Palafin is a blue dolphin-like Pokémon best known for its ability to transform mid-battle into a completely different form. The transformation happens when Palafin senses its allies in danger—it's triggered by their calls for help. What's interesting is that Palafin keeps this transformation secret, only revealing it to those it truly trusts. The change is said to awaken ancient genes dormant in its DNA.
The two forms are called Zero Form and Hero Form. Zero Form is Palafin's standard appearance: sleek and streamlined, built like a typical cetacean. Hero Form is where things get wild. The transformation is dramatic—Palafin bulks up significantly, developing a more humanoid, muscular build. It can now stand upright on its tail flukes, which become longer and more delicate. The coloring shifts to a deeper indigo with pale blue accents along the sides, lower jaw, and tail. The heart marking on its chest expands into something shield-like, deepening from light pink to dark pink and even resembling the shape of a whale's flukes. New details appear: waterproof lenses over the eyes, fingerless gloves (though they're actually water-jet formations from holes in the flipper tips), and a flowing cape across the shoulders. Three water rings form around its body.
In Hero Form, Palafin becomes genuinely powerful—strong enough to lift an entire cruise ship with one fin and capable of swimming at 50 knots. It's known for rescuing drowning people and Pokémon. The water rings can be stretched, contracted, and fired off as projectiles or even repurposed as flotation devices. By expelling water from its blowhole, it can launch itself high into the air. The lenses give it enhanced underwater vision. Its chest glows pink when absorbing people's cheers, though that same spot is also its weak point. Fans and trainers call Hero Form Palafin the "Pelagic Protector" or "Hero of the Ocean."
Palafin evolves from Finizen.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
