>>43230898It was one of the first Gen IV Pokemon revealed.
It was the first Gen IV Pokemon to have its
own movie.
The Lucario movie was critically acclaimed by fans and reviewers alike.
Lucario was promoted throughout the Gen IV marketing period; it appeared in trailers for DP and had a cameo in Ranger.
Lucario was the first Fighting/Steel Pokemon, one of the best type combinations offensively and defensively.
Lucario had a rather unorthodox acquisition method in the games: you had to get its pre-evolved form Riolu through an egg and then evolve it through friendship into Lucario. It was a callback to Togepi.
To get this egg, you had to complete an optional side quest on an optional island, given to you by a character that is a reference to Sir Aaron, Movie 8 Lucario's trainer. This entire side quest was a reference to that movie.
Lucario was used by two boss characters in the Gen IV games: Maylene (signature) and Cynthia, the Champion.
The Movie 8 Lucario appeared as a Smash fighter and uses a rather unique mechanic known as aura, where its attacks become stronger and more uncontrollable with the more health it has. It is the definition of a high risk, high reward fighter, and Smash didn't really have those by that point. In that very same game, Lucario had an epic duel with Meta Knight in the story mode.
Lucario's first appearance in the anime proper coincided with a story arc for both Ash and Dawn. Maylene, like Dawn, had an inferiority complex from constantly losing and doubted herself. Maylene was the first gym leader fought in an official gym battle by a protagonist other than Ash. Lucario was her signature Pokemon in that fight. During the next episode, Lucario fought and tied with Ash's Buizel, a Pokemon that Dawn herself caught.
Ever since, Lucario has had a place in the series as one of the primary mascots.
