Pokémon’s Biggest Rival Outshines the Franchise with a Legendary Reveal

Panthalus is impossible to overlook: this water elemental stands as the most colossal monster in all of Palworld. The design bears a striking resemblance to Kyogre, the legendary powerhouse from Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, which has predictably sparked fresh controversy among fans. Yet, developer Pocketpair has crafted this encounter with such grandiosity that it feels like a distinct experience rather than a mere imitation. In many ways, the Panthalus battle serves as a masterclass in why Palworld has achieved such meteoric success.

Although teased during the game’s early access phase, Panthalus didn’t make its official debut until the 1.0 launch. Skepticism previously swirled within the community regarding whether the game engine could even handle a creature of this scale. As it turns out, those concerns were valid—Panthalus is so immense that players are strictly limited to housing only one per base.

The fervor surrounding this behemoth isn’t just about its level-70 status or its towering frame; it’s about the sheer spectacle of the fight. Witnessing this creature unleash a literal tidal wave against you is breathtaking. While the soaring soundtrack in the clip below hails from Attack on Titan rather than Palworld, it perfectly complements the epic scale of the encounter:

This footage captures the inherent silliness of the game—watching a player desperately attempt to escape on a rather portly Pal while the frame rate struggles to keep pace with the action is nothing short of hilarious. There is an undeniable absurdity in confronting such a magnificent, mythical force while armed with an assault rifle.

Honestly, I’ve never played a Pokémon title that manages to make a legendary encounter feel this momentous. Even more action-centric entries, such as Pokémon Legends: Z-A, struggle to convey this sense of immediacy and awe. In traditional monster-taming games, the sense of wonder often evaporates the moment you catch a creature, only to realize the “legendary” beast is scaled to be no larger than a teenager. Palworld, by contrast, leans into the sheer impossibility of its scale.

Here is another look at just how massive this creature really is:

“Pokémon could never,” one user remarked on the viral thread, while another added, “There has never been a Pokémon game with this level of cinematic gravitas.”

While some players have voiced critiques regarding the encounter’s design, the live-service nature of Palworld leaves plenty of room for future polish. Even in its current state, however, Panthalus remains a breathtaking highlight of the game.

Palworld is available now for Mac, PlayStation 5, Windows PC (via Steam), Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

Source: Polygon