7th Gen Jörmungandr

[Megan]

Let's talk about Zygarde. But first some basics:

Zygarde is a Pokemon introduced in gen 6 that served as one of the legendaries you can only get in the postgame. In gen 7 it returned but this time in three different formes that can be obtained by collecting and fusing its cells/cores. 10 allow you to get its 10% form which resembles a dog, 50 results in its snake like form which is what we know it from the previous generation. 100 allow it to transform into its true form that looks very much like a giant mech.

As vague as some of the details of Zygarde's origins may be, it's at least save to assume that it goes back to Norse mythology. One of the indicators actually lie in its name: the "garde" part that can be seen in nordic names like "Asgard" (realm of the gods) or "Midgard" (realm of the humans).
As for the origins of Zygarde: that's where things get a little complicated. For one Zygard is based off of Níðhöggr, the dragon that lives at the bottom of Yggdrasil and feeds off of the world tree's root. This is why it's a Dragon Type. Looking at how Zygarde is build around the aspect of balance (it's ability Aura Break being made to cancel out both Xerneas' and Yveltal's abilities) things definitely got interesting when gen 7 came around.

First of all: I assume most people have heard the term Ragnarök before. In Norse mythology it is said to be the final battle of the gods which leads to their ultimate demise. It is said that Ragnarök happens when the mountain of Hel (Norse equivalent of hell) breaks out and the three beasts are unleashed. The three beast here referencing Fenrir, the wolf like create trapped inside a cave, Jörmungandr also referred to as "Midgar Serpent" and Loki, one of the gods who got sealed in the same cave as Fenrir after he killed another one of the gods.

I think it's save to say that Zygarde 10% is very much a reference to Fenrir. Zygarde 50% also happens to fit perfectly well to Jörmungandr. It's 100% form, however, sems to be a little more hazy in that regard. I've seen people referring to Hel, the god who resides over Hel (the place) and it kind of makes sense, as those three all have in common that they are offspring of Loki. However, I personally believe that it is more likely referencing Loki himself. The three are considered to be the three beast of the apocalypse. However, what's more: Zygarde and Loki share another trait, one that was only added in gen 7.

In Norse mythology Loki is known for his ability to transform into different creatures. One of the more common examples being when he transformed into a mare luring away a horse that was blocking a path. Coincidentally, this is also the origin story of Sleipnr, Odins faithful six-legged horse.
Likewise, Zygarde can have multiple versions depending on the amount of cells/cores you have. Additionally, if you gather all cells and cores you can get Zygarde with its ability Power Construct which allows it to transform into its complete form during battle!

So what are your thoughts on Zygarde? Do you like it? Do you think they did a good thing by including it in the games the way they did? Would you have liked to see more of it?

 

[Nah]

Would've liked to see it have an actual role in one of the games instead of being relegated to an optional fetch quest in the generation after its introduction, but I guess that's not gonna happen, unless we someday get a "Legends: Zygarde" or something.

But if Xerneas is Yggdrasil, and Zygarde is Nidhogg/Ragnarok, then what is Yveltal?

 

[moon]

From some googling, it seems people believe Yveltal is the blind eagle that sits in the branches of Yggdrasil. The same sites also suggest that Xerneas is not Yggdrasil, but the stags that are found in the tree, or a stag that stands on top of Valhalla.

Wikipedia:

"Xerneas traces to the Eikþyrnir, a stag that stands atop Valhalla, while Yveltal is inspired by the Hræsvelgr, a giant eagle able to make the wind blow by flapping its wings."

I know this was a Zygarde topic, but yeah I agree with your ideas, Megan :D

 

[Sheep]

I actually know very little on Zygrde's history, and reading this was really interesting! Thank you!

Didn't care for it much originally, but given its lore I'm warming up to it now. It had a cool role in XY series of the anime too. I'll go through the entire Zygarde fetch quest at some point since I lazied out haha, but I generally agree with Nah that I wish they expanded on it a bit more.

 

[ElBurrito]

It's possible that the Ultra Beasts may have also played a part in why Zygarde got those forms in gen 7. One source I found mentions that part of Ragnarök involves the sky splitting and fire giants emerging from the cracks. Which is fairly similar to the Ultra Beasts raining down from dimensional cracks in the sky, meanwhile Zygarde gets his "god" forme in preparation for the "final battle".

 

[Janp]

It would be cool to have more of Zygarde in Gen VI games. While I couldn't really care less about its forms, they could have played a great role in Z version that would make it more different than XY.

When it comes to Gen VII games, I like Ultra's collectables better. They fit the games more and don't feel like "sorry for not bothering with Zygarde in its gen". I did found all Zygarde cells, but mostly to "complete" the game rather than "I want to use it". It has been sitting in PC ever since.

 

[moon]

It's possible that the Ultra Beasts may have also played a part in why Zygarde got those forms in gen 7. One source I found mentions that part of Ragnarök involves the sky splitting and fire giants emerging from the cracks. Which is fairly similar to the Ultra Beasts raining down from dimensional cracks in the sky, meanwhile Zygarde gets his "god" forme in preparation for the "final battle".

That's a very cool interpretation. I have wondered why they made it appear in Alola more, but I like this theory :3

 

[_confused_piplup_]

So, I ve heard about a leak saying that pokemon x and y story was almost all changed and it was described which was the original story. Briefly, it implied aliens like the ultra beasts we got in gen 7, however they weren't coming from multiverse. Zygarde is described as a pokèmon made to protect Kalos region and I believe, the original role of Zygarde was totally that one. First of all, the cells in which he can divide himself are probably used as cameras to detect the danger and check the whole area. This is pretty useful if you're waiting for an alien attack. Some other reasons why I believe the leak is true are: AZ is an alien and the characters don't say much about it, I mean, the story just doesn't cover that at all; then, Zygarde was available in the post game in quite a secret spot, like any other "third legendary" like rayquaza, giratina and kyurem but we never got a third game, I mean "pokémon z" and I think the reason may just be the fact that he had a role in the story that coldn't be narrated because the story itself was changed. Indeed, zygarde comes back in gen 7 when we have, ultra creatures and that's anyway weird for the fact that it's a gen 6 pokèmon, who had a complete story just in the next generation. On the other hand, a reason why game freak decided to leave zygarde in pokemon x and y is, in my opinion, the lack of new legendary pokémon in those games. In conclusion, I think zygarde is really much connected to aliens and it's something left of a story we have never played, unfortunately.

 

[Bellsprout]

For a very long time I haven't cared much for legendary Pokemon, but I find XY's trio to be one of the best ones or at least very visually appealing to my eyes. I remember when I found Zygarde in the game I thought the design was intriguing and it made me look up what it was based upon. I like the design interpretation they took for the whole trio, but especially for Zygarde.

I know a lot of people don't care for XY, but personally I was looking forward to a third installment to see how it would be fleshed out. Sadly the one time I was interested in a legendary they jumped straight to the next generation lol. I remember it being incorporated into sun/moon, but where it was just a side task it didn't interest me much. Plus I really don't care for its forms.

 

[Mab]

Man I wish they leaned into these themes more. Norse mythology is so cool and I didn't know those legendaries were based on it, but you wouldn't know playing X and Y because none of the rest of the game has anything to do with that. How cool would an actually Norse themed pokemon game be?