This Dialga's Origin forme description is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this Dialga's Origin forme description to add missing information and complete it.
Dialga is a dark-blue, sauropod-like Pokémon with some gray metallic portions, such as its chest plate, which has a diamond in the center. It also has various light blue stripes. It has a fin-like structure on its back and a crest on its head, resembling a dinosaur. Dialga also has two horns on top of its head, two fang-like horns around its mouth, and three spines on the back of its neck. It has three claws on each foot of the same metallic looks as its chest plate. Faint cracks exist across its body. The wing-like structure on its back can be used to focus the flow of time, as seen in Explorers of Time, Darkness, and Sky.
Dialga can warp time by either speeding it up, slowing it down, or stopping it altogether. It can also travel through time to visit the past, present, and future. It is said that time started moving when Dialga was born and will continue flowing as long as Dialga's heart still beats. Dialga has the power to create a new universe by itself or with Palkia. As Dialga primarily resides in a different dimension, its behavior is nearly impossible to study. It has been shown to be very protective of its home. It also tends to have violent conflicts with its counterpart Palkia. Dialga has been referred to a deity in Sinnoh myths. It is the only known Pokémon that can learn Roar of Time.
The Origin Forme of Dialga is believed to be Dialga's true form. It is said to resemble its creator Arceus. The form is said to posses colossal strength. Dialga triggers this transformation, thanks to a radiant light. Dialga was worshiped by the Diamond Clan who refer to Dialga as Almighty Sinnoh.
In the anime, Dialga's temporal powers possess the ability to devolve anything or anyone against their will: Pokémon, humans, and plants. It can even possess the ability to reverse the devolution effects.
In Arceus and the Jewel of Life, Dialga 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. After being injured, it sent Sheena, Ash, and his friends back in time to fix Arceus's betrayal.
Dialga (recurring)
A Dialga appeared in JN089 and JN090, where it was a target of Alternate World Team Rocket, along with Palkia. Using a Red Chain, Team Rocket forced the two Legendary Pokémon to fight, creating time distortions that caused Pokémon to start devolving and eventually revert into Eggs, which Team Rocket would then steal and raise to be their own. The battle was finally stopped when Ash, Dawn, Goh, Chloe, and their alternate world counterparts prayed for Arceus to do so. Freed from the Red Chain, Dialga and Palkia then undid all the devolutions their battle had caused.
In The Battle Finale of Legend!, Dialga and Palkia were summoned by Cyrus on the Spear Pillar. They were put under his control through the use of the Red Chain and were tasked by him to open a portal to another dimension, wanting a world of his own. After the Red Chain's destruction and Cyrus's exit, Dialga and Palkia rampaged, creating a danger for Sinnoh. However, the two were calmed down and sent away with the help of the lake guardians.
In Hoopa and the Clash of Ages, Dialga was one of six Legendary Pokémon summoned and hypnotized by the shadow Hoopa Unbound as its reinforcements. It and its teammates engaged in a battle against the Latios, Latias, and ShinyRayquaza summoned to protect the real Hoopa in Dahara City. Eventually, after the shadow Hoopa was sealed in a Prison Bottle, the hypnosis on Dialga and the other Legendary Pokémon was lifted, and Dialga departed for its home.
In The New World, Dialga and Palkia were captured at Spear Pillar by Cyrus, who intended to use them to destroy the world and create a new one. Along with Palkia, it was freed by Giratina before they could help Cyrus succeed in his goal.
Dialga first appeared in The Rise of Darkrai, where it was fighting with Palkia. In the twelfth movie manga adaptation, Dialga, along with the other members of its trio, was summoned by Sheena to help Ash and his friends. Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina battled Arceus and it soon puts Sheena and the others in the past to uncover the act of betrayal Sheena's ancestor committed.
Dialga, along with the members of its trio, appeared in PBK5, where it fought Shin's Abomasnow and Mamoswine and defeated the former. It fought Yū Shirogane and lost.
Dialga first appeared in Creeping Away from Cradily. Dialga, along with Palkia, was summoned by Cyrus in order to create a new world. Cyrus used the Red Chains to force Dialga and Palkia to fight each other in order to distort time and space and create a portal that would swallow the existing world. Diamond, Pearl and Platinum worked together with their Pokémon to free Dialga and Palkia from their controlled states.
Later on, an accident with handling Charon's machine caused Dialga, Palkia and Cyrus to be dragged into the portal before it closed completely.
It was revealed that Giratina imprisoned both Dialga and Palkia in the Distortion World before setting off into the current dimension to wreak havoc. Soon, Cyrus and Diamond met in the Distortion World, and agreed to free Dialga and Palkia using their Pokémon. Dialga and Palkia later resumed their struggle against Giratina in the Distortion World. When Charon decided to escape from the Distortion World on Giratina, Diamond got on Dialga and chased after him. Giratina was eventually defeated, with Dialga and Palkia forcing it back into the Distortion World for good before both returned to the Spear Pillar.
Dialga was created in the Sinjoh Ruins, along with Palkia and Giratina, by Arceus's creation process, which was forced by Team Rocket's Four Generals. Knowing that the creation process would threaten the Johto region, Team Rocket's true leader Giovanni returned with Lance and Pryce to keep the creation trio at bay while Gold tried to calm Arceus down. Dialga was kept at bay by Pryce and his Swinub. Once Arceus was eventually becalmed, Dialga and Palkia departed from Johto and were spotted by Cynthia.
Dialga appears as a stage Pokémon 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.
The concept of time has always been one of the world's great mysteries, but Dialga might hold the answer. Legend has it that Dialga's birth caused time to begin moving! It's no surprise that the people of Sinnoh see this Pokémon as a deity. If you're ever running late, maybe you could ask Dialga to do you a favour and turn back the clock.
Dialga reprises its role as a stage hazard on the returning Spear Pillar stage. Spear Pillar now allows for any of the three Legendary Pokémon to appear each time, rather than being set for the whole match. Unlike in Brawl, Cresselia is now signified by the stage's color tint not changing from its new default green, rather than using Dialga's blue. Dialga also appears as a Spirit.
Game data
NPC appearances
Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time, Darkness& Sky: Dialga appears in the main storyline, but mostly as Primal 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 almost-Primal Dialga in battle 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. In the Sky-only Special Episode In the Future of Darkness, after the final battle between Primal Dialga and the trio of Grovyle, Dusknoir and Celebi, all of them start to disappear due to the past finally being changed by the player, but are saved by an implied higher being than Dialga, who also restores Dialga to its normal state.
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.
Radiant light caused Dialga to take on a form bearing a striking resemblance to the creator Pokémon. Dialga now wields such colossal strength that one must conclude this is its true form.
Game locations
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation IV.
The spikes on 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 only Legendary Pokémon to have a role in four different movies.
According to Junichi Masuda's blog, the Spanish translation team suggested changing 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 is 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 short-necked sauropod dinosaurs such as Camarasaurus or Brachytrachelopan. Its type is Steel possibly due to the hardness of diamonds, the fact that metal is known to last long periods of time, or the fact that most parts of a clock are made of metal, such as the gears. It may also be because diamonds are compressed carbon, and steel is an alloy from iron and carbon. Metaphorically, it could be a reference to the rigid and unaltering pattern of passing time, as metals are known for their resilience against physical forces. Its turquoise pattern on its body is vaguely reminiscent of clock hands, where the ends of the "clock hands" are diamond-shaped.
Name origin
Dialga is derived from diamond. Ga may be a corruption of gon from dragon or from the asteroid Dalgarno. It may also involve día (Spanish for day, referring to a unit of time) or dial (as in sundial, an instrument used to tell time using shadows on a clock face).
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 or from the asteroid Dalgarno. May also involve día (Spanish for day, referring to a unit of time) or dial (as in sundial, an instrument used to tell time using shadows on a clock face).
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.
Adamant Orb (100%)
Gold Bottle Cap (100%)
For other sprites and images, please see Dialga images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
