Summary
Pokemonhave lots of strange species with multiple forms, colors, and types.Every trainer has their favorites, from the powerful Dragonite to the weak but iconic Magikarp, there’s a creature for every fan. However, some species are just too bizarre, both in appearance and lore.
ThesePokemonspecies designs will leave you scratching your head and the explanations of their backgrounds are just too lazy to be true. However, some of them have incredible abilities that compensate for their ludicrous forms. This is a list of eightPokemondesigns that make no sense at all.
8Chansey
An Egg, Inside Another Egg?
Chansey is, perhaps, the most iconic member ofthis list of strange designs. If we compare it to otherPokemonfrom the first generation, places first in the podium of the weirdest designs (runner-ups are Ditto and Jynx). The Lucky (Egg)Pokemonboasts an innate ability to heal otherPokemonand makes the perfect companion for Nurse Joy and all her cousins.
Its ovoid design is paired up with a strange egg growing out of the center of its belly, and some stubby legs and arms. Prior to the debut of the other members of the Chansey line (Happiny and Blissey) trainers were scratching their heads trying to figure out how such a strange species came to be. Ultimately, when evolving into Blissey, Chansey doesn’t change too much and looks even weirder and out of place with that Fairy-like appearance, even though it doesn’t belong to that type. If not Fairy-type, why Fairy-shaped, right?
7Smeargle
AKA Weird French Artist Stereotype
Following up on the list ofPokemondesigns that make no sense at all, we got Smeargle. A badger (raccoon?) )-like creature with an elongated tail that it uses to paint. Yes, that’s right, an artistPokemon. Just look at that French beret-like thing protruding from its head: bizarre doesn’t begin to describe it.
Even though it debuted in Gen 2 games,it appeared in one secluded areainside a particular patch of grass (inaccessible until you had Surf) near the Unown (another tastelessly designed creature) Ruins. So, many players would totally skip this creature, until in later generations, Abilities made his Mirror Move one of the PvP favorites until it was nerfed. Still, its design is absolutely bonkers. It looks like a stereotypical toon from the ’70s (I’m looking at you The Pink Panther).
6Swalot
From The Creators Of Muk, Here Comes Muk 2.0
ThisPokemonis living proof that some creatures' evolutions are not meant to see the light of day. Swalot (AKA Muk 2.0) is one of the biggest design mistakes ever made by Game Freak. Just looking at its previous form, Gulpin, one could say: Okay, this is an interesting design, looks like a slug. Perhaps it could evolve into a more elongated and stylized form like many similarPokemondo.
But no, it had to evolve into a pile of mud with a huge mouth and a mustache. What is it supposed to be? The description says “Poison BagPokemon” but it could be anything: a gland, a stomach, an oozing piece of nuclear waste. Give us a clue, please!
5Rotom
Perhaps one of the strangest and most ridiculous designs in thePokemonfranchise. Rotom was merely designed as a bridge betweenthe old 90’s Pokemon Silph Co techand the newest generations Pokemon-powered gadgets. Yes, that’s right, its sole purpose in the series is powering up electronic devices, like washing machines, radios, TVs, and the most common use: Smartphones and Pokedex.
The worst part is that even if it was designed for such a purpose, we have already seen other Ghost-typePokemonlike Ghastly, Gengar, and Misdreavus possessing electric devices. So what’s the deal with Rotom being so special? In Gen 4 games, you had to get several appliances (including a grass mower) to make it switch to its many forms and types. A total waste of time.
4Stonjourner
Three Stone Slabs With A Weird Face
With the introduction of the Galar region, players who delved intoPokemon Sword & Shieldgamesquickly noticed that it was heavily inspired by the British islands. So, okay, we get it: You needed to include Stonehenge somehow. But to make it into aPokemonspecies, why?
Even more, its design is basically three slabs of stones one on top of the other, with a ridiculous couple of dots as eyes and a slit cartoonish mouth. It doesn’t make sense at all. But it could have been worse: look at the runic pattern on Stojourner’s legs, and now imagine if The Pokemon Company decided to make it into the Galar Unown. The stuff of nightmares.
3Wiglett/Wugtrio
Is It An Eel? A Mole? A Moleel?
With theSun & Moongames, the world ofPokemonshifted forever. One of the most beloved gimmicks introduced in Gen 7 was regional forms/variants. It was unanimously accepted among the franchise’s fans and opened up the door for later games to introduce jewels like Galarian Zigzagoon and Hisuian Decidueye. So when we looked at Wiglett and Wugtrio for the first time we clearly saw Diglett and Dugtrio from Gen 1, but in Gen 9 Paldean forms.
Even though TPC strongly decided that these were not related at all to the regional variant types, but a totally differentPokemon. Yeah, right. I mean, they just changed the color palettes, added some rocks instead of dirt, and elongated it. It would have been better to call them Paldean Diglett and Dugtrio.
2Dudunsparce
Flat Weird Snake Plus Extra Tails
Yet another jewel from theGeneration 9 triumvirate of ugliest designsalongside the Revavroom and Bramblin lines. Dudunsparce comes 23 years too late for the show, as the laziest design (for aPokemonevolution) that fans have ever seen. But before we keep moving forward with Dudunsparce, we should look deeper into the origin of its previous form: Dunsparce (yeah, even the naming was lazy as hell).
Dunsparce is basically a Tsuchinoko, a mythical flat serpent cryptid from Japanese folklore, which is said to be extremely rare to see. Ergo, that’s why Dunsparce has the lowest spawn rate of the whole Gen 2 roster. But when we look at the evolution of thisPokemon, it barely makes any sense yo just add another segment (or two if you feel lucky) to its tail and call it a new one. No type change, nothing special in its moveset, and no new ability. At least Dunsparce had some lore background design, but its evolution makes no sense at all.
1Archaludon
A Bridge? A Stappler? Why Not Both?
A stappler, from all the things they could have used to inspire a new species design, they had to pick a stappler. Yeah, sure, the Pokedex says Archaludon is actually a bridge, which, following the design of its previous form (Duraludon) would make total sense. If that were the case, of course.
But looking at Archaludon’s overall design, we clearly observe that is a mishmash of several popular monuments (Tokyo Tower+London Bridge) which resembles nothing but the already mentioned office tool. Sure, we’ve seen weird things like the Magnemite, Voltorb, or the Klink lines, but fans have to admit this is by far theugliest and most senseless designin the franchise.
