Dialga
Dialga is a dark-blue, sauropod-like Pokémon with metallic gray sections and light blue stripes running across its body. Its most distinctive feature is the chest plate embedded with a deep blue diamond-shaped crystal. A five-spiked, gear-like fin runs down its back, complemented by three neck spines and a head crest that resembles a sundial's pointer. The structures flanking its head look like horns and fangs, while each foot has three metallic claws matching its chest plate.
Mythology and Worship
In Sinnoh and Hisui lore, Dialga hatched from an egg created by a Mythical Pokémon at the beginning of time, alongside Palkia (space) and Giratina (antimatter), all in their Origin Formes. After shaping the universe, Dialga retreated into its own dimension, where it's remained ever since. The Diamond Clan historically revered it as a deity, even mistaking it for Arceus and calling it "almighty Sinnoh." The Pokémon can communicate telepathically through human language—most notably via Adaman, the clan's leader. Powerful space-time rifts created by Giratina can throw both Dialga and Palkia into a frenzy, causing them to spread distortions that generate alpha Pokémon and drive noble Pokémon wild.
Powers and Behavior
Dialga controls time itself. It can accelerate, decelerate, reverse, or stop time, travel through past and present and future, and unleash attacks that warp time. It's capable of destroying or creating entire universes alone or with Palkia. Recent events in Pokémon Journeys revealed that its temporal powers can involuntarily devolve Pokémon, people, and plant life—though it can undo these changes. Legend says time began flowing when Dialga was born and will continue as long as its heart beats.
The Pokémon levitates to move around. Since it lives primarily in another dimension where time moves in multiple directions and speeds simultaneously, studying its behavior is nearly impossible. In the anime, it's shown to be fiercely protective of its home, leading to violent clashes with Palkia whenever their dimensions collide. The gear-like fin on its back can focus time's flow, a trait noted in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon.
Forms
Origin Forme
Dialga's true form is radically different from its standard sauropod appearance, blending sauropod, dragon, and centaur traits while echoing Arceus's design. Its hind legs become unguligrade with pointed tips rather than feet. The front legs are much larger, sporting three distinct rhomboid claws underneath, with rectangular protrusions at the knees. The chest plate vanishes, replaced by a similar polygonal shape. A large jutting shape extends from the neck (creating an enlarged throat appearance) flanked by two pairs of panel or wing-like protrusions, all embedded with deep blue diamond crystals in diamond-shaped grooves. The three neck spines grow longer and sharper. Arrow-shaped horns crown the head, while longer fang-like horns connect to a lower jaw plate that can shift to reveal the mouth. A cross of four arrow shapes surrounds the abdomen, attached to a small wheel reminiscent of Arceus's cross-wheel. The posterior fin gains a star-shaped layer, and the tail becomes shorter and crystalline. Overall, the body enlarges and turns nearly entirely dark blue, with light blue accents on the crest, arrow horns, knee protrusions, and abdomen cross; fin tips and feet are dark gray. The crystals and light blue features glow when Dialga uses its powers.
Dialga reaches full power in this form and supposedly remains permanently transformed while in its home dimension. Bright radiant light triggers the shift, or it can be forced using the Adamant Crystal. Origin Forme Dialga can unleash meteors and shockwaves, with its Roar of Time technique capable of being charged into a stronger version, as seen in its boss battle in Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
Primal Dialga
A corrupted variant that resembles a standard Dialga with darkened coloring—the body is dark blue, the chest crystal turns dark orange, and the body lines also shift orange. Unlike normal Dialga, Primal Dialga cannot properly control time due to tampering, causing it to act far more aggressively. It retains some time manipulation abilities but can block others from time traveling, even canceling out certain Pokémon's temporal powers.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
