. It is a very interesting approach and I really like it.

[@renomketchum7799]

We have motorcycles for everyone now

[@shaq98nl]

Arceus did a great job with that tbh, they gave you the quest still

[@Swypi]

It's still part of the story and I feel they are handed out way too easily, especially lake trio, heatran, cresselia. Only good encounter would be with Manaphy. It literally feels like quest and you need to explore about legend.

[@emperorcubone]

I do feel satisfied with how Legends Arceus handled things, I know everyone might not be but I thought it was a decent balance...

[@nugget1631]

I think that effort is the essence of Pokemon. It's 100% what dictates the way you see the pokemon. I did a long and grueling art project for school drawing a regional variant of Duskull that I came up with. Since Covid, I've struggled a lot socially and have found a sort of respite in pokemon. Duskull helped calm my nerves. I could just put on music, pull up references, and spend some time making him look perfect. It's now a top 3 art piece for me, and though it isn't saying much, it still made me love Duskull like a real friend. I think the same is true for legendaries, as you said. You need to feel like you're working and striving just for the chance at glimpsing this mythical monster, not like you're the preteen of interest for them. They need to be on a higher standard, they're starting to lose worthiness of the "legendary" title. Plot-centric may be a more appropriate term.

[@bnbcraftin1430]

So I look at the legendary pokemon like our real world cryptids. We have sooooooo many all over the world and all are fascinating to learn about.

[@raw-b6658]

Black and white was really cool in the regard that you could catch legendaries during the game like the swords of justice and idk something about finding cobalion and virizion and terrakion was just awesome

[@aos757]

I do still think there are a bit too many legendaries (perhaps let’s aim to make them 5% of the total pokemon so GF can focus on giving them a proper lore/introduction/quest) but I definitely agree that they’re being handled quite poorly nowadays