Dragonite is a large, draconic Pokémon with light orange skin and a distinctly reptilian look. Its most striking features are its oversized grayish-green eyes, a rounded snout, and a pair of long, thin antennae sprouting from its head with a small horn between them. The rest of its body follows a classic dragon design: thick limbs ending in three claws each, well-defined leg joints, smooth rounded arms, and a long tapering tail. Its cream-colored underbelly runs from neck to tail tip, and despite its bulky frame, it sports surprisingly small wings with teal membranes. Interestingly, Pokémon Sleep has noted that an exhausted Dragonite will sleep soundly on its back, belly exposed—a rare sight supposedly only seen after long journeys crossing vast oceans.
The thing that makes Dragonite genuinely impressive is that it can fly faster than the speed of sound and reportedly circle the entire globe in just sixteen hours. Beyond raw power, it's famous for being intelligent and genuinely kind-hearted. Stories abound of Dragonite rescuing drowning swimmers and guiding lost ships to safety, which is why it's earned the title "sea guardian" or even "the Sea Incarnate." Many ships have figureheads modeled after it for this reason.
That said, Dragonite has a volatile side. If its environment is threatened, it can spiral into an uncontrollable, destructive rampage—though it usually calms down once it's smashed whatever angered it to bits. It also has a legendary rivalry with Kingdra, and the two engage in fierce battles whenever they cross paths. According to Drayden, Dragonite's power is potent enough to actually influence weather patterns.
In terms of habitat, Dragonite is extremely rare in the wild and sticks to coastal areas. Some legends claim an island exists somewhere out in the ocean inhabited solely by Dragonite. In the Fiore region, rangers have even employed Dragonite as a flying service called the Dragonite Bus for travel between areas.
Mega Evolution
Dragonite can Mega Evolve into Mega Dragonite, gaining features that echo its pre-evolution Dragonair. Its antennae transform into large, feathery head-wings that are light tan with white tips, which serve as both sensory organs and additional flight surfaces. Smaller wings sprout from the shoulders and legs, while the back wings shrink. The tail grows longer and sports a multi-colored pearl near the tip that glows during certain attacks. The horn becomes white, and its eyes shift to a teal-green hue. Its cream underbelly no longer extends all the way to the tail, with the segmented lines replaced by just five V-shaped markings.
In this form, Dragonite's speed and strength increase dramatically, but it keeps its gentle nature—in fact, it becomes so kind-hearted that it prefers to end battles quickly and will smile while unleashing powerful attacks on opponents. It's known to rush to help anyone in trouble, even if it means leaving a battle mid-fight.
Evolution
Dragonite is the final evolution in its line.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
