Zygarde's 10%, 50%, and Complete Formes may be inspired in part by the three children of
Loki and
Angrboða:
Fenrir,
Jörmungandr, and
Hel.
Zygarde 10% Forme may be based on Fenrir. The green leash-like object around its neck could be based on
Gleipnir, the rope that binds Fenrir. Also, its left front paw has a different color from the others, being green instead of black, which is possibly a reference to Fenrir biting off the god
Týr's right hand in reprisal for being bound by him. This Forme could also draw inspiration from
Garmr, the watchdog that guards
Helheim's gate. In appearance, Zygarde 10% Forme resembles a
Doberman Pinscher.
Zygarde 50% Forme's appearance is based on a serpent in the shape of the letter Z. It may also draw inspiration from Jörmungandr, a sea serpent that encircles the earth, and
Níðhöggr, a dragon that gnaws at the roots of
Yggdrasil, the world tree. Its flat shape and wriggling movement may be inspired by the
tsuchinoko, a Japanese cryptid, and its snakelike appearance may be inspired by
nāga, a class of snake entities in South and Southeast Asian cultures.
Zygarde Complete Forme may be based on Hel, the ruler of Helheim, the realm of the dead in Nordic myth. The colors on Complete Forme's chest match the colors of the real-world
flag of France, the country which inspired the
region of
Kalos. These colors also match the colors
Xerneas and
Yveltal. Design-wise, Zygarde Complete Forme resembles a humanoid
giant mecha despite its organic basis; its light-up technological appearance, "transforming"/"combining" gimmick and the face-like pattern on its chest are all tropes commonly used for fictional mecha.
Zygarde Cell and Zygarde Core may be based on cells as well as
flatworms (specifically
planaria) and single-celled organisms such as
slime molds and members of
Euglena. Some planarians'
ocelli also resemble eyes, which may have inspired the designs for the Cell and Core Zygarde. The hexagons within them may represent a
cell nucleus.
