The Legendary Birds are a trio consisting of Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. They are a group of Legendary Pokémon that appear in the Kanto region.
It is shown in the second Pokémon movie, Pokemon 2000: The Power of One, that if the three began to fight each other, Lugia, the trio master will rise to stop them, but it would need the help of the Chosen One, who turned out to be Ash Ketchum.
While Moltres was at the Kanto Pokémon Championship, in the GBA games, you can find Moltres in either Victory Road or on One Island. While Articuno is where Ash, his friends and Todd found it, in the game, it is in Seafoam Islands. While Zapdos is found during Season 5 near a pond, in the game, you can find Zapdos in the Power Plant.
Each of the Legendary Birds also have a Galarian Form that have been spotted in the Crown Tundra.
Pokémon
Kantonian Forms
Pokémon | Type | Ability | Description |
---|---|---|---|
![]() Articuno |
Ice/ | Pressure | Articuno is the Ice/Flying-type member of the trio. When Articuno flaps its wings, it can chill the moisture in the air around it, making snow fall. It flies from icy mountain to icy mountain. According to legend, it appears before doomed travelers lost in icy regions. As seen in the anime, Articuno sometimes aids travelers and guides them to safety. Articuno lives in cold, isolated locations, such as mountain peaks. |
![]() Zapdos |
Electric/ | Pressure | Zapdos is the Electric/Flying-type member of the trio. When Zapdos flaps its glittering wings, it releases electricity that can potentially cause thunderstorms. It produces massive crackling and snapping sounds when it flies; these are attributed to the lightning bolts it sheds when airborne. When stricken by lightning, it gains power. Zapdos reportedly appears only during thunderstorms, and is said to live among thunderclouds. |
![]() Moltres |
Fire/ | Pressure | Moltres is the Fire/Flying-type member of the trio. Moltres sheds embers with every flap of its wings, creating a brilliant flash of flames. By dipping itself into the magma of an active volcano, this Pokémon can heal itself. It migrates to the south with the coming of spring, and is said to bring an early springtime to cold lands. Moltres is rarely seen by Trainers. |
Galarian Forms
Pokémon | Type | Ability | Description |
---|---|---|---|
![]() Galarian Articuno |
Psychic/ | Competitive | Galarian Articuno is the Psychic/Flying-type member of the trio. Once every several decades, this migratory Pokémon appears in the Crown Tundra. For a long time, it was thought to be the same Legendary Pokémon as the Articuno previously discovered in other regions. Though cold and callous in personality, it moves in a highly refined manner. It keeps itself airborne through constant use of its psychic powers, almost never flapping its wings. |
![]() Galarian Zapdos |
Fighting/ | Defiant | Galarian Zapdos is the Fighting/Flying-type member of the trio. Once every several decades, this migratory Pokémon appears in the Crown Tundra. For a long time, it was thought to be the same Legendary Pokémon as the Zapdos previously discovered in other regions. This belligerent, battle-hungry Pokémon seems unable to resist challenging Pokémon it senses may be stronger than itself. |
![]() Galarian Moltres |
Dark/ | Berserk | Galarian Moltres is the Dark/Flying-type member of the trio. Once every several decades, this migratory Pokémon appears in the Crown Tundra. For a long time, it was thought to be the same Legendary Pokémon as the Moltres previously discovered in other regions. It has a haughty personality and conducts itself calmly, according to its own whims. |
Anime
They can be seen with Lugia in Pokemon: The Power of One.
Trivia
- Their names consist of the first three Spanish numbers, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. This also reflects their order in the National Pokédex.
- Before each number, there is a word corresponding to their primary types.
- Each one of the Legendary Birds have similar looking feet, but their colors vary slightly.
- Earlier drawings of the Legendary Birds portrayed them with only three toes (two in the front and one in the back) as opposed to four toes (three in the front and one in the back).
- Generation II introduced the Legendary Beasts, which all share the same types as the Legendary Birds with the exception of Suicune, which is a Water type instead of an Ice type.
- When Generation III introduced the Hoenn Legendary Titans, only one, Regice, shared a type with a Legendary Bird, Ice. This was the one type that wasn't shared by a Legendary Beast.
- The Tao Trio share the same types as the Legendary Birds, except they are Dragon type instead of type.
- Their trio master is Lugia, as opposed to Ho-Oh being the trio master of the Legendary Beasts.
- They're the first Legendary Pokémon to gain regional forms.