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A weekly Pokédex Podcast from Bald Man in Japan Luke Summerhayes. A different Pokémon family every week.
I’m Luke Summerhayes, and I love Druddigon.
Dragons, despite not actually existing, are very important animals. In cultures all across the world, for millenia, the strongest warriors and greatest leaders have been named after them – from Takeda Shingen, the Dragon of Kai in Samurai Japan to Arthur Pendragon, King of the Britons. A very specific model of European Dragon has incredible prominence in artwork, heraldry and coat of arms. A red dragon, which once clashed with a white counterpart to represent the Britons defending against Anglo Saxon invaders, still to this day adorns the flag of Wales.
As the centuries rolled on and artistic techniques improved, the immaculate castles and churches of Europe began to incorporate gargoyles; fearsome statues with dual purposes of warding off evil and redirecting rainwater. Some were devils and trolls, others were fearsome real-world animals, and of course some were dragons. Eventually, these fearsome statues developed mythology of their own, with stories of gargoyles which are stone by day but come to life at night, serving as guardians or stalking the rooftops as figures of fear.
Druddigon is a blue dragon Pokémon with a red head and red spikes, its face blocky like a medieval illustration and its spiky carapace and wings in the geometric shapes of simple illustrations or banners. Druddigon’s wing’s are very reminiscent of Holly leaves. Combined with the red head, which could stand in for the berries, the image of a sprig of holly is striking. This plant, with its biblical associations, is as common on heraldry as dragons are, if not more.
Like gargoyles, Druddigon can become immobile like statues.
Sword
Druddigon lives in caves, but it never skips sunbathing—it won't be able to move if its body gets too cold.
Black
It warms its body by absorbing sunlight with its wings. When its body temperature falls, it can no longer move.
One might assume from this association that Druddigon is part rock-type. This is reinforced by its title as the cave Pokémon and its underground behaviour.
White
It races through narrow caves, using its sharp claws to catch prey. The skin on its face is harder than a rock.
Black 2
It runs through the narrow tunnels formed by Excadrill and Onix. It uses its sharp claws to catch prey.
White 2
Shield
Druddigon are vicious and cunning. They take up residence in nests dug out by other Pokémon, treating the stolen nests as their own lairs.
Of course, using an underground cave as a lair is textbook dragon behaviour too. On top of that, the red head and blue body are reminiscent of the agama, a lizard found in arid parts of Africa known for battles between males for dominance over territories, those territories based around a rock or cave which the male claims like a thrown. Also like Druddigon, the Agama and other similar lizards are known for warming themselves on rocks, being active in the day and motionless at night.
ANDY
The name Druddigon combines Dragon with Ruddy, a shade of red usually used to describe a British person’s face. Similarly, the Japanese name is Crimgan, with crimson being another shade of red and the gan either coming from dragon or the Japanese for face, what with the crimson face, or the Japanese for rock, or maybe both. Pokémon names can be pretty layered at times.
If you remember the European Folklore we discussed at the start of the episode, all this talk of red dragons might make you think Druddigon is a mighty Pokémon indeed.
It was used ably by Drayden in Pokémon Black and White, as well as in the Pokémon anime. Its mid-level stats mean it hasn’t seen a huge amount of use in the competitive videogame scene, but a wide range of moves, including stealth rock, alongside abilities like Rough Skin, mean it can be quite a nuisance in one-on-one singles combat.
Pokémon has already had an approach to the concept of dragons which bemuses some but which I approve of – less about a dinosaur-like form, more about a powerful position above other creatures natural and supernatural alike. Druddigon is perhaps the most traditional European dragon yet, and I could easily imagine it on a shield in a British castle I visited on a school trip.
Original music for Luke Loves Pokémon is by Jonathan Cromie. Artwork is by Katie Groves. Funding is provided by listeners at Patreon.com/PodcastioPodcastius. For just a dollar a month, supporters can listen to episodes a week early and also help cover hosting and fees, making it possible for me to keep making episodes every week.
I love hearing from listeners! Get in touch about upcoming Pokémon on twitter or facebook at LukeLovesPKMN. Drop a comment if you’re watching the video, or a review on apple podcasts or spotify. Coming up are Golett and Paniard, so please get in touch about those or any other monsters.
Even if you don’t feel like doing any of that, thank you so much just for listening.
I love Druddigon. And remember, I love you too.