Sigilyph
Sigilyph is a Psychic/Flying-type Pokémon, the Avianoid Pokémon, number 561 (#0561) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 5 and comes from the Unova region. It is 1.4 m tall and weighs 14 kg.
Sigilyph is the Avianoid Pokémon, a Psychic and Flying totem pole of a bird that, the Pokédex says, guarded an ancient city or served its guardians. It still flies the same route and attacks anything that strays in.
How to pronounce Sigilyph
Sigilyph is pronounced SIJ-ih-lif. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.
Listen to Sigilyph said out loud:
In Japanese it is シンボラー (Symboler).
Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.
Lore
Biology
Sigilyph is a multicoloured, totem-pole-like bird with one cyan eye on its black head and two eyespots on its body that never blink. A green zigzag runs through its black base, and its wings and long tail are yellow with blue and red bands. It is 1.4 m tall and weighs 14 kg. The Sword Pokédex says psychic power is what lets it fly.
Behaviour
Sigilyph is a sentry. The Pokédex says it keeps to one flight route, watching for invaders and attacking them with psychic power, because it still remembers guarding an ancient city.
Habitat
Bulbapedia says it lives in deserts and rocky places. It is not available in Scarlet and Violet or in Legends: Z-A.
Powers
Sigilyph's Abilities are Wonder Skin, which cuts the accuracy of status moves aimed at it to 50%, and Magic Guard, which blocks indirect damage, with Tinted Lens hidden. It learns Psychic, Air Slash, Psybeam, Cosmic Power and Skill Swap. With 103 base Special Attack and 97 Speed it is a fast special attacker.
Name origin
Sigilyph may combine 'sigil' and 'glyph', and may also nod to 'sylph', a mythological air spirit. The Japanese name is Symboler (シンボラー), which may join 'symbol' with the agent suffix -er.
Design inspiration
Bulbapedia credits Keiko Moritsugu as the designer, citing a since-deleted tweet. It appears inspired by the bird figures of the Nazca lines and by kachina dolls, and also brings a wind chime or a totem to mind. These are fan readings.
In the games
In PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond Sigilyph oversees Wish Park's Flight Zone. In the main series it first flew over the Desert Resort in Black and White, and it returned in Sword and Shield's Wild Area and the Crown Tundra's Max Lair.
In the anime
Damon's Sigilyph appears in the films Victini and Zekrom and Victini and Reshiram, using its power to lift the Sword of the Vale into the sky. In 'Cloudy Fate, Bright Future!' Carrie's Sigilyph attacks Professor Sycamore and then battles Ash.
Fun facts
- At the 2023 Pokémon World Championships, a livestream segment on commonly mispronounced names gave the pronunciation as SIH-jih-liff.
- Sigilyph is the only Pokémon whose Wonder Skin is a regular Ability: Skitty, Delcatty, Venomoth and Bruxish all have it as a Hidden Ability.
- Some early artwork, including official art by Ken Sugimori, leaves out the markings on Sigilyph's lower body.
Base stats
- HP: 72
- Attack: 58
- Defense: 80
- Sp. Atk: 103
- Sp. Def: 80
- Speed: 97
Sigilyph’s base stat total is 490. Its highest stat is Sp. Atk.
Type matchups
What is Sigilyph weak to?
Sigilyph takes extra damage from Electric (2×), Ice (2×), Rock (2×), Ghost (2×), Dark (2×) moves.
It resists Fighting (¼×), Grass (½×), Psychic (½×).
It is immune to Ground moves.
Evolution
Sigilyph does not evolve, and it does not evolve from any other Pokémon.
Abilities
- Wonder Skin: Lowers incoming non-damaging moves' base accuracy to exactly 50%.
- Magic Guard: Protects against damage not directly caused by a move.
- Tinted Lens (hidden ability): Doubles damage inflicted with not-very-effective moves.
Moves
Moves Sigilyph learns by level up in Sword / Shield
| Level | Move | Type | Category | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gust | Flying | Special | 40 |
| 1 | Confusion | Psychic | Special | 50 |
| 5 | Gravity | Psychic | Status | — |
| 10 | Hypnosis | Psychic | Status | — |
| 15 | Air Cutter | Flying | Special | 60 |
| 20 | Psybeam | Psychic | Special | 65 |
| 25 | Whirlwind | Normal | Status | — |
| 30 | Cosmic Power | Psychic | Status | — |
| 35 | Air Slash | Flying | Special | 75 |
| 40 | Psychic | Psychic | Special | 90 |
| 45 | Tailwind | Flying | Status | — |
| 50 | Light Screen | Psychic | Status | — |
| 50 | Reflect | Psychic | Status | — |
| 55 | Sky Attack | Flying | Physical | 140 |
| 60 | Skill Swap | Psychic | Status | — |
TM moves (45)
Sigilyph can learn 45 moves from TMs in Sword / Shield: Fly, Hyper Beam, Giga Impact, Solar Beam, Thunder Wave, Light Screen, Reflect, Safeguard, Rest, Thief, Snore, Protect, Icy Wind, Steel Wing, Attract, Rain Dance, Facade, Swift, Imprison, Power Swap, Speed Swap, Psycho Cut, Trick Room, Magic Room, Round, Air Slash, Ice Beam, Psychic, Substitute, Psyshock, Endure, Sleep Talk, Shadow Ball, Future Sight, Heat Wave, Trick, Skill Swap, Cosmic Power, Calm Mind, Dark Pulse, Energy Ball, Zen Headbutt, Flash Cannon, Stored Power, Dazzling Gleam.
Egg moves (3):Ancient Power, Psycho Shift, Roost.
Move tutor moves (2): Dual Wingbeat, Expanding Force.
Breeding & training
- Gender: 50% male, 50% female.
- Egg groups: Flying.
- Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
- Catch rate: 45 out of 255.
- Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
- Growth rate: Medium (1,000,000 experience points to reach level 100).
- Defeating it gives 2 Sp. Atk effort values.
- Base experience yield: 172.
Pokédex entries
A discovery was made in the desert where Sigilyph fly. The ruins of what may have been an ancient city were found beneath the sands. (Shield)
Psychic power allows these Pokémon to fly. Some say they were the guardians of an ancient city. Others say they were the guardians' emissaries. (Sword)
The guardians of an ancient city, they always fly the same route while keeping watch for invaders. (Black 2, White 2, Y, Alpha Sapphire)
The guardians of an ancient city, they use their psychic power to attack enemies that invade their territory. (White, X, Omega Ruby)
They never vary the route they fly, because their memories of guarding an ancient city remain steadfast. (Black)
Names around the world
| Japanese | シンボラー |
|---|---|
| Romaji | Symboler |
| French | Cryptéro |
| German | Symvolara |
| Spanish | Sigilyph |
| Italian | Sigilyph |
| Korean | 심보러 |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 象征鸟 |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 象徵鳥 |
Trivia
- Taller than 68% of all Pokémon (1.4 m).
- Heavier than 34% of all Pokémon (14 kg).
- Base stat total 490, ranked #338 of 1,025.
- One of 6 Pokémon that are both Psychic and Flying.
- One of 51 black Pokémon.
- Number 68 of 156 Pokémon introduced in Generation 5 (Unova).
- Can learn 59 different moves in Sword / Shield.
- Catch rate 45: about 5.9% per Poké Ball at full health.
- Appears in 5 distinct Pokédex entries.
Sources and fact-checking
- Stats, types, abilities, moves, evolutions, forms and Pokédex entries: PokéAPI open game data.
- Lore: written by pokee.si in our own words, researched from Bulbapedia: Sigilyph (Pokémon), Serebii: Sigilyph (Sword/Shield Pokédex).
- Pronunciation (SIJ-ih-lif): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.
Last checked: . Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.
Explore
Psychic-type Pokémon · Flying-type Pokémon · Psychic/Flying weaknesses and matchups · Unova region guide · Wonder Skin ability · Magic Guard ability · Tinted Lens ability · Compare Sigilyph · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves
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Gen 5 Psychic-type Pokémon · Gen 5 Flying-type Pokémon · Gen 5 Pokémon list · Black Pokémon list · Flying egg group · Pokémon that start with S · Bird Pokémon