Palworld: All Water Element Pals and Their Pokemon…

Summary

The Water element Pals in Palworld have clear counterparts in the Pokemon universe, with some similarities being more obvious than others.
Palworld also features elemental types for its Pals, with certain elements having advantages over others, similar to the Pokemon series.
Despite similarities, some Pals in Palworld have unique twists, such as Teafant being inspired by Cufant despite the latter being a different type in Pokemon, and Relaxaurus being a dual Water/Dragon Pal.

Palworld has often been affectionately known as "Pokemon with guns" since the game was first revealed in 2021. While some of the Pals in Palworld tread a fine line between an original idea and an exact copy of certain Pokemon, it's clear Game Freak's iconic franchise was a huge inspiration for Pocketpair's hit new title. As such, each Pal of the Water element in Palworld has a clear counterpart in the Pokemon universe, with some being more obvious than others depending on how much they deviate from their Pokemon counterpart.

Like the Pokemon series, Palworld also features elemental types for each of its Pals, with certain elements having an advantage over others, though the game features half as many elements as Pokemon. As players explore Palworld, they will likely encounter Pals of all different elements, including certain Pals that can become different elemental forms through fusion. Only the original forms of these Pals will be considered when finding their Pokemon counterpart since their designs more or less stay the same with only a few elemental changes.

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By Andrea Trama

Water Element Pals and Their Corresponding Pokemon Counterpart

Pal	Pokemon Counterpart
Fuack	Psyduck
Pengullet	Piplup
Penking	Empoleon
Teafant	Cufant
Celaray	Mantine
Gobfin	Marshtomp
Surfent	Dragapult
Kelpsea	Lapras
Azurobe	Milotic
Relaxaurus	Goodra
Jormuntide	Gyarados

While most of the Pokemon that correspond to Water element Pals are Water-type themselves, there are a few exceptions like Cufant and Goodra being clear inspirations for Teafant and Relaxaurus, respectively. Teafant shares a very similar body shape and elephant motif with Cufant despite the latter being a Steel type in its home series. However, Relaxaurus is a dual Water/Dragon element Pal, so it shares one element with Goodra, and Goodra evolves from Sliggoo in the rain, so it has some associations with the Water type as well.

Penking is the Empoleon of Palworld

Of the most popular Water-type Pokemon to be represented by a Palworld counterpart, Empoleon and Penking share the clearest resemblance. While they might not look identical physically, they are conceptually very similar, both being penguins based on regal rulers, with Penking's name deriving from penguin and king, and Empoleon deriving its name from the emperor penguin and Napoleon. The main area where these two critters differ is in their secondary typing, with Empoleon gaining the Steel type when it evolves, and Penking having Ice as its secondary element to Water.

Kelpsea is the Lapras of Palworld

One of the most popular Water types in the Pokemon series is Gen 1's Lapras, which is known for allowing players to surf on its back, so it's not surprising that Palworld would feature its own version of this critter in the form of the Pal Kelpsea. While Kelpsea is clearly inspired by the Kelpie of Scottish folklore, it has a similar elegance and beauty to Lapras that makes it hard not to associate these two critters with one another. However, while Kelpsea is a pure Water element Pal, Lapras is a dual Water/Ice type, so their typings are not exactly identical.

Jormuntide is the Gyarados of Palworld

Two of the most fearsome creatures in their respective games are Jormuntide and Gyarados, who share some distinct similarities as both are scaly sea serpents with flowing whiskers that are reminiscent of leviathan-like dragons, making them obvious counterparts to fans of both Palworld and Pokemon. While many fans think Gyarados should have been a Water/Dragon type instead of a Water/Flying type, Jormuntide fulfills this wish as its Water/Dragon elemental typing accurately represents its draconic design. This typing makes Jormuntide feel like it was intended to be a redesign of Gyarados while still being distinct in its own right.

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