Summary
- Pokemon: Legends Z-A may be borrowing a major plot point from its rival franchise Yu-Gi-Oh, according to some perceptive fans of the franchise.
- Pokemon fans have caught onto the uncanny similarity between the premise of Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s “Z-A Royale” and Yu-Gi-Oh’s “Battle City” arc.
- Pokemon Legends: Z-A will feature the return of Mega Evolutions to the franchise alongside a new real-time battle system.
Some perceptive fans are drawing amusing comparisons between the upcoming Pokemon: Legends Z-A and the first anime adaptation of Yu-Gi-Oh, borrowing a major plot premise. The next major entry in the massively popular monster-catching franchise has already given fans plenty to be excited about through its recent reveals. This year’s annual “Pokemon Day” broadcast brought the first major gameplay reveals, showing off the expansive Lumiose City and teasing the game’s overarching story, while March’s Nintendo Direct revealed the game’s “Z-A Royale” as a major story element. Now, fans are noticing one peculiar connection to a rival franchise.
Since the monster-catching franchise’s inception in the late 1990s, the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise has served as one of Pokemon‘s greatest rivals. Both franchises saw their first anime adaptation debut within a few years of each other and each benefited from similarly massive popularity in their early years. The trading card game versions of Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh have held a similar rivalry, with both being among the biggest trading card games in the world. Now, Pokemon Legends Z-A may be borrowing a popular plot point from its Egyptian-inspired counterpart.
Related
Latest Pokemon Legends: Z-A Trailer May Have Revealed Protagonists’ Official Names
One easily overlooked detail in the latest Pokemon Legends: Z-A trailer seems to confirm the next protagonists’ official names.
Reddit user Agent_Buckshot shared their interesting discovery to the official Pokemon subreddit, drawing comparison between the two franchises. The user references the premise of Pokemon Legends: Z-A‘s “Z-A Royale,” with trainers battling it out in a massive tournament in the streets of Lumiose City, and compares it to Yu-Gi-Oh‘s “Battle City” arc. The storyline, which served as the anime’s second season, saw Yugi and friends participating in a tournament with Duelists similarly challenging one another throughout Domino City. “Battle City” has also served as one of Yu-Gi-Oh‘s most popular story arcs, with Legends‘ “Z-A Royale” potentially inspired by the premise.
Pokemon Fan Theorizes Legends: Z-A Feature is Inspired by Yu-Gi-Oh
The uncanny similarity between the plot premises led many fans to jokingly suggest potential references to the Yu-Gi-Oh anime. One fan called for an in-game Trainer to call the player a “3rd-rate Trainer with a 4th-rate team,” alluding to the iconic quote from Yu-Gi-Oh antagonist Seto Kaiba. Others posited that the game should take from Battle City’s idea of Duelists staking their rarest card, wanting to swipe their opponent’s strongest Pokemon after a victory. Pokemon Legends: Z-A is currently expected to launch sometime in late 2025.
Pokemon Legends: Z-A looks to have plenty going for it to make the game another smash-hit for the franchise. Legends: Z-A will officially feature the return of Mega Evolutions to the franchise, which have not been seen throughout Pokemon‘s last two generations since Pokemon Let’s Go! Pikachu and Eevee. Combat will see one of Legends: Z-A‘s most notable changes, with battles shifting from the franchise’s traditional turn-based roots to real-time combat. Pokemon fans shouldn’t have to wait much longer to dive into Legends: Z-A later this year.
