The newly-released Pokémon Legends: Arceus is already the best-selling yet in the series, but its Pokédex doesn't introduce many new species, which will hopefully change in the DLC. The game's new features and action-RPG mechanics have delighted long-time fans who were tired of playing the same story in different regions, but that's not to say that it doesn't have its faults. Among them is a lack of truly new Pokémon, which is both surprising and understandable given the title's experimental nature.
In total, Legends: Arceus contains 250 different species of Pokémon, and the vast majority of them are returning from previous games. There are also new Hisuian variants of existing Pokémon, and some species gained new alternate evolutions. Some, like Stantler, even gained an evolution when they didn't have one before, so there are quite a few new Hisuian species in Pokémon Legends: Arceus' Pokédex. However, there are barely any that could be called truly new in that they're not an alternate form or evolution. In fact, there's only one: Enamorus, a Legendary Pokémon that has been added to Unova's Forces of Nature trio.
The lack of new Pokémon in Legends: Arceus may not be a deal-breaker, but it is certainly odd. It would have been nice to see new species to go along with the game's many new features, especially since it was supposed to break the mold that the series has built around itself. What kind of Pokémon that the DLC would introduce is impossible to say, but there's the possibility that the game could take advantage of its new themes, and use some rare type combinations. The DLC will also hopefully come with new areas to explore, with species that were previously unknown to both players and the Galaxy Team. The more complicated Pokémon catching in Legends: Arceus is fun in and of itself, so it shouldn't end with just the base game.
Legends: Arceus' New Pokémon Aren't Very New
Although the Hisuian Variants that Legends: Arceus introduced are exciting, they're still variants instead of fully new Pokémon. The fact that the game chose not to introduce any species (aside from Enamorus) that aren't variants or alternate evolutions is puzzling, and raises the question of why. Hisui is, of course, a proto-Sinnoh region, and so many of its Pokémon will also be naturally shared. It's also possible that new Pokémon are being saved for DLC, in which case there could be more Hisui-native Pokémon to discover, and perhaps even more Hisui evolutions and variants. It can't be said for certain at the moment what any additional content would hold, but some new Pokémon are a strong possibility, and choosing not to make any that truly belong to the game could be a missed opportunity.
The lack of new Pokémon is exacerbated by the fact that many of the Hisuian variants aren't obtainable right away. There are two catchable Pokémon in Legends: Arceus' Obsidian Fieldlands with a Hisuian evolution - Stantler and Scyther - able to evolve into Wyrdeer and Kleavor. Goomy and Petilil are found in the Crimson Marshlands, and more are scattered across the following areas. It's not tremendously difficult to get them, but it's not exactly easy either, and players will have to put in a fair amount of legwork if they want to get all of them. The new evolutions are quite spread out, which is understandable given the ratio of new Hisuian ones to those returning from past games.
What Kind Of New Pokémon Would Legends: Arceus' DLC Have?
If new Pokémon species are coming in Legends: Arceus' DLC, players will no doubt want details about them once they're announced. Any new type combinations, appearances, movesets, or abilities can't be known until something is actually released, but there are plenty of interesting possibilities. All of Legends: Arceus' Noble Pokémon have unusual type combinations, so more could come. Since the game is supposed to offer something new and novel, it could take the opportunity to use type combinations that haven't been used very much yet, or even new ones entirely. There are currently 17 different type combinations that no Pokémon has used before, and there are plenty more that are only used by Legendaries, Mega Evolutions, or variants. Whether or not any of them would show up in Pokémon Legends: Arceus' future content is uncertain, but it's arguable that they should.
Aside from typing, however, new Hisuian Pokémon should represent the region itself. Just like Comfey is modeled after a lei, a tradition in Alola's inspiration, Hawaii, completely new species could reflect Hisui. Legends: Arceus is set in ancient Sinnoh, which is based on the Japanese island of Hokkaidō, and there are parallels to Japanese history in the game. Pokémon Legends: Arceus' time travel brings players back to a region steeped in history and tradition. The variant forms of the three final starter evolutions somewhat take after ancient Japanese warriors and weaponry, and the game's DLC should continue the trend and make new species that call back to Japan's past. They shouldn't be too obvious, but Pokémon with inspirations from Japan's Edo period or feudal eras could be the best in the game if done right.
Legends: Arceus' DLC Should Come With New Areas With New Pokémon
There are five areas in Pokémon Legends: Arceus where players can explore and capture Pokémon. Each one has a different biome, and together, they give the game a fair bit of ecodiversity. Currently, there is a grassy plain, a boggy marsh, a sandy coast, a mountain range, and an icy tundra. If there are new species of Pokémon coming in future DLC, no matter what they are, they'll likely come with new environments. Whether new Ride Pokémon would come in Legends: Arceus' future content is debatable, but are also possible depending on the landscapes. A volcanic area and an underground cave are both possibilities, and they're not the only ones. There's no telling what kind of new geographical locations could come with Legends: Arceus' DLC if Game Freak chooses to add them, but there are plenty of possibilities.
What kind of Pokémon the new areas might contain, however, is a matter of conjecture. It stands to reason that they would have to be fit for the environment that they're in; a non-variant Clampearl near an active volcano would stray dangerously towards the absurd, even for a fantasy series like Pokémon. Whether the new environments would come first or if they would be built around any fully new Pokémon species, however, is impossible to say. Pokémon Legends: Arceus may have graphics not quite as good as Pokémon Sword and Shield, but it could mimic the Wild Area of those games and offer a little bit of every type of biome possible. There's also no telling how many new areas or DLC packs could come in the future, but since Pokémon Legends: Arceus is already a groundbreaker for the series, its DLC could make it even more so.