Summary
With very few concrete details revealed aboutPokemon Legends: Z-A, it’s hard to compare the game to its predecessor,Pokemon Legends: Arceus, without following a few assumptions about the series. While it’s been confirmed thatPokemon Legends: Z-Awill take place entirely within the Kalos Region’s Lumiose City, things like the time period the game is set in or the mascot Legendary it will feature have been left up to fan speculation. This lack of information leaves the game missing key parts of its identity when compared toPokemon Legends: Arceus, potentially setting the game up to subvert fan expectations.
Although thePokemon Legendsseries is a new venture for the franchise, Game Freak has a history of following certain trends with its mainlinePokemonentries that fans have come to expect with each title. One major recurring design element is the use of specificLegendary Pokemonas mascots for different games, and withPokemon Legends: Arceus, the mascot Legendary of Arceus was front and center in the game’s title. However,Pokemon Legends: Z-Asurprisingly doesn’t directly reference the Legendary most fans are expecting the game to feature, meaning the game could end up deviating from the precedent set by its predecessor.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Legendary May Not Be as Obvious as it Seems
While not directly spelled out in the game’s title, most players are expectingPokemon Legends: Z-Ato focus on the Legendary Zygarde. Although Zygarde was originally introduced inPokemon X and Y, the Legendary never received the attention it deserved due to there never being a thirdPokemon Zversion in that generation, and Zygarde’s story was subsequently shoe-horned into the Gen 7 games as an afterthought. Now that the franchise is returning to Kalos withPokemon Legends: Z-A, it’s natural to assume this means Zygarde will get its chance in the spotlight, but this might not be the case since the game isn’t titledPokemon Legends: Zygarde.
Pokemon Legends: Arceusdoesn’t hide the Legendary mascot at the heart of the game’s plot, boldly promoting Arceus' inclusion in the game via its title. However, things are a lot less cut and dry when it comes toPokemon Legends: Z-Aas the game doesn’t draw attention to any specific Legendary in its title. This design choice could suggest a number of different directionsPokemon Legends: Z-Amight take, and with the game beingset entirely within Lumiose City,Pokemon Legends: Z-Ahas the potential to upend what fans thought they knew about the series.
What Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Title Could Mean for its Legendary Mascot
The fact thatPokemon Legends: Z-Ahasn’t revealed its Legendary mascot could mean the game is planning to go in one of a few different directions. The most likely direction based on the “Z-A” in its title is for the game to feature multiple Legendaries that are equally important to the game’s story. This title may be meant to connect two Legendaries like Zygarde, represented by the “Z,” to Arceus, represented by the “A,” as a way to linkPokemon Legends: Z-AwithPokemon Legends: Arceusand further establish thisPokemon Legendsseries' identity.
Another possible route this game could take is the introduction of one or more brand-new Legendaries that will be the focal point ofPokemon Legends: Z-A’s story. If this is the case, it would make sense for Game Freak to keep the title of the game ambiguous so as not to spoil any potential new additions while fueling fan speculation. If the game does go this route, Zygarde could still play a large role in the game, similar to the rolesDialga and Palkia played inPokemon Legends: Arceus, but the overarching mascot Legendary of this game might be a new one entirely.
