Along with these Formes are two basic components of Zygarde; Zygarde Cores, which act as the brains of Zygarde; and Zygarde Cells, which comprise Zygarde's Formes and cannot think, nor can they use moves.
Zygarde 50% Forme was introduced in Pokémon X and Y. Zygarde Cell, Zygarde Core, Zygarde 10% Forme, and Zygarde Complete Forme were announced in the October 2015 issue of CoroCoro magazine.
Zygarde 50% Forme has a serpent-like body with a green and black pattern on it. There are black frills on the back of its head like a frilled lizard. Its eyes comprise four green hexagons like the compound eyes of an insect. More green hexagons are on the front and back of its frills. The hexagons on its eyes and frills can glow. Its tail is flat and is black on top and green on the bottom. Its tail ends with five separate green tendrils. It is said to monitor the ecosystem, and if the ecosystem falls into disarray, it appears and reveals its power.
Zygarde Complete Forme has a large, humanoid body with a long tail similar to Zygarde 50% Forme's body. It has two similar appendages protruding from each of its shoulders. On each of these appendages is a hexagon and an undulating pattern; on its right side, these are colored blue, and on its left side they are colored red. It has multiple white protrusions on its body: three on each hand, one on each knee, and one and the front of its feet. Its torso is composed of a lower abdomen and an upper chest. The abdomen has a vertical, hexagonal pattern upon it with two thin, white, and vertical marks on either side. Upon the chest is thin, zig-zagging opening which fades between five colors: red, orange, white, cyan, and blue. The chest can open, revealing five cores of each color. Above this opening are two large green, hexagonal marks. Atop its chest is its crown-shaped head. It has three white hexagonal marks above four horizontal ones, the uppermost white one having a very thin diamond shape through it, and the lower two being eyes. Directly above the third mark is a final green hexagon. Surrounding the head are triangular protrusions connected by another upside-down triangle which is jagged at the top. Zygarde Complete Forme is said to exceed both Xerneas and Yveltal in power, possessing 100% of its total cells. Zygarde only enters Complete Forme when the ecosystem is under threat and the Zygarde Core believes it is outmatched.
Zygarde 10% Forme has a relatively small, mostly black canine body with a green "scarf" that continues beyond the neck. Its muzzle is black at the top and green elsewhere. Its eyes are white hexagons with a black outline and no discernable pupils; directly above the eyes are two small green hexagons which resemble eyebrows. On its forehead is a very thin, white ellipse. Its "scarf" is entirely green with a small hexagon connected to the bottom. This hexagon is either red or blue depending on which Core it is comprised of. On each of its legs are hexagonal protrusions, all the same color black as the legs themselves. On the front two legs, there are two. On the back legs are three protrusions, and on the left leg is a particularly long one made up of two hexagons. On each of its hind legs is another hexagonal shape, with a noticeable gap before a small square protrusion above it. Zygarde 10% Forme possesses 10% of Zygarde's total cells. It has razor-sharp teeth and can reach speeds up to 60 mph.
Zygarde Core is a part of the mind of Zygarde, and has a small and leafy-green gelatinous body comprised of a large, round head, a moderately-sized body, and a thin, hook-shaped bottom section which may be a tail. Its head is rounded except for a protruding, beak-shaped area at the bottom front which may be a nose or a mouth. Within its head is a single, oval eye which has a smaller black, oval pupil within it. Beside this eye is another white, semi-elliptic shape which may be a second eye. Within its midsection is a nearly regular hexagon. There are two known Zygarde Cores, one composed of a red hexagon and one composed of a blue hexagon. They are self-aware and can communicate via telepathy, monitoring the ecosystem around them. Zygarde Cores get their energy through photosynthesis.
Zygarde Cells make up Zygarde, and appears very similar to the Zygarde Core. Unlike the Core, it is flat, has a green pupil, and has a darker green, more elongated hexagon within its midsection. Unlike the Cores' hook-like bottom section, the Cells have a long and more noticeably tail-like back-end. Zygarde Cells are unable to think and incapable of using moves.
Squishy later transformed into 10% Forme after being separated from Bonnie and the others to defend itself against Bryony and her subordinates; Squishy, however, eventually returned to travel with Bonnie in A Cellular Connection!. Teaser images for M19 also hint that it will gain its complete forme by that movie.
A Zygarde known by the code name Z2 by Team Flare appeared as a 50% Forme Zygarde in From A to Z!. It managed to escape Team Flare by using Land's Wrath. It appeared as a Zygarde Core during Meeting at Terminus Cave!, being contacted by Squishy.
Unlike Squishy's red core, Z2 has a blue core.
Minor appearances
Zygarde Cells made their main series debut in From A to Z!. They have appeared on occasion to assist Squishy and Z2.
Zygarde debuts in the X & Y arc. It was first mentioned by Blue, who aimed to find it in order to stop the endless battle between Xerneas and Yveltal. It appeared in person at Anistar City, where it was sought after by Essentia, who aimed to capture it for Team Flare. When X and Y battle Essentia in order to retrieve Y's stolen Xerxer, Zygarde appeared before them and attacked before Essentia manages to successfully capture it.
In the TCG
TCG cards featuring Zygarde's various formes will be released as part of the XY-Fates Collide expansion in May.
Game data
Pokédex entries
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation VI.
The red or blue hexagons found in Zygarde Core appear in other forms of Zygarde as well. They can be found on the neck of Zygarde 10% Forme and on the wing-like appendages of Zygarde Complete Forme.
However, these hexagons are noticeably absent from Zygarde 50% Forme, which is entirely green, black, and white.
Zygarde's 10%, 50%, and Complete Formes may be inspired in part by three children of Loki and Angrboða: Fenrir, Jörmungandr, and Hel. The order of these Formes may also reflect the relative power of their inspirations, Fenrir and Jörmungandr being below gods and Hel being on equal-footing with the gods.
Zygarde 10% Forme appears to be based on Fenrir. Its razor sharp teeth may be an allusion to Fenrir biting off the right hand of Týr. The green scarf-like object around Zygarde 10% Forme's neck could be based on Gleipnir. This Forme could also draw inspiration from Garmr, the dog of Hel and watchdog that guards Helheim's gate. In appearance, Zygarde 10% Forme resembles a Doberman Pinscher.
Zygarde 50% Forme's appearance is based on a serpent in the shape of the letter Z. It may also draw inspiration from Jörmungandr, a sea serpent that encircles the earth, and Níðhöggr, a dragon that gnaws at the roots of Yggdrasill, the world tree. Jörmungandr in particular is a classical example of an ouroboros, a symbol used to represent cyclicality. The patterns spread across Zygarde 50% Forme's body are very similar to ribose and deoxyribose molecules. Its tail's shape is possibly based on base paircodons, the essential building blocks of the DNAdouble helix.
Zygarde Complete Forme could be based off of Hel, the ruler of Helheim, the realm of the dead in Nordic myth. She is often depicted as a half alive and half dead being, which may have inspired Zygarde's theme of the balance between life and death. The uppermost section on Zygarde Complete Forme resembles a crown with jewels embedded within it, which may be a reference to Hel's title of Queen Hel in Bartholomeus saga postola. The colors on Complete Forme's chest match the colors of the real-world flag of France, the country which inspired the region of Kalos. The red and blue markings on either side of Zygarde Complete Forme may represent Yveltal and Xerneas, as this Forme exceeds both of their powers.
Zygarde Cell and Zygarde Core are based on both cells and flatworms, specifically planaria. Planaria and other similar flatworms are notable for their regenerative abilities, and will eventually form into multiple creatures if split apart. The fact that many Zygarde Cells make up a single larger creature may be in reference to this. Some planarians' ocelli also resemble eyes, which may have inspired the designs for the Cell and Core Zygarde. The hexagons within them likely represent a cell nucleus.
Name origin
Zygarde comes from the letter Z. It may be derived from ζυγωτός zygōtos (Greek for joined), zygote, and garde (French for guard), and zygōtos and midgard (Old Norse: Miðgarðr).