Pokemon Sword and Shield Fan Theory Might Point to Next Legends: Arceus Variant

10/26/2021 06:06 pm EDT

Pokemon Legends: Arceus has already introduced fans to some exciting new regional variants from the Hisui region, and a new fan theory seems to point towards the next one: Dunsparce. The roots of the fan theory lie in Pokemon Sword and Shield's Pokedex. Dunsparce's entry in Pokemon Sword specifically references a scientific theory that Dunsparce "used to fly through the sky in ancient times." Since Pokemon Legends: Arceus takes place in the distant past of the Pokemon world, some fans have theorized that Game Freak was intentionally hinting towards the new game. It certainly seems like a plausible theory!

The theory, alongside the Pokedex entry from Pokemon Sword, was shared back in August by @Touyarokii on Twitter, and can be found in the Tweet embedded below.

Dunsparce first appeared in Pokemon Gold and Silver. Since then, some of Dunsparce's Pokedex entries have referenced its limited ability to fly, but the entry in Pokemon Sword is the first reference we've seen to an ancient variant. It's worth noting that Dunsparce was not initially in Pokemon Sword and Shield, but was added as part of the game's Isle of Armor DLC. That makes it more plausible that Game Freak was referencing the game it was in the process of developing, rather than tossing in a random line. If it is true, it will be very interesting to see what this earlier version of Dunsparce looks like!

Of course, it's equally plausible that Game Freak has no real plans for a Hisuian version of Dunsparce. As any Pokemon fan can attest, entries in the Pokedex can often take strange creative liberties. The Pokedex has many facts that are never referenced outside of these specific entries, or in any other aspect of Pokemon lore. Readers should always take fan theories with a grain of salt, but it would be cool to see this element from Sword and Shield pay off. The Pokemon Company has been slowly revealing more Hisuian variants for Pokemon Legends: Arceus, so hopefully we'll get an answer to this theory sooner, rather than later.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus will release on January 28th, exclusively on the Nintendo Switch. You can check out our previous coverage of the game right here.

Do you think Dunsparce will be the next Hisuian variant? What do you think of that Pokedex entry? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!

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