As the tales goes, Zacian and Zamazenta were the heroes who ended the Darkest Day in Galar. The kingship is a big part of the game lore, even if Eternatus is up there in terms of power. Instead of being some deus ex machina Pokemon though, Eternatus is effectively on resposible for a localized phenomenon in dynamaxing and gigantamaxing. The homegrown heroes and legendaries take the fore in Pokemon Sword and Shield, and even continue this trend in Crown Tundra’s DLC.
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The Crown Tundra King: Calyrex
Even in a self-contained way, Pokemon Sword and Shield’s Calyrex is an interesting legendary. It apparently once ruled Galar, tying back into that idea of kingship, and it can even speak human. Calyrex has the ability to see the past, present, and future, reportedly using those abilities to save humans and Pokemon in trouble. This foresight and ability brings up a lot of questions about the legendary’s weakness and how it loses power, but that’s neither here nor there.
Building on this king theme, the power of Calyrex is apparently relegated to its “left hand” and “right hand.” This is meant literally here, but a King’s right-hand man is a clear enough connection to the theme. Furthermore, as with most kingly figures, Calyrex’s steeds are important, giving Calyrex interesting abilities and powers. In the grand scheme of things, it seems befitting that Calyrex is depicted more as a king than a legendary.
While slight, it’s an important differentiation. A big draw for the Pokemon Sword and Shield DLC is how it bring back a lot of Pokemon, including legendaries, and there’s a lot going on with the Dynamax Adventures and all there. But what really makes the Crown Tundra stand out is that, among all of these world-changing legendaries, it is a king that takes front and center.
Pokemon Sword and Shield are out now for Switch.
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