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Height
5'03"
Imperial
| 1.6m
Metric
| 5'03"/1.6m
| 0.0m
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Weight
116.0lbs
Imperial
| 52.6kg
Metric
| 116.0lbs/52.6kg
| 0.0kg
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EV yield
HP
0
| Atk
0
| Def
0
| Sp.Atk
3
| Sp.Def
0
| Speed
0
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| Base Exp.: 216
| Battle Exp.: 1542*
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Zapdos (Japanese: サンダー Thunder) is a dual-type Electric/Flying legendary Pokémon.
It is not known to evolve into or from any other Pokémon.
It is, along with Articuno and Moltres, one of the three legendary birds of Kanto.
Biology
Physiology
Zapdos has the form of a large bird with black and yellow plumage. Its spiky feathers make it look like it is made of lightning. Its tail feathers stick out in several directions, furthering this illusion. A large crest of feathers decorates its head, and distinctive black rings encircle its eyes. Its beak is very long and thin. While Zapdos is the smallest and lightest of the legendary birds, it is still a fairly large Pokémon.
Gender differences
Zapdos is a genderless species.
Special abilities
When Zapdos flaps its glittering wings, it releases electricity, potentially causing thunderstorms.
Behavior
Zapdos is one of the legendary birds of Kanto. It is a poorly understood species, believed by many to be pure myth. It is always seen in conjunction with thunderstorms, leading many to believe that it gathers energy from the electricity in the atmosphere. It is also reported to cause massive crackling and snapping sounds when it flies; these are contributed to the lightning bolts it is said to shed when airborne.
Habitat
When Zapdos is sighted, which is not often, it is almost always during electrical storms. It appears to live in thunderclouds, but one is said to live in or near a power plant in Kanto. It may be attracted by the electricity the plant produces.
Diet
- Main article: Pokémon food
In the anime
Major appearances
Zapdos made its first true appearance in The Power of One. Lawrence III wanted to capture the three Kanto Legendary Birds as well as Lugia.
Other
The Electric Pokémon made another appearance in As Clear As Crystal. When Team Rocket made an attempt to steal a crystal that gave a lake the ability to heal Electric-type Pokémon, they were side-tracked when Zapdos showed up and changed their objective to capture Zapdos instead.
Minor appearances
The first time Zapdos was seen was in Island of the Giant Pokémon. However, it wasn't a real Zapdos, just a machine.
A Zapdos made an appearance in the credits of Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea. Jackie had captured it with a Capture Styler and flew away on it.
A Zapdos made a cameo appearance in Doc Brock!. This may have been taken from Pokémon Platinum, where in this version, there is a Zapdos roaming Sinnoh.
Pokédex entries
| Episode
| Pokémon
| Pokédex
| Entry
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| EP242
| Zapdos
| Ash's Pokédex
| Zapdos, the Electric Pokémon. Zapdos has both electric and flying elements and the flappage of its wings can create lightning.
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| This concludes the entries from the original series.
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In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
Having captured this legendary bird in the abandoned Power Plant as in the games, Lt. Surge appears with Zapdos in his team during the events of Volume 3, using it as a neverending power source for his Electric-types, allowing them to continually shock Red at full force, a strategy that turns against him when Red uses Saur's Razor Leaf to cut the supply cords and his insulating underwear with them. After having been merged with Articuno and Moltres into an undiscovered Pokémon, the three Pallet Town trainers are able to defeat the combined monster, so it leaves his team, and Team Rocket afterwards to go back to the wild.
Green later captures Zapdos before the Gold, Silver, & Crystal chapter and uses it against Will and Karen, having caught it and its legendary bird companions on her personal training journey to overcome her fear of birds. During this battle, it is lent to Blue when things get rough. Once returned, it is put back in its Poké Ball and isn't seen again, meaning it has either been deposited into her box or released.
In the TCG
- Main article: Zapdos (TCG)
Other appearances
When released from a Poké Ball, Zapdos uses a powerful ThunderShock that hits opponents several times to produce a substantial amount of damage.
Trophy information
Zapdos flaps its wings, and summer storms appear, throwing lightning every which way. It's said that you can hear this legendary Pokémon coming, as its wings make a very distinctive popping sound as it flies. In addition to electrical moves like the dreaded Thunder, it also wields a vicious move called Drill Peck.
Game data
NPC appearances
- Zapdos is the first legendary Pokémon encountered in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. After it kidnaps Shiftry, the player must fight it at the top of Mt. Thunder. It is possible to recruit Zapdos by returning for another fight after the credits.
Pokédex entries
| Pokédex entry
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| This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation I.
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| Generation I
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| A legendary bird Pokémon that is said to appear from clouds while dropping enormous lightning bolts.
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| This legendary bird Pokémon is said to appear when the sky turns dark and lightning showers down.
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| Generation II
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| This legendary bird Pokémon causes savage thunderstorms by flapping its glittering wings.
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| This legendary bird Pokémon is said to appear only when a thundercloud parts into two halves.
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| Legendary bird Pokémon. They say lightning caused by the flapping of its wings causes summer storms.
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| Generation III
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| Zapdos is a legendary bird Pokémon that has the ability to control electricity. It usually lives in thunderclouds. The Pokémon gains power if it is stricken by lightning bolts.
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| Zapdos is a legendary bird Pokémon that has the ability to control electricity. It usually lives in thunderclouds. It gains power if it is stricken by lightning bolts.
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| One of the legendary bird Pokémon. While it is flying, it makes crackling and snapping sounds.
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| A legendary bird Pokémon that is said to appear from clouds while dropping enormous lightning bolts.
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| Generation IV
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| A legendary Pokémon that is said to live inside thunder clouds. It can freely control thunder.
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| A legendary Pokémon that is said to live in thunderclouds. It freely controls lightning bolts.
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| This legendary bird Pokémon cause savage thunderstorms by flapping its glittering wings.
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| This legendary bird Pokémon is said to appear only when a thundercloud parts into two halves.
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| Generation V
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| Pokédex entry is unavailable at this time. Data will be entered when the Pokédex entry has been verified.
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Game locations
| This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation I.
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In side games
Held Items
Stats
Base stats
| Stat
| Range
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| At Lv. 50
| At Lv. 100
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| 150 - 197
| 290 - 384
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| 85 - 156
| 166 - 306
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| 81 - 150
| 157 - 295
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| 117 - 194
| 229 - 383
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| 85 - 156
| 166 - 306
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| 94 - 167
| 184 - 328
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- Minimum stats are calculated with 0 EVs, IVs of 0, and a hindering nature.
- Maximum stats are calculated with 252 EVs, IVs of 31, and a helpful nature.
- This Pokémon's Special base stat in Generation I was 125.
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Pokéathlon stats
Type effectiveness
| Under normal battle conditions in Generation IV, this Pokémon is:
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| Weak to
| Resistant against
| Unaffected by
| Damaged normally by
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Learnset
None.
Special moves
Side game data
Evolution
Sprites
Trivia
- Of all legendary Pokémon with fixed in-game locations, Zapdos can be obtained with the fewest number of badges: 3. In the Generation I games and their remakes, one can catch Zapdos with only the Boulder Badge, Cascade Badge, and Soul Badge although it is far too strong for most trainers at that stage, at level 50.
- In Generation I, Zapdos was the only dual-type Electric Pokémon, as Magnemite and Magneton did not gain a secondary type until Steel was introduced in Generation II.
- Zapdos shares the same species name with Elekid and Electabuzz. They are all known as Electric Pokémon.
- Zapdos and Jolteon have almost the same Japanese name, a final s being the only difference.
- Zapdos, Emonga and the Chinchou evolution family (without Volt Absorb) are the only Electric-type Pokémon that receive neutral damage from Electric-type moves.
- This is curious considering its Pokédex description, which states that it absorbs electricity as a source of power.
- Zapdos is the only one of the legendary birds to not have a double weakness to Rock (or for that matter, any double weakness).
- Zapdos shares its cry with 'M.
- In Generation II, Zapdos was given an additional toe pointing forward on each foot giving it three. However, Pokémon Stadium 2 shares the same 3-D model for Zapdos as its Generation I 3-D games, Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Snap, so in that game, it still only has two.
- The exception being Pokémon Yellow's sprite, wherein it does in fact have three front toes.
- Zapdos has the second highest Special Attack of all Electric-types with 125. Magnezone ranks first in this regard.
- Zapdos and Raikou both have the highest base stat total of all Electric-types.
Origin
Zapdos is based on the Native American legend of the thunderbird. The thunderbird was known for being the spirit of thunder, lightning, and rain in the form of a giant bird. The beating of the wings was said to create thunder. It may also have been based on the Lightning Bird, a bird created from wherever lightning hits the earth. It may also have been based on the Impundulu, a bird of witchcraft said to summon thunder and lightning with its wings and talons.
Name origin
Zapdos's name is a combination of the word zap and the Spanish word for two, dos, indicating that it is the second in the series of Kanto legendary birds. Its Japanese name is simply Thunder.
In other languages
Related articles
Notes
BrightPowder (100%)
For other sprites and images, please see Zapdos images on Bulbagarden Archives.
