While it is not known to evolve into or from any other Pokémon, Koraidon is said to be either an ancient relative of Cyclizar or a version of it from a parallel timeline. It also has a futuristic counterpart, Miraidon.
Koraidon can change forms as it traverses varying terrain and adapts to different situations.
When it is at full strength and in a battle, it is in its Apex Build.
Outside of a battle or when it has little power, it is in its Limited Build.
When it is sprinting on the land, it is in its Sprinting Build.
When it is swimming in the water, it is in its Swimming Build.
When it is gliding in the sky, it is in its Gliding Build.
Koraidon is the game mascot of Pokémon Scarlet, appearing on the game's box art in its Apex Build. In the Scarlet Book, it is also known as the "Winged King" (Japanese: ツバサノオウTsubasano'ou). Koraidon and Miraidon are often collectively referred to as the Paradox duo by fans.
Koraidon is a large, reptilianPokémon primarily covered in scarlet feathers with white accents on its cheeks, upper body, thighs, and tail. Its most notable feature is a tire-like gular sac on its throat, which inflates and deflates depending on its form. Koraidon's head has a crest of feathers and a pair of long, twisted, brow-plume-like tendrils. Additional feathers at the base of its tail transition from blue to purple and end in white tips, creating a striking appearance. Its eyes have yellow sclerae, orange irises, and brown pupils, with red plumes giving the impression of eyebrows. Koraidon's body is adorned with blue markings on its elbows and shoulders, as well as blue frills down its neck. From each shoulder, a curved, handlebar-like structure extends backward. It has webbed feet, each with four claws; the two central claws are sometimes held close together, making it appear as though there are only three. The gular sac and base of its tail share a grooved texture, but the sac is also lined with spikes.
The origins of Koraidon in the present day trace back to a time machine constructed by Professor Sada, which brought two specimens to Area Zero a decade ago. These two individuals displayed contrasting temperaments: one was friendly and curious, while the other was aggressive and territorial. 200 years prior to the events of Pokémon Scarlet, Heath also encountered a Koraidon, as seen in the Scarlet Book, though it is unclear how it arrived in Area Zero at the time. Koraidon bears a resemblance to the modern-day Cyclizar, though it is known to be far more ferocious and muscular. According to AI Sada, Koraidon is an ancient relative of Cyclizar, though a version of Professor Sada that appeared at the Crystal Pool instead suggests that Koraidon is an alternate timeline version of Cyclizar. It was formerly referred to as the "Winged King" in the Scarlet Book, with its current name coined by Professor Sada, potentially as a result of a bootstrap paradox. Its ecology and other features remain a mystery. Though cautious around humans, its curiosity sometimes leads it to play with them.
Koraidon has five forms: Apex Build, Limited Build, Sprinting Build, Swimming Build, and Gliding Build. In all of its travel forms, Koraidon's tail stays tucked in, displaying a pattern similar to that found on its gular sac.
Apex Build
Limited Build
Sprinting Build
Swimming Build
Gliding Build
Apex Build
In its Apex Build, Koraidon shifts to a bipedal stance and adopts a poised, battle-ready posture. The feathers on its head and rear unfold and stand upright, forming a crest that resembles a war bonnet. The gular sac on its throat inflates, displaying a red, gear-like pattern, while the base of its tail becomes more robust. Koraidon's claws spread apart, revealing the white membranes between its toes. According to Arven, this is Koraidon's true form.
Aware of its formidable strength, Apex Build Koraidon exudes confidence and rarely feels threatened. Its power surges under harsh sunlight due to an ancient energy coursing through its body. During battle, Koraidon will unfurl its wings and crash into its targets with explosive force. It leverages its immense strength and array of natural weapons to overpower opponents, including powerful jaws, sharp claws, and a sturdy tail. Its legs possess extraordinary strength, allowing it to leap over 65 feet into the air and use the momentum from its falls for devastating kicks and body slams.[1] It is said to have the power to shatter the ground with its fists alone.
Limited Build
In its Limited Build, Koraidon adopts a quadrupedal stance. The feathers on its head and rear are folded and closed, and the gular sac retracts, exposing a tire-like protrusion. The webbing between its claws is not visible, as its central claws stay close together. Koraidon typically takes on this form when weakened or not engaging in s battle.
Sprinting Build
In its Sprinting Build, Koraidon tucks its tail, causing it to resemble a motorcycle. It runs on all fours, allowing it to reach high speeds and climb steep cliffs.[2]
Swimming Build
In its Swimming Build, the gular sac inflates, enabling Koraidon to float on water. It propels itself through rivers, lakes, and oceans by paddling with its webbed feet.[2]
Gliding Build
In its Gliding Build, the tendrils on Koraidon's head unfurl into wings, allowing it to glide or even fly through the sky.[2][3]
Pokémon Scarlet: A Koraidon is a major character in the game, accompanying the player throughout their journey. Another more aggressive Koraidon is also a major character, playing an antagonistic role.
Koraidon can switch between five forms: Apex Build, Limited Build, Sprinting Build, Swimming Build, and Gliding Build.
The Apex Build is the only form of Koraidon that can be used in a battle. Koraidon assumes its Limited Build when it is not battling or has been weakened. The Sprinting, Swimming, and Gliding Builds are used for traveling in the land, water, or air, respectively.
Only Koraidon's Apex Build is recognized as a form in the Pokédex. Curiously, its Limited Build is fully usable in battle when hacked into Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, albeit with various glitches and oddities, and even has an unused Pokédex entry. It shares these traits with Miraidon. Koraidon's other forms are 11'6" / 3.5m tall, which is the same height as Ultimate Mode Miraidon and taller than Apex Build Koraidon.[4]
Of all Pokémon, Koraidon and Miraidon have the highest number of forms that are obtainable in some capacity yet unusable in battles, as they each use three forms solely for travel and are obtained in their fourth low power forms, yet can only be used in battle in their high power forms.
Rotom has five forms that are unusable in battle (Pokédex, Phone, Bike, Rotomi, Drone), but Rotomi and Drone Rotom are completely unobtainable.
The builds of Koraidon in Japanese and Korean use Sino-Japanese and Sino-Korean words respectively, showing tradition and the past, while the modes of Miraidon in the same languages use borrowed words from English, showing modernity.
Despite being able to swim and fly with the player on its back, Koraidon cannot learn Surf or Fly. It shares this trait with its counterpart Miraidon.
Koraidon is the subject of the Honda Koraidon Project, which seeks to recreate the Pokémon as a mobile model.
Origin
Koraidon may be based on an amalgamation of various lizards, dinosaurs, and vague depictions of European fantasy dragons. It notably resembles the anole and the genera Sitana and Sarada—the latter two are collectively known as fan-throated lizards. It also has traits from other lizard species, namely the frills of the iguana, the feet of the gecko, and the prehensile tail of the chameleon. It also bears some resemblance to the basilisk, a creature from medieval European mythology particularly popular in the Iberian Peninsula.
Koraidon's feathers may be a reference to feathered dinosaurs, while its bipedal stance in its Apex Build is reminiscent of older depictions of theropod dinosaurs. Furthermore, its signature move of Collision Course alludes to the asteroid that caused the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event, which eliminated most dinosaur species on Earth. Its head shape, its posture in its Apex Build and its alternate name, "Winged King", may be a reference to the Tyrannosaurus, colloquially known as the "King of the Dinosaurs" due to its type species, T. rex, being named with the Latin word for "king": the word Tyrannosaurus itself is Greek for "King Lizard." As they're displayed mostly on the head and in the waist area, the colorful feathers might be reference to ancient cultures in general, as opposed to Miraidon's futuristic look. Ancient civilizations (notably Central and South American) and tribes often used bird feathers as ornaments and symbol of status. Koraidon's twisted tendrils also resemble the brow-plumes on the King of Saxony bird-of-paradise.
Some elements of Koraidon's design may be based on parts of off-road motorcycles (such as choppers or dirt bikes built for off-road or natural terrains). This is shown by its brow plumes and shoulders which are similar to handlebars (especially longer ones known as "ape hangers"), and the protrusion on its chest together with its tail resemble rubber tires, the latter especially when curled. Koraidon may have conceptually been influenced by cave paintings, as indicated by the ancient past motifs as well as its red color scheme; the oldest known cave painting is a red hand stencil found in the caves of Maltravieso in Spain, one of the inspirations of the Paldea region.
Additionally, due to its color scheme and its status as a Paradox Pokémon and game mascot of Pokémon Scarlet, it could be based on infrared, a color that exists beyond the human visible light spectrum. Even though it can't be seen, it still exists, much like the confusing and contradictory origins of the Paradox Pokémon. Building on to this, it could be based on the concept of redshifting, which is the phenomenon of things that move away from the observer (i.e things that have already gone by, in the past) appear reddish in color, which would make Koraidon a redshifted version of the green Cyclizar.
Name origin
Koraidon may be a combination of 古来 korai or 古代 kodai (ancient), ライド raido (ride), and dragon, don (Spanish for lord), or -don (common suffix in dinosaur names derived from the Ancient Greek word for tooth).
Its alternate name, Winged King, is literally winged king.
Tsubasano'ou, its alternate name in Japanese, can be taken literally as 翼の王 tsubasa no ō (winged king).
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.