You’re walking through the Jubilife Village gates for the first time, and suddenly, you see him. Captain Cyllene. She has the same cold stare, the same blue hair, and the same no-nonsense attitude as Cyrus from Team Galactic. It hits you like a truck. This isn't just a random NPC; it’s a window into the past. Pokémon Legends Arceus ancestors aren't just fanservice or Easter eggs tossed in to make Sinnoh fans clap. They are the backbone of the game's world-building, creating a weird, genealogical puzzle that connects the Hisui region to the modern era of Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum.
But honestly? Some of these connections are pretty confusing.
Game Freak didn't just give us a 1:1 map of who birthed whom. They played with expectations. Some characters look identical to their descendants but act completely differently. Others have subtle hints hidden in their dialogue or their Pokémon teams. It’s a massive game of "spot the relative," and if you aren't looking closely, you’ll miss the best parts.
The Galactic Connection: Cyllene and Coin
It’s impossible to talk about Pokémon Legends Arceus ancestors without starting with the elephant in the room. The Team Galactic lookalikes.
Captain Cyllene is the most obvious one. She’s the ancestor of Cyrus, the man who eventually tries to unmake the entire universe. The irony is thick here. While Cyrus wants to destroy emotion and recreate the world in his image, Cyllene is the one person keeping the Galaxy Expedition Team from falling apart. She’s strict, sure, but she’s fundamentally decent. She even helps you out when you’re exiled.
Then you have the Miss Fortune Sisters. Coin is a dead ringer for Saturn. It’s a bit of a trip seeing a character who, in the "future," is a high-ranking commander in a cult-like organization, acting as a bandit in the past. It suggests that maybe the "villainous" traits in certain families have been simmering for centuries. Or maybe it’s just bad luck.
The Diamond and Pearl Clan Lineages
The clans are where things get really interesting because they represent the cultural divide that eventually merges into modern Sinnoh.
- Adaman and Mai: Adaman is clearly the ancestor of someone, though fans still debate exactly who. His hair screams "Diamond Version," but his personality is unique. Mai, on the other hand, is almost certainly related to Marley (the trainer from the Victory Road side-quest). They both have that same detached, calm energy.
- Irida and Arezu: Irida’s design heavily mirrors May from the Hoenn region, which is a weird curveball, but in terms of Hisui, Arezu is the one people notice. She is the ancestor of Mars. Again, we see a "villain" ancestor who is actually a productive member of society—mostly. Arezu’s obsession with hair and style is a direct nod to Mars’s... well, unique hairstyle.
Why Do These Ancestors Look Exactly the Same?
It’s a valid question. Evolution and genetics don’t usually work like this. In the real world, you don't look exactly like your great-great-great-grandfather. But in the Pokémon world, "Character Design DNA" is a powerful force.
Basically, Game Freak uses these Pokémon Legends Arceus ancestors to establish a sense of "inherited destiny." If you see a guy who looks like Clay from Unova (that would be Gaeric), you immediately know he’s going to be tough, stubborn, and probably involved with mining or heavy labor. It’s visual shorthand. It tells the player that certain families have stayed in this region for hundreds of years, shaping the land that will one day become the Sinnoh we know.
The sheer volume of these lookalikes is staggering. You have:
✨ Don't miss: Sonic the Hedgehog Rouge: Why the Bat is Sega’s Most Complex Character
- Sabi: Ancestor of Cheryl.
- Volo and Cogita: The ancestors of Cynthia. (This one hurts the most once you finish the post-game).
- Pesselle: Ancestor of Nurse Joy (explaining why the medical profession runs in the family).
- Sanqua: Ancestor of Karen from the Johto Elite Four.
The Sanqua connection is one of my favorites because it’s so subtle. Most people think everyone in Hisui is from Sinnoh, but Sanqua’s presence suggests that people were migrating to Hisui from Johto long before the events of the game. It adds a layer of realism to the colonization of the region.
The Volo Twist: Genetics of a Villain
We have to talk about Volo. If you haven't finished the game, skip this part. Seriously.
Volo is the ancestor of Cynthia, the most beloved Champion in the franchise. Throughout the game, he’s your quirky, history-obsessed friend. He helps you. He guides you. And then, he tries to kill you and summon god to rewrite reality.
The brilliance of Volo as one of the Pokémon Legends Arceus ancestors is how he recontextualizes Cynthia. You see her love for mythology and ancient ruins in a new, darker light. Is her obsession with the Origin Forme of Giratina just academic curiosity, or is there a tiny bit of Volo’s madness lurking in her DNA? It’s a masterclass in using a prequel to make a previous character more interesting without actually changing her.
Ancestors from Other Regions?
One thing that trips people up is seeing ancestors of characters who aren't even from Sinnoh.
Take Rye, for example. He looks exactly like Riley from Iron Island, which makes sense since Riley is a Sinnoh character. But then you have Raifort’s ancestor or characters who look like they belong in Unova or Kalos.
🔗 Read more: Tears of the Kingdom: Why We’re Still Playing Two Years Later
The Galaxy Expedition Team is a literal expedition. People came from all over the Pokémon world to see what Hisui was about. This is why you see the Pokémon Legends Arceus ancestors of characters like Clay (Gaeric) or even some subtle nods to Alolan characters. It makes the world feel interconnected. It’s not just a bubble. It’s a hub of human migration.
The Professor Laventon Mystery
Is Laventon an ancestor of Leon and Hop from Galar? The purple hair and the general vibe certainly suggest it. If he is, it explains why the Galar region has such a deep connection to Pokémon research and the Pokédex.
Wait. Let’s look at the facts.
- Laventon brings the starters (Rowlet, Cyndaquil, Oshawott) from other regions.
- His clothing is distinctly "foreign" compared to the clans.
- He uses terms that feel very British-coded (the basis for Galar).
If Laventon is indeed the ancestor of the Galar brothers, it places the roots of the modern Pokémon League and the very concept of the Pokédex in his hands. That’s a huge legacy.
Spotting the Minor Ancestors
Not everyone is a main character. Some of the most fun Pokémon Legends Arceus ancestors are the ones standing in the background.
The guy running the general store? Choy. He’s the ancestor of Charon from Team Galactic. The lady running the photography studio? Dagero. Ancestor of Wulfric from Kalos. It’s everywhere. Even the security guards have familiar faces if you look long enough.
It makes the village feel like a living family tree. You aren't just building a town; you're planting the seeds for the entire future of the franchise. It’s honestly kind of brilliant, even if it is a bit fanservicey at times.
Actionable Steps for Lore Hunters
If you want to track down every single ancestor connection in your next playthrough, here is how you do it without losing your mind.
- Check the Hair: Game Freak uses hair color and style as the primary genetic marker. If the hair matches a modern trainer, you're 90% of the way there.
- Listen to the Music: Often, when you speak to an ancestor, a rearranged version of their descendant's theme music will play subtly in the background.
- Watch the Pokémon: Ancestors often use the same signature Pokémon as their descendants. For example, Ginter (ancestor of Volkner) has a heavy focus on items that relate to electric types or mechanical objects.
- Read the Descriptions: Sometimes the dialogue mentions a "homeland" or a specific family tradition that links them to a future city or gym.
Summary of the Hisuian Heritage
The Pokémon Legends Arceus ancestors serve a dual purpose. They provide a nostalgic safety net for long-time fans, but they also ground the story in a sense of time. They show us that the villains we hate and the heroes we admire didn't come from nowhere. They are products of a long line of survivors, explorers, and sometimes, total lunatics.
Next time you pass Beni at the Wallflower, remember you’re looking at the man who eventually leads to the ninja-themed Gym Leaders and Elite Four members of the future. The history of the Pokémon world isn't just written in books; it’s written in the faces of the people you meet every day in Jubilife.
Go back and talk to the NPCs you ignored. You might just find the great-great-grandfather of your favorite Champion standing right in front of you.
Next Steps for Your Playthrough:
- Compare Side-by-Side: Open a gallery of Diamond/Pearl gym leaders while walking through Jubilife Village to spot the subtle background ancestors.
- Focus on Dialogue: Re-read the Request descriptions; many of them contain hints about family legacies that define future Sinnoh lore.
- Analyze the Post-Game: Pay extra attention to Cogita’s dialogue, as she provides the most significant (and mysterious) links to the future of the Sinnoh region's mythology.