With every Pokemon generation, fans are always excited about its new starters, mascot legendary Pokemon, and other legendaries too. For Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, its new legendary quartet has now been officially revealed following the games' launch. Despite Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's 'Ruinous' Quartet being leaked before the official release, fans were excited to see what the rumored four new legendaries would be like and how they might factor into the game. While these Pokemon weren't directly involved in Scarlet and Violet's plot, they do add a vibrant level of lore and unique "quest" that adds some extra depth to the games.
Referred among fans as the "Treasures of Ruin" due to the portions of backstory that can be found, this quartet was rumored to have once been treasures of a Paldean kingdom, corrupted by negative human emotions and unleashed upon the region. Consequently, because of their ties to destruction and devastation, all four are dual-type Pokemon with Dark specifically being the type they share collectively. With a backdrop of Chinese mythos and folklore as inspiration for this Ruinous Quartet, the four bring a darker twist to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet compared to previous legendary groups like the Swords of Justice or the recently expanded Forces of Nature.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Ting-Lu
The first of the quartet in the Paldean Pokedex, Ting-Lu is suggested to be a manifestation of the people's fear of the tyrannical king who once ruled the region's kingdom. It's further suggested that the king would perform rituals in order to reaffirm his right to rule, instilling fear and dread into his subjects. As a result, Ting-Lu is a ritual doll brought to life with a "ding" or ancient Chinese cauldron atop its head. The ding's two-eye motif supports fans' suspicions that Ting-Lu and the other legendaries are inspired by the Four Perils, as Ting-Lu is based on the gluttonous Taotie of Chinese mythos.
Though the series has its fair share of Pokemon based upon moose, elk, or deer, Ting-Lu would be the second legendary to have such inspirations alongside Xerneas in another tie to Pokemon X and Y's Kalos. The games are unlikely to do much with this fact, but as many fans are hopeful for Kalos-based DLC, it could be taken as yet another hint at this.
In Scarlet's Pokedex entry, it's confirmed that Ting-Lu's body is formed out of the dirt and rocks it can control, while Violet's entry focuses on its ding, stating that it uses it to split the earth apart violently. As evidence of this strength, Ting-Lu has some of the highest HP, Attack, and Defense stats out of the quartet, and with its Dark/Ground typing, it is a formidable Pokemon to fight and capture.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Chien-Pao
While Ting-Lu represented the people's fear, Chien-Pao is a manifestation of their vengeance against the king. Perhaps the darkest of the quartet, Chien-Pao seems to parallel Qiongqi, which in the Four Perils mythos kills for pleasure and eats people. Though it's highly unlikely Game Freak would make Pokemon Scarlet and Violet so dark, Chien-Pao's design with two blade-like fangs akin to sabertooth felines does allude to this brutal side of the Pokemon. However, these swords are how Chien-Pao was created, manifested by the people and their hatred who perished to the blade of the king to form a body made of ice and snow as per Violet's Pokedex entry.
Its Scarlet entry though puts a cutesy twist on the Pokemon while still confirming its sadistic nature, suggesting it plays around innocently in the snow from an avalanche it caused, and this entry and Chien-Pao's overall design reinforce the Pokemon's snow leopard inspiration. However, some believe Chien-Pao was also influenced by Japanese Kamaitachi, a weasel-like yokai, not just because of its slender design, but because of its Ice/Dark typing, something it shares with the Johtonian Sneasel line which has the same inspiration. But this means it also shares its increased weakness against Fighting types, which could deter players from using Chien-Pao on their team.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Wo-Chien
Wo-Chien could be considered unique among the Ruinous Quartet as it is the only one to have manifested from just one person's grudge against the king and not his collective subjects. Pokemon Scarlet's Pokedex entry confirms this saying an individual was punished for recording the king's evil deeds on wooden tablets. Wo-Chien also appears to be based upon Taowu of the Four Perils which is reflected in its snail-like design, since Taowu itself is representative of laziness and stubbornness. This doesn't make it any less dangerous, however, as Violet's entry reveals it can drain the life from vegetation and leave everything barren.
The Grass/Dark-type combination Wo-Chien has is likely due to the wooden tablets referenced in its Scarlet entry forming the Pokemon's shell. Though there have been several snail-based or snail-like Pokemon like Sliggoo or Magcargo over the years, Wo-Chien would be the first to be legendary which gives it an air of unusualness. Fans are divided on its overall design and its increased weakness to Bug-type Pokemon might discourage some players, but out of the four Treasures of Ruin, Wo-Chien is undeniably distinctive and the range of HP-draining or gaining moves could make it a valuable strategic addition to any team.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Chi-Yu
Last but not least is Chi-Yu, the fourth member of the quartet that appears to have surprised fans the most. It formed out of the people's envy of the king whose greed caused him to spend decadently on luxuries and not his people. This is why Chi-Yu has magatama for eyes which hold cultural and historical significance in Japan. Because of this, the design of the Pokemon has utilized these beads to base Chi-Yu on a celestial eye, a type of goldfish renowned for its large, bulbous eyes. Like Wo-Chien, this unusual design sets it apart from other Pokemon legendaries and has become a favorite for some players.
But instead of being yet another Water-type fish Pokemon, Chi-Yu is a Fire/Dark-type, something which its Pokedex entries expand on. Pokemon Violet confirms that Chi-Yu forms itself out of fire, while PokemonScarlet details how using this fire can melt rock to create pools of lava for itself to swim through. This perfectly parallels the last of the Four Perils, Hundun, who is considered a creature of chaos with sudden, destructive rage, which Chi-Yu could easily cause if it razes mountains in a wake of molten rock. Its small and innocent appearance should not be taken lightly then, especially considering it has the highest Special Attack out of the entire quartet.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available now for Nintendo Switch.
