How to Fold a Pokemon Dialga Origami

By Contributing Writer ; Updated September 15, 2017
Two origami cranes.

"Ori" comes from the Japanese word meaning folding. "Gami" comes from the Japanese word meaning paper. Origami began in the 17th century and was later popularized in the mid-1900's. Pokemon was created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996, and the media franchise is owned by Nintendo. Dialga is a dual-type Legendary Pokemon that is both Steel and Dragon. Dialga is not currently known to evolve from any other Pokemon. Dialga is the primary image that promotes the Pokemon version called Pokémon Diamond.

Creating an Origami Dialga

Fold paper in half.

Unfold paper and each half of the paper in half.

Fold the folded quarters back on themselves.

Flip the paper over. Fold each quarter in half until there is an even line of paper folded with even folds.

Triangle fold both ends of the spring-like folded paper to make the tails. This will give five triangle-shaped folds on each end (it will look like five trapezoids).

Unfold the center fold of the paper.

Fold each end with the triangle folds in until the tips of the triangles are folded up to two-thirds of the paper's length. Each point should reach the crease of the opposite fold.

Fold the paper back in half.

Fold the long rectangular part 45 degrees inward, about a quarter of the way in. Then do it again, folding another 45 degrees at about a quarter of the way in. This will eventually form the legs and give rise to the top portions.

Fold each triangle on one end of the trapezoid 90 degrees so they stick upward, away from the center fold.

Twist each triangle an additional 90 degrees and make a crease.

Add another 90 degree twist and crease, giving the appearance of small triangles beneath, while the larger triangular plumes rise upward.

Unfold one triangular plume and bend half the triangle down into another triangle. Bend the other half of this triangle into a small triangle that touches the longer triangle that was just folded.

Twist the triangle behind the triangles just made upward.

Bend the downward-facing triangle on this 90 degrees inward. Then bend it in half, back toward itself. Bend it in half again, in the opposite direction.

Fold the second triangle in from the back 90 degrees downward.

Repeat the multiple twist front fold on the furthest back adjacent triangle to make two twisted plumes sticking up and three sticking down, with an unfolded triangle in the middle of these two. This will represent the head.

Stand the body on the legs formed previously.

Spread out the unfolded tail area so there are five distinct tails. Invert these triangles by pushing the triangular ridges inward.

Create thin triangles along the ridge of each tail to make them pointier.


Watch the video tutorial.