Dialga is a sauropod-like Pokémon. It is mainly dark blue with some gray metallic portions, such as its chestplate, which has a diamond in the center. It also has various light blue stripes. It has a somewhat wing-like structure on its back and a crest on its head, resembling a type of dinosaur. Dialga also has two horns on top of its head, two fang-like horns around its mouth, three spines on the back of its neck, long claws, and a short tail. The wing-like structure on its back can be used to focus the flow of time, as seen in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness, and Sky.
Gender differences
Dialga is a genderless species.
Special abilities
Dialga has the ability to warp time by either speeding it up, slowing it down, or stopping it altogether.
Similar to most other Dragon-types, Dialga is capable of wielding various elemental attacks (except for Water attacks). Dialga can also utilize several Ground-, Rock- and Steel-type moves. It is one of the few Pokémon that can use Aura Sphere.
Dialga's powers can be amplified by the Adamant Orb.
Being that Dialga primarily resides in a different dimension, its behavior is nearly impossible to study. It has been shown that it is very protective of its home. It has also been shown that it has violent conflicts with Palkia, who can be considered as Dialga's rival or enemy.
Habitat
Dialga lives in another dimension, and can only be summoned to the main Pokémon universe by using the Red Chain. This dimension, as shown in the twelfth movie, is blue and full of floating diamonds and also the pathway through different time.
Dialga appeared in the first three Diamond & Pearl seriesPokémon movies. It was first shown in The Rise of Darkrai, where it fought with Palkia and Darkrai in a battle that nearly destroyed Alamos Town. The same Dialga appeared in Giratina and the Sky Warrior. On its return trip back to its own dimension, Dialga ended up in the Reverse World and got attacked by Giratina. The Renegade Pokémon had been angered by Dialga and Palkia's fight in the previous movie. Dialga's final movie appearance was in Arceus and the Jewel of Life. It was shown for the first time with both the other members of its trio. After being called by Sheena to stop a spatial distortion, it briefly fought with Giratina once more. Later, it returned to help Palkia and Giratina fight Arceus, and sent Sheena, Ash and his friends back in time to fix Arceus's betrayal.
In The Advent of the Legendary Pokémon!!Cyrus successfully controlled Dialga after he gained control of the Red Chain. When Hareta tried to snap Dialga out of Cyrus's control, it was able to flee from Cyrus.
In the Arceus and the Jewel of Life manga
In the twelfth movie manga adaption, Dialga, along with the members of its trio, was summoned by Sheena to help Ash and his friends. Dialga, Palkia, Giratina battle Arceus and it soon puts Sheena and the others in the past to uncover the betrayal Sheena's ancestor made.
Dialga appears as a stage Pokémon in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, along with Palkia, Cresselia, and the lake guardians on the stage Spear Pillar. It affects the stage much differently than that of its counterpart, such as slowing down time, and even going off its post to attack the players in the middle. It can also distort the stage, like Palkia, but only slightly and not as extreme, as well as shoot beams from various locations.
Trophy Information
"A Temporal Pokémon. This legendary Pokémon is talked about as a deity in fables passed down through generations in the Sinnoh region. Identifiable by the diamondlike crystal in the center of its chest, Dialga is said to have set time in motion at the moment of its birth. Its fearsome Roar of Time attack is so powerful that it must refrain from attacking on the next turn. It is Diamond's mascot."
Game data
NPC appearances
Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of DarknessPokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky: Dialga appears in the main storyline, but mostly as Primal Dialga (Japanese: やみのディアルガ Dark Dialga). In the future, because of the collapse of the Temporal Tower, Dialga has lost control of itself and has entered a state of self-preservation, keeping time frozen and refusing to let it flow properly. When the player and partner return from the future and arrive at the collapsing Tower, they must beat Primal Dialga in battle, who has almost completely turned Primal, and restore the Tower. After putting some sense into it, Dialga is so grateful that it revives the player (who was erased from existence). After going back to Dialga at the top of Temporal Tower, it decides that the player wants a rematch. Once defeated, Dialga joins the player's team.
Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia: Dialga appears as a bonus boss during one of the Ranger Net extra missions. Dialga was injured from a battle with Palkia and entered Almia Castle to recover. It caused a time distortion due to its wounds and sent the main character and Wendy back in time to before the events of the game started by using Roar of Time.
Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs: Dialga appears in the optional Ranger Net extra mission Pledge to Arceus. It must be captured along with its counterparts Palkia and Giratina in the Sky Fortress to access Arceus.
Pokédex entries
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation IV.
Dialga is the only Dragon-type Pokémon that doesn't take super-effective damage when hit by Dragon-type moves, due to the Steel-type's resistance to them.
Dialga is the tallest Generation IV Pokémon and the third heaviest Pokémon.
Dialga, along with Palkia and Phione, has the second highest catch rate out of all the legendary Pokémon, with a catch rate of 30, only topped by Mew, Celebi, Shaymin, Reshiram, and Zekrom, with catch rates of 45.
Dialga and Palkia are the first legendary Pokémon to be seen at a level that is not divisible by 5, appearing at level 47 in Diamond and Pearl respectively.
The spikes on the Dialga's back, at a certain point of view, look similar to a time gear. In the anime, when Dialga uses Roar of Time, the spine extends and the five spikes become thinner and more pronounced.
Dialga is the first legendary Pokémon to have a role in three different movies.
According to Junichi Masuda's blog, the Spanish translation team suggested to change the name Dialga because of its similarity to the word alga, seaweed.
Origin
Dialga, along with Palkia, may be based on the Shinto legend of Izanami and Izanagi, who are said to have created one island with a spear, erected a pillar on it, and from there created the islands of Japan. Appearance-wise, Dialga seems to be based on sauropod dinosaurs while its head is reminiscent of H. R. Giger's Xenomorph, an extraterrestrial species that is the primary antagonist in the Alien franchise. Its type is Steel possibly due to the hardness of diamonds, or the fact that most parts of a clock are made of metal, such as the gears.
Name origin
Dialga is derived from diamond. Ga may be a corruption of gon from dragon. It may also involve dia (Spanish for day, referring to a unit of time), dial (as in sundial, an instrument used to tell time using shadows on a clock face), or dia (Greek for through, as in to go "through" time).
In other languages
Language
Title
Meaning
Japanese
ディアルガ Dialga
Derived from ダイヤモンド diamond. Ga may be a corruption of gon from dragon. May also involve dia (Spanish for day, referring to a unit of time), dial (as in sundial, an instrument used to tell time using shadows on a clock face), or dia (Greek for through, as in to go "through" time).
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.