Solgaleo (ソルガレオ Sorugareo) is a Psychic/Steel-type Legendary Pokémon introduced in Generation VII. It is the mascot for Pokémon Sun. It is Lunala's counterpart and one of the two evolved forms of Cosmoem. It, alongside Lunala and Necrozma, is a member of the Light Trio.
Contents
Biology
Physiology
Solgaleo is a large, white Pokémon resembling a white lion. It has a blunt muzzle with a blue-gray nose and pale blue eyes. The top half of its face is a deep blue area that shows a constantly changing starscape. Four yellow spikes frame Solgaleo's head like a crown and two more pairs of spikes adorn either side of its lower jaw, and each spike separates large tufts of Solgaleo's mane. Solid ridges—red nearest Solgaleo's head and yellow farther away—poke out of each tuft along the middle, except on the tufts on its cheeks and chin, with the topmost part wrapping around the tip of the tuft. Overall, its mane creates the impression of a stylized sun. Around each leg is a dark orange band, and there is a black spot on each foot. It has three black toes on each foot with long yellow claws. At the tip of its tail is a large black spot with a thin yellow rim.
When Solgaleo enters its Radiant Sun phase, a light blue symbol similar to a compass rose appears on its forehead and the starscape turns to streaks of light. The fur on its body glows a pale yellow and all other parts of its body except its nose turn bright yellow.
Natural abilities
Known as the "beast that devours the sun," Solgaleo has long been honored as an emissary of the sun (太陽の騎士 Taiyō no kishi, lit. "knight of the sun") . Its body is capable of holding a vast amount of energy and glows when active. Solgaleo can create Ultra Wormholes to travel to and from Ultra Space. Solgaleo along with its counterpart Lunala can create Cosmog.
It is said that the intense light Solgaleo radiates from its body's surface is capable to turning the darkest night into midday; because of this, Solgaleo is often mistaken to be the sun.
Game info
Locations
| Locations | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Version(s) | Area(s) | Rarity | |||||||
| Sun and Moon | Altar of the Sunne/Evolve Cosmoem (Sun Only) | One | |||||||
| Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon | Mahalo Trail (after defeating Gladion at Mount Lanakila)
Evolve Cosmoem (Sun Only) |
One | |||||||
| Sword and Shield | Transfer from Pokémon HOME/Evolve Cosmoem (Sword only) | None | |||||||
Pokédex entries
- Sun
It is said to live in another world. The intense light it radiates from the surface of its body can make the darkest of nights light up like midday.
- Moon
This Pokémon is said to be a male evolution of Cosmog. At the activation of its third eye, it departs for another world.
- Ultra Sun
Sometimes the result of its opening an Ultra Wormhole is that energy and life-forms from other worlds are called here to this world.
- Ultra Moon
In writings from the distant past, it's called by the name "the beast that devours the sun."
- Sword
When light radiates from its body, this Pokémon could almost appear to be the sun. It will dispel any darkness and light up the world.
- Shield
Solgaleo was once known as the Beast That Devours the Sun. Energy in the form of light radiates boundlessly from it.
Stats
| Solgaleo's Stats | |
|---|---|
| HP | |
| Attack | |
| Defense | |
| Sp. Atk | |
| Sp. Def | |
| Speed | |
| Total | 680
|
Learnset
Leveling
| LevelingGeneration VII | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level | Move | Power | Accuracy | PP | Type | Category | |||
| 1 | Sunsteel Strike | 100 | 100% | 5 | Steel | Physical | |||
| 1 | Cosmic Power | — | —% | 20 | Normal | Status | |||
| 1 | Wake-Up Slap | 70 | 100% | 10 | Fighting | Physical | |||
| 1 | Teleport | — | —% | 20 | Psychic | Status | |||
| 1 | Metal Claw | 50 | 95% | 35 | Steel | Physical | |||
| 7 | Iron Head | 80 | 100% | 15 | Steel | Physical | |||
| 13 | Metal Sound | — | 100% | 20 | Normal | Status | |||
| 19 | Zen Headbutt | 80 | 90% | 15 | Psychic | Physical | |||
| 23 | Flash Cannon | 80 | 100% | 10 | Steel | Special | |||
| 31 | Morning Sun | — | —% | 5 | Normal | Status | |||
| 37 | Crunch | 80 | 100% | 15 | Dark | Physical | |||
| 43 | Metal Burst | — | 100% | 10 | Steel | Physical | |||
| 47 | Solar Beam | 120 | 100% | 10 | Grass | Special | |||
| 59 | Noble Roar | — | 100% | 30 | Normal | Status | |||
| 61 | Flare Blitz | 120 | 100% | 15 | Fire | Physical | |||
| 67 | Wide Guard | — | —% | 10 | Rock | Status | |||
| 73 | Giga Impact | 150 | 90% | 5 | Normal | Physical | |||
| 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
Breeding
| Solgaleo learns no moves via breeding. |
|---|
Tutoring
| Tutoring Generation VII | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move | Power | Accuracy | PP | Type | Category | ||||
| Endeavor USUM | — | 100% | 5 | Normal | Physical | ||||
| Hyper Voice USUM | 90 | 100% | 10 | Normal | Special | ||||
| Iron Defense USUM | — | —% | 15 | Steel | Status | ||||
| Iron Head USUM | 80 | 100% | 15 | Steel | Physical | ||||
| Iron Tail USUM | 100 | 75% | 15 | Steel | Physical | ||||
| Knock Off USUM | 65 | 100% | 20 | Dark | Physical | ||||
| Last Resort USUM | 140 | 100% | 5 | Normal | Physical | ||||
| Outrage USUM | 120 | 100% | 10 | Dragon | Physical | ||||
| Shock Wave USUM | 60 | —% | 20 | Electric | Special | ||||
| Snore USUM | 50 | 100% | 15 | Normal | Special | ||||
| Superpower USUM | 120 | 100% | 5 | Fighting | Physical | ||||
| Zen Headbutt USUM | 80 | 90% | 15 | Psychic | Physical | ||||
| 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
In the anime
- Main article: Nebby (anime)
Trivia
- Solgaleo is the third Pokémon based on a lion, the other two being Entei and Pyroar.
- Ironically, though Solgaleo represents the sun it is weak against Fire-type moves. It shares this trait with Lunala, who is 4x weak to Dark-types despite symbolizing the night.
- The Pokédex refers to it as a male, while it is actually genderless.
- Solgaleo has the highest base HP of all Steel-type Pokémon.
- Solgaleo and its counterpart Lunala are the only Legendary version mascots of a generation's primary pair of games with a base stat under 90.
- In Solgaleo's case, this is its Special Defense.
- In Super Smash Bros., Solgaleo is one of the Pokémon that can be freed from Poké Balls. During this time, it uses the move Sunsteel Strike.
Origin
Solgaleo is based on a lion with a sun motif, a fairly common motif in many Western and Middle-Eastern cultures. In particular Solgaleo might reference the alchemical lion, being described as "devouring the sun", as well as connected to metals via its Steel-type. Finally, being the emissary rather than personification of the sun as well as being able to pass through different dimensions, Solgaleo might lend some inspiration from the eye of Ra, a goddess usually described as a lion that is the sun's protector in Egyptian mythology as it travels through the underworld. It may also be based on the constellation Leo, which depicts a lion and is the fifth sign of the western zodiac.
Etymology
Solgaleo and Sorugareo are portmanteaus of sol (Latin for sun) and leo (Latin for lion, also a constellation depicting a lion). It may also incorporate Galileo, an Italian astronomer who presented evidence that the Earth orbited the Sun and advocated Copernican heliocentrism.
Solgaleo's verbal cry in Pokémon Sun, "La-liona", is based on the words lā (Hawaiian for Sun) and "liona" (Hawaiian for lion)
In other languages
- Japanese, English, French, Spanish, German, Korean: ソルガレオ Solgaleo
- Cantonese Chinese: 索爾迦雷歐 Sokyíhgālèuihāu
- Mandarin Chinese: 索爾迦雷歐 / 索尔迦雷欧 Suǒ'ěrjiāléi'ōu
Gallery
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| Generation VII Pokémon | |
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| Other Pokémon: Kanto • Johto • Hoenn • Sinnoh • Unova • Kalos • Galar |
| Evolutionary Line | |
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