Physiology
Darkrai is a black, ghostly looking creature. It has a small black head with a white substance erupting from its head covering one of its bright blue eyes, and also has a red growth around its neck. It has skinny arms and long black tatters hang from its shoulders. It has an hourglass figure and appears to be wearing an old, ripped cloak. It normally doesn't have any sort of legs, but it is able to extend stilt-like appendages in their place.
Gender differences
Darkrai is genderless.
Special abilities
Apparently, Darkrai's signature move is Dark Void. Darkrai can also trap people in nightmares. Darkrai can become a shadow to move quickly, but it is still susceptible to damage in this state.
Behavior
This Pokémon "inhabits" people's dreams and causes them to have unending nightmares. However, in the 10th movie, Darkrai sacrificed itself to save the city, meaning that perhaps Darkrai has some good in it after all.
Habitat
Whilst Darkrai isn't nesting in the dreams of humans, it lingers around a lost island called Newmoon Island.
Diet
Main article: Pokémon food
Possibly dreams, characterized by its association with never-ending nightmares and the ability to learn the move Dream Eater.
- Darkrai was officially revealed to Japan in the March 2007 edition of Coro Coro and to America on January 25th 2008, on Pokémon.com.
- Darkrai is the first Dark-type legendary Pokémon. This is also the first event legendary Pokémon of Generation IV, which can only be received during a Pokémon event or a Nintendo event. However in the Japanese version of Diamond and Pearl, it can be caught through the Surf glitch.
- Despite being classified as a pure Dark-type, Darkrai displays a lot of Ghost-like traits.
- Whilst in the tenth movie Darkrai is portrayed as a hero, in the games it's the only Pokémon truly portrayed as evil, in a sense.
- Cheaters can reach Darkrai by using the infamous walk anywhere cheat. If they start at Fullmoon Island and walk across the water to the right, they will reach Newmoon Island. Between these islands is the Mystery Zone. From the island, they can simply take a boat back to Canalave City.
- The boy of the sailor who owns the boat that normally goes to Iron Island says "DAR... DARK... Is watching me..." He probably means Darkrai, as it is known to give its victims horrific nightmares.
- If Darkrai was the cause of Eldritch's son's nightmares, it can be assumed Darkrai is aware that the player cured the boy using Cresselia's Lunar Wing: When the player takes the Member's Card to the Canalave Inn, the innkeeper (presumably a shade of Darkrai) states that he has been waiting for the player's arrival. The player then falls asleep at the inn, only to 'awaken' at an abandoned Newmoon Island, where Darkrai must be caught or defeated in order for the player to awaken from their nightmare and 'return' to the inn.
- There was an event giving away Darkrai through Mystery Gift that was held at participating theaters in Japan when Movie 10 was first released. This special edition Darkrai was contained in a Cherish Ball, with the OT of えいがかん Movie Theatre and an ID No. of 07147. It was also holding an Enigma Berry and had the normally unobtainable moves Roar of Time and Spacial Rend.
Origin
Darkrai's appearance suggests it is based on the concept of nightmares. It also resembles a shadow.
Also, due to the fact that it causes some people to never awake from their nightmares, some say it is the Pokémon version of Freddy Krueger.
Name origin
Darkrai's name is a combination of the word dark and the Japanese word for "dark" (暗いkurai).
For other sprites and images, please see Darkrai images on Bulbagarden Archives.
