Lucario

Lucario is one of the fictional species of Pokémon creatures from the multi-billion-dollar Pokémon media franchise—a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards, and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri. As do all Pokémon, Lucario fight other Pokémon in battles central to the anime, manga, and games of the series. The name Lucario is used as both a singular and a plural noun when referring to the species.

Known as the Aura Pokémon. It can track energy called Aura, which is given off by all living creatures. It's a unique combination of both Fighting- and Steel-types. Lucario evolves from Riolu during the day if its Happiness has reached a certain point. It specializes in attacks that use Aura energy, like Dark Pulse and a can't-miss technique, Aura Sphere. It is featured on the boxart for Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia, as well as the film Lucario and the Mystery of Mew. Lucario is also featured as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Concept and Design
The design and art direction for Lucario was provided by Ken Sugimori, a friend of the creator of the Pokémon games, Satoshi Tajiri. The species first appeared in the Nintendo DS games, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, released in Japan in 2006. The species in the Pokémon video games are portrayed by a two-dimensional sprite, although the Lucario appearance has been conveyed by 3D computer graphics. Throughout, the species has been portrayed with no spoken dialogue. In the Pokémon anime, they use facial expressions, body language and makes noises that repeat syllables of their name, using different pitches and tones, except for the Lucario in the animated film Lucario and the Mystery of Mew who speaks the human language.

Its name, when spelled out in katakana, is believed to be a corrupted anagram of the word oracle. It may also be an altered form of the Latin word 'Lupus', meaning 'Wolf', or other words in different languages derived from the same root (e.g. 'Loup' in French and 'Lobo' in Spanish). In an interview, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl director Junichi Masuda noted Lucario's name as one of the most difficult to create, due to an effort to make it appealing to both Japanese and American audiences. The physical appearance of Lucario seems to be based on Anubis, the Egyptian God of the Underworld. Lucario seems to wield a power named "Hadou" (Japanese for surge or wave), though whether this is the Japanese name of his signature attack, or the name of his fighting style, or his source of power somehow, is unknown.

Characteristics
Lucario is a bipedal, jackal-like Pokémon that's around four feet in height. Lucario's forepaws are black and have one white spike on each arm on the upper-side of its wrists. In addition, there's a third spike on Lucario's chest. Lucario's snout and ears have also grown longer since its evolution from Riolu. Lucario also has a furry yellow torso, and its thighs are in the shape of what looks like blue shorts. It has the ability to sense the aura in all living things, and the one featured in the film is capable of telepathic human speech, similar to Legendary Pokémon of past films. By catching the Aura emanating from others, it can read their thoughts and movements. A well-trained one can sense auras to identify and take in the feelings of creatures over half a mile away.

In the video games
Lucario is a Pokémon that appears in the Nintendo DS versions of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl; Lucario is the only Pokémon able to learn a "Bone" move, Bone Rush, other than Cubone and Marowak. Lucario is used by Maylene, the third Sinnoh Gym Leader, a tag-team partner known as Riley, and by Cynthia, Sinnoh's Elite Four Champion.

In Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Lucario is seen as the greatest rescue leader of all time, and his adventures have become legendary. While the player never meets Lucario, Alakazam tells the player that his goal is to become closer to Lucario's greatness. Earning 15,000 Rescue Points will put the player in the top rank - the Lucario rank - at which point the Lucario statue will be displayed outside the rescue base.

Before Pokémon Diamond and Pearl were released, Lucario was often mistook for a legendary Pokémon because of its mysterious role in the movie Lucario and the Mystery of Mew and because it can talk using telepathic powers, use a powerful attack called Aura Sphere, which can be learned by other Legendary Pokémon, and it has a similar body structure to the legendary Pokémon Mewtwo.

Lucario is featured as an unlockable playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii. It is unlocked by encountering it in The Subspace Emissary or through other special means. Lucario can use moves such as Aura Sphere, Force Palm, ExtremeSpeed, Double Team, and his "Final Smash", Aura Storm. When using its Final Smash, it launches a powerful Aura attack in which you have to change its angle. Lucario's fighting style revolves around Aura manipulation and the concept of "high risk, high return"; the more damage Lucario has taken, the stronger it and its attacks become. Its power is at its peak when it has taken 200% damage. In the game's Adventure Mode, the Subspace Emissary, Meta Knight encounters Lucario in a meditative stance on the peak of the mountain. Lucario challenges Meta Knight and the two fight, as the Ice Climbers nervously watch on. After the battle, the victor revives the other from his trophy state.

Lucario returns as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U and again in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

In the anime
In the opening sequence to the American version of Pokémon: Advanced Battle, Lucario is seen resting against a tree with Mew flying around. Lucario has also made several cameo appearances, one of which was in the 9th season, Pokémon Battle Frontier. Lucario is seen standing with Palkia and Dialga in the current opening sequence of the American version of the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl television show.

Lucario's main role in the anime is his appearance in the eighth Pokémon movie, Lucario and the Mystery of Mew. In the movie, Lucario is a servant to a nobleman named Sir Aaron in a Renaissance-themed city called Cameron Palace. Aaron had trained this Lucario to manipulate aura. Lucario thinks of Sir Aaron as both his master and close friend. After Aaron traps him in a magic staff at the film's outset, Lucario begins questioning any Pokémon-human relationship. Lucario demonstrates an adeptness to Aura. The Lucario in the movie, voiced by Sean Schemmel, can also speak human languages without telepathy, the fifth speaking non-legendary Pokémon after Team Rocket's Meowth. Lucario sacrificed himself in order to save the Tree of Beginning, though the credits showed him with Sir Aaron eating a chocolate bar. It is widely thought that it is the second official Pokémon death, the first one to be Latios in Pokémon Heroes.

Also Maylene in the anime, like in the games, has a Lucario and it was seen in four different episodes of the Diamond and Pearl: Battle Dimension series. It was first seen battling with Maylene in their training. Lucario used Aura Sphere to stop the battle of Electabuzz, Piplup, and Pikachu, and is seen battling Paul's Pokémon in a flashback. Lucario was seen again where it battled in Dawn's gym battle with Maylene, where it defeated Dawn's Ambipom and Piplup. Then, in the next episode, it battled in Ash's gym battle against Maylene. It defeated Ash's Staravia and Chimchar, but was knocked out along with Ash's Buizel, resulting in a tie. Finaly, Lucario was seen when it helped Ash and the others defeat Team Galactic.

In other Pokèmon Media
In the Pokémon Adventures manga, like in games, it appears under the ownership of Riley who was on a boat heading to the Battle Frontier. Diamond meets Riley at Iron Island, and Byron asks Riley to help Diamond sharpen his Pokémon battle skills before Diamond goes to Lake Verity. In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Adventure! the main character, Hareta, gained a Riolu egg which hatched into a Riolu later on in that chapter and then evolved in to Lucario.

There are currently many different packs that feature Lucario. He also has a card tin. Each Pokémon TCG Lucario Collector's Tin contains one (1) Foil Level X Lucario card as well as 4 booster packs from the Diamond & Pearl series.

Cultural Impact
UGO says that Lucario is cool because it is "a new breed of Pokémon, with a cooler, more dangerous look. It's quick and possesses a damaging set of attacks.", but said it is still lame because "No matter what it looks like, Lucario will always be a Pokémon.", and also says "Between its agility, powerful attacks and vicious Final Smash, Lucario is another attractive choice as an underdog fighter."

Lucario was confirmed to be a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl due to an unintentional leak. The leak, which took place on Nintendo's official smashbros.com, detailed that certain stickers could only be applied to certain characters*. The characters they made reference to were Jigglypuff and Lucario. Their icons could be seen in the bottom-right corner. After realizing their mistake (which only took place in the Japanese section of the site) they quickly remedied the situation. Lucario and Jigglypuff can no longer be seen but there are various YouTube videos which show footage of the leak, as well as screen shots.