Team Galactic brought Pokemon crime organizations to a whole new standard, and not just for their fashion. From their bickering Commanders to their groovy music, they added a great deal of charm to the Sinnoh games. Despite initially appearing as a sci-fi version of Team Rocket, several aspects of Team Galactic were more nuanced than their predecessors.
Their goal was more ambitious than any team that had come before them: create a new world without spirit. Expected to reprise their antagonistic role in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Team Galactic's return is certainly a welcome one amongst players. Prepare for their return by finding out more about them.
10 They Have Nuclear Weapons
When Team Galactic was introduced in Diamond & Pearl, the group was presented as even more technologically advanced than Team Magma and Aqua. Targeting Lake Valor, Team Galactic was the only team to ever use a manmade, nuclear weapon to accomplish their goals.
Their weapon of choice, the Galactic Bomb, was powerful enough to expose all the Magikarp in the lake and cause an impact that could be felt across the Sinnoh region. In later games, Team Plasma and Team Flare would use similar weapons to attack towns, but both were powered by Legendary Pokemon.
9 They Messed With Lots of Legendaries
Aside from simply targeting the game mascots, Team Galactic got themselves into a bit of a mess with other Legendary Pokemon. In order to harness the power of Dialga and Palkia, Galactic Boss Cyrus captured the Lake Guardians; Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf. These Pokemon later arrived to assist the player at the Spear Pillar, where Cyrus was ambushed by yet another Legendary, Giratina.
After Cyrus was defeated in Platinum, his commander Charon continued to mess with the powers of nature by attempting to awaken Heatran on Stark Mountain. At some point, Charon also researched Rotom, which was considered legendary at the time of Platinum's release.
8 They May Have Killed A Pokemon Or Two
Death is commonly touched upon in the Pokemon games, usually through the appearance of a graveyard or cemetery of some kind. While Team Rocket was known to have murdered a Marowak in the Generation one games, signs point to Team Galactic having committed a similar crime.
An NPC named Kirby in the Lost Tower on Route 209 claimed to have had his Pokemon "taken" by Team Galactic. While this could simply mean that his Pokemon were stolen by them, his location makes things look pretty bad. He is also a flat-out reference to Nintendo's Kirby, as he owns a Cleffa that knows Copycat.
7 They Own Their Own Establishments
Team Rocket, Team Magma, and Team Aqua may have had their own hideouts, but Team Galactic operated from public buildings. Sure, Team Rocket took over Silph Co. and Teams Magma and Aqua compromised the Oceanic Museum, but those buildings had to be taken over.
While Team Galactic also took over places such as the Valley Windworks and Spear Pillar, they additionally installed lavish, public buildings into otherwise quaint towns. Even after Cyrus' defeat, the Galactic Eterna Building and Galactic HQ in Veilstone remain a stain on the Sinnoh Region.
6 They Have Their Own Battle Theme
Depending on the game, the subordinates of the big bad can be a thrilling challenge or a complete pushover. For many players of Diamond, Pearl, & Platinum, the Galactic Commanders presented a viable threat. As such, the developers decided to give them their own battle theme, something that hadn't been done with the Rocket Executives or Magma & Aqua Admins.
The Commander battle theme is one of the most intense tracks in the game, serving its purpose to raise the stakes as players get knocked out by Mars's Purugly and Jupiter's Skuntank.
5 That One Odd Scientist
In addition to Grunts and Commanders, Team Galactic also appears to employ a few scientists that don't have to wear the uniform. In all the Sinnoh titles, there is one scientist in particular that can be found on the second floor of the Galactic Eterna Building.
This scientist, named Trayvon, stands out in particular for owning a Kadabra and listing words he believes Team Galactic is all about. These words are "wonder, compassion, splendor, humor, power, awe, and tragedy."
In combination with mentioning a New World Order, it's clear this scientist is referencing the seven deadly sins. This NPC may be a jab at Uri Geller, who sued Nintendo for allegedly creating Kadabra in his likeness. Geller is infamously quoted as saying "Nintendo turned me into an evil, occult Pokemon character."
4 They Left Things In A Very Hidden Room
There are many hidden locations in the Sinnoh Region, and one of the hardest to find is exclusive to Platinum. In Galactic Eterna Building. In the first floor lobby, there is a room to the left of the reception desk that can be accessed if the player has the Secret Key. This item was distributed to players via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection at different times during 2008 and 2009.
When players accessed the room, they could find different appliances to change Rotom's form. A diary written by Charon on the right side of the room claims that he discovered Rotom's ability and kept his findings a secret.
3 The Commanders Don't Get Along
Pokemon games have a lot of dialogue, and the Sinnoh games were notorious for hilarious NPC one-liners. Throughout the player's campaign against Team Galactic in Platinum, it becomes quite obvious that the Commanders aren't exactly buddy-buddy.
Jupiter thinks Mars is weak, Saturn thinks Jupiter is weak, Mars hates Charon telling her what to do, Charon thinks he's better than everyone else, and Saturn thinks Charon is an old geezer. They are all loyal to Cyrus however, and since the man has no spirit, it makes sense that they compete for his praise.
2 They Accomplished Goals
Team Rocket's failure to the player in Red & Blue resulted in their Boss going into hiding. In Gold & Silver, the player prevented Team Rocket from bringing their Boss back. Team Magma & Aqua were stopped before they could dry up the sea or flood the earth. Team Galactic, however, was always a step ahead of the player.
Even after defeating the Grunt that carried the Galactic Bomb, it was still successfully detonated. The player was too late to save the Lake Guardians from capture. In Platinum, Cyrus inadvertently succeeded in finding his new world without spirit: The Distortion World. This made Team Galactic the first team to actually achieve their goals in the core series games.
1 An Enduring Legacy
Despite Team Galactic being left in shambles at the end of the Sinnoh games, their impact on players and the Pokemon World itself endured. In Pokemon Black 2 & White 2, an NPC claims to be a former member of Team Galactic, continuing his life of crime as a member of Team Plasma.
Cyrus himself reappears in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon, battling the player on behalf of Team Rainbow Rocket. He also appears with Saturn on a Team Galactic Nintendo 3DS Theme, which changes the menu tone to the iconic Galactic Commander battle music.