Runerigus is a Pokémon composed of an oblong, irregularly-shaped clay slab, with an outline of a stylized serpent with sharp teeth painted onto it in red. Two sections of the slab at the upper left and upper right side, along with a piece bearing the serpent's head and a small piece bearing the tip of the image's tail, have broken off and are held in place by shadowy black tendrils that form its arms, neck, and tail respectively; the "tail" fragment also resembles the piece carried by GalarianYamask. It has five black fingers on each hand, which extend from the ends of the fragments forming its arms. It has a single purple eye located in the same spot as the painting's eye. Runerigus seems to be distantly related to Cofagrigus.
Runerigus was formed from a painting imbued with an ancient curse, which was activated by absorbing the spirit of a Yamask and brought the painting to life. Anyone that touches its shadowy body will have the memories behind its painting's creation forced onto them. Thanks to the reassembly of Runerigus's clay slab, its malicious power can be fully unleashed.
GalarianYamask evolves into Runerigus when the player travels under certain archs in the overworld after Yamask takes at least 49 HP in damage without fainting. Healing does not reset the counter, and damage can be taken across multiple battles. Taking damage from certain sources, such as self-inflicted Curse damage or weather effects, does not contribute to the 49 HP damage requirement.
Runerigus may be based on runestones, large stones engraved by Vikings used to commemorate the lives of notable people and events, such as the England runestones erected in remembrance of Vikings who travelled to England and died there. Many of the discovered runestones had motifs in the shape of serpents or dragons; Runerigus's motif may specifically be based on Jörmungandr, the World Serpent of Norse mythology who was sometimes depicted on runestones, or Apep, the serpentine primordial embodiment of chaos in Egyptian mythology. Runestones were also believed to have mystical properties that conveyed powers of protection, wealth, and victory, and some runestones had curses inscribed on them, warning that anyone who damages or moves them would be doomed to death or being an outcast.
The method to evolve a Galarian Yamask may be inspired by funeral rites in different culture. The fact that Galarian Yamask evolves into Runerigus after taking at least 49 HP in damage could be a very subtle reference to the antarābhava, a Buddhist concept of Purgatory after death and before reincarnation; this process of Buddhist Purgatory is said to last 49 days. The location of Evolution, namely the stone arch in Dusty Bowl, resembles a dolmen, while the arrangement of surrounding monoliths resemble that of a stone ship.
Name origin
Runerigus may be a combination of rune and egregious or Cofagrigus.
Deathbarn may be a combination of death, 板 ban (slab), and Desukarn.
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.
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For other sprites and images, please see Runerigus images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
