You may not know this, but Pokemon owes everything to kaiju culture. Before the cards, video games, and global prestige, the creator of Pokemon, Satoshi Tajiri, was simply a bug collector with an idea for a game inspired by the infamous capsule kaijus from the Ultraman series. These tiny devices contained titanic creatures that would fight in Ultraman's place in various battles.
This idea led Tajiri to create a concept for a game called "Capsule Monsters," which would later evolve into Pokemon. Even the initial characters, Godzillante and Gorillaimo, are clear references to the king of monsters and his greatest rival. In fact, countless Pokemon designs are directly based on kaiju, including some you'd never expect.
10 Lokix And Kamen Rider ꧅ 💞
One of the least subtle kaiju references in Paldea has to be Lokix striking resemblance to the Japanese superheroes the Kamen riders. These cricket-based superheroes sit right behind Ultraman as Japan's favorite homemade heroes, so it makes complete sense that they would eventually inspire a Pokemon's design.
While Kamen Rider may not be a kaiju in the traditional sense, there are many occasions where a rider grows drastically to fight giant foes, which gives it kaiju credibility. Like its inspiration, Lokix packs a powerful punch for a bug type, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:espe♑cially with the boost from Terastallization. It's a design that truly respects its inspiration, making it one of the best kaiju-based designs.
9 𝔉 ꧋ Slaking And King Kong
While there are more than a few gorilla-like Pokemon, there's only one king. Despite Slaking's apathetic appearance, its design was actually inspired by one of the most iconic monsters in cinematic history: King Kong. Its entire evolutionary line was based off a funny idea one of the creators had. They wanted to create a Pokemon who was lazy and became motivated, but then decided it wasn't worth it.
These creators wanted to create a frustrating waste of potential, so they implemented small references to the legendary ape. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Without its Truant ability, Slaking is a towering figure with immense strength and a primal fury that can be impossible t🥀o stop. In these situations, Slaking🅘 truly embodies its design inspiration, but since these moments are rare, its kaiju connection often goes unnoticed, despite the obvious clues in its name.
8 Volcarona And Mothrဣa 🔥
Godzilla's aerial alley has been the inspiration for many of the moth-based Pokemon, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:such as Gigantimax Butterfree and Venomoth, but the one that bares the most striking resemblance is Volcarona. Its red wings and pseudo-legendary-like status separate it from the other winged insects and make the most di꧟rect connection to the legendary kaiju.
When it was originally created in Gen Five, it was their champion's signature Pokemon, and they wanted a strong bug and fire type since those felt heavily underrepresented in the Unova region. Even its Paradox form, Iron Moth is reminiscent of an abandoned concept for Mecha-Mothra, who would have appeared in the sequel to Mothra vs Godzilla.
7 📖 Bisharp And Ultraman
As important as Ultraman was to the creation of Pokemon, it's shocking that it took five generations for them to make a Pokemon directly based on Ultraman. Nevertheless, Unova delivers another kaiju-based Pokemon in Bisharp. While many have suggested its design is based on the Godzilla ally Jet Jaguar, there's a much stronger case to be made for Ultraman.
The shape of Bisharp's head and shoulder design more closely resembles many of Ultraman's forms, and Jet Jaguar has only had a few minor appearances at best. Plus, with both of Gigantimax Urshifu's designs bearing an even stronger resemblance to Japan's favorite superhero, its clear Ultraman's influence continues to be a prominent theme throughout the franchise.
6 🌠 Muk And Hedorah
One Pokemon design based on a kaiju that you are least likely to hear about is Muk. This smelly sentient sludge is actually based on the legendary alien slime monster Hedorah. This ancient kaiju from the '70s is an alien creature who starts off relatively small, but after consuming various forms of Earth's pollution, it becomes a giant gelatinous mess big enough to dwarf even the king of monsters himself.
Muk and Hedorah not only share striking design resemblances, but also similar concepts as well. Both feed off of pollution and become increasingly hazardous as they do. Hedorah has gone to inspire other Pokemon designs too, such as Garbodor and Ditto, but Kanto's most popular puddle of pollution embodies its inspiration the most.
5 🎶 Hydreigon And King Ghidorah
Another clear kaiju connection from Gen Five is Hydreigon. This high-flying hydra is very clearly inspired by one of Godzilla's most noticeable adversaries, King Ghidorah. Three-headed flying dragons aren't as common as you would think, and both Hydreigon and Ghidorah match that category.
The fact that it received a mechanized paradox form only validates this further since it's clearly a reference to Mecha-King Ghidorah. With multiple Pokemon inspired by the King of Monsters, it was only a matter of time before this king was honored with a Pokemon design as well.
4 ๊ Nidoking And Baragon
One of the first kaiju inspirations for many Pokemon was Baragon. This subterranean reptile has a particularly strange history, even for a kaiju, and while it's certainly not one of the most popular, it did inspire multiple Pokemon designs, the most notable being Nidoking.
Baragon's single horn, and "reptilian rabbit" design were also the inspiration for the first Pokemon ever created, Rhydon, and of course, Nidoqueen. All of these Pokemon are Ground types, which makes sense as Baragon is a giant burrowing creature. It also explains why Nidoking evolves with a moonstone, as Baragon originally only surfaced at night. Despite being fairly niche, even in the kaiju community, Baragon played a major role in the history of Pokemon.
3 Iron Thorns And Mecha-Godzilla ༺ 🃏
Godzilla may be the King of Monsters, but Mecha-Godzilla is the King of Mecha-Monsters. It's also the inspiration for two Pokemon designs — Duraludon and, more recently, Iron Thorns — but Tyranitar's titanium grandchild isn't even the first mechanized version of Pokemon's original Godzilla clone.
A mecha-Tyranitar existed in both the anime and the sequels to versions 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Black and White. While Galar's steel dragon bears a passing resemblance, Iron Thorn's is more directly inspired. Despite being more powerful on paper, Iron Thorns is also slightly less viable in a fight when compared to its present-day form due to its typing and ability, which makes it a fitting mirror for how Mecha-Godzilla constantly loses to its lower tech counterpart.
2 ༺ Giratina And 🃏Destroyah
One of the most legendary Pokemon designed after a kaiju is Giratina. This divine demon is based off one of Godzilla's greatest foes, Destroyah. This Poke-diety has multiple forms, just like its kaiju cousin, and both its fourth and fifth forms look nearly identical to Giratina's design.
It's certainly a fitting inspiration for a Pokemon who is literally supposed to represent the devil of the Pokemon universe. Additionally, Destroyah's growth is fueled by its absorption of "mirco-oxygen" — a highly unstable source of energy that's incredibly similar to the anti-matter controlled by Giratina. The similarities in concept and design make Giratina one of the most interesting kaiju-inspired Pokemon.
1 ꧅ Baxcalibur A🎃nd Godzilla
The King of Monsters is also th🌸e king of kaiju-inspired Pokemon. While Tyranitar is one of the most obvious Godzilla-ins꧋pired Pokemon, multiple versions of Godzilla have been the inspiration behind some of the most beloved Pocket Monsters such as Baxcalibur.
Even Baxcalibur's previous evolution, Frigibax, bears a much more striking resemblance to Godzilla's child Minilla than Pupitar, which further validates it as the superior Godzilla clone. The Godzilla inspiration also extends to Feraligatr, but that design is meant to more closely resemble "Zilla" from the 1998 American-made film.
With "Godzillante" being the first Capsule creature ever designed and the spikes on the back of Rhydon being directly linked to it, you could say that Godzilla's inspiration was there from the very start. Game Freak has never been ashamed of their love for kaiju culture, so we are sure to see more kaiju-inspired designs as the series progresses forward.