Physiology
As first revealed by Japan's CoroCoro Magazine, Giratina has two forms. The first (Altered Forme) is the form that appeared in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. In this form, Giratina has a large, gray, centipede-like body with six short legs. Its legs have gold claws and gold bands on them. It has a tail and a thick black stripe running vertically along the front of its body. There is a series of red horizontal stripes running across the large black one. Three gold half-rings circle the back half of Giratina's neck at the same points that three of the red stripes are at on its front, resembling a ribcage. On its back are two large, black wings that are decorated with red, conical objects that also could be claws. The wings seem oddly out of place, due to the fact that Giratina seems far too heavy to fly effectively. The wings also seem to be ghostly, as they can change shape as if they were made of a liquid or gas.
Giratina's head and eyes resemble those of Dialga and Palkia, causing many to theorize that it is related to the two. This assumption is confirmed in Pokémon Platinum. Giratina's Shiny form is nearly opposite in color compared to the original. The colors of the shiny Origin Forme is the same as the Altered Forme's except for the wings which appear to be a dark shade of brown.
The second is a new Origin Forme which made its debut in Giratina and the Sky Warrior. It uses this form when traveling through dimensions other than ours, such as the Distortion World, its home. The form-altering is triggered by a change of gravity. This form is more serpentine than Giratina's Altered Forme. The Origin Forme of Giratina has six black streamers on its back that each have a ghostly red spike at the end. Its mouth is hidden by the head plates, which swing open sideways when the mouth is opening. Giratina's legs have been reduced to spike-like protrusions. There are four more golden spikes near the edge of the tail. This version of Giratina also appears in Pokémon Platinum, and can be activated outside of the Distortion World if it is holding a Griseous Orb.
Gender differences
Giratina is a genderless species.
Special abilities
Giratina is able to travel through and control dimensions besides those of time and space. When in its Origin Forme, it is able to pass through dimensions at will, however, it will turn back to its Altered Forme due to the gravity change from the Reverse World. It does so by emitting a whirlwind from its mouth which creates a portal.
It also seems to have a connection to reflective objects, such as mirrors and pools of water. Reflections embody the concept of the Reverse World.
As to be expected with other Template:Type2 Pokémon, Giratina is capable of using Ghost, Dark, Psychic and Electrical attacks. Unlike other Dragon Pokémon, Giratina lacks the ability to wield Ice- and Template:Type2 attacks (save for Will-O-Wisp, which most Ghost-types learn anyway). Giratina is one out of seven Pokémon that is capable of using Aura Sphere. Since Giratina is a "true" Dragon Pokémon, it is also capable of using Draco Meteor.
In Platinum, Giratina can transform to its Origin Forme by equipping the Griseous Orb. If the orb is unequipped in battle, it goes back to Altered Forme. The Origin Forme has higher offensive stats while the Altered Forme has higher defenses. Since Giratina's Origin Forme (and the Griseous Orb, for that matter) is exclusive to Platinum, or HeartGold and Soul Silver via event, when it is traded to Diamond or Pearl it will revert back to its Altered Forme, and the Griseous Orb it was holding goes back into the player's bag.
Giratina is the only known Pokémon that learns Shadow Force.
Behavior
Judging by the events in Pokémon Platinum and Giratina and the Sky Warrior, its portrayal in ancient folklore, and its Platinum Pokédex entry, it's assumed that Giratina is a highly aggressive and territorial Pokémon protective of its home. It should be noted that despite the legends depicting it in a more evil light than the others in its trio, Giratina arrived at Spear Pillar to save the world from Cyrus' attempted apotheosis; though it may have arrived to protect its own world from destruction.
Habitat
Legends claim that Giratina appear in cemeteries and that this Pokémon species supposedly lives in the spirit world, on the reverse side of ours. It was banished for violence, possibly by Arceus.
Diet
- Main article: Pokémon food
- Giratina has many differences from the other members of its trio:
- It is the only member of its trio that does not have the first letter of the game it is mascot to match the first letter of its name.
- It is the only member with form differences.
- Its HP is its highest stat rather than Special Attack.
- It does not have a type-enhancing item in Diamond and Pearl.
- It is the only member whose signature move is not a Special or Dragon-type move.
- It is met at level 70 in Diamond and Pearl while the other members are met at level 47. This is reversed in Platinum.
- It is the only one of its trio without a jewel on its body.
- It is separated from the other members of its group in the Pokédex by Heatran and Regigigas.
- It is the only member with a catch rate of 3, and the only one without a 100% recruit rate in the Mystery Dungeon series.
- No other Pokémon has the same type combination as Giratina.
- It is the only dual-type Pokémon that has weaknesses to both of its types, as well as the only Template:Type2 legendary Pokémon.
- Giratina has the highest HP stat of all legendary Pokémon. However, it is tied with non-legendaries Slaking and Drifblim and beaten by Snorlax, Wailord, Wobbuffet, Chansey, and Blissey.
- Giratina is one of very few non-Template:Type2 Pokémon that is able to learn Fly. The others are: Vibrava, Flygon, Latios, Latias, Mew, Smeargle, and Arceus.
- It is one of eight Pokémon which can change forms, the other seven being Castform, Deoxys, Cherrim, Burmy, Rotom, Shaymin, and Arceus. Giratina's Origin Forme is only available in Pokémon Platinum and later games.
- It is the only version mascot with the ability to change forms.
- It is one of two Pokémon whose ability changes depending on its form, the other being Shaymin.
- In its Origin Forme, Giratina has the highest Attack stat of all Template:Type2 Pokémon.
- In Platinum, Giratina is the only Pokémon to come out from above the screen during the start of the battle. Also, it does not have a shadow until it uses Shadow Force or breaks out of a Poké Ball.
- In interviews Junichi Masuda and Takeshi Kawachimaru did for G4, it was said that Giratina and its Distortion World were created to be personifications of antimatter; this is also stated in HeartGold and SoulSilver by Cynthia.
- Giratina is the only Pokémon that appears last in a regional Pokédex listing that is not an event-exclusive Pokémon.
- Giratina's Origin Forme roar in the movie is the same as Mothra's cry from the Godzilla series.
- It is the only legendary Pokémon that can be caught in all five of the Generation IV main series handheld games.
- As of Generation IV its 150 HP and 120 Defense make it the Pokemon with the highest physical endurance.
Origin
Giratina is possibly based on a basilisk. In the Altered Forme, the wings may be based on a bat's, and its body has an insect-like, six-legged feature, but its posture is similar to a sauropod. Its Origin Forme has a body similar to a serpent, while the six protrusions on its body may be based on a scorpion's stinger.
It may also have originated from the daikaiju Destoryah. Destoroyah has spikes all over its body, large bat wings and mouth with both mandibles and jaws. This seems very similar to the Giratina's Altered Forme. Destoryah also has a flying form where it is more serpent like in appearance, this seems to be similar to the Origin Forme.
The legends associated with it are similar to those of Izanami, former wife of the kami Izanagi. When she died of severe burns from giving birth to a fire god, she went to the underworld, from which Izanagi tried, but failed, to retrieve her, as she had already accepted her fate.
Name origin
Giratina's name may be derived from platinum (written as プラチナ platina in katakana; compare to ギラティナ "giratina") and either guillotine, girasol, giraffe or girare (meaning to wander). The name could also be derived from the Spanish "girar," meaning "to turn."