Summary
The inspiration behind the creation of aPokemoncan come from several places: animals, plants, mythology, culture, etc., but one of the most commonly used sources of inspiration in the franchise are Kaiju,fictional giant monstersthat are often featured in Japanese cinema. Of these,Godzillais by far the most famous one.
From the very first generation ofPokemonto the most recent one, there have been a lot of creatures whose designs and concepts are based on one (or many) of these iconic Kaiju. While some of them may be quite obvious, there are many others that are surprisingly clever and unexpected.
10Tyranitar
Godzilla & Bemular
Tyranitaris alwaysthe firstPokemonthat comes to mind when discussing Kaiju in this franchise. One brief look at it is enough to tell that it’s obviously inspired by the King of the Monsters himself: The pose, the tail, the spikes on its back, and even the fact that it is often seen firing a Hyper Beam from its mouth.
What’s even more interesting is that there’s another giant monster that may have inspired Tyranitar’s design, seeing as it also has a close resemblance toBemular, from theUltramanfranchise. With its spiky body and green skin, it’s most likely that this alien Kaiju also served as inspiration for the armored Pokemon.
9Mega Tyranitar
Space Godzilla & Super Godzilla
If resembling Godzilla wasn’t enough,Mega Tyranitartakes it to another level. Whenthis PokemonMega evolves, it gains an additional set of spikes on its shoulders that make it look likeSpace Godzilla, Godzilla’s evil doppelgänger from the 1994 filmGodzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla.
Mega Tyranitar may be an even deeper cut for Kaiju fans since it also resemblesSuper Godzilla, a powered-up form of Godzilla from the 1993 video game of the same name, which even inspired Space Godzilla’s design years later. Considering that both are power-ups for their respective creatures, this was most likely intentional.
8Nidoking
Baragon
The first generation ofPokemonwas way simpler when it came to its creature designs, and it was always easy to tell which animal inspired each creature.Nidokingwas, however, one of the most confusing ones, since it looks like a weird mixture of a rabbit, a rhinoceros, and a dinosaur.
It all makes much more sense when the monsterBaragonis taken into consideration. Not only do they both have hues of similar purple color, big horns, and giant ears, but Baragon is also known for its ability to burrow underground. Nidoking is a Ground Type Pokemon, making their connection even more obvious.
7Volcarona
Mothra
It is not easy to make a moth intimidating, and thePokemonfranchise has tried to do it with varying levels of success. It wasn’t untilPokemon Black & Whitethat the designers finally succeeded withVolcarona, the Bug/Fire Sun Pokemon. Since it’s a big moth with white fur and orange wings, the comparison with the iconicMothrais more than expected.
That’s not all, since Volcarona is also considered a Guardian and is worshiped as a deity. This is also true for Mothra. In most of her movies, she’s seen as a Guardian of the Earth and is worshiped as a goddess by the people of Infant Island.
6Hydreigon
King Ghidorah
Volcarona is not the onlyPokemoninspired by a Kaiju that was introduced in Generation Five, since the same games were also the first time players could battle and catchHydreigon, the Dark/Dragon Brutal Pokemon. While it’s obviously inspired by the mythological creature from Japanese folklore known as Yamata-no-Orochi, there are also a lot ofKing Ghidorahaspects in its design.
The three dragon-like heads, the wings, and the lack of hands make the resemblance to King Ghidorah even more obvious. Not to mention that this Kaiju is infamous for being evil andGodzilla’s arch nemesis, which ties in perfectly with Hydreigon’s Dark typing.
5Duraludon
Mechagodzilla
Pokemon Sword & Shieldintroduced players to a brand-new Steel/Dragon Pokemonknown asDuraludon, a distinct new creature that was seemingly based on an alloy known as Duralumin and the famous building in the United Kingdom, The Shard. But the official website revealed yet another curious inspiration.
It was said that Duraludon has a rivalry with Tyranitar, since they share a habitat and can often be seen fighting one another in the wild. This factoid, coupled with its Steel typing, makes it evident that this Pokemon is based onMechagodzillaand its long rivalry with Godzilla.
4Iron Thorns
Mechagodzilla 3 AKA Kiryu
There are different versions ofMechagodzilla. Sometimes, it’s just a mechanical construct that barely resembles Godzilla. For others, it’s created as an actual doppelgänger of the King of the Monsters, with the version known asKiryueven being created using Godzilla’s own skeleton. So it is no surprise that this iconic mecha has not one but two Pokemon based on it.
Iron Thornsis a new Paradox Pokemonintroduced inPokemon Violet.The similarity with Tyranitar is intentional since it’s supposed to be a version of that Pokemon from many years into the future. In this case, being a futuristic/robotic clone of an actual existing monster is very reminiscent of Mechagodzilla.
3Iron Jugulis
Mecha King Ghidorah
Mechanical doppelgängers are a commonly used trope in theGodzillafranchise. And, just like Mechagodzilla, Toho later came up with the idea of makingMecha King Ghidorah, a cyborg made out of the remains of the previously mentioned King Ghidorah. And it’s very similar to another new addition to thePokemonfranchise:IronJugulis.
While this Kaiju is only half machine, whereas Iron Jugulis seems to be completely robotic, the fact that it was introduced alongside a Mechagodzilla reference in the same game made it evident that it was meant to be a reference to the other futuristic Kaiju. It can even be said that Iron Jugulis is to Hydreigon what Iron Thorns is to Tyranitar.
2Aggron
Pulgasari
Stepping outside the belovedGodzillafranchise for a moment, there’s alsoAggron, the Steel/Rock Pokemon from Generation Three. This creature seems to be based onPulgasari, a legendary monster from Korean mythology that grows in size the more metal it eats. The thing is, most illustrations of Pulgasari look nothing like Aggron.
This is becauseAggron’s draconic appearanceseems to be based on the star of the 1985 Kaiju filmPulgasari.Made in North Korea, this movie not only put the mythological creature on the map, but staff from Toho’s special effects department helped create the titular monster. So it makes perfect sense as to why Pulgasari would end up inspiring Aggron’s design and concept.
1Baxcalibur
Godzilla
Recently added inPokemon Scarlet & Violet,Baxcaliburseems to be the most blatant Godzilla reference in the entire franchise, even more so than Tyranitar. Aside from the obvious physical features, Baxcalibur’s proportions make it seem like it’s an actor inside a suit, which is a clever reference to the art of tokusatsu.
Unlike Tyranitar, the Kaiju references are present in the entire evolutionary line, seeing asFrigibaxresembles Minilla, andArctibaxresembles Baby Godzilla. The latter even evolves at Level 54, a possible nod to the year 1954, when the first Godzilla movie came out.
But the most glaring reference is Baxcalibur’s signature move,Glaive Rush. While this attack may seem over-the-top and silly at first, it is way too similar to some of the most hilarious moves that Godzilla starred in during the Showa Era, like the time he actually flew in order to chase Hedorah, or his legendary drop-kick against Megalon.
