Galar ガラル地方
Galar region
Galar artwork.png
Artwork of the Galar region from Pokémon Sword and Shield
Introduction Pokémon Sword and Shield
Professor Professor Magnolia
Professor Sonia
First partner Pokémon Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble
Regional Villains Team Yell
Macro Cosmos
Eternatus
Sordward and Shielbert
Explorers (anime only)
League
Pokémon League Galar League
League Location Wyndon Stadium
Pokédex
Pokédex List Galar Pokédex
Isle of Armor Pokédex
Crown Tundra Pokédex
Anime
Series Pokémon Journeys: The Series
Pokémon Horizons: The Series
Season(s) Journeys (23)
Master Journeys (24)
Ultimate Journeys (25)
Games
Generation VIII
Games Sword and Shield
Manga
Adventures Debut Wow!! That's One Big Pokémon

The Galar region (Japanese: ガラル地方 Galar region) is a region of the Pokémon world, and the eighth core series region to be introduced. It is the setting of Pokémon Sword and Shield.

Etymology and design concept

Etymology

Galar may have been derived from gallant, gala (a special occasion), or Galahad. It may also come from an anagram of San-Graal, the French name of the Holy Grail. Another possible etymology may be galar, Irish and Scottish Gaelic for "disease," in reference to either Dynamax and Eternatus or one of Britain's nicknames, Blighty.

Design concept

Main article: Pokémon world in relation to the real world → Galar
 
The map of Europe showing the Galar region as Great Britain.

Galar is based on the United Kingdom. According to Shigeru Ohmori, the UK is chosen as a basis for Galar to tie into Pokémon Sword and Shield's theme of "strength", and the idea of aiming to be the greatest or the strongest.[1]

The main part of Galar focuses heavily on the island of Great Britain, especially England and (to a lesser extent) Wales. However, the orientation of the landmass is rotated 180° compared to real-world Great Britain: for example, northern Galar is based on southern England. The parts of Galar introduced in the Pokémon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass are based on other parts of the UK. The Isle of Armor is based on the Isle of Man, a self-governing crown dependency of the United Kingdom,[2] and the Crown Tundra is based on Scotland.

History

Dated history

The following events are dated in relation to the events of Pokémon Sword and Shield:

  • 20,000 years prior: A meteorite containing Eternatus fell in Galar.
  • c. 3,000 years prior: A black storm called the Darkest Day occurred across Galar and was stopped by two youths and the Hero duo, causing the boys to be crowned as the kings of the region.
  • 50 years prior: Mustard defeated Opal and went on to become Galar's Champion.
  • 32 years prior: Mustard loses his position as Galar's Champion. After retiring from the Pokémon League and traveling the world, Mustard returned to Galar, bought an island, named it the "Isle of Armor", and founded the Master Dojo.

Contemporary history

Sword and Shield

Victor/Gloria and their best friend, Hop, receive their first partner Pokémon from Leon, the undefeated Champion and Hop's brother. Shortly thereafter, they meet a mysterious Pokémon in the Slumbering Weald. As they begin their journey, they receive Pokédexes from Sonia, Dynamax Bands from Professor Magnolia, and endorsements from Leon to enter the Gym Challenge. They travel across Galar, challenging Gyms to earn the eight Badges they need to enter the Champion Cup. Over the course of their journey, they encounter a group called Team Yell, whose members support Marnie in the Gym Challenge. They also encounter another group called Macro Cosmos, a conglomerate led by Rose, who has endorsed his ward Bede in the Gym Challenge. During the Champion Cup in Wyndon Stadium, Rose interrupts the Championship Match by reawakening Eternatus, bringing about the Darkest Day in an attempt to provide energy for Galar for 1,000 years. To stop Rose's plan, Victor/Gloria and Hop search for the Rusted Sword and Rusted Shield in the Slumbering Weald, and with those items in hand, they head to the Energy Plant in Hammerlocke to face Rose. Victor/Gloria battles and defeats Rose, then joins Leon and Hop to face Eternatus; in the course of the battle, the Rusted Sword and Rusted Shield summon Zacian and Zamazenta (respectively) to their aid. After defeating Eternatus, Victor/Gloria manages to catch it. They then return to Wyndon to defeat Leon in the Championship Match, becoming the new Champion of Galar.

After becoming Champion, Hop and Victor/Gloria travel back to the Slumbering Weald to return the Rusted Sword and Rusted Shield. While there, they encounter an odd pair of brothers, Sordward and Shielbert, who proclaim themselves descendants of the original kings of Galar and steal the Rusted Sword and Rusted Shield. The brothers seek to undermine Zacian and Zamazenta's reputation as saviors of Galar by turning them instead into threats. As an experiment to further their plan, they release Dynamax particles across Galar, sending multiple Dynamax Pokémon out of control across multiple stadiums. Victor/Gloria, Hop, and then-former Gym Leader Piers set out to stop the rampaging Pokémon, while Sonia tracks the brothers. The group finds them at the Hammerlocke Energy Plant, where they attempt to use Dynamax particles to send ZamazentaSw/ZacianSh into an uncontrollable fury. ZamazentaSw/ZacianSh resists, instead attacking ShielbertSw/SordwardSh. With the help of Hop and ZacianSw/ZamazentaSh, Victor/Gloria successfully calms ZamazentaSw/ZacianSh. ZamazentaSw/ZacianSh then flees, pursued by Hop, while ZacianSw/ZamazentaSh allows Victor/Gloria to catch them by defeating them in battle. Victor/Gloria and their new Pokémon return to find Hop in the Slumbering Weald. There, Hop successfully calms and catches Zamazenta/Zacian, and challenges Victor/Gloria to one final battle.

The Isle of Armor

The player travels to the Isle of Armor off the coast of Galar and becomes an apprentice in the local Master Dojo, a battle facility run by former Champion Mustard. They also develop a new rivalry with a Gym Leader-in-training and fellow apprentice named KlaraSw/AverySh. Victor/Gloria enrolls and takes part in a series of trials, first chasing a trio of fast Galarian Slowpoke, searching for Max Mushrooms, and having a final showdown with Klara/Avery. In doing so, Victor/Gloria proves to be Mustard's best student since Leon, as claimed by Mustard himself. As a reward for completing Mustard's trials, they are given a Kubfu as a companion to raise, with the goal of raising it into a great Urshifu. After developing a strong bond with Kubfu, Victor/Gloria heads to the Tower of Darkness or the Tower of Waters, and completes a rite of passage to ultimately earn the right to evolve Kubfu into Urshifu. After Victor/Gloria become Champion of Galar, they are tasked by Mustard to find Max Honey for Urshifu to achieve Gigantamax transformation, and work alongside Hop to find it. Once Urshifu has achieved the ability to Gigantamax, Victor/Gloria have a final showdown with Mustard, who now holds nothing back, and prevails. Mustard congratulates them, and tells them to be ready for what's to come.

The Crown Tundra

The player travels to the Crown Tundra in southern Galar, where they meet Peony, an enthusiastic former Steel-type Gym Leader and Champion as well as the younger brother of Rose, and take his daughter Peonia's place in his explorations of solving the legends lurking around the Tundra, since Peonia refuses to do so. As such, Peony assigns Victor/Gloria as the leader of his "expedition team" and tasks them with searching for various Legendary Pokémon who are known to reside in the Crown Tundra. One of these Pokémon is the King of Bountiful Harvests, a known figurehead in the Crown Tundra and its small town of Freezington, but one whose stories are now only known to a few. Victor/Gloria eventually meets this Pokémon after restoring its statue, who reveals its name to be Calyrex, while it uses Peony as a means to communicate with them. It reveals that it had lost its power over the years as less and less people believed in it, and it eventually lost the ability to bring bountiful harvests. Calyrex tasks Victor/Gloria with creating the Reins of Unity (which Peony successfully creates) and planting either an Iceroot Carrot or Shaderoot Carrot in hopes of reclaiming its long lost steed, who is later revealed to be Glastrier/Spectrier. They eventually lure the steed into the Crown Shrine, and Calyrex takes its Reins of Unity and bonds with Glastrier or Spectrier once more, achieving its full power again. Now having regained its power, Calyrex allows Victor/Gloria to challenge it to a battle to catch it, and they succeed in doing so. Calyrex thanks the player and looks forward to the journeys they will share.

In the midst of doing so, Victor/Gloria explores the entirety of the Crown Tundra, discovering several ruins that uncover the legendary giants, including two newly discovered ones in Regieleki and Regidrago. They also discover a tree where Galarian forms of the legendary birds come, and chases them all around Galar, one in the Crown Tundra itself, one in the Isle of Armor, and one in Galar's own Wild Area.

In doing all this, Victor/Gloria eventually reports these back to Peony, and eventually they go all the way to the Max Lair and rejoin Peonia, in which they all partake in Dynamax Adventures. In the midst of these, it is revealed a strange Pokémon appeared in the Max Lair and multiple Ultra Beasts came as well: eventually, Victor/Gloria discover that it was in fact Necrozma, and reports it to Peony, which is then noticed by the scientist running the Max Lair.

After having explored the Crown Tundra, Victor/Gloria receives a call from Leon, who formally invites them to the Galarian Star Tournament in Wyndon, which involves two-on-two Multi Battles, and Victor/Gloria partners with either Hop or Marnie in a series of battles against all of Galar's Gym Leaders and emerges victorious.

Geography

The Galar region is an expansive region, including varied environments such as idyllic countrysides, contemporary cities, and snow-covered mountains. Galar comprises a long mainland area as well as an outlying island area, the Isle of Armor, east of the mainland.

The extreme south of the Galarian mainland includes the Crown Tundra. This area is isolated from the rest of the mainland by a tall mountain range, which extends north along both mainland coasts. However, the Galarian train system allows for travel through these mountains.

Just north of the southern mountains, in the broad valley between its coastal spurs, lie the dense Slumbering Weald and nearby village of Postwick. This valley also marks the beginning of a long stretch of plains dotted with hills, ending just north of Hammerlocke, that cover the majority of mainland Galar. These plains are home to two of the three main cities in Galar: Hammerlocke and Motostoke. Various arid, rocky environments sit at the northern edges of the plains, including the cliffs outside Stow-on-Side on Route 6 and the ruins south of Circhester on Route 8. In northwest Galar, surrounding Ballonlea, is the Glimwood Tangle, a thick, gloomy forest. East of this forest lies a broad tundra that includes the city of Circhester and a range of snowy and jagged mountains that separates the metropolis of Wyndon from the rest of Galar.

The Isle of Armor sits in the sea to the east, closest to the mainland town of Spikemuth. Much of the isle consists of lush forests, caves, rolling hills and tree-filled valleys that rise from its long beaches. Despite being an island, it is connected to mainland Galar's train system with dedicated Flying Taxis.

In the anime, it was revealed Galar is far enough away from Kanto (and presumably Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh) to require airplanes for travel between them. Dialogue in the games reveals that Galar is within swimming distance of Kalos.

Demographics

The Galar region has a total population of 727, including all towns, cities, and other areas. Upon its introduction in Generation VIII, it became the fifth largest region by population.

Notable locations

Galar has 12 cities and towns. Like in Unova, Kalos, and Alola, Galarian route numbers start from 1, likely due to the geographical isolation of these regions from both the original four regions and each other. There are 10 routes in total, all on the Galarian mainland, divided into four groups:

Unlike in most other regions, it is impossible to travel through Galar using just these routes. Instead, a train system connects different cities and towns, and thus connects the different sets of routes.

The Galar region also has an extensive area called the Wild Area which adjoins several towns and cities in the region.

Settlements

Map Name Population Description
  Postwick 5 A farming town since days of old, where people and their Pokémon live in close harmony.
  Wedgehurst 31 Our quiet borough is home to the esteemed Pokémon Research Lab.
  Motostoke 120 An industrial city studded with steam-powered marvels of modern engineering.
  Turffield 36 A town nestled within the nurturing bowl of our many terraced farming fields.
  Hulbury 54 A bustling seaport that many visit to see its lively market stalls and famed restaurant.
  Hammerlocke 102 A city of great history, living and thriving within castle walls that date back to the Middle Ages.
  Stow-on-Side 44 A vibrant town that has grown up around an ancient mural tucked away in the mountains.
  Ballonlea 31 A charming town where the people make their homes among the trunks of the towering trees.
  Circhester 97 Buildings from an age long gone still stand about the steaming hot spring that covers the town.
  Spikemuth 29 This rocking town has a punk vibe and streets crammed with shops lined up cheek by jowl.
  Wyndon 157 This booming metropolis was designed and developed by our very own Chairman Rose.
  Freezington 9 N/A
  • Freezington does not have a sign containing a description.

Landmarks

 
A map of the Wild Area, with landmarks indicated by blue squares
 
Rose Tower, as shown in Pokémon: Twilight Wings
 
The Isle of Armor's Master Dojo
 
The Crown Tundra's Dyna Tree Hill

Anime-exclusive

Picture Location Description
  Old castle A old castle located near Hammerlocke.
  Khana's Poké Ball Factory A Poké Ball factory located in Galar.

Appearance

In-game

  This section is incomplete.
Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it.
Reason: DLC map stitch lacks location markers outside of IoA and the rough texture/clouds/waves that the game adds 'post-production' to the map
   
Galar as seen in Pokémon Sword
with the Expansion Pass (Version 1.3.0+)
Galar as seen in Pokémon Shield
(Version 1.1.1 or earlier)
 
Victor's sync move mindscape from
Pokémon Masters EX

Galar League

Main article: Galar League

The Galar League is the regional Pokémon League of the Galar region. Trainers who have received a letter of endorsement may compete in the Gym Challenge. After obtaining the eight Badges of the region, a Trainer may participate in the annual Champion Cup at Wyndon Stadium.

Gym Leaders

Galar League
Generation VIII Region: Galar
Gym Leader
Japanese
Location
Japanese
Type Badge
 
Milo
ヤロー Yarrow
Turffield
ターフタウン
Turf Town
 
Grass
 
Grass Badge
 
Nessa
ルリナ Rurina
Hulbury
バウタウン
Bow Town
 
Water
 
Water Badge
 
Kabu
カブ Kabu
Motostoke
エンジンシティ
Engine City
 
Fire
 
Fire Badge
 
Bea
サイトウ SaitōSw
 
Allister
オニオン OnionSh
Stow-on-Side
ラテラルタウン
Lateral Town
 
Fighting
 
Ghost
 
Fighting Badge
 
Ghost Badge
 
Opal
ポプラ Poplar
 
Bede
ビート Beet
Ballonlea
アラベスクタウン
Arabesque Town
 
Fairy
 
Fairy Badge

 
Gordie
マクワ MakuwaSw
 
Melony
メロン MelonSh
Circhester
キルクスタウン
Circus Town
 
Rock
 
Ice
 
Rock Badge
 
Ice Badge
 
Piers
ネズ Nezu
 
Marnie
マリィ Mary
Spikemuth
スパイクタウン
Spike Town
 
Dark
 
Dark Badge

 
Raihan
キバナ Kibana
Hammerlocke
ナックルシティ
Knuckle City
 
Dragon
 
Dragon Badge

Champion Cup

Galar League
Generation VIII
Member
Japanese
Type
Semifinals
 
Marnie
マリィ Mary
 
Dark
 
Hop
ホップ Hop
 
Various
Interruption
 
Bede
ビート Beet
 
Fairy
Finals
 
Nessa
ルリナ Rurina
 
Water
 
Bea
サイトウ SaitōSw
 
Allister
オニオン OnionSh
 
Fighting
 
Ghost
 
Raihan
キバナ Kibana
 
Dragon
Championship Match
 
Champion
Leon
ダンデ Dande
 
Various

Trivia

  • Galar is the only core series region to:
    • Not have a Pokémon academy.
    • Not have an Elite Four.
      • A similar role is fulfilled by the Champion Cup.
    • Contain a single landmass with a map that does not fit on the screen. Previous regions with multiple maps either contained or were archipelagos.
    • Introduce four fossils, the most of any region so far.
      • Despite this, the region does not beat the record for most Fossil Pokémon introduced (five in Kanto) due to the Galarian Fossil Pokémon being unable to evolve.
    • Have two Gym Leaders resign from their posts over the course of a single game's plot.
  • Galar is the first region to:
  • In keeping with the sports theme of the region's Gyms, the names of the cities and towns in Galar are derived from sports terminology.
  • Galar has the second fewest numbered routes of any core series region, with a total of ten. Paldea has none at all.
  • Galar is tied with Unova as the region that has the most Gym Leaders, with a total of 14.
  • In the anime, Galar is constantly depicted with a cloudy, gray sky, similar to the common weather of the country it's based on, the United Kingdom.
  • The adjectival form of Galar is "Galarian", as seen in the term "Galarian form".

See also

In other languages

Language Name Origin
German, Spanish,
French, Italian
Indonesian
Galar From its Japanese and English name
Korean 가라르 Galar Transcription of its Japanese name
Chinese (Mandarin) 伽勒爾 / 伽勒尔 Jiālè'ěr Transcription of its Japanese name
Chinese (Cantonese) 伽勒爾 Gālahkyíh Mandarin-based transcription of its Japanese name
Hebrew גאלאר Ge'alar Transcription of its English name
Russian Галар Galar Transcription of its English name
Thai กาลาร์ Galar Transcription of its Japanese name

References


Regions in the Pokémon world
Core series Kanto (Sevii Islands) • JohtoHoenn
Sinnoh (HisuiBattle Zone) • Unova
KalosAlolaGalar (Isle of ArmorCrown Tundra)
PaldeaKitakami
Side series White CityOrre
Anime Orange ArchipelagoDecolore Islands
Spin-off games FioreAlmiaObliviaPokémon IslandMintale Town
Ryme CityPasioRanseiFerrumLental
Mystery Dungeon worldPokéParkTCG Islands
Carmonte IslandTumblecube IslandAeos Island
TCG Southern IslandsHolonParallel WorldsPuzzle Continent
Sovereign states in
the Pokémon world
Ranger UnionGuyana
Lucario KingdomMirage KingdomRota


Galar


Settlements
PostwickWedgehurstMotostokeTurffieldHulburyHammerlocke
Stow-on-SideBallonleaCirchesterSpikemuthWyndon
Routes
12345678910
Landmarks
Slumbering WealdGalar MineGalar Mine No. 2Motostoke Outskirts
Glimwood TangleRoute 9 TunnelRose Tower/Battle TowerEnergy PlantTower Summit
Wild Area
Meetup SpotRolling FieldsDappled GroveWatchtower RuinsEast Lake AxewellWest Lake Axewell
Axew's EyeSouth Lake MilochGiant's SeatNorth Lake MilochMotostoke RiverbankBridge Field
Stony WildernessDusty BowlGiant's MirrorHammerlocke HillsGiant's CapLake of Outrage
Isle of Armor
Fields of HonorMaster DojoSoothing WetlandsForest of FocusChallenge BeachTower of WatersBrawlers' Cave
Challenge RoadTower of DarknessCourageous CavernLoop LagoonTraining LowlandsWarm-Up Tunnel
Potbottom DesertWorkout SeaStepping-Stone SeaInsular SeaHoneycalm SeaHoneycalm Island
Crown Tundra
Slippery SlopeMax LairFreezingtonFrostpoint FieldGiant's BedRock Peak RuinsIron RuinsOld Cemetery
Snowslide SlopeIceberg RuinsTunnel to the TopPath to the PeakCrown ShrineGiant's FootRoaring-Sea Caves
Frigid SeaThree-Point PassSplit-Decision RuinsBallimere LakeLakeside CaveDyna Tree Hill


  This article is part of Project Locations, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on every location in the Pokémon world.