Kyurem is a gray and blue colored, bipedal Pokémon of indefinable but seemingly draconian basis. Kyurem has a unique blue head and snout and has yellow eyes without pupils, has a pair of pointed light bluish horns on its head and a yellow crest on its skull. Its face has a slight resemblance to Giratina right down to its jaws. Kyurem's neck is long and gray in color with lines running around its whole body, legs, arms and tail. Kyurem has two arms, each with its own claw and each arm is jointed together from its blue oddly shaped wings, believed to be used for flying as well as storing cold air. Each of its wings are oddly proportioned and have two spikes of ice each. Its legs are somewhat slender unlike Reshiram or Zekrom and its tail has three blue icicle-shaped spikes on its tip. Like its fellow members of the Tao Trio, its tail appears to be some sort of propulsion device; exactly what it's based on is unclear, though it may be a damaged turbine. The right side of its body seems to be damaged in some way, as the wing and horn on its head on that side are shorter. The right side of its head (visible in its Dream World art and Pokédex 3D) also has a spiked edge near its jaw hinge that is absent from its left.

Two alternate formes of Kyurem exist as of Black and White 2. These are known as Black Kyurem and White Kyurem respectively and, appearance-wise, contain elements of Zekrom and Reshiram. It is still unknown what circumstances are required to cause Kyurem to change forme.