Lugia

Considered a legendary Pokémon within the setting of the games, Lugia is characterized as the "Diving Pokémon" in the Pokédex and the latter states that Lugia is known as "The Guardian of the Sea". It has been more often compared to a dragon, bird, wyvern or sea monster, 1UP.com calling it a "sleek, draconic creature".[1][2][3] The Hartford Courant described Lugia as resembling a "flying white lizard", adding that its wings more closely resembled "huge cartoon paws".[4] It is primarily pale silver-white, but has blue undersides with slightly varying tones. It has a somewhat beak-like, ridged mouth, although it has teeth on its lower jaw. Its head has a point to the back, and its eyes have pointed blue spikes on them. Lugia has a long slender necks and its bodiy is smooth and covered with streamlined feathers, with the exception of dark blue or black spike-like protrusions which run down the length of its back, and two smaller ones on the ends of its tail. It has large wings that resemble hands, similar to a personified bird wing. Lugia possess the ability to calm storms and are said to appear when storms start.[5] It is also said to be able to spawn a storm lasting as long as 40 days by flapping its wings.[6] A light flutter of a Lugia's wings is capable of causing winds powerful enough to blow apart regular houses.[7] Lugia is highly intelligent, and isolates itself at the bottom of the sea, where it tends to slumber in solitude at the bottom of a deep oceanic trench, in order to avoid accidentally causing damage with the devastating power it packs.[8]

In Lugia's initial appearance for Pokémon: The Movie 2000, Lawrence III, an arrogant and rich man who calls himself "The Collector", captures the three legendary birds Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres, with the intent of summoning Lugia, the "beast of the sea", voiced by Eric Rath. Ash Ketchum joins forces with a begrudging Team Rocket to prevent the world's destruction by gathering three orbs in the Orange Islands and placating Lugia.[9]

Lugia was originally conceived by Takeshi Shudo, the head writer of the first Pokémon anime. He was given a large amount of creative freedom for Pokémon The First Movie due to the ongoing Dennō Senshi Porygon photosensitive epilepsy incident, also known as the "Pokémon Shock", leading to the first film being much darker than would otherwise have been allowed. The first movie's runaway blockbuster success made his creative freedom for the sequel, Pokémon The Movie 2000, "near-total". This also included the ability to create the film's main Pokémon, which was named Lugia by majority vote. Unlike most Pokémon, the name of Lugia has no apparent basis in any real word, although it may have stemmed from the Latin word "Lugeo", or "to lie dormant". Stating that Lugia had been designed solely for the movie, Shudo expressed surprise that the creature was later featured in the video games and TV show.[13]

Lugia, who possessed a speaking role in the film, was given a masculine voice. However, Shudo intended Lugia as a creature that was simultaneously male and female. This dual nature was intended to embody one of the film's main messages, that people can be different and yet coexist without resorting to conflict. He showed "overwhelming regret that he allowed Lugia to be voiced by a man", considering Lugia, the "creator of all life on Earth", to be a "maternal Pokémon". Stating that "it was too late, we couldn’t suddenly change Lugia into a female", the change was so significant to him that it made him start "gulping down alcohol and drugs" and "feel like [he] wanted to die". During the final few years of his life, Shudo became "obsessed" with Lugia, writing numerous blog posts on the subject.[13]

The Shadow Lugia variant first used in Pokémon XD was notably one of the first Pokémon to be designed by a Westerner, James Turner, who was later made the art director of Pokémon Sword and Shield due to the fact that it was based on his homeland.[14]

The Telegram & Gazette stated that attempts to merchandise the character were poorly received, namely due to lack of familiarity on the part of consumers with the character.[15] September 2000 saw Lugia-themed Chrysler PT Cruisers touring the United States and visiting IGN offices to promote the games Pokémon Gold and Silver, Hey You, Pikachu!, and Pokémon Puzzle League.[16]

Lugia has had positive reception. 1UP.com's Jeremy Parish praised the design heavily, calling it a "sleek, draconic creature" similar to Final Fantasy VIII rendition of the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl, and attributing the preference consumers had for Pokémon Silver over Pokémon Gold reflected in sales to its role as the game's mascot.[1] Authors Tracey West and Katherine Noll called Lugia the sixth best Legendary Pokémon and the fourth best Pokémon overall. They also called it a "gentle giant".[17] IGN also ranked Lugia as the 4th best Pokémon, where the staff commented that" it's gone on to become one of the franchise's most iconic legendary creatures .[18] In contrast, the Daily Texan criticized Lugia as lacking the "human personality that make the other Pokémon so endearing", further adding that while it had an animalistic grace, the effect was ruined in the animated film by its voice.[19]

• Lugia on Pokemon.com
• Lugia on Bulbapedia