Pokémon has introduced us to more than 900 different types of creatures with unique personalities and abilities. However, despite most of them being cute, loved, and adored by many, some are downright scary. Some Pokémon designs may have scared trainers in the past (myself included), which showed that maybe not all of them have to look cute and innocent. Maybe this is the Pokémon way to sow fear into enemies and predators.
But out of all the different Pokémon that exist out there, only a handful can be seen as scary. So out of the 900+ Pokémon, here are the top 10 with the scariest designs, ranked.
10. Sableye
Sableye’s design is scary if you’re in dark places. This Pokemon has dark purple skin and sharp teeth and has gems for eyes. They are known to be mischievous in caves and the gem on their chest grows when it mega-evolves. But despite its scary and mischievous demeanor, all it wants is a friend.
9. Mimikyu
Mimikyu must be the creepiest Pika-clone out there in the Pokémon franchise. Its entire body is hidden in a rag that’s meant to look like Pikachu just so it can be loved by trainers. Remove the rag and it’s told that you won’t live another day to regret it. While it is adorable, it’s still creepy due to its ragdoll-like appearance. And if you think that’s not scary enough, its Z-move in Pokémon Sun and Moon is even scarier. It wraps the opponent underneath the rag-like disguise and attacks them inside. Not to mention, the name of the Z-move is “let’s snuggle forever”… *shivers*.
8. Wishiwashi
You may think this water-type Pokémon is cute and adorable, but don’t let looks deceive you. This Pokémon will transform to its “school form,” turning it into a monstrous giant fish. It’s designed to look like a bunch of fish transformed into one, giving the term “safety in numbers” a brand new meaning. It is also said that when this Pokémon is in its school form, it can surpass the power of the toughest water-type creatures, including Gyarados.
7. Ditto
There is a rumor in the Pokémon games that Ditto were failed Mew experiments. But that’s not what makes this Pokémon scary in design. It’s a cute, genderless blob that can transform into any Pokémon it sees (and human in Detective Pikachu). But that’s not all: most Ditto transformations will have the copy retain its original eyes, giving Coraline vibes. Imagine seeing a cute, cuddly Pokémon, only to have its beady eyes staring down your soul.
6. Gigantamax Garbodor
Imagine this. You’re battling it out with another trainer. They bring out their last Pokémon, Garbodor, a six-foot trash Pokémon. Suddenly, this tall pile of trash grows even bigger, 10 times its size. It’s technically the size of a living garbage dump. Not only is this dynamaxed form 10x smelly and large, but it also turns out that it absorbed ships, cars, and buildings into its body. This large and scary Pokémon is a reminder of what happens if we don’t throw our trash correctly.
5. Galarian Slowking
You know those horror stories about parasites taking over the host body and controlling it to do its bidding? That’s Galarian Slowking. Unlike Slowking’s first iteration where he and Shelder are just co-existing with each other, in this version Shelder can take control of the Galarian Slowpoke. Its intelligence skyrockets and apparently in the anime, Shelder can possess other trainers. Talk about a parasitical relationship.
4. Parasect
Speaking of parasitical relationships, Parasect is similar, as it has a parasitical mushroom on its head. According to its Pokédex entry, Parasect’s mushroom took over the host body and if it’s removed, the body no longer moves. Its design is similar to real-life fungi, as mushrooms have tendencies to take over the host’s body — mostly insects, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. You know how scary these Pokémon looked just by constantly encountering them in the wild if you played Pokémon Legends: Arceus.
3. Ariados
This Pokémon is not good for those with arachnophobia. Whether you’re playing the mainline games or this creature pop-up in the spin-off titles such as Pokémon Ranger, seeing this large spider Pokémon is enough to drop your console down in fear. Also, this Pokémon is three feet tall. Most real-life spiders go for 30 centimeters, max. Not a fun Pokémon for those who don’t like spiders.
2. Regidrago
Unlike all the Regi designs, Regidrago has to be the most terrifying. This small-bodied Pokémon is said to have the power of all the dragon-type Pokémon combined. Not only that, people feared the destruction that Regidrago would cause if it was able to completely form its whole body, hence the reason it was sealed away.
1. Galarian Corsola/Cursola
Galarian Corsola and its evolution form, Cursola, have to be the saddest and scariest Pokémon ever created. Unlike the normal Corsola, this one looks like it’s dying, as its color is bleached away. Not to mention, when it evolves to Cursola, the body looks like a ghost floating above its destroyed body. Quite morbid and a gentle reminder of global warming.
Just because one person finds these Pokémon scary doesn’t mean that they can’t be loved by someone else. Some of these Pokémon are fan favorites of other trainers for reasons other than their looks. But regardless, these Pokémon are scary and it’s up to the trainer to be able to look beyond their looks and see them for their potential.
