Is Kartana a legendary Pokémon?
Yes, Kartana is widely considered a legendary Pokémon, though its classification is complex. As one of the Ultra Beasts, Kartana occupies its own special niche in the Pokémon world.
Defining legendary, mythical, and Ultra Beast Pokémon
Before analyzing Kartana specifically, it helps to define these special Pokémon categories:
Legendary Pokémon
These rare and powerful Pokémon play integral roles in the world and lore of each Pokémon region. Famous legendaries include Articuno, Mewtwo, Rayquaza, and Zacian.
Mythical Pokémon
Even rarer species with mysterious backgrounds, like Mew, Celebi, and Marshadow. They are known mainly through tales and folklore in the Pokémon world.
Ultra Beasts
Extradimensional creatures that warp into the Pokémon world through Ultra Wormhole portals. They come from a strange reality called Ultra Space. Popular Ultra Beasts are Nihilego, Buzzwole, and Guzzlord.
So in a sense, Ultra Beasts like Kartana inhabit traits of both legendaries and mythicals without fully belonging to either group. Now let‘s analyze Kartana itself in more detail.
Kartana‘s origins as an Ultra Beast
Kartana emerges from Ultra Space through Ultra Wormholes, making it an Ultra Beast by definition. Its behavior also matches that classification:
- Kartana rushes through Ultra Wormholes. Its body spins rapidly so it can dart through the narrow wormhole passageways that connect its Ultra Space home to the Pokémon world.
- It battles skillfully using Ultra-sharp blades. Kartana wields the dual blades making up its body like a skilled swordsman, eliminating opponents before they can react.
- It becomes docile around people. Despite its fierce reputation, Kartana seems curious about people. Historical texts describe it resting docilely on the shoulders of an ancient emperor.
So while mysterious and alien, Kartana does not display overt hostility, aligning with descriptions of Ultra Beasts behaving oddly but not necessarily aggressively around humans.
How do Kartana‘s stats compare?
Kartana possesses very impressive stats for both attack and defense:
| Stat | Base Value |
|---|---|
| HP | 59 |
| Attack | 181 |
| Defense | 131 |
| Sp. Atk | 59 |
| Sp. Def | 31 |
| Speed | 109 |
| Total | 570 |
To put Kartana‘s stats in perspective, let‘s compare them to Virizion, a Grass/Fighting legendary:
| Pokémon | Attack | Defense | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kartana | 181 | 131 | 570 |
| Virizion | 128 | 120 | 580 |
So Kartana‘s attack and total stats nearly match Virizion‘s, a respectable legendary. Now let‘s see how Kartana fares among other elite Grass types.
Kartana as #1 Grass attacker
Analysis from GamePress confirms Kartana as the #1 Grass type attacker based on overall damage output.
Kartana‘s top moveset — Razor Leaf + Leaf Blade — outranks all Grass competitors including legendaries:
| Pokémon | Moveset | DPS (Damage/Second) |
|---|---|---|
| Kartana | Razor Leaf + Leaf Blade | 23.073 |
| Roserade | Razor Leaf + Grass Knot | 22.967 |
| Shadow Sceptile | Bullet Seed + Frenzy Plant | 22.611 |
| Zarude | Vine Whip + Power Whip | 22.051 |
| Shaymin (Sky) | Hidden Power (Grass) + Grass Knot | 21.783 |
| Tapu Bulu | Vine Whip + Solar Beam | 21.765 |
No other Grass species can match Kartana‘s exceptional combo of Razor Leaf damage and the hard-hitting charge move Leaf Blade. And that Leaf Blade receives a same-type attack bonus (STAB) since Kartana is a pure Grass type.
Kartana versus other Grass legendary and mythical Pokémon
So moveset-wise, Kartana outpaces Grass legendaries/mythicals like Shaymin, Tapu Bulu, and Zarude as the best Grass attacker currently available.
For raid usage, simulations from Pokebattler also show Kartana eclipsing Grass legendaries:
- Versus Water/Ground Groudon: Kartana (#3 attacker) outranks Shaymin (#5) and Zarude (#11).
- Versus Water Kyogre: Kartana (#4) beats Celebi (#9) and Zarude (#15).
Thanks to excellent DPS and resistance to Ground/Water moves, Kartana proves more valuable than Grass mythicals/legendaries during these top-tier raids.
And with Grass being notoriously underpowered in Pokémon Go‘s raid/gym meta, Kartana finally brings a top-class Grass species up to par with the game‘s elite attackers like Mewtwo or Rayquaza. No Grass legendary or mythical can claim that.
Why Kartana is interesting for gamers
For fans and expert players, Kartana is a unique species on multiple levels:
- As an Ultra Beast, Kartana has an alluring, alien backstory. And its anthropomorphic samurai swordsman design looks badass.
- With the CP cap unlocked, maxing out a Kartana is a long-term investment perfect for dedicated gamers.
- Securing multiple Kartana for trade bait or a full Grass squad offers a fun challenge.
- Experienced battlers can craft strategies to optimize Kartana for raids, gyms, PVP, etc. Lots of competitive potential!
- Overall, Kartana simply shakes up the established legendary/mythical hierarchy, bringing welcome change to the Grass typing metagame.
So while not legendary/mythical in the conventional sense, Kartana matches those groups through its capabilities and eccentric traits. For gamers, that crossover appeal makes Ultra Beast Kartana a breakout fan favorite.
Verdict
Despite some ambiguity around its classification, when considering its Ultra Space origins, strength, rarity, and combat utility, Kartana stacks up nicely versus Grass legendary and mythical Pokémon.
For collectors and expert players alike, Kartana represents one of the most interesting species around. So while not Mew or Celebi, this Ultra Beast legend earns its intriguing, borderline-mythical reputation.
