While most prefer to just focus on the really awesome-looking Pokemon, even the series’ biggest fans can’t deny that there are some that don’t look so great. From Pokemon that look like inanimate objects to Pokemon with some seriously strange features, there are a lot of creatures in the Pokemon franchise that look like they’re supposed to be a joke rather than a serious design.
Updated November 2, 2022, by Rain Egan: The upcoming release of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet has fans reminiscing on some of their favorite Pokemon from past generations. Fan favorites like Bulbasaur, Eevee, and Ninetales are sure to get a lot of love, but what about their strange-looking brethren? With that in mind, there are a few goofy Pokemon designs that have generated a strong fan community. Where would Trubbish be without its Kindergartner saving anime arc or Mr. Mime without its staunch defenders? Who among the Pokemon fandom doesn’t have a soft spot for at least one silly object Pokemon?
13 Lickitung
When a lot of people think of strange-looking Pokemon, they think of the later generations of the franchise. While there are some seriously strange Pokemon in the later generations, there are also a lot of weird ones in the first one, too. Lickitung is one of the original 151 Pokemon and is definitely a silly one.
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 strange. This Pokemon walks on two legs and has a really long tongue that it uses to lick things.
12 Exeggcute
Exeggcute is another Generation 1 Pokemon that goes to show that not all the weird Pokemon came later in the franchise. Exeggcute is a dual-type Grass/Psychic Pokemon that also has a really descriptive name. This Pokemon is a collection of half a dozen eggs, some of which have cracks or even a large hole in them, and all have faces.
Exeggcute is definitely a unique Pokemon, but being a bunch of eggs that are just laying on the ground makes this Pokemon a pretty strange one. The fact that this Pokemon turns into Exeggutor, a palm tree with multiple heads, definitely doesn’t help that it’s so strange.
11 Calyrex
Taking a good look at one of Generation 8’s Legendary Pokemon, it looks pretty goofy. As it’s a Psychic-type Pokemon, the design somewhat makes sense, as it appears the weight of its huge brain is holding up the rest of its rabbit-looking body. Speaking of the body, those legs are literally twice as long as the rest of its body.
Despite its Legendary status and in-game status as old and merciful, this Pokemon does look like a limp, stuffed rabbit held up by a huge head. If that’s not silly, it’s hard to imagine what else is.
10 Jynx
Although most Pokemon look like animals, plants, and other similar creatures, there are a couple of Pokemon that look terrifyingly human. Among them is the Generation 1 Ice/Psychic Pokemon Jynx. This Pokemon has a purple face, a large mouth, and blonde hair. It looks fairly similar to a person and it used to have black on its face instead of purple, implying that its real face is hidden in the darkness behind its hair.
Among a franchise full of unusual animal-like creatures, it’s pretty tough to be the strangest Pokemon, but Jynx is definitely among them. This creature looking so human-like while still visibly not being a person definitely makes Jynx one of the strangest Pokemon in the franchise
9 Mimikyu
What Mimikyu actually looks like is something that no one knows. This Pokemon wears a rag that was colored to look like Pikachu and this rag 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.
Despite the fact that there’s a good reason for Mimikyu to look like this, it’s still definitely a little weird. This Pokemon looks so similar to Pikachu except just wrong enough that it makes it look pretty creepy and weird. That’s fitting for what Mimikyu is like, but that doesn’t make it any less strange to look at.
8 Dunsparce
Dunsparce is a Pokemon that was introduced in Generation 2 of the Pokemon franchise. This Pokemon is a Normal-type that looks similar to an insect with its round head and body, stinger on its back, and two wings. This Pokemon may have wings, but it doesn’t exactly fly around. Instead, it tends to use them to just slightly float and bury underground alongside Diglett.
The fact that this Pokemon, which doesn’t evolve into or from any other Pokemon in the franchise, has those small wings but isn’t a Flying-type Pokemon is a little unusual. However, the fact that its eyes are constantly closed and the coloring on its mouth makes it look like it’s frowning makes it look a little strange and also sad at the same time.
7 Dracovish
Just look at this Pokemon. Take a good, long look into its widely-spaced eyes, lack of nose, and completely unhinged jaws. Take in its massive size and powerful legs. Dracovish is caught in-game by combining a Fossilized Fish and a Fossilized Drake, revealing an apparently ancient being from the Galarian region.
Despite its strange appearance, Dracovish does look very friendly. It looks almost like a large, friendly puppy, which is somewhat charming of this fossil Water/Dragon-type Pokemon. It’s definitely silly and rather scary, which is an accomplishment for a Pokemon of its size.
6 Mr. Mime
Ash’s mom may get along well with the Mr. Mime that she keeps around, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t still plenty of players who want one of these humanoid Pokemon of their very own. There are a ton of urban legends surrounding this Pokemon that imply that it may not actually be a Pokemon at all, but those stories aren’t needed to think this Pokemon is straight-up strange.
Mr. Mime looks so much like a human that it’s almost creepy with its hands, arms, and feet. It has pink balls all over its body and two blue growths like hair coming out of the sides of its head. Is Mr. Mime secretly a human that was somehow cursed with being caught by Pokemon trainers forever? Who knows, but it sure is silly looking.
5 Honedge
Even though players all know that Pokemon battle with each other, the fact that there’s a Pokemon that looks like an actual weapon is pretty silly. Honedge is a Pokemon that was introduced in Generation 6 of the Pokemon franchise, two whole generations before Pokemon Sword & Shield was even announced. The Pokemon developers sure were ahead of their time.
While many of the earlier Pokemon are based on animals, insects, and even humans, having Pokemon like Honedge that looks like a sword is pretty silly. With Pokemon like Honedge, it’s no surprise that many people think all the weird Pokemon came out with later generations.
4 Bruxish
Bruxish isn’t just another fish Pokemon. It’s another fish Pokemon with lips. And why does it have lips? Apparently, to match its hot pink, purple, turquoise, and yellow body. Not only that, but it has visible eyelids and eyelashes, something that real fish certainly don’t have.
Now, that’s not to say the reason Bruxish is so off-putting is that it doesn’t resemble a fish. It’s more that its face somehow falls into an uncanny valley territory that makes many players uncomfortable with it. There’s also the unnerving expression it always seems to have on its face, which is almost confrontational.
3 Klefki
It’s so easy to lose one’s car or house keys in real life, so players can’t even imagine what it would be like to have a Pokemon that looks like a key ring covered in keys. But, thanks to Klefki, there are a lot of Pokemon trainers that don’t have to imagine what that would be like.
Klefki is a dual-type Steel/Psychic Pokemon that was introduced in Generation 6. This Pokemon looks like a metal key ring that is covered in the different keys that this Pokemon has stolen. According to stories about Klefki, this Pokemon has moved closer to cities so that it can sneak into homes and steal keys!
2 Vanillish
Vanillish is an Ice-type Pokemon that was introduced in Generation 5 of the Pokemon franchise. Vanillish is the middle evolution phase between Vanillite and Vanilluxe and to be honest, the entire evolutionary chain that Vanillish is from is pretty silly. All of them look like ice cream cones and make players so hungry.
Vanillite looks like a small ice cream cone and is so silly that it’s actually almost cute while Vanilluxe looks like two ice cream cones that were smashed together side by side. With three creatures having such funny designs, players are free to take their pick when it comes to which is the silliest-looking Pokemon.
1 Trubbish
No matter how silly or strange a Pokemon’s design is, it’s definitely rude to say that a Pokemon’s design is garbage. But, what if the Pokemon’s design is literally garbage? Trubbish is a Pokemon that was introduced in Generation 5 of the Pokemon franchise. Trubbish is a Poison-type Pokemon that literally looks like a bag of garbage.
Among all the silly Pokemon that have been introduced throughout the course of the Pokemon franchise, Trubbish and its evolution, Garbodor, are definitely the strangest ones. A Pokemon that looks like a bag of garbage that came to life? It almost seems like it was made up to make fun of the other silly designs, but this Pokemon is completely real.
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