Pokémon Legends: Z-A is the long-awaited return to the Kalos region fans have been waiting for, and there are many questions surrounding the regarding what's in store. With Lumiose City said to be undergoing some form of urban redevelopment, it will be interesting to see just how this will tie into the overall story, including the supposed connections to the legendary Pokémon Zygarde. Considering how beautiful and interesting Kalos and its history is, it is sure to be a Legends game that will be fondly ed for a long time.

After how well Pokémon Legends: Arceus was received, fans are eagerly awaiting to see what's in store in this past version of Kalos. One of the biggest questions is who the main villain of this game will be, and just which character they could be related to. Although the Pokémon franchise has numerous iconic characters to choose from, certain ones seem to be far more likely to be chosen as distant evil relatives.

Diantha's Ancestor Could Repeat The Same Twist As Legends Arceus

Another Evil Ancestor With Ties To A Region's Champion

Dianthia from Pokemon X & Y standing in front of the player.
Credit: Bulbapedia

The post-game in Legends: Arceus revealed that the helpful merchant Volo was actually the main villain all along, rather than Commander Kamado, as he was the one who teamed up with Giratina in an attempt to lure out Arceus. This reveal came alongside the fact that he is actually the ancestor of Sinnoh's champion Cynthia, complete with her infamously difficult team that includes Garchomp and Spiritomb. It was a reveal that took everyone by surprise, proving that heroic characters from the mainline games could have some truly evil ancestors.

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Assuming that Legends: Z-A will follow a similar pattern, then the villain could turn out to be the ancestor of Kalos' champion Diantha. Although she isn't on the same level of popularity Cynthia is, it cannot be denied that a villain with her team would be a major threat, complete with powerful Pokémon like Tyrantrum and even a mega Gardevoir. It would undoubtedly be very interesting to see what direction Legends: Z-A takes Diantha's ancestor, and having them be the villain would be rather intriguing.

Lusamine's Ancestor Could Explain How Zygarde's Cells Are In Alola

Explaining The Zygarde Cells In Sun & Moon

As the president of the Aether Foundation, Lusamine made a big impression on players simply due to how ruthless she could be in her quest to find out more about the mysterious Ultra Beasts. She seeks out Pokémon that are exceptionally odd, rare, or beautiful, wanting to preserve them for herself. One cannot help but wonder just how exactly Lusamine came to be this way, and perhaps it is possible that an older relative with a similar fascination had an influence on her growing up.

Although there are no obvious connections between the regions of Alola and Kalos, one detail that cannot be ignored is that players were able to find all of Zygarde's cells throughout Alola in Pokémon Sun and Moon. One cannot help but wonder just what Zygarde was doing all the way in Alola, and what could've possibly caused all of its cells to split apart and scatter across the region. If an ancestor of Lusamine existed in Kalos during the time of Legends: Z-A, then they could have potentially played a role in causing Zygarde's cells to split up and spread out across the world.

The Villain Could Be A Descendant Of AZ

A Potential Villain Could Have Ties To The Old King

Pokémon Legends Z-A background of Kalos, featuring AZ.
Custom image ed by Jessica Barthelt.

Toward the end of Pokémon X and Y, it was revealed that the mysterious old man known as AZ was the old king of Kalos, having been granted an immensely long life thanks to the ultimate weapon. Considering how old AZ is, it is possible that the villain could be a descendant of his who wants to finish the work that he started long ago. Although only time will tell as to what exactly Legends: Z-A will reveal about AZ, the possibilities are numerous, and can help to further add to his story through the inclusion of his own lineage.

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The options as to who the villain of this game could be are potentially endless. With so many iconic characters in the franchise, there are numerous options as to who they could be related to, whether ancestor or descendant, with not all of them necessarily needing to originate from the Kalos region. Ultimately, only time will tell as to who exactly the villain of Pokémon Legends: Z-A will be, but it will surely be very intriguing nonetheless.

pokemon legends za vertical
Pokemon Legends Z-A
Released
2025
ESRB
e
Developer(s)
Game Freak

Publisher(s)
Nintendo
Engine
Proprietary Engine
Franchise
Pokemon
Platform(s)
Switch