As a direct prequel to Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is rich with connections to the future Sinnoh region. Pokémon Legends: Arceus offers players a great mix of novelty and nostalgia, introducing brand new gameplay and mechanics to the series while remaining faithful to the lore of the Gen 4 remakes. As such, there are tons of references, Easter eggs, and parallels between both games that make the brave new world of Hisui feel satisfyingly familiar to Pokémon BDSP’s Sinnoh region.
In terms of gameplay, Pokémon BDSP and Pokémon Legends: Arceus are very different thanks to the new direction Legends: Arceus took the Pokémon franchise. Rather than battling trainers and looking for Pokémon in tall grass, Legends: Arceus players are tasked with exploring Hisui’s vast wilderness to study the Pokémon that roam freely throughout the region. After trainers travel back in time and join the Galaxy Expedition Team, they’ll adventure across the region on their quest to complete Hisui’s first-ever Pokédex.
However, despite their differences, Pokémon Legends: Arceus and BDSP have lots in common thanks to the fact that they technically share a setting. Hisui is the ancient version of the Sinnoh region, and not only is their geography nearly identical, but they’re connected through their characters, locations, and legends as well. From ancient myths to modern metropolises, there are plenty of connections between Pokémon BDSP and Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
Legends: Arceus’ Jubilife Village Becomes Pokémon BDSP’s Jubilife City
Jubilife Village is the player’s base of operations in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, providing a place for them to rest, shop, and store the Pokémon they catch on their adventure. However, this quaint ancient village will someday grow into the lively metropolis that is Sinnoh’s Jubilife City. Jubilife City is one of the largest cities in the Sinnoh region as well as the entire Pokémon world as a whole. However, while the Sinnoh region of BDSP has plenty of cities with stores and Pokémon centers for players to visit, Jubilife Village is the only settlement in Hisui that offers a variety of attractions like the shops, Pastures, and Training Grounds. It’s easy to see how this bustling town evolved into Sinnoh’s City of Joy, and Jubilife remains one of the most modernized cities in the entire region - even in the present day.
Pokémon BDSP Characters’ Ancestors Appear In Legends: Arceus
Shortly after Pokémon Legends: Arceus was announced, the Pokémon Company revealed that there would be several familiar faces in ancient Hisui with ancestral ties to some of Pokémon BDSP’s characters. Commander Kamado was confirmed to be the ancestor of Professor Rowan, and Captain Cyllene is the ancestor of Cyrus, the boss of Team Galactic. In the weeks after the game’s release, however, players spotted over a dozen characters that appeared to be ancestors of characters from BDSP. Not only do Legends: Arceus’ ancestor characters share their descendant’s notable physical features like hairstyles and eye colors, but they often have similar personalities, Pokémon, and even battle music that strengthens their connection even further.
Cynthia’s ancestor, Volo, is one of the most obvious ancestors in the game, sharing her hair, eye color, team of Pokémon, and love of mythology despite the differences in their moral codes. However, even minor Legends: Arceus characters can be traced back to BDSP’s cast, including Ginter, Colza, and all three of the Bandit Sisters. Even BDSP’s famous Lucario trainer, Riley, has a Lucario-training ancestor named Rye, and completing his "Steely Lucario" Request will unlock Riley’s hat in the Jubilife Village clothier.
Legends: Arceus’ Galaxy Team Inspired BDSP’s Team Galactic
Led by the cold-hearted Cyrus, Team Galactic is the primary antagonistic force of Pokémon BDSP, and their quest to create a new universe without emotion almost leads to the destruction of the Pokémon world. However, in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, the Galaxy Expedition Team is a positive force that paves the way for the future of Pokémon research in the region. While the teams’ missions and morals differ drastically, the connection between them makes a lot of sense considering that Captain Cyllene is Cyrus’ ancestor. Toward the very end of Legends: Arceus, Cyllene mentions her plans to pass down the name of the Galaxy Expedition Team to her descendants, along with the records of their accomplishments. Not only does this explain the similarities between the teams’ names and logos, but it could also suggest that Cyrus’ plan was inspired by Cyllene’s records of the events that transpired in the Temple of Sinnoh.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus & BDSP’s Stories Feature Dialga & Palkia
As Sinnoh’s deified Legendary Pokémon, Dialga and Palkia play massive roles in the stories of both Pokémon BDSP and Pokémon Legends: Arceus. According to the region’s creation myth, Arceus created Dialga and Palkia to rule over time and space, and the two of them worked together to create the Sinnoh region. In Pokémon BDSP, the worship of these two Legendary Pokémon has mostly become the stuff of history and myth. However, Pokémon Legends: Arceus players get to time travel back to when the Diamond and Pearl clans still revered Dialga and Palkia as the gods of the Hisui region.
At the beginning of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, the clans mistakenly believe there’s only one “Almighty Sinnoh” and argue over which version of this mysterious deity is the real creator of Hisui. Fortunately, once it’s revealed that the gods of both clans are actually separate beings that both had a hand in the region’s creation, the clans are able to put aside their differences and achieve peace. During the encounter with these powerful Legendaries, Legends: Arceus players witness the destruction of the Temple of Sinnoh at the top of Mt. Coronet, after which it becomes almost identical to the Spear Pillar where Dialga and Palkia appear in their respective versions of Pokémon BDSP.
The Sea’s Legend Connects Pokémon Legends: Arceus & BDSP
One of the most interesting connections between Pokémon BDSP and Pokémon Legends: Arceus is The Sea’s Legend, an ancient tale about the Mythical Pokémon, Manaphy, that appears in both games. According to a book in BDSP’s Canalave Library, an ancient hero journeyed to the Seaside Hollow with a Buizel, a Mantyke, and a Qwilfish with huge spikes to meet Manaphy, the Prince of the Sea. Pokémon Legends: Arceus players can pick up a request of the same name from Professor Laventon’s blackboard after he witnesses a mysterious Pokémon swimming just off the coast.
By recreating the story found in BDSP’s book, players can complete the request and encounter Manaphy and Phione in the Seaside Hollow, just like the ancient hero from the legend. While Pokémon Legends: Arceus and Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl share plenty of connections, The Sea’s Legend is one of the only puzzles whose pieces appear in both of the Pokémon series’ latest titles.