Arceus from the Pokémon franchise might be considered the most powerful entity in the setting, but that is only obvious thanks to one anime movie. In the games, its godlike power is alluded to, but when players are given the rare chance to obtain the Alpha Pokémon, its power is restrained by design. In the end, it takes Ash Ketchum’s adventures to truly display what it means for this powerful being to create a universe, and threaten to destroy humanity.
The anime movie Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life, first released in 2009, gives a glimpse of the all-powerful being when unshackled by game mechanics and balance. The whole movie centers around the seemingly futile struggle to contain the Pokémon’s rage.
The many varied abilities it displays make clear that as fun as it is to own Arceus as a battling Pokémon in a game, it is a far cry from what it can accomplish in other media.
Jewel Of Life Movie Shows That Divine Pokémon Are No Laughing Matter
Produced by OLM
Arceus and the Jewel of Life is set in the anime continuity and follows Ash’s efforts to defuse Arceus’s rage as it attempts to destroy humanity for a perceived betrayal from ages ago. While Arceus is a powerful character in the mainline games, the movie makes clear what it is like to battle the creator of the world. One of its attacks obliterates Machina Town and the nearby ruins, and later it is only restrained by the appearance of all the other Legendary Pokémon, Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. Even then, they can only delay Arceus’ rampage, with battle being a futile endeavor.
The movie’s solution winds up relying on time travel to let Ash fix the original problem that led to future events. This is a major contrast to how Arceus is portrayed in games: despite being a rare Pokémon, ultimately it is a “pet” for players to capture and befriend. While its game stats and attacks are impressive, it is still a bit ludicrous to imagine a being of such unimaginable power being constrained to battle. Ironically, the best testament many games have to its power is the fact that competitive tournaments ban Arceus for being too powerful for official matches to allow.
Ultimately, Arceus is better represented in the series’ animated adaptation, where its might can be properly explored. While the Mythical Pokémon is renowned in the game community, it is more often than found only in texts describing its power, as Arceus is usually only available through promotional events. Thus, numerous players only know of it through secondhand accounts, unless they have played the recent Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl, or Legends: Arceus. With such a scarcity of appearances, it is perhaps for the best that the Original One gets its most prestigious appearance in the Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life.
