The Origins of 9 Lion Pokemon & the Legends They Came From

Most lion Pokemon come from the lion as a symbol. Entei draws on the guardian lions of East Asian temples and Pyroar on the lions of heraldry. Only Litleo is plainly the animal, a cub with a red mohawk.

See all 9 lion Pokemon in one list.

Here are the origins of the 9 lion Pokemon:

All 9 Lion Pokemon

#136

Flareon

Flareon, the Flame Pokemon, has traits from several mammals. Its long ears, orange coloring and fluffy tail may come from foxes such as the red fox, while its body shape and fluffy mane may be based on lions or on cat breeds such as the Norwegian Forest cat and Maine Coon. It may also take after the Lionhead rabbit.

Flames burn within a saclike organ inside its body, and when Flareon inhales, the flames reach a mighty 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. (Its resting temperature is our laptop on a video call.) Its Flash Fire ability blocks Fire moves aimed at it, then makes its own Fire moves deal 1.5× damage until it leaves battle. An ability is a passive effect that works on its own in battle.

#244

Entei

Entei, the Volcano Pokemon, has characteristics of lions and of other animals such as dogs and cats. It may be inspired by the guardian lions of East Asia, such as the komainu, shīsā or shíshī, and its masses of fur are also similar to the Barong, a Balinese guardian lion spirit. It looks like an erupting volcano too: its red faceplate and yellow crown resemble lava, and it has a cloud of flowing smoke.

In its legend, Entei represents the fire that burned the Brass Tower, while Raikou stands for the lightning that struck it and Suicune for the rain that put it out. It is thought to have been born in the eruption of a volcano, and it sends up massive bursts of fire that consume all that they touch. We complain when the bath is too hot. Entei is one of the two legendary Pokemon on this list (legendaries are rare Pokemon tied to the game's big stories).

#359

Absol

Absol, the Disaster Pokemon, may be based on the Bai Ze of Chinese mythology, a white beast with one or two horns that could understand human speech. In Japan it is known as the hakutaku and is said to resemble a cat or lion. Its humanized face and feline look may also be a homage to the sphinx, and its ruff resembles a male lion's mane. Its scythe-shaped tail and horn resemble the Western personified depiction of Death.

It can detect danger, and people mistook Absol as a bringer of doom. We would quit that job. Its Super Luck ability raises the critical hit rate of its moves one stage (a critical hit deals extra damage). Mega Absol's wings recall the lamassu, an Assyrian protective spirit with a human head and sometimes a lion's body.

#403

Shinx

Shinx, the Flash Pokemon, resembles a lion cub and the sphinx, which has a lion's body and a humanoid head. The star on the end of its tail may be a reference to the constellation Leo Minor, or to an electric spark, which suits a Pokemon that shakes its body to generate electricity.

Its stature belies its aggression, and one must be patient to tame it. We were like this at that age. It is 0.5 m tall and weighs 9.5 kg. Its Intimidate ability lowers the opponent's Attack one stage when it enters battle, and its hidden ability, Guts, raises its Attack to 1.5× while it has a major status problem such as a burn (a hidden ability is a rarer second ability a species can have).

#404

Luxio

Luxio, the Spark Pokemon, resembles the sphinx and an adolescent male lion. The star on the end of its tail may be a reference to the constellations Leo and Leo Minor, or to an electric spark. It may also be based on a lynx and the constellation Lynx, since medieval bestiaries sometimes drew the lynx as a lion-like creature.

It proudly uses its electrified claws as weapons, and it seems to be gracious, evenly sharing the spoils of the hunt with others of its kind. We have never been that gracious about a pizza. Its Rivalry ability makes its attacks deal 1.25× damage to Pokemon of the same gender and 0.75× to the opposite gender.

#405

Luxray

Luxray, the Gleam Eyes Pokemon, resembles the sphinx and an adult male lion, and shares Luxio's star-tipped tail. It may also allude to the Orion correlation theory, which proposes that the Great Sphinx was modeled after Leo and built during the "Age of Leo".

Luxray form packs with one male as leader, and when its two eyes shimmer with gold, it can see through anything. (We prefer not to know what is in the fridge.) It stands 1.4 m tall. Its Intimidate ability lowers the opponent's Attack one stage when it enters battle.

#667

Litleo

Litleo, the Lion Cub Pokemon, is the one design on this list based plainly on the animal: a lion cub. Its red hair looks similar to a mohawk hairstyle.

It is a hot-blooded Pokemon filled with curiosity, and its short mane gets hot when it gets angry or starts fighting. We have a face that does the same. It stands 0.6 m tall and weighs 13.5 kg. Its Unnerve ability prevents opposing Pokemon from eating their held Berries, the items Pokemon can carry into battle to heal or recover.

#668

Pyroar

Pyroar, the Royal Pokemon, is based on a lion. The spiked fur on its limbs and tail is more than likely a reference to stylized lions in heraldry, and the male's mane resembles escutcheons, the shields that would bear heraldic lions. The yellow pattern on the male's mane is similar in shape to the Daimonji, a bonfire lit during the Japanese festival Gozan no Okuribi in the shape of the symbol for great.

Its gender ratio resembles lion prides, which consist of one primary male lion, several females and one or two lesser males: seven in eight Pyroar are female. Its breath is over 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit, but it prefers to eat raw meat. We see a lot of ourselves in a Pokemon with fire and no cooking.

#791

Solgaleo

Solgaleo, the Sunne Pokemon, is based on a lion with a sun motif. It might reference the alchemical lion, described as devouring the sun, and in astrology the Sun rules the sign Leo. It might also draw on the Eye of Ra, a goddess usually described as a lion that protects the sun in Egyptian mythology. Its metallic white body and glassy face may bring to mind space suits or space shuttles.

Solgaleo was once known as the Beast That Devours the Sun, and light radiates boundlessly from it. (We get a little shiny after a walk.) It stands 3.4 m tall and weighs 230 kg. Its Full Metal Body ability stops other Pokemon from lowering its stats.

Seven of the 9 Lion Pokemon Are Fire or Electric

Flareon, Entei, Litleo and Pyroar are Fire, and Shinx, Luxio and Luxray are Electric. Only Absol, which is Dark, and Solgaleo, which is Psychic / Steel, are neither. Solgaleo, the alchemical lion that devours the sun, skips Fire.

Lion Pokemon FAQ

How many lion Pokemon are there?

There are 9 lion Pokemon. Litleo is the only one with a lion word in its category, and Flareon, Entei, Absol, Shinx, Luxio, Luxray, Pyroar and Solgaleo were designed from lions or from lion myths.

What is the strongest lion Pokemon?

Solgaleo, with a base stat total of 680. Among the lion Pokemon that are not legendary, Flareon leads at 525.

Is Pyroar a lion?

Yes. Pyroar is based on a lion, and its gender ratio resembles a lion pride, with seven in eight Pyroar female.

Is Seel a lion Pokemon?

No. Seel is the Sea Lion Pokemon, but its design may be based on an earless seal, particularly a harp seal pup, and it shares nothing with the big cat but the name.

Is Solgaleo a lion?

Yes. Solgaleo is based on a lion with a sun motif, and it was once known as the Beast That Devours the Sun.