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Cynthia (Pokémon)

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Cynthia
Pokémon character
Cynthia from Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
First appearancePokémon Diamond and Pearl (2006)
Voiced by

Cynthia, known in Japan as Shirona (Japanese: シロナ), is a character in the 2006 video games Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. She appears at various points in the game, before being encountered as the Champion of the Sinnoh Region, the final challenge of the game. She has since appeared in other games, including re-releases of Diamond and Pearl, accompanied by her Garchomp. She also appears in the Pokémon Adventures manga and Pokémon anime in a similar capacity. In the anime, she reappeared as part of a Tournament of Champions, facing off against protagonist Ash Ketchum.

Cynthia was well-received by critics and audiences and has been noted as one of the most difficult bosses in video game history. Her surprise appearance in Black and White, as well as Black 2 and White 2, has been compared to that of a jump scare, leading to memes in response.

Concept and creation

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Developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo, the Pokémon franchise began in Japan in 1996 with the release of the video games Pokémon Red and Blue for the Game Boy.[1] In these games, the player assumes the role of a Pokémon Trainer whose goal is to capture and train creatures called Pokémon. Players use the creatures' special abilities to combat other Pokémon, both in the wild as well as those used by other Trainers.[2] Created for the 2006 sequels Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, Cynthia is the final member of the "Elite Four" and acts as the group's "Champion", a type of Trainer that acts as a boss players must defeat to proceed serving as the game's penultimate challenge.

Cynthia is voiced by Tomo Sakurai in Japanese and primarily by Emily Bauer in English.[3] Sakurai expressed surprise for the opportunity to reprise the role in her 2021 appearance in the Pokemon anime, expressing gratitude for both fans of the series and Cynthia.[4] In the video game Pokémon Masters, she is voiced by Mie Sonozaki in Japanese and Allegra Clark in English.[3]

Appearances

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Cynthia first appeared in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. She is an archeologist traveling across the Sinnoh region researching its mythology and interacting with the player-character at various points, helping battle the villainous Team Galactic. She later appears as the game's final opponent, the Champion of the region's Elite Four, featuring multiple Pokémon such as Garchomp, a signature Pokémon of hers.[5] In the re-release of Diamond and Pearl, titled Pokémon Platinum, she serves a similar role, though she also helps the player traverse the Distortion World and eventually battle Giratina. In the remakes, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, her team for this battle is modified.[6]

Cynthia appears in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver as part of a special event, triggered if a certain Arceus is brought to a location called Sinjoh Ruins.[7] She also later appears in both Pokémon Black and White and its sequels, Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, where she can be fought.[8] She later appears as both an opponent and potential ally as part of Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon's Battle Tree mode.[9] She also appears in side games, such as Pokémon Masters EX[10] and Pokémon Unite.[11] In Pokémon Legends: Arceus, two characters, Volo and Cogita, appear to resemble Cynthia, with Volo having a similar design, music theme, and Pokémon team to Cynthia's.[12][13]

Cynthia appears in the Pokémon anime, where she is a recurring character. She first appears in Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl,[14] where she helps with stopping Team Galactic, and later reappears in Pokémon the Series: Black & White,[15] where she helps series main protagonist Ash Ketchum protect the Mythical Pokémon Meloetta. She later reappears in Pokémon Journeys: The Series, where she takes part in the World Coronation Series Masters Eight Tournament- a world tournament of the strongest Pokémon Trainers- only to lose to Ash in the semi-finals.[16]

Reception

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Cynthia's Garchomp delivering a one hit knockout in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. Cynthia's difficulty in battle was a significant point of discussion and praise.

Cynthia has been well-received as a character. She is regarded particularly due to how challenging an opponent she was.[5] Kotaku writer Kenneth Shepard considered her the best Pokémon Champion in the series, calling hers the "quintessential Pokémon battle." He considered her fight intimidating, commenting that the callback to her fight with the fight against Volo in Pokémon Legends: Arceus demonstrates how "traumatized" by Cynthia's team. He attributed to this being how many bases her team covers, feeling that it was the closest one would come to playing against a human player with "game sense and strategy."[17] Shepard also praised how difficult her fight was, saying that it reminded him of the exhilaration he felt playing Pokémon as a child, and how "sweet" it would be to beat her after training up his Pokémon.[18] Game Rant writer Drew Swanson discussed her appearance in Black and White and its sequels, Black 2 and White 2, as a jump scare due both to how unexpected the encounter was and how difficult it was.[8] She has also been noted as a notable boss in video games by Gaming Bolt and Shack News.[19][20] Gaming Bolt writer Shubhankar Parijat attributed the difficulty of her fight to her varied team.[19] Shack News writer Donovan Erskine called her his favorite boss battle, praising the series' tendency to keep the identity of the Champion a surprise and commenting how shocked he was when he realized Cynthia was the Champion. He further praised the difficulty and her theme, calling her the "greatest of all time."[20] Inside Games writer Sawadee Otsuka attributed the Pokémon Garchomp's popularity in part to being a member of Cynthia's team.[21]

Cynthia's 2021 appearance in the Pokémon anime was the subject of commentary by multiple critics. The Gamer writer Stacey Henley praised the battle between Cynthia and Iris in the anime, particularly due to her disguising her Key Stone - an item used to Mega Evolve her Garchomp - as lipstick. Describing it as "incredibly cool and incredibly stupid," she appreciated the combination of power and femininity, finding it a rare sight in popular media.[22] Comic Book Resource writer Ryan McCarthy felt that having Ash vs. Leon as the final battle was less compelling than Cynthia fighting Leon, due to her being one of the two strongest trainers, along with Leon, particularly because neither have been shown to have lost a match. He felt that Ash getting into the finals was due to his status as the main character.[23] Game Rant writer Levana Jane Chester-Londt speculated that Cynthia could win the World Coronation Series in the Pokémon anime due to her team's power, diversity, and rarity, analyzing her strengths and weaknesses as well as her opponents, particularly Ash and Leon.[24]

Inside Games writer Sawadee Otsuka considered her one of the series' most popular characters, stating that her long hair and black outfit helps give her a more mature feel. They also felt that the character's popularity derived from being an adult woman and the first female Champion in the series, contending that female adult trainers were uncommon in the series. They stated that her popularity has stayed consistent in the 15 years since Diamond and Pearl's release.[25] In a ranking of gym leaders in the Pokémon series, Otsuka noted that despite not being a gym leader, they felt compelled to include her due to significant support, only beaten by Elesa. In addition to sexiness, mysterious personality, and the difficulty of her fight as reasons for her charm, Otsuka felt that her frequent appearances helped enhance her popularity. They also noted that a large majority of her supporters were men.[26] An Inside Games poll of its readers found that Cynthia was the most favored female character in the series.[27] When Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl were slated to release, the return of Cynthia was a popular topic among fans, becoming a trending topic on Twitter.[28] The similarities between characters like Volo and Cogita from Pokémon Legends: Arceus have been the subject of discussion.[29][30] IGN writer Erick Romero discussed Volo's theme, talking about how it is based on Cynthia's, which he praises as incredible.[31]

She was noted as a popular cosplay character by Inside Games.[32]

References

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  1. ^ Hilliard, Kyle (December 25, 2016). "Pokémon Red & Blue – A Look Back At The 20-Year Journey To Catch 'Em All". Game Informer. Archived from the original on October 1, 2023. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
  2. ^ Allison, Anne (May 2006). Millennial Monsters: Japanese Toys and the Global Imagination. University of California Press. pp. 192–197. ISBN 9780520938991.
  3. ^ a b "Cynthia". Archived from the original on July 28, 2019. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  4. ^ "10月8日放送のテレビアニメ「ポケットモンスター」にシロナが約9年ぶりに登場". 4gamer. October 1, 2021. Archived from the original on October 3, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Sushi (November 28, 2021). "『ポケモン ダイパリメイク』の「シロナ」がマジで強い！多くの挑戦者を返り討ちにした"ガチ構成"とは". Inside Games. Archived from the original on October 6, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  6. ^ O'Connor, Quinton (December 3, 2021). "Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl: How To Defeat All Elite Four Rematches". TheGamer. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  7. ^ Loveland, Justin (November 24, 2021). "Why Pokémon BDSP Doesn't Have Arceus". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Swanson, Drew (January 24, 2023). "Why Pokemon Fans Are Debating Whether Cynthia Counts as a Jumpscare in Gen 5". Game Rant. Archived from the original on January 25, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  9. ^ "Pokémon Sun and Moon - Battle Tree rewards, strategies, Legends Red and Blue, Battle Points and rules explained". Eurogamer.net. June 23, 2017. Archived from the original on February 25, 2024. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  10. ^ Tu, Trumann (December 24, 2021). "Pokemon Masters EX Event Focuses on Team Galactic, Giratina, and Cynthia". Game Rant. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  11. ^ Pellegrino, Christian (September 20, 2022). "Pokemon Unite: Legacy Trainer Showdown Guide". TheGamer. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  12. ^ Castania, Gabrielle (September 2, 2022). "Pokemon: Every Champion's Backstory, Explained". TheGamer. Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  13. ^ Freidly, Damien (February 22, 2022). "Every Ancestor Character In Pokémon Legends: Arceus". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on September 23, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  14. ^ Edmundson, Carlyle (December 13, 2023). "Every Pokémon Anime League Champion, Ranked". ScreenRant. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  15. ^ "Pokémon Best Wishes Anime Getting Sequel - News". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  16. ^ Switzer, Eric (September 25, 2022). "Did Cynthia Just Throw The Most Important Fight Of Her Pokemon Career?". TheGamer. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  17. ^ Shepard, Kenneth (September 11, 2023). "The Pokémon Champions, Ranked From Worst To Best". Kotaku. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  18. ^ Shepard, Kenneth (November 22, 2021). "I'm So Glad Pokemon Shining Pearl's Elite Four Whooped My Ass". Fanbyte. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  19. ^ a b Parijat, Shubhankar (November 21, 2018). "15 Video Game Bosses You Underestimated That Went On To Defeat You". Gaming Bolt. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  20. ^ a b Erskine, Donovan (February 23, 2024). "Shack Chat: What is your favorite final boss battle of all time?". Shack News. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  21. ^ Otsuka, Sawadee (December 18, 2021). "『ポケモン』シリーズ屈指の人気ポケモン・ガブリアスの魅力に迫る！". Inside Games. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  22. ^ Henley, Stacey (July 18, 2022). "Cynthia's Lipstick Reveal Might Be Pokemon's Coolest Moment Ever". The Gamer. Archived from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  23. ^ McCarthy, Ryan (July 11, 2022). "Pokémon: Ash vs Leon Isn't the Best Masters Eight Finals Matchup". Comic Book Resource. Archived from the original on November 5, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  24. ^ Chester-Londt, Levana Jane (June 17, 2022). "Is Cynthia Set to Win the World Coronation Series?". Game Rant. Archived from the original on June 21, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  25. ^ Otsuka, Sawadee (December 4, 2021). "『ポケモン』数少ない"大人の女性"！？シリーズ屈指の人気キャラクター・シロナの魅力に迫る". Inside Games. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  26. ^ Otsuka, Sawadee (November 23, 2021). "『ポケモン』最推しの「女性ジムリーダー」ランキング！ カスミやスズナ抑えた1位は…【アンケ結果発表】". Inside Games. Archived from the original on October 18, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  27. ^ Sushi (September 7, 2019). "『ポケマス』実装を期待している女性トレーナーNo.1は「シロナ」！【読者アンケート】". Inside Games. Archived from the original on December 25, 2019. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  28. ^ Otsuka, Sawadee (November 18, 2021). "アルセウスイベント実装か!? 追加要素モリモリの『ポケモン ダイパリメイク』を買うべき5つの理由". Inside Games. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  29. ^ "まるで「男になったシロナ」！？『ポケモンレジェンズ アルセウス』新キャラ・ウォロが「シロナの先祖かも」と話題に". Inside Games. December 16, 2021. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  30. ^ Valentine, Rebekah (February 1, 2022). "Pokemon Legends: Arceus Is Full of Diamond and Pearl Character Ancestors". IGN. Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  31. ^ Romero, Erick (November 1, 2022). "Pokémon: Estas son los mejores temas de los juegos según la comunidad". IGN. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  32. ^ "【ポケモンゲームショー】『ポケットモンスター』歴代主人公＆歴代チャンピオンが会場に現れる". Inside Games. August 18, 2013. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
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