Like Darkrai and Shaymin before it, Arceus was not officially acknowledged by Nintendo until February 14, 2009, the year of its debut movie. It was later officially revealed to international audiences on August 3, 2009. Arceus plays a central role in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, serving as the game's titular character and a key figure in its storyline.
Arceus created the Pokémon of myth and the entire Pokémon universe. Known as the Original One (Japanese: そのものSono mono, "the very being"), Arceus was worshiped in ancient times by the people of Hisui under the name Almighty Sinnoh (Japanese: シンオウ様Sinn'ō-sama).
In its Normal-type form, Arceus is a white, equine Pokémon with an androgynous appearance. It resembles a qilin or centaur with a gray, vertically striated underside. The striated pattern also appears on the underside of its mane, tail, and face. Its four pointed feet are tipped with gold hooves. Its long mane juts away from its head, and its face is gray, with green eyes, red pupils, and a green circular pattern below its eyes. Arceus also has a streak of gold coloration on its head, which points upward. Its neck is fairly long, with two pairs of extrusions to the sides, and a flap-like feature on the neck's underside that is colored white like much of the body. Arceus also has a golden cross-like wheel attached to its body by its round abdomen. The wheel also has four green jewels attached to it. The pattern of striated gray of Arceus's underbelly continues past its waist. Its limbs have gray undersides and extrusions at the tops of the legs. Arceus's tail is similar to its mane in terms of shape and coloration. Despite its quadruped appearance, Arceus is capable of flight.
According to legend, it shaped the Pokémon universe using its 1,000 arms. Arceus has been referred to as the "Original One" in myths and legends and is generally considered one of the strongest Pokémon. Arceus is believed to be the creator of the Sinnoh and Ranseiregions, the Pokémon world, and possibly, even the entire Pokémon universe. It also created eggs which the Pokémon of myth, Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, hatched from, as well as another egg which the lake guardians, Uxie, Azelf, and Mesprit, hatched from. It could also recreate these eggs if it wanted to. Because of this, Arceus is thought to be one of the longest-lived Pokémon species, if not the oldest Pokémon in existence. In Arceus and the Jewel of Life, Arceus is portrayed as having powers such as bringing back things that it once destroyed, making certain things vanish into thin air, halting time, and overturning the very laws of nature. In the same movie, it is said to "feed" off the energy of its Plates.
Arceus does not suffer fools gladly and will attack in a violent rampage if betrayed or deceived. It also holds long grudges if betrayed by those it considered friends. In Hoopa and the Clash of Ages, it was shown to be able to stop the destruction caused by a space-time void. As shown in the Pokémon Journeys: The Series episode Showdown at the Gates of Warp!, Arceus has the power to not only calm Dialga and Palkia, but also destroy the Red Chain controlling them. It can release countless shots of light that disintegrate the landscape around it. Arceus can change its type at will to adapt to a situation through the use of its Plates or type-specific Z-Crystals. Arceus also has the power to split in two, creating a piece of itself to exist outside of its realm, which is implied to be its physical form—only a piece of its whole being—while its true form is unknown and incomprehensible.
Arceus was known to care for and safeguard the planet in ancient times, protecting the world from cataclysms such as meteors, and it would show gratitude and compassion to those who treated it with kindness. In modern times, Arceus continues to watch over the world and wishes for people and Pokémon to work together in the face of adversity. Even when it is needed, it only gives hints on how to solve problems instead of directly interfering. Arceus can also give its blessing to other Pokémon through bolts of light, making them bigger and more powerful, as seen with the ancient hero's 10 Pokémon companions. This blessing is passed down through family lines, as seen with the descendants of the hero's Pokémon: the noble Pokémon and ride Pokémon worshiped by the people of Hisui.
In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Arceus transformed a normal cellphone into an Arc Phone, a device that allows humans to communicate with it through text messages. Arceus also has the power to appear in dreams and create a variety of Pokémon to serve as challenges, as seen in Eternal Battle Reverie. In Pokémon Masters EX, through the sync stones ultimate, Arceus can give its blessing to a Trainer it deems worthy, transforming their outfits into costumes known as arc suits. As a result, their sync pair is blessed as well, granting them a divine move over their normal sync move. In Arceus and the Jewel of Life, using its Earth, Splash, Meadow, Zap, and Draco Plates, Arceus created the Jewel of Life, a powerful artifact capable of turning a desolate land into a rich and fertile one.
Like the Pokémon it created, Arceus also resides in another dimension, a realm beyond time and space itself. There, it appears in a form made of golden light, shaped like the silhouette of its normal appearance. This could possibly be its true form. It was also shown to be capable of human speech, stating that "Arceus" is simply the name humans call it. The ancient Sinnoh people worshiped it, referring to it as "almighty Sinnoh," "great Sinnoh," and "might of Sinnoh," with the term "Sinnoh" later on becoming the name of the region. The Diamond Clan and Pearl Clan also worshipped it, though they mistook Dialga and Palkia respectively for Arceus. In ancient myths, it is said that the Origin Ore, an ore of mysterious power, contains the power of Arceus itself.
Arceus has eighteen different forms, one for each type.
Thanks to its Ability, Arceus is capable of changing its form and type according to the Plate or type-specific Z-Crystal that it wields; its eyes, underbelly, face, hooves, snout, gems, and cross-like wheel all change color to match its current type.
Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon: Arceus appears when Dark Matter begins trying to take the Tree of Life to the sun, leading the other Pokémon in attempting to stop its ascent. He is able to telepathically reach the player thanks to Mewtwo and transports them to the Tree of Life's roots to confront Dark Matter. When Dark Matter regenerates itself and sends out a massive shockwave, Arceus and the other Legendary Pokémon gathered to stop the Tree of Life are immediately turned to stone. After Dark Matter is defeated, Arceus will remain at the top of Destiny Tower.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus: Arceus is the titular character of the game. It sends the player characterback in time to the Hisui region and gives them the mission of seeking out all Pokémon in Hisui. Throughout the game, Arceus occasionally communicates with and assists the player via the Arc Phone.
Pokémon Masters EX: While not physically seen, Arceus plays a notable role during the eponymously named Arceus Arc as the creator of sync stones ultimate. Asking the people of Pasio to demonstrate their bond with their Pokémon to it, Arceus grants sync pairs holding sync stones ultimate new costumes dubbed arc suits if the aforementioned bond is strong enough.
Pokédex entries
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation IV.
It is the heavenly fount from which pours the light that shines across Hisui. Its luminance guides and protects all Pokémon. Hisuian mythology states that Arceus is the creator of all things.
Arceus has multiple different forms that it switches between with its AbilityMultitype, with each of its forms having a different type. In total, it has eighteen different forms, one for each type. Though most of its forms were introduced in Generation IV, its Fairy-type form was introduced in Generation VI, along with the Fairy-type as a whole.
By default, Arceus is in its Normal-type form. If it holds (or, in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, is exposed to) a Plate or type-specific Z-Crystal, it changes its form to be the same type as the type the Plate or Z-Crystal corresponds to.
In games besides Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Arceus's signature moveJudgment is Normal-type by default, but changes to match the type of the Plate that it holds (being unaffected by Z-Crystals). In Legends: Arceus, the type of Judgment is directly determined by Arceus's form, such that its type always matches that of Arceus; additionally, Arceus can change its form during a battle using the Legend Plate. After being exposed to the Legend Plate, it will be in its Normal-type form by default and change its form before using Judgment to have a type advantage over the target, which also changes Judgment's type to match Arceus's. When determining the type that it changes into, any double weaknesses that the target may have are prioritized, followed by a type that resists the target's primary type (prioritizing immunities), then a type that resists the target's secondary type (again prioritizing immunities); if multiple types are equally valid, one of them is chosen at random. Arceus reverts to its Normal-type form when the battle ends. If Arceus is deposited into Pokémon HOME while in any of its alternate forms, it reverts to its Normal-type form; if it is under the effects of the Legend Plate when deposited into HOME, these effects wear off.
In addition to its changing type, Arceus's Pokéathlon performance differs depending on its form, and it can only learn Draco Meteor from a Move Tutor while in its Dragon-type form (though it can learn it via TM in any form).
???-type Arceus sprite
In the Generation IV games, there is an unused ???-type Arceus, but it cannot be legitimately obtained in the games, as there is no ???-type Plate. Due to how its Ability would automatically turn any Arceus without a Plate into a Normal-type Pokémon in Generation IV, a ???-type Arceus hacked into the game will be treated as Normal-type. This form was removed in Generation V due to the removal of the ??? type.
Arceus debuted in Arceus and the Jewel of Life. It was angry at the people of Michina Town for Damos's unwitting betrayal of it in ancient times, and so it attempted to destroy the world. When Ash, his friends, and Sheena were teleported by Dialga to ancient times, they directly influenced the event, changing the future for the better so that Arceus would stop its destruction.
Arceus made its animated series debut as a silhouette in Showdown at the Gates of Warp!. It was called upon by Ash, his friends, their alternate world counterparts, and the people in both of their worlds to help stop Dialga and Palkia's fight and destroy the Red Chain that was forcing them to battle.
An Arceus briefly appeared as a silhouette in GOTCHA!.
In the manga
Arceus in Pokémon AdventuresArceus's various forms in Pokémon Adventures
Movie adaptations
Arceus appears as a central character in the Arceus and the Jewel of Life manga adaptation, reprising its role from the movie. After Arceus saved the world from a meteor, Damos took care of it. It gave Damos the Jewel of Life to make the land of Michina Town rich and fertile. Damos then "betrayed" Arceus, and it has been outraged ever since.
Arceus appears in the TCG in all types but Dragon and Fairy. Cards based on Arceus first appeared in the Arceus expansion set, which were printed with a rule that allows players to have as many Arceus cards in their deck as they like.
Arceus has the highest base stat total of all Normal-type Pokémon and the highest base stat total of any Pokémon in its base form.
In Generation IV, it was impossible to legitimately give Arceus more than 100 EVs in any stat, since it was only ever distributed at level 100. Prior to Generation V, level 100 Pokémon could not gain EVs through battling because they could not gain experience.
Arceus is the only pre-Generation V Pokémon to never officially receive a DPBP number. Kadabra, which was not released as a TCG card during the DPBP era, is assumed to be #070, as Abra and Alakazam are #069 and #071, respectively.
Arceus received the most votes of all pre-Generation V Pokémon in the Pokémon Global Linkpromotion poll in both the Japanese poll and the international (non-Japanese and non-Korean) poll.
Prior to Generation VII, Arceus was classified by Pokédex color sorting as gray.
This pronunciation is also reflected in the name of the Ability RKS System.
Space GlobeIcon for RKS Laboratories
Ever since Arceus's debut, certain aspects of the Pokémon series have made use of its iconography.
In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky, the Space Globe (Japanese: じくうのオーブ Space-Time Orb) is an item that is described as the ultimate globe that holds the power to pass through space and time. It resembles Arceus's attached wheel and can be found on a statue of Arceus.
Arceus and Silvally have similar Shiny colorations, swapping their usual white to a light gold.
The name of the Ability RKS System is a reference to Arceus, with its English name being similar to the pronunciation of "Arceus". In German, Spanish, French, and Italian, its name is instead a reference to Arceus's category, the Alpha Pokémon.
The company RKS Laboratories (Japanese: アルセウス製薬 Arceus Pharma) in Galar has a logo similar to the rings on Arceus's body, furthering the connection.
The official English website of Pokémon Legends: Arceus used to refer to Arceus as a Legendary Pokémon, which was later corrected to Mythical Pokémon as of September 28, 2021.[2] On the Japanese website, it has been referred to as a Mythical Pokémon from the beginning.[3]
While using the Legend Plate, Arceus will never transform back into the Normal-type, as nothing is weak to Normal.
Arceus is the only Pokémon to narrate the introduction for a core series game.
In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Arceus's summary will say it was met at the Temple of Sinnoh, despite being fought and obtained in the Hall of Origin.
Arceus was the only Pokémon first introduced during the DPt era of the Japanese Pokémon Trading Card Game. In the international TCG, Arceus and Shaymin were both introduced in the Platinum series.
The origin mark for Legends: Arceus and the symbols for the Arceus expansion and the Brilliant Stars expansion resemble Arceus's rings.
In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Arceus is the only Pokémon that can be registered in the player's Pokédex and have a research level of 0 at the same time.
Origin
Arceus appears to be particularly based on a creator deity, present in many world cultures. Arceus's stance and general form are similar to Egyptian bovine idols— particularly Apis—but its general anatomy may also be similar to equine idols. Based on its appearance and attack movements in the 3D games, Arceus may be modeled after ordinary creatures—such as those from the Equidae, Camelidae or Giraffidae families—or fantastical and mythical creatures—such as the polymeliac Uchchaihshravas and Sleipnir, the qilin, or the longma.
The arc on its back may be inspired by the Dharmachakra, or the Bhavacakra, used to represent a concept similar to the reincarnation in Hinduism. It also resembles a stylized halo, a form of religious iconography used by many religions to indicate holy, divine, or sacred figures; it has at various periods also been used in imagery of rulers, heroes, and saints.
The conception of the first god might be influenced by the Shinto gods Kuninotokotachi and Amenominakanushi, who summoned Izanami and Izanagi to create Japan with the spear. Its myth is nearly identical to the world egg, found in creation myths of many cultures and civilizations. Arceus may also represent or be inspired by the bodhisattvaAvalokiteśvara, who, in Buddhism, has polymelia and is either pictured with eleven heads and one thousand arms (the latter of which is mentioned in Arceus's Pokédex entry) or in a white, four-armed manifestation (which could look similar to Normal-type Arceus).
Name origin
Arceus may be a combination of αρχή arkhé (Ancient Greek for origin and authority) or alpha and deus (Latin for god) or Zeus (king of the gods in Greek mythology). It may also involve arcane, aureus (Latin for golden), arc, arcesso (Latin for I summon), Archeus (an aspect of the astral plane), or Chaos (the origin state of the universe in Greek mythology, often personified as the first primordial deity).
In other languages
Language
Title
Meaning
Japanese
アルセウス Arceus
From αρχή arkhē or alpha and deus or Zeus, and possibly arcane, aureus, arc, arcesso, Archeus, and Chaos
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
Rowap Berry (100%)
Silk Scarf (???%)
For other sprites and images, please see Arceus images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
Fire-type Arceus
Ghost-type Arceus
Water-type Arceus
and the symbols for the Arceus expansion 
and the Brilliant Stars expansion 
resemble Arceus's rings.
