Eternatus (ムゲンダイナ Mugendaina) is a Poison/Dragon-type Legendary Pokémon introduced in Generation VIII. It has an Eternamax form known as Eternamax Eternatus.
Contents
Biology
Physiology
Eternatus is a long dragon-like Pokémon. Its body is bright translucent red, and covered in dark black spiked armor resembling an exoskeletal spine. Its hands are also long, thin three-pronged claws made of the same material, and similarly, its feet are almost identical, despite a difference in size, and the end of its tail has wing-like appendages on its back. Its internal body can be seen as a long snake from its head to the tip of its tail. The spiked spine also extends at the middle of its body, inside of which is a glowing white sphere known as the "core".
In its Eternamax form, Eternatus body resembles a long winding snake with a hand-like feature at its face consisting of five long clawing spikes of the same appearance that its original form is coated with. A large amount of Eternamax Eternatus' body is far above the ground shrouded by dark clouds which, 20,000 years prior to the events of Pokémon Sword and Shield, covered the Galar region entirely, causing its attack which is named the Darkest Day nowadays. These clouds are similar to the ring of clouds that appear at the apex point of a Dynamax or Gigantamax Pokémon.
Game info
Game locations
| Locations | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Version(s) | Area(s) | Rarity | |||||||
| Sword and Shield | Energy Plant Tower Summit | One | |||||||
Pokédex entries
- Sword
The core on its chest absorbs energy emanating from the lands of the Galar region. This energy is what allows Eternatus to stay active.
Eternamax: As a result of Rose's meddling, Eternatus absorbed all the energy in the Galar region. It's now in a state of power overload. - Shield
It was inside a meteorite that fell 20,000 years ago. There seems to be a connection between this Pokémon and the Dynamax phenomenon.
Eternamax: Infinite amounts of energy pour from this Pokémon's enlarged core, warping the surrounding space-time.
Stats
| Base Stats | |
HP
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Atk
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Def
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Sp. Atk
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Sp. Def
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Speed
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Total
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| Base Stats | |
HP
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Atk
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Def
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Sp. Atk
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Sp. Def
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Speed
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Total
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Learnset
By leveling up
| Generation VIII | ||||||
| Level | Move | Type | Category | Power | Accuracy | PP |
| 1 | Poison Tail | 
|
Physical | 50 | 100% | 25 |
| 1 | Confuse Ray | 
|
Status | — | 100% | 10 |
| 1 | Dragon Tail | 
|
Physical | 60 | 90% | 10 |
| 1 | Agility | 
|
Status | — | 100% | 30 |
| 8 | Toxic |
|
Status | — | 90% | 10 |
| 16 | Venoshock |
|
Special | 65 | 100% | 10 |
| 24 | Dragon Dance |
|
Status | — | 100% | 20 |
| 32 | Cross Poison |
|
Physical | 70 | 100% | 20 |
| 40 | Dragon Pulse |
|
Special | 85 | 100% | 10 |
| 48 | Flamethrower | 
|
Special | 90 | 100% | 15 |
| 56 | Dynamax Cannon |
|
Special | 100 | 100% | 5 |
| 64 | Cosmic Power |
|
Status | — | 100% | 20 |
| 72 | Recover | 
|
Status | — | 100% | 10 |
| 80 | Hyper Beam |
|
Special | 150 | 90% | 5 |
| 88 | Eternabeam |
|
Special | 160 | 90% | 5 |
| Bold indicates that this Pokémon receives STAB from this move. Italic indicates that an evolved or alternate form of this Pokémon receives STAB from this move. | ||||||
By TM
| Generation VIII | ||||||
| Machine | Move | Type | Category | Power | Accuracy | PP |
| TM06 | Fly | 
|
Physical | 90 | 95% | 15 |
| TM08 | Hyper Beam |
|
Special | 150 | 90% | 5 |
| TM09 | Giga Impact |
|
Physical | 150 | 90% | 5 |
| TM11 | Solar Beam | 
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Special | 120 | 100% | 10 |
| TM16 | Screech |
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Status | — | 85% | 40 |
| TM17 | Light Screen |
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Status | — | 100% | 30 |
| TM18 | Reflect |
|
Status | — | 100% | 20 |
| TM21 | Rest |
|
Status | — | 100% | 10 |
| TM24 | Snore |
|
Special | 50 | 100% | 15 |
| TM25 | Protect |
|
Status | — | 100% | 10 |
| TM26 | Scary Face |
|
Status | — | 100% | 10 |
| TM39 | Facade |
|
Physical | 70 | 100% | 20 |
| TM57 | Payback | 
|
Physical | 50 | 100% | 10 |
| TM58 | Assurance |
|
Physical | 60 | 100% | 10 |
| TM73 | Cross Poison |
|
Physical | 70 | 100% | 20 |
| TM74 | Venoshock |
|
Special | 65 | 100% | 10 |
| TM76 | Round |
|
Special | 60 | 100% | 15 |
| TM92 | Mystical Fire |
|
Special | 75 | 100% | 10 |
| TM97 | Brutal Swing |
|
Physical | 60 | 100% | 20 |
| Bold indicates that this Pokémon receives STAB from this move. Italic indicates that an evolved or alternate form of this Pokémon receives STAB from this move. | ||||||
By TR
| Generation VIII | ||||||
| Machine | Move | Type | Category | Power | Accuracy | PP |
| TR02 | Flamethrower |
|
Special | 90 | 100% | 15 |
| TR12 | Agility |
|
Status | — | 100% | 30 |
| TR20 | Substitute |
|
Status | — | 100% | 10 |
| TR22 | Sludge Bomb |
|
Special | 90 | 100% | 10 |
| TR26 | Endure |
|
Status | — | 100% | 10 |
| TR27 | Sleep Talk |
|
Status | — | 100% | 10 |
| TR33 | Shadow Ball |
|
Special | 80 | 100% | 15 |
| TR44 | Cosmic Power |
|
Status | — | 100% | 20 |
| TR51 | Dragon Dance |
|
Status | — | 100% | 20 |
| TR54 | Toxic Spikes |
|
Status | — | 100% | 20 |
| TR57 | Poison Jab |
|
Physical | 80 | 100% | 20 |
| TR62 | Dragon Pulse |
|
Special | 85 | 100% | 10 |
| TR70 | Flash Cannon | 
|
Special | 80 | 100% | 10 |
| TR78 | Sludge Wave |
|
Special | 95 | 100% | 10 |
| TR91 | Venom Drench |
|
Status | — | 100% | 20 |
| Bold indicates that this Pokémon receives STAB from this move. Italic indicates that an evolved or alternate form of this Pokémon receives STAB from this move. | ||||||
By breeding
| Eternatus learns no moves via breeding. |
|---|
By tutoring
| Eternatus learns no moves via tutoring. |
|---|
Sprites
Appearances
Anime
- Main article: Eternatus (anime)
Eternatus made a brief appearance in Flash of the Titans!, where it flew through the clouds next to the plane Ash Ketchum and Goh use to travel to Galar while passing by it. Similar to Zekrom, it attracts the high-level energy signature of Ash's Pikachu.
It returned playing a major role as one of the antagonists in a Pokémon Journeys saga based on the primary Sword and Shield storyline; it was eventually caught by Goh and sealed away in a safe.
Trivia
- Eternatus is currently the only Pokémon with a base stat total of 690.
- Eternatus' Base Form currently holds the record of largest normal form Pokémon at 65'07", beating out Wailord's 47'07". It is also the heaviest of both of its types.
- After being caught, Eternatus cannot enter its Eternamax or Dynamax form, making it one of the only Pokémon in Sword and Shield to not be able to Dynamax (the others being Zacian and Zamazenta).
- Eternatus is the first, and currently, only permanent Poison-type Legendary Pokémon, excluding Silvally holding a Poison Memory.
- Without their armor, Eternatus has type advantage over Zacian and Zamazenta. Zacian, a Fairy type, is weak to Eternatus' Poison type, which also resists Zamazenta's Fighting type. However, when the two put on their armor, they both gain a secondary Steel type, making both of them immune to the Poison type. In addition, Zacian was already immune to Eternatus' Dragon type, and Zamazenta now resists it.
- Eternatus' Eternamax form has the following characteristics:
- It ties with Blissey for the highest base HP (255).
- It has the highest Defense and Special Defense stats (250 apiece).
- It has the highest base stat of all Pokémon, with a base total of 1125, beating the previous record of 780 of Mega Rayquaza and both forms of Mega Mewtwo.
- It is the only Pokémon whose base stat total exceeds 1000.
- It holds the record for largest Pokémon height (328'01").
- Eternatus is one of few Legendaries to not have a name that is globally shared.
- A Poké Ball is automatically given to the player if there aren't any Poké Balls in the bag during the battle with Eternatus, making it impossible to fail Eternatus' capture.
- It is somewhat similar to Necrozma. Both are the main antagonists of their games’ stories, both power the game's battle mechanic, and both have alternate forms, which can be accessed via using a certain mechanic, along with 2 signature moves.
- Eternatus has an unused theme song.
- Despite being similar, Eternamax Eternatus is neither a Dynamax Pokémon nor a Gigantamax Pokémon. This also means Behemoth Blade and Behemoth Bash do not double in power.
Origin
Eternatus is based on various depictions of dragons, most likely the ones depicted in the United Kingdom (the region Galar is based on). It is most likely based on depictions of venomous dragons in folklore such as the one St. George had killed. It also resembles an ancient dinosaur skeleton. According to its etymology, it may be based on Thanatos, the god of death. Strangely, its bones resemble the armor of Necrozma, another extraterrestrial death-themed Pokémon who provided its generation's region with the energy needed for that generation's signature combat mechanic (Z-Moves in Necrozma's case, Dynamax in Eternatus's). Its multiple blank white eyes resemble those of Crocomire, a boss from the game Super Metroid.
It may also be based on the biblical Seven Headed Dragon that throws one-third of all stars down to Earth and is then banished, which leads to the end of all time. This may have inspired the Wishing Stars (the stars that fall down to Earth, with Eternamax Eternatus' "hand" resembling a giant star), the banishment (the player only being able to catch Eternatus and being unable to let it retreat), and the Darkest Day (the end of all time). Eternamax Eternatus is also depicted with several heads rather than the single head it has in its normal form, albeit it only sports five heads rather than seven.
In terms of genre analysis or "meta", or "fourth wall genre awareness", Eternatus likely draws upon classical fantasy motifs of slaying primordial and chthonic forces that threaten humanity, as to the Lernaden Hydra, Yamata no Orochi, and the Dragon slain by St. George, and to RPGs, to embody the form of a more traditional endboss that threatens the world and all who live in it. Finally, its Eternamax form harkens to the European art motif of the Hand of God, used to display God's intervention and His will to depict Him without displaying a tangible form, which was considered blasphemous in the Middle Ages. In turn with Eternatus' RPG Endboss theming, this may also be a throwback to the 1990s and early 2000s JRPG era, significantly to such series and installments such as Lunar, Grandia II, Final Fantasy X, Xenosaga, and Tales of the Abyss, which came to challenge religious fatalism and eschatological/end times zealotry.
Etymology
Eternatus comes from the words "eternal", "aeternatus" (immortalized in Latin), and "Thanatus" (Thanatos in Latin).
Its Japanese name, Mugendaina, comes from the words "mugendai" (infinity), "dynamic", "die" (as it's a Poison type), and "Daimax" (Dynamax).
Gallery
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| Generation VIII Pokémon | |
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| Other Pokémon: Kanto • Johto • Hoenn • Sinnoh • Unova • Kalos • Alola |
