The recent trailers for Pokémon Legends: Arceus have shown off plenty of features and given players new details to be excited about. As with any Pokémon game, one of the big questions is which Pokémon starters players will get to choose from. Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a unique entry, as it will be revisiting a previously seen region from several years in the past. Rather than offering players the same starters from the Sinnoh region, three Pokémon from different generations have been chosen. This begs the question - why these three?
Pokémon Legends: Arceus is set in the Sinnoh region long before it was called such. Now named the Hisui region, Pokémon Legends: Arceus takes the open wilds seen in Pokémon Sword and Shield and expands it in new ways. Players will set out to help build the first Pokédex of the Hisui region, able to interact with wild Pokémon in real-time. Players can throw Pokéballs from cover or engage in combat with no loading screens, but aggravated Pokémon can attack the player and make them black out. There are also a number of new features to fit with the Hisui region's Japanese inspirations.
Announced back in February, Pokémon Legends: Arceus surprised fans when it revealed the three starters they could choose from; Cyndaquil, Rowlet, and Oshawott. Not only is this the first time the starters would not be brand-new Pokémon, but they each curiously come from a different entry in the franchise - Gold & Silver, Sun & Moon, and Black & White, respectively. Why were each of these Pokémon - none of which are native to Sinnoh - chosen to be the game's starters? The most plausible theory is that players will see the first-ever example of region-specific final evolutions in starter Pokémon.
Why Cyndaquil, Rowlet, & Oshawott Are The Right Starters For Pokémon's Hisui Region
Everything Nintendo has revealed so far about the Hisui region in Pokémon Legends: Arceus shows a strong thematic inspiration of ancient Japan. From the buildings in Jubilife Village to the clothes people wear and even the redesigned Poké ball, everything is rich in Japanese culture. These starter Pokémon's final evolutions - Typhlosion, Decedueye, and Samurott - are familiar Pokémon that could easily be given Hisuian forms which further embody Japan's rich history.
Typhlosion, with its large body and mane of flames, could easily be adapted to resemble a great emperor with a flaming robe, a role worthy of this Pokémon's might. Decidueye appears as a hooded archer and as such could easily be modified to resemble a ninja; extending its hood to conceal more of its face and replacing its feathered arrows with kunai. Finally, Samurott's very name is a play on samurai, the traditional Japanese warrior. It already features plated armor made of shells as well as a spiked helmet. Giving this Pokémon a more traditional Samurai helmet and more ornate shell armor would have it fall in line with the Hisui region's ancient Japanese aesthetic.
Many Pokémon have seen regional variants over the years, but it has not happened with starters yet. Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a very unique step forward for the Pokémon franchise in many ways, and choosing these three Pokémon to be its starter choices cannot be a coincidence. Their final evolutions are already so close to representing aspects of Japan's ancient heritage, making these slight changes would justify their inclusion as the Hisui region's starters and lean more into the richly inspired lore players can already see from the game.