# Pokémon: Twilight Wings (薄明の翼)
**Pokémon: Twilight Wings** (Japanese: 薄明の翼, *Hakumei no Tsubasa*) is a Japanese original net animation miniseries produced by Studio Colorido and released on YouTube by [The Pokémon Company](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-pokemon-company), set in the Galar region of the video games *Pokémon Sword* and *Pokémon Shield*.[1](https://tv.apple.com/jp/show/pokemon-twilight-wings/umc.cmc.7i335d6qve6j0q6c4iwt50mcd?l=en) It consists of seven episodes and one special episode, each approximately five minutes long, and premiered on January 15, 2020 on the official Pokémon YouTube channel.[2](https://press.pokemon.com/en/MEDIA-ALERT-New-Animated-Series-Pokemon-Twilight-Wings-Launches-Today) • [3](https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon%3A_Twilight_Wings?mobile-app=true&theme=wiki) The Japanese official site describes it as the first full-scale animation work for *Sword* and *Shield*, an ensemble drama depicting the worries and struggles of young people living in the Galar region.[4](https://www.pokemon.co.jp/ex/hakumei_no_tsubasa/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | Seven episodes plus one special episode, each about five minutes, released as a web series on YouTube[2](https://press.pokemon.com/en/MEDIA-ALERT-New-Animated-Series-Pokemon-Twilight-Wings-Launches-Today) • [3](https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon%3A_Twilight_Wings?mobile-app=true&theme=wiki) |
| Run | January 15, 2020 (episode 1, "Letter") to August 6, 2020 (episode 7, "Sky")[5](https://animegraphs.com/anime/40861/pokemon-twilight-wings) |
| Studio and director | Animation by Studio Colorido; directed by Shingo Yamashita[4](https://www.pokemon.co.jp/ex/hakumei_no_tsubasa/) • [6](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2ROQZfSKW4) |
| Screenplay | Sou Kinoshita, with script supervision by Taku Kishimoto[4](https://www.pokemon.co.jp/ex/hakumei_no_tsubasa/) • [7](https://nintendowire.com/news/2020/11/19/latest-pokemon-twilight-wings-interview-goes-into-the-story-with-its-screenwriter/) |
| Setting | The Galar region introduced in *Pokémon Sword* and *Shield*; the Galar Flying Taxi service appears in every episode[8](https://comicbook.com/anime/news/pokemon-twilight-wings-writer-reveals-anime-origins/) |
| Relation to the games | Serves as a prequel to the main story of *Pokémon Sword* and *Shield*[3](https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon%3A_Twilight_Wings?mobile-app=true&theme=wiki) |
| Reception | Average MyAnimeList episode rating 8.5/10; IMDb rating 7.3/10 from 418 votes[5](https://animegraphs.com/anime/40861/pokemon-twilight-wings) • [9](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11547516/ratings/) |
## Spoilers
### Premise and structure
The series is an anthology of seven short-story-style episodes set in Galar, showing both new and established characters from the games going about their daily lives.[8](https://comicbook.com/anime/news/pokemon-twilight-wings-writer-reveals-anime-origins/) The one element shared by every episode is Galar's Flying Taxi service, whose driver and his Corviknight serve as recurring characters crossing paths with the region's most important people; this connection befits the series' title.[8](https://comicbook.com/anime/news/pokemon-twilight-wings-writer-reveals-anime-origins/) • [3](https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon%3A_Twilight_Wings?mobile-app=true&theme=wiki)
A through-line runs beneath the standalone stories: a plotline surrounding a young boy in a hospital who dreams of seeing Champion Leon in person starts and ends the series.[10](https://guides.justwatch.com/us/pokemon-tv-shows-ranked) The two boys at the center of this story, John and Tommy, are patients recovering from unnamed illnesses in a children's hospital.[11](https://pokemonblog.com/2021/11/15/video-the-pokemon-company-combines-all-pokemon-twilight-wings-episodes-into-a-single-extended-video/) The cast also includes the game's gym leaders, such as [Nessa](https://www.edgepedia.org/nessa-pokemon), Bea, Milo, and Allister, along with Leon, Hop, Sonia, Rose, and Oleana.[4](https://www.pokemon.co.jp/ex/hakumei_no_tsubasa/)
Unlike the long-running television anime, the series devotes little time to battles; director Shingo Yamashita noted in an interview that exciting [Pokémon](https://www.edgepedia.org/pokemon-tv-series) battles are a major draw of the TV series, but *Twilight Wings* had not focused much on them.[11](https://pokemonblog.com/2021/11/15/video-the-pokemon-company-combines-all-pokemon-twilight-wings-episodes-into-a-single-extended-video/) Consistent with other game-based miniseries such as *Pokémon Origins*, *Pokémon Evolutions*, and *Pokémon Generations*, the Pokémon in *Twilight Wings* make realistic animal noises rather than saying their own names.[3](https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon%3A_Twilight_Wings?mobile-app=true&theme=wiki)
### Episodes and release
The series was announced on December 13, 2019 as a seven-episode web series set in the newly explorable Galar region, and the first episode, "Letter", launched on January 15, 2020.[14](https://press.pokemon.com/en/Pokemon-Twilight-Wings) • [2](https://press.pokemon.com/en/MEDIA-ALERT-New-Animated-Series-Pokemon-Twilight-Wings-Launches-Today) Episodes were released monthly in Japanese and English on the official Pokémon YouTube channels.[15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUoLJuR73go) • [2](https://press.pokemon.com/en/MEDIA-ALERT-New-Animated-Series-Pokemon-Twilight-Wings-Launches-Today)
The seven episodes, with their [MyAnimeList](https://www.edgepedia.org/myanimelist) episode scores, were:[5](https://animegraphs.com/anime/40861/pokemon-twilight-wings)
1. "Letter" (January 15, 2020), 9.1
2. "Training" (February 18, 2020), 7.7
3. "Buddy" (March 17, 2020), 7.4
4. "Early-Evening Waves" (April 17, 2020), 9.1
5. "Assistant" (June 5, 2020), 8.2
6. "Moonlight" (July 3, 2020), 8.7
7. "Sky" (August 6, 2020), 9.1
The final episode was released on August 6, 2020, with the Japanese and English versions appearing at the same time; it centers on Leon, who needs the help of John from the first episode to reach his match with Raihan.[16](https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/latest/2020/8/6/the-final-episode-of-pokmon-twilight-wings-blasts-off-with-a-focus-on-leon) A special episode, "The Gathering of Stars", followed with new content tied to *The Isle of Armor* and *The Crown Tundra* expansions.[10](https://guides.justwatch.com/us/pokemon-tv-shows-ranked) In November 2021, The Pokémon Company combined all episodes into a single extended video.[11](https://pokemonblog.com/2021/11/15/video-the-pokemon-company-combines-all-pokemon-twilight-wings-episodes-into-a-single-extended-video/)
## Production
**Studio and staff.** [Animation](https://www.edgepedia.org/animation) was produced by Studio Colorido, a studio known for delicate and warm visual expression, with Shingo Yamashita as director, Sou Kinoshita as screenwriter, Taku Kishimoto as script supervisor, and music by Cornish.[4](https://www.pokemon.co.jp/ex/hakumei_no_tsubasa/) • [12](https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/features/2020/5/18/why-you-absolutely-need-to-check-out-pokemon-twilight-wings) Yamashita is an animator best known for his work on the *Naruto* franchise, and the series carries over the expressive, light-linework animation ethos the franchise had adopted in its *Sun and Moon* season, using light and shadow heavily and driving stories largely through visual storytelling.[12](https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/features/2020/5/18/why-you-absolutely-need-to-check-out-pokemon-twilight-wings)
**Writing process.** Screenwriter Sou Kinoshita explained in a Pokémon Company International interview that when she joined the project, each episode had "about four lines of text" to work from, and she built the stories out from there.[7](https://nintendowire.com/news/2020/11/19/latest-pokemon-twilight-wings-interview-goes-into-the-story-with-its-screenwriter/) The Japanese word rendered as "Twilight" in the English title, *hakumei*, is more closely associated with dawn than the English word suggests.[13](https://pokemonblog.com/2020/11/18/the-pokemon-company-interviews-sou-kinoshita-the-screenwriter-for-all-seven-episodes-of-pokemon-twilight-wings/)
## Reception
On MyAnimeList the series holds an average episode rating of 8.5/10, with "Letter", "Early-Evening Waves", and "Sky" tied as the highest-rated episodes at 9.1 and "Buddy" the lowest at 7.4; five of the seven episodes score 8.0 or above.[5](https://animegraphs.com/anime/40861/pokemon-twilight-wings) On IMDb it holds a 7.3/10 rating from 418 votes.[9](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11547516/ratings/)
Commentary has emphasized the series' craft and tone. A [Crunchyroll](https://www.edgepedia.org/crunchyroll) feature described the episodes as vignettes that capture the feeling of living in a world surrounded by Pokémon, praising the use of light and shadow and the visual-driven storytelling.[12](https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/features/2020/5/18/why-you-absolutely-need-to-check-out-pokemon-twilight-wings) The Pokémon Company's own interview series noted that despite the roughly five-minute episode length, the series' imagery, direction, music, and voice work can give viewers the emotional lift of finishing a full film; the same interview credits Studio Colorido's 2018 feature *[Penguin Highway](https://www.edgepedia.org/penguin-highway)* with an Award of Excellence in the animation category of the 42nd Japan Academy Film Prize awards.[13](https://pokemonblog.com/2020/11/18/the-pokemon-company-interviews-sou-kinoshita-the-screenwriter-for-all-seven-episodes-of-pokemon-twilight-wings/) Watch guides place *Twilight Wings* alongside *Pokémon Generations* and *Pokémon Evolutions* as a miniseries of short episodes featuring characters and locations from the video games rather than the main anime continuity.[17](https://www.gamesradar.com/how-to-watch-pokemon-in-order-tv-show-movies/)
## References
1. [Pokémon: Twilight Wings – Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/jp/show/pokemon-twilight-wings/umc.cmc.7i335d6qve6j0q6c4iwt50mcd?l=en)
2. [MEDIA ALERT: New Animated Series "Pokémon: Twilight Wings" Launches Today – The Pokémon Company North America Press Site](https://press.pokemon.com/en/MEDIA-ALERT-New-Animated-Series-Pokemon-Twilight-Wings-Launches-Today)
3. [Pokémon: Twilight Wings – Bulbapedia](https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon%3A_Twilight_Wings?mobile-app=true&theme=wiki)
4. [『ポケットモンスター ソード・シールド』オリジナルアニメ「薄明の翼」公式サイト](https://www.pokemon.co.jp/ex/hakumei_no_tsubasa/)
5. [Pokémon: Twilight Wings Episode Ratings – AnimeGraphs](https://animegraphs.com/anime/40861/pokemon-twilight-wings)
6. [【公式】『ポケットモンスター ソード・シールド』オリジナルアニメ「薄明の翼」 第1話「手紙」 – YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2ROQZfSKW4)
7. [Latest Pokémon: Twilight Wings interview goes into the story with its screenwriter – Nintendo Wire](https://nintendowire.com/news/2020/11/19/latest-pokemon-twilight-wings-interview-goes-into-the-story-with-its-screenwriter/)
8. [Pokemon: Twilight Wings Writer Reveals How the Anime Came to Be – ComicBook.com](https://comicbook.com/anime/news/pokemon-twilight-wings-writer-reveals-anime-origins/)
9. [Pokémon: Twilight Wings (TV Mini Series 2020) – Ratings – IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11547516/ratings/)
10. [Every 'Pokemon' TV Show, Ranked – JustWatch](https://guides.justwatch.com/us/pokemon-tv-shows-ranked)
11. [Video: The Pokémon Company combines all Pokémon Twilight Wings episodes into a single extended video – Nintendo & Pokémon Blog](https://pokemonblog.com/2021/11/15/video-the-pokemon-company-combines-all-pokemon-twilight-wings-episodes-into-a-single-extended-video/)
12. [Why You Absolutely Need to Check Out Pokemon: Twilight Wings! – Crunchyroll News](https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/features/2020/5/18/why-you-absolutely-need-to-check-out-pokemon-twilight-wings)
13. [The Pokémon Company interviews Sou Kinoshita, the screenwriter for all seven episodes of Pokémon: Twilight Wings – Nintendo & Pokémon Blog](https://pokemonblog.com/2020/11/18/the-pokemon-company-interviews-sou-kinoshita-the-screenwriter-for-all-seven-episodes-of-pokemon-twilight-wings/)
14. [Pokémon: Twilight Wings – Assets – The Pokémon Company North America Press Site](https://press.pokemon.com/en/Pokemon-Twilight-Wings)
15. [【公式】アニメ「薄明の翼」 プロモーション映像 – YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUoLJuR73go)
16. [The Final Episode of Pokémon: Twilight Wings Blasts off With a Focus on Leon – Crunchyroll News](https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/latest/2020/8/6/the-final-episode-of-pokmon-twilight-wings-blasts-off-with-a-focus-on-leon)
17. [How to watch Pokemon in order: a complete guide to the TV show and movies – GamesRadar](https://www.gamesradar.com/how-to-watch-pokemon-in-order-tv-show-movies/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Anime and manga › Anime series, episodes, and franchises › OVAs, ONAs, and streaming-original anime*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license