Purple Dragons are a special and rare breed of dragon; a status that was first introduced in Spyro: Shadow Legacy. This breed later became a major plot device in The Legend of Spyro series, and made an appearance in the Skylanders series.

Original seriesEdit

In the Classic series, Purple Dragons weren't a major plot device nor were they legendary. There were a total of two known Purple Dragons who were included in this status: Spyro and the Sorcerer. Though a minor dragon named Alban was also purple.

It wasn't until Spyro: Shadow Legacy that the special status of the Purple Dragons was introduced into the series. They, like Spyro, are a special breed of dragon who are gifted with powerful magical energy. That energy is strong enough to withstand the negative and dark effects of magic.

The Legend of Spyro seriesEdit

"There was once a dragon, long ago, whose raw power was far greater than anyone had ever seen or... could imagine. At first, he mastered fire... which was odd because he was not a fire dragon. Then came ice and wind... and other abilities none thought possible."

—The Chronicler

In the Legend of Spyro series, Purple Dragons are born once every ten generations, and can master all of the elements, as well as other abilities the Guardian dragons thought were not possible, including time itself. It is said that the purple dragon is supposed to bring justice, hope, and peace to the Dragon Realms.

Purple Dragons have the ability to harness the power of all of the elements (Fire, Ice, Earth, Electricity, Wind, etc.), while all other dragons are capable of breathing one particular element. This innate power however leaves them vulnerable to the effects of darkness. They can channel the powers of this sinister magic to master it, but if not fully harnessed, they can become controlled by its dark influence which can be triggered if a Purple Dragon is overwhelmed by negative emotions. Evident of this is in Dawn of the Dragon when Spyro transformed into Dark Spyro when he became devastated by the death of his mentor, Ignitus.

Notable Purple DragonsEdit

There have only been two known Purple Dragons in the Legend of Spyro series, Malefor and Spyro. It is unknown if there were any other Purple Dragons before them. The Chronicler has claimed Malefor to be the first Purple Dragon, though this fact has been challenged by Malefor himself, who claimed that there were many before him.

RoleEdit

The destiny of the Purple Dragon is to direct the fate of an era, but according to Malefor, their destiny was to destroy the world. Unlike Malefor, Spyro saved the world instead. It should be noted that while Malefor needed the Destroyer to bring about what he saw was the destiny of the purple dragon by destroying the world, Spyro was capable of undoing the Destroyer's devastation with only his power, which may imply Spyro's view is more correct.

Skylanders seriesEdit

In Skylanders, Spyro came from a rare line of magical Purple Dragons that originated from a faraway land. He is currently the only Purple Dragon shown in the series. Although Spyro can harness the power of the other elements, he prefers to master fire. He can also use the sinister magic of The Darkness and combine its power with his own, becoming Dark Spyro.

Purple Dragons share the same qualities as their Legend of Spyro counterpart, but they are associated with element of Magic. Aided by their magical energy, they are gifted with the power to harness the power of all of the other elements, including the power of darkness.

TriviaEdit

• In the Classic series, in Spyro: Shadow Legacy, Zoe commented that Purple Dragons, like Spyro, really are powerful when he wasn't affected by the Shadow Realm and defeated the dark creatures due to his powerful magic energy. This statement is possibly what gave the producers of the Legend of Spyro trilogy the idea of the legendary status of the Purple Dragon in the Legend series, since they were ones who also produced Shadow Legacy.
• In The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night, The Chronicler mentioned that one of Malefor's elements was wind. It is possible that the Purple Dragon can not only master the four elements, but they can also master the wind element.
• In Dungeons and Dragons 3.5, one of the rarest, if not most rare, dragon is the Purple Dragon, who believe themselves to be the lords of all dragonkind.