Ho-Oh (Pokémon)

← #249: Lugia

Pokémon

#251: Celebi →

Ho-Oh ホウオウ Houou #250
Art by Ken Sugimori from HeartGold and SoulSilver
Type Fire Flying Unknown Unknown Blue-Striped Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown	Category Rainbow Pokémon
Ability Pressure Blue-Striped -----	Exp. at Lv. 100 1,250,000
Regional Pokédex numbers Kanto #— Johto #253 Hoenn — Sinnoh — Unova Not in any regional Pokédex
Regional Browser numbers Fiore R— Almia R— Oblivia R-286
Height 12'06" Imperial 3.8 m Metric 12'06"/3.8 m Red-Striped 0'0"/0.0 m Blue-Striped 0'0"/0.0 m
Weight 438.7 lbs. Imperial 199.0 kg Metric 438.7 lbs./199.0 kg Red-Striped 0.0 lbs./0.0 kg Blue-Striped 0.0 lbs./0.0 kg
Dex color Red	Catch rate 3 (0.4%)
Body style Blue-Striped	Footprint      Blue-Striped
Gender ratio Gender unknown Unknown Gender unknown
Breeding Undiscovered group 121 cycles* (30855 minimum steps)
EV yield HP 0 Atk 0 Def 0 Sp.Atk 0 Sp.Def 3 Speed 0 Base Exp.: 220 Battle Exp.: 2201*
External links On Smogon Pokédex: Generation II Generation III Generation IV Generation V Generation VI Generation VII Generation VIII Generation IX Artwork on Bulbagarden Archives

Ho-Oh (Japanese: ホウオウ Houou) is a dual-type Fire/Flying legendary Pokémon.

It is not known to evolve into or from any other Pokémon.

It is often considered to be closely related to Lugia, even sometimes as its polar opposite. Silver represents Lugia as "guardian of the seas", and Gold represents Ho-Oh as "guardian of the skies."

Ho-Oh is the version mascot of Pokémon Gold and its remake, HeartGold, appearing on the boxart of both.

Biology

Physiology

Ho-Oh is a phoenix-like bird with gold and red being its dominant colors. Ho-Oh also resembles a peacock. Ho-Oh has yellow tail-feathers, a white underside, and green feathers at the tip of its wings. Ho-Oh has a green stripe on its neck, a yellow beak, black rings around its red-iris eyes, and a feathered-crest. Ho-Oh's wings are prismatic, causing it to trail a rainbow behind it.

Gender differences

Ho-Oh is a genderless species.

Special abilities

Ho-Oh's most notable ability is its mythical power to resurrect the dead. Ho-Oh is the only known Pokémon that learns Sacred Fire and can hold Sacred Ash.

Behavior

Not much is known about this creature, due to the fact that few trainers have been lucky enough to see it. It has been observed to be territorial at times when its nest is disturbed. It freely flies the world's skies in search of a Trainer with a pure heart.

Habitat

Ho-Oh used to perch at the top of Bell Tower until the Brass Tower was destroyed by fire. It now presumably flies through the world's skies.

Diet

Main article: Pokémon food

In the anime

According to the anime, Ho-Oh lived in the Tin Tower in ancient times. When a war broke out, burning both the Tin Tower and the Brass Tower down, it created Raikou, Entei, and Suicune, and all four disappeared. Later, a new Tin Tower was erected, but Ho-Oh since then has never come back for sure. A sacred flame from Ho-Oh burns in the Dragon's Den; it was obtained during the same war.

Major appearances

Ho-Oh (anime)

A Ho-Oh appeared to Ash at the end of the first episode, flying across the sky after the thunderstorm. Ash's Pokédex could not identify it. It was the first Generation II Pokémon to be seen, and was seen before most Generation I Pokémon.

After competing in the Silver Conference, Ash saw Ho-Oh flying towards Hoenn. This encouraged him to get over his depression at his loss and continue his journey.

Ho-Oh was seen flying into the sunset at the end of Battling the Enemy Within. This time, Brock, May, Max, Scott and Brandon saw Ho-Oh as well (on a slightly related note, this time, someone else other than Ash managed to identify it first).

Minor appearances

Ho-Oh had a cameo appearance during the opening sequence for Jirachi: Wish Maker.

In the eighth movie, Mew transforms into Ho-Oh.

Ho-Oh made a small cameo in the introduction of the movies The Rise of Darkrai and Arceus and the Jewel of Life.

Pokédex entries

In the manga

Ho-Oh in Pokémon Adventures

In Pokémon Adventures, Ho-Oh was used by the Masked Man to kidnap children in his plans to capture Celebi, including Green and Silver, five years prior to the start of the entire manga. Prior to the events of the GSC saga, Pryce had lost his control over Ho-Oh, and thus attacked Tin Tower using Team Rocket to prompt Ho-Oh to return to Ecruteak City. Ho-Oh was later seen at Indigo Plateau under Pryce's control, alongside Lugia, wreaking havoc and destruction.

In the TCG

Main article: Ho-Oh (TCG)

In the TFG

One Ho-Oh figure has been released.

• Next Quest: Ho-Oh

Other appearances

Super Smash Bros. Melee/Brawl

When released from a Poké Ball, Ho-Oh unleashes a spiral of Sacred Fire that deals massive amounts of damage to any opponent caught in it.

Game data

Pokédex entries

Game locations

In side games

In events

Held items

Game		Held Item(s)
Gold	Silver	Sacred Ash (100%)
Crystal
HeartGold	SoulSilver	Sacred Ash (100%)

Stats

Base stats

Pokéathlon stats

Type effectiveness

Learnset

By leveling up

|- style="text-align:center" | style="text-align:left" | fire | style="background:#81B9EF" |  flying 

| style=" background:#FFF" | 4 | style=" background:#FFF" | 2 | style=" background:#FFF" | Ho-Oh | style="display:none; background:#FFF" | {{{6}}} Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Mlentry4 Template:Movelist/note

By TM/HM

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By breeding

None.

By tutoring

Template:Tutor Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4 Template:Mtentry4

|- style="background:#EF7374" | colspan="13" | Bold indicates a move that gets STAB
Italic indicates a move that gets STAB only from an evolution of this Pokémon
A colored initial indicates that the move is not available to be tutored in this game,
while a colored background indicates that the move is available. |} |}

Special moves

Side game data

Pokémon Pinball  N/A  Not available		Pokémon Pinball RS  N/A  Not available		Pokémon Trozei!    Rarity: Rare
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team Body size: 4 Recruit rate: 99.9% Friend Area: Rainbow Peak Phrases 51%-100% HP A vivid rainbow gives me protection! 26%-50% HP How can this be? My HP is reduced halfway? 1%-25% HP It's no good... Even my rainbow has faded away... Level up Leveled up! Let the seven colors of my rainbow blaze across the sky! Partner phrases 51%-100% HP <name>, my HP is between 51% and 100%. 26%-50% HP <name>, my HP is between 26% and 50%. 1%-25% HP <name>, my HP is between 1% and 25%. Level up Leveled up! Let the seven colors of my rainbow blaze across the sky!
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Time, Explorers of Darkness, and Explorers of Sky Body size: 4 Recruit rate: 10% IQ group: D
Pokémon Ranger Group:  Normal  Poké Assist: None Field move: None Loops: 0 Min. exp.: 0 Max. exp.: 0 Browser entry   This Pokémon does not have a browser entry.
Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia Group:  Normal  Poké Assist: None Field move: None Browser entry   This Pokémon does not have a browser entry.
Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs Group: Poké Assist: Field move:  Fire  ( Fire ) Past ( Normal ) None Past (Electrify ×1) Browser entry   This Pokémon does not have a browser entry.
Pokémon Rumble N/A Not Available Defense Speed N/A Not Available Defense Speed			Pokémon Rumble Blast N/A Not Available Defense Speed N/A Not Available Defense Speed N/A Not Available Defense Speed N/A Not Available Defense Speed
PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure PokéPark Pad entry: This Pokémon has no PokéPark Pad entry.
PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond Strong: {{{Park2strong}}} Weak: {{{Park2weak}}} PokéPark Pad entry: This Pokémon has no PokéPark Pad entry.
Pokémon Conquest HP: Move: {{{ConquestMove}}} Attack: Ability 1: {{{ConquestAbility1}}} Defense: Ability 2: {{{ConquestAbility2}}} Speed: Ability 3: {{{ConquestAbility3}}} Does not evolve. Range: 0 Perfect Links: {{{ConquestLink}}}

Evolution

Does not evolve Ho-Oh  Fire  Flying

Sprites

Gen	Game
I	Red	Blue	Yellow		Red (Ja)	Green	Back
	This Pokémon did not appear during Generation I.
II	Gold	Silver	Crystal				Back
III	Ruby	Sapphire	Emerald		FireRed	LeafGreen	Back
IV	Diamond	Pearl	Platinum		HeartGold	SoulSilver	Back
V	Black	White	Black 2	White 2			Back

For other sprites and images, please see Ho-Oh images on Bulbagarden Archives.

Trivia

• Aside from the opening theme song, which featured Mewtwo, Mew, and the legendary birds of Kanto, Ho-Oh was the first legendary Pokémon ever seen in the anime.
  • Ho-Oh is also the first Generation II Pokémon to be shown in the anime, making it the first sign that the franchise would ever expand beyond 151.
• Ho-Oh's English name is a palindrome; it shares this distinction with Eevee and Girafarig.
• Ho-Oh is one of the only two version mascots with a wild held item (Sacred Ash). The other is Pikachu (with Light Ball or Oran Berry).
• Ho-Oh is one of eight Pokémon whose name has a non-alphabetic character in it, the others being Nidoran♀, Nidoran♂, Farfetch'd, Mr. Mime, Porygon2, Mime Jr. and Porygon-Z.
• Ho-Oh is tied with Lugia for the highest base Special Defense of all Template:Type2s. This also ties them for the fourth highest Special Defense of all Pokémon.
  • Ho-Oh also has the highest Special Defense of all Fire-types as well as the highest base stat total.
  • Ho-Oh is tied with Lugia and Rayquaza for highest base stat total of all Flying types.
  • Ho-Oh has the highest Attack of all Fire-types, tied with Flareon.
• In HeartGold and SoulSilver, when the Kimono Girls are summoning the legendary Pokémon, they dance clockwise for Ho-Oh and counterclockwise for Lugia.
• Ho-Oh is one of four game mascots that shares the first letter of its name with the game it is the mascot of: HeartGold. The other three are Blastoise (Blue), Dialga (Diamond), and Palkia (Pearl).
  • Though, this is only true with the remake, and not the original.
• Ho-Oh, along with Lugia are the only two legendary version mascots with counterparts that have not had a conflict in the anime.
• Despite Pokédex entries making reference to Ho-Oh's rainbow colored feathers, the colors of Ho-Oh's feathers colors consist of only green, white, red and gold.
• It's indirectly said in a myth in Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, and SoulSilver that it created Raikou, Entei and Suicune.
• Fluzzard, a bird from Super Mario Galaxy 2, resembles Ho-Oh in both shape and color scheme. He is also accompanied by smaller birds whose color schemes' resemble that of shiny Ho-Oh.
• Ho-Oh also resembles Dyna Blade from the Kirby series.

Origin

Ho-Oh is based on the Huma bird, a legendary bird that is said to never rest, living its entire life flying continuously, and resurrects itself and others in its own ashes and flames. It is a symbol of fortune and friendship and will bestow happiness to anyone who simply glimpses it. Ho-Oh, like Moltres, is also based on the legend of the Phoenix; unlike Moltres, it is based more on the Fenghuang, the immortal phoenix of China. Many cultures view the Phoenix and Huma as symbols of resurrection; this is seen in Ho-Oh, which was reborn rising from its own ashes and had a hand in resurrecting Suicune, Raikou and Entei. It may also be based on many other firebirds; some examples are the Three-legged bird, Simurgh, and the Ember Bird. It also is similar to the rainbow-feathered bird god Achiyalabopa.

Name origin

Its English name is simply another way of transcribing 鳳凰 Hōō, which is the Japanese word for phoenix, specifically the Chinese phoenix, or Fènghuáng.

In other languages

• German: Ho-Oh
• French: Ho-Oh
• Korean: 칠색조 Chilsaekjo - Means "Seven-colored bird."
• Chinese (Taiwan): 鳳王 Fèng Wáng - "Phoenix King".

Related articles

• Ho-Oh (anime)

Legendary Pokémon

Generation I

Generation II

Generation III

Generation IV

Generation V

Generation VI

Generation VII

Generation VIII

Generation IX

See also: Mythical Pokémon

← #249: Lugia

Pokémon

#251: Celebi →

This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon as a species.