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darkrai
📅 Updated:2026-07-02
🕒 Created:2014-11-21
🆔 ID:5718
Description
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Darkrai (Japanese: ダークライ Darkrai) is a Dark-type Mythical Pokémon introduced in Generation IV.
While it is not known to evolve into or from any other pokémon, Darkrai can Mega Evolve into Mega Darkrai using the Darkranite. Mega Darkrai was introduced in the Mega Dimension DLC for pokémon Legends: Z-A.
Darkrai (Japanese: ダークライ Darkrai) is a Dark-type Mythical Pokémon introduced in Generation IV.
While it is not known to evolve into or from any other pokémon, Darkrai can Mega Evolve into Mega Darkrai using the Darkranite. Mega Darkrai was introduced in the Mega Dimension DLC for pokémon Legends: Z-A.
Darkrai was officially revealed in February 2007. It and Cresselia are often collectively referred to as the lunar duo by fans, and it is the last pokémon in the Hisui Pokédex. Darkrai plays a central role in Mega Dimension, serving as one of the key figures in its storyline.
Darkrai is a black, shadow-like pokémon. It has a small head with a white fog-like ghostly plume billowing from its head covering one of its bright blue eyes, with the portion on its face resembling hair. It also has a red spiky growth around its neck. It has skinny arms and long black tatters hanging from its shoulders. It also has black, claw-like hands. It has the slight appearance of an hourglass figure and appears to be wearing an old, ripped cloak. Darkrai generally stays afloat in the air and does not have any sort of legs, but it is able to extend stilt-like appendages similar to legs and stand on the ground. In self-defense, Darkrai can retract its head and white "plume" into the pit atop its torso fringed by the aforementioned red growth.
Darkrai resides in Newmoon Island, where it is active during the new moon or moonless nights. Its main ability is to lull people to sleep and make them experience horrible nightmares. However, it is not intentionally malicious and only does this to as an act of self-defense or to chase people and pokémon away from its territory. One time, Darkrai caused an entire village to experience nightmares, with the villagers having reported seeing it in their dreams. It is capable of speech while inside dreams. As seen in Sleepless In Pre-Battle!, Darkrai not only creates nightmares, but is also attracted to them. Only Darkrai's counterpart, the Legendary Pokémon Cresselia, or one of its Lunar Feathers, can cure those afflicted by its power. It's also possible to fend off Darkrai's nightmares by combining Snorlax's Drowsy Power with Cresselia's own. As mentioned in pokémon Sleep, it has attempted to use Dark Void while it is asleep, perhaps because it cannot contain its overflowing power. The relationship between Darkrai and Cresselia can vary between different individuals and canons, with some depicting it as antagonistic (Sleepless In Pre-Battle! and pokémon Mystery Dungeon), while others portray it as cooperative (Nightfall? Nightmares! and A Midsummer Night's Light!).
In The Rise of Darkrai, Darkrai was shown to be capable of speech through telepathy. In the same movie, it is revealed to be capable of flying at high speeds and becoming a shadow in order to escape danger or avoid humans. In pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia, Darkrai can use an ability called Dark Power, in which it opens a large black portal on the ground to either trap people and pokémon in a world of total darkness (referred to as Dark Void) or teleport them somewhere else. Darkrai's capacity to cause nightmares can be enhanced by absorbing tons of Mega Power, creating a mélange of subconscious thoughts and memories from people and pokémon, as seen with Hyperspace Lumiose. If this isn't stopped, however, it will expand and cause distortions to appear in the real world. This also makes it lose control of itself and harms it to the point of triggering Rogue Mega Evolution. The Eureka Seed can bring out the full power of Darkrai.
Darkrai is the only known pokémon capable of learning and using the move Dark Void. It is also the only known pokémon that can have Bad Dreams as an Ability.
