For nearly three decades, Porygon has been the subject of one of the Pokemon anime's strangest stories. The Pokemon has repeatedly appeared in the games and remains a recognizable part of the franchise, and yet its role in the anime was cut short after a single episode in 1997 that became one of the most controversial broadcasts in television history. That Pokemon episode, titled "Denno Senshi Porygon" — known in English as "Electric Soldier Porygon" — was pulled immediately after airing due to a flashing visual effect that triggered seizures in hundreds of viewers across Japan. It has never been rebroadcast, never been officially released, and Porygon has basically been MIA in the Pokemon anime ever since.
What's interesting about the incident is that it wasn't actually Porygon who caused the incident but Pikachu, but the franchise nonetheless removed Porygon from the picture and has avoided giving it or its evolutions any major role in the anime thereafter. Now, 28 years later, Porygon's disappearance remains one of the most unusual long-term results the Pokemon anime series has ever seen.
The Episode That Banned Porygon From Pokemon
"Denno Senshi Porygon" aired in Japan in 1997 and followed Ash and his friends into a digital world with Porygon as their guide. Near the end of the episode, Pikachu destroys a missile inside the virtual space, resulting in a rapid red and blue flashing effect. The scene didn't last very long at all, but it was long enough to induce photosensitive epileptic seizures in hundreds of children (over 600 hospitalized, many more with milder symptoms). In response, the Pokemon episode was pulled immediately, forcing the series into a four-month hiatus, and the episode has never been re-aired in any country since.
While Pikachu's attack is responsible for the flashing effect, Porygon took the brunt of the punishment simply because the episode was centered on it and not Pikachu. From that point forward, the Pokemon anime avoided giving Porygon or its evolutions any significant screentime, likely to avoid reopening the controversy or to potentially trigger a trauma response in those harmed or indirectly affected by the incident in some way. To this day, "Porygon did nothing wrong" remains a common phrase among longtime fans who view the decision as an unfortunate case of misplaced blame.
Porygon Has Still Made Subtle Appearances in the Pokemon Anime
While Porygon has been largely sidelined in the Pokemon anime, it has still managed to make subtle appearances from time to time. These appearances are nothing major in the slightest, but they do prove that Porygon wasn't entirely pushed aside.
Here is every time Porygon has appeared in the Pokemon animated series, even if only briefly or as cameos:
- "Denno Senshi Porygon" (EP 038)
- "A Chansey Operation" (EP 047)
- "Lights, Camera, Quack-tion" (EP 069)
- "Who's That Pokemon?" Segment for "A Way Off Day Off" (EP 098)
Porygon's only two legitimate appearances, apart from its main role in the banned "Denno Senshi Porygon" episode, are in "A Chansey Operation" and "Lights, Camera, Quack-tion," Episodes 47 and 69, respectively. However, both of these appearances were only very brief cameos, where Porygon was merely involved in a scene transition in said Pokemon episodes. Apart from those two, Porygon was the mystery Pokemon in the series' "Who's That Pokemon?" Segment that would occasionally occur between commercials during Episode 98, "A Way Off Day Off." This also marked the only time Porygon had received an English dub.
Other Banned Episodes of the Pokemon Anime
"Denno Senshi Porygon" wasn't the only banned Pokemon episode either, despite being perhaps the most infamous one. Rather, the anime has experienced numerous bans in its lifetime for one reason or another, from the sexualization of certain characters to the use of firearms.
- "Beauty and the Beach" (EP 018) was considered overly sexualized for a child audience, with James wearing inflatable breasts and a suggestive bikini contest that sparked controversy.
- "The Legend of Dratini" (EP 035) was effectively banned in Western countries due to extensive depictions of real firearms.
- Episodes involving Jynx (e.g. "The Ice Cave!" And "Holiday Hi-Jynx") were banned due to perceived racial stereotyping and blackface depiction tied to Jynx's original design.
While the reasoning behind these other banned episodes makes complete sense, it's also clear why Porygon's situation still stands out. Most banned episodes created short-term problems, but "Denno Senshi Porygon" caused a single Pokemon to disappear from the anime for nearly three decades. Its only real presence since then has been a few scattered cameos, and none of those have changed the fact that Porygon never returned in any meaningful way. For an episode centered on something it didn't even cause, that outcome remains one of the most unusual stories in the history of the Pokemon anime.
- Release Date
- 1997 - 2023
- Network
- TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC
- Directors
- Shigeru Omachi, Koji Ogawa, Fumihiro Ueno, Hideki Hiroshima, Maki Kodaira, Makoto Ooga, Ayumi Moriyama, Keitaro Motonaga, Shigeru Ueda, Fumihiro Yoshimura, Minoru Ohara, Yoshitaka Makino, Kiyoshi Egami, Makoto Sokuza, Bjarne Heuser, Naoki Murata, Kenichi Nishida, Tomoe Makino, Masahiko Watanabe, Hiroaki Takagi, Tazumi Mukaiyama, Ryohei Horiuchi, Yoshihiro Oda, Hiromichi Matano
Cast
-
Rica MatsumotoSatoshi (voice) -
Ikue OtaniPikachu (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Junki Takegami, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hideki Sonoda, Yukiyoshi Ôhashi, Yuka Miyata, Takeshi Shudo, Shouji Yonemura, Shinzo Fujita, Michihiro Tsuchiya, Deko Akao, Reiko Yoshida, Aya Matsui, Junichi Fujisaku
- Franchise(s)
- Pokemon
- Creator(s)
- Naoko Takeuchi
