Blacephalon (Japanese: ズガドーン, Hepburn: Zugadoon) (blass-SEF-uh-lawn[1]), codenamed UB Burst, is a Fire/Ghost-type Pokémon introduced in Generation VII. It is an Ultra Beast exclusive to Pokémon Ultra Sun.
Biology[]
Physiology[]
Blacephalon looks like a very colorful Headless Horseman in a Jester's outfit.
It mostly has a slender body with very vague limbs and a white collar on top, which holds its clear spherical head in place when it is not using it to Attack. Its spine and pelvic area have blue, pink and yellow stripes. Its legs are slender with high heel like feet and a white color scheme. Its left leg has a blue orb for a knee cap, while its right has a pink orb instead. The colors are swapped for its arms, which end in hooks. Its detachable head has rings of blue and pink dots and has an explosion shape design with the same colors and a yellow spot in the center.
Behavior[]
Blacephalon tricks targets into letting their guard down as it draws near with its funny gait, swaying this way and that—then shocks them by blowing up its own head without warning. Before they can recover their senses, it steals their vitality, which it's said to use as a source of energy.
Evolution[]
Blacephalon does not evolve.
Game info[]
In Pokémon Ultra Sun, after Necrozma absorbs Nebby and becomes Dusk Mane Necrozma, a Blacephalon appears in Mahalo Trail through an Ultra Wormhole opened by the Prism Pokémon and faces Hala, Hau and Tapu Koko in a battle.
Game location[]
| Locations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Version(s) | Area(s) | Rarity |
| Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon | Poni Grove (Ultra Sun only) | Two |
Pokédex entries[]
- Ultra Sun
It slithers toward people. Then, without warning, it triggers the explosion of its own head. It's apparently one kind of Ultra Beast.
- Ultra Moon
A UB that appeared from an Ultra Wormhole, it causes explosions, then takes advantage of opponents' surprise to rob them of their vitality.
Stats[]
| Stats | |
|---|---|
| HP | |
| Attack | |
| Defense | |
| Sp. Atk | |
| Sp. Def | |
| Speed | |
| Total | 570
|
Learnset[]
Leveling[]
| LevelingGeneration VII | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level | Move | Power | Accuracy | PP | Type | Cat. | |||
| 1 | Astonish | 30 | 100% | 15 |  Ghost
|
Physical | |||
| 1 | Ember | 40 | 100% | 25 |  Fire
|
Special | |||
| 7 | Magic Coat | — | —% | 15 |  Psychic
|
Status | |||
| 13 | Stored Power | 20 | 100% | 10 | Psychic
|
Special | |||
| 17 | Flame Burst | 70 | 100% | 15 | Fire
|
Special | |||
| 23 | Night Shade | — | 100% | 15 | Ghost
|
Special | |||
| 29 | Light Screen | — | —% | 30 | Psychic
|
Status | |||
| 31 | Calm Mind | — | —% | 20 | Psychic
|
Status | |||
| 37 | Fire Blast | 110 | 85% | 5 | Fire
|
Special | |||
| 41 | Shadow Ball | 80 | 100% | 15 | Ghost
|
Special | |||
| 47 | Trick | — | 100% | 10 | Psychic
|
Status | |||
| 59 | Mind Blown | 150 | 100% | 5 | Fire
|
Special | |||
| Bold indicates this Pokémon receives STAB from this move. Italic indicates an evolved or alternate form of this Pokémon receives STAB from this move. | |||||||||
TM[]
| LevelingGeneration VII | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level | Move | Power | Accuracy | PP | Type | Cat. | |||
| TM03 | Psyshock | 80 | 100% | 10 | Psychic
|
Special | |||
| TM04 | Calm Mind | — | —% | 20 | Psychic
|
Status | |||
| TM06 | Toxic | — | 90% | 10 |  Poison
|
Status | |||
| TM10 | Hidden Power | 60 | 100% | 15 |  Normal
|
Special | |||
| TM11 | Sunny Day | — | —% | 5 | Fire
|
Status | |||
| TM12 | Taunt | — | —% | 20 |  Dark
|
Status | |||
| TM15 | Hyper Beam | 150 | 90% | 5 | Normal
|
Special | |||
| TM16 | Light Screen | — | —% | 30 | Psychic
|
Status | |||
| TM17 | Protect | — | —% | 10 | Normal
|
Status | |||
| TM21 | Frustration | — | 100% | 20 | Normal
|
Physical | |||
| TM23 | Smack Down | 50 | 100% | 15 |  Rock
|
Physical | |||
| TM27 | Return | — | 100% | 20 | Normal
|
Physical | |||
| TM29 | Psychic | 90 | 100% | 10 | Psychic
|
Special | |||
| TM30 | Shadow Ball | 80 | 100% | 15 | Ghost
|
Special | |||
| TM32 | Double Team | — | —% | 15 | Normal
|
Status | |||
| TM35 | Flamethrower | 90 | 100% | 15 | Fire
|
Special | |||
| TM38 | Fire Blast | 110 | 85% | 5 | Fire
|
Special | |||
| TM41 | Torment | — | 100% | 15 | Dark
|
Status | |||
| TM42 | Facade | 70 | 100% | 20 | Normal
|
Physical | |||
| TM43 | Flame Charge | 50 | 100% | 20 | Fire
|
Physical | |||
| TM44 | Rest | — | —% | 10 | Psychic
|
Status | |||
| TM46 | Thief | 60 | 100% | 25 | Dark
|
Physical | |||
| TM48 | Round | 60 | 100% | 15 | Normal
|
Special | |||
| TM50 | Overheat | 130 | 90% | 5 | Fire
|
Special | |||
| TM56 | Fling | — | 100% | 10 | Dark
|
Physical | |||
| TM60 | Quash | — | 100% | 15 | Dark
|
Status | |||
| TM61 | Will-O-Wisp | — | 85% | 15 | Fire
|
Status | |||
| TM64 | Explosion | 250 | 100% | 5 | Normal
|
Physical | |||
| TM65 | Shadow Claw | 70 | 100% | 15 | Ghost
|
Physical | |||
| TM66 | Payback | 50 | 100% | 10 | Dark
|
Physical | |||
| TM87 | Swagger | — | 85% | 15 | Normal
|
Status | |||
| TM88 | Sleep Talk | — | —% | 10 | Normal
|
Status | |||
| TM90 | Substitute | — | —% | 10 | Normal
|
Status | |||
| TM97 | Dark Pulse | 80 | 100% | 15 | Dark
|
Special | |||
| TM100 | Confide | — | —% | 20 | Normal
|
Status | |||
| Bold indicates this Pokémon receives STAB from this move. Italic indicates an evolved or alternate form of this Pokémon receives STAB from this move. | |||||||||
Breeding[]
| Blacephalon learns no moves via breeding. |
|---|
Tutoring[]
| Tutoring Generation VII | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move | Power | Accuracy | PP | Type | Cat. | ||||
| After You USUM | — | —% | 15 | Normal
|
Status | ||||
| Foul Play USUM | 95 | 100% | 15 | Dark
|
Physical | ||||
| Heat Wave USUM | 95 | 90% | 10 | Fire
|
Special | ||||
| Knock Off USUM | 65 | 100% | 20 | Dark
|
Physical | ||||
| Last Resort USUM | 140 | 100% | 5 | Normal
|
Physical | ||||
| Pain Split USUM | — | —% | 20 | Normal
|
Status | ||||
| Recycle USUM | — | —% | 10 | Normal
|
Status | ||||
| Snore USUM | 50 | 100% | 15 | Normal
|
Special | ||||
| Spite USUM | — | 100% | 10 | Ghost
|
Status | ||||
| Trick USUM | — | 100% | 10 | Psychic
|
Status | ||||
| Uproar USUM | 90 | 100% | 10 | Normal
|
Special | ||||
| Bold indicates this Pokémon receives STAB from this move. Italic indicates an evolved or alternate form of this Pokémon receives STAB from this move. | |||||||||
Sprites[]
Appearances[]
Anime[]
Blacephalon in the anime.
Its first and only appearance was in "Twirling with a Bang!", where it entertained the viewers of a fireworks show, and later tried to compete with a Xurkitree to see who could perform the better form of entertainment. Both were distracted by the Ultra Guardians Super Pokémon fireworks and then knocked out by Ash's Lycanroc, who used Splintered Stormshards to take them both out. It has currently been returned to its home world.
Manga[]
It was one of the Pokémon Guzma's ultra wormholes opened in the Pokémon adventures manga. Both Sun and Salon Maiden Anabel tried and failed to catch it, only to be saved by Tapu Bulu, who got rid of the Ultra Beast.
Trivia[]
- Blacephalon is the only Ultra Beast with a signature move.
- It is the second Pokémon with Fire as its primary type and Ghost as its secondary type, following the Alolan Form of Marowak.
- Ironically enough, it can't learn moves that involve draining HP away from the target despite the Pokédex saying so.
- It can be considered Stakataka's Ultra Sun counterpart. Both Ultra Beasts have identical base stat totals and high Attack stats, with the distribution for the Defense, Special Stats and speed being different (Blacephalon is fast and hits hard specially, but it has very low Defense, while Stakataka is the opposite).They also appear in the same areas (Poni Grove) in their respective games, as well as being fought by Hala, Hau and Tapu Koko at the same point of time in both games.
- For some reason, Blacephalon can learn Magic Coat via level up but cannot learn it via the move tutor.
- Blacephalon's head serves as a mood indicator, since the patterns on it can vary.
- It is able to regenerate its head after using Mind Blown, as shown in the anime.
- Even if a Pokémon that is not Blacephalon uses Mind Blown, e.g. using Metronome, its head is shown while performing the move. Its color which is dependent on whether the user is shiny or not (white for normal, blue for shiny).
Origin[]
Blacephalon is based on a clown and fireworks. It may also take some inspiration from dandelion seed heads and/or a trope centered around ill-mannered clowns such as fictional animated clown Popee The Performer due to its actions. It's ability to remove it's head and its Ghost type may reference the Nukekubi, a ghost-like floating head that can drain people of their vitality similarly to a vampire, which Blacephalon's Ultra Moon Pokédex entry references.
Etymology[]
Blacephalon is a portmanteau of blast or blaze and the Greek root cephalo-, meaning "head."
Zugadōn is literally "頭がドーン" (zu ga dōn, "head goes kaboom").
Names in other languages[]
- French: Pierroteknik (a mix of a misspelling of Pyrotechnique (pyrotechnic) and pierrot, which means clown)
- Spanish: Blacephalon
- German: Kopplosio (mix of Kopf (head) and explosion)
Gallery[]
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- ^ Silvestri, Cris (2018). Pokémon: Super Deluxe Essential Handbook [Book]. p. 53. Scholastic. ISBN 978-1338230895.