Pokemon is one of the most successful and longstanding Nintendo franchises of all time. With each new generation, a whole new roster of Pokemon is added to the fictional world. With over a thousand overall, a lot of them are cool and original — but there are bound to be a few oddballs.
10 Pokémon Based On Real-Life (And Fictional) Creatures
Although Pokémon are mythical video game pocket monsters, some were actually crafted to resemble real-life creatures!
While many will simply focus on the stronger and more visually interesting Pokemon, there's no denying that some don't look quite as appealing or detailed as others. From inanimate object-inspired monsters to those with highly strange features, many could pass as satire rather than an actual Pokemon. However, these distinct features and creativity are part of Pokemon's charm. The franchise wouldn't be the same if it took itself too seriously, and some of these silly Pokemon are rightly loved by fans.
Updated January 26, 2025 by Stephen LaGioia: With decades of Pokemon for fans to familiarize themselves with, there's no shortage of distinct monsters further fleshing out the lore. After nine generations and over one thousand creations, it's natural that some might end up a little bit silly, uninspired, or peculiar. This doesn't mean that they're lesser or less significant, but out of hundreds of Pokemon, it's refreshing to see the occasional monster that isn't a typical powerhouse or super intimidating. Many love these Pokemon because they don't take themselves too seriously, and bring a certain whimsy and lightheartedness. And as there's little news on the Pokemon front, we figured this would be a good time to take another look back and add more of the weirder, goofier, and more bizarre Pokemon designs out there.
25 Yamask
The Masked Menace
|
Ground/Ghost-Type |
Spirit Pokemon |
Generation 5 |
Many find themselves having to do a double-take to really absorb the off-kilter appearance of this ghoulish Pokemon from Generation 5. The shadowy monster clutches a vacant golden mask with its tail, which hangs beneath his torso-less head. As legend has it, this is an encapsulation of the creature's face from the time it was human. But it gets stranger from there.
Yamask also has two long arms that are more akin to tendrils, along with large, deep red eyes. This Pokemon takes on a much stronger, more intimidating look with its final form of RunerigMany characters are single-players (when of Galarian origin), but tend to look far weaker in this more humble, stripped-down state. The Pokemon is even incapable of any sort of speech — unless they possess a human, of course.
24 Unown
An Unknown Quantity
|
Psychic-Type |
Symbol Pokemon |
Generation 2 |
Beginning as a mysterious novelty that ignited the imagination of fans in Pokemon's early days, Unown now stands as a rather simple, bizarre Psychic-type with few details other than a single eye. Resembling a punctuation mark more than a 'monster,' Unown is distinct in that there are several shapes and appendaged forms it takes.
There is a purpose to the chaos, however, as each of these forms is meant to resemble a letter in the Latin alphabet. As one might expect with a Psychic-type with a large, piercing eye, these things are capable of reading the minds of other life forms in their vicinity. The hieroglyph-like symbols don't exactly intimidate onlookers, though they certainly invite wonder — as well as confusion.
23 Barbaracle
Rock-And-Limb-Solid
|
Rock/Water-Type |
Collective Pokemon |
Generation 6 |
There is a lot that's peculiar about this Pokemon — from its seemingly opposing elemental types to its goofy, convoluted name. Barbaracle evolves from the similarly strange, but less ominous Binacle when hitting level 39. It's tough to gauge just when this monster is, aside from the fact that it's virtually made of rocky, clawed limbs protruding every which way.
Even its head is made of a large, quasi-fist that holds two undersized eyes. Oh — and each of the other limbs also has a separate eye. Its traits get even weirder than this. Each limb can think for itself and move independently, but at the same time, they are commanded by the main "head" when needed.
22 Klink
A Bit Of A Clunker
|
Steel-Type |
Gear Pokemon |
Generation 5 |
Klink can be viewed as both a simple, stereotypical Steel-type and paradoxically, a bizarre, silly-looking entity. It sports a white "X" in place of an eye, along with a turquoise nose and small open mouth — that essentially makes it appear like it's always surprised.
This can all look pretty goofy on its own — especially given that there are two of them interlocked. But it all tends to look like a jumble of circles and symbols when Klink begins to rotate and spin. It manages to be a design that's simultaneously stock and jarring.
21 Mimikyu
Creepy Hidden Rag Pokemon
|
Ghost/Fairy-Type |
Disguise Pokemon |
Generation 7 |
What Mimikyu actually looks like is something that no one knows. This Pokemon wears a rag that's colored to look like Pikachu and covers its entire body. Anyone familiar with the lore of the Pokemon franchise will know that there's an interesting story that explains Mimikyu's appearance.
Even though there's a good reason for Mimikyu to look like this, it's still a little weird. This Pokemon looks so similar to Pikachu, except just wrong enough that it makes it look pretty creepy and bizarre. That's fitting because of Mimikyu's Ghost/Fairy origins, but that doesn't make it any less unsettling to look at.
20 Dachsbun
An Adorable Baked Dog
|
Fairy-Type |
Dog Pokemon |
Generation 9 |
It's evident that Dachsbun is supposed to be a type of Dachshund, and there's no crime in introducing dog-like Pokemon to the world. The silliness comes from Dachsbun's bread-roll ears and general baked-good vibes. To top it all off, Dachsbun evolves from Fidough — which is clearly an unbaked dough-dog turning into a baked dough-dog.
This is by no means a bad thing. In fact, Dachsbun is incredibly endearing and very, very cute. But it's unavoidably funny how intertwined this doggy is with bread-based things. The Pokedex even says that Dachsbun emits a smell that helps wheat grow, which honestly makes it very useful. Dachsbun is an adorable addition to the Pokemon world and seems like one of the more useful for farmers and bakers alike.
19 Whiscash
Nothing Behind The Eyes
|
Water/Ground-Type |
Whiskers Pokemon |
Generation 3 |
Although the Pokedex claims Whiscash is an aggressively territorial Pokemon, its design makes it less than intimidating. This third-gen Pokemon isn't the only one that looks very similar to a real sea creature, but that's not what makes it look so silly. It's the simple, single-line smile and hilariously round eyes with tiny pupils that make this Water/Ground-type so funny.
It's safe to say that Whiscash is the definition of "nothing going on behind the eyes." This little creature doesn't appear as if it's ever had a single thought, which means it's more likely to inspire a laugh than any real fear on the battlefield. That's not to say that Whiscash can't deal its fair share of damage, but as far as looks go, its face is not selling scary.
18 Beedrill
A Bit Too "On The Nose"
|
Bug/Poison-Type |
Poison Bee Pokemon |
Generation 1 |
Beedrill is a longstanding staple of classic Pokemon games. Although they may be a fan-favorite, Beedrill is the definition of naming something after exactly what it does. Much like a tin opener opens tins, Beedrill is a bee with drills attached to it — and once it's broken down like that, Beedrill starts to look silly.
Even if the concept is goofy, at least Beedrill's design is pretty threatening. The pointed drills and stinger give intimidation points, but it can't be overlooked that, at its core, the Pokemon is just a bee.
17 Lickitung
Strange Tongue-Heavy Design
|
Normal-Type |
Licking Pokemon |
Generation 1 |
When a lot of people think of strange-looking Pokemon, they think of the later generations of the franchise. While there are some seriously odd Pokemon in the later generations, there are also a lot of weird options in the first Gen, too. Lickitung is one of the original 151 Pokemon and is a silly one.
The Rarest Pokemon Of The Original 150
The first generation had some hard to find Pokemon. Players were lucky to run into these back in the day.
Lickitung was introduced as part of the first generation of the Pokemon franchise. It's a Normal-type Pokemon, and its name pretty much describes what this Pokemon looks like and what makes it so uniquely goofy. This Pokemon walks on two legs and has a really long tongue that it uses to lick things.
16 Gulpin
A Sleepy Green Blob
|
Poiston-Type |
Stomach Pokemon |
Generation 3 |
Gulpin is a small, round Poison-type Pokemon. It's safe to say this little green blob isn't giving much in terms of design. It's no crime for Gulpin to be a cute squishy Pokemon, and it at least makes it more original in concept than some others. But that doesn't quite excuse its inexplicable, amorphous existence.
Its evolution, Swalot, doesn't help much to explain what Gulpin's deal is. The puckered lips and yellow feather don't seem to have an explanation, which makes it so hard to pin down. The main idea of Gulpin is that its stomach takes up most of its body, meaning it's all about the next meal — and it doesn't have many thoughts. All these creative components keep Gulpin from being ridiculous, but it's hard to deny this adorable green blob isn't silly-looking.