If Darmanitan's Ability is Zen Mode and its HP drops to half or below, it changes from its Standard Mode into its dual-typeFire/PsychicZen Mode. Under the same conditions, Galarian Darmanitan becomes dual-type Ice/Fire.
Biology
Darmanitan is a squat, ape-like Pokémon with a rounded body, a tan face, and prominent facial features that give it an intense expression. In both forms, it lacks a distinct neck, with its head blending directly into its body, and it has a rounded back that ends in a short tail. Its body is also marked with three oval shapes on its underside.
Both Unovan and Galarian Darmanitan can change from their normal state, called Standard Mode, into Zen Mode.
Standard Mode
In its Standard Mode, Darmanitan is predominantly red in color. It has long, bushy flame-like eyebrows that curl at the base, round eyes surrounded by black rings, and a tan face divided by a diagonal red stripe. Its large mouth is lined with spiked teeth, contributing to its manic or angered appearance. It possesses long arms and legs, each ending in large tan hands and feet, with spiky hair fringes around its wrists and ankles. Standard Mode Darmanitan also has two wavy lines on its back and five toes on each foot.
Darmanitan has immense physical strength; a single punch from it can destroy a dump truck. Its power level is proportional to the temperature of its internal fire, which can be as hot as 2,500 °F (1,400 °C). Darmanitan has a long lifespan, as one specimen in its Zen Mode was recorded living for 2,500 years as it was sleeping in the Relic Castle.
Zen Mode
When Darmanitan enters Zen Mode through its Hidden Ability, Zen Mode, its appearance changes dramatically. Its red fur and tan skin turn blue, and its body takes on the appearance of a Daruma doll. Its eyes become blank and expressionless, while its limbs fuse with its body, rendering them immobile. Additionally, its feet have only three toes rather than the five seen in Standard Mode.
Zen Mode Darmanitan it is hard as a rock. As it is rendered immobile, it enters a meditative trance to sharpen its mind, using it as strength emotionally and spiritually to battle and to perform everyday activities such as gathering and eating food.
Galarian Darmanitan
Darmanitan has a regional form: Galarian Darmanitan.
In both of its forms, Galarian Darmanitan has blue skin and heavy, cold-weather-adapted coat, which is much thicker than that of its Unovan counterpart. Its fur is predominantly white and is decorated with ice gems and crystals. Both forms also preserve Darmanitan's basic body structure, including its actual head beneath the large mass of fur and ice atop it.
Galarian Darmanitan is the only known Pokémon that can have Gorilla Tactics as an Ability.
Standard Mode
In its Standard Mode, Galarian Darmanitan has a shaggy white coat whose facial fur forms a beard-like shape. The most distinctive feature of this form is the giant snowball on top of its head, resembling an afro and studded with several ice crystals. Its overall appearance emphasizes its icy nature while remaining relatively simple and compact.
Galarian Darmanitan's biology is the result of it adapting to the cold of the Galar region. It develops an organ that produces cold air, while its flame sac becomes dormant. This also causes its nature to change, from a belligerent personality to a gentle and timid one. It becomes so timid that it will pretend to be a snowman when it senses humans nearby. It uses the snowball on its head to store food and other things it finds, preserving them for later. When in battle, it freezes its giant snowball in order to release powerful headbutts.[1]
Zen Mode
In its Zen Mode, Galarian Darmanitan takes on the appearance of a snowman. The snowball atop its head transforms into a false second head with glowing red-yellow eyes, a warped smile, and a flame protruding from the center like a carrot nose. Its actual face changes as well, gaining blank white eyes surrounded by a red mask-like marking and an aggressive grin filled with razor-sharp teeth. Its hands enlarge and turn orange, resembling mittens, and several glowing red-yellow spots appear on its belly, giving the form a more intense and unsettling appearance.
When Galarian Darmanitan enters Zen Mode, its dormant flame sac reignites back to life. This causes its disposition to change into a maddened rampaging state. It hops around in battle and unleashes fire everywhere without any care for its surroundings, nor if its body starts to melt, making it a threat to others and itself. It will continue rampaging indiscriminately until its rage is completely gone.[1]
If Darmanitan has Zen Mode as its Ability, it changes from Standard Mode into Zen Mode when its HP drops to or below half in battles. It will only be in Zen Mode while in battle.
Standard Mode Darmanitan is Fire-type and red in color, while Zen Mode Darmanitan is Fire/Psychic-type and blue in color. Galarian Darmanitan's Standard Mode is Ice-type and white in color with blue accents, while Galarian Darmanitan's Zen Mode is Ice/Fire-type and white in color with red accents.
The original two forms have different stats, such that Zen Mode Darmanitan swaps the Attack and Special Attack of Standard Mode, and has higher defenses but lower Speed. On the other hand, Galarian Darmanitan, in its Zen Mode, simply has increased Attack and Speed compared to its Standard Mode.
Darmanitan debuted in Saving Darmanitan From the Bell! alongside two Darumaka. Darmanitan and the Darumaka lived in a clock tower. When the tower started to break, Darmanitan stopped the loose bell from collapsing. However, due to fatigue, it transformed into its Zen Mode and used Psychic to keep the bell in midair, while the Darumaka stole food to keep its energy up.
In The Dusk Ball That Wouldn't Open, a Unovan and a Galarian Darmanitan appeared under the ownership of Rubina and Indi, respectively. In the next episode, they used each other's Darmanitan in their Zen Mode forms, marking the debut of Zen Mode Galarian Darmanitan.
Darmanitan, the Blazing Pokémon. A Fire type. It has an internal temperature of 2,500 degrees, which gives it enough power to break a dump truck apart.
Galarian Darmanitan in Pokémon AdventuresStandard Mode Darmanitan in Pokémon RéBURST
Ryouga and Miruto were pushed into the home of some Darmanitan by Yappy so he could get pictures of Ryouga's Burst form. After finding out the Darmanitan were protecting some sick Darumaka, they healed them and left.
Despite its Special Attack stat being its lowest stat, Galarian Zen Mode Darmanitan awards Special Attack EVs when defeated.
Galarian Zen Mode Darmanitan has the highest difference between its attacking stats of all non-Mega-Evolved Pokémon at 130.
Origin
Darmanitan is based on a Daruma doll, and its Fire typing is inspired by the traditional Daruma burning ceremony. The Daruma dolls burned at the ceremony that Darmanitan's designer attended happened to resemble gorillas, which inspired its gorilla-like appearance.[2] It may also be based on the adage of the three wise monkeys — "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" — as Darmanitan in their Zen Mode have their eyes become blank, their mouths shut tightly and their ears covered, sitting patiently in contrast to their bold posture in their Standard Mode. Its Zen Mode may be based on Bodhidharma, achieving enlightenment. The varying presence of pupils between its Standard and Zen Modes reflects the practice of painting in the eyes of a Daruma doll, and their symbolic value in relation to goal fulfillment.
Galarian Darmanitan may be a mixture of a snowman, known as 雪だるま yukidaruma in Japanese, and the yeti (also known as the abominable snowman). In its Zen Mode, it resembles a traditional snowman with a firecracker instead of the common carrot nose. Furthermore, where its original form draws its origin from Buddhism, Galarian Darmanitan's design may be influenced by other Dharmic religions, with its "beard" and "headpiece" bearing resemblance to those of Hindu and Sikh elders. Its Fire-type may be a reference to atavism, the reappearance of an ancestral trait after having been lost through evolutionary change in previous generations.
Name origin
Darmanitan may be a combination of Dharma (alternate spelling of daruma) and orangutan.
Hihidaruma may be a combination of 火 hi (fire), 緋 hi (scarlet), 狒々 hihi (baboon), Daruma, and 火達磨 hidaruma (the state of being on fire).
This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
Rawst Berry (50%)
For other sprites and images, please see Darmanitan images on the Bulbagarden Archives.
Unovan Darmanitan in Pokémon Horizons: The Series
Unovan Zen Mode Darmanitan in Pokémon Horizons: The Series
Galarian Darmanitan in Pokémon Horizons: The Series
Galarian Zen Mode Darmanitan in Pokémon Horizons: The Series
