Raikou is a yellow tiger-like creature with black stripes that resemble lightning bolts and a white under-side. Raikou has a skinny, light-blue tail with a star-shaped formation at the end. Raikou appears to have a purple cape that is supposedly made of thunderclouds. Most of Raikou's face is white with a light-blue "X" on its face and a gray crest on its forehead. Raikou has red eyes and long fangs in its upper jaws that make its appearance similar to the sabre-tooth tiger.
Gender differences
Raikou is a genderless species.
Special abilities
Raikou has the ability to shoot bolts of lightning from the rain clouds on its back. Raikou can also attack using its fangs and has limited mental powers.
Behavior
Raikou is normally distrustful of humans due to the fact that humans have tried to capture the Legendary Beast of Thunder for many centuries, though it has shown some friendship with those that just wish to help it. Raikou tends to show up either when there is a thunderstorm or when other Electric-type Pokémon are in danger.
Raikou was awakened by Yellow along with its two counterparts, and the three raced around Kanto and Johto looking for trainers to help them defeat the Mask of Ice to free Ho-Oh. Raikou eventually pairs up with Lt. Surge, and later Gold.
Anabel also owns a Raikou in the Battle Frontier saga. It has been confirmed that it is the same Raikou as the one that befriended Gold. Raikou is more powerful than other Electric-type Pokémon in the manga because billowing thunder clouds follow it everywhere, allowing it to perform powerful attacks more quickly than regular Electric Pokémon.
When released from a Poké Ball, Raikou releases a powerful Spark attack that electrocutes any opponents that get caught in it. Raikou is the only legendary beast that does not return in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
Game data
Pokédex entries
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation II.
Raikou embodies the speed of lightning. The roars of this Pokémon send shock waves shuddering through the air and shake the ground as if lightning bolts had come crashing down.
Raikou embodies the speed of lightning. The roars of this Pokémon send shock waves shuddering through the air and shake the ground as if lightning bolts had come crashing down.
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Raikou is the only Pokémon in the anime whose image on the anime Pokédex was of stylized art rather than Ken Sugimori's official artwork for it.
In the 4Kids dub of the anime, Raikou's name is frequently mispronounced as rai-kuu, rather than rai-ko.
Raikou's sprites in Pokémon Gold and Silver portrayed it as having an orange cape and lacked the four-point star on its face. This was corrected in Pokémon Crystal.
Raikou is also the only pre-Generation IV legendary Pokémon that Ash hasn't encountered in the anime. However, he did see one's tail and three mecha-Raikou inside Wattson's Gym.
Raikou is also currently the only legendary Pokémon from Generation II to not appear in a feature movie (although a Ho-Oh featured in Lucario and the Mystery of Mew was Mew in disguise).
In all of the games except Pokémon Crystal, Raikou has short fangs. In Crystal the fangs are very long.
Origin
Raikou's appearance resembles the tiger with its stripes and coat color. However due to its extremely long canine teeths, some suspect it is based on the extinct feline sabertooth tiger.
Name origin
The name in Japanese could be taken to mean 雷光, raikou, lightning. It could also be a combination of 雷 rai, thunder and 皇 kō, emperor. This Pokémon is also based on a demon of Japanese lore, the 雷獣 raijū.
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.
For other sprites and images, please see Raikou images on Bulbagarden Archives.
