It is time for my third installment of Paleontology Behind Pokemon, a post where I delve into the design choices behind pokemon based on dinosaur and other prehistoric animals. If you have not seen the first two pokemon posts you can check out part one here and pat two here.
Walking Wake
The newest generation of pokemon yielded a few exciting new desings that are clearly based on pokemon. Possibly the most surprising is the new look of the legendary pokemon, Suicune, called Walking Wake. Suicune was originally based on a dog or a generalized mammal, but Walking Wake is very clearly based on a theropod dinosaur. It has a proportionally smaller head, long legs, and short arms with three fingers on each hand. At first it looks like it could be a dromaeosaur but it doesn't have the signature giant toe claw on each foot and I feel that if a pokemon were to be based on a dromaeosaur that would be the one feature that would be included, if not emphasized.
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| Dryptosaurus skeletal mounts on display at the New Jersey State museum. |
My realistic assumption is Walking Wake isn't based on any particular taxa or even group of dinosaur beyond theropod, but in my headcannon it is a tyrannosauroid, like Dilong, Moros, or Dryptosaurus. I named mine "Drypto" for that reason. (plus it's water type and drypto sounds like drip which is a thing water does.)
Frigibax, Arctibax, and Baxcalibur
Walking Wake wasn't the only dinosaur introduced in the newest wave of pokemon. We also have the evolution line of dragon/ice pokemon, Frigibax, Arctibax, and Baxcalibur. All three of these pokemon also appear to be based on theropod dinosaurs and all three sport a blade-like fin or ridge on their backs. At first Spinosaurus seems the most likely source of inspiration, but they lack the long snout of a spinosaur and pokemon is usually pretty good about using up to date looks when they do use specific dinosaurs for references. I have also read they are based on Concavenator, which also has a more isolated fin-shaped hump on its back. Part of me can't help but wonder if their names are playing off of dinosaurs, like Altispinax and Becklespinax, both of which also had high ridges on their backs, but are known from much less complete fossil material.  |
| Concavenator skeleton on display at the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum. |
As always it is also always safe to assume these pokemon could be inspired by all or many of the above fossils, resulting in a more generic, but no less cool, design. I also want to note that Arctibax looks the most like an actual dinosaur, due to its posture, and the fully evolved Baxcalibur looks more like Godzilla than a real dinosaur due to its proportions and more upright posture.
Tropius
Tropius is a pokemon introduced in the third wave of pokemon games. It is a grass/flying type and is clearly based on a long-necked sauropod dinosaur. I have also read it is more specifically inspired by the cryptid, Mokele-mbembe, a sauropod dinosaur said to live in the Congo River according to legend. The grass typing and incorporating banana trees into the design is pretty clever, but the flying typing is just bizarre in my opinion. A sauropod seems like the least likely animal that would be flying, especially with wings made of leaves! I also always found it odd how Tropius has no tail.
Chikorita, Bayleef, and Meganium
Speaking of grass type sauropods, we can't forget Chikorita and its evolutions. Introduced in the second generation of pokemon as one of the starters, Chikorita's design isn't obvious at first. But once it evolves, gaining a long neck, it becomes pretty clear this little pokemon is a sauropod.
The final evolution, Meganium is even more obvious. I can't help but think of them as brachiosaurs, since Meganium has a shorter tail and more upright neck posture.
Great Tusk
Another new pokemon introduced in the latest generation is the ancient form of the second generation pokemon, Donphan, called Great Tusk. Donphan was based on elephants and Great Tusk appears to be mostly based on Mastodon or Mammoths, based on its tusk shape.
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| Mastodon skeleton on display at the Rutgers Geology Museum. |
It also looks like actual dinosaur features were incorporated into it as well with its armored back, spikes, and reptile-like tail.
Breloom
Breloom is a grass/fighting type pokemon that evolves from Shroomish, a literal mushroom. But Breloom appears to take the mushroom theme and apply it to a dinosaur shape, standing on two digitigrade feet, having short arms, a beak, and a long tail.
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| Stegoceras skull. Breloom's head resembles the flared out and domed skulls of many pachycephalosaurs. |
Specifically Breloom looks to be most similar to pachycephalosaurs, with the wide mushroom cap on its head resembling a domed skull.
Tyranitar
Tyranitar is a pokemon released in the second generation of pokemon. It is a rock/dark type and has always been one of the most popular pokemon based on its cool design and strength in battle. Tyranitar is also the first pokemon I've written about here that isn't actually based on anything from paleontology directly but I kept getting requests on social media to include it since I started writing these posts so I figured I'd finally set the record straight here. At first Tyranitar seems like it would be based on a Tyrannosaurus, but I'm convinced this is based on its name only and little else. In fact, nothing about its actual design is directly based on any real dinosaurs beyond anything extremely general. Tyranitar DOES however appear to be directly based on a kaiju (Japanese giant monster traditionally represented by an actor in a costume) from the Ultra Man franchise, named Bemular.  |
| Bemular, the monster Tyranitar appears to be the most based on. |
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