Biology
Nihilego attaches itself to the cranium of a host, causing abnormal behavior from them
Nihilego is an Ultra Beast that resembles a jellyfish. The bell is semi-translucent and encircled with several white, star-shaped markings. The wavy rim of the bell flares outward and is bright blue. Its tentacles appear gelatinous and give it a vaguely humanoid shape. Several tentacles mesh together forming the appearance of a cape or long hair, while four shorter tentacles resemble shorter hair and arms. Two long tentacles make up the legs of the human shape. According to its concept art, Nihilego's body is made of various types of glass.
Nihilego was the first Ultra Beast to be discovered by Professor Mohn of the Aether Foundation. He was also the one who coined Nihilego's name. Nihilego live in another world named Ultra Deep Sea. Although its exact levels of intelligence are unknown, it is believed to act upon a self-preservation instinct[1]. However, in addition to its human-like shape, it is sometimes seen acting like a young girl. According to Wicke from the Aether Foundation, Nihilego's most distinctive feature is its parasitic capability. When Nihilego latches on to a host's head, it does not manipulate its actions directly. Instead it awakens the host's own capabilities and boosts them to an extreme extent in order to protect itself. It injects the host with a sort of neurotoxin to achieve this effect. This neurotoxin of Nihilego's is incredibly stimulating and inspires feelings of extreme excitement and a lack of inhibition in its host. Anything or anyone that Nihilego latches on to will have its native skills forcibly activated to their fullest extent and will then act as it naturally desires to. Pokémon Adventures also elaborates upon Nihilego's neurotoxin, explaining that its venom turns their negative emotions into happiness and pleasure. It's also said that Nihilego mostly feed on those who feel intense worry or anxiety.
Wicke also claims that like all Ultra Beasts, Nihilego stores Z-Power, the same energy possessed by Totem Pokémon, within its body, which takes the form of a red, flaring aura[2]. As seen in the games and in The Homecoming Crown!, Nihilego are capable of creating illusions, such as making itself and its allies vanish and are even capable of seeing the memories of humans. That same episode also showed that Nihilego can demonstrate emotions other than self-preservation and the ability to heal people.
Nihilego is capable of physically merging with its host, such as with Lusamine in various media. In this "merged" state, the Nihilego's bell loses its stars, developing several iridescent spots across its surface. Its eight tentacles become long and flattened and have numerous deep black spots with various colored diamond-shapes inside. Four of the tentacles are connected to the bell via frilly white structures; these tentacles have four spines protruding from them that can be used similarly to hands. The remaining four tentacles each terminate in a single larger spine. Lusamine's body also changes and is visible within Nihilego's bell as her legs dangle beneath it. Her hair turns black with golden lines, her eyes turn yellow, half of her legs and dress become black as the other half becomes purple.
The toxins produced by Nihilego may remain in the host's body, even after Nihilego has left their body. This can leave the former host to remain ill for unspecified amounts of time and treatment may be necessary. Nihilego leaving a host's body can also cause unconsciousness, as is the case with Lusamine, however it unknown whether or not this is because of Nihilego's toxins, the stress of fusion or the overwhelming amount of Z-Power within her body. As depicted in 10,000,000 Reasons to Fight!, its lower tentacles inject its toxins into the ground while sharp rocks grow below. While the same episode shows that Nihilego can willingly end this merger and it may be disrupted in other ways as well, the lingering toxins and the shock of the separation can leave the host in critical condition, both physically and psychologically. The same episode also shows that Nihilego can take full control of the fusion and form an orb with its own mass to prevent its host from escaping the fusion.
Nihilego preys on both human and Pokémon
Both Nihilego and Lusamine's bodies look different while fused
Nihilego taking over its fusion with Lusamine and trapping her inside it
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Spoilers end here.
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Game data
Pokédex entries
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation VII.
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Generation VII
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Alola S M : #293
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Alola US UM : #391
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Kanto #—
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This Pokémon has no Pokédex entries in Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!.
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Sun
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One of several mysterious Ultra Beasts. People on the street report observing those infested by it suddenly becoming violent.
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Moon
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One of the Ultra Beasts. It's unclear whether or not this Pokémon is sentient, but sometimes it can be observed behaving like a young girl.
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Ultra Sun
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A life-form from another world, it was dubbed a UB and is thought to produce a strong neurotoxin.
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Ultra Moon
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It appeared in this world from an Ultra Wormhole. Nihilego appears to be a parasite that lives by feeding on people and Pokémon.
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Game locations
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation VII.
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In side games
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation VII.
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Generation VIII
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This Pokémon is unavailable in Generation VIII side games.
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Held items
Stats
Base stats
Stat
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Range
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At Lv. 50
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At Lv. 100
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109
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169 - 216
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328 - 422
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53
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52 - 115
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99 - 225
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47
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46 - 108
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89 - 212
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127
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118 - 196
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233 - 388
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131
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122 - 201
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240 - 397
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103
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97 - 170
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189 - 335
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Total: 570
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Other Pokémon with this total
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- Minimum stats are calculated with 0 EVs, IVs of 0, and (if applicable) a hindering nature.
- Maximum stats are calculated with 252 EVs, IVs of 31, and (if applicable) a helpful nature.
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Type effectiveness
Under normal battle conditions in Generation IX, this Pokémon is:
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Learnset
Nihilego is available in Sword and Shield Version 1.3.0+.
Generation VIII
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Other generations:
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VII - IX
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- Bold indicates a move that gets STAB when used by Nihilego
- Italic indicates a move that gets STAB only when used by an Evolution of Nihilego
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Generation VIII
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Other generations:
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VII - IX
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- Bold indicates a move that gets STAB when used by Nihilego
- Italic indicates a move that gets STAB only when used by an Evolution of Nihilego
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Generation VIII
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Other generations:
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VII - IX
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- Moves marked with an asterisk (*) must be chain bred onto Nihilego in Generation VIII
- Moves marked with a double dagger (‡) can only be bred from a Pokémon who learned the move in an earlier generation.
- Moves marked with a superscript game abbreviation can only be bred onto Nihilego in that game.
- Bold indicates a move that gets STAB when used by Nihilego
- Italic indicates a move that gets STAB only when used by an Evolution of Nihilego
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Generation VIII
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Other generations:
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VII - IX
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- Bold indicates a move that gets STAB when used by Nihilego
- Italic indicates a move that gets STAB only when used by an Evolution of Nihilego
- Click on the generation numbers at the top to see Move Tutor moves from other generations
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By transfer from another generation
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- Transferred Pokémon only retain these moves in Pokémon Sword and Shield
- A striped background indicates a generation in which the move can only be obtained via event or as a special move
- Bold indicates a move that gets STAB when used by Nihilego
- Italic indicates a move that gets STAB only when used by an Evolution of Nihilego
- × indicates a move that cannot be used in Sword and Shield
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Side game data
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Pokémon Rumble Rush
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Walking Speed: 1.5 seconds
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Base HP: 61
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Base Attack: 83
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Base Defense: 57
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Base Speed: 70
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Evolution data
Sprites
This Pokémon was unavailable prior to Generation VII.
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This Pokémon is unavailable in Generation IX.
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In animationIn the mangaIn the TCGOther appearancesTrivia
Origin
Nihilego is inspired by jellyfish, with its body made of glass to contrast the soft bodies of real jellyfish.[3] It being Rock-type may be inspired by the fact that artificial glass is usually made out of sand. The specific species of jellyfish it is based on may be the Aurelia aurita or the Phyllorhiza punctata; the Ultra Beasts have been stated to be based on invasive species,[4] and the Phyllorhiza punctata is an invasive species in the waters surrounding Hawaii. It may also draw inspiration from Myxozoa, a class of microscopic parasites in the phylum Cnidaria (which includes jellyfish). In particular, the Myxobolus cerebralis is known to cause the infectious "whirling disease" in various fish species. The disease causes the fish to develop bone and neurological abnormalities that cause them to swim in a corkscrew-like "whirling" motion.
Nihilego may have also been inspired by Lillie and vice-versa. Throughout the games, Lillie mentions how her Ultra Beast-obsessed mother, Lusamine, chooses what clothes she wears and how she wears them, with both characters mentioning dress-up and outfits throughout the game. This implies that, in-universe, Lusamine has intentionally dressed her daughter up to resemble the Pokémon. Lillie's white sunhat resembles Nihilego's bell, with each of Nihilego's tentacles resembling Lillie's hair, legs, sundress, braids, and arms. Nihilego's white coloring with a blue accent is reminiscent of both of Lillie's outfits seen in the games. Furthermore, Nihilego's shiny coloration has a yellow hue, making it resemble Lillie's long blonde hair. Nihilego's Pokédex entry in Pokémon Moon states that "sometimes it can be observed behaving like a young girl." The Pokémon Journeys: The Series episode The Homecoming Crown! notes the similarities between a shiny Nihilego and Lillie.
Name origin
Nihilego may be a combination of nihil (Latin for indefinite nothing) and ego (Latin for I), which together roughly translates to "I am nothing" or "I have nothing". Ego may also refer to the part of the psychic apparatus that governs rational decision-making, and together with nihil reflects how the creature may have no ego, and only have an id (the survival and instinctual part of the psyche). The former may reflect its victims' lack of will outside their focus on Nihilego, while the latter may represent Nihilego's role in dominating the desires of its victims.
Uturoid may be a combination of 虚ろ utsuro (void) and void. It might also involve asteroid or meteoroid, 鬱 utsu (depression), 移ろい utsuroi (transience), the suffix -oid (meaning "of similar form"), and id.
In other languages
Language
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Title
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Meaning
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Japanese
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ウツロイド Uturoid
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From 虚ろ utsuro, asteroid, meteoroid, void, id, and possibly the suffix -oid (meaning "of similar form")
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French
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Zéroïd
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From zéro, id, and suffix -oïde
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Spanish
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Nihilego
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Same as English name
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German
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Anego
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From ἀν- an- (ancient Greek prefix indicating "not" or "without") and ego
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Italian
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Nihilego
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Same as English name
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Korean
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텅비드 Teongbid
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From 텅빈 teongbin and id
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Mandarin Chinese
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虛吾伊德 / 虚吾伊德 Xūwúyīdé
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From 虛無 / 虚无 xūwú , 吾 wú, and possibly 佛洛伊德 Fóluòyīdé / 弗洛伊德 Fúluòyīdé
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Cantonese Chinese
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虛吾伊德 Hēui'nghyīdāk
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From 虛無 hēuimòuh, 吾 ngh, and possibly 佛洛伊德 Fahtlokyīdāk
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More languages
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Hindi
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निर्वाइड Nirwide
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From निर्वात nirvāt and wide
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Russian
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Нихилего Nikhilego
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Transcription of English name
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Thai
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อุทซึรอยด์ Utsueroi
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Transcription of Japanese name
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UB-01 Symbiont
Related articlesReferencesExternal links
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This Pokémon article is part of Project Pokédex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each Pokémon species, as well as Pokémon groups and forms.
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