Lucario (;
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
: ,
Hepburn: ) is a
Pokémon species in
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles.
The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
and
Game Freak
is a Japanese video game developer, best known as the primary developer and co-owners of the ''Pokémon (video game series), Pokémon'' series of role-playing video games.
History
Predating the video game company, ''Game Freak'' was a self- ...
's ''
Pokémon
is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
'' franchise. Created by Game Freak and finalized by
Ken Sugimori
is a Japanese video game designer, illustrator, mangaka, manga artist, and Video game director (disambiguation), director. He is best known as the primary character designer and art director for the ''Pokémon'' franchise. Sugimori is also credi ...
, Lucario first appeared as a central character in the film ''
Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew'', then as a cameo in ''
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team'', and later appeared in the video games
''Pokémon Diamond'' and ''Pearl'' and later sequels. It additionally appears in various, spin-off titles and animated and printed adaptations of the franchise, and has been featured in several forms of merchandise, including figurines, plush toys, and the ''
Pokémon Trading Card Game
The , abbreviated as ''PTCG'' or ''Pokémon TCG'', is a tabletop and collectible card game developed by Creatures Inc. based on the ''Pokémon'' franchise. Originally published in Japan by Media Factory in 1996, publishing worldwide is curre ...
''. Lucario is voiced by
Daisuke Namikawa
is a Japanese actor and singer associated with Stay Luck. He began acting as a child and is sometimes mistaken with Daisuke Hirakawa, as their names only differ by one character when written in kanji. Despite his wide range of roles, he usua ...
,
Daisuke Sakaguchi
is a Japanese voice actor affiliated with Aoni Production. He is best known for his roles in '' Mobile Suit Victory Gundam'' as Üso Ewin, '' Gintama'' as Shinpachi Shimura, ''Clannad'' as Youhei Sunohara, '' Blood Blockade Battlefront ''as Le ...
,
Rikako Aikawa and Kiyotaka Furushima in Japanese, and
Bill Rogers and
Sean Schemmel
Sean Schemmel (born November 21, 1968) is an American voice actor, ADR director, and screenwriter known chiefly for his work in cartoons, anime, and video games. His most notable role is the teen and adult voice of Goku, Son Goku in the Funimati ...
in English.
Known as the Aura Pokémon, Lucario can sense and manipulate , a special kind of life energy. Lucario has also been featured as a playable character in the crossover fighting game series ''
Super Smash Bros.
is a series of platform fighting video games published by Nintendo. Created by Masahiro Sakurai, the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series is a crossover featuring many characters from other video game series created by Nintendo and other develope ...
'' since ''
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' is a 2008 crossover fighting game developed by Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Wii. The third installment in the '' Super Smash Bros.'' series and the successor to '' Super Smash Bros. Melee'', it wa ...
''. Since its debut, Lucario has received a positive reception, with critics responding positively to its design, and it has been a popular Pokémon with fans of the series. It has frequently been used in real-world promotion, including as an
ambassador
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...
to promote fitness with children. It is also one of the few species capable of Mega Evolution, to which its design has been similarly praised.
Concept and creation
Lucario is a species of fictional creatures called Pokémon created for the ''
Pokémon
is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
'' media franchise. Developed by
Game Freak
is a Japanese video game developer, best known as the primary developer and co-owners of the ''Pokémon (video game series), Pokémon'' series of role-playing video games.
History
Predating the video game company, ''Game Freak'' was a self- ...
and published by
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles.
The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
, the Japanese franchise began in 1996 with the video games ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Green'' for the
Game Boy
The is a handheld game console developed by Nintendo, launched in the Japanese home market on April 21, 1989, followed by North America later that year and other territories from 1990 onwards. Following the success of the Game & Watch single-ga ...
, which were later released in North America as
''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue'' in 1998. In these games and their sequels, the player assumes the role of a Trainer whose goal is to capture and use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon. Some Pokémon can transform into stronger species through a process called
evolution
Evolution is the change in the heritable Phenotypic trait, characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift act on genetic variation, re ...
via various means, such as exposure to specific items.
Each Pokémon have one or two elemental types, which define its advantages and disadvantages when battling other Pokémon. A major goal in each game is to complete the
Pokédex, a comprehensive Pokémon encyclopedia, by capturing, evolving, and trading with other Trainers to obtain individuals from all Pokémon species.
When developing
''Pokémon Diamond'' and ''Pearl'', lead designer
Ken Sugimori
is a Japanese video game designer, illustrator, mangaka, manga artist, and Video game director (disambiguation), director. He is best known as the primary character designer and art director for the ''Pokémon'' franchise. Sugimori is also credi ...
noted that the team wanted to "show new Pokémon that people have never seen before" and find ways to surprise people. He wanted the new designs to be able to "grow" on players and were intentionally made to feel "a little awkward at first". Director
Junichi Masuda
is a Japanese video game composer, director, designer, producer, singer, programmer and trombonist, best known for his work in the ''Pokémon'' franchise. He was a member of Game Freak where he was an employee and executive at the company s ...
stated that when they started, they focused on "the strongest Pokemon" in each typing first. After the planning team was done, the design was finalized by Sugimori, who drew the species in multiple poses and defined smaller aspects such as its paws and face for the development team to work with afterward.
Masuda considered Lucario's name as one of the most difficult to create, due to an effort to make it appeal to all audiences. The film ''
Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew'', released during the game's development, affected how they approached Lucario's game counterpart, with Matsuda noting that he was excited to avoid the issues that arose with another Pokémon,
Lugia, after the release of its own film.
Lucario is a
canid
Canidae (; from Latin, ''canis'', "dog") is a family (biology), biological family of caniform carnivorans, constituting a clade. A member of this family is also called a canid (). The family includes three subfamily, subfamilies: the Caninae, a ...
-like
Pokémon
is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
. Fans have speculated that it may be partly based on
Anubis
Anubis (; ), also known as Inpu, Inpw, Jnpw, or Anpu in Ancient Egyptian (), is the god of funerary rites, protector of graves, and guide to the underworld in ancient Egyptian religion, usually depicted as a canine or a man with a canine hea ...
, the jackal-headed god of embalming from Egyptian mythology that is a bipedal
digitigrade
In terrestrial vertebrates, digitigrade ( ) locomotion is walking or running on the toes (from the Latin ''digitus'', 'finger', and ''gradior'', 'walk'). A digitigrade animal is one that stands or walks with its toes (phalanges) on the ground, and ...
with finger-like digits on its forepaws. Its chest and the exterior of its wrists each feature a single, white spike. Lucario also has a large snout and ears, red irises with vertical slit pupils, an "hourglass"-shaped figure with thighs significantly thicker than the rest of its body,
iron rings
Iron rings are heavy metal rings used in martial arts for various training purposes. Metal rings have a long history of being used in Yau Kung Mun, Hung Gar, Ziranmen and other styles for weight training, to harden the muscle, skin, or bone, or ...
incorporated into its shoulders and waist, and a
raccoon
The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the North American, northern or common raccoon (also spelled racoon) to distinguish it from Procyonina, other species of raccoon, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest ...
's "mask" that loosely resembles a
khakkhara
A khakkhara (; ; ; ), sometimes referred to in English as a pewter staff, is a staff topped with metal rings traditionally carried by Buddhism, Buddhist monks, particularly in East Asian Buddhism.
Originally used as a noisemaker to announce a m ...
with four small
dreadlock
Dreadlocks, also known as dreads or locs, are a hairstyle made of rope-like strands of matted hair. Dreadlocks can form naturally in very curly hair, or they can be created with techniques like twisting, backcombing, or crochet.
Etymology
Th ...
-like appendages on the back of its head that are used to sense Aura. The coloration of Lucario's fur is predominantly blue and black, although its torso features
buff-colored fur slightly shaggier than the rest of its body. When it opens its mouth wide enough, sharp fangs can be seen.
Appearances
In video games
Lucario's debut and first video game appearance was in ''
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team'' and ''
Red Rescue Team'', though it only appears in a cameo as a statue when the player gets the Lucario rank, the highest rank in the game. It then appeared in ''Pokémon Diamond'' and ''Pearl.'' Lucario later gained a
Mega Evolution—a special transformation—in
''Pokémon X'' and ''Y''. While holding Lucarionite, its Mega Stone, it can Mega Evolve into Mega Lucario during battle, gaining a power boost as a result. Lucario would go on to appear in several later games in the series. It also appears as a playable character in ''
Pokémon UNITE'' and ''
Pokken Tournament'' and was in other spin-offs such as ''
Pokémon Go
''Pokémon Go'' (stylized as ''Pokémon GO'') is a 2016 augmented reality (AR) mobile game originally developed and published by Niantic in collaboration with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company for iOS and Android devices. It uses mobile devic ...
'' and ''
Pokémon Masters EX''.
Due to an unintentional leak on Nintendo's official ''Super Smash Bros.'' website, which detailed how certain collectibles could be applied to certain characters, Lucario was indirectly confirmed as a playable character for ''
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' is a 2008 crossover fighting game developed by Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Wii. The third installment in the '' Super Smash Bros.'' series and the successor to '' Super Smash Bros. Melee'', it wa ...
''.
In ''Brawl'', Lucario is unlocked upon being encountered in the story mode at The Glacial Peak or through other special means.
Lucario's special moveset in the series consists of many moves it can use in the ''Pokémon'' series. Its "Final Smash," or a powerful finisher attack, Aura Storm, consists of launching a powerful beam of Aura at opponents.
Lucario's fighting style revolves around a mixture of
martial arts
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...
, including
Shaolin Kung Fu
Shaolin kung fu (), also called Shaolin Wushu (), or Shaolin quan (), is the largest and most famous style of Chinese martial arts, kung fu. It combines Chan Buddhism, Chan philosophy and martial arts.
It was developed in the Shaolin Temple in ...
, and Aura manipulation. Aura itself is also a game mechanic unique to Lucario; its attacks become stronger as it continues to receive damage.
Lucario returned as a playable character in
''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS'' and ''Wii U'' and again in ''
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' is a 2018 crossover fighting game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the fifth installment in the '' Super Smash Bros.'' series, succeeding ' ...
'', being voiced in both games by
Sean Schemmel
Sean Schemmel (born November 21, 1968) is an American voice actor, ADR director, and screenwriter known chiefly for his work in cartoons, anime, and video games. His most notable role is the teen and adult voice of Goku, Son Goku in the Funimati ...
, who voiced Lucario in ''Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew''. Additionally, its Aura mechanic now affects the entirety of its moveset. In
''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS'' and ''Wii U'', Lucario's Mega Evolution, Mega Lucario, replaced Aura Storm as its Final Smash, reflecting the form change introduced in ''Pokémon X'' and ''Y''.
In ''
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' is a 2018 crossover fighting game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the fifth installment in the '' Super Smash Bros.'' series, succeeding ' ...
'', its Final Smash consists of it Mega Evolving into Mega Lucario before performing Aura Storm.
In anime
Lucario debuted in the anime in the eighth Pokémon movie, ''Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew''. In the movie, Lucario is a servant to a nobleman named
Sir Aaron in a
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
-themed city called Cameron Palace. Lucario thinks of Sir Aaron as his master and close friend; however, after Aaron traps him in a magic staff, Lucario begins questioning any Pokémon–human relationship. The Lucario in the movie, voiced in English by
Sean Schemmel
Sean Schemmel (born November 21, 1968) is an American voice actor, ADR director, and screenwriter known chiefly for his work in cartoons, anime, and video games. His most notable role is the teen and adult voice of Goku, Son Goku in the Funimati ...
, can speak human languages through telepathy. Lucario ultimately sacrifices himself at the end of the film.
Other Lucario later appear in the series. Series protagonist
Ash Ketchum later obtains a Lucario after his
Riolu evolves in ''
Pokémon Journeys: The Series'' during a battle against Chairman Rose, a major antagonist in the series. It later gains the ability to Mega Evolve, and Ash uses it throughout the series.
Promotion and reception
Lucario has been featured in several forms of merchandise, including figurines, plush toys, and the ''
Pokémon Trading Card Game
The , abbreviated as ''PTCG'' or ''Pokémon TCG'', is a tabletop and collectible card game developed by Creatures Inc. based on the ''Pokémon'' franchise. Originally published in Japan by Media Factory in 1996, publishing worldwide is curre ...
''. Copies of ''
Pokémon White'' sold at
Target stores
Target Corporation is an American retail corporation that operates a retail chain, chain of discount department stores and hypermarkets, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the seventh-largest retailer in the United States, and a co ...
, including a promotional code to acquire Lucario early in the game. Lucario has also been a part of the third wave of
amiibo
(, ; stylized as amiibo; plural: ''Amiibo'') is a toys-to-life platform by Nintendo, which was launched in November 2014. It consists of a wireless communications and storage protocol for connecting figurines to the Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, Ni ...
, with its figure released on January 22, 2015, in Japan, and as a
Toys "R" Us
Toys "R" Us is an American toy, clothing, and baby product retailer owned by Tru Kids (doing business as Tru Kids Brands) and various others. The company was founded in 1948 in Washington, D.C.; its first store was built in April 1948, with i ...
-exclusive beginning in February 2015 in North America.
Nanoblock kits and gallery figures have been also made. As part of a partnership with Nintendo,
Japan Post Insurance has used Lucario as an ambassador to promote
radio calisthenics to children.
Lucario has been used in similar promotions across Japan in order to encourage fitness.
Since its introduction, Lucario has been well received and was placed second on
The Pokémon Company
, simply known as Pokémon is a Japanese company responsible for brand management, production, publishing, marketing, and licensing of the ''Pokémon'' franchise, which consists of video games, a trading card game, anime television series, f ...
's ''Pokémon of the Year'' poll in 2020, which featured all Pokémon throughout the franchise. In 2023,
Centennial Media's ''The Ultimate Guide to Pokémon'' noted that after compiling monthly search histories of
Google
Google LLC (, ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial ...
,
Yahoo
Yahoo (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web portal that provides the search engine Yahoo Search and related services including My Yahoo, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo News, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Sports, y!entertainment, yahoo!life, an ...
, and
Microsoft Bing
Microsoft Bing (also known simply as Bing) is a search engine owned and operated by Microsoft. The service traces its roots back to Microsoft's earlier search engines, including MSN Search, Windows Live Search, and Live Search. Bing offers a ...
, Lucario was the fourth highest searched Pokémon among internet users, with an approximate total of 126,200 average searches per month. Patricia Hernandez, in an examination of the
furry fandom
The furry fandom is a subculture interested in Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic animal characters. Some examples of anthropomorphic attributes include exhibiting human intelligence and facial expressions, speaking, walking on two legs, and weari ...
, stated Lucario was the most popular Pokémon for the subset dedicated to the franchise's characters. Meanwhile, the Pokémon has also been cited as one of the most frequently utilized
in erotic works by the fandom, with a June 2023 study of such content on
Rule 34
Rule 34 is a "rule of the internet" which claims that some form of pornography exists concerning every possible topic. The concept is commonly depicted as fan art of normally non-erotic subjects engaging in sexual activity. It can also include ...
websites, such as Rule 34.xxx and Sankaku Channel, noting a significantly higher volume of material compared to characters from most other franchises, and the highest of characters from the Pokémon franchise as a whole.
''
IGN
''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
''s Dale Bashir, calling Lucario the "unofficial
poster child
A poster child (sometimes poster boy or poster girl) is, according to the original meaning of the term, a child afflicted by some disease or deformity whose picture is used on posters or other media as part of a campaign to raise money or enlis ...
" for Pokémon from ''Diamond'' and ''Pearl'', stated it was one of the best designs in the franchise, describing its "striking" design and noting its similarity to characters from the ''
Digimon
, short for "Digital Monsters" ( ''Dejitaru Monsutā''), is a Japanese media franchise, which encompasses virtual pet toys, anime, manga, video games, films, and a trading card game. The franchise focuses on the eponymous creatures who inhabit a ...
'' franchise. In another article, Bashir described it as a Pokémon that impacted the franchise the most due to its appearance in the ''
Smash Bros.'' franchise, which elevated it to "Legendary" status by fans of the species. ''
Game Informer
''Game Informer'' (''GI'' is an American monthly Video game journalism, video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and video game console, game consoles. It debuted in August 1991, when the video game reta ...
'' writer John Carson regarded it as "arguably one of the most popular Pokémon" in the series. ''
Den of Geek
''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine.
History
''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
''s Alec Bojalad argued that due to the frequent usage of them by Nintendo they "sometimes felt like a ''
de facto'' franchise mascot in its own right", noting that while they didn't have Pikachu's "family friendly cuteness", they already had "the clear blessing of Nintendo and most fans." Ryan Woodrow in an article for ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'' noted that while Nintendo heavily pushed the species, he acknowledged its "brilliant design", calling it a "nice blend of the humanoid body but animalistic features that stop it from feeling uncanny", and adding that the lore around the species' abilities gave them an "anime-protagonist" mystery element.
Robert Grosso of ''Tech Raptor'' called Lucario "the perfect representation of the transition of Pokémon designs", noting that while they were an example of how Game Freak had "run out of designs," he acknowledged at the same time that they not only emerged as a successful and popular mascot but also as one of the most recognizable for the series as a whole. He further cited various elements as responsible for their popularity, namely their anthropomorphized appearance, the impact of their debut film, color scheme, and mix of "Jackal and Egyptian Boxer" aesthetic created a "perfect storm" of a design. He further added that while he was fascinated by how easily the species could fit into the ''Digimon'' franchise, and felt they were overrated, "in the end, it is a near perfect design."
While sources such as ''
Paste
Paste is a term for any very thick viscous fluid. It may refer to:
Science and technology
* Adhesive or paste
** Wallpaper paste
** Wheatpaste, a liquid adhesive made from vegetable starch and water
* Paste (rheology), a substance that behaves as ...
'' and ''
Den of Geek
''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine.
History
''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
'' voiced praise for Lucario particularly for its appearance in ''Smash Bros.'', Isaiah McCall of ''The Gamer'' heavily criticized it. Noting that while Nintendo's frequent use of the species had made it a "fan-favorite", he felt it was too similar to another Pokémon,
Mewtwo
Mewtwo (; Japanese: , Hepburn: ) is a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's ''Pokémon'' media franchise. It was first introduced in the video games ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue'', and later appeared in subsequent sequels and spin-off ...
, and deemed it to be an inferior copy of it. Pointing out several shared elements between them, down to the abilities and body language, he added, "Lucario’s stardom piggybacked off of the nostalgia people had for Mewtwo", and that Lucario's replacement of the latter in ''Smash Bros.'' left players wanting to "cling to" a character in the same vein. He closed by stating that despite his disdain Lucario wasn't "terrible, but terribly overrated." In an article for ''USgamer'', Nadia Oxford acknowledged this sentiment, but argued its unique design and traits helped it stand apart from Mewtwo, leaving it "not lacking for fans".
Dario Capelli and Roberto Luigi Pagani in a paper for ''SCANDIA'' likened Lucario's portrayal in ''Lucario and the Mystery of Mew'' to medieval tales of a knight and its
familiar
In European folklore of the medieval and early modern periods, familiars (strictly familiar spirits, as "familiar" also meant just "close friend" or companion, and may be seen in the scientific name for dog, ''Canis familiaris'') were believed ...
, where the knight would complete his quest and die while the familiar mourned at his grave. They felt that the character's death fulfilled its own knightly narrative, likening it and his reunion with Sir Aaron to the story of ''
Yvain, the Knight of the Lion
''Yvain, the Knight of the Lion'' () is an Arthurian romance by French poet Chrétien de Troyes. It was written c. 1180 simultaneously with ''Lancelot, the Knight of the Cart'', and includes several references to the narrative of that poem. It ...
''.
References
External links
*
Lucario on Pokemon.com*
{{Super Smash Bros.
Anthropomorphic canids
Fictional characters with extrasensory perception
Fictional characters with metal abilities
Fictional martial artists in video games
Film characters introduced in 2005
Pokémon introduced in generation IV
Super Smash Bros. fighters
Telepath characters in video games
Video game characters introduced in 2006
Video game characters who can move at superhuman speeds
Video game characters with superhuman strength