Zen Mode (Ability)

Zen Mode (Japanese: ダルマモード Daruma Mode) is an Ability introduced in Generation V. It is the signature Ability of both regional forms of Darmanitan and allows it to change form.

Effect

In battle

At the start of battle or at the end of a turn, if the HP of a Standard Mode Darmanitan with the Ability Zen Mode is below half, it will change into its Zen Mode. At the end of a turn, if the HP of a Zen Mode Darmanitan with the Ability Zen Mode is above half, it will change into its Standard Mode. Darmanitan is always in Standard Mode outside of battle.

In Standard Mode, Unovan Darmanitan is Fire-type and Galarian Darmanitan is Ice-type; in Zen Mode, Unovan Darmanitan is Fire/Psychic-type and Galarian Darmanitan is Ice/Fire-type.

Only Darmanitan can change form with Zen Mode; if another Pokémon gains this Ability (e.g. via Transform), it cannot change forms.

Generations V to VI

If Darmanitan loses Zen Mode or Zen Mode is suppressed with Gastro Acid, it will revert to its Standard Mode and not be able to change form. If Darmanitan gains Zen Mode, at the end of the turn it will change form if its HP is below half.

Role Play fails if the target has the Ability Zen Mode. Entrainment fails if the user has the Ability Zen Mode. Zen Mode cannot be copied by Trace.

Generation VII onward

Role Play, Gastro Acid, Worry Seed, Simple Beam, and Entrainment fail if the target has the Ability Zen Mode. Skill Swap fails if either Pokémon has Zen Mode. Zen Mode cannot be copied by Trace, Power of Alchemy, or Receiver. Zen Mode cannot be replaced by Mummy or suppressed by Core Enforcer. If a Pokémon other than Darmanitan obtains Zen Mode with Imposter or Transform, the Pokémon will not change forms.

Outside of battle

Zen Mode has no effect outside of battle.

Pokémon with Zen Mode

#	Pokémon		Types		First Ability	Second Ability	Hidden Ability
0555		Darmanitan	Fire		Fire	Sheer Force	None	Zen Mode
555Z	Darmanitan	Darmanitan	Fire	Psychic	None	None	Zen Mode
555G	Darmanitan	Darmanitan	Ice		Ice	Gorilla Tactics	None	Zen Mode
555GZ	Darmanitan	Darmanitan	Ice	Fire	None	None	Zen Mode
Please note that abilities marked with a superscript are only available in the stated generation or later. For Generation III and IV games, ignore Hidden Abilities.

In the anime

Goh's Darmanitan Bianca's father's Darmanitan Trainer's Darmanitan
Changes the Pokémon's shape when HP is halved.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Used In		Notes
	Darmanitan's body turns into a stone-like statue that turns it into a part Psychic-type. When Darmanitan turns back to normal, its eyebrows become covered in flames and its body changes instantly back to Standard Mode, or Darmanitan's body becomes surrounded in red-yellow flames and it changes back into Standard Mode.
A wild Darmanitan	Saving Darmanitan From the Bell!		Debut
Bianca's father's Red Flash Darmanitan	Enter Elesa, Electrifying Gym Leader!		None
A Trainer's three Darmanitan	A Maractus Musical!		None
Five wild Darmanitan	Raid Battle in The Ruins!		None
Goh's Darmanitan	Raid Battle in The Ruins!		None

In the manga

Pokémon Adventures

Darmanitan
The Pokémon changes shape when it takes damage.
Pokémon	Method
User	First Chapter Used In		Notes
	After taking enough damage, Darmanitan's body turns into a stone-like statue, giving it the powers of a Psychic-type.
Several wild Darmanitan	To Make a Musical		Debut
N's Darmanitan	The Lesson Ends Here		None

Trivia

• Zen Mode is the only Ability whose name begins with the letter Z.

In other languages

Language Title Chinese Cantonese 達摩模式 Daahtmō Mòuhsīk * 不倒翁模式 Bātdóuyūng Mòuhsīk * Mandarin 達摩模式 / 达摩模式 Dámó Móshì * 不倒翁模式 Bùdǎowēng Móshì * Dutch Zenmodus Finnish Zen-tila French Mode Transe German Trance-Modus Italian Stato Zen Korean 달마모드 Dalma Mode Polish Tryb Zen Portuguese Modo Zen Spanish Modo Daruma Vietnamese Trạng thái Daruma

This article is part of Project Moves and Abilities, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on two related aspects of the Pokémon games.