Artwork drawn by
Hitoshi Ariga[1] depicting the first Ultra Beasts to appear in the series
The Ultra Beasts (Japanese: ウルトラビースト Ultra Beast) are a group of extradimensional Pokémon originating from Ultra Space. Most of them were introduced in Pokémon Sun and Moon, though some were introduced in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
Ultra Beasts infrequently appear from Ultra Wormholes in Alola. These appearances are apparently as unexpected for the Ultra Beasts as for Alolans, which tends to make them combative. They are especially drawn to people who have passed through an Ultra Wormhole due to the residual wormhole energy on them, apparently expecting to find a wormhole they can use to return home.
There are eleven known Ultra Beasts:
All Ultra Beasts share the Ability Beast Boost.
When an Ultra Beast is encountered in the wild, the residual energy from Ultra Wormholes manifests as a red aura that boosts one of its stats at the start of battle, similar to a Totem Pokémon's orange aura. Wicke theorizes that they store this energy in their bodies.
Most Poké Balls have difficulty recognizing Ultra Beasts as Pokémon due to their extradimensional origins and thus have a catch rate modifier of 410/4096× (~0.1×) when used against them, impairing their ability to effectively catch them. However, Beast Balls are exceptions as they are specifically designed to catch Ultra Beasts and thus have a catch rate modifier of 5× when used against them, though they have a modifier of 410/4096× against Pokémon that are not Ultra Beasts. The Master Ball is also unaffected by this impairment due to its ability to catch any Pokémon without fail, even Ultra Beasts.
Although Cosmog, Cosmoem, Solgaleo, Lunala, and Necrozma are not Ultra Beasts, they have a strong connection to Ultra Space (including the ability to create Ultra Wormholes) and as a result are often claimed to be or likened to the Ultra Beasts in various media.
- The Aether Foundation has hypothesized that Cosmog may also be an Ultra Beast due to its ability to create Ultra Wormholes.
- Necrozma's Pokédex entry in Pokémon Sun states that it is "reminiscent of the Ultra Beasts", but the International Police reported that all Ultra Beasts it had detected had been caught even while Necrozma was still in the wild.
- Dulse refers to Necrozma as "a creature almost like an Ultra Beast" in Pokémon Ultra Sun.
- Beast Balls have reduced effectiveness against them, like they do for all other Pokémon that are not Ultra Beasts.
- In the Trading Card Game, Dusk Mane Necrozma, Dawn Wings Necrozma, and Ultra Necrozma are all labeled as Ultra Beasts, but Necrozma's default form is not.
- In the anime, the Aether Foundation, mistaking Necrozma for an Ultra Beast, give it the codename "UB Black".
- In Pokémon Adventures, a Beast Ball was required to capture Necrozma.
History
Although an extremely rare event, legends in Alola tell of fearsome Pokémon appearing from Ultra Wormholes. The legends also tell that the guardian deities would fight fiercely against them.
Years prior to the events of Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon, Professor Mohn published a theory on Ultra Wormholes and papers describing Nihilego.
The Aether Foundation conducted research on the Ultra Beasts, including the Beast Killer project to create a Pokémon based on Arceus that could fight against Ultra Beasts, known as Type: Full. The Beast Killer project ended in failure, and the three known Type: Full were cryogenically frozen and their names changed to Type: Null. The foundation also successfully developed the Beast Ball to catch the Ultra Beasts.
The International Police have also tracked Ultra Beasts in the past and into the present under a secret division known as the UB Task Force. The UB Task Force is tasked with investigating the ecology of Ultra Beasts, protecting people from harm from them, and either safeguarding or destroying the Ultra Beasts. Ten years prior to the events of Sun and Moon, a three-person team composed of Looker, Nanu, and an unnamed Faller came to Alola to track down and destroy a Guzzlord; in the process, the Faller was killed. The International Police refers to each of the Ultra Beasts by code names.
The first reported sightings of Buzzwole, Pheromosa, Xurkitree, Kartana, and Celesteela were after the incident at Aether Paradise in which Lusamine forced Cosmog to create an Ultra Wormhole and used it to travel to Ultra Space, during the events of Sun and Moon.
The first reported sightings of Stakataka and Blacephalon were after the incident at the Altar of the SunneUS/Altar of the MooneUM when Dusk Mane NecrozmaUS/Dawn Wings NecrozmaUM opened many Ultra Wormholes across Alola, during the events of Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. The first reported sighting of Poipole was by the Ultra Recon Squad.
At some point, an Ultra Wormhole opened above the Max Lair in the Crown Tundra, causing Necrozma and Ultra Beasts to appear deep in the Max Lair on Dynamax Adventures. The Legendary Clue? describes this occurrence.
In the games
Pokémon Sun and Moon
During the main story, the player encounters Nihilego at Aether Paradise during their first meeting with Aether President Lusamine, when it emerges from a spontaneously appearing Ultra Wormhole. During the player's confrontation with Lusamine after she captures Nebby, Lusamine uses Nebby's power to open Ultra Wormholes across the Alola region, bringing Ultra Beasts into the region; Nihilego is seen emerging from the portal near Lusamine, while BuzzwoleS/PheromosaM is seen emerging from a portal over Melemele Island and battling Tapu Koko. The player also encounters several Nihilego in Ultra Space after arriving with SolgaleoS/LunalaM and Lillie.
After the player becomes Champion, some Ultra Beasts remain at large around Alola. The player receives a card from a stranger directing them to visit the motel on Akala Island's Route 8. When they enter the guest room, they will find Looker and Anabel, who invite the player to join the International Police's UB Task Force and protect the Ultra Beasts currently loose in Alola. Upon accepting, the player begins a series of missions to capture the Ultra Beasts, spanning all four of Alola's islands, each time based out of the island's motel (or the restaurant on Poni Island). In some missions, there are multiple of the same species of Ultra Beast to be captured, and in some missions they may be found at either of two locations. If the player flees from or defeats an Ultra Beast, it remains in the area and the player will still be able to find it again immediately (either at the same place or at the alternate location, if applicable). When the player is in an area where there are Ultra Beasts during a mission, the music changes from the area's normal score.
Unlike regular Pokémon, the Pokédex will not record Ultra Beasts as seen; it will only register them when they are caught. If an Ultra Beast is not in the Pokédex, its name will show as ??? in battle.
Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon
During the story, the player encounters Poipole as the main Pokémon used by the Ultra Recon Squad member DulseUS/SolieraUM. Like in Pokémon Sun and Moon, Nihilego appears at Aether Paradise after meeting with Lusamine. During the player's confrontation with Dusk ManeUS/Dawn WingsUM Necrozma, it proceeds to open multiple Ultra Wormholes all across Alola, unleashing Ultra Beasts into Alola. BlacephalonUS/StakatakaUM appears on Mahalo Trail, facing against Hala, Hau, and Tapu Koko. Additionally, Olivia encounters BuzzwoleUS/PheromosaUM at the Ruins of Life, Nanu encounters Guzzlord at the Ruins of Abundance, and Hapu encounters Xurkitree at the Ruins of Hope.
The first seven Ultra Beasts can be reached in white Ultra Wormholes in the Ultra Warp Ride. Nihilego can be found in Ultra Deep Sea, BuzzwoleUS in Ultra Jungle, PheromosaUM in Ultra Desert, Xurkitree in Ultra Plant, CelesteelaUM in Ultra Crater, KartanaUS in Ultra Forest, and Guzzlord in Ultra Ruin. They can be caught once per visit. After defeating Necrozma at Megalo Tower, the Ultra Recon Squad offers Poipole to the player, and after the player becomes the Champion, the player can catch two BlacephalonUS/StakatakaUM at Poni Grove.
Unlike regular Pokémon, the Pokédex will not normally record Ultra Beasts as seen; it will only register them when they are caught. If a wild Ultra Beast is not in the Pokédex, its name will show as ??? in battle. However, Ultra Beasts used by other Trainers will display their names in battle and register in the Pokédex; specifically, this occurs for the Poipole used by the Ultra Recon Squad and the Kartana used by the Ultra Forest KartenvoyUS. Additionally, the wild BlacephalonUS/StakatakaUM encountered in Poni Grove do display their names and are registered in the Pokédex as seen even before the player catches them.
Pokémon Sword and Shield
In The Crown Tundra, the Ultra Beasts, excluding Poipole and Naganadel, can be found in Dynamax Adventures after the player finds the fourth Legendary Clue. They can also be encountered by players who have not yet obtained it if they join the games of players who have. Like the Legendary Pokémon found in the Max Lair, only one of each Ultra Beast species can be caught. Poipole can be obtained as a gift after catching five Ultra Beasts in Dynamax Adventures.
Base stats comparison
In the anime
- Main article: Ultra Beasts (anime)
Nihilego debuted in a flashback in A Masked Warning!, where Gladion revealed to Ash that Lillie was once attacked by one when she was younger, resulting in her present-day fear of touching Pokémon. It appeared again in another flashback in Mission: Total Recall!.
In Faba's Revenge!, Faba managed to summon another Nihilego from an Ultra Wormhole. Lusamine, Gladion, and Ash briefly battled the Ultra Beast before it took Lusamine into the Ultra Wormhole and disappeared. They were given the proper name Nihilego in The Professors' New Adventure!.
Multiple Nihilego appeared in Rescuing the Unwilling! in Ultra Deep Sea.
Nihilego appeared again in a flashback, and Poipole debuted in The Professors' New Adventure!. It would eventually be caught by Ash in Love at First Twirl!.
Buzzwole debuted in A Mission of Ultra Urgency!, where it wreaked havoc throughout Melemele Island until the Ultra Guardians caught it in a Beast Ball and released it back into Ultra Space. In this episode, it is also revealed that despite being Pokémon, Meowth cannot understand what Ultra Beasts are saying.
Celesteela debuted in Rise and Shine, Starship!, where Sophocles found one while camping at Bamboo Hill. He and his classmates dug it out of the ground, and although the Ultra Guardians failed to catch it due to the fact that it was rooted down, it eventually flew off back into space. Unlike other Ultra Beasts, this Celesteela had been growing in Alola for more than 200 years.
Twirling with a Bang! saw the debut of both Blacephalon and Xurkitree. Ash and his classmates first encountered Blacephalon performing during a fireworks show, thinking that it was a part of the show. The next day, they learned that it was an Ultra Beast and set out as the Ultra Guardians to capture it. However, instead of Blacephalon, they encountered a different Ultra Beast, Xurkitree. After preventing Xurkitree from feeding on electricity from a power line, the Blacephalon from the night before appeared. The two Ultra Beasts ended up in a performance showdown, each trying to outperform the other with their moves. Thanks to a distraction from the Ultra Guardians, they were able to distract, weaken, and subsequently catch the two Ultra Beasts, allowing them to be returned home.
Naganadel debuted in The Shape of Love to Come!, where it appeared inside the dream of Ash's Poipole located inside of an unknown Ultra Space nest location. It physically debuted in The Prism Between Light and Darkness!, where it revealed that Ash's Poipole originally came to Alola to scout for a place for it and its hive to live.
Stakataka debuted in The Long Vault Home!, where it arrived at the Pokémon School during midnight. After several unsuccessful attempts, it later moved to another location where it was mistaken for a pedestal for Viren's statue. The statue being placed on top of it caused it to go berserk, necessitating intervention by the Ultra Guardians.
Guzzlord debuted in Battling the Beast Within!, where it was shown to have destroyed an alternate version of Hau'oli City, leaving behind the Ultra Ruin. In the present day, it attacked Ash and Pikachu before they were saved by Dia and his Zeraora. In Parallel Friendships!, Ash and Dia successfully sent it back to its home world through an Ultra Wormhole, saving the Ultra Ruin.
Pheromosa debuted in Beauty is Only Crystal Deep!, where it was stealing all of the Z-Crystals from Trainers throughout the Alola region. After several unsuccessful attempts by the Ultra Guardians to stop it, it was eventually defeated by Bewear, giving the Ultra Guardians the opportunity to catch it and send it back home.
Kartana debuted in Living on the Cutting Edge!, where it was cutting everything throughout the Melemele Island. The Ultra Guardians attempted to capture it, but were unsuccessful. Soon after, a meteor approached from outer space, due to a conflict between a Deoxys and a Rayquaza. The Ultra Beast eventually cut it and saved it from hitting the Pokémon School. Afterwards, it made a cut in the fabric of space, which created an Ultra Wormhole, allowing it to return home.
As revealed in The Homecoming Crown!, Mohn encountered a Shiny Nihilego after his disappearance into an Ultra Wormhole years earlier. It brought him back to his own world and used its powers to make him see it as Lillie, living with him in a small house at the Crown Tundra for years until his family found him and restored his memories. The Shiny Nihilego was subsequently invited into the family with the nickname "Lillie" and joined Gladion's team.
In the anime, Nebby was speculated to be an Ultra Beast by the Aether Foundation before its relationship to the Legendary Pokémon Solgaleo was fully understood. Similarly, Necrozma, having not yet been identified as the "Blinding One" of Alolan myth, was given the codename UB Black (Japanese: ＵＢ:ＢＬＡＣＫ UB: Black). In the final episode of the series, Ash recounted a story of an adventure he had with Solgaleo in an unnamed Ultra Space world, where he helped an Ultra Beast he had "never seen before", despite all known Ultra Beasts having debuted in the anime by that point.
In the manga
Pokémon Adventures
The Ultra Beasts were first mentioned in The Final Match and a Surprising Finale! by Gladion, who, after losing to Sun at an Iki Town festival tournament, contemplated losing his chance to meet with the guardian deities and instead decided to train elsewhere to prepare to confront the Ultra Beasts when they arrive.
In True Identity and the Totem Pokémon of Brooklet Hill, Moon and Mallow found Tapu Lele battling a Xurkitree as it was emerging from an Ultra Wormhole above Lush Jungle. Moon attempted to capture the Xurkitree, but it managed to retreat back inside the Ultra Wormhole and escape. Later, the two chose to give it the codename "Lighting" to avoid having to describe its appearance every time when talking about it.
Later, Guzma was confronted by the Kiawe, Mallow, Lana, Acerola, Ilima, and Hau, who had traveled to Po Town to talk with the Team Skull boss. Guzma instead sent a Pheromosa, Celesteela, and Guzzlord to attack the Captains' group. After the beasts proceeded to defeat the Captains' Pokémon, Guzma used a Cosmog to open more Ultra Wormholes, summoning a Xurkitree and a Nihilego. The Captains were rescued by Gladion, who used his Type: Null to battle the beasts, and managed to easily hold them back due to being created specifically to combat them.
Afterward, Nihilego captured Guzma and dragged him into an Ultra Wormhole with it. The other beasts escaped from Po Town's barrier, allowing them to wreak havoc on the rest of Ula'ula Island. Anabel and Looker arrived shortly thereafter, and while Looker went off to investigate the Ultra Beasts that broke through the walls, Anabel assisted Sun and Moon in battling a Blacephalon. Anabel attempted to capture Blacephalon, only to discover that ordinary Poké Balls do not work on Ultra Beasts. Before Blacephalon could retaliate with Mind Blown, Tapu Bulu blew it away. Afterward, while Sun, Moon, Professor Kukui, and Professor Burnet gave Tapu Bulu a Mirage Berry, Anabel speculated that there was a certain person hiding in Alola, who was capable of creating Poké Balls that would be able to capture Ultra Beasts.
A mass of Ultra Beasts later converged on Poni Island, but were fought off by Lunala, which had evolved from Nebby. Solgaleo also wanted to join the battle, but was unable to when Sun rejected its aura and refused fight alongside it. Six months after Sun and Moon had disappeared into the Ultra Wormhole at the Poni Altar, Lusamine and her Ultra Beast were shown to have taken over Poni Island. She planned to use the wormhole at the altar to travel to Ultra Megalopolis and use the Beast Balls delivered to her by a disguised Blake to capture Necrozma, which is classified as an Ultra Beast in this canon. Meanwhile, Sun and Moon were freed from Ultra Deep Sea by Lunala and the Ultra Recon Squad, who took them to Ultra Megalopolis. The city was attacked by a Stakataka, which Sun and Moon succeeded in subduing. Soon after, Lusamine arrived at the city with some Aether Foundation Employees by using Ultra Warp Ride with some Naganadel. After fusing herself with a Nihilego, she attempted to capture Necrozma. While her attention was focused on the Prism Pokémon, Sun used one of her Beast Balls to capture Stakataka.
The battle against Necrozma eventually moved to Alola, where the Trial Captains, who had tried to join the battle, were attacked by a group of Aether Foundation Employees wielding Ultra Beasts. In the meantime, the island kahunas joined forces with the guardian deities to fight the Ultra Beasts across Alola. The Trial Captains succeeded in defeating the Ultra Beasts with a series of Z-Moves, and once Necrozma had been caught by the Ultra Recon Squad, the Ultra Beasts sensed the threat to them had passed and started heading back to their home worlds through a wormhole above Mount Lanakila.
In the TCG
- Main article: Ultra Beast (TCG)
Ultra Beasts were introduced to the Pokémon Trading Card Game in the Crimson Invasion expansion as a classification of Pokémon cards. Ultra Beast cards are distinguished by a red Ultra Beast label superimposed on the card art below the HP and type. Ultra Beast GX cards have a red 
graphic instead of the blue 
graphic depicted on other Pokémon-GX cards. Similarly, Ultra Beast Tag Team GX have a red 
graphic as opposed to a blue 
one.
Every Ultra Beast Pokémon has an attack or Ability that is affected by or affects the player's and/or opponent's Prize cards. If that Pokémon is a Pokémon-, only its GX attack is affected by or affects the Prize cards.
Unlike the core series games, Dusk Mane Necrozma, Dawn Wings Necrozma, and Ultra Necrozma are Ultra Beasts in the TCG. Necrozma in its base form, however, is not.
Trivia
- The Ultra Beasts are based on the idea of invasive species, as stated by Shigeru Ohmori in an interview in Pokémon Sun & Pokémon Moon: The Official Alola Region Pokédex & Postgame Adventure Guide.[2]
- Buzzwole and Pheromosa are the only Ultra Beasts that share a type combination.
- The only Ultra Beasts that are part of an evolutionary line are Poipole and Naganadel.
- The base stats of the Ultra Beasts and the levels at which they learn moves in Generation VII (except level 1) are all prime numbers, a trait shared with Cosmog and its evolved forms. The only exception to this is Naganadel, which has a Speed stat of 121, which is a prime power.
- With the exceptions of Poipole and Naganadel, all Ultra Beasts have a base stat total of 570.
- Of all the Ultra Beasts, Naganadel learns the most moves via level up with 18, and Poipole learns the fewest with 14.
- The Ultra Beasts, Cosmog, Cosmoem, and the light trio all share a unique sound frequency found in their cries, approximately 1.25 seconds in duration. This may reflect their connection to and natural origin from Ultra Space.
- Buzzwole, Xurkitree, and Guzzlord's Ultra Sun Pokédex entries and Pheromosa, Celesteela, and Kartana's Ultra Moon Pokédex entries all have exactly the same text: "Although it's alien to this world and a danger here, it's apparently a common organism in the world where it normally lives." They are the only Pokémon in the games to share Pokédex entries with each other.
- According to Pokémon Daisuki Club's Mystery File feature website, some researchers theorize Unown may be related to Ultra Beasts.
- Although the Ultra Beasts are not Legendary,[3][4][5] they share some characteristics with numerous Legendary Pokémon: they all are gender unknown, they are in the No Eggs Discovered Egg Group, they have scripted encounters with special battle music and at least three IVs guaranteed to be 31, and they have special Rotom Pokédex pages. Furthermore:
- In Generation VII, if the player chooses to filter out people seeking Legendary or Mythical Pokémon on the Global Trade System, people seeking Ultra Beasts will not be displayed. In Pokémon HOME, the filter originally only filtered out Mythical and Special Legendary Pokémon and did not filter out Ultra Beasts and non-Special Legendary Pokémon; however, in the v1.2.1 update, the filter was renamed to "Include people searching for Legendary, Mythical, and other special Pokémon" and was expanded to cover all Legendary Pokémon and Ultra Beasts.
- Prior to Generation IX,[6] the Ultra Beasts belonged to the "sublegendary" category in the games' code.[7]
- In The Crown Tundra DLC of Pokémon Sword and Shield, Peony refers to both Legendary Pokémon and Ultra Beasts as "legendary".
- In a Pokémon Sword and Shield online competition called "Mythical Melee" that claimed to restrict players to the use of only Legendary and Mythical Pokémon, Ultra Beasts were allowed to participate.[8]
- The Ultra Beasts share some similarities with the Paradox Pokémon, introduced two generations later:
- Both groups consist entirely of Pokémon that cannot evolve in the first set of games they each appear in.
- Both play a role in the main story of their debut games.
- Both groups consist entirely of gender unknown Pokémon in the No Eggs Discovered Egg Group, thus being unable to breed.
- Both are connected to the mascot Legendary Pokémon of the games they were introduced in.
- Both have base stats themed around a certain type of number, with the ancient Pokémon having odd-numbered base stats and all future Pokémon have even-numbered base stats, while Ultra Beasts have base stats themed around prime numbers. Additionally, the levels they learn moves at are themed around numbers, with Paradox Pokémon learning moves around multiples of seven, while Ultra Beasts learn moves around prime numbers.
- The majority of Pokémon in both groups have a base stat total of 570.
- Every Ultra Beast and Paradox Pokémon (except Koraidon and Miraidon) has an Ability that boosts its most proficient non-HP stat.
- Promotional material for both groups' debut games did not refer to them as Pokémon or reveal any of their types prior to the games' releases.
- Characters in the games are initially unsure whether the members of either group are actually Pokémon.
In other languages
See also
References
graphic instead of the blue 
graphic depicted on other Pokémon-GX cards. Similarly, Ultra Beast Tag Team GX have a red 
graphic as opposed to a blue 
one.
