Arceus (pronounced /ˈɑːrkɪəs/; Japanese name: アルセウス, Hepburn: Aruseusu) is a Pokémon species in the Pokémon media franchise created by Nintendo and Game Freak. It was first introduced in the 2006 video games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, designed by Takao Unno. Although it appeared in these games, it could not be obtained through normal gameplay. Instead, it was only available through special events. Players could not catch it in the original games until 2021, when the games were remade as Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Arceus is an important character in the game Pokémon Legends: Arceus, where it sends the main character back in time to meet all Pokémon. Since its first appearance, Arceus has been featured in many games, including the Pokémon Trading Card Game, and in various merchandise.

Arceus is classified as a Normal-type Pokémon. It is believed to be the god of Pokémon, responsible for creating the universe and the Pokémon Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, which control space, time, and anti-matter, respectively. Arceus can change its type using special items called "Plates." Its body is white and grey, with a gold circle around it. Its colors change based on the type it is using. Arceus is the main character in the movie Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life.

Concept and design

Arceus is a fictional creature from the Pokémon media franchise, which was created by Game Freak and published by Nintendo. The franchise began in 1996 with the video games Pokémon Red and Green for the Game Boy. These games were later released in North America as Pokémon Red and Blue in 1998. In these games and their sequels, players take on the role of a Trainer whose goal is to capture Pokémon and use their abilities to battle other Pokémon. Some Pokémon can become stronger through a process called evolution, which can happen by using special items. Each Pokémon has one or two elemental types, which determine how strong or weak they are in battles. A major goal in the games is to complete the Pokédex, a complete guide to all Pokémon species, by capturing, evolving, and trading with other Trainers. A 2022 leak showed that the early version of the games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl had a different and simpler design.

Arceus is considered the god of Pokémon. It is said to have existed before the universe and created the world using its "1,000 arms." Arceus also created three other Pokémon: Dialga, the master of time; Palkia, the master of space; and Giratina, the master of antimatter. Arceus later sent Giratina to the Distortion World because of its violent nature, causing Giratina to develop a strong dislike for Arceus. Arceus also created Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf, which represent knowledge, emotion, and willpower, respectively. Arceus is one of the most powerful Pokémon, with battle statistics 20% higher than the next strongest Pokémon at the time of its debut. While it is normally a Normal-type Pokémon, it can change its type using special items called "Plates." There are 19 Plates in total: 16 were introduced first, one was added with the Fairy type in Pokémon X and Y, and two more were added in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Arceus has a special move called "Judgment," which changes type based on the Plate it uses.

Arceus is a four-legged Pokémon with a white and gray body, a gold wheel with four green jewels, and gold hooves. Its head has a flowing mane and resembles a horse. Its appearance changes depending on the Plate it uses. Arceus has a rare version called a Shiny form, where the white color is replaced with gold. However, in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, the Shiny form cannot be obtained through normal methods.

The pronunciation of Arceus's name has been debated because of differences between English and Japanese. In English, it is pronounced "ar-key-us" (/ˈɑːɹkiːəs/), while in Japanese, it is pronounced "ar-say-us" (/ˈɑːɹseɪəs/). The voice director for the anime film Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life said they chose a hard "c" sound to avoid making the name sound like "arse." However, in the film Detective Pikachu and earlier episodes of the Pokémon TV series, the name was pronounced with a soft "c" sound.

Appearances

Arceus first appears in the video games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, but it was not officially announced at the time. Players could find Arceus in a location called the "Hall of Origin," which could only be accessed using an item called the "Azure Flute." This item was only available through special events and was not given to players normally. Some players used tricks in the game to find Arceus without the Azure Flute. Later, Arceus was given to players as part of a promotion for the movie Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life. It was also included in an in-game event for Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, which are remakes of older games. In this event, players travel from the Ruins of Alph to the Sinjoh Ruins with the help of Arceus and the Unown. They meet Cynthia, the champion of Sinnoh, who lets them choose to create one of Dialga, Palkia, or Giratina using Arceus. A later version of the event allowed players to choose a second Legendary Pokémon, but this was not used because the Azure Flute was not officially given in Diamond, Pearl, or Platinum.

In 2010, players voted on Pokémon Dream World to choose which Pokémon would be given as a gift. Arceus was selected, and players of Pokémon Black and White received a code to add it to their games, except for players in South Korea, who received Rayquaza instead. In 2015, players in Japan who bought tickets early for the movie Pokémon the Movie: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages received a code to add Arceus to their games X, Y, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Sapphire. The type of Arceus given was randomly chosen, and some players received a shiny version. In 2016, codes were given worldwide to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the franchise. Later, a code in the CoroCoro Comic magazine allowed players to add Arceus to Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. In Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, a post-launch update let players legally obtain the Azure Flute and catch Arceus if they completed Pokémon Legends: Arceus. This was the first time Arceus could be obtained as a shiny Pokémon outside of Japanese sixth-generation games. Arceus is also in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, where players can use it if they transferred it from earlier games through Pokémon Home. Its Plates can be found in the Porto Marinada Market.

Arceus is the main character of the game Pokémon Legends: Arceus, where it sends the player to a land called Hisui, the past version of Sinnoh. The player is given a device called the "Arc Phone" and must find every Pokémon. Space-time rifts cause Pokémon to act strangely. The player teams up with a merchant named Volo, who helps them find Plates. Volo reveals he caused the rifts to summon Giratina and wants to use Arceus to destroy the world. After defeating Volo, the player gets the final Plate and the Azure Flute. Once all Pokémon are collected, the player can use the Azure Flute to battle Arceus in the Hall of Origin. After defeating it, the player receives an Arceus and a Legend Plate, which lets Arceus change types during battles.

Arceus appears in the Pokémon Trading Card Game in the "Arceus Advent" set, which includes 12 different cards with unique abilities and types. Each card has a ripple symbol that forms a full ripple when lined up. A shiny version of Arceus was also released. In Pokémon TCG Pocket, Arceus cards were the rarest in its debut set. In Pokémon Go, an event called "Pokémon Go Tour: Sinnoh" was announced, but Arceus was not included. Developers said it was a special Pokémon and wanted to give it extra attention when added.

In Pokémon Conquest, the antagonist, Oda Nobunaga, tries to conquer the Ransei region, which is shaped like Arceus. The player must unite the region to summon Arceus to stop Nobunaga. It is later revealed that Nobunaga also wanted to summon Arceus to end conflicts. The player successfully summons Arceus, helping defeat Nobunaga. Arceus also appears in games like Pokémon Shuffle Mobile and Pokémon Masters EX. It has appeared on merchandise such as plushes, figurines, and clothing.

A movie titled Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life was released in 2011. Arceus is the central character, and it attacks the human world because humans refused to return a jewel that contained its life force. Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina try to stop it but fail. The conflict is resolved when Ash Ketchum returns the jewel, calming Arceus. The movie was adapted into a manga. Arceus also appears in four television specials on Amazon Prime Video related to Pokémon Legends: Arceus. It is mentioned in the Detective Pikachu film, where it is shown in a statue with Dialga and Palkia. In House, a medical drama, Arceus is referenced as the creator of the universe and states of matter.

Reception

Arceus has been liked by many people. In a 2016 poll of Japanese fans, Arceus was chosen as the second-best Pokémon. Critics have also included Arceus in several lists of the best Pokémon, such as those from IGN and Game Informer. Caleb Compton, a writer, said Arceus’ design is "fittingly divine" and noted that the faces of Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina resemble Arceus. This helped show that these Pokémon are connected to Arceus and that they form a group. Compton praised Arceus and the trio’s designs, saying they were complex but felt "powerful and legendary." After leaks of a beta design of Arceus, fans liked it so much they made memes, fan art, and a game mod that added it to a game. Patricia Hernandez of Polygon said the beta design looked like a ghost or cryptid made by a child, calling it "endearing and humbling" because of its "softer, rounder lines." Arceus is considered one of the strongest Pokémon. In the Pokémon TCG Pocket, the card Arceus EX became very strong in competitive play. Catherine Lewis of GamesRadar+ said it was a stronger version of Pikachu EX, which had previously been dominant.

Alana Hagues of Nintendo Life said the final boss fight against Arceus in Pokémon Legends: Arceus was one of the best video game bosses. She praised how challenging it was but found the game’s camera and controls "clunky," which made the fight harder. She said these issues were acceptable because she was fighting "God." Hagues believed the game was the most similar to Japanese role-playing games. Rebekah Valentine of IGN compared the battle with Arceus to Japanese role-playing games, where the final fight is against a god that wronged the hero. She said Arceus somewhat fit this idea but noted that the game treats the encounter as "beautiful." Valentine argued that Arceus does not care about the world and created the most "tragic" story in the series. She mentioned how a child is forced into a dangerous world and how Ingo is taken without explanation. She also said Arceus is responsible for the game’s problems because of what it did to Giratina. Valentine described Arceus as "part trickster, part vengeful Old Testament deity, and part the more absent God of modernity."

Suraj Sood said Arceus in the movie Arceus and the Jewel of Light represented a vengeful Old Testament God. He noted that the battle with Arceus had an anxious feel that showed the "urgency of creation." Sood described Arceus as a "powerful, gracious, rewarding [God] that can take many forms." He also said Arceus is "ironically worshiped" by Pokémon fans, citing a Facebook page called "Arceism" that focuses on Arceus. Ashley Reed of GamesRadar+ said it is theorized that Arceus used the Pokémon Unown to create the universe. She mentioned that Unown gather when Arceus summons the egg of Dialga, Palkia, or Giratina, and that "plethora of Unown" sounds like the Azure Flute. Authors Alvin Haddadène and Loup Lassinat-Foubert suggested Arceus may have been inspired by religious and mythological figures, such as Avalokiteshvara, a Buddhist figure with 1,000 arms, and Hecatoncheires, a group of giants from Greek mythology.